Bass Lake

Recently we went for a drive, one of my favorite drives is to make a large circle and go by Shell Lake and Bass Lake.

Shell Lake only had a few fish houses.

Bass Lake had quite a few houses out.  We visited with three young lads at the Bass Lake Public Access..they were sledding.   One was using his sled like a surfboard, it was fun to watch.   They asked us what we were up to..I told them I just wanted to take some photos of the Fish Houses.  I asked them if they were afraid of dogs, they weren't so Chance was allowed out to meet them.

My Dad used to have his Fish House out on Bass Lake.  My brother and I would tag along.  We sometimes would visit with other people on the lake.

One day in 1966 or 1967  Jody K. came along and he and I took off on his snowmobile.  We were friends even though we went to different High Schools, we used to go sledding at his house in the winter.   Bass Lake is known to be a really deep lake, back then it had a kind of mystique about it someone had drowned there in the summer and their body was never found.  To a teenager that is really a horrible thought. Not that you would die, but that your body would never be found.  Anyway Jody and I are cruising along,  we began to go slower and slower, the part of the lake that we are on has flooded with water. During warmer weather the snow will weigh down the ice and then water comes up between the ice and snow.  You cannot always tell an area that has been flooded..it just looks normal.   We are at a standstill, we hop off of the snowmobile and we both push while Jody accelerates..It is so cold.  The water fills your boots and seeps into your clothing and weighs you down.  It is hard to walk..your feet are on the layer of ice now covered with two to three feet of water.  Jody is pretty calm he says "Push, push hard..we will make it out."  All I could think about was falling into a hole in the ice..but I kept trudging along and we eventually made it out of the flooded area..what a relief.  We headed back to my Dads Fish House and he immediately took me home.  I have never been so cold in my entire life.  Jody had a short trip by snowmobile back to his home, we called to make sure he made it back alright.  What started out as a quiet afternoon of fishing, became quite an adventure:)

Working My Butt Off

After a week of Physical Therapy and doing all of my exercises religiously my shoulder is showing some improvement. It no longer keeps me awake ALL night long. I have a new exercise that is a real killer, you take a towel and sling it over your back and then grab it behind your back with your bad arm..and then draw that arm up the center of your back. UFFda..sometimes I say bad words. Mike the Physical Therapist thinks I may have a frozen shoulder..no googling that one for me..cause I bet it is something I cannot recover from in just a few weeks of therapy.

We have an area upstairs..actually it is my area for this and that and "junk." This area is suppose to have built in single beds for the grands..eventually.  I have a queen size mattress that came out of a motor home, they plop it on the floor and they line up like cord wood on it..it will hold at least three of them!  Somehow Far Guys Elliptical ended up in my area..along with his dreaded scale.  The exercise area upstairs is getting more popular. Chance loves that people come over to exercise.. I guess the area upstairs just evolved one torture machine at a time. First the Elliptical, then Jo said "I don't really have room for my Total Gym..we should bring it over to you.. I could use it at your house! "
Then Stacey said, "I have my Moms ( she who sees Robins first)  old treadmill, Mom said you might want it, if you don't want it then we are taking it to the dump. " So my junk area has been transformed to an exercise area.  If you take a Sauna after you exercise we could be considered a SPA!

 
We could use a stationary bike..that is one that the Physical Therapist suggests. I will keep an eye out for some different equipment at garage sales.  The other day as I was walking through the Physical Therapy Gym, I wondered what they do with all their old equipment?? I also saw a person getting a back-rub with a thing on a roller..I asked Mike what I had to do to myself to get a back-rub like that..he said "Have a heart attack." Guess not. I have eight minutes while Mike does the ultra sound treatment on my shoulder to pick his brain. I am certain that I am just the highlight of his entire day!

He has a Gordon Setter named Murphy! A dog person! I showed him one of Chances photographs. Now I try not to talk the entire time.. and this is what I have learned from Mike. Some things I knew..somethings I just needed to have validated by a professional...and since I have him captive while he does my ultrasound treatment I am going to get my moneys worth.

Water is important in your diet.
When you exercise you should vary your routine..or your body gets used to it.
Take a day off and do some other type of physical activity that you don't normally do.
It is easier for men to lose weight than women.
Diet and Exercise are the only key to weight loss.
Give yourself a day off from your diet too.
Keep your body guessing what you are going to be doing next..it will increase your metabolism.
Always eat breakfast...never ever skip breakfast.
Count your calories..if it touches your lips write it down ( I am not doing this yet..I am just thinking about it)
Keep on keeping on..even if you don't see anything positive happening on the scale..eventually you will.( I asked him how long do you have to wait?.. It varies.)

I can now do my two miles on the elliptical in less than 24 minutes..but it is not pretty.  I am thinking of doing two sessions a day.. I may as well live in my shorts and exercise bra until spring gets here. I am thinking that next summer will probably not be the summer of the bikini.  Perhaps the trip to the nude beaches in the South of France is just a pipe dream..  but you never know..my fat is getting firmer:)

Snellman, Minnesota: Aunes Kauppala

Kauppala is shop in Finnish.  Aunes Kauppala is a quaint little place that is open from May through October ..but only on Thursdays through Sunday.  Aune has a real job..so she is one busy lady. When you shop there, it takes some time..her items vary from homemade potholders..to used paperback with a few antiques and collectibles thrown in for good measure.

Many local artisans consign their wares at Aunes..I believe she still has a few of my Ladyslipper Cards.  She doesn't have any of the tourist trap made in China or Taiwan crap.   She may however have just a few things that are made in Finland.

Last Fall during Snellman Days Aune had her small loom set up outside.  This loom used to belong to her Mother.  Aune was giving a weaving demonstration.

I know nothing of the process other than I used to help cut strips of fabric and then when the ends were sewn together I used to help roll them into balls..they would then go to the rug maker and in a few months we would have new rag rugs.   I have watched a number of people work the loom..I believe it is all about rhythm.. and of course stringing that warp (Thread) on the loom must be a real nightmare.   My Father built a loom.  One winter he took his brother Ervin's Loom and made an exact replica.  There are a few looms in the family..someone should take some lessons..before all the old teachers are gone.

Aune was making place-mats and table runners.. she talked while she demonstrated.  The thing that she said that stuck with me was " My Mother used this loom so much that her hand wore a spot in the wood.  I can almost feel her closeness when I weave.":)

Wistful Wednesday: Jan 14, 1961

This is a wedding photograph I uncovered this morning.  It is one of my cousins..she was married on Jan. 14, 1961.  Congratulations on 49 years of marriage Bob and Verniel!! I am sure Verniel is wondering how I happened to get this photo.

Yesterday the cousins got together, during the dark and cold of winter we meet at a restaurant for lunch at noon.  My Aunt had two boxes of photos for me..that belonged to my Paternal Grandfather.  My mission is to scan them and make CD's so that everyone can have a copy if they wish. The originals can then be distributed amongst the cousins.   It is an amazing group of photographs..I will have to enlist the help of my Aunt and my Father to help identify some of the people.  It is a good winter project.  I will see that they are marked properly so that they are not lost forever.

As I was looking them over last night, I just skimmed the surface. I was almost in awe.  What a bunch of stories there are in these boxes.  I knew I wanted to feature one photograph today.  I thought about it and couldn't decide between snow photos and skiing photographs.  Snow was winning out..until this morning..I happened across this lovely wedding photo..that was dated Jan 14..close enough for me:)

Snellman, Minnesota

My friend Aune owns a little shop in the "town" of Snellman.   Now Snellman is one of those towns in Minnesota where if you blink..you might just miss it.  There is a Store/ Gas Station, Aunes Kauppala (Shop) and on the hill there is a Lutheran Church. There are about four houses.   Snellman population might be about 10 people.  In late June the Lady Slippers bloom their hearts out on the hills before and after Snellman.

Years ago Violet owned the building that Aune now occupies.  It was a "beer joint", I was in there a few times..all I remember is the knotty pine walls.  She also had some of those weird jars..with pickled pigs feet.. Kids I knew used to buy beer there, I never did.  Far Guy bought some there..underage illegal beer..probably underage illegal cigarettes too.  By the time I was old enough to drink it would have been the last place I would have stopped for a beer..I really didn't like the taste of beer anyway.  Now I wish that I had stopped there before she closed..so that I would have had an adult view to share.

The general store used to be owned by Alvin and Hilma, they had the best summer sausage and when times were good my Mother would pick out  a huge chunk, Alvin would wrap it in white butcher paper and put a piece of beige tape on it and mark the price on it with a red pencil.  He always had something fun to talk about..they lived in the back of the store..they had a son Carlton.. if the door between the living quarters and the store was open I could stand in the doorway and watch their TV while my Mother shopped.  Years later Far Guy and I rented a place on the narrows that connect up Straight Lake and the Mill pond.  We rented it for forty dollars a month in 1972 ..when Far Guy was drafted..Alvin said "I will sell you kids that property, just send me money when ever you can."  He wanted $2,000 dollars for it..it had a garage and a nice trailer house and 150 feet of "lake-shore"  it was well worth the money he wanted for it..it was just that we could not afford it on a serviceman's salary.

Snellmans claim to fame was the beautiful Laurie..she was Miss Minnesota in 1982  and was a semi finalist in the 1983 Miss America Pageant.   For years there was a sign that said "Snellman Home of Miss Minnesota 1982"  I hope she eventually got that sign."  Everyone including me..sat on the edge of our seats that night of the Miss America Pageant..she sang a wonderful song for her talent and her evening gown was gold and very heavy..she made it into the top ten!  Her mailing address may have been Osage, Minnesota..but she lived on the hill opposite the church in Snellman.

More about my friend Aune another day..she and her shop deserve their own entry.  I will take you inside!! :)

Elvis??

Who can resist the puppy breath or the  extreme cuteness of a little puppy?  Well it seems my Son In Law cannot. He got a new puppy..doesn't he realize that it is really hard to potty train a puppy in the winter?  The poor little thing can't get in or out of the doggie door by himself...maybe Handy Andy will build him a ramp..then there are the stairs..maybe he will make it puppy accessible.  If I were him I would also go around the yard and make double sure that there are no tiny holes under the fence that he can squeeze out of.. I wonder what he will chew up?  I wonder when I will get to babysit?  I wonder if this puppy will love me more than Far Guy.  Miney adores Far Guy..she likes me too..and cuddles..but when she runs into our house ..she heads for him ..just like a moth to a flame.  My daughter Jen also known as The East Side Professor has posted photos over on her blog..he is a real cutie!  Go on over and meet Elvis..he joins Miney who is also a Shetland Sheepdog or a Sheltie and Chaucer ..an orange and white kitty who belongs to Noah.  I believe that this is Handy Andy's first puppy.. he and Jen share Miney..but I have a feeling that Elvis is all his.  

This was Miney when she was just little.  It was the first time she visited us ( August 2005) ..she was a real cutie too!

I guess I will have to break this new puppy news to Chance gently.  He is very sensitive:)

A Gift From A Friend

The phone rang before eight yesterday morning..mail sorting time.  It rang twice before Far Guy lept out of bed to answer it.   I paid no attention..if Far Guy wants to traipse into the Post Office..fine.  I would have just said "Deliver it"  Our postman is such a dork..any package we get..he calls and whines that it won't fit in our mailbox..or he calls and tells us that it is hung precariously from our mail box, and we better run out and rescue it.   Now if his substitute Melanie is working his route, she just delivers it to the door..with a smile, and without a phone call.  Anyway I keep track.. and I am losing but only because of Far Guy..he caves every time.  So Mail Man 1 and Far Side 0 at the beginning of year three.

I covered my head and went back to sleep..it was too cold to get up anyway.  Far Guy and Chance drove into town and got the mail.  It was a very large box that they came back with!  I spied it in the center of the table when I was roused by someones very cold nose that signalled he was back from a very important trip.  Far Guy immediately stood next to the table with his pocket knife at the ready.  I was so excited..I didn't take any photos ..until later!   The treasures inside were heavily wrapped, there was a box within a box and lots of fluff.

There was a lovely little note..and three shiny brites ..one of which was in my sought after orange color..I am in Shiny Brite heaven with this color!

There were seven ornaments from Poland.  Three are indents.  The colors on these little treasures is just too much.  To think that they made the trip long ago all the way from Poland to the United States..to a tree in the 1950's in Illinois..to be enjoyed by a little girl who would grow up and appreciate the memory and want to share that memory with me.. so that next year I can tell a story of kindness and friendship to my Grands as we put these on my BIG tree.   Rae felt that I would appreciate her ornaments..and she was looking for a home for them.. yesterday they were safely delivered to Minnesota.  Thank you Rae!!  I have already written the little note that accompanies the ornament into my collection..so your story will continue.  Rae writes her heart out at Weather Vane..I am sure glad that I met her and I am sure that you will enjoy her also..she is one of a kind:)

Sad Shoulder Saga

Well I guess it is about time I spill my guts. I fell back in September, I am a klutz sometimes. I was taking a photograph and lost my footing and just kind of rolled onto the ground..shoulder first. OUCH!! I did yard work in October and November which really agaitated it. November 01, I got a seasonal flu shot in my sore shoulder..I will never do that again. Then I overdid some lifting..and finally it became so painful I could not sleep. Far Guy went into his Doctor mode and got me an appointment three weeks away. I was able to control the pain by not using my right arm and taking Aleve and Ecotrin. I finally got to see the Doc on December 02, I mentioned that the flu shot agitated my shoulder..he said "Impossible". He gave me a cortisone injection in my shoulder..it was wonderful..I didn't scream or pass out or anything..I was pain free for four hours..ahhh it was blissful. I slept. The Doc ordered an MRI ..it was an excruciating painful procedure having my shoulder clamped into place...they gave me some kind of strange pill otherwise I would not have been able to tolerate it. The diagnosis came back as tendonitis. They sent me to an Orthopod..finally I got to see him this past Monday..he took x rays and says yes I have tendonitis and a worn rotor cuff (ten years of lifting watering cans has taken it's toll). I told him that the Flu shot really agitated my shoulder..he just laughed. He did not take me seriously either. He was a really nice young man...but he said I will probably have this a year before it goes away completely..if it does not get better I will have to have surgery. He sent me to Physical Therapy...

This is my sore shoulder..yes I have a black exercise bra on..so sue me. This is the newfangled pain thingy.

The newest man in my life is Mike..he has great hands..he can massage my shoulder and find all the painful bursa..he gave me ultrasound treatments and a new fangled pain patch..that has batteries in it but it only lasts for about twenty four hours..something about Ions and healing and blocking the pain.. I also got a huge turquoise rubber-band and have exercises to do two or three times a day. What we are trying to do with the exercise and therapy is to increase the space between the head of my humerus and the muscley rotator cuff..and to make the rotator cuff more pliable. Right now it is like an old piece of leather..a cranky one. My supraspinatus tendon is the one giving me fits, it is in front of your shoulder and runs around to the back. I am not suppose to do anything that makes my shoulder hurt..I immediately said "Well cooking is totally out of the picture then." Seriously.... anything that involves reaching above my head or behind my back causes pain that will bring tears to my eyes. I have the worst time with my hair..I brush it all with my left arm..I am thinking of shaving my head so Far Guy and I match. I am somewhat ambidextrous..I can throw the ball with my left arm..not with much accuracy..but Chance is forgiving. I also have a hard time getting dressed..and sometimes I get all tangled up in my bra.. Far Guy is patient and when I have a bra emergency he comes running. Mike the guy with the hands..says quote "Flu shots often get too close to your bursa and cause inflammation.. you are not the first one to complain about a badly placed Flu Shot. " He also said it may take another cortisone injection and three or four months to make a difference. Not the news I was hoping for..I never realized how many people slug me in the shoulder..and how much hugs hurt..and how freaking miserable I can be...but now that we FINALLY have a plan..it should get better a little at a time.

The lesson..I will never ever get a flu shot in my arm again. If they won't give it to me in my butt or my leg..then I will refuse it. We still haven't gotten the H1N1 Flu Shot..it has just recently reached Minnesota. Maybe we will just skip it. Getting older sometimes really sucks:)

A Picture and A Jar

This is the picture that hangs next to the french doors.  I believe it is of Multnomah Falls in Oregon, the falls are along the Columbia River Gorge.   Far Guy and I have been there.  There is a beautiful stone bridge part way up and you used to be able to walk over it..not anymore.  Our daughter Jen got to walk up there one year before it was closed.  The stone bridge which was built in 1914 is not in this picture, nor is the log bridge that was there before the stone bridge.  I purchased this picture at a garage sale, my cousin from Washington was clearing out some of her "stuff"...it is slightly damaged..and I thought about repairing it.  I stopped myself..I decided I like it just the way it is.  Like I said..I believe it to be Multnomah..it might be someplace different.  Whatever.. I thought it was worth two dollars.  One day I had a hammer in my hand..and a nail and I hung it up.   It kinda sticks out like a sore thumb next to the door..until I find a better spot for it..I guess it will stay there.

This is an old cookie jar made by the Hocking Glass Company.  It was my maternal grandmothers and I am sure that it used to have a silver colored label that said "Cookies" ..my parents inherited it..and they gave it to me one year for Christmas.

I used to collect Depression Glass, one year when we were visiting Far Guys sister in Indiana..we drove over to Lexington,  Kentucky and visited Gene Florence's shop..he is like the premiere authority on depression glass in the United States.  We got to meet his Mother that day.. she was a doll!  I have some of his books.  I have been out of the depression glass loop for a long time.  I still pick up a piece from time to time..as both Far Guy and I have our favorite sets which we collect and they will someday go to our daughters..Mine to Trica and Far Guys to Jen.

What is in the jar?  I figured that someone would be curious..my Mother gave me these socks, they were knit by my paternal grandmother for me before I was born.  I put them in the jar along with a note.  One day I went wild with post it notes and wrote the who and what of some of my "stuff".  I should find a photo of me in these warm socks..and put that in the jar too.  So the old jar is kind of a double memory for me, a grandmother that loved me enough to knit me a pair of socks..but who died before I was old enough to remember her, and another grandmother who lived a long life who I visited with often:)

All sewed up!

That is correct..I finished the blankety-blank curtains. Far Guy did such a great job upstairs finishing the window trim..I told him I would have the curtains sewn by Thanksgiving..well that didn't happen..but I did get them done in time for Christmas. They are up..it was a struggle. I designed them..they are lined..I will never line another thing in my entire life. I got better using a seam ripper..I got to be a better measurer. Jo came over and offered suggestions... about hems ..etc..she sews. Far Guy even helped me one day..I worked for ten minutes trying to get my bobbin filled with thread..I began to bawl and he came to my rescue. I finally admitted defeat, my sore shoulder just would not allow me to work with the heavy fabrics anymore. I asked Far Guy for help and he measured and trial fitted and I sewed and he helped to hold the heavy fabric and we got it done.

I had just enough fabric..my in the ballpark guess was pretty close. I think I need some decorative round tension rods..I just used a couple of older rods that I had lying around. The fabric is heavy..it is upholstery fabric. Why did I use upholstery fabric? Because I liked the print!

I designed the curtains for the French Door upstairs. French Doors are a pain in the butt. I did not want curtain rods..I just wanted something simple. So one day when I was in a Designers Challenge mood ..I thought up my design and sewed it up in my head.  It is so much easier to sew in your head!!  When I was reasonably sure it would work..I gave it a whirl. I wanted something that looked sleek with no rod. So i just sewed a panel..note I did try to match the horizontal seam.. the left curtain is perfect..the right curtain is way off..but life is not perfect all the time. My sewing skills leave much to be desired.

The panels look nice when they are down and when you want the panel up..you just roll it up and use the tabs to hold it in place. I still need to take them to Jo's one day so she can serge the edges for me..I just want a serged edge. The top and bottoms are hemmed nicely..and the curtain is held in place with Velcro..the kind that is glued on! If I could have glued the entire curtain together I would have. Many times during this project..which took six weeks to finish..no I did not sew everyday..some days I would just sit there and imagine it sewed.. ..I wanted to quit. I bellyached and bitched..I just do not have the tolerance or the talent to sew. At times I thought that I would never finish them, at times I hoped I would just be struck dead so I could be put out of my misery.  Far Guy wanted out of my misery too.  The tabs that I sewed together for the french doors were supposed to be simple.  Just strips of fabric sewn together and then turned right side out..the material was so thick I had to turn it with a strong pin..thread by thread.  Finally I got them done and attached the Velcro..and the glue was not strong enough to hold..I tried to hand sew them on..the residue from the  glue made it so difficult that Far Guy had to use a pliers to pull the needle through.   I am sure that there are lots of you gals that sew that could have whipped these together in an afternoon.. I procrastinated way too long with this project..I am really glad it is all sewed up:)

Wistful Wednesday: Milk Pails

This is a photo taken at Far Guys Grandparents farm.  Left to right: Far Guys Dad( Marvin), Grandpa ( James). and  Uncles (Jim) and (Ron)  I believe that this was taken sometime around 1927..in that year the boys would have been  13, 6 and 9.  It looks like they were all helping with the milking.  That is what I would call a cream can ( because of it's size) being carried between the Father and his oldest son.  I would guess and this is just a guess that they only had a few cows..perhaps three or four..as they have three milk pails and three of them could have milked at the same time...perhaps a few of their milk cows were in the process of drying up before they freshened.  You cannot milk a dry cow..and they all dry up four to six weeks before freshening or the birth of a calf.  It is like a mini vacation for the cow and for the farmer too..if you rely on milk everyday like I am sure this farm family did then you want to stagger the breeding of your cows so they don't all dry up at once.   So much for milk cow info deep inside this old brain!

I think that this photo is a wonderful example of teamwork and farm families that worked together everyday:)

The BIG Tree

The "Grands" and my handsome and handy Son In Law Andy..helped put up the big tree. The children were impressed with it's tallness and they all helped decorate it the evening before Christmas Eve. Andy is very TALL..he began by lifting the children in the air to hang ornaments..finally he just took the tree apart at the top and held onto it while the children decorated. Noah got to put the Angel on top, because he was the first one that asked me if he could do the honors. When I took out the ornaments I ran onto the Angel..I believe we purchased it in Florida in 1973 or Minnesota in 1974..whatever.. it has been around a long time. I thought the children did great..they kept me busy going through boxes and bags, attaching the little wire hangers until I ran out ..my entire collection never made it on the tree due to a hanger shortage..maybe next year! The antique bell ornaments seemed to be the children's favorites.. everyone wanted to hang a bell..luckily I had enough to go around. They held all the ornaments very gently and oohed and aahed the entire time. I believe that we made a memory.

It was interesting seeing these ornaments on the tree for the very first time. I have been collecting these ornaments since about 1987..one by one. Sometimes lucky enough to find an entire box! I need to purchase some ornament caps and wires..I will have to keep my eye out at garage sales.. I also discovered that I am heavy on the gold and silver, okay with red, purple, blue and pink. Very short of green and orange..I only have two each of those colors. I am particularly smitten with the orange for some reason... I don't quite know why, but I simply must find some more of those.

I did purchase one box of the new Radco Shiny Brites at Menards..I just got the small bulbs a set of twelve multicolor. They are interesting. I explained to the grands about them..they probably won't remember that they are reproductions..but someday they may be collectible in their own right.

What a great place to sort ornaments..on the bed upstairs. Chance came by once and rested his head on the edge of the bed.. but settled on the twin bed nearby for a nap whilst I sorted and thought..I need a Christmas Tree Skirt..and next year perhaps I should take off the huge tags that identify it as sections A, B, C and D. I should also buy more tissue paper to wrap my old shiny brites in..as I stuffed the last three boxes full of ornaments all touching each other..those boxes are an improvement from the old bread sacks that most of them were in previously.

When Far Guy had this huge tree in sections in his cart I should have had him go right over to the huge fifty gallon totes..instead I just walked right by them. When I went back to Menards in DL the other day they were all sold out. I purchased two smaller totes that will have to be returned..but that's okay..I can go by the antique shop! The Tall tree is down, one of it's sections measures 48 inches..so we will have to build a wooden box for it next summer.. I am thinking something out of pine..on casters..that might possibly go someplace upstairs....maybe it could be a coffee table..or a bench with a cushion on top.. shh..no one tell Far Guy that I have another vision:)

A Lost Art

Last summer I had the unique opportunity to meet someone who practices a lost art.  I met her before I found out that she had a blog, she had been taking a little time off from her photo blog..but she is back again.. she is a very talented photographer too!

I took some photos the day that I met her at The Lake Itasca Pioneer Farmers Show. I was amazed at her handiwork. One of the things that is on my list of things to do is to call my local Community Education Program and request that she give a class.  I spoke to a few of my cousins, they are all quite interested in attending a class..I just need to find an old wheel now..

Faylin weaves round rag rugs on a wheel.  She was giving a demonstration. I do not begin to remember everything that she told me. I do know that she made it all look fairly simple and it is an art that I am sure that I would enjoy learning. She lives in North Dakota.. and her blog is called Picture The Promises. Pop on over to her blog and say hi you will be glad that you did! :)

Florida Thoughts

It was 36 below zero this morning.. just another chilly day in the state of FROZEN. If you are dressed in layers, and resemble a polar bear..you will survive. Have you ever been so cold that your tears freeze on your face, so cold that you can't feel your fingers anymore, and your feet feel like chunks of wood, heavy and cumbersome? You shiver, but shivering is good because because it generates heat. When you are so cold that you stop shivering..you have a big problem. If you look all glamorous in a skirt and some fancy boots with heels you are gonna be sorry if you car stalls today. Luckily anyone that lives in Minnesota will have a heart today..and stop for your sorry frozen butt.

Ah Florida..how I miss your oranges...and your warmth. Far Guy was stationed at MacDill AFB back in 1973, MacDill is in Tampa..we spent a fair amount of time at Clearwater Beach. Disney World had recently opened..we made trips over there to Orlando when we could afford it. I worked at the Base Day Care Center usually in the toddler room..children aged 2 to 5...sometimes I also worked in the Nursery..lotza babies. Trica was just little..she was one. It was cheaper for me to hire a nanny to take care of her..so I did. A young gal and her husband Frankie who was an Air Force Fire Fighter lived across the street from us, her name was Kathy and she was from Tennessee. She was a wonderful mentor..and taught this northern gal all about preparing for hurricanes. They had a little girl almost the same age as Trica ..her name was Tina..Trica called her Tee Wee. Kathy would tote the two little girls around..her husband worked 24 on and 24 off so on days when he was home sleeping she would camp out at our place..she also took care of our dog "Snuffer" and the four little pups that appreared after a secret rendevous with a neighbor dog..must have been a quickie.

Trica named those pups.. Flower who she called Flowie, Blackie, Brownie and Fatty. She was just little, I thought she did wonderful with the original names! Flowie and Fatty went to homes with children, they were raised under my gentle hand..but also with the hugs and kisses of a one year old..so they were not afraid of children. Blackie became "Baby Snuffer" and when she was old enough to be put on an airplane she made the trip to Louisville and became Far Guys Sisters dog. She was a marvelous little pup and looked exactly like Toto in the Wizard of Oz.. she lived a long and pampered life in Indiana. Far Guy gave away Brownie one day when I was at work. He just knew I was going to keep that pup for myself. Wouldn't you know it..an elderly gentleman just happened to come by one afternoon and he was lonely after his old faithful dog died. Well..it was a good sob story..but it didn't stop me from bawling, and I was pretty ticked off too.

June 1973 we were on leave between Lowry AFB and MacDill AFB, this was taken at my parents farm in front of the picture tree.

I went to work in Florida because we bought a new car a 1973 Gremlin..white..but we couldn't go very far..because there was a gas shortage that year. The rest of the country may have been fine..but I waited in line that year (winter of 1974) for gas..sometimes for hours. The car payment was sixty dollars a month. Not much by today's standards..but back then it was quite a chunk of change.

Florida was better than Germany..that was where he was supposed to go..back then you could trade assignments...within your specialty..remember me telling you how brilliant the Armed Services are..and remember they would have issued my husband a wife, child and dog if they had wanted him to have them. Germany..and yes we could go..but we would have to pay for it ourselves..I would have to live someplace and save up for the trip..the dog would have had to go into quarantine for six months ..Far Guy traded with a friend who was single he wanted to go overseas but he got MacDill. ( The powers that be are all idiots! ) The next day we could have had Mountain Home, Idaho and 100 dollars.. life is just not fair sometimes. But Florida was better than Germany..but not as much fun as Mountain Home. We loved the mountains when we were stationed in Colorado.

Far Guy took part in a program called Palace Chase..it took active duty people and put them in The Air National Guard for a six year commitment.. so he joined up and picked Hector Field in Fargo, ND as his base. Thus began a career that spanned twenty six years (1972 to 1998) . In essence I was a single parent..never knowing where he was going or when he would be back. Every chance I got, the girls and I would go south to Florida or Mississippi where he was TDY ( temporary duty).

When Far Guy was retired from The Air Guard in 1998, we began building here where we live now. We had to clear the land of trees and carve out a spot for the Greenhouse business..we bought a camper..let me tell you living in a camper in Minnesota really sucks in the winter..we escaped to Florida (Tyndall AFB, Panama City Florida with twelve miles of private beach) for the worst months.. Far Guy absolutely hated being in Florida..I absolutely loved it.. we made a deal..we would build a small tiny little house and we would live six months in Minnesota and six months in Florida..it was a great plan..except we built a much larger house than we needed in Minnesota..so we are stuck here.. actually Far Guy said that I could go to Florida anytime I want..but I wouldn't leave him behind..or would I? Mornings like this make me wonder:)

Jeanne asked me yesterday about the time we spent in Florida..thanks for the nudge to write about it!  If you haven't visited The Raisin Chronicles..now is your chance!

It is a little chilly

It was 27 degrees BELOW zero this morning..that is -33C for my Canadian friends. I just get cranky when it gets this cold, okay that is untrue..I get crankier. Luckily just like yesterday, I do not have to go out. The cupboard is full of groceries, Chance has lots of food..if I learned how to bake bread and if Far Guy would use powdered milk on his cereal..or if we got a cow ..but a cow would mean that someone would have to go out and do chores..besides that we have no barn..and farm animals need a barn. Anyway we could hibernate inside longer if I baked bread and if Far Guy didn't drink milk.

Chance is valiant..he heads outdoors with great enthusiasm..after about five minutes..he begins the great paw exchange, holding one paw at a time in the air to warm it up. We play ball indoors on days like today..I wish I could get him to walk on the treadmill...

I have to make a list..one of those dreaded list of things that need to be done around here. Some of the projects are just down right boring like cleaning the oven. However there are a number of very organizational things I will do this year, I tend to like organizational type projects and actually look forward to them. Far Guys Mom kept every obituary from every funeral she ever attended. Likewise I have kept some for many years. Every time someones dies..I put their obit in my white Bible that my Grandparents gave me when I was confirmed. Since I am now getting older, lots more people die every year and my Bible is plump. So de plumping my Bible is on the list..I have a photo storage box and should be able to alphabetize them.

Years ago one of my cousins and I volunteered to make a family cookbook. We have collected recipes. I have been looking at Cookbook Software. Some of it is very high tech and confusing. I just need a simple program, we will print it out ourselves on something heavier than regular paper and bind it together..one of us cousins has a machine that does that. We will have to come up with a front and back cover design too. Does anyone out there have any suggestions for software? I found one called Mathilda's Fantastic Cookbook Software. It will create an address book too..and a birthday calender. It looks simple to use. My cousin is now milking hundreds of cows twice a day( I am sure if she had her druthers she would just rather be a farm wife working on the recipe book with me instead of helping her husband milk everyday..she is doing what she has to do...when are the farmers going to catch a break anyway?) So I will have to recruit other family members to help with the typing.. I have all the recipes..in a big yellow folder file..just waiting for organization...there are already a few family stories in there too. It should be a delightful family project. "The Cousins" want to have this project done and ready for sale by the family picnic in August. Yes, we will sell them but only to recoup the cost of paper, ink and bindings. It is a big project. And even though I don't like to cook..I do like to read recipes..strange isn't it? Far Guy says "I think you read recipes so you can cook in your head..and that is good enough for you."

I have cooked twice recently..he really appreciates it when I cook. One night I threw some salt and pepper on a couple of Catfish Fillets and then dredged them through some flour and then fried them up in a little butter..dumped some lettuce in a bowl..viola.. supper fit for a king! We both love good Catfish..I know not everyone likes them..but we lived in the south long enough to learn to appreciate the delightful flavor! I would have purchased some crawdads..but they only had fancy crustaceans. We both like crawdads too.

Fish houses down on the lake.

Why do you suppose I think of Crawdads and fresh oranges right off the trees this time of year? It must be the cold weather, and they are comfort food to me on a chilly Minnesota day:)
Update:  My brother just stopped by..he gets up earlier than us!  He had 39 BELOW ZERO at his house this morning..but we do live just south of him:)

Once in a Blue Moon

We went to a hobby shop yesterday, and Far Guy met a bunch of other "train people" ..it was rather funny.. You see Far Guy has O scale trains..someone was asking a question about them and the store owner said well do you know Far Guy?  Of course they didn't ..but they do now.

It was cold yesterday,  and this morning it was -12 degrees F or-24 degrees C  way to cold to go out.  So we will stay at home today.

Yesterday on our way home, I took a photo at the end of the drive..actually I took several.  There is a sun-dog off to the right under the two small camera flares.

Then I took this photo..honest it is straight out of the camera..I would not pull your leg..I consider it one last gift from 2009.   I will have to consult with one of my camera friends for an explanation..was it too cold..maybe Ed or someone else will know.. maybe it was just equal camera flares.

Around five o'clock I took off with my tripod to see if I could capture the blue moon.. I did.  The moon is not easy to photograph especially once it gets dark.

I walked down to my brothers..eight children under the age of five were there..I got to feed the new baby..a room temperature bottle..she seemed to like it..I would have warmed it up but her Mother ( my niece)  said..that's the way she gets it all the time.   Of course I gave her a load of what for about that..she knows me well so she just ignores me.  This newest baby isn't showing any inclination to scream when I enter the room ..yet...however my niece did a fairly good impression for her.   When I walked back home the moon was obscured by clouds..good thing I had my trusty ugly yellow flashlight.


Far Guy was still laying  down when I got home,  I did rouse him to listen to some music with me.  I let him listen to some Judith Durham ( former Seekers), I picked the Righteous Brothers "Unchained Melody"  for a quick little belly rubbing slow dance around the living room.  Then I progressed through some of my favorites by Roy Orbison "Pretty Woman",  Abba "Dancing Queen"  and one of Bob Dylan's old songs sung by Adele " Make you feel my love" , and "Smile" by Uncle Kracker  ..oh yeah and Meatloaf.."Two out of Three Ain't Bad".  I am pretty fussy with my music..if I like it I listen to it forever..rarely adding new songs.. this years big add was "Smile".  Here's to more smiles in twenty ten:)

2009 In Review

This is a big day..it is one of those "Blue Moons" ..that's what it is called when we have two full moons in the same month. The next time it happens will be December 31, 2028 and I will either be deader than a door nail or 87 that year. There will be a minor lunar eclipse in Europe..lucky ducks. I hope to bust out the tripod and get some full moon shots..hope it isn't below zero..or overcast this evening.

Last year I wrote about intentions instead of resolutions.. Quote " How about some one word intentions ..Like mine! Laugh, Smile, Hug, and Dance. Easy to remember, easy to do, I can have that accomplished a few seconds after midnight, and be free the rest of the year. Easy..peasy!"--Far Side December 30, 2008.

This year I will add a word to my intentions..exercise.  This one may just require a bit of a commitment beyond the few minutes after midnight.  I am bound and determined to have firm fat,
Lets do a check up: 2008 in plain type    2009 In BOLD

The children are all employed, and reasonably healthy. Trica our oldest daughter still struggles with Pancreatitis. Ditto..Trica is still struggling..she might just be a tad more cranky too. She has pancretitis from a Gall Bladder surgery years ago.

We still struggle with Doctors and Far Guys Trigeminal Neuralgia. We are comfortable with Dr. P. he seems adequate. There are no miracle cures..Trigeminal Neuralgia is a rare disorder that you must just learn to live with...easy for me to say..Far Guy is the one with continual pain.

No new Grand-babies..No divorces..a few deaths (two cousins and a very dear friend) This year five friends died.. Rhonda, Jim, Sam, Charles and Pat. Two family members, my Uncle Delbert, and my cousins fiancee.

Paige stole her sisters new kitty for a photo.

No new pets, and no pet deaths. In 2009 Madison got a new kitten that she named Ziggy. Trica found a new home for her Pomeranian Daphne or "Daffy". Daffy now gets to be the Queen of her castle and no longer has to tremble in fear and hide under the couch to escape her terrorist companion Dakota who had a stroke a number of years ago and has an ongoing thyroid problem and is just not right in the head. I miss Daffy..she loved me. When they all lived with us..she was my constant companion.

Daffy

Biggest Adjustment..Far Guy's Trigeminal Neuralgia and how it affects our day to day life. Ditto..we must always be flexible.... it just may not be a good day, or a good week.

Biggest Change..Closing the Greenhouse business, a very wise decision. I miss it, but I am getting over it. Well I am way over this one..this years biggest changes..lifestyle..healthier eating..more exercise.

Biggest Frustration.. Doctors that don't know their butt from a hole in the ground, and the phone ringing. Ditto.. and gaining weight because I quit a nasty habit..that I enjoyed..but now my metabolism is all out of whack.  For now and since July I have been an ex-smoker.  It ain't easy..it has been one of the hardest things I have ever done in my entire life.  I have however curbed the desire to lick every ash tray I see..and those smokers outside freezing their skinny butts off..I envy them..perhaps I will get over that with time..old habits die hard..I began to smoke as a teenager..that was well over forty years ago.  My daughter said "Mom we would rather have you alive and healthy looking and a little fat, than dead and skinny."  

Happiest Moment..a very nostalgic Ferris Wheel Ride last August with Far Guy. Playing a little "kissy face" stopped at the top! I had to think on this for quite some time.. I had many happiest moments this year and if I had to pin it down to just one moment it would be watching Chance and Far Guy on the lake shore of Lake Superior..watching Chance run between us.

Happy New Year Everyone! :)