Sunday, May 31, 2009

Relaxing Sunday and Countdown to Iowa Midwest Crop

Spent a relaxing Sunday with family and scrapping. Had lunch with Jeremy, Sarah, and Jaren and then off to Babies R Us to get Jaren a new forward-facing car seat for when he turns 1 in 4 weeks. Then it was off to watch the girls' soccer game. The sun was shining and it was around 83 degrees--a beautiful day. It is fun to watch their skills and confidence grow as they are now getting into the action more and more. The heat started to get to them though and you could see them start to wind down.

After soccer we came home and I did a layout for a challenge in which I had to use a provided paint strip. I really like how it turned out.



Supplies used were: Paint chip by Hummie (www.hummiesworld.com); AMC_SSEmb_DoodlePad_1a-Paper (Scrapgirls.com); karen_texturedoverlay2 and
karen_texturedoverlay6 (scrapdish.com); and Maskee Quick Bits Clipping Masks Designs by Marcee Duggar (Layer_S2_Mask5) (DigitalScrapbookPlace.com)

Only 6 more days to Iowa Midwest Crop sponsored by Digital Scrapbook Place, to be held in West Des Moines. Now I only need to get through a 3-day Board Meeting and the rest of the week.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Beautiful weekend gone crappy and project 365

I've been noticing for several weeks that I can't manually focus on one of my lenses. Then the last two days, when I try to shoot in the aperture, shutter, or manual mode, the pics come out way too dark, even though my meter in manual mode say's its right on. So today I took the camera and the lens to Christian Photo to get their opinion. The lens housing is pulling apart, apparently from a drop or something. I left it with them for repair and it is going to cost me between $150 and $250. They said the camera also needs repaired.

The camera was purchased on ebay from a store that goes by various names, including Cyber Discount Warehouse and Shop Sunshine, along with a 3-year platinum warranty from a company called RepairTech. I tried contacting them, only to find they are out of business and I'm out of luck. So now I'm going to have to pay out of my pocket to get it fixed too. Nikon is estimating around $170 to repair it. So I'm (1) going to be without a camera for awhile, and (2) I'm going to have to possibly shell out in the neighborhood $420. There goes my project 365.

UPDATE: My Dear Husband played around with the camera and found that the exposure adjustment had been changed. Put it back at zero and the camera is working great. Yea Roger!!! You are fantastic.

Dinner with the family

We got together with all the kids and grand kids on Thursday for dinner at Bordenaros. Jaren showed us his new tricks--clapping and using his pinchers to pick up finger foods.

Luke showed Grandpa his "stance" and grandpa tried his own. Wish I had had my camera. The girls had to sit on each side of grandpa. There were some great pictures colored and drawn and words written. I am so glad we are able to do this on a regular basis.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Memorial Day and family rememberances

Yesterday was the official Memorial Day holiday. I picked up a bunch of geraniums at Wal-Mart and picked up G.G. and headed out to Laurel Hill. I took a bucket, scrub brush, and a spade to trim around the stones. Geraniums are the flower my mother has, as long as I can remember, placed on the graves on Memorial Day.

We started off at her father's grave where I placed two geraniums. His name was Roy Clinton Thornton and he died in 1937 on his way from home to go to work at his first job in five years. On his way to the job he suffered a heart attack. He died on his way to Broadlawns General hospital. The story, as told to me by my mother, was that it was a very cold, icy January day. Family members down the street were watching for him to come by and when they didn't see him, they went in search of him and found him on the ground. The job Thornton was to have started was at the Wood Brothers Threshing Machine Co., near E. Fourteenth St. and Aurora Ave. During the time he had been out of work, the family has been supported by three sons. Billy had a Works Progress Administration (WPA) job, Roy, Jr., was in a Civilian Conservation Camp (CCC) camp at Centerville and Russell is in a CCC camp at Indianola. (Note: The CCC worked on improving millions of acres of federal and state lands, as well as parks. New roads were built, telephone lines strung, and trees planted. Lake Ahquabi is where I'm sure he was working, and the buildings and trails are still in existence and being used to this day. There were 23 picnic areas and other structures built at Lake Ahquabi and the park was dedicated in 1936. If Roy was in Centerville at the time of the published story about Roy Sr.'s death, he was most likely working on soil erosion project according to the Iowa Public Works Project Database).

Roy is buried next to his wife's See relations, who had lost a son or sons and had bought a plot of burial spots. They donated the plot for his burial.

Next we went to my Uncle Kenny's and Aunt Lois's plot to place more flowers. I have many fond memories of these two, including the annual 4th of July family gathering on their acreate in Altoona. Uncle Kenny died in 1988 at age 65 and Aunt Lois in 2007 at age 83. They are buried very close to some of my mother's Rouse relatives, and we ran into her cousin Marilyn. Visited with her for awhile and planted geraniums and cleaned up their stone.

We then moved on to my Grandmother's and Uncle Bill's spot and again cleaned up around it and planted our geraniums. Grandma passed away 1961 at age 66. I was 6 years old. She lived with my Uncle Bill, who never married, until he passed away of a heart attack on November 26, 1957 at age 44. We also stopped at my Uncle Russell and Aunt Betty's grave. Uncle Russel died in February 20, 1958 at age 39, 86 days after his brother Bill passed away.

Lastly we moved on to my Uncle Roy's grave. Mom had to stay in the car because it is a very steep climb to his resting place. He died in 1990 at age 75, which is a long life as far as the Thornton men go, and is buried on a plot next to his grandfather, my great-grandfather, William Adam Rouse, who died in 1926.

I really enjoy this Memorial Tradition of paying honor to family members who have passed on and enjoy sharing it with my mom.

Monday, May 25, 2009

What I did on Sunday






Went to bed Sunday morning at 3 a.m. after sitting up with Rog watching a movie; got up at 6:15 when Max determined it was time to go out and eat. I finished the layout of Jeremy with Jaren and then did the layout of Maddie with Roger. After finishing these, we went to Costco to pick up some 12x12 prints, then came back to the South Side and had lunch (and a pitcher of margaritas) at La Hacienda.

Afterwards we came home and took a 2 hour nap. We then went to a graduation party for a great niece and found a home for sale in a great neighborhood and about $20,000 below assessed value.

We left the graduation party and Roger accompanied me while I went and took some nighttime photos at Gray's Lake, the Temple for Performing Arts, and the Capitol.

Next we washed the car and when we finished that we visited Wally-World (at 10 p.m.) to buy car wax and other miscellaneous stuff. Got home at 11 p.m. and did a 2-page layout of my memorial photos. It is now 2:32 a.m. and I'm going to head off to bed because 6:15 comes REAL EARLY!.

Lest We Forget.....



It is Memorial Day Weekend and yesterday as an extended family we visited the cemeteries. We started out the day at Sunset Memorial Gardens to visit Grandpa Bob's grave (Roger's father). The kids questioned why Maxine didn't have two dates like Grandpa Bob's. It was explained to them that she was still living and when she passes on, the second date would be added.



After we left Sunset Memorial Gardens, we picked up G.G. and went to Laurel Hill Cemetery, where my dad and most of my mom's family is buried. We only visited my dad's, though, because she can no longer make it up the hills to their gravesites. Tomorrow I will go back out there and plant flowers and clean up around my grandparents, great grandparents, and uncles and aunts sites.

While visiting my dad's grave, Mia notices the stone to his right with G.G.'s name on it. She asked if I was going to put flowers on that one also. I explained that G.G. was still living, to which Cailey, in her big sister voice, enunciates each word with an exclamation point at the end of each word, reminds her that we talked about this when we visited Grandpa Bob's and Grandma! Maxine! is! still! living! and! when! she! dies! we! will! then! place! flowers! there! It was so cute. I have to admit that I think Laurel Hill's military section is the prettiest of all the cemeteries in Des Moines at Memorial time when they have all the flags lining the street. My dad always loved it too.
From Laurel Hill we went across town to Glendale to visit Jason's grave, along with my Uncle Jack's and our good friend Dirk's grave, who was also my cousin's husband. It was getting too hot for G.G. by this time and she stayed under a shade tree near Uncle Jack's grave while we walked up to Jason's. His stone, along with all the babies' in the area, need lots of TLC cleaning them up as they are flat to the ground and the grass grows over them. I was cleaning up around Jason's and the baby boy's next to his. Luke started cleaning up some other babies stones and I think he would have been happy to stay there all afternoon cleaning.




Then we visited my brother's site at Resthaven Cemetery. We all chipped in and had Denny's name added to their military wall of honor, and they just finished engraving it the day before. Cailey was so fascinated and spent a lot of time in front of Denny's name tracing it with her finger. It was very touching.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Mid-week update





I've managed to scrap a few pages. I need to complete the layout of my 365 photos for last week and get to Costco and pick up 3 weeks worth of layouts. Have managed to get out on my bike a couple times and gone to soccer games.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

What Grandma Has Been Doing

Wow, I didn't realize it has been20 days since I last blogged. Work has been zapping me and I haven't been doing much. Here's what I've done since last posting:

  1. Watched the girls play soccer
  2. Watched Dancing with the Stars and rode bike
  3. Board meeting; watched American Idol and Dancing with the Stars
  4. Board meeting; watched Luke play soccer; watched American Idol
  5. Swine flu n/k/a H1N1
  6. Swine flu n/k/a H1N1
  7. Chillin with Jaren
  8. American Idol
  9. Dancing with the Stars (Go Shawn)
  10. Bike riding
  11. Mowing andweeding
  12. Scrapping
  13. Shopping & planting flowers
  14. Watched girls play soccer
  15. Watched Luke roll around on ground during soccer game
  16. Dinner with family at Scornovaccos
  17. Watched American Idol
  18. Watched Dancing with the Stars (Go Shawn)
  19. Mowing
  20. Shopping and planting more flowers
  21. Chillin with Jaren
  22. Dinner with Roger at Macaroni Grill
  23. Scrapping
  24. Breakfast with family for Mother's day
  25. Wii bowling; had my best games last weekend--a 604 series for three games with my high game a 224. Spent a couple nights bowling with my sis too.
Today I went to the zoo with Luke, his other grandmother, and his preschool class. What is this--my 7 or 8th visit in 2009. Had a great time. I need to post some of my pictures and scrapbook pages. I'll try to do that before another 20 days have passed.