Pie Club

I was delighted to join a group at my church a few years ago that calls itself the "Pie Club". I've never eaten pie with the group yet, but I hear at one time they did enjoy some pie when they got together. Last night we all got together to make mints for Jan's daughter, Michelle, who is getting married in a few weeks to Kurtis. We all brought food for a potluck then sat around Jan's kitchen table talking & making mints. Pink, blue, yellow & green! Cinnamon, wintergreen & cotton candy! Here is Rae mixing up the first batch . . .





This is Jan with her other daughter, Jennifer. We made mints for Jennifer's wedding to Brent also.



Peggy at work making hearts . . .



Virginia is busy too.





Michelle, on the left, is putting some effort into getting her mint out of the mold. Her friend, Katie is in the middle, then her sister, Jennifer is on the right.



Here Michelle is telling the story of when Kurtis proposed to her.





Kathie, Deb, Rae & Jan standing, Michelle & Katie.



Jennifer is such a styling young woman! Check out those turquoise bracelets she's wearing!





Here I am with Kathie, my good friend that invited me to join this special group. Thanks Kathie!

rock hunting

Yesterday while everyone else was out turkey hunting, Cheyenne & I found a nearby creek to walk & look for interesting pebbles & rocks. Most of the creeks neighboring the ranch presently have quite a bit of water flowing through them. This creek has a few small areas where we could walk. We both came back with a small sack of rocks we found interesting. This first photo is taken from the bridge.

turkey season

Yesterday was opening day for turkey season. Don & I headed to the ranch on Friday & were joined by his brother, Terry & his family. Today Don got his tom. He was nestled in amongst some cedar trees & called him in. Spectacular weather to be out hunting in too. Don has another tag to fill & not a shortage of turkeys to hunt either. He'll be back.

grandkids

Elaine also sent me a recent photo of her & Butch with most of their grandkids. Ellen (shown with the egg) gave them an egg she had decorated after blowing out the yolk & white. This is called pysanky in the Ukraine. It's a beautiful egg.

Happy Birthday, Luke!

Luke is Connie's youngest. I took this photo of him last September in my backyard while they were visiting me in Lincoln. They were probably headed home after visiting his sisters in college in Omaha. He's pretty good with a basketball; they got a new hoop installed their driveway last year so he doesn't need to go far to shoot some hoops. Have a great day, Luke!

flowering dogwood tree

My aunt, Elaine, sent me these photos yesterday she took of the dogwood tree in her backyard. I love dogwoods! I first saw them when we lived in Arkansas. We had one in our yard too but it didn't get this full with blossoms. It seemed more that the blossoms floated in amongst the leafed out branches. I've spotted a couple of dogwoods in my neighborhood (which aren't blooming yet) & they look the same way. And usually I see them tucked in among other trees or near the house for protection. Elaine's dogwood is out in the middle of the yard & looks very happy there too! She says the flowers are at about two thirds of their peak & will end up being about four inches across! I did a little Googling & found out that the dogwood is the state tree for Missouri (where Elaine lives). No wonder! Thanks, Elaine!

rhododendrons

We have a rhododendron bush in front of our house. Every spring it blooms with these gorgeous purple blossoms. Even from a distance the bush is striking & up close it is even better. The Nebraska wind is howling today & is heralding in a hot summer already so I want to enjoy these brief reminders of spring while I can. My motto isn't to stop & smell the roses but to stop & photograph the flowers . . .