A Quilt

 My Mother made a quilt for Jen a few years ago.   It now has a perfect spot at Gather in Laporte. 

It hangs on the railing upstairs. 

My Mother is adjusting to life in the assisted living apartment by herself.   It is hard, she and Dad have been together more than 72 years.    Dad was asleep yesterday when I visited.  Mom shared that the Nurses at the Home said he wandered the halls all night long.  Mom usually eats the noon meal with him and sometimes supper.   At his table is an elderly lady who has no filter and her language is quite colorful...it doesn't seem to phase my Dad. 

One day at a time. 

We have candy ready for our usual Trick or Treaters...hopefully I will get some photos! 

Far Side

Leaf me alone

 I am so done with leaves.  The last of nine mulchings was completed on Friday...it was dirty work as it is real dry here.  Yesterday Far Guy washed up the mower and got it ready for winter. 

We washed the windows again...this time using glass wax.  Earlier we used something else and it just wasn't working either that or when it sprinkled a tad bit of rain it had mud in it.  :(

Yesterday we had 63 F or 18 C for a high...although Far Guy reports that out thermometer was showing 70 F for a while in the sunshine. 

I collected all the yard art that I wanted to save from winters wrath.   We still have a few things to do on our list but we are basically ready for winter. 

I sprayed one last time for ants on the outside perimeter of the house.  

Yesterday we got a heap of mail...mostly Medicare stuff...switch here...try this...they are pretty stupid as they included return postage paid envelopes.  So I returned them...empty. 

Lately my email has been getting some scam stuff...can you believe I won an I Phone, a set of Nordic Cookware, a Generator and a Vacuum cleaner and if that don't beat all a Lawn Mower...I just had to give them a credit card to pay for the shipping.   It all sounds so good...I can see why some people are sucked in. 

Photo taken before I got the blower out and blew most of these leaves into the woods...it looks better now. 

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Baxter

Baxter spent some time with us one day this week.  He is happy to see me and has much less separation anxiety...however I cannot go into the bathroom with out him or put away laundry...he wants to be near me. 

He settles down quite nicely if I stay in one spot!.

 We went for a couple of Ranger Blue rides, he loves riding along.  We recycled and got the mail. 

 We met the Post Master delivering mail, he told me that some days no mail would be delivered because they had no mail carriers for all the routes and he needed two clerks full and part time and several rural mail carriers.  He is in charge of three post offices and he rotates through to deliver mail himself.  He said to mention the job openings to anyone who might be interested.

"Got some more treats lady?"

Baxter was good until he wasn't.  He rolled in some smelly stuff while I was in a different part of the yard...so I got out a bucket and cleaned him up as best as I could without giving him a bath.  He sat quietly while I cleaned him up....then his people picked him up. 

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Progress

 Progress is slow on my other Mosaic Crochet projects.  

Here is Winter Wonderland. 

The next section is rose and white...ornaments I think.  Hope it looks okay next to the burgundy and teal! 

I started this project a long time ago! November 28, 2021.  Yup almost a year.   Oh well.  It might be another year before I get it done! 

Grocery pickup was uneventful yesterday, it rained.  

The Dollar Tree Store has Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas stuff out all at once.   I bought the Christmas bags and boxes I need for the wood carved  Christmas ornaments....a few more days and we will be done with that project! 

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This week

 I got to see baby Maziar who lives in Boston, he is my baby brothers Grandson.  I last saw Maz  when he was just a few weeks old.  He sure is cute and we enjoyed watching him play!

He is now 17 months old and came to see his Grandparents and Great Grandparents...I heard he liked the buttons on the bed at the Nursing Home where my Dad is.  By the way Dad is doing okay physically for the moment, however he did not know who I was on my last visit. 

One day I got a package in the mail.  

Mug rugs and dish cloths from Sam in Arkansas  a perfect gift!   Thanks Sam!!

Here is one of of my projects that I finished at Craft Retreat. 

It is a mosaic pattern that is crocheted over a muslin zippered bag.  As you can see I still have plenty of yarn left!  Always fun to have a good supply of yarn for projects!  I have a number of muslin zippered bags waiting in the wings!

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Jody is 62

 My other baby brother is 62, how can that be?  I was 9 years old when he was born.   We graduated from High School 10 years apart and both got married the same year we graduated. 

Here he is in 1961 when he was 1 year old.  Looks like Mom was taking the photo with her Kodak camera and others were standing around....not sure who is holding the cake.  This photo was taken at the house on the farm. 

Happy Birthday Jody!  

He lives right next door to us...well next door country style...I can walk there! 

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Scraps

 Jen is taking a beginning quilting class and had homework to do during retreat.   The instructor is apparently very accomplished but unable to write so that beginners can understand what to do to create an 8 pointed star ( which I think is very complicated and more for advanced lessons)...needless to say we had many scraps while trying to create that square.  We were supposed to use the tri rec rulers...which proper quilters with experience possibly know how to use.  I helped as much as I could with my very limited quilting skills and barely a C in Home Ec sewing class years ago ( the C was a gift...because my Mom finished my sewing project for me...a pleated skirt.)

I admire my daughters persistence...and anyone that can sew a straight seam and make beautiful quilts. 

This art work is made totally from wood scraps.  Jen designed it and Andy helped put it together. 

It is the perfect addition to one of the walls in the hallway at Gather in Laporte.

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Home again

 I made progress on the Christmas cards, they are ready to sign, stamp, address and tuck a Christmas letter into.  Yeah me!

Crocheting was slow...two projects were never touched.  I did have a few naps and time to relax and watch a few episodes of Manifest with my headphones on!   I will share my crochet projects soon.  

The hallway inside Gather at Laporte, the bedrooms and bathrooms are all off this center hall and leads to the great room with the kitchen located on the "stage" of this old Town Hall where kids used to roller skate! 

A very fun place to Gather! 

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Retreat 2022

 I have known all the gals at retreat for years.  They are all friends of our youngest daughter Jen. 

This year we are at a new venue that is owned by Jen and her friend Jamie, they bought the property last Spring. 

The gals here are varied in their interests and talents. English Teacher, Chemistry Teacher, Physical Therapist, Nurse Practitioner, Social Worker, a Director of Patient Services and a Learning Specialist.

There are card makers, scrapbookers, quilt makers, digital bookmakers and just about everything in between. 

It is a great place to gather!  There are four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The food has been awesome; tacos, loaded baked potatoes and chicken with cheese and bacon and roasted parsnips and carrots. 

The view from my spot. 

Headed home soon. 

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Crafty

 I am at a crafting retreat for a few days.  Far Guy is doing okay and I am just a short way from home.

I am working on Christmas cards and four crochet projects.

 

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Lotza Bows

 I have been tying bows to beat the band.  Our wood carved Christmas Ornament requires a bow and a string to hang the ornament.   It is putzy work...it takes me about an hour to tie twelve bows and get them exactly right.  Yes, I am a bit fussy! 

Far Guy has been doing an awesome job painting the carvings.  When the windy cold weather keeps him indoors he likes doing a project.  

Some of the ornaments are headed out of the house this weekend...that way they won't have to be mailed!  

I will guess that we are about half done with the project.  

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Book Club: October reads

 Book Club is today.  

The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin is the book we are discussing.    I gave it a 9...it was an enjoyable read however it was most likely a "formula" book. The author picked many small survival items that came in really handy in this romance/disaster novel.  The editing was poor...get real...suddenly he has his car keys and charge cards.  I just didn't buy that.  I guess it has been made into a movie.  

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate is not a book club read...it was a bonus book that I have wanted to read all summer and I finally found the time...it is a page turner and is based loosely on true incidents.  I give it a 10...although the author could have tied up all the loose ends...

What are you reading?  

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New Old Project

 I have two totes of old photographs to scan.  The photos belong to my parents.  I finally got my new printer /scanner to talk to Far Guy's lap top and got it all set up.  It is upstairs so I can work on it when I get a chance and leave everything out.   

My Mom had some photos stuffed inside manila envelopes, I will double check them and scan if necessary...eventually all the folder type wedding, graduation, school and baby photos should be returned to family. 

I started a facebook page for my Dad's family and many have enjoyed the photos I shared there and I will do the same thing for my Mom's family...soon...it all takes time! 

I ordered a few special photo labeling pencils so I can mark the backs of some of the photos with the who, where and when if possible. There are a wide variety of pencils out there that can be used.  Creative Memories is where I purchased mine. 

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Mosaic Crochet: Costa Nova

 Yeah!!  I finally finished a project! 

Took some photos to celebrate!   Yes more leaves have fallen in the yard. 

The back is almost as pretty as the front.  I really like doing mosaic crochet...and it is simple and feels like art!! 

Since the finish I have started another mosaic project and thought about another....and Winter Wonderland should be worked on as it has been hanging around for about 10 months.  

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The Bobber Tree

 The leaning tree has a new mane.  The Bobber Tree.

It almost looks like a decoration.

We had a quiet Sunday.  We worked together on Christmas Ornaments.  My other baby brother and she who sees robins first came by in the afternoon for a visit.  It was another chilly day with a high temperature of  38 F or 4 C eh!  Of course next March that will be a heatwave!

Nephew Josh had an emergency appendectomy last Friday morning. 

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Still colorful

 We took Ranger Blue into the Smoky Hills on Friday afternoon after the snow melted. 

The Popples and some of the Oaks are still colorful. 

Yesterday I stopped by the Nursing Home to see my Dad.  He is more confused.  He has a very nice room that looks out onto a patio/lawn area that would be a really great place to sit if the weather was nice. 

Back at home I did a bunch of laundry and helped Far Guy with the Christmas Ornament project.  We made a pork roast, mashed potatoes and gravy and baked carrots for supper.   Comfort food on a chilly day!  Having a roast in the oven makes the kitchen very cozy! 

Our high on Saturday was  46 F or 8 C eh!

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Second Snow

 At this rate Winter will be here early.  The third snow usually stays:(  

We woke up to the second snow. 

By afternoon it had melted.  

We had a fairly productive week.  Only two more windows to wash and the screen door.  It may or may not happen.  Ranger Blue was cleaned out before the cold weather and windows were washed.  We brought in "stuff" from the garages that would freeze.  Far Guy cleaned up Tilly's garage and did some work in the greenhouse/woodshop.

 Leaves were blown around and mulched.  One more time around the yard might happen.  So far I have mulched our yard seven times this Fall.  I mulched at my other baby brothers...he has lots of leaves yet to fall.   The leaves in our yard are 90% down.  

The last of the ant hills were doused with borax/powdered sugar.  The no trespass signs were put up.  

Are we ready for Winter...not completely but in the next two weeks we should be. 

Our quiet snowy day yesterday was spent mostly inside...Far Guy began painting the Christmas Ornaments. We watched Blue Jays and Juncos out the windows.   I cleaned the bathroom and did some laundry and organized some craft stuff. 

We both are a bit headachy and tired from the high dose flu shot.  Naps were high on our priority list in the afternoon.  Far Guy cooked supper...hamburgers without a bun but with some bacon, waffle fries in the air fryer and peaches.

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Old and First Snow

 It was my Mothers 93rd birthday yesterday.  She was having a hard time with my Dad.  We were supposed to go out to lunch but since they had a bad night and morning we stopped by to see how they were doing.   Dad was asleep, sometimes I think he has his days and nights mixed up just like a baby.  He woke up and had lunch, later in the afternoon he was moved into the nursing home next to the assisted living apartments.  Mom can walk over there to visit him.

And so it goes.  

Far Guy and I got the high dose flu vaccinations yesterday.  So cross that off our list.  The gals at the Infusion Center where Far Guy goes for his weekly infusion take good care of us. 

Grocery pickup was mostly uneventful.  The peanut butter shortage must be over!   Town was busy.

And it snowed.  In some spots the ground was white.  So we have officially had our first snow.   Early in the morning we knew something was up as our yard was full of Robins and Juncos.  I think the Robins were just stopping by on their way south.

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Sprinkled

 No not the rain kind of sprinkled or sprinkling the clothes with water and rolling them up and putting them in a plastic bag so they could be ironed properly. 

A permanent sprinkling. 

Notice the white colored ash in the grass?   Notice the urn?   This is the grave of my Maternal Grandparents.   Their youngest daughter Karen died May 24, 2017 at the age of 65.  Recently her children brought her ashes from Florida to be sprinkled on her parents graves.  Better late than never. 

No I did not look in the urn to see if it was empty. 

As far as I know they did not contact anyone while they were here.  We had hoped to have a grave side gathering when they brought her ashes back.   My Mother and two of her brothers are still alive and it would have helped give them some closure. 

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Leaves of three

 Let them be.   Poison Ivy is green all summer and blends in with many other plants.  The more shade a plant has the taller it will grow...seeking the sun in the shady woods.   I saw some plants last summer that were over three feet tall. ...scary for sure.  

Fall is a great time to identify poison ivy on your property because it sticks out like a sore thumb. 

First it turns yellow...there are still some green/greenish yellow plants in this photo. 

Then the real red flag.

Everything the pretty red is Poison Ivy in this photo!   You can mark the area with a flag and spray it in the Spring.   I use Round Up for Poison Ivy. 

If you have endured the insane itching of poison ivy...then you will understand my personal war against it.   Those of you lucky enough to escape it...good for you!  ( My husband has never had it... very lucky guy!)

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Fairy Lights

 Usually I put up some Fall decorations on the wreath outside the door.  This year I saw some little battery operated lights that I could not resist.  They have a timer and are on for six hours and off for eighteen. 

We can all use a bit of light in the dark evenings! 

Yesterday we got a few more Fall projects crossed off our list.  The No Trespassing signs are up and we took care of a few more ant hills.  We blew some leaves in the yard with the leaf blower and trimmed the grass around the Lilacs that Far Guy planted a long time ago.   They we just little sticks that we got from neighbor Jolynn and a couple of them are really taking off.  

I spent part of the morning with my other baby brother checking on some things for my parents.  

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The 90's

 My Dad's birthday was yesterday.  He was 96 years old.   We had a small get together for his birthday and for Mom's birthday later in the week.  Mom will be 93 years old.  

They are in assisted living.   Dad seems more confused everyday.   He was diagnosed with MDS  or Myelodysplastic Syndrome which means that his red blood cell production has been disrupted.  Left untreated it can become leukemia.  Right now the only symptom he seems to have is fatigue...he sleeps a lot during the day and last evening when we showed up for the birthday get together he was in bed.  So I woke him up and helped him get ready...my brothers and sister and their spouses were all there.  

I pray many times a day that my Dad will just go to sleep and be done here on earth.   He has fought the good fight...I think the race is over for him....but God must still have a plan for my Dad.  

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Philippians 4 : 6 - 7  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Progress

 We are making progress on the Fall work list.  I try to tackle something extra every day. 

Yesterday I took care of spraying some weeds in the sauna path, after I located my leaf blower.   It would have been faster just to sweep the walkway before spraying.  I mixed up powdered sugar and borax in a big pail to take to some large ant hills.  The powdered sugar attracts them and the borax kills them.  That project is just half done and I will finish covering the rest of the ant hills soon.  I prepared some of the no trespassing signs so I can rubber cement them onto boards and get them hung back up.  About half our leaves are down and I have mulched the leaves in our yard five times...it was a very dusty job yesterday. 

Far Guy has finished woodcarving the Christmas ornaments...I have a bunch to fine sand outside and then they become an inside project. 

Our high temperature yesterday was 60 F or 16 C eh! 

Far Side

The past week

 I enjoyed the last pontoon ride of the year with my baby brother, his bride and Baxter one afternoon last week.  The Fall color on the lake is very pretty. 

It is always fun to see our old resort from the lake.  All the cabins have been removed only the boat house remains next to the lake.  The fellow who lives there has a home further away from the lake.

Yesterday I had lunch with my best friend Susie.   We met at a local in the boonies eating establishment that is about half way in between our homes.  We had a great visit!  She sent home Walleye for us...she and her husband are fishermen.  We had some for supper and it was really really good. 

Our weather has turned cold...we had a hard frost early Friday morning.  29 F or -1 C  eh!  If we had pumpkins there would be frost on them.

Baxter says Hi!  He loves a pontoon ride.

Here he is outstanding on his dock. 

Oh and how about Apple Pie?   It was great one afternoon...neighbors Steve and Jo shared their apple pie with us...apples from our old resort! 

I had a really bad tooth ache...an abscess.  Luckily our Dentist believes me and ordered antibiotics right away on Monday morning.  Then in a procedure on Thursday he opened up the tooth and put some medication down inside and sealed it up...if this doesn't work I have to go see the Oral Surgeon.  ( At least they have laughing gas!)

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72 years

 My parents have been married 72 years today.  This photo was taken 8 days after their wedding.  The photo was taken at my Dads birthplace.

My Mom saved the top of their cake.  She covered it in wax.  Last Spring when we were helping her go through things the box with the cake inside was opened.   Needless to say the photo is worth keeping...but the cake was not! 

My Dad has dementia.  He will be 96 in a few days.   He may or may not realize that it is their wedding anniversary.  My Mom who takes care of Dad will know that it is a special day...one that she recalls fondly.

 Dementia is hard... outwardly Dad looks the same...dementia is hard. 

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Sauna

 Yesterday I put everything back in order on the outside of the sauna.   It looks pretty good.

The white trim really needs to be done but it looks so much better!

In other list busting activities, I sprayed some weeds and helped Far Guy replace some boards under the lean to that covers the air conditioning unit and we took down all the no trespassing signs so they can be redone.   Far Guy cleaned out all the bird nesting boxes.  

He found this nest complete with little eggs.  Not sure what kind of bird eggs they are??? Any guesses?

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Busy as a Beaver

 We finished painting the sauna, the paint held out and the rain held off until I was on the front side where there is a huge overhang. We took turns being on the ladder and no one fell!  

After a late lunch we went for a Ranger Blue ride to the hills.

View from the road to the tower. 

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Nice Days

 We are enjoying the nice days.  Spending time outside and coming in at night dog tired.   Thank goodness supper was easy...salad and Jambalya.   It was 72 F or 22 C yesterday...perfect Fall weather.

We took down the screened  tent and put it in the garage to dry out.  Far Guy pulled out the tomato plants and  put them in the woods where wildlife will eat them.    I ran several errands in town.   I started painting the sauna and it is going well and looks so much better.    It was a nice day to sit on the ground and paint the bottom of the boards on two sides!   Very quiet outside, I could hear the machinery that was harvesting beans in a field a mile away and the trucks going up and down the highway. 

We are getting some things crossed off our Fall work list. 

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Leaves

 The leaves are almost peak...we have just a few more days to enjoy them.  

Our yard.  As you can see I will be mulching leaves this week. 

The driveway.

The Burr Oaks are turning golden this year...they usually don't have the best color. 

We went for a Ranger Blue ride....some of the color out there is just fantastic! 

We visited several cemeteries along with my baby brother, his bride and Baxter.  Checking to see what needs tending before it snows. 

Far Side

Chilly evenings

 The evenings have turned chilly.  We disconnected the water hoses just incase there is a hard frost.  I carry water in my old watering can for the bird bath and the dog water dish. (Baxter is back!) 

Yesterday was an odds and ends day with a nap in the middle.  I finished painting the garage door!  The high yesterday was 69 F or 21 C  eh!  Cross something off my list!    I finally made a list.  If I cross something off the list every day I will be done at the end of the month.

The chilly nights bring out the worst in the hornets/wasps.  They are especially bad in town.  They seem to like the fronts of cars...not sure what attracts them...the warmth or saying goodbye to friends who were suicidal and hanging off the front grille.   I can report that my crochet wasp nests work great at keeping them from building their nests near the house. 

I sat outside after supper last night watching for the solar lights and my baby brother, his bride and Baxter stopped by to watch with me.  Baxter may have gotten a treat or three. 

The leaves are changing color more every day I think we are near peak color. 

Far Side

Hello October

 We said Goodbye to September and a week full of medical appointments.   Hope we are done for a bit.  Chronic Lymes is still kicking my butt.

Yesterday after the last medical appointment we went to Menards...had not been there for a long time so I wandered through the solar light aisle and filled up my cart!  Well not quite but I have new solar lights in  the yard now.  Found the cutest fairy lights that are battery operated for the wreath outside the door.   We went out for lunch through the drive through at A & W.   Talk about a big day in town!!

Back at home I painted the garage door...it will need a second coat....Far Guy woodcarved and worked on Tilly.   It was a really nice Fall day 71F or 22 C eh!

After supper ( Ribs and a Baked Potato) I sat outside and watched all the new solar lights come on!  Only one party pooper...and it may just need more solar rays:) 

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