Family Photo Christmas 2011

Savana, Ron, Kristi, Korby, Ayden, Pat, Gary, Carol E, Alec, Kim, Shelby, Ava, Shannon, Sam, John, Lee, Rae and Aaron.  Erin's finger in bottom right.  Carol A was also taking picture

Gift Bag Contents 2011

Starting at bottom left

Starbucks coffee "tube" from ?

Green 8x8 cloth from Carol A(IOU for embroidery)

Chap stick from ?

Silver container of seasoning salt from Kim (we had to ask who gave it)

Colorful container of homemade cookies from Kristi.  Carol E got a flower pot gnome which is precious but not pictured

Baggy of dried kiwi, mango, pineapple and papaya from R /C

A silver ink pen and 2 homemade candies from Pat

Magnet clips from J/C

Two tootsie rolls from ?

A black sunglass holder from Gary

Light blue candy from Brasil from S & W

A foil wrapped Santa candy from ?

A giraffe head book place holder (animals) from J/ C

Mentos from ?

Orange package of handwarmers from J/C

Black tall box of Kahlua candies from J/C: Carol got Baileys flavor.

Pint jar of pear jam from Shannon with peeling assist from Gary.

Sam gave a quart jar of laundery soap which only requires a tablespoon per load. Not pictured, sorry Sam!!

Carol keeps bringing items missed in the photo:  A picture collage of The Bryant clan in many poses.  A flower topped clip for holding photos or recipes.

If you can help with more items or the identity of the giver, please e-mail and I will update the above.

Thanks again to all for making the afternoon lots of fun.

Christmas Eve Luncheon 2011

Sam, Shelby and Ron.  Ron has the funny hat!!  As you can see in the background it was a sunny day with no snow.  This is just after lunch and we are opening the gift bag.  More on contents in the next post.

Aaron, Carol A, Carol E, Rae, John

Lee, Gary and Pat.  The poinsetta was carried over from last year.  Not as full as those from the store, but festive.  Yep, we rearranged the furniture for the event.

Savana, Kristi, and Lee.  Note the mentos in Lee's pocket.  Savana had those in her right hand which I "cropped".  Don't know who put them in the white gift bags.

Alec, Kim, Korbyn and Ayden.  Ayden favored the apple and orange while Alec was thrilled with the "Mater" (from Cars)  shampoo bottle.  I'm not sure what Korby has.

Ava with her yoyo.  I think the only mishaps of the day were a 2 piece yoyo (will need to be glued together) and a smashed small snow globe ( the pieces were manually picked up and then the area vacuumed)

Rae and Aaron just about ready to head to their next party.

I think the only person not pictured is Erin.  Sorry "roomy"!!

Lunch was served first.  Then the large community gift bags were pillaged and finally the gag gifts were opened.  KimShannon rummaged thru their attic and brought a photo printer and scrabble game (not really white elephant, but WELL received and traded); John/Carol wrapped up 3 huge, landscape nails and a Christmas assortment;  Pat/Gary brought a small water fountain and ?; Erin/Aaron gave a book and ?; Kristi/Shelby brought 2 pillow shams and a bag with giraffe stuff; Ron/Carol gave a naked lady nutcracker and a WIDE LOAD banner.  We know there was other stuff but can't remember.  Any help would be appreciated.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

A Christmas Carol Dec 18, 2011

Sunday afternoon performance.  During intermission, Ron was selected from the audience to be measured for size of casket he would need!!

He has just received the "official quote" for size of casket and cost.  4 pounds!!

Kristi and Savanna were supporting actresses in the play and did great.  It was a good thing that Kristi was in the "choir" or we wouldn't have heard much of the music.  She has a great voice!!  Savanna had a costume change about midway thru the play and this is her second "character".

Ayden came with Kim and was fascinated by the characters who wandered thru the audience several times during the play.  The moans and screams of persons in dark and dreary London were "exciting"!!!

Thrift Store Christmas Party

            Lisa, Rosanne, Noni        Carol E  Ron     Donna
                                                                     Judy                Ralph

Carol E and Ralph are spouses, the rest are active in the operation of the Eldon Food Pantry Thrift Store.  Rosanne thru the party and we all enjoyed good food, desserts and conversation.  Lots of Eldon history was shared.

$2.99 Gas in Eldon!!!

As I was driving in to the Eldon Food Pantry, I saw that Northshore was at $2.99 for regular gas!!  Eldon is the same. 

We had seen $2.95 at one station at 435 and Front Street in KCMO on our Thanksgiving Day journey to E & A.  Most stations were still over $3 but we did buy at $2.96 at the Roadway MiniMart, LaMonte, but this is cash only, otherwise it was $3.06.

Come on down to Missouri for some more reasonably priced gasoline!!

Thanksgiving at E & A 2011

This was supposed to be the last photo to show Aaron leaving for the night shift about 8pm.  Yep, he was out protecting KCMO in the Central Division.  I forgot to add and now it is the front photo. 

We arrived about 11:30 and Grandma Carol held the happy girl before she even took off her sweat shirt.  We drove in rain from Rocky Mount with heavy rain at Sedalia and finally it stopped east of Lees Summit and then the north wind took over.  Brrrr

 We can be serious at times and really like the jumpy chair with leaps and squeals!!

 The table was set with decorative touches and the food did it proud!!  Yum Yum.  Note there are no pictures of food, cause we were tooooo busy chowing down!!

Someone got a deco bow and some milk for dinner.

Yep, the kitchen was full of cooks!!  Kristi finally shooed us all to the TV room.

Ayden, Aaron and Rae

Does the shoestring go over then under???

I'm not sure if I like this guy??

Ava and her new winter hat.  It is bright and reminded Carol and I of the Peruvian musicians who played in Boston when Carol and I first met Wemerson.

Hey, I'm happy and I think I'll cut a tooth one of these first days, cause I like to chew on my thumb or anybody's finger!!

Thanks Erin and Aaron for a wonderful weekend.

Eldon Food Pantry Thrift Store

The Thrift Store is just south of the community center (& library) at 312 E. 2nd in Eldon, MO  The hours are Mon, Wed, Sat from 9-2.  A website is

http://www.eldoncommunityfoodpantry.com/

573-392-8380

A center hallway between the two "buildings" leads to the food pantry which distributes each Monday and the 1st and 2nd Wed of the month from 9-2 to eligible families.

The first day of the month usually has over 200 families, the next open date will have about 150 and then 70-100 families the rest of the month.  The shelves are virtually EMPTY this month and donations are really needed.

Funds raised by thrift store sales will be used to buy more food items as needed.

Just to the west of the main thrift store is the "annex" where the overflow and larger items are kept.  It has been converted to a Christmas room this year and sales have been pretty good for so early in the season.

The view from the door as you enter the room.

View from the west wall back to the east wall by the main door.

Yes, we are rushing the season!!!

I have been helping with this room and getting stuff ready in the back rooms for displaying and selling in the main store.  We had all volunteer help for the last 10 days as Rosanne, the thrift store manager, went to California to visit family.

Auction Time in November

Tuesday nights is the TriCounty Auction which starts at 5pm.  I like the action in "the barn" which is where a lot of "garage sale" stuff is sold.  The gentlemen in the "cowboy" hat is the auctioneer who uses a portable microphone system.

Another view from the "east side" of the "barn".  I usually stay a couple of hours and have been buying remainders of "lots" for a $1 which I take to the thrift store.

On this day the sun was setting and I hoped I could get a shot of the fire red we saw last week.

I thought the sky was just going to fade away.

And then it finally appeared and lasted for about 3 minutes!!

Brasilian Wedding

Wemerson's brother, Adriano (Dri or Dree) finally weds.  He is older than Wem.

Handsome Max escorting a young lady down the aisle.

Proud Mom, Sara, and Max with a very serious look!!

The wedding was on Saturday Nov 5.  On Sunday Nov 6 Wem and Dree's maternal grandmother who has had Alzheimers for several years finally dies.  The families traveled to the state of Rio for her funeral on Monday.

Finke Theater Sunday Nov 6, 2011

Patty plays in the California band/orchestra and they had their concert in the Finke Theater.  The opera house/theatre was built in 1885 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

The performance started at 3pm and lasted til 4pm with about 8 selections from marches to a Lion King medley.  I liked the circus march the best.

Patty plays the bassoon and is the white hair just below the conductors left elbow.  We sat near the back and this is the best of several photos I attempted with a cheapy camera.

There were 17 members playing and about 70 in the audience.

Halloween at Kim & Shannon's

The group that dressed up for the combined October birthdays and Halloween soup and sandwich feast at Kim and Shannon's on Sunday, Oct 30, 2011.

Race car driver #1 (Vanna), swordsman (Alec), Orange race car driver #2 (Shelby), blue man (Kristi), pumpkin (Rae), catsup (Aaron), mustard (Erin), bumblebee (Ava), ghost (Ron), rainbow hair (Pat), bright eyes (Gary), spiderman (Ayden) and getting out of picture blue person (Kim)

Primary colors - red, blue, yellow, white and black

Signage on backs -  forgot to get photo of mustard and catsup which listed their ingredients!!

The little pumpkin.

Thanks for the birthday cards and lottery ticket (with no winnings!!)

Fall foliage and blooms

This shot was taken before we left for Maryland

A similar shot when we returned.  Still very pretty

Our view of the cove.  The red maple is really nice and this is without any sunshine.

Across the cove.  So Sara can remember what autumn is like!!

Pumpkin Carving at Eric's

Our last evening was spent around the kitchen island with carving tools in hand.  Eric, Eddie (he left fast), Ashley, Sammi, & Carol

Pumpkin brain matter is really ugly and disgusting!!

All three are getting into it!!

The island top is getting messier.

The dremel tool is GREAT but is does splatter on the purple (Ravens) shirt.

I'm melting (with flash)

Without flash -- sorry about the blurs

Number 2 pumpkin

Number 3 pumpkin.

Last year they put the pumpkins outside and someone vandalized them.  Don't know what might happen this year??