Halloween Weirdness

Happy Halloween . . . .

I hope the Ghosties and Goblins didn't eat all of your candy or play too many tricks on you.

Our family usually goes all out for Halloween. The grandkids dress up, the kids dress up, as well as Tom and myself. Everyone meets at the end of the evening at our house for the 'unveiling'. My Dad has not been in good health recently. With many visits to the Emergency Room and hospital admissions, we opted for just the wee little ones dressing up for Halloween. This time last year we were in China getting our youngest granddaughter, so we missed Halloween and the Annual Pumpkin Patch trip. Below are the photos of the scary people that paid our house a visit.

Kaleb

Sammy, Mallory and Abby

Our grandkids. . . Luke and Malia

our newest . . um . . granddog (?) Snickers

Spencer, Rick, Malia and Jennifer

Kyle, Luke and Amanda

Now . . . . I have seen some funny things in hospitals, but this one really takes the cake. Because my Dad was not allowed out of bed by himself, he was required to wear canary yellow socks and use a blanket of the same color. At IU Medical Center everything is color coded. People wear different colors dependent on their jobs and positions. Even the doctors wear different lengths of coats to refer to their position ! It was quite the education for us. Dad was released and is home again. We are anxiously waiting for him to regain some of his strength.

Tom's Gift

Tom recently retired from the Chrysler Company. He was an electrician. As with many occupations the people you work with become your 'away from home' family. After all....you spend 8 hours a day with them.

One of the agreements Chrysler was offering to retirees, was a new car voucher. Tom and I took advantage of the offer. Below are photos of his 'gift'. A Chrysler 300 Touring car.

I am puzzled. Owning a car one day makes it dirty?

The color is Titanium........I keep calling it Titanic !

Happy Retirement Tom.

VB and the Parade

Volleyball and the Roann Parade

Saturday September 12th was a very busy day for Tom and me. We had to scurry up to Warsaw to watch Cassidy and Lauren in a Volleyball tournament. The girls are so much fun to watch. Brings back memories of when we spent so many weekends and evenings watching our three kids participate in sports and other school activities.

Cassidy Leigh

Lauren Rhea

Unfortunately, we had to leave the tournament to get to Roann for their parade. It is an excellent hometown parade. The town has a meager population of 400 residents, but the parade draws many people. If you ever want to see a good old fashioned, flag waving, hometown parade, it is well worth your time to travel to Roann, Indiana.

As always, the beginning of the parade had the traditional police and firetrucks

Fire animals of a different sort

There were Kings. . . .

and Queens . . . .

men or ... no... it is men dressed strangely !

lots of old cars

and floats with children .

What is a parade without a clown

or two

The parade had some strange animals

ponies with beautiful young indian girls.

The parade had a car with the Red Hats !

Shriners

Transportation of all sorts

Some people can nap anyplace

And my final picture of the parade is of my sister Barbara-waving to our family.

After the parade we moved our days celebrations to the far end of the town to watch a tractor pull. Barbara, Jane and I had never seen a tractor pull before. Dad loved it. He always wanted to be a farmer.

Always nice to see women partake in the competition!

a smidgeon of the people watching

Our dear Mother with her trend setting stlye for everyone to see.

Once again........some people can nap anywhere

We really enjoyed our day. We had time with family which is of course always important.

Uh Oh... I have been missing !

Yes I have been missing from the blog world for over a month. I have a good excuse, but if I told ya....well you know the end of that statement !

I decided after giving it some thought that I would post the happenings all in one post. We will start with the furthest date finishing with the most recent. So... here we go.

On August 10th Tom's mother passed away. She fell earlier in the year, fracturing her pelvic bone. She never recovered all the way from that injury. It is terribly sad to watch a loved one pass. We know there was a huge family reunion in heaven on the day 'Chig' passed away. We will be met at the Pearly Gates with a smiling lady welcoming us into the Glorious Kingdom of Our Lord.

Emogene Mahan

1927~2009

August 21st was my Dad's final day of radiation for the cancer that is in his lungs. He is of course experiencing some of the side effects. He has been a trooper, because he is the type of person that really dislikes going to a doctors office. ^5 Dad for 'graduating' from your radiation.

Tom and I found this bunch of mushrooms in the yard one day. I don't know a thing about mushrooms. I just thought I ended up with a couple of good pictures of them.

Luke came over to play with Grandpa. They have a lot of fun together. Luke likes to go golfing with his Pawpaw. They have to wear special shirts (they have matching shirts). Below are a couple of pictures of them playing together.
August is a busy month for birthdays. Cassidy was born on August 23rd- the same day as Tom's. Mothers birthday is the 24th. Birthdays tend to be a multi birthday party. This year we celebrated not only birthdays, but the retirement of Tom and the final radiation treatment for Dad. It was such a fun day. Some of our family did go to Mom and Dad's for a special dessert for Mother's 82nd birthday on her actual birthday.
One evening Tom and I were sitting in our family room. Much to my surprise, I saw a deer running in the soy beans behind our house. That may not be a surprise to most people, but we have only seen one deer in the 35 years we have lived in our house. When I ran to get the camera I was shocked to see three deer near the small stand of trees next to our house. Mama, Papa and Baby deer !
Of course we had a Holiday get together on Labor Day Sunday. We are happy when we are able to get all 37 of us in one place at the same time, but that rarely happens. The cookout was at our house this time. Tom being the dutiful husband that he is, took care of all the pre cookout requirements, since I have been unable to help. We had a great turn out and a wonderful time sharing. It is so enjoyable when we all can laugh and share. I love the pictures of the family laughing and playing (big and little kids).
And then there is Master Matthew. He is 18 months old, and we love watching him develope and grow. He never misses the oportunity to amaze us. Here he is on the table looking into a cup.

Now for the video everyone has been waiting for. Matthew playing dead. Matthew plays dead at the beginning of the video. Matthew flapping his foot is an added bonus.

That is what had been happening while I have been "missing". I hope you enjoyed reading all about it.

Is it October ? ? ? ?

Last evening I was witness to some vandalism to our home.

There were three individuals involved. I watched from inside our house as the vandals moved slowly about....

It was late. Very late, for someone to be out and about. The evening sky was dark. There were no stars in the sky to be seen. A cloudy day had extended itself to an evening cloud cover. A slight gentle wind was moving the leaves of the trees. The occasional sound of a vehicle could be heard from the highway close by. The stillness was broken by the slow pace of tires on the stone in our driveway. The three villains emerged from the dark car with calculated movements. They each stepped quietly away from the car doors, coming into view in my window. Slowly they attempted to close the doors on the car, however the light inside remained on for a few seconds. It may have seemed like minutes to the ruffians. I peered through the slats of the blinds covering my windows. I pulled one of the slats down little by little to get a better view of the vandals. I could see them cautiously move closer to our house. I did not know their intent. They appeared small in stature, but with a determination to reach their lofty goals. Fear was not to be my master. I knew I was protected by the strong walls of our habitat. The trespassers appeared to know exactly the purpose of their expedition. To my surprise, I could see what materialized to be some contraband they had brought with them. Confusion was filling my mind with questions. The hooligans proceeded to dispense the reason for their vandalism. Paper!...... yes ....... paper........... was the reason they were interrupting the quiet peacefulness of my home. I saw one of the scoundrels draw back their arm to throw a large white object up into one of our trees. The other two thugs followed the leader with attempts to heave the white entity into other trees located in our front yard. Streams of white paper hung leisurely, swaying in the gentle breeze that moved the paper like a ballet dancer. Attempt after attempt was made by the criminals to place the paper in our trees. The malicious lawbreakers went about their destruction without fear. They seemed very comfortable with the nasty, cruel, wicked, mischievous design they had conjured to carry out. To my astonishment they walked about with calm and familiarity. They seemed to stroll about the yard with recognizable composure. I was able to obtain a photo of the offenders. They may be known in our community. I am sure I have seen them before. Yes.... they are well known to me and many members of our family. My granddaughters Lauren, Cassidy and Alex. They may be smiling in this recent photograph, but I am sure, when approached by the local law enforcement, the smiles will disappear.... for a moment or two? Ok....they know the officers in town. Geez... where is justice? (notice the black markings under their eyes to keep the SUN out of their eyes .... while they were in the dark)
Below are photos of the destruction performed by the naughty little beings (otherwise known as my precious sweet granddaughters)

Wagoner Reunion 2009

This years Wagoner reunion was attended by 68 people.(thanks Aunt Lois for the correct total) The Herring side of the Wagoner's had a healthy representation. Always fun to see people you don't have the opportunity to see during a busy year. Dad, Uncle Hod, Aunt Margaret and Aunt Lois are the siblings left from 6 children. I have so many fond memories of being a Wagoner. That once again falls back to the wonderful childhood I had. I got so busy talking to my cousins Susan and Diane, I was remiss in getting lots of good photos! Bad Girl....

Below are photos that I did get.

Mother acting silly- Dad laughing. A precious photo

Happy times of family

Alex and Lauren trying to act 'normal'?

Jack is 10 months old- Matthew is 19 months old. Aren't they just too cute?

Malia's first Wagoner Reunion

Abbey and Luke enjoying the two step. He loves playing with Abbey

Ummmmm....... kissin cousins? Chloe is getting a photo of the evidence

~Thankful Thursdays~

It has been a while since I have done a 'Thankful Thursdays'

There is so much to be thankful for.

My page of thankfulness would be covered with thanksgivings.

Today it is the 'song in my heart'.

My sister Jane and I used to pick out the tune of songs on our tiny little piano we got for Christmas one year. We would spend hours pecking out the notes. Jane and I would sit in the back seat of the car as we were going places and sing. I would sing the melody and Jane would do the harmony. Mom and Dad never stopped us. I am sure sometimes we were very loud. There are times when Tom and I are in the car and I just can't help myself. I have to sing. I especially enjoy listening to the music of the area where I am. The sound of the island drums in Antigua, Spanish music in New Mexico, tunes from India and China. Music is an international language. I enjoy watching the musicals the schools present. I relish concerts that I can close my eyes and soak up the musical notes floating in the air. I love music. It is so uplifting and expresses the feelings we have within our hearts. I am so thankful that the Lord gave me the love of music.

"Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds--his name is the LORD--and rejoice before him."-Psalms 68:4

Ooooooooo Laaaaaa Laaaaaa ...!

Wow.....

Michael Bolton.....

Michael Bolton is a marvelous performer. Jane and I went to the Honeywell Center to see his show last evening. He has one of the greatest voices I have ever heard. It was a non stop performance of music. I have known and heard the songs he sings, but never was really much of a fan. Ok...how do you spell Dumb Blonde? I was surprised that I knew nearly all of the songs that he sang. Amazing the talent this man has. I truly appreciate such ability to sing like he does. If you ever get the chance to see this astoundingly gifted song writer/performer, don't miss the opportunity.

At one point during the show the band and the back up singers all left the stage. He was center stage and sang a song he had sang with the great Tenor Pavarotti. How do you say Amazing! This is the link to hear him singing. Please take the time to listen to this incredibly talented man.

Confusion. . . .

I have days when I get up and I don't know what day it is. It doesn't happen much, but I do experience it once in a while. Saturday was one of those days.

It all started Friday morning when we got a call from Tom's sister telling us that his mother was not good. She was told that she and Tom should probably come as soon as they could. Tom's mother is known as Chig. (long story) She has not been in good health for quite awhile. She would not wake up Friday morning and her vitals were a little low. We hurried to see her. It was a very stressful day (as anyone who has lost a loved one knows) for the entire family. We had her checked and were told there was not anything that the Doctors could do to help her. She is 82 years old. We tried to prepare ourselves for what we expected to be her end time. However she had other plans (or the Lord did). Saturday morning Tom got up early and was going to spend the day with his mother. I was slower getting ready. My mother called to check on my mother-in-law. I somehow was so totally confused. I thought is was Friday and was surprised my Mom and Dad were home so quickly from Dad's radiation treatment. Mom of course was confused why I was surprised they were home. Do you get how my story is proceeding? After learning it was Saturday instead of Friday, Tom and I left to see his mother. We went in separate vehicles. Upon arriving, my granddaughter wanted to put her purse in the trunk of my car. No problem???????? When I got out of my car, I tried to lock the doors using the automatic door lock. It wouldn't work! Duhhhhhhh....I had not turned the car off. It was still running. One of those days ! ! ! ! ! !


We are praying for the Lord's will in the life of my mother-in-law. She has had a great life and has a family that loves her very much. She is the reason that when our children or grandchildren leave us, we all kiss and hug good bye. She always wanted some 'sugar' from her grandkids when we left. That really stuck with me. There is no doubt that she loves her family. May God smile down on her and His will be done.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Stubby and his diet

'Stubby' & his friends come and visit our house daily.

As you will notice by past postings, we love to watch the squirrels at our house. I noticed the other day that one of the squirrels has a tail that is somewhat shorter than normal. Another one has a tail that looks like it was broke in half, but healed itself. We have had a total of 8 squirrels at one time eating the bird food. It is fun to watch how the 'older or rank' of the squirrels falls into the order of eating. Last week Tom mentioned that they were eating everything we put out for them in one day. It was costing us a fortune to feed them. So...... I made an executive decision....the squirrels were going on a diet. Well, I really mean a slow down in the food that is available to them. My Mother said they are just like people who abuse the welfare system. If they don't have to look for food, they won't. Amazingly they showed up everyday regardless of the fact I had not put any more food out. They cleaned up the bird food on the ground, and will be rewarded Sunday morning with more food. The mean ole farmer man that farms the ground behind us, is cutting down the stand of trees behind our house and the neighbors houses. Tom and I will have to build some squirrel houses. We have to take care of Mother Natures creatures.

'STUBBY'

'STUBBY' eating upside down. Notice his back feet on the tree

Grandpa Squirrel. (the one in the back with the gray tail)

'STUBBY' with 4 buddies

There are black squirrels in our area, just not at our house. I have threatened my son, who lives across from Whites Residential, that I am going to borrow a black squirrel to incorporate into our neighborhood. Until the squirrels do something funny again........I sign off.

~Bon Voyage~

Bye bye ......................little Teddy Bears.

They are off to Africa. . . . to be loved by a young boy or girl. I am sure they will get a perfect name. I saw on a website about the Mother Bear Project. A perfect venture for me during the winter months. The bears will be given to a boy or girl that is HIV positive or with Aids. The most challenging and fun part of the undertaking, was making each bear have a personality. My original goal was to create 20 bears and send them off. I exceeded that goal by 3 as of this post.

The bears are off to Africa. Uh Oh . . . . Appears one bear is sick already and one almost missed the boat. Have fun Little Teddy Bears.

You will be Loved.

Years Ago

Remembering events in ones lifetime is especially notable when it is your day of birth. I am especially thankful that my Mother and Dad were blessed by the Lord, with the birth of their first child....... ME !

My first memories of life were on Jefferas Avenue in Marion, Indiana. As young as I was, I remember the layout of the house. My most vivid memory is of the kitchen area. We moved to Hanfield when I was 4. Jane and I liked playing with Jimmy. He had Lincoln Logs!!! Oh how I wanted some. This is where my memories of injury first occurred. Jane hit me with a rock and left a scar on my face for years. Moving to Wabash a few months later, we relocated to the house on Waterworks Road. It was a rented farm house. This was to be our home for many years. I had the most enjoyable, happy, sheltered childhood. Growing up in that house was magical. We didn't have much. It didn't matter to us ( Me, Jane and Barbara). We were rich in so many other ways. We had a happy family. We had lots of imagination and used it to create our world of play. There were no electronic games. We had to make our own games and entertainment. The memory I hold most dear from the house on Waterworks Road is the sun shining through the front door on a Saturday morning. The house was clean, cartoons were on, and Dad would be home at noon. Fig Newtons, hot dogs and chips was the menu for lunch. Afterwards we would go outside and play. There was the area in the woods where we created a 'house'. We had one bike to ride until it blew a tire. The small piano developed our love of music. Paper was used for all the test we forged but were never given. Queenie was our dog. She was a wonderful, devoted, and protective play mate. Living in the house was also the place we grew into young people. My first date with L.V., popcorn on Sunday evenings,(Dad taught us to love it) our time spent with the four best cousins ever, helping Mom and Dad build the 'house across the road'. As I grew older, responsibilities grew also. Aside from the notorious times of 'being in charge' while Mother worked, most of our time was spent together as family. Mother and Dad were an excellent example of what family is all about. I took that example into adulthood with my own family, and the families of my sisters. I will forever be thankful and honored to be my parents daughter. I am so thankful that I was given life and an opportunity to live a life filled with happenings. Thank you Mother and Dad for the gift of life you created.


The most memorable day of my life was in November 1980. I became a Child of God, when I accepted Jesus as my Saviour. On that day, the world became a more beautiful place to live, and my life was not mine any longer. I am eternally thankful and grateful to the Lord for taking a sinner and changing my heart.

To my husband T. for making life a grand adventure and giving me a love that I can envelope myself in.
To my children and grandchildren, you have enriched my life beyond what words can express.



"Once I was looking through the kitchen window at dusk and I saw an old woman looking in. Suddenly the light changed and I realized that the old woman was myself. You see, it all happens on the outside; inside one doesn't change."

~Broken~

Sunday, July the 5th, we had a family gathering at my sister Barbara's house. It was our 4th of July celebration on the 5th. Go figure. That is the way we roll......

It was an ordinary gathering with one exception. Shelley and Sam were there with their family. That in itself was not exceptional. It was the fact they had Matthew with them, all wrapped up in an ace wrap! What on earth could have happened? He (Matthew) survived Little Miss Abbey jumping on his chest. No broken bones from that episode. We were all shocked, to say the least, to see this little guy all wrapped up. As the 'story' goes, Shelley and Sam had Matthew on the trampoline bouncing him around. He must have landed a bit ajar and broke the bone between his elbow and shoulder. This was confirmed by the Dr's in Indianapolis. You can't help but love the little guy. He is always smiling. He is saying some words and has learned to point. If my calculations are correct, he is now 15 months old.

Matthew had lots of fun playing with Auntie Barbara. Once again the pointy finger came into play.

~Fear & Worry~

“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).

Fear: noun/ alarm,apprehension.

Fear is the opposite of everything we are. It causes emotional distress and avoidance behavior. If you remember a time when you were afraid, you will connect with the definition of fear. Fear is a thief. The saddest of all reactions to fear, is how it will rob us of experiences and enjoyment. Our fear of the unknown will stop us in our tracks and completely prevent people from attaining their dreams and savor the excitement of adventure. Can we better prepare ourselves so we can avoid fear? Worry and fear together with their offshoots: anxiety, bitterness, impatience, unkindness, judgmentalness, and condemnation—all attack the body at the cellular level. It is impossible to have a healthy body under these conditions.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:5-8).

Fear displays its ugly self in despair, doubt, suspicion, misgivings and panic.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Worry: verb/ to be or make anxious, troubled

Worry robs us. It takes our precious time and turns it into agony. It will make you distressed, unsettled, perturbed, feelings of despair and tormented.

'The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.'
Elbert Hubbard

Worry takes our comfort. It cheats and plunders our confidence in what the Lord can do. Can any of us change the happenings in our lives? Worry is like a thief. It withholds precious time and energy that could be used to help and assist ourselves and others. It takes our confidence, boldness, self esteem and independence. We consume our tomorrows fretting about yesterday. Troublesome worry is time spent on events that may never happen.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

This entire entry was inspired by my friend at BeeMusing.

Click here to read her blog.

~Marshmallows~

I tried very hard to entice him to my house. I waited patiently in the early mornings, but he always slipped away. He had eyes that sparkled in the early morning light. He came and left in the shadows of darkness. He had no fear of any of my temptations. Disruption was what he was causing in my life. It was more than I could endure some days, to know he would be returning again in the twilight hours. Agony was to be my fate until he was mine. How could I persuade him to enter into the lure I had waiting for him?

Nice beginning for my blog heh? I had to do some research, but I did trap the little dickens. Ricco the Raccoon was making a mess of my bird feeders and bird food. I did not put the food out for him. I set the raccoon trap for him, but he avoided it. I guess he didn't like the chicken. I found the perfect food to lure him into my trap...marshmallows. I was surprised to find that such a strange food would be the perfect lure for Ricco Raccoon. It worked! Tom and I transported him to a new location. I am sure he will find new friends to live with. Enjoy your new home Ricco!

233 years later

I love history. It is one of those things that fascinates me. It is amazing what our Founding Fathers were able to accomplish. They had to have had Divine guidance to achieve the establishment of a country, that has become a model for all of mankind. July 1776 there were only 2.5 million people in the 13 colonies. Thomas Jefferson headed a committee that composed our Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were also on the committee. On July 4th (it wasn't a holiday then !) the Continental Congress voted on the Declaration. 9 colonies voted in favor, 2 voted no, 1 was undecided and 1 abstained. The Pennsylvania Evening Post was the first newspaper to publish the document. The document was not completely signed until August of 1776. In 1777 Philadelphia marked Independence Day with celebrations, bonfires and bells. The beginning of our 4th of July celebrations.

May God show favor to our country. May all Christians stand up for His Glory. We must protect and continue what so many have given their lives for. Freedom!

Today we are headed in a totally different direction than what our Founding Fathers saw as a country of free men and ruled by the people. We must return to our roots of our Founding Fathers and reclaim our country. May God Bless the United States of America.

Miss Mallory Jane

What fun Jane, Shelley and I had Sunday evening taking pictures of Mallory Jane. She was so cooperative and enjoyable to watch as the three older women posed her. We chose several places around Wabash. We had beautiful weather and excellent lighting for the pictures. The one I liked the best was a place you wouldn't have thought would be nice. It was the place we took the black and white photos of Mallory. I am not sure which of Shelley's other 3 children will be next, but I am sure we will have just as much fun. Little Miss Abbey may be a challenge ! I promised I would share the photos of Mallory.

Wilbur ..... what are you doing?

Wilbur is my squirrel. Well he isn't really my squirrel. There are several fun loving squirrels that eat my 'bird food'. Of course if you know me well, you know that I don't actually feed the birds. I do like the birds, but most of them are sparrows or doves. Nothing real exciting to watch. But...those squirrels are so funny. I am anxiously waiting on the black squirrels to come to our neighborhood. I have dubbed them all to have the name Wilbur. One year we had 3 young squirrels. I named them Huey, Dewey and Louie. They do the such funny things. We bought the bouncy squirrel feeder several years ago. Even the Chipmunks jump up and eat the corn. 'Wilbur' was jumping up to the feeder this morning. He was doing a very good job of it. Here is the video to watch of Wilbur jumping and below is a photo of him on the feeder.

Mother Natures handiwork

'Mother Nature' has a way of creating beautiful scenes. The other morning I had seen on the Doppler that there were storms coming in from the North. They looked to be bad storms on the Doppler. I could see lots of green, some yellows, oranges, and plenty of red. Oh...that isn't good. When I looked out of my office window, this is the view I was greeted with.

Fathers Day

I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he is rich

Our family is very fortunate to have such good Fathers.

First there is my Dad. A quiet man. He is one to let you live your life. He is a quiet strength to our whole family. Always ready when needed. We celebrate you on this special day.
Next is my special husband. Through all the years, the adventures, and the wonderful children we have been blessed with, you have given our children a strength to carry forth to the next generation.
Thirdly is our son. We are so proud of the man he has become and the man he is. He puts his family first. He is so much like his Grandpa. A quiet strength, but you definitely know he is there for you always.
Lastly we have our son-in-laws. They were not born into our family, but added by that special bond of marriage. They have stepped in and become a part of our family.
We wish each and everyone a very special Father's Day. We love you so very much.

Dad with Tom, Rick, Kyle and Mark

Grandpa Wagoner with Tom, Spencer, Malia, Alex, Rick, Kyle/ Luke, Rainey and Mark

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.

God is our spiritual Father who corrects us, His children, because He loves us (Hebrews 12:5-9).