Playing Outside

In just a week the weather has gone from this

to this

both were excellent for playing outside, even if I had to play by myself!  The snow was great for building and since no one but me was here to enjoy it I made a Ponderosa Snowman in the front yard.
I worked hard getting it together, found the snowman decor that Parker and I had bought earlier in the year at the Target dollar zone and made his picture.

I decided he needed some stick arms so I walked over the the car to put my camera in the dry and closed the door.  When I looked back, here's what I saw

Today just a week later the temperature was in the lower 70's and I spent the day outside burning some of the millions of leaves and sticks trying to beautify the Ponderosa for the spring and our annual Easter party.  I stopped raking for a while to play with my camera and show you some of the signs of spring!

The Great Stick Adventure

While his parents were off in Texas, I got the privilege of spending the last few days with Parker, King of the Ponderosa!  Since he goes to school part of the week I stayed with him in his town (Mountain Juliet) and then on Thursday afternoon we made our way back to the Ponderosa.  He had not visited in a while and had looked forward all week to getting here.  The weather on Friday was warm enough for an adventure.  We roamed all over the Ponderosa and explored some fields and roads nearby.  For several hours we entertained ourselves with a pond, a stick and a bike!
As parents and grandparents we buy our children toys and things, but it seems the times they will remember the most just involve simple things and giving them our time because on this day the toy box stayed closed and we had what Parker called the Great Stick Adventure!
 The Great Stick Adventure began with a little twirling on the way to the pond.

After making our way to the pond, we fed the fish, sailed leaf boats, ran around the edge of the pond, talked about the different trees and plants around the pond and of course, found some great rocks for throwing!

Then it was time for hiking through the forest and over to the neighbor's fields!

In our neighbors yard, Parker found what he called the perfect stick. He used it to play follow the stick.  The rules of this game are that Nana follows the stick anywhere Parker drags it.

Sticks are also great for twirling, especially when you have lots of space.

Dragging a stick down the road makes some good noises.

A good strong stick can whack lots of things

And when hiking through fields you can use a stick to "walk like an old person."

We found a special place of the stick and traded it for some bike riding

And after a little spitting off the porch,

We decided to end our adventure with a little snack and a rest!

Sunday Snow

Parkerisms

 

"Nana, when I run down this hill I can feel the whole world."

 

(I don't know exactly what that means but I like it!)

"Nana, why are you wearing a shirt that says I love cleaner?"

The Iron

There's a story everywhere.  Recently my mom had some boxes sitting in the dining area because earlier in the week they had a water heater leak and water came into the closet where the boxes were stored.  My mom must have filled the box from a drawer when she moved into her new house 15 years ago and she had not touched it since.  It was filled with pictures, old glasses, jewelry and a piece of folded paper that someone had blotted their lipstick on.  When I opened that paper it was a list of items that Mom and Dad had packed and brought back to the United States when they left Germany on March 22, 1955.  Included on that list was an ironing board and an iron.  As I read the list out loud, my mom, said, "I still use that iron and ironing board."
  Now, I knew that she had the same iron and board for as long as I could remember, but I had no idea how long or how far it had traveled!  She explained that over the years the iron has stopped working a time or two and my dad would cut off part of the cord and repair it.  She got it out and we looked  for the brand.  It is a General Electric.  The dial on the front is broken and the words that told the settings are gone, but by now Mom remembers where they are and does not need them.  They bought the iron in the PX when they got married in 1954 and today it is still working.  They just don't make appliances like they used to!

The Twelfth

It's already time again for Twelve on the Twelfth,  when I make twelve pictures on the twelfth day of each month to show what my day was like.

It's Sunday and today is the first Ponderosa Princess's birthday.  It's been a cold but sunny day and here's just a few of the things I did today!

This was the temperature when I got up this morning!  Yes that was the correct time sometimes I don't get up until even later--just one of the many perks of the retired.

The weather today was almost identical to the day the first Ponderosa Princess was born, very chilly and a skiff of snow on the ground.

I posted this photo for her on our family page.

We went to church. . .

We had a steak and cheese on flatbread here with my Mom and Dad after church.

Went by the parents' house to pick up some Valentine presents for the King of the Ponderosa and the Stinkbugs and to make a picture of their iron.  This iron has a story of its own.  It's coming up in the next post.

The white-tails have roamed freely on the Ponderosa all day.  They are probably lying under the apple tree right now.

My messy desk where I made some Valentine "nice" mail this afternoon.

Passed by the front door and noticed how the afternoon sun was making this garden ornament glow.

Skyped with the stinkbugs.

Finished the evening with the Grammy Awards.