Blue Lights

We have always had blue lights on our tree downstairs.  A.L.W.A.Y.S. Far Guy was progressing quite nicely with his project.  Imagine his frustration ..when two stringers of lights were half lit and half dark.  *&^%$%$#@

I rode along to town..I was tired and a trip to town means I get to relax for 20 minutes twice.  In and out of stores the quest for blue lights continued.  Wally World where there were only clear lights, the Dollar Store where there were clear and multi and Ace Hardware where there were clear and multi. 

Far Guy was disgusted, he said “I am glad you are with me.”  As if I wouldn’t believe that town would have no blue lights. So what is up ??  Do people no longer like blue or green or red lights?   Is everyone buying artificial trees that are pre lit?  Are stringers of only blue, only red and only green over the hill?  Perhaps they are collectable? Are twinkling clear lights the new “blue”?

We bought a set of multi..thinking that we have a bunch of lights off the blue stringers that we can switch out and make a new stringer of all blue.   Far Guy said “I threw them in the garbage, but I suppose we can take them out.” 

He neglected to tell me that he emptied his coffee grounds just before we left. 

Uffda. 

I rescued them and began a quick search for something that could be wrong..a loose bulb ..a bad wire.  I found it and marked the bad spot..onward and forward..the next stringer was not so easy..but we started changing bulbs and found the one lousy bad bulb… so the tree is blue again.  The brand new multi stringer is packed away.. and blue lights are on our list of things to look for should we go shopping in a larger town.

A few more gifts have been purchased.  The Christmas Letter was written, edited, edited again and sent.  Notes were even written in a few.  The Shiny Brite tree is finished and all the boxes stored away…and we have blue lights on the tree downstairs.  The Christmas menu is being discussed. We are moving right along..10 more shopping days.  Time flies when you are having a decorating/shopping blast.

I had to mess around with settings on my camera for half an hour ..but I finally got a good shot.   The exposure might have been a bit long…I put a small notebook on my list..I need one for camera settings.  Those blue lights sure are pretty:)

Shiny Brite Mess

It looks like a Shiny Brite bomb went off upstairs.  Boxes of Shiny Brites covered the table, the beds and the old trunk.  One by one the boxes were emptied.  I have little post it notes in the boxes so I know what goes where when I pack them away again.

The top half of the tree gets decorated first.   You can see my tree coffin in the background…it is open. Ha!  The trunk is also open..yes we had Shiny Brite overflow and the coffin is no longer large enough to hold the tree and all the Shiny Brites.  I even made myself a note last year..it says “Check the trunk for more Shiny Brites.”

Far Guy found the box of extra large ornaments on the left at an antique shop..even if the box had no cover it was a steal at $11.50.  I only had one ornament that size..now I have 13. The other “new” boxes were ornaments from Chance and four boxes from garage sales. I splurged and bought a box of reproductions at Menards the other day..I now have three boxes of them.  I will probably quit buying them when I have five boxes..one for each grand.

The box with the red, silver and silvery blue ornaments had a whole bunch of tinsel twirled around the ornaments.

I wonder..were they taken down in a hurry..who was the last person to put them in the box?  Were they put away for a long time?  Did their owner no longer want them..or was she too old to decorate a tree..perhaps she died and no one wanted her “old” ornaments..perhaps she was a he..men like Shiny Brites too! I had lots of time to wonder whilst I decorated the tree.  It takes a few hours half the day.

I am almost done. The top half joined the bottom half without too much drama.  I have a box or two of ornaments left…and then I can re coffin the empty boxes and clean up my mess.  Far Guy says it looks real pretty..and Chance already wagged his tail real near it when he was visiting me upstairs:)

Wistful Wednesday: 1977 and 1978 Pictures with Santa

Pictures with Santa.  That was a pretty big deal.  We used to go to a shopping center in South Moorhead to have the photos taken.  If we felt we could afford it then we would go to West Acres..Santa photos were more expensive there.

Since we only had one vehicle back then and Far Guy needed the vehicle to go to work, we went in the evening after supper and  hoped that everyone would be in a good mood.

Sometimes the Santas were just not very good.  I suppose it is a terrible job..holding screaming kids most of the day.

1977 Trica was five and Jennifer was two.

Someone who was not real cooperative at the photo session ripped this photo in half.

I patched it with scotch tape.

 

Miss perfect was just that perfect because she was five and knew all about the naughty or nice list.

Miss not so perfect didn’t care ..she was scared to death.  In this photo she is just beginning to do her stiff as a board and I will scream bloody murder until my Mother rescues me..then she would twirl my hair in her fingers and put her thumb in her mouth until the sobbing subsided.

1978 was a bit better.  They both smiled!

In 1978 Trica was six and missing her front teeth and Jennifer was three. Do Trica’s bangs look a little short to you?  At Thanksgiving that year..I was packing and not paying much attention..she asked me if she could cut her bangs because they were in her eyes..I apparently said “Yah” or some such positive word of encouragement/permission.  She took a scissors and laid it next to her head and cut..her bangs were really..really short for a long time.

I tried to think back what would have been some of the things they asked for..Weebles..a baby doll..a Spirograph..silly putty..Play-Doh…Legos…the Fisher Price Barn and Animals and of course Barbies..

I recall that The Operation Game was a big hit with them! :)

Getting Organized

We got a little snow..not much..an inch maybe two.  The storm that we were supposed to get Sunday afternoon kind of fizzled out.

It might be a white Christmas..unless it turns warm and melts.  Monday morning it was –17 F  or –27 C ..talk about a wake up call.  It was a good reminder that the weather can change drastically from one day to the next and that is why I never schedule anything before noon in the winter. 

Far Guy finally got out his parka..and warmer gloves. –17 F will make you come to your senses.

I shouldn’t have vacationed over the weekend..I should have baked and shopped.  I have vowed to get the shopping done before next Tuesday.  We are cruising right along with another gift purchased yesterday.  Menus are being discussed and decorating plans have been made.

Today will be a getting organized day..making a list and checking it twice and round one of decorating.  Round one is getting out the Shiny Brite Tree and decorating the top half in the tree stand and lifting it WAY high in the air onto the bottom half of the tree.  Far Guy has to stand on a ladder..and I hoist it up from another chair..it is always a tense moment..until it is settled into it’s proper place.  It will take me the rest of the week to finish decorating the bottom half of that tree.  Since it is such a large tree I decorate it one box at a time.  This year seven boxes of Shiny Brite ornaments have been added to the collection…I am going to try my best to count them all this year:)

Ornament Winners!

Last evening, I looked over all the entries.  I wondered who would win. I wish I had made more ornaments to give away.  Far Guy was my random number generator.  He picked number 33 for the blogspot blog.  Ann..with the anonymous  comment “It's Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Great work.  Ann”  is one lucky winner!  I am positive that just because you had your locker next to Far Guy’s all during high school had absolutely nothing to do with it.  The Area Voices random number was 18 and the winner is Isobel Fields!  Isobel’s favorite Christmas Carol is There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays. Congratulations gals the ornaments will be in the mail soon!

Silent Night and O Holy Night seem to be the Christmas Carols most liked by the blog readers. Thanks to everyone who shared their favorites.
Time is flying by. Gifts purchased =3.  Decorations Up = 0.  Christmas letter still in the works.  No baking has been done.  I still have 15 days..much will be accomplished by then…hopefully:)

Dreary Scrapbook Days

Dreary Days are here in Minnesota.  I am still at the scrapbook retreat. 

This is the unfrozen creek/brook going out of Lind Lake headed to Lake Melissa.

The wind was cold on Saturday.  We all went out for breakfast and then shopping at Ben Franklin..buying more paper..of course what would scrappers buy anyway?

Many of the girls took a special class on the Gypsy and the Cricut. (Scrapbooking tools for the elite.) Which is way to confusing for my old brain..so I will leave that technology to the younger gals. 

With Jen’s help we were able to load all of my scrapbook software onto my laptop, eventually when I get to a point ..some point off in the distance not clearly defined..I will switch to digital scrapbooking. A world where my papers are all virtual and instead of packing up paper, stickers, books..etc.. I will just grab my laptop.  In the meantime I have lots of paper and stickers to use up. 

I have a very small amount of paper “stash” compared to many of the girls at this retreat..some of them are real paper hoarders and have said out loud that perhaps they need an intervention.  One gal has so much “stuff” she stores it in her van and is looking for insurance to cover all her supplies just incase they are stolen or damaged. Uffda

Scrapbooking has changed over the last two years..that was the last time I was at a retreat.  Most of these gals ..me included use Creative Memories supplies..they introduced a new tape runner that actually works and have finally made a true 12 x 12 inch album.  Times are a changing:)

Scrapbooking Retreat

I am at a scrapbooking retreat.  I left Far Guy and Chance to take care of each other at home.  There were left overs in the fridge and a few Hockey Game’s on the TV to help fill their evenings.  Perhaps they will write the Christmas Letter whilst I am gone.

I am working on a scrapbook from 2008..I am a little behind.  I also have supplies to make cards.

Jen is here too!  It is good to have company at retreat. There are fourteen women here.  I know five of them.

It is good to have a little vacation, someone else cooks and the snack table is full.

I was the sensible one that brought the fruit:)

Girl’s Hockey

All three of our grand girls play hockey.  They are all on the Junior Varsity Team this year.  Last night we drove north to a game.

Paige and the puck.

Maddie

Savannah getting her puck back.

Savannah and Maddie

They lost the game, the other team was simply better at passing the puck and scoring.  The girls skated hard and had a good time.  We hope to attend several more games this season. Last night the roads and weather were good:)

Minnesota Ice Music

Chance and I went down to the public access to see how the ice was coming along after the warm spell.  Sadly the warm spell is now officially over. 

There was no sun, it was a dreary day.  BUT the ice was talking.

I heard it as soon as I got out of the vehicle.  No one was around so Chance was off lead.

Chance looked bewildered, his favorite dock was gone and his water was different.  There were noises that made him uneasy.  There was no way he was going to venture out onto the ice by himself. It was making noises..scary noises.

Ice as it expands and contracts makes a groaning moaning sound that moves up and down under the ice.  It is almost as if the ice is talking..hurry..freeze..freeze faster..capture all the water underneath us before it warms up again. Sometimes it seems like the ice and the water are locked in some kind of a battle.  The water should just give up..the ice will win anyway.

Minnesota Ice Music..I remember cold nights at the resort when Far Guy would come home from work and say he heard the ice as soon as he got out of the car after his 90 mile trip home at the end of a long day.

When I take Chance out late at night..I can hear the same icy Minnesota symphony.  When the ice gets thicker the sounds will echo up and down the lake.  No, we don’t live on the lake..but we can hear it’s music from our yard:)

Wistful Wednesday: Christmas Card 1951

Sometimes you find old photo Christmas Cards where you don’t know all the people.  I am sure my Mother knows all the women on this old photo Christmas Card.  I wasn’t born yet when the photo was taken..but I was born (September) before Christmas ..as were my twin Aunt and Uncle (November).

My Mother and Grandmother are in this photo taken sometime in the late spring/summer of 1951. They are both pregnant..but it is hard to tell.

My Mom has a sweater on and my Grandma is the tallest lady next to my Mom.  Two of the women are wearing slacks..which was quite scandalous for 1951.  They must be dress slacks.  I am not sure if people call trousers or pants slacks anymore.  Growing up I rarely saw my Grandmother in pants..and if she did wear them she was headed to the barn to do chores or to go fishing or it was winter and really cold outside.  In later years Grandma wore pants everywhere..but in the 1950’s and early 1960’s many women still wore dresses everyday.  

These ladies were all neighbors of my Grandma, I should recall some of their names..I think the gal next to my Mom is Shirley. The lady on the end has a cute little black purse on her arm.

No one looks real thrilled to be in this photo..line them up looking into the sun and take a photograph.  After all flash bulbs were expensive..so if they could take photos outside they did:)

Photo Bucket List: Mail Pouch Barns

Recently when we went to Indiana I had several things on my photo bucket list.  A Mail Pouch Tobacco Barn was on the top of my list. Ron( Brother In law) found me a couple of barns.

Ron is a Fisherman..he knows all the little back roads to the best fishing spots along the Ohio River.

If I had this barn on my property I would trim the trees and put up a bench with a free will donation jar instead of “No Trespassing” signs. 

The little village of Lanesville has the right idea, this barn is in their roadside park.

I have always been fascinated with barns..and these were special barns.  At one time there were over 20,000 barns in 22 states that were painted by the West Virginia Mail Pouch Chewing Tobacco Company.   Farmers were paid $1 to $2 a year for allowing the advertisement, the usual colors were black or red with yellow or white capital lettering.  The sides of the barn to be painted with the lettering had to be visible from the road..the rest of the barn was painted any color the famer wanted.  A farmer got someone to paint his entire barn ..what a great idea!  Many of these barns are now historic landmarks.

I kept one eye open for Quilt Barns..I saw only one and the traffic was horrid and the road was narrow..so Far Guy and I did not stop..maybe next time..it wasn’t a huge quilt anyway:)

Ornaments and Carols

What is your favorite Christmas Carol?  Far Guy’s favorite is Silent Night.  My favorite has always been Little Drummer Boy the pa rum pum pum pum song. ( Great little ear worm isn’t it?) Far Guy knows all the words to his song..I do not know all the words to the pa rum pum pum pum song..but it doesn’t matter I like it anyway.

It is time for you to share what your favorite Christmas Carol is.  If you leave a comment for me sharing what your favorite Carol is I will enter you in a drawing for one of my famous extremely collectable hand carved ornaments.

They are done.  Most have been mailed off and the rest will go in the mail today.  I still have a few to hand deliver..but they are packaged and ready to go.

What are they this year?  TREES

Far Guy and I always work together to make the ornaments.  This year we made 63 of them.

Far Guy cut out the blocks of basswood. He then marked them and cut guides into the wood with the band saw.  We both carved them out.  Far Guy added all the branch marks and put in the eye hooks.  I painted them and added the snow.  We made it a real team effort… we are both glad it is done!

I was seeing pans of trees in my sleep:)

** One ornament will be given away to the area voices blog and one to blogspot.  I will draw winners Sunday evening the 11th of December.

Fall is visiting and a TN Update

Fall came a visiting yesterday..and is going to stay for a long weekend.  40 F or 4 C.  The snow is melting:) 

Forty degrees in December is something to celebrate in Minnesota.  I sat out in the yard in my shirt sleeves with no coat.

We had a busy day yesterday.  We left before daylight for a long drive.  To a Trigeminal Neuralgia Support Group Meeting.  Far Guy felt like he learned some things and his feelings toward Doctors, medication and the frustrations of TN were validated.  I kept telling him he was not nuts and I was sure that other people shared his feelings..and they do.

No one within the group has had the Steroid Injections in their face..nor had they heard of the procedure.  They made lots of painful looking faces when Far Guy described the procedure. The long needle and the pain he endures during the procedure.

Far Guy’s last injection was on September 20 and it did nothing.  Or at least that is what Far Guy says.  I think it did something, it kept the painful zaps at bay but not the everyday pain.  He is scheduled for another injection soon…he has had it with the zaps..which lately have brought him to his knees and unable to speak.. it is time.  Perhaps this is the injection that will keep the pain at bay for six months or more..other people that we know are pain free..so why not him? 

The guest speaker at the meeting was a Neurologist, she seemed to have different opinions than our Neurologist.  She refers most of her patients to the Mayo Clinic..and most end up having some kind of “procedure” which may take the pain away for awhile..but many report that their pain is back.  One lady there said that she has been pain free since starting her one tablet of Tegretol a day and that the rest of us were scaring her.  One poor fellow is bilateral..he has TN on both sides of his face and has had it for 16 years. Another fellow had a “procedure” at U of MN that made half of his face numb..so he cannot tell if he is drooling or his nose in running. He seemed happy to be numb..he was the only one who saw the same Doctor H. that we saw at the University of Minnesota several years ago..the Dr. H. that told us “Anything we do to you would probably make you worse.” 

And so it goes.  We were happy that the weather cooperated to make it an easy traveling day.  After the meeting Far Guy dropped me off at Menards and waited for me whilst I ran in and purchased a gift that our local Menards was out of.  Five minutes..in and out which included waiting in line..speed shopping at it’s best. Twenty- three shopping days left..one package down and who knows how many to go:)

Little Things

I have been busy clearing up little things.  All those tiny details that get lost in the shuffle of life. You know the things you shoulda put away..the things you shoulda sorted..the things you shoulda  ordered..the gifts you should send..the addresses that you should update…the things you should organize.  I finally made a list. I have decided there is not enough of me to go around. As soon as I got one thing off my desk two more things showed up to take its place.  I fear I am losing the battle…and my desk is winning.

I found a spot for these treasures. They were 25 cents each in an antique shop..I had room in one of my marble jars.  I am going to need a new marble jar soon. It is best to keep all your marbles together. So you don’t lose them. 

I picked each and every one of these marbles out myself,turning them carefully in my hand to see if they conjured up a memory. Have you ever really FELT marbles..not so much in your hand..but in your memories?

..a treasure lost..several gained..playing for keeps ..Chinese Checkers all the marbles the same color..

Have you ever noticed the beauty in a marble? All the little air bubbles refract light..and how about those “thingys” inside you know the colored twisty/swirly things..are they pieces of glass..and what are they called?

Marbles can teach you stuff.  Like the time I got out a very collectable Torpedo Canning Jar and filled it by dropping in marbles, until it cracked and broke.  Stupid…why didn’t I place them gently inside..oh no I had to launch them like a fighter pilot launches his missiles. STUPID.

Oh well December is here  now..there is no time to concentrate on little things anymore like the beauty in a marble..but I still have 24 shopping days.. I am in no big rush:)

Woodpeckers

I have been stalking a bird.  He is really skittish..he is a real looker.  He has been around at least a month..maybe more.

He is a Red-Bellied Woodpecker.  He visits the suet feeders..he is gone as soon as you open the door.  He can tell when I am in the house. He is not afraid of Chance..just me.

So far this is my best shot.  I will keep pursuing him..it is good to have goals.  I had to wait outside a really long time to get one clear shot of him..This is a male..I  know how to tell the difference..a female only has red at the nape of her neck, whereas the male has red on his head and down his nape.   Checking with the bird book..he seems to be a bit more north than usual. Not sure why he is called a Red-Bellied Woodpecker..most likely because Red-Headed Woodpecker was already taken and they had to call him something.

This is a little Downy Woodpecker.

We have a flock of them.  I can tell it is a Downy Woodpecker because he has bands of black in his outer side tail feathers and a shorter beak than his close relative the Hairy Woodpecker.

Far Guy and I both enjoy watching the birds.  I can almost predict the weather by the bird activity..the day before the weather changes the feeders are busy all day long.  Some how they know that they have to bulk up and weather a storm.  Birds are smarter than we think..what kind of Bed and Breakfast could you find where the people welcome you and put out food for you free of charge everyday? 

Today is the last day of November.  I cannot say I am sad to put the grey days of November behind me but I am not ready for December to begin either:(

Chance: Snow

I like the snow.  As much as Far Side hates it..I love it.  Nothing better than playing a good game of ball and then flopping down in the yard to rest.  Far Side throws the ball for me until I am tired..then she takes photos of birds until she gets cold and needs a nap.

I have a great vantage point to view the back driveway.

One of my favorite people drove by and didn’t even wave.  Oh well..

Far Side thought I might be sticking my tongue out at that favorite person..but I was actually licking snow off my nose.  That is my story and I am sticking to it.

Far Guy  and I put the snow stick up.  Far Side ripped the last one out of the ground and broke it off..so we have a new one:)