The lost was found

Shortly after I wrote that blog about Far Guys missing dog tags.  I entered into one last quick search..I have spent some time rummaging around in Far Guys trunk this winter.  Jen said they would be found in his trunk and they were.  I found them all safe and sound in a small plastic bag with a label nestled between two t shirts in the trunk.

Hallelujah!  The search has ended.  The project was completed.  Far Guy hung it above  his side of the computer desk.

He even made a list which we attached to the back.  It tells what each medal is for.   Neighbor Steve made the frame out of barn wood.  It shows up very nicely on the log wall.

I think one of his next projects is his Military Scrapbook.  I have collected patriotic paper for that project for years.  It won’t take long to do.  He will have to gather everything and then scan and make copies to put in the scrapbook.  It may be a good rainy day project yet this spring.

At the moment nothing is missing…everything has a place and everything is in it’s place.  If you really want to find something blog about it and it will turn up:)

Some Company

She said “Mom I really could use some company, I am headed to the Cities for a meeting.” I cleared my schedule and got myself organized to go.

I helped her drive..not in the traffic..but from our house to where the traffic begins. We stopped to shop..I bought a red sweater.  We tried on bras..girly stuff. I should skip right over the part about the hot pink striped bra that I slipped over my head( Bad shoulder)that was too small..and I was trapped..it would not go down and I couldn’t get it off..of course I told Jen in the next dressing room about my predicament and began to giggle which only made it worse. I eventually extricated myself.

Anyways..back to the drive.

She almost missed a turn and took the corner on two wheels..well she says that is an exaggeration..she was just merging off the ramp quickly avoiding another car.  I sucked all the spit in my mouth between my teeth.

We shared a room..she even let me watch TV for a little while.  Good thing I was there as she didn’t  throw that little latchy lock that prevents someone from entering the room.  I took care of that. 

Gosh the bed was hard.  I got up at 4:44AM which is not exactly the middle of the night and read..whilst I was reading my stomach began to growl…so I took out a bag of almonds and dried cherries.  I was being ever so quiet taking the morsels out of the bag..but she is a light sleeper.

“Mother must you keep sticking your hand in the bag making that terrible crinkling noise?  Just dump some out already.”   I finally went back to bed quietly and slept some more…then she woke me up and said “It’s time for breakfast.”

We had a lovely breakfast, she went to her meeting and I began a project.  I finally got all of the recipes entered for the Cousins Cookbook.  They are organized and edited. At noon I checked out and retired to the hotel lobby.  They keep it about 50 degrees in that lobby, they don’t want people waiting around all day.  Well I am used to the museum..and no heat..so their lobby was a piece of cake, three hours later I was headed for the pool area to warm up and spied Jen coming out of her meeting and we headed home.

It was a cold rainy day in almost Minneapolis Minnesota.  That is Minneapolis in the distance.

I think these may have been Pear Trees..the wind was blowing so hard that outside photos were impossible.

  We saw this poor dog headed north..

In the rain..I guess Black Labs like water..I would never let Chance ride back there in a kennel like that. 

Oh ya, Chance forgave me while I was away..he was real happy to see me return.  Far Guy told Jen that I should leave and go with her more often..she then proceeded to tell him how noisy I was in the nighttime. He said “Yes, I know.”:)

In The Dog House

Chance is mad at me.  He should be mad a Far Guy too but oh no he was forgiven almost immediately.

It was time for Chance to be groomed..he needed the works again.  He was not thrilled.

We dropped him off with the instructions:  glands, toe nails, hypoallergenic shampoo and NO PERFUME and then we went out for breakfast.  They told us he might be ready about 2:30.  Well we did errands and checked out the antique shops and got home at noon and there was a message that Chance was ready. Really ..so soon??

He was “talking to them”  I knew it was him as soon as we walked in the door.  I hollered “Shut up”  he did for just a minute and then he began his mournful howling again.  Far Guy said “That cannot be my dog.”  News flash to Far Guy..your dog is very spoiled and he has separation anxiety.

All the way home he glared at me from his spot in the back seat.

What a turd.

He was so thirsty he ran right over to his outside water bucket. Still glaring.

Then he laid down and refused to look at me.. he is sure pretty handsome after a grooming.  He will forget all about it in a week or so:)

Losing it

My memory is not like it used to be. 

Recently I was cleaning out something or straightening something up I have forgotten exactly what I was doing at the time, I have even forgotten what room in the house I was in.  I am quite sure it was not the bathroom. I opened something, not sure what it was and noticed  Far Guy’s Dog Tags inside. I thought..Okay..I guess he knows where they are..no big deal..he will get them when he needs them.

Then he began a project.  It is one of those late in life things..he gathered together all of his Military medals and pins and made a display board for them.  He wanted his Dog Tags..but had no idea where they were.  WELL  I had just seen them a few weeks ago..do you suppose I can remember where?

Jen asked me one day what was new?  I said well your Dad is working on one of the projects for his funeral..she said “WHAT” very loudly. 

I have searched almost every nook and cranny in the house.  I am now officially giving up so that some day soon I will remember their hiding place.

Perhaps it will come to me in a dream.

I did find one of his old service photos from 1973:)

Wistful Wednesday: 1958

In 1958 I was seven years old. 

I wonder who I was aiming for.. more than likely I had a bead on my baby brother.  Then I probably pulled back the hammer and click.. hollering “Bang Bang your dead fifty bullets in your head.”  He would be clicking his gun madly hollering the same thing at the top of his lungs, he would have been four years old and an easy target.  I am sure it must have driven our Mother partly crazy.

Anyone else out there play with toy guns..??  I did because my brother liked guns.  As you can tell from the photo I had a holster and everything.  And look at that stance…

This photo was most likely taken by my Mom.  It was taken in the kitchen at the farm in the old farmhouse.  I am standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room.  Note the wild linoleum on the kitchen floor and the chalkboard that is attached to the door that went upstairs. We never used the upstairs ..well hardly ever..My Grandpa and one of my Uncles stayed up there during harvest one year.  We were not allowed to play up there.

My memories of the upstairs include flies buzzing between the screens and the windows.  Old pull down shades, some raggedy looking curtains and a different linoleum in every room.  The stairs were painted as was the bannister..blue or green..I think.  It was a long time ago:)

Chance: I get by with a little help from my friends

Do you need anybody? 

I neeeed somebody..to play ball with..like Little Elvis

Could it be anybody but Miney?  She is so beautiful!

Oh I get by with a little help from my friends…

How do you feel at the end of the day..when you are asleep behind the chair

Too tired to say goodbye..do you miss me when I am gone?

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends..especially the one with the snacks:)

Easter Dessert

We headed north for Easter Dinner.  I took along corn that was frozen off the cob last summer.  I also took along some Granny Smith Apples, Snickers Candy Bars and Cool Whip for a quick salad that growing boys will eat.  Noah helped me cut up the candy bars..he likes using the biggest knife..I showed him how to pick up the candy on the side of the huge knife he was using…being very careful so he didn’t cut his fingers off.

Andrew smoked a ham in his smoker, they cut up melons and made some different potatoes with onion and egg.  Cooked carrots and deviled eggs rounded out the meal ..oh and some of the best dinner rolls you have ever tasted..they melted in your mouth.

Jen made dessert.  She is a really good baker..she is a really good cook.  Neither talent is from me.

I asked her if she would like me to bring dessert..I suggested an apple pie.  I make a decent apple pie..not fabulous ..but decent!

It would never compare to this Carrot Layer Cake.

I am sure that the finest restaurants would not have a Carrot Cake this good.  The best part is ..she sent home two slices for us to enjoy again today!  Yes, she even made the little carrot decorations.

The boys have grown again..taller..for finicky eaters they sure grow like weeds.  Adam ate ham for the first time yesterday.  His Grandpa said “Go ahead and touch it to your tooth Adam.”  One time when he was here with us I had him try some new kind of food..he touched it to his tooth and said “Nope ..I don’t like it.” Adam liked the ham today..he declared it a pretty good tasting food:)

Happy Easter!

“Do not abandon yourself to despair.  We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song!”  Pope John Paul II

May the joy of Easter fill your homes and hearts:)

Reading

I finished two books this week.  A historical romance by  Susanna Kearsley called The Winter Sea.  It was recommended by the authors Father..he thought I would enjoy it and I did.  I loaded it on my Kindle Fire.  Getting used to reading on the Fire has a few drawbacks..I am always afraid I am going to drop it when I fall asleep reading.  I do like that I can read in the dark.  I also like being able to take books and games with me where ever I go..the Fire is small enough that it fits in my parka pocket during the winter.  Sometimes I read askew..and the screen flips..and sometimes I have a hard time getting to the next page. Tap Tap Tap…finger drag.

I borrowed The Hunger Games  by Susanne Collins from my Grandson Noah.  I asked him what he was reading, he told me and his Mom suggested that I read it also.  So I did.  What a great book..it kept me interested throughout and I hope he will share the rest of the series with me or I will have to hop on over to Amazon and load it on my Kindle Fire.

I have been reading a book about a blizzard in 1888 called The Children’s Blizzard by David Laskin.  It is one of those books that has so many characters that an old lady like me has a hard time remembering them all so I made myself a cheat sheet..listing the characters and what was memorable about them.  I have been reading this book off and on since last summer.

I have not downloaded e-books from the Library yet..but I have been there and looked around.  So far almost everything on my Kindle Fire has been free downloads.

I used to buy all my books from garage sales..I hate to admit the number of books I have in this house..just incase I need something to read. I am most likely a book hoarder. Yes, I said that right out loud.   I have drawers full of books..not just one or two..many.  I have books hidden all over the house..much like I suppose that someone with an alcohol problem would hide a bottle of whiskey.  I have a reading problem.  At least the Kindle Fire will hold lots of books for me to read without taking up drawer space:)

Lamentation for a Forsythia

In the past 13 years my Forsythia has bloomed once. It was a happy couple of days..I think it had about a dozen little blooms.

Here it is in the yard..it is that dead looking thing.

The dead looking clump that is to the right and behind the oak with the Cardinal thermometer.  The Daylilies are looking good..but that Forsythia just looks dead.

The last time I threatened to rip it from the ground it bloomed.  One of my old Professors at NDSU is responsible for the selection of this Forsythia  ‘Meadowlark’.  I was thrilled to plant one in my yard.

I am less thrilled now.

This one is blooming in town in a parking lot. 

It was planted in a berm, it’s roots covered with rock, right out in the full sun.  Last Fall someone hacked the tops off of everything that was planted in that parking lot.  This spring they are full of blooms.

No one hacked off the top of my Forsythia.  Instead of rocks it had some leaves to help keep it’s roots from heaving during the winter.

Of all the shrubs out there in the woody plant world this yellow flowering beauty used to be number one on my list.  The first shrub in our area to bloom in the spring!  Oh..and the yellow flowers..liquid sunshine no matter what the spring weather throws your way. Oh I love me a Forsythia..just not the one in my yard:(

Car Shopping

Chance and I shopped from the car one day.

We were waiting patiently for Far Guy to come back/or for someone with a dog to park next to us..so Chance could bark.

We looked at the latest in lawn benches/swings.  I like the design, but they don’t look very comfortable.

They will last forever..I suppose you could carry a pillow with you.

Some man ordered these.

Spruce green, turquoise, pink and beige. What were they thinking?  I know old men will buy the spruce green and the beige. Young women will buy the turquoise and the  pretty pink.

I am an old lady, I want  four chairs..yellow, lime green, red and turquoise. No beige, no spruce green and no pretty pink.

These chairs say summer to me.

I guess I don’t have a spot for four chairs..I already have a patio set, a lawn swing, a buckboard seat and several other wooden benches.  Far Guy already has enough to mow around…however if we build that back deck this summer..it just might need a chair or two.

Some people window shop..Chance and I car shopped:)

Wistful Wednesday : 1966

In 1966 I was confirmed.  The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is a bit stuffy sometimes.  But by golly we make our kids memorize Luther’s Small Catechism or all the the “what does this mean?” parts of that Catechism. 

I went to confirmation class on Saturday morning from 8-11 or maybe even noon.  I hated getting up on Saturday morning.  School five days a week, then confirmation on Saturday morning and church on Sunday morning..when all I wanted to do was sleep in.

Here I am clutching the Luther's Small Catechism.

The Mothers all got together and sewed confirmation gowns.  Under that gown I am wearing a store bought dress..oh it was lovely.. a knit that was a turquoise and beige tweedy thing with three quarter sleeves and a peter pan collar..I loved that dress. 

Confirmation Days would not be complete with out a big meal and lots of relatives.  I do not remember, but I am sure my Mother cooked a big meal and asked a whole bunch of relatives over for dinner. Unless we had a church dinner in the basement of the church to honor all the confirmands.

I see Easter Lilies on the Alter in the church.. this was Palm Sunday in 1966.

It was a small church.  These were all the 8th, 9th and 10th graders that I was confirmed with.  I was in 9th grade that year. When it came to our questioning..we were allowed to answer as a group..safety in numbers…and some of those kids were really good with the What does this mean part:)

1 Peter 5:10 “And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

Museum: The White Dresses

Many of you asked to see more of the wedding dress collection yesterday.

We have a room in the museum called the Toggery.  It is filled with clothing and hats.  One area has vintage white/off white wedding dresses, hats and veils.  Another area has wedding dresses that are dark colors. I do not have photos of the dark dresses..perhaps next summer I will take more photos in this room.  This room is tucked away in the back of the museum.  It had heavy red theater style draperies to block out the sunlight.  Last September this was one of the rooms that I insisted must have special window tinting to block out the UV rays.  I was very happy to take down the heavy drapes, even though the north view is not wonderful, the natural light makes a big difference. This room also has some men’s clothing and some children’s gowns and a collection of shoes that make your feet hurt just looking at them.  Most ladies and little girls enjoy their visit through this room.

White was not always the color of wedding gowns.  In the late 1800’s black was a common color. Why?  Because black was a practical color, it would not show the dirt and the dress could be worn again for special occasions.   If you were a normal everyday person your wedding dress was black or some other suitable dark color.  If your family had money then you would most likely have a white gown.

These photos were taken within a year or two of each other.  Taken by brothers that were photographers in Fargo and Moorhead. * Note both photos feature the same style dress, large upper sleeves but tight sleeves down the arm. The brides are wearing a wedding bonnet that has been decorated with flowers and greens. Very fashionable for the years 1893 to 1895.

The waists are really tiny and women for the most part were much shorter than we are now.  Their waists were tiny quite naturally and this tiny look was aided by corsets.  Nutrition was not what it is today.  Fresh vegetables and fruits were seasonal at best, and then stored for the winter. The gown pictured above has the pigeon breast style of the early 1900’s. ( Think bird.. heavy breasted in the front often achieved by stuffing paper in the front of a dress or blouse that had folds of extra fabric in the front..some people called this a monobosom.)

Many of the gowns need repair…careful repair.  Some gowns are packed away in boxes under the display cabinets.  This room needs to be adopted by a group of ladies or men and given some TLC.  I am fundraising for more mannequins or dress forms for this room. A Legacy Grant was applied for and refused last year. They thought we should update our storage areas instead of displaying more clothing.  Sometimes I think that only idiots review grants.

I took these photos because I was making a wedding card for my niece, so they are just bits and pieces of the collection.  The entire collection needs to be photographed..just one of the many things on my to do list:)

April so soon?

I am not ready for April to be here yet.  I want to go back to March..I want a do over.  This is my last month of freedom before going back to work May 1.

I have been working on many projects.

I thought I was done scanning old photos and then I went and found more that I had tucked away upstairs.  Then I found a bunch more of my personal old photos..when will it end.. all these odds and ends of photos.

I finished up the cleaning of the bathroom drawers and cupboards.  It is nice to have some sense of organization again especially in the two drawers I use.   I will super clean the grout between the counter and floor tiles one day this week it has been a few years since I have done that. ( Super cleaning involves a toothbrush and lots of elbow grease with a disinfecting steam finish.  Then the grout is resealed..clean and fresh just like new.)

I have to make a new list of all the things that I want to accomplish early in the month, and then add at least ten days of lollygagging here and there to round out the entire month.

I should go shopping one day too..I think I need a new pair of red crocs..and a red sweater with pockets and a hood…something soft but warm.

I am not looking forward to freezing half to death in the unheated museum..so I am hoping that our warmer than usual weather continues into May.  I have scheduled a day for the community to come together and help spring clean the museum and join us for a potluck lunch the first week in May.  We will see how the community responds.

If I could have physically executed a cartwheel I would have done one when one of the Board Members donated a brand NEW shop vac to the museum..not a garage sale used up one that was certain to catch on fire..not one with only the big huge hose that was duct taped on and spewed dust everywhere if the hose was kinked…a brand new one in a box and everything..I was so excited I nearly wet my pants.

We have another fundraiser dinner coming up in April.  Pre sale of dinner tickets could be better..but they are what they are.  I cannot single handedly pre sell all the tickets for them.  So far only a few people have returned their tickets..I sent them to everyone that was a member..and asked for their help selling them.

The Township Donation project that I implemented this year is having some good results.  Checks are coming in and will continue to do so for the next few weeks..early indications are encouraging.

I put many hours into the Township project..most of which were donated hours.  So I guess you could say that I work from home but only get paid for a small portion of my hours over the winter.  Part of that is my fault.  I had no idea how many hours  email, phone messages, blog writing, programs, fund raising and research would take during the winter.  Next year I will have a much better idea:)

Part of the Wedding Dress Collection at the museum.

Red Owl

Hey where do you shop?  Over at the Red Owl Store?  Years ago every other town in the upper Midwest had a Red Owl Store.

Red Owl was founded in 1922 at Hopkins Minnesota.  Of course I was curious how many Red Owl Stores are left?   I found two, one in Green Bay Wisconsin and one in Henderson Minnesota.  There was one in Le Roy Minnesota up until a few years ago.

Red Owl Stores were neighborhood grocery stores.  Friendly places to shop.

I found this old advertising give away.  I know I have had it a really long time, it resides in a cellophane sleeve.  I have never used the objects that it displayed. So it is in mint condition.

I wish I could remember who gave me these..perhaps it was my Mother.  She may have had hopes that I would sew someday:)

Chance: Making new friends

I have a new friend.  His name is Putzer and he lives just down the road.   He is Odda’s new brother. 

He is just a little bit of a dog.

I was patient with him, however I did growl when he bit my tail.

I told you he is just a little bit of a dog.

Odda is having a hard time.  Far Side says Odda’s nose is outta joint but her nose looked fine to me.  One day this week Far Guy thought there was a bear in our yard, turned out it was just Odda running away from home.  We brought her inside and we called her Mom.  Odda was in big trouble. We were just happy that we were home and could be a safe place for her to run away to.

One time when I was little and got confused and ran across the road into the field, Jo and Leah stopped and picked me up.  They saved me then…so it is only right that we watch out for each other when we can.

The little bit of a dog named “Putzer”  is an Australian Shepherd.  Odda is a Bernese Mountain Dog and me..well I am a Border Collie that blogs:)