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.

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

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

Three appointments

 Three appointments down..three to go..and Friday is a day off!  

Far Guy saw his Oncologist.  A different maintenance medication will be tried, as the present one has a number of bad side effects...think thrown into the deep end of menopause.  The cancer is all gone however  the Doctor would recommend three weeks of radiation treatments.  Due to Far Guy's fragile lungs and his heart function a specialist in Radiology must evaluate him. 

We met with Great Grandson Hey Mikey's third grade teacher.  A donation was made to that classroom in memory of Far Guy's sister Jan who taught third grade most of her teaching career.  The donation will go for books, a field trip and water safety! 

Jen removed the stitches from my forehead with only a little trouble because they were very tiny stitches...she consulted a You Tube Video at one point while I waited under her lit magnifying glass. 

Sadie came home from Daycare to greet us and Andy made burgers on the grill...delicious!

The next morning Far Guy had all of his staples and stitches removed from his chest.  He talked at length with his surgeon.   Far Guy is his career #3 man with breast cancer.  Regarding radiation the Surgeon said he would  trust the opinion of the Radiology specialist and that risk vs reward is a tough call. 

After that appointment we headed home.

I drove most of the way...Far Guy drove the last 60 miles so I could rest a bit. 

Cloudy skies in our area.  We had afternoon naps...in my case more of a sleep and for supper we warmed up some of the fabulous Pizza we made on Monday.  Leftovers can be a blessing. 

Minnesota weather: High of 56F or 13C  Low was 50F or  10C eh! 

Far Side

Sad News

 Yesterday Far Guy's sister died.  He spoke with her shortly before she died.   She died from Metastatic Breast Cancer that spread to her brain and throughout her Nervous System.  

They were very close siblings, each leaning on the other throughout their lives.  Jan was well loved and will be missed very much.   

One of her favorite Hymns, she sang it to her Father on his last day.  Her husband played it for her yesterday.

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling—

  Calling for you and for me;

Patiently Jesus is waiting and watching—

  Watching for you and for me!

Come home! come home!

  Ye who are weary, come home!

Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,

    Calling, O sinner, come home!

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading—

  Pleading for you and for me?

Why should we linger and heed not His mercies—

  Mercies for you and for me?

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing—

  Passing from you and from me;

Shadows are gathering, death-beds are coming—

  Coming for you and for me!

Oh, for the wonderful love He has promised—

  Promised for you and for me!

Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon—

  Pardon for you and for me!

Far Side

Start of another week

 We have a few things on the list this week.   Snow.  Putting the bed upstairs together, searching for a couple of "lost items"...you know the kind you put  "away" so well you cannot locate them.  Taking naps are high on the list this snowy week. 

I made the menus for the next two weeks...when we lived with the kids they do suppers day by day...Jen is a moody eater she never knows what she wants to eat days ahead of time.  Heck I could do menus for a month...but two weeks at a time works well for us...of course it is not written in stone we can change ideas if we want to. 

Those worthless steri strips lasted about 48 hours on my hand...So I put some more on. 

My parents are moving into Assisted Living this week if all goes well and my Dad is released from the Nursing Home. 

Far Guy's sister is confined to bed now, she says her legs weigh a ton and she cannot move them anymore.   Far Guy calls her every evening. So sad to see her go downhill little by little.

Shell River

Far Side

On my desk

 Since I am working on smaller mosaic squares sometimes I crochet at my desk. 

Working on Patchwork square #16, I have been watching Ordinary Joe or the Amazing Race and recently on Netflix Inventing Anna which is based on a true story.

Sometimes I am interrupted.

Sadie knows how to get my attention! 

Far Guy spoke for a few moments with his sister she said "I will be okay and I love you."

Far Side

Snowy day

 We had a quiet snowy day here in the woods.  I did a couple of loads of laundry and cleaned the jets in the whirlpool tub…dishwasher soap and really hot water and let the jets run for about twenty minutes followed by a cold water rinse. 

Both of my brothers and their wives visited and Baxter who was a bit shy to begin with…but he warmed up after a few treats.  So good to see them all again.

We were not supposed to be in the blizzard here but it snowed and blowed.

My other baby brothers wife “she who sees robins first” shared some photos of the road out of here.  No one is going anyplace until the snowplow goes.

It is wicked out there.

Looking toward Steve and Jo’s house.  Over the years we have seen this road being a sea of snow many times.  It was one of the reasons we moved our mail box. 

Far Guy spoke to his sister and her family via FaceTime. His sister is only awake for very short times and then she drifts off to sleep. 

We hope the roads are cleared in the morning, we will see. Another storm is coming in early next week. 

Far Side

More about May

May was  a month!

Hey Mikey had a birthday!  He is three now!  The terrible twos are behind him now.

He has his Mamas eyes!  Maddie reports he is working on his colors and numbers...he keeps saying he is four not three...

Jonas the Foreign Exchange Student from Belgium headed home.  I took one last photo of him in his new boots.  I said "You will have to wear them on the plane because they take up lots of room in the suitcase."  He has been living with Jen, Andy and Adam the past nine months.

Jonas

Far Guys big sister had one of those milestone birthdays. 

This photo was taken 69 years ago when she was 6 years old...you can do the math.  She is still doing chemo treatments for breast cancer.  The first chemo treatments were real hard on her, the last treatments seem a bit easier on her....not that they are easy just less hard. She has about a month of treatments left and then they will figure out what they are going to do next.

I had the second Shingrix shot on Friday. Cross something off my healthcare list!
I am not as ill as I was with the first one. I have swelling about the size of a softball.   However I did clear my busy schedule for some down time over the weekend.  So far four hour naps are the normal.  I am a good napper.
The shot Nurse was awesome.  I explained Far Guys situation that he is high risk.  So they scheduled me as the first patient in the morning.   I touched nothing except my shoes to the floor...I was taken in almost immediately and ushered out the back door to avoid the waiting room where there was one person.  My regular Doctor works a few days a week out of a very small satellite clinic so  I usually go there to see her...it is a farther drive...but doable. 

Far Side

Wistful Wednesday: Far Guy’s Sister

Far Guy has one living sibling his older sister, he had twin siblings a brother and a sister who lived only a short time after their birth.  So technically he was born fourth….the baby of the family.  His parents were both 35 years old when he was born.

 

Far Guy and his sister…this photo was taken in 1982…so that was 36 years ago.  She had just nudged him with her shoulder.  I took this photo  at their parents home in Park Rapids Minnesota.  They are sitting on their father’s favorite red couch.  The couch was long enough that someone six feet tall could sleep there.  Black velvet pillows were on each end.  That wall paper was pretty wild…the red design was flocked. In the wintertime both of our grirls could easily sleep on the couch…their grandmother would make the couch up with a sheet and blankets with one little girl on each end.

Far Guy talks to his sister via Facetime a couple of times a week.  She lives in Indiana and is a retired third grade teacher. 

 

Wistful Wednesday: Christmas 1969

Christmas Day in 1969.  Far Guy and I had been married five days.  We spent Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day with Far Guy’s family.

This is an old Polaroid photo taken by Far Guy’s Dad…he liked to take photographs.

In this photo we have Far Guy’s Mom, Far Guy’s sister Janice with Muggy, Far Guy and me.  Looks like we had a bunch of snow that year…as I recall it was a very cold that Christmas.  Note the flocked Christmas tree, Far Guy’s Mom wanted a white tree that year…something puzzling about this photo…the drapes to the East  (behind the couch) were hardly ever open. The photographer must have need more light.

When we visited the old house last summer I took a photo from just about the same spot.  I wonder where they will put the tree?  It was always in its place in front of that window for years and years.

Wistful Wednesday: Christmas in the late 1950’s.

These are photos that Far Guy’s Mom put in a photo album for him.

They are not marked with a year…I would guess it is 1958 or 1959.

The chair on the left was torquoise and the rocker on the right was beige I think.  The tree is in its proper place in front of the window.  Far Guy has something in his hands …might be a Christmas Program…perhaps he had a speaking part and was cramming at the last minute.

Here he is joined by Muggy and his sister…who looks very thin…I wonder what color her dress was…I will guess blue.  She would have been 14 or 15 in this photo.

Far Guy says he thinks his sweater was light blue…but he wouldn’t swear on it.  Yes the photo was taken after church.

See the Shiny Brites on the tree? 

These are both Polaroid Photos taken by Far Guy’s Dad.  Muggy does not look thrilled.

Wistful Wednesday: Far Guy’s Family

This is a photo from Cousins Bonnie and Wayne.

Grand Forks North Dakota about 1958.  The car we think is a 1957 Plymouth Fury Stationwagon. The photo is taken in the driveway of Jim and Esther’s home (Marvin’s brother and his wife).

Evelyn has her cosmetics case ( I think either Trica or Jennifer has it now) her purse and something else in her hands?  Marvin is wearing one of his favorite flannel shirts under a wool coat, Janice has been shopping, she said “We often went shopping when we went to Grand Forks.” Far Guy is holding Muggy.

Far Guy said “I forgot  all about that car, my Dad didn’t have that one very long.  We might have been in Grand Forks for Easter that year.”

Far Guy’s parents were born in 1914, they have both been gone for some time now.  His Dad in 1994 at the age of 80 and his mother in 2006 at the age of 91.  His sister is alive and well and lives in Indiana and she still likes to shop!

 

Midway Memories: Ron

The Carnival was the perfect place for college age kids to work.  Ron who was not yet my Brother In Law came out as a High School student and returned summer after summer until he graduated from college.  His home town was a small town in Iowa.

Ron was second man on the wheel with Dale and then Hubert before he went to the Loop or Loop O Plane.  Far Guy says he helped him buck tubs sometimes when he was bored.

 

The Loop just went around and around…upside down and right side up.  There was room for eight to ride at one time (four per tub).  Not a great capacity ride but in it’s day it was a popular ride.  It was also a ride where you had to keep a bucket of water handy…because sooner or later some one was going to puke.

“Shakes”  ever heard of them?  That is what is left by the public in a ride…a camera, loose change etc… if the ride shook them loose and they were left behind then the ride boy would usually keep them. Strangest shake he ever got was someones false teeth.

Well during those summer days in the 1960’s he courted Far Guy’s sister and they were married in 1968.  The first time I met Ron was the day before he married Jan.  He made a whole bunch of home made beer…Far Guy had one bottle.  There is something in the homemade fermentation process that Far Guy is allergic to….he got sicker than a dog.  He was supposed to pick up the wedding cake and the green bread in Detroit Lakes and get it to the church.  His Mother called me, he got as far as my home place and I drove the rest of the way and the cake and the green bread was delivered on time. ( Green bread…back then it was quite fashionable to have special bread made, it was sliced lengthways and it was spread with ham salad or turkey salad or what ever combinations of cheese spread and meat you wanted, sliced  and cut into small sections with a tooth pick holding the layers together…. very festive and perfect for an afternoon wedding!)

Ron wrote a poem for his In Laws when they retired in 1977.

I found this poem in an old photo album the other day.   I wonder if Ron even remembers that he wrote it?

Midway Memories : The Camper

Far Guys Dad had a custom built camper built sometime before 1966.

It was a 1964 GMC chassis and it was custom built in Park Rapids Minnesota. 

That is Far Guy’s sister in the photo.  The camper pulled the big joint and the car a black 1963 Imperial pulled the small joint.

The camper was cozy and could sleep six people.  It had a shower/toilet…after you showered you had to wipe down the walls.  The sink was just outside the bathroom.  The kitchen also had a sink, stove and a refrigerator that ran on electricity or propane.  In the spot above the cab was a full size mattress with extra room at the foot of the bed, that spot filled with pillows made a great spot for two little girls to sleep on in later years on family vacations. 

Far Guy’s Dad standing in the doorway, the photo was taken from the edge of the loft.

Far Guy’s Mom her hair in rollers and in her nightgown sitting at the table that folded down into a bed.  I think Far Guy’s sister is hiding in the bathroom area.  Note two lights, the round one with the chain was battery operated. The radio on the table was on most all the time.  There was a small television…when there was good reception with rabitt ears Far Guy’s Mom would go inside everyday at 2PM to watch General Hospital.

Both of the color photos are from Bonnie and Wayne. Most likely Uncle Jim took these photos.

The very best thing about the camper, it had air conditioning and on hot summer nights we really appreciated the cool air!

Midway Memories :1956-1960’s

I think he got his love of trains from the early carnival days.

1957  Far Guy standing on a junction box.  Note the name on the side of the train is Ogden. That is more than likely a ride boy talking to a gal in the ticket box.

Far Guy’s sister Janice washing windows in 1956.

Far Guy writes:

Set up day!  In the above photo my sister is washing the glass on the diggers. The glass was always washed with windex and old newspaper on set up day then they didn’t get washed again unless they were really dirty or some kid smeared his cotton candy all over it.  The prizes inside the digger laid on corn kernels.  The prizes and corn had all been removed prior to moving to the next spot so on set up day we put all the corn back in, cleaned the prizes and wiped down all the wood cabinets with Old English Red Oil.  The reason for the corn was simple it was a filler.  Remember these machines were first filled with candy.  The corn just brought the prizes up to the level where the shovel could close on them.  Some operators used rocks, but Dad liked corn he said it was lighter and easier on the tires.  A few years after this photo Dad developed a way to cover the corn and hold it in place while moving.  He had three bolts under the corn so on the last night instead of removing the corn you had to dig down, find the bolts, place a fiberboard plate over them and tighten them down with a wing nut.  It might have been easier than removing all that corn but you still had to dodge that darn 100 watt light bulb above the cab in the machine.  I usually burned my arm four or five times in the process.  Finally in the 1960’s, I convinced Dad that foam would work just as well and would be easier on the tires.  From then on the prizes stayed in the machines while moving, we covered them with plastic tucked in under the foam.  When we got to the next spot and had our location the digger trailer was leveled and then the plastic was removed and all the prizes put into place, the windows washed and everything wiped down with red oil.

Far Side Writes:

There are two kinds of joints.  Center joints (like the diggers) that can have customers on all sides and line joints that only have customers on the front side.   When you get to a new town your location would be marked with chalk on the street or a fairgrounds had a wooden stake.  You found your location and lined up your joint properly, leveled the joint and set up for business.  The Boss ( Carnival Owner) always did the locations…everyone would wait around for him to head out with his tape measure and bucket with chalk/stakes to lay out “the lot”…sometimes it seemed to take forever…and then there were good locations and bad locations…the bad ones were called Donikers.  A Doniker is carnie slang for toilet.

The damn Red Oil.  I hated that stuff…it smelled.  It collected dust…in later years only the dice and knives were oiled the rest of the prizes were cleaned with Windex.  Fairgrounds are very dusty places…and if there are races in the grandstand dust billowed over the fences.

Light Bulb burns.  It was hard not to swear it hurt so bad when your arm touched a light bulb.  You had to put your hand in the machine all the time to replace prizes.  Far Guy’s Mom had scars all up and down her arm.

Wistful Wednesday : Christmas 1988

Oh lets go back 27 years.  Why not. December of 1988.

A polaroid taken by Far Guy’s Dad.

Back: Ronald, Bethany, Janice, Jennifer and me.

Far Guy, Trica with Baby Snuffer and Far Guy’s Mom.

Trica would have been 16 years old, Jennifer 13. Bethany would have been 7.

Far Guy only has one sister.   They had more siblings : twins, a brother and a sister that died shortly after birth of lung problems. ( In retrospect they probably had Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Defiency)

Here we are at the dinner table. White tablecloth pressed perfectly and the candles lit. The good China and the silverware was silver.  Most of the glasses are part of a set called Platinum Leaves or possibly Frosted Silver Leaves.

On the table: A beautiful lead glass dish that had three compartments dividing the pickles, green olives and black olives. Another plate with carrott sticks and celery with the valley filled with Cheese Whiz.  A fancy smancy mold that is probably cranberries and Jello. Also serving:  Homemade dinner rolls.  Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy.  The vegetable was most likely green bean cassarole.  Dessert would have been an assortment of homemade cookies and candy…possibly with some perfect pink or green Divinity.

Does anyone even made Divinity anymore? 

Wistful Wednesday : 1952

This is a photo that speaks of the old times.  Far Guy and his sister sixty three years ago…

Photo taken in 1952

Awww isn’t he cute?   Behind the cute smile lurks a very active boy who would be harnessed to the clothes line…but would learn to unhook himself and go play with neighbor kids and then go back home and hook himself back up again just like nothing happened.

They are sitting in a big old chair ( he thinks the chair was dark green) right where the television would have a permanent spot for years and years. In 1952 there was no television in the house or it was in a different spot.  You can see the doorbell chimes…not that anyone ever used the door bell.  Eventually the back door bell would stop working and no one ever used the front door.

To the right is the coat closet that was kitty corner to the front door that no one ever used.

In the hall off to the left there is a small table that sits right below the telephone.  The phone number back then was 261J.  About that same time my phone number was 12F120…country numbers must have been longer than city numbers.

Did you have one of those old phone numbers?  Do you remember what it was?

Happy Medicare Birthday!

Someone is 65 today and should have his Medicare Card but he doesn’t.  Whilst checking on our Health Insurance site yesterday we discovered he has been dropped from their enrollment…but I am still there…go figure.   The last couple of weeks Far Guy has been walking around mumbling  “This country is just moments from imploding upon itself.” I am beginning to believe him.  I swear Tuesday heads will roll…and he better not get sick and require Health Care whilst he is in this no mans land of no Medicare and no insurance.   All the automatic refills for his medications have been discontinued also.  How long do you think that will take to get straightened out???

I told him to try to relax and have a good weekend.  He is doing his best…but those Type A’s MUST worry.  What a freaking mess.   What was supposed to be all automatic sure is a pain in the butt.

Well anyways..he is older.  We may go out for supper to celebrate his birthday.

Far Guy and his big sister in November of 2014.  The smallest inset photo was taken in the summer of 1950.

Happy Birthday!

Wistful Wednesday: Christmas Eve 1985

We had a house full of company.  These are all polaroid photos taken with Marvin’s camera.

Jennifer (10) Janice (Far Guy’s sister), Trica (13), Bethany(3), Marvin and Evelyn (Far Guy’s parents they both would have been 71 that year) This is at our home in North Moorhead.  That rocking chair and footstool were handed down to us by Far Guy’s Grandmother Tracie.  It has since been upholstered and is upstairs.   I still have that 1940’s coffee table but it is in the garage awaiting a new home.  I still have the same crèche and nativity set.  The tree looks like a real one!

Now Far Guy and Ronald have joined the girls.

Poor Ronald, we gave him and Janice our waterbed to sleep in….they didn’t sleep a wink.

This was the only year that I recall that Far Guy’s family came to our home for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.

Now I finally got in the photo!  I cooked a lovely meal…got out the China and the special goblets.    Far Guy used to collect coffee cups…and I used to collect Depression Glass…you can see cups and plates on the plate rail. I served supper after Christmas Eve service at Our Redeemer in Moorhead Minnesota…one of the best church homes we ever had.

Christmas 1985 was a sad Christmas for us.  My Dad had just been diagnosed with Bladder Cancer and we were not certain if he would live or die.  He is a Cancer Survivor for 29 years now…going on 30.   Christmas Day in the afternoon we packed up and went to my parents home at the lake.

I feel very sorry for anyone going through a health crisis during the Christmas Holidays.  I recall the carolers all dressed in their finery singing up and down the hospital halls just before Christmas that year.  I wondered at the time…how can they sing such joyful songs…it all seemed so foreign to me…my emotions were raw….and I was a tad angry.  Of course Christmas is a time for hope and joy…and in retrospect I should have been more hopeful and joyful too because no matter what our Savior was born. 

Wistful Wednesday: Christmas 1975

In December of 1975 our daughters Trica (3 years 8 months old) and Jennifer (3 months old) at our home in Moorhead MN.  Thirty nine years ago.

We had a live tree…looks kinda like a Charlie Brown Tree.  I still have some of those ornaments!

We should get a photo of the baby alone.

Not such a good idea. Poor thing…cried and kicked so hard she blew a slipper….but her sister is still smiling.

Trica, Julie (my sister) and Jennifer.  Trica must be practicing her smile.

Far Guy’s sister Janice and Jennifer at Far Guy’s parents in Park Rapids Minnesota.

Far Guy and Jennifer

Far Guy’s Mom holding Jennifer.  In the background we have Baby Snuffer, my other baby brother Jody, Trica near Jody and brother in law Ron in the red pants.

Jan and Ron must have come up from Indiana for Christmas.  The tree was on the end table that year.  On the coffee table I see amongst other things a terrarium.  Far Guys Mom fussed and fretted with that terrarium…everything had to be just perfect…the layers of sand..the stuff inside…I don’t remember much of what was inside….but they were all the rage in 1975.  We still have that granny square afghan that is on the couch, it is upstairs and hangs on the quilt rack.

Far Guy’s Mom had that streak of grey/silver in her hair on purpose…the rest she colored but that front part was natural.  Not sure why..it must have been all the rage back then.