Swimming Lesson Memories

We (my brother and I ) took swimming lessons every summer. Our Mother did not swim, she never learned to swim until very late in her life.. she was always scared of the water.

Osage Beach photo taken Fall of 2009 

In the late 1950's and the early 1960's we took swimming lessons at the Osage Beach. It was the old beach then, you just walked down the sandy hill to get to the water, someone had dumped some sand in the center of the beach, there were drop offs on both sides, huge slabs of concrete had been dumped there on the south side. There was a rope swing that was hung in a tree on the north side drop off. The area to swim safely was very small. Of course you knew everyone at the swim lessons. The Moms would sit on the beach and visit. I remember that pedal pushers were very popular back then, in beautiful shades of coral and lilac. During one of those summers my Mother was pregnant with my other baby brother.

Our swim instructor was one of the Coaches and Physical Education teachers from nearby Park Rapids. He was very tall and very good looking. I believe his name was John Haugo. Classes were ten or fifteen minutes long. Sometimes we would stay until the end of the lessons to splash and play around in the water. Kids were supposed to stay out of the water during the lessons..unless of course it was time for your lesson.

One day during lessons, Mary and Margaret disappeared. They were sisters, one was a thin red head, and the other was a pudgy little gal with dark hair. They were gone, they just dissapeared just like that. Mr. Haugo dove in the water in the drop off area that had all the huge blocks of concrete, he came up with Mary first ( I think, Good Lord that was fifty years ago, I am lucky to remember it at all) she was blue, then he dove back in and got Margaret..who was pale, he worked on both of them..lifting their arms..patting on their backs..they spit and sputtered and coughed and cried and shivered..but they were alive. I am not sure how he realized what area of the water to search..those little girls were lucky that day. Until that day, I had no fear of the water, yes I had been told that people could drown, but not children at swimming lessons..I gained a new respect for the water that day and swimming lesson teachers.

One year, when I must have been nine or ten years old, the big day arrived. The testing to see if you passed from one section of swimming lessons to the other. I was so nervous, my knees were knocking together, I was sure I was going to drown. The dam was not blocked off then, it had an upper fence or railing made of horizontal bars. People used to fish from the cement platform. We were supposed to climb under the railing and stand on the pillar ( the one on the right front) and then plug our noses and jump off. Someone was out in a boat, rowing around ready to help the drowning ones. I was afraid of heights, I was afraid to jump off the dam. I was sure that if I did not drown, I would be sucked in between the bars of the bottom part of the dam and be sent under the highway and disappear forever. Someone was counting..one..two..three..jump.. they had to count several times for me..I was a big chicken. Finally I threw caution to the wind and jumped..down, down, I went, the water was a murky green color and I saw bubbles everywhere..I popped right back up to the surface like a cork..the people in the boat shouted..SWIM..so I swam to shore. I think I might have peed in the water:)

Perception

Far Guy and I do not see eye to eye sometimes.  It seems to be happening alot lately, perhaps it is the rain, perhaps we both have spring fever. Perhaps it is just perception.

Like the other day, I mentioned the millpond, at Osage.  I call the whole thing the millpond..the part with the new dam, pier, swimming area and the part of the lake before the narrows into the big lake.  Far Guy calls only the part with the new dam and the pier the millpond.  Jen our youngest daughter had her own opinion..but waffled back and forth between her parents opinions. Perhaps because it was Mother's Day she wanted to give me the benefit of the doubt, but she didn't want to totally squash her fathers thoughts either.

Years ago, in 1881  there was a sawmill built and the mill dammed up the whole lake and raised the water level by thirteen feet.  That is why there are so many deadheads on the edges of the lake..especially in the what I call the millpond area.  The sawmill became a flour mill and wheat was ground there before it was even ground in nearby big city Park Rapids.  The mill was owned by a cooperative of farmers.  They milled three grades ( patent, straight and export) of wheat..this in itself is impressive.  The dam collapsed in the spring of 1903 or 1904 ( I cannot come up with the exact date right now..lost local history book..put away too well) anyway when the dam was built it was built with a temporary piling of slabs and trees.  Over the years these slabs began to rot.   During the winter muskrats burrowed into the dam weakening it, during the spring run off the dam collapsed.

 This is the old photo postcard. The mill has fallen in.

This is a photo taken from almost the same view last weekend.  You can see the beach off to the right. In the old photo where all the people are standing is the present beach area.

On a side note, this area has caused arguements before.  Squire McKinley was the man who built the original sawmill and raised the water level.  Just down the road from us a half mile, was a farmer by the name of Siegford, one spring he noticed that the lake was coming up and water was flooding his barn.  He went to Osage, in search of Squire McKinley ..they disscussed the situation..and in a manly way solved the arguement.  Fisticuffs insued..the Squire won, and Siegford tore down his barn and moved it.

Now back to the our argument. I am no good at fisticuffs and we do not hit each other..ever. A Millpond is a pond formed by a milldam. OR any expanse of calm water OR a pool formed by damming up a stream to provide water to turn a millwheel.  Well both of these areas qualify, no one is right and no one is wrong..it is all in your perception.  So Far Guy is half correct and I am half correct..exactly 50%. No more, no less..50 % wrong too..I can live with that.  Now finally we can put this argument to rest:)

Wistful Wednesday: Cousins

Last night we had our usual monthly cousins get together.  Geraldine drove..

 
We went to a cousins house who lives about an hour away.  There were five of us total..Diana finished a scrappy little quilt for a child, perhaps a girl, we will hold it in reserve ..I believe that we will know when the right time and person to give it to presents itself.  I shared some old photographs, the gals all had some input on this last batch of photographs..I can complete my project of scanning them now.  It is a good rainy day project.

We exchange information..who is sick, and who is feeling better, how one of the Aunts is doing after the death of her second husband.  She is a little lonely, but doing OK living alone again at well over 90 years old. Of course we always have dessert and last night was no exception, Evelyn prepared a fresh rhubarb dessert.

The photo today, is my cousin Geraldine, it was taken by my Mother in April of 1951, this was about the time that Geraldine became a big sister to Hilda (my cousin that I used to have the biting episodes with). Hilda was born in the spring and I was born in the fall.  Geraldine had to put up with both of us.  I loved visiting their farm, and having cousins to play with:)

Chance : Company

Hey! It is I Chance, the wonder blogging Border Collie. Finally it is my turn again!! I finished the dreadful pills that were almost disguised by the yummy peanut butter. Far Side says "You should be good to go! " Far Guy bought himself another little black comb, he keeps it in his back pocket and runs it through my hair many times a day looking for ticks. I sit patiently..since these combing episodes are usually after we have played ball for a long time.

We had company, Miney and Little Elvis came to visit. Miney has her paws full with that pup. What he lacks in stature ( He isn't ever going to be a BIG dog like me or Miney) he makes up for in attitude.


Little Elvis follows Miney around like she is his Mother.. he is a pain in the tail. Honestly he really is. While playing ball, he grabs onto her tail, and she growls while the ball is in her mouth..sometimes he hangs onto her tail and skids on four paws. Sometimes he has long strands of hair coming out of his mouth. He tried it with me a few times, I carry my tail higher and keep it moving like a huge old flag..so it is harder for him to catch. Far Side said "It is only a matter of time."

We went for a boat ride, I was a little scared and shook like a leaf. It has been about three years since I have been on a boat. I discovered that I used to like it..and I guess I will like it again.

Miney loved the boat..she was allowed up on the seats and everything..Little Elvis hardly even noticed that we were on a boat.

Little Elvis has a little appointment at the Vet this week. Far Side said "Who is going to tend him after his "little" surgery?" It seems that Miney will get a rest this week..while he recuperates from the Neuter..that is just a polite way of saying, they are going to rip your balls off Little Elvis! I wonder if it will be as awful as when I had my surgery, I did not walk for three days..Far Side was like my handmaiden, bringing me food and water and carrying me outside where I would just lay pathetically in the grass. Far Guy laid next to me out in the grass and scratched my ears. I didn't understand all the words then..women..every chance they get  ..better..soon...we can get even. I recovered and I am sure Little Elvis will too. Poor little dude:)

Relaxing

It was a relaxing day on the lake, it was a tad cool..but non the less a good day to cruise the shoreline.

Reminder to self, the next time you photograph your own feet, you should probably give yourself a pedicure first, at the very least you could use some moisturizer on those dry and cracking heels.  Oh and summer might be coming..so set a date to shave those legs too.  Perhaps you should do your one leg a day thing again..that way you are always half way ready, as long as you remember which one you did last.

There are at least two sets of Loons on the nearby lake this year, from what I observed they are not nesting yet.  Some years there are three pairs on the lake..the Eagle was fishing..and a Crow dive bombed him or her..Yeah! Crows!!  Plucky little birds.  If I were a bird I would probably be one of those Crows, caw cawing all day long...dreaming of being a beautiful Loon..but stuck in a Crows body irritating the Eagles.  If you were a bird, what kind would you be? :)

Mother's Day!

This is the card that I made for my Mother for Mother's Day.  I have a scrapbook program and it makes lovely photo collages, so I can make my own cards.  I understand that Hallmark might be upset..I am sorry I buy very few cards anymore, I make mine so they are one of a kind, and special..just like the people they are given to.

Far Guy and I took both of my parents out for lunch one day this week, my Mother liked her homemade card very much.  There are five generations on this card.  I have featured most of these photos recently in my Wistful Wednesday posts. 

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom and all of my readers that are Mom's, I hope you have a special day:)
** The scrapbook program I use is called Memory Mixer

May Snow

Yesterday it snowed most of the afternoon.  It melted almost as soon as it hit the ground.  I believe our last snow  event was back in February.

 It is just as well, most of the snowbirds are back, that is what we call people who go elsewhere for the winter.  They shouldn't have to be spared completely.  Pansy asses anyway.

It was a wild weather week, with bouts of sunshine, then the clouds would move in, it would rain buckets, then the sun would be out again.  Sometimes the wind would blow really hard, one day we wondered if we should seek shelter, Chance was hiding on the floor of the car.  If the weather had been warmer I am sure it would have been even rougher.   We thought we might see some cold weather tornadoes one evening, they usually don't touch down they just bounce around in the clouds.

I managed one rainbow photo..not a very good one, by the time I saw it and Far Guy found a safe place to pull over the clouds were moving in..use your imagination..can you see it?   A Rainbow is on my photo bucket list..I will keep trying.

Far Guy saw his Neurologist this week, we are tweaking the medications again..Far Guy took away one too many pills..so he is supposed to be adding it back in..now whether he is or not..that remains to be seen.  He drives me nuts, he would like to take as little medication as possible to control his pain.  There is a fine line between the excruciating pain and pain he can tolerate...there is a new drug being tested in Australia, which may be a total cure for Trigeminal Neuralgia, our Neurologist says that it will never be approved by the FDA, and if it is Insurance Companies won't cover it.  He also said that the insurance companies are way to big for their britches..they are into numbers and have forgotten the patients.  Perhaps this new medication when it is out in a year will be available in Canada. You know what..we don't live very far from the border either.

Thanks for all your kind comments concerning our oldest daughter Trica, she is still feeling very tired..

The Loons are now caring for two eggs, in 27 or 28 days they should hatch:)

Lights Out

Last night after we got home, after a very stressful evening, the lights went out. Just like that no warning..no hint of a flicker..just blackness. Far Guy was in the bathroom..I felt my way over to the kitchen window where the yellow really ugly flashlight is kept. I hate that flashlight, it was designed by a man. If a woman had designed it, it would be some other color than yellow. I love yellow flowers, yellow flashlights not so much. Thankfully the little boy Grands have outgrown their flashlight years..we used to keep one flashlight out of their reach..so it would be ready in an emergency.


It worked fine, even if it is yellow. I was able to use it to find a candle to light. We settled down to silence, no TVs, no computers humming, no ice cubes dropping in the automatic ice maker. We went to bed, Chance was in the middle..lounging..panting..then licking, then sighing. I know he gets the sighing part from his master. Far Guy couldn't take it, he went to the couch. I just snuggled down into the new feather bed topper, hollering back and forth to Far Guy..sure is dark, sure is quiet..this hasn't happened in a long time. We have been spoiled by electricity. I dozed off..only to be startled by bright lights and the sound of my computer booting back up. Then I heard Far Guy running water..so I got up and had a bath..we live in the boonies you know, no electricity=no water.


I don't know what caused the outage, we did see a suspicious car at one of the sub stations on our way home..we thought it looked like a cop car..maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. We were both too tired to investigate..we just wanted to get home take a bath and go to sleep.


When I get stressed out, I either clean or sleep..last night I cleaned our oldest daughters laundry room and did many loads of laundry, Far Guy cooked supper for the girls. I helped with homework. Our eldest daughter who is coincidentally a RN was in the ER, a Doctor recently changed her medications, and she had a severe drug interaction..she suffers from Pancreatitis which is a result of Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction that she got after the removal of her Gallbladder. I am not sure if she fully understands how terrified her children were when she was whisked away by ambulance. Of course we, her parents were a tad terrified too. The grand girls handled the situation well..until they were alone..then they called Grandpa and Grandma..and they were very happy to see us an hour later. Shortly after that we got word that Trica would be OK and that after a few hours they would release her. So we waited, Jen our youngest daughter was dropped off at the Hospital, Andy and the boys joined us for the evening. Since they had further to drive than us..I am sure they are exhausted today. This morning I spoke with Madison, who was getting ready to go on a big field trip today, Paige is staying home from school and keeping a eye on her Mom, Savannah missed all the excitement because she is in the cities on a Class Trip. I am not sure what the answer to Trica's pain management is, I do know that she was very lucky this time, but with the amount of medications she takes it was only a matter of time before this happened. She has had many surgeries to repair this little sphincter, the one that has caused all these problems..realistically perhaps it is time to talk about one of the final steps which is Pancreas removal with a transplant of some of her Isles of Langerhans.. in hopes that they will take over and give her some pancreas function back.  I don't know, I am just the Mom..I do know that it is hard to watch your child suffer and struggle with pain.  There is absolutely nothing I can do, no magic band-aids, I can no longer kiss the owwies and make them go away.  Young Mothers have those magical qualities..old Mothers just clean and do laundry:(

The Big Read

About eighteen months ago, one day I was bored. Yes, even I can be bored. I did a Google search for blogs about Border Collies..and I began to read. 

Somehow I ended up at Three Dog Blog a blog by Laurie Hertzel. What a treat for a reader, a blog about her part Border Collie Boscoe and Wild Boy Riley..and Toby..now there is a dog that will steal your heart. I can tear up just thinking about how much Laurie loved that dog. Laurie is a born and raised Minnesota gal who claims Duluth as her hometown. She and her husband Doug live in "the cities" now.  Everyone in Minnesota calls Minneapolis and St. Paul "the cities."

Laurie is a books editor for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She is also a very talented writer, one thing led to another and soon I was reading her blog everyday..finding out what the boys were up to and following along with her life. Laurie was writing a book. She asked for opinions..well you all know by now that when someone asks for my opinion they will get it!! She would toss part of a chapter at us..I would give her feedback..just as a reader..I told her "I am not an editor, just a reader."

Laurie's book is due out in the fall. You can pre order it here.  ( How cool it that..Laurie is on Amazon!!)  I have a copy..a galley..which is an uncorrected copy as I have been asked along with others to review the book. It arrived from University of Minnesota Press yesterday.. I opened it slowly..the anticipation was almost too much to handle. I was so excited I nearly peed my pants, so I danced a little jig then I crossed my legs at the knees, while trying to read.  Far Guy said "Who sent you a book?" I had explained it to him before..so I quickly read aloud the first sixteen pages..he was patient..now in the next day or two or three I am going to settle in for the big read. After the big read which will probably be accompanied by just a few pieces of chocolate..I will prepare questions for the author. I will review the book for you later and blog about Laurie's answers to my well thought out questions closer to the publication date.

I spoke with my daughter the English Professor, I told her..Laurie's book is just like her blog. She said "Well of course Mother, writers scarcely change their footprint, they write in their established voice. If they changed their voice it would get too confusing."  I guess I never thought about it that way before. I have never reviewed a book before either..well maybe back in High School..forty years ago.  So I will look at it this way..I will just be telling my readers what I think about this book, honestly without restraint..just like I write my own blog everyday.

I am really looking forward to reading Laurie's book, it is titled News To Me  Adventures of an Accidental Journalist. (We got to give input on the name of the book too!) So far I can tell you this, reading her book is easy, she wrote her book the same way she writes her blog. With a Lauriesque style, with humor and grace, a real adventure and I have a ticket before almost everyone else.  I think it might be compared to waiting for your favorite dessert, which in my case is sour cream and raisin pie..being presented with a large piece and a fork ready to dive in and come up smiling:)

Wistful Wednesday: June 1951

This is my Mom, the photo was taken in her parents yard.   She was 21 years old.  This was taken in late June, she was six months pregnant with me..I arrived three months after this photo was taken.  It must have been a difficult time for her, my Father was off fighting a war in Korea and would not be home for another nine months and she was living with her parents.  She was supposed to be living with my fathers parents, where all the children were raised, and grandchildren were being enjoyed.  Instead, she was with her parents, especially her Mother who at the age of forty was about to give birth to her eleventh and twelfth children, my younger than me twin Uncle and Aunt.  The fall of 1951, with three babies in the house must have been a real experience..only one that a mother could love:)

Little Things and Thanks Lisa!

This is a tiny, tiny flower.  I found these at the edge of our woods.  It is a Sedge more specifically Carex pensylvanica or Pennsylvania Sedge.   This is a native plant in Minnesota.  It grows well in Oaks, which was no surprise to me.  There is a little ditty that goes Sedges have edges, Rushes are round, Grasses are hollow, What have you found?  No one but a plant geek like me is probably interested..BUT  did you know that Sedges do not have a ligule?  Only Grasses have ligules, now a ligule is easy to find, and can be found in all grasses..it is the little tongue like projection at the junction of the leaf and the leaf stalk.  Next time you grab a piece of grass to stick in your mouth have a look see.  Oh come on..you never put grass in your mouth?  To me it has a kind of a fresh greens taste..

This is a bunch of little Grape Hyacinth's or Muscari.  Tiny, tiny blooms that look like bunches of grapes.  I remember when my eldest daughter planted these one fall all in a row, she was surprised by how small they were when they bloomed the next spring..in plant catalogues they are portrayed as being much larger than they actually are.   They are so tiny that if you ever plant them, plant a whole area of them. I love their blue color.

I received a package in the mail yesterday, I won Lisa's give away over at South View Farm.  What I won was a to die for woven dish towel.  Lisa said to report back to her after I have used it to dry some dishes and I will..BUT when I first saw this "towel"  I thought..it would be perfect upstairs on my hutch that Far Guy built..what do you think?  Thanks Lisa! I love the earthy sage color, and from now on when I look at this fabric towel that you wove, I will think of you:)

The New Car

Not exactly a car you can drive ..but  an Automated Refrigerated Milk Car!!  This is a train car from his childhood.  He cleaned it up and got it working, then he blew out his transformer and had to order a new one.

 The little milk cans  are stuffed into a door in the top of the car and then when the special control that comes with the car is activated the train car uncouples, then when another button is pushed the little milk man unloads the milk cans.  He is a hard worker too..as he unloads them fast as lightening.  I can see where this car was a hit for future Train Engineers back in the 1950's.  I don't suppose it will hold the attention of the grands for very long..but it is a good thing for them to see all this "olden day" stuff:)

May Day

We delivered the May Baskets, Far Guy even went along!   Some of the small children were taking naps..some were awake..most of them smiled.  Kindergarten round up happens this week..four of them will be going off to school this fall..it hardly seems possible.  I hear that there are four kindergarten classes..perhaps one for each child.

When our girls were little Kindergarten was more like organized play time..having fun while learning..learning to share and to play well with others.  Now there are criteria that must be met, you must be ready to go to school.  It is a good thing I was never tested..I would never have made the Kindergarten cut. The country school that I was supposed to go to had no kindergarten classes.  Far Guy on the other hand excelled in Kindergarten, although I think he had to go visit his uncle once in awhile ..his Uncle was the Principal.

It rained most of the day, toward evening the skies partially cleared, enough so we could go for a walk.

 It has turned cold here, Far Guy started up the outdoor wood stove again..lows are to be near freezing this week.  It was warmer in March:)

Goodbye April, HELLO May!

This little woodland violet shows up every spring..she is a pretty little thing..I have never found her exact name.  So she is just a Violet. We are one month closer to flowers!

Yesterday I was pissed off all afternoon.  We got roped into doing something because Far Guy is a nice guy and never says no.  He doesn't like to stir the pot.  Why is it that if you volunteer your time once it is written in stone forever and ever.  I wanted to stir the pot so badly I could taste it..but because Far Guy asked me to be sweet..I was..sweeter than pie.  I was so nice, that sugar must have dripped from my lips..instead of venom.
Enough said about that..

Chance is feeling better, he is almost back to his normal self.   We finally got some more much needed rain..there is nothing like the smell of a wet dog!  Far Guy got out Chances little blue swimming pool..he loves splashing in the water on warm days.

The Bluebirds showed up on April 21st, they are occupying one of the new nest boxes that we put out early this spring.  I have not been able to get a photo of ours yet..but I did get one of the neighbors one evening.  I have a chair moved out near our occupied nest box..so that they get used to it..Chance and I sit out there from time to time..so far it has been the wrong times..but I am a patient person.

Today, Chance and I will deliver our May Baskets..they are filled and waiting in the old aluminum cake pan ready to put some smiles on some familiar little faces.  This past week was birthday week in the neighborhood, she who see robins first is in the last of her forties.  Nephew Josh turned thirty as did Niece Kate's husband Hunter ( he was a May Day baby), I recall turning thirty..I thought it was quite old and over the hill.  Happy Birthday Everyone! :)

Curiosity: A Familiar Driveway

I was curious, my curiosity sometimes gets the best of me. I wondered if they were the same, I wondered have they changed? Are Far Guy and I the only people in the whole world who noticed. One day I couldn't stand it anymore.

I drove down the drive, and stopped at the top of the hill to take a photo..nothing has changed, well that is not quite true, lots has changed..but the trees remain the same.

We drove down the drive further, we stopped to visit with Dave. I told him of our mission that day. He has lived there about 5 years and he has never noticed.

I took another photo looking uphill. Can you see it now? It is OK if you don't notice anything..honest. You have to be really in-tune with your surroundings in order to notice.  On a side note the "Poetry Tree" made it through another winter..a long time ago our daughter Jen wrote a poem about this tree it is the Popple that is leaning into the driveway on the right side of the photo.


Long ago, I didn't notice either, then one warm spring day, after I had been to town, as I drove down the drive I noticed the dividing line. The driveway separated a grove of Aspen Trees we call them Popples, they are said to all be connected somehow with one root. I don't know if I believe that..but it is not an important fact to me anyway. What was important to me that day was that our trees on the south side of the drive were all leaved out in their finest green haze, and the trees on the north side of the drive hadn't even broken bud. They looked deader than a doornail. I was upset, I shared my concern with Far Guy when he got home from work, I showed him...we wondered, I worried..was it some kind of bug that was going to wipe out all the trees? A few days passed..I wrung my hands, and lamented the death of a whole stand of trees..a week later my dismay turned to joy when the seemingly dead trees finally leafed out. It happens every spring, for some reason..there is a difference, is it in the seedlings? Are they a different species, were they from a different seed source? Perhaps not tremuloides at all but alba or some other species. ( Far Guy says they are all albas or Silver Popple on the North side.) I am still not convinced..I was always comforted somehow that it was not my imagination, it happens every spring..and I captured it this spring:)

Places I Remember

There are places I remember.  That song has been running through my head since yesterday. I believe it is correctly called "In My Life."  It was a hit for the Beatles.  I remember when the Beatles became popular, my Dad called them "Long Hairs" ..looking back they were pretty radical for the time. By today's standards they were pretty tame and harmless.  You have to recall that most guys wore crew cuts back then..so they were really "long hairs" in comparison.   I believe my Dad also called them girls, because of their long hair. 

 I remember the directions Far Guy used to give kids looking for his house.  "I live right across from the Smokey The Bear sign."  That sign has not been moved in over fifty years.

Although the color of the house has changed, it used to be white, Far Guys Mom would never have painted it grey.  The house is still the same.  Some have gone and some remain.  It is the only house on the block that remains.  The rest of the block was sold and a Casey's Gas Station and Convenience Store occupies the old neighbors space.   Someone planted a Forsythia and something pink flowering.    There is a new sidewalk out front, but the alley outback is still the same.  Far Guys Mom would have never allowed all that junk in her yard either.

All these places have their moments.  Moments of joy, and moments of sadness.  Moments that you can never go back to, bittersweet moments that you can never reclaim.  The little trees that were planted out front as a shield from the highway noise,  grew skyward every year until they filled up the entire front yard.   Only a memory now removed when the highway was widened.  You can now see the entire front of the house from the road.  Far Guys Mom would have hated that, I am sure that people have turned over in their graves for less things..after all they lived in this little house for forty five years together.  I will never lose affection for people and things that have went before, I'll often stop and think about them.  This is just one place I remember :)

Wistful Wednesday: Generations

This is a photograph that was taken 58 years ago, in the spring of 1952.  From left to right, me and my Mom, my Grandpa, and my Great Grandma Hatwig or Hattie.. A four generation photo.

This is the oldest photo that my Mother has, it may have been taken in Germany.  The children are the twin sisters Hatwig and Elsie photographed with their Mother who would be my Great Great Grandmother. From my work with old photos, this is a remarkable image from 1880, 1881 or 1882.  Part photograph and part drawing.  The twins were born in 1878 and they came to the United States to Missouri when they were four years old in 1882.  This photo may have been taken in Germany before they left for the United States.  Can you imagine another Grandma in Germany having only this photo to remember her grandchildren by?  How sad she must have been to see them get on a ship.  Times were different then, I guess that if your children had no hopes of owning their own land you would want them to move and go wherever they could make the lives of your Grandchildren better.

I fixed this photo for my Mother, it had many dark spots that distracted from it's beauty.   I know nothing of this Great Great Grandma..not even her first name.  We did not know that this photograph existed until a few years ago, my Mothers sister had it, it was among the things that was cleared out from my Grandparents home after they died.   She kindly shared it before she died.  I suppose that one of her children have this photo now..I wonder do they know who it is..will they appreciate it..or will it end up in a box in an antique shop someplace? Thank goodness I was able to copy this photo before my Mother returned it to her sister:)

A May Day Reminder

Last year I told y'all  that I would remind you that May Day was coming up and you should get your butts in gear and make some May Baskets and fill them with candy and or flowers and deliver them on the coming of May.  May Day is this Saturday!!

Last year I was told..no one does May Day Baskets anymore..well excuse me..I do..and many of my readers thought it was a great idea, and they could remember doing it as a child.  Some had never heard of this May Day Custom.  When I was little we looked forward to May Day, baskets were always made, filled with candy or cookies.  They were loaded up in a cake pan and delivered one by one, you ran from the car to the house and put the basket on the door knob and then ran back to the car.  If someone came out of the house they were supposed to chase you and kiss you.  After our deliveries we went home to wait for someone to deliver a basket to our house, which wasn't hard to watch for..we had a fairly long driveway.

I will make some baskets and deliver them to my great nieces and nephews filled with skittles and fruit roll ups, and I will probably make Hooch and Odda a basket with dog bones in it.

This is a holiday that I enjoy..I don't have to cook or clean or get all dressed up.  I don't have to shop for days..buying the wrong thing, May Day is one of those days that I don't have to pretend to enjoy...for me it is one of those effortless fun days.

I made a pattern using a plate and a plain piece of  paper.  I made the first one too large, I folded down the straight edge til I got it right!  I then transferred the pattern to a piece of 12 X 12 scrapbook paper..twice.. centering the half circles, that way I still have two straps for my baskets at each edge.  It isn't rocket science...I formed the cone and used a stapler to hold it in place, then you attach the handles..viola a May Day Basket!!

You could have small children that like to color, do their own designs on pieces of paper..I was tempted to do some coloring myself!  I miss coloring, my grands hardly ever color anymore.

You could buy some cups and make a handle out of a pipe cleaner, you could decorate the bottom of a cake mix box..you could just let your imagination run wild.

 Certainly there is someone in your neighborhood that needs a May Day Basket..a child, a little old lady, maybe someone who you have never met but would like to.  May Day is the perfect day to celebrate the small child within you! :)

I have been Loony for three years now!

We are very fortunate here in Minnesota to have an individual by the name of Larry Backlund who has a Loon nesting platform near his dock on a small lake in Minnesota. This is a project that is near and dear to Larry's big ole Loony heart.

The Live Loon Cam is up and running, I have a link to it on my sidebar...on the left.. This year Minnesota Bound ( The web site that hosts the Live Loon Cam) has added some extra features.  There is sound!! AND a Night Vision Camera..so the loons will be visible 24/7. Larry has a loon blog, and there is a forum for questions and observations.

Larry gives up the use of his lake shore property so that the Loons have a safe place to nest, he built a platform and supplies it with cat tails and weeds. The Technical Crew comes in and sets up the Cam and all it's various connections. After the Loons have hatched their young they will leave the nest, and Larry can have his lake shore back again.. he follows the Loons and their activity on the lake very closely.
Once the eggs have been laid the Loons will never leave the nest for very long. They trade spots day and night, wind and rain..Loons are very devoted to their eggs.
In 2008, my grandsons were here when we watched the first chick go for his first swim. It was a wonderful sharing experience. I hope you enjoy this years Loon Experience as much as I will !

Here is what I wrote on May 5, 2008:
I have been doing some reading about Common Loons (Gavia immer) ..I just love those scientific names! Imagine yourself a Male Loon...you have had a foot loose, fancy free winter in the south. One day something says fly north...something draws you to the nesting site you had last year. Finally the ice is out and you use your magical calls to establish your territory. Then you wait for your mate, when she finally shows up..you are really happy to see her.. "Hiya Toots"...lets get on with the laying of the eggs! You are both tireless parents, taking turns on the nest..then spending most of the summer rearing and protecting the chicks. One day you say, "Time to go junior or juniorette...hope you have a good loony life." You and your mate take off to gather with friends, and head south. You might see your mate over the winter, you might not, you may be 100 to 1,000 miles apart.."See ya at the lake in the spring Toots."Such is the life of a Loon..fascinating creatures!

The Loon cam is up and running a little early this year, the Loons have mated several times and should be starting to build the nest soon.  This morning, the platform is gently rocking in the wave action and I can hear Red Winged Blackbirds in the background.  I did not see the Loons..but they will be there one day soon:)  

Train Show

Last weekend after "grandsitting" we high tailed it to Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.  There was supposed to be a huge train show there and Far Guy had been looking forward to it for months.  When we walked into the mall we both looked at each other and said "This is it?"  One track with a couple of old guys and a kid, nothing to swap, nothing to buy unless you want to go to the Hobby Shop.   Far Guy was so disappointed, I felt sorry for him.  It was a good set up to create awareness about the hobby of trains, it was just not the type of train show we were expecting.

Yesterday we travelled 3 hours to a real train show, a swapping, bargain, everything you could ever want to find under one roof train show.  Far Guy was a good shopper..he got one piece that was part of his original train set..Lionel  (his engine and coal tender are from 1951)..magnatraction.. and O scale in train talk.  When he gets the "new/old" piece cleaned up and working I will take some photos of it..I have been hearing about this piece for years.  We are still looking for the helicopter that flies off one of the flat cars..and the logs that are unloaded from another car.  Oh and a Desoto car that is less than 165 dollars, maybe at an estate sale or an auction..you never know.   It is good to have a hobby where you are always looking for something, the hunt is part of the adventure.

Now who in their right mind would buy this?  A brass train..I asked if I could take a photo..they said "Knock yourself out"   It is beautifully exquisite..but at a thousand dollars for two pieces..I will wait until I win the lottery.

I visited with a number of men, these train guys are really friendly, the place was packed..you could hardly walk. Far Guy was like a little kid grinning from ear to ear!  I took his first few bags of treasures out to the car and walked Chance in the rain..then we sat in the overhang of the building and enjoyed the rain falling.

I did make one purchase.  Something for Far Guy to add to his collection on the wall upstairs in his train area.

I have always been fascinated with the lifestyle of Hobo's..just travelling from one town to the next on the trains.  Carrying everything that is important to you in a red hankie tied to a stick slung over your shoulder.

They are giving away a door prize, it is a Lionel Nascar Train Set O Scale..Far Guy says he hopes I win so that I can begin my very own train layout upstairs.  I know there are many women that are involved in trains, I am just not one of them..I am more of a support person..who likes to stop at all the Antique Shops along the way to a great Train Show! :)