clark strikes again

Clark: Russ, we checked every bulb, didn't we?
Rusty Griswold: Sure, Dad.
Clark: Hmm... Maybe we ought to just go up there and check...
Rusty Griswold: Oh, woo. Look at the time. I gotta get to bed. I still gotta brush my teeth, feed the hog, still got some homework to do, still got those bills to pay, wash the car...

Gosh how I love that movie.  What would Christmas be at Green Acres if I didn’t compare Mr. Miller and his little “Rusty’s” to Clark Griswold and Christmas Vacation.

The lights are up with some gentle prodding by myself and our neighbor Mr. Dutcher.  So without further ado, drum roll please….

 

And last but not least, my 2 little “Rusty’s” beaming with pride in a job well done!  Merry Christmas my friends!

school house days

 

I love this school house.  We pass it on US 50 every time we go to the farm to see Gigi.  This time Mr. Miller and I actually stopped to get a picture.  

It just intrigues me, I can almost feel the history flowing from this building.  The stories and faces of all those children that attended school in that building.  I have a question for my Kansas readers, this is on US 50 just past the Morning Star Ranch, does anyone know any history about this school house?  I would love to find out more information.

I love buildings from our past.  I think of what life on the prairie must have been like.  Walking for miles just to get to school.  The weather they endured.  Our children don’t have it so rough. 

As we drove past down the road I noticed for the first time there were 2 outhouses behind the school.  I joked with Mr. Miller that they even had his and her “Eleanor's”.  You ask why I refer to it as an “Eleanor”, well the story goes that Eleanor was the nickname of the basic sanitation that began in the early to mid-1930s.  When the nation was deep into the Great Depression many work projects were organized to help the unemployed also referred to as the WPS.

The people were scared of a Typhoid Fever epidemic so Eleanor Roosevelt wanted to improve the sanitation of the farmers and rural communities. These outhouses still bear her name.  We actually have and Eleanor on the farm in Newton.  I used to teased Mr. Miller that I have never seen a cement outhouse and Gigi informed me that it was not just an outhouse but an “Eleanor”.

These “Eleanor's” were constructed with a 4-foot-square cement slab and a metal roof with walls made from any kind of lumber they could find or re use.  (Wow, think about it they recycled then too, Cameron likes that part of the story).  They rose to 7 feet in the front, with a 1-foot slant downward toward the back.  They made sure they were well ventilated with a total of four vents.  Two under the roof could be closed and the other two were just 3 feet from the floor, one in the front and one in the back.  They all had metal screens.

Our “Eleanor” is still standing and it adds a great bit of history to the farm.

 

putting the beds to rest

A couple of weeks ago my Miller Men put our flower and garden beds to rest for the Winter in preparation for “Clark” to make his annual visit to the front of Green Acres.  This year Henry was able to help and Cameron took great pride in giving direction, OK dictating to his little brother on how this job was going to be completed.

The eager participant who didn’t like his mittens by the way.

The “bossy” big brother.

 

We finally rid ourselves of one mitten.

Cameron really thought moving hay was fun.  Who was I to step in the way of his fun.

The beds are sleeping and all is calm.  Clark did come and the front is beautiful.  Pictures to come.

vintage linens

 

I have a fondness for all things vintage but really, really love linens.  I found these great sheets months ago while on Urban Treasure Hunt.  Don’t you think it will go great in a quilt?  By the way I love antiques too, the table above was made by Mr. Miller’s grandfather.  We have an inlaid game table downstairs to match.

I am trying to hold true to a handmade Christmas.  So far so good, I will admit that I did purchase toys for the boys.  Cameron loves his legos and Henry loves Thomas. 

My sewing machine has been working on full speed and it has been very therapeutic.  Life is so busy but I am trying to slow down and enjoy the season.

Hope you all are staying warm and enjoying the blessings of the holiday season.

i said yes...

As I was prowling Facebook yesterday I came upon a post by one of my childhood friends. Jeni and I lived 3 doors from each other during 6Th - 8Th grade. We were close and always getting into mischief. I know you find that hard to believe. Jeni lives in New York now with her husband and 4 beautiful little girls. Jeni posted that today would be the 18Th anniversary of David proposing to her and as I was reading her post and yes crying, I realized that 12 years ago today Mr. Miller officially "popped the question" and I said yes, eventually.

Mr. Miller and I had known each other since I was 18, but didn't date for 9 years. When we did start dating I knew that he was it. Crazy that in all the years we knew each other I would not have ever guessed that he was the one. I have to say that when he kissed me that first time it was it! I had a "Sabrina" moment, corny but true. Our relationship was a long distance one with him in Kansas City and me in Topeka but we made it work. The year we got engaged it had been and unusually warm season and he was a landscaper which meant lots of hours. We snuck away over Thanksgiving to see the Deacon and Pops in Illinois. We took the train and were going to drive back as they were gifting Patrick with a car since the "bucket" had died.

While on the train Mr. Miller told me to get my calendar out. I thought it was strange but I went with it. So he said lets just do it, pick a date. Not so romantic I know but it does get better, eventually. We discussed lots of options and settled at the time with October 16Th, 1999. (Little did we know at the time the church would double book that date and we would end up with October 9, 1999.) I think I was so excited that we actually had the time to talk about getting married that I didn't realize I wasn't given a ring. Come to find out he had already been shopping with my Mom and because it had been such a crazy season for me he wasn't able to go pick it up and actually present it to me on the train.

I knew the ring would come and we started planning and figuring things out. Along comes Saturday, December 10Th, 1998 and we were in Topeka meeting with Fr. Terril about the ceremony. We met my family at the mall to do a little Christmas shopping so I was told. Mr. Miller and Mimi had a different agenda, while Erika and the kids took me to the Dillards shoe department, they went to the jewelry store.

We met up in the food court for dinner. Things were fine and we were laughing while enjoying our Chik-fil-a and then it got quiet. He grabbed my had and said, finally and officially, "will you marry me?" and I just looked at him and the first thing I could muster was "as far as you know!" (that was Mr. Miller's answer for everything) He just looked at me like a lost puppy and Mimi said ask her again. He did and I said "YES!". He slipped a cigar band on my finger first followed by what I call my Princess Diana ring. He gave me a sapphire surrounded by channel set diamonds and I LOVE IT! You ask why a cigar band? I had always told him I didn't need a ring that would put you in debt, if we couldn't pay cash for it we were not getting it. I didn't care if it was a cigar band or twist tie, all that mattered was that we were together forever. I still have that cigar band and will keep it forever and plus what a great story if Chik fil a ever has a contest. Haha...

I love you Mr. Miller!