The Fireman’s Wife and Dog

Sometimes Far Guy and I are out and about when his pager goes off..he is still a Volunteer Fireman and is on call from 7 to 7 during weekdays. In our area most of the young guys are out of the area working during the day and the fire hall can be short handed. Sometimes Chance and I drop Far Guy off at the fire  hall, they will see that he gets home.

Every evening at six o’clock there is a pager test, Chance knows that it is just a test..but it is a signal to him that someone should be in the kitchen cooking supper (usually Far Guy).  Other times during the day, if the pager goes off while Far Guy and Chance are outside..Chance heads for the house ..he knows he will be left behind. He plops himself down next to the door and sighs.

The other day, we were close to the location of a fender bender..Chance and I watched from afar.   Now that reminds me of a joke. “Did you know that the wisemen were really fireman? ( pause for effect)  It says so right in the Bible..they came from afar.”

On Thursday night we had a “date night”..there was a control burn, and I got to take photos. Chance watched from the car, and then Far Guy took him for a walk.  I watched and took photos from afar. Far Guy was there to see that all of their cameras were set to take photos and to be a driver just in case there was a rescue call.

Control burns are done for a number of reasons usually the houses are no longer inhabitable and the owners wish to burn them down.  It provides a great training exercise for Fireman, this house provided valuable training that may some day save a Fireman’s life..or maybe yours.    I got some great shots of some awesome fire behavior:)

Six Sided Puzzle

The little girl in me sometimes gets carried away.  Recently at a garage sale I found a six sided wooden puzzle.

It came with four of the pictures.  Noah and I sat down with it last weekend and worked on each puzzle one by one.  Noah finally said “Grandma there must be a key to this puzzle..it must have a secret, they should all turn one way or the other to find the pieces of the next puzzle.” ( Spoken just like his Grandpa..boy brains are so cool, they are always looking for a shortcut)   Noah worked methodically trying to find the clue..I just kept turning my block over and over in my hand until I would find the puzzle we were looking for.  Eventually I gave up and said “Okay, what is it? One turn to the right or the left or up or down?” Noah very patiently explained the secret of the puzzle every time I asked!

I should have taken photos of the other two puzzles that it makes..perhaps the next time I get out my new toy.  This is a twenty piece puzzle, I believe it was manufactured in 1984.  So it is not really that old, but Disney items sometimes increase in value.  I paid five dollars for this puzzle..what do you think..too much..or was it a good buy and have you ever seen one like it before? :)

School Memories

I went to fifth and sixth grade in a small school house that was seven miles from the farm.  It had two large rooms. There were  cloak rooms on one end and bathrooms off of the other end, and a huge expanse of windows to the east or the west depending on if you were in the sixth grade or the fifth grade.

 

A kindly old lady ( Mrs. Zeller) was the fifth grade teacher, she had been teaching for years.   The sixth grade teacher was a shy young man (Mr. Cox) he was probably right out of college.

We walked from this school to the grade school everyday for gym and for lunch, it wasn’t far, less than a block away. There was a gymnasium in the basement of our building, but we were not allowed to use it. 

In my opinion the best thing about our school yard was the big old metal merry go round.

We would start with a child at each space and one in the middle, if you were in the middle you had to find a spot to hang on when your head started spinning and you were too dizzy to stand up.   The best runners would run as fast as they could around and around..then IF you were daring..and I was.. you would hop on and throw your legs over the bar and lock them in place and bend over backwards and feel the wind in your face. and watch the world go by upside down. We would play on this merry go round before and after school everyday rain, shine, snow, ice..Minnesota school kids are a hearty bunch or we used to be.  I did hear a rumor that the kids nowadays don’t like to wear snow boots to school.

I watched these children trying to get the hang of this old fashioned merry go round..it was fun to watch..no one was bending over backwards looking at the world upside down..but they were having a good time:)

Scrapbooking Retreat

I am getting ready to go to a scrapbooking retreat with both of our daughters.  I have not been to a retreat weekend for a number of years. I used to go twice a year, it was a time to catch up and relax and just giggle most of the weekend.  Jen and I have gone to retreats all over in North Dakota and Minnesota.  Trica has never been able to attend until this year..so it should be fun! 

It will take me all week to get organized.  Deciding which scrapbook I wanted to work on was the hardest.    I have one completed scrapbook..it is mine from birth (1951) to engagement (1969).  My second scrapbook takes off with our wedding in 1969 and is stalled in the year 1974. My Third scrapbook I started with 2005 and it is stalled in 2007…that is the one that I will concentrate on this time around.   A few years ago I completed scrapbooks of both the girls School Years from K through Graduation, it was quite a project.

Well in my hunt for some organization to this scrapbooking madness, I found this tucked away in my scrapbook desk..

This must have been from 2007, when Madison was in third grade.  It will go in the scrapbook.  I am still looking for a photo from around that time..I can find one from the year before..

I still have a whole week to get ready and to become more organized.  I like to have all my paper and photos and embellishments all picked out and ready to just create pages. I have been known to spend a day just picking out the paper that I will take along.  They have wifi there..so I will still be able to write everyday..I hope the weather is warm so I can sit on the dock and put my feet in the water.

I will only be about 35 miles from home.. Chance will have to be in charge of Far Guy. I may even come back home to sleep one night, I will be the oldest person there..all the rest of the gals are young things who can scrapbook endlessly without sleeping:)

Wistful Wednesday: The Table Part Two

Last week I wrote about an oak table that had been painted red and yellow, this table belonged to Far Guys Grandparents. 

I found another photo of a table..I am not sure if it is the same table..but it is in the same house in a different spot.

Evelyn, Marvin, Beryl and Paul on the table.

I had no idea when this photo was taken, then I looked closer at the photo..two candles on the cake..and Paul is sitting on the table..it must be March of 1965.  It must have been around Easter time as Grandma has Easter Lilies in the vase on the TV.
Like I said this could be a different table..but note the chairs.
This week more history about the old red and yellow table has surfaced.  Cousin Jay from Montana shared the following:
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Wayne forwarded your blog to me about the table.  What a great picture.  It does bring back memories.  I have some additional historical information on the table.  Dad told me many times what the table meant to him.  He described how as a little boy he did his homework on this table.  After he and my mother got the table they refinished it and used it as their main table for many years. 
Dad left this message with the table so his descendants and relatives would know it's history.
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This round oak table was purchased by James X. and Tracy K.  in 1914 from M. W. Savage Co., Minneapolis, Minnesota.  It was purchased by mail-order along with 6 chairs, a rocking chair, a bed and a kitchen cabinet.  They were delivered to Park Rapids by rail.  "Jim" picked them up with horse-drawn sled and hauled them to their farm 2 miles south west of Park Rapids.  The following year they were hauled to their new farm one mile west of Osage and were used there in the old original farm house and in the new house built in 1928.
Over the years, the table seen steady use as a farm-house kitchen table where four boys were raised to manhood.  It also saw many other uses such as a work table where home-grown meats and vegetables were prepared for storage and canning.  It saw use as a card table when relatives gathered, Grandpa Stuve would thump it's top with crashing blows when he got "High, Low, Jack and the Game".
The table took on several coats of paint and many colors before being restored to it's original finish by James A. and Esther  in 1978.
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I am pleased to announce that the table and chairs made the trip to Montana without a scratch.  I brought it into our house with the help of James X. and Tracy's great grandson and two great-great grandson's.  We all had dinner and admired this and many other memorabilia that I brought from Minnesota.  The table now adorns our dining room.

A new beginning for a 96 year old table and chairs.

Photo by Jay.  

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Cousin Jay also has the kitchen cabinet and he uses it as a desk.  I wonder where the other two chairs ended up?  And the bed?  And the rocking chair? 

Far Guy and I may have the rocking chair..it used to be upholstered in gold fabric and we had it refinished and re upholstered..it is the rocker that when you lean back in it you feel like you are going to fall over backwards.. I know that sounds a bit crazy..but that rocking chair is not for the faint of heart… Grandma gave it to us back about 1980. Perhaps that is a blog for another day..I will take some photos and look for some old photos that may feature that rocking chair. If any relatives remember any other rocking chairs that could be the one that was included in the furniture order of 1914..please share the details. 

Many thanks to Cousin Jay for sharing family history with us!  Now I suppose I have made Auntie Esther cry again..last weeks Wistful Wednesday brought some tears to her eyes…she is my oldest reader! :)

Labor Day Funeral

Yesterday was my Aunt Maries funeral.  It was an overcast day, the rain held off until late afternoon.

My Aunt liked flowers, any kind of flowers.  Yellow roses were her favorite and her two remaining siblings gave her a perfect one in a bud vase.

On Sunday afternoon before the visitation at the funeral home, I began to gather flowers for a bouquet.  I wandered here and there throughout the yard and the wild gardens, although it is getting late, there were still flowers that looked pretty good.  The vase and the ribbon were both garage sale finds. 

I called a few of my cousins..I asked them to bring some flowers to add to the bouquet…some had cosmos, some had phlox, some had dahlias and some had zinnias..we had so many flowers that I had to borrow another vase from the funeral home.  They were perfect, a wonderful blend of shapes and colors, my Aunt would have loved them.

The service on Monday was lovely, not too long and not to short, my cousin spoke eloquently of his mother and her life and  about how the Lord gives and the Lord takes away.  The Pastor had a tough act to follow.  Of course we sang “Amazing Grace.”

After the service we had a proper funeral lunch, a sandwich, pickles, sliced tomatoes,  a variety of cold salads, and of course any kind of homemade “bar” you could want…you have to feed your grief before going to the cemetery. 

The drive to the cemetery takes about 25 minutes..if you drive slow it takes a half an hour.  The cemetery is high on a hill in the middle of nowhere ..a tiny little cemetery where most of that side of my family is buried.  Trees surround the cemetery, so it is not visible from the road..and the road in goes up, up, and  up some more…I have been at this cemetery when the weather was bad and the road was impassable and both the mourners and the casket bearers had to walk up the steep hill. Once you get into the cemetery there are two areas..the flats or another hill which overlooks the flats. My Aunt was planted high on the hill next to her husband and parents.

  So..it is over..another funeral pamphlet tucked into my old white bible.  Another life all summed up in a few paragraphs.  It is a good thing that there is no space limit on good memories:)

Chance: Hello Again My Friends!

It is I the most handsome Border Collie in Minnesota!

 

I am in charge of the blog today. Usually I am just in charge of chasing squirrels and chipmunks..sometimes I catch them too..yeeww too much info.  I don’t suppose you would believe that I am a catch and release kinda dog? 

Far Side said I should tell you about how good I listen to Far Guy.  So we have to go back a few days..Far Side was driving herself to the Dentist and us guys were just riding along to keep her company and to drive her back home safely.   As we pulled into the parking spot in front of the Dentist Office, Far Guy said “Chance and I will go get gas while you are inside.” Far Guy opened his door and got out..and I followed him ..yup I was hot on his tail to get this “gas”.  They both hollered at the same time “Chance..get back in the car.”  So I did.  Far Guy said “Why in the world did he get out? He is so good about staying in the car.”  Far Side said “Duh..he listens to your every word…he was following you to go get the gas.”  She started shaking her head at us and making that clucking noise with her tongue that drives Far Guy nuts…so he drove away.  He did find his way back to the Dentist Office to pick her back up again..and when she came back out she was talking all funny and said “ust ive me ome” Far Guy is pretty smart, he figured it all out on his own that she wanted to go home!  He didn’t even say “What?” :)

Surprise in the Garden: Yarrow

I watch for the unusual in my wild gardens.  Seedling variations appear in nature naturally.. if you allow your flowers to be pollinated willy nilly and by every insect around..which is natural..you sometimes end up with some really cool seedling variations or cultivars.

 

Such is the case of the Achillea or Yarrow. It is most commonly found in white and yellow.  I have it in all colors. I like this one with peach undertones..

I also love, love love the Firebrick Red one…

When this hot pink beauty  took up with the Erigeron or Fleabane ( the purple flower) and a daisy, I thought the match was meant to be..at least for photos.

The surprise..this one it was a very pale green.  I think the color has to grow on you a bit, maybe a couple of years or so.

I had three of these little out of the normal surprises this year. All of which I captured in photos.  Sooner of later I will get to them all ..I have a feeling that we are in for a long winter:( 

Many Summer Faces of Adam

Yesterday I should have written about our youngest, (the baby) grandson.   I was there when he took his first breath, and heard his first scream which brought tears of joy to my eyes.  He was a trouper and struggled through some transitional breathing right after he was born..boys will be boys..his Mother was madder than a hatter because her labor progressed so fast that there was no time for an epidural..she was a tad cranky…and he was so beautiful..scratch that ..handsome.

Adam was nine years old yesterday..it only seems like yesterday that he was born.  He was so tiny when we were all shocked to the core by 9/11.  His Mother and I both held him and cried that day, because we knew that his life would not be at all like ours had been, our innocence and sense of freedom was forever changed.

Adam is a character, and Grandmothers are exceptionally boring people.

We discussed the life cycle and the habitat of Night Crawlers.

He likes to swim, and is part fish.  I watched from the shore, he did ask me to join him one evening.  “C’mon Grandma put your suit on, it will be fun!”  I knew he would want me to jump off of the diving platform..and no one should see their Grandma either crying or wetting her swimsuit.

A few weeks ago, I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up.  He replied “ I want to work at Wal-Mart and help people find stuff.”  A little later, we were at our old resort and we explained to him that his Mama grew up there and that there were lots of cottages and a house there a long time ago, and that his Mother hated it there at first..but then she grew to love it.   There is one log home there now.  Adam said “I think I will buy this place some day for my Mom.”  I hope he moves past the Wal-Mart helping people idea.

Sometimes he hides from me when I have my camera on him, it is like he can tell when I am focused on him..he is smiling here..I can tell!

Sometimes he is easily bored.

Here he is asking me “Why do you take so many pictures Grandma?”  I replied..some day you will love all these old photos Adam..Happy Birthday ( baby) Adam!:)

Yellow Roses Were Her Favorites!

And then there were two, my Dad comes from a large family, there were fourteen of them. Now there are two..my Dad and his sister Anna.  Their sister, my Aunt Marie who was 82 just last month and diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer twenty- four days ago died yesterday afternoon.

I sat with her the other night, I am not sure if she knew who I was, but at least she knew someone that loved her was there.

I learned many things from her over the years. How to take care of two babies at once, as she was the mother of twins.  How to knit, she took the time to show me how to hold the needles and my thread just right to make stitches that are not too loose and not too tight.  How not to be quite so cranky..she was a bit of a crank, that is probably why we got along so well together.

Some of my favorite memories were long conversations on an Amtrak  trip from Minnesota to Seattle one year for a cousins wedding.  We made good traveling companions.

She was not only my Aunt, but also a good friend.  Between my husband and hers they could tell some awfully funny stories and she would giggle so hard that she would practically wet her panties.  

I will miss her, but it was time for her to go on, she was so tired and worn out.  I am positive that she will be there to greet me whenever I am called to my heavenly home.  Her faith was strong, it had to be, she was widowed twice in her life.  The first time on her tenth wedding anniversary, and the second time many years later on her second husbands birthday. She leaves behind three sons and five beautiful grandchildren.

  

I visited her years ago in the hospital when she had her open heart surgery, I brought her a  couple of yellow roses..she said “ Yellow Roses are my favorite.” :) 

Irritants

This guy really irritated me. He was working on a road kill deer when I disturbed him.  He flew to the nearest tree in the area which was at the cemetery.  Well I have been known to hang around at this particular cemetery..taking photos..

This tree will get a broken top and then get two weak leaders growing up instead of one strong one.  Does the Eagle care..not much..he just looks at it as a safe place to sit until he can resume eating dead flesh.

Today I am off to the Dentist ..again..for the completion of my root canals..plural:(

Wistful Wednesday: The Table

The table sat in the kitchen for years, at one time it was painted yellow with a red top.  Red must have been one of Grandmas favorite colors.  It was present for many meals of chicken and noodles and blueberry pie.  If the table could talk it would have many tall tales to tell of hunting and fishing adventures.

The table is off to a new home in Montana with Far Guys cousin Jay, it’s Minnesota days are over.  It has served the needs of two families well, and now perhaps little boys will play games on it with their Grandmother and Grandfather..maybe the Grandma will bake cookies..and maybe new memories will be made.

Grandpa and his boys

From left to right, Far Guys Grandfather Jim, Uncle Ron, Far Guys Dad Marvin, Uncle Archie and Uncle Jimmy. This photo was taken sometime before 1967.  It is five to nine in the evening, two have ties on and two have flannel shirts…and Grandpa of course is in his bib overalls. I thought at first they may be having cake, but I see the tops of salt and pepper shakers..so that must be one of Grandmas hot dishes in the center of the table..it probably has a potato chip topping:)

A Quilter

Meet Glenn, a quilter.  He was demonstrating at the Lake Itasca Pioneer Farmers Show.  I asked him if I could take his photo, he said sure, fire away! 

I asked him why he picked quilting as a hobby, he replied “I retired and my wife said I had to have some kind of hobby, and I figured quilting was for me.  I love it. Of course I have streamlined the process, and I can put together a quilt in a day or two, this one will be finished by the end of the show this weekend.”   I asked him about his sewing machine, I said it must be the best operating sewing machine around.  He replied “I oil it every three or four quilts.” 

I was very impressed with his sewing skills, I was also very impressed that a man would find great satisfaction in a hobby that is predominately female, and be comfortable enough in his own skin to demonstrate those skills:)

Simple Ways

A long time ago when I was a child seeing a field like this was normal.  Now when I see one it is special.

Shocks of grain in a field near my maternal Grandparents old farm.

Everyone rests on Sunday, except of course the horse.  You have to stop and think that perhaps this mode of transportation has it’s merits..no gasoline is involved.  The only emissions are of the solid or liquid variety of fertilizer quality. Nothing is imported or refined.  No wars are fought over hay or oats.  There are no middle men or CEO’s that are going to profit and retire with millions here.

Sometimes a simpler life is appealing to me, I like horses and would love to go to town in a carriage..of course it would take all day..so I wouldn’t have time to cook, clean, bake bread or hand wash my laundry. Once I got to town I would just guard the carriage since I don’t like to shop.  

Have you ever seen  any Amish in the nursing home?  Do their people work so hard that they escape the “home”..or do they surround their elderly with love and care everyday until their last day on earth arrives? 

I would like to take bits and pieces of this lifestyle..the horses and carriages..the feeling of family that surrounds you unconditionally with love and support even when you get old. Do I want to hand wash clothing and wear dresses everyday..and a hat..and look down a lot..and never have an opinion of my own..probably not:) 

German Postcard

I WILL not be collecting postcards, just so you know, and my husband can relax. Collecting old photographs is enough of a sickness.
This postcard was included in with a group of photos that I purchased.
This piece of ephemera was printed in Saxony..which is a State in Germany.
Here I thought it might be classified as a French Postcard…only to find out it is German.  I imagine in its time it was considered quite scandalous, after all she is showing off her ankles and her shoulders.  I like than she is not all skinny and bony..she may even be considered plump by today's standards.

When I first started collecting old photographs, I had one box full. I added a small file container which I keep shoved under my desk.  It holds  photos I want to scan or have scanned and will use shortly on my Forgotten Old Photos Blog.


Recently I cleaned out my files and packed away all the photos I have used, they partially filled a Rubbermaid container.  I can hear my girls now, “ Mother was nuts..wasn’t she?”

I have returned a number of photographs to family members of those pictured in the old photos. Not nearly enough to make a dent in the collection..the other day I purchased an old trunk..Far Guy said “What are you going to store in there?  Christmas Ornaments or Old Photographs?”    Maybe both:)

Thanks everyone for taking a guess with the Mystery Item yesterday, it turned out to be a hog scraper.  Many of my readers were able to identify it!  Thanks!

I do have one reader in North Dakota who had a totally off the wall idea..his taste in beer is always evident!  His idea was called a Country Club Balancer:) 

Mystery Item

I have no idea what this is.  Perhaps one of my readers will know.   It was a gift to Far Guy from his cousin Bonnie. She believes that it was their Great Great Grandfather Xaver Aleck’s, he was a tailor in Philadelphia before he became a farmer in Harrison County, Iowa in 1860.  It may or may not have anything to do with being a tailor..

I have put one of Chances new non slobbered up tennis balls next to the mystery item..so you can tell the size.

Let the guessing begin..:)

Wildflowers: Jewelweed

Far Guy is a jewel of a guy, he cooks most of the time and we split the housework..

One day a few years ago I came home from town, probably after a horrible grocery shopping experience and he was cleaning up the ceiling.  Now why in the world was he washing the ceiling?  He had a hair brained idea, he had ordered a whole bunch of Jewelweed off of the Internet..it was fresh..so he put it in the blender and made a slurry out of it..except he doesn’t have a license to run a blender..so of course the top came off and green goo covered the ceiling and many other things too.   The green goo that did not end up on the ceiling ended up in the fridge.   Some of that green goo was mixed with a liquid soap, I was instructed to use it for my poison ivy..well low and behold green goo works to stop the itch and the spread of the dreaded Poison Ivy.  He tried to talk me into doing a more scientific study where I would rub Poison Ivy on both of my arms and wash one with Jewelweed green goo and leave the other untreated.. well I may be a bit of an adventurous sort sometimes..but I am no dummy.

Jewelweed or Impatiens pallida grows wild here in Minnesota. It likes to grow near the lakes. It is a native plant.  It is also called Touch-me-Not, this fits it perfectly.  The seed pods shoot seeds in all directions if they are touched.  It’s thick fleshy stems hold the green goo. I have found both the yellow colored variety and the orange spotted variety.  The orange seems to grow taller than the yellow.

Far Guy showed Adam how the seedpods explode when they are touched..Adam thought it was pretty cool.  Far Guy took a few stems filled with green goo to a local soap maker..his idea of having his own Jewelweed soap may again become a reality one of these days.  He told the soap maker if she put it into a blender to make sure the lid was securely in place:)

Summer Projects: Dining Room Table and Chairs

At the beginning of the summer we had a list of things to do.  Naturally there was a carry over from last summer.  It was a big project..refinishing the old antique chairs and to re-tile the dining table..we have done this before..it was not a fun project, that was ten years ago, neither of us were looking forward to revisiting  that project.  Our old chairs were a pain in the neck, they would dry out in the winter and the rungs would need to be re-glued..They have been with us a long time..back in 1986  they were pink. They were found in one of the buildings at the resort under a partially caved in roof.  Sometime or another they had been orange, then pink, and finally green, I sanded them down and primed them and painted them green again..a wonderful country green.  The table was small, it had a linoleum top. Old linoleum that when you tore it off it had a black backing.  Someone built the table years ago, probably back in the 1940’s.  The table would fit six people..barely.
I bought new tile and paint for this project last summer. Indigo Blue..Far Guys favorite color.  Then I was thinking maybe I should just change my mind and do a soft yellow.
Last week, we were at a Flea Market up by Itasca State Park.  There was some very nice looking log furniture.  I have sat in some of this stuff, the chairs with their very straight backs are torture to sit in.  I sat in this one..hey!!  this guy has sat in a log chair or two himself, he came over and said “ Some people just don’t know how to make log chairs.”   Far Guy came over and said..Wow..lets take it home ..so we did.
We have lots of room now for people to sit, I had three little boys lined up on the side benches  last weekend and they declared that there was room for a fourth person if they squished together.  Now we can seat eight comfortably.
When we built this home, we purposely avoided a formal dining room..been there done that and dusted once a week.  We just wanted a dining area off of the kitchen where we could see the TV in the living room.  We rarely entertain and when we do it is just the neighbors or relatives anyway..not real fancy smancy people that need a real dining room to appreciate Far Guys cooking:)

Wistful Wednesday: Sixty Years Later

This is a photo taken at my Maternal Grandparents farm.  This photo was taken about sixty years ago in 1949 or 1950.  Left to right are: A neighbor lady and her child, my Aunt Marion, Uncle Al with his hand on his chin, Aunt Toots, unknown little girl, and standing in the background one of my other uncles..Delbert, Dennis or Butch..he is too far away to identify. 

I always thought my Grandparents driveway made a circle behind the house..in this photo it is quite obviously that at one time the driveway was in front of the house and you entered directly into what I would call the dining room.  Later a porch must have been added to the front..that is where they kept the two deep freezers full of wonderful food, and the Christmas tree at Christmas time..and a rocking chair with a magazine rack.  A Cuckoo Clock from Germany hung high on the wall..the little dancers would pop out of their doors on the hour and on the half hour.  A row of windows lined the porch.  There was a funny little window high on the wall in the kitchen that looked into this porch..I am not sure what the function of that window was..a pass through..or maybe my Grandmother wanted a pretty stained glass window there to look at while she sat at the kitchen table.  She sat some of her favorite knick knacks on the ledge of that window.

My Grandfather had a garden back to the east of the old chicken coop where the soil was rich and black..he grew everything there.  If you could grow it, he did, and my Grandmother canned and froze all the produce.

The other day we drove by.  Grandpas Alfalfa field is now a garden.

The new occupants are Amish and they have a produce stand and bakery, but it is not open on Sunday.  We will try to go back another day.  My Grandpa would have been happy to see that someone is gardening properly again.

 The only things that are the same is the old garage which is not visible in these photos..the machine shed on the right and the Oak trees out front.  Everything else has changed:)

Bad Day Tuesday

Sometimes do you feel like the wind has been taken out of your sails?  That you just need to rest for a bit. STOP the whole freaking world ..I just want to get off this crazy ride.  I just need to bury my head under a pillow and tomorrow will be a better day.  I barely have the energy to bitch and moan properly.

That freaking overpaid government employee that is supposed to deliver our mail called AGAIN before 8AM, he has a package for me..what should he do with it..well you can just imagine what I woulda told him ..but Far Guy intercepted the phone call.  Far Guy will drive to town and get the offending package..what a poor excuse for a mail man..he whines more than I do. 

Today might be a bad day…perhaps it was the TWO Root Canals I endured yesterday…feeling like a red hot poker was being stabbed into my sinus cavity..or maybe it was the antibiotic solution the dripped down and set my tongue on fire.  Perhaps it was paying the bill, for something that may or may not work..as the infection was widespread..and the drainage hole in my upper gum is now draining some vile crap..perhaps it is the swelling that makes me talk funny..perhaps I just need a time out.  I know that my ability to cope is non-existent today.

I am going back to bed..tomorrow will be a better day.  Maybe I just need to load up on Aleve or Advil, or some of Far Guys good stuff that knocks me out.

I WILL be fine..just not today:(