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

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

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

Train

 This is one of the puzzles that we picked up at the puzzle exchange at the library.

Proof that we finished it!

It was a difficult puzzle.  

Sunday we met my other baby brother and she who sees robins first for lunch and a quick visit as they had been in North Dakota for Thanksgiving visiting Katie, Hunter, Gavin, Jordan and Aubrey.  Gavin and Jordan have moved into their own apartment.  Both have good jobs and are striking out on their own. 

We had leftovers for supper and cleared out a bit of "whats in the fridge".

Minnesota weather; High was 20F or -7C Low was 3F or -16C eh! 

Only 7 medical appointments this week practically a vacation...and two days this week we have nothing scheduled!

Far Side

Visitors and a nap

 I am a tad tired after the busy week.  I spent most of Friday resting and doing quiet things.  I tended to a few things on my list of things to do and had a nap. 

Niece Katie, Hunter and Aubrey visited us they are here from Western North Dakota.  Aubrey is a Senior this year and has been accepted into the Nursing Program at Minot State University!  She will be an awesome nurse!! ( Aubrey is my other baby brothers Grand)

Far Side

Last Days of Summer

The last days of Summer are upon us.   School is starting in most states, some North Dakota schools started this week.  Minnesota public schools do not start until after Labor Day.  

 This little girl with her sparkly shoes on the wrong feet started her Senior Year...hard to believe that she is old enough to be a Senior in High School.  The photo was taken a long time ago. 

Minnesota Weather: High 83F or 29C Low was 64F or 18C eh.  AND it was very humid. 

Supper was pizza, I declared it a day off of cooking after I picked up groceries in town. 

The lawn is turning brownish in full sun areas...August is upon us. 

Far Side

Quiet Day

 I had a quiet day...I did some laundry and put a roast in the crockpot.  Salad and roast pork was what was for supper.  It was a warm day the high was 86F or 30C eh!   I read, watched/ napped through a couple of movies and played a game with Aubrey and Katie.  

Aubrey is here for a few more days with her Mom and Dad last week she had surgery in the Cities, she had two bone grafts in her mouth.  She is a trooper...still looking at 2 or 3 surgeries after the grafts.  Aubrey is our great niece and she was born with a bilateral cleft palate and has endured many surgeries. 

Far Guy went to a nearby car show he gathered with his Car Club group.  He said it was a miserable day...no AC in the old gal Tilly.  I comforted myself thinking that at least I had a car with AC should he break down and need a ride. 

Far Side

Mud Holes

 Sometimes you cannot avoid all the muds holes in life.

Great Niece Aubrey has to have another bone graft surgery, this will be her 10th or 11th surgery.  Of course we want her to have the best possible outcome when they do her big surgery next year.

Great Niece Ava broke her leg while playing softball...surgery will be Friday.

My Uncle Al has just weeks to live according to his Hospice nurses.    I will visit him one day soon. 

Yup mud holes. 

Far Side

Update Ava's surgery was a success. Her leg should heal:)

Date Night

 We drove Tilly to town and went out for supper.   It has been a long time since we visited the local Steakhouse.  The steak was great but it sure went up in price...doubled in price from before the pandemic. 

Then we cruised Main and stopped at the Fairgrounds for a photo. 

Our Great Nephews Jordan and Gavin and Great Niece Aubrey are here on vacation so they went for a ride too...and both boys got a chance to drive. 

They all liked the old car.  They are great kids, they used to live right next door now they live in Western North Dakota.  The boys are going into their Senior year and Aubrey into her Freshman year of High School.

12.7 miles per gallon and she uses Premium...it was $5.19 a gallon.

Far Side

Ready set

SNOW??

Yes it snowed...most of the day yesterday it melted...but toward evening it began to stay on the grass.

 My flowers held in there

Impatiens and a Yellow Viola

Ready set BAKE

Aubrey and Katie helped bake cookies....Swedish Browns and Lemon Cookies

This is the remnant of about 15 dozen cookies.  I mixed up the Swedish Browns (sometimes I call them Sweet Molly Browns) before they got here and when they arrived we began and in two hours the cookies were baked and cooling and the kitchen all cleaned up!   It is great to have baking help!!  Aubrey is a great helper as is my niece Katie!!!!! 

Ready set Bake again!  I am all set for the Cake Bake today!

Gathering what you need is half the battle.  4 cakes are from scratch and 3 are helped with the assistance of a cake mix and lemon pudding.  I hope they all turn out okay.

Far Side

Aubrey Holding Back The Storm

The first winter storm of the season is named Aubrey. 

Well here is our Aubrey holding back the storm named after her!  She says she forecasts no snow for us only rain!

Aubrey is feeling much better after her surgery she informed me yesterday that she lost a stitch and a couple of scabs.  Her Mom says she has a whole bunch of stitches in her mouth.

She is smiling! 

Far Side

Rain all day

Yesterday it rained all day.  We have enough moisture any time now, the ditches are full of water as are the farmers fields.  We need some sunshine!

I made some decisions about the 90th Birthday Party for my Mom next weekend...made a list of supplies and decided for sure what kind of cakes I will bake.  I am making Bundt Cakes;  Lemon, Lemon Poppy seed, Chocolate Pound Cake, Pumpkin Cake and Apple Cake are on my list.  Jen is making a Carrot Cake, my sister in law will make Chocolate Cakes and my sister is making the gluten free cakes.  A pretty decorated cake has been ordered.   I am expecting that 200 plus people will attend the Open House.  Bundt cakes serve about 15 people more if you make thin slices!

Cookies will be baked on Friday and cakes on Saturday.  Katie and Aubrey will help.

I visited Aubrey yesterday...she is a little pale but doing well.  She gets medications every three hours.  She can only open her mouth so far and it hurts to smile and it really hurts if you get the giggles....and you all know how hard it is to suppress giggles sometimes!

I worked on some more crochet squares for the CAL.  The latest pattern was a bit more difficult but I finally conquered it.

The Red Salvia is a bright spot in the yard.
Far Side

Thursday Thoughts

Thank you for all your prayers!  Aubrey's surgery went well and she is in recovery mode now and should return to her Grandparents next door to us sometime today or tomorrow.   She is one tough little girl!

Far Guy finally got the medication that will fight the fungus in his lungs.  The antibodies showed up in his blood so the Fungus Test was spot on.  It was frustrating waiting for the medication to arrive..it spent five days in Illinois at some Post Office...go figure.   We are waiting for an appointment with the Infectious Disease Specialist.

My brother and sister in law from Oregon have arrived safely.  They saw snow at The Continental Divide...they brought us a pizza from Duane's Pizza in Moorhead MN. 

My Mom is finally recovering from her bout of pneumonia.  My Dad had a bad cough but he says he is all better now. 

While I was away at retreat and shopping I saw a bingo player that always sits at the table next to us.  I asked her if my Dad was at Bingo she reported "Yes he was there but with a strange woman who we had never seen before."  (My sister)

We enjoyed a quiet lunch yesterday with one of Far Guy's old classmates.  It was good to see Jack again...he was full of it in High School and is a delight to visit with now...still full of it!   He has married again after his first wife died from ovarian cancer.  His new wife also suffered the loss of her husband so they are a good match.  They do some traveling and enjoy each others company.

I am planning my Mother's 90th Birthday party coming up later this month.

Far Side

Visitors

We had some visitors...two legged and four legged.

Hunter, Katie and Aubrey stopped by on their way to the Cities.  Aubrey is having her 8th surgery today.   She was upbeat and smiling, we pray for a successful surgery...it involves a graft to the roof of her mouth...sounds painful to me...my heart goes out to her.

A photo of Aubrey that I took last summer. 

Since we saw her last she has had four teeth removed and has gotten braces in preparation for this surgery.  After surgery she and her Mom will be next door until her recheck.  She will be on a liquid diet for awhile.

The deer are moving around and were in one of the wild gardens closest to the house.

Far Side

Visitors with hugs

Our Great Nephews (the twins) and our Great Niece have been visiting their Grandparents.  They used to live next door a long time ago...when they were little.

The worked on bikes one day taking the best parts of bikes and putting them together.  The boys are helping shingle their grandpas (my other baby brothers) house.  They stop by on their bikes and give the best hugs.  We wish they still lived next door instead of in North Dakota because we miss them.

They are all getting so tall.  Aubrey needs to get her braces back on and several teeth pulled before she has yet another bone graft surgery this Fall.  This will be her 8th surgery since she was born. She is a trooper.
Far Side

Wistful Wednesday: Jordan, Gavin and Aubrey

Everyone is getting so tall! 

The twins don’t look like twins anymore…and Miss Aubrey is such a sweetheart.  They came on bikes or stopped by just to say hi like when they used to live next door…but now they live far away and just come to their Grandparents a few times a year.  These kids give the best hugs…and you don’t have to ask for them either!  They stopped to visit and pet Chance and tell him he was a good old boy.  They met Far Guy along the road walking and were encouraging…even though he is an old guy. 

The Twins in November 2010 back then they wore glasses.  I snapped this photo when they were laying on the floor at their house watching tv one afternoon.

Aubrey  November of 2010

Seems like just yesterday that they were little.

Katie’s Ornaments

I got a nice note and a photo via Facebook Private Message.

Katie wrote:

Thinking of you guys today as I pack away my favorite ornaments! Hope you are doing good!  Katie

****

These are all ornaments that we have made over the years…beginning back in 1990 the Loon top left was the first ornament.  The small bear with the pink shirt is an ornament that my Mom gave her grandchildren in 1989.

Time for an updated list!

1990  a Loon

1991  Santa or Mrs Santa or an Elf.   Katie got a Mrs Santa

1992 a pair of Mittens

1993 a wooden toy soldier

1994 a shot gun shell santa

1995 a big red sleigh bell

1996 a wooden birdhouse

1997 a wood turned snowman

1998 a shell that smelled…Katie is missing this one…mine is in the garage someday I will get the box of sea shells down and make her another one.  After 19 years they shouldn’t smell any more!

1999 clothespin angels

2000 santa face on a bent spoon

2001 a black walnut tree with buttons

2002 a black walnut gingerbread boy with buttons

2003 a decoupage photo..everyone was different ( Katie’s was a photo of them on one side and a photo of the day their trailer moved in next door on the other side.

2004 a wooden flag

2005 a little light bulb santa

2006 a hand carved candy cane

2007 a beaded angel

2008 a snowflake design burned into a piece of basswood

2009 a loon wood burned and painted

2010 a cottonwood bark hand carved church

2011 a basswood spool with a hand carved santa face

2012 a christmas tree handcarved

2013 a Milkweed Pod Santa

2014 Showy Lady Slipper handcarved

2015 Loon handcarved

2016 Yellow Lady Slipper handcarved

I have two ideas in mind for next years ornaments they are both carved.  One I have carved previously…one is just an idea.

It was fun to see all the ornaments together.  Katie is my niece who used to live next door but has moved far far away to North Dakota…and she took the twins and Aubrey with her!   I miss her and her children.  Her husband works in the Oil Patch.

Katie and Aubrey  July of 2016

Gavin, Aubrey and Jordan

Wistful Wednesday: A Smile

Our Great Niece Aubrey was born in May of 2008 with a bilateral cleft lip and palate.

Today Aubrey will undergo her 7th surgery and in a few months her 8th surgery.  That is a surgery a year for her eight years.

I took some photos of her the other day.  She knows that this surgery is a graft surgery and they will take some bone from her hip.   She has been going to the Orthodontist to make this procedure go as smoothly as possible.

I know we won’t see a smile this big for a few weeks.  When she comes home she will be on a liquid diet for many weeks.

Aubrey and her beautiful Mom July 2016

October 2008

Aubrey and her family used to live right next door.  They have since moved to North Dakota.  We miss having them as neighbors.

Aubrey is one of the bravest, spunkiest little girls I know.  If you are so inclined to send up a prayer for her well being I would appreciate it.

Update: The surgery went well, thank you for your prayers! 

Chance: Visitors

My turn!  Yippee! 

I had some visitors!  Kids my favorite kind of people in the whole world!

Jordan, Aubrey and Gavin with ME!

Jordan and Gavin are twins and they used to lived next door.  I tried to steal Jordan once when he was about three years old, I encouraged him to follow me home…and he did BUT I didn’t get to keep him for long.  Jordan tapped on the window and that got Far Guys attention and he made me take Jordan back home…in fact he followed both of us back to the scene of the crime.

The twins and their sister live far aways now and have two dogs of their own.

 

Far Side had a photo shoot with them and I got to supervise…in this photo I am off in the woods and have every ones attention! 

After the photos they got out my tennis ball launcher and took turns launching balls just for me.

One of the twins asked “How old is Chance?”  Far Side replied “Almost eleven.”  The twins said at the same time  “Same as us!”

Roses and Models

The evenings are getting chilly.  You might need a light hooded something to wear outside.  Better a light hooded something than a parka…that time is coming soon enough.

The climbing roses rose to new heights this year.

This huge arching branch grew way above the wagon wheel and then bent down with the weight of it’s blooms.  That is one of my favorite whirly gigs..a loon and a baby.

The neighborhood has been hauling wood in the evenings.  Wood from our woodshed down to my brother’s woodshed.  The neighbor kids are making short work of it all.  Chance will run along for one load and then he is content to stay with me and rest..and be a model.

Here he is showing off all the wild rose hips.

I had one other model.  She said “Wanna take my picture tonight?”   I said “Yes as long as you pose for me with your hand on your chin.”

One picture was all I got and she was off and running to catch a ride to the woodpile:)