Five on Friday - Catching Up

Wow! It's mid-October and, here I am...once again time has totally eluded me! 

It's been a very busy and active two-and-a-half weeks since our last visit. Since I have a rare Friday off, I thought I'd give you a quick update in a 'Five on Friday (or More)' post.

Here is some of what's been happening in my world...

On October 5th I attended Missouri State Park's, first-ever, 'Living History Academy' at the Nathan and Olive Boone State Historic Site in Ash Grove...

I learned new skills...

and taught corn husk doll-making...

On the 6th of October I became a great-grandmother when my first great-grandbaby, Cooper Haze, was born. He's so precious! 

Cooper Haze

7 lbs. 13 oz. - 21" long

On October 7th several family members got together to enjoy Missouri Town 1855's '47th Annual Festival of Arts, Crafts, and Music'...

Last week...

I had the pleasure of getting together with the grandgirls for lunch...

...lead several school groups on hikes and teach them about life on the prairie...

...and do a Friday program on 'Spider Web Wonders'...

On the 14th granddaughter, Audrey, and I worked the Native American Heritage Celebration in Springfield, Missouri...

We had a great time and met some awesome people!

In addition to all that I spent time with friends and family visiting from out of town, celebrated several birthdays, attended a baptism, and more. Thus far, it's been a very busy, but enjoyable season!

How about you? What's been going on in your sphere of influence this month? 

Until next time...

~Rebecca

(#82 in this week's line-up on Grammy's Grid's Unlimited Link Party #134)

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Autumn Bucket List 2023

Monday Musings - October 2, 2023

Summer 2023 Bucket List Update

Five On Friday - Roadside Wildflowers

It's been a rainy afternoon and evening here in southwest Missouri. I had to make a quick trip to town this afternoon and couldn't help noticing the pretty wildflowers along the way. 

Taking the back way home, I stopped along the gravel road and gathered a quick bouquet of daisies. They are one of my absolute favorites! 

Other roadside flowers observed along the road included pretty pink pasture roses...

...blue spiderwort...

...white and pink florabunda roses...

and gorgeous, fuchsia-colored rose verbena.

All of these flowers are so delicate...so pretty...and, the truth is, they brought me much joy today! It was nice to get out of the house and enjoy these lovely wildflowers along the way.

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Master List and Menu Plan Monday - May 17, 2021

Master List and Menu Plan Monday - May 9, 2021

Happy Mother's Day

Five On Friday - Around The Yard This Week

Five On Friday - Around The Yard This Week

Greetings, Dear One!

I hope that you and yours have had a great week and I wish you a beautiful Mother's Day weekend ahead!

I can't get far from the house too often these days, so am sharing a few things that I've witnessed around the yard this week. I hope you enjoy them.

1) I discovered this wasp crawling around on a pink peony bud. He happily posed for this photo.

2) My favorite irises are in bloom right now. They're the prettiest shade of lavender and they smell like grape Kool-Aid 💜 (or at least they did before I lost my sense of smell thanks to COVID). 😞

3) This hummingbird was taking a drink from one of the hummingbird feeders on the front porch. That reminds me...I need to make up a new batch of hummingbird food this afternoon (one part regular white sugar to four parts water - heat and stir to dissolve sugar, then cool - refrigerate unused portions).

4) Another pretty purple iris. So far I only have one of this variety. Hopefully they will spread and multiply. Lovely! 💜

5) I snapped a picture of this robin out by the street in front of our house. He (or she) appeared to be searching for worms.

What kind of interesting and pretty things are happening in your yard right now?

Have a great weekend and a Happy Mother's Day! 💐

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Happy Birthday Harold Bell Wright

Master List and Menu Plan Monday - May 3, 2021

Update on Dh

Spring Things

Five on Friday - Dorothy and I

My friend, Dorothy, came up last Friday to spend the weekend and I tried to get this post out before she got here, but it didn't happen. I did share a little bit about her visit on Monday, but I want to get this post finished and out today if I can.

Dorothy and I are celebrating 49 years of friendship this year and, let me tell you, we've been through some stuff together. 

I did try to find pics of us when we were younger, but, unfortunately, all that stuff is packed away and is pretty much inaccessible at this time...so...I'll just have to do with what I've got. 

Dorothy and I
2017

Dorothy and I met in the 5th grade and grew up together. We've stood up as maids of honor for each other at our respective weddings, have stood up as godparents for each other's children, have shared a bazillion plates of pasta together, and experienced things that most people wouldn't believe if it were told to them.

Dorothy and I @ Wonders of Wildlife
2018

Dorothy and I, to each other, are kind of like the north star. No matter how far away we are from each other or how long it's been between visits, we are a constant. No matter how bad things get, in the end, we are always there for each other.

Dorothy and I @ the Frampton Concert in July of 2018

Dorothy's birthday is in June; mine is in August. For the past several years we've tried our best to get together in July to celebrate both. A couple of years ago we met in Springfield, visited Wonders of Wildlife, and attended a Peter Frampton concert. We had a BLAST!!!

 

Dorothy and I
2019

With the murder of Dorothy's son a little over a month ago, this year was more difficult than any other, but we determined to do it anyway. 

Instead of cake and ice cream, Dorothy wanted cannoli, so I made it for her. Friday night we went for a hike on the prairie and did a bit of stargazing; on Saturday a couple of my children and their families came to visit and spend some time with her and we all had a good time. Dorothy was here for church Sunday morning and left Sunday afternoon. I'm so glad she came and look forward to our next visit.

Over the years Dorothy and I have worked together to solve multiple real-life mysteries and, many years ago, adopted Cagney and Lacey as our alter egos. She is Christine and I am Mary Beth. Funny, but we still refer to ourselves by those names whenever we fall into mystery-solving mode. 

Dorothy and I's Alter Egos
(Cagney and Lacey)

💗 Always and Forever 💗 

Next year we will celebrate half a century of friendship. We both have our faults...that's for sure, but it's been a good friendship and it will be interesting to see what God's got planned for us in the days ahead.

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Teleidoscope Thursday - Clementine

(Not Quite) Wordless Wednesday - Sunflowers From Auvers-sur-Oise To The Midwest

Toss-Up Tuesday - I Don't Get It

Five on Friday - Butterflies

Good morning! And welcome to this week's 'Five on Friday'! 

I don't have a lot of time this morning, so I'm going to scoot right on into this week's post. The topic I've selected is butterflies! 🦋 

1) Last summer this Gulf Fritillary Butterfly and a few of its friends visited our zinnias. John, nor I, either one had seen this kind of butterfly before, so watching them was a real treat for both of us!

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly on Zinnas

2) I don't know what kind of butterfly this is, but this was the very first photo that I took with the digital camera, so it would have been taken around mid-August of last year. The butterfly was sunning itself on the mint that had flowered in my herb-wheel. That's what the little purple flowers are that you can see fading into the background.

Unknown (To Me) Species on Mint

3) I spotted this Tiger Swallowtail flitting around, sipping nectar from the purple-headed coneflowers (a.k.a. echinacea) in our front yard last year. Pollinators of all kinds visit the coneflowers, as do the brightly-colored goldfinches. 

Tiger Swallowtail on Purple Coneflower

4) I took this photo of a Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly when my youngest daughter and I were out and about on Wednesday. Great Spangled Fritillaries are large, beautiful butterflies and are native to the tallgrass prairies of southwest Missouri.

Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly

5) I took this photo of a Monarch sipping nectar from butterfly milkweed a couple of years or so ago out at the state park where I work. This large, beautiful, orange and black butterfly is my favorite butterfly and my heart delights every time I see one. I've only seen two or three so far this year. 

Monarch Butterfly on Butterfly Milkweed

What about you? What kind of butterflies are found are your corner of the globe? And what is your favorite?

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Home Management Monday - May 25, 2020 - Happy Memorial Day!

Five on Friday - Woodland Wild Flowers

Home Management Monday - May 18, 2020

Five on Friday - Woodland Wild Flowers

On Wednesday, John and I, along with daughter, Amber, and five of the grands, decided to get away for a day and get out into nature. 

Pomme de Terre Lake
Hickory County, Missouri

We ended up visiting Pomme de Terre Lake and State Park where we enjoyed a picnic lunch and hiked around a bit. 

Grandchildren Audrey, Silas, Isaiah, Esther, and Mercy
@ Pomme de Terre State Park

In case you're wondering, Pomme de Terre is French for "apple of the earth", which, in English translates to "potato." So, technically, I guess we visited Potato Lake and Potato State Park! 😆

(It's funny how different some things sound once they're translated into English...isn't it???) 

A Gray Squirrel

On our foray into the woods that surround Pomme de Terre Lake we discovered a whole host of woodland treasures, which included a lovely array of spring wildflowers, many of which, we had ever seen before. 

Here are a few of the ones that we, either, knew or have been able to identify...

1) BLUE FALSE INDIGO - This is a plant we had never seen before. Its flowers were absolutely stunning and incredibly blue! From what I've read, the foliage of this and similar species have been used as a poor substitute for indigo in dyeing. 

Blue False Indigo

2) We had never seen this variety of WILD BERGAMOT (a.k.a. HORSEMINT) before, either. It's a beautiful plant and the pale lavender flowers are lovely! (They remind me of fireworks!) 🎆

Wild Bergamot (a.k.a. Horsemint)

We have a similar species of WILD BERGAMOT that grows on the prairie called BEEBALM. The bees and butterflies just love it and it should be starting to bloom right now. I will find out on my way to work today! 🐝

Wild Bergamot  (a.k.a. Beebalm)

3) VIOLET WOOD SORREL - This delicate little plant is actually an herb. "Sorrel" is the German word for "sour" and it refers to the taste of the leaves. The leaves have been used throughout history as a preventative for scurvy due to their high content of Vitamin C.

Violet Wood Sorrel

4) VENUS' LOOKING GLASS - This is another plant that, as far as I know, we (or, at least, I) had never seen before. There are five species of this plant found state-wide, though, so I guess it's possible that I've seen it, but just didn't know what I was looking at. 

Venus' Looking Glass

5) And, last, but certainly not least...OX-EYED DAISIES are among my favorite of all wildflowers. As a girl, I used to delight in running through meadows full of them in northern Minnesota while there on summer vacation. Yesterday, I'm sure that I saw more daisies along roadsides and in Pomme de Terre State Park than I have seen in all the days combined from the time I was a girl until now. It was wonderful!!! 🌼

Ox-eyed Daisies

Well, ladies, that's it for this week! Have a great weekend and I'll see you next time!

Until then...

~Rebecca

P.S. - If you enjoyed reading this post, please, leave a comment so I know you were here! Thank you! 💓

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Home Management Monday - May 18, 2020

Five on Friday - Trade Beads

Home Management Monday - May 11, 2020

Five on Friday - Trade Beads

Good Morning, Dear Friends!

It's Friday and here I am again...posting my third 'Five on Friday' in a row! Wow! 😄

My topic this week is trade beads (also known as African trade beads and/or Native American trade beads).

Some Reproductions From My Own Collection

It's a little convoluted, I suppose, but the reason I chose trade beads this week is, because, by all rights, this is the week that I (and more than a hundred other people), should be preparing to go to Spring Interpretive Training through work, but, because of the COVID-19 thing, it isn't happening.

Spring Interpretive Training is a much-anticipated, wonderfully-fun time of sharing and learning for our jobs with Missouri State Parks...and, oddly enough, when I think of Spring Interpretive Training, I think of trade beads. 😏

Let me explain...

1) My Introduction To Trade Beads

I was first introduced to trade beads by this fellow right here...

Interpreter Tim Bischoff

His name is Tim Bischoff and, at Spring Training, he does a fantastic first person interpretive presentation as Jean Batptiste LaMontagne, a friend and relative of French-Canadian fur trader, George Drouillard. 

Part of Tim Bischoff's Period Outfit,
Which Includes Authentic Trade Beads

As part of the presentation, Tim dresses the part in period clothing. This includes carrying and wearing trade beads, which he explains and talks about as part of his first-person program. Trade beads were a big part of life in the world that Jean Batptiste LaMontagne and George Drouillard lived in. 

2) My Own Collection of Trade Beads

After seeing Tim's presentation at Spring Training for the first time in 2016, I was hooked! As soon as I got home I started researching trade beads for myself and building my own collection. Most of my beads are reproductions (as in the top photo above...those were ordered from Crazy Crow Trading Post...which is a great resource for stuff like this!), but, thanks to Tim, I have a few beads that are of the real-deal, authentic kind. 

The Most Treasured Beads in My Collection
Authentic Trade Beads

A couple of years ago Tim put me touch with a good deal on E-bay and, then, last year, at Spring Training, he blessed me with a variety of authentic beads from his own collection. Those, of course, have become the most treasured beads in my collection.

3) Discovering Trade Beads @ Work

Our family has been visiting Prairie State Park now for over a quarter-of-a-century, and I have worked as a naturalist and interpreter there for six. It wasn't until after my second year of Spring Training, when walking through the exhibits one day, I noticed this...

Trade Beads On Display At Prairie State Park

...a strand of Native American trade beads in one of the display cases on the wall! They had been there all along and I had probably seen them dozens of times. I just hadn't made the connection yet. Now I knew what I was looking at! 😲 

4) Sharing My Love of Trade Beads With Others

After building my own collection of trade beads (authentic and reproductions), and after studying and learning a bit more about them, I put together a program on them to be presented to children.

Some Of My Beads and Table Set-up

The children not only learned about trade beads, but they were encouraged to make a few beads of their own out of paper. 

Some Of My Beads and Table Set-up

Combining the beads that they made with a variety of pony beads, the children strung their creations making beautiful necklaces. Each child was allowed to select and add a few reproductions from my own collection, as well.

One Of The Children Modeling Their Beautiful Necklace

Hopefully, a seed was planted and some of those children will discover a love of trade beads for themselves.

5) Paper Trade Beads

In the course of learning about trade beads, I discovered that you can buy books that feature pretty strips of paper that can be cut and rolled into paper trade beads. I've got the book, but have yet to cut and roll the beads.

A Book of Paper Beads

On the other hand, I have cut up tons of old magazines, and with the help of others, have rolled thousands of paper beads like these...

Paper Beads Made From Old Magazine Pages

The paper beads that we made, along with a variety of pony beads, and twine, were turned into 'trade bead' kits that were given away to children at our 2018 Prairie Jubilee at Prairie State Park.

'Trade Bead' Kits

The children were invited to select the beads that they wanted and, either take the supplies with them to make a necklace at home...

Trying To Decide Which Colors To Choose

...or, if they preferred, they were welcome to put their necklace together on-site.

Making Her Own Strand of Trade Beads To Enjoy

The activity was received well and appeared to have been a huge success. If things open up and we get to have Jubilee 2020 as planned, our goal is to do it again...so...all you bead-makers out there that helped last time...be on standby because I'm liable to be calling on you! 😆

Well, now you probably know way more about my love of trade bead than you ever even wanted to, but...oh, well! What can I say? 😏

Does anyone else here enjoy trade beads...even a little bit? 

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Home Management Monday - May 11, 2020

Five on Friday - Birds of a Feather

A Garden Full of Irises