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11/1/2009 When will we finish harvest?
For some area farmers, the question is when will we start harvest, let alone finish it! Almost continuous rain since April has made a “challenging harvest’ an understatement. Last Monday’s U. S. Dept of Agriculture reports indicate nearly 10.4 billion bushels of corn and 1.82 billion bushels of soybeans are awaiting harvest.
In Illinois, we are 14% corn harvested compared with a 77% average. For soybeans, 33% is harvested with an 86% average. This means that each day the crops are still in the fields means greater deterioration of the crop.
I just hate to read this kind of news in the paper. My heart goes out to the farmers who have suffered this year because of the excessive rainfall. It is too bad we can’t send some of the rain to Australia where it has been badly needed. Oh well, that is just the way it is. Usually we have a dry hot summer. This year it has been neither dry or hot. I think our actual 90 degree days amounted to 2 and that was in the month of June. Normal would be 18 – 20 days for the month of August alone.
It is a beautiful sunshiny day which started out at 32 degrees and is up to 50 right now. As soon as I get my lunch digested I may go out and tackle the beans. Tackle being the operative word. 
I have put the Halloween candy away in hopes that I will forget where I put it.  10/29/2009 We have had 7.16 inches of rain so far this month. There is an outside chance that record will be broken with rainfall due in this afternoon, tonight and tomorrow. The all time record of 9.01 inches was set in 1941. A predicted 2 – 3 inches of rain is forecast. We have had rain on 19 of the first 28 days of October. We are under a flash flood watch. Couple this rain along with winds gusting to 30 – 35 MPH and I can say goodbye to the rest of the beans on the tree. (I can only hope)
And now for some local news. I have mentioned before our local celebrity Tom Meents (also the fact that he works out early mornings at my fitness center). Tom is a resident of my little town and is an eight-time Monster Jam champion.
On Sunday, Nov 1, he will appear on Extreme Home Makeover. On September 10 Tom used his monster truck to demolish a single-wide trailer previously occupied by the Mattingly family of Owensboro, KY. This won’t be the first time he has demolished a home with his truck. After moving to his new home here in town he used his monster truck to demolish his old home. On a previous post of mine some time ago I showed the You-Tube video of that.
Extreme Makeover says this is the most exciting demolition of a home that they have had on their show. This show will air this Sunday at 7PM CST on ABC. Now I have to watch the show two weeks in a row. LOL
9/20/2009 and we actually need the rain as it hasn’t rained here for several weeks. Rain does tend to make for a gloomy day though. Fortunately I have a couple of books I am reading.
Yesterday I just couldn’t get myself moving very fast. I overdid last week with all of the cleaning and car washing etc. I keep forgetting that I am not as young as I used to be and I just keep pushing myself so I don’t have a lot of time to sit and think. I did cook a chicken and made some potato salad. I have some corn on the cob and that is what I am eating today.
My neighbors are completely moved out now and my new neighbors will be moving in. My young neighbors on the corner are expecting a new baby and they are very excited and happy about that. My neighbor across the street on the corner (she owns a trucking company) is adjusting well since the death of her husband last winter. My goofy neighbor across the street that called the fuzz last weekend has a band and you can hear the drums beating all weekend. There, I got you caught up on my immediate neighbors. And you all thought I live on a nice quiet street.
Today is the birthday of a blogging friend of ours. Stephen Craig Rowe is celebrating his 62nd birthday. I hope you will all take time to stop by and wish him a happy birthday. Stephen, make sure you have a big birthday cake  today and some ice cream too. Carole will stop by to pick me up and we will be there shortly.
I hope you all have a great day and the sun  is shining wherever you are.
Hugs
Beth 7/1/2009 and what a wonderful remarkable change in the weather. This is July 1 and it is only 63 degrees at noon. I love it. I actually have jeans on today.
I went to workout this morning, first time I had been since last Friday. Everything went OK and I am working up to full potential. Now if I could just start eating the right foods I think I could lose some weight. Never happen though.  I am too old to dig in to a strict diet. I love the chocolates my son brings me but I do tend to pig out on them. Good thing he doesn't bring them but every couple of months.
Doggone it, NCIS has another marathon on today so that means I won't get anything done. I have Evanovich's Finger Lickin' Fifteen which I am trying to read during commercial breaks. While Y&R was on I had to switch from one show to the other. I am hopelessly addicted to both shows. I know, I know, I need to get a life.  But then, there is nobody on hand to tell me that. I do need to get to the library to pick up a couple of books that are on hold for me.
Gotta go, life is waiting.
5/16/2009 really stinks right now. We had severe thunderstorms last night with lots of hail and lightning. I had the scanner on and I heard the local EMT guys say that we had 1 inch of rain in 15 minutes. That did it. At 9PM it was still storming so I just went to bed. I couldn't watch TV because every 2 or 3 minutes the screen would go black and then an announcement would come on for us to turn to CH 13 for a weather announcement. When I went to bed we were under a tornado watch (upgraded from a warning) and a flash flood warning. This morning the sky is still very dark and it is drizzling. Good day to read a book and eat.
My neighbor had a hole in her roof from the tree branch that fell on it. She had just had a new roof put on last year. Thankfully it was repaired yesterday morning during a lull between the rain. I have some pictures posted of the tree removal. Her yard is a mess from the big trucks driving in it.
Yesterday I made a banana cake that was really delicious.
Mash 3 very ripe bananas with 1 teaspoon soda. Mix a yellow cake mix according to directions. Beat in the bananas. Have oven preheated to 350 degrees. Use a 9X13 pan that you have sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 40 - 45 minutes. Test center for doneness with a toothpick. I frosted it with whipped frosting from a can. Chocolate frosting is really good with this too. I sent half of it next door, splurged on a huge piece and froze the rest.
"Let us live so that when we come to die, even the undertaker will be sorry." Love that quote sent to me by my sister.
Enjoy the weekend. Stay safe and be happy!! 4/6/2009
This is my shrub in the front of my house that is just loaded with flower buds. We got a couple of inches of snow last night. The snow doesn't worry me, it is the temps in the 20s for the next few nights. I guess I will have to try and cover some things.
I have been to workout this morning and cleaned the snow/ice off the front porch and the sidewalks. It was heavy with icy slush underneath, kind of like a snow cone but a lot heavier. 
I am stil in the digging/discarding stuff for a garage sale. Lots of things to go through yet. I will let my daughter go through everything and take out what she wants.
Yesterday I really splurged and fixed biscuits and homemade sausage gravy. My son happened to call while I was eating and he said he hoped I had saved some to freeze for him. Of course I did. Mothers always do that for their sons. Not so much for daughters because somewhere along the line they usually learn to cook. Well, my son can cook too, he just doesn't do it. If it wasn't for frozen pizza I think he would be hungry a lot.
I need to get busy. I hope this is a good week for us all. BE HAPPY!!
Beth Marie 3/28/2009 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO
1 PM CDT SUNDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND SLEET...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 1 PM CDT SUNDAY.
RAIN OR WET SNOW...OCCASIONALLY MIXED WITH SLEET...WILL DEVELOP
THIS AFTERNOON...THEN CHANGE TO ALL WET SNOW TONIGHT. SNOW
COULD FALL VERY HEAVILY AT TIMES WITH SNOWFALL RATES OF 2 INCHES
PER HOUR POSSIBLE AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY WITH ANY THUNDERSNOW THAT
DEVELOPS. SNOWFALL TOTALS ARE EXPECTED TO VARY GREATLY ACROSS THE
AREA...HOWEVER SOME LOCATIONS WILL LIKELY PICK UP TO 5 INCHES OF
SNOW BY MIDDAY SUNDAY.
IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY SNOW...STRONG NORTHEAST TO NORTH WINDS...
GUSTING TO OVER 40 MPH AT TIMES TONIGHT AND SUNDAY...WILL MAKE DRIVING
DIFFICULT. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS MAY BE WET AND HEAVY ENOUGH TO PACK
AND THUS NOT AFFECTED BY THESE STRONG GALE FORCE WINDS.
How disgusting! I do not want to deal with any heavy wet snow. The thought makes me want to barf. I don't want my poor little robin to have to deal with it either as he just got back from his walk to Missouri. Now I think he's headed back again.
Poor little robin
Walkin', walkin', walkin' to Missouri
He can't afford to fly.
Got a penny for a poor little robin
Walkin' walkin' walkin' to Missouri
Got a teardrop in his eye.
I am glad I still have my snow shovel and ice melt on the back porch. Beth Marie
12/19/2008 
and I have ice this morning. Very pretty to look at but I won't go outdoors to take a picture for fear of breaking a bone. I have a fair sized branch from my bean tree down this morning. It is up close to the house. My neighbor across the street has a larger branch down. My windmill in the backyard is solid ice. It appears to me to be a little over 1/4 inch coating although the weather scanner is saying we did get the 1/2 inch. The temperature is approaching the freezing mark so I am hoping some of this will melt off. Anyway I won't venture outside until at least mid morning.
It is finally Friday again, the days are passing quickly and soon it will be tax time again. Don'tcha just love how the tax forms all come in the mail along with your credit card bills. The weather was so bad last year that I just put everything in an envelope and mailed it to the tax accountant. EEgads, why did I even mention taxes?
I hope you all have a great weekend. Stay safe and be happy!! 12/18/2008 ..ICE STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM CST /4 PM EST/ THURSDAY
TO 12 PM CST /1 PM EST/ FRIDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED AN ICE STORM
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM CST /4 PM EST/ THURSDAY TO
12 PM CST /1 PM EST/ FRIDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER
IN EFFECT.
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA LATE THURSDAY
AFTERNOON...BEGINNING AS A MIX OF SLEET AND SNOW BEFORE CHANGING
TO A MIX OF SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN THURSDAY NIGHT. SIGNIFICANT
ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF A HALF INCH OR GREATER ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY
NIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.
AN ICE STORM WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF ICE ACCUMULATIONS
WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. TRAVEL IS STRONGLY
DISCOURAGED. COMMERCE WILL LIKELY BE SEVERELY IMPACTED. IF YOU
MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR
VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. ICE ACCUMULATIONS AND WINDS WILL
LIKELY LEAD TO SNAPPED POWER LINES AND FALLING TREE BRANCHES THAT
ADD TO THE DANGER.
Help!!!
 Beth 12/6/2008 and I am sitting here listening to the scanner as I have been trying to find everyone that has made an update. It is cold again this morning. We are having light snow but the wind is gusting so it is blowing the snow over the roads and making them very slick. There are cars off in the ditches on the interstate and my little highway and the other main little highway. I had wanted to go to the big city today to finish shopping but that is out. I hope things are better by Monday morning as I have an important doctor appointment that I can't miss.
I woke up this morning at 5:30 so I hopped out of bed and changed the bedding. I have the laundry done and after I go to the post office to check the mail I am going to make some Texas Lizzies. The recipe makes so many cookies and I have several people to give trays to week after next. I need to get some rice krispies so that I can make some date balls too.
My sister sent me a package which she told me contained candy. When I opened it there was a beautiful sweater and a Willow Tree figure, "Angel of Mine." It is gorgeous. I am getting ready to post some pictures now.
I hope you all have a great weekend. Stay safe and be happy!!
6/8/2008 and, the total rainfall for yesterday was 3.25 inches. Add that to the 3 inches we already had for the month of June and it is 6.25 inches. My neighbors little garden of 1 cherry tomato plant and 2 pepper plants was flooded. They were out there in their hip boots rescuing the plants and moving them to higher ground. My tomatoes seem to be flourishing in the midst of all of those weeds. Sorry Jim.
After the rain stopped yesterday the sun came out and the temperature climbed to 94 degrees. Talk about hot and humid. I stayed inside and finished my murder mystery. Today is to be hot and chance of thunderstorms too so I will probably not venture too far from home. One of my blogging friends pointed out to me that 1 inch of rain equals a foot of snow and to think I sold my big snow blower. ;-)
Cindy graciously sent me the directions on how to make a video. I just felt so jealous after I saw the beautiful video that Carole made of the lovely forest in her back yard. All I have in my backyard is an alley but I am going to try my hand at a video this week when I get rested up from this past week. Three doctor visits and the garage sale was a little much plus trying to fit Curves in too. The chiropractor told me that Curves workout is not good for people with arthritis. My heart and kidney specialist are delighted I am going to Curves. Since I decided I am not going back to the chiropractor I will just carry on as I have been. LOL
OK, as my daughter used to say when she was a toddler, "I am so excitemented." (I'm glad my daughter doesn't read my blog.) I just got a call from my sister and she asked me what I was going to be doing week after next. This simple question means, the good Lord willing, that I am going to have company. Hooray. This means eating out lots and having somebody to go shopping with me for new clothes. No sense in having this great figure if I don't have the clothes to showcase it. Big LOL!!!
The flowers loved the rain even though it beat them down. I took this yesterday after the rain.
Stay safe and be happy!! 5/15/2008 and guess what? The sun is shining brightly and it is 46 degrees. Sure makes a body feel better. We have had so much rain that it is hard to see where the rain ends and my faucet leak begins. LOL I have been catching the leak water in a 5 gallon bucket and with all of the rain it keeps filling up fast. Yesterday I was able to get the plumber's answering machine instead of the fax squawky thing. I left a message and I hope he comes by today. I am counting on seeing a dramatic decrease in my water bill.
Thank you all for the many nice comments left on my Mother's Day blog. My mother raised 8 children and it was not easy. She (as you can tell from the picture posted) came from a family that had plenty of material wealth. She married my dad when they were both young. He didn't have a pot to p*** in as the old saying goes. We were very poor and if you will look at the picture in my old photos titled 'the day we moved from Missouri' you can get the general idea. The tiny girl standing in the front row with the striped sleeves is me. Rae is the baby being held in an aunt's arms. The years between then and now are filled with a lot of stories.
I want to start visiting some of you before I head off to exercise so I need to move on.
Stay safe and be happy!
3/3/2008 it's pouring rain here. The ground is frozen and pools of water are standing from the snow that melted yesterday. We and neighboring counties are under a flash flood watch again. Tonight this rain is to change to freezing rain/snow. March, you are not being good to me. It would behoove (not exactly sure if I am using this word in the right context but you get the picture) you well if you paid attention to me as my fuse is getting shorter.
I braved the rain to go to workout. I also took along 20+ lbs of groceries for the local food bank. Our local Curves is striving to donate 750 lbs of food this month. For my efforts I received a large green grocery bag with the Curves logo on it. So you see, I am going green.
I have been enjoying reading about things that happened in the past to several of my blogging friends. I thought I might dig a little in my past and see what I could come up with.
I started my working career for the now defunct General Telephone Company when I was 16 and a junior in high school. It was hard keeping up with work and school. I also had to fix my dad's breakfast on occasion. My sister and I would ride to high school with our older married sister who worked close to the school. This was a little before 6 each morning. The janitor at the school knew we were coming and would let us in. We would sit on the steps inside and do our homework. There was no time to do it at home because I was working 4 - 9 at the telephone company each night after school and 8 hours on Saturday and 8 hours every other Sunday. It was great having money to buy pretty clothes although there wasn't much time left for dating. (I did manage to get one guy's class ring) LOL
And that is my blast from the past. I had fun writing that so I think I will include a paragraph in my post each day about something that happened in the past.
Back in the present day world. I hope the sun is shining wherever you are. Stay safe and be happy!! 1/8/2008 as it did last night. It poured down rain last night and we had thunder and lightning too. I am not sure how much rain we got but I listened to the scanner and parts of our county got 3 - 4 inches. I heard our fire/rescue team trying to get someone out of a car that had been submerged in the country (not sure where, it must have been a creek) a couple of miles from here. They finally had to get a motor boat to make the rescue. This is unbelievable weather for us. Just wait, when I put my tomatoes out in May there won't be a drop of rain in sight.
I have made my morning run to Curves. Now I have to decide what to do with the rest of the day. Cleaning is out as it too nasty outside. I need some sunshine in a big hurry. I won't go out on the interstate when the weather is bad, so I guess that means veggin' all day.
Catch you all later. 12/21/2007
The fog is so thick today you could cut it with a knife. Visibility is 1/4 mile or less. I definitely will not be heading out on the interstate. I traveled south to the big city yesterday for final Christmas groceries.
This morning I was at workout at 7:15. No more workouts for 4 days. That means I will have to start over. LOL I am looking forward to a really good meal on Christmas day. I am not letting the kids take home all of the leftovers either.
Today I am kind of vegging as I feel lazy. I have the last 3 Woo books and a Janet Evanovich redo from 1990, which I probably read in 1990. I have to get the Sue Grafton books on my library list. I am ignoring the fact that I should clean my house. I have developed this excellent way to clear my mind of all thoughts of cleaning. Just forget all about it. ;o) The bathrooms will be enough I think as there will be tracking in on Tuesday. I think I might have everyone take off their shoes at the door.
I received a box of Christmas bulbs today from my niece in WV. I am sick of winter and it doesn't start until Saturday. YUCK!!
Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
12/15/2007 HEAVY SNOW WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 12 PM CST SUNDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS UPGRADED THE SNOW
ADVISORY TO A HEAVY SNOW WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 12 PM
CST SUNDAY.
SNOW WILL INTENSIFY THIS MORNING ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND
NORTHWEST INDIANA. GREATEST SNOWFALL RATES ARE EXPECTED MIDDAY
TODAY. HOWEVER SNOW WILL BECOME QUITE HEAVY AT TIMES TONIGHT BEFORE
TAPERING TO FLURRIES FROM WEST TO EAST BY SUNDAY MORNING. TOTAL
ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM AROUND 6 INCHES FROM
PONTIAC TO GARY...WITH UP TO 8 INCHES FARTHER SOUTH ACROSS THE
CHATSWORTH...ST ANNE...DUNNS BRIDGE AREAS. SNOW MAY MAKE FOR
SLIPPERY TRAVEL ACROSS THE AREA... PARTICULARLY SATURDAY NIGHT
WHEN SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BE MOST INTENSE.
I fall in the farther south area.
I give up, I can't do anything about it. I think El Nina or whatever his or her name is to blame. That is what the weather forecasters are saying anyway. I have the trunk of the car loaded with goodies to take to my son, my latest trip being planned for tomorrow morning. I hope the El whatever gets this all out of its system by Christmas day as I really would like to have my kids here with me.
I took goodies to the library with me this morning. Ms Never Has a Smile was not there. I did get the 6th in the April Woo series. I have 3 more to go.
I hope you all have a great weekend and I hope it is blizzarding (not a word my beloved spell checker tells me) in the Carolinas so Bill can make a snowman for his kids. Shoot, you all might as well have snow, I'm willing to share. And...I haven't got the big snow blower out yet. Help!!!! 12/9/2007 No traveling north for me this morning. The freezing rain started yesterday afternoon and is still coming down. Things are starting to be coated with ice and the forecast is for freezing rain off and on through Wednesday. I turned the scanner off because I was getting tired of hearing about the cars going off in the ditches and the ambulance calls.
Here I am stuck in the house with about 5 million calories. Please somebody save me from myself. ;o) Yesterday I made haystacks. I do limit myself when I am making stuff to one piece of candy. I can't resist the oatmeal raisin cookies so I have them in a container, in a sack, in an ice chest in the back of my car. It is too icy to go to the garage so I am safe from them.
I did cook something fairly healthy a couple of days ago. A lean pork chop, baked sweet potato and some mixed fruit. I am not a vegetable person. I never have been. My kids both like all the veggies so that is good. Actually the only vegetable that I really like is green lima beans. Since I only grew tomatoes in my little garden last year I am about out of lima beans in my freezer. Maybe I will make my garden a little bigger this year.
I am through rattling on for the day. I think I will go cook my last package of lima beans. Stay safe everyone and if you have the freezing rain where you are, stay inside and bake some cookies! 12/7/2007 What a relief, only 1 inch of snow last night. Doesn't look good for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday as the forecast is for freezing rain.    
I got out first thing this morning and shoveled. My neighbor had done most of it before he left for work at 6AM. Time for me to make him a coconut cream pie, Also I have to get the big snow blower out. I went to workout this morning. It was great. You know, I really missed not going yesterday. It is good I like to go because it is kind of expensive and I sure am not going to pay money and not get anything for it. ;o) I have made the lizzies, oatmeal raisin cookies, peanut butter fudge, chocolate fudge, and chex mix. I have these things all ready to take north but I am not going out at all this weekend if it is freezing rain. I hope you all have a great day. I may cook something healthy today but don't anyone hold their breath. lol 12/6/2007 UNTIL 6:00 AM TOMORROW MORNING.
A SNOW ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY
TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND
LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING
SNOW WILL SPREAD EAST ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER THIS AFTERNOON
AND REACH NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS BY SUNSET. MOST LOCATIONS WILL
SEE A PERIOD OF MODERATE SNOW DURING THE EARLY TO MID EVENING
BEFORE TAPERING OFF BY LATE EVENING. NEW SNOWFALL OF 2 TO 4 INCHES
IS EXPECTED. MOST WILL FALL THIS EVENING...BUT LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS
WILL START LATE THIS AFTERNOON.
Oh, shoot, at least last year we didn't have any significant snowfall until after Christmas. YUCK!!
I missed Curves today because I didn't rest last night. I was up and down all night. If I can make it to town tomorrow I will be there bright and early. Today I am worn out. Believe me, the golden years leave a lot to be desired, in fact they are tarnished a little bit. 12/5/2007
Laughing now. The spell checker said there is no such word as cameth. I knew that, I just was seeing if the spell checker knew that. Anyway the snow did come and the wind did blow and I did shovel. About 5 inches but drifts around the house and behind the garage of about a foot. I couldn't take a picture because my battery was totally down on my camera. After it gets charged I will take a picture. Do I have to repeat myself and say "I do not like snow." If the roads would miraculously clear by themselves and the walks would shovel themselves I guess I might like it. It is pretty to look at.
I got salt on my car just driving to Curves this morning. I hate when that happens. It is useless to wash the car for awhile.
I got the fiberoptic Christmas angels and the Christmas tree out this morning and after the Young and the Restless I am going to get busy. Y&R is driving me crazy right now. Victoria laying in a coma for weeks now and the actors take turns, one right after the other talking to her and saying the same things over and over again. You can sure tell the writers are on strike. Good thing I am a loyal viewer or I might get aggravated and quit watching. Nah, I couldn't do that. As Victor would say, "You got that?" lol
I have to go now as it is time for me to decide what TV dinner I will have for my lunch. I finished the leftovers from my Sunday cooking spree yesterday.
P.S. I think it might be time to get the big snow blower out.
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