25th anniversary

Colleen & Dale celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary last month. It was a small affair put together by Chelsey (I showed up as Roy's date who tagged along with Dad). They celebrated with Pat & Dale; theirs' was a double wedding back in 1984! Colleen & Dale are a team in their personal & professional lives. They have both gone the extra mile this past year for Mom & Dad (thank you!). They have a real connection with each other that is hard to put into words. And they are incredibly busy; I was glad they took a moment to enjoy some cake! Congratulations!

Red ripe tomatoes!

Just as I suspected. The tomatoes are ripening faster than we'll be able to eat them! And it looks like the squirrels are helping themselves & not even finishing what they pick; just throwing half eaten ripe tomatoes over the fence. I remembered to buy the bacon for BLT's today but forgot the bread. My friend, Kathy, is coming to the rescue & will pick some tomatoes tomorrow. No I don't freeze or can tomatoes. I just enjoy them as much as I can while in season & share the excess.

Cherry pie

Because I like to cook & eat & take pictures it is only natural that I like to take pictures of food that I eat! This cherry pie I did not bake though. Jean made this pie for Krista's party & it was delicious! Home made pie is hard to find anymore so this was a real treat. She even pitted the cherries by hand so she could find the worms more easily. Jean says the recipe is one of Mom's except she increased the sugar to 2 cups; since there was no ice cream to balance the tartness that was a good decision. In case you don't have it here's Mom's recipe:

Fresh Cherry Pie:
Prepare pie crust for double crust pie. Combine 4 cups fresh pitted tart red cherries, 1 cup sugar, 3 T. quick cooking tapioca & dash of salt. Let stand for 20 minutes. Roll out pie crust & line 9" pie plate; roll out top crust & cut slits in it for air to escape. Pour filling into pie plate & dot with butter. Place top crust over filling; seal. Sprinkle top with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 55-60 minutes.

Uncle Butch

Next week Butch is having major surgery; Elaine will be by his side making sure the doctors & nurses take good care of him. Please keep them both in your thoughts & prayers. Cards are welcome (I have a hospital address if you need one.) The photo was taken January 20th of this year in Lawrence.

The Barn

I can't make a trip to the farm without taking pictures of the barn. For me it is the iconic landmark of the farm. When you come over the hill from the west it is the first thing you see. It's glory is fading, though, along with the red paint. Barn swallows still make their nests in it; cats still call it home. I can step inside & still hear the hum of the milkers & James Taylor singing "You've Got a Friend" on the radio.

Dad & Daniel

Daniel went to Krista's party as well at my request. I was surprised & happy to see him & Dad off on their own deep in conversation (I think Dad did most of the talking though). Daniel later said someone should record his stories . . .

Jayden

Jayden was at Krista's party & she needs her own heading! I could follow her all day with my camera but now that she is walking I would probably wear out. Nancy was feeding her bits of banana & Jayden would open her mouth (with banana in it) for us to see! Of course by the time I had my camera she wouldn't do it anymore . . . What a cutie she is!

Krista's graduation party

Krista's party was out at the farm again just like Briana's was in 2006. She heads off to Creighton University this fall. Gene & Jean always do such a great job of hosting these events! I love the ambiance of the farm setting even if it looks a little different on trips back. The old iconic evergreen up by the house is gone now and a couple more mulberry trees too (some of you can remember climbing those trees with me & enjoying them with fresh cream & sugar). And yes, Dad said I could use his picture if it didn't break anything; don't think he really knows what a blog is though!

Poisonous cukes?

Last Friday someone at work brought in her extra cucumbers. I took a few home & sliced them up for Dad using Mom's old recipe. You know the one with sliced cucumbers, sugar, diced peppers, white vinegar & celery seed. (Of course I left out the onions since it was for Dad.) Anyway, Dad finally ate some Sunday night. Monday morning he woke up with a swollen mouth. Gene took him to the doctor & some Benadryl has relieved the symptoms. He gave Gene the rest of the cucumbers.

New blog!

I'm on vacation this week; a staycation. But I have some extra time to do something I've been considering for awhile . . . start a blog. Hopefully it will be a way to share some of those family photos I love taking . . . with your permission of course. I chose "clothespins" as my blog name because every time I make it to the farm I am drawn to getting a photo of them . . . and the barn. My goal is to put up a post once a week. Comments welcome!