In Loving Memory of Aunt Laura

In Loving Memory of Aunt Laura
Originally uploaded by iwork4toby

I remember strolling around the yard with Laura and family, taking in the wonderful sights and aroma of the garden.


God looked around his garden
And found an empty place,
He then looked down upon the earth
And saw your tired face.
He put his arms around you
And lifted you to rest.
God’s garden must be beautiful
He always takes the best.
He knew that you were suffering
He knew you were in pain.
He knew that you would never
Get well on earth again.
He saw the road was getting rough
And the hills were hard to climb.
So he closed your weary eyelids
And whispered, ‘Peace be thine’.
It broke our hearts to lose you
But you didn’t go alone,
For part of us went with you
The day God called you home.

–Anonymous

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!
Originally uploaded by iwork4toby

This will be a super quick post because I need to complete my work-at-home hours! Stu and I were shopping for groceries yesterday when we were greeted by one of our favorite Dahl's employees surrounded by red, pink, and white flowers and balloons! Georgia's smile beamed and her heart-shaped earrings shimmered as she stood beneath the balloon arch. Stu immediately asked, "Which flowers do you want?" I pointed to the bouquet of alstroemeria and exclaimed, "I want THAT one!" Georgia placed the bouquet in a box with red tissue and we were on our way ~ with a bonus mylar balloon! I enjoy those kind of surprises after 29 years of marriage! Happy Valentine's Day!

Frosty

I enjoyed my drive to work the other morning ... such an array of Frosty's!!! This is the Grand Champion of the Frosty's ... primarily due to his patriotic nature and his size!!!

Happily Doing The Backstroke

I enjoyed my drive to work the other morning ... such an array of Frosty's!!! This Frosty is celebrating (see the sign under the window) as he backstrokes through the deep white snow!

You Are Cute

I enjoyed my drive to work the other morning ... such an array of Frosty's!!! Further down the street, this happy guy is not alone!

Where Is Your Hat And Scarf

I enjoyed my drive to work the other morning ... such an array of Frosty's!!! This is the snow family closest to our home. I couldn't resist, "where is your hat and scarf?" ; )

Happy Birthday Toby

Happy Birthday Toby
Originally uploaded by Neva in 2010

Toby is celebrating his 8th birthday on November 20, 2010! He received many nice birthday wishes from his Flickr friends. Happy Birthday To You, Toby Three Paws.
We Love You! >^^<

Happy New Year!

Christmas Cookies
Originally uploaded by iwork4toby

Peanut Blossom Recipe ~

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream shortening and peanut butter. Add remaining ingredients. Shape into balls the size of walnuts. Roll in sugar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet in 375 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and place milk chocolate kiss or star on top of each cookie, pressing down so the cookie cracks around the edge. Return to oven for 2 minutes or until chocolate just begins to melt.

Substitutions ~

I substituted butter for shortening; Skippy 25 percent reduced fat creamy peanut butter for peanut butter; Splenda for sugar; Egg Beaters for eggs; and Skim Milk for milk.

Thanks, family, for your kind comments! : )

Kalona, Washington County, Iowa

What a fun way to spend a weekend day! Hey, that rhymes! Sherry and I met Carla at her home in Iowa City mid-day on Saturday, October 24, 2009. Our next stop? The historical village of Kalona, Iowa, home of the largest Amish settlement west of the Mississippi. The Iowa Mennonite School is located just a few miles to the northwest. We enjoyed a scrumptious lunch at Tuscan Moon and strolled through several antique stores. The ladies manning the register at the old hardware store chatted for a spell and made us feel welcome in the community! Our visit to Stringtown Grocery led to the purchase of Chocolate Raspberry Mocha and a dry potato soup mix which will, most likely, come in handy on a cold, winter day this season! Despite the high gasoline prices, Carla drove around the country roads in order to catch a glimpse of Amish life during the peak of Autumn. Out of sensitivity and respect for Amish beliefs, I did not attempt to photograph individuals; however, I will hold onto the memory of the mother and daughters raking leaves in front of their farm home, the horse-drawn buggy carrying a father and son, and the wife hanging a multitude of dresses, shirts, and pants on the clothesline to dry in the strong country breeze. It was an amazing day!

534th Engineer Boat & Shore Regiment 2009 Reunion

We began our journey to Grand Rapids, Michigan on a clear, windy day, stopping for a quick, hot breakfast at McDonald's! After driving several miles, we enjoyed box lunches purchased at HyVee (the local grocery business who sponsored the Honor Flight) on a picnic table at the Interstate Rest Area! While driving through road construction near the Chicago area, at least two cars swerved into our lane . . . yet, we traveled without incident. We finally purchased a Road Atlas after losing our way on two occasions! Also saw at least 20 Highway Patrol and Sheriff's vehicles, but completed the entire trip without receiving a ticket! During our adventure, we toured Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park as well as the Gerald Ford Museum. Grand Rapids is a beautiful city! If you ever have an opportunity, drive through the small town of Mt. Carroll, Illinois. Their Historical Society researched records and posted signs in front of several beautiful, old homes. We traveled across Lake Michigan on the Lake Express! See the photo of the Milwaukee Clipper and Lake Express, side-by-side! The most memorable part of our trip, however, was visiting with the World War II Veterans and families. While sitting in the Hospitality Room, discussions ensued regarding War times and current events. This year, the Veterans honored a Silver Star recipient by presenting him with a tie.

To the Veterans of the 534th EBSR~WE THANK YOU AND SALUTE YOU!

Rest and Relaxation!

Finally! A time for rest and relaxation. After leaving work at 3:10 p.m., I raced home (just a bit over the speed limit), poured a glass of smooth soy milk, and got comfortable on the back porch! Toby is watching the activity from his "tube." As folks returned home from school and work, we began hearing the buzz of lawn mowers, the clatter of silverware on patio tables, the sweet summer song of the locusts, and, interestingly, the song of a pileated woodpecker! I had been hearing that particular song throughout the summer and finally identified it through Google! My home is in an older, established neighborhood with older, established trees lining the streets and backyard fence lines. Pileated woodpeckers choose forest areas and are known for keeping their distance from humans. This guy (a little bit of red identifies this one as a male) finally swooped low enough for me to catch a glimpse. The down side to this story is that pileated woodpeckers consume CARPENTER ANTS. Yikes! Well . . . at least the ants will be consumed, which, hopefully, will keep them away from my home! Now . . . back to my rest and relaxation!
Until next time . . . On The Back Porch

Congratulations, Doc!

DES MOINES, Iowa -
Dr. Stuart Mitchell of Springer Professional Home Services, Des Moines, Iowa; Oliver Exterminating Corp., Miami, Fla; Rottler Pest & Lawn Solutions, St. Louis, Mo; Wanninger Pest Solutions, Omaha, Neb; and PestWest Environmental, Sarasota, Fla., has been awarded the prestigious Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, BCIM, credential by the American Association of Integrative Medicine. The BCIM designation is reserved for those who are able to meet the stringent requirements of AAIM in the areas of knowledge, skill, education, training, and experience in their health care specialty.

The Greatest Generation

According to Wikipedia, The Greatest Generation is a term coined by journalist Tom Brokaw to describe the generation of Americans who grew up during the deprivation of the Great Depression, and then went on to fight in World War II, as well as those whose productivity within the war's home front made a decisive material contribution to the war effort.

The World War II Memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the United States, the 400,000 + who died, and all who supported the war effort from home.

Honor Flight provides a safe, memorable, and rewarding tour. The initial Honor Flight took place in May 2005. Six small planes carried World War II veterans to visit the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The HyVee-sponsored Central Iowa Honor Flight allowed 350 World War II veterans the opportunity to travel on a 747 from Des Moines to Washington, D.C., on August 11, 2009, to see the memorial dedicated to them in the nation's capitol. The veterans also saw the Iwo Jima Monument, the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Korean and Viet Nam memorials, and Arlington Cemetery. My father was among those 350 veterans. We thank HyVee, Central Iowa Honor Flight, Northwest Airlines, and KCCI as well as the many volunteers and unknown donors who made this trip possible. I thank my father, whose service in the Army during World War II helped pave the way to the liberties I experience today. I also thank all veterans for their service to this great country ~ the United States of America!

Welcome To The Back Porch News!

Welcome!
Please sit and stay a spell. The coffee is percolating at this moment so that we may enjoy a steamy cup of java as we experience the stillness of the morning. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! Psalm 118:24
Have you had a busy week keeping up with projects at work, caring for children, and performing chores? Sit and take a load off! The coffe is ready . . . cream and/or sugar? Now let me introduce you to some of our friends on the Back Porch. Toby is the red persian who "owns" the Back Porch. He is intrigued while watching the squirrels, rabbits, stripies, cardinals, blue jays, robins, house finches, juncos, purple martins, brown thrashers, woodpeckers, and the sole hummingbird! As we keep the neighbor cats, BK and Zoey, well~fed by offering Royal Canin, there have been no casualties so far. BK has tiger stripes and Zoey has a dark coat. Is it time to get on with our day already? Please stop by again for good conversation, rest, and relaxation!

Until next time . . . on the Back Porch!

Just Another Tuesday!

Hi folks!

This is the first post to my new blog. Special thanks to Deb for getting me started. As the title indicates, it was basically just another Tuesday. I arrived at work quite early and stayed late. Picked up lunch at HyVee and picked up photos at Walgreens. My photos of the Shawn Johnson & Friends show turned out "so~so." The show, on the other hand, was fantastic! I will be meeting my three high school friends for dinner tomorrow after work ~ that should give me some "scoop" for my next post! Thanks for visiting.

Until next time . . . On The Back Porch.