Christmas 1961

 Looking back on some old photos, this one made me smile. 

My other baby brother.  He would have been 14 months old.  I am certain he was wearing his brothers coat!  He was such a cute little guy!

Far Side

1979 a blast from the past

 My other baby brother and she who sees robins first celebrate 45 years of wedded bliss today! 

1979  That is my sister Julie age 13 on the far left and the flower girl is our oldest daughter Trica she was 7 years old that year. 

Congratulations! 

Christmas card report: 12 finished so total is 65

Pain report: I have a little less pain....hopefully it will keep improving. 

Far Side

October 26

 This is the day that my other baby brother was born and my baby brother and I told everyone his name was Jody,  I was nine and my baby brother was six.  A neighbor lady visited Mom in the hospital and said "What a cute name for your baby" ... and so he was named. 

Here he is in 1961 when he was one year old. 

Happy Birthday Jody! 

Far Side

Trail Ride with Jody

 My other baby brother picked me up one afternoon and we went for a ride around the lake. 

He has a very nice Ranger and even lets me drive it sometimes.

The woods are still in early Spring mode. 

We saw one squirrel and this Ruffed Grouse.  Grouse are often along trails as they come out to get sand, they need sand in their gizzard to help grind up their food.

The old bridge.  No fish were running.  

We were hoping to see a bear or two...no luck.

It was a fun ride...soon he will be back at work more than full time as his construction business takes off with Spring, Summer and Fall work.  I really like his Ranger...I am kinda sold on the idea. 

The S word...it snowed here yesterday morning enough to make the ground white...the sunshine melted it...it is cold enough to snow again and probably will.

Far Side

Big Project

Yesterday my other baby brother came over with his construction crew and we changed out the covering on the woodshop/greenhouse.

We had a white covering on it for the past 6 maybe 7 years.  It had several holes...one where a rabbit was getting in and out.  The last time the plastic was changed Far Guy did it all by himself.
Before

After

This time we put it on loosely the previous was too tight especially in the winter....the bows moved! Years ago this was a vegetable, Native Plant growing greenhouse and a spot to hold special orders away from the retail greenhouse.  Since Far Guy was in charge it became known as "his greenhouse" then after the business closed a woodshop/greenhouse.

It is very bright in there now!  The white covering filtered out lots of light.
I will show you my aisle.

There is soap curing that was too smelly to bring in the house and on the right all my glass flowers and glass collected to make more flowers.  I should wrap up that project someday!

Cleaning inside continues until it gets too warm in there...we have a shade cloth that covers the entire house so that will go up soon.

My baby brothers crew did an awesome job!  Luckily the wind held off until we finished!  One big project crossed off the list!
Far Side

Keeping busy

Our trip to town last Thursday was uneventful.  Groceries were picked up.  Far Guy is getting real good at getting other supplies ordered online.  My sister in law and other baby brother were kind enough to do our Walmart shopping ...some stuff is only available in the store.

My other baby brother was by and fixed our driveway.

He has a soil conditioner attachment that works miracles fixing and leveling a driveway!

I have five skeins of yarn the same color.  It was a sale!

This is a wrap...or a scarf...Lion Brand Yarn Shawl in a ball colorway Restful Rainbow.
 This is a shawl...the front.

It is very pretty from the back.  I still have three skeins left.

I spent most of Friday in the kitchen.  All the cabinets and drawers are cleaned, I have a few of the open shelves left to do.  The window was washed and the curtain changed.  The backsplash  was scrubbed and the top of the stove cleaned...the oven was opened quickly and shut again.  Far Guy says I will probably have lots of time this spring and summer to keep on cleaning.

We are both feeling okay.  There are still just two cases of Covid-19 in our county.

Far Side

Town Report

Thursday is Far Guys infusion day.  The infusion protects his lungs for 6 days...it replaces the protein that cannot escape his liver to protect his lungs.  WE are thankful for one more week.

Clinic Report:  They take your temperature when you enter the building, and ask the questions "Have you been out of the country?"  "Have you visited New York, California or Washington State recently?" " Have you had a temperature?  A cold or the sniffles?"  Then they write down your temperature on a post it note and stick it on your chest.  (Proof they did their job?)  They give you a mask to put on.  Then the gal tells you to go to registration....the gals there say "go ahead Gene you are all set Happy Thursday."

He is their every Thursday same time same place guy.

I waited outside in the parking lot...there are hearts in the window.  I called my sister and talked to her for awhile.  I crocheted.

After Far Guy was done we picked up our groceries from our online order.   Stopped by the butcher shop and bought bacon and brats.  You call in your order and they bring it out to the car.

Main Street was mostly deserted there were lots of places to park.

Minnesota goes into Stay at Home for two weeks this evening March 27 until April  10.

My other baby brother and his wife ( she who sees Robins first) stopped by to visit out on our patio. ( 6 feet apart at least)  She who sees Robins first already saw a Robin.  She brought me a skein of yarn from wally world so I can finish a project.

We are home and safe for another week   Stay safe!
Far Side

Busy Thursday

My Dad and I were total losers at Bingo, but we still had a good time

Had a weird thing happen in the morning...still cannot figure it out.  My phone rang while I was at my parents...It asked if I wanted to join the Facetime phone call between my brothers, sister and myself...so I joined...  who knew that four or maybe even more people could see each other and all talk.  My other baby brother said his phone rang and he got the same message as I did...and my baby brothers wife said the same thing.  She answered my brothers phone...he was in surgery getting a new knee.    No one knows who initiated the call???  I didn't even know how to hang up...my other baby brother was laughing because he didn't know how to hang up either.  Eventually I think everyone hung up on me.

Anyways my baby brother has another new knee...he was up and walking last night and should get out of the hospital today if all goes well.

I shoveled snow over at my parents...it snowed in town just enough to make things slippery.   Far Guy was delayed at the infusion center so I managed to squeeze in a visit to the yarn shop.  Yarn may have been purchased.

We are done with appointments for the week! I went in for my blood draw after dropping off Far Guy at Pulmonary Therapy.  Later in the day my blood work came back and I am normal...even my cholesterol...how about that!

Pretty roses at the grocery store.

Far Side

Log Repair Project

Many years ago...like about 20 years when we built this house we used Jack Pine logs to make a covered entry.  We did it up real good.  We sunk rebar into a bucket of cement and buried them for footings...the rebar stuck up about 6 inches and the logs were set on top of the rebar...it was quite a project.  We were younger then.

The logs aged...and this spring we noticed the bottom part of the logs were starting to  become rotten. Some bird most likely a woodpecker had quite a time with one of the logs.

We were not quite sure how we were going to fix it.  Between Andy, Jen and Far Guy they came up with a solution.

Before:

Chance and Odda in 2015 

After:

New brick platforms for the logs to set on.  The logs were cut off and the rebar cut off and ground off to make a level surface.  This fix should last another 20 years!  It was sprinkling when I took the photos.

Miss Miney and Little Elvis July 5 2019

Many Thanks to Andy and Jen for taking time out of their vacation week to help us with this project!  We could not have done it without them.  Thanks also to my other baby brother who had a whole pile of bricks from a construction demo in his equipment yard...I had my choice of colors of bricks...I chose the grey. 

Miss Miney and Little Elvis have returned to their own home...we will miss them.  The house seems quiet without them. 

Odda still comes to visit...she was visiting yesterday...we are her safe place.

Far Side

Catch up

I am still real tired as is Far Guy.  He has seen the Doctor for a follow up and is still wheezing and coughing. ( The Doctor says that this flu/crud takes time to recover from.) Next week we go to the University of Minnesota for an appointment.

I am finished with Physical Therapy for my injured hamstring/sit bone.  The next step is injections...they suggested that I see how it goes. I do the whirlpool and heat packs here at home.

I saw the Hand Surgeon, I have Dupuytren's Contracture.  He will do surgery once my fingers start to curl....he said it is slow moving and right now only one finger is affected.  I am to keep massaging my carpal tunnel scar tissue daily...he won't do surgery on that either until my arm sleeps during the day.  He said "use what ever pillows you can to support that whole arm all night long."

We attended the Confirmation Party for our Great Niece Hailey on Sunday, it was a nice party with lunch at my other baby brother's home.

We got to see new baby Erwin he has a head full of black hair! He looks a bit like his brother Harlow.  Erwin is now 12 days old.  He weighed 9 Ibs  7 oz when his was born.  Our niece Meg is very busy with four children under the age of six.  Erwin is # 14 Grand for my other baby brother.

My baby brother and his bride are here for the summer at their home on the lake.  We haven't seen much of them as we have been recuperating.  We did get to see our two nephews Logan and Kirk and Great nephew Turner briefly.  They flew in for the weekend to work on a Zipline.  Logan lives in Seattle and Kirk in New Jersey. They will be back later in the summer.

Only two Doctor appointments this week... practically a week off.

I am still crocheting nests for Wildlife Rescue Groups.  It is something that doesn't take lots of concentration!

There you are all caught up.

A Nuthatch at the suet feeder.  His nickname is Assup.

Far Side

Wistful Wednesday : 1961

I found this old photo from 1961

I was ten years old. 

That is most likely my birthday cake.  My baby brother would have been seven and my other baby brother almost one.

This photo was taken in the first remodeled kitchen at the farm.

My mother made my baby brothers shirt and that bib overhauls my other baby brother is wearing.
She sewed the curtains too they were a pale yellow with a brown design. 

Note the days of the week flour sack embroidered towels hanging next to the old rotary dial wall phone...with a short cord...it was beige.

The plaster of paris fruit hung in the old kitchen too...and must have been a favorite of my Moms since it appears in the new kitchen.  The new kitchen had birch cupboards with stainless steel hardware...and a double sink.  The linoleum on the floor was a medium green color...it was a tiny hex pattern...I scrubbed it many times.
Far Side

Saturday happenings

It was a beautiful day here in Minnesota.  It was 40 something above zero!!

We sat outside, fed the birds and chipped away at some ice at the woodshop.

My other baby brother has been building a new shop and office so we went to visit.  We could have walked but it is just too muddy.

Far Guy made a trip around the perimeter ...it is 100 steps.  The shop is so light and bright!  It is going to be a great place for my other baby brothers business. It is one tall building!  I told my other baby brother he should have built a deck on top and we would have a view of the lake...he said "No I was up there one day...and could only see the trees on either side of the lake."

The office is really nice too, they are just moving into the office.  They have lots of organizing to do.
They have a kitchen area in the office...and work space for three people...and a bathroom.  Pretty snazzy!

June the snowbank is melting....slowly.

Far Side

Wistful Wednesday: Christmas 1977

This photo was taken at my parents home on the lake December 24, 1977.

My baby brother has his arms around all the girls.  My sister is in the back she was 11 years old.  Trica age 5 and Jennifer age 2 in the front.  My baby brother would have been 23 in 1977 and he was a student in Tulsa Oklahoma and not yet married, but would be the next summer.

Trica and Jenny had similar dresses, floor length, gingham and white dresses with flowers on the front.

My Dad ( age 51) in back, then me (age 26), my other baby brother ( age 17), my Mom ( age 48) with Jennifer, Trica and Julie in front.

I think someone in the family still has that couch…although it has been recovered.

Wistful Wednesday: Christmas 1971

This photo was taken at my parents home at the farm in 1971.

Far Guy holding Snuffer our dog. The lady laughing is Far Guy’s Aunt Beryl…she was widowed in January of 1971 (Uncle Ron was just 52 years old when he died.) My Dad with a big grin on his face is handing Beryl a snow shovel with a poinsettia on it. My other baby brother ( age 11) and my sister (age 5) look on.  I believe that Aunt Beryl had complained about an old beat up snow shovel.

Far Guy is holding Snuffers muzzle to keep her from barking…she was a great watch dog!  She was just a few months old.  She was a $5 mutt part Scottie that Far Guy bought at a garage sale for my birthday. ( Snuffer lived a good long time and helped raise our girls to like animals.)

I believe that this photo was taken on Christmas Eve 1971.  Far Guy had a lot more hair back then…we were both college students at Moorhead State College now Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Other Baby Brother

My other baby brother who lives next door is older today.

I recall very clearly the day he was born.   I was nine years old. My baby brother ( who was six years old) and I wanted a brother and we got one! ( We even named him…imagine my Mother’s surprise when the neighbor ladies went to the hospital to see the new baby who had such a perfect name…we told everyone what his name was…except our Mother and Father.)  He was the best baby ever…and as he grew older he spent a lot of time with me.  He listened to me without question …and I endured his “why” stage that seemed to last forever… he could talk to anyone about anything and still has that gift of gab that has served him well in his business.

My Dad and my other baby brother…he wanted to move dirt just like Dad…and he still does.

 

He also likes to fish and enjoys evenings out on the lake. 

I am blessed to have him live next door…he moves our snow and helps me gas up the lawnmowers etc…and if I should need some help he is just a phone call away.

Happy Birthday Jody!  58 years seem to have gone by just like that.  I think Mom wanted to name you Drew or Allan…but you sure didn’t look like a Drew or an Allan.

Wistful Wednesday: 1st Day of School 1967

This is a photo that my mother took on the first day of school.

 

I was a Junior that year, my other baby brother would have been almost 7 years old and in 1st Grade and my baby brother would have been in 8th grade that year.

Looks like we have all the school supplies we need. This was way before book bags or backpacks.  My mother must have thought my other baby brother was going to grow some and those pants could be rolled down as needed.

I think that plant was called Gold Drops.  It was an old plant that almost everyone had in their flower gardens.

Batty

One morning my other baby brother opened the large doors to his shop.  A bunch of bats flew out and one hit him in the nose and scratched him.

My other baby brother

After some discussion he was started on a series of rabies shots. He has one more shot to go in the series.  The shots are given in the upper arm.  He will be glad when he can put the shots behind him.

Years ago my parents had a fireplace without a screen on the chimney, the bats would come down and hang on the window of the fireplace…my brothers would get out the badminton rackets and slowly open the fireplace door to release the bats and they would swing at the bats flying around.  A great after church activity.

At our resort we watched the bats, they flew out at dusk and back in at sunrise, I would sit on the edge of the bed and watch them…they lived behind the chimney.  One year they decided to live between pieces of plastic that covered the door to nowhere…Far Guy collected a couple of bats in a peanut butter jar so the bats could go to school with one of our daughters.  As I recall…I startled them with a long handled tool and Far Guy captured a couple as they fell. (The door to nowhere was a door and a screen door about 10 feet off the ground with no steps outside the master bathroom…I put a nightstand in front of the door so it couldn’t be opened.)

When you are out on the lake at night the bats fly right over your heads.  Some tourists are unnerved with that activity. ( especially women who think that the bats will get tangled up in their hair)

We have a house that is made for bats because they eat so many bugs…skeeters are a delicacy for them.

Nowadays they say most all bats carry rabies…years ago we didn’t worry about it.

Walkway

What a difference a day or two makes and some sunshine.

March 5th after Winter Storm Quinn

March 6.  Great minds think alike.  We got out the monster of a snowblower.  It is self propel and a bugger to steer, but it does have R and that gets me out of some situations!   We got a pathway made for the walk, and another for Chance and one to the bird feeders oh yes and the sauna.  I shoveled some.  Shoveling was hard work because the snow was so heavy.

March 7. We have a clear walkway again.  I can wear my crocs with socks to walk the dog.  I hope we have a few days with no new snow.

We stay busy…doing what I am not sure.  Laundry and a bit of cleaning.  One night She who sees Robins first (My sister in law who lives next door) made her famous Pizza that Far Guy really enjoys…it has lots of stuff on it (peppers,olives etc…) she also makes a plain pepperoni for me.  It was good to get out of the house.  Last night we had a surprise visitor…our youngest daughter Jen stopped for a visit….came to check up on the aging!  Chance loves her and was thrilled with her visit…we were too!

Jody’s Birthday

Today my other baby brother is older than he was yesterday.

I was nine years old when he was born.

50 years ago he posed for some photographs for me.  I was doing a photography project for 4 H.

I was supposed to be capturing Action Shots. That Spruce tree in the background was planted by my baby brother (Carey) when he was little.  That patch of flowers is where the outhouse used to be.  The swing set had a glider and two swings.  On top of that pole on the left was a big old birdhouse with lots of rooms for birds.  In the background was the pasture….where beef cattle (Herefords) grazed.

A nice shot of the lilacs and a blurry other baby brother on his bike.

Since I was older my other baby brother listened to me really well.  He talked non stop and asked why why why and I tried to answer as best I could…he was a curious kid.

Now he lives next door to us and plows snow for us in the winter.  He still talks a lot but it is good for his business and he knows more people than you can shake a stick at.

If you want something done right…a road built, a basement dug or a building site prepared or a brand new septic system then my other baby brother is the fellow to call.  That is him in the white hat.  They were working down on a local corner one day…here they are setting a culvert.

Happy Birthday Jody!

New Corners

We are getting a new corner in the neighborhood, the neighboring township must have some bucks to spend to fix the old township road.

This is a traffic jam at the corner.  Potato digging machines were hogging the road.

The corner in progress on day one.  This corner is on our usual route when we go for a evening drive.  We usually see deer in the hayfield that is just up yonder and is all green. Previously this corner was full of Jack Pines and Milkweed.

 

We drove down again yesterday to see how it is coming along. Day two.

Old road on the left the new one on the right.

My other baby brother’s construction company is doing the work.  It is not done yet…maybe next week.  I wonder how the snow will blow…probably off the road.

Other road news concerns our State Hwy 225 that was given to the County along with 9 million dollars for a new road…either that or four way stops at all of the many corners that this stair step road has…it’s new name will be County 26…that will take some getting used to as it has been State 225 ever since I can remember.  The County is calling it a dangerous road because you have to slow down for the corners…duh…their other solution is to make it a 40 mph road with 40 mph corners….right now the corners are about 25-30 mph corners…been that way ever since I can remember…and a few were 10 mph corners but great fun on a bike.

Here is an old 1924-1925 Road Map.  Can you find the stair steps? The road back then was built on section lines and you had to go through Ponsford to get to Detroit Lakes.  Later a new road would bypass Ponsford in effect killing the town…the new road would go from Osage straight west to Detroit Lakes.