Friday was a quiet day spent at home, working on projects and going for a drive in the evening.
I saw a Mayfly on the window screen.
Such a dainty bug.
On our drive we saw Showy Lady’s Slippers that are coming to an end.
Not nearly as pretty as they are in bud.
The small farmers are haying.
Makes for some slow traffic in our neighborhood.
Three Doctor’s appointments, errands and suppers with friends and playing cards has kept us busy this week. Our friend Barry is here from Oklahoma. Steve and Jo hosted supper one night; pork burgers, potato salad and corn. We brought brownies to enjoy after a couple of games of Golf (a card game.)
I took this photo on Wednesday evening after it rained.
Just like that another week is behind us. It has been a fun week, with lots of laughter and remember whens. We hosted supper last night, coleslaw, pizza and cheesy bread were on the menu. Jo brought over a dessert in a cast iron skillet, a pie of sorts, with a crust and peaches, topped with raspberries…it was really yummy.
Far Guy and I were wandering around in a cemetery, filling some grave photo requests on our way back from Fargo ND.
Far Guy said “Why are all those stones the same?”
They were all graves of children in the early 1900’s. The large stone in the background told the story “ Orphan’s Home. ”
I did a little research…curiosity got the best of me….imagine that.
In 1895 The Norwegian Lutheran Chirch of America started an Orphanage in Lake Park Minnesota. Later it would become a Lutheran Social Services Orphanage.
From the 1900 Census I learned that 31 orphans lived in the home, there was also a Superintendent, Teacher, a laborer and four servants. The children that were in the orphanage were mainly children of Norwegian families but a few parents were born in Minnesota and France. The children ranged in age from 3 to 14 and were born in Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota and Norway.
I never knew about an orphanage in this area of Minnesota….I thought they were all down in “The Cities.”
Yes there are some words on this memorial…but they are in Norwegian.
I read some accounts…one mentioned a young Father not having the slightest idea what to do with his children after his wife died…so he dropped them off at the orphanage.
There was another Orphanage called Wild Rice Orphanage ( near Twin Valley) a little further north….that burned down and many children were sent to Lake Park.
I had an Aunt Toots. She married Uncle Ray back in October of 1954.
Here she is, that is my Aunt Marion in the background.
June of 1954 Aunt Toots would have been 16 and Ray 22 years old. He was six years older than she was. They were parents to four children, two girls and two boys. The last time I saw my cousins was at their fathers funeral. The girls were older than the boys, one is retired from the Army and lives in Kentucky, the other changed her name and may or may not live in the cities. One of the boys lives nearby and the other way up north.
My Aunt and Uncle had a tumultuous relationship, it had it’s ups and downs. They both died young.
Her real name was Esther but hardly anyone called her that. She was 57 years old and died of complications after surgery and liver cancer.
Uncle Ray lived a bit longer, he was 70 years old when he died. I believe his liver gave out.
I learned to never visit in the late afternoon or evening. Mornings shortly before noon was the best time to visit.
My Aunt was a wonderful cook and baker. When she opened a cafe I asked her why? and she said “OH I needed a few throw rugs.” The cafe had a bar…and an empty stool to fill after the cafe closed. My Uncle ran the bar after he closed his repair business for the day…their whole world revolved around a beer bottle. It was sad to see.
I was an obsertvant child/young adult/adult. What I saw, I didn’t like. I especially felt sorry for the children. Many times my Aunt would have a black eye, although I heard she packed a heck of a punch herself. I am not quite sure why she stayed with her husband? She was pretty and she was a talented baker and cook…perhaps it was for the children. But then I remember one time when they had beer in the fridge but no milk. Sometimes it is a miracle that small children survive their upbringing. ( Now a days Social Services would have been called.)
I was not able to attend her funeral….I believe we closed on our home in North Dakota that day and were moving in.
I knew where she was buried and the grave was easy to find as the cemetery is not real large, a simple cemetery on the edge of town, right behind the site of the little cafe and bar…of course the cafe and bar are long gone…I believe a Firehall has taken it’s place.
When I returned to pick up my flowers, I was happy to see that there were more flowers there.
My Aunt had a rough life. How much she brought on herself…I am not sure. She was certainly my Mother’s only real spunky sister…perhaps that is why I liked her so much.
Dave invited us down to see the Lady’s Slippers. He lives on the property that we used to own…Pine Springs Resort…it is no longer a resort but a private home.
Far Guy found these Lady Slippers in June way back in about 1987, there were two blooms that year, peaking up around a log on the log pile.
We built a fence to protect them and from then on we have enjoyed seeing the clump get larger and larger.
I counted at least 75 blooms this year. 2 blooms that first year and 29 years later there are over 75…amazing!
They are just beautiful! Her real name is Cypripedium reginae or Showy Lady’s Slipper the State Flower of Minnesota.
Here is one view of the lake.
I kinda miss living on the lake, Far Guy does not. We met many wonderful people from all walks of life and it was a good place to raise teenage girls. Neither of us miss cleaning cottages, and Far Guy doesn’t miss the 90 mile one way compute to work. He commuted daily for just about ten years.
My fathers 89th year has been a good one so far. He is still walking and talking and knows who most people are.
This photo was taken by my other baby brother in May when they were in Washinton DC at the World War II Memorial.
This trip remains the highlight of my fathers 89th year….he is still talking about it.
His vegetable garden is growing. He likes to garden, he takes his Cadillac (walker) out to the garden with him.
He loves to go to Bingo and most Thursday nights you can find him down at The American Legion playing Bingo.
Both Dad and Mom have been asked to be the Grand Marshall’s of The 4th of July Parade in town. So that will be another fun day for them.
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Father’s Day wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Far Guy’s father who died in 1994, he was 80 years old when he died. Alpha One Antitrypsin Deficiency most likely lead to his death and also the death of two of his brothers. If we only knew then what we know now.
Here is Marvin most likely in 1937 in Louisiana, he was 23 years old.
Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there!
We were supposed to have severe weather, first the phone rang with one daughter saying a storm is headed your way…then the other told me on facebook.
We had heavy rain and hail the size of a pea. The wind never arrived here.
I took this photo through the dining room window.
We got about 3/4 of an inch of rain, I won’t have to water my flower bed for a few days.
We headed out to an Estate Sale and along the way I spotted some Lupines, on the way back we stopped for photos.
I bought a few pieces of glass for glass flowers. Far Guy ended up with nothing and the sale was supposed to have antique toys. We came home, it was still spitting rain so Far Guy went to straighten up his garage and Chance and I settled in for a movie and a nap… The Movie was Jackass 2 and I promptly fell asleep. ( I think if you were drunk that movie might be funny…sober and sleepy not so much.)
I awakened to help with supper preparations…Lasagna!
Come along for a walk! It is June and there many new things to see along the driveway!
Smooth Solomon’s Seal or Polygonatum biflorum a Native Plant
The wild raspberries are looking good, we should have a good crop if we can stand to fight the skeeters.
This is Lonicera sempervirens a yellow variety, I sold this plant at the greenhouse and planted one out around the grain bin…mine died but it seems the birds have carried it all over the woods.
The yellow Lady’s Slipper was showing off. Her real name is Cypripedium parviflorum. She is perhaps my favorite flower…but you all probably know that.
We have seven Yellow Lady’s Slippers along the back driveway this year…so far…there may be a few more in a day or two.
This is a new addition to the driveway. Josh and Missy put up a flat stone with a small flower bed. The grass he seeded around it is coming up nicely. Josh is my nephew and he lives next door.
I had an Uncle Butch…his real name was Clarence. I am not sure why the nickname stuck …but some do.
Daisy and June with Clarence
He was quite a bit younger than my Mother, she was eleven when he was born. I think perhaps he was a bit of a favorite to her.
Confirmation Day
He was quite tall and handsome with blonde hair and blue eyes.
He married and had four kids and divorced. I have not seen my cousins in years. I used to send my Aunt a Christmas Card every year but then she moved…and well...Christmas Greetings are a two way street sometimes. Their youngest daughter was born the day Far Guy and I got married in 1969…he brought the news of her birth along to the wedding.
He died of Cancer… if I recall correctly Liver Cancer.
I went to his funeral and burial.
Last winter I searched for his grave on Find A Grave…he was not to be found. I did find a Clarence Drews with the same birth and death date…so I got that corrected.
Last week I was determined to find his grave…it was kinda on a hill as I recall. I was close. After Jen and I wandered around awhile a fellow on a lawn mower stopped and asked if I was looking for someone? Of course he knew right where the grave was…in fact he had met my Uncle a time or two. He said “Just go a little more east and you will run right into the grave.”
There were two bunches of flowers there, so some of my cousins must be visiting his grave.
I took a photo for Find A Grave.
At one time Uncle Butch was a very successful businessman, then he lost sight of what was really important and lost it all…and eventually his life.
