The road home

Although still mighty cloudy, the rain finally stopped.  I looked at the weather map and noticed that it was still raining/storming in eastern Kansas and into Joplin, so I decided we would drive via Tulsa to the kids' home rather than mess with rain.

At Tonkawa, we turned east to Ponca.   

           Of course I have to stop at historical markers!

We turned south on 177.  

We took back roads to Pawnee.  It was a hoot!  We laughed and laughed as we went up and down hills!  It was like a roller coaster!

What?  What did that sign say?  

Black bear country?  Are there black bears around here??  

Well, I guess the highschool mascot in Pawnee is the black bear.  And the river that runs through the town is called Black Bear Creek.  I found this out later.

But we found this!!  Granny's Treasures!  

          "Let's stop, kids!"

There had been so much rain that the mugs were full!

We found a few treasures and continued on.

We got onto 412 and continued on.

Al called and suggested that we stop at the dam and see how it was running because of all the rain.  It definitely was running fuller!

The kids wanted to stop at Napolis again in Sand Springs.  Can you tell how much the kids love this food??

Tummy's full, we continued on our journey.

When we got home, we hung up the bird feeders that Eli had gotten.

The next morning, I played Eli a game of Monopoly.

Then I said my goodbyes to the kids.

I noticed flags being flown at half-mast.  They were for the children at Uvalde.

I was still about 2 hours from home when some guy decided to pass me and the car behind me.  Around a curve.  I had to hit the shoulder so he could get in before an oncoming car hit him.   I had just passed a sign saying there was a passing zone 2 miles ahead.  People.  Use common sense.  Be patient.  I was not driving slow!  Don't put your life and others on the line.  

When I got to Kansas, I saw damage from the Andover tornado.

There is much tragedy in this world.  But God is WITH us in the "storms" of life.  I cling to Him!!  He is my Shepherd, my Guide, my Comforter.  He is Compassionate.  Don't shake your fist at Him.  Take His hand.

"We are fragile, but His Word strengthens us." - Justin Welby, Thy Kingdom Come

Norms, Pickleball and muscles

 Today's riddle was:

We shall see the world

Then balls shall be hurled.

A tisket, a tasket,

We'll fill up a basket.

We'll use your strong muscle

And later we'll hustle

Put...put...put...down the road

If we don't have to get towed.

We "saw the world" at Norms coffee shop.

My dear friend Tarenda and her friend Jerry taught the kids pickleball, thus "balls being hurled".  

For lunch, we went to the Bread Basket (a "tisket a tasket").  When we were playing the game Newtonopoly, Eli "owned" this place!  

Norms was also on that game board, along with the Big Blue Sky sculpture

and watertowers.

After lunch, they used their "strong muscles" to help us move books off the bookshelves and take the boxes to the basement.  We are getting new carpet and the bookcases needed to be emptied so that the carpet guys could move furniture easier.

For supper, we had a "smorgasborg" - eating up all of our leftovers from the week!

We watched Wheel of Fortune.

The kids seemed to enjoy this evening ritual of ours.

Papa and Emeri modeled their "cool" clothes.

The last line of the riddle we weren't able to do.  Boo hoo.  We had hoped to drive the old '54 Chevy to Sonic (put...put...put), but with the buckets of rain coming down, it wasn't going to happen.  The windshield wipers don't always work properly.  Oh well.  

Eli and Papa continued their game of Newtonpoly.  It looked like Eli might win for awhile, but in the end, Papa won the game!

We had had a wonderful time with the kids.  Papa told the kids good-bye, because he would be at work most likely by the time they woke up in the morning.  And I would be taking them back to Arkansas.  Their parents were returning from Israel!

An artsy kind of day; Wichita Art Museum, Color Me Mine

 "God designed you both with creativity.  You will need it for today's activity."

Today's riddle was pretty simple.  It was a rainy day and Allen had to go to work, so it was just the kids and I today.

Our first stop - the Wichita Art Museum

Chihuly glass.  You can read about the artist here.

There was a room featuring art deco, which I really like!

Here is the hood ornament on our '54 Chevy!

It was interesting to see some Frankoma Pottery

(I have some too!  I pulled them out later for the kids to see.)

"Learning from the Japanese - exploring connections in block prints."

When we finished, it was still pouring rain.

In keeping with the "art theme" of the day, I had wanted to take the kids to Picasso's Pizzeria, but it was closed for the day.  Shucks.  The kids then chose for us to go to Five Guys.

I had hoped we could stroll along Douglas Avenue to find the 31 bronze sculptures done by artist Georgia Gerber.  Many of these are whimsicle and fun!  I had a map of the sculptures and since it was raining, we just looked for them out of the window of the car.

You might think this bird is real - but Eli had seen to look for a sculpture of a hawk on a light pole.  

Girl with pony; large dog

This is a fountain.  Boy and girl pouring water from paper cup to paper cup.

Fox and prairie chicken

Barefoot businessman; this is a fountain.

You can see more here.

This is the Wichita Sedgwick County Historical Museum, located at 204 S. Main.  It was the City Hall building for 84 years, built between 1890 and 1892.  It was known as the "Palace of the Plains."   I have never been there.  I will have to go there sometime!

Next on the agenda - I drove the kids to  Color Me Mine.  My daughter Jill told me about it.  A perfect place for kids who are so artistic!

The kids picked out their ceramic pieces and picked out what colors they wanted to use.  Once fired in a kiln, the colors will darken.

As it takes several days to finish, I told the kids I would bring these to them someday soon. 

When they were done, we went to the Cold Stone Creamery located next door.  That's another place I've never been to.  Oh my goodness, sooo good! 

Papa was home in the evening and we played some games.

Newtonopoly is like Monopoly, except based on our town with the Bread Basket, Norms, Carriage Factory Art Gallery, Bethel College, Kauffman Museum, Back Alley Pizza, Genova's, Taste of Newton, Ruzens, Blue Sky Sculpture, The Mennonite Settler and Sand Creek Trail as places you land.   It is a l-o-n-g game.  Emeri and I ended up at the homeless shelter and Eli and Papa stopped to finish it the next day as it was past bedtime!

Whoever came up with this did not research our town enough because we have TRAINS!!  28 trains a day roll through town!   Not one was listed!  They should have had the train station, and the famous hihstoric Harvey House.  Perhaps some gunslinger too because Newton was known as the "wickedest town in the west",  rivaling Dodge City.  

Newton doesn't really get "traffic jams" except for train delays (you might sit 10 minutes or more waiting for a train to cross Main), so my granddaughter Hannah added train details to this game.  

* * * *

I picked up the finished art projects when I went to Wichita recently.   When I go to Arkansas next, I will be delivering these.

It was interesting to see the changes once these had been put through the kiln.  The colors deepened and are set.  People often go through "fire" and because of the trials of life, we are also changed.  God often allows these in our lives to strengthen us and that we can be better used of Him.

"Behold, I have refined  you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction."  Isaiah 48:10

"But He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come out as gold."  Job 23:10

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed."  1 Peter 4:12-13