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

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

Grandboys

 We  will miss seeing the Grandboys.  They came over for supper last night to say goodbye...their Mom made a great supper; chicken, spaetzle, salad, stuffed mushrooms and popovers.  The boys both enjoyed the home cooked meal! 

Noah

They both made a trip upstairs to see their parents new closet...that used to be Adam's computer room. 

Adam

I caught them on the way down for a photo! 

Far Side 

Cooks

 There are five cooks sometimes six cooks in this house.  Noah is here off and on and is getting his own place in a few days.  Adam is mostly at work...although he does make lots of dishes to wash. That leaves four cooks...one who hates to cook and likes to eat cereal ... that leaves three cooks.  Me, Andy and Far Guy. 

Andy cooked last night... Prime Rib, potatoes and carrots.  What a treat to have someone else cook!

Far Guy says he wants to try something called Sticky Chicken this week.   

I just say ...go for it! 

Far Side

Funeral today

 It is Bob’s funeral today.

A very sad day for our son in law Andy, daughter Jen and Grandsons Noah and Adam.

Far Side

A Good Gig

 Who knows the Cornet/Trumpet player?  That one that plays Taps for Soldiers at Funerals? 

I asked the brass player one day.  Why do you play?  

"It was a good gig for a young man.  You show up and play and you get enough money to take a gal to the movies." 

He played in the rain for a special gals Father when he died...

The notes fell loud and true when he played Taps for his Father...

It was a Good Gig as he played Taps at hundreds of Cemeteries over the years.   If he wasn't presiding over a service at the cemetery he was playing Taps.  Bob was a Minister.

Monday night the Cornet/Trumpet was silenced, perhaps the Angels took over...can you imagine a host of Angels playing for you?   Seems fitting for someone like Bob. 

Bob died at home on April 25 late in the evening.  He leaves behind his loving wife of 50 plus years and six children...one of whom is our son in law Andy. Bob had Myelofibrosis which progressed to Leukemia.

We are sad for our son in law Andy, our daughter Jen, our Grandsons and all who loved Bob.  

Far Side

19

 Remember when you were 19?  Baby Adam is 19 years old today.  I suppose I should stop calling him baby Adam...he is the youngest of our grandchildren hence always the baby. 

He cooks...

 

plays guitar...

and harmonica.

He is a busy young man.  He is taking all kinds of computer classes at Northland Community and Technical College and even takes a Speech class where guess who is the teacher? (Same person that gave birth to him 19 years ago on a Labor Day.)   He works part time at a eating establishment where he is a prep cook....and he likes to spend time with his girl friend too! 

Happy Birthday all grown up baby Adam!  Your Grandmother loves you! 

Far Side

Adam and his gal

Our youngest Grandson Adam stopped by with his girlfriend Molly.  We  met Molly before via Facetime but it was nice to meet her in person.  We sat out on the patio and visited ...social distancing of course. 

Adam is having a busy summer working as a Prep Cook.

His report:  he likes the new house just fine, his room is spacious but warm...a new Air Conditioning System is being installed soon.  He and his parents moved June 12 and have totally gutted the kitchen, replumbed, rewired and relocated everything in the kitchen.

 Miney and Elvis are doing okay with the move....Miney can even go upstairs by herself....not down...Miney turned 15 years old last week.

He has taken up woodcarving as a hobby and is carving something for Molly.

We had a good visit.  Sure was nice of them to stop by!
Far Side

Noah : 21

Ah ...Noah our oldest grandson turns 21 today!  Such a magic number...we all remember when we were 21.

Photo taken one week shy of his 21st birthday.

It seems like we turned around once and blinked and he grew up just like that!

Noah's Mama took this photo 20 years ago in April of 2000. 

Happy Birthday Noah!  You are so special and loved always!

He is our first grandchild to complete College with a four year degree.  I asked him if he planned to continue his education...he said with a smile "Not right now."

Far Side/Grandma

Noah: College Graduation

Noah graduated yesterday from the University of North Dakota with a degree in Chemistry with an emphasis on Bio Chemistry.

They had a  Live Stream of Graduation with some speeches and no students present.

These photos appeared on Facebook.

Of course I took a few myself on Friday the day before his official grad day.

Way to go Noah!  We are very proud of you!!

The cake says it all "This shit just got real!"

Noah is seeking employment with his degree in the meantime he has his job at Noodles. 

So it was a busy couple of days at Andy and Jen's home with both boys graduating.

Far Side

Adam: High School Graduation

Adam is the last of our grandchildren to graduate from high school.  His Senior photo has been on the line up behind the sofa since Christmas.  This Grandma needed time to adjust to the thought that he would graduate!

I made a sign and we headed off to Drive Through Graduation.  We knew we could stay far enough away from people to be able to go to our daughters backyard for a bit and then go onto graduation.

His parents held a private Graduation Ceremony for him and his brother Noah (more about him tomorrow.) There were speeches and everything and a slide show inside.  They brought the slide show outside so we could watch the past 18 years and 8 months fly by in just a few minutes.

Then it was time to get back in the vehicle and go to Graduation!

Signs pointed the way to Graduate Drive By.

The kids were lined up outside of the school.  There are about 24 kids in Adam's Graduating Class.
The evening air was filled with shouts and laughter, some music, car horns and one irritating sheep bell.

Congratulations Adam, you did it!  We are proud of you! 

There was no time to stop, the cars kept moving.  I took a quick photo! 

This itty bitty little town did a wonderful job recognizing the Class of 2020.

Art work on Adam's parents car

Adam was just 8 days old on September 11, 2001.  It was a scary time then.  Now when he graduates from High School we are in the middle of a Pandemic....and times are scary again.   He will have lots of stories to tell his grandchildren someday.

Far Side

Merry Christmas Eve!

We enjoyed having our Grands here to celebrate Christmas.

You might have noticed that we have a new Grand...his name is Jonas and he is from Belgium, he is spending the year here with Andy, Jen and Adam...he is a delight.  He told me that in Belgium you spend Christmas with your Grandparents...it is a bit different for him since his Grandfather died.

He is very tall and thin and speaks French but his English has improved since he got here.   He is a tad camera shy...but was a good sport!  We taught him how to play spoons!  A fairly wild game  was played!

Noah and Adam

Maddie and Savannah

Miss Paige was in Florida enjoying sunshine and deep sea fishing, we missed her.  

These children light up our lives. 

Far Side

Adam: Vex

Yesterday we traveled up North to see Adam in a Vex Robotic's Tournament.

Each year Vex comes up with a new challenge.

This is a Vex field all set up and ready to go.

Handsome Grandson Adam in the sunglasses

Adam's team on the end.  Each team form an alliance with another team and they work toward team points.  They compete against two other teams also in an alliance..

Robots are on the field in this photo.  They gain points for Autonomus Mode and Driver Control Mode.  Scoring happens when cubes are stacked in the corners or are placed in the cups.

The kids on each team meet before school to build, program and drive their robot.  They have to keep notebooks that detail their work on the robot and on Tournament day judges look over their notebooks and interview the team.

This will be Adam's last year in High School Robotics.   His team did great.  We watched two matches and they won both of them. 
Far Side

Adam: 18

Our youngest grand Adam is 18 years old today.  It is also the first day of his Senior year of High School.

He has been working at an eating establishment all summer, he likes making fancy desserts and taking photographs of them.  He purchased a number of chef's knives over the summer because "everyone at work has their own knives."  He is learning about food prep!

He is our tallest grandchild.

July 27 2019

He is a young man of few words but he has a good sense of humor.

We enjoyed our time with him earlier this year in Hawaii.

January 2019 Big Island of Hawaii

Happy Birthday Adam!  I cannot believe how fast 18 years went by. It seems like only yesterday you were born and I watched you take your first breath and cry!  I am always proud to be your Grandma!
Have a wonderful Senior year, be careful and have fun!  Love you lots and lots!

Grandma/ Far Side

Wistful Wednesday: 2009

In 2009 Noah was ten years old.  Now here we are in 2019 and he is twenty...just like that in the blink of an eye ten years have passed.

He was unsure of those rollerblades back then.

But like everything else he tries...he was soon sailing along not looking back.

He is now a Senior in College and next year at this time he should graduate.

One more aging grand in our family...he joins Savannah, Maddie and Paige as young adults....leaving Adam as our only teenage grand.

Happy 20th Birthday Dude!  We are very proud of you and love you very much!


Far Side/Grandma

Prom: Adam

Adam had many girls ask him to prom...one gal even asked him twice.  We were shocked when he finally said yes.

Adam  headed to his Junior Prom.     Photo by Jen

Adam and his date  Photo by Jen 

Since it is a very small school the kids all go through the Grand March twice.  One of the gals from Fisher  took a video of the Grand March.  It was almost as good as being there! 

I was sad that I didn't feel up to going...but Jen took some good photos which I shamelessly stole from Facebook. 

Far Side

Robotics: Adam

I traveled up north to watch Adam in a Robotic’s Tournament.  I also volunteered to do something to help Andy ( this was a tournament he was in charge of )…so I was at the Information Table;  I checked teams in and answered questions.

Jen and I got up at o dark thirty to be in Thief River Falls before 7 AM.  Jen was a volunteer as was Noah.

Here you can see the robotics field all set up…the referees are getting instructions from Andy.

Adam cutting an axle

The Judges are interviewing the team.  Adam is replacing that axle.

Part of their team during a match.  There are a number of matches throughout the day.  They have a different alliance = a team they work with for every match.  So 4 teams compete for points…and 2 of those teams are on the same side.

Sportsmanship was evident as the teams shook hands after the matches. Teamwork and cooperation…and a bit of rilvary made it a fun event.

Here is Adam with his no shave November beard.  He told me he would be shaving it off and getting a haircut soon…so it was a good thing I got a photo. 

I had fun and I am glad I went.  Adam’s team ended up third in the competition.

Wistful Wednesday: 2001

17 years ago my Grandsons were little.

I was looking through some old scanned negatives and this one made me smile.

Adam, Noah and their very young looking father…at the house in Mapleton in 2001. I do not recall taking this photo…but how else would I get the negative.