Truman Hooding and Graduation

May 2023

May 12

Matthew drove up to attend, and give the speech for, the education department hooding ceremony for all the graduating MAE's (Masters of Arts in Education).  This ceremony takes place on Friday night before the full commencement on Saturday, but it is always my favorite part.  

Matthew and Julie

Matthew and Anna

Brenda, Matthew and Matt

May 13

This was day of commencement - graduation for all departments and degrees at Truman.  Dear Namuna graduated on this day.  We were so sorry to have to miss it (we were at Mav's family celebration at Jeremy and Shonda's) but were so glad to get these photos from Namuna.  Oh, how we are going to miss her when she moves away!  

Beautiful, kind, smart and sweet - we love you, Namuna!

Saturday, April 1

April 1, 2023

Mav came over with Jackson on this Saturday morning.  It is always nice to get to see that sweetie pie!  He found the basketball that I had gotten for his Easter basket... of course I let him have it early.  :)  He was having a blast playing with his Dad.

Pay no attention to the stacks of sheets - sorted and ready to be donated...

Mav just loves playing with his Dad and is convinced (rightly so) that he is the most fun Dad ever!!  :D Does my heart good to witness the love they share. 

Maverick would toss the basketball and his Dad would catch it with the mat (Mav calls that his 'door' that he likes to set up for various things - it is actually Jackson and Jonathan's old preschool nap mat from Faith Lutheran!)  :) 

Jackson catches the ball in the mat and then he makes it bounce back out of there - towards Mav.

It makes Mav squeal and run in delight!  :) 

It could even be a tiny bit dangerous... which is EXACTLY why Mav and Jackson enjoy it so much!  hahahahahaha!

I enjoyed a little puzzle time that afternoon...

What a stunningly beautiful day it was!  I am so ready for more days just like this one!  Mama's daffodils were coming up so pretty down at Daddy's house.  

This was the day of the Truman Foundation event, formerly called Kirk Banquet.  But it is no longer called that and it is no longer a banquet.  Julie was taking Daddy but Marvin and I opted out.  However, dear DeAnn came to town to attend that event and so we planned to meet at Scooters for coffee with any of the other local Reading Circle ladies who could make it.  Only Janet was available, but we three had a lovely time visiting.  It was kind of neat because Janet was also attending the Foundation event later so they got to see each other again just shortly after this picture was taken! :) 

DeAnn's son, Jackson, (great name!!) took the above photo so I took this photo of him.  What a sweet kid!  Namuna babysat him at the hotel where they could swim to their hearts content.  :) 

I stopped at Daddy's on my way back home and was able to catch him before he and Julie went to town.  He sure looked spiffy! 

I'm so glad Julie could go with him.  I just don't want to do 'all the things' anymore and honestly, I wasn't feeling up to it.  (turns out I was probably getting sick so it was a good thing all around that I skipped!) 

Finally got back home and was in time to say goodbye to Mav before he headed home with his Dad. 

At this point I was trying to get him to take his fingers out of his mouth and tell me about 'Sydenstricker' (on his hat).  He said he is not wearing a Sydenstricker hat but a tractor hat!  :) I still remember many years ago when a stranger in an Arizona diner asked Jackson and Jonathan what on earth a Sydenstricker was.  :D ha! 

Fingers out and he is telling me it is a TRACTOR hat!  :D 

Daddy had a marvelous time at the Foundation event.  I'm so glad he went!  Turned out that Tim B did a wonderful thing - he got a ton of photos of Daddy greeting folks and he indicated he would send them to me when they are edited.  That made Daddy's night! (and mine too, when I heard about it!) 

Daddy with dear Brad and Melody (Julie took this one!)  :) 

I enjoyed the evening at home and finished up my puzzle...  :)

Surelox 1940's Breakfast Nook - 500 pieces - from Spilsbury

With a nice little glass of Cortese wine.  Yum!  Paired well!  ;) 

Decided to get right to work on my next puzzle... 

Cavallini and Co. Vintage Travel - 1000 pieces

I started another blog where I am keeping track of all the puzzles I have been working.  Like everything else in my life, I am woefully behind on updating it - like over a year behind!  But, I will keep updating it as I get the chance.  You can check it out here if you like.  It is also listed as a tab at the top of this blog - so you can always just click and go from this blog to the puzzle one. 

Puzzles, Books and More

https://puzzlesbooksandwine.blogspot.com/

Lyceum at Truman - Rhonda Vincent

January 27, 2023

Rhonda Vincent and the Rage were part of the Lyceum series at Truman.  Daddy knew he wanted to attend this one and bring Dr. Wilson along as his guest.  It was a wonderful evening with 3 Missouri Squires in attendance!  :) 

Rhonda came over to visit with Daddy and Dr. Wilson after the show.  

I did not realize until later that Daddy's coat was buttoned up incorrectly.   I'm so sorry I didn't spot that in time... But these are 3 fine individuals right here.  It was a wonderful evening. 

Daddy, Rhonda, and Maggie 

The program from the evening

Random December

December 2022

December 3

Marvin and I met Scott and Anne for supper at Wooden Nickel before heading to the Lyceum.  This was the Truman Steel drums doing a holiday show.  It was really great!  When we arrived we met up with Jonathan and Susan and then Daddy and Julie and all got in our seats.

December 4

Jason had been in town this weekend for the Missouri Livestock Symposium.  We couldn’t see him Friday or Saturday because of all that was going on, so I invited him to lunch Sunday.  He stayed in town to come.  Sweet guy

Hannah got out Daddy’s Christmas tree for him and decorated it.  So glad she did that!  

December 5

I admit that I was so tired on this day and was dreaming of eating supper and then crawling into my warm bed to read.  But as I was eating I remembered this was the evening of the Community Chorus Christmas Concert and I just had to go.  But I am so glad I went.  It as a lovely concert and the first one since 2019.  So good to be ‘back’ this year with events in the community.  It is stretching all of our wings and muscles and everything else to restart this stuff and I want to support with my attendance.  

Scott had a solo.  What a gift he is to our whole community!  Never leave, Scott and Anne!  But I did chuckle picturing him saying he is ‘the best looking guy in town’ at the end of the murder mystery dinner earlier this month.  :D  He is so funny!!  And smooth!  :D

Gracious, I knew I had a lot of puzzles, but even I didn’t realize quite how many!  I SO WISH I had taken a photo of the before!  It was overwhelming looking!  And a bit ridiculous!  But I managed to get every single unworked puzzle put away in those cubbies!  Incredible!  Took ALL the space, but I did it!  I wasn’t sure they would all fit, to be honest.  Those cubbies are amazing is the takeaway!  I am storing all the previously worked puzzles that I still want to keep in the cubbies in our bedroom.  I have a new stock of puzzles to give away or donate.  I’ll let family go through them at Christmas then donate what is left over. But this feels really good.  Like I accomplished something.  Now only 499 more jobs left to do in this crazy house!  But one is one.  I’ll take it and call it a start. 

I found these when I was decorating the tree... from Leah and Erica to Jackson and Jonathan.  Jonathan’s didn’t fare so well, but incredibly Jackson’s was okay still.  I showed the photo to Alicia on Saturday and she said she remembers the girls making these - out of applesauce and cinnamon maybe?  So not cookies.  That probably helped with no mice all these years.  :) 

I got the ornaments on the tree.  It exhausted me and will likely be all that I do this year (remember all those years of decorating the entire house and outside???  How did we do that??).   But the tree looks nice and makes me happy.  It is enough.  

Saturday, December 10

Jerry and Alicia invited us over for dinner.  It had been awhile since we 4 were able to get together and it was soooo nice to have this opportunity.  I have to say it felt so natural to just pick right up where we last left off.  We have so many shared years together.  The good kind of shared years - living and sharing life.  We caught up on all our kids and ourselves and truly had a good time.  We sort of went into the old routine like it hadn’t been years since we were together.  When I told Daddy where we were going that evening he smiled and said, “Tell them I said hello. I remember the first time I saw Alicia was at a football game and then I can tell you that the decision to hire Jerry came from the presidents office. We talked about him and we liked his degree.”

Jerry and Alicia still look good... but we have all aged quite a bit...
when and how did we get so old??

Sunday, December 11

I was back again at the Christian Church for dear Rich's Christmas concert.  It was nice to sit and listen to Rich play the piano - he has such a way with the keys.  He also had Julie H sing a couple songs and she is wonderful to listen to.  He had the Gooch boy play sax and another young man play guitar.  Both students of his and both very good.  I sat by Marilyn P and that was a real treat.   

Julie singing while Rich plays piano

I love our church.  I just thought it looked so nice tonight as I was walking back out to my car after the concert.  

Monday, December 12

Enjoyed our annual Christmas luncheon with my Books With Friends group  Always enjoy spending time with these wonderful women.  Missed Sheryl and Brenda who were unable to attend. 

Wednesday, December 14

Hannah accompanied Daddy to the Christmas party at the President's house.  She was really glad to get to go and see the inside of that house again.  So many wonderful memories there from when Mama and Daddy lived there.  Hard to believe they left there nearly 20 years ago!  

Daddy with President Thomas

Traci and Daddy

Daddy and Hannah

that backyard was a special place for all the grandkids to play

Thursday, December 15

Putting up a wall mount for Jonathan's TV in his bedroom.  Will be a space saver and looks really nice. 

December 17

Beautiful sunset in my favorite yard.  :) 

December 20

Preparations for the coming storm.  Don't have room for every horse in a stall so Jackson built a wall of big round bales to block the north end of the field.  It will provide good shelter for the horses that are out there.  

I just try to document the various ranching activities here - for the family record.  :) 

December 22 -

some ice and snow - not much but enough to be a bit of a problem. 

That night, though, the wind was blowing the snowy ice into the mud room through the light switch and the door locks.  :( 

This is the first time we have ever had this happen at this house! 

December 23

Dinner at Daddy's house - Mav and Hannah playing with the Yodas.  :) 

December 24

Marvin working on putting together Mav's new grocery store... won't be ready in time for Christmas... now looking toward New Years Eve.  

December 28

Some of our Zoom Reading Circle members were able to meet up for coffee together at Scooters.  Peggie was going to be in town and Tammy was also visiting family up this way, so Janet, Nancy and I made plans to meet them.  We had a lovely time visiting, laughing, and enjoying some refreshments. 

While we were there, Alicia came in and saw me.  Always good to see her - and now that is twice in one month!  :D