Hark! Back! Issue # 6

 March 02, 2008

"Janice go see is he is dead"

Oh, sometimes little boys do the darndest things...well boy things...they have a curiosity and an ability to scare their Mothers half to death.

When Far Guy was little he apparently had a fascination with electrical outlets.  One day the fascination became experimentation...and he did it...he tried to electrocute himself...something to do with a record player and an electrical outlet...the fuse popped, all the lights went out...his Mother said "Janice go see if he is dead."  He recalls having to wear a mitten in the Summertime because his hand had been burned.

Janice and Far Guy

Far Guy must have been a handful, because his Mother had a harness for him, she would put him in the harness and then clip him to the clothesline. This worked fine for some time and gave his poor Mother some peace and quiet.  However he learned to unhook himself and escape into the neighborhood for wild adventures and then hook himself back up on his return.   I used to think that this was a cruel thing to do to a child but he must have had Attention Deficit Disorder, because as an adult he has it...so I am sure that any treatment to save your sanity was warranted.

Speaking of little boys...our youngest daughter Jen and her husband Andy have two little boys...they are older now but when they were little we had a checklist.  Hide at least one flashlight because we may need the batteries in one to be working.  All ladders should be folded up and laying on the ground.  Put the three wheeler keys in your pocket...the boys should never have access to keys because they are brilliant mechanically and only have to see the sequence of starting one time and they will attempt it.  All sharp tools should be put away out of sight. All water hoses should be disconnected because water fights will happen.   This is all a learning experience for me but Far Guy being a former boy has a special insight into appropriate boy behavior.

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Yes a long time ago houses had fuses that screwed into an electrical panel...the fuse would burn out and have to be replaced.  As I recall the fuses were small about the size of a quarter maybe a tad larger, one end screwed into a spot in the panel and the top side had a small window where you could see if there was a burn mark...as I recall the fuses came in different colors I suppose something to do with wattage.

Oh yes...boys do grow up...way too fast.

Far Side

Hark! Back! Issue # 5

Hark! Back! Is a look back at blogs that appeared in a now defunct blogging site before I started with blogger in September of 2008.  They are in no particular order. 

December 30 2007

Telephone Communication

The ways that we communicate has changed over the years. When I was growing up in the 1950's we had an old black crank type phone...our number was 12F12O, yes I remember that number but was it two shorts and a long or two longs and a short?  I met the telephone operator once, she sat in a little room off the General Store/Post office, she was quite old, looked cranky and wore a dress with huge flowers on it.  She sat in a chair in front of a big board with lots of wires coming out of it.  It was the days of the Party Line, as I recall five or six phones were connected on a mutual line, you were only supposed to answer if your assigned number of short and long rings came through. If you answered any other time or listened in to anyones conversation it was called rubbernecking.

Later on we got a regular dial phone, but we were still on a party line, we had to be careful and listen before we dialed, or you could interrupt someones conversation.  I still have a phone with a dial, the Grand kids are amazed they think it is an antique...but hey if the power goes out as it occasionally does when you live in the boonies  I can still use that old phone.

My how times have changed...cordless phones always getting misplaced that never happened when we had phones with cords. 

 Cell phones...everyone has one except us. Why? We live in part of Minnesota where there must be a lot of Iron Ore in the surrounding hills, we cannot get cell phone reception here.  We had one for a short time, but found it inconvenient to walk to the end of the driveway and stand in one particular spot to make a call.

Then came the Trac phone, I purchased one at Walmart in Detroit Lakes, thinking that when we were away from home we could use it. WRONG...you have to be able to get a signal to activate it and so it sits in the glove compartment.  Those were perhaps the most expensive calls I never made.

I used to get quite confused with all the people talking on their cell phones in the grocery store...then I joined the group...I just pretend I have a cell phone in my hand, hold it up to my ear and talk to myself, heck I even answer myself sometimes and giggle!

Have you noticed that you hardly ever get to talk to a real person anymore?  It is all automated press one or two, listen for options, listen for options again and select, then...your call is important to us...please wait...your call will be answered in the order it was received...your call is being monitored for quality control purposes and then some person says ..."Hi this is Happy, how may I help you?" Well you have to repeat your name, address and phone number again...then Happy says " Please wait while I access your information" THEN the music starts, well you can bet your life's savings that it is not going to be the Oldies.  I want options for my music...don't give that classical junk that is supposed to sooth my frazzled nerves...I want to press one for "I don't get no satisfaction" press two for "Eve of Destruction" ...then I start praying that the power won't go out because I am on a cordless phone:)

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Update...we did get cell phones and in 2024 we gave up our land line.  Far Guy got a Cell Phone first and I succumbed shortly there after.  I am not fond of phones and occasionally I forget to turn mine back on after I turn it off!  I often lay it down in one room and forget where it is until someone calls me...and not many people have my cell number!  

The old switch board that I recalled as a child from the Osage Telephone Company was donated to the Hubbard County Historical Museum.  

I am still aggravated by the press one or two and in some cases never talking to a real person.

Far Side

Book Club 2026: June

 This month we read a novel by Mary Lawson called Crow Lake. 

It takes place in the 1950's in Northern Ontario Canada.  It was a good book, I give it an 8 out of 10. 

The author was born and raised in the farming community in Ontario.  All the gals enjoyed the book.

Onto the next book!  I have 63 books waiting in the wings to be read...I stack them in the TV cabinet and shut the doors.   I really should have less than 50 to be read...I need to work on that and should not be allowed to buy more books unless it is a reading emergency. 

Jen listens to books as she works on craft projects and even as she cleans house.   The ear thingys hurt my delicate ears...so I would much rather curl up and read a real book. 

Far Side

Happy Anniversary!

 Our youngest daughter Jen and her husband Andy celebrate 28 years of wedded bliss today. 

NOW

I snagged this photo from the ones Jen uploaded to our skylight frame.  I think this was from their Vacation to Bryce Canyon National Park in early April.

THEN

A photo I took at their wedding 28 years ago.

Happy Anniversary!

Far Side

Thursday stuff

 Thursday is our busiest day of the week.  First stop to the corner of happy and healthy where a prescription was supposed to be ready but it was not...that place is so not organized.  I drop Far Guy off at his infusion where the gals take extra good care of him!

Aldi for fruit, Walmart online order pick up...sometimes I time them...yesterday it was four minutes.  To the local grocery store for "stuff" that Walmart didn't have...this week Apple Juice,  Crunchmaster Crackers and ICE Drinks (I like the Cherry) then off to the Butcher Shop!  Pick up Far Guy and head to the bank.

Home to unpack and put away groceries, have lunch (a peanut butter half a sandwich). 

Enjoy bookclub and then collapse on the couch for a nap...Far Guy woke me up when leftovers were all warmed up for supper. 

Minnesota weather: High  80F or 27C    Low was 58F or 14C

Flowers at the bank

Far Side

Blooms

 We went to recycle and stopped along the way to admire a few blooms.

The white lilacs are still looking good, the old fashioned purple lilacs are looking a tad old...the warm weather last week was hard on them. 

We planted a pot of red Petunias and some who knows what color maybe they are all white Snapdragons.   I am sure the deer will eat them sometime soon.  

The deer are coming into the yard to drink out of the bird baths. I think one is either a new Mom or about to be a new Mom.

Minnesota weather: High 79F or 26C    Low was 60F or 16C 

What's cooking?  Salad and Steak 

News:  She who sees robins first had a knee replacement on Wednesday.  It all went well and she should be able to come home on Thursday.   Aubrey and Katie came over to visit on Tuesday...Aubrey is doing well and goes back to the Cities for a re check soon.  

Far Side

Little Golden Book

 Do you remember The Little Golden Books?  Did you or your children have a favorite? 

We had one special one that we could recite over and over. 

I found it for sale.

In 1973 it was 69 cents and it along with a few other story books were gifts for our oldest daughter's 1st Birthday. (Gifts from Snuffer...our much loved dog)

Far Guy and I read that book over and over on our trip home on leave from Lowry AFB and then again on the long trip to Mac Dill AFB in the Summer of 1973. 

As Trica got older and was able to turn the pages she would turn them as you recited the book and would make you go back and say it right if you messed up. 

Anyways...I have a copy of the book...in todays prices the book would be valued at $5.50  well it is kinda rare...so I payed a tad bit more than that for it. 

"Wake up baby this is your special day" 

Far Side

Hark! Back! Issue #4

 Hark! Back! Is a look back at blogs that appeared in a now defunct blogging site before I started with blogger in September of 2008.  They are in no particular order.

January 7, 2008

Mission Impossible

I don't know about the rest of you but I hate grocery shopping...first of all you have to be organized enough to make a list. In order to do that ...I have to know what I want Far guy to cook.  Have you ever stopped to think how many times groceries are handled?  #1 Take it off the shelf and put it in your cart #2 take it out of the cart and put it on the grocery store counter #3 Put it into a bag #4  Put the bag into your cart #5 Put the bag in your car #6 unload car #7  put groceries away #8 cook..finally #9 serve food # 10 leftovers and clean up # 11 clean leftovers out of the fridge #12 take out garbage.  ...so in summary you must handle something at least 12 times just to be able to cook...plus the added aggravation of having to make the list in the first place. 

Sometimes when I am feeling especially like Suzy homemaker, I insist that Far Guy and I go up and down every aisle in the grocery store. He likes a heads up on those days and will wander around the entire store looking for people to talk to. ...as I am in charge of the cart. Other times, I take half the list, he takes the other half and we meet up in the store occasionally so I can dump my stuff in his cart. When Far Guy is in charge of the cart he will try to avoid me at all costs, he thinks it is funny to watch me peer over the top of an arm full of groceries to give him the evil eye.

Years ago when we had children living at home, I would play "Mission Impossible" with them. I would brief them in the car, everyone was in charge of three or four items the "Mission" was complete only when everyone had their items and was at the check out counter...seems to me that grocery shopping and cooking is still a "Mission Impossible"...and there are only two of us to cook for.

***************

Far Guy is a great cook!  

I love ordering and picking up groceries at Walmart and other grocery stores too.  What began in 2020 with the Pandemic continues for us.  Sometimes I have the groceries delivered to our door...especially when we order water for Far Guys coffee.  ( He uses bottled water for his coffee because our water has  lime deposits.)

We make menus for two weeks with room for change here and there.  At least I know what groceries I will need for the next two weeks:) 

We usually share cooking duties especially when we make chili or gumbo with portions to be frozen that end up on the menu as "freezer". 

When we are up North for the Winter our son in law Andy likes to cook and he is really good at it!  So we enjoy any meals he cooks and are so thankful for a cooking break!

Far Side

ONE!!

 Our youngest Great Grandchild turned one year old yesterday!

What a cutie!   She had a party yesterday but we did not attend.  Jen took a photo and shared it with me! 

At one year old she finally has a few teeth, she is crawling but not walking. She is not talking very much.  She still has a short fuse as in no patience when she is hungry, thirsty or tired...she pitches a fit and you are left to figure it out!  FYI  none of her siblings were like that so she is uniquely herself. 

Happy Birthday Baby K!  We love you!

Great Grandma

Still Busy Days

 Paige, Cole and Savannah came by to help us out with some yard work and some housekeeping.  So we are caught up again for awhile.  We had a really nice visit with them all and sweet Rosie.  Rosie is Cole and Paige's Dachshund. 

In the evening we went to the neighbors get together a pork feed and a barn dance.  It was great food and fun to watch  the little kids playing ball.   We got to see a few people that we hardly ever get to see. It was quite windy and we left early.  I am sure the younger crowd will carry on!  

Aubrey is at her Grandparents and I will visit her one day soon...she needs a bit of time to rest and recover a bit after her surgery. 

Far Guy pulled Tilly out of her garage and washed her white walls...they look perfect again. 

Minnesota weather:  High 82F or 28C  Low was 59F or 15C   We need rain...the small farmers that cannot afford irrigation will be SOL if it doesn't rain soon. 

The pollen is heavy outside.  The Oaks are full of what we call danglies...but are technically Catkins. 

Far Side

Busy

 The Hummingbirds are as busy as they can be.  It is hard to tell how many we have...more than four and a few are quite protective over the feeder.

Fun to watch them come and go.

I mowed the lawn yesterday before it got real warm.  We need rain....it was a dusty job.

Minnesota Weather:  High 89F or 32C  Low was 66F or 19C.

What's cooking...eggs and potatoes.

Aubrey's Surgery went well and she will be coming to her Grandparents soon...they live next door. 

Far Side

May 2026 The Greats

 We had a good visit with all four of our Great Grands.

Mostly smiling!  Baby K is crawling on all fours now and she has it mastered!  She loves her brother very much...her cheeks were a bit red as she is getting a few more teeth.  Hey Mikey has his own room, Cee Cee has her own room and the little girls have to share a room in their new home. 

Who knew that pizza should be accompanied with copious amounts of Ranch Dressing! 

Far Side 

9

 We enjoyed a small birthday party with pizza and brownies for Hey Mikey's 9th birthday!

Look at that smile!  Next year double digits!   He has completed Third Grade now onto Fourth Grade in the Fall. 

The whole family begins a new adventure...they bought a house but will be going to the same elementary school and daycare.  The house they bought should be a good fit for their family!  We will miss having them just five minutes away during the Winter...now it is more like 30 minutes away.   First time home buying is not for sissies....as it is quite a process.  We are thankful that it has all worked out for them. 

Happy Birthday Dude!  Keep smiling!  Love you lots!

Great Grandma

Hark! Back! Issue #3

Hark! Back! Is a look back at blogs that appeared in a now defunct blogging site before I started with blogger in September of 2008.  They are in no particular order.  

Blog post from January 10, 2008

12 X 12 Paper

Well I am a scrapbooker...12 x 12  inch paper is one thing I collect...I have a special plastic box with a cover that I keep in the car...just incase I happen to run across a scrapbooking shop.  Years ago when I first started scrapbooking there were lots of scrapbook stores...I should have opened one then...come to think of it I probably have enough paper to open one now.

I shop for paper seriously and with wild abandon...there was one store that I spent three hours in...just in the paper aisle...luckily after three hours my daughter Jen said "Mother it is time to go home." Lord only knows how long I would have stayed in that store if she had not been with me....maybe I would still be there...how many days would have passed before Far Guy would have reported me missing? 

Other than normal solid colors in every shade and hue you can think of...I shop for paper that evokes a feeling...and at my age I have had a lot of feelings over the years...so I have a lot of paper.

Far Guy finally designed and built me a custom scrapbooking desk.  The desk is accessible from both sides, it has twenty drawers believe it or not it does hold all my 12 x 12 in paper...for now:)

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Update 

I still look at paper in Hobby Lobby that is about the only store that has paper anymore.  My desk still has a fair share of scrapbook papers.  I have one scrapbook that I need to finish but mostly I use the paper to make cards. 

That is what is happening on my desk now...card making...yes it is a controlled for now mess. 

Believe it or not Chance used to lay down under that desk.  It became a great place to store other "craft stuff."  So no space for a dog to rest anymore.

Far Side

All grown up! Aubrey!

Our Great Niece Aubrey graduated from High School this past weekend!  Sadly we were not able to travel to her party on Saturday.  My sister Julie and Jen and Andy were able to go.  It is about a 6 1/2 hour drive for us and I am not able to travel that far at the moment. 

August of 2010 when she was just a couple of months over two tears old. 

AND now she has graduated from High School!   Photo used with permission from Katie.

We will be seeing her this next week.  She is having another big surgery in the Cities on Thursday...when she was born in 2008 she had a bilateral cleft lip and palate and has had many surgeries since then.  I am not sure what # this surgery is ...12th maybe... one of these times we hope she can put all the surgeries behind her!    

Prayers are always appreciated  for this lovely young lady and her team of Doctors. 

You got this Aubrey!!

Far Side

Memorial Day

On Saturday we visited the cemeteries where our parents are buried.

 

Flags lined the road to the cemetery where my parents are buried. 

Sunday I mowed  our lawn at least part of it for the first time this year. 

We went out for lunch at our usual Sunday Summer Patio place and late in the afternoon we had a good visit with cousins Leann, Jim, Clark and Mary Jo.

Sunday weather; High 80F or 27C  Low was 53F or 12C.  The high fluffy Summer clouds are back.

Far Side

It rained!

 It rained a bit, not sure how much but there was a puddle or two.  We could still use more! 

The woods are finally coming alive...it is a wonder what a little rain will do.

We are headed into a warm spell...I don't like being thrust into Summer so soon in May.  I like lots of 70 degree days! Picky picky.

I did some laundry and cleaned a bathroom, we visited two cemeteries and Far Guy planted some wildflowers seeds in the wildgardens.

What's cooking?  Far Guy made Spaghetti...it was delicious with homemade bread. 

Minnesota Weather on Saturday:  High 61F or 16C  Low was 44F or 7C. 

Far Side

Hark! Back! Issue #2

Hark! Back! Is a look back at blogs that appeared in a now defunct blogging site before I started with blogger in September of 2008.  They are in no particular order. 

April 05, 2008

Conversation with a three year old

Last evening I spent some time with one of my Great Nephews...he was three on April first.  I asked him what he wanted for his birthday...the party is on Sunday...he replied "Cake."  I asked him what kind of presents he wanted..."Balloons."  I made the mistake of calling him "Honey"...he replied "My name is not Honey it is Mason."  I asked him if I couldn't call him Honey anyway...he replied "No, I am Mason" then he would scrunch up his face, roll his eyes and extend his lower lip.  I explained that Honey was a nice name...and he changed the subject.

During my conversation with my new Honey/Mason...I discovered he had a haircut by Pam, had a good day at Barbs, Barb has two dogs with no names, his sister was asleep and so was his Mother, he wants to be an Excavator driver when he gets big, his Grandpa is not my brother, his Grandpa was never ever a little boy, his Dad was never ever little either, his Dad is big and Grandpa is his Dad's favorite.

I have an old jar that I keep on the counter in the kitchen...filled with Tootsie Pop Suckers.  Most small children leave the house with a sucker in hand.  Mason always chooses one for himself and one for his sister...he wanted a green one again.  I have never tried the new green ones...but they have passed the Mason test...he said they are yummy.

Well while I was enjoying my conversation with Mason his Grandmother was out walking and saw six Robins behind our house.  She always seems to be really lucky seeing the first Robins of Spring:) 

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Mason and Chance in April of 2015

Mason is all grown up...he was 21 on his last birthday and yes he is an Excavator driver.  He has a beautiful gal who is Miss Minnesota this past year.

Far Side

27!!

 Our Oldest Grandson Noah is 27 years old today!  

Happy Birthday Noah!!  

In 2002 when he was three years old.

He was a climber when he was little...he would climb any ladder especially if his Dad and Grandpa were on a roof...and his Grandma and Mom could hardly believe their eyes how fast those little legs could climb! 

He was also a driver and attempted to drive an old pickup down the side of the freeway when his Dad got out to re tie a load in the back of the truck...good thing his Dad was a fast runner. 

He was a quick learner and a watcher...we had to hide the keys to the lawn mower and to the three wheeler because he knew the sequence to how they started. 

Hot Dogs and Mandarin Oranges kept him well fed...oh yes chocolate milk too. 

He is our fourth grandchild and our first grandson.  Those were the days in 1999 with four grands under the age of three:)

Love you lots Noah!

Grandma

Glitter

 Far Guy put the glittered bowling ball in place in its holder.   It still needs a bit of touch up.

 This whole area needs a bit of work!  Maybe one day soon:)

Big accomplishment for the day...the swelling in my nose is going down and I can breath through BOTH nostrils!  Yeah me!

What's cooking? Far Guy made brats (no bun) green beans and a baked potato. 

Minnesota Weather: Cool  High 61F or 16C  Low was 42F or 6C.  We need it to rain for at least a week.

Far Side

Yuck

 I feel just yucky after my fall... my body hurts in so many places...I slept most of the morning and afternoon.  

Far Guy made supper...cheeseburgers (No bun)  french fries in the air fryer and green beans. 

Nothing else was accomplished.  

One more day of rest and I will be back to not quite new. 

Far Side

Back

 We are back from Dr appointments.  Two appointments turned into three more appointments for me. 

I had an MRI and they may have found the root cause to my back pain and leg numbness...they are not sure so I will see another Dr before another procedure is performed.  In the meantime the MRI showed something else that calls for yet another MRI.

The little pills that I had to take prior to the MRI worked really well...so well that I tripped over my own feet, fell and hit my head and nose...not sure what will turn black or blue yet. The poor nurse had to fill out a report.  

I slept most of the way home and am headed to bed soon:)

A picture of our Border Collie Chance in a little plane that was in our yard in 2005.

What's Cooking  Far Guy made me a ham sandwich and he had lasagna from the freezer. 

Minnesota weather: High 54F  or 12C  Low was 38F or 3C Not much rain fell here.

Far Side

Hark! Back! Issue #1

Hark! Back! Is a look back at blogs that appeared in a now defunct blogging site before I started with blogger in September of 2008.  They are in no particular order.  

March 24, 2008

The Cockatiel "Pearl"

One day I was at a garage sale, there was a bird for sale, so I purchased her cage and all.  She was a female cockatiel, we named her "Pearl".  Well as it turned out she hated me, even though I kept telling her "Pearl I rescued you, you should adore me, and worship the ground I walk on." 

She had a love affair with Far Guy...it was sickening.  When he would get home from work she would coo and make little throaty noises until he talked to her.  After supper he would take her out of her cage and she would sit on his shoulder and groom his moustache, sideburns and ear hairs.  If he had a toothpick in his mouth she would take it from his mouth ever so gently and then turn around and give it back to him.  If I came anywhere near this exchange she would squawk at me and act like I was going to kill her or something.  I can't lie...sometimes I thought I should wring her neck.

During the daytime when I was home alone I liked to catch forty winks on the sofa in the afternoon.  Pearl would wait for me to go to sleep and then she would go ballistic, flapping her wings and squawking. This in turn would wake up the four Shelties that were napping near me and they would bark and bark. The cats would yawn and stretch..it was a zoo. 

The cats loved to perch above the cage and stalk poor Pearl. We had one really fat cat "Shadow" who needed a little help getting above the cage, so I would give him a boost...great entertainment during the day.

Pearl never did like me, even if I was the only one that cleaned her cage and brought her food and fresh water everyday. Occasionally I would give her wet lettuce leaves to bathe on...none of this mattered to her. Sometimes she would peck my arm so hard it would bleed.

This evil bird was always transformed quite magically every evening at 6:15 when her best friend in the whole world came home from work.  I guess she must have been a one man bird:)

Pearl with Caramel looking on!

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Update

Every time I see a  box of Chicken in a Biskit crackers at the grocery store I think of Pearl as that was her favorite treat. 

Pearl lived with us for about ten years. When Far Guy retired we put everything in storage and bought a camper we found a home for her with a nice old lady who she loved...and she lived a good long life. 

Far Side

Waking up

 Our woods is slowly waking up.  The trees and bushes have had a long Winter's nap.

The Thornapple is awake.  You can see the thorns...it is a nasty shrub. 

Far Guy has been doing some woodcarving...he finally came inside and grabbed a bunch of bandaids and told me not to pay attention to the blood spatters on the patio. 

I am playing with paper and doing misc stuff that never shows up anyplace. 

 I finally got confirmation from Gethsemane Lutheran Church that doesn't have a cemetery and they were cooperative and were also going to contact the Find A Grave Community to delete the cemetery.   Everyone not familiar with the area thinks the cemetery belongs to the Church because it is across the road...it was not always that way...they had a small Church right in the heart of downtown Snellman where they used to have a smelly old smelt fry every Spring...I can say the ladies made some great pies.  Anyways they raised all the money and members all helped to have the Church built on the outskirts of town on the hillside across the highway from cemetery aptly named The Snellman Cemetery. 

Minnesota weather: Windy...a chilly wind like after it hails.   High 58 F or 14C  Low was 39F or 4C.  It is supposed to rain the next few days....we and the woods need the moisture. 

What's Cooking: Leftover Calzones...cook once and eat twice:)

Far Side

Glitter glitter everywhere

 I am slowly adding new glitter to my bowling ball.

Spray glue works pretty good. I am sure the wind took some of the glitter everywhere!

Minnesota weather: High 78F or 26C  Low 47F or 8C.   We may get rain starting on Sunday. 

What's cooking?  Calzones but they are not as easy as our son in law Andy makes them look.  

Far Side

For the birds

 We have a pair of nesting Robins they are really busy in the yard gathering for their young!  We also have a pair of Bluebirds that are going in and out of one of the many boxes available to them.

Far Guy is putting a few seeds out for the Chick a dees and the Nuthatches...he repurposed an old metal bird bath into a feeder that the squirrels seem to like.  Hopefully the bear will stay away.

We had a horrid dust storm Thursday...you could just feel the grit in the air.  

Having a bad RA flare at the moment...my husband takes good care of me.

What's cooking: Chicken Enchiladas from the freezer:)

Minnesota weather: High 76F or 24C  Low was 51F or 11C.  We are in an Air Quality Alert, Fire Watch and Red Flag Warning.

Far Side

Stash and other stuff

 I decided to gather together colors for a afghan just like the other one I am working but in different colors. It didn't even make a dent in the stash.

So another has been started.  There is some chocolate brown down in the left hand corner. 

We gathered together lots of "stuff" from outside and recycled.   The old leaking birdbaths are gone and have been replaced by new ones...a Mother's Day gift.  Old glass flowers were taken down they have seen better years.  A select few will go back up. 

I have a bowling ball yard ornament that is being glued and glittered so it will sparkle in the sun again. 

It was a warm day...Far Guy brought out the shade umbrella for the patio table. 

I did some Find A Grave stuff that I promised I would do...people in a Cemetery that does not exist...all because who ever wrote the obituary didn't know their butt from a hole in the ground.  Another Cemetery that I have no idea where it is...and that will require some asking around. 

Hark! Back! Is a new project I am starting.  It will have blogs that appeared in a now defunct site from 2007 and 2008. You may or may not be interested when they show up on this blog...hopefully my Grands will enjoy them.  

Minnesota weather: Warm.  High 73F (but our thermometer hovered at 80F) or 23C  Low was 50F or 10C. We are in a Red Flag Warning and a Fire Weather Watch....wind and low humidity.

What's cooking?  Phillys on pretzel buns and cheesy potatoes.

Far Side

Gone to the dogs:)

 I ran over to let Baxter and Smudge out...their masters were stuck in town longer than they thought.

It was a windy cool day...

"Treat Lady lets go inside, I am nearly frozen and there are no balls out here!"

A good game of fetch may have been played inside!

On the way home I stopped by a Pin Cherry Bush.

Then a Chokecherry bush.

This Chokecherry even has flower buds! 

It was so windy I had a hard time with photos and I only had my phone for a camera. 

Minnesota weather:  High 60F  or 16C Low 37F or 3C.  The wind chill was in the low 40's.

Whats cooking?   Steak and salad:)

Far Side

Nice Pattern

 I really like the newest crochet pattern I am working on. 

I am making progress:) It will have many more rows around!  There are you tube videos to help you along if you get stuck.

The transition from round to square was fairly easy.   One of the later rows had a stitch that I had not done in years...I watched video after video...finally I just went to my comfy spot on the couch, relaxed and low and behold the old muscle memory did the trick....fyi it is a back post double crochet....it is alternated with the front post double crochet...I knew exactly how to do that stitch!  Yeah me.

I finally made menus for two weeks it has taken me about a month to figure out what we have on hand that is still good:)

Whats cooking?  BLT...I like my T on the side...we baked some bread so it was especially good. 

Minnesota weather:  High on Monday 64F or 18C  Low was 46 or 8C.   It is supposed to rain on Tuesday and we really need rain.

Far Side

Being

 If you all recall my word for the year was "Be." 

Being thankful for those in my life is a big part of that...my husband, my daughters, my Grands, my Greats my sister, my brothers and my sisters in law.  

Yesterday we went out for lupper with my brothers and their brides...it was a tad chilly out on the patio of our favorite Mexican place...but the food was great and the company a blessing!

I am trying to be more organized...you know small things...like too many clothes in the closet that I have not worn in a couple of years.  I found sweaters that I could not recall!  Some made it into bags and donated to the DAV boxes in town...they take only shoes and clothing. 

Then I was able to straighten out my closet a bit...Summer in one part, Winter in another...and Summer is color coordinated!  I have way too many red tops...with coral and turquoise almost joining the too many..but none have stains or holes.   I did gain a whole bunch of hangers!

Of course there is much more to be organized.  Find a Grave "stuff", family history"stuff", photos on my computer...the list of "stuff" to be accomplished goes on and on.  

Far Side

Happy Mother's Day!

 

Hope all the Mom's out there have a wonderful day! My Mom loved flowers and these were right outside her front door for many Summers.  She would drag those pots in and out until the weather got warm enough. 

Far Guy's sister Janice, Far Guy's Mom, me, Far Guy and Chance.  Chance loved Far Guy's Mom she saved cookies for him.  Photo taken in December 20, 2005 on Far Guy's Mom's last birthday when she was 91 years old.

July 1981.  Far Guy's Mom, Far Guy, me holding Bethany.  In front Jennifer and Trica. 

Summer of 1934.  My Mom is the child on the right, next to her Marion and Alfred.

My Grandmother is holding Vivian or as we called her Aunt Skip and My Grandpa.  My Mom would have been almost five years old in the photo.

Lots of Moms are not with us for Mother's Day...or sisters, aunts, uncles and grandparents.

I am thankful for those still with us!

Far Side

Baxter and Smudge

 Baxter and Smudge are back from their Winter in Oregon!  Yes they remembered me. 

I got to give them treats and play ball with Smudge while petting Baxter.

After they took a potty break I took them in for a drink of water. 

Smudge wanted to play ball for a long long time. 

Throw the ball already!  She is a good ball player and drops it very near .

I think I tired her out. 

It was a fun break in my morning. 

Far Guy and I met a fellow in Osage as I sold some more "stuff".

Back at home I gave the bathroom a really good cleaning.   I can scrub the floor again on my hands and knees or sliding along on my butt!  

What's cooking? Toward evening we made pork chops, fried potatoes and corn for supper.

Minnesota weather: High 63F or 17C  Low was 37F or 3C and we had a red flag warning all day...windy and low humidity makes for dangerous fire conditions. 

Far Side

Book Club 2026: May

 The read for May was There's Something about Mira by Sonali Dev

I give it a 4 on my scale of 1 to 10.  The plot was easy to figure out...I wrote the ending in my head half way through the book.  Not impressed.  Most everyone at bookclub was not impressed.

Thursday is Infusion Day so I ran errands to Wally World, Aldi, another grocery store, the Meat Market and the bank all within an hour.   Yeah me! 

Late in the afternoon we went to the visitation for a 94 year old neighbor who died.  Maurice was a very kind man, we served on the Fire Department with him and when we were building our home he did all the cement work for us.  He was a perfectionist when it came to cement!  94 years is an accomplishment!

Minnesota weather: High 55F or 13C  Low was 33F or 1C.   The wind was chilly. 

What's cooking?  Ham, turkey and cheese on a pretzel bun with peaches and raspberries:)

Far SIde

Tilly on Main Street

 We ran all kind of errands in town...Post Office, recycling etc...then we picked up Tilly and went to lupper.

He has his blinker on here as he was leaving the parking spot.

Not many tourists here yet so we could park in the center of Main Street.  Yes Park Rapids is one of the few towns where you can park in the center of the street or diagonal.  The Main Street is extra wide because when they laid out the town they wanted enough room for horses pulling a sled of lumber to turn around in the street. 

A number of buildings on Main Street are empty.  There is no longer a dime store or a fabric/quilting/yarn store.

Gasoline was $4.04 in town. (Tilly uses lots of gas)

Anyways.  Tilly endured a few snowflakes in the air....I think Far Guy was about ready to catch them all. Tilly is home and safely in her garage.  Goodness knows what he would have done if it started to rain!!

Minnesota Weather:  High 42F or 6C  Low was 27F or -3C. Cloudy all day. 

Far Side