Sauna Delivery

My baby brother ordered a Sauna and it was delivered last Friday.

It was made in Royalton Minnesota and it is a all Cedar hand made product.

It came on a larger trailer and was unloaded onto this small trailer to make its way down the hill into its final spot.

It was a very interesting process.

Up the ramp and onto the deck

Around the corner into the spot that was designed for a sauna.

The trailer had a break apart axel and with a jack and blocks it was lowered into place.

Here is a peek inside. That is a Swedish Stove there in the middle.  Four people fit nicely…six if you have skinny friends/relatives.

My brother pretending to pour water over his wifes head.

Our parents came to see the new sauna.

My baby brother was quite happy with the sauna delivery….he will be even happier when his house is finished.  I have been the official photographer for 13 months now.  The house is still about 2 or 3 months from completion.

I heard the sauna worked as advertised.

Grands: Adam

Far Guy took a few photos of Adam’s VEX Robotics Tournament.

 

Adam

Relaxing

Competition

Adam’s father was asking him why the robot quit?  “Because someone didn’t change the battery.”

Their group won first place.  Three teams worked together at different parts of the tournament.

There is one more tournament before they go to State.  They are already going but will use the next tournament for more experience.

Way to go Adam!

Chance: Uffda

It’s me Chance…that handsome kinda sick Border Collie.  I don’t know what I ate…french fries with bad grease no doubt….and french fries are one of my most favorite foods.  They gave Far Guy and Far Side tummy aches.  I am older than them and my system is finicky.

I have pancretitis.  I have been as sick as a dog can be… Far Side and I spent almost one whole night together inside and outside…I barfed and barfed and Far Side almost barfed too.  She was a trooper and wouldn’t lay down inside when I was outside barfing and eating snow…she would come visit me outside…and make me come in and in twenty minutes or less I had to go back out again and again…it was a long night with almost no sleep. 

Well I tell ya what Far Side on no sleep cries easily.  She was worried…when Far Guy woke up in the morning and was briefed she said “I am going to sleep now…you are incharge.”  After a two hour nap she was still exhausted and bawling, I was still sicker than a dog so neither of us were in any shape to go with Far Guy up North to watch Adam’s Robotics Tournament.  So we stayed home…we napped and went outside and ate snow at regular intervals.  She brought my bed to the landing. She said “No stairs for you buddy.”

Far Guy came home and I looked better at least that is what he said. I felt better and started whining for some food…I ate some boiled rice and finally drank some water.  I am still weak.  I fell down the steps…Far Side says I have to wear my harness up and down and there is no fooling around with the steps and I am lucky I didn’t break a hip or a leg.  Far Side say she thinks I have escaped death once again.

Chance

Rescued Santa

We stopped by the antique shop in town one day…we didn’t have too much time to explore but as we walked quickly through I happened to spy a couple of things I needed wanted should not have bought for $2.

It just added to my project/someday list.

Who can resist an old carving that just needs a little help…and the jingling bells were driving Far Guy nuts just in the store. (Yes it might be me and the bells that drive him over the edge.)

The Santa had a strange look.

Before: Santa stares…kinda spooky.  He needed to be rescued.

After…I sanded him a bit, thinned down some brown paint and brushed some on and took most of it off, re painted his wonky eyes…put some snow on his hat and cuffs and a little glitter glue on his tree…and then I sealed it.

He looks good on the wreath outside the door.  Maybe I will add some lights and maybe not.

The bells ended up outside also…that was the extent of my Christmas decorating this week.

A Flag

A few weeks ago my baby brother gave me a flag.  He said I should have it.  I said “yuck it has a snake on it”… of course Far Guy knew all about the flag.
I decided to put it up for a short time before Christmas takes over.

The Gadsden Flag.  Designed by Christopher Gadsden during the American Revolution.  It was considered the first flag of The United States and was replaced later by the stars and stripes.   The Gadsden flag symbolizes patriotism and the right to our personal freedoms.

Have you heard the big Minnesota news?  One of our Senators resigned yesterday…poor Al…got caught by his bad actions.  He was elected by the voters in “the cities” and never really represented outstate Minnesota…or Veterans.  The Veterans part is what made me unhappy, he ignored questions from Far Guy.   Don’t let the door hit you in the butt Al.  So long.

I recall when I was in first, second and third grade…my teachers all had one thing in common…they would say “Keep your hands to yourself.”   Seems to me maybe teachers and parents are not teaching that so much anymore.

I cannot imagine anyone being silent about any kind of harrasment for 20 plus years…yet it seems to have happened to many women.  I tried to remember back 20 years ago…I had to go back 40 years before I could come up with one situation where I just laughed out loud at the person and said “You have got to be kidding.”

I have just about had it with the Me Too crap.  Stick up for yourself when something makes you uncomfortable…get a backbone…jeeze louise don’t wait 20 years.

Oh Fudge!

What an adventure.  I picked three different Fudge recipes to make for the Christmas cookie exchange.  I was nervous because some of my attempts at fudge have been spoon worthy.

The first recipe was a breeze.  I will make it again in a heartbeat.  White Chocolate Cherry Fudge.  3 cups white chocolate chips, 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk, 2 Tablespoons butter melt together stirring often (all the time) then add 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract…I might have added more! and one cup of dried cherries chopped into small pieces. Stir well and place in 8 x8 baking dish that is buttered or use parchment paper. Chill. Easy peasy!

The second recipe had four different layers and each layer had to be cooled in between the next…what a putzy recipe.  It is called Caramel Peanut Fudge…but I used almonds.  I was anxious to get on with the layers so I started tossing ingredients for the layers in different pans…well that was a mistake because one of the steps had two parts…it should have boiled for 5 minutes…well that did not happen…hence that layer is a little lot gooey…but it is real tasty.  If I would have used the peanuts the recipe called for this might be real similar to The Pearsons Nut Goodie candy bar in the red and green wrapper that can be found near the checkout counter that is one of my favorites.

Far Guy helped me for a while before he got disgusted and had to have a nap.  I struggled on…and on..my fingers and every butter knife in the house was a sticky mess…but they are what they are and they are in their pretty little cups.

It has been renamed messy fudge.  If you keep it in the fridge I bet it pops right out of that cup!

The no fail old Fantasy Fudge recipe is one of Far Guy’s favorites.  I find it too sweet for me. (we have different palates) I made that one last and had to call Far Guy in to stir when it got too hard for me to stir.  That is the recipe that you have to boil sugar, butter and evaporated milk for five minutes without burning it and then stir like crazy to melt the marshmallow creme and chocolate chips.  I used dark chocolate chips and almonds because we like almonds better than walnuts.

No Fail Fantasy Fudge in a pan lined with parchment paper.

About this time I am real tired of my fudge filled afternnon…this was the last pan to be dealt with.  Then I had a vision of the fudge in the candy stores…it is in big hunks.

Well that works for me! I was out of pretty foil wrappers anyway.  An assortment of fudge will be packaged into 10 tins before the cookie exchange…for now they are chilling in the freezer and I am way tired of being in the kitchen.  Oh yes Far Guy has his own personal stash of his favorite fudge…I told him he could share if he wants to but not with me. 

It is interesting that we rated the fudge exactly opposite of each other …with my fav being the White Chocolate Cherry then the Messy Fudge and lastly the No Fail Fantasy Fudge.

I checked all my ingredients and all of this fudge is gluten free.

Wistful Wednesday: Christmas in the late 1950’s.

These are photos that Far Guy’s Mom put in a photo album for him.

They are not marked with a year…I would guess it is 1958 or 1959.

The chair on the left was torquoise and the rocker on the right was beige I think.  The tree is in its proper place in front of the window.  Far Guy has something in his hands …might be a Christmas Program…perhaps he had a speaking part and was cramming at the last minute.

Here he is joined by Muggy and his sister…who looks very thin…I wonder what color her dress was…I will guess blue.  She would have been 14 or 15 in this photo.

Far Guy says he thinks his sweater was light blue…but he wouldn’t swear on it.  Yes the photo was taken after church.

See the Shiny Brites on the tree? 

These are both Polaroid Photos taken by Far Guy’s Dad.  Muggy does not look thrilled.

Put on the skates

Yesterday it rained like summertime, it sleeted, it rained again with thunder and then it sleeted again and snowed.  What a miseraable mess…now the wind is howling like a banshee.  Wind chills are way below zero.

Having a Blizzard Watch has it’s perks…I got the upstairs all cleaned up but was left with no energy to put up the tree.  My hand/wrist/arm/shoulder will need a day maybe two to rest.

Chance did not like the thunder and stuck to us like glue all day long yesterday.  When I was upstairs he laid at the bottom of the steps.

Shiny Brite with skaters that Chance gave me one year…it is painted bright yellow on the inside and stenciled in red on the outside. Soon it will be on the tree…I hope.

Ornament 2017 Winners

And the winners are.  Drum Roll please.  I picked four winners and I thank you all for leaving a comment and sharing your favorite Christmas movies!

The carvings are signed and dated.  I am certain that someday they will be fine collectibles or fire starter!  One or the other!

We are in a Winter Storm Watch so I will not get to the Post Office today…but watch your mail later in the week!  I will need your address.  Please send it to me via email captainconnie2001atyahoodotcom

L.D. 

Kathy in St Paul

MJM

Denny Gross

Congratulations! 

Blue sky

It was a beautiful day yesterday here in Minnesota.  Blue skies and 40 something F or 4 something C  eh!

Blue skies and a little sunshine make everything better.

I worked on a project that I put away in a drawer about 10 years ago…maybe longer than that.  I didn’t have all the parts…and I have been collecting them here and there and then I needed a special converter…I almost gave up but low and behold most everything can be found on the net…the free download was awesome and it helped me finish that project which reminded me of the “rest of the project”…it had two parts…with a bit of searching that part was found also…both will be gifts…from the heart.  I will share them after Christmas.  It was a “somday project” that I did not remember I had…out of sight out of mind.

My other baby brother stopped by and helped me wrangle the christmas trees from their hiding spots.  I am still working upstairs…dusting, vacuuming and moving furniture (Fall housecleaning). I should probably just go up there and not come down until it is finished and the tree is up and ready to decorate!

I am also working on my 2018 Photo Calendar..it is worth it to have my own photos as part of the calendar…plus I edit and send a few of my photos to the recycle bin.

The sun on its way down…that happens really fast nowadays.

This is the last day to leave me a comment for the 2017 Woodcarved Ornament Give Away, I will draw names at 8PM my time.  Leave a comment that includes your favorite Christmas Movie to be entered.

Hair Hair

While searching for something that was hidden stored in a very logical space, Far Guy found my hair.  It looks a little funny as it has been stored in a peanut butter jar for a number of years.   He held it up to my head and said “It sure is a different color now?”  Ya think?

So we got a few drawers and assorted interesting places straightened up while we were on the wild goose chase that finally ended in success…and I am reminded that we have too much “stuff.”

So I listed my hair on ebay. 

One time in a small antique shop on the North side of Fishhook Lake… a little old man kept following me around …finally he asked if he could buy my hair…I grabbed all my hair into a pony tail and held it in front of me…I was afraid he had a scissors.  The old guy made dolls and used human hair….but mine was not for sale that day…I wonder where he is now?

Progress is slow on the before Christmas clean and dust upstairs.  We are easily distracted.

Remember to tell me your favorite Christmas movie to be entered in the 2017 Woodcarved Ornament Giveaway.  I will close the give away at 8PM my time Sunday night.

2017 Ornament

I struggled with the research and development of the ornament that I wanted to carve this year.  Time was running out and so I made the decision to switch to another idea…and that one worked out just fine.

We try to make the ornaments one of a kind…although we carve the same main design painting makes them individual.

We start with the general shape and carve from there.

We like to carve outside and let the chips fall where they may.  After a few carving sessions Chance starts to drag in bits of wood…so then Far Guy uses the leaf blower to blow the shavings off the patio.

I paint inside…at first I was using paint brushes that stood up in a cup to hang the drying ornaments on… then Far Guy made me a dryer…a board with a screw in the top that was connected to the peanut butter jar.  It worked really well and I could paint 12 at a time!

Gesso

Base coat

There are no two that are exactly alike. 101 were carved. They are supposed to look like rustic fish decoys.

Leave me a comment with the name of your favorite Christmas Movie to be entered in the ornament give away.  Sunday at 8PM my time I will draws some winners!

I am certain after last summer I could carve a fish blind folded.

 

Last Day of November

Our weather is almost perfect.  It is warm for November…above freezing but the wind has been howling like a banshee.  Our snow is gone.

Most of the people that we mailed our woodcarved extra special Christmas Ornaments to should get their packages in the mail today.   We hauled two large bags into the Post Office last Monday and caused a line right out the door.

So this years question that will earn you an entry into the Christmas Ornament Give Away will be…what is your favorite Christmas Movie?  Leave me a comment or email me your answer. 

My favorite is “A Christmas Story”  you know the one  “You will shoot your eye out.” 

I sorted beads for one manly eyeglass cord and ended up with three.  I hope my friend from carving thinks one of them is manly enough for his taste.

The browns, tans and blacks worked up quite nicely.  Most of these were odds and end of beads that we left over from other projects…some came from garage sales and some from my friend Nellie who gave me all her beads.

 

I had to order a few more bead supplies and I may make some more eyeglass cords after Christmas.  I have already learned not to wear my favorite out of the house, someone admired mine and asked where I got it…so I gave it away.  She was just thrilled.

The Christmas Ornament Give Away will be open until Sunday night 8PM my time at which time I will draw for a couple maybe three winners and then I can get them mailed off early next week.

For now the woodcarved ornament remains a secret…maybe tomorrow it will be revealed.

Wistful Wednesday : 1980 something

This is a polaroid photo and Far Guy’s Dad took it at the house in Moorhead sometime about 1980-1981.

It was before we had the patio door,  the dining room had been repainted and the wainscoating was up…previously it was some kind of wall paper and navy blue paint.  This was the house we bought when the interest rate was 18 %. UFFDA

Far Guy had hair.  He kinda has his Tom Selleck look going on here.  He worked days and I worked nights.

That is good ole Pansy in the birdcage. She belonged to our oldest daughter Trica. For the life of me I cannot recall when Pansy died.

I do remember how ABC 123 died.

I have heard that when your brain is full it dumps some of the insignificant stuff memories…not that I didn’t like the little bird.  Perhaps her death was peaceful. ( For the record Far Guy doesn’t recall either.)