changed sheets, hung new calanders. took a lot of naps. watched some interesting telly.

Kevin is making supper. I planned on a quiet NYE at home, but his friend is going to see band at new bar in P-town. so.....................y'all know how I love the bar and a buncha buncha drunks. yippee ky aye motherfucker.

consulted with Dr about acid reflux. going to try an Rx and schedule a scope.

she also froze the moles on my back rubbing. I made it 12 minutes hooping today. mostly slept a rainy foggy day away. I do think I am feeling better. haven't puked in days. of course I'm not losing any weight. (insert eye roll here.) losing interest in my phone game I was so obsessed with. also in a Basement Barbie lull. have to find a spot for the new one I made. maybe I can squish her into the cabinet. carefully. found 2 movies and a you tube trailer on movies shot at Goldfield Hotel. so, got to see a bit more of the inside. fascinating.

had all the kids, all the grands, Mom, and David for a Dailey Family Christmas. Mel was sick and didn't come.

I was spacier than usual today, maybe over medicated with the DayQuil and Execedrin Migraine, but drinking a couple of glasses of wine evened it all out. the kids seemed to like their snakes and slippers. gave them all Legos, books, a cool blank notebook, and Christmas pens, glasses, and beads. and a huge candy cane. and gift cards for $20 so they could pick their own cool thing they want. they did the snow ball fight, played in the rooms, all seemed pretty harmonious, poor Izzy was tired and had a couple of mild meltdowns. all in all, a very good day. I am quite pleased with my cow Christmas pocket sweater. didn't lose my phone all day! did a kids table. and brought in the gift trunk instead of making a bazillion trips to the garage, plus it gave everyone somewhere to put their gifts. Kevin and Brayden and Katie were 152% helpful today. they set up, they cleaned up. KJ helped drag table and chairs in and out.

now the cycle of birthdays and eventually Christmas starts all over again for 2025....

Katie and Brayden rolled into town today.

Brayden swept floors. Katie wrapped the remaining gifts and helped me bake gingerbread. I feel better, but all help is appreciated.

Zerelda spent the night last night.

she found some toy handcuffs and arrested me. a lot. she investigated The Creepy Corner. she declared it The Best Day Ever. she is such a sweet girl. doesn't expect a lot, and grateful for everything she gets.

roused myself up to clean bathrooms, changed Katie's sheets, and even went all extra shop vaccing steps to basement. they were beyond disgusting. I am ashamed of myself sometimes. wow.

KJ and fam came over to watch the Chiefs game.

Ann, Z, Iz, and I made gingerbread cookies. have finally decided that I really am tired of puking and feeling like I'm choking on something, so will call dr. and go back in to check on acid reflux again. I don't like being proactive, but I don't like feeling like this, either. I made it 4 minutes hooping yesterday before I got sick. that's it. for the entire week.

still lethargic and lazy.

need to clean this house for family xmas this weekend. in the old days, the kids just lived here so no need to try to impress them with a clean house....Katie sent us a link to watch the Church Christmas play she and Bray were in live. that was cool. Kevin took an early out today.

feeling better.

hibernating the days away. forgot to put new tag on truck plate. Kevin caught it today at HyVee. oops. forgot how to pay the insurance bill. finally remembered. tucked the kids xmas $$$ into tiny stockings. put lil' chimps in the battlefield trees. fed KJ's dog on the wrong day AND locked him out of his house. I'm hitting 'em out of the park, folks. had a lengthy dream about Kevin COMMITTING me. but he DID put me in a historical Civil War Hospital and there WAS a re-enactment going on out my window. used his Hy-Vee gift card and weekend 20% discount to score $250 for $53. finally got a day and time for Dailey Family Christmas.

my Christmas gift from Tracy arrived today. gifts, that is. each more sweet and adorable than the next.

I need to clean off my creepy corner couch and decoratively pile all my cryptid stuffies on it!

finished my Christmas voodoo doll and I am obsessed! she turned out cute. glued together and painted the suitcase for a Basement Barbie. need to bling it out when paint is really really dry. made another Snowball Fight Box. took truck to Willis for oil change. made appt. for my oil change next week. read some. True Crimed. chair napped. a LOT. a wonderful day.

we had a wonderful time last week.

we went to Ian's Christmas Orchestra Concert Tuesday night, to Millie's Preschool Christmas Concert Wednesday morning, had lunch at Lamberts on our way to Branson, checked into our hotel, and caught our first show. We ate at Longhorn and Cheddars. did some Christmas shopping. did 3 shows AND a murder mystery dinner, which I totally sucked at. for sure. went to the aquarium. Celebrity Car Museum. Fantastic Caverns. we also went for our first helicopter ride and saw the Christmas lights. I did a lot of princess passenger car napping. my cold had come back with a vengenance, so I was a snotty coughing hacking mess. probably not a lot of fun to hang out with.

KJ has 3 games this week, so on Grandma duty 3 school pick ups. took Z shopping for her teachers Christmas gift. took KJ's car in to get a tire fixed and oil change. my car needs an oil change as well (oops.) mailed Tracy's Christmas gift today. I really thought I had more stuff ordered, but maybe I didn't? waited super late to mail, anyway.

Mel and Dave had an early Xmas today.

they surprised me with a Bigfoot birthday cake. it was adorable...especially the blood trail and eye balls coming out back of tent. KJ & fam came over to watch the Chiefs somehow win another game. lots of birthday wishes on Facebook. Koren's girls called me from the bathtub to sing me happy birthday, Zerelda sang me happy birthday via video, then called to tell me happy birthday, too. I don't feel 60. and yet I am. old now seems to be 112.

Ann & Izzy had dr appts. today, so another trip to Walmart.

more ornaments for their tree. Christmas footie jammies and a hoodie for Iz, a Christmas sweater for Zerelda.

Rip and I had a busy day.

a groom. picked up dry cleaning. browsing at DG and DT. licensed truck. picked up Z from school. took her home and we cleaned off the table, swept the floor, took out trash, and put up the Christmas tree so now their home is merry and bright. that tree could use some more ornaments, need to take them back to Walmart to pick up some more.

Crikeys! it's December! Kevin got upstairs humidifier going.

and decided we'll buy a new dehumidifier for downstairs since filter won't come out....

I got on amazon to order filters and realized Tracy needs Xmas gifts! so found a couple things I think she'll like. think I might have ordered her something but not sure.....Ian is 11 today.

we watched the Chiefs Hallmark Christmas movie.

I found it as cheesy as every other Christmas Hallmark movie. Kevin loves the damn things. they made Ed Begley Jr. cry and that just upset me. nope.

KJ brought Izzy over late last night to take Ann to ER. they couldn't find anything wrong.

today we went to Ian's early birthday party. no snow here, but roads were dicey down there. saw lots of wrecks.

Black Friday.

I don't work on Black Friday anymore, but I never went shopping on Black Friday anyway. did a bit of online shopping today. was knee deep in True Crime shows. finished wrapping grands Xmas gifts. played my game on phone a zillion hours. worked on voodoo doll some more. ate Thanksgiving leftovers. watched the Chiefs narrowly by the grace of God win a football game. Kevin still not feeling good today.

early grandpa gets the worm.

Ann had leftovers from the Thanksgiving meal she made last night, I was making turkey and green bean casserole, so they came over and we combined to make a meal. KJ of course only eats hot rolls at Thanksgiving and Christmas. the boys watched some football. Rip and I had a lovely chair nap. piled the blankets back on the bed. and put ice scraper in the car. 'tis the season.

you have to be crazy to shop at Hy-Vee on Thanksgiving Eve. I've never Black Fridayed, but I did shop at Hy-Vee tonight....

started on Tracy's Christmas Voodoo Doll (if it turns out ok. if not, it's MY Voodoo doll, and I'll try try again....)

another bb game, picked Z up after school, we had a snack at DQ and did some Walmarting before we met her mom at Cameron.

I have fun hanging out with her.

it's Monday.

we no longer have a grandbaby on the way. (sad face.) picked up Z from school. she came home with me. we put on her fake nails. played a bit. she ate supper with us. then took a shower, jammied up, and I took her home for mommy to tuck her into bed. daddy had his first night BB game tonight.

Katie & Brayden hosted Thanksgiving at their new house.

excellent meal. Koren and family stayed at her house, we checked into a hotel for Gustavo to haunt. Katie and the kids made breakfast this morning, we hung out, went to the Homestead National Historic Park, ate Mexican, then we all went back home. a fun weekend.

girl, you can stack anything.

yesterday did the test at Bethany hospital. then to Olathe to catch 2 of Ian's Christmas Choir performances, hung out, crashed on couch, breakfasted with kids, and headed home. picked up our deer meat. 76 lbs.

I was going to take Z to school and pick her up today if Daddy still was sick....

he WAS still sick. and she was up sick most of the night. so just took Ann and Izzy to Ann's lab appt. Izzy was dressed and READY to go. Zerelda and I read the book I made her about being lost. Dr called. labs were ok. I can live on Pepsi and sweet tea another glorious year!

Taylore turned around yesterday when Z started puking on their way to meet up with Daddy for trade off.

today Daddy came home from school sick, so I met with Taylore and picked up Miss Z with a quick girls shopping trip to Walmart. long story short, she now has a Hello Kitty purse. and some other stuff. taking her to school tomorrow, daddy is pretty sure he won't be up to it.

my yearly physical today. lab #s up. call tomorrow for final results. probably upping meds. changing allergy OTC, adding pepcid at bedtime, dcing dayquil. she thinks the sinus thing is actually acid reflux, so maybe a scope, depending on labs. knot on stomach feels softer. I can have fluid removed if it bothers me. so far so good. found out that after age 65, you only need a pap if the situation warrants. so, 1 more. my ankle is probably several varicose veins. or maybe pre diabetes. (ditto on up cholesterol...could be fatty liver or diabetes.) why do I never go to dr?????? she told me to call Bethany hospital to schedule a heart test.

Operation Grandkids Christmas Slippers was a success!

guys came and had new dining room floor installed by lunch.

KJ & clan came over to watch the Chiefs lose their first game of the season.

with a little help from my friends, put up my outdoor decor....solar christmas lights in tree, scarfs or hats on my outdoor cows, bigfoots, and alien. and a Secret Santa Stocking on back fence. cause I read 25 days. today is my little sister Lisa's birthday.

Kevin got his buck 1st day of deer season, already delivered to locker and head hung on back fence to make a European mount. will have a lot of snack sticks and jerky in the near future.

David heard the shots and came over to investigate. he was looking for the deer he'd shot. boys didn't find it.

started wrapping Christmas presents today. the Christmas Chicken and Christmas Pig wrapping paper from Tractor Supply is TOOOOOOOOO cute!

picked up Z from Owls and took her to Pattonsburg for a cousins birthday party. well, I tried to. GPS took me down the wrong dead end gravel road. it was dark. lots of deer. a rabbit. a big full beautiful moon. Zerelda got a bit upset. we were lost. we called her Mom. we retraced our route back to interstate and Taylore found us. all was well. poor Zerelda. Gramma gets lost frequently. hope I didn't ruin her day.

picked Zerelda up at school not feeling good today.

saw a lot more of her this week than I ever thought I would (insert smile face here.) she did go to practice with Daddy last night. made a tiny Tonopah cemetery. I am quite tickled. found sweets for Ginger Dead House.

cleaned out dining room for impending floor replacement. that sounds ominous. so. much. shit. shoved. into. that. entertainment. center.

but I do love it. it's my 'library'. all the upheaval is always worth it in the end. hard at work on The Ginger Dead House and The Clown Motel. it's all coming together. found teeny tiny clowns.

got the daylily bulbs planted yesterday.

software recall on truck fixed yesterday. today Zerelda read. me. the. Biscuit. Book. every. single. page. I was SOOOOO proud of her! Kevin made an epic effort to find mashed potatoes for supper. especially epic since I thought we had potatoes AND I had been to Walmart twice. in. two. days.

"We're all of us haunted and haunting." Chuck Palahniuk, Lullaby.

Bell Witch Cave, Adams TN. we were in the area for Dave & Melissa's wedding October 2021 (maybe 2022?) Bell Witch Cave was shut down for Covid, but Katie and I took the drive and I posed for pictures by the gate, as I'd seen others doing on social media.

Old South Pittsburg Hospital, South Pittsburg, TN. we were "in the area" (aka as close as I'd ever probably get) after a Blackberry Smoke concert in Nashville. I went on the one damn day they were closed, out of town doing an investigation. I had called and confirmed, but anyhow....when I arrived, there was no one there. I called # on door. Kevin took a pic of me under awning. then we went to a cast iron store. and then a long drive home. if I'm ever in the area, I'll try again.

we ate at Finn's Food & Spirits in Hannibal summer 2024. did not see spirit of little girl. the place was very busy.

you wanna Scooby Doo this shit????

go through the ghost notebooks I made. type out any experiences of places I made it to. make ultimate bucket list. then toss them. seriously. shelf space. efficiency. time on my hands. this is an important project.

started November 9, 2024.

deb dailey.

you wanna Scooby Doo this shit? haunted and other cool shit Volume 2

Fort Osage., Sibley, MO. Aunt Mary took us girls there when we were kids. did we point our fingers? I know I never could whistle. did we see anyone otherworldly walking around? and spoons flying out of crocks? don't remember.

on family vacation to Lesterville in a cabin on the Black River, we went to a Civil War battlefield. don't remember name. or any experiences. or maybe when we were on the big family vacation at Lake of the Ozarks?

Alton Cemetery, Alton, IA. Tracy & I found the grave of Elijah Lovejoy (I think I have the right name), the abolitionist who was shot during a riot.

Alton, IL. Tracy & I went to an America's Haunted Conference here. we did the McPike Mansion Tour. The Haunted Alton tour which let us into some of The Mineral Springs Hotel and into the cellar under a house. found the Worlds Tallest Man statue and chair and footprints and grave. did the 7 bridges to Hell. and we found that Bender statue from Futurama that was on my list for many years.

Oliver Anderson House, Lexington, MO. been there. twice. first time we got to tour in basement. second time tour guide was older. basement not included on tour.

Historic Dodge House, Council Bluffs, IA. Tracy & I stopped by on a ghost tour. it was closed. we were nosing around and accidently rang the doorbell, then ran. like little kids. a mannequin in a ground level window I caught out of the corner out of my scared the bejesus out of me.

from Haunted Iowa: Kathleen Vyn

think there's a ghost in your house?

1. put circle of coins in closed room.

2. physical objects disappear-move, change, appear. find a pile of soil by your bed. wind blows through your bedroom. little fires start in house. often malicious.

3. orbs-lights pass through room-pass through solid objects-reappear.

4. schizophrenia can give someone symptoms that can appear as if having a paranormal experience.

5. "Old Tom Parker under your hat, bound in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit." binding incantation.

went to Mt. Gilead Historical Site, Kearney, MO. think we went there when Katie was a baby on first trip to Jesse James house. took a picture of Koren in a red velvet chair. was this open? did I take picture there or elsewhere? don't remember anything about it.

Mark Twain Cave, Hannibal, MO. Kevin and I went there summer 2024. didn't see or feel anything.

on the paranormal bucket list:

North American Bigfoot Museum, Boring, Oregon. Cliff & Melissa Barackman. I ordered a hoodie online from them during Covid.

Randolph County Infirmary Winchester, Indiana.

Ricky Road, Independence, MO.

Haunted Castle House, Brumley, MO.

Rolling Hills Asylum, East Bethany, NY

Gettysburg, PA

Salem, MA

Lizzie Borden House

M

onroe House, Hartford City, Indiana.

White Oak Cemetery, Ethel, MO.

Terror Bridge, Tara, IA.

Palmer House Hotel, Sauk Center, MN.

Marshall Cinema, Marshall, MO. was on The Dead Files.

Mystery Manor, Omaha, NE. Tracy and I were there but it was closed. they do a haunted house there for Halloween.

Voodoos Odd Shop, Omaha, NE. closed when Kevin and I tried to go.

Lemp Mansion, St Louis, MO.

High Creek Cemetery, Rock Port, MO.

Bonnie & Clyde Shootout Marker, Dexter, IA.

Union Cemetery Guthrie Center IA Devil's Chair.

Morse Mill Hotel, Dittmer, MO.

Squirrel Cage Jail, Council Bluffs, IA. tour

Oakland Cemetery, Iowa City, IA. Black Angel.

Rainbow Bridge, Lake City, IA. ghost. eats. candy. bar.

Taliesin, Spring Green, WI

Kendrick House, Carthage, MO

Grand Avenue B&B, CArthage, MO.

Hazel Ridge Cemetery, Brunswick, MO

Ohio State Reformatory, Mansfield, OH

bank robbed by Bonnie & Clyde, Stuart, IA

Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Site Gibsland, LA

The Haunted Olde Park Hotel, Ballinger, TX

Roads Hotel, Atlanta, IN tour

Stanley Hotel, Estes PArk, CO

Hotel Bothwell, Sedalia, MO

Bachelors Grove Cemetery, Midlothian, IL

Showman's Rest, Forest Park, IL

Taylor Cemetery, Homer, NE. put can of pop on grave.

Civil War battlefields. Missouri: Pilot Knob. Lone Jack. Wilson's Creek.

Big Cedar Lodge, Ridgedale, MO

Grand Avenue B&B, Carthage, MO.

1069 Salon & Spa, St. Charles, MO

Hazel Ridge Cemetery, Brunswick, MO.

St. Boniface Cemetery, Brunswick, MO.

Harmony Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, Rutledge MO. Ella Ewing The Missouri Giantess buried there.

Woodlawn Cemetery, Des Moines, IA. angel statue missing hands.

Old Baraboo Inn, Baraboo, WI

Maribel Hotel, Maribel, WI take stack of books and carrots! in 2014 building mostly gone after tornado and fire.

Amityville Horror House Amityville, Long Island, NY. have changed windows and address. now 108 Ocean Ave. blurred out on google maps images.

Fairview Cemetery, Council Bluffs, IA. Carmelita, 1 year old girl, dark curly hair. romps around cemetery. appears on top of her head stone. white dress.

Jordan House Museum, Des Moines, IA. Friday and Sunday tours.

Vegar's Cemetery, Stratford, IA. apparation at grave of 5 year old Arizona. you'll see her sitting on her tombstone with a demonic smile. if you stop at her grave she'll follow you around cemetery.

Stephen King spent night in room 217 at The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, CO. take pics on grand staircase.

Windsor Ruins, Port Gibson, MS. 4 story Greek Revival house, decimated by fire 1890. 29 columns left standing.

Hotel Bothwell, Sedalia MO

Rivercene Mansion B&B, New Franklin, MO

Bingham Waggoner Estate, Independence, MO

Mound Grove Cemetery, Independence, MO. woman in nightgown sometimes follows visitors. (I wanna be a ghost in a nightgown. word.)

St Valentines Day Massacre, Chicago, IL

Greenwood Cemetery, Decatur, IL. most haunted cemetery in America.

Hotel Savoy, (now 21c Museum), Kansas City, MO. room 505.

Muelebach Hotel KC MO now still operating today as part of KC Marriot

The Folly Theater, KC, MO

Strawberry Hill Museum, KC,KS.

Future Birthplace of James T. Kirk, Riverside IA. he'll be born there March 22, 2228.

Haunted Insane Asylum, Florissant, MO. located on McLaran Rd. which is off Jennings Station Rd. you keep your eye on the left while driving and you'll know which house it is. (I love directions like this. I can't follow them. Tracy & I googled all kinds of directions to Zombie Road on a trip. never did find it.)

High Creek Cemetery, Rock Port, MO. comments were "stay away-far away". ironically, we once lived in Rock Port.

White Oak Cemetery, Ethel, MO. very haunted.

Voodoos Odd Shop LLC, Omaha, NE. have been there several times. always closed. "We're all of us haunted and haunting." Chuck Palahniuk, Lullaby.

paranormal to do list:

Franklin Hotel, Strawberry Point, IA

Mt. Hope Cemetery, Madrid, IA. child ghost Sara follows visitors and asks for Ree. touches people, tugs at clothes.

Mathias Ham House, Dubuque, IA. they have tours

Hazel Green Cemetery, Ackley IA. take flowers. carry something made with iron.

Historic Klondike Hotel, Manilla, IA. watch for public ghost hunts.

Kettle Moraine, Wisconsin. this is where Jay Bachochin hunts Bigfoot.

Shiloh National Military Park, Shiloh, TN.

Stones River National Battlefield, Murfreesboro TN

Loretta Lynn Ranch, Hurricane Mills TN

Carter House, Franklin, TN

Hales Bar Marina & Dam, Guild, TN. on Ghost Adventures! former tour guide says 100% credibility of location.

Thomas House, Red Boiling Springs, TN. Ghost Hunt Weekends runs monthly tours.

Avilla, MO. Route 66. unfriendly locals. Death Tree. Shadow People.

Eloise Asylum Westland Michigan. check FB. still doing public investigations weekends.

Bolckow, MO. locals reclusive and unfriendly. hilly town. atmosphere heavy and thick. brown victorian wrap around porch pic on blog jan 14 2021. only 1.5 hours away!

Octagon Hall Museum, Franklin, KY.

Fat Matts Vortex

November 9, 2024. this has been on my paranormal list for years. we went after The Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy at Vox Theatre, which was 'in the neighborhood', so to speak. I'm not a bar girl, and I'd sipped at 4 cocktails already, so took some pics of the exterior and touched the wall to get the vibe. I did not see any spirits.

I can't find anything that says Vox Theatre is haunted, but I also didn't find anything that said it wasn't.

it was a fun experience. I wore my Salem Witch dress and boots. first outing. I felt slightly overdressed, but....girrrrrl. there were corsets. chokers. top hats. vampire outfits. black tights. tuxes with tails. evening dresses. parasols. a huge flowered hat. clocks. very Steam Punk. kind of like RenFest. with mixed drinks.

yesterday I went to see Ian work stage crew at his class production. gotta admire the hustle!

came home and crashed. today has been a long dry-heaving-puking-up-softball-size-wads-of-snot-wrapped-in-a-blankie-watching-True-Crime-kinda day. begged off helping Ann, who is also not feeling well. have to rally. plans tomorrow!

oh, migration.

today I lost a tooth and gained a Bumble in my livingroom. yes. Christmas has hit the Dailey house. no apologies. stockings are hung on the closet door with care. Bumble and stuffies parked beside my chair.

I have lost faith in the 2 traditional parties, so always vote Libertarian now. does that really make a difference? some states don't even have Libertarian on the ballet. wtf.

In addition to Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, voters on Election Day may have also noticed Libertarian Party presidential candidate Chase Oliver on their ballots. Oliver, 39, is a "Libertarian activist living in Atlanta," according to his campaign. "Oliver is a champion of the rights of the individual against the growing power of the state," his biography on his campaign's website reads. According to his campaign website, Oliver began his political activism opposing the Iraq War and aligned with the Libertarian Party "after an encounter at the Atlanta Pride Festival in 2010."

“A 39-year-old Libertarian who is ready to speak our principles boldly and loudly to the American public will look so great compared to two 80-year-old decrepit, old-party machine people, who are going to be spouting the same lines and the same mudslinging that they do every four years,” Oliver told a group of eight people at a meet-and-greet event with Linn County Libertarians in Cedar Rapids, per the Gazette.

The Libertarian Party (LP) is a neoclassical liberal political party in the United States that promotes civil liberties, non-interventionism, laissez-faire capitalism, and limiting the size and scope of government. The party was conceived in August 1971 at meetings in the home of David F. Nolan in Westminster, Colorado,[8][9] and was officially formed on December 11, 1971, in Colorado Springs.[9] The organizers of the party drew inspiration from the works and ideas of the prominent Austrian school economist Murray Rothbard.[10] The founding of the party was prompted in part due to concerns about the Nixon administration, the Vietnam War, conscription, and the introduction of fiat money.[11]

As of May 2024, it is the third-largest political party in the United States by voter registration. In the 2020 election, the Libertarians gained a state legislative seat in the Wyoming House of Representatives, the first such win for the party since 2000.[15][16][17] The first and only Libertarian in the United States Congress was Justin Amash, who joined the Libertarian Party in 2020 and left the U.S. House of Representatives in 2021 after choosing not to seek re-election.

The first Libertarian presidential candidate, John Hospers, received one electoral vote in 1972 when Roger MacBride, a Virginia Republican faithless elector pledged to Richard Nixon, cast his ballot for the Libertarian ticket. His vote for Theodora ("Tonie") Nathan as vice president was the first electoral college vote ever to be cast for a woman in a United States presidential election.[72] MacBride became the Libertarian presidential nominee himself in 1976. This was the last time that the Libertarian Party won an electoral vote until 44 years later, in the 2016 presidential election, when Texas Republican faithless elector Bill Greene, who was pledged to cast his vote for Donald Trump, instead cast his vote for Libertarian Party member, 1988 presidential nominee, and former Republican representative Ron Paul for president.[73] During the 2016 presidential election, Gary Johnson and vice presidential candidate Bill Weld received a record percentage of 3.3% of the popular vote (4,489,233 votes),[74] getting 9.3% in New Mexico, where Johnson had previously been elected governor. In the 2012 presidential election, Johnson and running mate Jim Gray received 1,275,821 votes (1.0%).[75]

our trip down The Yeller Brick Road to see Lewis Black was fun.

the monster museum I wanted to visit was closed. as was most anything else, cause Monday. and off season. but googled haunted locations, walked and drove past some and took pictures. found the memorial to the massacre victims in Lawrence in Oak Hill Cemetery. me giving directions to cemetery was very stressful to Kevin. room 524 at our hotel was haunted by a shy little ghost named Gustavo who is our travel buddy. he makes sure ALL my adventures are spooky. rain, rain, rain. and lots of car naps. one of the nicest rooms we'd ever had. full. sized. fridge. and a DISHWASHER.

today we voted. seems super important. mice at farm again. way to go, exterminators. (insert eye roll here.)

went trunk or treating with KJ, Ann, & Izzy.

brought fun memories of trick-or-treating with the kids. did the haunted school bus. started The Scooby Doo & The Gang quilt. Happy Halloween!

when you're a hammer everything looks like a nail........

good nights sleep. am I finally (yet again) at the end of the seasonal choking-on-my-own-snot crud? first day of the month, so clean sheets. vaccum. Rip meds. feel like making more Basement Barbies. another Scooby Doo Gang quilt block or 2. Hello, November.

it really IS November. I blogged on a blank draft from the other day. I. am. not. a. crazy. person. well, I probably am. but it IS November 1st. Bigfoot told me so.

I always have to rewatch any Ghost Adventures episode of somewhere they investigated that I finally made it to.....

during a whirlwind trip out west with Tracy & Chris, I added some more to the list! I am awesome, I think....

Mizpah Hotel, Tonopah, Nevada.

this episode was in 2011.

Ghost Adventures experience: Zak, Nick, and Aaron were locked down from dusk to dawn. They were renovating while they were there. THe elevator wasn't working. (door did open and shut for Aaron, though.) Hotel built over a mineshaft (most of town was). Lady in Red was a kept woman who was seeing customers on the side and got caught and murdered. A dead senator on ice in a bathtub. GA got evps, a board in the hallway repeatedly knocked down.

our experience: Tracy had rented the Lady in Red room on 5th floor on Hotels.com, but they gave us the room beneath it - we had lights blinking in weird sequences when we first got there - other YouTubers had rented The Lady in Red Room a day or 2 before Tracy. we prowled the hallways, stairwells, and rode the elevator up and down. They had cat balls, a go pro, a camera on a tripod, EMF meter. the hallways were spooky. our 4th floor hallway felt the spookiest of all. we didn't get to go in Jack Dempsey dining room or the basement, the ghost tour was full. it is truly a beautiful old building. you could look out our window (we were in the Jim Butler suite) and our window overlooked the Jim Butler motel next door. we also found a statue of he and his wife.

Jerome Grand Hotel, Jerome, Arizona.

Chris & Tracy had stayed there previously, they had lots of activity in their room. Tracy said she wouldn't stay again. We took pictures outside and walked around.

Ghost Adventures were there in 2011. it was first a hospital, 9000 recorded deaths. "spooky." "feel eyes on you." The building down the hill was part of the hospital. they investigated it, too. 2 maintenance men committed suicide on site. a guy beheaded by elevator.

Goldfield Hotel, Goldfield, Nevada.

episode shot 2013.

why is it so haunted? fire? flood? murders? suicides? the mining company? Room 109 ghost of Elizabeth, pregnant and chained to a radiator. rocks thrown. poltergeist activity. Zak got aggressive. GA did video analysis in. the. room. we. stayed. in. at. Mizpah. Hotel. standing right. where. I. slept. on. an. air. mattress. Jay sat on the bed where. Tracy. slept. we are rockstars! I am such a groupie. BOOM. mic drop.

our experience: we stopped to take pictures and peek in windows, a woman was there working on building and she. let. us. in! got to walk around first floor and bsement, she told us some stories. We stood on the stairs! she said it was original carpet. she pointed out various rooms to us. told us that the GA guys were walking around town interviewing people and that's how they got into the hotel. it is for sale. being restored.

Clown Motel, Tonopah, Nevada.

2015

the hotel was blue when they were there. no big clowns on outside of building but the sign. they interviewed a maid, not the medium maid who was our tour guide. The clowns hand moved. on camera. he was missing last 2 fingers on right hand when they were there. no gazebo by cemetery.

we wore matching IT shirts and clown masks for pictures. did the official $10 tour. our guide had worked there AND at the Mizpah. so got stories for both. she lived in the trailer court right by cemetery and sat on her porch after the kids went to bed and talked to spirits. it was cold, windy, and rainy. got to go inside several rooms. this was a bucket list item. can't believe I've been there!

Goldfield High School, Goldfield, Nevada.

they also investigated this on the Clown Motel episode, 2015. they got a demon. negative energy. a little girl murdered and buried under school???

our experience? we took pictures outside.

mom mentioned a family vacation next summer.

KJ suggested an Axsom Family Reunion. Fernwood (where we had our anniversary party last year) would be big enough. and not too far for mom to travel.

we brainstormed some group activities....KJ could bring his Nintendo Switch and 4 controls. a football to toss. some board games. make s'mores. another family ghost hunt. bring a book for Kids Bedtime Story....just hanging out and spending time with each other. no frantic rushing here and there. and Mom could retire to her room whenever she wanted.

had a fun ghost hunting weekend.

watched the original Poltergiest in a haunted movie theater....then went to The First Known Paranormal Investigation at The Kelly Theater.

I think this is the first year I forgot to post a pic of dad on Facebook on the anniversary of his no longer being with us.

maybe it was last year? but I was out west visiting Tracy last week and then I realized that it had come and gone. which means I've moved on, I guess. because no matter how bad it hurts, life goes on. it just does. I still miss him and think of him. he was my dad. best one I ever had. and although he wasn't perfect, I think he was a good man. a real pull himself up by the bootstraps do whatever it takes to take care of your family kind of man. and I married a man like that.

today my battle vs. snot continues. a cozy day of sitting in my chair wrapped in a homemade blankie binge watching and doodling. life is good.

finally bought 3 Dollar Tree dollhouses and glued them together, painted them chalkboard black, and used the $1 ghost lights I got some Halloween past to make an adorable doll house. made a spot for it in The Office.

meant to visit the girls after school, but took a long ass chair nap then had a long phone chat with Katie. so rescheduled for tomorrow night. froze the leftover roast and juice for future beef and noodles. look at me go.

"I think I'm always going to be a paranormal girl at heart. I'm always going to be intrigued by it." Jennifer Armentrout

returned home from a week visiting Chris & Tracy. I flew out and back. feeling quite the world traveler. got my first A boarding spot today.....60. the very last A spot.

rode in back of plane, window seats every flight. only had to fight with my seatbelt the first flight. my first SkyTram ride today. navigated escalators. bathrooms at every airport.

we . got. to. go. inside. Goldfield Hotel! a tour at The Clown Motel. Wanda was a memorable guide. she is also a medium and told us stories about The Mizpah, where she used to work. Tonopah Cemetery. a stay at the haunted Mizpah Hotel. Chris is quite the investigator. we did have some activity. went to several ghost towns. Jack Rabbit Trading Post. Jerome. Rhyolite. Goldfield. met some wild donkeys up close and personal. ate black pizza at Sliced. I dozed off a bit on each plane ride, and also riding in Chris & Tracy's back seat. an exhausting, memorable, unforgettable trip!

had a wonderful day with family.

Katie & Brayden, Koren & family.

got to see Izzy and KJ and Zerelda the other day.

today was the day Kevin has worked to prevent for so long.

but he's a strong practical man. he always adapts and does what has to be done.

and today was also Grandparents Day at Ridgeway and I was Zerelda's very honored guest.

Henrietta Woodstone moved to The Creepy Corner. and the flea market finds.

mom's furnace got installed today!

today is Koren's birthday.

I can still see her crashing her Big Wheel into the concrete tunnel on the playground...standing on the top of the slide singing Paint With All The Colors Of The Wind...being crowned Prom Queen. it all went so fast. I am so very proud of her. always.

no one ever told me I was pretty when I was a little girl. All little girls should be told they're pretty, even if they're not. - Marilyn Monroe

I was brought up differently than the average American child because the average child is brought up expecting to be happy. - Marilyn Monroe.

For a long time I was scared I'd find out I was like my mother. - Marilyn Monroe

Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale. -Hans Christian Anderson

last flea market of the season.

Kevin tried out his new shooting bench and got in some target practice. sunset Polaris ride. Kevin untangled my pumpkin buckets. (again.)

Kevin chiropractor appt. checked in with mom.

had a Jennifer sighting at Uprooted Kitchen. love that girl! Hy-Vee. and. the. blessed. a/c. is. fixed.

dentist appointment. I'll get my broken tooth pulled, let it heal, put in a post, let it heal, and eventually get a new crown. can't save it.

at least it doesn't hurt. so there's that. it's the tooth I had the last root canal on. x-ray showed infection had cleared up. yay.

Christmas is at Tractor Supply. got piggy and chicken wrapping paper, 2 boxes of cards, and a singing Highland Cow. AND a tiny cowgirl Barbie for the Creepy Christmas Village. Kevin picked up his new gun and got a shooting table.

Ann suggested lights for my pumpkins in tree. ordered individual solar lanterns, they arrived today, put them in buckets, and DAMN. that girl was right. I am obsessed.

played with Iz some today. lovely autumn weather. Kevin took a half day and mowed at farm.

first day of the month. Rip Rx. changed sheets. car serviced.

went shopping at Hobby Lobby. 1/2 price Xmas. so got tiny wreaths, stocking hats, candy canes, presents, and xmas lights to jazz up my Creepy Christmas Town. giggled myself silly. Kevin made chili for supper. wonderfully cool today.

I've broken a tooth on a Jolly Rancher. I reluctantly gave them up. I broke a tooth on a Tootsie Pop. I very reluctantly gave them up.

I've been popped in the mouth by a long term care resident and broken a tooth. hit in the mouth with a Great Pryanese paw and broke a tooth. today....today. (sigh) I was eating some moist, delicious pumpkin bread spread with butter since I'm a fat girl. all of a sudden I bit into a rock? I spit it out and it was a tooth. somebody at HyVee Bakery lost a tooth in my pumpkin bread? looked in the mirror. it was MY tooth. called dentist office. no immediate appointments. I can go in with Kevin on his next appointment so Dr. Paul can see what the situation is here. I'm not giving up bread. no way. no how.

picked up Rip, picked up Rx. vaccumed floor. delivered the wedding presents to farm.

this was KJ's wedding weekend.

the event was at a hotel, which was nice, since you could just take the elevator up to your room. I did makeup and hair with the bridal party, which was fun. the grands had a big time dancing. Cora danced with Papa, which melted my heart. Ann & KJ planned a special dance for us to one of our favorite songs since we didn't dance at our own wedding. it was a very sweet gesture. KJ looked very handsome and proud and happy. he got married on our 41st anniversary. Koren and family and Dave & Mel attended, along with some teachers from his school.

today we picked up meat at the locker.

delivered KJ's meat and a package for Ann. burned their cardboard boxes. sold some silver. went to Hy-Vee. ice cream at Sonic. bumped into an old coworker, one of the most gungho company people I EVER worked with. she was fired in July. guy came and fixed a/c but it quit again. he'll be back tomorrow with more parts. it's lovely fall weather and I finally got to open some windows.

both yards mowed. relit bonfire. visited Z and Iz. cleaned out middle desk drawer.

picked Rip up from vet. Kevin helped me hang the pumkpin buckets in tree. orange skeleton in position on porch.

had a wonderfully exhausting grandkids visit while their parents were away celebrating their 15th anniversary.

came home to a/c trying valiantly and failing to kick on (insert eye roll here.)

there was a rainy day zoo trip. checkers. movie night. flashlights in the back yard. a walkabout the neighborhood.

I took girls to punkin patch. Izzy was very very very proud of her little bitty punkin. and Zerelda was quite helpful.

Kevin took another early out. and did a long soak in the jacuzzi tub followed by a lap at the park. he's still hurting. but he got that tin back up on the roof, by God there.

I have such a long to do list and so many lazy days...but did make an executive decision to add 2 Barbies I had stashed in the trunk to my own Barbie house instead of saving for granddaughters for gifts...because, quite frankly, these girls have AMAZING Barbie collections. and I like to play Barbies, too....

played with the girls this evening for a bit. we found acorns, played school, watched traffic go by, swung, watched TikToks. found a surprise pumpkin! so now there are 2 on the porch...

on season 2 of Carrie from King of Queens Scientology doc. wow.

fluff my feathers.

Kevin took an early out, crawled up on haybarn roof to replace tin that had blown off over the years. David stopped by on his way home from work just about the time Kevin ran out of screws. and crawled up on the roof to help him finish up. 6 sheets. then his friend from work Ian showed up to cut down the dead tree in KJ's yard. Kevin pushed the brush out of the driveway, Ian will come back later to cut it up. Kevin parked dump trailer back there to clean up.

stayed at the historic and haunted Hilton President Hotel and saw Wilder Blue, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Hank Williams Jr. at T-Mobile. which I'm pretty sure was Sprint Center last time we went.

I didn't realize there was no fridge in room. but the elegant and quite heavy silver ice bucket did keep ice frozen ALL night. there is no longer a room 1046. guess the rooms are larger now than they once were. there was an event on second floor so couldn't blunder about trying to spot the ghostly butler. took the stairs from 2-5th floor. no ghosties there. there was a powerful commotion coming from 5th floor elevators, sounded like talking, dishes clanging, etc. a party. door opens. crickets. so that was cool. was a beautiful classy grand old dame. reminded me a lot of the one Katie and I stayed in at Washington DC. excellent staff. valet. Kevin met a guy at concert who was part of renovation of hotel. no elecricity and full of pigeons. used the Longhorn gift card from Chris and Tracy for lunch. ate lunch next day at Jack Stacks. KJ, Ann, and Izzy over to watch the Chiefs game after we got home.

just like my TikTok friend Peculiarly Ashley says, if it's not your tea pot you can't tell me I can't break it"

of course mine is more like " it's an old Barbie, you can't tell me I can't make it into a serial killer or infamous person...." . or it's the Barbie head I thrifted and some waaaaaay too big plastic Dollar General snakes "you can't tell me how to make Medusa." the long-awaited for Scooby Doo color book has arrived, and it is all I hoped. HUGE graphics that I am going to use for patterns to make my own version of The Scooby Doo Gang and Monsters for a quilt. I will pay homage to the original, but might get a bit funkytown with the fabric choices, since they will be coming from my fabric stash boxes. I am on a recently formed mission to use up my existing fabric. I might cave and buy something that is PERFECT, but not my original intention. I might get Scooby Doo FAbric for the backing????? time will tell. right now is the fun and exciting idea stage. which is followed by the equally exciting finding the fabric and piecing it together stage. then the overwhelming how do I make this work stage. THEN the perfect backing stage. and then the off to the quilter stage for quilting design. can I get GHOSTS?

so many projects. so much time I spend staring off into space. I should do something about that....need to finish up my Medusa. go see if that big head doll is still at thrift store in P-town. you know. the one in the box under the clothing rack. now I'm thinking she would make a perfect baby Beetlejuice. who says Beetlejuice has to be a boy?

today was Broccoli Harvest Day. I feel like a pioneer woman.

John's birthday has come and gone. again. watching all kinds of weird thought provoking content. learning shit I quite honestly should've known but didn't. probably because I don't watch the news. we saw Beetlejuice Beetlejuice at the theater. a magical magical sequel. I. loved. it. Kevin has took early outs the last 2 days. today 'we' worked at the farm, sorted through stuff, pushing stuff into burn pile, digging up steel lodged in the ground. he also cleaned up in front of The Butler Barn. looking better out there all the time. Dr. Izzy started her practice today. Nurse Zerelda is assisting her. Kevin bought a slicer. he sliced the zuchinni. I did the fried potatoes. not realizing there is a safety deal to hold the product with. gashed my thumb but good. bled off and on all night. everytime I bumped it. next day was digging in fabric box and started bleeding. yesterday I was doing my usual round of local businesses (DG, Dollar Tree, Hy-Vee) while Rip was getting groomed. my thumb bumped against my leg walking across parking lot to DT, had to do emergency first aid with my glove box bandaids. working on crafty spooky stuff. have kind of started decorating for Halloween. as in up here. since The Creepy Corner is 100% Halloween All. The. Time. and started wasting vast amounts of time playing some game on my phone matching 3 objects on a shelf over and over and over and over till the low battery 10% warning comes on.....(insert eye roll emoji here.) still hooping. not losing tons of weight. haven't lost a link. but I feel accomplished. so there's that.

I spent night at Koren's and took the kids to Donuts with Grandparents today. it was fun.

hit several city Walmarts looking for Tracy's sweatshirt, found it a size too big at Bethany Walmart on way home, so went ahead and bought it.

journeyed out to the farm this morning where our guys replaced the outlet and switch for garbage disposal. and we're back in business!

Kevin took an early out, picked up his Rx, picked up our eyeglasses, ate a late lunch/early supper, and went to Hy-Vee. the wonderful brisk weather continues. made a witches jar.

a lengthy day time nap throws everything out of whack.

but sometimes they are a necessary evil. mowed our yard. Kevin thinks the motor on my lawnmower is locked up. it's always something, ain't it? my, my. made cornbread, beans, and fried potatoes for supper and as always, thought about my dad. mom would always make extra cornbread so he had plenty for cornmeal mush. milk on cornbread. ugh. he sure loved it. made Miss Hetty's hat. I think it is adorable. sure, it's not perfect. hot glue strands everywhere I need to trim off. I'm sure she'll look beautiful in it.

today I delivered all the bridal shower gifts from yesterdays bridal shower to farm.

and assisted Kevin with transforming the front door to rusty white to Storm Gray with black doorknob. he also fixed other door to open and shut and replaced doorknob. and diagnosed garbage disposal. it works with extension cord. nothing plugged into that outlet will work. must need new outlet. passed that on to our local handy dandy fix it man.

tried that apple cinnamon biscuit recipe I found on Facebook. eh.

visited Miss Izzie today. we built blocks. rain. temps dropped. drug store run. harvested 7 tomatoes from garden today. and found a doll head in pasture. it must've been in the dirt where Kevin worked on yard after he took down the doll trellis. she has aged wonderfully.

Wednesday.

Kevin took an early out. we turned in meat order, lunched at Toot Toots, shopped at Wal-mart. I finished the hexagon quilt and tucked in some dollies with it in cradle. which project shall I start next? hmmmmm....

took Izzy to Dr since Ann was sick. she asked me to keep her all day, so we played and played and played.

finished machine quilting bassinet quilt. now to decide how to finish edges? figured out meat order. will try doing it on one sheet this time and sorting it out ourselves. the whole quarter thing was a bit of a deal last year...

finished hand piecing bassinet sized hexagon quilt. now I'm machine quilting.....I mowed yard.

it's a hot one out there.

oh potatoes and molasses....

it's been a busy weekend. our first ever trip to Knoxville Speedway. where I learned there is a driver named Emerson AXSOM from Indiana.

mowed at farm. completed projects Spooky Eyeball, Baby Pogo, and Bead/Button Ghost Art moved to basement. set up little aliens by the mirrored UFO I found at thrift store.

using the grill.

WORD OF THE DAY August 24, 2024 nidificate [ nid-uh-fi-keyt ] verb to build a nest

today Baby Pogo got his blue eye paint. working on hexagon quilt.

Kevin and I watching a Netflix series together.

Kevin went back to work today and took an early out at noon.

I painted first coat on Baby Pogos head. started a Coffee Can Hexagon Hand Sewn Quilt. just a crazy quilt of scraps. will probably make it baby quilt size. Kevin made chili and we watched the last Chiefs preseason game.

Wednesday.

yesterday I mowed our yard. Kevin brushcut and finished loading trailer. I tried the grill again. pork chops went much better. not sure where I got the idea I couldn't use oil to cook? whatever. I make shit up sometimes, I think. visited the girls to see how Zerelda's first day of 2nd grade went.

sold a load of scrap this morning. price went up a little. his and hers eye dr appt. we're both getting new readers. this time mine are BLUE! and made for wide heads. bought some paint to make Baby Pogo.

Monday.

dentist appt. Kevin has to go back. I don't. bought a bigger freezer today. which is an incredibly adult thing to do. lunch at Coltons. looked at Halloween at Menards and Tractor Supply. Kevin gave me a wad of cash to go look for something at the thrift store per my request....found the perfect baby for Baby Pogo AND a kick ass disco UFO. for $1.50. he got the oil for the tractor. I made my bead-and-button ghost portrait. and finished up teeny tiny pipecleaner Dogpool.

a jammy day.

I did a lot of reading. doodling. made my teeny tiny pipecleaner Dogpool. thinking on his teeny tiny clothes. sorted all buttons by color. I have so many cool old ones I inherited from Marie's house. spraypainted a piece of cardboard. going to try to make button and bead ghost art. we'll see how it goes.

email. my flights to AND from Tracy's have been changed again. just a few minutes here and there.

since it's been raining, we thought we should be mowing at farm. it did need it.

Kevin got the new hose for the brush cutter made and put on. we watched the Chiefs preseason game, then he went fishing and caught some good sized one and I tackled my to-do list and washed and seasoned The Blackstone. then I thought, hey, I'm making fried potatoes, lets do them on the grill. bleh. cleaned and reseasoned grill. not really my thing. it is hot. like working in the kitchen of a small town diner in August hot. finished Baby Deadpool and he is adorning The Black Spooky Tree.

yesterday and today Miss Izzie and I hung out all day.

she is a pretty content little lady. no tears. we did all kinds of things. I think we had fun. I know I'm exhausted. Baby Deadpool is taking shape, his head, arms, and torso are done, just need to make him legs and feet and he'll be a done deal. Kevin got me skeletons today: a baby chick and a pig.

took car in because a dash message told me to. and. nothing. was. wrong. (insert eye roll emoji here)

it has been raining! got enough dirt from farm tonite to finish up flowerbed, then filled some holes in front yard. finished denim quilt! zigzagged and left a raw edge, washed, dried. will go on bed tomorrow and wash and put those quilts away. I ended up with 6 rows of blocks left. got carried away per usual. maybe a lap quilt? pillow shams? that's for another day. more projects on the list. much to do.

today I went to a women's self defense seminar at Bethany. I slunk in late because road construction. 3 more people came in after me.. 9 out of the 25 registered showed up.

lots of thought provoking stuff. when the shit hits the fan, your mind will revert to 'training.' whether your training is crying and falling down trying to run away or jabbing your thumbs in their eyes. that is sobering. bought another $92 Walmart sewing machine. went to farm after railroad ties and Kevin framed out the soon-to-be daylily bed around the stump, which I want to put a birdbath or statue or something on. he moved the leftover dirt from his cobblestone path to the new flower bed. rain gauge had 1.34".

I have a hard time telling people no.

I don't feel that I'm an empath, but when someone shares their problems with me, I take them on. We've been through tough times. TOUGH times. I want to help people. sometimes we can't. it is so hard to say no when someone asks for help. I worry about them. I feel guilty for not helping when someone asks. end of story.

spent the night at Koren's and hung out with the kids today . I always love hanging out with them.

they're a good bunch. I really admire Koren. she is a wonderful mother.

met up with Lisa, Mom, Brenda, Rachelle, & Sarah at Rachelle's Bridal Shower.

a tour of Brenda's new house.

last night we watched the girls while their mom and dad went to movies.

we baked cupcakes and went outside in the dark to see the UFO lit up and the full moon. Zerelda also made us a No Raccoons sign for the back door so we are safe from raccoon infestation. it's her thing. she also made a sign for their front door.

finished up last crocheted rag rug. second haunted book is done. Kevin mowed the yard although he said he couldn't tell where he'd been. the lack of rain is cutting mowing season short and I'm not complaining. I did the mandatory weed=eating.

had just started today's sewing when the bobbin quit turning. I tried trouble shooting. Kevin took it apart and looked at it. looks like I'm in the market for a new $99 sewing machine at Walmart. Sasquatch knows I'm tough on 'em.

to Corydon pool with Kj and girls. also made my first trip to the new Dollar General.

"There is a garden in her eyes, where roses and white lilies flow." Thomas Campion. Happiest of birthdays to Miss Violet Claire! 🎈🎈

10 rows sewed together on quilt. kinda liking it. :)

photo shoot with my favorite little Missouri models....

...and on this day in history, I commence The Sewing Of The Strips 🧵🧷🪡

5 strips done, started on 6th when my hands demanded a break. watched a Bernie Madoff doc. series. I never went to college, but I've always been a 'student' through tv watching and book reading.

did any of our 11 guests notice that I'd cleaned house? probably not. but it's what I do.

Izzy got some cool gifts and blew out the candle on her birthday cupcake. she played with her sister and uncles. got hugs from the grandparents. it was a wonderful day!

flea market. movie matinee DeadPool and Wolverine.

I've been inspired to make a baby Deadpool and a Dogpool. as luck would have it, just found a video on making dogs from pipe cleaners...just need pipe cleaners! would need white (check, was dog white?), black for glasses, pink for tongue, and red for outfit. found the perfect book at flea market to turn into a spooky book (another video) , a baby doll on eBay that will be baby Deadpool, AND decided that I'll type up my infamous Bisquick Banana Nut Bread recipe for Rachelle's bridal shower. whew!

what I'm reading📚... Missouri's Mad Doctor McDowell

kitchen is closed. (if only I could insert pic of bar stools up on counter like I'm closing a restaurant...) party cleaning almost complete. need to clean front of fridge. hands are screaming. why do I bust ass cleaning house for family events like our house is just always naturally clean? they grew up here. they know better. sewed last strip together and just out of curiosity laid out on my bed....a king quilt and then some. I could make a chair quilt as well, pert much 🙄. counters cleaned off. projects put away. after party will assemble strips and bind. and then....The Scooby Doo Gang Quilt. rode along to Kevin's chiropractor appt. I went back to Trenton DG and got the pink hair and green hair clown masks. (if only I could insert pic of me in car holding these masks. but I can't figure out how to sign in to post pictures now....wtf.) got an amazon book haul today. serial killers and Branson ghosts.

went to shower. glanced over at The Creepy Corner, and a frog I made looked weird. closer examination showed that he was chewed up in several places and quite flat. he'd been stuffed with rice. I guess at some point the basement mice got hungry and ate all his innards. then I'm showering. I look down and see a nasty wad of hair in the drain. after I showered tried to pull it out. used a pen and a paintbrush and seam ripper to try to pull it up out of there. almost had it. then I am sure as fuck I saw. a. tiny. foot. fuckin' mice. anyway. I lost it. went down the drain. hopefully it will keep on going. jeez louise.

also did some meal prep. cooked up 2 lbs of HB to freeze, and put stirfry and onions in crock pot.

yesterday Rip and I journeyed to Trenton for his groom.

did my usual groom day shopping....DG and Dollar Tree and Halloween has arrived! lots of glorious browsing. mowed at farm. hot. T-storm evening. 1/2" in rain gauge.

today picked up Rx. (and they've called with ANOTHER one. no more peopling today. no. no. no.) unfortunately, Halloween has NOT arrived at P-ton DG, so will shop at Trenton tomorrow night while he's at chiropractor, since I have decided (and conferred with Tracy) that it would be fun to take pics at Clown Motel wearing Clown Masks. so. I almost bought masks yesterday cause why not. but couldn't think of anything to do with them. has someone else with The Clown Motel in their future bought Every. Single. Mask? if so, my go-to Amazon is always there for me. trying to get the strips for quilt sewn together so I can clean off island for Iz's party this weekend. have 1.5 more to go and I. just. can't. my neck hurts. my eyes hurt. and the party is Sunday, not Saturday like I thought. I did get table cleaned off. and balloons from Z's party taken down. I am Woman, hear me roar. I will get it all done. I will.

working on Rag Rug #4. sewed 6 rows for quilt.

and decided when it is done, will write a story about each quilt block. there are pieces from shirts of Dad and Lije. old pj pants of Kj and Kate. leftovers from projects. fabric mom bought at auction and gave me. walmart remnats and fat quarters. fabric I bought but never used. when I was a kid I read The Patchwork Quilt about a quilt full of stories. I think I'll name this quilt The Scrappy Scrapbook Memory Quilt. or maybe just The Scrappy Scrapbook.

Monday.

I hooped. I watered plants. I mowed our yard and weedeated. I finished crocheted rag rug #3. sewed 6 strips for denim quilt. AND made supper. first meal we'd hat at home since Homecoming started. including my first ever steamed garden fresh broccoli. changed sheets. Kevin brought home The Blackstone. put it on backporch for now. it's quite a thing. browsed through Branson vacation guide that arrived today. they have new stuff since we were there in...was it 2006ish?

yesterday was Millie's birthday, today is Izzy's.

won 2 ribbons in quilt show, blue on Katie's baby quilt from Great Grandma Marie; and white on my Cryptid Creature Feature Quilt that Kevin went back home to get, along with the 3 stockings I made a couple of years ago. I. AM. GOING. TO. HAVE. A. SCOOBY. DOO. GANG. quilt for 2025 quilt show! already have my background fabric, and made a list of things I want to put on it....I say I'll start working on it Monday...

placed our chairs behind our friends The Hajeks all 3 nights. I won first night of raffle, bag of insurance gimme stuff. Kevin won big last night: a Blackstone Grill. $20. AND $100 gas card from his favorite local gas station. Homecoming is over for us. we don't do the Sunday Church, plus today is little girls birthday party.

today I very slowly walked in a circle several times hooping. setting my own smallish goals. I am woman, hear me roar. think I'll stay at 34 minutes and push myself to move my feet more.

homecoming drags on....

flea market. entered quilts in show. hometown entertainment. got to ride the Merry-Go-Round with Izzy. Zerelda had dental surgery today.

Christmas in July ⛄🎄🎅🤶 Bell Ringers are out.

Kevin picked up the gun he'd ordered. Hy-Vee run. at the buffett:

Cashier: 2 Seniors?

Kevin: what are you calling seniors?

Cashier: 60.

deb: no. no. we're only 59.

Cashier: close enough.

deb: (sigh)whispers "close enough."

last night was the Tractor Pull. Kevin had a blast. my chair broke. (sad face emoji. this chair and I done been through some SHIT together.) there was a breeze and it was nice out. good nachos. and Kevin kept the cold Pepsis coming.

tonight starts Mercer Homecoming 2024 Christmas in July. ugh. I don't like the square blocked off full of carnies and rides. I don't like the traffic. I don't like mingling amongst the townspeople. I especially dislike chit chat. but Kevin is all about it. and he doesn't ask a lot. so.....

although he did tell me I should meet new girl at beauty shop. she does foil wraps. I'm like hmmmmm. I quit dying my hair years ago. I don't want a hair cut. why would I need to meet this girl? what exactly am I supposed to read into this? I am slowly accepting myself. at age 59. I am chubby. I have a pumpkin head and straggly gray hair. I have joined the Cult of The Hoop. this is who I am.

what I'm reading.....Missouri's Mad Doctor McDowell.

this girrrrrrl is on fire!

finished 2nd rag rug! now plan on figuring out how to make some hot pads for green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and green bean casserole for family dinners. played with Z and Iz today. harvested first crop of broccoli. watching so much true crime that I am starting to see different docs about crimes I've already seen. deja vu, man.

Monday.

trimmed up the first rag rug. started crocheting second. finished clown yoyo doll. went fishing with Kevin.

Lego sets and pom poms arrived today.

putting stuff in Christmas sacks and realize....I've bought TWO BARBIES? wtf. they're right there, in the bottom of The Gift Trunk. now have to find 3 more, of course. or just save them for birthdays next year? but I'm pretty sure Coralie NEEDS a cat Monster High doll RIGHT now. THIS Christmas. or is it a werewolf? (sigh.) the girls all have tons of Barbies. I'll just leave them loose in box for now. such big monumental all important life-altering decisions going on here. not sure I'm up to the task. and something for Ian. would he want pom poms? there is an extra pair if he wants them. so now he needs TWO extra gifts. or 1 if I let the Barbie thing slide. unless he wants a Ken from movie. or does he? idk. and I want to do t-shirts again. the kids seemed to like them. I often see pics of them on FB wearing them. I am seriously trying to downsize. I really really really am. seriously. #truth.

sunday.

mowed at farm. not too hot, too windy, too sunny. just a good day to mow. got yoyo clown body assembled.

went to see Twisters. no flying cow, but I liked it. terrifying!

Kevin bought a dozen ears of local sweetcorn, had corn on cob for supper, cut rest off cob and froze. delicious! eating garden tomatoes. broccoli is almost ready (I think???) sunflowers are blooming. life is good. loving the cooler temps the last couple of days. wore a HOODY today!

Friday, July 19, 2024

a full day after I finally drug my lazy ass out of bed...finished the 35 Serial Killers The World Wants to Forget documentary. planted the free daylilies (finally). watered plants. made 36 yoyos (needs 66) for the clown doll I am attempting...got frustrated with the one I'd started and it went back to basement. did some book shopping on amazon. went along on Kevin's chiropractor appt. and read on The Lost Boys in the car. added foot movements to hooping today. a few. here and there. the hoop might feel a teensy bit looser. it was tiiiiight to start with. don't think I'll lose a link in 30 days. today was day 20. but I do feel better. more energy. it's all in my perception. fed Meggie.

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Kevin took an early out. found ourselves in Chillicothe selling 7 guns. and ordering 1. found the fridge water filter at Lowes. had to order the air filter from home. and discovered that we also now have fresh bin filters. set up on 6 month reorder plan. have sewn the second strip of denim quilt together. checked out that new store in Trenton. well, new to us. brought back some memories. Kevin helped me hang my red solar lights on UFO. excited to see how they look! ate my second tomato.

I am feeling quite smug. I saved roast beef and juice from a roast recently and froze. used it last night to make beef & noodles. AND tonight....Breakfast For Supper. I used every. single. piece. of that half loaf of sourdough bread! we had grilled ham & cheese. and a couple of batches of french toast! trying to be more mindful of what we have on hand and not waste so much food. Also....day 3 of upping hooping to 34 minutes. and adding random arm movements here and there. watched some Court Tv today. I would hope I am never on a trial that requires the jurors to use tablets. can you imagine? I'd drop it. keep pushing the wrong buttons. losing the video that we're supposed to be looking at. not be able to switch back and forth between screens. I sometimes feel like I'm getting phased out of life.

Tuesday.

SO much documentary watching! finished crocheting first rug, just need to trim up all my scraggly connections. AND got all denim quilt block pieces put together and started sewing into rows! what a supery-dupery productive day in the life of deb!

it's Monday.

a brand new week in the life of deb. today added one minute and some arm movements to hooping. 34 minutes!

still can't figure out how to add pics now. whatever. have sunflowers blooming, and the most tomatoes I've ever raised, AND broccoli! yesterday we visited Katie at her rental and helped unpack boxes, then saw progress on the new house, and went to Daylily Drive to see flowers and grab more boxes, and now we're gonna start a daylily garden! and man, is it hot.

progress has stalled on the crochet rag rug. and the denim quilt blocks. now I have a huge voodoo doll and a clown doll to leave at Clown Motel on the agenda, too. and still haven't measured UFO for red lights. it's on the list. it's all on the list. I'll get to it. just really involved in weird documentaries and frantic scribbling right now.

Instead of fairy garden let's do a Smurf village 😍

still can't get frickin' pictures to load. mowed farm. helped Zerelda start her photo book. went back to play awhile while KJ was visiting a friend.

KJ & Family came over while we were mowing. their electric was out.

he made everyone homemade pizza for supper, played with the girls a bit, then they went home to see if power was back on.

Zerelda & her sidekick Gramma went on vacation at The Hotel. much fun was had.🧳🧳🚙.

we swam 3 times, went to 3 parks, had lunchables for supper, snacks from the vending machine, bought school supplies and some clothes at Walmart (and Dollar Tree), ate hotel breakfast, lunch at McDonalds, and Zerelda was a champion door opener with her key card. she thinks she'll like to live at this hotel for a year or so. and was not happy that someone else might sleep in "Our Room" after we left.

I can't get photos to load. will try again later?????

snapchat pretty

picked my first tomato 🍅!!!!!

when you eat local....you know that a former employee will often leap up from her booth and start waiting on people when it gets busy.

but she always leaves before you leave a tip...

Kevin is officially looking at classic trucks. the search has begun. I think this is his retirement plan...driving a classic to car shows....

landlord duties today. thank Sasquatch my husband is a handy man.

Kevin has decided if everything we own is going to die, we'll replace it at Menards instead of our usual place. at least there is a 11% rebate on purchases. so there's that. and they seem to carry a lot more stock than the place we previously used.

rummaged through top of closet and found more jeans to cut up. goal is to cut just enough to back all the quilt blocks I have cut.

today was a warm one, folks. we journeyed to Good Guys Car Show at Iowa State Fairgrounds, where Kevin saw a guy he has watched on a car show.

(now he knows how I feel when I see a ghost or bigfoot celebrity!) we ate pineapple twist ice cream, a chicken strip basket, and cold water from 27. bought a new dryer. supper at Jethros where I had a Bigfoot encounter. Kevin had to point him out to me....not my proudest moment. (insert eye roll here)

if Kevin had a classic 5 window Chevy, it would probably be....drumroll.....ORANGE! and not jacked up too high or lowered too low. would he let me put a huge stuffed animal in the drivers seat? maybe someday we will find out....

drove home past the apartments we lived in at Indianola...that side of town has really changed since the late 80s. of course, it's been a day or two...

I have a couple of big projects going concurrently, but when the denim scrap quilt, big voodoo doll, and crocheted rag bathmat are done....

ta da da da da! I will try the scrap hand pieced octagon quilt I saved to my FB page today. also have some teeny tiny legos to build. and a creepy corner to shove more stuff into in a chaotic organized manner...

whatimreading📚

today was our yard mowing day here. grilled sourdough ham and cheese for supper. flea market.

toady Nancy Grace and I have hooped, wrapped birthday gifts, ordered Target gift cards, cut up another pair of jeans, and crocheted on rag rug. whew.

Greek Toe: When the second toe is longer than the big toe. Venus de Milo has it, Leonardo de Vinci’s Vitruvian man has it, Michelangelo's David has it. Are you one of the 15–20 percent of the population to have it; a Greek toe, or foot, medically known as Morton’s toe? If so, in ancient Greece, you would have been considered creative, have great leadership qualities and be the life and soul of the party. Ancient Greeks, rather than following the boring rule of proportion, as the Egyptians, centuries before them did, went with the "Golden Ratio", or " Divine Proportion", the root of sacred geometry. Examples of the "Golden Ratio", were to be found everywhere in ancient Greece; in art, sculpture, architecture and yes, even in toes!

I am one of the 15-20%

Happy World UFO Day 👽🛸

watched some crop circles documentaries last night. interesting stuff. started crocheted rag bath mat. cut up another pair of jeans and pieced large scraps together to make 7 more blocks. drugstore run. chair nap. big storm. Kevin took me out to eat at cafe after I woke up. I offered up mac & cheese for supper. I could've made it and we could've eaten it and I could've washed the pot in the time it took us to get served at cafe. they were busy.

watching UFOs, Missing 411, and Master Hughes Bigfoot stuff on tubi.

used up all denim I had cut up, so cleaning out my closet. no reason to go buy jeans at a thrift store to cut up when I have jeans in my closet I haven't worn in years cause I don't like the way they fit. cut up first pair. crochet hook came today, so will have to attempt that, an afternoon nap, hooping, watering flowers, vaccuming, and trying to slog though Tom Sawyer. quite a busy adventure filled day.

still have to wrap Millie's birthday box and a gift or two, and make Izzy's gift tag and build her motorcycle. and look for Target cards for Mil and Vi. it's July now and the littles birthdays are creeping up on me.

this is it. exactly.

ran out of white thread, so using some of Grandma Grace's.♥️. now she's helping me make a quilt.

what I'm reading 📚.....not sure if I ever read this classic, which is probably illegal for a Missouri girl 🙄. maybe this will make the cave tour we did even cooler when I'm in the loop and understand the references... maybe I'll even do an after-the-fact lol 😂

I slept in. Kevin is hurting pretty bad today. he is watching movies in the ac.

I slept waaaaaaaaaay in, was 20 minutes into hooping when the Infinity Hoop arrived on my porch! so did the last 10 minutes with it after Kevin helped me assemble it and put it on. it is snug. SNUG. and SOOOOOOOO much easier to keep ball swinging. I was going to throw old hoop away but Kevin told me to keep it in case someone needed parts for their matching hoop or whatever.