Cold Preparations

Uffda …the worm has turned.  We are back in the deep freeze and will be again for about a week according to the weather guessers forecasters.  My other baby brother was by with his snow blower and blew most of our snow.  We finished the shoveling and then decided we better make a trip to town to reinforce the snacks essential supplies.

Part of the roads were a little slippery…snowpacked from the snow we got on Thursday. It will take a few days for the roads to completely clear.
We stopped and recycled, that is a job you don’t want to do on a sub zero day.  We recycle everything we can.

Our county makes it easy for us with these huge recycling bins located in our nearest little town.  We usually sort before we go, sometimes in the summer we get a bit lax BUT when bees start flying all over you are reminded why you sort.

We got er done and three stops later in a bigger town and we are set to go for awhile.

Last week whilst I was gone the brush cleaners were by and trimmed all of the brush away from the back drive.
All the brush is gone from the area underneath the power poles.   It is a great fire stop now, not much there to burn should the natives become restless in the spring.  It looks all neat and clean now and in the spring wildflowers will have a head start!

Yes, I am thinking of spring…in four months we should be done with snow and cold.

Snow and A Gift

It snowed and snowed some more.  It snowed most of the day Thursday.  We had about three inches at the snow stick…now we have more.

I waited for the snow to stop so I could shovel, it never stopped so I will shovel today.  We are going back into the deep freeze this weekend so all outside work must be done Friday.  Fun.

What makes a snowy day better?  Why a gift in the mail! Isn’t the card just the cutest!

These are Benne Wafers a gift from Cynthia who lives in the Lowcountry.  (Former Minnesota gal) Thank you so much Cynthia!  They were delicious!  One was broken so we even shared a little with Chance!

Cynthia shared the history: Benne Wafers are unique to the Lowcountry.  Benne (the Bantu word for sesame) seeds were brought from Madagascar through West Africa to the southern United States by African slaves.  The sesame plants were set among the rice fields and tended by slaves.  Benne Wafers were made and enjoyed from pre-Revolutionary war times to the present.

Dead of Winter

Not sure where I heard the saying “We are in the dead of winter.”

It must be that part of winter that is coldest, windiest most miserable time that makes you want to hibernate and not wake up until spring.  We have been way, way below zero, too cold to talk about… and the wind is raw and goes right through you.  One night we had windchill warnings…the kind that said “Cover all exposed skin, exposed skin can freeze in just minutes.”  I wonder if eyeballs  can freeze too?

Chance lifts up his paws trying to warm them… in a dogs mind I suppose that works.  

We got all bundled up one day for Dental Appointments, afternoon appointments.  I never try and schedule anything for morning in the winter.  By afternoon our weather usually warms up and roads are better to travel.  Far Guy did great, I had xrays that revealed one small cavity and I need a repair of one of my fillings.

Far Guy took the refresher class for Defensive Driving yesterday.  A program in Minnesota for drivers over 55 years old, if you take the class you get 10% off your Automobile Insurance.  So he is done for another three years.  He said he picked a non perfumy corner to sit in and in walked three retired teachers that were having a perfume war. 

I attended Vi’s funeral.  It was a packed church, Vi was well liked and had many friends and relatives.  After the service her Granddaughter spoke very eloquently about her Grandma.  She began with “Two weeks ago I would never have thought that we would bury Grandma today.” It was a long service…one of those High Masses…those Catholics once they get you in church they don’t want to let you back out again.  I skipped the funeral hotdish…although I bet it was good because it was one of Vi’s recipes. 

Just down the road a bit there was an accident the other night and a young person was ejected from his vehicle and killed.  I knew his Mom, she was a First Responder in an area that is adjacent to ours. His family must be incredibly sad.

Life is fleeting and in the blink of an eye it can change.

Resort 1987

In the Fall of 1986 we were really restless, although we liked living “in town” we didn’t feel it was the best place to raise teenagers. We lived in Moorhead back then and Far Guy worked in Fargo for the North Dakota Air National Guard and was often gone TDY (Temporary Duty).  Our house was small a two bedroom one bath with a huge yard.

We began to look at properties outside of town…rural properties. The girls were 11 and 14.  Trica wanted a horse so country life would be a plus for her, Jennifer just wanted to live in town forever and go to the local 7-11/Stop n Go Store every day.

One day we got a phone call with an interesting offer.  Would we be interested in buying an old resort that had been struck by a tornado and was in total disrepair?  My parents owned a resort on the same lake and were not interested.  Oh my, it sounded good and the price was right.   We knew the people from Indiana that had a mechanics lien on the property…they just wanted their original loan amount back…if we didn’t want the resort they wouldn’t pursue the Quit Claim process. After a few minutes of discussion we said “yes.”

One day in the summer of 1987 we sat in the Lawyer’s Office to finalize the papers for the sale.  The Attorney asked Koons and Elsie if they were sure that they wanted to sell the property that they had acquired the day before for the same amount that they had tied up in it ….I guess it seemed too good to be true to the lawyer.  And possibly a little strange as our house had not sold yet so the bulk of the down payment was in the form of an IOU when the house sold. The lawyer asked again if they were sure, he said “Their home may never sell.”  Koons and Elsie said “Well it is a nice home, sooner or later someone will buy it.”

The house sold two months later.  We needed those two months to do repairs.

The first day we went to the resort, Jennifer was stung by a couple of wasps.  We had to break into one of the cottages through a window so we would have a place to clean up and sleep overnight.  Water had to be carried in and there were several outhouses.

The first morning we were there Trica came out of the cottage and asked “Where is this out house?”  we pointed the way.  She walked down the road to the outhouse opened the door and peered inside…she closed the door and walked back to the cottage to wake up her little sister to accompany her.

July 27 1987  The house on the right…painted three different colors of green…the Fish Cleaning House is straight ahead. There were trees from the tornado laying all over the place.

We had two Shetland Sheepdogs  “Shelties” back then Misty and Moses. Misty is down by the end of that log and Moses is running to meet her.   They would discover that fish washed up on shore were wonderful to roll in. In this photo is a cottage on the left, the old shower house/bath house and two outhouses.

It was a few days until we could have the power company come out and get us some electricity.

Far Guy and his Dad having a lunch break.  The resort gave Marvin something to do in his retirement, there was always something that needed fixing or a granddaughter that needed a ride home after a school activity.

Getting water was the worst…the resort sat vacant for a number of years.  Mice had fallen in the well and had to be fished out…not a job for the weak stomached.  Once the sand point was pulled up, replaced and the mice removed, the well was sanitized and tested so that we knew the water was drinkable.

Once we had water the next step was getting rid of sewage…the resort had a lift station that lifted the sewage to a drain field…my other baby brother and Far Guy took on that crappy job.

Having electricity, water and sewer were a big start to making the place livable.  My Mother told us that the house was so bad it should be bulldozed down…yet we managed to live there for nine years.  Lots of elbow grease and some paint made a big difference.

Far Guy would commute 180 miles round trip for nine years.   He would go through two cars.  The girls would adjust to country/lake living…although the adjustments are never easy when you move to a new house and a new school.  The resort would not officially open until the summer of 1988.

Stone Masons

A long time ago a stone mason built a stone fireplace at our old resort, it was falling apart, we repaired it the best we could.   It was a beautiful fireplace with a metal door and a tall chimney.  We put wire racks above the fire box.  It would roast a few marshmallows or fry up a couple of hot dogs.  I must have an old photo of it someplace.
I found one!

Far Guy’s Dad Marvin fixing a picnic table/ bench…you can see someone has started a fire in the outdoor fireplace…I think Far Guy is back behind the fireplace breaking up some small sticks of wood…or goofing off. Photo taken by me in August 1989 Pine Springs Resort, Osage Township, Becker County Minnesota.

The whole foundation of the boat house at the resort was stone.  We think that a stone mason stayed and worked at the resort and the surrounding area in the 1920’s.  Some of the driveways at the resort had stone walls…right outside our home was about a three foot high stone wall…it was a great place for snakes so I never sat there.
Arvilla and Carl had a stone piece in their yard.  They moved here in 1953 and the structure was there when they moved in.  ( Carl and Arvilla lived right across the road from the resort. Jolynn and Steve live there now.)

Arvilla always planted it with Red Geraniums…and Jolynn is carrying on the tradition.

I think this might have been a wishing well at one time…or a fountain or a bird bath/flower planter.  The top has been repaired.  It was more than likely built in the 1920’s to 1930’s.

Over at Tamarac Wildlife Refuge one of the picnic areas has a stone wall.

Over at Linnell Cemetery there are stone walls at the main entrance.

There are a few other places where old stone work can be seen.  I should probably photograph them all.  One of the nearby “estates” has a stone porch and several stone buildings….I suppose in the name of history I could get myself invited over for coffee.  

Old Timers

Recently two of the area old timers died.  Both women in their eighties.  They lived good long lives and their lives should be celebrated!

Hazel was very active in the community with 4 H and Blood Drives and she was on the Township Board back when my baby brother and I used to trap gophers…she used to make some awful faces as she counted out those smelly gopher feet.  Even though we kept them in the freezer in a jar they started to unthaw as they were counted.  If the firehall ran out of food at the Father’s Day Picnic…she would bring over flatbread so we had something to eat.  Hazel had three children, I was very good friends with one of her daughters but I have not seen her in years.  Hazel made the best deep fried chicken I have ever tasted.  Their house had a front porch and it was a perfect place to sleep during the summer. As far as I know Hazel moved to Ponsford in 1951.  She moved to town a short time ago to be closer to the dialysis unit.

Violet better known as Vi died last week.  She had a wonderful sense of humor and usually a smile on her face.  She made the best sauerkraut and Wild Plum Jelly.  She had seven children.  Her son Johnnie and I were friends…we were born just two days apart and attended school together for twelve years.  Vi moved to the Ponsford Prairie back in 1929 with her parents.  She moved to town a few years ago to an apartment…Grandaughter Ashley lives at the farm now.  Only a few people use my first and middle name together..but Vi did.

Both women will be or have been buried in the Linnell Cemetery…where I can walk down the rows and recall many old neighbors.

There are not many old timers left…Jim and Irene have moved to Assisted Living,  Far Guy’s Aunt Louise lives in an apartment next to the Nursing Home.  My parents moved to town many years ago. Maurice moved to town a number of years ago.  Up on the prairie Margie and Alice are still in their homes but have children living with them as far as I know.  Rueben and Hilma are still living on their home place.

One by one the older generation is disappearing…and as I am getting older I realize that soon I/we will be the older generation.

How cold is it?

The cold wind slices through you like a knife.  It takes your breath away even though you can see it swirling nearby escaping your body.  I am not sure how the early settlers did it.  They were a tough lot and probably didn’t have a thermometer to tell them how many degrees it was below zero. They probably told the temperature by the sounds the snow makes.  Snow makes different sounds under your feet as you walk around out in the cold.  Snow begins to squeak at 14 F or – 10 C  eh.

If you don’t know how cold it is, are you warmer?  Do farts freeze?

Being a farm girl, I always enjoyed the warmth of the barn in the winter….and hated opening the back doors to take out manure…I am sure the cows didn’t like it either.

If you took your time closing a door to the house did someone say “Close the door, were you born in a barn?”

Home

I am happy to be home.  Far Guy and Chance were happy to see me.  I have unpacked, begun some laundry and I took a long nap.

The roads home were great except for some icy and snow compacted conditions the last 25 miles.   I expected that the roads would not be perfect.  It is January after all and we do live in Minnesota.  We are headed into the deep freeze with below zero temperatures forecast for the weekend.  Brrrr…

I guess there is some big football game on Sunday, I wouldn’t know about it other than one radio station talked about it non stop.  So much football and so little Hockey news…kinda unfair.

I suppose since I am home now I should make a list…and the Shiny Brite tree should probably be on the top of the list, It doesn’t look like I need to dust the ornaments yet!   I am behind on entering recipes in the Ipad also, my five recipes a week seemed doable but I am already behind.

A Mystery

When I packed to go up North, I grabbed my vitamin container and my pill container...I only take two pills one for high blood pressure and Potassium tablets because the blood pressure pill robs me most of my potassium.  I put the two weekly pill/vitamin containers, my tooth brush, my tooth paste and my eye drops in a small storage bag...bigger than a sandwich bag.  It is easier to just grab the bag in the morning that way I don't forget the pills when I brush my teeth.

Chaucer

Tuesday night when I knew a hospital stay was eminent I took my toothbrush out of the bag and put it in my purse/backpack, I also took my vitamins,   I either left the bag with the pills, toothpaste and eye drops on the counter in the kitchen (I went there to get a glass of water so I could take the vitamins.) OR I threw them back in my suitcase and didn't shut the lid.

I knew I could borrow Jens toothpaste, and once we got home I would take my meds for the day.  I forgot, so I asked Noah to remind me...he did and low and behold the bag of medication was missing.

It wasn't on the counter in the kitchen and it wasn't in my suitcase...Noah and I went through my suitcase piece by piece.  We looked everywhere including the garbage and the refrigerator.  The bag was missing...we retraced all my steps, and asked all family members.  I mentioned to Andy that Little Elvis was digging a hole in the yard that afternoon, he said "Oh when I cleaned out the smoker I left some meat drippings out there."  Silly dog.

Little Elvis

I thought about where the bag could be, in fact every time I awakened during the night I tried to visualize exactly where I left that bag.  In the morning we talked about it again and looked some more. I thought perhaps I was going nuts.

Miney

Then it was time for Andy to leave for work.  A minute or two later he came in and asked "Is this what you have been looking for?"

Yes that was it, with a hole chewed in the bag, luckily no pills were missing.   Someone ...I won't say who knocked them off the counter, or stole them out of my suitcase and took them out the doggie door and tried to bury them in the snow.  Andy noticed them in the back yard. 

It could have been anyone or a team of anyones who are able to leap onto counters to bat stuff onto the floor...just saying...it might have been a very agile tiny black dog...who might have been digging them up or trying to cover up the evidence in the back yard...only the animals know for sure...and for now the pills and the bag are safely tucked into my suitcase in a zippered compartment. 

I was relieved to know that I am not nuts...and that all pills were accounted for.  Someone said "Maybe they thought Chance would deliver new pills."  

I did not head home yesterday, there was a band of snow that dropped 13 inches of snow between me and home so it was safer to stay put.  Perhaps I will have better luck today.  Jen is recovering a little at a time and can probably survive without her Mother now.  Thank you for all your well wishes and prayers.

Away

I have been away.  I left Far Guy and Chance at home.  They are having a boys week at home to do what ever they want to do...within reason...courtesy of Facetime I saw they took my desk apart to repair it and they went to my other baby brothers for a steak supper so they are doing just fine.

I am way up North, our youngest daughter had surgery this week.  We spent one night at the hospital having a pajama party without PJ's...me in my street clothes and her in hospital attire.  She is home now but still needs me for a bit longer.  Her recovery depends on rest, which is hard to do when you are in pain.  She had really good nursing care before and after the surgery.  Not one cranky nurse in the bunch.

Yesterday, I had a Doctor's appointment with our oldest daughter a Nurse Practitioner.  Since she looked at my ears last, she checked them again and declared them clear of infection. I also asked her to remove some of my skin tags. Grandson Noah drove me to the appointment, he learned all about skin tags and how to remove them, so much so that he removed one three of his own after we got back home.  I am all set to go now, no more hair getting caught on those nasty skin tags...and if Noah keeps practicing maybe next time he can do all of mine!

I went with Adam to his Confirmation class, one parent or other such responsible adult must accompany the children...so this week that was me.  Giving his parents a break and allowing Andy some time with his recovering wife.

One night I attended one of  Adam's basketball games...they lost but played a good game.

  Here he is head and shoulder above the rest with the ball. 

Adam and his very good friend Nathan in the center of the photo.  They have been friends since they were about four years old and are now on opposing basketball teams.

I might head home later today it just depends how Jen is feeling, and if the roads are good for traveling. 

Wistful Wednesday: July 1989

If I had kept a blog back in 1989 I would know who is in this photo.  But since I didn’t even know about blogging back then I will have to guess.

These are either my baby brothers children or my other baby brothers children…or a mixture of both. Three from one family and two kids from another.  My best guess is  from left to right Logan, Stacey, Ben, Kirk and Josh.  But the little girl could be Ellen but I don’t remember her with a pony tail.

July 4 1989 at Pine Springs Resort 

That old stump with the red tractor seat was a great place to sit without getting all full of sand.  Then the stump rotted and had to be pulled out.

The swimming beach had a short dock (far left) for wet kids to sit on, no boats were allowed in this area, it wasn’t a half bad spot to swim for little kids.  Our girls always hated the weeds, so they usually took inner tubes or the canoe out in the deeper areas.  On several really warm days I was known to walk right on in clothes and all. 

There was a cottage right on the beach with a deck where you could sit and watch kids in the water… when the cottage was not occupied it was one of my favorite places to sit and watch the goings on out on the lake, and escape for just a little while.

Update from my baby brother: Logan Ellen Josh Ben and Kirk

Meals on Wheels

We are not shut in enough to get Meals on Wheels.  We signed up Far Guys’s Mom a long time ago, when she was still in the apartment. That way she had one balanced meal a day and had contact with someone on a daily basis.  She said there was too much food for her to eat…and some foods she didn’t like.  She was a good cook and I am certain that some of the food cooked in huge batches for meals on wheels simply had little flavor.

Over at the local cafe you can go and have a Senior Meal at lunch time on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  I think lunch is $3.00 …we haven’t gone yet.  Someday we will have to give it a whirl on a day when we get up early enough to appreciate a lunch at 11:30. I am not sure what age you have to be to participate…but we are probably old enough.

There was a Food Truck over at Dorset Minnesota for the summer…we saw it parked there one day but didn’t stop.  Rumor had it that it was Companeros Mexican Restaurant Food Truck.

Another kind of Meals on Wheels.

1958 Impala

What a car!  First Generation Chevy Bel Air Impala built in 1958. 

So shiny it was tough to photograph.

The signature crossed flags.

Dual headlamps.

Two spoked steering wheel.

Wouldn’t you like to go for a spin?  I know I would.  I think I made the guy that owned this car a little nervous…and I tried not to drool on his car.

 

Eating

The Redpolls are here. They arrived yesterday.  The word must be out that we have an unending supply of Thistle Seed.

They feed at the feeders and down on the ground.  I wonder if they came in from the south, the north or from someone’s feeders who went south.

Many in our area are “Snow Birds”  that means when the snow flies they head south.  The rest wait till after Christmas to head out and then there are those of us who stay put…die hard Minnesota residents.  Someone has to stay around to feed the birds.

I made homemade noodles and chicken for Saturday night supper.  The ultimate comfort food.  His paternal grandmother would make them often for Sunday dinner along with blueberry pie.  We skipped the pie part.  There was plenty left over to freeze.  As I rolled and cut the noodles I was transported back to her kitchen…she threw a towel of the back of a chair and hung the noodles there to dry. 

We have become lazy cooks…cook once eat at least twice…or freeze in individual servings.
Far Guy wanted to know step by step what I did with those noodles.  I made them, the recipe is in any Betty Crocker Cookbook for Egg Noodles.   They dried on cookie sheets.  I cooked up chicken thighs in a roaster pan in the oven while taking a nap.  When I got up, I boiled the noodles for about 20 plus minutes in a Dutch Oven half full of water.  Far Guy shredded the chicken and took out bones, sockets and veins…I hate veins in chicken meat.  Then I drained the noodles and added the chicken and it’s broth…and brought it all to a simmer.  Delish…almost as good as his grandma used to make.