It's a Tiggeriffic Day~!

Here is my friend Holly and her daughter Caryn. If you read Saturdays blog I wrote about Jackie and her two little girls.. They lived in Holly's basement.
Jackie and her boyfriend Chad were in church this morning with the two girls.. I was so surprised to see him. It was just wonderful to see them both. Praying for a complete healing in their relationship and they can finally come to Christ and be a healthy family. The girls just love Chad which is their Dad.


The sun is shining today and it's so nice outside.. 77 with no humidity.. How nice is that. Sure beats all the rain we have been having and the cold temperatures.
My garden looks so good~ needs a little weeding but that won't take long.. Can hardly wait for it to start producing..




I love this picture of Ben eating his ice cream cone. Vanilla "Please" he will say.. He loves his ice cream.. Here he is with his favorite hat, The Seminole Vally Gas Engine Tractor Show.




Ben is at Donna's house playing DSI games with his friend, Blake. I went to Wallgreens and got all the picture transfered from my phone to a CD , which I then put them on my computer.



These two boys were focused. So cute. Twywin was sitting near by patiently waiting for his turn.

This is my favorite picture of Ben. Sleeping with his best friend "Nibbles". Just precious.
Have a Blessed Day~! ta ta for now from Iowa:)

Blue Sky and the sun is trying to shine:) POP there it is~!

Good Morning~!

It is 54 degrees this morning and the birds have been fed.. I got the Oriole feeders filled and they were waiting in tree near feeder to have breakfast. Glad they don't have sugar diabetes. That grape jelly is loaded with sugar. :) I see that something heavy was on my platform feeder under the lilac bush , the legs were tilted badly~ when I came home last night from my sewing group I did smell a Skunk. P-U~! Guess when you feed the birds you get to feed the other animals that come at night. I'm sure the raccoons are out there too. Bless all their souls.

One of my favorite bloggers asked me what happened to the girl that my friend Holly and I helped out in January.. Her name is Jackie and she has two girls. Emma age 2 and Abigail age 5, pictured here on the left. Abigail has her hand in the air waving at me and Emma has her finger in her mouth.. Sweet little girls. Jackie lived in Holly's furnished basement until first of April. We helped her get her things out of her boyfriends house and got her settled in Holly's house in January. She was so grateful because she just didn't know where she was going to live. She just sat and cried and cried. She said that no one ever helped her and she was a mess. She couldn't believe that someone would take her and the girls into their home and show her such genuine love. She came to our bible studies on Tuesday nights and eventually asked God to be in her life.. What a change we saw in her ~~!

We nurtured her and helped her get a car so she could get to the community college to finish out the school year. In March we told her she would have to be looking for a place to live and get a job. She really didn't want to do that and was a little stubborn about moving on with her life. Who wouldn't want to stay, she had a very nice place to live and someone to help her take care of her kids and a place to sit down for meals.. Very Comfy.. She found a job at a Casey convenient store and a 2 bedroom apartment for her and her girls and we got her moved in the middle of March. She is so happy. She comes to our church every Sunday , she has a new job that pays well and she is looking forward to moving to a better apartment. But for now she is happy and working very hard to have a better life for herself and her girls. The boyfriend keeps in contact with her because the girls are his too. He has gotten a job doesn't drink or do drugs anymore and is trying to get his life back on track.. Jackie won't let him stay overnight or live with her. Good girl.. But he does get to see his girls and he really is trying hard to be a better person. So Holly and I are happy it turned out so well and we just think God had a part in all of this. Jackie is a very happy young lady who is so much in love with God, and she thanks us all the time for all the help .

Oh my~! That sun looks so wonderful ~! After having nothing but rain and cloudy days for a week now this is really uplifting.. I'm going to have to get dressed here soon and go outside and tackle those pesty weeds that think they can live in my garden. Get my tomatoes and snow peas tied up. My friend Carrol wants me to come to her house today and help her with her tomatoes. She has never had a garden and not sure what to do with them. We are going to take her Shepard's hook that she has bird feeders hanging from and move it closer to her house. She makes the best tea and has the most beautiful flower garden so I'm sure we will be able to sit out there in her garden and have some tea after we get things moved .

Ben is coming back to Tracie's tonight. Tracie called me and asked if I could pick him up.. Gladly~! He has been with his Dad for a couple of days. He is so happy now and talks all the time. I taught him how to play Old Maid and he loves that game. So I'm sure we will be playing a few hands of Old Maid. He also likes the game Battle Ship ~ he loves it when I tell him he has hit one of my ships. It's so cute he rubs his hands and just smiles big and of course a big Ya-Hoo comes from his mouth.

Have a blessed day~! ta ta for now from Iowa:)

The Sun is peeping out of the clouds~!

Here is Ben at his favorite person's house. Donna has a daycare and this is where Ben loves to go. The boys names are Tywin and Blake. They are 5 and Ben is almost 5. Wish I could get the pictures off my phone this morning . I have a cute picture of Blake and Ben playing with their DSI games. Blake is the boy with black shirt. Ben used to go to another daycare and he just hated it~! They didn't understand his busyness and he acted up for them.. I would of too if I felt they didn't like me. Donna loves him and she understands him. I wish Ben could of been with her before this.. He loves her and she loves him.

I'm so tired of cool weather and rain. Goodness to be 60 degrees this morning with the promise of being 65 later.

I would hate to be part of swimming lessons right now. Brrrr~! There is always something good that comes about with a irritation. Don't have to run the AC..electric bill will be low. Garden is looking good. Broccoli loves this cool weather plus the lettuce. As I look out my window the flower garden and vegetable garden is flourishing. Looks like the Preen I sprinkled on both gardens is holding back the weeds.. I worked so hard on both gardens to get those blasted weeds under control. I haven't canned in years , but am considering in doing that this summer. I love canned green beans, peaches, tomato sauce with green pepper/onion/garlic chopped into the sauce. We use a lot of salsa so I'm considering canning some of that. With food getting so expensive there are a few things I can can or freeze to save money for this winter. I planted a lot of seeds that can be saved for next year. Organic seeds.

Found a great pastor to listen to on my Ipod.. His name is James MacDonald and is from Elgin,Illinois. His church's name is Harvest Chapel Bible Church.. Oh my goodness, he preaches right from the word of God and his message is so good. The other pastor I listen to is Bill Hybels from Barrington, Illinois.. Willow Creek Community Church.. my son and his family go there and Bill has some really good sermons too. Just type in google their names and churches names and city and state.. that should get you to their websites.. When I go to bed at night I listen to their sermons. James MacDonald has a weekly message and a daily message.. His daily message is called "Walk in the word".. It's just good to hear God's word daily and this is a great way of settling down for the evening before you go to sleep. You can watch a video on their website if you would rather do that. You won't be disappointed~! When my daughter gave me this Ipod for my birthday in Feb.. I told her I didn't need one of these..and told her to take it back.. She showed me what to do with it and now you will have to fight me to get it away from me. I really enjoy all the Christian music I have on it and my podcasts.. I even have a podcast about knitting.

If you get time and want to hear some powerful messages from two great pastors please take time to listen to James MacDonald and Bill Hybels..

OH NOW THIS IS A GREAT IDEA~!~! The other night we had a bad storm and the electric went off. I got out my candles and got them all set out to burn safely. Went and found the flashlight ~ only to learn batteries were low.. Thank goodness I had batteries . Well, I went outside to take a look at the storm and saw my solar lights that I have lined up next to the driveway just glowing so brightly :) I brought them inside and put one in the living room, bathroom, kitchen and the hallway.. I was so happy with the light they produced I blew out the candles. If I wanted something from another part of the house where it was dark ~ I just took one with me.. Da Ta light on the go..no more flashlights, no more burning candles. This is so much better. Just to see how long they would stay bright I kept them inside the house. They lasted for 2 days and 2 nights. How about that,,I was surprised. They are outside now lined up next to my driveway getting recharged and glowing brightly again. Ben loves to carry them around at night in the yard. I told him if he stays all night at my house again this would be his nightlight in his bedroom where he sleeps when he comes to my house. He liked that idea:) When Ben and I were at WalMart last time we bought some for his house.. He said "GranAnnie my sidewalk glows just like yours". Lol...

Have a blessed day in the Lord.. ta ta for now from Iowa~!

Happy Fathers Day~!

This is my hubby, Dave on the left and his twin brother on the right. Don lives in Pa and over Memorial day he came to visit us.. It was fun to have Don here to visit with Dave. They were busy each day, golfing, going out to breakfast, riding around the countryside of Iowa and just having a great time being with each other. As you see them standing here , this is how they walk down the street together , stand together , if they are sitting on a couch Don is always on this side. If one of them is really ill ~ one will know this and call , sure enough something is going on with their health. Or if they are trying to call each other and the line is busy, it's usually because they are trying to call each other at the same time.. Twins are so funny in the way they are connected, so in tune with each other.
So Happy Fathers Day boys.. Dave in Iowa and Don in Pennsylvania..:)


The sun was setting and the clouds were so big and so colorful. This is looking Northeast from my house. I can remember when I was a little girl, my sister, Lynn and I would lay out in the yard and look at the clouds. Those clouds actually were in formations of dogs, cats and all kinds of things. Those were the days.
Happy Fathers Day to all the Dad's today.. My Dad has been gone for 15 years now and I miss him. He would of been 104 this year. But I have a lot of grand memories. My Dad was so happy and had a great positive attitude. He passed on the "You Can DO IT~! challenge to his children and onto the grandchildren. My Dad was a great encourager. When the Seigfreids got together they were all a bunch of happy relatives. Have you ever read the book called "The Relatives Are Coming".. It's a children's book. That book always reminds me of when we went to Marion, Ohio to visit Gramma Seigfreid and all the relatives.. Lots of hugs ~kisses and how you doin~! When we went to bed at night we could always hear the train whistle blowing in the distance. Gramma was always there to tuck us in, give us kisses and help us say our prayers. She was a godly woman. She loved us so much.. I miss her too. But thank goodness we have wonderful memories to draw back on and it makes me sometimes laugh out loud but mostly smile.
Have a Tiggeriffic Day~!~! ta ta for now from Iowa:)

Seminole Valley Engine Show

Ben is standing next to a big ole Gas Engine that was at the Seminole Valley Engine Show. He has on his brand new blue hat that he was just drooling over and of course GranAnnie had to buy it for him.. He loves his hat.. I thought it was so cute he was hunched down watching these men try to get this gas engine started.. He sat there for along time watching , watching watching. They never did get it started. So off we went to take a look at the next thing. He loved all these engines putt putting and spewing steam. I told him " You know Pa Pa Dee Dee has these same engines in his shed.. " You
know you need to ask him to show you where they are and start them up"

Beb Gilchrist owns this Case Steam Engine. He let Ben get aboard and gave him a ride. He even let Ben blow the whistle.. He really liked that a lot~! He was just beaming.

I love it that his one hand is waving and the other hand is in his pocket. He loved being here and was so fascinated with all the gas engines and the huge steam engines.

He even got to be in the parade of engines and got to ride on a wagon pulled by a old tractor.

We are getting ready to leave and Ben is doing a happy dance.. He had a great day~!

This is what was on the side of a tractor that I saw in Sweden at the World Ploughing Matches.. I haven't looked up the website but I thought m-m-m- does this have to do with dyslexia that some people have with the way they see things or read things? It was a beautiful tractor and I thought it was fun and took a picture.. nice and shiny~!
Here's Benny,,,This is his new way of waving when taking his picture.. He is on Papa Dee Dee's John Deere 530.. He loves those tractors out there in the shed and is just content in sitting one them and pretending to drive.
Picked him up from daycare and brought him here to my house.. Dave's twin brother (Don) is here visiting from Pa.. and we are having a great time having him here.. Dave and Don fired up the John Deere A and the 530 and took them to the pasture on the trail that we have out there.. Ben rode with Pa Pa Dee on the 530 and then he changed over to ride with Uncle Don on the old A.. When he got back to the house he said Uncle Don was his favorite person.. Now that is a honor.. Long time ago Tracie told Ben that he was Her Very Favorite Person.. She asked him who his favorite person was and he said : "Gran Annie".. What a proud moment that was for me, when she told me.. For awhile his favorite person has been my friend , Holly.. Now it's Uncle Don... What a boy..
We had a lot of fun with him last night while he was here..
He has a DSI game and he has the Mario Race Kart game. He was trying to show Uncle Don how to play and it was making him dizzy. He had to stop.. Ben said "I know what it's like to be dizzy,, if I go around and around circles I get really dizzy and I have to lay down..". He said I love the merry go round but if someone makes it go really fast it's not good. I have to lay down in the grass until my head quits hurting.. Tracie took Ben home about 9 and he gave us all big hugs and kisses.. What a wonderful boy he is becoming. Very thoughtful and he loves people.. It was his last day of daycare in Central City, Iowa.. He went to ABC ~ I call these places institutions... Starting Tues. he is going to a gals house,, her name is Donna Hudson.. She takes care of children in her home. Ben has been to her place 3 times and just loves it there.. She has 3 other 4 year olds that Ben has met and he likes to play with them. She just loves Ben and is able to cope with his busyness. ABC had a hard time coping with his busyness~ he is really busy.. No sitting down when you are with Ben.. He loves it when you play with him.
He doesn't walk he runs.. Just like his mom did when she was little. We nicknamed her 'Speedy" when she was little. I know Ben will be much happier at Donna's house this summer.
Dave and Don went to Hy-Vee grocery store for breakfast this morning. I'm going to go out to my vegetable garden and get my things planted.. I finally got my big flower garden done and now I just have the small one to do.. Today it will be my vegetable garden . I have my plants bought and seeds and they are ready to go into the soil.. I heard that if one puts banana peels under the tomatoes when you plant them the tomatoes will do so much better.. So I'm going to try that and see what happens.. I'm going to leave one plant without the banana peel and see if there is really a difference.

Here is Ben with his hat that I bought him at the Copenhagen,Denmark airport.. He just loves it~! It has a ribbon attached to the horns with a small bell at the end of the ribbon. He likes to shake his head.. I told him he looks like a viking. He is such a cutey..~!

Have a great Memorial Day week-end~!~! I have my flags flying ~!

Ta ta for now...from Iowa:)

Solgarden our Bed & Breakfast~!

This is where we had our breakfast everymorning at the Bed&Breakfast in Sweden.. The choices was many and the food was delicious. You could choose from Granola Cereal to Delicious Scrambled Eggs to ham slices, cheese and frest fruit.. It was very good..

Here is Gunelle and Hokan~ the owners of the Bed & Breakfast Solgarden.. They were such a wonderful couple and so very happy. They only rent this house out in the Spring and Summer and Fall. She is a nurse in the wintertime and he is a Computer Specialist. I really miss them. We had a tiggeriffic time at their house...

This was one area of our bedroom in Sweden at the bed and breakfast we stayed called solgarden... This room was so beautiful and so roomy and bright with light.. It was a nice place to come back to after a long day... I just loved it.. We even had our own bathroom.. what a treat~!

This was the other side of our bedroom. I loved the twin mattresses. I'm going to have to find out what kind of mattresses we slept on ~ we slept all night and woke up well rested.. I love the picture above the bed.. Gunelle and Hokan really know how to decorate a house.. it was wonderful.

This is a picture of the back of the house.. It had three floors.. This house has 24 rooms..and each bedroom has it's own bathroom.. which was really nice.

I'm home from Sweden...

I'm home from Vadstena, Sweden..

This was one of the plowmen that competed for the U.S.A. He lives in Hampton, Iowa. His name is Gene and his wife is standing next to him.. Her name is Jane. He is competing in the Reversible Ploughing Class.. His plow broke during the competition and his plot didn't turn out very well. He came in 25th place out of 29 plowmen.. There were 29 different countries competing in the World's this year.. The wind was brisk that day and one needed a jacket. A man named Andrew from Scotland came in first place. The other plowmen from the U.S.A. Kevin Albrecht from South Dakota ~ plowed in Conventional Class and he came in 19th place out of 27 plowmen.. It was a great day~!

This young man named Harold is from Norway.. I found out that he went to America to be a foreign exchange student in 1985.. As we were talking I asked him where in America did he go to school. He said "Oh you wouldn't know where".. I said well give it a try.. He said "Akron, Ohio".. I told him m-m-m- I was born in Akron, Ohio.. What was the name of the school.. He said Green High School.. I was really excited because that is where I went to school growing up and finally graduating in 1962.. What a small world.. Our two plowmen ~ one from Hampton, Iowa and the other one from South Dakota stayed at his farm in Norway to practice plowing on his farm, before the World Ploughing Competition. He said he has a large farm in Norway and raises lots of hogs.. Pork seems to be the favorite meat used in Europe..good to be home and have a beef burger. We had a good time talking with him.. What a small world.

Little boys from Sweden are so cute. This little boy was walking around with his bib overalls and his hands in the bibs.. I took a lot of pictures of children while I was at the plowing site. Most of the boys and girls are very blond and blue eyes there.

Had a great time while in Sweden.. We stayed for 10 days there in a beautiful Bed and Breakfast.. Gunelle and her husband Hokan.. The H is silent.. They were a wonderful couple and the breakfast we had every morning was wonderful.. We stayed in a large room that had a king size bed.. It had two twin mattresses on the bed and it was comfortable. That is how they sleep there/husband and wife.. They think that husband and wife sleep better sleeping side by side on twin mattresses.. I know Dave and I slept really well and I would love to do this to our bed.

I took over 900 pictures , I'll pick out some for awhile and post them...

It's good to be home but I do miss being in Sweden.. We had such a great time...

Have a Tiggeriffic Day! ta ta for now from Iowa...:)

Getting ready to go to Sweden...

My mind is just so busy with all the thoughts that are running through with what I need to get done to get Dave and I packed and ready to go to Sweden.. Suitcases have been laid out and as each day has passed putting things like clothes, camera, raincoats, boots ect. in the suitcases.. Now it's crunch time and I'm doing the final washing of clothes and making sure I have everything. Then I'll get it on the scales here at the house and make sure it's not over 50 pounds. WE are going to the World Ploughing Matches that are being held in Stadavatan, Sweden.. We fly out Friday, at 4:30 p.m. and arrive in Stockholm at 7:30 a.m. We will be taking the train from Stockholm to Mjolby, Sweden.. 2 1/2 hour ride.. I can hardly wait, sit in the train and watch the country go by the window.. My camera is ready~! Then the fun begins.. We will be there for 10 days... It's going to be fun to be in another country. I hear it's beautiful there.. Probably ~ maybe be the last time we get to go to one of these in along time..Each time we have gone (this is our 5th world ploughing event) we have many memories of all the people we have met from every country plus all the memories of what we got to see while we were there.. So far we have gone to Ireland twice,, Canada, Czech Republic and Austria.. Next year it's going to be in Croatia...I not sure even where that country is but I think it would be interesting to go and see. There are 28 countries that come to the world ploughing matches and there are 2 competitors from each country.. The two competitors that will be competing from the USA are from South Dakota and Iowa.. We are very proud of our men that are going to represent us. I'm looking to have a great time.
Yesterday I worked as a Official Poll Worker in Springville.. We had two ballots, one for Linn County and one for the city of Springville.. We were voting on 1% sales tax.. Springville voted yes and not sure for the county.. Low turn out voters..only 278... I worked from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. I was very tired when I got home and this morning after a good nights rest I feel good..
I like working at the voting polls, it's fun to see all the people that I know and I get to meet all the people I don't know.. Yes, its a long day but don't know if any of you know this , you do get paid for doing this and the extra money is nice. Since I'm retired and not working ~ this can fit into my daily life.. I love being retired..
I'm going to quickly get things wrapped up here , because Ben gets out of pre-school today at 11. I'm going to go to Tracie's house to see him and play with him.. I'm going to miss him so much. Grandchildren are a gift from God and I'm so blessed.
My bird feeders are busy with all colors of birds this morning. My orioles are so brilliant orange ~ it's so cool to see that color flash across the yard to the grape jelly I have set out for them. Hummers are busy this morning, glad to see they are back.. I have the young boy that lives near here that Dave hired to mow our grass while we are gone to feed my birds.. Cole is 15 and is so respoonsible. His parents have taught him work ethics . Cole is a fine young man.
Have some books to read while I'm traveling.. Richard Peck's books : A year down yonder and A Long Way from Chicago.. I was reading A year down younder yesterday while working at the polls and it's really good.. The other book I have is: Escape to God written by Jim Hohnberger. This book will be a spiritual awakening that will inspire and challege me. Get out of the boat and walk on water. Of course I'm taking my bible.
If you don't hear from me you'll know I'm thinking of you all and I'm going to be away from this computer. Maybe while I'm in Sweden I'll be able to write a short post. Have a Tiggeriiffic Day~!~! ta ta for now from Iowa:)

Monday morning~ sunny~no wind~45 degrees~!

It's Monday morning and it's bright and beautiful outside.. This morning at 7 a.m. I had a Baltimore Oriole visit my window.. Took the screen off the one window in my bedroom this winter and this morning I woke to a tap tap tap on the window.. I looked and it was the Oriole telling me he was back and he needed some Grape Jelly.. He was so bright orange and I was all excited.. I got dressed quickly and rushed downstairs and right out the door to the shed to get my oriole feeder..went into the house and got it washed up and cleaned.. I put gobs of Grape Jelly on the feeder and then I had one last orange in the fridge and I split it in two.. took it outside and there he was "Mr.Oriole" whistling at me.. He followed me out to the place where I had the feeder hanging last year..He hardly waited for me to put the feeder on the shephard's hook ~ he almost landed on my hand trying to get to the food.. I was breathless~ with excitement.. Have never gotten that close to one of these colorful birds before.. These are the times I wish I had a camera mounted on my head and take pictures.. Came back into the house and got the other feeder ready for him and it's now hanging out by my garden I can see it from where I'm sitting here.. I have two male orioles and I look to have more because last spring they had 2 batches of baby birds. Got my hummingbird feeders out also and I will be complete with the birds that come here every year. So far no sightings of hummers.. I love those little guys... so fun to watch.. My biggest joy would be to find a nest of those tiny birds.. THe nest is about the size of a thimble.. so it would be hard to see..
This morning besides the excitement of the Orioles,, I am washing clothes and getting my things packed to go to Sweden on Friday afternoon.. I'm ready~! WIth all this spring excitement of my birds I'm really hesitent on leaving the house.. But I'm sure all these birds will be here when I return.. The temperature and weather in Sweden is just like here.. Early spring,, temp's in the 50's. sunny days with rain periodically. It feels so good to have the sun here for 2 whole days now.. Brightens things up and cheers one's soul.. I'll be so glad to be on the plane...on Friday.. Everything packed and if one forgot something ~ oh well> too bad.. I have my camera, and my gps packed.. Going to see if I can find a cache while I am in Sweden.. Geocaching is all over the world...
At 3p.m. I'll go to Central City and pick up Ben from daycare.. I'm going to miss him like crazy.. HE stopped by yesterday with his dad.. The camper that belongs to Cory was behind our shed. He came to pick it up.. Ben told me "Daddy and I are going to clean up the camper and were going camping in two weeks.. " I thought that was wonderful... It's one of those fold out campers and it's going to be needing a lot of scrubbing and freshing up because it hasnt been used in a couple years.. Hope it's not too infested with mice... Dog gone ~ mice can be so distructive. I'm sure Cory and his Mom and Ben will be busy getting it ready... Ben could hardly wait for Cory to get it hitched to the big red truck... It had two flat tires and while Cory got air in them Dave took Ben on a ride with the John Deere A... He let Ben drive it ~! Ben thought he was big stuff getting to drive it around the field in the back of the house... There is 20 acres behind the house for them to drive that tractor all over the place.. Ben had lots of fun~! His grin was from ear to ear...~! When he saw the trailer connected to the truck Ben was ready to leave. So Dave and Ben parked the John Deere inside the shed and he was off and running to the truck.. HE was ready to go with Cory to get it home. It was fun to see him for a little bit~! He loves camping , and I'm sure this summer Cory will teach him how to fish..
News was good to hear this morning as Osuma Bin Laden was killed a week ago , but just reported last night.. Lots of celebrating...and rightfully so...
Lots to do today~! Best get busy.. Have a great and tiggeriffic day~! It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood~! ta ta for now from Iowa~:)

Today is Sunday and almost time to get dressed for church.. As I sit this morning and watch the news of the tornadoes that hit the South I think of all the people that are affected. Thousands>>>I try and imagine how big it must of been that huge funnel.. A mile wide and 5 miles of distruction. Just part of a house was not taken, but the whole house and huge trees nothing left but a stick in the air to show where it once stood. A huge tradgedy.. Lots to pray about this morning.. But there is a lot to be thankful for..one lady said that she is so thankful for all the help she has received from volunteers. Her whole family is alive and they are together again in a shelter that has been provided for them. I'm sure there will be miracle stories come from all this, as one boy, he looked to be 5 years old, said this morning 'He thought God was with him and his family through out the storm. Where something goes wrong like this storm something good will prevail.. So I'm thankful this morning that we have a God to lean on when something like this happens. He is my stronghold and I feel his love everyday.
Must get ready for church,,You all have a blessed day~! ta ta for now from Iowa:)

RIng ~! Ring~! Ring~! it's 3:30 a.m.~!

This morning my cell phone was ringing next to my bed at 3:30 a.m. Couldn't read who was calling and was hoping it was good news.. I answered and it was Dave ~ he was downstairs using the land line.. He said "Come on down , the Royal Wedding is starting"... I grabbed my feather comforter , my phone, my glasses and went downstairs... I made a pot of coffee for us and poured us some of that hot coffee. Can't start my day without a good hot cup of coffee.. I settled down with my comforter and my cup of coffee in my recliner.. I'm so glad he got me up.. It was wonderful to see all the gathering of the people along the streets in London. Lots of flags waving, lots of people excited.. We got to see the whole thing from the beginning to the end...
It was fun to watch all the people arriving to the wedding who had gotten invitations. The ladies hats were fun to see and I wondered how in the world do they keep those hats on their heads.. The best hat was the hat that looked like a deer antlers. LOL.. When I was a small girl ~ women and men always wore hats..especially to church.. I think we should start that tradition back up. Kate and William were such a handsome couple.. Her dress was exquisite and flowed behind her so beautifully. I loved seeing the brothers before the wedding.. William and Harry in their uniforms and white gloves... So handsome. It was a great ceremony and I was so glad I got to watch it on TV, even if it was early in the morning. As we sat in the living room and the sun was rising, we watched the deer jump the fence south of our property. They were so graceful jumping over the fences...It was a great morning ~ watching royalty getting married and to see the love they have for each other. They make a great couple and it will be fun to watch with each new day they have with each other..
Today the sun was shining and it got pretty nice outside. Everything is so green .... With us going to Sweden in a few days ~ Dave is going to have the neighbor boy, Cole Flatland come and learn how to use our lawn tractor so he can mow the grass while we are gone. He is 15 now and well do just fine.. Can't believe he is 15 now, just seems yesterday he was 8... Time marches on whether we want it to or not.
I feel so bad for the people in the South with all those tornadoes. 160 tornadoes in just the month of April... Goodness to be,that is a lot. It's going to be a hard spring.. With all this rain we are getting and the farmers having a hard time getting into the fields to work the ground over and plant the seed. And the fires in Texas and the flooding in Vermont and other places.. Makes a person pray to God a little more . God has a plan and a timetable. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.. Even when our plans flounder, if our heart's right God will still make things turn out for our good and His Glory. When it comes to God's guidance, here are some thing we need to know: First, ideas go away, but His direction stays. There's persistence in His leading; that's why time is on our side. Second: His direction is impossible to follow without His help. He plans it that way.. Without God you can do nothing.
Third: His direction usually begins with discomfort. Like an eagle that stirs up it's nest..... A baby eagle is shocked when it's mother forces it out of the nest, but that's when it finds it's wings. God Will Surprise You...~ ! He is with us everyday and we just need to pray and keep him close to our hearts.
Have a Tiggeriffic Day~! ta ta for now from Iowa:)

The grass is green as it is in Ireland~ Emerald~!

IT's another cloudy day with rain coming this afternoon. As I look out my window here I see the grass is a lushes green because we have had mega big time rain. My rain gauge says 2 inches . Need to empty it to see what we get this afternoon. Reminds me of the green of Ireland when we visited there a few years ago. I have never seen such a green ~ so bright.. that is why Ireland is called "Emerald Island". That has to be my favorite country to visit..
This morning I watched the ravaged countryside of Alabama, Ga. Va. The damage that a tornado does is just unbeilivable. I feel bad for those people.. No basements to hide in ~ just a bathtub or a closet.. I think if it was my house there and when I rebuilt ~ in one corner I would build me a shelter to go to in case of another tornado busting through my city again. I look around my house and look at what I have in each room.. WOW ~ that would be a lot of stuff blowing in the air...I think my prize possesions would be the photos of my family. and my purse.. It has too much information in there to lose. In years past we have had tornadoes passing near our house to the point we ran for the basement. It would be a hard thing to accept to see ones house gone . But I would have God to get me through the loss and then you have no choice ~ you start over and pray for God's strength.
Yesterday I had Ben with me for awhile.. We played the WII game with Mario carts.. Race car game. He just loves it and of course he always wins.. I don't know how he keeps his car on the track and miss all the obstacles that pop up on the track that one has to drive around. After lunch we took a nap and then he wanted to go to Holly's house.. She has a boy named Nathan age 12 and Ben just loves to be around.. So I called her and she said "Come on over". They were going to watch the movie "UP" ... I popped some popcorn and off we went.. We all got comfortable and we watched the movie.. Oh my, this was such a loving and funny movie.. Ben sat there the whole time on my lap and it was so cute. He would laugh and then when a tender moment came he would say "Awwwww".. If you want to see a wonderful movie take a look at this one.. Up is a good clean movie and had a great story of showing love, compassion and adventure.. Whoever wrote this book had to of had a keen imagination.. It was great~!
After the movie I had to go to town and get gas ($3,83 a gallon) I picked up Dave to go with us and we stopped at the Dairy Queen.. Ben wanted a vanilla cone... I got a mini blizzard and a small one for Dave. He said "We need to get one for Mommy".. So we did.. We dropped off the blizzard to his mom . She was getting ready to go to school. She gave him a little kids golf set , he was so excited.. He designated to us which club we could use and we played a little golf in the yard... He loved it~! We took him to his Dad's house because it was Cory's turn to have Ben for awhile.. Of course the golf clubs came out and he had us all playing golf at his dad's house.. Such fun... Kisses and Hugs given to Dave and I and we left him with Cory. He was talking up a storm to Cory "O.K. dad it's your turn">.. cute...~!
Dave and I had supper and I went up to my bedroom to read my book. There is nothing on TV anymore that is worth watching anymore. Except for Fox news and Amazing Race.. Of course tomorrow I will be watchin the wedding in England.. Ben had his Dad call me when he was getting ready for bed.. he said "Night GranAnnie, I love you"... Now how sweet was that ~!
Dave and I are getting ready to go to town and get a few things for our trip next week.. Going to Sweden to the World's Ploughing Matches.. My knee is mega big time better and doesn't hurt anymore.. Yeah~! Have a Tiggeriffic Day~!~! ta ta for now from Iowa:)

A lot has happened since last Thursday.. In the morning I went outside to burn the trash and I hurt my good knee.My right one.(Left knee I have had 2 knee replacements) On the outside of my right knee I got this huge bulging bump...It hurt instantly .. I came back in the house and put ice on it right away.. I could not straighten out my knee.. Oh my goodness, Tracie wanted me to come over because she had strep throat and needed help.. So I took my ice pack and went to her house. I made us lunch and we both settled on her couch to play the Wii game of Super Mario.. We conquered 2 castles and got through 2 levels.. We were very happy We were starting on another level and I called Dave to see if he could fix himself some supper.. He said "Sure".. I was happy. It was now 5:30 and I decided to pause the game and fix us supper. Tracie took a short nap.. We had our supper and at 6:30 we were back to the game.. Ya-Hoo..we gained another level and at 8 p.m. I decided I better go home.. I love playing that game.. Tracie went to bed and was feeling a little better.. Poor girl she is really sick.. I decided I best go to the Doctor on Friday and see what was the matter with this knee. We are going to Sweden May 6th and it has to get a whole lot better before we go or it's not going to be good.
Friday I called my Dr. and had an appointment at 10.. I decided to go to my Chiropractor. He examined my knee and said that he wasn't sure if it was a pulled muscle or a torn ligament. So he said since it was Friday to go home and keep ice on it and stay off my knee and keep it elevated. He put my hips back in place and the middle of my back.. It felt good. but knee was still in great pain.. Soo all week=end I kept myself in my recliner with my knee elevated and iced.. By Sunday evening I could straighten my leg and the pain was not too bad.. Outside of my knee it has a purple bruise and the swelling is way down.. It was 16 inches around the knee when I measured it on Thursday and it was 13 inches by Sunday evening.. This morning when I went back to the chiropractor he asked me how my knee was and I told him.. He examined my knee again and put my back in place and said he thought I had just pulled a muscle.. But to take it easy today and keep it elevated and iced.. So that is what I did.. I can straighten my knee now and the pain is really not too bad compared to what it was on Thursday. I think I will survive. Before I left the house this morning I gathered all the pennies that Dave and I had stored in quart jars.. I decided to take them to the bank.. DO you know that one quart jar filled with pennies is about $9... I went into the bank and got a cart..They were way too heavy to carry. I took the pennies to the one of the bank tellers and she put all my pennies in a counting machine.. When it was all finished with it's counting she came and told me I had $107..in pennies.. Well, that was great~! So glad I pick up every penny I see whenever I'm out and about.. and put all the pennies I have in the jar . I was surprised it came to that amount but was so glad..
This afternoon I went up to Central City and picked up Ben.. He was so excited when he saw me.. HE was eating some apples with peanut butter and a glass of milk.. His teacher said he had a really good day..and he had a 2 hour nap.. He wanted to go to my friends house (Holly) and play on the trampoline.. Holly has a boy age 12 that Ben just adores.. Nathan's birthday is the same day as Ben's . So I got to talk with Holly while Ben and Nathan went outside and jumped on the trampoline. IT was time to go and Ben and I went back to my house. I fixed supper and Ben ate a huge dinner. He must of been hungry.. At 5:30 we went to Tracie's house and she was just leaving to go to school.. Quick goodbyes and Ben and I went inside.. Of course we turned on the Wii game and played Mario racetrack game.. He loves that game.. Of course I'm not as fast as Ben is and I always lose. He love it~! I had him pause the game and we worked on coloring and drawing letters.. HE can almost spell his name.. He helped me put laundry into the washer machine and then we got the dishes done and kitchen cleaned up. We played until 8 p.m. He got into his pajama's and I read him 4 of his favorite books.. He loves it when I read to him and I just love it because he sits on my lap and snuggles up to me.. By 8:45 he was in bed and falling to sleep. Tracie got home at 9:30 and we talked for a bit and I came home.. Of course I have my leg elevated and icing it again... I have hardly any pain now and all the swelling is gone. That is good. It's 11 p.m. now and I better get to bed..
Have a Tiggeriffic Day~! Ta Ta For Now..from Iowa...:)

Where does time go ~ it's already Thursday and the sun is trying to shine this morning even thou the weatherman says it's going to rain this afternoon. Need to go out and empty the rain gauge it says almost an inch of rain... We have had lots of rain and many storms. Its 50 degrees today which is not too bad.. Later today before the rain comes I need to go outside and trim some of the branches on the trees and pick up sticks out of the yard so Dave can mow the grass. It's almost that time of yearto mow the grass. When the kids were here they would mow all this grass with a push mower and as soon as they left we got a riding mower.. Isn't that just the way it works?
Looking out at the bird feeder right outside my window I can see the birds are busy at the feeder and drinking lots of water at the birdbath.. I see the Brown Thrasher has made a return trip back to Iowa. That is good to see.. I love the white markings on the white crowned sparrow's. I have lots of birds vying for their spot at the feeder.
Was with Ben yesterday. He was so funny. He talks so much now it's a continual non-stop answer and question conversation.. and always WHY>>>I try and answer every why and he keeps asking why,,,I really get humored at what he has to say...The school year is almost over for him and for this summer Tracie is going to have a gal named Donna who has a daycare in her home take care of Ben.. I can hardly wait. Donna is so good with him and understands him so much better than where he is at ABC daycare.. The preschool where he goes says we need to practice with L and P words.. with him.. He just laughs at us when we try to correct him with the right pronunciation. He just comes back with how he says the word.. I think he thinks we need to change how we pronounce words to the ways he does.. LOL..Good luck Benny when you get to school...He didn't start talking until he was 3 1/2 so he has a lot of catching up to do.. But you know ~ it will come and just be part of his childhood.. Ben's mom Tracie didn't start talking until she was 3 1/2 and now she talks a lot~! and she pronounces words correctly.. ha ha.. Not worth the time to worry about,, it all gets O.K. when they get older.
It's noon and guess I best get dressed for the day.. It's just so nice to lounge around in my PJ's. Have my bills paid for month of April . I like to do mine online.. IT's so fast and quick and no more writing out a check ,stamping the envelope and addressing and plaster on my return address with one of those labels. I write very few checks..those things are expensive.
Have a Tiggeriffic Day ~~~ta ta for now from Iowa:)

It's Tuesday and almost 11 a.m. It's so dark outside we have to have the lights on in the house. It's pouring down rain and the sky is getting darker and darker.. Now the hail has started and my wildbirds have flown off and are taking cover. Yikes~! Rain gauge says 3/4 inch of rain so far. The wind is blowing briskly.. This is a good day to stay home and read a book or write on your blog.. Yesterday I went to the Coop Feed Store in Springville to get black oil sunflower seed. They were out. So I bought a 10# pound bag of wild bird seed.. They are gobbling it up and the feeder is very busy. The white crowned sparrows are here this morning.. They don't stay long, they are migrating and this is just a stop over for them.. They come every year. I feel bad for the birds when this kind of weather is happening.
I looked on my computer to the website of the eagle cam that is in Decorah, Iowa.. They are getting 1-3 inches of snow today and the lens of the cam is covered with snow. So one can't see the eagel or her 3 eaglets.. I'll bet her nest is swinging to and fro high up in that tree. Maybe it will warm up enough the snow will slide off the cam and we can see her in her nest.. Her mate is really taking good care of her.. Sometimes I see him bringing her twigs and nesting material to repair the nest she is in with those 3 little ones. Yesterday he brought her a rabbit.. I didn't stay to see her pull it apart.. It's really cool to watch this eagle with her eaglets.. if you would like to see her,,,just to to ;;;;www.eagle cam decorah,iowa that should take you to the website.

Yesterday I picked up Ben at daycare.. He wanted his Mom to pick him up so he wasn't too happy.. But once he was in the car he was O.K. I took him to McDonalds and he got a cheese burger and some fries and a chocolate milk. Went to his Mama's house and we played Thomas the Train.. He hasn't played with the train for along time... Pa Pa Dee came and he played with us. I get to pick him up this afternoon and then he goes back to his dad's on Wednesday..:(
I hate divorces.. Ben has adapted . Poor kid he hates change and he is now getting better at going to his dad's and then to his mom's.. When I have him I just take him to his mom's house ~ one less house... This summer I'll bring him here to the house. We can go down to the creek and play...Try to make damns with rock piles and mud.. It never works because the water just washes it down stream. But it's fun while you try and get it built.. I used to do this with my other grandchildren.. Memories are fun to make..

My daughter , Jodie ordered this cane seat for her dad to use while we are in Sweden.. The other day I saw him fold it out and set on it.. It has a hammock seat and it looks really sturdy. He doesn't have the best of balance so he was seated in the hammock seat and then he was wobbling and trying to keep his balance.. He didn't fall down but it was funny watching him try and get his balance. He heard me laughing and said "Guess I need to practice using this">> I said Yes..
Preferably before we get to Sweden.. He has really bad feet and knees and can't stand for very long. This will come in handy when we go on the tours. or watch the plowmen plow.. Usually they have bales of straw to sit on while we are there and that is really good. It's an all day contest and one gets very tired... There will be almost 30 countries there to represent the World Ploughing Contest. There will be 2 contestants for each country. This year it's in Sweden mext year it will be in Croatia...I would really like to go to that one too.. But it takes $ to go.. I'll have to start saving up right away.

Have a Tiggeriffic Day~! Ta Ta For Now...from Iowa:)

Now that I'm rested up from the Women's Retreat I think I can write something without falling asleep.. Friday was cold ~ rainy and windy.. Holly and I got up to the lodge at Camp Hitaga at 1:00.. We had a heavy portable piano to unload from her van and we just prayed for God to give us strength to carry it into the building.. Over the hill above us we could see Curt Baily coming with his truck.. I have known Curt since he was a young boy. He is now the maintanance man for this camp. He is now nearing the age of almost 50.. He came over to see if everything was O.K. and we told him he was an answer to prayer.. So he helped us carry this heavy piano into the lodge.. We were jumping for joy~!.. Curt was glad he could be there to help us.. He left to put mulch on the walking trails around the camp.. Holly and I got the rest of the things unloaded and into the building. By 4:30 we had everything in place and ready for the girls to arrive at 5:30. I had a huge fire going in the fireplace and was warming up the building ... there is no other heat source in this lodge.. Needless to say, we could see our breath it was so cold.. We told everyone to wear warm clothing and bring blankets.. I then went over to the building where we would be sleeping and got the fire going in the wood burner that was there. Curt had lots of wood for us to use in both places.. Yeah~! we were going to need it..~! The ladies arrived and settled in by 6p.m. and we started our evening with prayer and then singing praise songs.. IT was wonderful... We had supper with candlelight and it was just wonderful.. We then settled down to listening to a Christian Comedian ~ Tim Hawkins.. Oh my goodness was he ever funny... We laughed so hard,,it was a good thing I had gone to the bathroom before I sat down to watch this ...He was relentless in his skit and all we could do was wipe our eyes, blow our noses and kick back and laugh somemore.. This DVD was called "Sanitized"... So if you need something funny to show a group of guys or gals just get this one ,you won't be disappointed Saturday morning we woke up to snow blowing ...I thought it was really pretty. It snowed from morning until noon and we got about an inch of snow. IT was magical sitting in the lodge eating our breadfast and watching the snow slowly come down. We had a DVD with Beth Moore. She talked about 'From Ashes to Beauty"... She is such a great speaker and we were all blessed by her spiritual insight on what God does is our lives.. We had our lunch and then watched somemore of Beth.. After Beth we wrote some things that we wanted to give over to God and put on his alter.. We had a cool vessel that we burned all our thoughts that we had written on paper and took it outside ~(after it was cool) . We let the wind blow it into the valley that overlooked a river. Holly and I had bought these cool silver round boxes that had butterflies on the top, inside we had bought each girl a silver butterfly necklace, we put these inside the silver boxes.. It was so cool. We gave each girl a silver box and the girls were so excited when they opened their boxes and saw the necklaces.. .The true meaning of "From Ashes to Beauty" was implemented and it was a great feeling. I felt the Holy Spirit upon us cleansing us and filling us with his presense.. IT was fantastic~! A God Moment~! We cleaned up the building and the girls got all their stuff they had brought with them loaded up in their cars. The piano was put back into Holly's van and everything else we had brought . The girls said they could hardly wait to see what was in store for them for next year.. When I got home I put all my stuff away and took a nap... a long one.. I was so tired.. I was so happy and blessed by another Women's Retreat being a success.. Even thou the weather was cold, rainy and snowy it was still a wonderful week-end and we all lived.. ha ha.. Today it's another cloudy day and it's chilly ~ but that's O.K. I know that warmer weather is upon us and I will be busy.. I'm going to wash the Benny Mobile today as it got very dirty driving on the back roads of Iowa to get to Camp Hitaga. It needs a good cleaning inside and outside.. I love to drive a clean vehicle.. Trust me it will feel good to me when I get it back to clean again. I can hardly wait until tonight.. "Amazing Race" is on ... I really like this program and enjoy every season. I'm rooting for the cowboys..~!~ Have a Tiggeriffic Day~!~! Ta Ta For Now From Iowa~!~!~!

GOOD MORNNG~!~!

This morning it's so cold and windy ~! 40 degrees and the wind is just blowing away.. The birds are having a hard time landing on the birdfeeders. Have been watching the Eagle in Decorah, Iowa.. There is a web cam someone has there and you can watch the eagle 24/7 with her 3 baby eaglets.. They are so cute... The wind is so strong today ~you can actually see the tree swaying ... Kind of eery.. Just type in your browser: eagle cam Decorah Iowa.. Have been so busy organizing the Women's Retreat that my friend ,Holly and I are getting ready to have this week-end.. We have it at this wonderful campfire boy/girls camp called Hiataga... Went up yesterday and got the lodge all set up with the tables and decorations.. It looked so nice when we left.. Today we are going up at noon to get the rest of our things laid out and set up so we will be ready for the girls to come this afternoon at 5:30.. We have wonderful things planned for these ladies that are coming . I'm quite excited~!. Our theme this year is "From Ashes to Beauty"... Isaiah 61:1-3. Yesterday a gal from our church, Chris Brown came to help us set up.. What a wonderful girl.. We had such a great time decorating and getting things ready.. Usually Holly and I do this all by ourselves SO it was so nice to get help. Plus Holly's two children Nathan age 12 and Caryn age 10 was there to help us.. Extra arms we so wonderful in getting things done. Computer is still in the shop and I now have this laptop that I got from my daughter, Jodie.. I have had it for quite a few years but thought it was too old to set up for the Internet . The other day I got it out , called my Internet server and they walked me through this computer on how to set it up to be able to get on the computer.. Ta Da~! it's working.. The battery underneath gets very hot so I got a cold pack from the freezer and laid it underneath where the battery is located and it's keeping things cool... Cory, Ben's dad called me this morning and said Ben had the flu last night.. Throwing up and diarrhea. I told Cory this was his first time ever in having the flu.. He said Ben last night was scared when he threw up.. I bet he was.. Poor thing.. His other Gramma , Joann came today to take care of him.. Thank God for Grammas.. He said this morning he was feeling a little better.. He will be with Cory until Sunday evening and then comes back to Tracie's house.. Ben's mama.. Ben is talking more and more everyday and now he says WHY after everything you tell him. and there is no satisfying answer.. he alwasy come back with WHY>>> Yikes.. Read the book Broken and that was a wonderful book.. I would rate this book in my list of top #10 books I have read.. It was that good. It was written by Laura Hillenbrand. She wrote the book Sea Biscuit.. I'm now reading a book called "From A name to A number. " written by Alter Wiener- A Holocaust survivor's autobiography... It's a really good book. Reading my devotion this morning it was talking about our Spiritual Growth.. Sometimes we have personal problems and thinking "I can overcome this I'll be okay. The good news is by God's grace you can overcome it... When you've overcome a personal problem another one is waiting to take it's place. One is always going to be working on something. Spiritual growth is a work in progress.. And it doesn't come through human effort, self-condemnation, or the white -knuckling works of the flesh.. IT comes as a result of spending time in prayer and having your mind renewed daily by His Word. As you agree with God, believing what He says is true,,change automatically happens.. One starts to think differently, talk differently and act differently.. Be patient with yourself; its a process that develops in stages.. Would you think there was something wrong with your child because thy couldn't walk perfectly on the first few tries? No, you're delighted each time they take a step. Whey they fall you pick them up. When they mess up, you clean them up and encourage them to try again.. You never stop working with them. And God does the same with us.. He's not angry because we haven't arrived.. He's pleased that were pressing on, endeavoring to stay on the path. It's God's job to "cause us to be governed by the Holy Spirit".. 2 Cor. 3:8. If you could do it by yourself you wouldn't need Him. So instead of driving yourself harder and harder , start leaning on God more and more and you'll go from strength to strength. Ps. 84:7 Have a great day.. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind... Romans 12:2 Have a Tiggeriffic Day~! Ta Ta For Now...from Iowa:)

I'm Back home~!~!

Well, it's Friday and I returned from South Carolina on Monday.. I got all excited after I unpacked to get to my computer and read all my e-mails and then maybe get pictures downloaded so I could post a picture with my post... I looked at my e-mails and read all them and deleted a lot and then I decided to make me some coffee.. Well, when I came back to my computer there was so picture and nothing working.. So I tried to get that fixed to no avail and so i just turned it off unplugged it and took the tower to the car.. Today I took it to my friend, Jeff who is a computer wizard and he is fixing it for me.. So I'm here at the Springville Community Library using their computer... I miss my computer but that's O.K.. it will be back as soon as Jeff gets it all fixed.. Doggone virus's... I had such a good time in Columbia South Carolina visiting my sister, Lynn and my brother Dave.. I arrived on March 23 and on the 25 we went to the ocean.. Pawley's Island.. I love the ocean and we had a nice place to stay.. We decided when we go back next year we are going to spend the extra money and be right on the beach.. It was cold while we were there , but still was able to go to the beach and walk and enjoy the area.. There were some kids swimming in the ocean.. March is too early to be able to swim in the ocean.. We said 'It must be someone from Canada"... Found some really nice sea shells on the beach and took lots of pictures. We came back to Columbia on Sunday and then left on Tues for Ashville to go to the mountains.. We went to a place called Rivermont... If you would like to see where we stayed go to Rivermont.com we stayed in a cabin called River Roost. It was a beautiful place with the cabin built right on the side of a mountain.. The view was spectactular.. ~!~! We went to Mount Mitchell one day,,very foggy.. but it was so fun to wind up those mountains and see everything. One day we went to dillville or something like that and I bought me a dulcimer.. I have always wanted one and this one was made in the mountains.. It had hummingbirds and flowers on the instrument.. The lady showed me briefly how to play it.. This dulcimer had a book to show you how to keep it tuned and how to play it.. My favorite song was the 3rd song in the book.. "I'll Fly Away" I have been playing /practicing almost everyday it's really coming along.. It helps that when I was younger I played piano and this helps with playing this instrument.. Ben was so glad to see me~! He kept telling me "GranAnnie I missed you so much">>He was glad that I was home.. I'm going to pick him up today at daycare and take care of him tonight, Saturday and Sunday... Tracie is going to Holiday Lake somewhere in Iowa.. for the week-end.. I have lots of things planned for Ben and I to do.. Just finished reading the book called 'Unbroken".. Oh my goodness this is a great book.. It was written by the girl that wrote Sea Biscuit.. Don't have the book here with me so I can't tell you the authors name.. BUT it is a awesome book.. It's about the struggles that a man had with growing up, becoming a great runner and entering the Olypics in 1944, but the Oymics had been cancelled because of World War 2.. He enlisted in the airforce and was flying with a sqaurdran in a B24... The plane crashed and he was then in a POW camp in Japan.. It describes his stuggles with being in prison camp and how he survived.. and then married and how his life went on after getting out of the POW camp. It was a wonderful book and I would recommend everyone to read... When he was in his darkest part of his life he went to a Billie Graham Crusade and was lifted up by God.. He accepted God into his heart and his life got better right Away... It's just a wonderful thing what happens when one accepts God into their lives. When I was in High School in Akron, Ohio I got to sing in the Billie Graham Choir.. It was so wonderful.. All those voices singing to God. I was really excited. ' Have a Tiggeriffic Day~!~! Ta Ta For now...from Iowa

Ivy United Methodist Church

Dave and I Saturday went to Altoona, Iowa for the Annual Iowa Plowing Dinner-Meeting. The ladies of this church always prepare our meal and it's so delicious right down to the home made pies.. I picked Cherry.. There were 6 different kinds to chose from. It was a great meal and it was good to see all the fellow plowers and their wives... They come from all over the state of Iowa..

My friend Jane brought her grandson Michael age 1 year old.. He was so cute and he was getting antsy with the meeting being so long. So I went out to the car to get some of Ben's toys.. (tractors and little cars)>. When I got outside there was this couple sitting in a car and they called me over to their car.. They were from Des Moines and they said they drove by this church quite frequently and wondered if it was possible to come inside.. I said "SURE"... This church is quite old and really wonderful to see on the inside. The sanctuary is so beautiful to see.. So they came inside and I took them to the sanctuary and it was just breath taking to see the ivy stained glass window.. We sat down in one of the pews and talked a bit.. Marge and Bob told me they had been married for 61 years . He was a medic in the Navy and enlisted when he was 17.. He was stationed in Idaho.. They had quite a story to tell me and it was so interesting.. I love to talk with men or women who have served in the military in this country. I love to hear their stories..

Here is Marge and Bob.. Look at the license plate...WW2

Navy.. They have two children. One is a Dr. in Iowa City..

We had a great time visiting and sometimes I just think it was meant to be that I was to go outside during the meeting and visit with them and take them inside to see this lovely church... I call it a "God Stop".. God is so good and you never know what he has in store for your day.

We had a great meeting and it was a tiggeriffic day~!

Now I'm home and Spring is showing so many signs of being here. Getting ready to pack and go see my sister, Lynn and brother Dave in South Carolina on Wednesday.. I can hardly wait~!

While I'm there spring has already sprung.. So I get to pack shorts and summer clothes. We plan on spending couple days at the beach and couple days in the mountains.. Two of my favorite places to be.. I'll be back on April 4th...

Have a Tiggeriffic Day~! ta ta for now from Iowa:~)

Yeah~! Ben ~ to infinity and beyond~!

Well, I finally fiqured out how to get the picture I had e-mailed to me onto this post.. Yeah~! Here is Ben with his mittens and slippers I made for him.. He is so funny. Buzz Light year is smiling on his shirt so he must really like his new mittens and slippers. Ben slid around the kitchen floor all evening, falling down and slipping.. Tracie and I just laughed and the more we laughed the more he slipped and fell down.. IT was quite comical. He was putting his arms into the air and saying "To Infinity and Beyond"> What a boy.

Got back yesterday from Belmond, Iowa.. The United States Plowing Board Meeting finished and the boys from Pa. Ohio, Illinois, Minn, and South Dakota are all pleased with the site we chose for the National Plowing Matches that will be held Aug. 17-19... The banquet hall was visited and all was happy with the place.. We are going to have the Coulter, Iowa firemen fix the food for us for this banquet and all proceeds will go to them. I thought this was a really good idea.. Support the fire department ~ they do all the work and I get to just show up.. In the past it has been quite a job lining up where to have the banquet and then set up tables, decorations have someone sit at a table and take in the money and then have to make sure everything and everyone gets paid... Each state takes a turn with having the National Plowing Matches.. Last year it was in Pa.. so it's our turn this year.. The hotel has been chosen,,(no big deal for that one-as there is only one hotel in that area) AmericInn.. A really nice one.. The banquet has been taken care of (turned it over to the fire department) yeah~! The plowing site has been chosen in Belmond . It's going to be a success that is if it doesn't rain... So we are ready for August and that's off Dave and mine list.. It was a little chilly for the two days we were in Hampton, Iowa but it was nice.. One of the ladies from Iowa and I visited all the shops and it was really nice.. For a small town they had some really nice stores.. Minnie May was my favorite.. they served sandwiches, ice cream , coffee, tea and pop. These old towns in Iowa are so cool, the court house is in the middle of this town and then there is a square that has all kinds of shops all around the court house with lots of parking. Very nice.. It was good to be home and now this morning we are headed to Altoona, Iowa which is near Des Moines for the annual dinner meeting for the Iowa Plowing Association. It will be fun to see all the plowmen from Iowa and their wives.. the Ivy Methodist church ladies will be providing the meal for us and it's always good..

Especially the homemade pies.. We will have a short meeting to let us know what is going on for the year and the decisions that were made at the National Plowing Board members.

Big day and I will be glad when we get home and settle back into our recliners and just relax for awhile.

Sunny day with being 37 right now. The birds are so busy at the feeders they look like airplanes landing at the feeders..

Have a great day~!~! ta ta for now from Iowa....

Good Morning~!

Not much time, Leaving for Hampton, Iowa for the Iowa Plowing meeting. Will be gone for 2 days . This August Iowa will be holding the National Plowing Matches in Belmond. So we have to get banquet meeting place found, check on the plowing site which will be in Belmond. 7 states will be involved.. The hotel for everyone to stay has been chosen so that part is taken care of,,busy busy time of year...
Tried to download picture of Ben with the mittens and slippers I made. goodness to be I can't find where they are.. Why is it so difficult to find something? Makes me very frustrated...
So when I get home, I'll tackle this and see if I can fiqure it out..
Have a great and tiggeriffic day~! ta ta from Iowa:~)

IT's a great and beautiful Tuesday~!

Today is Tuesday and it's a beautiful day outside.. 43 degrees ~ all the snow and ice have melted and the birds are alive with their wonderful mating songs.. I can see 8 male cardinals at my window right now and it's just a red blur with them at the feeder.. I can see the lilac bush starting it's early budding.. Won't be long and it will have purple blooms and the fragrance will be overwhelming.. Oh there is Mr. Grackle... His head shining so teal blue.and lower wings just a great shade of purple.. . Mr Red Wing Blackbird is here and that is the real sign that spring is finally here... Oh the joy of Spring~!

Ordered the book "The power of a whisper" written by Bill Hybels... Can hardly wait for it to arrive and start reading... we get whispers from God and then we have to have the guts to respond.. I call them "God Stops"... My friend Holly and I are planning on a Women's Retreat with the women that go to our church and women that live in our community. It is to be held April 15 and 16.. at Camp Hitaga.. a campfire camp. This one is our 3rd one and we are so excited in getting it all planned with God's help... We first started out with thinking of the theme was to be "Beautiful".. After hearing MercyMe's song "Beautiful "this is where we got the idea... We researched all the bible verses that had the word ~"beautiful" it came to us through God's Word (whisper) we would be having our theme "From Ashes to Beauty"..Isaiah 61:3..
Our son, Rich was married on Feb. 26 to a wonderful girl named Lisa.. During the ceremony the scripture was Isaiah 61:3.. To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of priase. Oh my goodness, I looked at Holly and we both gave a thumbs up.. 2nd conformation from God.. We were jumping with excitement. Next day listening to the radio ~ KLove ~ they were talking about From Ashes to Beauty, Talking about how we all have dreams and how sometimes they just don't work out and they fail.. So they said you needed to have a funeral for these dreams Letting it go and then praying about it and letting God bring it back into something beautiful. I called Holly and told her what I had just heard on the radio... Our 3rd confirmation from God.. So now we have jumped out of the boat and letting God whisper to us of what he is wanting with this retreat. We have it all planned out and it's going to be so exciting.. We are using butterflies as our decoration theme... Beth Moore will be speaking ~ via a DVD about "From Ashes to Beauty"... A 17 year old girl that is part of our worship team at our little church told us she would volenteer her time to do the music for us. She plays the piano and sings beautifully. So now our music has been chosen and Hope will be our worship leader for the music.. Fantastic~! So far we have 15 women who have signed up and are coming.. Glory be to God.. Spring is in the Air and so is God's promises.. and whispers...

Going later today and picking up Ben at daycare.. Last night I was with him and we played Mario game on his new WII.. Oh how much fun we are having. I am so addicted.. So glad I don't have one of those at my house.. He is always Luigi and I'm Mario... I told him when the weather was nicer we would be going outside and playing outside and getting the winter stink off of us..
He said "GranAnnie we don't stink, I took a bath last night">> LOL he is so funny.

Time for lunch~! Have a Tiggeriffic Day~! Ta Ta For Now from Iowa:~)

From Ashes to Beauty~!

I love this picture of Rich and Lisa and their blended family. Rich has three children and Lisa has one... Sophia is in the red dress. The picture of John and Rich is priceless.. John sporting his long hair.. and Rich smiling like a proud father should. Take a look at this picture today because in one year John will be taller than his Dad.. I told them it's not fair they have all grown above my heart I'm so happy for them and so proud.

Feb. 26, 2011, my son Rich got married to a wonderful girl named Lisa...Oh what a happy day it was and a proud moment for me..and my family. Rich and his girls walking down the aisle was so precious.. He is was so proud it was so hard for him not to cry..

Nov. 2009 his wife died of cancer. They had been married almost 20 years and it was such a sad thing to happen to him and the three children..

John is now almost 14 and Kelly is 12 and Emily is 10..

Lisa has a girl age 5 and her name is Sophia.. This marriage is a gift from God..

Have relaxed since I have gotten home from taking care of the 3 kids while Rich and Lisa went on their honeymoon to California.. It was a very busy week taking care of them, running them to their different events and getting them off to school every morning.We did a lot of Act of Kindness deeds for the neighbors.. Delivered cookies, brought their paper to their doorsteps every morning, trash day brought their trash containers to the front of their garages, left a note to the mailperson to thank them for a job well done. I made them Cream of Wheat every morning which they were allowed to pile on lots of vanilla ice cream . No beds were made and we just had fun the whole week.told them we were on vacation too..but when Saturday came we cleaned up the house and got ready for Rich and Lisa to come home. They came home on Sunday afternoon.. Had supper ready for them and it was good to pick them up at the airport and then come home and a hot meal was ready to eat... The kids were so excited to see Rich and Lisa...It was good. Dave came to take me back to Iowa on Sunday . On Monday morning the kids went off to school and Rich,Lisa ,Dave and I went to Egg Harbor for breakfast and afterwards we were off driving back home to Iowa.. Lisa and Rich had a day full of being busy with their lives.. They are so happy and it's so wonderful they have each other.. During the wedding the scripture reading was :

Isaiah 61:3 To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise.. They have both come from ashes to beauty... Praise be to God...

I'm Home

Well, I'm back~! The wedding was so wonderful and so beautiful~! Lisa and Rich had a very awesome wedding. Lots of tears, smiles and happiness that the day has arrived... After the wedding we had the dinner and dance.. Oh such fun we had with celebrating a new marriage.

This is Tracie~Jodie~Rich..
my three children..

Dancing with Rich and Lisa...Dave and I are on the left...

Happy Ben and Aunt Jodie.. She was such a great helper in running after him... He was a busy busy boy.. He said "Grannie Annie I have on my Luigi Shoes"... He is so funny.

This is our family..Wish the flash hadn't shown up in the window.. I'll have to try and get that removed... I thought this was a great picture..