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

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

Easter Weekend

 Far Guy and I and Sadie had a quiet weekend.  Sadie enjoyed walks each day with Noah. (She came back tired!)

This is Sadies I think you forgot to feed me look.   FYI she was fed! 

Far Guy and I are packing up and venturing back to our home in the woods one day this week.

Jen and Andy have been off on an adventure with beautiful views!

They will return today.  Sadie will be thrilled! 

Whats cooking: Far Guy made a steak and baked potato along with fruit for our Easter meal.

Minnesota weather:  High 41F or 5C   Low was 19 or -7C  it was a windy day so it felt cold.  Some of the snow melted a little.

Far Side 

Year in review 2025

 Wow we both made it to the end of 2025!  That in itself should be a reason to celebrate! 

Our oldest daughter Trica still lives in Duluth Minnesota.  She came to take care of us when we recovering from the crud.  She calls often and was very supportive of her Dad's breast cancer struggles. She has chickens now and a coop with an automatic door. A dog named Lexie and a cat or maybe two.  She has a fella named Jerry.

Our youngest daughter Jen is on Sabbatical and will go back to teaching next Fall.  Andy teaches at UND.  We live with them for the Winter and various other times of the year when we have surgeries or appointments.  Jen and Andy both turned the big 50 this year.  They bought a extra large lot not far from where they live now, built a garage and house plans are in the works. Sadie is their happy Golden Retriever. 

Grandchildren:

Savannah; Still has her own business doing lashes in Bemidji Minnesota she has two dogs Chewy and Kalila. 

Savannah

Madison; Brenton and she welcomed Baby K (Kaylee Madison) in May.  Hey Mikey is 8 years old, Cee Cee is 5, Peach is 2. Maddie is a Dental Assistant in Pediatric Dentistry, Brenton works for Bobcat.  They have a dog named Koda and the kitty Doug.  Their dog Sam went to live with a family member and is doing well.  They are planning a move next June from Grand Forks ND to Bemidji Minnesota. 

Maddie

Paige;  Cole and Paige purchased a new home near Bemidji.  Paige is a Dental Hygienist and Cole works for a Irrigation Company.  They have a dog named Rosie.

Paige

Noah; In April Noah married Hanna.  They live in East Grand Forks, Noah works for Simplot and Hanna works for Hot Chicken. They have three dogs Aurora, Aphrodite and Noble and a couple of rabbits. 

Noah and Hanna

Adam; Adam proposed to Courtney on a trip to Hawaii. She said Yes!  The wedding will take place in Western North Dakota in September of 2026.  Adam works at Menards and Courtney is working at Mc Donalds and hopes to go back to school Fall Semester to finish her degree. They have a kitty named Phoebe. They live in Western North Dakota so we don't see them often. 

Courtney and Adam

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Births;

Our Great Granddaughter Kaylee was born the end of May

My Other Baby Brother and she who sees robins first became Great Grandparents to Callum in October.

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Deaths;

Longtime Friend Dale died July 4 age 86

Far Guy's Cousin Robbie died July 5 age 46

Grandma Ed died October 3 age 96 she was Andy's Grandmother and our Grandsons only remaining Great Grandmother.

Grandpa Ed died October 25 age 87 he was our Grandgirls Grandfather ( former Father in Law to Trica)

My Cousin Dion died November 9 age 63

We each lost a classmate in the last week of December.  Mike was 74 and Rick was 74.  Cancer sucks. 

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Far Guy survived chemo, surgery and radiation treatments for Breast Cancer this year.  He is a trooper.  He has to take a hormone pill for five years maybe longer which is a challenge due to the side effects.  He had three surgical procedures this year.  He continues to wood carve. 

Me... well I had a Laminectomy on June 10 and still have pain so I am undergoing more tests in the New Year.  I stay busy crocheting, reading and blogging.  I have a number of projects planned for the Winter.

I hope we can stay healthy in 2026 and out of hospitals.  I am thankful for family, a warm home, enough to eat and a dog to pet. 

Far Side

Making Lefsa

 Lefsa.  It is a process.  Jen and Andy cooked up the potatoes, riced them and put them in the fridge overnight on Monday.  Far Guy and I heard lots of commotion in the kitchen and wondered what they were doing.  Tuesday evening after supper Jen showed me how to mix the butter, salt, half and half and honey. Andy showed me how to mix the flour and riced potatoes.   So I was a mixer, Andy a roller, Jen and Far Guy were the flippers on the lefsa griddle.   It was a group effort.

Boys will be boys. 

Far Guy is feeling lots better today.  His appointments went well.

Oh yes it snowed and blowed around.  Our first snow.  The Interstate highway from Grand Forks to South Dakota was closed. 

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

A birth and a death

 Life goes on, we are born and we die. 

First the birth a very happy occasion!  It's a boy!  I crocheted him a yellow baby blanket for his baby shower...not knowing if the baby was a boy or a girl!

This little fella weighed in at 8 pounds and 4 ounces on October 4th 2025.   He is the first child of our great niece Hailey and her husband Isaac, the first grand for Niece Stacey( Grandma Stacey is holding him in the photo)and the first great grand for my other baby brother and she who sees robins first! ( Maybe I am a double great auntie!)

Then a death:  Son in Law Andy's Grandma Ed died on October 3, 2025, she was 96 years old just 29 days short of her 97th birthday.  Her obituary says it all...Edna was called home by the one who loves her most!   She is the last Grandma for Andy and Jen  and the last Great Grandmother for our Grands Noah and Adam.  Grandma Ed lived a good long life, living in assisted living in her later years and then to the Nursing home for only two weeks, the last week on Hospice.  Our sympathy to all who loved Grandma Ed. 

I have a photo of Grandma Ed taken in about 2003...at Adam's birthday party.  Tall baby Adam had a good start and eventually towered over his Great Grandma Ed. 

Births and deaths the world keeps going round and round.  Happy and sad times all mixed together.

Far Side

To everything there is a season,

and a time for every purpose under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to break down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to count as lost,

a time to keep and a time to discard,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

Busy days

 Puzzles, crocheting, woodcarving, enjoying time outside sitting in the sunshine and going out for lunch with Jen, Andy, my other baby brother and she who sees robins first who stopped by to check on us on their way back from Western North Dakota. Oh yes and going for a ride in the 1976 Corvette.  What a nice ride! AND petting Sadie..of course that is a great activity!

Far Guy is gaining strength and his appetite, now keeping him from overdoing is a concern.  He had a very nice nap after all the activity!

Far Side

Camera Ready

 All together now!

Happy Birthday Jen!  

She loved the birthday cookies from Hornbachers back in the day!  I believe she was about 4 years old in this photo in 1979.  Too bad I had her facing into the sun so she is all squinty! 

Her real name is Jennifer and mostly we call her Jen but sometimes we slip and call her Jenny! She prefers Jen.  She is our rock, she is always ready to help her elderly parents, we appreciate all that she does for us! 

Oh yes she loves to take photos.  And sometimes I catch her doing what she enjoys. 

Photographing flowers at Bergeson Nursery near Fertile Minnesota.

Jen and Adam at a beach near Hilo Hawaii

Jen and Andy waiting for the sun to set before heading to the airport from the Big Island, Hawaii

Jen admiring the sunset... camera ready

Jen is off on an adventure with Andy for her birthday, we went out for supper to help her celebrate early.

Happy Birthday Jen, love you always and forever!  

Mom

Biopsies

 Plural...yes more than one. 

Far Guy had to go to surgery on Monday to do a biopsy on the glands in his neck.   He did fine and preliminary results are good, next week the complete biopsy report should be back.  Our hope is that everything is benign.  He has a very sore throat from all the tubes and scopes they put down his throat. He also has a wound on his arm where the Charge Nurse who was called in to do his IV ...put such awful tape to secure his IV that when it was pulled off it took off his skin so now he has a very sore wound too.  I would show you a photo but it is awful looking. 

We both got to visit with Grandson Noah and I got to see Granddaughter Maddie while Far Guy was in surgery.  Jen made a wonderful meal for us on Monday night...pulled pork, eggs and potatoes topped with cheese.

Tuesday on the way home we both saw our Dermatologist.  Far Guy got the all clear and I had two biopsies; one on my forehead and one on my arm the results take about ten days. I also had two other spots taken care of one on my chin and one on my ear...cauterized and frozen for those.  

We are back home in the woods again.

We miss this dog.

She got a good amount of attention from us while we were there. 

Today is our day off.  Then Thursday and Friday three more appointments locally.  Far Guy says he is tired of Doctors. 

Minnesota weather: High 74F or 24C Low was 50F or 10C they say it was real foggy in the morning...however I did not get up that early on Tuesday. Nice Fall weather and some of the trees are showing some color especially the Fall Gold Ash trees and the Maples.

Far Side

Midlife

 Was it a midlife crisis that they both suffered at the same time?  Andy turned the big 50 in July, Jen will turn the same number in September...and what did they do in August?

It sure is pretty and now Andy can go to car shows! 

Not sure I could ever drive anything with a hood that long but it might be fun to try!

Far Side

Andy and Tilly

 Our son in law Andy took Far Guy's Desoto to the local car show on Saturday morning.  Far Guy did not feel good enough to attend.  However we are happy that Andy could go and show Tilly off! 

Photo by fellow blogger and neighbor Leah!

Andy reports that many people stopped to talk with him!  Some people he knew from Robotics too! 

We enjoyed seeing them all...Andy, Jen and Sadie.  Jen helped me do some of the hard housework...vacuuming, cleaning the tub and scrubbing the bathroom floor and helping me change the sheets on the bed.  So wonderful to have helping hands! 

It was a nice day in Minnesota the high was 79 F or 27C and the low 59F or 15C eh! 

We sat outside part of the afternoon visiting with Cousin's Bonnie and Wayne and in the evening with my other baby brother and she who sees robins first.

Far Side

A little good news

 Good news at the Oncology visit!  The tumor shrunk even more!   Dr B is very pleased and encouraged!  

The genetic testing came back...Far Guy has a gene for cancer.  It is the CHEK2 Gene mutation.  However this does not change his treatment.  He is also a carrier for MSH3.   The Doctor explained that folding genes get messed up...I don't understand it all.  I understood the Alpha One Gene Mutation better than this new gene mutation.

Treatment stays the same and in 30 days he will have a Pet Scan for exact measurements.  After that time we might be able to go to once a month visits...maybe.

We got to see Jen and Sadie, Brenton, Maddie and the girls and have pizza with them. Baby K is growing and is the new favorite baby at daycare:)

Peach on the right was just about ready to pull her sister hair in this photo.  The terrible 2's have begun. A bit later she grabbed a whole handful of hair and yanked on it.  It was funny/not funny. 

We slept in our own beds there...comfy as always. We left on Tuesday morning and returned home to the woods on Wednesday evening.

Happy Birthday to Son In Law Andy...he turned 50 on Tuesday!  He was at the Mall of America for a  Tournament.

Far Side

News all good

 This is a week of medical appointments...six of them.  Three were accomplished on Monday and Tuesday.  We made the drive Up North (2 1/2 hours) for a blood draw for Far Guy on Monday.   During the night a horrid UTI made it impossible to sleep...so I went to Urgent Care as soon as they opened...got meds and I will recover.   Tuesday Far Guy saw his Oncologist Dr B and the tumor has shrunk by 50% !!!  The cancer medication is being decreased in the hope that the side effects will be tolerable and it will still work at decreasing the size of the tumor.  We see Dr B every two weeks, he is very encouraged by the progress in just the last two weeks. We drove back home to the woods after the appointment.

Sadie was happy to see us, Jen and Andy made supper for us on Monday night...burgers and corn on the cob and then Andy made lunch for us before we left.  Andy and Jen are so good to us we are blessed to have them in our family! 

We also got to see Maddie and Baby K for a bit! 

The Clinic where Far Guy had his blood draw. 

Keep praying for Far Guy as all the prayers are working!! He has been so sick the past ten days.

The three remaining appointments this week...two are virtual and then on Thursday Far Guys usual Infusion appointment. 

Far Side

Pineapple

 Everyone is back safely from Hawaii and Sadie is thrilled that they are back! Far Guy and I are happy too! We missed them!

They brought back pineapple and it is delicious. 

Far Side

Sharks and a shoe thief

 Jen, Andy, Adam and Courtney are safely in Hawaii they had an adventure yesterday in a shark cage. 

Probably not something I would do but Jen said it was not scary at all.

Back at home. Someone is stealing my Crocs so I cannot leave.

She loves us so she is not too lonely. Noah was over to check on the elderly and have some pool time with his dogs and Sadie. Then after supper Far Guy threw her pool ring a few times until she dropped it on the other side of the pool and would not retrieve it…I think she had enough of the pool for the day.

I had more pain yesterday so I had a long rest and then a nice nap. I might have walked too much the previous day. Far Guy woodcarved.

Far Side

Sunset and Snow Report

 We had a nice sunset what we can see of it here in town.

Here there are houses in the way and back at home there are trees in the way.

Another warm day so the dirty snow melted even more.

I frogged a crochet project that was not as pretty as I envisioned...frogged it as in rip it rip it...wind it all back into a ball and begin again.  The new beginning was and will be worth it in the long run.  I watched most of Forgotten Love on Netflix in the afternoon and plan to finish it soon...I highly recommend it.  The kids have a recliner down in the movie room that I really like sitting/napping in...I plan to order one for back home.

It was a quiet day, Sadie was real tired after her day at doggie day care yesterday...that and one of her favorite people is gone again to a robotics tournament.  Jen is working double hours as she ended up filling in for a colleague that was dismissed....picking up someone elses classes half way through the semester is not easy.

Far Side

Cool

 Andy and Jen just retuned from a getaway in Saint Martin.  Sadie missed them while they were gone but as you can guess she was in good hands. 

The kids said it was 100 degrees warmer there than in Minnesota....who knows with our -30F to -40F windchills it could have been more than that. 

We are in the deep freeze for a few more days.  

In other news...Peach now has step throat as Cee Cee shared the germs...so far Hey Mikey is okay.

I have several Doctor appointments this week; one with the Spine Clinic and one with the Pain Clinic.  I have more Doctor's appointments than Far Guy...that rarely happens. 

Stay warm!

Far Side

Year in Review 2024

 It was a year!  Why is it as we age time seems to go by faster and faster?

Our oldest daughter Trica lives in Duluth Minnesota, we saw her one time this past year and that was at Paige's wedding. 

Our youngest daughter Jen and husband Andy still live in East Grand Forks Minnesota and we spend the Winter months with them.  They have a Golden Retriever named Sadie.  Jen teaches at Northland Community College and Andy teaches at the University of North Dakota.

Savannah is doing well with her Lash business in Bemidji, Minnesota.  She has two dogs Chewy and Kalila.

Maddie is a Dental Assistant, her husband Brenton works at Bobcat. They live in Grand Forks, North Dakota and they have "The Greats"  Hey Mikey, Cee Cee and Peach.  With a new baby due in June!  They have a very busy household...two dogs Sam and Koda and a cat named Doug. 

Paige married Cole in October.  Paige is a Dental Hygienist and Cole works for a Irrigation Company. They live in Bemidji Minnesota. They have a dog named Rosie.

Noah lives in Grand Forks, North Dakota and works at Simplot, he supervises the cleaning of all the machines and the chemicals used.  Simplot processes potatoes.  Noah has a dog named Aurora. 

Adam moved to Dickinson, North Dakota. He works at Menards in the plumbing department and will attend Dickinson State University this next semester.  Adam's gal Courtney is also a student at Dickinson State University, if all goes well they will graduate about the same time. (2 years from now) Adam has a cat named Phoebe. 

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No births this year or new pet additions. 

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Deaths...we had a few. 

Far Guy's Cousin Bill Weeks  January 25  age 78

High School Friend Cyndi 

My Mother Madeline February 11 age 94

Neighbor Cheryl  July 13 age 70

My Cousin Diane August 13  age 68

My Cousin Patsy September 15 age 72

Far Guy's Cousin Tom's wife Linda October 4  age 78

My Cousin Kathy October 11  age 75 

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One of our bestest Winter friends Little Elvis died September 27, 2004 he was almost 15 years old.  He had a good life.  I miss him sleeping on his bed near the foot of my bed and as old habits are hard to break I look for him automatically when I get up during the night.  I miss him.

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Far Guy keeps busy; he woodcarves, fixes on his old car and occasionally he goes to a car show.  He is my best sous chef and helps readily in the kitchen.  His lung function is about 19% so we limit our activities to outdoor gatherings as much as possible.  He rarely goes into a store because of perfumes, aftershave and cleaning products that people/stores use. 

I keep busy, I have many crochet/craft projects in the works at all times.  I am still struggling with pain from all my ritises  I do daily exercises and should have bought stock in whoever makes Tylenol.  One day at a time. 

There you have it the big wrap up for 2024.

What will 2025 bring us?  A new Great, time spent with those we love...both humans and dogs!

Happy New Years Eve!  We have not stayed up late enough to ring in the New Year for a number of years.

Far Side

Fun and not fun

Fun!  We got to see a Grand and the Greats in between medical appointments.   Peach was especially friendly showing me her stick horse and her turtle dolly.  She even sat with me for a bit. 

Peach is a doll.  

Not so fun;  I had the MRI and will be seeing my Ortho PA soon to discuss the results.  That MRI is not a fun test 25 minutes and nine rock and roll songs...one of which was "I wanna get outta this place if its the last thing I ever do." I had to do some real controlled calming breathing...because I wanted to get out...what if the gals left...what if there was a power outage...what if there was a fire...thank goodness that song was number seven and I was close to getting pulled out.  Next time I will not be brave and I shall be in a medical induced coma medicated.  I am too old to be brave.

Okay might be fun. My Primary Care Dr is pleased with my blood pressure and I will have some more tests in January. 

FUN!  Going out for supper with Andy and Jen.

More fun!  Sadie!  She still loves us.

Fun.  We drove back home and voted.  

Two three more medical appointments scheduled this week. 

Far Side