Summer wrap up

Hi guys! Still alive. I have been neglecting my blog. I post almost daily on Instagram as it is quicker, so please do search me out there at hopeandjoyhome. I have been busy as a bee this summer.   Thanks to Google images I found out the above wildflower that I see often in the ditches around here is chicory..what did we do before Google? Lol. This fat bee seemed to enjoy it.

We attended an estate auction of a McCoy collector and boy did we buy McCoy! This is the back of our Explorer on the way home. Over 400 pieces...we couldn't even wrap it! I am slowly working my way through the boxes and learning a lot about McCoy and Brush McCoy pieces on the way. Some are going to Ebay but most are going to my Etsy shop, www.etsy.com/shop/hopeandjoyhome

 We went "home" to SD to visit family and attend our all school reunion. They are tearing down the old school to build a new one. These are some of the bee hives in my dad's back pasture.They don't tend them, someone else does and gives them honey in exchange.

 We also checked out the "crop circles" they discovered since they started putting the pasture up for hay after he sold his cows (retired). Can you see the darker ring here? The tracks in the middle are from our vehicle and should show how big these are. There are 3-4 that they found. The grass in the ring area is darker green, thicker and taller than the surrounding grass even though it is the same variety..so weird!

 A shot up the ladder of the town's grain elevator.

Dad's barn and mom's hollyhocks.

Some pieces I worked on this summer.

 Unfortunately my husband was right, my garden was bad..my herb wagon survived though!

My daughter's garden was majestic. She kept me supplied with garden produce all summer!

 Our grandson turned 9 and we celebrated with him at his house.

Our grand daughter had her cleft palate surgery and it was stressful but successful. The closed the holes in her palate.

I found some rusty goodies in SD. This is one of several cast iron stove finials I bought. They look like farmhouse trophies!

The last few weeks have been rainy.

I have been hauling our son Jack to golf games. It has been interesting as he just started golfing the first part of July! Some "character building" moments. I told him, you improve each time, you don't cry, cuss, quit or throw things..I am proud of you!

We did get caught in this monsoon of a rainstorm. we were driving back to the clubhouse pedal to the metal..lost his hat once and golf bag twice! We were soaked but laughing. "You are driving like a maniac!" "We are on a golfcourse next to a lake under trees in the pouring rain..we are going to be hit by lightning..yes I am driving like a maniac!" Lol..memories for sure.

 I have been fiddling with patina-izing brass. This pic has been bumped up a bit in editing.

Mostly just greeting each day and seeing where it takes me. Hope you are having a great summer! Til next time! Julia