Travel

US Marine Corps War Memorial

April 3, 2014February 25, 2018 Our Gray HouseLeave a comment

As we headed back to the hotel from visiting the Kennedy Center we had to walk to our hotel as the shuttle wasn’t running at that time. Our hotel was within walking distance of the Marine Memorial and as we neared our hotel we heard the sounds of a band. I LOVE bands so I was excited to see what was happening.

As we approached we could see there was a large crowd gathered at the US Marine Corps War Memorial and that is where the music was coming from. We took a detour to see what was going on.

We learned that during the summer months, every Tuesday there is a performance by the Marine Silent Drill Platoon. There is also a performances every Friday at the Marine Barracks in DC and you can click HERE for the schedule.

Navy recruits watching the performance.

After the performance was over the crowds gathered around the memorial to take photos. The Marines that performed as well as other Marines were on hand and were so engaging and welcoming. They answered questions and took photos with folks. It was a really great experience.

I would highly recommend you attending a performance if you are in DC! It was an awesome experience.

(((hugs))) ~lisa

DIY

How to make homemade laundry soap

April 2, 2014February 25, 2018 Our Gray House7 Comments

Today was the day that we finally did it! We made our own homemade laundry soap! There are a ton of variations out there and for our first run we decided to try the dry version.

Here’s what you need:

3 bars of Fels Naptha laundry soap (5.5 oz.) $1.69 each
2 cups baking soda (I already had this box on hand)
1 box washing soda (55 oz.) $4.29
1 container Oxy-clean (5 lbs.) $14.99
1 container Epsom salt (3.5 lb. container) $9.96
1 box Borax (76 oz.) $5.79

Total spent – rounded up to $44 for everything.

As I said before, there are soooo many versions out there and probably as many different reasons for the versions. Some add this ingredient for this result and some add that ingredient for a different result. I just found one I liked, that looked easy and bought the ingredients.

When I initially went to the store I couldn’t find the washing soda and the Fels Naptha. Turns out they have ALL that at our local hardware store!

Our first step was to grate all the Fels Naptha.

Then we combined all the remaining ingredients in two garbage sacks. We then swished everything around to mix it up. Because of all the ingredients, it is pretty heavy.

Next we had to figure out how to get it in the containers. I had two one gallon containers, they used to hold tea, and was going to try and fill them up. We thought about cutting off part of the corner and pouring it that way but ended up using a funnel. It worked pretty well but took a while to do it.

The laundry soap totally filled two one-gallon containers and also filled up my ceramic container. My ceramic container used to be part of a set that I used to hold flour etc. so it has a handy tablespoon on the side for measuring the soap.

And that was it!! Overall, besides grating the soap, it was pretty easy peasy.

The question many folks ask is…how much is it saving me? We spent $44 on our homemade laundry soap ingredients but that made enough for approximately 300-600 loads using 1-2T at a time for each load. Recently in the paper we saw Tide advertised for $10.99 and the box did 53 loads. If you multiply $11 (we rounded up on the price of the Tide) times 4 to equal what we spent on our homemade laundry soap, the total is $44 for 212 loads. Our math could be off, math was never my strong suit and I’m sure there are more intricate ways to figure out cost per load etc., but whatever way you look at it, we will be saving a lot of money.

Here is my container filled with laundry soap! As you can see I’m in the process of making two more wool dryer balls. They have about 3 more washings/dryings to go and they’ll be ready! We tried the soap tonight and it worked great!! I will keep you updated on how it goes.

What new things have you tried recently?

(((hugs))) ~lisa

Travel

Thunderhead Falls in South Dakota

March 30, 2014February 25, 2018 Our Gray House2 Comments

My son Nick is actually the one who told me about Thunderhead Falls. It’s very close to Rapid City, just 10 miles west on Highway 44. The attraction is open May 1 – November 1 and it is $6 per person to get in. Here’s a link to a brochure with more info: http://www.thunderheadfalls.com/Welcome_files/ThunderheadFallsTrifold.pdf

The actual falls (and do you say falls when you are actually seeing only one?) are located 600 feet inside the mountain. When I first heard that I thought, WOW! But it’s really not that far. Its’ gushing 8 cubic feet of water (and I don’t really know what that means) falls vertically for more than 30 feet. Unfortunately not many of my pics inside the tunnel turned out because the lighting was not very good.

It was a nice quick walk to the falls. You really can’t see much but it was very cool inside so keep that in mind when you are visiting. Depending on the weather you might need a light jacket but for us it felt great on such a hot day.

Here’s Mom and Dad and then me and my hubby as we are about to go in.

This is one of the falls right near the entrance.

Mom and Nick waiting while we bought our tickets.

Notice my hubby paying close attention to the warning sign. It says, “This is a historic site. Please do not pick up rocks or deface the area.” Let’s see if he behaves while we are inside.

Hiking the 600 feet in.

Things you see on the way…

Traces of copper

Drill marks

Quartz veins (like the ones in the pic) sometimes held rich gold deposits

Here’s my less than awesome pic of the falls.

For those of you that know my Mom we actually had to physically hold her back from jumping in to get all the money in there.

And that’s about it. Not a whole lot to it but fun to see.

(((hugs))) ~lisa

Travel

US Capitol

March 23, 2014February 25, 2018 Our Gray HouseLeave a comment

The US Capitol is where the House and Senate make our nation’s law. Our tour was arranged through our Congressman and I recommend this because there are typically a lot less folks on the tour than the regular general tours. Here’s a pic of where folks line up for the regular tours.

On the day we went the lines weren’t too bad. Our tour was just my husband and I as the other three folks scheduled to join us did not show up. Sweet for us!!

There are tons of books and blogs about touring the Capitol and the important things to see but I didn’t read any of them. Our tour guide was super new, we were his very first tour, so we just decided to kind of wing it.

Here are the things that caught my attention and why.

My husband was a mailman and we were in DC because that’s where he wanted to visit to celebrate his retirement. Pretty much anytime I see a mailbox, a mailman or even just mail…I think of him.

And my dad was a phone man so of course every time I see a phone I think of him.

You hardly ever see these anymore. And seriously, who still uses a phonebook?

I’m on a very important call.

I have this *thing* about bathrooms. It’s a long story that I’ll share at another time but check out this pic of these awesome vintage chairs in the restrooms in the Rayburn building.

In our Congressman’s office there is a clock.

Did you notice those circles at the top? Well they, along with these bell tones you will hear, mean something.

Our feet in the center of the Capitol. I strongly recommend wearing really great walking shoes. TONS of walking happens when touring DC.

One of the chambers where I’m sure very important stuff happened.

A cool view of a ceiling.

Some really cool ceiling art.

A closer look at the cool ceiling art.

A very awesome chandelier.

We also happened across this which was awesome to see.

Of course I had to get a dome shot.

I saw another mail slot.

Then it was back to the Metro.

And up another loooooong escalator.

Have you been to DC? What was your favorite part of the city?

(((hugs))) ~lisa

Food

Biscuit Pizza

March 20, 2014February 25, 2018 Our Gray HouseLeave a comment

Are you in need of something quick and easy to make for dinner tonight? Well then you should try my biscuit pizza recipe! Quick and easy to make and yummy to eat.

Here’s what you need:

Biscuits or English Muffins – I use the flaky biscuits and I usually use the smaller kind
Spaghetti sauce
Pepperoni and/or other toppings
Italian cheese

Here’s how you put it together:

Place the biscuits on the baking stone and make an indention in the middle of each one. Fill with 1-2 tablespoons of spaghetti sauce.

Add your toppings. Can you tell I love pepperoni?

Add cheese. Again, can you tell I like cheese? haha!!

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes and then get ready to enjoy some delicious biscuit pizza!

It was so good and super quick and easy. Great for those nights when you want something fast. Let me know if you try it and how they turn out!

(((hugs))) ~lisa

Travel

World’s Largest Rocking Chair…and a High Five

March 18, 2014February 25, 2018 Our Gray HouseLeave a comment

On the way to St. Louis to see the Gateway Arch we stopped in Fanning, MO to see the World’s Largest Rocking Chair. Unlike the World’s Largest Peanut in Oklahoma, this rocking chair was truly LARGE!!

They had a cute little store next to it so we stopped in to browse.

I met a friend when we walked in.

There was a stuffed bear in the store and I cannot resist a high five opportunity.

My hubby said I only got like 3 inches of air on my jump so I tried it again. The second attempt was better. It looks like I jumped higher, right?

I think my hubby and the bear were doing a new line dance or something.

Thanks RoadsideAmerica.com for finding us cool places to visit!

(((hugs))) ~lisa

Travel

The Clement Railroad Museum and the Hobo Alphabet

March 16, 2014February 25, 2018 Our Gray HouseLeave a comment

Did you even know that there was a Hobo Alphabet? I guess I kind of knew that there was one. You know, back in the dark corner of my mind but never really thought about it until we stopped at the Clement Railroad Museum in Dickson, Tennessee.

Located inside what is known as the Halbrook Hotel, it opened in June 2009, and focuses on local history, including the Civil War and local railroads.

I absolutely LOVE to look at museums, particularly smaller ones as there are so many cool things to see and learn about.

I just can’t imagine using a chamber pot. I guess they were kind of like the pre-cursors to the porta-pottie?

Coca-Cola stuff!

Interesting info about Cheerios and Confederate money.

I’d like to be a judge for a minute so I could bang the gavel and shout, “ORDER IN THE COURT!!” C’mon…you know you’d do it too.

Old phones remind me of my dad who was a phone man.

On the 2nd level they had these cool trains set up. It was fun talking to the docent about it.

You would think that this would be common sense but I guess not.

Look at this super cool vintage Royal stove!

All that was pretty cool but then I spotted this little info card.

Here’s the flip side

I think I might write a letter to my kids using the Hobo Alphabet. I am not sure if they will think that is as cool as I do! haha!!

So there ya go! The Hobo Alphabet. I know this is a life changing moment but try to control yourself.

(((hugs))) ~lisa

DIY

How to repurpose old Christmas cards

March 15, 2014February 25, 2018 Our Gray HouseLeave a comment

At Christmastime we get our fair share of Christmas cards and I never really know what to do with them at the end of the season. Many of them are too pretty to just toss and of course we keep the ones that have pics of our friends and their families on them but there are many that I would like to repurpose in another way to enjoy them again.

In my craft closet I have many bins to separate my craft items. Here are some cards that were in my paper craft box.

*If you notice on the right side you’ll see some paint samples. Future project that I can’t wait to try.

I decided to cut the cards down to reuse them for tags for Christmas presents. Some of the cards just didn’t fit the project and others seemed to be made to be turned into something else! I think they turned out pretty cute!

What do you do with your old Christmas cards? Do you have another fun way to repurpose them?

(((hugs))) ~lisa

Travel

Gateway Arch – St. Louis

March 12, 2014February 25, 2018 Our Gray HouseLeave a comment

When we went to Ft. Leonard Wood, MO we took a day trip to the Gateway Arch. It was just a couple of hours away and a great excuse for a road trip. It may seem weird to take a road trip while on a road trip but that’s how we do!

On the way we saw this.

What the heck? It’s like a frozen waterfall or something?? I’d never seen that before. Have you? I mean besides if you live in Missouri and have traveled the particular stretch of road between Ft. Leonard Wood and St. Louis in early February?

We arrived in the city and I was so excited to see the arch!

We got up close and personal and it looks amazing!

Here we are in front of the arch getting ready to take the tour.

Here we are with Keirsten, our granddaughter.

It’s very tall!

Are you claustrophobic? Are you afraid of heights? Well if you are then this attraction is not for you. To get to the top of the arch you must ride this tram type thing. This ride to the top lasts about 4 minutes so if you think you can go inside this door…

…and feel comfortable riding in this pod type thing…

…then go for it!! I’m a little bit of both but I’m not too bad. I didn’t time the ride up but it went quick enough for me. It is an enclosed pod but the door is glass and you can see the inside of the arch (and possible escape routes…haha!) on the way up and down. Once you get to the top the room you are in feels fine…but you are up pretty high. The views though, are spectacular.

At the tallest point of the arch. Which is apparently also taller than the Space Needle (Seattle, WA – 605 feet); the Washington Monument (Washington D.C. – 555 feet 5 1/8 inches); Coast Redwood (CA – 379 feet); Giant Sequoia (CA – 307 feet); Statue of Liberty (New York City, NY – 305 feet) or the Space Shuttle (Kennedy Space Center, FL – 184 feet). Great facts to know!

I love postcards and as a kid we used to mail them when we were on vacation. Lately I’ve been on a single person mission to revive the postcard industry! I think folks love getting mail and so I try to send a postcard when we are on our travels to our grandkids and to our three little nieces.

I also am a big fan of our National Parks. Now that my hubby is 62 he qualified for the Senior Pass! WoooHooo!! I have a National Parks passport book that I get stamped when I visit. I also try to buy the corresponding sticker.

In addition to that I also collect patches! I think I am going to eventually make a rag quilt with all of them. I have quite a few and this is my latest one.

Have you been to the Gateway Arch? Did you enjoy it? Do you collect anything from your trips?

(((hugs))) ~lisa

Travel

Giant Head of President Eisenhower and the World’s Largest Peanut

March 7, 2014February 25, 2018 Our Gray House1 Comment

These two things do not really have anything in common besides I saw them both on a recent trip and they are on RoadsideAmerica.com and I am obsessed with all things RoadsideAmerica.com!

We took a quick trip to Missouri and I had to stop and get some pics along the way. I am grateful that my hubby (and our granddaughter who was with us) are willing to indulge me.

First stop was the Giant Head of President Eisenhower. Denison, TX is the birthplace of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the large bust by artist David Adickes can be seen at the Eisenhower Veterans Monument.

Denison, TX – Birthplace of President Eisenhower

Address: Loy Lake Rd., Denison TXDirections: Southwest of town. US Hwy 75 exit 67, on the west side, at the entrance to Loy Lake Park. I also took a pic with the prez.

Unfortunately my photographer took a little too much off the top of Eisenhower’s head. But still, I was there…haha!

Our next stop was the World’s Largest Peanut. What isn’t mentioned is it is actually the World’s Largest Peanut…in Oklahoma. But that’s okay. I was a little underwhelmed but not undeterred.

Durant, Oklahoma – World’s Largest Peanut

Address: 300 W. Evergreen St., Durant, OK

Directions: City Hall. US 75/69 to town, then east on US 70/Main St. Drive about 1.5 miles, then left on 3rd Ave. The peanut is one block north, on the corner of 3rd and Evergreen.

We found where we thought the peanut was supposed to be and drove right past it. Circled back and realized that ooohhhh….that little thing on the corner is the peanut. I really was expecting a HUGE peanut but alas I was a little disappointed. No worries though, I still love RoadsideAmerica.com and will continue to make stops!

Well there you have it folks! I can now check those two places off of my RoadsideAmerica.com list!

(((hugs))) ~lisa