Colorado in the Fall

A couple of weeks ago hubby and I went to one of our favorite vacation places, Colorado. We were hoping we weren't too late to see some fall color but we sure didn't plan on seeing so much snow. The morning we got to Colorado, the Eisenhower tunnel was closed because of heavy snow. Thankfully snow this early in Colorado melts off fast. We had a beautiful view of Fall and Winter on our way to Estes Park. Had a great time but glad to be home where I have a fireplace. It was a bit chilly in the mountains

View on our way to Estes Park Colorado

River Walk Estes Park Colorado

Beautiful view of fresh snow on the mountains

The mountains are so awe inspiring.



                                                              

Have a  relaxing day,

Rose

Starling Migration in my backyard.

Unbelievable. We have lived here for over 50 years and we have never witnessed a Starling migration . There must be thousands of them. They are everywhere. The starlings seem to especially love the water tower that is almost in our backyard. Amazing. And starlings are very verbal. They didn't stay very long. And boy are we glad. Sure wouldn't want them at our bird feeders.

"Did you know both males and females can mimic human speech. (Some people keep   starlings as pets." Interesting. you can read more here:

Facts on Starlings.

Have a good weekend. Rose

Love living in the Monarchs flight path!!

It is Monarch migrating season here in my part of the world. We see monarch doing the summer but in fall they arrive in abundance. There are Monarchs everywhere. We are on their flight path as they make their way to Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico. They stop here year after year. Amazing. The Monarchs are one of the many reasons Fall is my favorite time of the year.

                      They love the zinnias out my kitchen window during the day. 

                                     And roost at night in our Lilac bushes.

The Monarchs are one of the many reasons Fall is my favorite time of the year.

Enjoy this beautiful time of the year,

Rose

Oh, You are just a stay at home mom?

 A post came across my Facebook page today that kind of pushed my buttons. I have heard a thousand times how lucky I was to be a “stay at home mom and not have to go to work”. It was a far cry from “not go to work”. I didn’t have to go OUT to work until the kids were either in bed or just about ready for bed. We owed the local bar, the Corner Tavern. Many evenings hubby would call and say, “I am busy, I need help, call a sitter” and off I would go. Sometimes till closing time which was 2 a.m. And I had to get up with the four girls around 7. All of this after a very busy day at home. I made most all of my daughters and mine clothes, usually sewing at nap time or in the evening after the girls were in bed. We had a big garden and I did a lot of canning. Was a bit OCD back then, too. Thought I had to have a house as clean as the Brady Bunch. Except I had no Alice. One benefit of that was I stayed thin. Many a day I ate a peanut butter sandwich while I vacuumed. Don’t get me wrong. It was nice to be able to be with the girls when they were little. And I wouldn’t change that for anything. Besides, I didn’t realize how busy I was till years later. You know the old saying “You do what you have to do”. We sold the corner when the girls got involved with school activates and our regular bartender had kids and needed the same time off for the same reasons. And about that same time we gave up coaching little league softball. Yes, we did that, too, during the summer. Very busy life. After we sold the Corner and hubby went to work for REM, a residential home for the mentally handicapped, I thought life would be slower. But I was wrong. I took on around 8–10 daycare kids to make up for the difference in income. Now you talk about busy. Had most kids from 7:30-5:00, 5 days a week. And then people would say, “you just babysit?” Never sat on a baby in my life was my usual response. And now? Daycare experience would make a coupe two or three posts. Will save that for another time when I am on my soap box. For now, I am loving retirement.

If you want to read the article that put me on my soapbox you can read it by following this link;

4BoysMother- Melissa Fenton, Writer

Have a good day and take care,

Rose

No homework?? WOW! Just a thought.

Hope all of you had a good weekend. It was the last weekend before School starts. Today is the first day of school for most the schools in our area of Iowa. By the end of the week, school will be in session in the whole state. A lot of kids will be happy to get back into a routine and to see friends they haven’t seen during the summer. And most parents will be glad, too.

Most colleges started the fall semester, too. We have grandsons returning and a granddaughter just starting her college days. Where has the time gone? Not only the summer but the years. Seems like only yesterday they were all in elementary school. In a couple of years our youngest grandchild, our baby, will be in college, too.

We spent the weekend with one of our daughters and her family. All but one of their kids were able to join us for dinner on Sunday. It was nice to spend time with them and catching up on their lives. Anyway, I was catching up with social media this morning while having my coffee and came across this article. I thought it was something a lot of teachers should read. I know a lot of parents and students will like the idea. After all the kids spend a lot of time in school each day, seven hours usually and that isn’t counting travel time, and homework can be overkill. Definitely something to think about.

We are having beautiful fall like weather. Hope you are, too. Enjoy.

Rose

Second-grade teacher's unique homework policy goes viral

"But How Do They Learn To Read?"

This came across my screen this morning. I found it to be a very interesting article. Decided to share it with you. Just click on the link below the picture.

"But How Do They Learn To Read? 

Rainy August morning, love it or leave it.

Good morning. It is a rainy day here in my little corner of the world. A nice beautiful rain. I have my coffee, my morning music, life is good. I love when the weather starts getting fall like. Autumn is my favorite time of the year. I would guess we will have some hot days yet before it is officially fall. But the next 10 day sure sounds like fall. Highs in the lower 70’s and lowers in the upper 50”s. I think it would be nice to live somewhere with those temps year round. Wonder where that might be?

Another thing about rainy days for me, I get motivated. I don’t know if it is the cooler weather that comes with rain or what, but I get very ambitious. I have a friend who is the exact opposite, she gets moody and depressed. She thinks I am crazy and I in return thinks she is. To each their own.

I will enjoy the rain while it falls then I think I will dust our bedroom and do the bedding. Oh, and defrost the freezer.

Hope you are able to enjoy your day, too.

Rose

View out my sunroom this morning.,