The Ashtabula Heart Walk!

Our family is walking in the Ashtabula Heart Walk on Sunday, October 3rd! We are raising money for an organization that is near and dear to our hearts, The American Heart Association!

Our son was born with a heart defect and had open heart surgery when he was 2 days old! The congenital heart defect he had was called Transposition of the Great Arteries. His aorta and pulmonary arteries were reversed. His surgery was performed by Dr. Mee at the Cleveland Clinic. Cody has had no problems since his surgery. He is now a healthy active teenager! He plays soccer, swims, rides his bike, runs around and is able to enjoy life to its fullest! We are thankful for all the research the Heart Association has been able to get done! For this reason, we are raising money again by walking in the Ashtabula Heart Walk! If you would like to help out with a donation, you can click the link on the side to go to Cody's heart walk page!

Harbor High School Class of 1985!

Beside Lake Erie's water blue

stands dear old Harbor High.

Her friendliness, her spirit true,

her fame will never die.

Harbor, dear Harbor High,

thy name we love.

Send forth thy guiding light,

reflected from above.

Purple and Gold shall be

colors of royalty.

We pledge our loyalty,

Harbor, to thee.

It's been 25 years since the Class of 1985 graduated from dear ol' Harbor High in Ashtabula, Ohio! We are trying to get in contact with members of our class for an informal last minute class reunion! We are planning to get together the last weekend of July 2010! If you know anyone from that class, please spread the word! We do not have contact information for very many people!

For this I am grateful...

For this I am grateful...

• two beautiful children
• a wonderful husband that puts his family first
• Grandma Cusano - she taught me so many things as I was growing up
• living in the country away from all the material things
• wonderful friends that share the same values
• the sound of spring peepers
• a fireplace to light on a cold, blustery winter day
• a yard filled with daffodils in the spring
• a family that loves to camp and enjoy nature
• being able to give my time to help others
• 4-H
• being able to be myself around my friends and they still love me
• 4 seasons: spring, summer, fall & winter

Jackpot Steer Show!

Our kids recently participated in the Ashtabula Cattlemen's Jackpot Steer/Heifer Show at the Ashtabula Co Fairgrounds! It was a great experience for them! They have been working hard with their steers this winter! There were alot of kids there from Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York! It was alot of hard work but the experience is all worth it!

Here is Cody showing Jack, his registered Maine. He placed 4th in his first class and he placed 3rd in his second class. I did not care how he placed, I was just glad he handled his steer so well! And that his steer cooperated!!

Here is Tori with her Maine Cross named Tank. He was a little antsy in the ring, but she was able to handle him!

We make it a family project! Bart is helping groom the steers.


Here I am blowing the barn dust off Jack before he has to go back into the show ring!

Bart & Cody stand with Jack! This is just before ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE! Keep reading!

All went well! Then after taking this picture, I turn around and out of the barn comes running a steer---no halter, no neck rope, nothing to grab onto! HOLY CRAP!! I look....IT IS MY DAUGHTER'S STEER!! Talk about having a heart attack! There were enough people to help keep him contained in one area of the gravel lot. He came up to smell Jack but before we could catch him, he took off again! We got the other end of a barn closed off and were able to corral him into the barn! At least we would have him somewhat contained! We then got him cornered enough to where I could throw a rope around his neck...but let me tell you...he is strong! He pulled me right along with him! I hollered out to a friend that was helping us and from what people tell me after the fact, he drug us both! Everything happened so fast, I couldn't even tell you the whole story! We got him into a corner and then someone came over and got a halter on him! Thank you to anyone who helped us and happens to be reading this! Our hearts were all pounding by the time we caught him! I think about it now and laugh!! But to see Tori & Scott come running out of the barn and the looks on their faces! I wish I had given someone my camera through the commotion! So how did it happen? They were trying switch his rope halter and show halter and he slipped out in the process! Things like that happen! I have never had a run away steer. I do have to tell you my April Fools joke though! On April Fool's, I stood at the kitchen window and then started screaming to Bart and the kids that the steers were loose! They were so mad at me when they came into the kitchen and I started laughing! Now after our little excitement at the Jackpot show, I know that feeling that they got when I started screaming! I guess I will never play that joke again...because it came back to bite me in the butt!

Well, we are getting hit with another major snowstorm here in Northeast Ohio. Schools are closed. Roads are horrible due to all the blowing drifting snow! My husband said that even the snow plow was in the ditch this morning when he went to work! My fingers are crossed, hoping that springtime hurries up and gets here!

In the meantime, I have been busy working on some new punchneedle patterns that I hope to have available soon! I started using Valdani threads and I just love them! Check out my punchneedle blog (link to the left) next week. I hope to have a few of my new patterns posted!

The kids have been busy getting ready for the Ohio Beef Expo in March. They have been grooming their steers and walking them to get them ready. According to the Farmers Alamanac, the weather is supposed to be yuk! We'll see!

Not much else is new around here. 4-H is getting into full swing. Ashtabula County 4-H week is coming up the beginning of March. We have lots planned! We will be hosting a locker decorating contest at our elementary school. We will also have a 4-H assembly. Our county 4-H committee is hosting an ice cream social for the public to attend and learn more about 4-H & Extension! It will be a week of green!

Well-hope everyone stays safe out there! Keep warm! Until next time...

Is winter over yet?

First of all, WOW! It has been forever since I updated my blog! I must apologize! The holidays were wonderful but crazy! And also, I must admit, I spend more time on facebook anymore than I do on my blog!

So when is this winter weather going to end? I know, I know...it is only mid-February! It seems like it has been winter forever! Well here in Northeastern Ohio we get to deal with that wonderful thing called LAKE EFFECT SNOW! The first weekend in January we were blessed with 40" of LAKE EFFECT SNOW! As a matter of fact, the kids lucked out and got an extra day of Christmas vacation because of the fluffy white stuff! I must say that during that snow storm I was LOVIN' IT! I kept saying, "MORE SNOW MORE SNOW!" Funny how by mid- February that all changes! Now I am hopin' for daffodil weather! Anyway, I will try to be better about updating you all on my life!

First~ a HUGE SHOUT OUT to Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman! If you haven't heard of her, ya gotta check out her blog! She is awesome! She has published a cookbook that is to die for! I must say a HUGE thank you to Beth over at Olde Tyme Marketplace for getting my her cookbook for Christmas! I have made so many things in it! Ya gotta try her meatloaf! It has become a weekly staple at our house! And her pot roast...YUM! Ya just gotta get her cookbook. Not only does it have great recipes and awesome pics but it has great stories too!

Well, here are some pics of our winter weather here in Northeastern Ohio for you to enjoy!

Here is bald eagle we saw out in our field on New Year's Mornin'!! It was soooo cool! That was the best pic I could get because that was the start of our snow storm! Big fluffy flakes were falling! Anyway, he was gorgeous! He must have stood waist high!

So glad we do not have calves this year! Both kids are taking steers for 4-H. So we have 3 steers out in the barn! I love calves, but trudging out in the snow to bottle feed the newborns...ughh!

Our back patio full of snow! Anyone care to come over and have a cold one? LOL!

We were happy to see the sun!

Snowin' & Blowin'

Christmas Carols

Well, Halloween is over...the clocks have been turned back...the days are getting shorter...


That only means one thing to me! I can start thinking about decorating for the Holidays! I hope you enjoy the selection of Christmas carols that I chose for you to listen to while browsing my blog! Be sure to open another window to browse around the web so that you can continue to listen to my Christmas songs in the background! I love the old classics! You know; Bing, Perry Como, Burl Ives, Johnny Mathis, Robert Goulet, Mitch Miller, Dean Martin, and my all time favorite The Carpenters! The new songs are good, but nothing reminds me more of Christmas that the ones from the 60's & 70's! I guess it is because I grew up listening to the Good Year Christmas Albums!! Remember those? We always got them at the Good Year Tire Store every year! I think one of the last ones to come out, my parents for me for doing good on my report card! I can still see the cover now! It was white and Burl Ives sang on it! I remember getting out all the albums my parents had and putting the record player under or near the live Christmas tree! I could not wait to get the Christmas Albums out! I can remember the albums had pictures of all the singers on the back covers! I loved the version of Sleigh Ride by Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme! I would lay near the Christmas tree looking up into all those beautiful lights, smelling the pine and imagining that I was on that sleigh ride with them! And what would Christmas be without The Carpenters singing in the background? There are so many voices that I associate with Christmas music!

So, please, enjoy the sounds of Christmas!

Two new steers have arrived!

Meet Jack & Tank!

The kids have gotten 2 steers for 4-H already. And we have one more on the way! His name is Tiny! They have been so busy working with them. Our schedules are crazy right now! Marching band, football practice, 4-H; you name it! But we love it all! We will soon start taking the steers to some shows and I'll post some pics and updates as the year moves along!

We have been busy here out in the country trying to get a barn up! Soon the steers will have a new barn to live in! We hope to have it completed by the end of the month! The kids already have designed the inside and how they want the stalls layed out! They even have picked out which steer will go in which stall! They are so excited!

This is Tori with Tank.

Here is Cody with Jack

Here I am with Jack. I just love his face! He has the most precious expression! I think I have already grown attached to him!

Here is the start of our new barn!



The framework!

Fall in Northeast Ohio

Fall has arrived here in Northeastern Ohio!

How can you tell?

• The green leaves are turning beautiful shades of reds, oranges and yellows!
• Woolly bears are starting to appear everywhere!
• The soy bean fields are turning a gorgeous golden yellow!
• Pumpkins are everywhere!
• Cornstalks are turning brown!
• The sky had those infamous fall clouds!
• A fire is going in the fireplace!
• Gloves need to be worn at the high school football games!
• The days are getting shorter!
• There's a chill in the air!

The Ashtabula County Fair!

Well, fair week went very well for us! No rain...which I think may be a first! But boy was it HOT! We had 90 degree days! Hadn't had a 90 degree day since June! Figures it would happen the weel of fair! The poor kids and animals too! Our 4-H club members did an outstanding job, which does not surprise me! We have a wondrful group of kids! All of our general project members got blue ribbons! 9 of their projects were chosen to go to The Ohio State Fair! Our animal members did well! Lots of ribbons, trophies and plaques!

As far as my children go, Tori got 2nd place in her weight class for market steers and Cody got 2nd place in his weight class for dairy beef feeders! We were very happy with their results!

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Cody and Speck in the show ring

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Cody and Speck resting in the barn

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Tori and Brutus with the judge


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Tori and Brutus leaving the show ring

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Our club display--

We made scrapbook pages for each member!

The junior fair theme this year was "Red Carpet A-Fair"

Fair week was exhausting to say the least! But it is well worth the exhaustion to see all the kids enjoying themselves and having a great time! We are already looking forward to next year's fair! The kids are getting ready to look for market steers for next year! Tori & Cody both plan to take a market steer next year!

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Getting Ready for Fair!

It seems like forever and a day since I have had a chance to update my blog! Life got pretty hectic here this summer! Bart's brother and his family came up to Ohio for 2 weeks and I had gone down and gotten their daughter 2 weeks prior to that! We went to Reading, PA for my husband's family reunion. I chaperoned band camp for my daughter's high school. We have been frantically trying to get ready for our county fair! Life has just been cRaZy!!

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The Ashtabula County Fair starts next Tuesday, August 11 in Jefferson, Ohio! As 4-H Advisors, we have so much to do to get all the members ready as well as our own kids!! We have over 60 members in our 4-H Club. We have a wide range of projects. Some kids take market animals, some are general projects and some are just cloverbuds! As far as animals, we will have market steers, dairy beef feeders, dairy cows, dairy heifers, pigs, rabbits, goats, lambs, ducks and chickens representing our club this year!!

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Fair week gets hectic! But thank goodness we have a great group of parents! They provide potluck lunches all week! That way you do not have to eat fair food 24/7! Not that fair food isn't good....I crave my fair share of fair food....(no pun intended!!) Oh yum....the sausage sandwiches, fries, cheese on a stick, cotton candy, french waffles....the list goes on and on....

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We bring our camper in on Saturday, our animals on Sunday and then we stay until the following Sunday! We live there 24/7 for 1 week. This year will be great with our new camper! We will have lots more room inside if it rains...which would not surprise me! The weather has been soooo crappy here this year! Rain....more rain....and more rain!! And it would not be fair week with out rain! Which reminds me of a funny story that happened one year at fair with my friend Wendy! I'll have to tell you all about it sometime! Everytime I think of rain at the fair, I picture my friend Wendy telling me, "It's not that deep....come on Kel" She was on one side of huge puddle under the cover of a barn...I was on the other side...in another barn. I had crocs on and she talked me into coming across....ANKLE DEEP I tell ya!!! But the funniest was when I was half way across, she made a point to tell me HOW MUCH ANIMAL MANURE WAS IN THAT PUDDLE--GROSS!!! We both laughed so hard! And still to this day, whenever I picture her on the other side of that puddle, I laugh out loud!!

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BE SURE TO STOP BY OUR MARKET ANIMAL SALE ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 14 at 3pm

at the Ashtabula County Fairgrounds in Jefferson!

Fill your freezer and support a 4-H member at the same time!!!

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Here is Tori getting ready to give her steer a bath!

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This is Cody and his dairy beef feeder!

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Tori working on setting up her steer

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Cody working with his dairy beef feeder!

The Milking Parlor

One early early mornin' a few weeks back I helped a good friend milk cows. Let me start the story at the beginning! I had gone out for beer & wings the last day of school with a few teachers and some moms that I had developed great friendships with...you remember a previous post about our school closing? It was a great morale booster for me! Well, Ros picked Tracy and I up & we headed for CCI. Next thing ya know, we are having a ton of fun! Joking around, eating good food, drinkin' cold beer....did I say beer??? I meant pop!! (hehehehe!)

Anyway, Ros started saying she was short of help for the morning. I said that I'd LOVE to come help milk. Then we started teasing Tracy and Julie. "Hey, let's make a party of it...everyone meet at Ros's in the morning and we'll milk cows!" Well....let me tell you, 5:15am came awful quick! I got in the car and drove 5 minutes to Ros's dairy farm...I think she was shocked! She started laughing...don't know if it was the fact that I actually showed up...or the way I was dressed! Let me tell you, I was no beauty queen! I was pretty much a frump! Even Bart said. "you are going like THAT?" Well off to the barn she and I went. We saw a truck pull in and she thought it was her brother-in-law! Well lo and behold, who walks into the milking parlor?? Julie!! Ros and I just started laughing! Tracy never showed up...but one of these mornings we'll get her out there! So anyway---Ros took us out to get "the girls" and then proceeded to teach us how to milk! We had a lot of fun and we laughed a ton! I was the official utter massager! Julie was the button pusher, she pushed the buttons to release the cows.

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THE GIRLS

We got to meet the girls close and personal!

Ouch--I am glad that is not me!!

Waiting to be milked in the parlor!

PLEASE PLEASE Support your local dairy farmers! God Bless them for milking cows 2-3 times a day! I could not do it like they do, day in and day out!

The Spillway in Linesville PA!

My niece is here from Savannah, Georgia. She is staying with us for a few weeks. So Tuesday after my kids had drum & piano lessons we decided to take a ride to feed the fish at the Spillway in Linesville PA! Last year they put in a new observation area. It is really cool! We have been saving old bread for about 6 months for the fish! You bring bread to throw to the carp! If you have never been there, it is amazing! There are so many carp that it is called the place where the ducks walk on the fish! I posted some pics to share with you all!

Look at the massive amount of carp!

This one had some kind of growth on his nose and immediately caught the attention of my kids!

You throw bread in and they just all try to get it. They try to swim over each other and you can hear them slurping and sucking! It is actually kind of gross!

This is the new walkway they put in. There are geese, ducks and carp all trying to get the bread! Afterwards, we stopped at the Nature Center and went on the nature trail and then we stopped by the fish hatchery!

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If you are ever in Linesville, PA be sure to stop! It is worth it!

Farewell to Pierpont Elementary School

Farewell to Pierpont Elementary School. On Thursday, June 4th we said good-bye to Pierpont Elementary School as students roamed the halls for the last time. I took some awesome pics and want to share some with all of you!

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This is on the front of the school...

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Some of us went out and rang the very old bell out front as the children loaded the buses. This bell is from the original Pierpont School !
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Here the buses are lined up for the last time to pick up students at Pierpont. Next year, our students will be bussed up to Kingsville. Some students will also open enroll in surrounding school districts.

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We all waved Good-bye as the buses left. The bus drivers blew their horns. Many students were in tears. Many of us adults were in tears. After the buses left, there were many tears and hugs as we all comforted each other!

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Cody rang the bell just before we left the school.

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Now it is time for a new beginning. Our community will miss our small community school. I know I myself have made many wonderful friends through the school. People that do not live in a small rural community like ours do not have any idea at all how important our school was to our community. I know for me, it was the social center of our community. It was how I met everyone I know when we moved here. Many people, including my husband grew up here and knew each other. The school was a great opportunity for me to volunteer and get to know everyone! Thank you Pierpont Elementary School, you will always hold a very special place in my heart!

Gettin' ready for the end of school!

It is that time of year! Summer vacation! I must say that this year the last day is a very sad one. Our school district is closing the doors of our little community school for good. After tomorrow, Pierpont Elementary School will be only a memory. But I must add that it is a very good memory! I have been involved with the school for the last 10 years! I find it hard to believe that 10 years has passed! But in those 10 years, I have met some of the most awesome people that I know! I have made many great friendships with faculty and fellow parents! Our last day is tomorrow and we are all planning on it being a tear jerker! We do a "clap off" for the 6 graders moving up to the Jr. high every year. The other students line the hallway along with any parents that are there that day and when the busses pull up, the 6 graders come down the hall one at a time while the school cheers them on! I (along with other moms) cry even if we do not have 6th graders at the time! This year, we are doing a clap out for the entire school. The moms have already decided we need to have cases of tissues! (I am crying just writing this...I will be mess tomorrow!!)
Anyway, on a HAPPY NOTE, we have some awesome things planned for the last day! We usually do a field day with all kinds of sporting events. But this year, one of our totally awesome moms (Jessi) came up with the idea of a science theme! We have 12 stations to choose from and each student will attend 6 stations! Here are the stations:

• Bubbles
• CSI Pierpont - the students have to figure out who stole the cookie from the lunch lady's cookie jar!
• Paleontologist - they will sift through sand to find "dinasour" bones
• Volcanos
• Electricity
• Mad Scientist (Chemistry)
• Magnets
• Earth Science - this is my station!! I have so much planned! I will tell ya all about it later!
• Biology - they will learn all about frogs & tadpoles!
• Medical - they will learn about healthy eating, make fruit kabobs and check their pulse
• Moon walk
• Blast Off--Rockets!

Jessi did an awesome job coming up with such great ideas! We have all been so busy preparing our stations and lining up help! And of course there is always food involved, so we will be putting together a big picnic lunch for all the kids, faculty and volunteers!

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My station, Earth Science, is going to be so much fun! I have 1/2 hour with each group. I love insects and as a Master Gardener, I give alot of insect talks to kids! So I am using part of my insect program with them! For 10 minutes I am going to give them some really cool facts about bugs! Then we are making bug suckers (Don't ask, I'll post a photo tomorrow!) The kids will then look for any living things in the roped off area! I am so excited! I am bringing my bug collection to share, along with all my other cool insect related items! I think it will be really fun! I hope the kids enjoy it! I'll post more about tomorrow sometime this weekend!

Relaxin' & Campin'

This year we decided to buy a new camper! We sold the boat which we had won. And then we sold our old camper to our friends Karen & Dave! We had originally bought the old camper from them and they were excited to be able to buy it back!

Here is our new camper! It is a hole heck of alot roomier than our old one! It is a 30' North Country with quad bunks and a slide out! Great for when the kids have friends spent the weekend with us or when our niece from Savannah comes and stays with us!

I could not believe how big it was once it was hooked to the truck! This was what I saw when I came out of the showroom and they had it all hooked up and ready to go! I said, "YIKES, we have to pull THAT home???" Mind you, it was THE windiest day of the year and we had a 2 1/2 hour drive! I was biting my nails! It was nothing for my hubbie!

This was our old camper! It was a 2001 24' Layton Scout! We loved it! It was a great starter camper for us! It had 2 bunks in the back for the kids and a full bed up front for us along with a little dinette and kitchen area! We are sure that Karen & Dave will enjoy camping in it again!


This is an inside pic of our new camper! Check out all the space! You would not believe how many empty cupboards I now have! Bart says that they won't be empty for long!



This was the inside of our old camper! See the difference?? We won't know how to act on a rainy day! We left a basket with wine, chips & salsa, pasta & sauce and stuff for gourmet s'mores in it for Karen & Dave to enjoy! We wish them many happy campfires!

We love to camp! It is great to be outdoors sittin' next to a campfire! And nothin' beats campfire cookin'! If anyone has any campfire recipes that they'd love to share, please post them here! I'd love to see some! I'll start sharin' some of ours soon! I'll post more campin' pics and campfire recipes as the campin' season continues!

Spring Beauty

Our crabapple tree was just beautiful this year! I just love the bright color after a dreary winter!

My daffodils are my pride and joy this time of year! I have more than I can count and just as many different varieties! I love to collect different kinds of daffodils. I love all the unique blossoms that are out there these days!

This rainbow appeared just before a storm came rollin' through! If you look closely, you can see a faint one up to the left! It was gorgeous! It went right over my house! I wish I could have gotten a photo!

SOLD!!

The boat has sold!!

We are so happy! We wish the buyer lots of good fishing!!

BOAT FOR SALE!!

FOR SALE~!

We are selling a 2008 16ft Lund 60th Anniversary Edition boat. It has a Mercury 9.9 Hp engine and a 2007 Load-rite trailer! It has never seen water and is BRAND NEW!! If you are interested please email me! There is a link on the left hand side of my blog!

Buy it all for $5,000!!

We are located in Northeastern Ohio!

Check out the Mercury 9.9 Hp engine

2008 16ft. LUND 60th Anniversary Edition Boat
Brand spankin' new- never seen water!

60th Anniversary Edition! Pretty Sweet!

This is the inside! Lots of room, for lots of fish!!

Some more extra info for ya!!