Don’t touch anything

The TV in the living room croaked.  It had sound but no picture. We measured and made a trip to town and bought a new one.  The old one went to the garage, it might be just one small part that can be replaced when it is warmer and then we will have a spare TV.  Repairmen charge one arm and two legs to repair anything nowadays.   The service call for repair would have been almost as much as a new TV.

My other baby brother and I have been trying to go to Bingo one night a week with our Dad.  Dad enjoys Bingo very much and it is good for him to get out.  For years my Dad had a friend named Darrell who was blind and had special Bingo cards…Dad would pick him up every week to go to bingo.   Dad would see that he got back into his home safely after bingo. Now we are trying to do the same for our Dad.

I came home from bingo last week and it is my custom to walk Chance since I have my parka on.   The walk went fine, Chance did his duty and then when I went to open the screen/storm door the door handle broke…it was only –19F that night….it had endured colder weather.   I jiggled and pulled, jiggled and pushed…it was really broken.  Luckily Far Guy heard the jiggling and came to our rescue…but once we shut the storm door again we were now locked inside.  Far Guy got out a screwdriver and took off the latch so at least we could exit the house if need be.  We need a new door handle or a whole new screen/storm door…whatever.

Far Guy said “What ever you do don’t touch me.”   It is our experience that things break in threes and we wonder what/who is next?

Flowers last summer at my cousin Chuckies home.

It takes all kind

A wonderful old friend used to say “You never can tell about people, it takes all kind to make the world go round.”

Far Guy parked in front of this piece of art one day last week.

This must be the newest use for indoor outdoor carpeting.  It not only covered the hood it covered the sides of the truck. I wonder if tiny seeds from trees will sprout there this spring? 

I wanted to get a photo of the entire truck…but just then the owner appeared.  I hot footed it back inside my vehicle!  He hopped in and took the keys down from the visor…who would want to steal this truck anyway?  He looked kind of familiar to me, but I just couldn’t place the face…perhaps it was one of my old classmates.

I wonder what kind of glue he used?

Monday Wash Day

I am not on a schedule…that is no big surprise!  I wash about one load of clothing everyday.

Years ago you washed on Monday and Ironed on Tuesday. I rarely iron, I hang up clothing right out of the dryer! I think you mended on Wednesday.  Who mends anymore?  I do if it is something simple…a button to sew on.  I used to mend lots of knees on jeans when the girls were little using the iron on patches and then sewing the heck out of them.  Do you darn socks?  Do you know how?  I remember learning and I could still do it in a pinch.

We try to recycle everything we can. There are huge recycling bins in nearby Osage.  I keep a separate recycle can for all our recycles and they are sorted when we get there. The Disabled American Veterans takes clothing and shoes.

Recycling should be a habit that we teach all of our children and grandchildren.

 

Monday Wash Day

In days past Monday was wash day.  I used to have the dish towels that proved it...I could count on taking Tuesday off because that is ironing day and Wednesday too as that is sewing day.

Yes I wash on Mondays, but then I wash on others days too cause I don’t have to heat water and lug it to the washer or use that wringer.

This is a wringer stand that has a wash tub on both sides.  This wringer was adjusted by the knobs at the top and you provided the power by turning that handle.

A wringer was why ironing day followed wash days…they made terrible wrinkles in clothing.

My Mothers wringer washer was like this one minus the sign.  Electric it was.   With lots of warnings that you didn’t want to get any body parts going through the wringer.  We had an old soaking stick that we would use to fish the clothing up out of the washer with…it was all slimy and soft on the pokey end.  We poked clothes up near the wringer and watched them get rung.

When I was about 7 years old maybe 8 I have a very vivid memory.

It was a sunny day and we were on a fairgrounds someplace in Southern Minnesota or Iowa, we were seated in the grandstand.  We were watching some kind of show…there were clowns…running around acting clown like.  At one point they wheeled out a wringer washer and one of the littlest clowns got stuck in the wringer and came out on the other side flat as a pancake.  The crowd roared.  Of course the child in me was traumatized by such an event and after that I was really really really careful around the wringer.  I realized later as an adult that no one would fit in a wringer, it was some slight of washer trick.  Perhaps it was revealed at the time..but I had my eyes closed tight.

Now..does anyone else remember this slight of washer trick?

Shortly before my other baby brother was born in 1960 my Mother got a fancy smancy washer with a spin dry compartment.  I was so relieved not to have to worry about that wringer anymore.

Snow Drifts in June

A neighbor has a whole field of daisies.  Personally I like them, they are so perky and cheerful.  Far Guy and I both remarked at the same time "Looks like drifts of snow."   I am not sure what their other neighbors say, but it made me smile.

 I have a full desk, I usually line up the projects I am working to complete on my desk.  Things I need to put away, things I need to decide what to do with.  Decisions I need to make.

One of the "things" that I am working on is my parents 60th Wedding Anniversary party in October.  My brothers are not real vocal about this gathering..they just want to know when to show up.  My sister..she is on my list too..I need to call her for input. I am sure it will all come together one way or another. As long as the basic groundwork is laid properly it should go off without a hitch.  I am looking for a good punch recipe..I think my cousin Leann might have one.  The menu must be decided soon..a light lunch will be served...how light..and how much like an actual lunch remains to be decided. Today I am designing a business type card that my Mother can keep in her purse, it has all the info for their anniversary..she can give these to friends and family over the summer, in lieu of sending out invitations.

I seems like I have a  hundred projects I am working on.  Requests from people, could you make a slide show for the family picnic?  Yes..check!  Could you email me photos?   I am still working on getting family photos scanned..and since I am working on four branches of our family at the same time..I just seem to be treading water.  I should work on a slide show presentation for my parents anniversary too.  I am now officially one year behind on  the hard copies of this blog.  Somedays I have to sort things out..by thinking if I croak today..what will really matter.

I drift in and out all day long, picking some project up..sometimes sighing and putting it back down again. Sometimes actually completing a project..a day where my out pile is bigger than my in pile..now that is a day to be celebrated.  Sometimes it is best for me to keep my focus on just one project at a time, instead of spreading myself so thin that I accomplish nothing:)