pictures...

I just figured out how to add pictures to my blog. Do you like them? Sure makes it a lot more interesting to look at!

This is Sugar Beet. She lives in the pasture behind my house. She's very friendly. She greets me when I hang out my laundry or when I'm working outside in my garden... Sometimes when I call for my boys she adds her 2 cents too!

The horse outside my window.

I love to take pictures of flowers...

I took this picture at the Cleveland Zoo this summer. I love to take pictures of flowers... and landscapes... Digital cameras are so much fun! Want to see a picture of the polar bear?

Toni\\

a nice calm day

What a change from yesterday! It's so calm and beautiful today. On my morning walk, I noticed that the Pryor Mountains have a blanket of snow. First snow of the season!

The tooth fairy came again last night. Matthew lost one of his molers. Aaron who hasn't lost any teeth as of yet (but soon will... he's 6 with lots of loose teeth!) still insists that there is NO tooth fairy. LOL!

It's Sugar Beet Harvest time...

Here in Wyoming, you gotta have a pickup. But... that's not all! You have to have an old pickup with at least one dog in the pickup bed. I've got to take a picture for you! Gosh, you'd think that they'd fall out!!!

Be careful not to get behind those old sugar beet trucks! I think that they only come out once a year... they're big and old... more later... gotta run for lunch.

Gas Prices

Burrr.... the wind is blowing around here today even got a bit of rain.

On my way to do errands, I past by the gas station. $1.97 for regular here. How much is it in your town?

Here's a cool link to find cheap gas where you live.

One evening this summer the beautiful colors of the sky grabbed my attention as I passed by the window. I grabbed my camera and headed down the street to our property. This is what I saw...

Toni's sunset picture

Went for a walk...

Went for a nice walk today with my friend toward the Pryor Mountains. It's very pretty out there. There's some snow on the Big Horns. The country side looks so pretty with the yellow leaves of the trees against the green of the fields.

Have you ever dreamed of seeing our beautiful earth from space?

Our family is going to watch this Discovery Channel show today:Black Sky: The Race for Space
Black Sky: The Race for Space
http://dsc.discovery.com/schedule/episode.jsp?episode=0&cpi=24963&gid=0&channel=DSC

Today: Discovery Channel 4pm EST

"What we finally have here, after 40 years of waiting, is the beginning of the personal spaceflight revolution"
Peter Diamandis, X-Prize Foundation
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3712998.stm

65 mph to the grocery store...

My little town doesn't have a grocery store... or stop lights... We do have a Post Office filled with postal boxes (there aren't enough people in town to warrant mail delivery!).

Now, you don't just go to the post office to get your mail. It's a visiting place. A place to catch up with everybody.

Our grocery store is in the next town over about 9 miles away. One late afternoon on a milk run... I realized hey... I can go 65 mph at least 5 miles to the grocery store. As I was thinking about this... a tumble weed blew across my path and nearly scared me half to death!

Back in Boston, there were lots of grocery stores near home and if you did 65mph... you'd be in the hospital. Legal speed limit even on the highways is just 55mph.

Did you know that in Montana on route 90, the speed limit is 75mph?

a busy Saturday

It's Saturday... The boys are cleaning and organizing their room... with Dad's help.
I'll be making a batch of Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies... the cheating kind from Betty Crocker. http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/prod_cookies.asp They are pretty good.

And then... there's laundry...

Later today my neice is getting baptised. The whole family is getting together for it.

Our move from Boston to rural Wyoming...

I grew up in the city, on the Northshore in a suburb of Boston. Up until last year, I had never lived outside of Massachusetts!

I met my sweet husband, Richard, at Fisher College (in Boston's Back Bay) where we both worked. I remember the first time we met... there was this cute guy in his gray business suit with COWBOY BOOTS! (Now, this was a ways back when cowboy boots were NOT in fashion in Boston.)

Every couple years we would go home to visit his family. A little country town in the wide open spaces of northern Wyoming... not far from the Yellowstone National Park. It was such a charming little town!

On one of my first visits there, his parents had us out for a site seeing tour. I was looking at all the horses. I remarked to Rich's Mom that the horses looked happy because they were all wagging their tales. LOL! She said, Toni, those horses are moving their tails to keep the flies off... not because they're happy. Oh! (My experience with animals was limited to cats and dogs... hey, it made sense in my mind!)

Here's a link with some information about Wyoming.
http://www.codywyomingnet.com/

For when success eludes us....

Do you ever ask questions like...
Why aren't I reaching my goals?
Why isn't this coming together?
What do I need to do... to change...

Here's a quote from my friend Peg's blog. It's something that I like to read each day.

Mallard Marketing Group: For when success eludes us....

Mom, are YOU the tooth fairy?

Yesterday, my son Matthew (age 10) lost another tooth. He was very excited to put his tooth under his pillow and await the bounty of the tooth fairy.

As I was putting the boys to bed last night, Aaron (age 7) leans down over his bunk... looks at me with those bright blue, penetrating eyes and asks... "Mom, are YOU the tooth fairy?"

He hasn't even lost any of his baby teeth yet!

A beautiful Wednesday

Hi there. My friend and I were out for a 3 mile walk. We picked a route that heads down into the country toward the Pryor Mountains. The views are spectacular!

We have a family service project lined up today. One of our elderly neighbors asked us to take care of the apples in her yard.

It is a beautiful day here, it will be good to do some work outside.

But for now, it's time for business calls....

Stepped out the door when...

We have these two really cute black kitties. How we ended up having them is a story that I'll share later. They are about 4 months old and spend the day outside.

I stepped out the door to check my steaks which are cooking on the grill... and found... yes... a little tiny present from my kitties.

Yikes! At least they're doing their job!

Have a good night.

Dinner Revolt!

Well, the corn got shucked... the steaks were cooking on the grill....
The children were playing over at Grandma's (next house over). So... I decided to head over for a quick visit.

I was greeted by my son Matthew who informed me that He was eating at Grandma's. He informed me that she was making fried chicken. Now, I have to tell you that Grandma makes THE BEST fried Chicken!

So, I guess that Rich and I will join the dinner revolt... but bring with us the steak and corn to share... because I love her fried chicken too!

Zucchini Bread's cooking

Oh, the wonderful aroma of home baked zucchini bread! I made a loaf for my father-in-law (who is NOT very partial to my Bostonian cooking!) and he said that this was the BEST Zucchini Bread he has ever had!

Well, now... that's quite a compliment!

Do you have lots of fresh zucchini from your garden? Here's the recipe that I used:
http://dinnercoop.cs.cmu.edu/dinnercoop/Recipes/bruce/ZucchiniBread.html

For other yummy recipes, click here: http://dinnercoop.cs.cmu.edu/dinnercoop/

Enjoy!

Aaron wears his big brothers shoes...

Oh man, I look out and there's Aaron. In the water, ankle deep.... here's the kicker... He's wearing his brother's good school shoes! Aarggggghhh.

It's Cold Here Today!

Just got back from a walk with my neighborhood friend. I'm chilled to the bone! It's not usually so damp here!!!

Knowing that the cold weather was coming.... we picked most of our plum tomatoes yesterday. We filled a wheelbarrow! I wish that I took a picture of it.

As soon as they ripen up... I'll be making tomato sauce for canning.