Cousin Dion

 My cousin Dion died on November 9th 2025.   He was a bachelor and is survived by his siblings.  He was the first born to my Uncle Butch and Aunt Kay in 1962.  I remember when he was born. 

The Celebration of Life was this past week.   I sent a card as it was impossible for us to go.   He was a very quiet unassuming Christian man. 

Dion

Tim, Keith, Dion, Kenny and Dwight....old photo from 1987.

For the family history; Dion was my Mom's nephew.   There were 42 of us cousins counting me (I am the oldest).  Sadly four have died...Linda in 2020, Dean in 2021, Diane in 2024 and now Dion in 2025.  So 38 remain.  

Far Side

For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.  But if I live.  I can do more fruitful work for Christ.  So I really don't know which is better.  I'm torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.  Philippians 1: 21-23

Fun Puzzle

 There was a fun puzzle at the Cancer Center.  Trouble was it was all done.

Then they called Far Guy's name. 

Someone who knows who...it might have been an elf...

Took out all the pieces of the Christmas tree!   More fun for someone else.

Friday we had a grocery order to pick up at Wally World, then by Aldi to pick out some fruit!  Our last stop was the Post Office to mail some of the Christmas ornaments....not all have been mailed...I ran out of mailing envelopes.  

In the afternoon we watched Knocked Up a funny movie.  

Supper was salmon, baked potato and corn.   Far Guy made the salmon.  It is one of his favorite foods.  

Minnesota weather; High Saturday was 23F or -5C low was 17F or -8C eh! We might get some snow before Saturday morning. 

Far Side

Thankful

 Thankful for a day to sleep until 11AM and then shower and relax the rest of the day.  We watched a couple of movies.  The Last Word and Everybody's Fine the last one is a bit sad.  

I was just too tired to venture out for Thanksgiving Dinner with the Grands and Jen and Andy.  Paige and Cole hosted this year at their new home.  They gave us a video tour.  We missed seeing them all.

I made some grilled cheese sandwiches and peaches for supper...easy peasy.  Sadie was happy for the company...but she slept most of the day. 

My sister sent a photo of the Headwaters of the Mississippi at Itasca State Park a photo she took last Sunday.  I am sure it looks different now after the snow. 

Far Side

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Everyone is happy but the turkeys! 

Far Side

Making Lefsa

 Lefsa.  It is a process.  Jen and Andy cooked up the potatoes, riced them and put them in the fridge overnight on Monday.  Far Guy and I heard lots of commotion in the kitchen and wondered what they were doing.  Tuesday evening after supper Jen showed me how to mix the butter, salt, half and half and honey. Andy showed me how to mix the flour and riced potatoes.   So I was a mixer, Andy a roller, Jen and Far Guy were the flippers on the lefsa griddle.   It was a group effort.

Boys will be boys. 

Far Guy is feeling lots better today.  His appointments went well.

Oh yes it snowed and blowed around.  Our first snow.  The Interstate highway from Grand Forks to South Dakota was closed. 

Far Side

Rough day

 We had a hard day on Monday. The third appointment for the day was an in office surgical procedure.  Far Guy is feeling rotten.  That appointment generated two extra appointments for today…an 8 am appointment and  a noon appointment.  They are keeping a close eye on him as am I. 

His procedure was called a uro lift and it is supposed to help older fellas pee better. Time will tell. 

We didn’t need to add any appointments to our schedule…now it is 10 appointments in 3 days. Uffda.

We are already exhausted after the 3 appointments on Monday…onward to the 4 on Tuesday. 

I keep telling Far Guy that one of these days things will calm down and get better.

Far Side

Sunset was glorious!

 Far Guy called the beautiful sunset to my attention.   I was just beginning to cook some potatoes for supper.  Jen made a turkey.

Reflection in the old window.

November 23 2025 Sunset!  Thanking God for another day even if the day was filled with frustrations.  Some days are like that! 

This week we have six/ seven maybe eight medical appointments in three days...we feel like we are off to the races! 

It was a nice day High was 51F or 11C the low was 11F or -3C. 

My arthritis says that the weather report is for cold weather this week and maybe snow.

Far Side

Quiet

 It was a quiet Saturday.   Jen and I went out to a friends Flower Farm where they are getting ready for Christmas sales.  We helped Sarah put together a number of arrangements with assorted greens, sticks, pinecones and festive picks.  A few extra hands makes for fast creations!  No photos...the next time I go out I will take some. 

I am packaging up Christmas Ornaments 2025 and getting them ready to mail.  There were two errors...easily fixed but I should not have made the error in the first place. 

Our latest puzzle.

A very difficult puzzle....frustrating at times ...so many possibilities.

Far Guy and I had brats and scalloped potatoes for supper. 

It was a very nice day.   High  was 50F or 10C and the low was 32F or 0C...there was frost on the roofs this morning. 

Far SIde

Views

 I spend some time in parking lots near the Cancer Clinic and the Hospital.  

My view from where I sit in a pretty much empty parking lot while I wait for Far Guy to have his radiation treatment....some days the Valet Parking is available and sometimes not. 

This is backside of the hospital...the Cancer Center is the beige shorter building next to the brick building on the left. 

My view from another parking lot...Far Guy gets his weekly infusion inside the Emergency Department/Infusion Center.

I drop him off at the door...run my errands and then I wait in this parking lot for him to text me so I can pick him up at the door after his infusion.  When the wind is blowing and it is way below zero the drop off/pick up service will be appreciated!

Friday was day 15 out of 20 radiation treatments.  Far Guy looks like he has a sunburn now, I encourage him to lather on the radiation cream.  He is getting more fatigued everyday.  Next week he has three treatments due to Thanksgiving....so radiation treatments will continue on into December.  Hopefully December 2nd he can ring the bell that signals the end of treatments.  Fingers and toes crossed. 

Far Side

Retrieving

 I was minding my own business working on Christmas ornaments when I heard peals of laughter downstairs.  Then my phone pinged. 

Sadie was quite happy and proud of herself when she retrieved my crochet project out of my project bag.  It is a special bag with a zipper that I ordered for my take along projects after many days of chasing down balls of yarn in the backseat of the car. The bag has a zipper on top but I must remember to zip it up!

No harm was done to the project...just a few rows were unraveled...by the way this is a pink and white shell stitch afghan that I am making to stash away in case someone has a little girl someday.  Shell stitch is one of my favorite stitches.  Just to give you perspective I crocheted a soft green afghan in shell stitch for Savannah back in 1996...another some years later and yet another one that I gave her last summer. 

And Sadie does what all good Golden Retrievers do...she retrieves. 

Far Side

The Cancer Center

The Cancer Center is across town.  It is about a ten minute drive unless I hit all the traffic lights wrong then it takes a bit longer. There is a marvelous volunteer there who greets people, answers questions and helps those who need help.  This week they still have Valet Service so I use it.  Far Guy says the girls who do the radiation are very nice.  Yesterday was number 13 out of 20!  As of Thursday morning 7 medical appointments have been completed, 4 to go for a total of 11 for the week. 

They have a puzzle in the waiting area of the Cancer Center. 

It is a rainy dismal grey day here.  I did some online ordering...a yarn that was discontinued and groceries to pick up. 

 Minnesota weather; rainy almost all day.  High was 44F or 7C and the low was 33F or 1C eh! 

Jen cooked supper ...it was ham, egg and cheese on a English muffin and fruit. 

Far Side

Sleepy

 Far Guy must be stressing me out as I am real sleepy.  I do not get anxious...and if I do ...I clean something or have a nap.  Far Guy says I do not get anxious properly or for that matter worry properly. 

Jen took her Dad to radiation yesterday.  I had the morning off to just sit and watch TV and crochet a bit.

We had salad and bbq chicken for supper.  

Minnesota weather; High 42F or 6C low was 33F or 1 C eh!

Recently I sorted through fake Christmas greenery in the craft room and made this arrangement in an old milk bottle.  That is Christmas paper rolled on a pencil for filler inside the milk bottle. 

Sadie was sound asleep when I placed the bottle by her paw for a photo.  She is tired also as she spent the day at Doggie Daycare running around with her friends. 

Far Side

Two appointment day

 Radiation treatments are going well. Monday was #11 out of 20.   When we hit day 16 the radiation changes a bit as it will then be concentrated on the scar.  It seems that often times breast cancer comes back on the scar and the last 4 treatments should take care of that.  On Monday's we see the Radiation Oncologist and he says things are going well.   Far Guy is really good about using the special radiation cream about four times a day. 

Far Guy finished up the Christmas Ornaments and now it is my turn to seal them and put names on them.  Soon I can package them all up.  I have 16 more to do and then I can cross that off my list! Hopefully in the next day or two! 

Tuesday is a two appointment day also...radiation and then a virtual appointment in the afternoon. 

A pretty dog at the dog park on Sunday.

Minnesota weather;  High 45F or 7C  and the low was 23 F or -5C  eh!  It may rain this week....who knows.

Far Guy and I made chili for supper it was really good!  

Far Side

Booties and a hooded scarf with pockets

 The smaller booties fit perfectly. At the end of November Baby K will be six months old. 

No more cold feet for Baby K.

Cee Cee has the hooded scarf on backwards but you get the idea.  She liked it but thought it had a lot of holes.  When you are five years old you have lots of opinions!

Baby K and Cee Cee posed for a nice photo! 

We had a fairly calm Sunday.  I did some laundry and we both worked on the Christmas Ornaments.  Hopefully in the next few days we can complete that project!

We have a really busy week coming up with ten appointments.  One at a time we will get them done. 

Far Side

Gone to the dog park

 Sadie needed some attention so for fun we took her to the dog park.

Jen threw the ball for her. 

Sadie is there in the center of the photo...she is really a red color this Fall. 

It was a good outing for us all.  The high was 44F  or 7C  the low was 22F or -6C eh!

It was a tad chilly but at least it was windy!  (the wind blows nearly everyday here)

Far Guy and I worked on some of the Christmas ornaments other than that we watched Hockey games Friday and Saturday night.  (I only watch part of a game as I am not a die hard fan like everyone else in this house!)  

Far Side

Puzzling

 We as in Jen and I have been puzzling.  Far Guy did a few pieces here and there.  The puzzle is on a puzzle board at the end of the table where he does all his nebulizer treatments...so he has a bit of company in the evenings...and sometimes in the mornings too. 

It is our first puzzle finish of the Winter. 

Thursday evening we went to the library where they had a puzzle exchange...we left a few and brought home a few.  It works for us!  Next month we will exchange this puzzle for a different one! 

Friday was almost a relief after our ten appointments this week.  Next week we have ten medical appointments again...luckily three are virtual so that will help. 

The Cancer Center where we go for six of the appointments has a real parking problem.  Last week they had Valet Service and we used it!  There is just no place to park...the parking lot is full at 8 AM and remains that way all throughout the day.   Unbelievable that there was not better planning for patients and employees.  One nurse shared that she circles some mornings for 20 minutes before a car moves and she can park and then walk six blocks to work.   Not sure where they park the cars for the Valet Service...could be out of town as it takes a long time for them to show up with your car when you are ready to leave the building.  Puzzling that there was not better planning.  Perhaps the hospital should have been built on the outskirts of town on a larger tract of land. 

So far Far Guy's radiation treatments are going well.  He is half way done, Friday he completed 10 out of 20 treatments.  Most days he is in and out in about 40 minutes.  His radiation treatment takes 13 minutes. 

Far Side

Booties and Busy

 I have been working on booties for Baby K.  Her feet get cold.  I struggled with the size...but she is growing so the larger ones will fit sooner or later. 

I made four pair...one pair is really large:)  I wrote better instructions on my pattern this time.  

We will see how they fit Baby K. 

Busy week with Radiation for Far Guy and other medical appointments.  Yesterday he was held hostage in the Infusion Center for 2 1/2 hours...someone messed up a couple of times...they thought he was in radiation when in fact he was sitting in an Infusion Chair with his IV in and waiting and waiting...he was not a happy camper.  Our day of appointments started at 8AM and we did not get back home until 2:30 PM. Four appointments and a trip to the pharmacy was too much for one day.  Today (Friday) should be easier....only one appointment. 

I had plenty of time to pick up groceries at Wally World, go into Aldi for fresh fruit and to eventually end up in Hobby Lobby for the second time this week....AND I had a good amount of time in the car to crochet while waiting for him to get his weekly infusion.

Possibly some very soft yarn jumped into my cart.   Might be something for little girls...who knows.  Hat, ear warmers...one never knows. 

Far Side

News from Home

 My other baby brother and she who sees robins first are avid deer hunters!  We encourage them because they share the canned venison with us!!  If you have never tried canned venison...it is the most tender flavorful meat ever!  My Mother used to can venison every year. 

Here they are happy as clams in their heated hunting deer stand!  It is one classy deer stand!!

Jody also sent a photo of the pretty sky on November 11, 2025.

It is fun to get photos and news from home! 

Yes they harvested a deer! 

Far Side

Green and White with fringes

 I finished Great Grandson Hey Mikey's green and white scarf with fringes.  He posed for a photo last night when his Mom brought him over!  He said it is exactly what he wanted.

Onto the next project!  I have so many to choose from...possibly bootties for Baby K's cold feet:)

We have a really busy week.  Ten yes count them ten medical appointments.  We had nine last week so we have hit an all time high. 

The time change is really difficult for me.  I am still fighting it! I had a long nap on Tuesday afternoon.

Salad topped with chicken was what's for supper. 

Minnesota weather;  The weather channel says the high was 51 F and Low of 30F but you could have fooled me...it was real frosty when we headed out at 7:30 am.

Far Side

Thank you Veterans!

 Hats off to all the Veteran's out there.

Special thanks to my husband who served 26 plus years in the Air Force and the North Dakota Air National Guard!

Here he is during basic training back in 1973. 

Thank you to all the Veterans and the families that support them!  

Far Side

Went Crazy

In the yarn store...they were having a sale!  I went in for four skeins and came out with ten.  Uffda.  

Here is the green and white to make Hey Mikey a scarf with fringes.   

I might have enough yarn for a few days. 

A while back Jen mumbled something about...okay now are you hoarding yarn at my house too?  Hoarding is such a harsh word...collecting sounds better.

More of that white stuff in the air yesterday...and it is much colder than it was.  Dreary November day here in Minnesota.  High of 32F or 0C eh!  

Far Side

Saturday Stuff

 It was an alarming day first thing in the morning, the sump pump alarm was going off so we hollered for help from Andy.  Nothing like being awake at o dark thirty.   I think we are all struggling with the time change...Sadie too. 

We relaxed and napped during the day. We watched  the movie Hey God Its me Margaret.  A very enjoyable movie.  Far Guy even laughed a few times. 

We need the weekend to rest up for the radiation treatments next week.  Five down fifteen to go.  So far no huge side effects from the radiation, he uses a special radiation cream a number of times during the day.  His Doctor suggested a new med to help with his anxiety...well that was not a good idea because the side effects were horrid.  Hopefully we have him back on track again for a bit with his meds. 

I started a new hoodie/ scarf with pockets for Cee Cee...she and her brother both had requests for me. Hey Mikey wants a green and white striped scarf with fringe AND both said make us mittens...so I am going to try to knit some mittens.  It will be an adventure. I have attempted crochet mittens but just don't like how they turn out....so knitting it is....I believe I recall attempting to knit some about 40 years ago. 

Here is a photo of Sadie...I played with removing the background...as the other three people in the photo were not looking at me. 

As you can see she is one beauty of a dog!

As we made supper...Tacos and Far Guy's Italian Sausage, Chili with no beans, philly cream cheese and velveeta cheese dip  we noticed strange white things in the air outside floating past the windows. 

Far Side

Book Club: November 2025

 This month for Book Club we read Alice's Tulips by Sandra Dallas.

I enjoyed it very much!  It is historical fiction set in the Civil War from a young bride's view that she writes in letters to her sister.  I give it a nine out of a ten.  Parts of it I would have written differently...but that is just me being judgy. 

All of the gals in the book club liked it...it was one of my suggestions. So far I have liked all the Sandra Dallas books I have read.  Persian Pickle Club, Westering Women and true sisters all were excellent reads. 

Far Side

Greats and a Grand

Granddaughter Maddie and her husband Brenton visited us on Wednesday night, we had pizza as all the kids love pizza! Pizza and pickles a perfect meal for the kiddos!

 Hey Mikey and Cee Cee watching TV after supper

Baby K  who looks so much like her Daddy!

Hey Mikey

Peach...I gave her an old pair of dollar store reading glasses with the lenses taken out...she likes my readers so much.  

Maddie and her children. She is a busy Mom!

We are blessed to be able to see them often! 

Far Side

 

Nice!

 It was a pretty Fall day high in the mid 40's and sunny.  Nice weather!!

Far Guy did not have to wait around for his radiation treatment yesterday.  He barely sat down and they called his name.  I went with him to wait after the really long wait for his treatment the previous day.  35 minutes and we were in and out of the Cancer Center.   Yeah us!  Three treatments down and seventeen to go. 

We picked up our grocery order from Walmart and prescriptions at the corner of happy and healthy where for once they actually had the right prescriptions.  Will wonders ever cease?

Not so nice...I had to seen at the Express Clinic.  Since I have RA other things happen from time to time.  Pleurisy,  I had it one time years ago, I am on meds for the next five days and hope it is all gone by then.  Pleurisy is pain from inflammation when your lung rubs up against your chest wall. Uffda...it is no fun but hopefully will be all better soon.  Luckily I only have the pain on my right side. Old people get the darndest stuff.

Really nice that this dog still loves us.

Far Side

Turning

 Here in the city Up North there are still a few very golden trees hanging onto their leaves.  In the neighboring big city residents can pile leaves up next to the street and the city comes by with a huge leaf sucker upper and gets rid of them!  How perfect is that!

Back at home the Tamaracks or Larch have turned into a golden glow.

Far Guy had his second radiation treatment.  He had to wait quite a long time because one radiation delivery machine was not available..they have two...so that makes everyone wait.  Far Guy is not such a good waiting person anymore.   I dropped him off at the door because parking is just the most miserable thing around the Cancer Center...I parked a block away and waited for him to text me when he was done.   I read my book for book club while I waited.

I hear that the S word is being mentioned for the weekend...the weather is turning to Winter just like that! 

I am still not happy with the Falling Back...it makes me tired and cranky.

Far Side

One down

One radiation treatment down and nineteen to go.  I think Far Guy can ring the bell on December 1st...we will see.  A little 93 year old lady rang the bell today.  Every Monday Far Guy will see the Radiation Oncologist after his treatment.  Since the radiation treatment is very specialized to spare his lung the treatment takes 13 minutes.  Far Guy says it seems like forever. 

We are mostly unpacked.  

Meals for tonight and tomorrow night have been planned.  Brats and potato soup tonight, BLT's tomorrow night.  I like to plan meals a week ahead of time...but with moody eaters I count two nights menus as a win!! 

I took this photo last week at a friends house, a very cute fall arrangement in an old wheelbarrow. 

Far Side

The latest

 My latest afghan is coming along.  It is called Apache Tears and is worked one row at  a time from right to left, the yarn is cut at the end of the row and then you go back and start another row.  Therefore you end up with lots of ends.  As I watched Survivor last Wednesday night I tied end after end.  I double tied them because I have CDO...(Compulsive Disorder Obsessive).

Lots of ends to tie. They are trimmed short and ready to be inside the envelope border.  But first you have to slip stitch all the way around the afghan.  Slip stitches on the front are a single running stitch on the back.  Next step it to begin the border.  Soon I hope.  I began this project on June 18th. 

You have to imagine the running stitch on the back as I only took a photo of the front. 

Envelope Border in process.  I did not finish the border, I left it back at home in the woods to finish when we return.

Jen came over on Sunday morning, she helped load the vehicles and by early afternoon we were all unpacked at Jen and Andys.  Sadie was very happy to see us!

Far Guy starts radiation treatments at the Cancer Center today…November 3rd.

Far Side

Cards and other stuff

 I have a container that I had been putting parts of homemade cards in all Summer/Fall.  Some were photos I have taken, some were stamped watercolor images.   There was a bunch of them...I did not count.  One day I coordinated colored paper to frame the images.  The past few days I have assembled them and emptied the box!  Yeah me!  My desk and the dining room table have been a creative mess!

Saturday was a busy day, I had an early morning appointment at the Dentist for yet another new crown. After that we went by Burger King for a biscuit with egg, bacon and cheese.  Then home to do odds and ends all day long...and a nap:) 

I worked outside for awhile putting away chairs, rakes etc...bringing the snow shovel to the front door.  Almost all done with that in preparation for Winter.   It will snow sooner or later!

My other baby brother and she who sees robins first stopped by to visit and they brought us some canned venison.  So that was supper along with toast and peaches.  Next week Deer Hunting begins in Minnesota and they are hopeful to get a couple of deer!

Minnesota weather:  High of 40F or 4C Low was 34F or 1C eh! 

Oh by the way I am Falling Back...I hate the time change. 

Far Side

Halloween Report

 We had four Trick or Treaters!  Our niece Stacey's children.

Ava the skeleton glowed in the dark.  Brooke was a girl!  Kelly was something in sports a coach maybe and then Lola a skeleton/fairy. 

The report from Up North. Our great grandchildren.

A Devil Diva, a Porcupine Wild in the Woods, a Baby Bat held by Peely from Fortnite!  They carved pumpkins on Thursday night. 

 Peach wrote all over the front of her pumpkin with a marker.  Good job Peach!

Hey Mikey

Cee  Cee

Baby K

Peach was a porcupine! 

The quills were awesome.  Stir sticks attached together with duck tape and then glued to a piece of fake fur and then attached to a hooded sweatshirt found at a thrift shop with Wild in the Woods on the front! 

What fun! 

Far Side