About
I was born in BIG CITY, MissouREE and raised in small town, MissouREE. I was one of those little girls that loved horses, homeless kitties and pups and played outside all day riding bikes, riding my horses, chasing down the ice cream truck, sledding the favorite places in the winter and driving the nuns crazy all through grade school and highschool. But mainly it was all about horses. And cruising around town with my best girlfriend in her Mustang or mine hoovering cheeseburgers at the A&W and honking at other cruisers.
I married a guy my last year of college. I fell for that ROTC uniform. We began our married life with him learning how to be a good Second Lieutenant and my attempts at being a good officer’s wife. Instead I had my butt firmly planted in the saddle on the back of a horse most of the time.
I am, if you haven’t already gathered, horse crazy. Kitty crazy too. I love birds, flowers, lakes, oceans, mountains and cars. I also love to read. Books are dear to me. I am happiest when I am outdoors feeling the breeze, smelling the country air. And when we are lucky enough to head to Florida I love the smell of the ocean and the beach. I just enjoy taking in all that nature has given us to enjoy.
I am also all about food. I LIKE to eat, talk about eating, read about it, cook it, smell it cooking, ask other people what they are eating and where and meet friends and family at our favorite places to EAT! And I love and appreciate MissouREE’s sweet wines.
I love my Country Husband who isn’t really all that country. We are those city people turned country. Country Husband is a retired Army Officer and pilot and we are members of the “check of the month” club. Permanently retired! He is a wonderfully funny, kind, sensitive kind of guy with seemingly unlimited patience. We have been married 39 years and the patience has come in handy. I really LIKE him and that is a very good thing because when retirement comes along it is nice to know you really LIKE that person you chose for a lifetime. He spends his days maintaining our “Tiny Ten” acres. It may be small acreage but it takes quite a bit of work. I used to ask him what the heck he was going to do all day when he retired. He had no answer. Turns out he has a green thumb. He is a gardener.
While he gardens, I take pictures of things that make my heart happy. So, Country Husband, shoes, horses, flowers, landscape, barns, food, wine, birds, cats, ocean places, books, family, cars, the Tiny Ten and many more are reasons to snap happy. So, it’s all about pictures here at this blog with some words thrown in about living Under the Oaks.
I truly appreciate the awards that have been given to me and thank all who thought of Under the Oaks for an award. I have decided since I am so terribly awkward and befuddled about awards and not able to follow the rules nor do them in a timely manner(PROcrastination) that it is best that I become an “award free” blog.
Greetings UTO! I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog and all the photos. I was born in NYC and currently reside in Miami, but i’ve always dreamed of a life in the country
Thanks for sharing!
~Nic
June 24, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Nice to see you here Under the Oaks! I have been reading and thoroughly enjoying your blog. I dreamed of a life in the country too. Dreams really do come true.
June 25, 2011 at 2:43 am
Like what I said in my reply to your comment, reading this page truly inspired me to settle in the province in the near future. You’re stories Under the Oaks keep my reasons (to live back in a rural environment) unclouded. I can’t wait for that day to happen already.
Keep sharing your stories and the pictures of your paradisiacal place.
p.s.
I found your reason for marrying “your” man cute. I assume then that you have a thing for men in uniforms:-)
July 25, 2011 at 8:12 pm
Welcome to Under the Oaks Sony! I hope you get your wish to settle in the province. Dreams do come true. Rural life is bliss for us, we have done the city thing and it wore us out. And yes, it seems I did have a thing for at least one man in a uniform but goodness that was almost 40 years ago!
July 26, 2011 at 8:37 am
There’s something for you here:
http://isobelandcat.wordpress.com/2011/10/17/versatile-blogger-award-the-nominees-part-one/#more-3083
October 17, 2011 at 2:40 pm
It was your thoughtful comment on my post (that mentioned my Ma’s garden) that led me here. I too giggled at the ROTC uniform reference, haha! Your blog is just the kind that I like returning to, so I guess it’s fine if I follow?
November 7, 2011 at 5:50 am
Well I loved the idea of how those windows were special because of your Mom. Mom’s are special you know?! Thank you for the sweet words and yes it would be just fine with me if you followed-thank you so much!
November 7, 2011 at 6:02 am
Thanks for visiting my blog. I am a country girl myself, raised on the rural Eastern Shore of MD, and I love the outdoors and birdwatching. I look forward to coming back to visit your blog!
November 30, 2011 at 8:16 am
Hello–I saw your reference to the Eastern Shore and had to pipe up. In the 60s and 70s, I spent much time visiting in St. Michael’s (well before it was discovered by the city folk). My aunt and uncle lived in a big ole house on the Miles River….
December 1, 2011 at 10:59 am
St. Michael’s in Maryland? Sounds wonderful. We spent lots of time boating on the Potomac when CH was assigned to DC. I’d love to hear about the big ole house on Miles River!
December 1, 2011 at 6:31 pm
Yes in MD. I’ll have to get my brain to focus on that time — I should write an essay about my aunt and uncle. They were lovely folk….
What kind of boating did you do?
December 1, 2011 at 9:57 pm
Good morning, Oaks! Thank you for clicking to my blog from Isobel and Cat so that I could enjoy your thoughtful writing AND pics!
The cat behind the screen door… ahhhh!
December 1, 2011 at 10:57 am
Hello! How nice of you to come check out Under the Oaks. I just loved your sense of humor and had to say Hi! Yes, that would be Izzy. She has a new home now and I hope all is good for her
December 1, 2011 at 6:25 pm
Very happy to have found you, Oaks! Izzy is a cutie; I bet you have stories on your blog about her, so I will go look.
December 1, 2011 at 9:56 pm
you’re definitely my kind of gal…educated by nuns…marrying your college sweetheart…in love with pets and mother nature…and award-shy…
am in the midst of accepting an award…and spending hours trying to post about it…my, oh my…how do we do it all?…btw…hope 2012 has you counting your blessings…like king midas with his gold…
January 1, 2012 at 2:32 pm
You have a very beautiful blog. I love photos of barns, birds, and the like, and your camera must be amazing.
I also like your “award-free” blog thing; I was given the same award by two different bloggers, and the instructions for passing it on were completely different! I guess is like any other chain letter type of thing.
January 13, 2012 at 3:38 pm
Thank you Brenda for your kind words! Thank you too for subscribing. I am an inconsistent blogger
My camera is still bossing me around.
January 14, 2012 at 5:33 am
Oh my, a couple of things…
Your “About” is wonderful. You are my kind of gal.
I still have to nose around your blog and see your captures. I too, love being one with nature, my camera always at the ready, along with just about all the the other things you listed that make you happy.
I wish I would have seen your little badge “Award Free Blog” before now. I have received several too and I, like you, don’t like to do all that usually comes with them. I appreciate the thought, but… I’m with your commenter Brenda above, they are like chain letters and I never do those either! I like the way you handled it having already received several yourself. I may follow suit and if you don’t mind, and post your badge on mine. I certainly wouldn’t do it without your permission of course. And, I’m a bird nut, so the badge is a perfect design too. Not to worry if you prefer I don’t, as I could make one of my own. ( – :
I appreciate you visiting my blog and leaving a comment. It allowed me to find YOU! Off to nose around.
Happy Sunday,
Margie
January 14, 2012 at 8:24 am
Hi Margie! Nice to see you
It is always fun to meet and talk with someone that we share like things! I found you through E.C.’s blog. You were cracking me up in comments and I had to check out this person with the great sense of humor. By all means, absolutely take the Bluebird badge if you like. I borrowed it with permission back when I was blogging on Blogger. I loved it because the Bluebird is Misssori’s state bird. How dang convenient was that?
January 14, 2012 at 10:14 am
Don’t think I ever read your about page before, and I don’t know how I got here but it was a joy to read. I hear what you are saying about being award-free.
And now I remember how I got here – it was a comment you made on my
awardspage. They are certainly well-intended and an honour, yet at the same time not to participate is very liberating indeed.Anyhow some of the barns posted here are delightful. Trust you are keeping well & happy blogging!
January 27, 2012 at 6:52 pm
Good Morning Chris! Thank you so much for stopping by. Glad you find some of the barns “delightful”. I am all taken with the charm of barns and enjoying the Barn Charm Tuesdays. Awards~yep, they are an honor and very nice when someone thinks of my blog for one but I just get all flustered and befuddled by them
January 28, 2012 at 5:53 am
I have been following you, but somehow had never gotten around to the “about” page! Slacker that I am…I am discovering that blogging can occupy a lot of my time, but since I also am married to a retired Army National Guardsman, who also happened to retire from the railroad after 39 years), I am free to do what I love most…photograph anything I can find, sew quilt tops for kids for charity, and travel…not necessarily in that order! I always enjoy your posts!
January 28, 2012 at 5:56 am
Linda I know! How lucky we are
CH retired from the military and then from a second career in banking. Shoot I am just happy to have the health care!! Life is good! Makes me smile to hear you enjoy my posts. Blogging sucks up way too much time and I would rather read other people’s blogs and comment than get a post up of my own 
I was very happy to find your blog and enjoy our Missouri connection!
January 28, 2012 at 6:06 am
Just stopping by to say hello and THANKS for visiting Sam’s blog this morning to honor Isobel and her “remembrance day”…….I see you around various blogs I visit but hadn’t taken time to visit YOURS – and I’m sorry I haven’t….I love hearing about you and your happy life. I was an “Air Force Brat” growing up and know about the military life. My Dad was from St. Joe, MO (as he used to say). My hubby and I have been retired for several years now and enjoy things we didn’t have much time for when we worked – travel, gardening, reading, writing and of course waiting hand and foot on our Sammy the Ginger Boy
. I’m signing up to be a follower of yours – I’m sure I’ll be mighty glad I did! Happy Sunday………………..
Pam (and Sam of course)
March 25, 2012 at 7:07 am
Thanks for stopping by Pam! Your Dad was from St. Joe?! I will be heading to your blog and catching up today and this next week. Retirement is GOOD
Enjoy your Sunday!
March 25, 2012 at 9:13 am
Just wanted to say…you are missed. And I know what you mean about being “befuddled” about awards. I’ve yet to accept a few because of all that entails…especially the technical stuff. Hurry back! hugs…
January 12, 2013 at 2:45 pm
Good Morning! Thank you so much for your visit and good words. My brain is empty when it comes to my blog lately and I have been feeling like I have said all I have to say. I have been blogging somewhere since 2003! Awards, befuddling me since I started blogging..
Take care!
January 14, 2013 at 7:41 am
We found you from Clowie’s blog!!!! Pleasure to meet you!!!!
March 6, 2013 at 5:05 pm
Well, it is nice to meet you! I took a visit to your blog and Trevor is a cutie! Sweet kids too. I will have to visit some more..
Thank you for the follow!
March 7, 2013 at 7:09 am
Oh I am so happy to meet and another horse nut… they were are still are a huge part of my life and I blog about them often.. I am joining in you from 5 facts friday and hope that some time you can look in on me and my Farrier husband. wonderful blog
March 8, 2013 at 4:15 pm
Hello Jolynn! I am happy to meet you..
I just visited your blog and I am going to go back after I approve your comment. I don’t want to disappoint you, I am a horse nut for sure and love to talk all things horse but I haven’t been horsing much lately. I still ride here and there but I have some cardiac issues and my stamina isn’t the best. I will read about your horses and horsing and enjoy it.. 
Your Hubby is a Farrier! Wonderful! Where would horse people be without the Farrier’s super skills? Thank you for the visit and the follow!
March 9, 2013 at 5:58 am
What a lovely “about” page! So glad ryoko introduced us! Looking forward to reading more
April 12, 2013 at 9:15 am
Thank you so much! I loved my visit to your blog, loved it!! Happy to have found you and yes, thanks go to ryoko..
April 13, 2013 at 8:01 am