montemover

Here is a beautiful Lake of the Ozarks moon.  Love this shot. 

Here it is in the middle of shopping frenzy time and I’m just relaxing and having a good time.  My shopping is done.  Now I just have to mail off a few things.  The nice thing about this rural community is that when I have a package to mail I just send it off with the mailman who takes my money, mails the package and brings me my change the next day.  No Post Office lines.  How about that for service.  Also, the propane man cam yesterday and filled my propane tank.  I don’t have to budge.  Hmmm.  I could get use to this service. 

If you’re interested in some neat gifts, check out Lisa’s website at www.CountryCleanCreations.com or gift baskets with her products at www.allnaturalclean.etsy.com   Just give her a call or email and she’l wrap and send to wherever you want it to go.

Meanwhile, I have wrestled the little Christmas tree you see in my previous post away from Toby and now have it set up on the dash where, so far, he has left it alone. 

I’ve decided that I probably won’t send out Christmas Cards this year and I hope you know that my snail mail delivery is very slow since it goes through several places before getting to me so don’t feel as though you need to send a card.  I know you’ll be thinking of me, especially if you’re checking my blog, and I’ll certainly be thinking of all of you during this holiday season and all the year. 

I’m headed back to Scottsbluff next week to housesit for my friends the Davey’s.  I’m looking forward to seeing them, Brandee, Tigger, Muffin (although I’ll be lucky to see her since she disappears when Toby and I come around), Cody, Pumpkin and Diamond.  I’m hoping that the temps in Nebraska will be mild while I’m there.  I’ve gotten rather used to mild weather here.  Of course I’m also hoping that the temps here in Missouri stay very warm for the season so Monte stays warm here while I’m gone.  So if any of you have any influence on the weather, think mild temperatures for Nebraska and Missouri through the month of December and good weather wherever you are too.

Well, I’m off to Lisa’s to assist in the making of a backdrop for a trade show that she’s going to in Jan.  in Portland, Oregon.  She’s designed and is building a “country front porch” as a backdrop for her products.  This is a big trade show and we’re all hoping it will pay big dividends.  There’s also a prize for the best display booth and I’m having fun helping out wherever I can to get ready for the show - from making soaps, lotions, and candy to making the backdrop for the

Hope you all had a great day yesterday enjoying food, family and football?   Although I’m not a great football fan, I did watch the game.  Boy, did the Jets get trounced. 

Are you all out joining the crowds for Christmas shopping.  WOW!  Some of the stores around here opened at midnight.  Others opened at 4 or 5 or 6.  I guess some stores had really good bargains and sold out of some items in the first 30 minutes.  Well, I’m happy to say that my Christmas shopping is all done.  Yep, well, mostly done, just a couple of last minute items to get.  So I’m not going to be out in the crowds waiting in line, unless it’s to get groceries.  I still have to eat, darn it, or else I’d be set here in my cozy home. 

We finally had some cold weather yesterday.  It got down into the 20’s last night and yesterday it didn’t get above 38.  But today it’s back in the 40’s and the sun is beaming through my windows really heating it up in here.  I’m headed back to Scottsbluff the 2nd week of December and will be there for a week, so I’m pushing all the cold weather North.  Ya’ll can help, just say, “cold weather stay North of Missouri and Nebraska.”  Thanks.  Now I won’t worry about things freezing here while I’[m gone.  This is a quick trip, so Monte is going to stay here in Missouri.  Lisa assures me that they will see to it that nothing freezes, and unless the temps to into the teens and stay there for several days, I don’t think I have to worry. 

If you’ve been expecting emails, I’m sorry, but I seem to be having problems getting emails sent.  I receive them ok, but when I go to send an email, I get the “Opps, an error” page and I can’t figure out what’s going on.  I think I’m going to have to contack Yahoo.  I don’t seem to have any other problems with my computer or this new set-up, just sending emails when I want.  Sometimes they go and sometimes they don’t.

It seems that the new picture format is working better.  At least I’ve heard from a couple of you who say so.  Unfortunately that means I probably won’t be sending you any of my earlier pictures from the first few days of travel since I have to go back into my camera and resize the pics manually.  But I’ll do it in the future. 

Toby is getting ready for Christmas as you can see in this picture.  He thinks the Christmas tree is his toy.  I have to perch it up high, especially when I turn on the battery and the tree jiggles and says, Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas.”  It drives him wild!  What a cutie!!

Hmmm, I can’t seem to get my pics to go to the end of the writing.  Oh well, I’ll mess with that another day.

Til later.    Kris

Hi All,

Woke up this morning to 57 degree weather.  The weather has been beautiful down here.  I hope it holds until mid-January when I move on to Texas.  Meanwhile, I’m enjoying every minute of it.  Temps were in the 70’s yesterday, and supposed to continue today and tomorrow, with a drop in temps on Thanksgiving.  But, I’m betting that down here at Lake of the Ozarks it’s going to stay very pleasant.

I’ve been alerted by some of you that my pictures are coming through in gigantic size and it’s nearly impossible to figure out what they are by the time you scroll down and across, so I’m going to try to send my “Road Apples” pics again.  I’ve changed the size on my camera so I hope they come through in a more manageable size.  I’m a little baffled because when I go out to my blog site to view my uploaded blog, my pictures come through the same width as the writing, so I’m curious how this pic that I’m sending up today will appear on your computers as well as on mine.  Let me know if the size works better for you.  As you can tell, I’m still learning about this blogging business.  Hmm, I intended for the pic to be at the end and not the beginning.  Oh well, I’m still learning.

 I hope you all have plans to do whatever you want on Thanksgiving, whether it’s eating til you’re stuffed with turkey and other good things, lounging on the couch watching football games, visiting with friends and relatives, or just taking time for yourself.  Have a great holiday!

Hi folks,

It has come to my attention that in my excitement to tell you about road apples I have neglected to explain what this is all about.  You see, Lisa and Ria have a business called “Country CleanCreations” where they make all natural products for your home, bath, and personal hygiene.  I’ve been helping them and having a blast making soap, learning how to make the molds for the soap and also making a little side item, candy, (made of honey that is pulled like taffy, with dried fruits inside - very yummy and very addicting.)  Anyway, at one of the craft shows where they were selling their products, they were approached by a western artist who sculpts horses, and she suggested they make “road apple” soap for people who have and love horses.  After doing a mini-survey, they decided there was indeed a market for the road apple soap and so a new soap was born!

 We’ve had a lot of fun researching road apples, learning to sculpt the models for the molds and making molds, not only of road apples, but other western items that are being made into soap as I write. 

I’m using the Country Clean Creations products and love them.  The soaps, perfumes, room spritzers and lotions have a variety of fragrances - and no, the road apples do not smell like actual road apples - there are two scents, one is more like cedar and the other is called Front Porch as is smells like sitting on your front porch surrounded by a garden of blooming flowers.  She also has bug repellent,”Nuisance Nullifier”, “Muscle Melter” for sore muscles, “Hand and Foot Balm” for really dry cracked skin, and Lip balm along with a lot of other products.  If you’re interested in seeing the full aray of products go to their website www.CountryCleanCreations.com.  I don’t think the road apples soap is on the website yet as we’ve just finished making the first few batches.  But whether it’s road apples soap, or other personal products, or my personal favorite, the Space Spritzers, there are a lot of neat Christmas ideas there.  Check it out!

Now in keeping with my learning process on this blog, I’m going to try to include a picture of my favorite being.  He’s always in the driver’s seat.

Later.

Do any of you know what road apples are?  Well, for those of you who do, Lisa and Ria and I are making “Road Apples” soap.  For those of you who don’t know, I suggest you ask a person who has horses.  They’ll be glad to enlighten you.  Anyway,  this has been really fun.  I’m going to upload a picture of our road apple soap.  I know you’ll get a kick out of it.  Hmmm, I’m getting this picture thing down pretty well, just a couple of bobbles.  I meant for the pictue to be at the end rather than the beginning.  So now those of you who don’t know what road apples are, you can probably figure it out by the picture.  Horse folks in Scottsbluff and here tell us that they’ll make great gifts for people who love horses. 

OK.  That one didn’t upload.  I’m trying again.  By the way, if this picture comes through, it is a picture of my signature piece.  I have a vase that fits perfectly on my dashboard and I love keeping a real flower (carnation or daisy) in it.

Here comes the picture.

Today is a peaceful day.  No running around doing anything.  Yesterday Lisa and I went to Warsaw, a 30 minute trip, to get groceries and other things needed for her house.  By the time we left here and got there and did all of our running around, the day was gone, so we had a weinie roast over a hugh tree stump at Jeff and Lisa’s and watched the DVD “What the @#! Are We Doing?”  A DVD I recommend to everyone.

 Well, picture time, here goes.

Hi Folks,

Today we are making “road apples” by hand.  Yep, you read right, road apples.  Well, actually it’s soap for the horsey crowd and anyone else who loves horses.  We’re making road apple soap for men and another batch for women.  We’re also looking into making other soaps for the horse crowd.  One thing’s for sure around here, it’s never dull. 

 While taking this break, well actually Lisa and Rhia are taking the break, I seem to be spending more time on the computer trying to get my blog figured out while they do the actual soap making, I’m enjoying a 60+ day lookings out at gentle ripples on the lake.  Naturally, since living right on the lake, Lisa and Jeff have these very large windows overlooking the docks and water and surround hills.  This is a great place to kick off my journeys and Lisa, Jeff, and Rhia are certainly making me feel at home.  Hmmmm.  They make it anymore comfortable and I might not leave!

WOW!  The picture came through.  I have no idea how I did that, but rest assured I will be trying it again in the very near future.  For the present, the structures you see in the foreground of the picture are the docks outside Lisa’s front door.  What a sunrise!

Toby and I are having a great time here.  Lisa is keeping me busy, busy,busy.  Where are those naps that retirement is supposed to bring along.  We’ve been making candy, traveling to the surrounding towns and cities to get supplies for the rennovations she and Jeff are doing on their home (converting their former bar into a gorgeous Tuscany style home) and today going to meet a lady who gave us a lesson on pottery and mold making for the soaps and soap dishes for Lisa and Rhia’s business “Country Clean Creations”  all natural soaps, lotions, ointments, scrubs, room spritzers that make you feel great and smell even better.  

Monte is perched on a hilltop on 3.2 acres on a peninsula out in the Lake of the Ozarks near Warsaw Missouri.  I have fantastic views of the lake and surrounding area and I’m just up the hill from Lisa.  Lisa’s friend, Rhia lives next door and is in the soap business with Lisa.  She’s great and let’s me use her bathroom, laundry, etc.  What a bonus.  She also helped me scrub down my awning which hadn’t seen the light of day since I’ve had Monte.  This was after Lisa and Jeff figured out how to work the awning.  It’s in surprisingly good shape.  In fact everything on or in Monte is in surprisingly good shape for which I am very grateful.  

Tomorrow is soap making day, using some new molds we made today at a local artist’s home.  We really got a great lesson in molding clay, making latex molds, and getting all sorts of ideas for soaps.  We’re going to try making “Road Apple” soaps tomorrow and I know all of you folks who love horses know what we’re talking about.  I think they’re going to be great fun and well as great soap. 

I know this seems a bit scattered, but I’ll get better organized, or not.  That’s just one of the beauties of being retired, on the road and doing what I want and love to do.

Later!

Thought I had this uploaded. Guess I’ll try again.

I could have sworn I uploaded a blog November 6th with a great picture of a sunrise off of Lisa’s dock.  I don’t know what happened to it but it doesn’t seem to have made the upload.  I’m going to try another picture.