Snowy Christmas Eve 2010

The Brockman family in their back yard.

Kenley loved being outside in the snow.

Kim and Kenley enjoying the snow.

A wintry day, glad we were there and did not have to drive far in this stuff.

The motel parking lot and trees. I thought the trees looked great.

Grandma and Kenley standing in the snow.

Had a wonderful Christmas Eve with my daughter and family. The snow was beautiful!

God's Wonderful Handiwork!

These two photos were taken the same morning by two different people from two different areas of our city. Mr. Skelly took one around 7 a.m. and Julie took the other on her way to work, and she starts at 7:30 so I'm sure it was almost the same time.

I love photos like these. It shows how great God really is!

She will be missed

Armilda Jean Sheppard.....Known to many as Jean and to some of us as Grandma. Even tho she is my mother-in-law we called her grandma when Kim was small and never quit calling her Grandma.

This morning she went home to be with Jesus and is not suffering anymore.

We will miss her but knowing she is not suffering will make it easier for the family.

Thank you guys for your prayers for the family.

A mouse I will not kill.

Oh, wait, I do have a mouse in the house. But this mouse I will not kill. Oh, wait he is not alive. He hangs on my refrigerator and peeps out from behind the candle.

This refrigerator magnet is one of my favorite. It was lots of fun to make and I have put it on my refrigerator for the Christmas season.

Unwanted Guests

Oh, yes, have you ever had any unwanted Guests? This past week we discovered that we had a unwanted guest.

He was not invited into our home. He came unannoucned and unwanted.
I heard him in the bedroom and Paco heard and saw him in his cage....When I got up to see, Paco was hissing at me like a snake.... not knowing why Paco was falling off his stick at night. Then sitting here eating breakfast, this 4 legged creature runs across the living room floor and across the counter down thru the stove and away......OH NO....GO AWAY...

One of my girl friends named him.....Hemmr-Hoid....because he is a pain in my rear. :)

I bought a trap, but it didn't work. So I got sticky paper and a clip like trap. Bated it with peanut butter...
The first night to no avail....
But the second night before it got dark wham..... I got him.
He simply could not go anywhere on that sticky paper.



I ended up using the flash light to completely put him out of his misery... I rebated the clip like trap and the next night caught his mate.

If any of you out there have any problems with these 4 legged guests in your house...This clip like trap works great.

I also bought moth balls that Bud threw under the trailer in hopes of keeping any more from coming into our home. Mice and spiders do not like moth balls.

Since I have caught them, Paco has not fell off his stick at night time. I would say they were having a feast in the bird cage....it was a buffet for them.
Hope none of their cousins were out there. If they came in with them, they have not made themselves known to us yet. But I am ready. The trap is still on the kitchen counter.

Traveling by plane can sometimes take a long time.

When arriving at Sioux Falls to get my plane on Saturday morning.
There was this lady who came to the States to see her brother from Brazil. She spoke very little English. Her brother helped her check in and gave them information where to reach him if they needed him.

And finally arriving at the gate. There were tons of people. My first thoughts were, I sure hope these people are not waiting for our plane.
There was a young man who came thru security just behind me. He was going to be in airports all day. And stated that it would be a very long time before he got to where he was going to go. With a number of different airport stops before he got to his destination.

I don't remember where he told me that he was going.
Then there came this lady, I would say she was older then me. She sat down beside me and started talking. She had been at the airport since 4:30 a.m. they were to fly out at 5:30 and their air plane had a fuel leak. She declared the pilot who brought the plane in knowing the emergency light was on when he left Chicago early that morning should be fired.
The fuel leak was so bad there was fuel on the ground....The pilot who was to take it back to Chicago refused to take that plane and all of those passengers had to wait till the brought in another plane to fly them to Chicago.

As I left Sioux Falls this is what I saw and I had to wonder if that was the plan that needed repair. It is sitting away from the run way at a not so normal spot to see planes.


Back to the lady. As she sat there she and I talked about the fact that they were lucky to have found the leak and refused to fly the plane, that it might have saved their lives.

I do not know why but she proceeded to tell me that her second husband was murdered. And how her daughter was in an abusive marriage, etc.
She said her grandkids didn't believe it that her husband was murdered.. So she had to send them a copy of the newspaper clipping to prove it to them. And that it was on tv in later years.
It was as tho she needed a sounding post and I was that post. I just let her talk. Figured she could relieve some of her frustration of having missed her future connections and might not even get to go home that day.

When I finally got to Chicago I knew that I had a 3 hour 55 minute lay over. So I was not in a hurry to get off the plane and to the next gate. Taking my time getting there and finally finding my gate, I passed a McDonalds. And since I was hungry I got myself my favorite---a McRib meal.

Sitting there reading and waiting, I had a lot of time to observe people.

Couple one.... retired.... came flying in and sat across from me. Her carry on fell over and she picked it up, and he said something to her then got up went away from the sitting area in 1/2 a huff. When he came back---he had a McDonald's bag. As he sat down he proceeded to give his wife one thing after the other out of his bag.... rammed a napkin onto her lap, then the sandwich, very gruff looking and in a really foul mood. She sat there calmly and never said a word. Later I saw them when they boarded their plane. He was ahead of her and left her to deal with the bags. Had to simply wonder "Why was he in such a terrible mood?"

The next thing I knew there was this much, much older couple who sat down on the same row I was in leaving one empty seat between us. Oh, what a sweet couple.... She sweetly ask him if he was okay and if he was hungry. He assured her that he was fine just tired, and yes it would be lovely to have something to eat. Sweetly he told me they were in route To Rochester.
He looked oh so frail..... When she returned with their McDonalds it was so sweet to watch them help each other with their food, Such tender loving care they showed between them.Then it dawned on me...I don't think they were going home. The were going to Rochester..... where the Mayo Clinic is... and he did look awful frail. I truly hope that if that was where they were going, that the Doctors were able to do something to help them. They were so sweet!


Boom, here comes a lady and plops down between us. She took one look at me and said , " I have been away and on air planes for over 24 hours. I am so glad this is the last leg of my journey."
She was hard to understand. Her accent told me that she was not born in the United States.
More like a British or Sweden accent.. (I'm not good at deciphering where from) But a sweet lady who was totally exhausted.

I had to wonder....are there people out there watching me and what are they thinking about me?
Hoping that perhaps speaking to the lady about Thanking God at being alive and listening that just perhaps I made a little bit of a difference in her life that day.

Not your typical Hotel on a Friday night.

Normally on a Friday night when you are in a hotel you hear people. Kids running up and down the hallways. UNLESS YOU ARE IN CANISTOTA, South Dakota and are a guest at the Ortman Hotel.

To the right of my door.

To the left of my door.

Even the kitchen area on the 3rd floor was empty of people.

All week there were people in these halls and in the kitchen. Especially around meal time, since a lot of the Amish cooked their own meals... One night they even made pizza in the micro wave. I waited for a little while then run water thru the coffee pot to get hot water for a cup of tea.

They told me it was good, but I know it took forever for them to get it cooked till it was done.

But Come Friday noon, this place became like a ghost town. I believe I was the only guest that was staying the night in this hotel on Friday night.

One Amish lady from Indiana ask if I was going to be afraid. Jokingly I looked into her eyes and with a glimmer of silliness said.."Oh, I will definitely be scared..Cause you guys are not down the hallway from me!"

No, I was not afraid. This was not the first night that I have spent the Friday night alone in this hotel. Knowing the front door was locked and that the people who run the restaurant had an apartment upstairs on the 4th floor , God was there with me. I was not afraid.

You see, most people when they come to this town for treatments leave town after their treatments on Friday morning. But, since my plane did not leave till Saturday I stayed the extra night. Rick was worried about me getting my suit case downstairs since the elevator is VERY, VERY OLD and they have to run it, and nobody would be there on Saturday morning to do so.

I told him not to worry, I only had one suit case and it would simply slide it down the stairway.

I had to laugh before I went when his wife, Trish had called me questioning the fact that I was booked for the Friday night also. As it was a bit unusual since all the guests normally left on Friday morning.

My reply to her was, "But Trish, I really do not want to sleep out in the cold that night. Yes, I want the Friday night also as Joni is not taking me back to the airport till early Saturday morning."

The restaurant closes on Friday at 2 p.m and reopens for Sunday Brunch. So Saturday morning I finished off my cereal that I had in my room. Disposed of all my uneaten food and made my way to the lobby to wait for my ride.

Thanksgiving Past and Present

This morning I was thinking about a few of my PAST Thanksgiving Day.

I do not know what year it was, I just know it was in the 1970's probably 74 or 75. My parents lived in Tuscola, and I was living in an apartment in Decatur, 40 miles away. I had planned on going home for Thanksgiving Day, but when I woke up that morning there was 8 plus inches of snow on the ground. I knew my small car would not make it. But, my older brother, John lived in Finlay and he said he would make the effort to come get me even tho it was out of his way.
Back then they allowed cars to use chains to get around in ice and snow.

He picked me up and we went the 40 miles east. The roads were bad. When we walked in at home just as Mother was getting things out of the oven for dinner. She said, " I didn't expect you guys to make it." My answer was, "Mom, the roads are bad, we are here to eat and run."
And that is exactly what we did. We didn't even stay to help clean up the mess.

Then comes to mind the one that I experienced after Bud and I got married. His family always went to Peoria to Marie and Bob's for Thanksgiving. Now that they are gone, Bud says Thanksgiving is just not the same as it was where they all got together with Pat and Donna and his folks and family.

Then in 1979 we were living in the Southern part of Illinois and we wanted to move from an apartment into a house. So, we were working on moving that week end..... But, we didn't have any food in the house. We could not find anybody who had a turkey breast that I might cook for our meal.. SOOOOOOOOO we did second best We had "White Castles" for Thanksgiving dinner.

Yes, you read it right "WHITE CASTLES" ...... and we were thankful that we had something to eat.

Now for current.......
I am in Canistota, South Dakota. The restaurant here is closed for the day. But, before I left home I already had an invite from my friend Katie here to join her and Ivan and their family at the church fellowship hall for a Thanksgiving Meal.

So even tho the weather outside is frigid. I walked the 6 blocks to the church and enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving meal.
Katie and I are friends on facebook. So it was really neat to get to meet Katie.

THANKS KATIE, for a wonderful dinner. I know you put a lot of time and effort into feeding a lot of people. I believe you said there were about 62 of us total and over 1/2 of us were from out of town and you had never seen us before.

One familiar face was Joni on the left. She so kindly came to Sioux Falls last Sunday and picked me up at the airport. And will take me back to the air port on early Saturday morning.The other lady I believe they said Dr. Lon's mother.

I wish I had my camera ready when Dr. Tom's wife spilled a container of clean silverware on the floor. So we ended up having to rinse and dry them too.

I am thankful for Katie and Ivan that they provided such a great Thanksgiving meal for us. And invited us to be part of their Thanksgiving festies this year.

Before I left the church and walked back to the Hotel to my room I heard Katie say she thinks she will do it again next year.

Canistota, South Dakota

This small town is about 40 miles west of Sioux Falls, South Dakota....
Yes, out in the middle of nowhere.

They have lots of motels.... one grocery/gas store, post office and a tavern.
This is their local grocery store.

The Ortman Hotel . Yes it is old, but some of the room they have remodeled and they are very comfortable. See the Cafe sign, and the window right above it? Well go up one more window and go left one window... it has a air conditioner in the window.. Yes that is my room. Room 314 which is my room for the week.

This is the same hotel that my younger sister was at when she learned to walk.....many moons ago.

(Sorry Martha---But it was a long, long time ago).

The hotel is attached to the clinic. Therefore, I do not have to go outside unless I choose to.

Baxas Bar and Grill is right across the street. They too have good food. When Bud was with me the last time we ate a lot of our meals there. Including our Thanksgiving dinner one year.

Most of the people here this week are Amish people. I would say they are from Indiana, Wisconsin and possibly Iowa. Just from looking at how they dress. Yes, it seems as tho every community has their own style of prayer veiling. And their hats are different.

Haven't really spoken to very many of them. They are not the most friendly group this time around.

And for once I do not see anybody that has been here before when I was here. That is surprising.

The gal who owns the Hotel said this is their first slow week, that they had been full in the past weeks.

From what she told me the other day when she called me to confirm that I actually wanted a room for the Friday night also I will be all alone up here on Friday night as they don't have any confirmed guests besides myself for that night as most people leave after their Friday treatment. Since my plane doesn't fly out till Saturday, I really do not want to sleep on the street, so yes it will be like a ghost town when all the out of towners leave. But that is okay.

This is quiet day number 2. I went downstairs this afternoon late and had dinner. Tonight the special was fish, shrimp, and some chicken, mashed or baked potatoes, gravy (2 different kinds) and corn along with the salad bar. Then I got a piece of pie for later... I believe I read that

tomorrow night's buffet will have turIkey on it since they are closed on Thanksgiving day.

I didn't sleep as much today as I did yesterday in the day time, so I am hoping that I shall be able to sleep all night tonight.

Sunday- travels-thoughts

Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the Glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

No this is not snow, it is clouds taken out of the airplane window. Way up above the clouds where the sun was shining. It sure wasn't shining below the clouds. Minnesota-South Dakota got freezing rain, and the roads were very slippery.

These clouds were so Beautiful!

Before I got on the plane in Chicago I send a text to my Sunday School Class teacher Sarah that I was praying for a safe flight. When I landed in Sioux Falls I sent her another text--just as the Sunday School Class should have been over that I was thankful for a safe journey.

And this is what I got in a text message:

we love u and miss u! have a good week!

Now I knew it was from Sarahs phone so she isn't in the photo.

Talk about making me tear up---yep I had tears in my eyes because I missed Sunday School today.

Love ya Girls!


This is my home for the next 5 days. Thankful I brought my own sheet to cover the chair... The chair makes me itch, and today my skin is so dry. Last night there was way too much bleach and starch in the sheets in my motel room, and I broke out with a rash on my legs.

Surprising to me, since I stayed in this room a number of years ago, They took the old radiator our and put in electric strip heat, Added a mini refrigeator and a phone system.

A fun filled Saturday.

A fun filled day at the Brockman household.... Kenley thought it was funny when she stole my water bottle and took it back to mommy.

Playing with the ball.

Snack time.

Grandma put one in my tea cup.

Thanks for another fun filled day together! Love you.

Will the product be damaged?

Here is a heat exchanger that was delivered to our office.

Julie came up front and borrowed my camera to take photos. It doesn't appear the heat exchanger is damaged, but she wanted photos in case of concealed damage.

Looks like they left it setting outside in a big rain storm.

Still waiting for my Miracle.

It was bound to Happen--Sooner or Later

In all the years that Bud has been driving doing Dealer Trades going many, many miles this had never happened on one of his runs. Until Friday evening. 9:30 A.M. Friday morning he headed for Arkansas to pick up a truck. He does not like to go that late because then he is on the road later in the afternoon- evening-night. He would rather go at 2 A.M and be home by mid afternoon.

I was sitting with the kids when he called me and said, "Well we have to get a new red truck." I heard in his voice that he was really shook up. Yep he hit Bambi..... But the airbag did not active, but the light was on..Therefore he was not able to drive it back.
The paramedics told him he was going to be okay. But would be very sore and bruised.
(Later he told me what his blood pressure was---In my thinking it was much too high)
The tow truck drive dropped him off at the Super 8 in Ava, Illinois and towed the truck on in to a dealership down there.
Saturday morning someone from Miles went down and picked him up.
Poor Bambi-----she gave her life---But I am glad Bud is okay.

Or should I say as far as I know he is okay. I have been out of town watching our granddaughter and have not seen him yet. This morning him and another guy left for Atlanta, GA to get another vehicle. So he will not be home till tomorrow evening.

So after over 500,000 miles that he has driven picking up new vehicles This was a first.

Halloween Week end.

Happy Halloween.
Friday afternoon I headed for Normal. To spend my week end with my daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter.

Kim and Clay had lots and lots of leaves that needed racking.

And Clay put mulch around the tree roots.

By Saturday evening they had a big row of leaves at the curb to be picked up.
No, I did not help outside.... I was able to stay indoors and enjoy THIS:

We did a lot of Grandma time and played together.

We even had a few moments like this that we had to check out what grandma was trying to say.

Kenley did not like me when I put her down for naps. But did take naps for me. It always makes for a happier baby when not so tired.

That is one thing I am sure Kim will not let me live down. I actually locked my granddaughter in her bedroom and couldn't get to her.

A Week of Frustrations.

Frustrations! Lately that is what seems to be in our lives.

1.) Father-in-law had 5 seizures in one hour last Thursday morning. The hospital lost his glasses and watch. Today they are sending him back to the nursing home, and he can't walk, and is still in la-la land 3/4 of the time. Tomorrow they intend to take him for his radiation treatments. Don't ask me to take him anywhere --- he is a 3X and I know better then try it!

2.) Mother-in-law lays in bed like a lump of coal. Has the poor me syndrome. Saturday when there to see her she was throwing garbage on the floor. Declared that is where the garbage can was to be. Didn't even look just stuck her hand out over the side of the bed and dropped it.
(That banana left a sticky spot on the floor). She is also seeing things. Things that are not there. Also states she sees people walk the hallway that have recently died there in the nursing home.
Back to staying in bed and complaining. At 87 years old you will probably have a pain or two. You should be grateful you had all those years earlier that you could come and go and live pain free. I refuse to trapse to the hospital time and time again while they test you and say there is nothing wrong with you.

3.) The other Sunday morning we awoke with NO HEAT and it was chilly outside.
We purchased a small electric heater and waited till Monday to call them. YEP it was the control board on our brand new unit. (Go figure).
To work on the furnace it has to be unhooked from the propane and brought out thru the grill under the kitchen stove and they put it on the dining room table to disassemble it. Not an easy project.

4.) While they were there to fix the furnace they told Bud how to try and eliminate the water heater spewing at us....when he called them to do the start up again after he had done what they said the next step was "Now turn your power on" WHAT...??? You never told me to turn it off before I do it.....OOOPPPPS That fried the electric element in the hot water heater.
He purchased a new one and today he put it in...So we are off the propane and using electric again. (NOTE: The noises the propane heating of water made was not to my liking).
He is very pleased with himself that he was able to put it in and we have it back to working the way we like it.

5.) Work not as busy as we have been--- Between seasons. Hoping and wishing we have a very light winter this winter. My arms hurt more when it is cold. And typing when your arms hurt is not an easy task.

BUT---GOD IS IN CONTROL !!!! HE KNOWS WHAT OUR FUTURE HOLDS!
We must rely on him and trust him and he will see us through these frustrations.

THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE
WE WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

Happy Anniversary To Kim & Clay

To our beautiful daughter and wonderful son-in-law.
Happy 7th Anniversary Kim and Clay.

Miss You Mom and Dad

33 years ago this morning Mother went home to be with Jesus.

29 years ago in Sept. Dad joined her.

Miss you Mom & Dad!

Happy 87th Birthday to Bud's Mother.

Saturday afternoon Grandma Jean (Bud's Mother) had a open house reception at the nursing home in honor of her 87th birthday.
Bud and I were blessed to have the kids come home from Bloomington for a while and we were able to enjoy our granddaughter, Kenley.
Here she is playing with some of the toys that were left over from Kim's childhood and the toys that were given to me at my Grandma shower at Curves before she was born.

After her nap we went to the nursing home, where she got to meet her Aunt Evie (Bud's sister) for the first time.
We also got to do lots of Kisses to Great grandpa Jerry.

Then photos of Bud and his sisters with their mother and step father.

(Jerry & Jean Sheppard with Judy and Evie and Forrest (Bud)

Grandma Jean wanted a 4 generation photo.

Great Grandpa Jerry was happy as could be. Grandpa Bud and Great Grandma Jean looking on.

On the way out the door Kenley got her first balloon.

It was great to see the kids again. And grandma Jean did have a good turn out in her celebration.

P.S. I DO NOT EVER WANT TO LIVE IN A NURSING HOME. THIS PLACE IS WAY, WAY TOO DEPRESSING.