Wistful Wednesday : Old Car

The old cars are the best cars.  Remember when the new models came out and you could tell the Fords from the Buicks from Chevrolet?

Then there were the oddball cars… Edsel, Packard, Nash Ramblers, Studebacker, Hudson…and of course Desoto.

The pastel colored car…this one was Mint Green…although Far Guy called it Willow Green.

Last winter we found a drawing that someone did and it made us both chuckle.  Oh the “stuff” we keep!

1959 Desoto Stationwagon with pushbutton drive and an add on air conditioner that sat on the floor in the middle of the front seat.  No sitting next to a beau unless you wanted to put your feet up on that air conditioner unit.

Far Guy shared this story with the carving group last week

“It was winter, we were bored.  Barry and someone else got on the roof of the old Desoto, I headed out to the old fairgrounds and sped around the track, sliding around the corners.  Cruised Main and then out to Crocus…got out and no one was on top of the car. I wondered what the heck, where did they fall off at?  They could have been way back at the fairgrounds.   I turned around to go and find them and here they came walking down the road apparently a low branch knocked them off.  There were other people on top of that car but the only one I can recall is Barry. I was not all alone in the car either, someone was with me…but who?”

I asked him who drew the picture.  He says “Mark.”  Could be it is not signed …

21 years ago

Back in 1996 Far Guy and I became Grandparents for the first time.

She smiles and we smile back!

Savannah and her Grandpa in 1996.

Savannah and me in 1996.

She is still making us smile.  Happy 21st Birthday Savannah!

This photo was taken last year on her 20th birthday.

Lazy Summer Days

I am looking forward to a few lazy days…probably not yet this week.

My list of summer projects is so long it is only in my head instead of on paper.  Sometimes just getting the normal…cleaning, dusting, laundy and cooking is enough for a day with nothing extra done.

I did carve a bit yesterday.  My goal of one ornament carved and ready to paint a day must have ben a pipe dream.   We do have 39 ready to paint and 3 have been completely painted. (Andy and Jen carved their own ornaments and Jen painted them.) 42 total or just about 1/2 done.

I can paint when it is too hot to carve outside.  We both enjoy time carving outside…cleanup is a breeze Far Guy uses the leaf blower to blow the chips off the patio.

We took the time to inventory the deep freeze and the refrigerator freezer…seems we are stocked  up just like it is winter and we could be stormed in for days.

Canada Geese family

No doubt the statue of the little girl that is on the dock scares Canada Geese away and keeps them from making a mess on the dock. Canada Geese are poop machines.

Friday Night Concert

We were tired after the trip to Fargo on Friday but we drug our tired bodies and a couple of chairs to the edges of Spirit Lake in Menahga Minnesota for the Sounds of Spirit Lake Concert.

I heard the entertainer was really good.  My other baby brother called and said “If you can go you will love Mylo’s show.”

We got to the lake early and set up our lawn chairs in the front row.  The breeze was coming off the lake, so it was the safest spot for us to sit.  No one sat in front of us with heavy perfume or aftershave or bug spray!

Mylo S.Hatzenbuler is a Rock n Roll Farmboy.  He sang; To all the cows I’ve milked before, Return to Slender, Hens with low faces, Send in the cows…just to name a few of his biggest hits.

He rocked these red shoes!

He is a NorDakota farm boy, he was 15 when he heard that Elvis died and he told one of his teachers “The world needs me.”

Ya  Nobody’s Perfect Ya

There was even a costume change just like the big rock n roll stars. (Hat and glasses were tucked into his Wall Drug bag)

I really enjoyed the rock and roll farm songs.   It was great fun and everyone was laughing.

He even picked on Far Guy…he asked him where he was from when he replied”Osage” Mylo sang Osage can you see.  He asked how long we have been married Far Guy said 47 years, Mylo said “Better hang onto her, she could do better.”

After the intermission Clyde came out and sang.  He is a very talented Tenor.  He sang one Folk Song and a bunch of Hymns.   It was okay just not as good as rock n roll.

Yes, this is Clyde he is also Mylo.

The Sounds of Spirit Lake will have a few more concerts throughout the summer.  We like going there.  The event is sponsored by local Menhaga businesses and they pass the orange buckets for donations.  The church serves ice cream cones and popcorn.

Park Rapids also has free concerts they are on Thurday nights on 2nd and Main Street but they promote a Beer Garden along with their concerts. (We have no need to go someplace where there is lots of drinking going on and then driving.) Bagley has free concerts on Sunday afternoons.  There is also music at several area resorts.

Mylo is famous throughout NorDakota, SouDakota, Neebraska and even into Mountana. He gets around.  Ya!

On the road

Far Guy had an appointment yesterday (the last one this week!!)…well it was Friday anyways …duh?

He saw his Neurologist for his Trigeminal Neuralgia, nothing has/is changing other than old age neuropathy that may require a cane.  He has a walking stick, but the Doc wants him to be fitted correctly so he will go to Physical Therapy for instructions.

It was too warm and sunny for Chance to go along, so he stayed home and guarded the house and we made the two hour trip over and back and an hour there for the appointment. Five hours total.  Chance was happy to see us when we returned!

This is what will greet the We Fest thousands of people the first weekend in August. What a mess. Welcome to Detroit Lakes Minnesota and the construction season every summer.

Finally almost home, no freaking traffic or construction areas.

Perfect.

I get real bored in the car and usually have my camera ready, if I take photos I am not falling asleep.

So this was our daytime date, no stops …just trapped in the car together for four hours. We saw one accident and several other situations that could have been accidents if we had not been paying attention…I swear some people should not be driving.

Cross another Doctor’s appointment off the list. It is often said that there are really only two seasons in Minnesota …Winter and Road Construction.

Fair Date

My pupils have finally returned to normal after my eye appointment! So we could have our yearly fair date. We go into town to the Shell Prairie Fair, see the midway and walk around in the barns and exhibit buildings.  We always look forward to the outing.  Especially the local Pork Producers Eat Stand that has the best pork burgers!  We found some french fries in one stand but should have walked further and saved $4. No cheese curds this year they were only available on the midway….and there was a line of people there so we bypassed those calories.

I bet this ride is real pretty at night.

It is one of those screaming pee your pants kinda rides.

Our weather was cool yesterday with a high of about 60F or 15C eh!

This particular carnival splits their show in half to play two smaller county fairs at the same time. There was about 5 kid rides, a Scrambler, a train, a super slide and three other major thrill rides.  They are a southern show from Louisiana who just plays fairs in Minnesota all summer long.

It is a nice show, everything is clean and well kept.  There are benches for us old people to sit on and watch people.  While we were sitting, we noticed that the ride boys were picking up garbage off the ground and putting it in garbage cans…some people just throw their wrappers and bottles anyplace.  There were garbage cans in plain site about every fifty feet…really people just put your garbage in the can!

A quilt that caught my eye

A well designed pot of succulents

Not sure if this is an Alpaca or a Llama…he didn’t like me very much.

Far Guy likes the chicken barn the best.  Me… I spend the most time with the goats.

The end

eye eye

It has been 8 hours and my eyes are still big black pools.  I can hardly wait to go to sleep. I cannot be cranky whilst sleeping.  Good thing it was a cloudy day.  Good thing Far Guy had a meeting last night…Chance will put up with me no matter what kind of mood I am in. 

The bean field

We had storms on Tuesday night but the worst of it went south of us.  We got 1/2 inch of rain so the grass will grow again.

I had an eye appointment… my vision is pretty much the same.  I am getting new reading glasses.  Far Guy picked them out because of course I could see nothing. Isn’t it funny that the time when your eyes are getting dialated is when they want you to pick out new frames?  I know the glasses felt comfortable on my face.  I have another appointment for the usual Vision Field Tests…just to be sure I don’t have glaucoma.  My pressures are slowly going up 16 then 17 and now 18. I may have some cloudy spots that will have to be taken care of someday when they get bad enough, the Doc says my implanted lenses are properly in place and look good except for a few cloudy spots.

I have a headache and I am cranky…my blood pressure was way up…we had to wait about 20 minutes past our appointment time.  I know I am whining.  I will be better when I can see properly.

Far Guy was patient.  Chance went along because the high yesterday was 68F or 20C eh! A tad chilly for July but I hear it will warm up on the weekend.

Cross one appointment off the list. No rest for the wicked this week, one appointment or meeting after another. Next week isn’t looking real relaxing either.

Wistful Wednesday: Berry Pickers

Back in 2003 the Grand Girls and their parents would come to visit Minnesota from Nebraska.  One of their favorite summer activities was to pick raspberries with their Grandfather.  I have a photo “someplace” of them all …but couldn’t find it. No doubt I put it away someplace safe and sound…just cannot find it.

But I did find the girls picking berries.  I would give them cups and off they would go.

Savannah

Paige and Maddie

They would pick and eat and share.  Paige was quite concerned about bears.  I stood out on the driveway and shouted at the bears to pack their bags get out of the woods and move to Hawaii.  Years later Paige remembered that and began to cry when she heard her parents were going to Hawaii…of course that is where all the bears were.  Grandma sent them there.

The wild raspberries are ripening now, Far Guy brought me one last night…I had saved two for him…I need to pick some everyday.   They bring back sweet memories.  If the berries are hanging low on the branches Chance will help himself.

Carving with kids

Last spring the carving group that I carve with asked me to facilitate an event.  They would “help” but did not want to be in charge.

It was a one hour program that should appeal to young potential carvers ages 8 and older.  It was part of an Art and Design Summer program sponsored by the Library.

Carving as art is hard to teach to a group of wiggly giggly kids.

We decided to have a display and let them see what we had carved out of wood and to let them carve Ivory soap.

I collected patterns, soap and fashioned some tools that would work to carve soap. A whole package of plastic silverware was modified.  Parts were cut off and smoothed out to make various knives, scoops and pointy cutters.  Far Guy buffed them all so the edges were not overly sharp…they would really have to work at it to draw blood.

20 kids signed up and 17 showed up.  Good thing I had many helpers.

This little girl carved a canoe.

A flower

And the star pupil of the day carved a snow bunny!  He asked me to take his photo with his carvings and his carving tools.

I covered their work spaces with wax paper, one little boy kept moving down the table to a clean spot.   Another little boy told me he was an artist and could do a complicated carving and he would need no help from me.  ( He was a turd.)

The girls carved hearts, flowers and lady bugs.  The boys mostly turtles and the snow bunny and a dog/whale/fish…it kept changing.

Most of the adult carvers made the rounds encouraging and offering assistance and they all helped me clean up…cause there was soap pretty much everywhere.

It was a good afternoon.

Dr Bill brought a First Aid Kit just in case, he also offered to give them real knives…which I kindly declined.

Shiny Brites with a history

On Saturday morning I received a box in the mail.  It was from Colorado. A whole box of ornaments now named Cyndi arrived!  Five Ice Blue and Five Red.

Cyndi writes:

I Immediately thought of you when I unearthed my Christmas Ornaments and came across a box of Shiny Brites,  They aren’t the prettiest…but they have been on my tree every year I’ve had a tree since we bought them for our first Christmas together in 1972.  They were purchased at the Rhinebeck Hardware Store in Rhinebeck, NY.  The price is still on the box, $1.19!  We were married in October but I had to finish student teaching about 300 miles away.  I remember finishing the semester and driving home a few days before Christmas.  We were giddy about celebrating that Christmas.  We went out and purchased a small tree, a stand, some lights and two boxes of Shiny Brites.  This is all that remains, with the exception of a few that have lost their tops or have borrowed a top from some other ornament.  Enjoy them.  I will look for them on the next year’s Shiny Brite tree.  Best always, Cyndi

Thank you so much Cyndi!  I think they are just perfect!  I love when Shiny Brites have a history.  I will tuck their history into the box with the ornaments!

Cyndi and her husband are selling their home and many of their possessions because they are “downsizing” and moving.

Brothers

My brothers had a busy day, first they set up a Stingray Tree Tent.  I heard they didn’t read the instructions. My older brother is collecting “cool toys”…I asked him what was next on the list a few weeks ago…this is it. His grands are gonna love it!

It is a way cool tent.  You hop on the bottom part and then open the zippered trap door and go “upstairs.”  It is anchored to three trees.

Far Guy is inside.

You can lay on either level, the top one being the one with no bugs.

We have skeeters now.

After a quick trip to town for steaks, they got some landscape bricks from us and built a firepit to cook up the steaks.  I made potato salad.  The meal was rounded out with other salads, fruit and Smores. My parents and my Aunt Anna joined us…then they all went fishing and we came home to fed Chance and woodcarve until the skeeters drove us inside.