Good Morning, Tuesday! Have you given some thought to your goals or dreams for 2015? We don't have to call them resolutions... but I think we all have a list of some sort, right? What's on yours?

road trips

reading

finishing the t-shirt quilt

time with family

Sauer´s castle, Kansas

Bison walk below the snow-covered #Tetons on a cold morning. #GrandTetonNationalPark

would love to see this with my own eyes...

The Paddlewheeler Creole Queen’s Cajun Holiday Tea With Papa Noel

This holiday cruise on the Mississippi River is fun for the whole family. Beloved characters bring the spirit and story of Papa Noel and Cajun Christmas traditions alive. Papa Noel and Mrs. Noel, along with other festive friends, will be there to mingle, entertain and tell classic holiday stories and New Orleans favorites like the “Cajun Night Before Christmas” on each cruise. Gaston the Gator, a real live alligator from the Louisiana swamp, will also be in attendance for guests to hold and take pictures with. Classic holiday tea will be served along with an assortment of decadent sweets and treats. Each child will also receive a special present from Papa Noel. In true New Orleans fashion, each cruise will end with a second line lead by Papa Noel. Combined with the beautiful views of the Crescent City from the Mighty Mississippi, the Cajun Holiday Tea cruise is sure to be a memorable experience this holiday season in New Orleans! Don’t leave without a souvenir photograph with Papa Noel. Our version of Kris Kringle is different from your average Santa Claus. Hailing from the bayous and swamps of Louisiana, Papa Noel has the accent and shrimping boots to match. Guests will have many great photo opps and are encouraged to share their Cajun Holiday Tea cruise pictures on their social networks tagging them #PapaNoel2014.

Canal Street is all dressed up and awaiting the arrival of Papa Noël!

Previous owners, as well as pets, have been seen throughout this house – now a bed and breakfast. Voices, shadowy figures, phantom animals, and the sound of footsteps have all been recorded.

Farnam Mansion, Oneida, New York. this looks a lot like the Vaile Mansion in Independence, MO, which I suspect is also haunted....

Built in 1868, this mansion is now an inn and is said to be haunted by three members of the Lemp family who all committed suicide.

Lemp Mansion, St Louis, MO is also on my bucket list....and actually not an un-doable distance from home!

Lizzie Borden House, Fall River, Massachusetts

Site of the murder of the parents of Lizzie Borden, who were murdered with an axe, this house is reputed to exhibit a great deal of paranormal activity. Lizzie Borden, who was accused of the murders, was later acquitted and lived out her life in another neighborhood. definitely on my bucket list!!!!!

One of the nation’s oldest plantations, with the house dating back to 1796, at least a dozen different ghosts have been repeatedly reported here, including one who was murdered.

I've been to The Myrtles, one of the 45 most haunted locations to visit The Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, Louisiana!

Fort Delaware, Pea Patch Island, Delaware

my great great grandpa J.C. Maxwell was a P.O.W. here during the Civil War. I want to walk thru it in person someday...

Confederate soldiers who were held as prisoners here during the Civil War are said to still haunt the complex.

Adams Grove Presbyterian Church, Dallas County, Alabama

Built in the mid-19th century, this abandoned Greek Revival church has claimed enough paranormal activity to have several research groups conduct investigations.

This is the abandoned Prehistoric Forest in Michigan.

Rippaville Plantation

Spring Hill, Tennessee. saw this on The Haunting of Billy Ray Cyrus. they were talking about the Battle of Franklin, so it must be near Carnton. I know there were several plantations near there. if we ever go back to Tennessee.....

Catawissa, Missouri is the site where Bertha Gifford poisoned at least three and as many as seventeen people between 1911 and 1928. The house where most of the murders took place is still standing on Old Bend Road about one mile from the Meramec River

MORSE MILL HOTEL - MORSE MILL, MO - AUGUST 6, 2009 Morse Mill Hotel was built by John H. Morse in the 1870s. The Hotel is a three-story frame house, built of maple and limestone, with a New Orleans-style balcony on the second floor, and a "widow's walk." There is an abandoned mill dam down the road on the Big River. Its use as a hotel began sometime in the 1920s, and saw the likes of Al Capone, Charles Lindbergh, Charlie Chaplain, and Jesse James and his gang. However, this is not what gives the Hotel its infamy. No, that would be Bertha Alice Williams Graham Gifford. Bertha Gifford was married to her second husband, Eugene Gifford, and lived her life at the Morse Mill Hotel as a simple housewife during the early 1900s. She loved to cook for people and make candy for children. Unfortunately, she also liked adding arsenic to her recipes. She was accused of murdering 17 people over 20 years, including her first husband, Henry Graham. She was arrested in 1928, had a three-day trial in Union, MO, and was found guilty by reason of insanity. She was commited to the Missouri State Hospital #4, where she died in 1951.

>Morse Mill Hotel

homemade toffee

Old Plantation House in Pike County, Missouri

easy peanut butter fudge.......(wait....I have heard this before, but hope springs eternal...)

Zat you, Santa Claus? It felt a bit like the North Pole out there this morning, but we have Jackson Square decorated for Christmas New Orleans Style 2014!

Michigan's Abandoned Dinosaur Amusement Park

A Haunting: Hampton, TN

such a beautiful old house to be haunted....

The ruined Casulon Plantation in Good Hope, Georgia

The Liberty Memorial, located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, is a memorial to the soldiers who died in World War I and houses The National World War I Museum, as designated by the United States Congress in 2004

just learned about this watching the Chiefs vs Rams.....

Iron Skillet Apple Pie

RECIPE: IRON SKILLET APPLE PIE

1 stick, plus 1 TBS butter

1 c brown sugar (can be cut in half)

1 c white sugar (can be cut in half)

1tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

4 c Granny Smith Apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces

1 box refrigerator piecrust (or homemade)

In large iron skillet, melt 1 stick of butter and 1 cup brown sugar (do not caramelize, just melt the two together). Cover with piecrust; add apples, ¾ c white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover with top crust that has been slit in 3-4 places (I always cut a heart shape, feel free to choose your own cutout). Sprinkle top with remaining ¼ cup of sugar and dot with remaining TBS of butter.

Bake in 350-degree oven, for 30-45 minutes or until crust is brown and apples are tender.

Originally From: FOLK | No. 11 (Autumn 2013) Provided by Sandy Robinson. Photography by Rikki Snyder. Order the issue in PRINT by clicking on the following link (Only $5!) http://goo.gl/7BhZlQ

Crockpot Lasagna

RECIPE OF THE DAY: Crockpot Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 pound Ground Beef

Lasagna noodles

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Brown ground beef and drain.

Spoon 1 Cup spaghetti sauce in bottom of 4 quart crock pot.

Mix remaining sauce with beef.

Place 2 uncooked lasagna noodles on sauce in crock pot.

Spread 1/3 meat mixture on top of noodles.

Spread 3/4 Cup cottage cheese over meat.

Sprinkle 1/2 Cup mozzarella cheese over cottage cheese.

Add another layer of uncooked noodles, 1/3 meat mixture, the remaining cottage cheese and 1/2 Cup mozzarella cheese.

Place another layer of uncooked noodles, meat mixture, and mozzarella cheese.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.

Cook on low for 4 hours.

If cooked much longer, it gets a bit well done.

Randy "Honey Boy" Walker has filled his home "Museum of the Odd" with his collections, which include over 350 sock monkeys and Elvis Presley artifacts that include his hair, a toe nail, and piece of sheet he slept on.

appt. required.

Randy "Honey Boy" Walker has filled his home "Museum of the Odd" with his collections, which include over 350 sock monkeys and Elvis Presley artifacts that include his hair, a toe nail, and piece of sheet he slept on. Other items of note include his collection of antique circus freak trading cards; ashtrays and lamps made of animal limbs; photographs of corpses in their coffins; and a hunk of elephant dung painted and shaped to resemble Adolf Hitler. Randy charges a modest fee for a personal tour, which seems reasonable given that visitors might otherwise miss something important, such as his collection of cow hairballs.

google says 165.5 mi, 2 hr 42 min driving

Iron Skillet Apple Pie

RECIPE: IRON SKILLET APPLE PIE

1 stick, plus 1 TBS butter

1 c brown sugar

1 c white sugar

1tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

4 c Granny Smith Apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces

1 box refrigerator piecrust (or homemade)

In large iron skillet, melt 1 stick of butter and 1 cup brown sugar (do not caramelize, just melt the two together). Cover with piecrust; add apples, ¾ c white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover with top crust that has been slit in 3-4 places (I always cut a heart shape, feel free to choose your own cutout). Sprinkle top with remaining ¼ cup of sugar and dot with remaining TBS of butter.

Bake in 350-degree oven, for 30-45 minutes or until crust is brown and apples are tender.

Originally From: FOLK | No. 1 (Autumn 2011) Provided by Sandy Robinson. Photography by Rikki Snyder.

had to add this to the bucket list....although I don't really think there is a chance in hell I'll ever get to Canada....

Phone 1-866-823-8100

Website www.worldslargestdinosaur.com

The World's Largest Dinosaur in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada

"Special Tough Mudder Weekend Hours – Friday & Saturday 9am-9pm, Sunday 9am-6pm

Stand 86 feet high in the mouth of the World's Largest Dinosaur and see the view from behind her pearly whites (don't forget your camera).

The World's Largest Dinosaur is open year-round and for just $3.00 CDN, visitors can climb the giant T-rex and admire the badlands from inside her gaping jaws. On your way up, you'll see mural paintings by local artist Gary Cox, fossil displays and the newest addition a view into the badlands featuring an articulated dinosaur skeleton.

The World's Largest Dinosaur is actually four and a half times the size of a real Tyrannosaurus rex and anatomically speaking, she is a female dinosaur. Weighing in at a grand total of 145,000 pounds, she's constructed almost entirely out of steel. She stands 86 feet tall and is 151 feet long.

Admission for the World's Largest Dinosaur is $3.00 CDN per person and children under 5 can climb for free. Approximately 12 people can fit in the mouth at one time. If your group is large, you'll want to phone in advance for group bookings and rates. Unfortunately, the World's Largest Dinosaur viewing platform does not offer wheelchair access.

The gift shop for the World's Largest Dinosaur is located at the entrance to the dinosaur and features souvenirs, amber jewellery, and other dinosaur and fossil-related items.

The Drumheller Visitor Information Centre is also located at the entrance to the World's Largest Dinosaur and features maps, travel guides, as well as friendly staff who can answer all of your burning Badlands questions.

Hours of Operation for the World's Largest Dinosaur are as follows:

July and August: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm daily

September to April: 10:00 am to 5:30 pm daily*

*May and June offer extened hours of operation. Phone the World's Largest Dinosaur at 1.866.823.8100 for details.

For more information about the World's Largest Dinosaur or any Drumheller attraction or accommodations, contact the Drumheller Visitor Information Centre by phone at 1.866.823.8100 (toll-free), or by email at tourisminfo@drumhellerchamber.com.

The World's Largest Dinosaur and the Drumheller Visitor Information Centre are both located at 60 - 1 Avenue West, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada.

The World's Largest Dinosaur conveniently towers over the Drumheller Visitor Information Centre. To find the centre, just follow the brown tourist information signs on Highway 9 as you enter the town and watch for the dinosaur's toothy grin over the treetops. You can also print this Drumheller Town Map.

create double hangers with pop tabs.

Christmas in New Orleans? sign me up!

Christmas New Orleans Style!!

Come Stay with us for Christimas and visit the Celebration in the Oaks

Celebration in the Oaks in New Orleans' City Park remains one of the most beautiful holiday light exhibitions in the country, attracting more than 122,000 people last year. Stroll through a park filled with 100-year-old oak trees twinkling with holiday cheer.

Walk through the Botanical Garden and Storyland, an amusement area aglow with holiday magic! Or strap on some ice skates and zip around a synthetic ice rink. Tickets are $7 and children under the age of three are free.

For more information please visit: www.celebrationintheoaks.com

sharpie pumpkins....

Stephen King's short story made into a movie: A Good Marriage....out in theaters Oct. 3rd!

according to Entertainment Weekly magazine, Matthew McConaughey is shooting a new movie...

The Sea of Trees. If Mr. McConaughey is shooting a movie, I'll have to watch it. Them's the rules...

Candy Christmas tree made up with 2 Miniature Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, 1 Regular Reeses Peanut Butter Cup, 1 Hershey Kiss then decorate

n a 9x13 pan, cut 3 chicken breasts in half, add 2 cans green beans on one side and cut up red skin potatoes on the other. Sprinkle a packet of zesty Italian dressing mix over the top. Drizzle a stick of melted butter over it. Cover it with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

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Shapes off the Cliff - Petit Jean Graveyard - Petit Jean State Park - September 1, 2014

how to keep your jack-o-lantern longer...

With Halloween coming up, share this to your page so you can remember to do this! After you scoop out and carve your pumpkin, dip it in a large container of bleach and water (use a 1 tsp:1 gal mix). The bleach will kill bacteria and help your pumpkin stay fresh longer. Once completely dry, (drain upside down), add 2 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to a quart of water. Brush this solution onto your pumpkin to keep it looking fresh for weeks.”

make a bench from 2 old chairs.....

directions saved to favorites.....I'm sure this is waaaaay above my skill level....but hope springs eternal...

making something beautiful from recyled light bulbs....

saved directions to favorites: DIY Light Bulb Vase

Gibsonton, Florida....where carnies go during the off season....

Just off Highway 95, about halfway between Las Vegas and Reno, lies the sleepy desert town of Tonopah. For many, the town is just another oasis to fuel up in the middle of the desert, but one building at the edge of town offers more than just gasoline... it offers nightmare fuel. Tremble in fear at the most terrifying motel in the world: The Clown Motel

http://www.hometalk.com/4280842/fall-mason-jar-vases

or N O E L.......or L O V E......or anything! these are awesome!

The Sauer Castle, located in Kansas City, Kansas, was the residence of Anton Sauer. Sauer had married his wife Francesca in Vienna, Austria, at age eighteen and they raised five children: Gustave, Anthony Philip Jr., Julius, Emil, and Johanna. Reported paranormal activity includes apparitions and floating lights.

Address: 935 Shaunee Road Kansas City, Kansas Do not trespass; respect the fence and the efforts to restore this grand mansion.

LOCATION: This castle is very tricky to find, but Tom and I were tenacious and we finally found it, after getting a hint from a county worker where it was located. It is located in a nice, neighborhood made up of a lot of curvy s streets, up on the hill between the 69 and 35 Hwy.

found this on facebook: a Seahawks ( I think?) rustic mason jar.....

but it would be easy enough to change the color and put on a Chiefs number......

sock snowman.

pretty sure I've posted this before....but too cute not to try to make one for xmas this year...

mo' stuff to see in missouri.....

Clayton, Mo. Has got a giant high heeled shoe that’s 10 feet tall made out of normal high heeled shoes. Just looking at it will hurt your feet

Big Bender in Dittmer

12 foot long pecan in Brunswick, Mo

Chesterfield, Mo. has a great photo op, a 70 foot tall giant breaking out of the ground.

Attracting a lot of visitors on long drives down route 66, Elbow Inn Bar and BBQ in Devils Elbow, Mo. Has a ceiling filled with bras that patrons have continued their journey without.

Nebraska has it’s Carhenge, a replica of stonehenge made of cars, but it’s easily bested by Easley, Mo.’s Boathenge, made from boats stuck into the ground.