target practice on Christmas eve...new tradition? i could go for that

today i woke up and mom made waffles and bacon-yum! it was farmer's bacon, so it was the real deal-nice and salty. again, if you didn't hear me the first time YUM!

yesterday we left dallas at 7:05, made 4 stops and arrived in buffalo at about 2:30, and pretty much dropped the dogs off and went to their pastor's house for a Christmas open house. there were several people whom i had met during the summer, so i at least had some recognizable faces. when i was getting something to drink, one of the younger men there said, "you look like a doctor or something...you just have that...intelligent look about you." for a split second, i thought maybe there was some hidden candid camera in the kitchen.  i explained that no, i was a teacher, but it was good that i had an intelligent look so that the students would find me credible! (i was wearing jeans and a fleece...i guess that's the new intelligent look, in case you fashion folk were wondering!)

i love holiday get togethers that involve tables loaded with cheese, crackers, sausage, cookies, and all sorts of other goodies! festive, i tell ya!

when we got home, i was tired, but i was able to finish the remainder of my Christmas reading-the hobbit.

this morning after breakfast, i finished a couple more Christmas cards (which of course will arrive fashionably late), then mom and i went to walmart in springfield-because the little one here in buffalo is a little one here in buffalo. (it may have sounded redundant, but purposeful).

i especially wanted to find a game i had heard about on talk radio-random, but it sounded like a winner-we shall see!

supposed to be a riot...

 and i may have stopped by the seasonal aisle for kisses, but guess what. Christmas has not even passed and already, they are stocking the valentines candy!! boo.

on the way home, we came around the long way because i wanted to get  a picture of the sign:

if you recall, i wrote about this place over the summer when i came to visit the first time....

such a unique little place, but before we drove through all 5 seconds of it, we went through bolivar, which is the other town it is halfway between to mail my cards...we found a post office, but we couldn't find the way to get to the drop boxes-which were actually just a hole in the side of the building with slots...there was only one way in-it was on the back side of the post office, and didn't have any signs that said post office, weird...but i got them sent none-the-less.

when we got home, i had mentioned to my dad that i was interested in purchasing a gun, but i didn't know what i wanted, so he called his buddy to see if he could give me a quick lesson on guns and let me shoot one out at his place. so we went over to their place-out in the country and around the hills in mo. and he had everything out and lined up. i mean to tell ya, i got my fill of handguns today! i found the one i want, and i am actually a pretty good shot (although i was aiming at a big burn barrel, and i wasn't that far away from it). he and his son-in-law were really good about explaining to me all about the different types, and i think i have decided on a revolver-type.

then on the way home, we were talking about the difference between a shotgun and a rifle, and dad told me he had an antique rifle that was passed down from his grandfather. when we got home, he pulled it out and let me check it out. it seemed rather small like a toy cap gun. so i saw a small quart sized paint can and we set it up and i shot twice and hit it twice. yes, i am a markswoman...just call me sniper jrob!

the first shot went through the front, ricocheted through the back at an angle and went through the dryboard behind.

the second shot went through and knocked the can right off the barrel and the dryboard fell into the burn barrel which was burning stuff at the time, so we let it burn.

and then i was done, and decided that i really enjoy shooting. hmm.

it's been a productive Christmas eve day.
julie