this is my plan so far.....-concert Friday night.
- Voodoos Odd Shop Wed-Sun noon-8.
-Squirrel Cage Jail Council Bluffs Thursday-Saturday 11-4 $8 seniors
-Chef Boyardee statue Omaha
-Joslyn Castle Omaha Sunday & Friday 10:30 am and 12:30 p.m., M, T, W 12:30 p.m. $17 each, wait at front door 15 minutes early.
-Villisca Ax Murder House on way to or from? $20 each. Sat or Sunday. 10-12-2-4
could do Villisca and/or Squirrel Cage Jail on way there Friday.
concert Friday night.
Saturday Chef Boyardee statue; Voodoos Odd Shop
if we stayed till Sunday, could do Joslyn Castle. and/or Villisca or Squirrel Cage on way home if don't do on way down.
hotel Friday night and Saturday night?
Kevin drove his tractor home today. they had to bleed air out of lines.
Tracy has added more stuff to our trip! Centralia! Roads Hotel! Gettysburg! I seriously need to start working out so I'll have the energy! but I am SOOOOOO excited! we love our trips to pack a punch and be exhausting. and since Chris is going with, I can sleep in the car!
slept waaaaaay late since I couldn't sleep last night....got some more quilt blocks done, dressed my co-joined twins, finally made a couple of little chestnut men (actually acorn men, no chestnuts), chair nap, find-a-words, doodling.....a full and happy life.
it was so fun! got to play Barbies, baby dolls, watch Ian create rockets on his laptop, the kids play outside, AND Millie gave me a complete makeover in her salon. lots of school stuff coming up. gonna be on the road a lot. I am one lucky gramma!
had time to do a bit of looky-loo at one of the antique malls by Koren (this is something I've recently been really into) AND. FOUND. THE. PERFECT. LITTLE. GREEN. DESK. AND. PINK. WOODEN. CHAIR. FOR. ZERELDA'S BIRTHDAY!
and now Villisca Ax Murder House has sold and Johnny is no longer there????? (extremely sad face.) will he have to move? is his house part of the deal or does he rent or own the house? and from who? so many questions. why did Aaron's wife want to kill him? (horrified face). or is it all just a big huge ridiculous misunderstanding? (fingers crossed.) and hey, why can't the paranormal be a bit snarky? do we think ALL older spirits have a stick up their arse? might they not get a giggle at some slightly childish merch? cause I will most certainly buy it. 152% fer sure, dude. and I will laugh hysterically as I do. it's just who I am. is it just me? am I not a true paranormal person if I feel this way?
Kevin left work early to go dump trailer. we left it at moms. he installed her new phones. to Verizon to replace my phone which has really had some issues as of late. think I'm now logged into everying on my new device. it's like the FBI watches cell phones. seriously. lots of concern from all my apps. Hy-Vee. laid out quilt blocks, I'm not done. need almost 2 more rows. made Goatman ears. and a conjoined twin female. will I be making a Goatmans Bridge? with a story of a love triangle with him and a pair of sisters???? time will tell.
in and out of her carseat. at the park. had our snack at DQ, then to Ridgeway Park, then to The Diaper Derby. Z started off with her shoes on the wrong feet. got that fixed. she took a pretty hard BB to the head. she walked off floor screaming for a hug from dad. Ref talked her back onto court. crowd cheered when she returned. and tripped and fell. but she stuck it out. I was super duper proud of her. it's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. and she plays with a lot of heart. just like her daddy did.
ba-bing!
Hello, nitpicker extraordinaire!
Pettifogging means "insignificant or petty." The word is related to "pettifoggers," or lawyers who took on unimportant cases back in the day. If you're getting lost in pointless quibbles, maybe it's time to let go of the pettifogging concerns!
today will be a day on the road. made a devil goat and baked him. vacuumed. Ann has a Dr. Appt. then a lunch break. and picking up Z at school, taking her out to eat, and back to school for The Diaper Derby.
washed sheets and remade guest room bed. made more quilt blocks. am I done? did a Benadryl run for Izzy. Kevin made chili for supper. and, in inevitable news...a clay doll was made. finally opened up the clay, gritted my teeth, and he turned out pretty cute. will attempt a 2 headed doll next, maybe a goat doll, etc. or ghosts? really, anything could be possible. for my standards, anyhoo. I don't set the bar very high.
but Mom probably needs a new phone. and I had stuff to finish up The Adabbon Hotel in the cart....there will be other amazon orders.
picked up Rip. delivered groceries to mom. helped Kevin sort through farm garage stuff and give it the old heave-ho. Ann helped pack empty cardboard trash out of their house. I added a ghost sign to The Hotel......Axsom Dairy. and a Johnson-Weld campaign sign from 2013.
they are a bunch.
came home and cleared out all the cardboard boxes that I'd been hoarding for my cardboard hotel project that is just in the very finishing stages, and the ripped out wood floor from latest remodeling project. will make more room to park car. yay! Kevin also cleaned some stuff out of his garage. feeling very accomplished.
Brenda will be visiting her tomorrow.
worked a lot on The Abaddon Hotel. it is almost finished....the pigeons haven't arrived. I was superdeedupeter inspired today....a giant skeleton! bats! a bay window! a tiny rooftop patio! still a few finishing touches needed....but I will be cleaning up after this project SOON! the quilt is coming along swimmingly as well, Alien is blocked out. going to add Bigfoot, Mothman, maybe a witch and a few others.....then I can clean up after THAT project, as well! what will I start on next? need to check Basement Barbies Binder and make sure everyone got a page. that project kinda fizzled out. on to other things.
got a bad feeling, so went down there. she was taking a nap in bed. so I brought in the mail, emptied out the little trash cans by her chair, and tiptoed my merry way out the door again. there were empty lunchable containers and pudding cups and Ensure bottles, so she's figured out how to get stuff open left-handed. she has always had to be a strong woman who thought outside the box. that's how she's made it all these years.
then I ran a package out to Ann and played with Izzy a bit. started on outside siding on The Abaddon Hotel. dug around and found new glue gun. (took me 2 search attempts in same place. had to dump out the tote. ) set up new glue gun in basement and started making the connecting walls, "corrugated tin roofs" and "wood siding". also started organizing my sewing stuff since I now sew upstairs. went from about 30 tins and boxes and ziploc bags to a 4 drawer plastic storage system. I'm probably unstoppable now. probably.
what is she going to do today? after she bumbles about half the day making the bed, putting on her bra, feeding me, brushing her teeth, writing herself notes, looking at her ongoing projects, and muttering to herself? today I think I'll start ANOTHER cardboard hotel room. cause this Puffs Plus box has the perfect print AND oval window. I have to. think I'm done making quilt blocks??? made all monsters in the Scooby Doo Coloring Book. but kinda wanta add my own Bigfoot and Mothman and an Alien, cause why not? there were SO many monsters!
yesterday I was just thinking about how I love my life. my simple life. my freedom. and I was thinking about the fine line between elder neglect (leaving your mother home alone with a broken shoulder) and elder respect (respecting said mothers wishes to stay alone in her own home.) guess that's for the judge and jury to decide. and thinking about the ghost perspective in a haunted house. and wondering when McInteer Villa put all the scrying mirrors in attic creating portals and is there always a balloon randomly floating about now? guess we'll have to go back and find out... also yesterday was the funeral of someone Kevin and I went to school with. someone our age-ish, just gone. pooooof. and last night, he saw an obit for a guy he worked with who took early retirement 2 weeks ago and.....dead. and we bought Bert Kreischer tickets for my birthday. because you have to look forward and make plans. just in case you're still here. right? Rip and I put the fallen solar lights back into Bigfoot's Tree. today we're tackling the mountain of laundry that has somehow accumulated. what have I been doing???? have a stack of new books to read. but too busy. did watch the eagerly awaited Joplin doc. yesterday. of course I cried. and a lot of YouTube videos. and a lot of coloring. and a nap. just cause. it snowed last night.
Katie has another work conference in Nola coming up. I am a bit jealous. yes, she has to go for work with limited sight seeing time. there is a list of what I'd do if ever I went back.....Bloody Mary's museum. Museum of Death. The Gates of Guinee. Dark Matter Oddities & Artisian Collective. Saint Roch Chapel. La Belle Nouvelle Orleans Antiques. House of Broel. The Bywater Museum of Unnatural History. Holt Cemetery. The Oldest Fire Hydrant in New Orleans. Ignatius J. Reilley Statue. The Hidden South Confessional. Tiny Tombs...... the whole entire last page of 108 spooky things to do in Nola was permanently closed. Hurricane Katrina victims? I don't know.
gave Russell deposit on roof. in fact, accomplished all but one thing on my todays to-do list: picking up the solar lights that blew out of tree behind Bigfoot. guess that goes on tomorrows list, now. Tractor hauled off to shop. I was pondering my jumpiness and fear of loud noises and Kevin said, 'you know why that is, right?' I didn't. but what he said next made sense. we've had some insightful moments this last week or so.
I DID change up my Scooby Snacks box. and I love, love, love it. cut out a bunch more 'blank' squares...using the fat quarters I've been cutting up to make blocks. have Dracula and Red Beard The Pirate left, then will make some word blocks...Jinkies. Zoinks. Ruh-Roh. etc. did first lay out on bed to see how big it is...and I was pleasantly surprised! also having ideas for starting on exterior of The Abaddon Hotel....thinking brick scrapbook paper and crooked falling off smudges of white paint left siding....and some corrugated 'tin' as well if I can figure out how to make it look cool. maybe another hallway to open onto courtyard/rooftop. and of course the pile of pallets will go there. can I find some tiny pigeons? maybe a tiny gargoyle to sit on a corner? hmmmmm.
and bless his heart, Kevin wanted to go to Walmart where I bought more white thread, and now my Lake Monster block is finished and I am feeling accomplished. The Scooby Snacks are not going so well. figured out that my fingers don't want to embroider. and cutting out tiny letters to sew on isn't looking so good with 2 letters on. hopefully it'll improve. or I'll just scrap it. or just sew on doggy treats? hmmmmm.
stopped by to check on Mom and Lisa and deliver something that might help in recovery. Mom is furious that I think she can't stay home alone. which is a good sign that she's feeling fiesty. so, told her I'd pick her up tomorrow when Lisa left, bring her here, and take her home Tuesday night or Wednesday a.m. if I thought she was getting up and down ok. Axsom's are stubborn. so are Brown's. Kevin and Russell had a conference. if Mom is staying in that house....Kevin told Lisa & I if The Sisters are Allowing Mom to stay in the house...like we could fucking stop her (insert eye roll and deep deep deep sigh here) the roof has to be replaced. Russell just keeps finding more bad spots. he'll get an estimate. we'll collectively come up with Money. Kevin & I both kinda have a feeling Mom is going to leave the house to Russell. he knows it as well as his own. he's spent plenty of time over there visiting and checking in and doing handy man work. maybe it's wishful thinking. that would be SO much easier than trying to get it fixed up enough to sell. that is something I don't feel I need in my life. I have a lotta feelings. some deep dark evil ones. trying to be a good person and keep my mouth shut but it ain't easy peasy lemon squeezy. I just don't see why.....look. there I go again. shhhhhhhhhhh.........
at lunch Kevin checked his phone and a guy we both went to school with just died. it is always thought provoking when you hear someone your age or younger has died. life is uncertain. every day is a gift.
today was Spooky Saturday, a dismal, windy, overcast, cold, gloomy day. a PERFECT day to go visit some Iowa cemeteries. so away #ghosthuntingwithtracyanddeb (and chris!) went! I had been to 3 of the cemeteries. Tedrow and Terre Haute both have very spooky vibes. eerie vibes. they were using their EMF and a phone app. and had activity at both cemeteries. Tracy found the grave of an 8 year old boy who could possibly be the ghost boy who leads you to his grave. the bridge to Tedrow was closed (also some big limbs down by cemetery, so parked a ways back and walked up.) so took a detour and discovered Oakland Cemetery, which had a very peaceful, calm vibe. we drove through Davis City Cemetery. Chris was also shooting B roll for videos, so we stopped at some cool spots....old buildings, an old church, a church with a big Jesus sign up in the sky....a truly wonderful adventure.
I came home to chair nap, discover the first mouse in downstairs zap trap, and the new spool of thread I just put into machine keeps breaking. so threw it away and will have to make a trip to Walmart before I can sew any more. of course I can can still cut and piece blocks....but it is fun to create them one at a time and put them in The Stack.
I did a bit of housecleaning. then there was a tornado watch, and Ann wanted me to come pick up her and Izzy. strong winds, lightning, rain. had some limbs down when I got home.
will have time to figure out if I screwed up before football season starts back up.
Tracy and Chris popped by for a quick surprise visit! Kevin made supper.
electric zap traps came yesterday. Kevin suggested moving trap to under couch. (Rip has moved it all over end of hallway where I originally placed it.) maybe it's a ghost mouse? cause we know we have a ghost cat that I occassionally sight going through wall where kitchen door used to be....Mom said she saw a person walk into kitchen last night while Kevin was downstairs showering, so it's not just me. and she's taking regular Tylenol now, not Tylenol 3.
email that my passport application has been received! blocked out ghost, werewolf, and Scooby Snack box blocks. I'll be bigfootdeb in this years STM Kickstarter credits. Zerelda won todays Treasure Chest at her schools reading event! got to talk to my Kansas grands.
Miss Z came over. she was very sweet and gave Great Grandma some healing hugs.
blocks under creation thus far: Scooby, Shaggy, Freddy, Velma, Daphne, Frankenstein Monster, Ghost Clown. also cut up some eyeball, polka dot, and ghost Halloween prints to be blank blocks. it's fun right now. will put it away when I stall out again.
mom got up out of bed and to bathroom alone. she is needing less help. she brought up going home. assured her she can stay as long as she needs to. then she told Rip she'd be here a little longer.
Mom is getting around on her own some now. still having shaky spells so I stand by just in case. her spirits are good. her and Rip are best of friends and she enjoys watching tv with Kevin. so far, so good.
there is a mother fucking mouse upstairs. saw it running between back bedrooms after Kevin went to bed. need a Rip safe trap to catch it. Zerelda will be here Tuesday after school, too. I left a note on Kevin's lunchbox. mouse traps are his area. I can't set them. it's like pop biscuits. I. am. a. chicken. shit.
tomorrow we will go visit her cats and feed them. then she'll come back here. she needs a helping hand and a stand by assist. legs still weak and wobbly. life would be hard with your shoulder immobilized. (and your dominant hand out of use.)
drug back out a project.....The Scooby Doo Gang Quilt. made Velma a different skirt. pieced her, Daphne, Shaggy, and Fred. I got inspired. making a room with exposed studs for the hotel. slats all over floor. will add a Ouija Board and some spooky books.
she laughed about it. she is a tough old broad.
started a bunny room. going to frame some Victorian bunny art to 'frame' then hang the frames haphazardly. I crack my shit up. I couldn't eat what I made for supper cause it was stinky. ate Frosted Flakes with bananas instead. Kevin made a pregnancy crack. and that's exactly it. feels like fucking morning sickness. ugh.
he's going to order some more tests. decide the best plan of action. glad it's not some rapidly advancing fatal disease, folks. people with cancer diagnosis must get frantic at the snail pace of medicine. dont' call them. they'll call me.
Frankensteined the rest of the baby doll parts and finished the Dollies room.
got calls from moms neighbor and best friend that ambulance was at her house. I picked her up at ER. Russell made her supper. slipped on porch getting mail, broken right shoulder. in sling and on pain pills for now. she insisted she would be fine. am I an awful person for not moving in immediately? probably so. I will go check on her every day for a bit to make sure she can function with her dominant arm in a sling. that would be quite hard. even for a stubborn Axsom.
because how far I drive before I realize I forgot to change out of my pj pants might affect if I go back home to change. apparently, the Mercer square is not too far.
1. ghost hunting friend Tracy asks if you have one, she plans to be on Canadian border next epic road trip.
2. try to fill out passport application online. end up with your maiden name?
3. ask Katie for help.
4. Katie fills out forms for you AND Kevin, too. cause we do plan on going to Glacier someday.
5. get your birth certificate out of bank box.
6. question yourself on location of Corydon courthouse.....
7. walk into said courthouse and find the 2 offices you need.
8. get your picture taken. turn in forms. write some checks. feel accomplished and rather worldly.
Katie helped us fill out passport applications while she was here for the weekend. today we had dentist appts. I have a cavity (sad face.) went to Jamesport shopping at a couple of thrift stores. I bought $7 worth of old small dollies. have made 3 more rooms. now there will be tiny dolls in some.
