Clipped Wings

We have a friend from High School that resides in a assisted living facility. He has a great memory of things that happened in the past..but his short term memory is lost.  Too many wild days in the late 1960's, that lasted well into the 1970's and 1980's. His brain was a tad damaged by drugs. Partially fried..just like the egg in the hot frying pan commercial. He cannot remember to take medications, he doesn't remember to eat, or pay bills, or what happened yesterday or even this morning.

There are a number of birds in the bird room at the facility that he lives in. Some of the birds flight feathers have been clipped. They are trapped and doomed to a life of hopping from one branch to the next. If they try to go further they will flap their little wings for dear life. Unable to forage far afield for their food, they rely on people for their basic needs of food, water and shelter. Our friend who I will call TS can't go far either. I suppose he could walk. Far Guy spends some time with him..they "do lunch" or just hang out in the bird room..talking about high school memories. Sometimes they just go for drives..two old guys..one day they forgot to sign TS out. I wonder if it makes a difference if you forget that you forgot.

I didn't particularly like my time in High School. I graduated with a bunch of pious pukes that were full time assholes. There are only a few of my classmates I would give you a nickle for. Now, Far Guy was in the class I should have been in..his class was cool. I was too young to be in that cool class..by today's standards I should have been two years behind Far Guy. I was seventeen my entire Senior year, and I was bored to tears. I just wanted out of there, I wanted to move on, I wanted to learn but not the boring old stuff they taught in High School. I was only challenged for one hour everyday in an Advanced Biology Class. I read during the other classes I had..just getting by doing the minimum required. I consider my Senior year to be a total waste of time..I was just marching in place..flapping around just like one of those caged birds in TS's facility. I wonder sometimes, I  bitched, complained and read through my senior year..I think TS probably drank and did recreational drugs to survive.. choices. The poor little birds don't have much of a choice..but as teenagers we did..and I am thankful for the choices I made:)  

Water, Water

Water is everywhere, it has been raining all week.   I was looking for some waterproof boots..to replace my snow boots that are very warm..but not waterproof.   After two days of getting my feet wet and cold I went shopping. I hate shopping.  Far Guy suggested a pair of black buckle overshoes, the farm supply store we were at had them too, all lined up on the shelf. They also had rubber waterproof boots..in pink and purple.   Now they looked fine and dandy..but I am not a pink or purple kind of gal.  Especially not purple..really old ladies wear lots of purple. I was doomed to have vain cold feet yet another day.

 Finally I found some red rubber boots at Wally World..perfect and one of my favorite colors too!  A group of old ladies saw me trying them on, and bee lined it to the shelf where the red ones were rapidly disappearing.  Red may be the new old lady color this spring.

 Far Guy and I went to the Post Office this morning..there is lots of water running. We are in no danger of flooding here, the snow is melting in the rain and running off into the streams east and south of us. This is all normal spring runoff.

 The fields that were covered in snow are showing some dark spots.  Far Guy heard in the Post Office that next week the weather is supposed to turn cold and snowy.  I don't understand why someone just can't start the rumor that it is going to be sunny and seventy:)

Dreary Days

We have not seen the sun in days..it has been warm..in the 30 degree range..one day almost 40 degrees. Really nice weather for March..but I need me some sun. Sun and blue skies..

I finally got the freaking taxes done and to the accountant. An audible sigh of relief should have been heard across Minnesota. Now it is just a wait to have them completed. I am no good at depreciation schedules..or I could do the darn things myself. I could try..but since I might make some huge mistake and get a large packet in the mail.. and then they will want to know how many times I went to the bathroom in the past year..and whether it was hard or soft..dark or light..smelly or non smelly. I just take them to the accountant, he gets paid well enough to make no errors.


Things I do to occupy myself on dreary rainy days, I clean out drawers and organize "stuff." I have a afternoon nap. I even cooked one day. Neighbors have come for coffee..they were restless. Chance and I went to visit Hooch and Odda, those two are always happy to see me! Chance and I drive aimlessly on the muddy, rutty country roads..looking for some sign of spring. Well if mud is a sign.. then it is here. Then just for fun there is the inevitable Doctors appointment, where everyone knows your first name because you are a regular.


I had my last eye appointment..and a pair of reading glasses was ordered. In ten days I will get them. My eyes are all healed up..better than new. My vision is 20/20 and 20/25. The Doctor says my eyes are still fighting...my right eye was dominant and then since it had the worst cataracts..the left took over cause he is helpful, after the first surgery the right was top dog because he could finally see something, then the left was repaired and all hell broke lose..the left is way better than the right..so after fifty some years of being right eye dominant..I am smack dab in the middle of an eye war. Sometimes they fight so bad, I just have to take charge and close them. It is quite an adjustment not wearing glasses for the first time in fifty years. In a perfect world, I would have the ability to focus and see close up like before..but have the distance vision that I have now. But it is not a perfect world..so I will settle for a pair of prescription readers.


We spring ahead on Saturday night..the last time we sprung ahead..my computer crashed. I wish we could just be on one time. Real Time.. what a novel idea.

All non dreary photos taken last summer:)

Wistful Wednesday: Early 1900's

My paternal grandmother lived in Michigan until she was twenty-one years old.   Her family had moved to Minnesota and she followed them after a short time.  ( I will speculate that she was lonely and missed her parents and siblings.)  She had a very good job in Michigan, she was a housekeeper for a very wealthy couple.

Well do you suppose that a beautiful young lady of twenty one would have had just a few suitors? 

I found this Real Photo Postcard amongst the photographs that came from my Grandpa.. It is addressed to my Grandmother using her maiden name...it was probably sent by hand or with a package as there is no stamp.  I believe it to be from right around 1910.  My Grandmother married my Grandfather in 1911.

Hello Kido, Hows the world using you now these pretty summer days hope fine.  I am well and hope you the same. Don't get scared when you look at this sour face.

It is unsigned..so he doesn't even have a name.   I wonder if her heart had been broken in Michigan and that is why she came to Minnesota.   I guess we will never know.  Another thing we will never know is how she met my Grandfather..they were neighbors..they lived less than a mile from each other.  They did not go to the same church.  Since her dad was the local "Bone Doctor" perhaps that is how they met.  I guess I could speculate all day long.  Perhaps they met at a dance.  I was told once that the Finnish boys liked to go to dances so that they could dance with the German girls..the Finn girls wouldn't dance..and my Grandmother was a Finn girl:)  

A Trip To The River

 I am warding off a dreary day with a few old memories today and some photos I took last September 30, 2009.

Last September we took a trip over to "The Farm" about four miles away on the road or two miles as the crow flies.  It is the farm that Far Guys grandparents purchased in 1917.  It now belongs to Far Guys Uncle.  This trip I did not photograph any of the buildings.   Sometimes it is all about the river.  It was a relaxing beautiful fall day in Minnesota.

The river and the bridge..I think that Grandmas old cook stove is under the bridge along with lots of other iron stuff to keep the bridge from washing away.  I have walked this way with many people. Far Guy, Far Guys Dad and with Grandma.  When Grandma was newly widowed she loved company..well she loved company even before she was widowed.  She was a special Grandma. I miss her just about everyday.  I used to walk with her down to the river, after supper before the bugs got too bad.  We walked slowly drinking in the evening air, the scent of grasses and the river mixing..the mosquitoes would always chase us back.  

 Far Guy and I talked of the early morning deer slaughter the day we were sitting just north on the river one foggy morning during deer season..it sounded like WWII..but it was only Uncle Jim.

There is a time in the spring when the fish run through this stream..very tempting for a late night rendezvous with a few of your relatives with a spear and a gunnysack..I have never participated in these late night adventures..but I hear tell they were looked forward to and planned down to the last detail during the long Minnesota winter evenings.

 I wonder who put up this fence and how long it has been here.

The plantings of Norway Pines..provide a different view than we are used too..but they are a great addition.  Plantings are here in all ages and stages.   Sometimes it is good to go back and not only appreciate the memories of a place..but to appreciate the changes that have taken place:)

Chance : Double Fun

Hi, it is I Chance the wonder blogging dog..it is my turn!

Far Side called the next door neighbors..the two boys ( great-nephews) are almost alike but different.   They are five years old.  I adore them, Far Side says they are double the fun.   They are old enough now to meet us half way on our walk.  One of them wanted to come to our house and play trains.  Far Side said "Not today" he is a little stubborn..and started to cry.  Far Side told him "Tears don't work on me dude."  (She is one tough cookie.)   The other is one of my best buds..I have kidnapped him twice over the years..Far Guy and Far Side always return him home.  I never get to keep him.

 He is a great ball player...

 He does all kinds of interesting stuff, climbing huge snowbanks and splashing in puddles..his twin brother finally came to check out the puddle.

 .

I had a drink, this made my first favorite boy giggle. All little boys should know how to get their own drink.


I got to see their little sister who is now big enough to open the screen door to let me in the house..twice.  Far Side said "Out" twice.  I was trapped on their deck..the little munchkins before they went inside blocked off the steps with long stick with an electrical cord looped over it.  Of course, I could have moved the stick, but I didn't.  Those little twerps had me trapped.. Ingenious for five almost six years old.  I get along with both of them just fine, they were born the summer before I was..we are almost the same age. When they were one and two years old..they looked at me and screamed and shook in fear. When they were three they started throwing the ball for me...after that we became good friends..they are no longer afraid of me.

One of them asked Far Side where her glasses were and if the Doctors were all done cutting on her eyes.  She showed him her cheap Wally World reading glasses.  He said "Oh, you are so beautiful."  No wonder she loves visiting over there:)

Looney Bin

Sometimes I feel like I live in a looney bin, and I have the rug to prove it.  A gift from our friends Sue and Joe in Indiana.  It made us both laugh out loud..it is the perfect gift!   I collect Loons..they are mainly in the kitchen..but I have several upstairs..and this rug ended up in front of the fireplace downstairs..it is perfect!

Last fall Far Guy and I attended a carving show and sale.  While Far Guy was off doing his thing, I sauntered by all the tables..lots of people just ignored me.  I can't figure this out..people selling their wares were sitting down and reading..which in my opinion is not exactly customer friendly.  Finally I came across a very interesting table, a guy and gal with a friendly hello and carvings with personality.. proof that I was not an invisible shopper.  The thing is.. their masterpieces sold themselves, and they made me laugh out loud..talking to them was the icing on the cake.

This is the loon that made me laugh ...it hangs near my calendar the one that Far Guy never looks at between the kitchen and the computer area..all he has to do is sit back in his computer chair and look at the calendar and the loon.  Now me, I am way too far away at my computer to see the calendar..I must get up and walk over to it, which takes much more effort than just glancing up.

Part of the reason I feel like I live in a looney bin..must have something to do with the long winter.  Although it rained yesterday..some of the snow melted..but mainly things just got more slippery.  The driveway is like a big old ice skating rink. Six more weeks until the real Loons come..six weeks until we will hear them at night..calling for their mates..you know they don't overwinter together..they just meet up in the spring to lay eggs and raise their chicks..then they are foot loose and fancy free all winter long. That is a pretty good arrangement if you ask me..but I am way past the raising chicks part..so I am stuck in the looney bin:)

Retirement Communications

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Yesterday we had coffee with old friends from North Dakota who are newly "retired"..they are still in the honeymoon stage of their retirement.  They are still getting on each others nerves.  They are in the process of finishing their lake home here in Minnesota and moving..stress is just a little high in their household.   They are taking separate vacations because one of them will not leave the dog alone.  One does not have her passport yet, we are waiting for her..she had her bad hip done at Mayo.   They have issues, one is a night person, one goes to bed at 9PM..one gets stuck with all the cooking..one is content to stay home and do jigsaw puzzles..one is a people person and makes the rounds having coffee every morning.  

This is Penny, a sweet old gal..the one that they don't want to leave alone.  She cannot walk on the hardwood floors..so they have a trail of scatter rugs that go from her dog bed to a huge area rug..they have steps ..she struggles with them.  I took several photos of her..she has very soulful eyes.  She probably won't live much longer..she is twelve..I think that it is really sad that dogs don't live very long..they have to cram a whole lot of living in just a few years.

New retirees..they have to cram a whole bunch of things in before they croak or medical aliments or old dogs keep them home... there are lots of "honeymoon" issues that have to be worked out too..being together 24/7 can be a real joy or a real problem in retirement, communication is a must.  Communication is something we could all work at. Especially men.

Lately Far Guy says that I forget to tell him stuff.  Me..who is on no medication that makes me forget..me who tells him stuff..he who replies "Yes dear" ..me who writes stuff on the calendar..as a reminder that we must be someplace...he who doesn't look at the calender.  The other day after I talked to Bob on the phone at 9PM because Barb had gone to bed..I told Far Guy.. we will have coffee with them on Friday..he said "OK" so I added it to our calendar....then when Bob called yesterday morning..Far Guy knew nothing about it.. sometimes I feel just like banging my head against the wall..instead it appears that I have just been talking to the wall.  I am not sure what the solution is..I am communicating..someone is not listening..does he need a hearing aid or should I have him sign little post it notes all day long.  That is Bob and Barbs method of insuring that they have communicated..they leave each other little "love notes".. and Bob had a whole pocket full:)

Backing Up "Stuff"

The new external hard drive ( Hp SimpleSave)  works just fine..it was a little dicey when I started to delete photo files from my computer..I went back to make sure they were still there several times. Far Guy said "be brave" .. there is no turning back once the recycle bin make that dumping sound.  Several files were to large to send there..so they are just deleted permanently.. "This file is too big for your recycle bin..are you sure you want to delete this folder and all it's contents?"    Big gulp.. but the good news is ..I gained back 50 percent of my available space..from 6 percent to 50 percent..that is a big increase..and I could have sent more files to the bin..but when I reached 50 percent..I called it good.  So that project was a success!!

Now I have a question..I have been backing up my photos to Cd's..how long do they last before they lose their integrity?  And where is the best place to store them? So far I just put mine in a photo storage boxes, that I keep in an armoire.  Technically..I shouldn't have to back up to Cd's anymore ..but I would better be safe than sorry..so I will continue.  More "stuff" for the kids to throw out when we are old and decrepit.

Today is the first day that there is even a hint of Spring in the air.   Snow is melting and we have puddles...by the end of the day we might even have some mud..whoohoo..I am sure it is just a little taste of spring....winter will rear its ugly head in a day or two:)

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:)

Wistful Wednesday: 1964

This was taken in 1964, at the farm where I grew up.  The only two brothers I have are also in this photo, my sister was not born yet.   If you look closely our dog "Wally" a Spitz is laying in the snow between me and the car.  I was thirteen in this photo..my brothers would have been four and ten.  Those fabulous stretch pants must have been in style back then..and colored tennis shoes..a real fashion statement.  I obviously had recently endured one of those home perms, a Lilt or a Toni..they were horrible stinky things..and just made my hair even more unmanageable.

Here is the same barn, forty five years later..on a nice day last June.  The barn is showings it's age..much like the children that posed in that farmyard so many years ago:)

Friday Night Fun

Friday night we were the last minute substitution for a couple that couldn't attend Bunco at our daughters. It was a good excuse to have her cook for us, and to spend some time with their friends. Far Guy had never played Bunco before, he found it entertaining. Bunco is a dice game, played with three dice, you roll designated numbers and if you get all three dice to roll the same number it is a Bunco! I love the fast pace of the game..not much time for visiting.  I hit a winning streak and spent the last six turns with the same partner, a Dutch fellow who I am certain thinks I am a bit nuts.  I won..Jen gave out prizes..a Movie Night complete with a DVD ( Zombieland.. a comedy) and enough candy to start my own concession stand. Far Guy won too..he had the most wipe outs..that is when you get three dice that match but not the number you were seeking for a bunco..he got Gourmet M and M's.  I am a pretty competitive person, I love games, and needlesss to say I can really get into the rolling of the dice!

 Far Guy, Chance,  Miney and Elvis..

Of course, Chance went along..he did pretty good with the new puppy Elvis. Little Elvis is growing. I am not real high on his popularity list..he is fourteen weeks old now. and needs to be put on the leash everyday..so I put the leash on him..he is pretty stubborn.. he just sat there looking pathetic..until my son in law rescued him.  I think perhaps Elvis is pretty spoiled. He seems to be a gentle little guy, he doesn't even bite your fingers or toes very hard..he has a soft mouth. Far Guy of course is very popular..Miney loves him most of all..it is sickening..she could almost be his dog..in fact he says that she is really his and that she is just living with these other people for the moment:)

Grandson Adam and Elvis.  Elvis is a Shetland Sheepdog or a Sheltie. He is a tri-color..black, white and sable.

Marching in like sheep

March is finally here, one month closer to unfrozen. Yesterday we stopped by the fishing derby for lunch.

There was so much flooding on the ice that we didn't stay long, the wind was brisk out on the lake..even though it looked warm it was cold. Lunch was a hot dog and a homemade brownie. Far Guy had to wade to the concession stand..he had waterproof boots on.. I did not.

They should have had a "Wadetress" and they should have had two windows open..instead they fumbled around with just one window open...if the line had been longer we wouldn't have waited. They don't seem to "get" it ..they have two hours to sell as much as they can..and they would sell more if people didn't have to wade in water and wait in line. It is the area Sportsman's Club that puts on this fishing derby every year the last Sunday In February. It is their main source of income. No, I am not joining this club..I don't like meetings. If you ask me there are way to many meetings in this world..we need less talk and more action.

Well I guess March is coming in like a sheep..for your viewing enjoyment I give you a glimpse of my sisters sheep..and a photo taken last June, when the grass was all green!

Here is a crack in the ice on the lake..for those of you who live in warmer parts of the USA and can't believe that we actually walk, drive and fish out on a frozen lake. Today it is way above zero ( 20 degrees!! headed for the mid 30's..yes this is cause for great excitement!) ..a rather pleasant March like day in Minnesota..not baaaad at all:)

Firefighter of the Year

Last night was the awards banquet at the local volunteer fire department. The food was awesome, roast pork, real mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, green beans, lettuce salad and homemade bread.  Neither of us had to cook..that is a very good thing!

Our nephew Josh was chosen as the Firefighter of the year.  It was in my opinion well deserved, he was instrumental in getting a whole group of younger guys interested and signed up and into Firefighter One Training and First Responder Training.  Firefighter of the year is an honor that is voted on by your peers.   Getting more members was crucial, many of the guys are getting older, and  a new fire-hall will be opening in April ten miles from the other one..so both halls need to be manned by volunteers.   Station One and Station Two..we are very fortunate to have young men of Joshua's caliber volunteering their time day and night.

Far Guy got a ten year pin, he asked if it was the first ten years or the second ten years, they are always plucking him out of retirement because all these young guys have day jobs:)

What do you think?

We just got back from "Up North".  Sometimes when we travel we take a different road that we have never been on before.  Today was one of those days..and we found a nice surprise in a tiny little town called Lengby, Minnesota located on the shores of Spring Lake.  Population 79.   

Now what do you think it's original purpose was?  Far Guy says it might have been a school.  What do you think?  :)

German Songbook

This is an very old book that belongs to my Mother. It was her Grandmothers.

Years ago books were beautiful on the outside. .

From what I gather it is a song book. Not the typical song book that we are used to seeing.

This is the first page in the book.

This is the back cover.

This is the spine of the book.

A German book of Hymns and Spiritual Songs. I am not sure if the 1877 means anything..it may just be a number that the German printer delegated to this book as it was printed. I did a Internet search and found a book similar to this one on eBay, but it was not in as good of shape from 1892. So I will venture to guess that this one was published before 1900.

Somehow this book came to America, probably by ship..probably with a person.   Of course the person must have been able to read German.  I have never been able to grasp a foreign language although I did take three years of Latin in high school..which helps you identify words.. you can speak Latin I guess..I can still recite the Pledge of Allegiance..but only because I said it every morning in school for three years. The horrible conjugation of verbs...present, past  and past perfect used to drive me nuts, it was all memorization.  If conversational Latin ever becomes the "in" thing to participate in..I have a head start:)  

Forgotten Old Photos

If you happened to do a google search and ended up at my Forgotten Old Photos blog what would you think?  Crazy old woman?  What in the world?  Or if I happened to write you a letter and tell you that I have a photo of one of your relatives, or if I happened to call you..you seem excited ..but never call back to make arrangements to look at all the other photos that could be your relatives. Lordy I must sound scary.  I really am not.  

 A photo that Mildred shared of her hometown around 1900. 

Old photographs seem to fascinate me.  Recently over at my Forgotten Old Photographs blog we have been able to reunite some people with old photos of their relatives.  I get a bit excited. as do my readers over there..the last discovery was made by a google search!

 A Tin Type that Norkio shared from sometime between  1873 to 1895 

Long time blog friend Abra assists me when she can researching names, a new friend Norkio is ever so kind to explain about the clothing that women wore in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

 A photo from Jinglebobs Grandmother's collection taken around 1910. 

The Forgotten Old Photos blog was just a fluke..it began with a few photos from an Antique Shop.  Then Jinglebob a blog reader sent me some of his Grandmothers forgotten old photos..we have now returned five photos to their homes, and Jinglebob is learning more about his Grandmothers family and friends everyday. Mildred mailed me photos of her home town of Alpharetta Georgia in the early 1900's.  Norkio emailed me copies of Tin Types that she had. Noriko is involved with a small group of people that are reenactors, who love literature and making historical booklets.  It has been quite an adventure!  I still have a stash of old forgotten photos..so the adventure will continue.  If old photographs are something that interest you..stop on over..we are a friendly small group:)

Wistful Wednesday: Sno-Daze 1968

Years ago the doldrums and greyness of February were left behind for one evening.  At a dance called Sno-Daze.  Some school group sold buttons and tickets..we would have a real live band and everything..it might have been "The Images" from nearby Menahga.  They were a pretty good band...not as good or as crazy as "The Unbelievable Uglies"  but cheaper. The dance took place in the high school gymnasium..with the band on the stage..and lots of dancers on the wood floor. Some one served punch, in little plastic cups, and the teachers were chaperone's.

I bought a brand new outfit, an angora sweater and a matching wool skirt from O 'Mearas in Detroit Lakes..it was the place to go back then for teenage clothing.  Of course the skirt was fairly short..it was three or four inches above the knee..long by today's standards. Far Guy wore a sport coat with dress pants. he also wore a white shirt with a dickie underneath it.  Dickie's were very popular back then.  For those of you who do not know what a dickie was, it is just a turtle neck with a flap in the front and a flap in the back..you wore them under shirts or blouses. You just pulled it over your head, and smoothed down the flaps, it looked like you had another shirt on underneath.

  
I was a Junior that year, Far Guy was a Senior.  I helped him get through Advanced Algebra, I sat in front of him in Study Hall. Until that fateful day that he sat in my chair instead of his, I had absolutely no intention of going out with him, much less falling hopelessly in love with him.  He had dated my best friend Cathie, the year before. Besides that he had two girlfriends, they were all he could handle..and sometimes he even ignored them. I was playing the field, and just had lots of friends....  I had two study halls, in the other study hall I sat behind "Gravy".  That was his nickname then and that is his nickname now.  At Far Guys 40th Class Reunion, Gravy gave me a big hug, Far Guy later asked me " Did you ever go out with Gravy?"  No..I replied..I sat behind him in study hall, but he never sat in my chair:)

Cooking With Far Side : Spaghetti Squash

I like spaghetti squash, it is one of my favorites.   This is how I do it ..

Buy a spaghetti squash..this is what they look like

Cut them in half...being careful not to slice off any important things like fingers etc.. sometimes I find this is the hardest part. If anyone has any hints of how to do this easier..please share!  I usually have Far Guy do it for me..with a really sharp knife..he still has all his fingers.  

Scoop out the seeds.  I saved some to try and plant next summer. I also purchased a package of seeds, just in case the ones I saved were a hybrid seed. Wrap in aluminum foil, throw them on a cookie sheet and bake about 75 minutes at 350.  If they squish when you squeeze them they are done.  Adjust your cooking time..seems like I always end up with brown edges..they taste OK..just don't look so good.

Unwrap and cool..then you can take a fork and scoop out the cooked flesh.  It looks like spaghetti..but tastes way better..I put a little butter and salt and pepper on it and enjoy!  Of course a huge squash is much to much for me to consume in one sitting..so I usually freeze individual servings.. during the winter it is impossible to get this squash up here.  Big cities may have them..our little podunk grocery store..no way.  I enjoy squash all winter long.  The squash is a little watery when unfrozen and heated..but still has a great flavor.  Chance loves it...it is one of his favorite leftovers:)