Guns and Jewels

Today it has been eight years since Cowboy and I were married! Where did the time go?? As I remember it, we were both pretty nervous! Looking at pictures of my Dad and BJ--it makes me laugh at their faces when we walked down the aisle.

We celebrated Sunday night with supper at home: boiled lobster (butter of course!), steamed potatoes, and a fresh tossed salad. It was a delicious meal and a joint effort in cooking it. There was no dessert so I knew on Tuesday I had to make something special!

This morning before we opened our gifts, Cowboy stated he didn't want his present put on the blog for all to see and he didn't want me to open mine and show it either in case some one came and got both presents!! He isn't as brave as The Farmer displaying his "goods." I put the ribbon I put on his present to show he did get something. His present stands in for several special holidays, if you know what I mean!! The "girls" know exactly (well, maybe not EXACTLY) what is in mine! I don't mind telling you they are beautiful! Cowboy comes through... I am so spoiled, but the "girls" love it. They will all have some of it someday!! With all the grand girls that we have here is hoping Cowboy can keeping buying the bling!

Cowboy's favorite...blueberry pie!!

As you can see, the men ate the blueberry pie and assured me it was GOOD and wondered why there hadn't been pie yesterday too!! This is the most pie-eating bunch of cowboys I have every been around!!! As far as blueberry being Cowboy's favorite--I think that he likes only two kinds of pie: hot pie and cold pie! The pie today was hot because they called at 11:20 and said they were coming in for lunch. The pie came out of the oven at 11:50 a.m. Lunch around here is anywhere from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m (or later). I try to live by the philosophy: "Blessed are the flexible, they shall not be bent out of shape."

This morning we counted our blessings before breakfast...we finally just had to stop. What a good life, this country life...

Projects and Pie

Today was the bazaar in Jordan. The VFW Auxiliary ladies were asked to bring a pie. It is a minor irritation to me that sometimes they will freeze the pies. I heard today that they used most of them and sold the rest as "whole" pies which is good. Sooo, before I knew all that I decided that I would bake a cream pie of some sort and had bananas on the counter... Voila! Banana cream pie with a meringue. I really love lemon meringue pie but don't make it too often. I have been practicing so that when The Farmer's Wife lets us know she is coming, I will surprise her and make one!

Cowboy was so generous that he bought me a new mixer the other day. Mine had not quit, but wouldn't turn the bowl and was a pain in the neck! Have been "practicing" with the new one and let me tell you!! Meringue, it whips to a "T." Grandma couldn't believe I had so much. The picture doesn't do it justice. It was fun to have one turn out. It might have been a little browner...
Table topper for Halloween. Just the right size to whip one out!!

The receiving blanket below is a gift waiting to be given, just have to get it to the cute baby girl!
(Did I say I love purples in most shades?! And the lime green--it is so popular right now!)

They have such beautiful flannels and such good quality. I can remember back a few years ago when there weren't the choices now.

This is the third bag I have made and still don't have one. I keep giving them away! This one went for an auction. I used up some of the fabric left over from a "cowboy" quilt that I did. I just need to sew the binding down on the "cowboy" quilt. I have a couple of other projects in the works, but no pics as they aren't finished yet.

The aprons are ready for "Cookie Day" in December... That is another blog completely!

Update on Amy and Company

I have been asked by Rosie O'Grady to update Amy's progress with her leg and also put up a picture of Miss Fancy!

As you can see, Amy had to have another cast put on Oct. 5th. Bill took her over this time as it made me tear up when I had to leave her the last time over night. She looked at me like I was leaving her forever. Dogs can speak volumes with their eyes. If it hadn't been so sad I could have laughed! (It is like putting your child on the bus the first time for kindergarden, but it is you who looks so sad!) I told them I would wait until they took her back before I left. Bill went back with her when it was his turn to take her up to Billings. Little did he know it was a good thing she stayed overnight as they got the soft cast on too tight and had to do it over the next day. AND, they put her under each time. Ugh!!

I was so surprised when they got home and she had another cast on. I will take her back about the first of November to get it x-rayed again and hopefully get the cast off. She seems darned tired of being cooped up in the kennel, the house, or the garage. We are trying to keep it dry.

I saw her eyeing the deer from her kennel. She wants to test out her leg...

I was baking cookies tonight and she wanted to come upstairs. She thought for sure that she was going to get a free handout... She finally decided that it wasn't forthcoming so she went back downstairs to her bed. I did slip her one the the "mistakes."

Miss Fancy, she "be" growing! She has such pretty markings. But, pretty is as pretty does and she is a scrapper! One or two pets and then she is ready to bite and claw the hand that feeds her! Goodness!
Tiggy thinks Miss Fancy is the bane of her existence. She tries to box Miss Fancy's ears every chance she gets. Look out Tiggy, here I come!!!
It is so fun to watch them jump and play. Miss Fancy tries to attack Amy too. She jumps at her from the back and then runs like a wild cat!

We have more pets than we can take care of (almost). They don't know how good they have it. Tiggy would like to back out the door to the garage when she sees Fancy is already in there! Miss Fancy tries to take over Amy's bed. As Cowboy told me this morning, "Cats own everything."

Weekend Warrior

Jennifer and the girls came for a working weekend...apple butter to make, cinnamon rolls to do, an apron to sew, AND a walk in the gorgeous fall weather at Dad's!

The horses got fed a little cake and a few pats (Jen has those pics!!), the house smelled great and the sound of laughter and much chattering filled the house!

We needed Rosie O'Grady here to take pictures while we were cooking as it was difficult to take pictures with busy hands !!! Well, it sounded good to me! We had one willing picture-taker, Liv, but she wasn't having much luck wrenching the camera out of my hands.
This gismo I have had for 27 years and it has cored and peeled lots of apples and it has been loaned out some too!

Pouring the applesauce in the pot to cook some more!



The finished product all sealed and ready to take home! Kamryn and Liv were big helpers!
There WAS 3/4 of a pint jar that we ate with our waffles for supper Friday night! Yum! Yum!!
Jen wanted to make cinnamon rolls too, so we used the One-Hour Buttermilk Rolls recipe. It is fast and cinnamon rolls are good with that recipe as well. Above are the rolls ready to go in the oven. They are atop the caramel topping Jen cooked.
The finished product! Cowboy told Jen to go home and bake some more to keep in practice!!
We decided that we needed to "pretty up" our picture so you could see how scrumptious they look. (They were very good! There went my diet plan for the day!)
We had to get a picture of the taste tester. She didn't say much, but she ate two...
Next on the project list was an apron Jen is making for her friend. The pattern was a wee bit challenging...scalloped edges, 1/4" bias tape. We tackled it today and got it "almost" done except for the top bodice. There was a little unsewing, but on the whole we were happy with the outcome.
Modeling part of the project! We decided that the camo pants went really well with the orange! It is a cute pattern, BUT Jen said she may not make two of them...

It was a great two days and they went sooooo fast!

We hit all the biggies--food, fun, fashion, frolic!

Don D and Betty Jean

There really is another iron man that I haven't written about. His helper is his wife. When I first met them, they were Don D. and Betty Jean Proue. We have become such good friends over the years. I met them in Jordan. After moving to Melstone, I found out they were in the country over there. They were called "Don and Betty" in Roundup. Betty told me one time that they always knew who they were talking with by what they were called: family and friends from Garfield County call them Don D. and Betty Jean.

Our kids grew up...we weathered many storms...

When I went through a really hard time in my life they were there for me. Not many couples want anything to do with a woman going through a divorce. Not my friends Don D. and Betty Jean! There was one other couple that didn't treat me like I had the plague.

I have to relate a couple of fun stories... We all like to dance so Don and Betty said to meet them in Roundup and we would go to the dance at the community center. Don told me, "By the way, be sure to BYOB, I mean Bring Your Own Boyfriend!" We had a big laugh. He asked his Aunt Dorothy too and made sure we each got at least one dance.

Another time they picked me up at the "town house" (north of Billings after I had moved). Don told me it would take someone pretty special to drive over that two miles of really rough gravel. Thank God Bill was willing...

Betty was one of my attendants when we were married and that is where the iron work comes in!
This was a wedding present for Bill and me. The cowgirl is holding a bouquet and the cowboy is holding the ring! It is just the cutest gift, what a great idea!!

Don made us two lamps and Betty searched high and low for just the right shades. The mat that the lamp is on is really for the "Cowboy and Cowgirl" and they do set on this table.

I had Don build these spurs for Bill's first Christmas. What greater compliment that to be wearing them...

This blog is a tribute to our dear friends! I could go on and on. Don is a cowboy in the truest sense of the word...he would give you the shirt off of his back and Betty is the same. We were short handed one "gathering" day and Don came and rode a long day for Bill. Betty came when I first came back to Jordan and got me started painting in our home. The whole house needed to painted. She is a "let's just get started" kind of girl. They are both deeply loved at our house!!! There is so much not said! Read between the lines and my tears...

Iron Circles, Spirals and More!

We have a deck outside of a sliding glass door that leads from our kitchen area. There was no way off of the deck and being somewhat claustrophobic I wanted a way DOWN! One day inspiration hit and I called our "favorite" son-in-law and asked him to figure out how we could do a spiral staircase off of the deck. In the wee hours of the morning while he was calving maybe he could come up with an idea!! His wife said he really liked the idea and did some research. He got catalogs and we poured over one when they came to visit.

Before the stair case idea he wanted to reinforce the deck railing with iron work as any little person could fall through so easily!
Before we had a chance to order a staircase, his Dad saw one behind a business in Miles City that had taken it out and it was laying outside. Wayland called them up to find out the price and before he was done, he offered them half of what they had asked in the first place!! Eureka!! We were on our way!

He built the platform at the top of the stairs, reinforced it with the iron with circles to match the iron in the deck railing, reinforced it in other areas that I can't remember, BUT he would know. All I do know is that I love it and the kids LOVE it even more. They race up and down the thing and the pets think it was put there just for them!! Besides, it makes putting the hammock on the deck MUCH EASIER!

The bird bath brings enjoyment as I watch out the window over the sink while doing dishes or preparing meals. It was under the deck and I finally moved it last year so I could keep it full and enjoy the birds. They use it and Tiggy likes it too!! She has been seen sitting near it waiting...

This is a flower that goes in the brick planter. That Wayland is a wonder!!

The bird is another creation of Wayland's. He bought part of the bird, but I can't tell you which part. All I know is I like it and so far the kids haven't impaled themselves. I put it low and out of the way somewhat of their many treks through the yard and around the house!

BJ made two lamps for the bunk house and he made them out of rasps. For those not in the know, it is a type of rough file.

They fit perfectly in the bunk house. Horse shoes make up the bottom. BJ did a wine rack for one of the girls. He is like everyone else, he likes to do it, not a lot of time and money also.

There are other items in our home that were BK (before Karen) that Wayland has made and a snow man. There is a standing lamp and also a telephone stand. All I know is that he has good ideas. He told me once he didn't want to mass produce anything. He liked making something and maybe never make that again. That is how I feel about some of the things I make in quilting...that was fun, now what else can I do. So I understand completely. He wants me to make him a Mariner's Compass wall hanging or quilt. I am still waiting for his material or ideas...
I am thinking I could teach him to quilt. There are some men that are making really BIG bucks with their quilting inventions and patterns. One is a engineer and his patterns show it!!! But I digress...

I think that our pieces of iron are much more valuable than the cost of them...they have such meaning and thoughts of the giver is always close. How blessed we are...

Iron Man or Iron Men!!!

This is about my "favorite" son-in-law. But, alas, as I was pondering my post, I realize I really have four "iron men" in my life: my Dad, my Cowboy, my son, AND our son-in-law!! They all do and/or have done iron work at one time or another. Cowboy tells me that "really, I could do that for you if I had time..."

I have to take a side trip about "favorite" anyone. I heard a story once about a grandmother who told all of her grandchildren (each in private, of course!) that they were her "favorite." She said, "I know you will do great things in your life." I loved that story. Lo and behold, one day Cowboy and I had a message on our machine from "our favorite" daughter and on it goes.

Now back to my story...I have always liked iron "stuff" and started taking pictures of the things Wayland has made. I didn't realize how many things I had brought with me that have significance. This blog is probably going to be two as I have so many pictures!!
Meghan found the sewing machine on the ranch at Melstone. Who would know how long it had been throw away. I put it in a flower bed there and I have taken it with me when I moved, as well as the iron wheel. A friend was trying to find my house north of Billings and her son told her that they were in the RIGHT place as there was Karen's sewing machine!

The intricate iron work is the arm from a church pew, the tea kettle is iron and works well for flowers or whatever I decide for the summer. The "squatty" piece is the bottom off of an old heater and flower pots fit it nicely! I have put them in their winter spot so I can shovel the snow from the cement pad when the snow flys.

The angel I bought when I was in Billings and it has a place in one of my flower barrels.

The bucking bull with cowboy also adds to one of my flower barrels.

This particular item was at Lemonade Springs south of Melstone, up in the sand rocks. Meghan took a picture of it many years ago. Cowboy was kind enough to get it gathered out of the rocks and hauled to our ranch. It leaned again the fence three years (maybe more, as the years seem to be whirling by!). I tried to get "favorite" son-in-law to do something with it. He is meeting himself coming and going so I knew that he really didn't have time...but I did ask anyway.

I took it to Bobi In Steel and asked her to make a potter's bench out of it. She had it done late summer and Cowboy said..."I could have done that...and for a lot less money...!"


This is one of the first gifts from our "favorite." Maybe the bird bath was first, but it will be on the second part. It is a quilt stand. I love it! I love the thoughtfulness of having it made for me. Wayland decided it might be too big as he had never made one before. I have used it for flowers during the summer and am trying to figure out how to put more flowers on it.

To be continued...