More sorting

Yesterday we had a busy day.  We both worked upstairs.  Far Guy managed to gather together a garbage bag full of worthless stuff so I added some old computer accessories that I had shoved under my desk up there too many years ago to recall.  We went to the transfer station and recycle once and are gathering for another recycle trip...mostly old magazines...Farm and Ranch Living and nearly every issue of Martha Stewart Living.  

I filed last years Christmas card photos and letters that I could not part with.  I sorted through some of the Shiny Brites and will sell some of them.  Three boxes were sold yesterday but that is just a drop in the bucket.  The lady was just thrilled!

This is the next bunch on the chopping block.  

We made some discoveries...you know things put away so well that you forgot you had them.   A sure sign that we are aging.

Far Side

First Snow

 Rain turned to snow in the early morning hours on November 20th.  We have enough to almost cover the grass.

Isn't it beautiful?  At least some of the brown is covered up with white.  I shoveled off the walk. Typically it snows three times before the snow stays...we will see what happens...our weather forecast looks like wintery temperatures for the rest of November.  

Jen sent a photo of Sadie in the snow...they got more snow Up North than we did. 

Looks like she walked outside on the patio and laid down.  I am sure she was racing around like a wild girl before long.  

I had a sorting day...sorted out some more "stuff" and labeled a bunch of photos.   I also cleaned out the old toy box...threw some old hiking boots out and began a donation pile for scarfs and hats no longer worn.  I tried to clear some odds and ends or "I will get to it later" stuff off my desk.  I was partially successful. 

Far Side

Mailed and other stuff

 I mailed a whole bunch of odds and ends AND this years Christmas ornaments yesterday.  It took the postal clerk about 30 minutes to deal with my 15 packages.  He said he hadn't mailed that many packages in the last six months.   The lady waiting behind me was not too happy. 

We still have a few Christmas ornaments to hand deliver.  

Back at home I gathered together all my lawn mowing garb threw it in the washer and washed my red boots off in the sink.  All of it including my hat will be stored in the old toy box until next year.  

I got two pair of snowboots out and washed up a pair of crocs for the shoe drawer.  Also decided to get rid of two pairs of shoes from the shoe drawer...progress! ( Truth be told I still have one pair of crocs by the door just incase I need to slip them on quickly instead of my snowboots)

Listed a few more things for sale on Facebook Marketplace.  It all takes time. 

My desk is full of "stuff" from upstairs...paper stuff...old stuff..."stuff" that my Mom kept..that needs to be sorted out...many things will find a home in the Grands three ring binders that I have been keeping for them.  ( I sorted things out for my siblings last Spring and my pile of "stuff" just sat upstairs.)   All that "stuff" needs a proper storage spot!

AND I am ready for the snow!  I can tell the snow is coming...change of weather is painful for me. 

Far Side

The Big Sort

 It was raining on Monday, so....I began the big sort.  Many totes full of "stuff" were brought upstairs after my Mom died.   Lets just say I have a rather large mess up there...Far Guy refuses to go upstairs. 

Rainy days and evenings will be time to sort.  I will eventually get done...I hope. 

My baby brother brought me three more totes yesterday, one tote had...greeting cards and a small box with some of my Fathers things...like an old billfold...no money in it...a leather belt that has seen better days...a Japanese or Korean book of maps....his drivers license ( I shredded it)...a razor, hearing aids and glasses. 

Not sure what is in the other totes as I didn't get to them yet.  Have to leave those surprises for another rainy day or evening project. 

I know the Lions take glasses...I heard they take hearing aids too!

Six pair...I wonder if that is all I will find?  I tried them on..and no I cannot see through them..he had two real fancy pairs of prescription sunglasses.

Just thankful I didn't get the totes with fabric in them my baby brother has stacks of them in his all season craft/gathering room. 

Far Guy had a pretty good day, we got the bird feeders filled, a Pileated Woodpecker was in the yard and I am sure he will be back for suet.  It was nice to sit out in the sunshine!  The high temperature was 55 F or 13 C eh!

Far Side

Ongoing Project: School Days

One of my “ongoing” projects has been gathering together small school photos of the girls.  Good grief those photos were here and there and not in the right size.  Everytime I discovered a school photo it was like Christmas for me, progress was so slow I was not sure the project would ever get finished.  I eventually scanned the larger ones and found a place online that would convert my scans to whatever size I wanted.  Finally I dared to hope that I could finish the project.

Some projects take on a life of their own.  I was obsessed with finding the photos and trying to figure out what years they were from without asking the girls.  Afterall I am their Mother and I should recall.

It was a project that I started a number of years ago…like about 15 years…uffda.

It must have been about 2002/2003 or so that I made scrapbooks for both of the girls that concentrated on their school days.

It was shortly after that when I found the perfect addition to their scrapbooks.

Trica

Jennifer

I wrapped them up as Christmas gifts.  I think I got the years all correct except Jen’s 10th and 11th grade photos are reversed.

I also included a simple family tree.  I have more detailed family trees that covers many more generations but this simple one is a great addition to a scrapbook

I was happy to finish this ongoing project that never made my list last year.  It was the only “from the heart” project that I finished before Christmas.

It is really cold here.  We are safe and warm and working on various projects and napping.

 

Hair Hair

While searching for something that was hidden stored in a very logical space, Far Guy found my hair.  It looks a little funny as it has been stored in a peanut butter jar for a number of years.   He held it up to my head and said “It sure is a different color now?”  Ya think?

So we got a few drawers and assorted interesting places straightened up while we were on the wild goose chase that finally ended in success…and I am reminded that we have too much “stuff.”

So I listed my hair on ebay. 

One time in a small antique shop on the North side of Fishhook Lake… a little old man kept following me around …finally he asked if he could buy my hair…I grabbed all my hair into a pony tail and held it in front of me…I was afraid he had a scissors.  The old guy made dolls and used human hair….but mine was not for sale that day…I wonder where he is now?

Progress is slow on the before Christmas clean and dust upstairs.  We are easily distracted.

Remember to tell me your favorite Christmas movie to be entered in the 2017 Woodcarved Ornament Giveaway.  I will close the give away at 8PM my time Sunday night.

Ongoing Projects: Folders, Family Tree and “stuff”

I wanted to include a family tree in the Grands folders.  I spent a good share of the afternoon yesterday finding a template I liked and entering the information.  It is a solid five generation tree, I have several birth and death dates yet to enter but it is printable as it is. I also made some copies for me going back to the 1790’s in Finland and 1812 in Germany for Far Guy. That would be seven generations back for the grands….but those parts will require much more research. If and when I get around to it…I will be able to hit the ground running…then on Far Guys side of his Mother’s family I believe there is an American Revolution Connection.  Of course I will have to prove it….someday our daughters may find it worth pursuing.

I used a Five Generation Fan Chart, some charts are confusing but I found this one easy to use and easy for a person to comprehend.  There are many Free Downloads out there.

I have a good start on the grands three ring binders.  I still have a few things to include.

During one of my sorts, I found a packet with about 20 Graduation Photos of me!  Far Guy said “Put one in the grands folder!”  So I did.  I found some very interesting things that I saved from the grands, some made us laugh and I will be sharing them here on the blog at some time in the future.

My desk is still a mess.  Imagine that.  At one time so was the dining room table!

I need more three ring binders and so far I have used over 100 page protectors.

In my process of checking places for buttons for the button jar, I ended up cleaning out my sewing kit.  No more threads hanging out all over, no more threaded needles waiting to attach a button.  It is all neat and tidy.  Seam bindings, zippers and ric rack are headed to a garage sale.

I actually shredded some old photos…it is true.  Some old Graduation Photos bit the dust.  I kinda shuddered as I shredded them.  Along with those old photos many High School Memories were unearthed….many are in a pile to see if they give me good feelings…or not.  The decorations from my Graduation Cake ended up in the garbage…the tassel's and the diplomas were saved….not sure what for?  I guess for the children to throw out! Remember those name cards that you traded with other classmates?  We had three boxes between us.  The grands got ours and the rest were tossed.

I almost have the downstairs Christmas Decorations put away…not completely done yet…and the Shiny Brite tree is still up.  I admire it several times a day!

It is too cold to do much else but work on projects.

Last of the Red Hot Shoppers

I was so not ready to run out on Monday morning to shop.  I waited till Wednesday..then I hit Menards.

You see Menards had a 50 % off sale.  I knew I might be able to find what I was seeking there.

My list: Shiny Brites, a tree skirt, gift tags and wrapping paper.  The wrapping paper was a bust..I could have purchased Green Hornet or Transformer wrapping paper..there was not a plain piece of paper or one with whimsical little Angels or Birds left to be found.

My perfect Christmas wrapping paper exists only in my mind.  It has a white snow bank filled  background.  Cherub like children are decorating rows of trees with little birds and strings of cranberries and popcorn whilst forest creatures like deer and foxes and bunny rabbits look on. It has all colors on the paper so what ever color bow I grab works perfectly.

I got everything else on my list.

I really needed a tree skirt for the tall tree upstairs..I have a little tree skirt that barely goes around the tree that I purchased at a rummage sale for a quarter..this new one will be perfect.

The Shiny Brites are retro ones by Christopher Radco.  I now have two boxes of them.   Last year I missed the half price sale at Menards.  Two years ago I bought a box..at full price..I couldn’t restrain myself.

This year the retro ornaments are nestled inside these Shiny Brite tissue papers..now how cool is that?  Someday..in about 50 years these will be collectable too.

Next we hit the Antique Mall..a quick trip around looking for Vintage Shiny Brites..only one was found for $3.50..I passed.   John smiled as I walked up to his booth..he said “here look at these while I run home I have been saving some old photos for you.” I think John had a belated Merry Christmas..he now knows exactly what kind of old photos I will buy.  He had saved a whole bunch of old black and white photo Christmas cards…perfect.

Yesterday I was in another antique shop..a new gal was working.. I asked her if she had any old photos..she replied “ Someone must collect them..so we don’t have any.” The shop owner came out and said “Hi ..we have no old photographs..you have bought them all!” I did find four old photos there..sometimes  shop keepers have no idea what they have in their shops:) 

Wistful Wednesday: School Days 2002

Our oldest granddaughter Savannah is a lefty.  She started first grade in a suburb of Chicago.  She was featured in the newspaper.

It said “Savannah is a study in concentration as she says the pledge of allegiance with her first grade classmates at Madison Elementary School in Lombard.”

School started yesterday.  She is a sophomore this year.  In a few years she will graduate.

I have had this newspaper article and the special paper to mount it on..and the idea that I should mat and frame this piece of history for some time now..well since back in 2002. I hope I get it done by the time she graduates:)

Saving Stuff

Monday I had a rude awakening.  I was doing some computer maintenance and discovered that I needed to do a defrag..but there was a little problem..I only had 6 percent of usable space on my computer..to do a defrag you should have about 15 percent of usable space.  The computer being smarter than me suggested I delete some files.  There were only a few that I felt I could delete.   I could have dumped some photos..now that was a possibility since I have those files backed up.  I called my HP brother to give him a rash of crap, because when he selected this computer for me..he said and I quote " Sis, you will NEVER be able to take enough photos to fill up that computer."  He was on a plane to Ireland..so much for communication with him.  Last March when Day Light Savings time crashed my computer and I had it repaired..the  lobotomized former Air Force Officer that fixed it supposedly added a larger hard drive..I am not so sure about that. How do you really know if those repair guys do what they say anyway?


I ordered an external hard drive..an HP SimpleSave that should hold 300,000 photos!  It took four hours to back up my files, and only about 15 minutes to back up Far Guys.  Today I am going to do a test and delete a photo and then see if I can restore it from the external hardrive...technology..I am always a little skeptical about it.  I am a really anal about backing up my photos..I copy them to CD about three times a month, as soon as they are copied..I double check to make sure my photos are actually on the CD ..before I delete them from my camera cards.


When this new SimpleSave backed up my photos..I had 41,000 photos.. I knew I had lots of photos..but I didn't think it was that many.  I do delete the bad shots..


I am hoping that when I remove some of my files from my computer that I will regain some space and perhaps even a little speed...we will see.


I hate those user manuals that are not actually with the product you buy, but they are included in the software..who thought up that crazy idea anyway..and how was I supposed to know  all those abbreviations like ARA and FIN.. and who knows what else..ARA was first on the list.  I told Far Guy  "Damn look at all these squiggles."  He took one look at it and said "Honey, that is an Arabic users manual."  Now how was I supposed to know that..I had to back up and find the ENG one...   


I have lots of photo projects I am working on..saving old family photos to share with other family members.  I have old photos coming out my ears..but that is a good thing..some people have no old photos..and I seem to be blessed with them. Someday some one will appreciate my efforts..someone will probably say..who was that crazy old Aunt  that had all those old photos?  She must have been a really weird.  


Sometimes when I look at the boxes and albums of old photos I get a bit discouraged..so much work to do. Scanning and marking them..one photo at a time..some photos must be repaired...it all takes time. 
For me it is a labor of love, with perhaps a bit of curiosity mixed in..every photo has a story..we just don't know what some of the great stories are.. some will be lost forever.  I want to save as many stories and photos as I can..I think it may have become an obsession.. is there a group called Old Photographs Anonymous?

Last Saturday I posted this photo of a building in Lengby, Minnesota.  It was indeed a school.  Several local blog readers  left me comments.  Abra wrote, "The old Lengby School, built with Lengby bricks in 1905 at a cost of $3,000.00, still stands next to the town baseball field. The school closed in 1969, and is in the process of renovation for an artist’s retreat." 


Linda wrote,  " It's the old Lengby school - my husband went to grade school there. I think it closed in the late 50's."   I have great readers and commenters..thanks gals!


So my curiosity is satisfied..well maybe not..now I wonder what kind of artists are retreating there..so we will probably have to stop by there someday anyway:)