Kevin let me sleep in. he rehung gate to pasture behind our house in the rain.

we started on the fence around farm yard. got rained out. I sewed baby quilt together. (whew!) my Walk Fit renewed...3 months down. a lifetime to go.

up early to sell scrap at Leon.

then to Chillicothe for new tires for Toyota Truck. (and lunch at Applebee's, shopping at Walmart and Lowes where I lingered in the Halloween aisles....) Kevin patched screen door to garage (another item off get-er-done-before-winter list.) Dave & Mel invited us to supper.

today Kevin knocked 2 more items off the countdown-to-winter-get-er-done list!

cleaning out spot in barn for tractor AND checking KJ's gutters. we are getting so worldly, booking hotels for upcoming trips...and Kevin's like...why's that one so cheap? keep looking. who are we these days? we used to be Super 8 people. now we're all snooty and checking out the ratings and customer comments. got tickets for Joe Walsh in November...Kevin's like... you probably won't like it. country people, too. and I'm all like do you REALLY like to ghost hunt with me? Katie called. nice to hear her voice. Izzy showed me her vaccum again when I went to deliver Ann's package. she is so adorable. and very sincere in her love for her vaccum.. she may grow up to be Kirby salesgirl! plugging away on quilt. and got scraptrailer loaded and strapped down to head to scrapyard in the a.m.

very productive craft day.

finished Boo sign. painted the wooden ghosts and rubbed decals on them...my own version of cottage ghosts. made earrings and a choker for The Stanley Guest. Rat is in Trap and at The Stanley.

oil change appt. in Chillicothe. remembered the half off coupon I got in mail yesterday and turned it in. still spent waaaaaay too much at Walmart. time just kinda stands still in that place....

the girls came over and we magically transformed the apples they picked last night into tiny little apple pies. or maybe they're dumplings? Zerelda liked them. Izzy ate a few bites but the lure of the playroom....used a recipe from Grandma Grace's cookbook and it sure brought back memories of baking with my grandma. ❤️ Kevin climbed up on roof and took fixing our gutter off the to-do list.

I took girls to dr. appt. went back out to pick apples with the girls and hang out a bit.

Zerelda was Miss Ellsworth, the principal and teacher. Izzy was my mom, Mrs. Lee. I was the student who kept breaking the rules. sewed a couple more quilt strips together. still watching Farrar stuff. cause why not? seriously. anything from now to 2018. some of it I have to skim cause honestly, don't know how many more Estes sessions in the total blackout dark I can take. walk around with your lights on so I can look for my doll, huh? no more recent sightings. hope springs eternal. booked room for Grandparents Day and Rip's boarding. I feel accomplished. Aunt Mary is crying tears of empathy about her gentleman friends situation.

today "we" checked 2 items off our before-winter-to-do-list, filling in and fencing old well in pasture, and picking up the crap left from fence construction in cow lot.

after a lot of thought and consideration, I got on eBay and just bought that damn Little Orphan Annie Oilcloth Face doll. and she will remain here. I'll take her on ghost hunts, but she'll make her permanent home here. loving the cool weather, I walked at the park today.

mowed and lawn swept at farm today. I made Izzy sad when I stopped to say hi. too close to nap time.

another Walk Fit message worried about my activity level...dude, sometimes I worry, too. but then I just get on with my life. nice cool day. sent Katie another layout and she approved, so will start assembling rows tomorrow. will have to stock up on white thread. plan on going to Walmart Wednesday.

today was the day I returned to Farrar. in search of #thisdollhasseensomethings. who I didn't see.

our group had 8 guests, 2 investigators, and a dog. one investigator recognized the pic of doll I showed her, had seen it during her 9 years of investigating, but not since she'd started in October. she figured it belonged to The Olivers and they took it when they left, or another guest took it home. Ivy had no idea. she hadn't seen it. so. we had to stay in the group. no wandering off. no solo investigation. I didn't get to look for her. or walk through the quiet halls making a video. or use the equipment I had taken. they had the windows papered over. it was pretty much full on dark in the school at 6 p.m. we didn't get to go into every room. BUT did get to see the grave and the rope and the priestess script for the ceremony from Hell Week, which was cool. and got to go into the Team Room, which is where they do the intro now and the surveilance system is. kinda cool to watch yourself ghost hunting on camera. so, pros and cons. I won't be going back. I knew it wouldn't be the same without Will. it has lost some of it's charm when you can't move items about and do your own thing (within reason.) it's still a beautiful old haunted looking location. but I kinda felt like they were waiting for me to steal something on camera. we were told no bricks could be taken. not to peel paint off walls, etc. not a demonic vibe like the YouTubers want you to think, but no longer a peaceful, laid back feel, either. time marches on. change is inevitable. the youth is taking over the world. tickets were $85 each. in order to free roam I'd have to book a private investigation....web site says to call for price and availability. so. probably outta my price range. I'll just watch YouTube videos, check Instagram occassionally and see if she surfaces again. she'll always be there in spirit. when you donate something to a location, you should expect this, I guess. I am disappointed. I won't be going back.

I honest to Sasquatch took a link out of my Infinity Hoop today because while I was hooping to beloved music outside, it twisted around to my hip.

hmmmmm. did 5 songs. not 30 minutes. but every step counts, right? have my freshly laundered Farrar Shirt on, ready to leave when The Hubs gives The SignaL...cause tonite is the nite I return to Farrar in search of #thisdollhasseensomethings . and to lie in Sam's grave. and do a walking around on each floor video. and to take some pics of my new paranormal playdate doll. so. mainly to have a doll sighting. and get some steps in. see the improvements that have been made. and just see if the building still feels the same. and to feel the absence of Will.

while we were out (I say we loosely, Kevin does the work, I mainly get in his way ) clipping the fence

And. It. IS. DONE!!!!! I was watching the eagle flying majestically about. and the vultures. and butterflies. I'm like that preschool kid in the outfield on a pee wee team. he bought 2 new gates at Girdners and hung them, put the old gate back up, took down the broken gate in our yard and dug out a somewhat buried in the weeds gate in good shape to replace it, then cut up old gate and threw in the scrap trailer. so, "we" successfully replaced a section of fence that we ripped out. will replace the other section, have a bunch of it ripped out. I looked down while we were driving home and saw the flouresant orange spray paint we used to mark post placement, and it was PERFECT for my little wooden ghosts that I will use in projects. so, I was crafty today, too.

well, I didn't hoop today. but got in 18.7k steps.

made the body in a bag for creepy corner. it's a dwarf. I like it.

the doll dress is dyed. omg. it is gorgeous. I used black dye. it is a silky lacy dress with embellishments. very old.

it is now the loveliest shades of pale pink, violet, gray, and black. much better than I ever ever ever expected. win!

my clown now has legs. and one shoe. (waiting on Rip to chew the other shoe off his newest chicken toy.) werewolf has legs, feet, and tail. got him sitting higher in his chair, too. ironed quilt blocks. painted a wood sign black to make my Boo after I get a letter B and orange paint. a most productive day. now to look through the quilt book that arrived AFTER I started the quilt for layout ideas. and take some pics and send to Katie and wait for the go-ahead. she's in Hawaii so has other things on her mind....and some drama on the homefront that I won't go into. more Degrassi High shit. (sigh)

and get the trash out to curb, hoop, get in tons more steps, visit Z after school...

I've made 25 9-patch blocks.

now to iron them and try some arrangements with the plain blocks....

thinking my werewolf needs legs. and my clown needs some homemade pants. so.....

Becky lost 20 lbs in her 8 week WalkFit journey.

determination deb has lost some weight, too. I've stuck to one Pepsi a day. eating healthier. trying to get 10,000 minimum steps a day. (my WalkFit goal is 7500). the days we're outside mowing or fencing and it's hot, I get less. the days I'm in the glorious a/c are much easier. the last few days dreary, dark, dismal, defeated deb has been trying to take over. gonna get another Walkfit worried about you text. cause my average has dropped from 14,000 a day. but some days I just can't. it took me 60 years to get here, and I don't have 60 years to fix it, so one day at a time, sweet sasquatch, that's all I'm asking of you. I do miss living on crackers and sweet tea and Pepsi. maybe I need to make me a glass of sweet tea. just the one. maybe that's what I need. trying to fulfill my cravings by eating tiny amounts of what I think I want. yesterdays Double Decker Chocolate Moon Pie was disappointing. it was all smushed. and really not as wonderful as I remember.

so, I wish Positive Becky well. good for her. good for her. deb is still in her jammies at 8:29 a.m. but I did a workout. have been up and down basement stairs working on Creepy Corner. I'm doing me.

I mowed yard this morning. a breeze. cooler. still sweaty summer weather.

rearranged my The Shining display. decided I need a Jack now, too. sewed more 9 patch blocks.

swept and mopped all floors. finishing details on my ghost painting.

watched a shit ton of Farrar YouTube, found a lot of cool shit, which I am compiling for my ghost book. new pictures. a tantalizing lead that maybe she is a Little Orphan Annie Oilcloth Face doll??? made 3 quilt squares and got in some steps. finished newspaper ghosts and hung them up. I am extremely busy all day doing....not a whole lot of anything. Becky's journey is almost done....we're on Week 8.

we were out at farm mowing relatively early this morning.

grass was still wet. hopefully we didn't wake up our tenants. it was hot enough. then Kevin drove the last 3 fence posts we couldn't reach with bucket. then we came home and ate munchies and I took a 4 hour a/c nap. cause that is who I am, apparently. did a couple of quilt blocks. made Rip's next groom appt. scrapbooking. Walk Fit sent me another message. they are worried about my progress. 14,000 steps a day last week. I've at 9.5 at 8:17 p.m. I don't work out as much when he's home all day. especially when it's hot and we're doing stuff outside. I'm an a/c girlie now. I couldn't survive a summer day in a barn now with a gun to my head. no Becky today. no hooping. no wild dancing. that'll be back tomorrow. for an app that tells me I can take off 2 days a week without breaking my streak...(which is at 66 days, thank you very fuckin' much) don't slack off on the weekends. I also was craving circus peanuts today. opened the bag and ate 4. (120 calories, if you're wondering.) and a couple handfuls of Lays since Kevin opened them. and damn, they were GOOD! and tried a slice of Ann's homemade zucchini bread, which was delicious. didn't eat much supper, cause...well, duh. Bioama works. back at it tomorrow. time to shower and have my daily Pepsi.

while we were out unrolling strands 4 and 5 of the new barbed wire fence and tacking to every 10th or whatever post, the bank fraud alert called.

it is always nothing. (exactly why are my eccentric spending choices so suspect? the last one was my reservation at The Stanley Hotel. like I can't go to The Stanley and drop a bunch of $$$???) haven't had a call since early July so guess I was due. I called back. of course I had to speak to a customer rep. none were available. I asked to be put on a call back list. 10 minute wait. did some craft stuff. got out my clean clothes to shower. did some scrapbooking. it had been 30 minutes. called back. my case # is now invalid. I stomped downstairs to shower. they didn't call. back upstairs to make supper. I am about done with this courtesy service. guessing my debit card has been shut off. wonderful.

anyway, back to The Fence. it is FUCKIN' HOT. has been. I live in the a/c now. I am a princess. I overheat. I asked for a lunch break, I was dizzy and seeing spots. not long after we got back out working on fence, and I'm driving The General unrolling wire, he is out in the sun walking a bajillion miles in the sun, start seeing spots again. He sent me to play with Izzy in the a/c. (I am a disappointment. am I even an Axsom anymore?) she was napping, so hung out with KJ.

working on baby quilt again. cut out a bazillion 9 patch squares and more big one fabric squares, have to assemble the 9 patches, then start trying combinations.

lawn swept. Kevin had mower filled and lawnsweeper hooked up. he had chiropractor appt. I went to DT and found witch hats, plus some other craft supplies. witchies and their new skellie friend have their hats on and are up on the wall. now to find a large letter B and a board to make a sign with...

started on the witches trio. one big, two small.

Ann invited me out to play with Izzy, so gassed up car, bought leafy green spray paint at Girdners, and spraypainted a tea jug and 2 cut up egg cartons for the faces. Kevin came home and jumped right on the mower. I had taken signs off bedroom door and was trying to fasten them to The Bigfoot Fence in a variety of ways....wire....zip ties...so I took a break cause it was hotten than Hades, then did my weedeating. today Stull Cemetery really came together. I'd tossed the old baby dolls I'd found at farm and some potting soil and snakes and flies on floor with the Baby Brown tombstone that had an error on it. today I was inspired to add my old garden gate from patio and write "Stull Cemetery" on it in big Sharpie. of course that's in Kansas, so dug some sunflowers out of the cemetery tote, and added some green vines from my upstairs kitchen bouquet. Then I took the big spider and beetle from the haunted doll house, the sitting on it's haunches rat from top of china cabinent, a shiny ghost, an outdoor very aged suncatcher, and half a dozen or so tea lights. I think it's quite charming. I'm happy with it.

put black yarn hair on witches faces. gonna figure out hats and make them droopy puppet-like black bodies, then hang them on wall. put the eyes on the tiny ghost voodoo dolls and hung them on tree.

I successfully delivered the girls to school and got them picked up. Ian rode with a neighbor who also goes to middle school.

Millie was quite nervous about kindergarten. but she went and seemed to have a good day. there was Barbie playing. singing. video game tutorials. they are such good, clever, creative kids.

I got a call at Koren's last night from Mom's friend Jody, who had been calling Mom for 2 days, no answer. no return call. she was worried. I called Russell to ask if he'd seen her. he said yes, he had seen her that morning and he was on the front porch right now where he could see her through her front window watching tv. his landlord is selling his house out from under him, he has to be out by October 1st. he watches out for mom. I'll have to step up. today Mom called me and told me she doesn't know what the problem with the phone is, but she got calls from Aunt Chardy and Lisa over weekend, she is fine. don't worry about her.

going to spend nite at Koren's and take kids to and from school on their first day tomorrow.

can this gramma handle this mission without papa? we're about to find out. put the finishing touches on my Bigfoot Terrarium and found the perfect spot for it.

using amazon credits to watch Evil Unearthed free on prime.

tried WalkFit Yoga. changed sheets. working on mini ghost voodoo dolls.

I decided I needed a hotel maid for my Stanley collection. and then I decided it MUST be the huge porcelian doll I got at a thrift store. can I dye her dress black? guess I should see if I can get it off her first.....hmmmmmm.

had a wonderful time at Izzy's birthday party at her other grandparents house.

she seemed to really like her presents. I did good with the littles, I think. now onto Christmas......cause it's gonna sneak up on me like the rest of the year has thus far. and the baby shower. gotta get my ducks in a row. Chiefs first preseason game of the season.

another day another gall bladder test. (insert eye roll here.)

got our yard cleaned up from yesterdays storm. bought some more high protein stuff today. I kinda wonder if slapping 'high protein' on it is like saying 'less sugar', etc. but I feel healthier buying it. saw a bald eagle flying down our road!!!

Straight Line Winds Tornadoes

Severe thunderstorms on August 7, 2025, caused significant damage in Mercer County, Missouri, and Lineville, Iowa, with wind gusts estimated up to 65 miles per hour. In Mercer County, high winds downed power lines and caused outages in the city of Mercer, while trees were uprooted along Highway 65 near Lineville. In Lineville, Wayne County, Iowa, damage included shifted tin buildings and trailers, uprooted trees, and damage to houses and power lines. The National Weather Service in Des Moines reported that while the damage was substantial, conditions were not favorable for tornado formation at the time, and it remained unclear whether the damage was caused by a tornado or straight-line winds. A survey of the affected area was underway to determine the cause, but no official determination was expected the same day. Straight-line winds, which move in a single direction and can exceed 100 mph, are capable of causing damage similar to that of a weak tornado, including downed trees and power lines, and are a common cause of destruction in severe thunderstorms.

we had limbs down both places. and a piece ripped out of each homes rain gutter. we were lucky. got limbs picked up at farm. I'll deal with ours tomorrow after I get home from my test. nothing to drink after 9 a.m. and I can't do ANYTHING if I can't drink. 17000 steps. I'll be short tomorrow. cause I can't walk if I can't drink. it is what it is.

hit 15,000 steps again today. found a new Dogman movie AND a new bigfoot movie I hadn't seen.

broke out the infinity hoop and I didn't take a link out. but it is comfortable now. maybe I could have. "just another tool in my arsenal." we strung strand #3 of barb wire. fixed roller works GREAT! he also got a new fence tool to put the clips on. it was hot out after the morning rain. wrapped Ian's thus far birthday gifts. made 2 more blocks for baby quilt.

I completed day 3 of the August 15,000 steps challange!

finished the pony crafts. made Wendy Torrance. little Donnie J. Trump is running for Nursery School President, Mrs. McFallen's Class. make Nursery School Great Again! visited girls. sewed another patch for baby quilt. got a lot of irons in the fire. loving the cooler weather. Kevin dropped off barbed wire roller thing to get fixed. back to fencing tomorrow, I bet. he also did a grocery run.

I slept in, picked up Rip, changed sheets, mowed, swept, and weed eated yard.

when Kevin got home, we went out to farm, unrolled strand #2 of the barbed wire, and secured the 2 strands to every so many posts to get it up out of the grass. completed day 2 of the 15,000 step challange today. looks like taking girls to pool tomorrow is postponed and/or cancelled. life gets in the way. and I have had ALL summer to take them.

spent our weekend at Paracon KC, ghost hunting at Kansas State Penitentiary, and celebrating our birthday girls Violet and Millie.

got to see Aunt Katie, too, give the girls their gifts, and go to their neighborhood pool party. I think I did good this year with gifts. some years I am waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off base...

I love seeing 'my friends' at haunted events....people that I know from tv, facebook, youtube, previous ghost hunts and paracons...sometimes they'll remember me. I'm such a fan girl. I was telling Brian Murray from Ghost Hunters all about my cardboard Abbadon Hotel creation after he told our group how he met the guy who made the Hell House movies and had a chance to buy the clown costume. #5 is coming out this year. he politely listened. he's a good guy. it was a good, exhausting weekend. Walk Fit sent my weekly message, they are worried about my activity level. it has tanked. no 20,000 step days since I got home from Colorado...but the goal they gave me is 7500. I hit it every day. haven't missed a work out. not-a-one. I set my own goal of 10,000 minimum steps a day, but aiming at 12,000+. I think I'm doing ok.

Kevin took today off and it was fencing day.

he walked out the post placement with the roller measure thing (that I later ran over with truck but he fixed it. poor man should hire real help.) this was after I got the truck stuck in the mudhole and he had to pull me out with tractor. he doesn't yell or get grumpy, just patiently tells me how to drive the tractor closer to posts so I can push them in with bucket, but it is still nerve wracking. I fully expect to be yelled at and belittled when I help. old childhood trauma. or maybe I made it all up. maybe my memories are from a past life. all I know is I do have a severe problem with criticism. none of it is constructive to me. it is all hateful. I've had some really really really shit days at work over the years. it's just how I roll. we got all the posts set. AND mowed yard at farm. AND got Rip to vet to board before they closed. even carved out a few minutes to visit Miss Izzy. her baby with the pink shirt was LOST. got home and frantically packed for Paracon KC tomorrow. decided I really want to go see Jay Wasley at another paracon in KC in Feb, but tickets are depressingly high. right now offering VIP or general admission, both 2 days including concerts. no schedule posted yet, just guests.