Corn is a good thing...

Last night, Finley was a flower girl.
The day started out at the hairdresser for her....



They gave our farm girl a Sarah Palin bump it!! Really?? Ok, so she handled it better than I did!


She and her Mama got dressed at my house....ok, so it doesn't look that bad...



Spinny Finny got the dancing started...and she had a wonderful time!!



With Braden



With her KK...putting her spoon on her nose...
But today, well,
Today was all about corn.....I headed out to Maggie and Adam's and we set out to harvest the sweet corn


The bump it got bumped...the boots were on, and off we set..





Is it ready?


Yes it is!


Henry...children of the corn!


This ear is a victim of the darn Japanese beetles...


The beetles eat the silks, so the silks cannot pollinate the corn. I believe I got that straight... At any rate, this is one sad ear of corn!


Who needs a jungle gym when you have John Deere?


We moved on to The View, where the second sweet corn field is..but just look at the seed corn...all burnt up....rather devastating.


Adam picked an ear of seed corn and was actually somewhat optimistic....there might be more of a crop than they believed...


He was trying to explain...something about the ring of color...and when you pick of a kernel, and peel it back...I forget, but...it's not ready yet! But it is close, and this year, Harvest at York farms begins August 13th. Early.


Yea, we picked some corn.and I bagged some corn...





While Madeline and Brittany ate some greasy food...something about a late night out...???
And then little miss Bump It decided to shuck (corn reference...clever, right!??) her clothes and make a swimming pool out of the farm dogs water bowl...


That did not go over well with the parents...
Meanwhile, in Michigan???


My Penford girls had a party without me.....


Annie was runner up for the Epworth Queen! Go nnie!


Her proud papa.

This has been a terrible week, one of my dearest friends died. She was the gentlest, sweetest, truest friend I have ever been blessed to know. My children and I have 28 years of wonderful memories of times spent with her and her darling daughters. Thank God for those memories... They truly do light up the dark times... And in true Joan fashion, she waved goodbye...


And I know, she will be in my heart forever.

Location:W College Ave,Jacksonville,United States

A week in review...

Lighting.....at the lake...











Aren't they great? So clever, perfect for the lake.
Loving the new trellis at the lake...


Well,Madeline moved out...


And the workers moved in....


The new floor tile in the bathroom..
Papa Joe? Moving Alex into a new apartment in DC


That man can organize!


A one room studio....





Papa Joe loved the balcony at night....


He took my boy to dinner....


Cole has his own office now....not a cubicle..an office with a door!!! At the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation.


Papa Joe also enjoyed the dining in DC.


Here with Alex and Ruri....engaging in conversation...the social media kind!
And Maggie?


Busy sewing...
And me? Hello Saturday morning...


Back on the Saturday schedule...leading Spin class at 8:30 a.m.

Susan has a birthday!

My friend Susan told me in Spinning class that she was going to be in the Ozarks this weekend with her co-workers...so Papa Joe and I invited them over for a boat ride...to celebrate her birthday...what started out as a three hour tour, turned into 10 hours! Safe to say....it was a fun day! And well documented....read on!!


Papa Joe and the girls from On The Clip Side. Susan is to the right of Papa Joe. Susan cuts my hair, my girls, my sisters' and my nieces. She did Mom's hair twice a week for 28 years, so she is like family... it was very special to celebrate her birthday with her, on the lake.


Susan and Theresa at our first stop, Coconuts, for lunch. Theresa did Mom's nails for years. Both she and Susan came to the house throughout Mom's illness to take care of her "beautification" as they called it.
Susan thought she wanted to get a tattoo....Theresa and I encouraged her NOT to. With a little help...


From our waitress....so she decided to go the airbrushed way...





She developed quite an audience...


Final results, her husband John's initials. She is hoping it will last until she gets home to show John. poor guy, thinks it is real, and is not too happy about it....


Next stop...Backwater Jacks. A new friend Mick, or is it Nick? Kayla and Melissa with him.


Here he is with Susan. She was trying to text pictures on his phone...he got a bit nervous.... Susan is like Mom, never met a stranger. Everywhere we went, she would be at another table, making new friends.


Staff shirts at Backwater Jacks...really??????


Next stop, Dog Days. The girls were a big hit!!


Papa Joe's new friend...the owner of J Parsons in Springfield. He told Papa Joe he was filing for bankruptcy next week. Ok, good to know. He told Papa Joe far more than he wanted to know....including the fact that he was now living here at the lake with his girlfriend...who he met when she was selling fireworks in Meredosia. Ok...STOP...STOP...enough!


This guy is the J Parsons dude's friend. He got up with the band...and actually...very good! Mustang Sally


The girls liked his music! Ok, let's be honest, the girls liked everything! It was an entertaining day...


Susan takes her dancing seriously!


Final stop....for Papa Joe and me...Wobbly Boots. Kayla on stage with Dale Blue. I know, Finley is jealous!


But before we left, Papa Joe took a spin around the dance floor with all the girls! Oh my!
But, look at my new purchase! Remember I saw one in Michigan and Beth had sent me the info on them....


My new bike basket! Love love love it!!!
And Maggie? Still busy sewing...


A new shower curtain in the cottage.
And Cole and Adam??Deep Lake fishing on Lake Michigan..


That's my boy!


Favorite son in law!


Andrew, Stevie, Adam, Cole and Brian


A great way to end a great vacation.
And Sally?


Dear Rachel took her girls to see Sally at school. What a wonderful thing to do...Sally got to chose the restaurant.....her favorite...


McDonalds!!!! Here she is with Ava and Vivi. Life truly is full of wonderful moments!

Location:Osage Beach, Missouri