and so it goes

 One summer day after another.  We learned of two deaths over the weekend.  One was a Lung Transplant survivor for a number of years...her donor gave her many health issues...she spent much of last year in the hospital. She finally lost her battle or won...which ever way to look at the situation. She was such a wonderful support person to anyone on the Lung Transplant List...as she was to us when Far Guy was part of that process. 

The other death a neighbor lady.   So sad. 

Yet the Summer heat rolls on for a couple more days.  The skeeters bite and the bear visits the yard every night looking for bird seed. (Far Guy brings it in every night. )

My knee is better but not perfect.  

  

Far Side

March Book Club

 Yesterday was bookclub.  We read Root Beer Lady the story of Dorothy Molter by Bob Cary. 

It was a delightful read, I enjoyed it very much, it is a true story that takes place in the Northeastern Minnesota Knife Lake area.  Knife Lake is situated in what is now the BWCA and Ontario's Quetico Provincial Park, it is half in Canada and half in the United States.  Fourteen lakes and portages to get from Ely Minnesota to Knife Lake...so it was no walk in the park! 

We picked out four more books for the coming months.  Our group is up to four people now, two  more gals are suppose to be joining soon! 

Far Side

50th Anniversary Party

 On Saturday we attended the celebration for Bob and Sheila's 50th wedding anniversary.  (Bob and Sheila are our son in law Andy's parents)

Earlier in the week Sheila had a stress related heart attack.  She told me she was washing windows and one almost fell on her and she reached to catch it...later that night she had pain....and went to the ER.  They found no blockages but she had the enzymes in her blood.  She said she was feeling fine except she was real tired.  

Bob told the story about how they met in the summer of 1969...at a Fair ...Bob knew the guys in the band...they were playing  A Whiter Shade of Pale  by Procol Harum...when this cute gal asked him if he wanted to dance...six children later and many grandkids and they are celebrating 50 years together. 

The kids served a wonderful lunch; vegetables and dip, fruit, crackers, lunch meats, cheese and a number of different cupcakes...vanilla, chocolate, carrot and lemon.   The lemon ones were really good. 

There was a cute display of pants. 

I know that Noah and Adam got their pants for their first birthday.

It was a fun afternoon.  The celebration was held in a Community Center about two hours North of where we live in a little town called Goodridge population 138 and most all of the town showed up!  We didn't stay too long, we arrived early before everyone else, had a chance to talk with Sheila and Bob, sit with Noah, Adam and Jen for a bit...have lunch and we headed home.

 Far Side

Frost, fog and a friend

We went to Detroit Lakes yesterday.  I needed a hair cut...I swear she cut off about 10 pounds of hair at least it feels that way.   In all about 8 inches was cut off...and it is still long enough to put in a bun!  I only get my hair cut a couple of times a year..it grows really fast about an inch plus a month. I go to the place where you can check in online but I didn't.  Next time I will.

It was foggy and frosty when we left.

The sun came out in Snellman.

But then we drove right back into the fog again.  This old barn is really leaning.

 I had to wait a bit to get my hair cut so we went to a couple of hardware stores.  When Far Guy dropped me off to get my haircut he went by the grocery store to get a few things...he was recognized by Sonja a faithful blog reader and they had a nice chat.

Sonja sent me an email:
Well, by now I'm sure you know whom I had the pleasure of meeting today. I had to do a double take because I really don't know a lot of people from this area that I might run into at the grocery store.  And I wasn't going to let the opportunity pass and then be left wondering if that was indeed your handsome husband.  I also did not want him to feel like he was being stalked, but it did make my day.

For the record it made his day too! 
Far Side

Bill

Our friend Bill died last week.  I went to the funeral two plus hours south of us...a fellow friend and woodcarver Jim and his wife Theresa went with me.  Far Guy stayed home unattended and did just fine.  There are too many germs and fragrances for him to be in a crowd.

Bill had many friends from all walks of life.  I first met Bill when I was working at the museum. I wrote a blog about him here. 

Bill died with his boots on working in the yard doing something with his lawn mower.   Bill was 80 years old.   He was born in Canada and raised in a home without running water or electricity.   His Dad worked for the Railroad.  They moved to Northern Northern Minnesota vs Southern Northern Minnesota.  After graduating from High School he went into the Air Force, with the GI Bill he went to school in Bemidji MN and then the University of Minnesota and got a degree in Biology, decided teaching and the classroom was not for him...so he went to Medical School.

He was a Doctor in the ER in Washington State for 9 years then he had a heart attack at the age of 39...city living had taken its toll. Seeking solitude and cold ( he liked cold weather) he headed to the Arctic Circle in Alaska.  He worked there for a number of years...he visited his village by dogsled, the other three doctors there used planes to get to outlying villages....but not Bill.   A nurse caught his eye and much later they would marry.

He came back to Minnesota to care for his aging Mother and in 1987 he married that Nurse he took a liking to in the Far North.

Bill and Janice have a primitive cabin...with a super dooper pooper outhouse in the Park Rapids area.  Bill moved that outhouse a few years back and dug a new hole for it...it was quite a story as he dug so deep he had a hard time getting back out!  Bill joined our woodcarving group.  Bill made 12 Nyckelharpas in his lifetime and would carve the keys at woodcarving and tell us stories.   He was a character...a good one...someone who was a pleasure to call a friend.  We would compare what kind of wildlife we had going through our yards and which birds we were feeding.  One of his favorite sayings was "Get over it!"

Until yesterday I had only heard one Nyckelharpa played at a time...there were at least ten being played in tribute to Bill.  There are only 20 Nyckelharpa players in Minnesota and half of them were there at the funeral.

Bill was frugal, his Nyckelharpa case was handmade.  I commented on the case once...he said it was custom made and fit his Nyckelharpa perfectly.   One time he left his Nykelhapa in my care, I got detailed instructions on how to remove it from the case...and then he said "Pick it up and hold it, I will teach you to play a note or two."  I did and my attempt at playing sounded like a dying cow...but he still left it in my care for a woodcarving exhibit...I was so relieved when Monday rolled around and I could return it safely to him.  He said "How did it go...did you play?" I replied "NOPE it stayed inside the case the entire time!"  He would often give impromptu concerts at woodcarving!

Bill's friend who makes Maple Sugar gave the eulogy and The Doctor's Doctor gave a blessing for The Healer.  They along with the button accordion player and storyteller all gave Bill a good send off accompanied with lots of music.

We stayed for  a funeral lunch; pretzel buns, ham, turkey, cheese, vegetables, fruit and cookies.

I was back home just after dark..

I am certain Bill was there in spirit...his hat and the box he put his foot upon were there.

A photo of Bill I took in 2013. 

Rest In Peace my friend.

Far Side

Monday Stuff

I try to start out Mondays with everything in place for the week.  Menus made and lists made for groceries and special things that should be done over the week.

Of course a person should be a bit flexible with the weather etc...and stuff that pops up that goes on the "to do list."

Lawn mowing is done for the week...trimming is not...nor is Poison Ivy removal and Thistle removal.  All things country that creep up on me.

Horses and a wagon....I think some young men were getting driving lessons.

We have just a few medical appointments this week...so far only four.  My kind of week.
Far Side

Rain

I got home just before the rain started.  Now the yard is like a skating rink.

June the snowbank is losing some of her tallness.  Snow on top of the icy yard will make for some tricky footing. I have Yak Trax and I use them.

The snowstick registers 21 inches March 13.

Just before dark I went outside to take some photos of the snow on the roof…hopefully the rest of it will slide off in the rain.  We will breathe a sigh of relief when the snow is gone from all our buildings….there have been some scary roof collapses in the area. 

Rain is appropriate for our dismal mood.

My Tall Friend who I mentioned yesterday died early Wednesday morning. His daughters and ex wife are all very sad.  You have to give kudos to the ex wife, she gave him emotional and physical support the past few months. They may not have been married but they were still friends.

We also learned of another death. Boner died…he was a fixture around town, always happy to see who ever he met.  Recently the town council passed some kind of stupid law concerning the Golf Cart that he drove around town. He used to park it on Main Street and at the grocery store….get real people.  His Mom Gladys used to own the small gift shop next to the theater, Boner took it over after she died….he ran it sucessfully for a number of years.  Recently I noticed a street sign near his house it read “Elvis Presley Blvd”  …now that made me smile.

Far Guy’s only living Uncle is struggling with heart problems….he is home and maybe his wish that he shared with me will be fulfilled.  He said “I would like to die at the farm, they can carry me out feet first.”

Life is a journey full of a little rain, a little snow, illness, death,  sad feelings…but eventually spring will come…the sun will shine and flowers will grow.

Isaiah 41:10  Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Far Side

Tuesday

It snowed again during the night Sunday night/early Monday then it turned clear and cold.

A Yellow – rumped Warbler made a visit to our yard and came right up by the window…he/she must be on their way through to warmer climates. No photo but it was definitely a Butter-butt.

Had a interesting conversation with a friend about a new neighbor of hers.  Seems the new neighbor is a bit of a bully.  He wrote a letter to all the adjoining land owners saying he just purchased the property and would be hunting and not to tresspass on his land ever. I am guessing that neighbors with cookies won’t be welcoming him to their neighborhood. We wondered if the local Fire Dept and Rescue Squad would be trespassing as well?

I guess it takes all kinds to make the world go round.  What goes around comes around…

A Visit With Faye

I got a call from an old friend.  I went over and we bounced around in her golf cart on her 240 acres looking at areas that were logged off and her recently disced CRP land.  She has become quite the land steward after her husband’s death.  She has four properties and some are in better repair than others.

The barn has a new coat of paint.

Since the logging you now have a view of this pothole.

We saw deer and a partridge on the trails…no bear thank goodness she has a bear with two cubs that visits.

About half way through our trail ride Faye said “I couldn’t get the gas cap off to check the gas, so we might have to walk if we run out of gas.” About that time the bugs were getting bad and I envisioned a long hike back to the farm…but we made it back just fine.

 

We toured all her flowers and her Rudbeckia was very impressive.  We had a good visit.

Flag Day

Today is the day we honor our flag.

My Mother was a flag bearer and marched in parades with the American Legion Auxillary.

Here a few more flags.

A flag on Bunker Hill

Flags at Hector International Airport in Fargo ND

Avenue of flags in Detroit Lakes Minnesota

When I was in sixth grade in a two room schoolhouse we had a flag pole and our teacher Mr Martin Cox taught us proper flag ettiquette.  I didn’t know at the time but he was a Veteran and after he served his time at various army bases and a year in Korea he was honorably discharged and took advantage of the GI Bill to further his eduation and become a teacher.

This was the old school house: fifth grade on the left and sixth grade on the right!  In later years it became a Community Center and nowadays it is a rental.

I am certain that the time Mr Cox spent teaching us how to honor and care for The American Flag touched more students than just me. Mr Cox died last winter he was 83 years old.  I wondered then how many students did he teach flag ettiquette to over the course of 32 years?

The St Urho’s Parade

I made a date with Far Guy and Chance to go watch the parade in Menahga.

It was a partly cloudy day with a bit of a north wind.  It was cool but not freezing.

This gal has sisu which means bravery or hardiness.  She is escorting the grasshoppers out of town.

There were sled dogs…pulling four wheeled carts instead of sleds.

Men in underwear…perhaps my favorite part of the parade.

 

signs some said “Grasshoppers lives matter.”  “I’m going to build a wall and make the grasshoppers pay for it.”

I liked this one the best!

 

There were lots of kids!  They were throwing candy and beads.   The T Shirts say Sisu perhe or bravery/hardiness family.

Royalty was there.

The St Urho’s Royalty along with Miss Minnesota.

It was a nice parade.  We all enjoyed it.  Chance did not bark at the dogs but he did bark at the horses.

My Friend Eric

I have a friend.  His name is Eric.  I see him every grocery shopping day.  He works until 4 o’clock.   He bags groceries, or sweeps the floors…he doesn’t like sweeping very much but he gets it done.  Sometimes he wears a bow tie to work, Eric is short, he has light brown hair, sparkly eyes and a big smile.

I always look to see which checkout he is working at.  We have a “thing”  I don’t like my bread in a bag, I like it seperate and put in the front of the cart…Eric knows this and has known this for years.  Often times he jokes with me and says “What would you do to me if I squished all your bread in one bag?”  He often answers my glowering look  himself with “Guess I don’t want to find out.”  Often he will stop the cashier in her tracks if she starts to put my bread in a bag.

I think he waits for us on grocery day, one day we were a little late and he was on his way out the door…he said “Ya know I only work until four.  You should come earlier.”

Sometimes he is on cart duty, retrieving the carts from their corrals. This week as I got out of the car in the parking lot at the grocery store Eric met me with a cart.   He said “I figured you would be needing this.”  I said “Thanks Eric you are a doll!”  he said “I know and I think you are pretty special too.” So I gave him a hug! 

Sometimes Eric goes to the East Coast on an Airplane to visit his family.  He usually tells me when he is going and when he will be back.  His parents used to live in Park Rapids but they were elderly and needed to move in with Eric’s sister.  Eric stayed behind, he has his own house and his job.  He takes his job very seriously.  I am sure that he is never late for work. I am not sure that his employers know how fortunate they are to have Eric working for them.

Eric has Down Syndrome…an extra 21st chromosome…one that makes him extra special.

Flax for spinning

Learn something new everyday.

What do I know about Flax except it is a real pretty field when it is in bloom.

Bruce the weaver and spinning wheel fixer grew some Flax this summer.

Flax leaning against the garden fence where really tall sunflowers grew!

He harvested it recently. It is pulled out of the soil by the root and not cut.  Then it is bundled and set out to dry.  The seeds are removed and then the outer core is rotted which exposes the inner fiber…then the stalk is broken to remove the fiber.  Then it is combed to sort the long fibers from the short fibers. 

Here is some Flax fiber that was grown and processed a previous year.

Looks like a hairy mess

But eventually it is spun into a thread.  Those threads can be woven together to make linen. It can be fabric that is made into summer clothing, tablecloths, curtains and if it is very fine it can be used to knit or crochet.

This is the wheel he uses.  I guess I never thought about the whole process before…how about you?

Minnesota Weeps

We weep for a child we never knew.  One who went missing near his family home in 1989.  We have been waiting for news of Jacob for 27 years.  Finally this weekend Jacob’s family was notified that his remains were found.  The family can finally put their son to rest, Jacob’s brother and friend can finally go on with their lives. All three boys were told by a man with a gun to lay down in the ditch and tell him their age…he told the other boys to run into the field and not look back or he would shoot them. He took Jacob.

How can this happen in small town Minnesota?  How could this evil man escape law enforcement for 27 years?  He can never be charged with this heinous crime…how can that be?

Jacob was 11 years old.  Jacob’s parents started The Jacob Wetterling Resource Center in his honor, to give others hope that their missing children would be found someday and they were also instrumental in getting laws passed so that Sex Offenders must be registered.

Until now there was always hope that Jacob would be found alive.  Instead his remains were found in a field near Paynesville Minnesota. Such sadness for his family.  His parents will go on with the work of the Foundation to give parents of missing children hope.  Jacob’s hope.
Over the years I often thought about Jacob.  Being a Mom I guess you do that or you pick out some little kids to think about often and pray for even if you don’t know them.

Leeanna (Beaner) Warner was just five years old when she disappeared from her home near Chisholm Minnesota in 2003…perhaps her mysterious disappearance will be solved someday.