February 29 Rare Disease Day

Far Guy is a bit of an expert on Rare Diseases as he has two of them.  Seems he won the Rare Disease Lottery.

The last day is February is Rare Disease Day every year.

Far Guy was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia or TN on December 25, 2007.  Even I recall the date.  He spent two weeks in extreme pain until the medication took effect.  Trigeminal Neuralgia is often called the suicide disease as the pain is so intense and relentless.

The pain is like a cattle prod to the side of your head and then burning that is constant.   There are many different medications and combinations of medication over the years he has tried them all.  He has also had injections into the nerve and acupuncture.

Right now Far Guy is in remission and off all medications, he has a wonderful Neurologist who he sees several times a year.  We are so very thankful for a good Doctor and for remission, we hope the remission lasts forever.

Far Guy was diagnosed with Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency on May 18. 2015. 
Alpha 1  Antitrypsin Deficiency is an inherited/genetic disease.   Alpha 1 is a protein made in the liver, when you get a lung infection the protein goes from the liver to the lungs to protect them.  In people with the deficiency like Far Guy the proteins are in the liver but the wrong shape and they are stuck there so they cannot travel to the lungs to do their job.

Alpha 1 is rarely diagnosed although there is a confidential free blood test available at Alpha 1.org The blood test there is the ONLY reliable test available in the United States...sure you can go to your local clinic and have the test but don't count on the results being correct.  Everyone who has any kind of breathing problems should be tested in my opinion.  I was tested..and I am normal so our daughters got one bad gene from their Dad and one good gene from me.  Only one of our grandchildren has a bad gene.

Far Guy receives weekly infusions of the protein to protect his lungs.  Right now his lung function is about 20%  He is presently on The Lung Transplant list at the University of Minnesota.  Our bags are packed and we are ready to go when ever they call.

We are very careful...we don't go very many places in the winter time.  Fragrances, smoke, cleaning solutions, fabric softner, hair spray, smelly shampoo, gasoline fumes, exhaust from vehicles all make difficult breathing more difficult.  The candles being extinguished at church...many things that a normal person doesn't even think about cause breathing problems. A simple cold can end up with a stay in the hospital.

1 in 8,000 people get Trigeminal Neuralgia.
1 in 2,500 people get Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.

I suspect that one person getting both rare diseases is very rare.

Far Side

Maddie : Growing Family

Maddie and Brenton and Hey Mikey are getting an addition to their family.

Hey Mikey may not be as happy when the new baby arrives.  For now he is two years and nine months old...and life is good.  That is all about to change!

New baby Cee Cee will be here in about 11 days...we are excited it will be wonderful to be Great again!  Great Grandpa and Great Grandma that is.

Jen took these photos.  I wasn't able to go up North for the photo shoot because Far Guy was ill.  So I shamelessly stole them for Maddie's facebook page.

Far Side

What is next?

Not sure what big project I will take on after the Farm Diaries.  I do indexing for Family Search and can do more of that.  I can work on Find A Grave entries...I have some obituaries that need to be entered.   One side of Far Guys Mother's family can be traced back to The American Revolution I just need to prove that step by step.  If proven our daughters/granddaughters could  join Daughters of the American Revolution.  It may or may not be something they are interested in.

Presently I am keeping my head above water here at home, trying to stay ahead of housework and laundry just incase the call comes for new lungs.  I am working on the big sort and doing some spring house cleaning in the winter.

I have several crochet projects in the works and two pairs of socks on the knitting needles.

Yesterday I worked on some of my stamped cards...always a fun project and makes me feel good.  I tried out some new pens that I got for Christmas.

I always stamp the images on watercolor paper, I did some watercolors and some Prismacolor pencils this time around.  I use a special blender pencil with the Prismacolor Pencils.  These images will be cropped and matted before attaching them to the front of a card.

I have a woodcarving project that is lost someplace...possibly I left it in the greenhouse last Fall and now there is too much snow blocking the doorway to go take a look.  I could take the time to shovel the snow away....there is about 3 feet of snow there...seems easier to just let it melt! I have another woodcarving project that is almost done... a Santa.

 I have my small Wooden Barn Quilt Square that should be finished. Once upon a time I was missing the paint to finish it...still have that paint and it might be getting old!

So you see I have enough projects and hobbies to keep me out of trouble for a good long time.  I am hardly ever bored. 
Far Side

Wistful Wednesday: Farm Diaries

I finished with the Farm Diaries last night.   Cross that project off my list!  It has been a work in progress since February 22 2014 when I began with the Farm Diaries of the year 1916. 

So it took me 6 years and three days to get trough 13 years of diaries.  I have learned to "read grandpa" quite well.  He didn't have the best hand....it was a relief when Grandma wrote as her hand was better.  Far Guy would try to help me and read the entries...when you cannot "read grandpa" it become frustrating.

1929 is the last year of the diaries.  July and August of that year were quite happy and equally sad for them as they welcomed their fourth child and said goodbye to Louisa better known as Ma or Mama. (Tracie's Mother)

I found out many things I did not know.  A tornado went through in July of 1928, it took down a bunch of trees.  That was also the year that they moved into a garage while their new home was being built.

Grandpa was the Coroner and went to a neighbors death.  They noted many deaths, a drowning and deaths of Grandmas sister Lydia and of the death of Jerry a nephew, and a sad day when a baby died. 

Farm  House in 1917 it was torn down in 1928 and 1929.

The Farm House unknown year .. perhaps in the late 1930's

The Farm House in 1945. 

I am kinda sad to leave these diaries.. I am grateful to have the chance to have a peek into their lives for so many years.

July 1929

July 4 went to PR Dads + Ruberts there, went back to the fire works in PM
July 5 haying awful dry
July 6 Saturday Born to us Archie Blair at 9-30 Mrs Trankner here to work Margaret Chilton here over night
July 7 Sunday had lots of company to see new boy had a rain
July 8 Monday awful dry haying helped wash
July 9 Tuesday  same work
July 10 Tracie in bed Mrs Trankner went home Mother came
July 11 -July 13 no entry
July 14 Sunday Ruberts + Dads came down  Mama not well Baby awful cross
July 18 Thursday  awful hot  + dry  Mother + Dad came out Mother sick
July 19-20 no entry
July 21 Sunday went for a ride awful dry Mother Henderson here + Mother Stuve here sick
July 22 - 27 no entry
July 28 Sunday went to the Park Frances stayed with the folks

Far Side

Snow Chunks

The snow is falling off the steel roofs in huge chunks.

Maybe a squirrel was trapped...we won't know for sure til June. These huge chucks came off the woodshed.

Every day is an adventure to see what building will clear next.

My garage is next.

We still have 18 inches of snow at the snowstick...the snow is settling more everyday.

We had a nice day to go to town.  Far Guy went to Pulmonary Therapy and I ran errands.   It was 41 F or 5 C eh!  Really nice weather for February!

Far Side

Squirrelly

I went from one project to another all day Sunday.   I have a bunch of afghan squares drying, laundry done, Christmas Cards dealt with (I save letters from year to year and most photos), and more stuff sorted upstairs.  The year 1927 is all done in the Farm Diaries and I began 1928.  Two years to go...the end is in sight! Maybe.
 

I walked around outside, it was sunny but much cooler than yesterday 37 F or 3 C was the high on Sunday.

Menus were made for the week and a grocery list complied.
After all we must eat to survive the Winter!  Just like this fat ole squirrel.

Far Guy is still very short of breath, if I had three eyes they would all be on him.  One day at a time.

Far Side

Dripping

It was so warm 44 F or 7 C eh that it started to melt some snow off the roofs.

We sat outside in the afternoon soaking up some sun and watching squirrels and birds.  The woods were quiet except for the Nuthatches cheeping sounds and a Woodpecker off in the woods.

Feathery looking snow on the roof

Melting little by little

We still have a huge snow curl that will shed off the west side of the house soon. It will fall into a snowbank about 2 feet deep.

Far Guy is about the same, not any better that's for sure.

I worked on the Farm Diaries for a while and then went upstairs to work on the big sort.  I cleaned out the last of the file cabinets and marked several boxes of stuff for sale. My work table is a work table again.   Work continues up there.
Far Side

Bingo, Death and other stuff

I wandered through the yarn shop again this week.  Some new yarn may or may not have come home with me.

My Dad and I went to Bingo, I bingoed once...Dad is in a bingo funk, he hasn't bingoed in a long time.  He thinks we should switch tables and maybe his luck would change. Dad has a bit of a  memory problem but he can still play bingo.  He asks me "how many numbers did I miss?"  He misses a few ( I daub them for him) but not enough to quit going to bingo.  He takes a special medication to help with his memory...he calls them his memory pills.

One of our old/former neighbors died.   Florence had Alzheimers so she has been gone for a long time....now the physical just follows the mental. She had been in a facility for a number of years.  My parents went up North for her funeral.  Luckily the weather and road were good for traveling. Florence loved window boxes full of Red Impatiens and spots of bright flowers here and there at their lake home.

Far Guy is having a bout with severe shortness of breath...the weather is changing??/or maybe he is coming down with something?? I will keep one eye on him...maybe even two.

Far Side

For the birds

It has been a different year for birds.  We have the usual;   Assups (Nuthatches), Chickadees and Downy Woodpeckers.  No Red Polls this year at all yet...usually they are here by now.  This week we had a visiting Hairy Woodpecker and a lone Red Bellied Woodpecker.

We also had a visit from a Pileated Woodpecker...he is very shy.  It is indeed a male, he has a red moustache and the red crest on his head goes all the way down to his bill. ( A female has no red moustache and her crests stops half way to her bill)

As you can see he is quite large and when he is in the woods attacking a tree it is quite loud.  Their breeding season is just beginning.  ( They can eat a fair amount of suet in a day!)

We have had quite a time with squirrels....they found our peanut butter feeder... hung upside down and chewed the peanut butter jar into bits and pieces and even stole the cap with the special holder...I spied it way off in the yard...not going to retrieve it until spring.  Yesterday a smarter than average squirrel took the cover off the bird feeder and sat down inside for a snack...buggers.   This must be their breeding season as they are  starving and destructive.

Far Side

Time

I wasted some time yesterday frogging a crochet project...it just was not right and it didn't look anything like the photo in the pattern.  I began again...by golly I think I've got it to a point AGAIN where I can watch TV and crochet. I was determined...mostly because I like the pattern and it can be done again and will make a really nice gift!

It was time to shovel. The patio before I shoveled.  Nice clean snow to cover up the old dirty snow.  Take it from me it looks like it was warm...but it was not.  The day started out -23 F  or -30 C eh and warmed up to a balmy +7 F or -13 C eh.  Whoopie!  So it warmed up 30 degrees F or 17 C.

Time to photograph the snowstick! There is still 19 inches of snow at the snowstick.

I am not certain where the day went but before I knew it...it was time to help with supper....steak and salmon.

Far Side

Relaxing Day

We had a very nice day yesterday. No appointments! No place we had to be.  After doing some household chores we had the day to ourselves.

Far Guy wood carved and had a nap.

Far Guy  made me a blocker for the afghan squares.  He got the right size board from Andy and I sealed the top...Far Guy drilled the holes for me and cut the dowels.

I put two damp blocks to dry.  It will work just fine...the idea is to make all the blocks the same size so that they can be crocheted together and make a good looking afghan.  I think I can put a whole stack of squares on the dowels.

I worked on my newest crochet project and watched Spy Games.  I also worked on The Farm Diaries and made it into 1927 so I am making headway!

We made supper together...Naan Bread Pizza.  We can make them how we like them ...he likes pepper and mushrooms on his and I do not.

A card and crochet heart from Sam! Thanks Sam for thinking of us! 

Far Side

Ancestry Connection

Far Guy took an Ancestry DNA test a year ago.   Good thing too as it was the beginning of a much larger story.

On Sunday January 5  Far Guy received an email from someone on Ancestry " Hello. I am now in a more comfortable position to start messaging those connected to me on this site.  You and I are related.  I know for sure you are not one of the siblings, so you must be a cousin to my father.  I would love to know more about his side.  Would you mind helping me?  Thanks"

Far Guy said "I think I got a spam email on Ancestry?"  I replied "Spam is very unlikely on Ancestry."  I talked him into answering the email... "Fathers name, where does he live now...what year were you born?"

In the meantime Far Guy emailed his cousin who said "Is this a joke?"  Nope... a few minutes later the phone rang and more conversation continued between the cousins.  A bit of research was done, a few questions asked.  I point blanked asked "Did  you have unprotected sex sometime in the early 1980's in one particular part of the United States?"  The answer was yes... possibly.  I found a photo of his daughter on the Internet ...no doubt in my mind that he was a daddy.

He could not believe it...he had many questions...should he have a DNA test to prove paternity?  Should he email her or just call her???  He was just stunned and repeated over and over I just cannot believe this is happening....then he would say of course if I have a daughter I want to meet her and be involved in her life.

We were sworn to secrecy!  He asked me not to write about it on the blog until his daughter had time to contact all her relatives to tell them the news.  She has recently acknowledged her Dad on Facebook...so now I can share this story with you!  They have met and spent several days together, he is not only a father but a grandfather.  He has no other children so this new found daughter is an absolute blessing to him. We are just thrilled for him and for his daughter and we hope to meet her when she comes to Minnesota.

 She is a teacher.

She was persistent.  Last summer she contacted a sibling, that said they would "get back to her"  but never did. Can you imagine a sibling not saying anything to another sibling?

She then figured that her father may not want to be in contact with her....I guess you always consider the worst case scenario.

Anyway she wanted to try one last time and Far Guy was the connection she pursued...one last try to see if she could find out something about her Dad.

I love that TV Show Long Lost Family and watch it all the time.  Never thinking that we would be involved in our own drama!

For the record.  Far Guy's cousin did not know about a pregnancy or a child.  Finding out you are a Dad and a Grandpa at age 70 is quite a shock...they both feel many years have been wasted so they hope to make up for it now.

Far Side

Trail cam

Finally the Trail Cam became visible again...we didn't know for sure what tree we put it on and then it snowed and snowed.  Well let me tell you reaching it was no small feat.  Like an Olympic Swimmer I floundered on top of the snow...finally reaching my destination whilst snow was invading my boots and all my wondrous movements shoved snow up my coat AND shirt.  Far Guy was watching from the kitchen window and said he didn't know what he was going to do if I got stuck in the snowbank.

So as long as I got the trail cam out of a five foot snow drift I will show you some pictures.

My brother or my nephew removing snow with one machine.

Then they come along with another machine and blow all the snow further away!

The Trail Cam takes some  decent photos!

There were a few photos that made us smile.

One of our tree rats

Other than the snow adventure we had a quiet day yesterday.  Far Guy talked to many people on the phone.  I tried a new to me crochet project...it was a struggle.  I was ready to give up...at one point I thought I could just keep going but no my OCD  CDO wouldn't let me...I frogged and crocheted and frogged and crocheted...finally after supper I got the stitches correct...or real close to correct!  At least now it is just a four row repeat so I can watch TV and crochet.

Far Side

Birthday Report

Far Guy saw a commercial for Red Lobster sometime last week and decided that he would like to go there for his birthday.  Well the closest one is 90 some miles away..the next closest one is 137 miles away...choosing that one meant that we could stop by our youngest daughters and her family could join us and celebrate too!

Jen and her Dad

Andy and Adam

Jonas 

Remnants of my supper

If you are going to Red Lobster you should have lobster! 

It was a great birthday!  He says "Thanks for all the birthday wishes!" 

Far Side

A birthday

I asked the birthday boy some questions.

How do you feel?   old
Do you feel older today than yesterday?  yes
What do you attribute your longevity to?  Clean living, coffee and Fritos
What time of day were you born?  Don't remember  3 AM is a guess 5:05 AM is the correct time
How much did you weigh? No guess  He weighed 6 pounds 8 ounces

Far Guy in 1952 when he was 2 years old.  He looks pretty innocent in this photo...almost angelic in fact.  It was about this time that he began to explore his surroundings...and nearly drove his Mother crazy.

I am trying to wrap  my head around the fact that my husband turns 70 today.  Someone told me that 70 is the new 50...  ha that remains to be seen.

I stalked him with my camera yesterday.  Happy Birthday old guy!
His quote for the day "I survived the 60's and my 60's."
Far Side

Happy Valentines Day!

I had fun in wally world taking photos of their roses.

I wonder how many roses will sell?

We have chocolate...from a special blog reader in Wisconsin.  Thanks Diane!  It will be opened and enjoyed later today!

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentines Day spent with those you love!

A postcard from 1909  "When love is in the park"

Far Side

Brrrr

It was cold out...at 10 PM Wednesday night we have -23 F or -30 C  eh! and it will probably get colder.  Time for the  full length down  parka.  We didn't get much snow a little fell and blew away.  The Wind Chill temperatures are brutal.

We stayed busy all day.

A Pileated Woodpecker came in for a snack at the suet feeder. 

We stopped by the accountants office on Monday and had our taxes sent electronically...good to have that done for another year.  I asked them how long do you keep tax returns and the substantiating paperwork.  The reply was three years.  I had returns in my file cabinet from the 1970's.  AND I was keeping returns and substantiating papers for seven years.  Many papers were shredded.

I finished the last eight squares for the Crochet Along Project.  These squares are all going into a box until I get the proper board and dowels to  block them all to exactly the same size before I join them.   I have eighty squares all together.   It was a project...but I was ready to be done with it and move onto something else.

The something else was finished also and sent off in the mail today. 

Afghan yarn was packed away for now.  I kept all small bits of yarn to make hearts for The Peyton Project.  Yarn to crochet wildlife nests is still around to work on as are socks to knit.

 More stuff was rounded up for the big sort...my table is full to overflowing.

There is no lack of projects around here.
Far Side

Clinic on Tuesday

Far Guy had an appointment to see his regular Pulmonologist yesterday.  It is a 2 hour drive to the Clinic...quality crochet time for me as Far Guy felt well enough to drive!  Everything is okay.  He sees someone every three months either his regular Pulmonologist or his Transplant Pulmonologist.  At the Clinic they ask you if you have been exposed to the Corona Virus...who really knows for sure??

That is a picture/print of a Loon in the Doctors Office.

We got some walking exercise in at Costco and lunch.

Today (Wednesday) is a day off for us.  Good thing too as The Weatherman says a winter storm is coming in with 1 - 4 inches of snow with 50 mph winds...and after that it will be ridiculously cold.

Far Side

The Farm Diaries

Far Guy's  Paternal Grandparents wrote daily diaries.  Grandma wrote in a diary before she was married (1911-1913 when she was 16, 17 and 18 years old.)

The Farm Diaries begin in 1916 and they stretch through the years ending in 1929.  The diaries belong to cousin Bonnie and she says I can keep them...but I really want to finish the project and return them to her.  It is a relief when Grandma writes as her handwriting is much better than Grandpas. However I am getting pretty good at deciphering his hand.

I started a special blog for all this family information.  It has been a work in progress since  2012. Yes I have been at it for eight years!  Pictures and newspaper articles that Grandma saved were scanned  and the diaries transcribed one entry at a time.

What I found interesting about the month of January 1926 is that all three boys got the mumps.  Marvin (Far Guys Dad age 12) on January 2, Jimmie (age 4) on January 20  and Ronald (age 7) on January 22.  (Archie was not even a twinkle in his Dads eye yet)

I hope that I can decipher a few more months this winter.  Right now I am working on October of 1926.
Far Side

Photo taken in front of Grandmas parents (known as Dads) home in Park Rapids Minnesota.  I don't know for sure when this photo was taken...I will guess 1927.

Farm Diaries: January 1926
January 1 Friday  To Dads in PR for new years dinner had goose
January 2 Saturday  Butchered a 325 hog  cut some brush  Marvin took mumps
January 3 Sunday  Home sacked some spuds for Arthur got 150 per bu
January 4 Monday Cut brush Fred Bateman here after boar Glen stayed I sorted spuds in PM
January 5 Tuesday  Sacked spuds for Arthur
January 6 Wednesday Cut up pork helped Chilton load wood put on a little siding on barn
January 7 Thursday  Took cream hauled some wood in kitchen hauled a load of dry pole wood
January 8 Friday  Hauled wood from pig pen
January 9 Saturday  Cut dry wood to Osage in eve
January 10 Sunday Home Dads here sacked spuds for Arthur Geo Moyer
January 11 Monday School started I cut dry wood Thresa and Jimmie went to Sextons
January 12 Tuesday Helped wash hauled one load of dry wood brought kids home from school
January 13 Wednesday  Choped wood Thresa went to see Mrs Robinson I and Jimmie hauled some pole wood
January 14 Thursday  Started to PR to Farm Bureau meeting but stopped at Osage a bliz and roads blocked
January 15 Friday Cut wood in AM to PR in PM
January 16 Saturday Hauled wood chored
January 17 Sunday Sacked spuds for Arthur went to see Mr Rhodes and Smith
January 18 Monday  Sacked feed and took it to Osage John sick and couldn't grind left feed. Sexton sick done his chores
January 19 Tuesday Helped Sexton with pump and chores Cleaned barn
January 20 Wednesday Jimmie took Mumps  cut wood Halfsoled some shoes Chilton here after wood Took cream and eggs to Osage
January 21 Thursday  To Robinsons after boar, no use took him back after noon very cold
January 22 Friday  Cut Tamarack wood Very cold Ronald came down with mumps
January 23 Saturday  M Rhodes died we cut wood very cold and blizardy
January 24 Sunday Home Arthur here after spuds chored cold
January 25 Monday Hauled wood in AM  to Mr Rhodes funeral in PM
January 26 Tuesday Hauled in some wood and took some oats down to Robinson to get it ground Jimmie sick
January 27 Wednesday Cut wood in morn chored and took eggs to Osage  and got Marvin from school bad storm
January 28 Thursday about 35 below cut wood and hauled it in took cream to stage at noon
January 29 Friday Cut and hauled wood
January 30 Saturday Cut wood in AM cleaned out barn and went to Osage in eve
January 31 Sunday Home all day about 8 in of snow fell

Quiet Day

It was a quiet day Sunday, the phone only rang once! 

I worked on two of my crochet projects, did some laundry and worked on the Farm Diaries from 1926.

The sun took care of what little snow was on the patio and walk...sun shoveling...I love it!

 Started watching a new show on Bravo called Spy Games...I found it very entertaining.

I took a photo just before sunset.  The snowstick measures 19 inches  in the yard.

I made ribs, vegetables and baked a loaf of bread for supper. Not homemade bread the kind that comes frozen in a loaf...it was really good! It will make wonderful toast.

We have a real busy week coming up so a quiet day was much appreciated!
Far Side

Shredding

We cleaned up our file mess and shredded everything.  We resorted to cutting off names and account numbers and just shredded those parts.   Our shredder got a work out and overheated a few times.  Far Guy has a system he puts the shredder in reverse when he leaves it to cool off, then when it makes noise you know you can go back to work.

We took nine bags of shred and three bags of non shred paper to recycle.

I missed a couple of years of cleaning out files...so I was behind.  I still have more to do...one file cabinet at a time.

I guess I keep lots of stuff I shouldn't .

Far Side

No list day

I flitted from project to project and got nothing completely done except a nap which could have been longer!

I sorted files upstairs...I have lots of paper to shred.  I filled another box with books.  I put some stuff on my work table, when it is full to overflowing I will go back to that again.  Far Guy even sorted through some of his crap treasures.

We have three trunks to go through...one was accomplished, we did it together and decided what to do with some of it.  Things were discussed...that is a beginning...and it helps that we are mostly on the same page.

I did some laundry, dusted part of the house, crocheted for awhile and worked on the old Farm Diaries from 1926 and shoveled.

It was a day.  This week I would have picked these orange roses for myself.
Far Side

Snowy Day

It was a snowy day yesterday.  The last medical appointments were accomplished.  I wandered around an appliance store looking at new appliances and  then visited my parents.  Mom got a new stacking washer and dryer so we washed a load of laundry.  My Dad got a new braces for his knees and they are causing him pain...good thing he is seeing the Nurse soon.

I finished a project from the craft suitcase.  A baby blanket for a special baby not born yet.  BUT I got the blanket done before the birth so that is an accomplishment!  It is a Bernat yarn nice and soft.

It is a simple double crochet blanket with a single crochet border that I made a little different with two rows. 

I watched the best movie... Mad Money I give it a 9 out of 10 stars.  I finished the blanket while watching!

Cross something of my mental list as I made no real written down anyplace list yet this year.
Today is a day off...no list for the day either.
Far Side