Owensville

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-16T11:34:00.000-08:00

Well another year has come and about gone. So finally I am updating our blog! Here are a few pictures and news about how our 2011 was. We had some good times and and some sad times with illness and deaths involving some dear family and friends. I now have a new job right here in Owensville, working for the Gasconade County Health Department. I still am doing some things for the Osage County Health department as well...but will leave that position in the spring and only work in Gasconade County...our home county! We will be sharing Christmas with my sister and some of my brothers and family this year. But we have had some parties and gatherings here too for the holidays. We love our home here and living in Owensville. We treasure our friends here and our church family and love becoming more and more involved with the community!Mike's daughters, their husbands and the grandkids came out for a brunch and gifts and games...and Ella is about the only one who let's me take her picture anymore!! It was a fun day though for us.... I am so excited that my Christmas Cactus looks as if it actually may bloom on Christmas Day this year. The following posts will show you some things that happened through out 2011. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all who read this!!

Misc Happenings....

2011-12-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

In June we finally sold our Michigan home!! Some very nice people bought it who are loving it and though we will miss it lots, it was becoming quite a drain on our finances! We loved our time there and made many dear friends whom we will never lose contact with and we plan to go back to visit everyone often. But good by to our wonderful home and Diamond Lake!

Now we were able to do some things to our house here that we had been unable to do before...we did some improvements to the kitchen....new sink, new countertops, new dishwasher etc. We got a new roof on our garage and did some landscaping. We also sold the van and got a Prius to drive which saves us a lot on gas!! We love our Prius!!

In the fall, we also were able to see Ella in a school concert....and visit with her and her mom and dad at their new home. Here is Ella being a cowgirl....

And her in the back row on the left with her class as they sung patriotic songs...Our area has so many wineries which we enjoy...so here we are doing a late fall dinner while listening to a band at a winery not too far from us...one we had not been to before....And Mike in his Halloween costume...we was suppose to be a pirate...I was his aging wench.

Trip to Maine...partial family reunion

2011-12-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

In August of the this summer we took a long planned for trip to Maine for a family reunion. My brother Paul, Judith and Evan were not able to make it and were very much missed...but we had a great trip! For most of the time, we rented side by side cabins on a beautiful lake....The views were gorgeous ...it was a great lake called George's Pond...My brothers and brother in law were very successful fishing and we had actually more than we could eat at one sitting!We bought lobsters from a local lobster man and were able to eat lobster which were in the ocean that morning!We toured around wonderful little coastal villages on more than one day....And ate some great meals waterfront!Maine is so gorgeous!And we had lobster more than once needless to say!But mostly just being with family was what was so special about it! Love you guys!!!

Family Memorial Day Visit

2011-12-13T11:09:00.000-08:00

On Memorial Day Weekend we had visits from my brothers and their families...one from Springfield, Mo and the other from the Chicago area. Did some porch sitting....

Amanda brought her new little baby Mason...so there was lots of snuggling with him

The proud Grandma, Pam

The proud Grandpa Steve....

Evan is such a great baseball player! Played with the guys in the back yard...

The brothers made their famous lemon BBQ chicken..yum! And Evan apprenticed. It was so fun!!

Spring Training, 2011

2011-12-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

In spring of 2011 we took a trip to Florida. Traveled up and down and to both sides of the state in the limited time we had. Here is a view from our room where we stayed to go to Cardinal Spring Training Games. We plan to do this again and stay here again too this spring! We saw then future coach Mike Matheny there!

We got to see Cardinals like Molina up close and personal...so neat!

By, by Albert....we had your best years and last year was really not one of them!

Crowded dugout!

We met and mingled with radio personality Mcgraw Milhaven!

Visited dear friends....

And ate lots of great seafood!

Thanks for putting us up guys...on both coasts!

Merry 2010 Christmas!!

2010-12-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

As we end 2010, we want to wish all of you who read this very happy holidays! Our year was a good one. Still have not sold our house in Michigan, which continues to be a bit of a financial drain for us, but we have good health and really are very fortunate. Mike had his left total hip replaced this fall and his thoughts about that are further down in this blog. Various pictures of some of our other activities are also posted here. I found a good part time job as a public health nurse in a town about 40 minutes from here and think I will grow to love it. We have not been able to see our St. Louis friends either out here ...or in there...as often as we would have hoped...but are loving living here in Owensville. And are making new friends here. Mike has become a bit active in the local theatre group and we are going to join both the Arts Council and the local Democratic club. We have found a wonderful church which we are now members of. These folks have been so friendly and welcoming to us in every way....and we look forward to developing lots of friendships with them. We have joined the choir and love singing in harmony with their lovely voices. We have said to each other many times....how glad we are that we chose Owensville as a place to live...and look forward to having many happy years here!

Below are some pictures of our Christmas Decorations. We got two new electric heaters and have loved having mantles to decorate. This Christmas besides giving and going to parties with our friends...both new and old, we will have Mike's kids and grandkids out on the 26th for gifts and dinner. They are predicting snow on Christmas Eve so to go to the 11PM service at our church should be lovely! We can walk if it gets too deep!! Love living in a small town. Hope all your days are merry....and that 2011 is a wonderful year for us all!!

Some decorations on the porch.....

One of the smaller mantles.....

And the larger one in the parlor.....

Fall outings.....

2010-12-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

One evening in the late summer, we went with some friends to eat in a restaurant which is inside a cave! It was interesting......the food was OK. But I think all of us feel....we've done it...no need to do it again! Then in October, my dear Uncle Larry and cousin Nick came for a visit. We toured a lot of wineries...cause that is the area we live in. Here is an old historic stone church...And the historic RR Missouris River town of AugustaAt a winery on the banks of the Missouri RiverUncle Larry swigging from the bottle....well....not really!At Hermann....a wonderful old German town near us And on a trip into St. Louis...we visited the house Uncle Larry...and my mom...grew up in. I lived there for a while too...a wonderful house in South St. Louis.

Family Reunions

2010-12-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

We had two family reunions in August....the Balluff one in MT Morris....and here is the whole crew at breakfast....Enjoying our picnic/BBQ in the park....Aunt Ruth and Lucas...Aunt Ruth and Ella....the oldest and the youngest!A good pic of Luke...and it is hard to get him to pose...which is why there always seem to be more of Ella. But he is soooo handsome!!My brother David in town...and we took in a Card's game at Busch Stadium...fun!!And the Kuehnert/Wright family reunion...cousins reunited. And two kids named after my mom's cousin Evan who is missed by us all.All of the cousins....do we look hot...and I mean that in the bad way?? It was one of the hottest days of the year.....in the 100's! YIKESSS!!

Spring and summer fun 2010

2010-12-12T13:22:00.000-08:00

On a hot summer weekend, we went to Sedalia to the Scott Joplin Jazz Festival...toured an historic home and listened to some great Ragtime Jazz.....

We saw Ella...our grand daughter get her medal in gymnastics

And went to the Rose evening at the Missouri Botanical Garden in June

Paid some visits for wine drinking and music to our local Wenwood Farm winery.....

And had fun with the kids in the backyard.....

Luke has great potential for golfing....hopefully his granddad can take him out this spring now that he has a new hip!In the spring my two BFF's and I went to the Mo Botanical Garden too...one of our favorite places in St. Louis.

CONTINUATION OF SAME

2010-11-10T04:57:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is two months after my surgery, and all is well. I'm playing golf, walking a lot to strenthen my legs. It is surprising how much you lose strength when you don't use some muscles for a few weeks. I'm going to my Orthopedist in two days for another follow up. I feel very good now and I'd say that I am about 90% back to my normal self. My legs do get tired, but could that be age??? I seldom even think of limiting myself actively, but I am cautious when walking on uneven lawns, and up hill. I really don't want to step in a gopher hole. I am now pain free after 3 years of enduring the hip pain of bone to bone contact. Hallejulia! Amen!
Thanks for reading. Mike

FOLLOW UP

2010-10-13T14:55:00.000-07:00

One month after my surgery I returned to my orthopedist for a follow up exam and advise how to continue my treatment. I have followed my physician's advise to the letter, in spite of difficulty sleeping and restricted moving about in my world. We checked in at his office and I was taken to X-ray where they took pics of my hip. Wow, how interesting it was to see inside my body and the device implanted in my hip!
Plus the fact it is working well. Still no pain or discomfort to the joint or incision, just achiness in the other muscles of my back and legs. After the X-ray we sat in a examination room for a few minutes when all the lights went out. There we were in total darkness until a nurse came and herded us all into the parking lot in front of the medical center, not knowing why or what was happening. Everyone was there, patients like me with walkers, and some with IV's on a stand, and some in wheelchairs. My doctor spotted me there and came over and checked me out in the parking lot. He told me to get rid of the walker and go to a cane for two more weeks, continue on my meds, and check back with him in another month. Done!!!
Hallelujah!!! Jubilation reigns. It has been up hill from then on. Every day improvement is seen and felt. I am not back 100% yet, probably more like 75% and another 5% every week. I'm sleeping on both sides, walking without a cane a lot, but get tired easily. Hopefully in a month or so, I'll feel up to getting out the golf clubs again. Thanks to you all for your good wishes, prayers, and thanks for reading. Mike PS- the lights went out due to a transformer failure.

Caregivers

2010-09-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

This blog would not be complete without a word or two about my caregivers. Let me just say that I really hate to be dependent on anyone else but myself in any situation. I have always had pride in the fact that I could fend for myself when push came to shove, that way I am responsible for any action or inaction on my part. However in this situation, I was always at the mercy of my caregivers- the nurses, my physician, physical therapist and most of all my wife, Judy, my personal nurse. What dedication they all had! They guided me, advised me, and treated me so well that I am going to be forever grateful. I know that I can never repay them for the wonderful service they gave me so gently and confidently. What a great group of people. My wife, Judy, has been so good to me in this helpless condition in which I was, meeting my every need with smiles and great insight into what I need, she has gone the extra mile and then some. I think that I am ahead of my expected healing because of her and my diligent program of exercise that was given to me by my therapist. Thank you Judy and every one of my caregivers. Mike

Getting stronger.

2010-09-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

Had I known this hip surgery would be so easy, shucks, I wouldn't have been so skeered. Fear of the unknown, that is just what is is. Solved by complete trust and faith in my surgeon and my God. Gosh I should have known, but then I'm only a poor dumb human. It will be three weeks since my surgery on this Tuesday, and I still have had little or no pain from my hip, or the incision since I left the hospital. The only complaint that I can think of is that the muscles in my other leg, lower back and arm and shoulders, hurt more than they usually do. They are compensating for the loss of weight bearing on my repaired hip. I am still using a walker which makes me feel like I'm 90 years older than I really am, but I could walk across the room without it I am sure. I hesitate to do anything that my doctor told me not to do, so I continue to be just an old dog. Judy has taken me out for a ride in the car, which was a treat, but I miss working in the yard and flower garden more than ever. I am going to follow the doctor's regimen to the letter and remain steadfast in my exercise and do the drugs as he has prescribed. I know in my heart that is best, I will continue to improve. Please return next week after my follow up with my surgeon, I may have more encouraging news. You all know that this is for the benefit of anyone who is contemplating hip surgery, and to put you at ease. Thanks for reading. Mike

Continuation of the Hip Hop

2010-09-21T06:51:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am two weeks to the day after my surgery. I have a nurse come to see me once a week to check my vital signs and to check my blood to see how the various drugs are affecting me. They ask me to evaluate my pain on a scale of 0-10. I'm pleased to say that it is a 0 most of the time, with and occasional 2-3. Most of that pain is not from my hip, but from my other muscles which are taking over the task of supporting my weight that I cannot put on my hip. There are 3 things that I must keep in mind, according to the doctor. 1) only 50% weight on my left leg, no more. 2) the angle of my body bending at the waist cannot excede 90 degrees and 3) my foot and leg cannot cross a line equidistant between my feet. So crossing my legs is a no-no. Also I must walk like a duck with my left foot pointed to the outside of my body. It must not be forced to turn to the inside.These things are getting hard to remember as it is difficult, with no pain, to resist just getting out and running or jumping or climbing trees, as I feel that I can readily do all that. I sleep at night very well, but it must be on my back. I have adjusted to that as I am a side sleeper. Judy said that I snore mightily on my back. So to insure a sound night for her, I must sleep where all my growling bear noises cannot be heard by anyone. (She suggested the car in the garage, but I nixed that) I am still a little uncomfortable siting and typing on the computer as it is close to the 90 degree rule. As time allows, and time does march on here, I will keep anyone interested apprised of my progress in future blogs. thanks for reading. Mike

Midsection Pain or the St. Johns Hospital Hip Hop

2010-09-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

About three years ago now, when we were in Texas avoiding the Michigan winter, I noticed something of a pain coming from my leg near my hip joint. It was rather painful to walk so I took some aspirins and it went away. It went away until about 6hours later. Then one day I was riding my bike and took a rather unintentional, awkward, and embarassing spill landing on my side. Watching me do this inglorious act was a group of about 10 picnickers about 10 feet away! I dusted my self off, smiled as if it was a regular occurrance, righted my bike and said that I was fine, and not to call EMR. The next day I had to cancel my golf game with the fellas I usually joined once a week. A few days of rest and a few ibuprofen tabs later it felt all right again, except for a few elbow scabs that were healing. Nothing severe enough to keep me from playing 18 holes for sure, and at that time I was coming in 1st or 2nd in our group of 6. Never had to buy a round of beer as the bottom player.
Well winter came and went and we returned to MI and I continued to play my usual golf once or twice a week limping around at all the local courses there. I kept the OTC drug companys in business. I was switching between Motrin, naproxin sodium, acetaminiphin and aspirin on consecutive days, never taking more than the recommended dosage. My liver meant too much to me.
Meanwhile we moved to MO. I limped my way through that.
Advancing to 4 months ago, I had my physical where they took an xray and informed me that I had an arthritic hip and warned me that I had a hip procedure coming soon.
Not me! Said I. Can't be true as I am too tough and indestructible for this, besides it scared me as I had never been in a hospital before..since I was 9 yrs old, that's almost never and I really don't remember much except that then there was no TV and my entertainment was a nurse who came in once in a while to play checkers.

About August 10th I went to Washington MO to the Patients First Clinic to talk to an Orthopedist about getting a new hip to replace the old worn out one. I engaged Dr. Dean Lusardi to do the surgery and he scheduled me for 195 minutes in the Operating room on Sept 7. I counted the hours, days, and minutes until the big day arrived. I got up at 5:30 AM, showered with the antiseptic soap that they gave me and Judy drove me to St. Johns Hospital where they prepped me for surgery at 9 AM. I don't remember anything after that until I woke up in the recovery room at about 12:45PM. Where did the time go? Birds were singing, music was playing and I was floating in the air. Wheee, what fun that was! They took me for a ride up in the elevator to my private room. (don't remember the elevator ride either)

I felt like a special king of kings as the nurses were looking after my every wish.

My doctor came in and asked me how I was doing, and I remember telling him that I was still alive. I still was feeling no pain and all I wanted was to drink water and sleep. That night I must have awakened 10 times to go potty. Had to call the nurse to help me get out of bed. Then every two hours the nurse came comes in to take my temp, blood pressure, and a blood sample. It was a very long night.

The next day I had my wife and my pastor visit me. I enjoyed seeing someone whom I recognized. The hospital food was horrible that day, but got much better as the days wore on.

I think the explanation for that is that my taste buds were screwy, and I got hungrier as time passed.

Hospital nurses are so kind and gentle, and that is just what I needed, as being moved from position to position for eating, pottying, and sleeping was a little trying.

My hospital stay was 3 days, I was really ready to leave. Driving home from the hospital was an hour except there was an accident that blocked the road for another 45 minutes.

Now in retrospect, the experience was not that unpleasant. I am glad that I had the procedure done. I'm exercising every day for my new hip, eating well, and sleeping like a dead man. In another 3 weeks, my doctor says that I won't know I've been through anything like this. I have a new perspective on life and looking forward to more golf. Thanks for reading.

Christmas 2009 is now history...and what a time it was!

2010-01-03T15:15:00.000-08:00

We had lots of plans this Christmas and the following pictures tell the tale of some of them. We had wonderful times with friends and family. December started out with 3 dinners one each week...one at our friends', the Fould's house, one at ours, and one at our friends', the Smiths' house. We have known each other for a looooong time...and live in kind of a triangle from each other...about an hour apart from each other. We planned on sleeping over at each other's houses the night of these parties...so we could have some glasses of Christmas cheer. Each one of us cook and decorate differently...so that makes it interesting. Each party is a little different and each party was wonderful!

We started at Barb's where she had a wonderful array of appetizers to start us out with.....

Their two kitties Doozi and Sunshine entertain us between courses always...and are sooo cute!Then we tucked in to a wonderful, fabulous meal of paella! What a great time! Wonderful meal and beautiful setting! Click on this picture to make it bigger and see that beautiful paella!

The next dinner ...about a week later was at our house....we had appetizers in the parlor....

Here is how it looked before I put all the food out actually....pics reversed! Mike got me the wonderful centerpiece for one of my Christmas gifts!And here is the table before we started eating.....being the hostess I never took another one until we were done! But I made Cocquille St. Jacques....thanks to Julia Child! Yummy if I do say so myself! And I heard everyone else thought so too.....

The next dinner was at the Smiths who live on the family farm in the country....a wonderful spot! Jan's hobby is trains and dollhouses and her train is really fun to watch!The table before......They made a fabulous beef roast stuffed with mushrooms which was to die for....should have got a shot of that!Thanks Ron for taking this picture...I am so rarely in them! I think all three of us had spectacular trees....should have taken one of Barbs which is the biggest and absolutely wonderful!The Smiths have beautiful horses on the farm.....Ron relating to one.....

My sister and brother in law came for the holidays and during that time we got together in St. Louis with some dear old friends of both Susie and me.....here at Seamus McDaniels in Dogtown are: Kevin, John, Lynn, Susie, Dennis....And ME

Before my relatives arrived on Christmas Eve...we had the kids and grandkids over on a Sunday for Christmas Brunch and gift exchange...as usual they were darling. Hats were the item this year for both grandkids....Luke.....Geeez...look at those eyelashes! He is sooo handsome...but does not really like his picture taken at this age.....My wonderful niece Becca knit this hat for Ella....she looks so cute in it!And she loves to have her picture taken at the age she is at!

Then Christmas Eve came and my sister, brother in law, and nephew came in on a rainy Christmas Eve! Thank goodness it was not ice or snow. It did snow that night and we did have a white Christmas which is so rare for Missouri! But was pretty. We were very glad we did not have to go anywhere that day though.......

We had Prime Rib....which turned out great! First time I ever cooked it!

Corey, Mike, Susie and Dennis before dinner......We had so much fun with them...but it did involve a lot of running around to get Corey to the bus station to go see his dad and then to the airport...we handled it though and the weather pretty much cooperated. And we were so glad he was here!!

We got some rather bad news a couple of days after Christmas. Our brother had had chest pains while he was at the hospital for another medical emergency of another family member in he and his wife's family. He was rushed to the cath lab and ended up having 2 stents put in. Very scary for us. Heart disease runs in our family and our mom died of it way too young. He is fine now though. We did drive down to Springfield to see him and so glad we did! He was in the hospital for a few days and he and his wife, Pam did not make it here as planned for New Years. We missed them! But are glad all ended well!

Paul....another brother, his wife Judith and their son Evan did arrive for New Years from Chicago though and we had a nice lasagne dinner the night they arrived....

We went to a fun old quaint restuarant near here on the Gasconade River for New Years Eve dinner. It used to be an old mill and will be fun to go to in good weather and sit outside and watch the river. But that night....Great food....great company!We all then came back here and played games and drank champagne until midnight. Missed Steve, Pam....and David and Nat...but was great to be together! Had lots of fun during the families visits...and the weather was not too bad. Played cards, watched DVD's, caught up with talk....ate a lot. What you do during the holidays. They were great in our new home and we hope we have many more like them with family and our best friends! Thank you all for coming! And Happy 2010 to all who read this!!!!

Getting ready for Christmas

2009-12-09T09:20:00.001-08:00

At last it is December.....and 2009 will be over soon. What a year it has been for us! So happy to have found this house and to be living here. We always will treasure our times and friends in Michigan and are so glad that we lived there for so many years...but are now very glad to be here. Hope that 2010 brings us a buyer for our house up there! But Michigan will always be in our hearts and we will always visit dear ones there!

I am happy to have found a job I love...even though I have an hour and half commute to get to it. I have just completed orientation to be a hospice nurse for Visiting Nurse Assoc. of Greater St. Louis...who I worked for for about 15 years when I lived in St. Louis previously. When I see patients, I will get paid by the patient so my hours will be my own and I won't have to fight rush hour traffic to and from St. Louis. I think I will find it very rewarding. I am only going to work one or two days a week.

We have started decorating this old house for Christmas and it has been fun. We don't have too much outside except for lights....and lots and lots of candles inside. But I plan to go to after Christmas sales and stock up on bargains for next year's decorating! My sister and family are coming for Christmas from Maine....and we are sooo excited to have them here! Then two of my three brothers and families and are coming to join us for New Years. Also we will host get togethers with the kids and grandkids and some of our wonderful friends, so the holidays here in Owensville will be very special for the Balluffs! We wish everyone who follows our blog a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Will post pics of holiday gatherings after...and I promise to keep it going in 2010! Please keep in touch with us!!!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-09T09:15:00.001-08:00

We were so happy this year to be able to spend Thanksgiving with family!! It was a great day. Luke was in the St. Louis Thanksgiving parade playing his trumpet in the HS marching band. He is only in Jr High...but is THAT good with the trumpet. We saw him on TV but did not make it in to see the parade....had a BIG turkey to stuff!! Everyone brought dishes and wine and we had a great time. Too good of a time to take too many pictures. But here we are.......

A fall day....

2009-12-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago...we had Ella and her parents out for some touring around the countryside, to a winery and some shops and then to spend the night. Can you tell I like taking pictures of Ella? These are at the winerySometimes she gets tired of posing for sooo many pictures!What a great family!Dancing in the field at the winery.....It is a beautiful setting.....and she looks sooo small...Playing Old Maid with Yeye back at the house.... Believe me...she knows the rules!Clowning around with Yeye....Relating to Cali....

Crazy fun Halloween Party!

2009-12-09T08:38:00.000-08:00

We were invited to our dear friends' Ron and Janet's house for Halloween. Jan always decorates so nicely for every holiday. Cannot wait to see her Christmas decs!Next year, we are gonna all come in costume....but after a bit...we all tried on my mask!Ron had his own look!We spent some time outside by the fire. It was crisp but really a beautiful fall evening. Great food, some drink and good, good friends! What more can anyone ask for??

Visiting Ella at gymnastics class

2009-12-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

Back in October, Mike and I were lucky enough to meet Ella and her mom for lunch and then to go see her do gymnastics. She is getting good at it too! And all the kids were sooo cute! Here she is with Yeye and her mom clowning at lunch.....

A pre-gymnastic run....where does she get the energy!

Lining up....they were all sooo very cute!

Learning how to flip over the parallel bars. She did flip with her teacher's help but I never could get a shot of it.
Doing really good on the low balance beam....
Learning cartwheels
AND the HIGH balance beam!! Good job little Ella!

A trip to Chicago for a family wedding.....

2009-10-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

Mike and I went to Chicago last weekend for my niece's wedding. We traveled in tandem with my brother Steve, his wife Pam and their grand daughter Amanda who all live in Springfield Missouri. My other brother David and his kids Becca and Nathan met us there. We missed David's Natalie and my sister, her husband and son Corey. Wish we ALL could have been together! Here is my third brother Paul's wife Judith and their son Evan. Paul is the father of the bride. We are in the hotel great room...and Evan does not like his picture taken and rarely sits still....but is sooooo cute!Evan....a blurrrrr......We all are pretty much computer addicts...maybe none as bad as me! But here are Steve and Amanda on the hotel computers.Paul and Judith had us over to their lovely home for a wonderful lunch the day of the wedding. The wedding did not start until 8 and the food was to be vegan...so they gave us all a meat fix! BUT the wedding food turned out to be very delish! As was Judith's meal! Thanks guys!!!Evan in his Halloween costume....with Steve...Evan and his Uncle Dave.....Evan, Amanda and Judith....A WONDERFUL meal!Steve, Nathan, Becca, Pam and David....with Paul in the background
Next post the rehearsal dinner and wedding!

My niece's wedding in Chicago!

2009-10-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

We were honored to be able to go to the rehearsal dinner which was held at a wonderful new Thai restaurant. The food was totally the best Thai food I have ever had and I think everyone agreed! Here is the BRIDE!! Stephanie with Amanda.......

Dan and Paul...brother of the bride and FOB!

Scott and Stephanie....the happy bride and groom on their last night of singlehood!Steve and Pam....He: "My dear would like some SAKI??" She:"What are ya....nuts!"Brothers.....Evan getting sleepy and finally holding still!!! My sweet and wonderful brothers....David and Steve.Pam and Amanda...two very special ladies!I guess you all know who these two are!! The next day we finally headed to the wedding dressed in our best! Here is my lovely and sweet niece Becca and her proud dad! This was what he would have worn when he was to have walked Becca down the aisle...but instead was in the hospital after a heart attack and major surgery. Paul walked Becca down the aisle at her wonderful outdoor wedding. We are so glad that David was at this wedding....and the rest of them to come! Who will be next??Becca, David and his son Nathan...Us.....Amanda, Pam and Steve...looking so sharp!Paul and Judith looking very, very nice!The wedding was held upstairs from a bar...but the space was sooo charming. Gorgeous flowers and votive candles all over. It really was lovely. The ceremony was pretty traditional for non traditional Stephanie! She looked beautiful! There were about 100 people there...and after the wedding, the chairs were cleared away and the reception was held right there. The ceremony was very meaningful and sweet and the reception was lots of fun. Thanks Becca for the two pics from your camera! She took this one and is a great photographer!

Steph and Amanda. Steph is a published author of two young adult books. So proud of her!! And Amanda is one of her biggest fans! Loves her books...read the new one straight through in the car coming back from the wedding! We all got our copies there...and I will be reading it soon!My cousin Anne was there with her husband Randy. It was SOOOO good to see her again! All of us kids grew up with Anne and her sisters Sally and Wendy and we share lots of memories that no one else has! I love these girls....and miss you guys so much. We need to do a reunion!!Sweet and silly Amanda....took my camera and took some great pics with it. Thanks Amanda...you were such a pleasure to be with!Receiving line fun.....Scott and Stephanie.....The food was plentiful and totally delicious!

The vegan cupcakes were the best I have EVER had....people on Facebook are still talking about them!
Thank you Mr and Mrs Scott Lewis for such a great wedding!!! And thank you Paul and Judith!

Lucas is in a Parade!!

2009-09-20T13:25:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Affton Days Parade and Festival. Luke, Mike's grandson played the trumpet in the High School Marching Band in the parade! He is only in Middle school but is soooo good that he was in the HS marching band! It was a nice parade and festival and a beautiful day! Here we are waiting for the parade to come to our location.... Mike, Tammy, Marsha and Terry. These St. Louis County biking policemen entertained us gals...before the parade got to us....very good looking guys! Great legs! ;-)

The Honor Guard.....

Finally the parade gets to us.....

Here comes the Bayless HS marching band!!!

The little guy is Luke! They moved so fast I really could not get a good picture of him....

Here he demonstrates his trumpet playing!

Tammy...the proud mom....and her mom.....

The proud grandpa!!

Wait...is that a smile????

He does love his trumpet! Good job, Lucas!!

The Fabulous Forest Park Balloon Glow!

2009-09-20T12:40:00.000-07:00

This past Friday, we were lucky enough to be able to go to the Forest Park Balloon glow. To go to this is our friends, the Smith family's tradition....and this year they invited us along! They inflate the balloons the night before the Great Forest Park Balloon Race...and it was a perfect evening for it! We got there early enough to get a good spot to set up our table, chairs and coolers for picnicking before the event. We could then just walk across the street after it got dark to walk among the (I think about 100) balloons and see them inflate and glow. I know there were many thousands of people there and traffic was awful! We had no problem cause of getting there early. We hung around and left after the crowd too.....which took a couple of hours after the fireworks to disperse. For those of you who do not know....Forest Park is St. Louis' Central Park...great spaces, lakes, boathouse, skating rink, zoo. It is where the 1904 World's Fair was held. Remember "Meet me in St. Louis"?

Here was our set up....Charlie and Barb, Catie(Ron and Jan's dtr) and her two kids, Jan, Ron and Mike and Laura ( Mike's dtr)and Ella arrived later. Ron and his grandson, Austin.....

Charlie playing with Luke, the Smith's other grandson....

Someone lost this thing.....weird sheepskin thing....

Luke pulling Ella and Austin in her wagon....the kids had so much fun!!

Sweet Ella Grace!!

Boy mom made me a big sandwich!

And I took a BIG bite!

Gary....Jan's brother and family arrived just in time to get a parking place near us!!

The youngest Smith.....Austin Knoerle...a cutie!

Walking among the balloons was something I never will forget!

Ella LOVED it! Was a real trooper! Walked very far and never let go of my hand!

Laura and her daughter.....

A FUN trip to Michigan!!

2009-09-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a great trip to Michigan!! Saw lots of our wonderful friends up there and enjoyed the fabulous weather! It was so much fun!! Here is our house....find us a buyer and we will treat you to a steak, seafood and champagne dinner!! I took this pic of the back of the house as a "before" pic...we are having our handy dandy neighbor put cedar shake siding on it which we hope will improve our 'curb' appeal! Thanks Denny!

The leaves were just starting to turn.....

We miss the birches down here.....

Here is the village garden in Tustin which is maintained by Sandie Leach. Sandie you do an awesome job!! Wish I had your skills and dedication!!

Another view of this lovely garden....

Our church which still means so much to us....cannot find one here to live up to it's warmth. It is the people as much as the building!

My former co-workers from CFP met me for drinks in Cadillac one evening....miss you guys sooo much! Here is Karen.....

And another Karen....Mr and Mrs Foisie!

Mari and Karen.....

Becky looking quite thoughtful...... Should I have more chips???

OH WAIT!!! Is that a Margarita on my a**?????

It really was not THAT funny!!

Melissa.... Mel you are nuts!! Thanks for meeting me you guys!! Next time we will do it again!

I swear....there was party every night!! Some couples met us at Bonfire Grill for dinner....Here is Ruthie and Jim. Hey Jim.....SMILE!!!!

Ted and Mary....love you guys!

One night we drove over toward Ludington to have dinner with Jim and Norma...FUN!!

You guys are soooo cute!

The last night we were there, we went over to Jack and Midge's WONDERFUL cabin on the Pine River for Happy Hour and then all went to a bar in Irons for music, drinks and food. Crazy fun night!! Jack and Midge....thank you so much for the wonderful appetizers!Their cabin is sooooo gorgeous!!

The view from the deck.....looking down on the Pine River.....

I took this looking in the window at the gorgeous interior. Sue acting silly! Missed you George!!

Chowing down out on the deck....a lovely evening!

The Pine.......

At the bar......

Really great funky music....country and bluegrass.....

Our group.....

Nacho's.....YUMMMMM

Concentrating on the nachos and the beer!! Thanks Don and Bev for introducing us to this place!

Midge and Jack dancing.....

A perfect way to end a great trip! Miss you all!!!!

McGuire Family Dinner

2009-09-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we had my Uncle John McGuire (my birthfather's brother), his lovely wife Kathy and my dear cousin Paulette McGuire Wolz and her Walt over for a wonderful family dinner. It was lots of fun...great conversation...some McGuire stories and memories which I had never heard before...and much family love! Can't wait until the next time!! Love you guys!!! Paulette, Uncle John and me......

Kathy and John McGuire...so in love after all these years!!!!

Paulette and Walt.....

So GLAD you all took the time to drive out here!!!

Ending August on a GOOD note!

2009-08-31T17:47:00.000-07:00

Here are just some random things we have done in the past couple of weeks. Had our friends the Smiths and the Foulds over for a BBQ. The Smiths brought their darling grandson, Austin with them. He was sooo good and such a cutey! Here we got a visit from our neighbor's kitty....she is sooo friendly...we call her "Anybody's"

Chuck and Anybody's

A sweet kitty.....

And our own sweeter kitty Cali.....an inside cat only....

We bought a new to us car....a 2008 PT cruiser.....very cute and zippy which gets excellent mileage! We love it!!

This past Saturday some of us went to a nearby winery for an evening of music and wine, food and fun. We had a great antipasto plate and wonderful wine. Wenwood Farm Winery. Check out their website....

The evening was beautiful....the scenery too....in a gorgeous valley....

The musicians were in the pavilion. They have different ones every Saturday. This group played jazz and bluesy things...and some rock.

We stayed until dark and then we were getting chilly. Getting chilly the 29th of August in Missouri!! Amazing!!! The weather has been so nice and cool this summer. We are sooo lucky!!

Now on to September and more fun and adventures!! Including going back to Michigan for a visit!

The saga of my job....

2009-08-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I have kind of been looking for a job here in the Owensville area. I put my resume in at several area hospitals and clinics and never got a response. Was thinking it may be that they don't want or need part timer's, or they look at my resume and see the 10+ years I was out of nursing, or just don't want to take a chance on someone my age at all!! But I did get a response to a blind ad here in the local Gasconade county paper for an RN for a 40 bed skilled nursing facility. I went and interviewed at Gerald Nursing and Rehab....a small skilled nursing facility in a town about 15 minutes from here. I liked the director of nursing (DON) and the administrator very much but was unsure about working in that setting....have never worked in a nursing home and have not done inpatient nursing for 25 years or so. My most recent job which I LOVED was in a busy multi MD office and before that in home heath....mostly intake and marketing in recent years. No direct patient care for about 25 years!! They were interested in me and assured me that no high tech care was given there as they are about 45 minutes from the nearest hospital, so rarely if ever took patients needing IV's or tube feedings or high tech wound care etc. I have not done anything high tech much EVER and am not interested in learning stuff like that at this stage in my life.

After I interviewed I still had second thoughts about the job so asked if I could follow a nurse around for half a day or so to see what it was like working there. I really liked the way they all treated the patients and the care that was given seemed very good. The pay was great for me and it was close, so I gave it a try! I was going to work 2-3 days per week. I only had two days of orientation...which really was not enough. But the DON said I could call her if I had any questions or problems. I opted to work evenings...that is where they really needed the help and I liked the hours of 2:30 to 11 better then 6:30AM to 3. Sleeping well is an issue for me!!!

So in the days of orientation, I leaned about where things were, how to chart and what needed to be charted on and watched the evening nurse and the day med tech pass meds. I never realized how hard it would be for me to pass meds (which is mainly what you do on evenings) or how slow I would be at it! My first evening alone I really felt just dropped in there....though the Director of Nursing did stay until about 7 and when she saw I was drowning offered to help me....but mainly she was doing her own thing. I started passing the 4-5 o'clock meds at about 3:15 and never got done until 7. Then I had to start on the 8's which took me until 10. I was on my feet that whole time. Finally sat down at 10 to do some quick hurried perfunctory charting. I have sciatica and it was really aggravated by being on my feet for almost 8 hours and for bending over the med cart and over patients in bed and in wheelchairs trying to get meds into them! And I was soooo slow..... I thought....what if something else happened that night...like a patient having an emergency, or a doc coming and me needing to round with him and then taking off orders, or a death, or even a fall...which requires extra charting and maybe getting an order for an xray....what would I have done? How could I possibly handle that? I know that in time I would have been faster with the meds but the key there was "in time"....and during that time I would have been frustrated and worried every night! The meds are all on cards that need to be popped out, the narcs are all locked up...well everything is locked up and I carried around about 30 keys, so everything I did I had to find the right key to get into where I needed to be. And 90% of the pills have to then be crushed, put in to applesauce and then given to uncooperative patients who do everything from spitting them back at you, to making you pry open their mouths, to biting the plastic spoons with the crushed meds and applesauce, to using their one good hand which is amazingly strong to fight you. Even the eye gtts...they screw their eyes closed so hard you cannot get the gtts in. It was sooo hard! I hate to admit when I cannot do something....I hate to quit, so at first I thought I would work the 4 day weekend they had me scheduled for and then decide what to do...but as the day went on and I thought about it more....and worried about my back.....I just thought...I just cannot do this. Mike and my friends who I communicated with that next day were especially supportive and ultimately I did call the DON and quit. I was crying and she was really, really nice. Offered me another day of orientation and said she thought I had been doing a good job and the evenings were the hardest shift but that it was my decision to do what what best for me...but that she was thankful that I gave them as much notice as I did. The people who work there really are very nice and everyone did try to help me...but it just has been too many years since I have worked inpatient and I am just not up to going through the learning period for a job I am not sure I would ever really like!

That was the key really.....I am lucky enough that I don't absolutely HAVE to work right now so I really only want a job that I love at least some of the time!! I admire so much the people who can work there....but I don't think I have the guts or the skills to do it!! My old workplace, VNA of Greater St. Louis is going to hire me to do flu clinics for them in the coming months and then I may do hospice visits occasionally for them too. I will have to travel more....but the pay is more then at the nursing home and can totally just work when I want to. So that is what I think I may do next.

I never have quit a job after just a couple of days on it...but since I have, have heard that many people I know have done that. I know I did the right thing....but still feel like a bit of a failure!! Just wanted those of you who don't know this already to know...since people have been emailing me with good wishes about my new job!!

A Day in St. Louis with two of my BFF'S

2009-08-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

Myself and two of my bestest friends (and we three just have the MOST in common and have soooo much fun together) headed in to St. Louis today for some time of acting like tourists in our own home town. We think this may be the first of many times we do this cause it was such fun!! We had a bit of business to take care of first....then we headed to a St. Louis landmark, Crown Candy Company for lunch! Looking forward to eating a totally fattening and unhealthy lunch!! Which we did...and with gusto!

Click on any pic to make it bigger....the menu of wonderful home made ice cream stuff.....

Some of the homemade candy.....

Part of our lunch....a sundae with both caramel and hot fudge sauce and toasted candied pecans! And yes...we had a chocolate malt too!! And a sandwich.....but we did split everything! But I am STILL full!!

We then drove around neighborhoods of north St. Louis which I had never been in ....southside girl that I am! Saw some great old churches and other great architecture......

We then headed east to downtown. We had no idea where the new Culinaria grocery store which just opened up down there was....but we found it!! Went in and sampled some stuff....and bought some stuff and just soaked it in. All of us are fascinated by city living and think, if we had tons of money, would get a loft downtown! But since we don't have it (Barb...you didn't actually win the lottery...did you?) we may just go and stay in a downtown hotel for a night to experience what it is like!

Then we headed to the new City Garden...an area of sculpture, fountains, trees and plants which just opened up down there. We thought we saw it all but as we were driving away...saw that we missed about a third of it!! So need to go back.

We stopped for a drink at a sidewalk cafe and decided we need to go back and eat there sometime! It was a gorgeous day!! So fun and relaxing...so different then what we usually do. We really, really enjoyed being tourists for a day in St. Louis...and will do it again soon!

WoToOwWe

2009-08-20T20:24:00.000-07:00

Some of my bestest and oldest friends gathered at our house for a fun couple of days last weekend! We call it WoToOwWe....Women to Owensville Weekend. We used to do these gatherings in Michigan and now can see each other more often for lots of events...so were celebrating that fact with a gathering here. Fun, reminiscing, laughter, sharing, talking....a GREAT time!! Thank you all for coming. Missing one member here at lunchtime....here are Mary, Nancy, Sue, Honey and Lynn....

Displaying SOME of our great buys we got right here in downtown Owensville. We stimulated the Owensville economy!

Lynn and her new necklace...gorgeous!

Nancy and her new bracelet during our Happy Hour.....

Linda has joined us.....she missed the shopping.....now talking with Mary....

We had a nice dinner, some wine, lots of laughs...they spent the night and the next day we visited some more on the front porch before they all had to take off. Honey gave us all lovely hankies which we found different ways of wearing. A really fun time. Thanks to you all for coming out here....I LOVED it!! I treasure your friendships!

Mike's Family Reunion

2009-08-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

Mike went up to Northern Illinois for his family reunion a couple of weeks ago. I could not go unfortunately. They had a wonderful time...all the cousins and Aunt Ruth. Here they are gathered at White Pines State Park after the wonderful Sunday brunch for pictures. Ella is fascinated by the camera....so cute! Here is Wayne, Aunt Ruth, Mike and Kim.
I believe that this is in the place Aunt Ruth rented for everyone to stay in ...a big house near the park. Here is Laura, Aunt Ruth, Pat, Mike and Ella.

Aunt Ruth and Brian and his friend Luann

Kim and Sue and Aunt Ruth....thanks for letting me post your great pics, Kim!!

The group at breakfast and Ella being Ella!

A full group picture.....

From top left... Pat, Laura, Robb, Brian, Luann. Bottom... Kim, Wayne, Aunt Ruth, Mike, Ella, Sue and Joanne.

A great time was had by all!!

Fair weekend in Owensville

2009-08-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

We just had the Gasconade County Fair here in Owensville....a big deal for this little town! We bought passes and had some friends come with us the first day....and the kids and grandkids the 2nd day. Our friend Charlie loved the tractor display.....

We went through all the buildings and saw all the animals which were going to be shown for ribbons...this little girl had a cute goat.....

There were hogs, bulls, cows, goats, sheep.....

Cattle being led to the show ring....

A girl combing her cow's tail......

In the buildings were displays of fruits and veggies which had already been judged.

There were cakes, cookies, muffins, canned things.....

In other buildings were quilts, flowers, plants and flower arrangements and 4 H things made and raised by the kids. Very interesting!!

Then in downtown Owensville was the parade. The theme was "Our American Heroes" and saluted service men and women and fire fighters and police. Chairs were put out early in the AM along the side of the streets the parade was scheduled to go on. This is the way it has always been done and those chairs are never touched or moved all day. Here are ours....but we lent them to some other folks and we watched the parade just across the street.... from the window seat of the Mexican restaurant while sipping Margarita's and eating chips! Fun!!

People all up and down 1st street waiting for the parade to start.....

Some of the floats and vehicles....it lasted a whole hour!!

That was a full and fun day! The next day Mike's daughters and two grandkids came. They were mostly interested in the rides!! We were so lucky...great weather...warm but by Missouri standards, not hot at all! Our summer this year has been like a typical Michigan summer. Here is Ella (on the right) LOVING the big slide!

Tammy and Luke waiting for a ride to start......

Ella is on this roller coaster thing.....

Tammy and Luke....he WAS having fun...he is just being 12!

Ella waiting for the small Ferris wheel to start.

Mike trying not to puke on this twisty, up and down whirly thing. Honestly.....his tummy did not like it! And this was his last ride! Not the kids though....they stayed hours longer!

Ella trying to eat her ice cream bar before it melts!

Laura and Ella. Ella got a new, cute hat from one of the vendor stalls......

And went for a pony ride!

They had an elephant show and rides too.

We had a great time! Came back here for Chinese carry out and ate it while we watched the Cards beat the Astros!! The next day they went antiquing and I stayed here and played with Ella! We had such fun!! Thanks for coming out girls!!

Grillin and chillin with Pam and Steve....

2009-07-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

We had a nice visit with my brother Stevie and his wife Pam this past weekend. We went to some antique shops and flea markets and the Farmer's market in the park here. Mike and Steve played golf and then we sat on the patio and grilled. Here are a couple of pics...good of the guys...not so much of the gals! Love you, Steve and Pam!!

Dinner, plays and fun....oh my!

2009-07-24T05:02:00.000-07:00

We have been so busy....doing lots of fun things. Been to several plays. Gone with our friends the Smiths and the Foulds to two plays in Rolla with dinner before. They were pretty good...the cast seems very good, the venue....a former church is really a nice theater.

Then last weekend I went in to St. Louis...spent the day shopping, visited our friend Margaret, and then went to a wonderful dinner at Cyrano's in Webster and a play my old friend Kevin Kurth both wrote and starred in at the Webster Theatre Guild. Having grown up in Webster Groves, I don't think I ever went to a play there!! This was a cute musical and Kevin's voice is wonderful as ever!! And I got to see some folks who were long ago in a play that I was in....Beatrix. Judy Moebeck, who played Beatrix Potter in that play was in this play and was sooo good...her voice is still awesome too! I spent the night at my friend Mary's house in Kirkwood and we went the next day to breakfast and then to the Kirkwood Farmer's market for lots of good fresh buys! A really fun weekend!!

Here we are at dinner...from left, Nancy, John G, John, M, Mary and Lynn...

Another view...John G, John M, his wife Sue, Mary and Nancy....

My friend Mary...thanks for such a good time at your house!

John's luscious dessert!

My dear friend for so many years, Lynn

My sweet and wonderful Nancy....

Kevin and me..... A new perm...it looks better now...still learning how to deal with it!!

And in other news....I got a job! I had interviewed at a couple of places including my old employer in St. Louis, VNA. I did agree to do flu shots for them in Oct and Nov (and maybe more months when the H1N1 vaccine becomes available). But then I interviewed at a small Skilled Nursing Facility right near here in Gerald...about 10-15 minutes from here. I went there and followed a nurse around for half a day to make sure it was where I wanted to work and I was impressed by the staff and how they treated the patients. They only have about 60 beds and usually are not but half full..right now just 20 something patients. It seems a good place, so I am going to give a try! Going to work about 4-6 days per month including 2 weekends a month on the 3-11 shift. It has been a while since I have worked that shift but I hate getting up and having to be somewhere early in the AM, so that should work out. I still have time to do things on the other weekends. If I end up not liking it, I can change...but I think I will like it! Will let you know!! That's if for now.....

July...so far....

2009-07-14T07:03:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone.....July is almost half over and has been very busy and very much fun so far! I just had my birthday. It was quiet cause Mike was up north getting yet anther load...so I was here by myself. But thanks to cards and phone calls and emails from friends and family, I celebrated just fine! And Mike sent me this gorgeous flower arrangement! The most beautiful one I have ever seen...done right here in Owensville!

Last week our dear friends from Florida Al and Ann visited us here. We had such a good time with them, I forgot to take any pictures! We went to Washington for lunch and then drove along the Mo. River to Hermann, where we toured the Stone Hill Winery and tasted some and bought some. Then back here for patio sitting, wine drinking and dinner. Perfect weather too!

On the 4th, we went to the Smiths for fun and food. Jan had decorated so cute! It was a blast! But no fireworks.....a good thing for us as we had them here in Owensville the night before. They were in the park and we could see them from our house!

Here are some pics of the 4th!!

Drinks anyone??

Nice table..great food, great friends!

Barb loves holidays!

The guys do too....but need to nap afterward!

That is about it for now....will keep posting as things happen! Love living here. The summer has been fun and busy and the weather, so far, really pretty nice! Gotta go get my walk in now though..... Bye for now!

A visit to the Brockelmeyers farm.....

2009-07-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

The other day we were lucky enough to be invited to our friends, the Brockelmeyer's farm...to have fun with a bunch of other friends. Their farm is right on the Courtois (pronounced Coataway in Missourese!) Creek and is beautiful! Bob is a contractor extraordinaire and he and Carol have rehabbed and added on to the old farmhouse to make it just wonderful for large groups of people. I think they have about 6 bedrooms and 3 baths....it is gorgeous.

Here is us gals down by the river...sippin' on the wine...swimming and enjoying watching the canoeists and kayakers float by...... The kitchen....women working....

The dining room....men sitting.....

The livingroom....

View from one of the decks....

Playing ladder ball....

Bob and his balls.....

The eventual winners...over the men!

The group....

The rehabbed house in the background....

A fun time....Thanks Bob and Carol!!!!!

Luke's Bday party in our backyard

2009-07-04T07:30:00.000-07:00

We had some fun celebrating Luke's bday with Mike's daughters and their kids and husbands.... We inherited a swing set and some other toys and it was really a beautiful day..... Luke is really good at playing with Ella....

Ella got her swim togs on to run through the sprinkler

Our patio...starting to come together.....

Luke is a great baseball player.....

Cotton candy...yum but sticky.....

Handsome birthday boy!

Ella....

Terry and Luke golfing.....

Birthday BBQ dinner....from left...Ella, Laura, Robb, Mike, Luke, Terry, Tammy.....

Pretty much moved in now...Thank goodness!!!

2009-06-24T18:04:00.000-07:00

Hi all...sorry for so long a lapse in posts. As usual been busy with the moving process. Lets see if I can briefly catch you up....

I guess since I wrote last we were here for a couple of weeks...did a bit of entertaining and putting away of more stuff. We did celebrate our 20th anniversary here in our new house! A wonderful evening...lobster and champagne! Then on June12th we left for Michigan again to take the trailer back to our friend, who lent it to us, and to get another load. We were there until the the 21st. After a nice service and Father's Day breakfast at our wonderful little church in Tustin, we set off...knowing it was 100 degrees in MO and we have no AC anymore in the van! We survived....but let me just say...our showers that night were the best, I think we have had recently! While in Michigan were out every night with a different group of dear friends. Who will be our friends forever!! No doubt!! It was a great trip. However....we still did not get everything! Mike is going back in about a week to get another load and may have a sale to get rid of some stuff too. We still have winter coats there and Christmas decorations....of which, I have a LOT!! Come visit us at Christmas and see how we decorate this great old house! But we do have some stuff of Mike's there too...out in the garage and the bunk house. But really most all of the necessary stuff is now here! This trip we brought up some chests and 2 cedar chests, both of which have been in our families forever! They are coming in handy for storage too. Today I finally got most everything put away! Won't show you the basement yet...or the garage or storage shed. But most of MY stuff is not there.....that stuff belongs to my beloved packrat husband! AND the patio is still a work in progress too...but close to getting there. Hopefully will be kind of done before we have the kids and grandkids out for a BBQ this Sunday!!

Here is the latest picture of the front porch......

And this fantastic fern, I bought at a local store here with the proceeds of a gift certificate our realtor gave us. I LOVE this fern...and hope it lasts many, many years!

Here finally is the back porch....finally coming together......

And the dining room with the table! We found those pesky screws!

Here is the new pub table we bought for our kitchen. Come sit there with a glass of wine and talk to me while I cook. Note my wonderful lemon switch plates!!

Here is the latest view of our bedroom....with our new window AC...which we need to cool the upstairs. The downstairs does great with the central unit...these up (in each room) do supplement that...and we only have to have them on when we are up here.

Another view of our bedroom....

One of our guest rooms.......under the eaves......

Another view of it...it has a futon which will make into a double bed...and a single bed. The other one will have the same.....

Here is the second guest room...which we also use as our office and computer room. Has a futon now...and will have a twin bed soon...which will be put where I am standing to take the picture.

Another view of the office/2nd guest room.

That is about it for now. I notice that I need to post a new picture of our TV/family room. And the patio too once I get it done. May do that this weekend. That is my intention at any rate. Love to you all.....keep cool!

New address is.....

2009-05-23T18:09:00.001-07:00

We've been told not to publish our address and phone number in a blog, so email us please for that info. We'd be glad to hear from you. Thanks.

The furniture has arrived!!!

2009-05-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

Well..the furniture arrived all intact....no breakage of anything!! So thankful for that! The two guys who went to Michigan were magnificent....as were the other helpers on both ends. We are so blessed with wonderful friends!! On this end, our handyman Charles and his helper got the major part of the furniture unloaded in 1 HOUR!!! Placed it all to our satisfaction....it all looks great. Since then have been busy unpacking boxes and putting stuff away. So glad that I got the kitchen all dealt with before the rest got here.

Now it pretty much is as it will be! Some pictures to hang up....some things to put out. The back porch and the guest rooms are pretty much not done yet at all....but it will all fall into place. If we have not communicated with you individually during this time, please forgive us! You cannot imagine how tired we are at the end of the day....up and down the stairs many, many times....lugging around and unloading boxes! Our feet, legs and back ache!! And half the time our mind is boggled with lists of things to do and get! I go to Walmart AT LEAST once a day. Thank goodness there is one in this little burg. I leave for MI tomorrow. I will leave the Internet connector (our Broadband) here with Mike. He HAS to have something to do as we have VERY limited TV!! Will be in touch as I am able. Will go to the library daily. And have my cell too! Better go now....Mike says the pork steaks are about ready....and I have corn to do to go along with those and the potato salad. Wish you were here....but really...we DO need this time together since we are not together much these days at all. Will add to this in about 2 weeks. Check it from time to time....when I send reminder emails, I don't mean to bug ya.....know that everyone is BUSY too!

Here is the foyer/sitting room....coming together really nicely. We are pretty happy with it!

Here are two views of our TV room....where we most likely will spend a good deal of time. It also does not have all the pics on the walls...and everything on the shelves. Need to bring the DISH box, the DVD player, and all the stereo stuff....then plug in the empty places with books....which we have PLENTY of!! It was hard...but we fitted our massive mission furniture into this moderate space! Right now we get NO channels on our new big screen HD TV (which we bought with our stimulus money like the good patriots we are!). So we spend time sitting on the couch and in the recliner watching a BIG blank screen!! ;-)

The dining room. If you do notice that there is no table....you are not hallucinating! We cannot find the bolts which they took out when they took the table apart. They are sure to turn up at some point. Til then...we will eat on our porch or outside. (When we get the patio set up!!)

Here is the pond area....really looking lush and good but needs attention and weeding! Our front porch

Our Rhododendron! Thanks Laura for confirming it to be that! And thanks to Micki and Barb for identifying that tree in the previous post as a tulip tree! They are sooo pretty...we love them!

Two photos of our bedroom....still a work in progress...but progress is being made!

The latest from Owensville

2009-05-20T05:01:00.000-07:00

I have been here for the past 3 days. Got all the boxes I brought (all the kitchen stuff) and most of the boxes Mike had brought on previous trips (mostly books) unpacked and put away. Worked literally from 6 AM to 6PM at least. Here is a picture of the sitting room starting to come together. Mike and his buddies are on their way with the bulk of the furniture now. Will arrive Thursday and then the fun will begin! The kitchen starting to come together.....

Our pitcher collection on the high shelf in the kitchen

A tree outside in the back yard...anyone know what kind it is? It has leaves that look like maple leaves.....and yellow blossoms. We have 3 of these trees......

Looking down toward the patio....we have what I think is a Rhododendron bush too!

The upstairs hallway starting to come together. The rest of the rooms don't have much furniture yet. Will post more pictures when it comes and is in place. I do have to say...love it here! Love the town and love the house. So does Cali!

Update....from Michigan

2009-05-12T05:41:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone.....Mike did come home and now is back in Owensville. Soon it will be reversed! My last day at my job is Thursday. I will leave Saturday and head down with the car fully loaded. Mike will get back here on Friday and his two buddies from St. Louis will arrive that day also. They will then load up the van and the huge covered trailer that one of friends from up here is lending us....and take off with most, if not all, of the furniture. We then will have (at least) 2 more smaller loads of small stuff.....clothes and shoes, lawn furniture and planters and odds and ends to take over the rest of June....and then we think and hope we will be done!

Our house here will be put on the market this week...realtor coming out to put out signs tomorrow. When I get the link to it, I will post it. Until we sell, we will leave here a futon, tables and chair in the livingroom, a smaller dining room table in the diningroom, a double bed and chest in the downstairs bedroom and the bunkbeds upstairs and out in the bunkhouse. We will leave some lawn chairs too. We will come back from time to time...maybe not so much this summer but if we still have it, will for sure come back next summer. We will have to come back each spring and each fall to winterize and unwinterize and clean up the yard also. We really, really hope that it sells soon, but the real estate person is not very optimistic I am sorry to say. Times are very hard up here in Michigan.

Right now, it really doesn't look that different here inspite of all the knickknacks being packed away. Most of the kitchen stuff is packed also. Once the furniture is packed, it definitely will look different!

When I get to Owensville and unpack some stuff, will get some new pictures up. Until then..... Judy

Cannot get Mike to leave Owensville!

2009-04-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

OK...this is getting serious now! Mike went down there with a load and I cannot get him to come home! Seriously! First he was to come home on Wed...then on Thursday....and when I talked to him tonight...he said he would TRY to head out tomorrow! Secretly I am glad though....cause really I was the one pushing to buy this house and he was reluctant. Now he truly is seeing it's potential and loving it there. I need him here though cause I killed the second biggest spider I have ever seen (they grow BIG spiders up here in Michigan!!) in my closet tonight! That is HIS job. But I should not complain cause he has done some painting and bought and moved in a dresser and a chest on chest and a computer desk. AND unloaded all the stuff he brought...fixed the wobbly downstairs toilet and some other things too. Not having a DISH and getting not many channels does make you work...otherwise you are bored! I really AM very happy that he is liking it there. The town is delightful and the house is getting that way! In 2 weeks I will head down there with a load. My last day of work is May 14th. Went out tonight with some of my coworkers and we had such fun! Are going to do it one more time before I leave for good. They are the best people and I will really, really miss my job! AND all our other friends too! But need to get my husband home so that we can pack up all the boxes I have packed and get moving again! Will keep you updated! Judy

Starting the moving process....

2009-04-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

Well...Mike is on his way with the first load. He did a great job of fitting lots into the van and together he and I loaded a small trailer we borrowed from a friend up here. We have lots of books! Wow! You just do not realize as things are spread out over this whole house and in the bunkhouse room also. He packed both the futons in the bunkhouse and on the screened in porch, the wicker furniture on the porch, the bookcase and some tables from the bunkhouse room, some lamps, lots of boxes of books, a lawnmower, some tools, some linens....and a few Christmas decs. I really am not sure what else...but a nice load. He will stay down there for a week or so while I pack and work up here. I have a realtor coming out next Thursday also.....so don't want to tear this house up too much before then.

We are going to price out renting a Uhaul trailer and/or a truck too. BUT we have a friend who has a very large, nice covered trailer. If he would be willing to lend it to us, we could get most of the large furniture items in it. Around May 15th, I am going down with a load and Mike's good buddies are coming up here to help him load lots of stuff either in that borrowed trailer...or one we rent. Time will tell.

I am working my last days at a job I love...so sad to leave! And we are spending time going out with our friends up here, who we will NOT loose contact with...ever! Sad to be leaving...but exciting too. The weather has been very, very chilly with some snow (not sticking, thankfully) but is to warm up now, they say. In Missouri it is much better! Spring takes a very long time to come here! That is another reason we are moving! Love you all...will keep you updated. Check us out from time to time. Judy

Our yard in Owensville

2009-04-19T06:06:00.000-07:00

We are back in Michigan now....looking at all the "stuff" we have to move! Quite overwhelming but we will give ourselves as much time as we need. By the end of the summer we will have most everything down there. We will leave some things here until it sells so that we can come back and enjoy the lovely summer days here. And enjoy our wonderful Michigan friends. We will never lose contact with our dear friends we have found up here! We hope they all will come and visit us in Missouri!

Here are some pictures of our yard on the last day we were in Owensville....a rainy spring day...
A big lilac bush in the corner of our front yard.... The front flower beds.....

Our fountain area after Mike got it cleaned up....think we will put a small stone bench out there some day.....

That snowball bush/tree which is not fully blooming yet...off the side of the front porch...

A nice blooming tree in the back yard near where we have stored our travel trailer...

Our back patio

This is for Luke! The treehouse/playhouse. Some neighborhood kids have been playing in it...but it needs some work and to be made cuter!

Our back sunporch...now being used as a catch all place for boxes etc. But we will replace those windows and put wicker and plants back there someday.....

FINALLY SOME PICTURES.....

2009-04-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

I am sooo proud of what we have done here in this short time. This house was filthy when we got here and we cleaned it. The yard had not been tended to in some time and Mike worked his magic on cleaning up the gardens. And we have way more neat plants then we thought. If it is not pouring rain tomorrow I will get out and take some garden pictures. We will do some landscaping...but that will be down the line. Lots will be down the line. This house will be a work in progress for a long time...but will be worth it! It will be easier when we are actually living here...and that is our next goal. To leave Friday AM and get to Michigan and start packing...and figure out how to move....some by ourselves...but we may do pods too.

Here is a picture of Pam and Stevie when they came to see us on Saturday. Note the colors of the room in back of them (which will be our living/family room).....and note the red under the stairs....THAT was the color of the kitchen. The kitchen opens off of the entrance room which is tiled and which will be our Victorian sittingroom/foyer. The livingroom comes off of the left..and the dining room off the right. Anyway...the two rooms we painted were the kitchen and the living/family room. The others we got paint matched at Walmart and we did touch ups.

This is the view out our front door on to our porch....we have a great tree out there....if anyone knows...let us know what it is. It is like a snowball bush but is more of a tree...lots of interesting things like that!
Here is the kitchen...now light yellow. It looks white in the pics...but IS yellow! Painting it was one of the hardest things I have ever done! The ceilings are way high! And there are angles galore. I started out with brushes and did that with taping it the whole first day. The second day I tried the roller. Well duh!! Roller is the way to go! It went sooo much faster. Near the very end, I stepped off the ladder wrong (thought I was on the first step and I was on the 2nd) and fell back...hit my head HARD on our new stove! Luckily no damage was done to the stove...and no paint was spilled. I got an egg sized lump on the head which is better...but still there and sore. I was afraid after what happened to poor Natasha Richardson...but, thank God, I am still here and am OK! See we got our curtains up! Another goal we wanted to achieve before we left here this time.

A view of our new stove and fridge! And the pitcher on the shelf is from Texas....we have a small pitcher collection which we will put up there...and add to over time.

Here are the stairs going up with the kitchen in the background

This room will be used as our living/family room...with the TV in it and stuff. I painted it in one afternoon after I found out about using a roller for the walls and a foam edger for the edging. It turned out great! Weird color...but the rest of the house is pretty much that color and Walmart did a great job of matching. There is a half bath off of it. You can see the tree house out the window....in the back yard to the side.

This room will be our dining room....we will get rid of the fan and get a chandelier. This room and the sitting room will be getting crown molding eventually.

Mike enjoying the first meal I cooked for us in our new house. We ate fast food a LOT!

Me cooking in our new YELLOW kitchen...yesterday....

Here is the settee we bought at the auction place in Rosebud. The kitty likes it!

The sitting room from the stairs. Can you visualize how it will be? A small coffee table in front of the settee....some side chair (which are not lawn chairs)....an oriental rug on the floor...some palms by the windows.....

Here is the @#%& shower curtain. You cannot imagine what I have tried with this thing! I have bought and taken back at least 3 shower curtains! I tried tying it back...which is what it looked like when we saw the house furnished....nothing really looked good to me. I finally came up with this....and this is it for now. It does have to be functional after all..... I love the palms. I got this a Big Lots for really, really cheap and do want to use it if I can!

Another view....the bathroom is pretty big actually but is long and narrow with a very cool dormer window in it...to the left of the little table....

The upstairs hallway.... Our room is to the right....your room when you come and visit is either straight ahead or to the left.

Our room. Each room upstairs has a long window and a dormer window...lots of slanting walls which I love. Pretty good sized closets too! And lots of outlets....thank goodness for rewiring!

The middle guest room.....

The east guest bedroom..... More curtains are coming. I did not order enough. Bought them online and love them. I wanted, at least the front the house to have all identical curtains on it.

The view out the back porch of our back yard. You can see the back of the trailer on the right. We have a nice big lot...lots of space between us and any neighbors and lots of privacy.

That is it for now. Will try to put some more pics on tomorrow. We will be traveling back to Michigan on Friday and Saturday. Will continue this blog through the packing process and everything. It is therapeutic for me! Happy Easter everyone! Love from us both!!

Some fun....and lots of hard work!

2009-04-05T18:27:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone....we are doing great! Working hard and really loving living in Owensville! Today...Sunday...heard church bells chime several times. Nice! One plus....I seem to be able to eat anything and not gain weight....so much more active. We can't get very many TV stations....so hardly ever watch TV....and instead work! Like the pioneers but with electricity, a dishwasher and a garbage disposal!

Have had good moments and very bad ones too. Lots of things wrong....Murphy is with us. On Friday our friends came to help us....and at the time the guys ( our friends and Mike) arrived with our big king sized bed...the other guys arrived with our new stove and fridge....well they brought the wrong stove! So our stove will come tomorrow. But the fridge is gorgeous! Pic will follow (maybe tomorrow). They had to practically take it apart....and the house apart to get it in here!! But it is in! Same with the bed. The guys had to take it apart to get it upstairs....but it is there...and we are sleeping (when we are able to sleep) on it...and it is great!

After all that stress......after the day was over....we all just relaxed with wine and beer and Chinese food. They all can see what this house will be like when we are done with it. It just needs little things mostly....but lots of them! But to relax with our longtime friends like we did that night was one of the reasons why we moved back here! Thanks to you all Ron, Jan, Barb and Charlie!

The next day...Saturday...my wonderful brother and his sweet Pam came up from Springfield to see us...and the house. They helped us unload the trailer so that we can settle in here for the next days... And for the months ahead when we go back and forth. We had a nice time with them. I am too tired to do pics tonight...but one of these days will get them on..including one of Pam and Stevie. They too are why we moved back here...to see them more often...grill and chill...and have some holidays together! Love you guys!!

Today I painted the kitchen...the first coat .....to change from a deep red (which no one who had seen it liked) to a yellow...so that I can continue my lemon theme! Tomorrow I will complete that (2nd coat) and then do the first coat on the living room. The rest of the house just needs touch ups for now....and Walmart has done an awesome job or matching the paints.....and they are good thick paints they have too....Kilz paints. I wanted, and intended, to do a "before" of the kitchen in red and then an after...but forgot. So will have to do with an "after". It will look great...even better when I get all of my lemon stuff down here!

Mike got some of the curtain rods up tonight until his drill died and needed to be charged. So that will happen tomorrow. He worked in the yard today and got it cleaned up pretty well....some yet to do. We have nice flower beds and blooming trees and it really is a nice yard. The owner before the last one did some nice things and took care of this place. The guy we bought it from did nothing much...and whatever he did do...did half ass. And then there were the renters....who were slobs! Never cleaned as far as I can tell! But anyway...that is all gone now except for an occasional cobweb I find when I am painting.

The people we have met here have been soooo friendly...we love being able to walk to the bank, the post office, the library, the deli and to shops and restaurants...and parks and, if Mike wanted to, the golf course!

Today we had a cold front pull in. The neighbors covered their plants. It may snow flurry tomorrow. Has been nice...but this is early April and things change. We leave for Michigan on Friday...and will keep working until then. Will get some pics up when I have time. Love to all......Judy

We are staying in our new home tonight!!!

2009-04-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

AND it is clean!! That is all can write tonight.....so tired and a bit inebriated! Fun day on the whole. But as usual things went wrong...more tomorrow and I promise interior pictures!

Getting used to being tired!

2009-04-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

Today dawned cloudy and the rain started around noon and only stopped about an hour ago. Mike went over to the house at 9AM to meet our next door neighbor, who has a carpet and tile cleaning business. The guy did a great job and is really, really nice to boot. Will be a great neighbor. Everyone we have met has been super nice...the handyman, the locksmith, the appliance guy and our neighbor. He told us some good gossip about the guy who we bought the house from and the renters....both kind of low life scumbags...but that is what we thought by what we see in the house. Every time we touch something, it is lose, or dirty, or not installed properly, or done sloppily. There have been so many times that we have wondered what we were thinking to buy an house like this at our ages! My breaking point was trying to put up a shower curtain on a bathtub installed under an eve! They had one up when we looked at the house, but it took me forever to figure out how to do it!! It will take 2 shower curtains.......AND a liner! Yikes. When it is done I will put on a picture. Then I had to finish cleaning the tub..which had layers and layers of soap scum on it! Everything is filthy! We could not do much while he was cleaning the carpet and the tile...so shopped...bought a new hot water heater. Something we did not know that we would need right away....but were advised to get...so did! Good price...and bought some other stuff.

I was feeling that I needed more stuff as starting tomorrow we are going to be staying in the house.....and will on trips to here as we bring loads down. There are certain things we need...like shower curtains, toaster, towels, dishes, etc. So Mike came back here to the trailer and hung out with Cali and I went to Washington....which I thought was about a half hour away...but is every bit of 50 minutes away. There is a big Walmart there (just a small one here..but lucky to have it!), a Target, a Big Lots, a Lowe's and some other cool stores. I bought lots of stuff...mostly at Big Lots...which I have learned to LOVE!! Thanks Barb!! Anyway...by the time I got back was 5-ish and still raining. I wanted to do some more stuff at the house....put up that %&*# shower curtain, spray my wood kitchen cabs with wood cleaner, and make some lists etc, etc. Mikey went to a bar for dinner...and then picked me up and now we are back at the trailer. I don't think I am quite as tired as I was last night...but pretty tired! Right before I left, I was using the downstairs bathroom and pulled off some toilet paper and the friggin' holder is lose on the wall! Just one more thing!!!.......

And maybe it will always be like this!!

OMYGOODNESS...ARE WE TIRED!!!

2009-04-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

I need to let you know that we did have our walk through this AM at 11 and since then until 8PM have been over there working! We are both sore and exhausted. This sort of thing was way easier to do when we both were 20 years younger...which was the last time we worked this hard on a house!

Some highlights....finding a wonderful handyman...who will be very important in our lives in the next months. Low lights...finding that a lot of the remodeling they did was done carelessly and haphazardly. OK at first glance, but problems when you really look at things....stuff like a loose toilet, a loose sink, a vanity where you can't close the bottom drawer cause the pipes interfere, badly done painting, sloppily done painting, etc, etc. The washer and dryer both have issues...but are usable for now. Most likely the dishwasher and disposal do too! Thank goodness we have our new stove and fridge coming Friday!

The whole downstairs really does need to be repainted....it is sloppy and the renters left nail holes etc, etc. I can do that...not crazy about it but once I get started will get into it. Upstairs is done better and will have to wait...it is OK.

What we did today.....Mike cleaned out the garage and storage building...a big job.... and raked, pruned and cleaned up the yard. I did a load of laundry, scrubbed both bathrooms good....and the kitchen, and went to Walmart for tons of cleaning things....and a new vacuum...which I love! Then I vacuumed after I cleaned all the ceiling fans which I don't think had been cleaned in years! Everything was dirty and unkempt. But it looks a hell of a lot better now then it did when we got there...and will look even better.

We found that our new fridge would not fit under the cabinets! We could not get in there to measure cause of the renters. The new handyman came and took that cabinet out! YES!! And will work on the other issues I mentioned before...oh...and he cut our grass too!

Tomorrow Mike is going to work on cleaning up the basement. I am going to clean out all the high kitchen cabinets...the lower ones I vacuumed with my new vacuum cleaner. Then I am going to take off all the switch plates in prep for taping and painting. One thing...this old house has tons of outlets! All the carpet and ceramic tile is getting cleaned professionally tomorrow. Then the next day our stove and fridge come and they haul off the old dirty ones....thank goodness!!

Every day will see improvement....and has already. I told Mike...we need to pace ourselves. What does not get done while we are here now, will get done when we get back...but still we have our goals..and we both are kind of perfectionists when it comes to our house. Hard....tiring....sore muscles...sore feet! But we will survive. The house has good bones and we will make it nice. It is very old though and those are some of the issues...old doors...uneven floors...thank goodness for new windows! Love you all....keep us in your thoughts and prayers!! Will do some pictures tomorrow!

Official Owensville website

2009-03-31T15:15:00.001-07:00

http://www.owensvillemissouri.com/

Where is Owensville??

2009-03-31T15:09:00.000-07:00

We keep getting asked....where is Owensville? Here is a link which hopefully will let you know the answer:

http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4GPEA_enUS297US303&q=Owensville,+Missouri&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=us&ei=BZTSSenpKJSimAfHxvTyBg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title

Click on the + and - symbols to see where it is in relation to St. Louis.....

First pictures...

2009-03-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

Beautiful blooming Bradford Pears in downtown Owensville.....Our house coming toward it from the west. The top window will be a bedroom...3 up and a bath. The bottom 3 windows will be our living/family room. The bow windows in front are the foyer/parlor.

The house from the front. We can't wait to fix up the front porch and relocate that ugly DISH! We are going to put shutters on some of the front windows. All the upstairs bedrooms have one regular window and one dormer.

Some architectural detail (for Uncle Larry!)

A little playhouse/tree house in the back. That is for Luke and Ella....I guess the renters are going to take what is in there...it does need some work!

The pond and fountain which is not working but which we will get working!

Flowers in the front garden.....

The house from the east side. The back sun porch are the only windows which have not been replaced....we will do that.

The house from the back alley. You can see the back patio and the toys the renters have left. We assume that they are coming back for another load tonight. Our back yard is pretty nice...we have a blooming tree of some kind!

The house and garage and storage building from the east side....the out buildings do need some work.

Tuesday.....

2009-03-31T07:22:00.000-07:00

Woke up this AM to a cool and gloomy day. Rained a bit during the night. Slept great....usually do sleep well in this little trailer! Mike is already gone...doing his thing. I am about to go for my walk through town and will bring back a St. Louis Post Dispatch. We are so happy to be able to read that great newspaper again! Anyway.....I will take my camera along on my walk.

Today I feel like buying things....that can be dangerous! We do have some extra money just now...but need to be careful as I do not have a job lined up here yet. I have made some inquiries but have not found anything yet. Will continue looking and am pretty sure that something will turn up soon.

But need to squelch the urge to shop! We already spent big bucks on a new stove and fridge...and a new set of pots and pans. Need to get things like towels and a new toaster. Got a cute settee for the sitting room/foyer at a local auction gallery. Turned out Mike knew the folks running it from his long time contacts with the antique/estate sale crowd here in the St. Louis area. Maybe I will buy a new set of dishes...though I do have lots of those up north. Until we sell up there (and we hope it will be soon...but realistically, Michigan is sooo economically depressed) I will have to buy some doubles of some things. Anyway....need to get going...more later.... Judy

We arrive in Owensville.....

2009-03-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Well....of course this is not the first time we have arrived here...but this time we are here to actually get possession of and inhabit our new home in Missouri! We have had lots of problems getting this all done....the last of which have been that the renters were not given the 30 days notice that they were suppose to have gotten before closing. So we had to close on the house and then not be able to get in there!! Hard!! Thanks to our good friends Barb and Charlie who put us up in their home, lent us a car (so we would not have to use the van all the time) and were so gracious and generous with letting us use their washer and dryer, kitchen, food, TV etc, etc. The communal living was fun for all of us...but most likely they are at least somewhat glad that we are gone now.

We left today and are staying in our travel trailer in the City Park in Owensville. We love this town....great park...golf course and pool, walking trails etc. Nice town...we will be able to walk to the bank, library, post office, grocery store, restaurants etc. We are about 1 1/2 hours west of St. Louis....able to get to the suburbs of St. L in that time. The countryside is hilly and pretty...esp this time of year in early spring. We are close to neat, historic towns such as Washington and Herrman. Having fun exploring the area!

Today we drove by the house and saw that the renters had actually moved most everything out!! We were ecstatic! The curtains were off and we could peer in the windows....all looked pretty good. Mike went back this evening and they were there taking more stuff out of the basement. They have some stuff still in the garage and shed and on the patio...so hopefully will get that out tomorrow. The seller is to take the next day...the 1st... and remove anything they have left and clean up....and install the appliances which came with the place. We did buy a new stove and fridge though and will have them delivered on Friday. On Thursday we are having the carpets and tile floor cleaned.

So...that is it for now. Will keep you all informed on how things are going and put pics on as I can. Our Verizon Broadband is a little slow from here for posting pics....so there might not be too many. But will do the best we can! We are excited to be here and to start on this stage of our lives!