Ice

It's been an icy week in the neighborhood. Things were pretty much at a standstill Monday. Today, Thursday the sun finally can out and the melting began. I took some pics. These are a couple of my favorites because the blue of the sky is reflected in the ice.





The Covington Boys were here just one day this week since Shannon was sick today. Here he is reading to his friends.


I got new stretchy pull-on overboots for over the top of my warm comfy snow boots that don't happen to be waterproof. However, they only had XL so I had to duct tape the excess 3" down over my toes. It's rumored that Red Green and I may share the same gene pool.


Shannon liked them and insisted on wearing Mamaw's boots ow-side.

Jack just watches everything, especially Shannon.

Birthdays

It's a snowy day in the neighborhood. It's 25 and it is snow-globe snowing.


The Covington Boys were here today. Jack loves his thumb.


Shannon with nap hair making 'roads' in his macaroni landscape.


My hibiscus bush had this gorgeous bloom for two days last week.


We celebrated Steve's 54th last Thursday. My class was cancelled tonight and Steve made it back from Omaha, so I guess we're celebrating my birthday tonight.


Here's the beveled glass oak coat rack mirror we finally got up Thanksgiving weekend. I found it on the curb a couple of years ago. Steve put a coat of varnish on it, John put the hooks and backing paper on and hung it.

Well, I'm up to 1mg of Requip this week (going up to 3mg at 8 wks.) and I'm not as tired as I was when I started, which is very good. I've got a bit of a cold going on with a baritone voice which hopefully will be gone in a couple of days since I'm being interviewed by pastor Jay during the services Sunday morning.

Thanksgiving

It's been a few weeks since I've written. I was occupied for a couple of weeks with skin issues.

It was Nov. 2, I think, when the doc said I needed to quit Neupro, the patch, since the skin irritation from using the patch had developed into an all-body allergic reaction itchy rash. I went to the doc the next week when the rash got much worse- she gave me a 6-day steroid regimen to get it under control, which it did.

I've started Requip to replace Neupro for now. It's a drug marketed for restless legs. It makes me sleepy; I take it three times a day. My tremor is worse off Neupro. It's too soon to tell the efficacy of Requip.

Two weeks ago I visited three days at Anne and Dan's, took in Ellie and Kara's homeschool choir concert. The girls came home with me Sat., Nov. 17 for 4 days.



Kara's 7th birthday was that Sunday, the 18th.

A night walk with Grandpa.

Grandma reading about a cyclone at Almonzo's farm.

The girls meet Napoleon Dynamite.

I met Anne in Clear Lake last Wednesday to bring the girls back. It started to snow on my way back and driving was white-knuckle.

The Friday after Thanksgiving we and John and Erika were at Sean and Laurie's for supper- a T-day feast. Notice how nicely our old piano works in their dining room.


Sunday Jack was baptized and he put on quite a show grabbing the stand mike and trying to eat it while the elder who was holding him was praying. We had a T-day dinner here afterward with the gang and Mom and Dad and Steve's folks too. We celebrated Laurie's 29th.


Mom and Lydia

Beautiful Weather

It was a beautiful day again in the neighborhood. I spent a couple of hours outside with Ezra 'playing in dirt' like we did yesterday too when it was unseasonably warm.

Here is Ezra when we took a break for a snack.

I was there Monday to this afternoon to keep Erika company while John was out of town.

Saturday we took our Boone Scenic Railway trainride with Stan and Clara. The day started gorgeous and stayed that way.

I did a photo shoot near the creek last week.

Meeting Lydia

It's a gorgeous day in the neighborhood.

We were in St. Paul briefly last weekend. Everyone was doing well. Lydia seems quite alert for such a little girl.

Anne and the kids came for Sunday dinner (Dan wasn't feeling well.) Ellie had made the dessert, Butterfinger Cheesecake.


Steve and I were at a retreat Friday pm and Saturday at a beautiful home on Lake Ponderosa by Montezuma. It was for a course we are both taking at church. We really enjoyed it and met new people from our church.

Saturday noon we go on a 2 1/2 hour train ride to see the colors near Boone with Stan and Clara. Colors might be at peak.

Two Debuts

It's been a rainy day in the neighborhood.

Introduction of Lydia to Ezra.

Mom and daughter.

Yesterday morning Ann and I were guests for an hour on KCWN FM, the Christian radio station where cousin Bev DeVries works. Bev invited me on for their Sharathon since they've been using my devotionals on their website. I invited Ann along so we could tell our unikely story. It went pretty well, it seemed.

Granddaughter Arrives!

Lydia Christine Hoogeveen arrived at 11:50 this morning 6 days after her due date, weieghing in at 8# 10 oz. Erika is doing well having a much shorter labor (9 1/2 hrs.) than with Ezra who weighed 9# 3 oz.

Christine is the name of Lydia's great grandma Van Den Hul.

Phoenix

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood, especially back in Iowa: a picture perfect fall day.

I got back from Phoenix for Lindsay and Jon's wedding this afternoon at 2:00. Did you know it's hot there ALL the time? Yep.

The garden wedding was lovely.

Mom Hoogeveen's surprise 80th Birthday celebration started Saturday in Amana.


Tomorrow The Covington Boys are here again. That's all for now.

Home Again Jiggity Jig

Well, we're back. We had a good time, although it was pretty hot the whole time. Upper 80s, low 90s. Not exactly fall camping weather.

If I look tired in this pic our second day there, it's because I was. I had a strep AND yeast infection. Good thing I had gone to the doc the day before we left!

Here's the best pic I have of our tent AC system. It was a lifesaver and worth every penny.

Our comfy bed.

Fresh flowers from my True Love added a nice touch in the tent

Speaking of flowers, these 'sunflowers' ring our lawn. They are tall and bowing in the breeze this morning.

The prairie asters, a bouquet on a stalk, are blooming their heads off.

I struck gold on clothes deals at a consignment shop in Forsyth, MO. I bought a dress, a jumper, 3 blouses, 2 vests, 1 skirt, 1 pants, and 1 sweater set for $26.50! I've been overhauling my minimalist wardrobe the last couple of months. I tried on some of the fall things:

Younkers clearance blouse, consignment shop skirt $2, Branson outlet clearance boots $20.

Consignment shop rayon pants $5, shoes Rock Valley consignment shop.

St. Paul Herbergers $86 jacket for $2.99; had wool pants already.

Forsyth consignment shop wool vest $1.50.

Younkers 70% off rack sweater/blouse, 100% wool skirt Forsyth $2.50, Branson black boot(s) $12.

Rock Valley consignment shop pants.






Younkers 70% clearance rack sweater and shell.