NONNA'S WORLD

Friday, December 26, 2008

CHRISTMAS WITH MY FAMILY

This is my brother Ronnie, in green shirt, and other members of my family at the Christmas supper.
Suzanne with her new blouse and more...

Brett got his first Tiny Trapper knife with a pearl handle. He collects Case knives.

This is the right watch.
Notice the belts with their gown and pjs. They received these and loved them so much they put them on and wore them to my house.

These three just jumped out of bed to see what Santa had brought. They open their gifts and then come to my house for breakfast. We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast of ham, bacon, sausage, eggs, biscuits, sausage gravy, and blueberry pancakes. After breakfast we opened gifts and then the search is on for their big gifts. In this game I give them ten clues to find their gift. I make Sheyanne’s a little harder and this time I had to help her with a few of them. Zack was even included in the search this year.

The most exciting part of the game was when Sheyanne finally found her gift. I had ordered her a white Dooney and Bourke watch and she had decided she wanted the leopard one. I told her I would cancel the order. I went to Wal-Mart and bought the cheapest, ugliest watch I could find and that was her search gift. She screamed when she saw it. She carried on something awful because I know she knew that this was not IT…Finally with all of her dramatics I told her to look at the warranty for the watch. She said, “This ugly watch doesn’t have a warranty?” I insisted so she looked and inside the case holding the watch was the warranty with another clue stuck inside. Finally she found the watch she wanted. As you can see from the picture it is way too big but just what she wanted.

I started this search game many years ago with my daughter and it continues on. I have tried many times to quit doing it and both granddaughters insist that the tradition continue.

On Christmas night we went to my brother, Ronnie’s house, for supper. We had thirty-two members of the family in attendance. The young kids draw names and the adults bring a woman’s gift of a man’s gift and we play the Chinese Swap Game. Richard, my youngest brother, is always in charge of the rules and drawing for the game. He has been known to change the rules in the middle of the game.

We continue to miss the five members of our family that are no longer with us but I do feel so richly blessed to have such a wonderful family.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

BIG NIGHT FOR MADASAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADASAN
Madasan celebrated her 13th birthday. Her cake included all of the farm animals she has in her life. This is a little strange for a thirteen year old but just what she wanted. Keaton liked the cake so much he grabbed a handful.

Thirteen candles and she got them all without a second try.


Now this is something that every girl needs. This is a practice goat which is used to teach you how to tie one down. You can also see that Keaton thinks it is a toy. She got so many nice gifts from aunts, uncles, grandmothers, cousins, friends and her parents.
This is big sis and boyfriend enjoying the festivities. One thing about these two when you say, "cheese" they do.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS CARD

-----------------
------------
This is Halton Floyse being smooched by his mom and dad. I don't think he is yawning. Being a Howard and named after his great-grandfather I'm sure he is singing...
MERRY CHRISTMAS
------------

Friday, December 19, 2008

GIRL'S NIGHT OUT TO SEE THE ROCKETTES


Maxine, Me, Suzanne, Nancy, Iris, Donna, Julia (After the show)






This was a fantastic show.


We had supper at Benihana's before the show. We had to wait a little longer than normal because of the big crowd that also were there to see the show. Suzanne and I had never eaten at a Japanese Steakhouse but were pleased with our food.


*

We took the shuttle over to Alltel and got there just as the show was starting. By the time I got up the steps to Alltel I was completely pooped and then we had to go down steep steps to the fourth row. Going down was a little easier than going up.

*

We enjoyed every moment of the show and couldn't decide just which part of it was the most enjoyable. We all agreed that the elaborate scenes, lighting, orchestra, and dancers were all fantastic.

*

The only bad part of the trip was the weather. We traveled through fog going and coming. It finally turned into fog and rain but as we neared God's country the fog cleared and we sailed home the last few miles with just a fine mist. Our driver, Julia, missed a few turns but did a fantastic job of delivering us home safely. Julia is our Girl's Night Out planner. She can always come up with the best ideas.

RETIREES INVITED TO LUNCH AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

New Principal Karla Byrne talking to me.
Iris, Imogene, Jo Ann, Charlotte and Carma

Iris is a retired second grade teacher.
Imogene is a retired third grade teacher.
I am a retired principal.
Charlotte is a retired fifth grade teacher.
Carma is a retired fourth grade teacher.


Mrs. Byrne invited several of the recently retired teachers back to have lunch with the elementary faculty. Five of us showed up and enjoyed quite a spread. It was so nice to be back with all of my teacher friends and to meet the new members of the faculty.


Sunday, December 07, 2008

PICTURE TAKING DAY DOWN ON THE FARM

Getting ready for the picture. Brett loves picture taking day.
Suzanne and Brett

Suzanne, Madasan, Brett, Sheyanne

The dogs are ready, the horses are ready now if we could get everyone to smile.

Scarlett says, "This is what I think of picture taking day."
Madasan and Flossy don't mind at all.
Suzanne and the girls, Dixie and Fancy.

Suzanne got everyone ready for pictures today and I thought I needed to share a few of them. She wants all of the animals in the pictures so the dogs were dressed and the horses had to have on their Christmas hats. Since Brett loves picture taking day so much his job was to keep the hats on the horses. He loved it!!

Saturday, November 29, 2008

SHEYANNE GETS A NINE POINT


I'm just a little late getting this picture on my blog. Sheyanne got her nine point buck one weekend during the first part of the season. Little Sis had already gotten her one but she is sharing the celebration with Sheyanne.

I find that quite a few people check out my blog and I know some of those city folk must really get a kick out of some of the activities of my granddaughters. (Remember how they felt about Sara Palan hunting.) They are definitely country girls and enjoy every moment of it. They love to hunt turkey and deer. They love to show their cattle and care for them and they like to ride their horses. All of this is good clean entertainment that they can do with their parents. Both love sports and are good students. What more could a grandmother ask???

A VISIT TO BIG MAMA'S HOUSE

MADASAN, BIG MAMA WALTERS, SUZANNE

Suzanne, Madasan and I went to visit my mother-in-law, Big Mama. Big Mama still lives alone. She doesn't hear or see so well but she is still very alert and seems to be a very contented person. I think she takes one blood pressure pill and that is it.

Brett had bought a pig and had it butchered. The place the butchered the pig cut it up and packaged the meat for the freezer. There was two packages of liver and Suzanne didn't want it, I didn't want it so we called Big Mama. She wanted it! So we took the liver and several other things to her. Most of what we took was from the freezer and the rest was left over from Thanksgiving.

I noticed that as she put things in the freezer she didn't just stick it in there she placed it so she would remember where she put the different items. She doesn't see very well at all and I know she was memorizing the location of each thing.

After getting everything put away we visited for a while. She told us all about the ball games that were played Friday night. She listens to ballgames on the radio and watches them on the television. She never has the sound turned on on her television. She just watches and doesn't listen.

I think it is so great to grow old so gracefully. Big Mama never complains about her vision, her health, her hearing problem or anything. She seems to be completely happy. How nice that must be at age 91.

Friday, November 28, 2008

THANKSGIVING WITH THE HOWARDS








I had around thirty members of the Howard family over for Thanksgiving plus three or four friends of the Howard family. Most of the pictures I am sharing are of the younger generation. Little Halton Floyse Howard survived his first Thanksgiving.


Tuesday, November 25, 2008

MY SPECIAL MADASAN BILLEE

Suzanne and Madasan went shopping with me yesterday. We had lunch at Red Lobster and then headed out to the mall. I wanted Madasan to buy something at Dillard's to wear to church. She will not wear a dress so wears dress pants or skorts (Is that what those things are called that look like a skirt but are really big legged pants?)every Sunday.
*
We had this very determined sales lady and she just knew she could entice Miss Madasan into several cute little outfits but nothing seemed to do. She finally found a pair of brown dress pants and after trying about a gillion tops decided that one would do. She just was not interested in anything Dillard's had to offer. She was holding out for something better.
*
We then went over to Cavender's. Since she is my cowgirl this is her favorite shopping place. She was wanting a pair of boots. Her birthday is on Dec. 22 I had told her just how much I would spend on boots. Last year she really got to me and looking at those boots after a year of real wear I was not sure they were worth the asking price. She looked and couldn't find just what she wanted but when we entered the store she had already found just what she wanted. That is the shoes in the picture.
*
With all of the cute things she could choose from she just had to have these shoes. (flip flops) She wants them for her birthday present and will receive them on Dec. 22. Don't you think it might be a little cold for flip flops in Dec.?
*
The sad thing about this story is her mom is wanting a pair of these. We had a visitor today and Madasan showed them to her and asked her how much she thought they cost. She guessed $10-I wish!!!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

OUTLAWS LOSE IN SECOND ROUND OF PLAYOFFS



OUTLAWS LOSE TO JUNCTION CITY
39-0 in the second round of playoffs.
The Dierks Outlaws traveled to Junction City to face the number one seed Dragons tonight and lost the game 39-0. The Dragons proved to be too much for the Outlaws. The Outlaws played some good ball but just could not keep up with the number one Dragons. This finishes the season for the Outlaws.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

A NEW HIDE AWAY IN THE DEEEEEP WOODS

This is the view from the front of the cabin. The lake is near but can't be seen because of the trees.
Guess who got a big buckkkkkk!!! (NOT) Had to have some fun with all of those guys that were showing their big buck pictures.
This is big Nonna sprawled out on the new front porch of the cabin. They don't have any chairs to lounge in yet.

Suzanne trying to get a signal out here in the boonies. She couldn't...
Let me tell you about the trip my darling daughter took me on this afternoon. Since moving the cabin to this location I had not had the pleasure of seeing it. Getting to the cabin is quite a tricky situation. You travel about a gillion miles on a paved road then hit a gravel road then hit a pig trail. Did I tell you how bumpy the pig trail was. They had to cut several trees just to get the cabin into this area so it is basically uncharted wilderness. Believe me all you hear is silence and an occasional bird chirping. If you want peace and quiet this is the place to be. They love it...



MADASAN RECEIVES TWO PURPLE CIRCLE AWARDS AT AR STATE FAIR


Madasan received two Purple Circle Awards this year. The Arkansas Purple Circle Club award program recognizes junior exhibitors who have earned championship honors in various livestock shows held at the Arkansas State Fair. Madasan received the following awards at the Fair this year: Grand and Reserve Champion Maine Anjou Heifers, Grand Champion Maine Anjou Bull, Supreme Breeding Bull and Junior Beef Cattle Showmanship Winner. The Arkansas Farm Bureau sponsors the Purple Circle Club.

OUTLAWS GROUND EAGLES IN FIRST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS


(Taken from the Nashville News, Monday, November 17, 2008)

Saturday, November 08, 2008

DIERKS OUTLAWS DEFEAT THE HORNETS

DIERKS DEFEATS MINERAL SPRINGS - The Dierks Outlaws secured second place in the 7 Double “A” West football conference Thursday night, with a 49 to 27 win over Mineral Springs. The game was tied at 7 at the end of the first quarter but both teams turned up the scoring in the 2nd period. The game was tied at 21 until just before halftime when Mineral Springs blocked an Outlaws field goal attempt and returned it for a touchdown, giving the Hornets a 27 to 21 halftime lead. However, that would be the last bright spot of the night for Mineral Springs as Dierks dominated the remaining two quarters. A blocked punt by the outlaws capped the scoring in the 49 to 27 victory. Both teams open the double “A” playoffs next Friday.

In the 7 Double “A” West, the top seeds are Mt. Ida, Dierks, Mineral Springs, Murfreesboro and Horatio. Mt. Ida will open against Augusta. The Dierks Outlaws host Conway Christian. Mineral Springs opens the playoffs against Smackover while Murfreesboro travels to Mountain Pine in week one.


(Taken from Southwest Arkansas Radio News)

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

SUZANNE'S GREAT NIECES AND NEPHEW

Kendall
Tory

Macy


Keaton
Aubree

This is my daughter, Suzanne. Suzanne has a collection of great nieces and one nephew that she just adores. Keaton is the first boy in the Muse family in over twenty years so he gets his fair share of attention. Kendall is the one that visits the Muse farm the most because she loves to see all of the animals, to paint her finger nails, visit Nonna and find the treats and talk on the girl's phones.

BIG SURPRISE

"Who won the election?"
Sheyanne is just showing out but when I saw this picture it screamed out, "Who won the election?" After the election results were announced she called me and wanted to know just what was going to happen since we had a new president. After some serious explaining she finally decided that maybe things would not start changing immediately. That girls is something else!!!

Sunday, November 02, 2008

THE GIRLS ARE HUNTING DEER (DEAR)


Madasan got up early this morning and got a six point. She said it looked like Bambi's little brother. Last year she said she shot Bambi. Her sister has lost interest in hunting the four legged deer and concentrates on the two legged kind.