Happy Halloween!

 We had some Trick or Treaters...we knew they were coming , they were out and about as the Main Street in town had treats from 3 -5 on Saturday.   Another group that usually come are sick ...so not sure if we will get anyone today.  Candy will be sent to the sick kiddos. 

I strung a bit of clothesline rope from one tree to another and attached the treat bags with clothes pins.  It worked well last year...so we are doing a repeat! 

The Hulk, a Fear Leader and a girl!  They took treats for their sister who couldn't come and for some reason I missed a photo of their other sister.

Fear Leader in action. 

They were more excited about their Christmas Ornaments than anything else! 

Far Guy and I spent part of the afternoon getting Christmas ornaments wrapped up and ready to go.   The count is 92 and the end is in sight.  I will finish up by Monday for sure...then I need to order mailers and get them to the Post Office in the next week or two three.   Many will be hand delivered. 

My Mom wanted to cook an early Thanksgiving dinner when we could all be there.  My brothers and I went my sister did not attend.   Mom could have fed half the neighborhood she made so much food; roast pork, roast beef, roasted potatoes, parsnips and carrots, coleslaw, green beans with bacon, orange jello, raw carrots and celery, pickles, grapes, squash and tomatoes.  Then the meal was topped off with apple crisp for dessert.   It was a  good meal.

Goodbye October ...onto November. 

Far Side

Halloween Report

We had a dozen trick or treaters…we are related to all but three of them.

Supergirl, Darth Vader and a Storm Trooper

Supergirl, Doctor, Dinosaur, Logger and a Spider Girl

Skeleton, Princess, Monkey being held by a little girl

It is a tradition to sit on the steps and get your photo taken before you get treats.

The children all asked “Where is Chance?”  Or “Where is your dog?”  We explained that Chance was old and very sick and he died.  Teddy didn’t think that was good at all, but Ava and Brooke said that was sad because their dog Ivy died too.

We have left over candy... Far Guy picked out his favorite candy for the extra…Mounds and Almond Joy.

 

Old World Photos

Busy me, listening to the chatter of four girls and one little boy, all the while giving them some direction!  It was a good evening and we got some good photos. They all love Chance and everyone got a photo with him too!

I did some interesting “stuff” in Lightroom to a few of the photos.  A little different it is called Old World.

This photo makes me smile.

I took the time to take a photo of each child with their Mama because multiple children seem to always be grouped together. Each child was also photographed by themselves.

The girls ended up with flowers in their hair!  This is my niece Stacey and her children.

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.

Say Cheese

I have been taking photos lately… mostly people.

 

“Well… I already said cheese today!”

This little gal is a corker, she and I could get in lots of trouble together if only she lived closer.  She is one of my baby brother’s grandchildren. She and I share the same middle name …Joy.

12 kids

A half a dozen Grands from each of my brothers (They have more than this…one has 8 and one has 13)

They are a few months old (in the baby carrier) to age 14.

We went on an adventure to the Tamarac Wildlife Refuge.  They have a program called Wild Wednesday for children ages 3 to 7 but other ages of children are welcome.

The program was bugs and butterflies.   A volunteer read two stories about bugs and another gave a presentation on the life stages of the Monarch Butterfly, he had all the life stages in covered containers so the kids could see the progression.

Then we went on a walk and used nets to collect bugs…the kids were very impressed especially with the spiders.

After the bug walk the kids decorated butterflies and made masks.

The bigger kids had fun making masks.

Some kids just had fun putting cloths pins on their Grandfather’s hand.

It was a fun morning.

Otto

I had an Uncle named Otto, he married my Dad’s sister my Aunt Marie.  My Uncle Otto was a marvelous man, a lifelong educator, a artist and woodcarver with a wonderful sense of humor.

I have a Great Nephew who will carry on that strong name.

He has beautiful blue eyes and cheeks you just want to pinch…but I didn’t. Otto is about 13 weeks old now.  His Mother reports that he is teething but is a very easy going baby.

Otto is here with his parents and his brother and sister for a vacation at the lake.  Otto lives in New Jersy so this is the first time I have gotten to see him. Otto’s Grandfather is my baby brother…he has eight grands under the age of five and Otto is the youngest. They are all at the lake this week.

Report on the 4th

We went for a pontoon ride around the lake.  It was a beautiful afternoon with no rain!  Jen and Andy joined us.

Ava was waving flags for us as we went by.  Her sisters were showing us how they jump into the lake!

There was a pontoon parade on the lake earlier in the day.

We had a nice ride came home relaxed a bit and then had supper.  Played cards in the evening and consoled Chance, Miney and Little Elvis as the fireworks commenced down on the lake.

May 2nd Baskets

We gave out May Baskets two days in a row!  Our niece Meg was at her parents on Wednesday so we took the little ones baskets over there.

Teddy, Vivian and Harlow.  Harlow was having a bad day and even a May Basket wasn’t cheering him up.  He had fallen while running and hurt his finger and his hand…he had lotza bandaids.

Vivian is really cute…I love her hair!

Her Grandma fed her some chocolate and she had fun with the plastic grass.  She looks a lot like her Aunt Katie…I think it is the blue eyes and blonde hair. (Vivian’s mama Meg has brown eyes and brown hair)

It is always fun to see these kids.  Teddy gave Far Guy the whole story about how Harlow fell and hurt his hand.  When asked how he got a mark on his nose, we were ignored….he didn’t want to talk about it.  Turns out Harlow hit him with a plastic hammer.  Our niece Meg has her hands full!

We asked Teddy if he got any other May Baskets…nope just one.

The box I kept the baskets in is now empty.  Kinda sad…oh well there is always next year.

Wistful Wednesday: May Day Report

I have celebrated May Day since 1953….so that means that this is my 65th May Day.

This is a photo from May Day 1954 when I was 2 years and 8 months old.  My May Baskets are lined up on the snowy hood of my parents car.

The tradition as I know it:  You decorate baskets fill them with candy and you take them to neighbors and friends.  You go up to a door and hang the basket on the door knob, knock and then run, because someone will chase you and try to kiss you.  I am old, I will settle for a hug…because I am not running away.  Growing up we decorated small baskets to take to neighbor kids and elderly neighbors…it was something fun to do after a long winter.

So the tradition continues.  I made some deliveries and took some photos. My Great Nieces and Nephews

 

Olivia

Brooke

Ava

Kelly was asleep and Hailey was getting ready for a game after school.

Mason and Anna…these two live next door and are growing like weeds!!

I still have three baskets for Teddy, Harlow and Vivian hopefully I will see them soon.

I stopped by my parents.

Mom and Dad May 1 2018

I stopped by a few other places…some favorite people I don’t see often enough.

After supper we delivered a few more baskets and some dog treats for Odda and Putz.

In my opinion May Day is a fun holiday…something as simple as a cute little basket with a bit of candy makes people young and old smile! 

I hope you all had a wonderful May Day!  If you made a May Basket or got one perhaps you could share the story in a comment.

Soap Carving

Last summer the carving group taught a soap carving class for the libraries summer art and design program. ( Somehow I  am always the go to person.) Later in the summer I was asked to teach soap carving as part of the Community Education Program.  We taught the class last Tuesday at The Middle School.

I recruited three other carvers to help; Far Guy, Shiela and Dave. It was a fun time!  Several of the participants were our great nieces.

Our safe carving tools are tooth picks to mark your pattern and small wooden spoons ( the ones that come with individual ice cream containers) shaped to a sharp point.  The simple tools work well with the soap and you would really have to work at cutting off a finger.  Ivory is the soap we use.  Yes it is messy…we covered the tables with wax paper!

 

For the class everyone carved a flower step by step and then it was a free for all carving what ever they wanted.  We sent home extra bars of soap and wooden tools.

I think the children enjoyed themselves!  They learned a new skill and who knows…maybe someday a few will be woodcarvers.

I can carve soap….my hand allowed it…wood not so much.  I hope someday to be back to carving again.  For now I go along to carving and work on some other craft project…the guys always ask me “ how is your bum hand?”  The answer is not good enough to carve yet.  Some things just take time…luckily I have many other hobbies that I can do!