Monday, November 4, 2024

Master To-Do List and Menu Plan Monday - November 4. 2024

After weeks/months of drought, it's been a very rainy couple of days here in southwest Missouri. 

Storms Rolling in From the West

The thunder rolls across the prairie as severe storms brew to our west. We are under a tornado watch here at the moment, but tornado warnings have already been issued in counties just to our west. 

Update: Right after I typed the above, I ran out to get a photo of the approaching storm. Next thing I knew tornado sirens were going off and there was a tornado warning issued for our area. We had quite the little adventure there for a few minutes, then everything cleared and, now, it's just rain. Praise the Lord!

Heavy Rain

I'm just going to get right on into this week's post. Let's go...shall we?

Saturday Morning Sky on the Way to Work
It was great seeing water in a long-dry creek!

This week's to-do list...

- Clean house
- Do laundry
- Wash comforter
- Go to the post office
- Choose a health care plan for 2025
- Vote in Tuesday's election
- Attend a political watch party
- Make a trip back home to attend my cousin's wife's funeral (she was only 47) 😢
- Work
- Conduct an owl prowl (at work)


Claudia JoLynn Brown

Please pray for my cousin, Larry, and
he and Claudia's three children. 


Barred Owl


This week's menu plan...

I'm going to attempt a low-spend November and focus on using up (or at least make a dent in) foods on-hand...especially freezer items.

Monday - Breakfast for supper
Tuesday - Out
Wednesday - Pasta with turkey Italian sausage stuffed sweet peppers, peas, and garlic bread
Thursday - Turkey burger and sweet potato fries
Friday - Sandwich and chips
Saturday - Corn Chowder, Ojibwa Baked Pumpkin, and Indian Fry Bread
Sunday - Chili with crackers 

Friday Night Sky


That's it for today! I hope you're having a nice Monday and that you have a great week ahead!

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Autumn Bucket List 2024

Autumn is well under way and, even though I started it long ago, I forgot all about posting my autumn bucket list. I just now discovered it in my draft folder so, even though it's very late, I'm going to go ahead and post it now. 


To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven." 
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)


- Make my autumn bucket list
- Post consistently (at least once per week)
- Celebrate autumn birthdays with the grands and great-grand (Cooper turns one this year!)
- Welcome my first great-granddaughter into the world
- Attend (and work) Prairie Jubilee
- Plant milkweed seeds
- Attend Missouri Town's 48th Annual Arts, Crafts, and Music Festival 
- Complete the following programs through work...

        - Autumn Explorations
        - Owl Prowl
        - Winter Wildflowers

- Complete the following library programs...

        - Going Batty
        - Fox in the Forest
        - A Little House Christmas

- Visit Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument in Texas
- Visit Palo Duro Canyon Texas
- Meet my long-time online friend, Bev, in person
- Visit a pumpkin patch
- Walk through a corn maze
- Visit Branson with my aunt
- Go to Silver Dollar City
- Explore Marvel Cave
- See the site from the top of Inspiration Tower
- Attend the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama
- Collect seed from my zinnias
- Celebrate National Bison Day
- Exercise my right as a citizen of the USA to vote in the 2024 election
- Pick up pecans
- Get an eye exam and new glasses
- Kick off the Christmas season in Kansas CIty
- Celebrate 'Family Christmas' with my children and grands
- Have van serviced and readied for winter
- Have tires rotated and balanced
- Trim trees, mow, and weedeat final time before winter

That's what's on my autumn bucket list. What's on yours?

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Monday, October 28, 2024

Master To Do List and Menu Plan Monday - October 28, 2024/Trip to Branson

Another month has flown by and...here it is...the last Monday of October! 



We're under a wind advisory and a red flag warning today. We are officially listed as under 'extreme drought conditions' on the Missouri Drought Map and are under a burn ban county wide. We are praying for rain.

Lake Taneycomo - Branson, MO


This past week was great! I presented 'Going Batty' at the local library on Tuesday.





Aunt Geneva came down on Tuesday to spend the night. Geneva is only 9 years older than me, lived next door when I was born, and she and my Aunt Bev are the closest thing to sisters that I've got.



First thing Wednesday morning we hit the road headed for Branson...and we had a BALL!



Wednesday afternoon we visited Shepherd of the Hill's Inspiration Tower where the view from up top is magnificent!



Next we visted the Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area where I walked the Dewey Bald Trail. It's my favorite trail in the area, but this was my first time to walk it in the fall. It was absolutely beautiful! 





After checking into our hotel and getting settled we attended Wednesday night BIble study at Friendship Free Will Baptist Church  where our pastor from Blue Springs currently pastors. It was great to catch up with him and his wife and visit with friends, old and new, in Branson.


Thursday morning we headed for Silver Dollar City



I did the Marvel Cave cave tour first thing. 








Afterwards, we took in all of Silver Dollar City.



We enjoyed the sites...



...rode the train...





...saw lots of pumpkins...




...met Buck Taylor ('Newly' on Gunsmoke)...




...and truly enjoyed the day!






After getting completely soaked on the Mystic River Falls water ride, we decided to head back to the hotel to change our clothes and freshen up before heading back to Shepherd of the Hills to enjoy the outdoor drama.







I've seen the play several times before, but it never ceases to captivate me. It is sooo good and comes highly recommended. If you ever make it to Branson, don't miss it! 💓

Click HERE

Okay enough about all that! Let's get on with this week's post...shall we?



This week's to-do list...

- Clean house
- Do laundry
- Go to the doctor
- Set an eye appointment
- Figure November budget and bills
- Go to the bank
- Pay November bills
- Have tires rotated
- Meet dil for our quarterly nature drive and breakfast
- Work
- Celebrate National Bison Day



This week's menu plan...

Monday - Turkey Italian sausage with oven-roasted potatoes and canned beets
Tuesday - THM's Good Grub on low-carb tortillas
Wednesday - THM's Egg Roll in a Bowl
Thursday - Homemade pizza
Friday - Fish sandwich and oven fries
Saturday - Chili with crackers
Sunday - Leftovers 



That's all for today! Have a great week ahead and I'll see you again soon!

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Monday, October 21, 2024

Master To-Do List and Menu Plan Monday - October 21, 2022

It's a beautiful morning here on the tallgrass prairie of southwest Missouri! At present, it is 64 degrees and the sun is shining under a cloudless, blue sky. The doors and windows are wide open enabling the cool, autumn breezes to waft through the house, airing it as it goes. What a glorious morning the Lord has blessed us with!

"This is the day which the LORD hath made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it."
(Psalm 118:24)

My husband and I were married on 
Valentine's Day. Anytime I find a heart
in nature I think of him. 💓

I awoke early this morning and got to work straight away. Breakfast is over and the dishes done, a general cleaning has been done (spritzing, polishing, dusting, vacuuming, and mopping), clothes are washed, dried, and put away (as is the bedding), and now it's time to take a break, settle down with a cup of tea, and visit with you. 

Finally got to catch the comet
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (a.k.a. Comet C/2023 A-3)
last night and it's a good thing! Apparently,
Sunday night was the last night to get
a chance to see it! The comet is not expected to come
around again for another 80.000 years, if at all.  


How are you? How was your week and weekend? My week here was good and the weekend highly productive. 

Oldest Grandson T. J.
T.J. turned 18 this week. In celebration he and I had
lunch and just enjoyed hanging out together. 

We enjoyed looking at Christmas trees in 
Walmart while we were out. 🎄

Sadly, the trip to Texas (which was supposed to take place last week) has been postponed, but is being rescheduled for a later date. It worked out well though. Since nothing else came up, and I was off work, I was able to pretty much get the yard put to bed before winter.

Youngest Granddaughter, Tabitha
The last time I saw her she was just a few hours old.
I couldn't believe how much she's grown!


Patrick and Amber and the kids came over Saturday to mow and weed-eat, and the boys helped me plant a red maple tree. Amber helped me wrestle a yucca out of the ground that was growing in the middle of a stump in the middle of one of my iris beds. It wasn't an easy task, but we got it!


New England Asters
Blooming in My Yard

I cut out several small trees this week and a cactus that has been bugging me for years. I  picked up downed pecan branches, pulled most of my zinnias (they were all brown and crunchy), and removed honeysuckle vines that were overtaking the bridle's wreath bush. I still have a couple of things left to do, but, overall, the yard is looking pretty good and is ready for winter.

"Leaves of Three - Leave it Be"
Poison Ivy in My Backyard

My tea is gone and it's time to get started on the next thing, so let's get started on today's post...shall we?

Stack o' Pumpkins in Watercolor


This week's to-do list...

- Clean house
- Do laundry
- Wash bedding
- Mail a couple of packages
- Renew my library card
- Pay mid-month bills
- Present a program on bats at the local library
- Work
- Get the fluids changed and autumn check-up done on van

Bat Painting by Vincent Van Gogh

"I often think that the night is more alive
and more richly colored than the day."
- Vincent Van Gogh


This week's menu plan...

Monday - Ground Turkey Soup with Beans and Spinach with grilled cheese sandwich
Tuesday - 'Good Grub' on low-carb tortillas
Wednesday - Out
Thursday - Out
Friday - Turkey burger and oven fries
Saturday - Chili with crackers
Sunday - Leftovers

Last Night's Moon

Well, it's time to get busy, so I'll say 'so long' for now. You have a great day and a wonderful week ahead!

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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