We are through with the below zero weather for now. I am sure it will warm up just enough to have freezing rain again. There is much to be appreciated about temperatures down below zero...too cold to snow or rain.
Down Boy is the name of one of the sculptures in the Red Bridge Park.
Our Amaryllis bloomed! We were all excited to see it.
So far there are three blooms but I think there is a fourth one tucked in there.
Such a pretty thing on a cold Winter day.
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Jen ordered some Amaryllis bulbs to see if we could recreate the wax covering on the bulbs.
First you soak the bulbs in water for about 6-8 hours. Water should come up about 3/4 of the way up the bulb.
Then you let them dry for a couple of hours.
Then you cut the roots off bottom of the bulb so that it is level.
Then you dip them in wax, we used Gulf Wax.
More on this again one day. We have to finish applying wax and then paint them and see what happens.
Our Amaryllis is just about to bloom.
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Sadie and I went to Obedience Class, she did well. Her nose gets her distracted from time to time. I might need some smelly treats...right now I am using Cheerios. She knows her name, come, look, sit, down, search for a treat and touch. She will leave treats alone in my open hand until I tell her they are hers. We need to work on "spot" this next week...last year she knew where her spot was...I hope she recalls the command. We also need to work on the heel position. She needs lots of leash work...lots and lots. And we need to work on come/recall also. So we have homework.
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This is our 5th puzzle this winter.
This one was pretty easy except the outer edge gave us fits. After the 100th try Jen finally got it right.
Hats...this is number 4 for this winter.
Far Guy and I are watching The Kominsky Method on Netflix it is a good comedy.
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Ree is learning how to sit up by herself. Soon she will not be a baby anymore.
She looks so serious....part of the teething process.
She is a well loved child. She is just a few days shy of seven months old.
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Our Great Grandchildren or "Greats" were here on Monday morning, their school and day care were closed due to the holiday yesterday and their Mommy had to work part of the day. Thankfully Jen and Andy had the day off. Andy made them bacon and French toast for breakfast and for lunch hot dogs and mac and cheese.
They can sure liven things up around here.
Hey Mikey snd Cee Cee did a fair amount of goofing off during their photo session with me.
Hey Mikey with Ree...she is working on getting some teeth. She is very entertained by her siblings.
After they left I had a long nap.
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Sunday is usually Pizza Day. It was too cold for delivery so we had to pick up our own pizza. Sometimes we even make our pizza. Just not this Sunday.
The Amaryllis is forming some nice buds.
Snow and cold out there.
Far Guy stayed inside and wood carved. I worked on a crochet project. I went with Jen to get the pizza....the first time I have been out since last Friday.
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Our high yesterday was below zero...seems that will be the trend for the next week or so. Our high was -4 F or -20 C headed for a low of -16 F or -26 C eh!
I did not venture out of the house. I cleaned the bathroom and did some laundry and crocheted a bit.
Street Art in Pelican Rapids, MN one day when it was warmer.
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Dog Obedience School...Sadie, Jen and I went. Sadie did great, many of the things she already knows, Look, Sit, and looking at you when you say her name. She was very interested in all the smells. She needs work on coming to a heel position and coming when called. She likes to do things in her own time...sometimes she has to think about what SHE wants to do.
There were about 9 other dogs in the class, classes are taught by volunteers.
So we have some work to do!
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I always enjoy looking at the Art in The Red Bridge Park. Last Fall I took some photos.
This one is called Nautilus. It is made from welded and painted handlebars. I saw that it was for sale ...if you have an extra $6,695.00 it could be yours.
Our weather has turned cold and windy. Far Guy's infusion went well yesterday, I cleaned the kitchen at the rental and then we went to Wally World and out for lupper (lunch and supper).
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A Winter in the 1960's must have had a fair amount of snow. I recall that some times riding the school bus that the snow banks were almost as tall as the telephone poles in the ditch....the old fashioned T poles that were probably only about 12 maybe 15 feet tall, remember all the glass insulators lined up on top of the pole?
Snow removal equipment was not like it is today. Heck for that matter School Busses weren't either they were cold. You had to scrape the frost off the window to see out or get real close to the window and blow on it. No one ever took off their hats or coats on the bus.
I believe this photo was taken on the gravel road just North of the farm I grew up on. I will guess that the photo was taken in the Spring as there is some water on the road. My Mom is driving and that is my other baby brother standing up in the front seat. My Dad must have taken the photograph. The car is a 1962 or 1964 Chevy.
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I made the lemon pudding and Jen whipped up the meringue. Supper was leftovers or brats which ever you preferred. Lemon pudding was a nice addition!
I attended Stitch and Chat at the library. Three other gals were there, two were crocheting and one was knitting. One gal was real talky. They meet once a month. I worked on one of the shawls I have in progress. I wish they met during the day rather than at 5:30 PM.
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We have been spoiled by the unseasonably warm Fall and early Winter weather. Yesterday we had a low of -2 F or -18C and a high of 12F or -11C and it will be getting colder as the week progresses.
Our days are quiet. Far Guy wood carves and I crochet and we pet Sadie many times during the day. Little Elvis gets attention when Sadie is not watching...because she is jealous and does not understand the concept of two hands one for each dog. Two hands and they should be all hers.
Yesterday we went to the grocery store...the car is in the heated garage so Far Guy drives me and drops me off at the door and picks me up at the door when I am finished.
We made a wonderful supper; chicken, carrots, fruit salad and french fries. Everyone pitches in with dishes and clean up so it takes only a few minutes after supper.
I finished watching 1883 it is a really good series on Paramount. I will watch 1923 next and hope it is as good.
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Last Fall I went to the Red Bridge Park.
This bridge is red but it is not the old Red Bridge on the south side of town along the river. Someone painted this one and started calling it the red bridge. The park is even called The Red Bridge Park...
The park was decorated with wreaths for Christmas. I was the only one in the park that day, no tourists and no pooping machines... Canada Geese!
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One of the Amaryllis bulbs has a bud.
I did a bit of research on these bulbs. They are soaked in water and then the roots and the bottom of the bulb are cut off then dipped in paraffin wax a number of times and then spray painted. There is no hope for these bulbs to be planted or bloom again because their roots are amputated.
We had a quiet Saturday...it snowed. Far Guy woodcarved, I embroidered a bit and then had a long nap...I had more arthritis pain than normal probably due to the snow. The pain exhausts me. Jen sewed and worked on craft projects. Far Guy made ribs and french fries for supper, I made green beans and took the pickles out of the fridge.
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Just before Christmas I read a very entertaining book. It was Jen's Book Club selection at the local library, so I read it but we were not able to attend book club the evening they discussed it.
I thought it was a hilarious book, it made me smile. Jen did not finish the book and it was not to her liking at all.
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Book Club was yesterday we read The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah.
I was impressed by the first part of the book but it went downhill from there. It slid in my ratings from a 9 to a questionable 5. It could have been better on so many levels. Most of the women in the book club liked it. One said the violence was a bit much for her and she had to quit reading for a bit. I just wanted the book to be over with.
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I do not do resolutions. I will attempt a one word intention. Flow as go with the flow...don't cause ripples and don't try to go upstream...meander along at my own pace. If that is slow flow...so be it.
This was a sculpture on Main Street in Park Rapids, someone repurposed just a few tools. I have no idea what the name of this one is...I would call it "A fish out of water"
I have a couple of goals for the New Year.
#1 To update the grands photo albums with the photos I took of them in 2023.
#2 Make a hard cover book out of the blog that I wrote about my husbands paternal grandparents.
#3 To organize all my Mother's photos that are scanned and put them on flash drives for my siblings.
#4 To back up the photos on my computer...which means going through all the folders month by month sorting many before they go on flash drives.
All are big projects but good ones to work on over the Winter.
Lately my crocheting and embroidery are going in spurts and twists and turns with no finishes.
Oh well I must go with the flow:)
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We have a puzzle happening most all of the time. Early in December we finished a vintage postcard puzzle but I did not take a photo. Then just prior to Christmas we finished the manger scene.
A very bright and cheerful puzzle that we will possibly do again some day, it was a fun puzzle!
Book Lover Puzzle
Jen got a gift from Noah earlier this year, it was an Advent puzzle and pieces were inside each little box, so you had pieces to put together everyday.
It was a very pretty puzzle.
Sadie thinks puzzling is a good activity because you can put pieces together with one hand and pet her with the other.
We have a puzzle board that has drawers and we also have stacking sorting trays!
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