The 2016 Christmas Ornament

Will be revealed soon.   How about a give away?  To be entered into the drawing leave me a comment with the completion of this sentence.  My favorite Christmas was________ .
What is the ornament?  It is a woodcarving, it is carved from basswood and if you ask me it is a beauty.

My favorite Christmas was in 1998.  We spent that winter in Florida at Tyndall AFB.  We were living in the camper at that time. Our girls were married and had their own Christmas Traditions to begin with their families (Trica was pregnant with Paige, and Jennifer was pregnant with Noah.) Christmas Eve we went to the small church on the Base.  The next day  Far Guy and I slept late, walked the dogs…we had two dogs back then Shelties named Captain and G’Day Mate.  We left the dogs while we went to the Officer’s Club on Base for Christmas Dinner…a buffet.  We came home and sat out on the picnic table in the sunshine, late in the day we went for a long walk again with the dogs.  That year we sent Christmas Cards but we didn’t decorate or bake anything…we didn’t have to be anywhere at a certain time…there were no expectations to be met.  We called our daughters and my parents and Far Guy’s Mom sometime during the day.  That Christmas was relaxing…no rushing around with your head cut off like a chicken…flopping all over, going here there and everywhere.

It may sound like a terribly selfish kinda Christmas but it remains my favorite. The warm weather and the sunshine might have had a lot to do with it!   Far Guy on the other hand, hated Florida and the people there and he was very lonely that Christmas Day. If that was my favorite Christmas it was his second least favorite. His first least favorite is the year we spent in the ER when he was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Far Guy says “ My favorite Christmas was in 2012 and 2013 when all the grands were here.”

So there you go…in order to be entered in the drawing…Your Favorite Christmas was ____!

I will draw names…at least two on Monday night at 9PM Central Time.  The winners will be revealed on Tuesday December 6th. 

Shiny Brite Ornaments on last years upstairs tree.

A Mission

As you all probably know I am a volunteer at Find A Grave.  We spent a number of days walking local cemeteries.  We still have one to walk if the weather permits. 

Tuesday was the day I chose to walk this Catholic Cemetery.  I have two aunts, two uncles and two cousins buried there.  Far Guy went along, Chance watched from the car.  I gave Far Guy a camera so if he found a grave that I needed a photo of he could do it.  We had 35 graves to find and found 24 of them…so it was a successful afternoon in the rain/snow.

The grounds of this little cemetery will put many other larger cemeteries to shame. 

It is well kept.  See the Christmas tree?

They added some black dirt to low areas this Fall and probably seeded with grass too so in the spring the grass will grow.  The middle patches of black dirt are right in front of my Uncle George and Aunt Grace’s headstone.  It was thoughts of my Aunt Gracie that made this a mission to complete before winter….she died last May and I wondered if the engraved dates were in place.  They were.

I found a classmate’s grave and headstone, and my cousin Lyle has a brand new beautiful headstone.  I photographed both.  It was a lousy day for photos but they are what they are and are better than nothing. I can always replace them with better photos in the Summer.

Now I have the photos to enter at Find A Grave….I have started a list of obituaries to transcribe…but that is a winter after Christmas project.   I have asked a number of people for photos and or obituaries.  Some obits will have to be researched and found in newspapers.

So now we say goodbye to November and hello to December.  The days are so dark and dreary that I am tempted to just wish the month away. It has been raining and or snowing for days.

Midway Memories: Hank

Henry or Hank.  Last name Johnson.  Over six feet tall, stocky build he was a big man with grey hair, sparkly blue green eyes, tan always tan complexion…he looked like he lived in Florida all the time.  I am certain he was quite handsome in earlier years.  Hank had teeth but he didn’t like them, they hurt his mouth so he didn’t wear them and would give you a gummy grin just to show off.  He had a raspy voice that was very distinctive.

Hank was friendly, he could talk to anyone. I met Hank in 1968 and the last time I saw him was about 1978.

I think Hank started out on the Scrambler but then the Boss moved him to the Octopus.

Hank was out on the road all summer and he worked for the Salvation Army in The Cities in the winter.  He must have had a room someplace there.

What we don’t know…for sure.  Was he born in 1922?  Did he die in 1983 and is he buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery?  We think he had a wife at one time, he was most likely divorced…we think he had a daughter. He was the right age to have been in WWII, but like so many that returned he didn’t talk of it.

Somewhere in Nebraska Hank found himself in the company of a very lonely elderly woman.  They wound up going to the city park.  One thing led to another. Things got a little amorous.  They were BOTH arrested.  He spent one night in jail and was out the next morning.  Hank being the friendly character he was…won the Cops over. The Cops came to visit him at the fairgrounds to give him a bad time about his tryst in the park.  The next year when we got into the Fairgrounds, Hank was taking a nap in the cab of his truck…the Cop pulled up.  The Cop asked Far Guy “Is Hank with you this year?”  Hank shouted from the truck cab “Tell him he can kiss my bare butt!”

We invited Hank to Far Guy’s going away party…the party we had late in December in 1972 before Far Guy went into the Air Force.  Hank came up from The Cities on the bus.  We had a winter storm and roads were impassable.  Hank had to bunk in with Far Guy’s parents for one night.  Boy was Far Guy’s Mom mad…but she said “He was nice and clean, talked civil and even wore a white shirt.” Hank was a hit at the party, perhaps even the life of the party.

Music was just becoming a big thing out on the Midway and the Trabant had a tape that played over and over.   Joy to the World (CCR)….was NOT Hanks’s favorite. We would sing… Jeremiah was a bullfrog was a good friend of mine… just to irritate Hank.  If you picked that song from a Jukebox he would mumble to himself shake his head and go outside.

Sometimes I wish I could go back and ask the right or more questions, but that wasn’t the way things were out on the road.  You never pryed in other peoples business or asked too many questions.  Some people talked more than others and some people remain a bit of a mystery.

Rain and an Afghan

It rained. It began in the middle of the night.  It rained just like in the Summer, complete with thunder.  The rest of the snow came off the covered entry…swoosh..waking me and an old hard of hearing dog.

See the bare nekkid snow stick?  The snow on the bottom of the photo is snow that came off the steel roof.

Marlu asked about my afghan.  It is a colorful work of art. ( A mindless pattern that I can work whilst watching TV or listening to an Audio Book.) Years ago I used to make granny squares and then stitch them all together with needle and yarn.  Some people are really smart and now there is a join as you go granny square technique.  (JAYG) You only have one tail to hide. ( Providing that you worked your beginning tail in from the start!) Here is a link to a gal that can explain it stitch by stitch!

It is a great way to use up leftover yarn…but then you want more color in it so you go to town and buy more yarn.   This one may look a bit wonky in some spots…I hope that it straightenes out when washed, also some yarn is a fat 4 ply and some a skinny 4 ply. What do you expect from cheap old dimestore yarn.

I had this crochet project stuffed away for the Summer and Fall and just brought it out after finishing the Christmas Cards.  I am not sure how big it will be, someday it may be finished or not.

Visitor and an Audio Book

We had company, Alaska Guy was here for a visit and spent an evening with us.  Always good to see him and hear his stories.  He was telling us about scattering ashes out of an airplane and how they improvised a water jug and a tube to disperse it out of the airplane.  He said that many people up in Alaska are choosing cremation.   He and his sister have a plot near ours over at the cemetery.  He and Far Guy compared notes on their hips and other ailments. We also talked about area history…he remembers a man with a popcorn trailer being right across the road from the store in Ponsford.  His parents would never let him get any popcorn because the guy lived in that trailer!  I don’t recall it at all…but he is a year older than I am.

I finished the Audio Book A Man Called Ove.  I got out the afghan I am working on and crocheted while listening.  I give the book at least 5 out of 5 stars.  We both enjoyed it. We don’t usually listen to Audio Books…maybe we should listen to a few more.  Whoever read this one did an excellent job.

Greenery for sale in town

Tree in town

The tree that sits in the middle of Main Street in town every year has taken it’s rightful place.  It came from a farmstead just about 5 miles west of our home.  From a farm family with kids and dogs, a barn and cows to milk a long time ago.

Now it has a star on top and is decorated with red and green ornaments. 

The Downtown Business Association has a tree lighting ceremony on the Friday night after Thanksgiving,   We have never been there for the lighting, but hear it is a nice gathering.

One night I may take my tripod to town and see if I can get a photo of the tree at night.  Usually once we are home for the night we stay in…old farts ya know.

I know that we should shop more in downtown but they have nothing we need.  One tourist trap after another, some open and some closed for the winter.  I went into Ben Franklin but they didn’t have the paper I needed.  I would have bought it there if it had been available.  Far Guy walked down the street to another store and it was closed.  So much for small town shopping. I bought some boxes at the UPS store! 

Christmas Cards

Well Thanksgiving is over so now we can think about Christmas.  Notice I said just “think” no shopping is planned. 

I finished assembling the cards….finally.  It took a long time. But what else did I have to do on these long winter evenings?   I didn’t use as many paper scraps as I thought I would.  Let’s just say the paper stash is still real healthy.

The cards have all their mailing and return addresses, they still need stamps and a Christmas Letter.

We have the paper for the letter, let me tell you that was hard to find this year.  We finally ended up at a printing place. We had our choice of three log cabins…sunset, trees or snow.   Several drafts of the letter have been completed but nothing is final yet.

We send out just about 110 cards every Christmas.  Many of our friends do not have computers so we keep in touch through snail mail.  During the month of December our mailbox has one or more cards a day.  We like getting mail, and in order to get mail you have to send some!

Thanksgiving 2016

We started out our Thanksgiving Day early with a long drive (124 miles).  It was foggy but the roads were good.

While Far Guy helped make lefsa, Adam and I played Othello and then he explained his Geometry Homework to me.  Some of it came back…slowly!   Adam doesn’t like the game Othello.  It was a “no devices” kind of day.  Adam took a nap after dinner.

The boys are all great help with preparation and clean up!  They are learning good life skills.  Noah helped me put together the fruit salad…Granny Smith Apples, Snickers Candy Bars and Cool Whip what is not to like!

A pear mulled cider punch

The tables were set for 15 guests out in the four season porch.  There were four children under the age of five.  You see those balloons at the end of the room, that was for a nerf gun turkey shoot!  There was also a pie in the face game that had children screaming with delight when the adults got cool whip on their faces.  Other guests were Andy’s parents, Andy’s sister and two children and Andy’s brother and wife and two children.

Not your traditional drumsticks…but I heard they were really yummy!

The menu: A relish tray with pickles, green and black olives, cranberry sauce, smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, corn, green bean casserole, homemade buns, perogies, spaetzle, apple salad and pumpkin bread.

There was also pie, pumpkin and what looked to be apple.  We had a long drive back home and were too full for pie!

We are listening to an audio book “A Man called Ove.”  Far Guy has already finished it, and I am trying to catch up so we can discuss it!  He is patient while I listen to it in the car, he says he doesn’t mind it the second time around.

Fresh lefsa

The 15 year old cat with more than nine lives is looking old and tired.  He has a chair that he uses to get to his food dish.  I was sitting in “his” chair, he sat at my feet and meowed…so I moved out of “his” chair and let him jump up and then I sat back down again.  I took his picture and then scratched his chin for him. He was not purring very much yesterday.

Chaucer

Happy Thanksgiving!

It seems like only yesterday that we had Thanksgiving and now here we are at another one…where does time go anyway?  Time stands still for no man or woman.

This is a favorite photo of mine, I took it one very cold day with almost perfect light a few years ago.

Happy Thanksgiving, may your day be full of family, sunshine and laughter!

Midway Memories : Lemonade and Cherry Pie

I have a vintage aluminum drink mixer, it is two parts…if you put lemon juice, lemon slices, sugar, ice and some water in the bottom part…slap on the top and shake away you can make a tall glass of real good lemonade.  Far Guy and I like lemonade made that way.  It transports us back to Nebraska…Central City or maybe St. Paul where it is hot in August and the only thing that will quench your parched throat is lemonade and lots of it!  Those are the days when you are thankful to work in the diggers right next to the Fresh Squeezed Lemonade Stand.

A few weeks ago we happened to have lunch at Perkins on a day when they gave us each a free slice of pie.  I chose Cherry and Far Guy chose Lemon Meringue…we took them home in a box.  One evening I shared my slice of Cherry …I said “Reminds me so much of the church stand under the grandstand in Central City.”  Far Guy said “Exactly.”  It is great to share something that brings back those memories so long ago. 

School started early in Nebraska back in the early 1970’s. The show would open at 4 PM after the kids were out of school and after the day started to cool off.  We would sleep late those days and then wander out to the Merry Go Round and if we were hungry we would head to the Church Food Stand and have a late lunch…with Cherry Pie!  Often times we would break out some cards and play cards on their oil cloth covered tables. Too soon it would be time to go back to work.

 

What isn’t snow is ice

We ventured to town for “supplies” every parking lot and most of the streets in town are icy.  It is the season of cars in the ditch and broken hips.  Many cars have been in accidents too…their fenders are sagging or their tail lights are uncovered.

Today we are to get more snow and possibly rain.  I will take the snow anyday before the rain. Uffda…Far Guy says he is tired of the winter already.

We have been keeping busy.  The other day we attacked upstairs for a complete dusting and move the furniture cleaning.  My “area” up there is not neat enough to dust yet, but I will get around to it soon.

I have “stuff” to list on ebay and packages to be mailed…makes a bit of a mess. 

Sunset colors on Toad Lake.

Snow Garden

My solar lights are almost covered with snow.  I brushed the tops off.

Last week it looked like this.

And like this at night.

The snow settled even more yesterday.  The Blue Jays visited our yard along with a few Juncos.

One good thing about the snow…the skunks should be in their dens.  So Chance can go out at night by himself…mostly he likes to eat snow.   His outside water dish was recycled, he will get a new one in the spring.  He has plenty of water in the house…but he prefers the snow.

Sunshine after the snow!

The storm named Argo brought the snow in from the North and the East.  We usually don’t get snow from that direction usually it is North or North West or West or South West.

The squirrels were pests today, they were hungry.

Chance got a squirrel by the tail today but he let it go…pretty exciting for an old dog.  Old dogs can run faster through the snow than fat squirrels.

We shoveled, then we shoveled some more.  I did some shovel leaning.  Finally we got the walk done, in front of the garage doors, the patio and a path for Chance to go to the woods.  The snow was very heavy…very wet and full of moisture. The walk melted quickly once the snow was removed.

I hit the feeders with the broom until the snow was gone.  I am sure the birds figured I had gone mad.  When Far Guy took the feeders to be filled, the Chickadees put up quite a protest.

Our side roads are pretty good, but any road with shade is rutty and icy.  It will take a few days for the roads to get better.  I don’t know if this snow will stay, part of it may melt, it will certainly shrink in height.  I cannot imagine that it would all melt.  We will see.

First Snow Report

Well we got snow and it is white.  It was a heavy wet snow.

Friday morning, the snow continued to pile up throughout the day.

I went out just before dark to take a few more photos.

I ventured through the snow to  sweep off the snowstick.  It says about seven inches but the wind was blowing the snow around…so I will guess we got about nine inches.  The snow was above my snow boots…uffda that was a chilly reminder that I should have shoved my pants legs in my socks.

Birds visited the feeders throughout the day. A few geographically challenged Finches, and our usual Chickadees, Grossbeaks and Woodpeckers.

This poor tree is broken.

The sunset was pink through the snow filled trees.

Far Guy shoveled a path for Chance and my other baby brother plowed our driveway.

There is time enough to do the shoveling today, we have no plans to go anyplace, it is probably just as well I imagine the roads are a tad icy.  We are thankful that we were able to escape power outages, many were not so lucky.

The weather channel named this storm Argo.

Turkey

Have you see the new way to cook a turkey?  You cut out the backbone with a kitchen shears and splay it out on a rack that is above a baking pan. Rub a bunch of butter inside between the skin and the meat. Cook it for an hour and a half.  It is called a spatchcocked turkey…maybe I am watching The Food Network too much.  It is supposed to be a real juicy turkey.

Run for your lives!!!

Wild Turkeys

Tomorrow I might have a snow report.  The weather people have gone nuts…12–15 inches, 2-4 inches, 6-12 inches…they are all over the place with their predictions.  I have one prediction it will be colder and somewhat white.

Weather

The weather is changing.  We may have a winter storm one day soon…possibly Friday maybe today we will see how it plays out.  It could melt…the first snow hardly ever stays…the third one usually stays for the entire winter.

I might need more than Crocs with socks soon.

Probably time to get out my snowboots and some mittens and a shovel.

I changed the flag.  If it storms I will bake some pumpkin bread!

We have enjoyed the last few days of sunshine.  We took our afternoon walk in a few local cemeteries.

 

One cemetery was just full of these fungi.  They must have blown their tops!

I guess we are ready for winter, the bird bath will go away today along with the watering can.  Ready or not here comes winter.  We knew it had to happen sooner or later.