Garage sale

Getting ready for a garage sale amongst all the reunion “stuff” was a challenge.  But I got er done.

I could be more ready…but today I will open for one day and then finish gathering “stuff” during the week and continue the sale next weekend.  Then maybe another day or so in October, I will see what I have left!

Fall is coming along strong here.  This is a peek out our window…I have the start of leaves to chop up.

Right now, I am thrilled to have a really clean garage!

I have a few other things on my Fall Project list…which was actually a summer project list…but I am old and slow.

50 years

Well it is almost done.  That 50th Reunion that my husband was instrumental in planning. They had one evening of activities and one day full of activities…ending with a buffet meal last night.

 

One last thing to do is have breakfast with a few of them…and Far Guy has to have a follow up meeting to make sure everyone and everything was paid for…rumor has it that they are in the hole.  Good thing the photographer was donating her time.

The photo shoot was a nightmare…I couldn’t get everyone to stop talking and look at the camera at the same time. Some people were late and they didn’t get in the photo…sorry…be on time next time.  The photographer had to get the photos processed and back to be distributed. Large groups are so hard to photograph.

Since some people missed the first photo shoot a few people asked if I would do an inside photo… we attempted one inside…

It is what it is.

I am not certain how the “class babysitter” will fill his time now…althought the class gifted us with a couple of puzzles.

Busy Days

I recently made a trip to Hobby Lobby and got more supplies for this years Christmas Card. My goal to have half of them stamped and watercolored and ready to glitter may not happen before retreat…but I guess that is what retreat is for.

I am busy painting the Christmas Ornaments…It is a putzy design… plaid will drive you nuts.  I have 22 yet to paint before that project is completed.  81 have been completed and some of them have been delivered. I wanted to be done by September 1st but that didn’t happen.

Fall stampings have been watercolored and are awaiting glitter pens and glitter. They will be trimmed and have coordinating mats behind them before they become cards.

I started a new crochet project…yarn clutters up my desk. I grab some scrubbie yarn and a crochet hook and can work on something in the car or waiting at appointments. We only had three appointments last week…so far this week only one but that is subject to change.

These are scrubbies for dishes or your face. My niece Katie shared her pattern with me. Scrubby yarn can be purchased at Ben Franklin, Hobby Lobby or Wallyworld.

Chance is holding his own, being a turd and demanding bowls of ice cubes at night…last night three bowls full were consumed before he settled down.  He sits in the kitchen and barks until someone gets his cubes for him. Yes he is a spoiled boy.

My dermatologist was quite disappointed that she didn’t find anything on me that was worthy of the small surgeries she likes to do.  I am all clear for another year.  Yeah me!

Wistful Wednesday: The Dixie

A photo from the 1950’s before the canopy was added.  The canopy was added off to the right of the photo.

You drove up and took a spot under the canopy…with the canopy it was a three season all weather place to meet. A dozen or so cars could park under there, with more uncovered spots to park nearby.   A car hop came out and took your order.  You left your window partially raised ready for the tray with your meal to be hung on the window.

You met up with friends there.  Perhaps you jumped in someone elses car for a quick trip down to Main Street and back again…just to see who was sitting on Main.

Times change… then it was torn down.

Now it is just a grey steel building …but the corner will always be known as where The Dixie used to be.

remember

I remember 17 years ago holding a small baby close and crying.  I was at Jen and Andy’s home helping out with the new baby. ( Adam was just 8 days old) Later that day I ventured home to Far Guy stopping only once for gas, a fellow at the gas station said “Max out your credit cards while you can.” What a idiot…I am not sure what he was thinking. I felt safer when I returned home…we live in the boonies…who wants to crash a plane into the boonies. 

Last week I saw a First Responder talking about how they are suffering with cancer…there are more victims that day than we knew.

Chance: Getting along okay

Hiya It is me Chance one of the oldest most handsome Border Collies in Minnesota.

I am getting along okay…I sleep alot and I don’t like to be by myself without my people. I have made a few attempts to play ball…but my heart just isn’t in it anymore.

I am still eating rice with boiled hamburger and a little bit of my normal food.  Far Side says I have soft poops…almost formed most days.  I cannot eat one of my normal foods yet…salmon and peas…uffda…nearly chased everyone out of the house and in the car they had to roll down the window. No more of that food for me.  Who knew salmon and peas made obnoxious gas…Far Guy tried to blame it on Far Side one day…us guys got to stick together.

Far Side took me to the groomer.  I got my butt shaved panty hair trimmed and my nails cut…I was only there for 15 minutes and then I got to come back home again. She was afraid that my nails were getting dangerously long since I don't run around in the gravel anymore and my nails were going click click on the floor and we have a grate right outside the door that a long nail could have gotten ripped out…or so she says… Yada yada…nail ripped out, blood all over, and a hurt dog, accident waiting to happen…blah blah…so my nails were clipped.  What ever keeps her happy…just for the record the panty trim was her idea too…

They trap me downstairs when they leave the house…they don’t want me falling up or down the stairs when I am by myself.  Part of the Dog Eldercare/ Nursing Home Program.  They don’t leave me all alone very often.

 

September Wedding

Yesterday we attended a wedding.  We have known the groom’s parents since before they were married…so we have known Jake all his life.

The wedding was held in a State Park in a small amphitheater.

It was  a lovely ceremony. There was a bit of a breeze off the lake and the temperature was about 72 F perfect outdoor wedding weather.

The groom and his best and only sister…she has no problems being called the best man.

The bride’s grandfather was the officiant.  He talked about love and trust.  The couple wrote their own vows…and the bride was so overcome by the groom’s vows she began to cry …she said “I should have gone first.”  She recovered nicely and as part of her vows she said she would try to cook more meat.

After the ceremony they had a reception and served a stew called Guinness and chocolate chip cookies.

Far Guy said “Wasn’t that a nice wedding”  and it was.  After the reception was dancing and a bonfire…but we came home to feed Chance.

There weren’t alot of decorations, flowers…or fru fru…just a simple ceremony with their sisters standing up for them…surrounded by people who love them and wish them well.

I heard that the bride designed and sewed her own dress…it was beautiful.  Since both the bride and groom are accomplished dancers the dress is perfect for dancing.

In the box

One of the sculptures was replaced…perhaps the other one was sold.

 

I was always taught that odd number groups were more pleasing to the eye…and looky that there are five big boxes and one small box…sends my OCD into overdrive. And what is that swirly stuff at the base supposed to be?

This is an unnamed sculpture…what would you name it?

Lawn Mower Adventure

I guess I have been stuck in a routine…my lawn mower works great…it burns a little oil and needs new mulching blades ( I usually get some for my birthday) but it mows quite well…I didn’t think I would ever get used to hydrostatic drive but I did.  I can even day dream a tad while mowing… quiet time just me and the mower…getting along just fine.

Then my baby brother bought a zero turn lawn mowing machine…only my right foot is involved and that is for raising or lowering the mower deck.…now I have to program my arms; right, left, lean way back to stop or go in reverse… boobs will get in the way. The mower was delivered here and I got lessons. I can even mow backwards…but I never was much good at backing up a lawn mower. My baby brother mowed at his place and then brought the mower back here and said “Use it.”  It will turn on a dime…and someday I will get used to the one back wheel that doesn’t like trees in it’s way.  I have discovered that you only want to get on and off of the front…cause it is a big step off either side….and if you have damp crocs…your foot will slip on the mower deck and you will fall not so gracefully. There is no day dreaming allowed whilst mowing with this lawnmower…vigilance is key to safety.

It was not designed with an older woman operator in mind.  I imagine the kid that designed it…is tall and thin and he used to race go carts.

Blue Balloon and a Chef’s Knife

Last year Adam told his mother that he wanted to have a big balloon for his birthday.  This year his mother remembered.

He asked for a Chef’s knife for his birthday.

I noticed that someone also got him a Gordon Ramsay Cookbook.  We paged through it…he said “We don’t have very many of the ingredients on hand.”  I said “Put them on your Mom’s grocery list.”

Can this young man be thinking of a career in the Food Industry?  Maybe..time will tell.  He still has time to figure it out.  He just began his Junior year in High School.

Wistful Wednesday: Adam in 2004

Since this is Adam’s birthday week I have another photo of him.

Adam has a present wrapped in newspaper…trademark of Susan’s daycare.  He is joined on the couch by other children…everyone must have been instructed to throw their blankies/toys/pillows on the floor. I think I recognize Adam’s blankie on the floor. He had the same blankie for a number of years…his mother bought several of the same kind of blanket…and since he chewed on his blankie his mother kept cutting off the teeth marked edges. His blankie got smaller and smaller. I believe he was three years old in this photo in 2004.

Vine in the rain

There is a beautiful vine covering part of a local cottage.

Virginia Creeper or Parthenocissus quinquefolia. The leaves will turn color soon.

It was raining out but I took photos anyway.  There was no danger of me melting…I am not that sweet.

Chance is about the same, he still has some digestive issues so he is back on the boiled hamburger and rice.  He is a bit depressed after visiting Miney and Little Elvis. They are part of his pack.

Happy Birthday Adam!

Our youngest Grandson is 17 years old today.  He was born on Labor Day.  I was blessed to be in the room when he entered the world.

 

This is when he was three years old. He was at day care at my best friend Susan’s home.  She took photos of many of her day care kids and birthdays were a big deal…it was your special day!

The last time he was here I captured a photo of him…here he is at 16 years and 11 months and a couple of days old.

Today we will have lunch with him to celebrate!  It doesn’t seem possible that he is 17 already when only yesterday he was a little boy.

Bambi

We still have a Bambi eating acorns in our yard.

A very long time ago we took our oldest daughter Trica to the movie Bambi…she cried.  A few months later my Dad wanted to take my sister and Trica to a movie…Bambi was playing at the theater in town.  Of course Trica wanted to go…I reminded her that the movie had some sad parts….she said fine, I have already seen it and I promise not to cry.  Her Grandfather (my Dad) reported that during the sad part she began to cry…so she sat in his lap, hid her face in his shoulder and sobbed. 

Hello September

Things are winding down.  Many of the tourists have left, only the weekend people will be around until they close their cottages for the winter.  School will start on Tuesday.

I opened my big mouth and volunteered to take Far Guy’s 50th Reunion Class Group Photo…it was a moment of complete insanity or stupidity. I am praying for a cloudy day.  Far Guy and I scouted out photo locations at the venue where the class will meet.  I have enlisted the help of an older PRHS alumni to help me get the group ready…sounds like about 75 people will be there…Far Guy’s class  of 1968 was 157 graduates.  So only about half will show up.  Far Guy has been real busy with the preparations.  He is the go to guy for all the last minute glitches. The Class Booklet is being put together today…I was asked to help since it is a holiday weekend and everyone is busy.

My desk is still a mess…yes those recipe cards are black and white and then I color them…I got them at a Dollar General Store.

Yesterday I worked on cleaning my garage.  It was warm in there..and I am about half done.  When I came in to cool off I worked on options for this years Christmas Card.  I needed to make a template for my stamp…cause I only want part of the stamp to show…complicated and I am certain it involved some Math that I forgot a long time ago.  Good old trial and error worked!  I will work on Christmas Cards at Craft Retreat later in the month.

Chance is doing pretty good for an old guy.  He is eating a little of his usual dog food….peas and salmon dry food with his boiled hamburger and rice.  He seems a bit more confused than usual especially if we wake him up.  He first got sick on August 11th so that was three weeks ago…he has finished all of his medications and we will see how he does.

 

Recipe Cards

I found a packet of recipe cards at the dollar store…who could resist a coloring project?

Obviously not me.

Good thing I have some el cheapo glitter pens to use on them…wouldn’t want to use all my good glitter pens up.

Wasted Time

I spent several hours looking for something.  Several weeks ago I put the something in a safe place when I retrieved a similar item.  When it was time to retrieve the something I searched high and low, cleaned out some files whilst looking for said item.  I explained my problem to Far Guy who said “I hope you find it.”  I gave up for awhile and began painting on Christmas Ornaments…and thought and thought finally I let my over cluttered mind relax…I knew I had seen the item recently but where?  Finally it came to me, it was in the red basket on my desk.

Lesson learned…either you should just leave things in their proper place or clean off your desk more often.

All that time wasted could have been spent cleaning off my desk.

Wistful Wednesday: The girls

In 1977 our girls were little.  Trica was 5 and Jennifer was almost 2.

Both were tow-heads, their hair was very blonde and lightened even more during the summer.  The puppy was a Boston Terrier named Annie that belonged to my parents. The photo was taken at Bass Bay Resort on the North end of Straight Lake. A fishing/family resort owned by my parents.  They bought it in 1975 after spending the years 1952-1975 on the farm in Carsonville Township.

Updates and Asters

I saw a Doctor older than dirt. A short little fellow with a beard and glasses he must have graduated from medical school before I was born.  He whipped out the look in your ear scope and said “Nope your ear looks great.”  He suggested that it might be something else…but that remains to be seen…for now I am suppose to do Aleve and Tylenol as needed.  The pain is less …just a few twinges… but I still have a full feeling in my ear. A warm rice bag seems to soothe things…then I fall asleep…and naps help almost anything.  Afterall it is all in my head.

Far Guy is recouperating from his surgery…he isn’t supposed to lift heavy stuff for a little while. He is sore…and his surgery site makes me wince and say owwie…owwie.

Chance is doing better, he finished one medication and will finish the other medication today and then be weaned off the steroid slowly.  We will keep him on rice and boiled hamburger for a little while yet. He is getting his treats for his hips and joints…he thinks that is a BIG deal.

We are staying home for a few days and away from clinics and Doctors…we hope.

Aster

The little Asters are blooming all over.  The brush in the woods is turning color, acorns are falling out of the Oak Trees and a few dead leaves are falling out of the trees, temperatures at night are downright cool and the crickets are singing at night.  One week from today school will start….it seems like it was a short summer.