October 2023

 

October, 2023

1^st—Nicole preg-checked cattle then we had a pizza supper. I watched the girls awhile. 

2^nd—Took Bekah to school and picked her up. Irma had a cancerous tumor removed, is home tonight. 

3^rd—John took cattle to sale and planted rye. I began sorting through Irma’s photos (3 laundry sized boxes) preparing to make a slideshow for her

4^th—Made big pot of chicken noodle soup and delivered some to Brian and Melinda and to Johnnie and Irma.  John picked up groceries. 

5^th—Made butterscotch bars, took a walk. 

6^th—prepped for a family meal for tomorrow night. Got Johnnie’s childhood photo album scanned and shared with family members. 

7^th—had all our kids and grands to supper. Nic preg-checked cattle. We had the first pot of vegetable soup of the season. Saw a Starlink train and Isaac spotted a shooting star.  

8^th—Prayer day for family. Watched the Chiefs…they won!  

10^th—Sorted photos and made no-bakes. John took two loads of cattle to Emporia.

11^th—Had Myrna and Diana out for coffee.

12^th—Picked Bekah up from school

13^th—Made chili for Sunday. Went to HS football game and watched Bekah cheer! 

14^th—Made a vegie tray and fruit platter for Sunday.  Not feeling well.  

15^th—Tried and failed to move airport cattle. Had everyone over for a frito pie supper.  

16^th—Took Bekah to school.  Have had a 3 day stomach upset.  Rested.  

17^th--Made lemon bars to have in freezer—Jon’s favorite and it is his birthday month.  

18^th—John took a load of cattle to Emporia. Had Linnie and Marilyn over for coffee.

19^th—Watched Lo & I awhile this morning and Baby K this afternoon during P/T conferences

20^th—made orange jello salad, layered salad, and corn casserole for tomorrow night. Jon and John worked late on combine.

21^st—had Isaac and Jonathan’s b-day celebration here—we had sweet & sour pork loin and potato casserole.  

22^nd—John combined Jim’s.  Chief’s won!  

23^rd—stomach upset. Took Bekah to school and picked her up after. Guys combined 70 acres.  

25^th—to McPherson in driving rain to eye doctor, passed 20/15 vision test!!!  Improvement!!

26^th—made a big batch of Texas style chili and 2 dozen cinnamon rolls for the freezer.  We had over five inches of rain yesterday! 

27^th—sorted photos all day, uploaded Grandma Ellen’s family’s photos to Shutterfly

28^th—more rain.  We’ve had over 6 inches altogether. I worked at home doing housework and sorting photos, feeling despair over EVER getting done!  

29^th—Worked on Johnnie’s slideshow all day and then prepped for Mel and family to spend the night—their sewer is clogged.  They ended out not coming over, got it unclogged.  

30^th—Bekah day—got her off to school, picked her up after, and played with cousins.  

31^st—took chili and cinnamon rolls to Mel’s and had a fun Halloween.  

September 2023

 

Lower left--Isaac won the Coffey County tractor pedal pull at the county fair this year and here he is competing at state level...and enoying an ice cream cone after.  Upper left--a cute couple, and Baby K with her favorite spoon.  Right--Bekah took us to Grandparents' day at the community center and was a perfect little hostess, leading us around and helping us when we didn't know what to do! 

All 11 of us gathered at the Rausch House for the Chief's football game on the 7th...they lost!!  

Upper left--I have such fond memories of my favorite cookie at Bible School when I was a child--I remember the lady who made and served them laughing that such an easy cookie was my favorite.  Bottom left, my favorite meal from Panda Express. 

We celebrated Brian's birthday on the 24th.  He is a blessing to our family.  

Upper left--there's our Logan receiving a signed baseball from famous Royals player Bobby Witt!  Bottom left--a beautiful sunflower painted by our Daniel.  Lower right--Rebekah still wants me to keep the Calico Critters available for play so I ordered some new lighting for the dollhouse!  

September

1st--Took bday gift to Myrna. Had phone convo with Diana. We went to Daniel’s FB game at Lyndon

2nd—Watched Logan’s FB game. Jon and girls came to lunch

3rd Labor Day weekend supper of chicken pie with our kids and grands. Volleyball and football in the front yard. Pretty sunset. 

5th—Took Bekah to school, picked her up at the end of the day and down to the cousins to play. 

6th—I stewed two chickens and made chicken pie for Amy and crew—they are recovering from Covid. John and on combining corn—only 32 bushel per acre 

7th—We watched the Chief’s game at Brian and Melinda’s—they lost! 

8th—Attended the Grandparents’ Breakfast at the Community Center with sweet Rebekah.

9th—Cooked for the freezer in my ongoing attempt to have a meal for 10 and a meal for 5 in the freezer at all times

11th—An inch of rain! Morning and after school time with Bekah, played with cousins after school.  

12th—Logan and Isaac came out and we made monster cookies! Melinda took Daniel to the doctor—staph infection in his ear.  

13th—Rest day for me, John combining corn

14th—Irma asked me to do slideshows for her and Johnnie like I did for my mom. Began gathering and sorting photos

15th –Grocery pickup

16th—Worked until 2 am on Johnnie’s slideshow

17th—Jon and Nic came for supper

18th—Bone density test in Emporia, I have osteopenia but not osteoporosis 

19th—Rausch family to Royals game, Logan interviewed Nick Loftin as a Capitol Federal Junior Broadcaster, and got a signed baseball from Bobby Witt!!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PP-m2Z4140

20th—Grilled a pack of chicken breasts, marinated and baked a brisket—put all in freezer!  

22nd—John broke the feederhouse chain on the combine yesterday…it rained ½” today. 

23rd—Daniel mowed our lawn, I made cinnamon rolls, John went with Melinda to Burlington for Isaac’s game. I made a lovely layered salad for tomorrow’s family meal.  

24th—Brisket supper for Brian’s birthday! 

25th—Melinda and I watched Kathryn today. I picked Bekah up after school.

26th—rest day

27th—John dam inspection with Watershed board, Melinda and I watched Kathryn, Rebekah got braces! 

28th—flu shots, Bekah after school.  

29th—Picked Bekah up after school, went to cousins to play

30th—baked a pork loin, made an apple crisp, prepped a salad, made 3 pitchers of brewed iced tea.  John preparing to plant rye.  

August, 2023

 

I painted the walls, woodwork, and door and gave the back porch a good cleaning.  

Kathryn was so funny here.  She spied me and thought I might advance to take her from her Daddy's arms.  She carefully squnched down so as to hide from me, eyes only showing.  

Lots of cooking this month, some in preparation for Jonathan and Nicole's moving days on August 4 and 5...home to Lebo!  I served sloppy joes and cookies for the movers for the noon meal on the fourth, walking tacos for supper, and sent a sweet and sour pork loin over for their supper the next evening.  Such a blessing to have both our kids' families within ten minutes of us!  

I cleaned and painted the back porch on the 10th--so nice to have that done.  We made room for our old stove to live back there so when the new range comes I will have two big ovens plus the two small ovens when I cook for family meals!!  

Daniel was so much help to us this summer, helping John with haying and with jobs like helping to carry our old air conditioner out and the new one up the stairs for John to install.  I put up some zucchini relish, made chicken pot pie, an apple cake, meatballs, and chicken soup for Johnnie, Irma, and Amy who all had Covid toward the end of the month.  Johnnie was hospitalized for a day with it.  

Horrible heat wave beginning August 19 when the thermometor said 114.4 in the afternoon.  The heat was just brutal the week of the 20th.  

On August 19 about 9:10 pm I saw a Starlink satellite train moving southwest to northeast--just happened to be outside turning off the hydrant we'd had on watering our tomatoes.  

July, 2023

 

This month:  

• July 4--Rausch family here for watermelon, cookies, ice cream and fireworks
• Irma took second place in float contest with her sports-themed float
• July 6--faulty washer delivered from Best Buy, had to be returned. 
• July 7--Jon and girls here for supper after he spent a day working on his new privacy fence. 
• July 8--attended Logan's two baseball games, his team took 2nd place in tourney--we shivered in 68 degree temps with wind!  
• Jon and Nic and girls to supper--Mel had a bad cold.  Roast and loaded potato casserole.  
• July 12--John sprayed 150 acres at Jim Rogers and moved to the McGraff place
• July 13--new washer delivered, it works!  I made cookies for John's watershed meeting.  
• July 14 Jon came to lunch; John Edgar was in Emporia for a grocery pickup.  We had an inch of rain!  
• July 15--birthday supper for Poppy and Lo.  The men worked on the fence for awhile after.
• July 16--listened to church service, put up some sweet corn.  
• July 17--Put up 6 pints of zucchini and several more packages of corn.  Mel and boys came for supper; Brian is in Iowa.
• July 18-19--Daniel picked plumbs from the tree in our yard and I made a batch of plum jelly.  
• July 20--went to Burlington to see kids' fair exhibits.  They did amazing.  
• July 21--I brought lunch to Melinda's and we watched Bekah and Kathryn while John, Daniel, and Jon worked on the fence.  
• July 22--repeat of yesterday, wore myself out.  
• Daniel worked for me lots this summer--mowed and ran the weed eater, pulled weeds, etc.!  
• July 26--Jon and Nic signed on their new house in Lebo!  All your children are coming home!  
• July 27--ordered a new range from B'ton appliance and a replacement ceramic top for the old one from eBay.  
• July 28--took chicken casserole and fruit to Mel's for lunch.  Kathy V. stopped by for tea.  
• July 30--all 11 of us here for supper!  
• July 31--took lunch to Mel's for a Bekah and Baby K. day while boys worked at new house.  

June, 2023

 

May 2023

 

I was searching through some old files and found the folder that holds some of the drawings I did in an art class in around 1977.  John and I were married in 1974 and I worked as the school secretary at our local school for a couple of years and then returned to college to complete my education degree.  I minored in art, and these drawings were from a drawing class I took during that time. Except for the lower right drawing, which is pen and ink, they are pencil drawings. The adorable dog is our beloved dog, Morty.  I drew him from life as he napped on the couch one day.  Times have changed and our pets are no longer allowed sofa privileges, but Mort was special.  Upper left is a self-portrait but it was done by tracing an image from a slide--so it doesn't count as a freehand drawing.  I remember the instructor gave me a "C+" on the drawing of an owl, with the comment that it did not look lifelike.  Since he had sent us to the campus museum to draw stuffed animals, I thought that was unfair!  

April, 2023

 

Mindy and Brian have been married 19 years as of March 27.  John and I celebrated #49 March 30. 

Beautiful rainbow on April 14.  

Nerf gun battles! 

• Food made this month:  chicken and noddles, smothered steak and twice baked potatoes (for kids and grands April 2), sheet pan peach pie, potato casserole and Ham Caribbean for Easter April 9, baked and froze a roast to have on hand (fed it to Mel and boys on the 13th), baked two more roasts, baked two turkey breasts, made a layered salad for us and a cherry cheesecake for a funeral dinner, and... calzones!!  
• Daniel helped me lots this month. He assembled my new piano bench, shampooed the guest room rug, mowed our lawn, killed a little snake, sanded and painted my porch chair, and cleaned up some trash from yard.  
• We had a pretty day for Easter dinner and egg hunt here.
• On the 18th the boys came out and flew kites! 
• Myrna and I visited our friend, Sherie, whose husband, Doug passed away on the 14th.  
• Irma had a mastectomy in Burlington April 25 and did well. Grandpa Johnnie was taken to the ER the night before the surgery with a UTI and recovered well.  
• Isaac scored three goals in a soccer game on the 26th! 
• John worked cattle, burned some pastures (including Ron Smith's on the 11th), planted 30 acres for Claire, moved cattle to pasture, and did lots of other things.  He was diagnosed with high blood sugar and high blood pressure despite his meds on the 27th.  We visited a dietician and John turned over a new leaf.  By eating mostly low carb he has lost 15 pounds and lowered his BP as of July 16.