NEW BOOK COVER for Go Away Home

Today, Go Away Home is being re-published by Amazon. When we had lunch with Carol last month, it was exciting to hear about the whole process. Apparently, besides being a bookSELLER, Amazon has become a book PUBLISHER. Because of all the excellent reviews, they picked up Go Away Home!! HOW EXCITING....

Carol talked about some of the process....and she told us they made some changes...

This was the original book cover. I thought it was excellent...

This is the NEWLY designed book cover for the re-release. Good Job, AMAZON..!!

Rainy Day Scavenger Hunt

I am very fortunate to have two sisters who live about a mile from me (in different directions, of course). We see each other often -- but as our families have grown -- the grandkids take up so much time, it doesn't get easier. IT GETS HARDER...

My sister Ronda, on the left -- and Deena on the right.

When the babies started coming, my sister Deena decided she wanted to be the Grandma that carried on the tradition of the Big Sunday Dinner. So, her three children, and their children, all come to her house every Sunday after church to eat a big meal. Then, because she is a glutton for punishment (or -- can't get too much of a good thing -- depending on your viewpoint) -- she decided it would also be a good idea to HAVE THE WHOLE CROWD COME TO HER HOUSE EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS WELL...

This summer will be remembered as THE YEAR OF DEENA'S BACKYARD KIDDIE OLYMPICS.

Yes, she often blows up the bouncy barn...and that is an old fashioned merry-go-round you see in the background -- and -- that's right -- EVEN A TRAMPOLINE...

I can't believe I don't have a summer picture of all the kids playing in her backyard. (Kelcy -- do you have one?) You need to get on that!!

These are Deena's people...(that's right -- she has NINE grandchildren!)

On Wednesday night, I take Warren up to Deena's house so he can get some play time with kids his age. And on Sunday afternoon, I take Lilly so she can have her own turn. I mean -- WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE??  The funny thing is I usually have my grandkids one at a time -- but, with nine of them -- that's not an option for Deena!!

We like to get there in time for the DESSERT/Play time portion of the activities...and I like to think I am the Great Aunt who brings the treats!! 

During her Iowa visit, Pat got in on a typical Wednesday night...

On a recent rainy Sunday, Deena put Lilly and I in charge of indoor activities...hummm...what to do, what to do?? I was packing up a bag full of games -- Twister, Pit, Catch-Phrase. Lilly said we should make up a Scavenger Hunt. So here it is. I ran off two copies, Deena selected the team captains (Aunt Honda and Aunt Brenda, because none of the kids can read yet) -- and they were off!!

_____ Something that is RED.

_____ A children’s book.

_____ Something square.

_____ Something that is BLUE.

_____ Something that can move

_____ Something that makes noise.

_____ A crayon.

_____ A tractor.

_____ A piece of paper.

_____ Something that is rectangle.

My New Silverplate!!

On Pat's very last day, we went to an auction in DeWitt. We had barely walked in when I noticed them selling a box of silverware. Everybody knows what a sucker I am for old silverplate...and I liked the box itself.  It was painted white, with a faded decal on the top...so I bid. Before I even got a decent look at what was IN the box...I whistled in my bid.

I GOT IT FOR $12.50.

It was FULL. The flatware was all contained in sectioned bags, made out of soft flannel...there were these six beautiful, heavy forks...

When I started to open the bags, I couldn't believe how many piece there were...

There was a FULL SET OF TWELVE. Associated Silver. The pattern is Younx.

I tried to take a close up picture of the markings on the back...

On my second attempt, I almost got a picture of myself!

Because most of it had been in the flannel bags, there is no tarnish...it is pristine...

This is my best picture of the pattern.

Wow.

Pat was flying home that day -- so we went directly from the auction to the airport. But I was anxious to see what I actually bought at the auction (I also won several boxes of linens, tablecloths, dishtowels, etc). We parked in the cellphone lot of the Moline International Airport ...got out of the car, popped the trunk, and opened the white chest full of silver.

THANKS, Pat -- for bringing me such good luck!!

Pat's First Auction

It would have been a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT if Pat hadn't been able to attend an auction during her Iowa visit. It has long been my favorite way to spend a Saturday.  Always with my friend Bert. We meet for breakfast, go to the auction, look in the boxes, sit on the chairs, think about what we can refinish, redo, or get in the back of the Jeep...

Mary's last Iowa Auction.  May 2014.  I still think we should have bought this pair...

And, obviously, lately, we must agonize over what we'll have to GET RID OF in order to make room for any new treasure...

During the initial walk-around, Pat seemed a little stunned...

It is A LOT TO TAKE IN...

What do you call these things?  My Grandma Dodds had one...and they pop up all the time...

I think it was like early television.  The HD version, eh?

Bert on the left, and Pat on the right.  Rita's treasure in the middle...

You can always find something unusual...

Every bit of art hanging in my house came from an auction, an estate sale or a thrift store.

THIS WAS THE BUY OF THE DAY.  I am sooo thrilled!!

Pasta Night Appetizers

I had to go to a funeral visitation on the night of Pasta Class.  So, my cousins Linda and Kim were hosting the dinner for me. Pat was in the kitchen with Dan and Karl, making the pasta.

Before I left, I had the dishes and silverware already out on the porch.  All my team had to do was set the table before the guys brought out their freshly-made pasta supper...

I made Tabbouleh salad. Although John eats it the traditional way, with grape leaves, I'm more of a Tortilla chip girl...

I asked Linda to take some pictures for me...of the food, and the guys cooking. She took one picture. This is it. Do you see what's NEW in this photo? Yes -- there is a lovely bowl of homemade noodles...and??

I SWEAR, PAT -- I DID NOT PUT THE CANNED CHEESE ON THE TABLE...

Although, obviously, somebody found it in my pantry. (hey -- the kids love this stuff!)

I took this picture when I got back. Everybody was stuffed, and there were a few raviolis left for me to taste

TMBC and the Decker Hotel

We arrived at the Decker Hotel right on time. There is a table set up for us in the back corner...

So -- WHY ARE WE EATING LUNCH AT THIS PARTICULAR 150 year old hotel?

Because, hey -- WE ARE A BOOK CLUB. And recently, we all read, "Go Away Home", written by a friend of mine, Carol Bodensteiner. The book takes place in Maquoketa, Iowa, around the time of World War I.

This is the picture of the FIRST book cover (more about that later). Go Away Home has won several awards -- a Silver Medal for Historical Fiction...and WE ALL LOVED IT...

I met Carol at the Iowa Writing Festival.  Many years ago.  Her first book was a memoir, "Growing Up Country"...

We were all so excited about meeting Carol and learning more about the book.  EATING LUNCH in the actual Decker Hotel, where Liddie ate in 1922 -- seemed like the perfect idea.

These are my people.  Me, Carol and Pat in the back.  Linda K, Linda P. and Sandy in the front...

OF COURSE we asked Carol to sign more books.

John read the book, and he LOVED it -- so I asked Carol to autograph another copy for him. (I gave my original book to Rhonda Pierce -- who also loved it!)

Do you sense the theme here?  All of us loved Go Away Home.  The main character, Liddie, is an accomplished seamstress.  That was a valuable skill in 1918.

That time in history was so fascinating -- and if you are a fan of Downton Abbey, you would love Go Away Home

Carol is so articulate and bright -- it was fascinating to hear about how she did the research to write the book.  There were so many things that came together at that point in time.  It was the early days of commercial photography, sewing was a way a woman could be independent and make a living, World War I, the influenza epidemic.  Carol talked about what her inspiration was -- those kernels of truth that exist in every work of fiction.

OH YEAH.  It was a really great day!!

And this just might be my favorite picture of me and Linda...

Pat's Maquoketa Road Trip

As soon as I knew the dates when Pat would be here -- I scheduled a TMBC road trip. We are headed to Maquoketa, Iowa...for a really, really special event....

Lin is driving (she has a nice van) -- Sandy is riding shotgun.  Me, Pat and Linda are riding in the back...

Pat got a good dose of the Iowa countryside (a lot of corn fields).

Our first stop (you cannot be surprised).

The biggest bargain of the day -- Lin bought a brand new Vera Bradley bag for $5...!!

There is a place in Maquoketa called the Ohnward Fine Arts Center. It's a theater that was built and paid for by volunteers. None of us had ever been there - so we had a little time before our special event -- this seemed like the right place to go..

The theater is beautiful (but you'll just have to take my word for it)...

I did get this picture of the entrance...

They had some interesting displays

Pat, Lin, Sandy, Rita, Linda, along with the two other stuffy old people

They do a lot of tribute band shows, and this New Year's Eve event looks like fun, eh?

For our ACTUAL EVENT -- we are headed to the 150 year old Decker Hotel.

Oh, yeah....this is gonna be good.  REally, really good...