Spring Cleaning

Does anyone Spring Clean anymore?  I mean the really old fashioned spring clean, where everything is removed out of every nook and cranny in a room?

I finally finished spring cleaning the bathroom downstairs, I think I must have skipped last year…maybe even two years…shame on me.  Drawers were emptied out…new drawer liner was put in and everything put back in it’s proper place.  I should be able to find everything.  Expired medications were dropped off at the Sheriff’s Office for disposal.

A new bath rug was purchased and I may purchase another since it feels so good on our feet.  I did everything except deep clean the grout in the tile floor.

Not sure what room should be next?  Maybe the dining room, it has only one small drawer and a few bookshelves. Easily done in an afternoon if a peron puts her mind to it and isn’t distracted by a warm spring day or a bead project or day trips looking for more junk.

 

Dust

We had gale force winds, some of the farmers were in the fields. One area just before town was a mess.

We didn’t know how bad it would be.

It got darker and darker.

Then just like that we were out of it. We figured if it continued we would just turn around and go home and forget our antique outing.

We made it to one garage sale, two shops and to a Mexican Restaurant for a late/early lunch/supper.  No big treasures were purchased but it was fun to have an afternoon out.
I bought some more old photos and a few pieces of glassware to make some more glass flowers.  Last of the big spenders.

On our return trip there was still lots of dust in the air but nothing like the earlier dust storm.  You had to feel sorry for the people who lived in the area….what a mess.

Eight

We saw eight deer last night.  As far as I know that is as many as I have captured in one photo.

Yes everything is still brown here.  We had a nice day about 70 F or 23 C eh! There was a big wind from the south.

The last of the days rays caught the deer nicely.  Now if they would only hold still for longer!  Total deer in one square mile 12.

Chance: Gone to the dogs

Hiya!  It is me Chance the handsome Border Collie! 

I have friends!  Sometimes my friends come to see me and sometimes I go see them.

Last night was the night…they were home! … and it was above 50 degrees!!

Putz

The beautiful Miss Odda.  They had just been to the groomers.

I need to go there one of these days and show off too.

Someone said I am looking a bit shaggy.

Handsomeness must be in the eye of the beholder.

We stayed for awhile. Putz and Odda really like my people. I did dog stuff with the dogs, played ball, Putz peed and I peed, I peeded and Putz peed, sniffed butts you know dog stuff.

Wistful Wednesday: Farm Diaries a Road Trip

I am still working on the Farm Diaries.  I wish I had more time to spend on them. 
October 1924 was the focus the other day. I am getting a bit better at reading Grandpa’s shorthand.
9  Thursday Husked corn AM to PR in PM to get that we wanted on our trip
10  Friday Started to Iowa drove all day dinner at Sauk Center (100 miles) camped at Redwood Falls(93 miles)
11 Saturday Drove all day dinner near Spence Iowa (100 miles) to Logan (132 miles) about 7:30 Mother down to Vidas (sister)
12 Sunday  Home to Mothers both Wills there (Brothers in law Podendorf and Wettendorf))
13 Monday Mother came home about noon
14 Tuesday To Council Bluffs stayed all night at Grovers (brother)
15 Wednesday Rainy To George Rogers ( Tracie’s sister and husband) for dinner out to Aunt Annies for supper stayed all night at Geos Harold and family came in eve
16 Thursday  To Grovers after Mother then to Chester Graybills for dinner to Chester’s folks for supper there saw Vida Home to Mothers about 11 o’clock
17 Friday Up to Bill Podendorff ( Sister ) To Cal Woldermire  Cal came to Bill in eve
18 Saturday To Mothers for dinner stayed around Logan in PM To Chas Stuves (Tracie’s Uncle) overnight
19 Sunday Had picnic in Tourist Park  home with Frank Rogers (Tracie’s Sister)
20 Monday  Worked on car To Ervins in eve saw Father Uncle Franks there home to Mothers about 12 o’clock
21 Tuesday To Uncle Earls for dinner Uncle Chas in PM out to Will Wettendorf (sister) in eve
22 Wednesday Chas Norris to see us at Mothers in eve Uncle Earls Chas Stuve both Wills and Bernard there in eve played cards
23 Thursday To Mothers all day Cora (sister) came in
24 Friday Started for Battle Creek Ia to Lauras (Tracie’s sister) about 10 o’clock helped her move
25 Saturday Started for Minn dinner near Spirit Lake supper meal Redwood Falls camped at Spicer
26 Sunday Breakfast near Browerville to PR about one thirty dinner at Grandmas home in PM
I was surprised to see the entry on October 20…saw father. As far as I know Grandpa had not spoken to his father since he left Logan Iowa in 1914.  This is the first mention of his father in the diary.  (His father was not a very nice man, he was a drinker and wife beater.  His Mother divorced the rotten old coot in about 1914 or 1915.)
They must have purchased the car with a trip in mind.  They travelled Hwy 71 for most of the trip, with three children then ages 10, 5 and 3.  Motoring along at about 20 miles per hour if you were lucky.

Aunt Skinnie (Frances) and Marvin (Far Guy’s Dad ) with a 1923 Ford.

In the Farm Diaries there is no mention of what kind of car they bought, it may have been this one that they took on a road trip back in 1924 all the way to Iowa to visit relatives.

Area Happenings

The wind is raw, it looks like it could be warm outside but it is not. Chance hates the wind and thinks right under my feet is a safe spot…not so much.

I still have my long parka out and it comes in real handy to walk Chance in the hour before daylight when he thinks he needs to check out every tree in the entire yard.

The farmers are out working in the fields, dust hangs in the air. 

The brush cutters came along and took down more trees under the power line.  I hope they are done now.  They took down some trees that would have taken 30 plus years to even get close to the power line….some were hazard trees and had to go like the Popple (Aspen).  They also took out a fair number of Chokecherry and Pin Cherry Bushes, which were never going to be a problem…and some birds will miss those bushes.

One of the roads we travel had a small shrub/tree where a Meadolark has hung out singing for years… and now it’s singing perch is gone.

The rebuilding of the grocery store in Osage seems to be at a stand still.  I thought he hoped to open May 1st, but I don’t think that will be happening.

The snow early yesterday morning brought the Juncos back to our yard.

I am looking forward to the day when we can sit out on the patio and watch the birds and not freeze to death.

Yard art in Jen’s yard last summer when it was warm.

Hobbies: Beading

I am working on a prom bracelet for Grandaughter Madison, her dress is black and sparkly.

It is about half done.  As you can see I work in a bead tray to contain the little suckers.  Black is hard on my eyes so I work at the dining room table with the natural light coming over my shoulder and the light above the table.  I can work on it at night but my eyes don’t like the strain.  I am using black beads and silver beads.  The blue bead on the end is a stopper bead, it will be removed and the thread will secure a button that is part of the bracelet closure.

I ordered beads for Paige’s prom bracelet, her gown is silver and gold…and the design is still in my head.  I am also thinking up a design for Noah to give to his date…her dress is sparkly and baby blue.

I work with Delica Beads size 11 with a number 10 beading needle in a Even Peyote Stitch.  I like the Peyote stitch, the beads interlock as you add one after another. 

I keep all my Delica Bead supplies in a small plastic tote that is just big enough for my tray to fit in at the top of all the supplies.  I order all my beads online.  My friend Nellie is the one who got me started in this bead hobby.

Seventeen

Oh to be seventeen again.
Paige says “Seventeen is a nowhere age, at sixteen you get your license to drive and at eighteen you are an adult.”

I called her one day last week and asked her to double check her birth certificate.  I must be in denial.

We met her at  DQ for a birthday treat and afterward she posed for the obligatory birthday photo. She recently cut her really long hair and just doesn’t think she will wear it up for prom…too many bobby pins involved.

We talked about prom, her classes and her thoughts about the future.  She is one of our very focused grandchildren.  She has her eye on the University of Minnesota or the University of North Dakota for eleven years.  She wants a career in medicine…possibly Dermatology…I mentioned about being a Plastic Surgeon…she said “That would be cool, Grandma I could give you some surgery!”  She scored 26 on her ACT tests and will take it again because she wants a 27…more scholarships are available to students with a higher score.  She is thinking way ahead as she is a Junior this year.  Her grade point average is 4.1 we asked how did you get the .1 and she said it is given to those students who take college classes in High School.

Paige in 2001 when she was 2 years old.

Recently she was named Captain of the Hockey Team for next season. Way to go Miss Paige!  We are so proud of you!

Snow

It snowed again, about an inch plus.  When Chance and I went to the Post Office is was a wintertime ground blizzard.  Our local Post Office is only open from 7-11 AM after that you have to drive all the way to a bigger town.  The wind howled…it spit snow most of the morning. 

Then the sun came out and nearly blinded us. 

We went for a ride after supper.

There was still some snow in the ditches.  We saw 17 Deer.  That is up from our 9 that we saw the other night.  No photo of them I was too busy counting or they were too far away.

My project for the afternoon was going through the medicine cupboard.  Everything out of date is getting tossed or taken in to the Sheriff’s Office.   I asked my husband why he had so much Stool Softener?  He claims that the last time he had diarrhea I bought him Stool Softener instead of the tablets that plug you up.  He said he thought it was weird at the time. ( Could it be that subconsciously I thought he should poop himself to death?  What kind of idiot would want a liquidy watery stool more soft?)

Cold tablets that are more than ten years old were tossed too…along with some Calamine Lotion that must be twenty years old. At least I now have some idea what we have on hand…and all pooping problems are well covered. 

Brown

Everything is brown, except when it is white.  The overnight white yields to the brown once again.  The push pull of the seasons is like a war.

The wind blew, it spit snow/icy rain half the day.  The high yesterday was 40 maybe… that would be 4 C eh.

You can hardly see them, but there are a pair of Sandhill Cranes on the edge of the plowed field and Wild Turkeys way back by the trees.

It is humid, the cold penetrates my old bones and makes them ache.  I need me some sunshine!  How about you …is it sunny where you are at?

Our weather forecasters say warmer weather is still a week away.

Catkins

The fuzzy little catkins that are an early sign of spring have sprung.

The river at the Dead Beaver Area is a nice backdrop for some Pussy Willows.

They give me hope that spring will come someday.  The daily snow flurries will stop, the North wind will stop blowing and our daytime temperatures will go above the 30’s maybe even into the 40’s. 

Wistful Wednesday: Horsethief

When you are doing family research sometimes you run across info that has been repeated for generations.  How much do you believe and how much is the stuff of legends?

Far Guy’s Paternal Grandmother Theresa or “Tracie” had four brothers.  They all came North from Logan Iowa in 1914.  Fitting bits and pieces of information together in later years Grandpa Stuve sold part of a very successful farm and helped his sons with farms of their own.  Then there was the Depression in 1929.  One night the boys all took off.  No one knew where they were for years.  The farms went back to the banks. Grandpa Stuve was left penniless.

One of them is known as a “Horsethief” perhaps he stole horses for the getaway. 

Ferdinand Theodore Stuve July 22, 1888 to December 15, 1941.  He was a twin.

Here is picture of him.  He remains elusive for me.  I found him linked on Find A Grave to his parents.  Family history has it that he died in Montana and was buried in Kelso Washington.  Then why did I find him buried in Detroit Michigan?  He was married at least once to Effie Edwards but has no children. If he is really buried in Michigan he had another wife who had three previous husbands.

Was he really a horsethief?  He looks like a kind man, but you never know during the depression men were pushed to their limits.

This is the only known photo I have thanks to Aunt Frances and CousinTerry.

For now, I have my notes.  My OCD wants to fill in all the blanks…make sure it is really him in that cemetery in Michigan…something tells me that it is not him…but I may never know for sure.

Funeral in Blackduck

Yesterday we drove north to attend a funeral. Our Son In Law Andy’s Grandfather died. We wanted to be there to show our respect to Art’s family especially our son in law, daughter and our grandsons.

Art was 91 years old the father of eight and a WWII Veteran who served from 1943 to 1946 in the Marshall Islands as a Hospital Corpsman.

One of Art’s sons relayed this story about their family. “ Me being one of the youngest ( He said a mistake, a playmate, another mistake and another playmate) we were in the grocery store with our Mom, Fern, one day when a lady stopped to admire “The grandchildren”  Fern replied oh no these are my children.  The lady said I didn’t know you were Catholic?  Fern replied we’re not we are amorous.”

We had a funeral lunch: a hotdish complete with sliced olives, pasta salads, a wonderful pistachio salad (that had pineapple in it but it was so delicious), fresh buns, pickles of every kind and raw vegetables and dip.  Every kind of sugar loaded chocolate top bar known to mankind, coffee and lemonade.  The lunch was before visitation and the funeral.

The weather was sunny but the wind was cold.

The Honor Guard

Grandchildren were casketbears

The flag is clutched by Aaron (Art’s Grandson and Andy’s brother), Aaron presented it to one of Art’s daughters.

The bugler plays Taps for his Father.

I didn’t know if Bob (Art’s oldest son and Andy’s Dad) would play for his Dad or not…I think it was hard for him but something he wanted to do.

Bob is a Lutheran Minister, he had a small part in the service but basically left the service to his brother and the Pastor.

Bob was part of the five piece band that played during the service; a pianist, two trumpet players, a trombone player and a tuba player.  I admire people that can just pick up an instrument and play…we asked Andy what he played?  He replied “I used to play trumpet when I was in High School.”

Signs of spring

Far Guy saw two Robins yesterday.  I didn’t see them, hopefully some day they will visit our yard and I can get a photo of them.

The ice is gone from the Millpond, there is still ice on the big lake.  I took a photo out the window as we drove by.

Spring means not much traffic in town, it has picked up a bit since some of the snowbirds are back.

My kind of traffic…hardly any.

The summer chairs are out.  I am not impressed with this years colors.

Where is the yellow, lime green and the orange?  Whoever ordered chairs has no imagination.

While we were standing at the checkout paying for grass seed, suet for the birds, a container of Home Defense and a new solar light (the last of the big shoppers) someone exited the store, he came from the right of us and set the alarm off.  Girls ran from upstairs and our gal left the checkout…someone shouted “Don’t try to stop him just get his license plate number.” They came back after a bit and asked if he had paid for his merchandise…no one knew for sure. I only knew what direction he came from, I would be a very poor witness as I couldn’t tell you if he was young or old short or tall had hair or was bald.  I think he had a burgundy colored coat but I wouldn’t swear to it in court.

Say is isn’t snow

It was snow, it was way past dark when Chance came in covered in snow.  The next morning told the tale of a April’s Fool joke Mother Nature style.

One day late but the point was made…Winter is not over yet.

This colder snow took all day to kinda melt…at nightfall the northern parts of the yard still have snow.

What to do on a cold day…laundry and make a trip to the “dump” we make a trip there about every three weeks with one bag of garbage.  Since we recycle…we pay $3.00 a bag for garbage…that figures out to $4.00 a month.  Not bad.

See we have a bit of green coming in the grass!

Spring is trying to get here!

We walked over to see Mason for his birthday, he is eleven now!  Chance went along and visited Bailey.  We were invited to the evening birthday party but…too many germs for Far Guy when there is a large group of little kids.

Then we came home and I watched a movie on Netflix called Little Boy, well worth watching, I give is a 5 +++ out of 5 stars.

 

Road Trip

Cabin Fever got the best of us, we admit it, our four walls were getting mighty boring.  We didn’t go far. Just headed to a few antique shops that we hadn’t been to since last summer. Our weather turned cold with a raw wind so although it looked nice outside it wasn’t.

On the way we saw.

A bottle sculpture outside one of my favorite shops.  They remember me there. “Hey I remember you, you are the old lady that writes a blog about old photos.”  Yessiree that would be me.  I like this shop, old photos are a dollar each.  I came out with just a few!  Some great mystery photos too!

Water tower painted like a bobber.

A street sign that shares the name of a friend.

As we passed Airplane Hanger Row over in the ritzy part of the State I noticed this unique part of a plane…I wonder what they use it for? It is on a trailer.  Maybe it is a playhouse for grandkids or maybe they pull it in parades. 

We ended up in another little town that hasn’t quite awakened from winter yet.  Most shops there open May 1st but three nice shops were open and we had a fun afternoon walking around and enjoyed breakfast for dinner/supper.  Far Guy had eggs with the works and I had a blueberry hotcake big as a plate. Traffic in that little tourist trap is horrid, although some of the shops were closed everyone that had a car was in town….and it isn’t even summer yet.

We moseyed on home, the traffic got less and less, calmer and quieter.