A little trip to Illinois!

August 5, 2012 ~ Some of our good friends, Josh & Roni Spicer, own a restaurant in Huntsville, MO called Don's Family Style Restaurant and this is somewhere we frequent on the weekends to spend time with them. Josh recently sold his old truck and the new owner wanted to meet him in Mount Vernon, Illinois. So after they closed their restaurant for the day we met them in Columbia and headed out on the road around 6:30 pm. The trip there seemed to go pretty fast as us girls were chatting about life, work, etc. while we followed the boys. We met at a gas station and he signed his truck over! I think he was a little sad (he loved that truck) but when someone wanted to buy it well, he sold it!

On the way back we were starving so we stopped by a little place called, 54th Street Grill & Bar. We were worried they might be closed as it was 11:00 pm and everything else was closing but they were open! It reminded me of a TGI Friday's with all the memorabilia and the food was really good! The boys got a hamburger with a fried egg on it! For whatever reason our waiter asked what brought us here (my first thought was my momma) but I said that we just jumped in the car and wanted to try something new and different. (Really Michele??) He looked at me as if to think is this girl for real or is she just kidding.... Then while we were waiting for our food another waitress comes around inspecting the tables with a flash light. Weird. So while Inspector Clue-so was working over the tables (which I will say this place had some clean tables) our food came! Shew.... I was getting hungry and the No Gringo chips and dip wasn't cutting it anymore! After we ate our waiter asked if we wanted to-go cups... I immediately pipe up and say "No, we don't have cup holders in our VW Bug" (Seriously.... we weren't in a VW Bug!) We made it back home by 1:30 am which was going to make Monday be super long! Oh well.... it was fun and we would probably do it again! It's always an adventure no matter where we go!

"Ninth Street"

August 4, 2012 ~ As many of you know I love painting at a place called "The Canvas on Broadway" here in Columbia, MO. It is a great place to paint (acrylic) with friends while being taught step-by-step. I have gone 6 or 7 times now and wanted to try a painting of "Ninth Street" which features hot spots on Ninth Street in Columbia, MO. Tonight a friend, Shannon Patterson had arranged for her sister, Ashlea Vanderwalker and Kristi Spotts to go so I invited myself to tag along for the 6:30 pm class!

It was a very detailed / focused painting and although I did feel rushed (they had another class at 9:30 pm) it was fun! It's amazing to think that you can't even paint a stick figure let alone a great piece of artwork that you can actually be proud of! I did take it home and finish it this morning.....

A finished piece! It was fun hanging out with the girls and I am always ready to go back..... see ya at The Canvas on Broadway!

A visit from an old friend....

August 4, 2012 ~ After working all day in the office, Brandon and I were trying to decide what to do for dinner. We look up and at our window is a yellow butterfly going crazy as if to get our attention. I grabbed my cell phone to try and take a quick picture as it was fluttering all around. I was able to capture a few pictures and this one was as vivid as I could get.

My best friend's Grandma Lou Hathman passed away July 25, 2011. Grandma Lou was really special to Misty and would religiously come to our garage sales each year. I always loved to see her and Aunt Judy Blacklock pull up to go "shopping" for their booths at a flea market. Somehow they managed to fill their cars full at our sale! She would drive over to see Misty every Thursday after getting her hair done because Misty has a daycare in her home and couldn't get out and about as often. She hadn't came to see Misty and the kids and wouldn't answer her cell phone so Misty and the kids drove to her house to check on her. She wasn't alarmed because many times she would loose her cell phone or misplace it and Misty would find it and put it back on the charger for her. When Grandma Lou suddenly passed away Misty is the one that found her.

 Misty and her 2 kids, Olivia and Mikel, were getting ready to go to town on the Monday after her funeral on Friday. A beautiful butterfly came out of no where and circled Misty then each of the kids and flew away. There were several other instances were a butterfly came to visit Misty and she couldn't help but think it was Grandma Lou. (It's kind of the same way we think of Grandma Ruby and hummingbirds)  Believe what you will, but I think random things like this happen to remind you that your loved ones are gone but never forgotten..... Thank you Grandma Lou for your surprise visit! I love and miss you too!

Mattie & Bailey .... A Working Saturday!

August 4, 2012 ~ After having a fun birthday week I really didn't get much accomplished in the way of work so while Brandon got up to go work on the barn the girls and I went to the shop to get caught up on paperwork! I needed to get billing done but more specifically I am getting things ready for an audit... YUCK! (The State of Missouri wants to do a "Sales Use Audit" to ensure that we are paying sales tax and want to look through everything over the last 5 years. It is a huge pain in the rump but it has to get done and I am not worried about it at all. It's more of an inconvenience than anything as I still have a business to run while locating all of the documentation they need.)

 Anyway.... it was so boring that the girls kept looking at me like "Are you serious this is how we are going to spend our Saturday together?" (Mattie is a Min Pin and is 14 years old. Bailey is a Beagle Mix and is 10 years old.)

 I caught them both snoring like a freight train... but only had my camera close by to capture Bailey girl! They both can't hear when you tell them things like to go outside and go potty but they sure hear a bag rattling or smell food a mile away! Love these babies!

My Momma & Daddy!

August 3, 2012 ~ One of my favorite places in the whole world is home. When I say "home" I mean like momma and daddy's home. They worked very hard to build this house and on my 3rd birthday we moved in! Yep a whole 36 years ago and I still love coming back! Not much has changed here except daddy built momma a big front porch which is something she always wanted. I think when you live in the country is almost a requirement! I love coming down the road and seeing them sitting out on the porch watching the cars go by and just spending time together.... seems after almost 41 years these little love birds are just starting to have some fun!

Thank you mom and dad for loving me and Ashley unconditionally. I know it was rough through the years but now that I am older (and a little wiser) I owe you so much! Although we didn't have much money you gave us one thing that money can't buy.... and that's love. You made sure we had a roof over our head, clothes to wear and home cooked meals on the table. As they near retirement together (they are both retiring on Feb 23, 2013 - dad's birthday) I imagine we will be able to really enjoy family time! Thank you for all you've done for us girls... you did good!

Goodby 35 and Hello 36!

August 2, 2012 ~ Happy Birthday to me! I had an amazing birthday today because of all the wonderful, kind and caring people I have in my life! Getting older doesn't scare me. (loosing people that mean a lot to me is what scares me) I truly feel like I'm in my 20's although I may look like I am in my late 30's, which I am totally ok with! In my older age I am comfortable with who I am and really enjoy my life! I have an amazing husband who loves me to the moon and back and we really have a lot of fun together. I have an amazing mom and dad who love me unconditionally and have taught me values and a great work ethic. I have an amazing sister, brother-in-law and nephew who are my world! Getting older has allowed us to become very close and I love it! I have family and friends who are my rock. They love me for who I am and I appreciate each one of them in my life. Thank you!

So I thought this getting older stuff was pretty easy until this morning.... I had not one, not two but three senior moments before 9:00 am! Senior moment # 1: As I am typing "Thank you" to each person that took time to wish me Happy Birthday on Facebook, I accidentally post "Happy Birthday Catherine Atkins" on Cathy's wall.... what the heck?!? Seriously Michele, it's not her birthday it's your birthday! What a dingbat! Senior moment # 2: At the Chiroprators office I am filling out a form and it says today's date. So I put 8-2-1976. Hello... it's not 1976! So I cross it out and put "2011".... seriously Michele.... It's not 2011 you dingbat... it's 2012! Oh Lord! Senior moment # 3: This is my favorite.... So for the last 2 weeks I have been driving our Jeep Wrangler (6-speed) and today I took my white car (automatic)... As I was pulling out of the parking spot at the Chiropratic office I gave my car gas and just before I rounded the corner to stop and get on the outer road of I-70 I slam the break with my left foot and just about throw myself through the windshield! My first thought... what did I hit or who hit me! Then I look down and realize my left foot is parked on the brake! I laughed so hard for the next 15 minutes.... it seriously was priceless and my face said it all I'm sure! I went to see my best friend, Misty Lynn and when I walked through her door the daycare kids all started singing me Happy Birthday! Loved it!

So my mom had to take her car to Rick Ball in Boonville, MO to have warranty work done on it. I picked her up and we went to 87 Dinner for lunch! (Figured I should spend a little quality time with the woman that gave birth to me ya know) and we had an awesome lunch!

I love this woman.... not because she's my mom but because she is truly amazing!

We decided to go to New Franklin, MO to see Ashley Simpson! Mom hasn't been up to her store, My Favorite Things for awhile so we went to visit! Ashley had stepped out for a few minutes and we walked over to the train  to check it out. Then it started to sprinkle so we headed over to sit on the porch of the store.

Mom bought me a blackberry cobbler (my favorite) from Ashley! What a nice surprise! We then headed up to the Peach Tree Farm to get some fresh peaches. They were out of peaches (another variety would be ready next week) so we got nectarines! They are so good! I took momma back to her car and headed to a ribbon cutting while she went to pick up Jaxon from daycare!

I got to spend some time with this little turkey today! He's so funny and I am trying to get him to say "Aunt Shell" although it comes out as "Shell". He throws a fit just like his Aunt Shell like when he's hungrey or when he wants something and you won't give it to him! Love that little guy!

My daddy surprised me with roses and a card today! He has never done this before and it was so sweet of him to think of me for my birthday.... I really love him in his older age..... so thoughtful!

Then tonight I got to spend some time with my awesome brother-in-law, Greg, my sister, nephew, momma and Brandon having dinner at Cracker Barrel! Ashley got me some Sugar Loft cupcakes for my birthday (which are my all time favorite)! Between the text messages, songs, videos, private messages, e-mails, phone calls and cards I can honestly say it was a great day! I am so lucky to have great people in my life that make me happy! Thank you all so much!

"My Favorite Things"

August 1, 2012 ~ Ashley Simpson is the owner of a great little shop in New Franklin, MO called "My Favorite Things"! She opened her store in November 2011 and had her sister, Sara Evans (the country music artist) do a book signing to kick things off! It's hard to believe in just a few months she will be open a year! I took my mom up to see her store and started visiting with Ashley and instantly we started talking weekly. I got hooked on their blackberry cobbler and was ordering one a week! I always enjoyed our little chats about life, family, business and other ideas for her store! She is a super sweet woman who is talented, caring and funny! She had a dream of  being a business owner and has done an amazing job! I am very proud of anyone that is able to follow their dreams and turn them into a reality!

Ashley's store is a consignment shop and most all of the things in it are made by local people/artists. She is constantly trying to move things around to highlight or showcase the items so that each time you come into the store you find something new! I have several things at her store and 100% of the items I sell goes back to charities. She has things from candles, yummy mixes for dips/breads, cards, blankets, jewelry, paintings, books, clothing and much more. She is trying to get more furniture in that has been painted on or re-purposed but as fast as she gets them in they sell! (That's a great problem to have!)

She also has the best cobblers and as I said earlier the blackberry is my favorite! They are homemade and taste so good! Well worth the drive to good ol' New Franklin, MO! Today she had a "Million Dollar" pie that I had to have a piece of and was so good! It had pineapple, mandarin oranges, sweetened condensed milk and some other stuff on a graham cracker crust.... Oh my.... yummy goodness! Perfect for a summertime dessert!

Ash has 3 adorable kiddos.... Gretchen, Ruby and Iris. They are usually at the store when I go and today Miss Iris made this for me! Those kids are so cute and the top item on their list of things to do for the day..... go swimming! They are some silly little girls!

So make time to go up to New Franklin, MO and stop by and see Ashley (Wednesday - Saturday), like her on the business Facebook page (My Favorite Things) and give her a day notice on ordering a cobbler by calling or e-mailing her at 660 848 9757 or mfthomestore@gmail.com  You won't be disappointed!