THE MIDWESTERN SOCK EATER

Somewhere tonight, there is a bird with one very cold leg and one warm leg.  Let me explain.

Saturday morning we woke up to the most beautiful snow covered landscape.  It was a live version of a Terry Redlin limited edition. I jumped out of bed and grabbed the camera.  Oh, and I pulled on my jeans.  This was the day I had been waiting for.  Our first snow.  The earth was quiet and still.  At least until everyone started shoveling and getting their cars and bicycles out of the snowdrifts. 













I let the dogs out and snapped photos of them playing in the snow.  As I walked around, I took pictures of the snow covered branches, including this little birdhouse in the Dogwood tree.



This evening I poured a hot coff of cuppy..........cup of coffee and reviewed the photos on the laptop.  I noticed something unusual in the picture of the birdhouse.  Do you see it?

The birdhouse has a tail.

 

 

 I zoomed in.

Is that a sock?  Is Dennis playing tricks on me?  I did not pull my jeans on, but again I ran outside in my pj's, in the dark, and stuck my hand under the birdhouse.  It felt like a sock.  I pulled.

 

Yep.  A sock. 

 

Dennis said the Midwestern Sockeater must have tried to make a nest in the birdhouse.

I ran through a checklist in my head trying to figure this out.

 

a. How long has it hung in the tree?

b.  Where did the birdhouse come from?

c. Did I buy the birdhouse at Goodwill or did Myrtle give it to me?

d.  Does someone need their sock back?

e. Dennis said it is not his sock.

f.  It is not my sock.

g. There is a bird out there tonight with a cold leg.

The heel was worn thin.  I googled "birds that eat socks" and sure enough I found it.....google it yourself if you don't believe me.  This came from the Urban Dictionary.

"Sock Eater

A mythical creature that lives only to eat socks, and leaves a trail of odd pairs in its wake. Sightings of this elusive creature are rare and unsubstantiated. It's habitat is thought to be somewhere between the sock drawer and the washing machine. Other theories place the sock eater closer to the tumble drier, but this is thought unlikely, as socks can go missing even when left hanging to dry."

 

I guess Dennis was right. 

Do you have holes in your socks?  No?  Then how do you get your feet in? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COOKIE EXCHANGE AND TEA PARTY

I would like to show you the beautiful holiday table my friend created. 

Good china set on silver chargers!  Salt and pepper shaker ornaments.  Fine linens.

This chick loves glass, glitter and giggles.  She is lots of fun.

 

Floating candles and cranberries in a fluted bowl.

 

Ah, the tea and cookie station.  Mercy Me. 

 

Decorations galore. 

Three Wise Men?  Oh I get it, they are our blind dates for the party.

 

This is the last year for this vintage, white Christmas tree.  But don't worry, it is spoken for already! 

By Me!

I love this tree.  I might leave it up all year long. 

My friend's mother hand painted this Nativity.  The detail work is beautiful.
I admire her skill and patience.  I don't have the skill to paint my toes!

I was not kidding you!  Every brush stroke was carefully placed. 

Frosty, go outside before you melt!  Are you trashed again?

 

 

 An angel collection...except for the dogs and birds.

 

 I see you!

Clever.

 

 This red scarf accents another pretty setting.  It also does something else, can you guess?
You might want to try this at your cookie exchange....it is hiding a pile of papers and stuff!
I never would have guessed!  However, I would need a tarp to cover up my piles.

 

 John Wayne loves cookie exchanges.   Would you like some tea John?  Please take off your spurs.

Have yourself a Merry Christmas Little Lady.  See you back at the ranch.

 

MODERATELY EVENTFUL

This week has not been very exciting but it has been eventful.
Not eventful as in making newspaper headlines.  More like "stuff happened."

Let's see.  We went to our favorite, local Red BarnTree Farm in Morton, IL.  These ladies make bows and boughs fit for the Queen.  However, the pet reindeer they have had for years....died last year.

Theme Trees!


When we returned home, I  lifted the hatch on the van to get the wreath and smacked my noggin on the hatch.  My head is mighty sore.

I did attend the most wonderful cookie exchange Saturday with Princess Jan, and her royal court Duchess Deb and Countess Doris.  We sipped tea from fine china, lifted our pinky, and took pictures using the timer on my camera.  A girly day.

The pantry door, which I have been building, was supposed to end up funky.  Instead it is too darn nice to turn it into funky.  In fact.  It's really nice.  DARN it.  So Dennis made me stain it, and put a nice knob on it.  DARN it.

The dog may have broken her tail.  We find out tomorrow when she sees Dr. Peterson.  We just got over the anal gland episode last week.  Before that it was something more personal and I would embarras her if I told you. 

Oh, the mice.  We had a mouse under the sink.  I cleaned all the kitchen cabinets and bleached everything.  I remember a funny story about a mouse in the kitchen 30 years ago.  I was a debutante at the time.  The bread board in the kitchen slid out from under the counter.  We would cut our toast on it daily.  One day I looked closer at the dark toast crumbs.  They were not crumbs.  They were mouse turds.  OH MY GOSH!  I lived through it.

That is my week in nut shell,
 or in a mouse turd, or in a dog's life.
How was yours?           

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

God bless all my friends on this special holiday.  Especially new friends I met the past week at shelters, who are suffering from tornado destruction. 

We spend Thanksgiving morning watching the parade on TV, snacking and drinking coffee in our pj's on the couch with a dog or cat next to us.

This Thanksgiving we are dining at a nice restaurant in Peoria.  Cloth napkins and all the extra silverware that I don't know when to use!
I plan to take a few zip locks along in my purse.  I hate to waste food.

All the Rustynail animals will get fed a little more than usual, and they might get some extra treats too.  I have a new recipes for frozen Pupsicles, made with yogurt and honey!  Dog-gone good.

Blessing to you.  May the Grace of God be with you.  Amen

Pass the turkey!  

CRANKIN' UP THE TRACTOR

Today, I fired up the tractor because it has not been running for a month or so.  It gets the diesel fuel moving and charges the battery.  I scooped up some logs that need to be burned and moved them to the campfire pit.

 

My Ford tractor is named Roger, after the man I bought it from.

My previous 1963 tractor was named Bob.

 

Don't worry, Dennis was there every second with the dogs so they did not get in the way.

Plus I was creeping along at about 3 mph.  I moved about three buckets of wood.

 

 

 

 

FALL COLORS

Once upon a time, forty nine years ago, I wrote a poem in school about the fall colors.
Today, I thought of that  poem as we drove around looking at the fall colors.  This is how it started.

In fall the leaves turn brown and red,

Falling down they make a bed.

and that is all I remember........

 

Can anyone offer a few lines to finish this poem?  I would greatly appreciate your help.

Maybe these pictures we took today will inspire your creativity.

 

 

We started today in Green Valley, Illinois.

 

                                                    I think Monet painted this tree.

Orange

 

Yellow

 

Pretty little tree growing beside a farm fence.

                                                          Now we are in Pekin, Illinois

 

The stones are a nice touch to this Burning Bush.

 

Oak lined street.

 

Now we are in Sunset Hills, Pekin.

 

                                                               Beautifully shaped.

 

                                                                 The Mighty Oak

                                                                     A Birch Tree

                                                                          Twins

                                                 Pekin Insurance Grounds on Court Street

                                            Good morning sunshine, the earth says hello.

                                           Pekin High School trees along Parkway Drive

 

                                                                     A closer look.

 

The corner of Parkway Drive and Broadway, Pekin, IL

                          Love this street lined with Burning Bushes next to the golf course.

This road is near my house.  Doesn't it look like a nice place for a walk or a bike ride?

 

See the deer path that goes toward the oak tree?  It is in the field next to my house and is heavily traveled. 

I also feel heavily traveled.  I did not know I could get tired from taking pictures, but I did.
The sun is setting and we are hungry.  Bob Evans here we come.

Oh, did you come up with some lines to the poem?  Please share.