Lauren's long-time friend Holly came for a visit to the Shire. The girls greet Dancer (l) and Spirit.
Holly and Lauren
Taylor and Lauren helped us paint our back decks.
Reid paints the deck posts.
Craft Day at the Shire! My friends Nancy and Pat came out for a Saturday devoted to making mosaic garden stones.
Susan and Lauren work on mosaics.
Pat's beach-inspired garden stone (l) and Nancy's chicken garden stone.
Lauren's friend Danielle joined us at the Shire for our June Craft Day.
Danielle's beach-inspired mosaic, complete with floating otter.
Lauren's mosaic with Glory as it's subject.
Susan's Mondrian-inspired mosaic garden stone.
While Lauren and Taylor visited us, their cat Rambo was our guest too.
Rambo hides from Snicklefritz and Milo Hamilton.
Milo Hamilton and Rambo are both youngsters, and had a blast playing together.
Rambo claims my laundry carrier.
"Who, me???"
Frank & Shirley Gore with Sarah & Chris Gardner. Sarah and Chris came for a visit while Lauren & Taylor were in Georgia. How great to have all our kids here!
Working hard in Mamaw's kitchen.
Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble... Shirley stirs the chili.
Lauren, Taylor and Reid.
Mmmm mmmm good!
A wonderful family dinner!
Chris, Sarah and Susan enjoy their burgers very muchly.
Frank's cat Stella thinks somebody ought to give her a burger too.
The fellows examine under the hood of our '92 Sonoma truck, soon to be traveling to Kansas with Lauren the new owner.
Greshams, Gardners and Gores.
The trip home to Kansas included a stop at the historic Sun Recording Studio in Memphis, TN where Elvis cut his first record.
Sun Studio, Memphis
Sun Studio - think of the magic made here!! Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins... my my.
Susan enjoying the good vibes at Sun Studio.
Sun Recording Studio
Sun Recording Studio front window.
"Well I been walkin' in Memphis" but we're headed west now.
The Mississippi River
'Went down to the crossroads, tried to flag a ride..."
Kansas
Kansas, wide open spaces
Haysville, Kansas
Lauren & Taylor's neighborhood
Lauren and Taylor's house; note the burn on both sides.
Lauren and Taylor, Star too.
Lauren and Rambo; that cat has it made.
Lauren
Taylor and Lauren
The new living room
The back yard,
A new clematis in the corner
Bird feeders and plants added in June.
Lauren's new flower garden, lillies and bulbs planted here.
Rambo, the kind of the Kansas castle.
Derby, Kansas home to Wichita Riding Academy where Lauren's horse Glory lives.
Wichita Riding Academy barn
Glory
The '92 Sonoma made it to Kansas, here doing it's job as Transport For Riding Gear.
A retired Thoroughbred and his best friend Michelle.
Glory warming up before Lauren rides.
Change direction!
The ride begins.
Riding in the round pen.
Other horses at Wichita Riding Academy.
Side stepping
Glory's plain tuckered out now.
A good ride!
Best friends.
Time to cool off with a nice shower.
Sippin' water!
"Hullo, got any treats?"
The barn is home to many horses.
Fenced pastures for the horses.
Vandy
Wide open spaces in Derby.
Lauren and Susan visited the Amish village of Yoder in Kansas.
A farm next to the furniture store. Yes, that rail is for tying your horse and buggy to.
Yoder
The preferred method of transportation.
Downtown Wichita, near the Exploration Place where we went to see a whale exhibit.
What a wonderful statue, dedicated to the Native Americans of Wichita's historical past.
A Southwestern store in downtown Wichita.
Lauren and her friend Sheryl Marks. The three of us spend a fun evening beading after a wonderful dinner of Big B's prepared by Brian.
Sheryl & Brian Marks, and Lauren.
Sheryl, Brian and Susan, May 2009
Lee Long, my artist friend in Carrollton. She took me sightseeing one day, to this park.
Dig that stonework.
The view from the second floor window of the log cabin.
Me and Aunt Brenda at the family reunion June 2009.
November of 2008, admiring a painting by my new artist pal Elizabeth Chapman at Gallery 4463 in Acworth.
