Making My Home A Haven is important to me. Sharing homemaking skills. Recipes and food. Bible Studies. This is a treasure chest of goodies. So take a seat. Have a glass of tea and enjoy. You will learn all about who I am.
Remembering Karen and the fun we had on our ROAD TRIP. I have no idea where those photos are. They are safe, just on a cloud somewhere!!!!! Losing Karen only makes me feel the loss of Bobby more. She was one of the few people who really knew Bobby. No one here in Florida ever met Bobby, except Danny. I have been more Debbie the last few days than Sarah. Few people really understand the 2 sides to me. They either know me as Debbie, Bobby’s Mom or as Sarah, Danny’s wife. Karen KNEW ME AS BOTH.
This was from our Road Trip. We were at Karen’s Ex-In-lawshouse in Jerseyville., Illinois. Near my hometown. Where I went to school.
I have always considered the Lyiming’s Family.
Bobby 1 year old. 1981
Dan and I , Bobby, Mike And Leah in La Veta, Colorado. 1984Bobby 1 year. 1981.
Bobby and I. He was 3 months old.
When you lose all of your photos, you have to rely on Copies of Copies.
May 25,2006. After saying GOODBYE TO BOBBY ON HIS MOUNTAIN IN COLORADO. My Mom And Dad, Donna, Danny and I. Bobby in Colorado Springs.Danny and I After…….
I Slept From 9 PM Wednesday Night Till 4 PM Thursday Afternoon.
I was so tired last night. Oh so tired. I remember walking into the kitchen to tell Danny I was going to bed. He just looked at me and then at the clock.
I fell asleep right away. I seldom do that.
I never heard anything until Danny came to bed. Never heard all the sounds that go on at night that always keep me awake. The interaction between Danny and Mr, Bojangles. The noise of the animals underneath the house or the rain that fell.
I slept soundly. Dreaming Of Bobby and his cousins when they were little. Dreaming of my parents. I feel as if I dreamed all night. Wonderful dreams of yesterday.
This morning, the sun was bright and I just rolled over on my side.
I heard Danny get up and I looked at the clock. It was 9:10.
I’d been sleeping for 12 hours.
I went back to sleep and slept soundly. More wonderful dreams.
Even when I finally got up at 4 PM, I could have slept some more. Yet, I knew I wouldn’t dream again. I got up.
I’d slept for 19 hours.
A little sad, that Bobby can only be heard in my dreams and on a few old cassette tapes I have.
Yet, happy and very thankful. that for hours….We were together again.
Mom and her son….Simply having fun.
Love you Bobby. Love my Memories Of You. My Dreams.
Bobby 3 months old. 1980
Bobby and I at my grandparent’s house. Colorado 1984.
Bobby, Mike, Leah, Dan and I. La Veta, Colorado 1985
From Sarah :
I originally wrote
this in 2015.
We are getting ready for another ROAD TRIP. Danny and I have a short trip coming up on Wednesday, January 15th.
Another 5 day trip RAIL FANNING. We come home on Sunday.
I leave for Illinois on Tuesday .I was going to fly there but decided I just couldn’t. I NEED A ROAD TRIP.
I need time to myself. Away from Danny. I will be going from “Sarah” to “Debbie”, my real name. Going HOME for the first time since my dad died.
Both my parents are gone.
Bobby is gone.
I need TIME to heal. That’s what this road trip is for. So is the visit. Going home for COMFORT.
I will have a week at the homestead by myself. My sister and her husband will be gone . I am pet sitting.
I will be hiding.
Once they come home, I will venture out. Seeing family and friends. Taking ROAD TRIPS through the wonderful Illinois countryside. Visiting my home church.
But, for a week, I will stay on the farm as much as possible.
2015:
What do the words “Road Trips” mean to you?
I can’t stop thinking of road trips.
I miss those carefree days when I was young and our family went on vacations. Scenic vacations.
I will write a post on Route 66. It was a huge part of my childhood and teen years
My took many drives and road trips after I turned 16. I never took the same road 2xs in a row if I didn’t have to. This post will cover some of those.
I will write a post on driving to Colorado from Illinois with a girlfriend when we were 16 years old.
Of traveling with Bobby from Illinois to Colorado or Colorado to Illinois.
Road trips with Bobby and his cousins, Mike and Leah.
With Bobby, Kari and Alex.
With my dad, Bobby and I.
So Many awesome memories.
Since Bobby died and I moved to Florida , those road trips stopped. With the exception of 2.
A spur of the moment road trip driving with Karen from Texas to Illinois and then to Kansas in January 2007.
Taking Greyhound back home for mom’s memorial service and Thanksgiving last year. 2014.
To me they mean getting in the Fiat (The Blue Goose) at 17 and heading out for a nightly ride on The Great River Road.
“Old Man River, Father of Waters, “body of a nation,” Big Muddy—by any name the mighty Mississippi cuts a mythic figure across the American landscape.”
Old Man River Lyrics
Music Video
“Old Man River” was written by Butler, Herbert/givens, Otha Lee/johnson, Tony Lee /
Here we all work ‘long the Mississippi
Here we all work, while the white boys play
Gettin’ no rest from the dawn till the sunset
Gettin’ no rest till the judgment day
You don’t look up, you don’t look down
You don’t dare make the rich boss frown
Bend your knees and bow your head
And tote that barge until you’re dead
Let me go away from the Mississippi
Let me go away from the rich man boss
Show me that stream called the River of Jordan
That’s the old stream that I long to cross
Old Man River, Old Man River
He don’t say nothin’, he must know somethin’
Old Man River, he just keeps rollin’ along
You know, you know he don’t plant taters
And we all know the man don’t plant no cotton
And then, then they plant ’em
Oh the Lord knows they are soon forgotten
But Old Man River, he just keeps rollin’ along
You, you and me, you know sometimes
We have to we have to sweat, sweat and strain
Our bodies, our bodies are all achin’
And wracked with a whole lot of pain
Tote that barge, lift that bale, you get a little drunk
And you land in jail
I get weary and so sick of tryin’
I’m tired of livin’, and afraid of dyin’
But Old Man River, he just keeps rollin’ ahttps://youtu.be/eh9WayN7R-s
Old Man River, he just keeps rollin’ along
I love my hometown of Grafton, Illinois. To be honest, If It wouldn’t have been so hot and humid there in the summertime and cold and damp in the winter , I probably would never have left it to move to Colorado.
I would have just gone to Colorado , every chance I had.
I would probably still be there, On the farm…..In my parent’s house.
I loved farm life. But that is another story.
Illinois is beautiful. Roads that go on and on forever. Crisscrossing like they DON’T DO In Florida Or Even Colorado. Leaving the farm and just driving.
Farm Life I’ve posted these just last week in mom’s memorial post. Mom and Donna and my rabbits. Above, Me with Cisco and Ralphie Jr.
I would listen to Elvis singing Memphis Tennessee over and over again.
Another song I would listen to over and over again was :
“River Road By Crystal Gayle
Here I go once again with my suitcase in my hand
And I’m running away down River Road
And I swear, once again, that I’m never coming home
Yes, I’m chasing my dreams down River Road
Mama said, “Listen child, you’re too old to run wild
You’re too big to be fishin’ with the boys these days”
So I grabbed some clothes and I ran
Stole five dollars from a sugar can
A twelve year old jail breaker runnin’ away
Here I go once again with my suitcase in my hand
And I’m running away down River Road
And I swear, once again, that I’m never coming home
I’m chasing my dreams down River Road
Well, I married a pretty good man and he tries to understand
But he knows I’ve got leavin’ on my mind these days
When I get that urge to roam I’m just like a kid again
The same old jail breaker runnin’ away
Here I go once again with my suitcase in my hand
And I’m running away down River Road
And I swear, once again, that I’m never coming home
I’m chasing my dreams down River Road”
Bobby grew up listening to the songs I loved . We would sing them together.
Bobby and I 1981.
The photo of us was taken one year at Royal Gorge. His cousins were visiting and I had promised to take everyone there. It was one of the few hot summer days Colorado had that year. In the 90’s. No humidity though.
Bobby, Mike and Leah Cascade Colorado- Bobby 4, Mike 3 and Leah 2. 1984
My kids
My kids. I thought of them that way. They were almost always together for the first 5 years of their lives. More like brother’s and sister than cousins.
Grafton and Elsah
“Located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, and stretching out for approximately two miles along the Illinois River, is the picturesque river town of Grafton. Founded in 1832 by James Mason, Grafton is the oldest town in Jersey County. Described as a “post office, one store, one tavern, and a number of families” in 1834, the area was being settled as early as 1812 when a blockhouse was built at the confluence for protection.”
“Built in 1858 this home was for many years the home of the village butcher and fisherman, Issac Haupt. The stone part of the structure was built as a two-room house with an outside stair to the second floor. The frame portion on the right was added in the 1890s. Then in the 1940s the house was modernized by adding an inside stair, living room fireplace, bathrooms, and oak flooring over the old random width pine boards in the living and dining rooms.”
The Buggy Shop : “John Reintges erected the wagon shop in the summer of 1877. Although there have been, some changes, particularly in the front, the buggy shop is one of the buildings that gives Elsah its quaint flavor. You can still read the lettering painted across the gable end of the shop “Wagons and Buggies Made and Repaired.”
Or I would head further down the road to a little road shortly before you reached Alton and the Piasa Bird.
The down 100 and home. There was an old bridge back then….They took it out years ago.
For the longer drives (Usually during the day) I would turn right in Grafton and head West Towards Hardin.
“Some of the region’s most dramatic scenery is nestled along a winding road north of Alton, Illinois. Drive along the Great River Road with the Mississippi River on one side and soaring limestone bluffs on the other. The bluffs, noted in the journals of 17th-century explorers Marquette and Joliet, sheltered the fierce Piasa Bird of Native American legend. Just north of Alton, you’ll find an image of the serpent-like bird painted on the limestone cliffs. Enjoy antique hunting in Alton and charming Grafton to the north. Picnic beside the river, bike on the trail under the bluffs or explore the grounds of Pere Marquette State Park and its classic log lodge.
Cross the Mississippi or Illinois rivers on one of four ferries at Kampsville, Grafton, Brussels and Winfield or stop in the Center for American Archeology in Kampsville to learn more about the region’s prehistoric heritage. On the way back to St. Louis, visit the Argosy Casino Alton or stop in the National Great Rivers Museum at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam. Learn about the Corps of Discovery at the Lewis & Clark State Historic Site in Hartford, Illinois, located at the site of the explorers’ Camp Dubois.”
I was just finishing a post for this morning.
I have been up all night. Hurting. I was hoping to make it through today and tomorrow …then crashing on Sunday…..
I won’t be going in this morning.
They really don’t need me there. I was just going to be checking out the last minutes details for the Event.
I know it isn’t necessary. I have done it all already.
So I am staying home today.
Staying off my ankle as much as possible/
So I can be there Saturday for The Grand Opening Event.
I have borrowed a good camera to take photos all day.
Anyway, I was still feeling a bit sorry for myself.
Until I happened to glance at my Number Of Followers.
I have gotten use to the ups and downs of it. At least the get a few , then a loose a few.
So I don’t pay quite as much attention to it any more.
Tonight I did.
717.
Bobby was born on 7- 17.
7:17 PM
Weighing 7 pounds 11 ounces.
I was in room 17.
He loved the numbers 7 and 17.
A silly thing to make me smile. Nothing special.
I love those moments.
I am not a Whitesnake fan.
Bobby was.
LOUD.
Except when I was HOME.
I like this song and a couple of others.
That’s IT.
Whitesnake- Here I Go Again
I don’t know where I’m goin
but I sure know where I’ve been
hanging on the promises in songs of yesterday.
An’ I’ve made up my mind, I ain’t wasting no more time
but here I go again, here I go again.
Tho’ I keep searching for an answer
I never seem to find what I’m looking for.
Oh Lord, I pray you give me strength to carry on
‘cos I know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams.
Here I go again on my own
goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known.
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone.
An’ I’ve made up my mind, I ain’t wasting no more time.
Just another heart in need of rescue
waiting on love’s sweet charity
an’ I’m gonna hold on for the rest of my days
‘cos I know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams.
Here I go again on my own
goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known.
Like a hobo I was born to walk alone.
An’ I’ve made up my mind, I ain’t wasting no more time
but here I go again, here I go again,
here I go again, here I go.
An’ I’ve made up my mind, I ain’t wasting no more time.
Here I go again on my own
goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known.
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
‘cos I know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams.
Here I go again on my own
goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known.
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone.
An’ I’ve made up my mind, I ain’t wasting no more time
but here I go again, here I go again,
here I go again, here I go,
here I go again
—————————————-—————————————-
“Here I Go Again” is a song recorded by Whitesnake. Originally released on their 1982 album, Saints & Sinners, the song was re-recorded for their eponymous 1987 album Whitesnake. The song was re-recorded yet another time in 1987 in a new “radio” version. The 1987 version hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on October 10, 1987, and number nine on the UK Singles Chart on November 28, 1987. The 1987 version also hit number one on the Canadian Singles Chart on October 24, 1987. In 2006, the 1987 version was named the 17th Greatest Song of the 1980s by VH1.
To Bobby,
Wishing you were here. Missing you as I always do. It is just harder on holidays.
Your cousin’s birthday is Monday. You were so close to her. To all of them.
I can’t believe that you would be 35 if you were still here.
I see you all the time in my dreams . You have aged in some of them. I have even seen a couple of kids walking with you.
Wishing I had all the photos that were lost in the fire. Oh so many of you. I have so few now.
I am remembering all of the firework events we went to.
You loved them. You were so proud to be an American. You’d be disappointed in our country right now.
Miss You . Love you.
Mom
We all have certain songs that remind us of a special person or an event you like to remember. I have lot’s of them.
One thing my son and I shared was a love for music.
Bobby and his momma. He was a year and a half here. 1981
It was amazing how much of the same music we loved . Because of this he grew up singing along with me to the songs we loved.
This particular song was popular when Bobby was 4.
We were living in in a little cabin in Cascade ,Colorado. We were literally at the Foot of the Pikes Peak Highway.
This is one of those songs we sang together, whenever we heard it and where ever we were.
I remember being at work and he was with me at the time. He’s probably came down with his babysitter when I was on a break at the restaurant I was working at in Green Mountain Falls.
This song came on the radio. We broke away from whatever we were doing and just started dancing and singing to it. Loudly and offkey.
2015
I was just listening to some songs on Youtube just now when it came on. It had been awhile since I had heard it.
I didn’t cry but I could have. Oh the memories. Wonderful, wonderful memories of a momma and her son singing to a song they loved.
“I Love Only You” by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
I like to drink my beer
Spend time with the boys
After work, to down a few
Is something I enjoy
And sometimes I stay out too late,
Yes I know it’s true
But I love only you.And I like to take life easy
Work out in the yard
Sleep late on the weekends
After an all-night game of cards
And drivin’ my old chevy
On a sunday afternoon
But I love only youI like my old guitar
And I’d like to be a star and shine on you
I’d like to write a song
The whole world could sing along
I love only youI like my old memories
The girls I used to know
Some of them still have a place
My mind likes to go
Of all the ones I’ve cared for
Lord knows there’s been a few
But I love only you
Honey, I love only you.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was a band I fell in love with in Jr High.
Bobby loved listening to them as a child.
The first song I remember him enjoying was the following one:
Now that was a favorite of mine. My first love , a guy I met in high school use to sing this song all the time. He ended up being my longtime friend and the man who you can blame for my first being called Sarah. (One of those stories for another time)
Anyway, I loved Mr. Bojangles.
Well, Never as much as Bobby did. It was his number one song until the day he died. He never varied from it.
I knew a man Bojangles and he’d dance for you
In worn out shoes
With silver hair, a ragged shirt, and baggy pants
The old soft shoe
He jumped so high, jumped so high
Then he lightly touched downI met him in a cell in New Orleans I was
down and out
He looked to me to be the eyes of age
as he spoke right out
He talked of life, talked of life, he laughed
clicked his heels and stepped He said his name “Bojangles” and he danced a lick
across the cell
He grabbed his pants and spread his stance,
Oh he jumped so high and then he clicked his heels
He let go a laugh, let go a laugh
and shook back his clothes all aroundMr. Bojangles, Mr. Bojangles
Mr. Bojangles, dance
He danced for those at minstrel shows and county fairs
throughout the south
He spoke through tears of 15 years how his dog and him
traveled about
The dog up and died, he up and died
And after 20 years he still grieves
He said I dance now at every chance in honky tonks
for drinks and tips
But most the time I spend behind these county bars
’cause I drinks a bit
He shook his head, and as he shook his head
I heard someone ask him please
Mr. Bojangles, Mr. Bojangles
Mr. Bojangles, dance..
Written By :Jerry Jeff Walker
Also Sung By https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvYmL5KsvYA
He loved this version as well.
Celebrating Life as Best I Can
To my Son, Bobby…..
“I love you to the moon and back.
until the day I die”
Love Mom
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