Dedicated to Rocky Raccoon who met his doom, on the road to Hamilton, Missouri, along the banks of the mighty Mississippi River.  Sorry Rocky. May you rest in peace.

Hello Friends,

I’m still on vacation, traveling across the heartland of America. After I left Pittsburgh, Pa to go to college in Utah, my family moved to Kansas City. On this trip we visited my parent’s (both deceased) home, and reminisced about all the summer vacations we spent in this part of the country.

…saw this beautiful earth ball. I would love to start one, but where could it be displayed?  If anybody is interested, let me know your thoughts.

…and then visited the Truman Museum in Independence, Kansas

Back on the road again we had a serendipitous surprise, by just happening upon my favorite You Tube Quilting Tutorial and mail order shop, The Missouri Star Quilt Company, in Hamilton, Missouri. I felt like I hit the jack pot! Watch the video below to see the magnitude of this shops popularity. I still can’t believe my luck 🙂 (Yes i do love to quilt…and knit…and cook…and draw).

Pretty amazing huh?

This is me shooing my hubby away to spare him the pain of seeing how much money I was spending.

…and this is what happens when there is a dollar store next to the amazing quilt shop that I spent way too much time in.

Hannibal, Missouri (Mark Twain country)

Driving south from Kansas city on I-70, we came across the small town of Victoria. Looking far off to our left in the middle of farm land, we saw the towering Cathedral of the Plains, which we stopped off to take a look at. We never expected to find what we did on the inside. I’ll I can say is “breathtaking.”

Continuing on from there, we passed a field of Mammoth Sunflowers. While we were stopped at the side of the highway taking pictures, the police paid us a visit but left us in peace to enjoy the sight. So beautiful; I could hardly contain myself.

Driving through a Parker, Colorado neighborhood, we passed this deer sitting under a tree in the front yard of a home.  At first we thought it was a statue, but nope; it was the real thing. We got out of the car and the sweet thing was not camera shy at all.

Well, we finally made it home. It was a wonderful opportunity to see Americana at it’s best, and such an eclectic variety of things, including many beautiful skies. I have one question. How does a person gain 10lbs in 10 days? I feel like this poor cat who obviously is feeling the effects of too much barbecue.  I’m off to Costco to fill up on fresh fruits, vegetables and organic chicken. It’s nice to be home

That’s all for  now. Until next time, may you find your cup half full 🙂

Barbara (The Blog Whisperer)