Umm.. Yes, please!

Dutch keeps saying that he wants to build me a hot rod.

I think I have a winner, winner, chicken dinner

hot rod winner.  Lol.

: )..

Technically, that's not a real hot rod.

It's a chopped Peterbuilt semi truck cab

modified into a hot rod.

I like it though!

Nice.

Very, very nice.

: )..

Silent Auction and Yallapalooza..

Although we didn't get home last night from visiting with friends again until 4:30am, and not getting to sleep until close to 5am, I am up and moving.  Getting ready to take Kayla and stop by as many local businesses around this area as we can, trying to gather as much swag and other silent auction items as we can.  We plan to visit businesses in Claycomo, Liberty and then swing back through North Kansas City.  Each town has a lot of local vendors who will hopefully be willing to help out.

After this morning's work, we had a neighbor give us four tickets to the Yallapalooza concert out in Kansas today.  The show has a couple new country artists, and then has Kix Brooks, Big and Rich and finally Dierks Bentley.  Should be a great way to end the day.  After that?  My sleep might resemble a coma.  I could probably sleep for a week! 

Although!  I am helping out with Fence Stile's grape harvest starting at 8am on Sunday.  : )..  I'll have to sleep and rest up tomorrow evening.  I can do it.  It will allll be worth it though.  Alrighty then!  Let's get this party started!

Missed yesterday.. Whew..

We had friends come up from Hot Springs, AR so we spent the evening and early morning sitting outside on another friend's back porch, enjoying a delicious, light breeze.  We also got to talking with one of our younger friends.  She and her fiancee are going through such a rough time right now.  They had moved from Kansas City to Hot Springs with her mom and step dad a few months ago.  Right before they could start looking for work, Kayla's fiancee, Tyrone started having terrible stomach pains.

After being checked out, he was given the terminal diagnosis of stage four cancer.  His cancer had already spread to his liver and pancreas.  The doctors gave him months to live.  They moved back to KC to be with his friends and siblings.  His parents are already gone, as well as two of his siblings from cancer as well.  Tyrone recently underwent a treatment and came out of it with jaundice.  He is currently in the hospital being treated because his liver and pancreas were both in the process of shutting down, but were caught early enough for treatment to help that.

However, the doctors have dramatically dropped his survival time down to eight or nine weeks.  If that isn't terrible enough, neither Tyrone or Kayla were working, so neither one has any type of benefits.  His medical bills are covered, however, his funeral and burial costs are not.  This is something that has been causing him much undue stress, since he is still trying to fight to live as long as he can.  They are still trying to aggresively treat him, so that it might prolong the end.  He is not ready to give up and let go.

Here in the next few weeks, I will be working with Kayla, her mom Karen and as many of my friends to help raise funds to cover a proper burial for him.  He isn't asking for much, he would like to have a viewing for his friends and family and then cremation.  He wishes to be interred beside his mom in Columbia, MO.  We are going to hold some silent auctions, a possible hotrod cruise to some of our local wineries and possibly a local bingo charity night at one of the bars in North Kansas City.

We stayed up until almost 3:30am brainstorming ideas and talking about what we could do to help.  Tyrone and Kayla are both still so young to be going through this kind of tragedy.  He is 40 and she is still in her early 20's.  She is sticking with him through thick and thin, choosing to stand beside him and fight for his life right along with him.  He has tried to push her away to protect her, but she's not having any of that.  She's in it for the ride.  We want to make the rest of their time together what it should be.  Time together, not worrying about the costs when he is gone.

I have already contacted some of my local wineries, and had already gotten a hearty, "We are in, and will discuss fundraising ideas this weekend" answer in the early morning hours from one of our great wineries.  I have also heard from Debbie at DebbieDoo's Blogging and Blabbing who will allow me to post items that we will be making or putting together for our silent auction and we have also gotten support from one of my wine / margarita mob members to hopefully get the charity Bingo game on.  Thank you for all of our supporters, it is truly and gratefully appreciated.  It means a lot to their family and friends, as well as to Kayla and Tyrone.  Thank you again, and a big thank you to those who will be donating items for our silent auction as well.  Much peace, love and comfort to all involved.

I need Minions! : )..

And for Despicable Me 2 to come out before next summer!  Ack!  : )..  Lol.

TG for Pandora Radio..

Sometimes, here lately, Pandora is my thin grasp on sanity.

That's ok though, because, one, they have some really great music

and two, I've figured out how to change my situation.  Lol.

 

Wish me luck.  I really need it.

: )..

RIP Michael Clarke Duncan

Roosters and dogs and trains, oh my!

While the puppies and I were outside enjoying the early morning, we
discovered that one of our neighbors thought that they needed a rooster
in their backyard.  Apparently, their two dogs that are outside all the time,
and the rabbits that they have, weren't enough of a menagerie.  Including
the little black and white flop eared bunny that got loose and was roaming
the neighborhood for about three weeks because no one could catch it.  Lol.

Now, we have chickens, roosters, bunnies, and about 10-15 dogs that live
in the immediate area.  We've got one person who feeds a bunch of cats
as well, so, it's getting pretty crazy.  On top of all that fun, we live between
two train tracks.  This morning, in addition to the rooster, we had an added
bonus of a lady who thought that 7:37am was a great time to walk her dog
in a neighborhood full of loud, barking dogs.  Awesome.  : )..  Oooh the joys
of living in the city.

Time for Pin The Tail on the Bloggy.. : ).

DebbieDoo's Blogging and Blabbing and Fox Hollow Cottage have once again teamed up to host a Pin The Tail on the Bloggy Party.  It's such a great idea, pinning posts to Pinterest.  : )..  After much thought, I decided to try something that I hadn't previously seen online.  After spending time at a few of our local craft stores, and venturing into a couple thrift stores, this is what I came up with.

 

 One thrift store basket for 75 cents.

Lol, the lady asked me if I was going to be

Little Red Riding Hood with it.

Yes.  Why, yes, I am..  : )..

Instead, I painted the basket green,

added my foliage and some grapes

and tossed in a clock for good measure.

One basket, multiple uses.

I have had these fall leaves laying around

for a bit, thought that they would work as well.

 

Alrighty, I am linking up to the Pin the Tail on the Bloggy

Party that is found here..  Debbie at DebbieDoo's and

Shannon from Fox Hollow Cottage have done so

much for new bloggers and crafters, and

we truly appreciate their support and exposure.

They both have such great websites with great ideas as well.  : )..

You should really check them out!

Kansas City welcomes Issac..

Issac has finally arrived, hitting town yesterday afternoon around 1pm.  He's been a very welcome visitor and has helped cool things down.  He has helped to relieve the staggering drought that has plagued us for weeks.  The last time we had over one inch of rain was back around the first of June.  We've had a rain shield blocking us for so long.  The rain has been out there, but amazingly enough, it has all blown north through the Kansas state area instead of coming over to the Missouri area.

 

Issac has changed all of that.  So far, we've had up to six inches in the Kansas City, MO area.  He shut our Santa-Cali-Gon Days festival down in Independence.  It put a wet spin on the Kansas City Irish Fest down at the Crown Center Plaza, but people put up umbrellas or threw on rain ponchos and partied on.  It rained on the Greaserama Pre-registration party, but of course, Dutch still made it down there until after midnight.  He took the jackwagon (Subara wagon) instead of his hot rod though.  Lol.

 

Issac is still out there.  I know a couple people, including me, who have stood out in the rain.  It's crazy to stand out there and enjoy getting wet, but lemme tell ya, it's been a pleasure.  Lol.  Issac has a lot of rain left, and every once in a while, he tosses in a delicious, lovely, sorely missed breeze for good measure.  I got significantly drenched last night while taking the puppies out.  They loved it, once they made it off the back porch.  They spent some time playing in the wash that flows through the middle of our yard, Milo thinks it's one long splish splash pool.

 

Issac is starting to lighten up.  I stood outside with the puppies again this morning.  It was such a nice, light drizzle, that I was hardly feeling the rain.  And the breeze?  Gorgeous.  Amazing.  Delicious.  I love the breeze right before it rains, but apparently, I love the breeze while it's raining as well.  I don't know if it's the thought that Issac came from the ocean, rolled through the Carribean, brushed the Florida Keys, blew across the Gulf of Mexico and slowly swirled up the coast through New Orleans, but lemme tell ya.  I loved, loved, loved standing still, enjoying the coastal wetness that swirled around me.  I have found yet another Calgon moment. 

 

Issac may have left some damage and flooding in New Orleans, and it may have caused a few deaths down in the Carribean, but he is being so sweet to us.  He is such a welcomed visitor.  He is so nice and cool.  He has given us so much in such a little time.  He won't be here much longer, they say he's starting to move out as we speak.  He has a few other places to go before he is done. 

 Hurricane Issac color picture..  : )..

 Pretty impressive..

  Coastal storm surge..

Issac starting to come to town..

Issac standing on our back porch last night..

Some localized flooding from Issac..

And finally Santa-Cali-Gon Days before it was shut down

due to high winds last night..

 If you look close enough, you can see how

Issac's rain is coming down at a slant, starting

from the top left to the lower right,

instead of our usual straight wet rain.  : )..

I'm thinkin, there has to be a lot of wind

for it to blow rain sideways.  Lol.

 

Alrighty. I had better take the pups out to enjoy

some more before he is gone. Cya!

MAD tv - Lorraine Wins a Trip