A Taste of Local Flavor

 Contrary to popular belief, we were supposed to leave Hugoton today and head back towards OKC. However due to helping out a family member we needed to stay and extra day. That actually turned out to be a good thing as we took in lunch at a local favorite. The Jet Drive Inn has been around about as long as the town it's self, or at least seems that way. Sheryl grew up here and remembers eating at the then much smaller Jet. The last time she ate there was when she was 17 years old, so it's been quite a while.

We decided on the Jet as a little bit of nostalgia for Sheryl and of course hoping the food was going to be as good as it once was. Well we both must say, it was! The lunch special was homemade Chicken Fried Steak sandwich and Fried Okra, yummmmmmm. We each got the special and ended up bringing one home, as one sandwich filled both of us to the brim.

We both prefer local places to the chain restaurants, especially in small towns and the Jet didn't disappoint. So if you ever find yourself in S.W. Kansas in need of a meal, point your rig towards Main St. in Hugoton and enjoy some local small town flavor! See ya next time!!!

Happy Thanksgiving and the Hunt

 Happy belated Thanksgiving all as I still play catch up with the blog. Our Thanksgiving went well, with almost 30 family members showing up. Now some may say, that's not all that many?? True, but in today's day and age, with family scattered all over the U.S. it actually can be quite a group. Combine that with the cold weather and a small farm house, it turned out to be quite hectic, but fun!!! Sheryl seemed to be Cook in Charge this year (as most years) as she directed with the talent of a Executive Chef, ok, she may have a few more wrinkles and gray hair from the experience, but in the end everything turned out Great!!!

 Four Generations were able to attend and this is just a small sampling seated at the farm house table. The other 20 folks were siting and standing anyplace they could find room. We decided the farm is getting alittle to small for large gatherings in cold weather, so maybe 4th of July gathering maybe better, lots of room outside to sit and mmmmmm BBQ.

 Many of the men folk brought there guns for a little hunting and target practice. Here our daughter shoots my .40 for the first time. Instructed by her husband, she has quite the stance.....lol

 An unforgettable Father/Son experience as Sheryl's brother helps his son shoot for the first time. Love this picture.

 The mighty hunters headed back in, empty handed......lol

 I went out with them just to get out (I'm not a hunter) It stuck me funny as they walked past this sign. Of course the sign is on our property.

A parting shot of Sheryl, her brother George and Sister Carol.

All and all the holiday went well, we all ate much more than we should have (whats new), got to see and catch up with distant relatives and just have an all around good time. Keeping the memory of the farm is very important to this family and it is great that they are able to do it.

Ok, looks like I'm all caught up, it's now Monday and were planning on heading back towards OKC on Wed to spend the Christmas holidays with the most of our kids. We'll also be finishing up some medical appointments before making our way towards warmer weather. This spending the cold months in the cold states is for the birds!!! Come to think of it, the birds are smarter as they are alreadys heading south for the winter!!! Take Care and see soon.

Getting Ready For Thanksgiving

 The ole farm house is still standing, built in 1926 by Sheryl's Grandfather, her Grandparents homesteaded this 400 acre farm here in South West Kansas. The land is now leased out to a local farmer, but the house and out buildings are kept up for family gatherings and respect to the family. No one lives on the property, but everything is still in working order, just needs alittle TLC when getting ready for a gathering.

The old house is just 4 small rooms, hard to believe 10 people lived here at one time, just the way it was back in the day. Here Sheryl is tending to her Grandparents room and nothing has changed in it since their passing.

We are expecting over 20 people to show this year (and they did) quite the crowd for such a small place, but more on that later. Between us and one of Sheryl's brothers, we got the place all cleaned up and ready for the holidays. Now just waiting for the crowd to trickle in.

That's all for this episode and stay tuned for more as I break this down time into smaller bite size segments. See you then.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

A few days after arriving here in Kansas, the dreaded birthday was once again upon me...lol. Birthdays were great when we were younger, however the older we get, it seems more like a reminder of just how old we are getting, dang it. Sheryl did bake me up a nice birthday cake and it was yummy, chocolate cake w/chocolate frosting and enough candles to light up the country side....lol.

Now a welcome to all, to the continuation of our blog. We maybe playing catch up for a few days but we'll get there.

Ok, we shall see all you nice folks here at our new blog soon, so take care and keep Lovin Your Life as we do ours.