Waynoka, Oklahoma

This weekend we visited the train depot in Waynoka, Oklahoma. You can dine on Mexican food in the restaurant located in the restored Harvey House and see trains speeding by outside the window.

If you take young boys, don't expect them to be very hungry.



You may even get lucky and a train stops while the crew has lunch.




The upper level is a museum. One room was set up to look as it did when the Harvey Girls were in residence.

Read more about the Harvey House here.

The restored building is quite beautiful.

Friday My Town Shoot Out: Weather

This weeks topic for Friday My Town Shoot Out was chosen by Carrie from Goodyear, AZ. Carrie is interested in weather, so here you go Carrie.....weather from Northwestern Kansas.

Most of these are file photos. These were taken in August 2006 by my son-in-law just south of my town. It did damage a sign and some windows at a motel near I-70.

This tornado was a few miles north of our home back in the 90's, it destroyed an irrigation system.

A blizzard in the mid 1980's created this drift reaching to the roof of a mobile home. My children picture here are now 28 & 31.



An ice coated weed.



A view of my house from the back yard.

A rainbow from this past summer.

Any Ideas?

I am clearing out things around here. A lot of stuff I brought home from my office when I retired. I don't know why. It's not like I'm going back to work in that field. I've collected local phone books since 1976. Well, I didn't really collect them, I just didn't throw them away. I think I'll call the museum tomorrow and see if they'll take them. Any other ideas? I know, I could just take them to recycling.

Cool Grandma

I was told recently that I had cool toys. Having just rearranged my toy area, it's tidy enough to show you. I made the toy box in a shop class before my daughter (who is 28 years old today) was born. It's made of wood from the telephone switchboard that I worked for many years.

Email from a friend.

A friend forwarded this to me. It's one I hadn't seen, but I like the message. It reminded me to refocus instead of stressing about Christmas.

Letter from Jesus about Christmas --

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santa’s and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of
them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one,
look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up... It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :

I LOVE YOU,
JESUS

Friday My Town Shoot Out: Faces & Smiles

This weeks topic was chosen by Sarah from Idaho. The only difficult part for me, was limiting the number of pictures I post of my grandchildren.

Grandsons




Same boys 2 years later.

The Adventures of Verity

"Follow the Yellow Brick Road, Follow the Yellow Brick Road, Follow the Yellow Brick Road!"



Looks like I hit the jackpot.



While I'm here, I'll just tidy up a bit.



Wishing you a "Happy Thanksgiving" and blessings to all.

The Morning Drive

On my way to work Monday morning.



This changed to big, fat, wet snowflakes in the afternoon. They melted on the ground and turned to ice last night. My driveway is a sheet of ice. The high today is predicted to be 49 degrees, but currently the wind chill is 27. Here's hoping the ice gets a chance to melt before night.

Friday My Town Shoot Out: My Town's Premier Attraction

This weeks topic chosen by Kent. I chose the Cooper Barn at the Prairie Museum of Art & History. First is a picture borrowed from the net as it looks today. It's touted as the largest barn in Kansas and in 2008 was voted one of the Eight Wonders of Kansas Architecture.




The following are pictures of snapshots I took when the barn was moved in 1992. It was moved from the original site of Foster Farms about 15 miles from Colby. I believe the Cooper family owned it at the time it was donated to the museum, hence the name. It was parked overnight on a county road near our house. The kids just had to go see it on the truck. It appears we weren't the only ones. I really need a scanner, these glossy prints don't photograph well at all.






For a better view of the barn and the dimensions read here.

Pictures from my weekend weaving class.



We learned different patterns by weaving a sampler. The loose little ends are where the yarn was joined together. They will be trimmed after the piece is washed. I did make a lot of mistakes, but hopefully you can't see them.




I've been wanting to learn to weave for some time now. My son found this small loom for me at a garage sale this summer. I wanted to learn to weave rag rugs and was trying to teach myself using a book. I decided to take the class at the Yarn Barn to help me fix any bad habits. I learned a lot, but probably not enough.

The bottom pictures are of a rag sampler I tried at home. I wasn't totally displeased with it, but I need to do a little more reading about the warp.

Friday My Town Shoot Out: Places of Worship

This weeks topic was selected by Rebecca. Be sure to click on her name and see what she has to show you. You can also check out the rest of the Friday My Town Shoot Out group.

This old church makes me think of cars with white walled tires, Easter bonnets, ladies stockings with seams and little girls with frilly dresses and white anklets. I wonder how long the bell will remain hanging.

Out of the Mouths of Babes.

I know you've all noticed what cute grandchildren I have. My grandsons are 6 months apart in age and get to see each other about twice a year.They've finally reached an age where they like to play together. Picture is from this summer just after they both arrived at Grandma's.

I want to tell you a story related to me by my daughter. Her son is the one on the right. He likes to talk to just about anyone. He was out on the driveway while his daddy washed the car. The teenaged girls from across the street came outside, wearing shorts that revealed part of their "hineys." Riley called out, "Where are your pants?" They got in their car and drove away. We may have to work on his pick-up technique in the next 16 years!

Numbers & Years

What does it say about us when we begin to reference everything by it's age? There is a man doing carpet installation at my house this week. He's a very nice fellow and pleasant to visit with. He mentioned that he had his 20th high school reunion last year, making him about 38 according to my calculations. It dawned on me that I'm old enough to be his mother. That is, if I'd begun my family at 19 like both of my sisters. Maybe it is the fact that his hair is going gray! This morning I calculated that I've had my waffle iron for 37 years and I've been saying all week that a everyone should get new carpet as least once every 25 years. I also remarked that I have lived in this house for 31 years next month.

How time flies when you are having a life. I think I need to write one of those "bucket lists" and get moving.

Waiting

Fall harvest is finally in high gear. October, when it normally starts, was very, very wet. Farmers couldn't get into the fields without getting stuck and the grain was too high in moisture content for the elevator to take it. November brought very mild warm days, so the harvest is on!

There's a constant line of trucks waiting to unload at the elevators.




This was 7:00 pm last night.



Please excuse the bugs on the windshield. It's not wise to stand on the highway at dusk during harvest.