Reunited: A Swing Set Story

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Do you remember my story about my swing set?  Last year thanks to Kalissa’s quick fingers, she scored me a swing set for $300 on Marketplace.  My boys, Buck and Karl along with Craig and one of my childcare dads, put it together for me.

Today I’m going to tell you a recap about the swing set and then tell you a funny story about it.  First, the recap.  You can read the original post HERE.

The set from Marketplace had been damaged in a wind storm so it took a little finagling to get it up working and I wanted it modified so that I could have an extra swing put on it.  Here is what it looked like when I bought it.

Buck and Karl borrowed a trainer from a friend of ours.

Then they put it together.  It took a full day with all of the guys working.

The kids have loved the swing set.  I love it…I don’t love mowing around it and the weed eating but the rest, I like.

When I bought it, the owner kept one of the slides.  There is one that is supposed to go off the back.  It’s 14′ long and needs to work on a 10′ deck.  I priced one out and it was $800 if I could find one in stock.  Shucks.  That was too much.

Over the last year, I looked and looked at swing sets on Marketplace trying to find a slide for it but never found one.  It’s really fine without it but part of me wanted that slide.

This is what the original set is supposed to look like…

Can you believe this set lists at $5579??  See that big slide to the left in the picture?  That’s what is missing.

The kids played on the play set without the slide.  Buck boarded up that area so kids couldn’t fall out that hole.  It was really okay without the slide.  BUT…

That was the recap…now for the funny part of the story… Continue reading →

At the Movies: Elvis

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I’ve been on a movie kick.  Typically I don’t go to many movies but lately, there have been several that I’ve wanted to see.  Last week I was reading Mary’s blog at Chicken Scratch Country Threads and saw that she had gone to see the Elvis movie.  OH!  That reminded me that the movie would likely be coming out in my area soon.

I checked.  We have a $5 theater with decent prices on concessions just south of us in Sumner, Iowa.  I decided to check and see if the movie might be playing there.  It was.  I had a busy week and only had two days open that might work for me to see it so I messaged a friend of mine to see if she wanted to go.  She did…and I’m really glad I went.

As we were driving to the movie my friend mentioned that she was a little surprised I was excited to go.  I’m younger than she is and she wondered if I even remembered Elvis.

I did remember Elvis.  As a kid who was 12 when he died, I remember him when he had gained weight…but, my dad used to watch old westerns and I seem to remember a movie he was in when he played an Indian…and maybe another western and a military movie.  The one when he played an Indian was my favorite.  I don’t remember the name…maybe one of you do.   I used to watch movies with my dad a lot on Sunday afternoons or as a late movie on television…never at the theater.  I also remember watching some type of television special that he hosted.

I can remember sitting at the kitchen table when my parents said that Elvis had died.  My parents shielded us from a lot so for the longest time, I thought he died of a heart attack…not drugs which were the real culprit.

If you haven’t seen the trailer for the movie, here it is…

So what did I think of the movie?? Continue reading →

Ask Jo: Cross Stitch, Transfer Eze and Purple Hobbies

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Every so often questions and comments come from readers that I think others would like to hear my response to.  That’s when I feature them on the blog.  This is one of those days.

Kathy asked:
“The box fits in perfectly. I agree you repurpose wonderfully. I am curious about the size of the cross stitch piece. It was looking much smaller till your finish and display area?”

Kathy was talking about this little piece that I finished.  The size of the stitched area on this piece is 2 1/2″ x 4 1/4″.


You can read about it in THIS POST if you missed it.

Another reader, Sandi, asked: Continue reading →

A Busy Week…

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Last week was super busy for me again.
Monday-Kelli and Kalissa’s kids were here for childcare
Tuesday-Drove to Buck’s to help him with a project
Wednesday-Did errands and caught up here
Thursday-Kalissa’s kids were here
Friday-Back to Buck’s to help some more.

I brought Buck’s kids, Scotty, Lucy, and Lilly back home with me.  They stayed overnight.  Then Saturday Kalissa and Kelli’s kids were here.  I had 8 of our 9 grandkids here to take care of.  WOW.  Buck’s kids stayed over Saturday night too.

Sunday I met Buck at the halfway mark at noon and delivered the kids back to him.  Then went to Kalissa’s to eat…then home to write blog posts as I hadn’t written any or kept up with the blog since Thursday night.  Off-da.

If you sent me a note and I didn’t get back to you, that’s why.  It was busy.  Feel free to email me again.

Here are some pictures from the park on Friday night.  This is Scotty.
Here is Lilly…


Lilly did such a great job at my house this time.  She’s always done okay but never quite made it over the hump to truly warm up to me.  Before I was the adult who was taking care of her…this time she treated me totally like Grandma and even called me Grandma.  Somehow things really clicked this time that I was more than the adult taking care of her.

I know those of you who have grandkids that live further away that you don’t see as often can probably relate that there’s a moment when things click with grandkids that you aren’t just a visitor…you’re family.  Lilly did that over the weekend and it was the best!!  She’s such a sweetie and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Here is…
Continue reading →