Muffy's Marks

And the Broom Stands Alone!!

2012-03-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

Tonight's entertainment at the retirement village is getting brooms to stand alone. (Our version of SNL)

First Cliff put it on the patio, then he tried it in the kitchen.

They say it has something to do with the way the moon, stars, and planets are lined up. A neighbor has had her broom standing alone for three days.

Try it for yourself. It sure keeps us oldsters entertained.

And that's the way it is...........................

Trip to Phoenix

2012-03-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

Today I am featuring a guest poster. She is my friend Barb, whom we are staying with while we are in Lake Havasu. Barb's daughter, husband and four children are flying in to Mesa Airport, to surprise their other grandma for her birthday. Barb was volunteered to pick up her daughter and family at the Mesa Airport around 10:30pm. Her daughter planned on renting a car, but with four kids and luggage, they either had to rent two cars or get picked up by Barb and Cliff. Their plane was to land in the Mesa airport around 10:30pm. Barb and Cliff took in the Arizona Opry dinner and show in Apache Junction prior to picking them up.

(all photos from web)

I will let Barb finish her story..................

Another chapter in the Daughter & Son-In-Law Saga.......

Plane delayed out of Cedar Rapids because of a thunder storm.

Plane takes off ?? late. daughter says to SIL Why aren't we climbing?

Pilot comes on and says there is an air leak in the co-pilots window and they have to return to Cedar Rapids. They are staying low so they don't have to pressurize the cabin and will dump some fuel before landing.

Cliff & I return to home base to wait for further news.

11:30 Cedar Rapids time they are being fed pizza at the airport.

Midnight CST daughter calls and says they are boarding. Rental car agent only waits until 2AM Arizona time. Flight is 3 hours 1 minute. We may be seeing the night time sights of Phoeniz yet. Hope the window is fixed.

By the way...Cliff and I had a great time at the Arizona Opry. Good dinner and fabulous show.

To be continued......................???

CHAPTER 2

The saga continues....

Phone rings at 2:30a.m.. They are on the ground finally in Mesa. Of course rental place is closed so they plan to get a cab (or 2).

3:30am No cab. Come and get us.

We get to the airport about 4:15 to find granddaughter# 3 and year old grandson moving about the terminal and granddaughters #1&2 sleeping on the benches.

Our vehicle holds 5 people. So we put grands 1 & 2 in the back with the luggage and SIL, Grands 3 &4 in the back seat. Daughter stays back because the rental opens at 5.

Needless to say we are the only ones on the road. No traffic here at 4AM.

By 5:15 everyone but me is sleeping.

Daughter pulls in 6:25.

I'm still awake.....and because they rented 2 cars we need to go back to the airport again.

Hope I'm awake for the big surprise tonight.

Hope they have better luck on the way home.

CHAPTER 3

Somebody in the neighborhood has chickens and a %*#$@ rooster.

Maybe not for long.

Post Note: I hope you had a good laugh at the expense of Barb, I'm sure she will understand!!

Friends

2012-03-07T07:20:00.000-08:00

One of the longtime condo owners sold their condo to move out to the golf course. I have never visited anyone in a gated community. Their home is just beautiful, and the view..... oh my.

Clouds are rare at Lake Havasu, today was one of those rare cloudy days.

Everyone brought a snack, the hostess made margaritas .

We needed a group picture.

The sun was setting to close a perfect day with good friends, and lots of laughs.

It was a really windy day, this sunset is faded by blowing sand.

Faucets

2012-03-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

After spending the day visiting with friends in Kingman, the Mr. and I decided to go out to dinner before we went back to the condo. We chose to eat at the Red Onion downtown Lake Havasu, AZ. Dinner was delicious. The decor was rustic. I was especially fascinated by the bathroom fixtures. I am sure happy I have chrome faucets at home. These look like they would be hard to keep clean.

The wall to the right is floor to ceiling stones held by grating. Very clever and unusual.

And that's the way it is....................

I'm Missing It

2012-02-29T17:57:00.000-08:00

Nothing fires me up more than a good old fashioned snow storm. That was northern Wisconsin's weather today.

File Photo

Stuck here in Arizona, all I could do was go from internet TV Station to TV Station to find out what was going on back home. Forest County's court house closed for business. Schools were closed, and I even heard that tow trucks were getting stuck in Oneida County. I am missing the record snow storm of the season . According to my friends on Facebook they are looking at 20 - 23 inches of snow. We have plenty of insurance for snow removal. We own: many shovels, a little snow buster (as I call it) good for clearing the deck, a pretty good size snow blower, and a plow attached to the ATV. If we still can't get out, we call the guy with the truck to plow us out.

Today, between checking travel and weather reports from home, I just sat in the Arizona sunshine and talked about what was going on at home. Its a tough job, but somebody has to do it!!!

And that's the way it is....................................

Swap Meet

2012-02-26T14:08:00.000-08:00

At home we refer to Arizona Swap Meets as Flea Markets. The Mr. and I decided we needed to see what was going on at the Swap Meet in Lake Havasu, AZ. We arrived early, and it still was hard to find a parking spot. We thoroughly enjoyed looking at all the stuff one could purchase.

You could find a cure for just about anything.

Or maybe you need a spinner made from soda cans for that empty fence post in the back yard.

If you don't like to drink alone, how about a trio of monkeys to keep you company?

How about a purse for every outfit?

Wouldn't you look 'hot' riding one of these cruiser bikes, with its gas motor. Is it a bike or a motor cycle?

I thought this booth was interesting; selling turf in Arizona. I'm wondering how grass would grow out here. I'm thinking it would cost a fortune to water and maintain.

Only $1.00 for a knock-off Pandora charm. Where was this booth when I started my charm bracelet?

The Mr. just had to have four of these things. Something about keeping his table saw from rolling around.

It appeared that Boso the Clown had a bad night last night. His stubble was showing through the white face paint. He had on a smeary red shirt. I don't think I would have let my kids to close to this guy.

We walked past candles made from cactus, and bowls made from wood.

The metal work was so nicely done at this booth. I wished I would have had a place to put one of the pieces.

The Blue Bear had some very nice jewelry. I like to get a 'piece of bling' every year I come out. This year the Mr. bought me this slide for my chain.

Life is good!!!

And that's the way it is...............

Fish Fry

2012-02-25T08:59:00.000-08:00

Wisconsin is known for Friday Night Fish Fry. From local taverns to swanky supper clubs fish frys are a must on Fridays. The menu usually consists of Perch, Haddock, and Walleye; some places include frog legs and shrimp.

There are a lot of snowbirds from the midwest. Last year they decided to bring their 'catch of the day' and share with all the residents of the condo.

First the fish were thawed out, then dried, dipped in egg, and dipped in cracker meal, bread crumbs, instant potato buds.

The next step is to fry them in hot oil. Some use fryers, while others use frying pans on the stove.

Five different folks provided the fish, while others brought a dish to pass, in the end 83 people were served.

When these retired 'grannies' start cooking, it just can't be beat.

There is a couple here from Vancouver, WA. They shared their clams with the group. Telling us how and what tools they use to dig clams at low tide. We learned how they recover the meat. She breads them and frys them like a fish filet.

All in all, it was a lot of work preparing and frying the fish. Their reward was the compliments from the diners.

And that's the way it is..................

Sunset

2012-02-22T17:49:00.000-08:00

The Mr. and I went out to get a few groceries. On the way back I captured today's sunset.

You won't see this on a Cooking Show

2012-02-21T18:27:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the grocery store and look what I found in the produce section. A cactus leaf. It really peaked my interest as how to prepare cactus leaves.

They were $.69 a pound. Or I could have bought a small bag, already cleaned and ready to prepare for $2.69. I bought one cactus leaf.

The first thing that happened, was got one of the needles stuck in my finger!! And it really hurt.

When I went through the check out, I asked the checker what these cactus were used for and how to prepare them. She told me folks put them with beans, or scrambled eggs, or fry them in butter.

First she cautioned me that I should use gloves, to avoid getting poked. Then she told me I would need to peel the outer layer off. As I began peeling, the smell reminded me of pea vines. By the time I had both sides peeled the leaf was pretty thin.

The clerk warned me there would be some slime and the cleaned leaves would have to be washed before cooking them.

So that's exactly what I did.

I diced the leaf into little pieces and sauteed it in butter.

The more it cooked, the more slime oozed from the pieces. When it was finished, we tried a little piece of Cactus leaf. The best way to describe the taste would be if I took those pea vines and sauteed them in butter and ate them.

I can't imagine anyone acquiring a taste for cactus leaves.

It was really a tedious preparation time and labor intense.

AND..................................

It was some of the worst tasting stuff I have ever put in my mouth.

The only thing I could think of to do with the sauteed cactus leaves was to toss them in the garbage!!

Another item I found in the grocery store that I wanted to try was Tequila Rose! It was a whole different experience. It went down so smooth. And was delicious.

And that's the way it is....................................

Get your Kicks

2012-02-19T18:44:00.000-08:00

We took a road trip to Oatman, AZ, an old mining town located on the original Route 66. Burros come in to town to be fed a diet of carrots.

They can smell a bag of carrots a mile away. All except the newborns who have signs on them asking the tourists not to feed them, as they can't digest real food. The young keep their mama's in sight.

Oatman looks like an old western town, both sides of the street are lined with numerous gift shops, made to look like the old west. All the while people are milling around, donkeys are looking for handouts, cars, bikes, motor homes are driving through. It is amazing that no one gets hurt.

I was real lucky that the Mr. bought me an ice cream cone, as a paying customer I had the privilege of using their ladies room.

Another sign I saw was on the stairs leading to a lady of the evening's quarters!!

At a designated time cowboys enact a bank robbery and shoot out. This guy holds up the bank.

The sheriff comes on the scene trying to retrieve the bag of gold from the robber.

In the end the bad guy looses, and the sheriff is the hero. These guys do this performance as volunteers. They do pass the hat, asking for a dollar from everyone. The money is donated to the Shriners, what ever they collected today will be added to the $63,000 they have already collected.

In the end Shriners will and the bad guy looses.

And that's the way it is.......................................

Clotheslines

2012-02-17T06:50:00.000-08:00

I received this as an e-mail and just had to share it with all of you. I remember mom in the basement with the old wringer washer, and a wooden stick. She would use the stick to get the clothes out of the agitator tub while it was still agitating, then she would get the article started in the wringer. The wringer would drop it into the first rinse. She would then turn the wringer to turn the clothes into the second rinse. One more turn of the wringer and the wrung out clothes would fall into the laundry basket, to be carried up the stairs and out to the clothes lines. I can still smell the air dried laundry coming back in the house. Then came the era of the washer/dryer. I remember the day our pair was installed, mom was in heaven.

THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES:

1. You had to hang the socks by the toes... NOT the top.

2. You hung pants by the BOTTOM/cuffs... NOT the waistbands.

3. You had to WASH the clothesline(s) before hanging any clothes - walk the entire length of each line with a damp cloth around the lines.

4. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first.

5. You NEVER hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail! What would the neighbors think?

6. Wash day on a Monday! NEVER hang clothes on the weekend, or on Sunday, for Heaven's sake!

7. Hang the sheets and towels on the OUTSIDE lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know!)

8. It didn't matter if it was sub-zero weather... clothes would "freeze-dry."

9. ALWAYS gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were "tacky"!

10. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with the next washed item.

11. Clothes off of the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed.

12. IRONED???!! Well, that's a whole OTHER subject!

And that's the way it is......................................

Red Shoes

2012-02-16T05:53:00.000-08:00

It all started with these little red shoes that were given to me when I was a very little girl.

This was the first and last pair of red shoes I owned all the while I was growing up. As a kid, I remember having two pair of shoes; one for school, and a Sunday pair. Otherwise, I ran barefoot. During my high school years, I had loafers, gym shoes, and a dress pair. I'm sure many of you were in the same situation. It wasn't so bad, we were not poor, but we did not live in excess.

I have had a love affair with red shoes ever since I was a little girl. I always have a winter pair, and a summer pair. When they wear out or start to look shabby, I replace them. My summer red sandals were starting to look pretty shabby, and I would have been embarrassed to bring them with me to Arizona. Yesterday, I went shopping for a new pair of red sandals, and look what I found:

Oh, happy days....... they are so comfortable and they are RED!!!

And that's the way it is.................................................

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T05:25:00.000-08:00

Rufus and I had so much fun making this card for you all. Sometimes its not easy being my dog!! Enjoy your day!!

Closer to Warmth

2012-02-13T20:26:00.000-08:00

We spent the weekend visiting our sister-in-law and her husband, who live near Denton TX. We had such a good time sharing stories about our kids and grandkids, and shared a few laughs of silly things that happened in the past. Meet Herbie their dog, he is so adorable, but with an attitude!!

We really pushed it today, And didn't stop until 8 pm. We will be in Lake Havasu tomorrow afternoon. I managed to get a few shots (out the window) as we drove west on Hwy 40.

And that's the way it is...........................

The Haves' and Have Nots'

2012-02-10T17:38:00.000-08:00

Today the Mr. and I had the opportunity to tour the Crystal Bridges Art Museum, built to house Alice Walton's extensive art collection. This is where it all began. A little 5 & 10 in Bentonville, Arkansas. Throughout the years Alice Walton collected great works of art and needed a place to house them and to share them. Hence she had Crystal Bridges Art Museum built.

A scale model of the Art Museum

The roofs are made of copper. It should be really pretty once it gets a patina on it.

The water surrounding the buildings is not up to the level it should be. All the buildings will look like they are floating on water. Very Cool!!

It is amazing at how extensive this collection is. I took a few pictures of my favorites:

I found this painting very interesting

This guy looks so real, it is actually a sculpture

I loved this stainless steal tree. It reflects the colors of the environment

It really hit me hard as to how much Ms. Walton has, and don't get me wrong; I appreciate her sharing her collection with the public. But on the way to Bentonville, through the Ozarks, only about 10 miles from the museum, I could not help but notice the conditions of Alice's neighbors ... they are definitely the have nots' of this country.

And that's the way it is............................

Wind Mills

2012-02-08T17:45:00.000-08:00

My Dutch heritage is evident. I could watch these things spin for hours upon hours, Just makin' energy.

These photos were taken out of the car window, in Northern Illinois. Is your hubby like mine? He gets behind the wheel, and its non-stop. He'd drive all the way to Arizona in one shot if I left him. We are in Bloomington IL, tonight. Tomorrow is another day!!!

Tonight's sun set. Again taken out the car window.

And that's the way it is.................

This Old Lamp

2012-02-06T05:50:00.000-08:00

This lovely lamp has been in my life for the last 50 years. It belonged to my mother. I remember the day she purchased it; on the last Wednesday of each month, mother would go to Green Bay shopping. You see, back in the olden days, that is the day the stores had their clearance sales. And mother was one never to miss a sale. Oh my she would come home with the bargains. One of those shopping trips produced this lamp. I think she got it for about $8 - $10.
She placed it on a table in the middle of the living room window. It has a three-way switch. The top can light up alone, the bottom has a small bulb, which can be used as a night light, or both top and bottom can be lit at the same time.

When dad passed away, and we cleaned out the house, this is one of the items I wanted. Not only is it very pretty, it also brought back good memories. I had it in my living room , for the last eleven years. With the move, there wasn't room for it in my living room, it is now displayed in our bedroom.

And that's the way it is...............................

Don't Take My Picture

2012-02-04T06:34:00.000-08:00

And if you do

I'll shut my eyes.

Have a great weekend everyone!

And that's the way it is..................

Leaving for Warmer Climates

2012-02-03T06:54:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday we pull out for Arizona. We have gone to Lake Havasu in the past. Because time was an issue, we always flew. Now that we have all the time in the world we are driving. We have a few things to take care of "in town"; Rufus needs to see his groomer, we need to see our Tax Lady, and we have to drop Rufus off at my daughter's house.

We should leave northeast Wisconsin about 1pm heading for Springfield, IL. Thursday we plan to get to Springfield MO by mid day, and tour Wild Animal Safari, near Strafford MO. Later in the day heading farther south to Bentonville AR. One of my favorite blogs is Granny Mountain http://grannymountain.blogspot.com/

recommended touring the Crystal Bridges Art Museum. We are taking her advice, and its FREE!! (Not just the advice, but the admission is free, courtesy of Wal-Mart.

Any of my blogger friends, who live near some of these areas, do you have any suggestions of things to see, places to eat, or places to stay. I would love to hear your suggestions. As in all areas of the country, the residents of any particular local, know the best spots.

Then a slight detour from the direct shot to Arizona. We are visiting family south east of Dallas for the weekend. Monday we will head towards Amarillo, again stopping to visit friends. Alburquerque to Lake Havasu, Arizona

All Purpose Room

2012-01-31T15:58:00.000-08:00

Before we had the cottage we had a small mobile home, (yeah, we were TT) I inherited a small kitchen set, and wanted to use it but didn't have a place to put it. Hubby and his dad, built a screened in porch off the back door of the trailer, It was little maybe an 8x8 room. We had the kitchen set, and 2 or 3 plastic lawn chairs and a side table as furniture. I had a wicker basket collection hanging from the rafters. The little porch served us well. It kept us from the mosquitoes, and protected us from the rain. Lots of cribbage games were played on that porch. And many breakfasts were eaten out there. According to my dad, this was the kitchen table his mom and dad used when they were first married. (1905)

When we upgraded to the cottage, I wanted to keep the porch. Hubby told me, the porch was too trashy for our new cottage, and promised to build me a new one. I have a saying "We only intended to drain the swamp and now we're up to our rears with alligators." So the way of the porch.
Heck, if we're going to build a screened in porch, we might as well put windows in it. And if we're going to put windows, in it, then we should finish off the walls, and if we're going to finish off the walls, maybe we should do the floor, and now that we have a three season room, maybe we should add a heat source and use it year round. We hired a contractor to frame it up, put a footing under it, and enclose it. Then we were on our own. We spent a whole summer finishing it all. It has become our all purpose room. When we retired, we added two new recliners.
This room is where we use our laptops, read, watch TV, sometimes eat, watch birds and entertain.

Those skis on the wall, belonged to the Mr. when he was a kid. Because we lack closets, we nailed the skis to the wall and put hooks on them. When the kids come home, especially during the winter, it is a wonderful place to hang all their winter outerwear.

And that's the way it is..................................

Sunny and High of 18

2012-01-30T17:45:00.000-08:00

The icicles grow longer day by day. Tomorrow it is suppose to get much warmer, maybe they will melt. It seems we are one of the few areas in the country that has snow, and we don't have much. We maybe have about 8-10 inches on the ground. .

A Ride on the Wild Side

2012-01-28T14:41:00.000-08:00

Our daughter and her husband and children came to visit this weekend. There is no snow 100 miles south of here,

Grandpa is giving them a wild ride, as they fly along in the sled, pulled by the ATV.

Snow is a novelty this year for these kids.

After hot chocolate they decided to help me pick lint from the area rug, and their mom caught us being silly!!

Tonight is the Night

2012-01-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

Since 1978 very good friends of ours and us have taken turns having a dinner party on New Year's Eve. We initially started to have dinner about 11:00 pm., toast the new year, visit some more and call it a night. The dinner was always steak, potato, salad, and fancy desert. That was the 70's and 80's. As we aged, we could not tolerate eating so late, so the dinner hour was moved to 9pm. Remember the year. there was the scare of the calendar changing to 2000, our friend worked for the electrical department,and was on call just in case the predictions of computers not being able to handle going from 1999 to 2000 came true. At that time, our parents were elderly, with the cold temps of January we were sticking around also. That year we postponed our dinner to a week later.

Sometimes we had our celebrations in town, and other years we brought in the new year upnorth. The menu has also varied from steak through the years, and the dinner time has gotten earlier and earlier.

This year is my turn to host our dinner party. It was so crazy over the holidays, I didn't know where I'd be: in town, at the cabin, or where any of my stuff was. So I called our friends, and postponed it until I could manage it. As it turned out New Year's Eve was when the Mr. started not feeling too good, and he was addmitted to the hospital on New Year's Day for bleeding ulcers. (He's doing fine now)

My box with all my table cloths have not surfaced as of yet. I have one table cloth in a drawer at the cottage. Its rectangle shape, and I have a round table. IMPROVISE!!

I had used these wire-ribbons as napkin holders at one time or another. This year they're being "shabby chic".

Other than my moose dishes, I have a four place setting of white dishes. They were way back in the cupboard, as we use the 'moose' dishes for everyday. The napkins are white cotton with little pink roses.

The center piece--- again I had to use what is available. This "Wedding Basket:"bowl was a gift to my grandmother on her wedding day.. one hundred and fifteen years ago. It was packed with the Fenton glass.
Tonight I am using it as my centerpiece. A white unscented candle and some clear plastic beads left over from Christmas complete centerpiece.

The menu is: Breaded Parmesan Pork Chops, Cheesy Potatoes, and a broccoli/cauliflower salad. Dessert will be a Turtle Sundae Cake.

Illegal Immigrants

2012-01-25T19:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I noticed new birds at my feeder. I had no idea what they were as I had never seen the likes of them. I got out my 'bird book' and looked them up. They are called Red Poles, they migrate south during the winter from Canada. I'm guessing it got too cold for them in Canada. As the picture shows we have a bunch of them.

I'm suspect when they migrated, they did not clear Customs. No passports, just wanted to come to the US to get out of the cold, and enjoy a few sunflower seeds.

Do you think I'm in trouble for harboring them?

The close up shot isn't the best, I took it through the window.

Found the Fenton

2012-01-24T19:17:00.000-08:00

When we were first married, the Mr. gave me my first piece of Fenton Glass. I absolutely fell in love with this decorative glassware. On every special occasion I received a gift of Fenton from him. That is up until a few years ago when I ran out of room to display the beautiful pieces, and had to tell him to stop! My niece, who helped me pack up the house, was given the assignment of packing the Fenton. And she did a wonderful job, not a piece was broken in transit.

I lovingly took each piece out of the box, wiped it off, remembered the occasion when I received it, then decided where to display it.
Some pieces are displayed on the shelves of 'grandfather'.

With a the exceptions of a few special pieces that belonged to my grandparents, more Fenton was placed in the hutch. The big blue plate at the top of the hutch is depression glass. I have a very large bowl to match the plate, but that has not surfaced as of yet.

The earlier gifts of Fenton are displayed in this case. I thought I would be able to fit the mirror and case in the living room, but that didn't work out. So I put it in our bed room. When the master plan is completed the walls will be painted to match the glassware, and the decor of the room will be aqua blue, and sage. All takes time.

And that's the way it is.....................

Yesterday's Project

2012-01-24T01:19:00.000-08:00

Before

Yesterday, it snowed on and off all day. I did complete my project for the day: living room curtains. The living room in town had a three pane front window, and a single pane side window. The cottage has two windows, both two panes. To make the curtains fit, I needed to take off of one and add to the other. I am one of those individuals who is numerically challenged! (I can't even play cribbage without a calculator.) So after much measuring and cutting and re-sewing, I managed to successfully finish the project.

After

And that's the way it is........................

Viking Ware

2012-01-23T04:53:00.000-08:00

I have had these pieces for forty-some years. They were given to us as wedding gifts. When orange was no longer the 'in' color, I stored them in one of my 'many' closets.. A few years ago, I updated the bedroom in town, and resurrected the Viking Ware. Do you remember when these pieces were popular?

The larger of our guest rooms was the recipient of our bedroom set from home. We bought this set when we were first married. It is a traditional set, the design is French Provincial. This was a period in time when the "Spanish" look was very popular. I did not care for that style as the wood was so dark and rough looking, I preferred the soft lines and curves of the French Provincial.

The curtains are about six inches too long. A friend suggested letting them that way, as that's in! I gave it some consideration, but when I vacuum I am afraid I will suck them up and pull the curtains, rod and all off the wall. In time I will hem them. To mix things up a little, I re-upholstered this little Italian style side chair.

Today's project is to alter the living room curtains from town, making them fit the cottage living room windows. Its a snow day, in northern Wisconsin, and we are staying in, making that a good project for today!.

And that's the way it is...................

Gettin' er Done

2012-01-22T06:05:00.000-08:00

I am slowly whittling away on my list of making the cottage livable. The smallest of the three bedrooms, is ready for guests, providing they don't want to use the closet. As I shared in a previous blog, all my sewing supplies are kept in the closet. Most of the rooms in the cottage had been re-done with my furniture from town. The exceptions are; the four seasons room, one bathroom and this bedroom. I am keeping the 'up-north' theme going in these rooms.

The room's basic theme is fishing. At my son's suggestion, the wall grouping you see in the back of the room was his idea. When he was in high school, he worked his summers at a Cub Scout Day Camp with other Eagle Scouts. After the 'cubbies' went home, the camp leaders enjoyed the facilities. My son, and his friend won the rowing contest, by rowing across the lake the fastest... their reward, -- the paddle, cut in half.

It was his idea to mount the half paddle on the wall and use it as a shelf. And that is what we did. The photo is the Mr. and our son at a Boy Scout canoeing outing.

And that's the way it is....................................

Feeding Frenzy

2012-01-21T06:26:00.000-08:00

With the -15 morning temperatures, I think the birds are eating just to keep warm. They are sure on a feeding frenzy. I have to laugh at how cute they are with their feathers all puffed up.

And this poor little thing, just staying on the ground eating the remains of the sunflower seeds.

And that's the way it is.............................

Cold Winter Days

2012-01-20T05:22:00.000-08:00

Web Photo

The severe cold we are experiencing here in Northern Wisconsin, reminds me of my younger days. Way back in the '50's the synthetic light weight materials were not available. We had wool. The first layer was cotton long underwear, and wool socks. Then corduroy pants with a wool sweater or two. Next came the heavy wool jacket and snow pants. Our boots were then pulled over our shoes. ( I remember the rubs on the back of my legs from the rubber boots) Then one or two pair of wool mittens. On my head a wool stocking cap was pulled down to cover my forehead. And to finish everything off, mom would wrap a long wool scarf around my neck and mouth. When that process was finished, we were sent out side. I remember just standing there, I couldn't bend my arms, legs or bend at the waist. There were just too many layers. As I think back, we must have really been restless cooped up in the house for her to go through all that work to send us outside.

Sewing Closet

2012-01-19T14:58:00.000-08:00

Today I tore into my material, and sewing supplies. I do not have a designated sewing room at the cottage, and have been keeping my material stash in boxes in this closet. When I wanted to make something, I had to search the boxes for the material I needed. Usually it was in the bottom box. When we moved here, I had this oversized filing cabinet my dad made me when I graduated college. It did come in handy for bulletin board items, art supplies, and all the extra things a third grade teacher needed.

Now its purpose is to store my material, which I have sorted by weight. Lighter materials that will turn into summer outfits for the grand daughters, the next drawer contains all the bed sheets I will use to make them summer nighties. The third drawer has all the fleece for winter pj's. And the bottom drawer holds the odds and ends. It feels good to have this part of the cottage organized. Notice how nicely my machine fits on the floor between the cabinet and the closet door.

Back Home

2012-01-14T17:20:00.000-08:00

I'm glad to report I survived my week with the Minnesota Grands. I have to admit, when I got home, I took a good long nap. Hubby and I went out for chicken this evening, and now I'm just relaxing and making plans for next week.

|This is our 30 x 50 foot garage; before some of the furniture was moved to our son's house.

He took some of the cabin furniture that we no longer needed. And it looks so nice in their house. Plus its not like it is gone forever, as when we visit them we can see our old furniture. That's the best part of giving things to my kids, those items are still around to be enjoyed!

This week, my intent is to straighten out the third bedroom, get my sewing stuff organized, and find my Fenton Glass collection. Perhaps, I may even get time to give my hutch a fresh coat of paint.

If there is stuff I really don't know what to do with, there is always the fire pit!!!

And that's the way it is..................

Granny's Taxi

2012-01-10T18:46:00.000-08:00

Wow, I just move from one thing to another!! I'm not even settled at the cottage, when my son calls. He has a chance to go ice fishing near Blackduck, MN. The ONLY thing holding him back are his duties for his family. So he asks me if I would take the kids where they have to be this week. Well, what 'cha gonna do? I said sure, but my goodness, its only Tuesday and I'm exhausted. My day begins at 6:30 am, getting me ready, then getting the girls ready, by 7:15 we are on the road. I take the youngest to daycare, then I pick up another little guy, who goes to Northern Voices with the older granddaughter. We arrive at Northern Voices around 8:45 am. Get the two settled and then on my way back to Elk River.
Yesterday, I had their grocery list, and had to do the shopping, put it away, and by 2pm head back to Roseville to pick up the two Northern Voice Students, drop Sammy off at his sitter, pick up youngest granddaughter at her day care, bring both kids home, let dogs, out make supper, give baths, and settle them in for the night.
Today, same routine, except the youngest granddaughter had to be taken to an appointment at 11:30. So I picked her up at daycare, took her to her appointment, and because, she was such a good girl when they drew blood, I took her to McDonalds for lunch, then back to daycare. By that time it was time to go to get the two from Northern Voices.
I am thinking, as I write this, only three more days of getting up and doing the same thing all over again.
Man do I like my retirement. Although this experience is putting it in perspective of what all those parents do on a daily basis for their children. No wonder when I call my two kids, they really don't have much time to just chit-chat.

And that's the way it is......................

The Move

2012-01-06T15:08:00.000-08:00

Just before Thanksgiving our niece, who is also the Mister's Godchild, approached us about renting our house in town, as it was sitting empty anyway. We agreed to rent to her and her family on a month to month basis. This decision really upped our timeline. Our intent was to stay at the cottage, go to Arizona in February and March, then come back to get the city house prepared to sell in the spring.

We wanted to have one last family Thanksgiving and Christmas in the house. That also worked out with our niece, as she hoped to move in mid January. During the week of Thanksgiving I started cleaning out some of the closets and drawers. We had our Thanksgiving dinner and managed to attend the Nutcracker Suite Performance .

After Thanksgiving weekend I continued to clean out. We brought a few truckloads to the garage at our cottage. We had our last family gathering at the house over the Christmas holiday. I love to play games, and as I was cleaning out closets I found numerous gifts that were intended for my children, their spouses, or my grandchildren, but never given to them. We played oldest to youngest to pick one of these wrapped gifts; and guess who it was intended for. Then the next person could either take an opened gift or take a new one from the basket. When all the presents were open, they could trade with each other, give their gift away, do anything they wanted but let it lay for me to clean up!!

Son-in-laws new head phones from the 90's

It was a wonderful Christmas eve, we had lots of laughs, and enjoyed each other's company. This was the Christmas season that I realized it doesn't matter where we gather, just so we continue to gather. You know one of my favorite quotes is "Grandma's house is where cousins' become friends." And that they did.

This is what the city house looked like for our holiday. On Monday December 26th, we began tearing down, packing, getting rid of, and hauling trailer loads to the cottage.

My daughter and another niece helped us box and pack things from cupboards and drawers. I have collections of Fenton Glass, depression glass, and numerous serving pieces. Four sets of dishes, plus the cottage has a fully equipped kitchen. Why oh why did I collect so much stuff. Out to the garage went the boxes to be loaded on the trailer.

We had lots of help loading and unloading. It took three trailer loads to get everything here.

Taking our 'stuff' from town to the cottage.

We had to first move cottage furniture from the living room and kitchen and one bedroom out to the garage. Then we could move the town furniture in the cabin!

It was a total mess for a few days, but we finally got things livable. We have tons of boxes to sort through. We will do one at a time, deciding if its contents are something we can't live without or is it something we should sell. We are having one heck of a rummage sale this spring.

Two of the three bedrooms are totally useable, and the kitchen and living room are in order. Whew, wonder why I'm tired.

I still have to alter the window treatment, get some greenery on top of my hutch, and find my Fenton!!!

And that's the way it is....................................

What a way to start 2012

2012-01-02T05:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday at 8:00 am I had to call the rescue squad for the Mr. He didn't feel good on New Year's Eve. We didn't go out, in fact he was in bed at 9pm. I thought he had picked up a 24 hr flu bug. He got up at 8am the next morning. He was as white as a sheet, clammy, and short of breath. I immediately thought it was his heart, as he has a history of heart problems. I have never used 911 in my life until yesterday. It was snowing and slippery and the Mr. was not in a good place. Here in the North woods the rescue squad is totally volunteer, They were here in no time. One of the members, along with our 84 year old neighbor started to shovel out a path for the trained staff to get to the door. Another volunteer who is a R.N. arrived shortly, she got him stabilized. Then the ambulance arrived. The Mr. was loaded and away he went. I was afraid to drive in the winter conditions, so the R.N. called her husband to take me to the hospital. Our very good friends were in church when my daughter called them. Twice!! They heard the ambulance go by, and with the calls from my daughter they also began to sense something might be wrong. The R.N's hubby dropped me off in the church parking lot, where I got in Mike and Kate's car, and off to the hospital we went. What the Mr. didn't tell me about was his black stool for two days. He said he thought it might go away. (MEN!!!) Anyway the surgeon, who was referred to as "Schultzy" did a cauterization to stop the bleeding, and it worked.
Though out this whole ordeal, I am thinking; is it wrong to move to the cottage permanently? As we don't have the immediate access to health care facilities as we did in the city. Once I got home, I soon realized we are surrounded by the most wonderful, caring people we could ever ask for. My voice mailbox was full of messages of concern, and if I needed anything to just call. Their concern for the Mr. was genuine. I now know we are in the right place, as our little community takes care of "their own". The Mr. will be released later this morning. The snow and blowing has stopped, and I am comfortable going to pick him up. But if I weren't, I know I could go back to my voice mail messages, and just randomly pick one, and they would be here in no time to take me to pick up the Mr. We are truely blessed.

And that's the way it is.................................

2011-12-31T12:27:00.000-08:00

My Front Door

2011-12-29T18:38:00.000-08:00

The house in town is completely empty. Everything is moved, not put in its place but moved. We left the yellow bench you see in this picture, which I took standing by the front door. This view was the first impression our guests experienced.

As I was sitting on the yellow bench waiting for my niece to stop by to finalize our rent agreement I looked at the front door. I remember as a newly married gal, the pride I had walking in that front door which was to be my new home. I remember carrying in my newborns through that front door. I remember handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters. I remember our parents walking through that front door, for our children's baptisms, and birthday parties. I remember Christmas gatherings with both sets of relatives. I think one time we had 25-30 people for Christmas. Oh the noise, the rattling of paper, and the fun. I remember the little cub scouts coming through that front door for their weekly den meeting. I remember our daughter coming through that front door with all her giddy little friends. I remember our son, bringing his college friends through that front door, and wanting a home cooked meal for 8 of his frat brothers. I dug in the freezer and came up with enough to feed them all. I remember our children bringing home the loves of their lives through that front door. I remember the first time grand babies were carried through that front door. Ah yes, that front door has served us well.

And that's the way it is................

Merry Christmas

2011-12-21T12:38:00.000-08:00

Boxes and more Boxes

2011-12-20T14:08:00.000-08:00

My yesterday's mess and confusion has been taken care of. Things are getting packed, donated or tossed.

Here is the last 40 years of my life, in storage bins or boxes. I have another load ready to go north. We have donated so much to the Thrift Shop, they cringe when we drive up. And Oh, our poor garbage collectors. They're not happy with us either. We must move forward.

I'm taking a break from packing tomorrow. My granddaughter is coming over after school to frost cookies with me. Then we might take her out for dinner. Packing will resume after the holidays, I just have to focus on my family and Christmas plans.

A Picture Says It All

2011-12-19T11:06:00.000-08:00

I am so jealous of those who have their houses all decked out. I'm just beginning in our city house.
We are having the last Christmas in the home our children grew up in. Beginning January 15th we will rent it out to our niece and her family. It really is a win-win situation, we want to live at the cottage and it is not good for a house to sit empty. We didn't sell it last spring, because we were not sure if it was the right move. Since we have been at the cottage basically since April, we now know it is the right move for us. Oh but the confusion in the process.
So far I have the presents wrapped and in the living room. The house is minimally decorated, with the remaining decorations in totes--ready to move.
All dresser drawers and built in's are emptied out, with the exception of the kitchen. I need those items to make our traditional dinner on Christmas eve.
My kids have been good this year, so they are getting all my cast off's.
My dad built our home, and when his work was done, he looked at me and said you should have plenty of storage space. Boy was he right. I had so much storage space, I never threw anything away since 1971!!! Until this week that is.

And that's the way it is..............

One Last Gift

2011-12-18T06:02:00.000-08:00

The gift making is finished with this project. My grand Marissa, takes city recreation department ballet. She had her recital last spring, and of course I took many pictures. There was one I really liked, I messed around with a photo shop program to get it the way I wanted. Then printed it on fabric paper that runs through the printer. I bought some material, lace and buttons. Look what I created for her:

I am leaving for town today. I have to decorate the house, although I'm keeping it simple, shop for groceries, and wrap presents. Perhaps I will clean a bit also. On Monday after Christmas we are tearing everything down, loading it up and moving it to the north woods, where hubby and I will spend our retirement years. More about that later. I need to focus on holiday preparation. Lord, help me keep my sanity, and keep it in perspective. Merry Christmas to you and those you hold dearly.

And that's the way it is.

Grandparents Day

2011-12-17T07:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the Mr. and I traveled to Roseville, MN to attend Grandparents Day at Northern Voices. We drove four hours to get there, but the drive was worth it, to see the joy on Ceilia's face when she saw us.

The program began with one of the mothers from the parent organization expressing gratitude for the involvement and support by grandparents, when the "deaf" diagnosis is determined. It brought tears to my eyes. The first reaction is 'can't be' then 'why?' Then reality sets in. As many of you know a child with a disability is an emotional and financial drain on a young family. Our son's family was no different. The kids dug in and made major changes that left them financially drained moving to Roseville, to get this little doll the help she needs to be main streamed.

The next section of the program was to involve us elders building a Gingerbread house with our grands. We had a lots of laughs and fun, building and decorating our house; all the while the grandpa's were eating all the trimmings.

We did manage to save enough to complete the house.
Ceilia was so proud of her house. She wanted me to take a picture of
it. And beamed when I showed her it on my camera.

Isn't it a beautiful Gingerbread house?

This weekend was suppose to be filled with cookie baking with my other set of grands. They were going to come up yesterday. I had everything ready to go, when my daughter called us saying they couldn't come as one of the kids had the flu. Darn, I am bummed!! I am going back to our city house to prepare for a family Christmas, and I will try to have those grands come over after school, and we'll bake cookies then.

And that's the way it is.............

Project #2

2011-12-12T16:49:00.001-08:00

The dishwasher installation was the first project we undertook, inorder to make the cottage our retirement home.

Next on the list was to put laminate flooring in the kitchen, living room and hallway. That project, with the help of a few friends was completed just before Thanksgiving. I really like the way it looks. The two rooms look so much bigger. Now when I extend my table, it can go into the living room without the carpet interfering .

We will be totally moved in to the cottage on or about January 15th. More about that later.

Some of our late winter/spring projects will be painting the walls with a sort of terracotta color, complimented with a tan. I want white crown moldings and white woodwork also. By January our living room furniture from our former home will be moved to the cottage.

As usual, when I want to take Rufus' picture, he doesn't cooperate. When I don't want him in the photo, well of course he places himself dead center~~

Do you remember?

2011-12-11T07:14:00.000-08:00

Web Photo

My parents were not trend setters by any means. But when these little beauties hit the market our family was the first to have one! The good old Aluminum Christmas Tree. Lights could not be used to decorate the tree, for fear of short circuting the whole thing. The invention of the spinning colored wheel was born. Our tree stood prominently in the front window of our living room. The colors reflecting off the aluminum casting shades of blue, red, green and yellow. These trees stayed in vogue about three or four years. When we cleaned out the homestead my brother took the tree that had been stored away. They have used it a few times throughout the years. Memories of Christmases past.

Surgery went well

2011-12-09T06:08:00.000-08:00

I'm back from my son's house. Ceilia's surgery went well. Her left cochlear was removed in the afternoon, and she was back home at 8 pm. She was really groggy and out of it. I thought she knew I was there, but in the morning, when she saw me, I got the biggest smile and hug. Oh so worth while.

My role in all of this was to get Ceilia's younger sister from daycare, and take her home. When I picked her up she was so excited, because we were going to make cookies.

And that's the way it is.....................

Zoom, Zoom

2011-12-06T05:36:00.000-08:00

Today the Mr. and I are going our separate ways. No we're not getting a divorce. He is going back to town to begin deciding if he is going to keep or give away his life time of accumulations. As you know we are moving to the cottage after the holidays. (More about that later.) I am going to Minneapolis, as our granddaughter #4 is having her cochlear taken out. This is the fourth try, and it infected again. Her implant in the right ear works, and she is doing well with it. They are not going to try the left ear again, until she is much older. She should be mainstreamed in school in about 2 years.

While I'm at my son's house, grand #5 and I intend to make some peanut butter kiss cookies.
The Mr. and I will be separated until Thursday, when we will both be back home in northern Wisconsin. If he gets his mile long list from me done, that is!!! Wait until you hear what's planned for Thursday night.

Winter Morning

2011-12-04T06:28:00.000-08:00

It was so beautiful this morning, I just had to go out and capture the gift!

I had fun playing in the snow, while mom was taking pictures. Now its time to go in, hot chocolate for mom, and a dog bone for me! I hope you enjoyed the snow as much as I did. Rufus

The Good China

2011-12-03T06:02:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl, Santa gave me a china set for Christmas. I played with it, broke some pieces, and as I grew up forgot about it.

When my dad passed away, it was up to my brother and me, and our spouses to clean out the house. We were not in any hurry, as there was enough money to keep it heated through out the winter months. We agreed that every Wednesday night we would all meet at the old homestead. My parents saved everything, they were products of the depression. I guess an assurance that they woud never go without. We went from room to room dispersing the things, either taking them for ourselves or giving them to our children or other relatives and friends.

I have a real dust allergy, thus I was spared from going up in the attic, the other three would bring it all down to the main floor, while I sorted boxes of pictures in the living room.

If my parents bought a new toaster, the old one went in the new box and stored away. The attic was full of those type of boxes. When the boxes were brought down, there was one my brother said I should look at. It was a NuTone door bell box. Damn it, if he wanted me to pull out a broken door bell, while wearing a dust mask, and surgical gloves I'd scream. Well I unwrapped the old dusty tissue paper only to find my china set.

Have you ever cried wearing a dust mask and surgical gloves, and not trying to smear the dust around.

My sister in law, thought it was strange that I had pine cones on my dishes instead of pretty little flowers like other girls had.

My dad was a self employed builder, building homes, remodeling jobs, etc. One Christmas, I remember them being a little tight. One of his customers said he would pay him after Christmas, as he needed money to purchase gifts for his family. Well, that customer did pay, it was two or three days after Christmas. I remember the check coming in.

Mom went to town, and came back with toys for my brother and myself. She told us she ran into Santa, and he missed us first time around, so mom delivered our Santa gifts for him.
My theory is; when mom got to the stores, all the pretty flowered sets of china were already sold. She took what they had.... pine cones!!!

I love my little pine cone set of china. It is prominently displayed in the cottage, and so appropriate for this northwoods lifestyle.

And that's the way it is......................

Simplicity

2011-12-02T05:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, about 2 inches of snow fell. Just at dusk, I went out to take a picture of our cottage. With out much decorating competition, we can share our joy of the new born child in a simplistic manner. Unlike back in town, we used to say our neighbor had so many decorations in his front yard, we couldn't even make toast, as he used all the electricity!!! I sometimes think too much glitz can be overbearing. Once in a while I do like to drive down those streets that are heavily decorated, sometimes we even found the Grizzwalds!! I am just thankful I don't live there. We will go back to town the week before Christmas to get ready for our family gathering. This will be the last time we will celebrate Christmas in the home where our children grew up.

Kick off to Christmas

2011-11-30T06:29:00.000-08:00

I typically give the grands their St. Nick gifts (usually home made PJ's or hats and mittens) after Thanksgiving. Instead of making things, I took them and their mothers to the Nutcracker Suite. They loved it. The only grandson wasn't too sure, until the performance began.

The performance started in the gathering room, cookies and punch were served. The toys around the tree were life size, and the kids could play on them while waiting for the performance to start.

The doll house was taller than my five-year old granddaughter. The back was open and had furniture in it. There was also a rocking horse, a fire engine and car that they could play on. The doll house was a hit with the girls.

Out of nowhere the story teller appeared. He held the audience captive as he told Clara's story. At this point, we were asked not to take pictures. The story teller lead us through a sitting room, where there were hidden mice throughout the room. He then positioned himself on the expansive stairway to continue the story. We toured the Sugar Plum room, and the Ice sleigh room. From there we went into the Castle's ballroom, where we were entertained by ballerinas dancing. After the dancing, we were on our own to tour the rest of the castle. The former chapel had many, many nutcrackers. The bedrooms were decorated for Christmas, so many trees, and so many lights. (Wish I could have taken pictures) In the last bedroom we found Clara (live actress) sound asleep in her bed, holding the nutcracker. All the while the Nutcracker Theme was played. The whole thing was magical.

One of the grands holding one of the table decorations.

The granddaughters wore their Christmas outfits, and pretended they were the little privileged girls who lived in this expansive home. The history of this home is: A young married couple built this home in the early 1900's. They were affiliated with the Kimberly-Clark Corporation, but never lived in the home. It was donated to the city of Oshkosh, WI. The city runs tours of the gardens and home; weddings can also be scheduled on the property.

As a souvenir I purchased each of the grands an ornament, one received ballerina slippers, two were given ballerinas, and Jordan has the storyteller holding the nutcracker.

The moms thought if they kissed the Nutcracker it would bring them good luck. I'm sure it will. All in all, we had the most memorable time. I don't know who enjoyed it more, granny, the grands, or the moms.

My Photo Won

2011-11-23T06:56:00.000-08:00

I entered a photo contest at The Retirement Chronicles: http://myretirementchronicles.blogspot.com/ and won!! If you want to see some awesome photos of her travels around the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I suggest you check out her blog. If you also have a great shot of a cat or dog, the theme for the next contest is Cats and Dogs, and anyone can enter.

My Pet Peeve about getting a great shot, is when someone asks; what kind of camera do you have? In my book there are two elements to taking a great shot:

You have to be in the right place at the right time
You have to perceive the world a little different than most folks do.

Now, that I have you shaking in your boots and are afraid to ask... the answer is a Canon G11. I have not found it sold in stores. I bought mine through Amazon. Canon has upgraded the G11 to a G12.

I think the 'G' stands for guess. The G11 takes the guess work out of it. Its a point a click camera.

'September Morn'

I also wish you and those you love a very grateful and happy Thanksgiving.

From Our Family to Your Family

2011-11-20T05:57:00.001-08:00

I would like to wish you and those you love a very Happy Thanksgiving.

This was taken a few years ago at our Thanksgiving Dinner. Not too fancy, as at the time equipment at the cottage was limited. This year our family will celebrate Thanksgiving in the home my children grew up in. It will be a mixed emotion filled day. Sometime during the weekend my two adult children and their spouses will go through the house, and as I say, 'cast lots, and divide my garments' Actually we have made up our mind that the cottage is going to become our retirement home. Its like putting a square peg in a round hole. I have way too much stuff; at least two of everything. Instead of selling the excess at a garage sale, I want the kids to pick and choose what they can use or things that have made memories for them. I will post how everything goes. I do not expect any conflicts as both my children care about each other, and their spouses.
As in many families, the son and daughter are not close, but when either one is in need, the other one is there to support them. Can't ask for more than that. I will post how things go.

On Saturday, I am taking the grands and their mothers to the Nutcracker. It is an interactive presentation, as the crowd moves from room to room in this castle like home. I will not be allowed to take pictures once the presentation begins. As a special treat, I purchased each grand an ornament which reflects the Nutcracker. http://www.thepaine.org/events/Nutcracker_in_the_Castle_2011.htm

Another Project Finished

2011-11-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

Last weekend my daughter and family were here to visit. My granddaughter's 6th Birthday is Monday.
I have a funny story about this one. When she was three, I would sew her clothes mainly nighties and pj's. She wouldn't wear them. Once, when I asked her why... she told me her mom has plenty of money, and can buy her clothes at the store. I didn't give up, she now loves the outfits I create for her. I don't know what the change of heart is all about. The last school outfit I made for her was a pink plaid flannel jumper. She put it on and wouldn't take it off, she wore it 36 hours straight, to bed and everything.
This beautiful granddaughter and I went through some of my material, she liked the corduroy, and wanted a skirt. So we measured her waist and the length needed.
Granny got creative, I didn't have a pattern, and town is 27 miles away. So I created my own pattern. The vest was improvised from the top of a jumper, using a cereal bowl to get the rounded front. The skirt I made up.

I found another scrap to use as the vest lining. I found a flower on clip art, enlarged it, cut it out on bonding paper and added to her outfit. I really like the way it turned out. I hope she loves it as much as I loved making it for her.

And that's the way it is.............

Gifts Made With Love

2011-11-17T04:53:00.000-08:00

I am way ahead of time, getting things done for the holidays. I love giving something home-made to the grands, in addition to store bought gifts. This year I made them hats and mittens to match their winter coats. The mittens are a pattern my daughter found on the Internet. I designed the hat myself. Many times I can't find what I'm looking for, so I improvise.

My sewing area is less than desirable. The sewing machine, material, patterns, buttons, etc are stored in a spare closet. I sew in the living room on a fold up table.

I spend one day just laying out patterns and cutting out all the hat and mitten sets.

When the cutting is done, I haul out the machine, set everything up, and the sewing frenzy begins. I really like how every one's hat and mitten sets turned out. The double lined fleece will keep the little ones warm during the Wisconsin and Minnesota winter.

What do you think? Do you include hand made gifts for your Christmas giving?

And that's the way it is...................

Northern Voices

2011-11-15T20:06:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I have a grandaughter who was born deaf. She has had implant surgeries for Cochlear implants. Her right ear implant works well, the left is still giving her lots of trouble. After the surgery, my son and wife decided she was not getting the help she needed in northern Minnesota. They sold most everything they had to get their daughter the help she needed in Roseville MN. (St. Paul)
Ceilia goes to a special non-profit private school (Northern Voices) for children who are hard of hearing. There she has learned to listen first of all, then she can learn to use words!!

The first time she said grandma, I cried.

During this holiday time, some of you donate to charities. If you do, and if you are looking for a worthy charity, may I suggest Ceilia's school? November 16, (today) is a very special day in Minnesota. Any donation made to any charity in Minnesota, Razoo matches the donation. See the link below, and read parent's and grandparents testimonies.
I thank you for reading about Ceilia's journey toward being main-streamed in a public school system.
http://givemn.razoo.com/story/Northernvoices

Family Reunions

2011-11-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

Last summer, on of the Mister's cousins stopped by. During the course of the visit, we had kind of agreed to get together and plan a family reunion on the Mister's mother's side. The Schwalenbergs, otherwise referred to as Schwallies.
We were talking about planning a reunion next summer. I got to thinking, and asked the Mister's sister, if she knew when Grandma and Grandpa Schwallie were married. After researching, we discovered the Anniversary date was November 22, 1911-- one hundred years.

It was meant to be, we needed to get together this November to commemorate the date, I did some research and came up with an invitation. Thanksgiving was too close this year to celebrate closer to their date, and with Wisconsin's gun season beginning the weekend before Thanksgiving, we chose Sunday November 13. And as would have it, we didn't even have to compete with the Green Bay Packers, because they have a Monday night game.

The invitations went out, RSVP's came back, and nearly everyone was coming. The gathering was lead by a prayer, remembering deceased cousins: Glenn, Joyce, and Lee. Remembering parents, who are all deceased; and praying for special blessings bestowed on the generations to come.

The Mister's sister, brought family tree books, cousins brought their families scrap books, and lots of pictures of our precious grandchildren were shared. It was interesting to be able to pick out some common family traits in the new generations. There were steins from the Schwalenberg Castle, Schwalenberg Germany.. Some of the cousins have had the opportunity to visit the historic castle.

After a great family afternoon of story telling, and sharing, the day sadly had to come to a close.
I am so very lucky to be married into this family. They are all so very caring and giving. If I had a crisis tomorrow, I could call any one of them and they would be at my side. When I married into this family, I soon realized how close and caring they were. If one family was down on their luck, the others were there to help out. The cousins did not learn this from being preached at, but by example. Rest in Peace children of Olga and Herman: Clara, Rollie, Raymond, and Anita and their spouses.

Our Roof

2011-11-11T06:08:00.000-08:00

First of all I want to personally thank any veterans who may be reading this blog. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the freedoms my family and I pretty much take for granted as we go about our daily lives.

A lot of houses and cottages in the north woods of Wisconsin have metal roofs on their buildings instead of the traditional shingles. There is a reason for the metal roofs. When we get lots of snow, its weight puts a lot of pressure on the structure. If the snow isn't removed the roof has a good chance of collapsing. Pulling the snow off the roof is a lot of work. We used to do it when we were younger, but now it is too taxing on the Mr. With a metal roof, the sun warms the metal, the snow begins to melt, and eventually slide off.

This is a shot of the snow slowly coming off the roof.

As the snow slowly slides down it becomes very dark inside.

When the snow comes off the garage it usually slides off all at once, and comes crashing down with such force you feel the "earth move." We have little stoppers over the doorways on the house, which prevents the snow from crashing on our heads as we go in and out. The garage does not have stoppers. We don't use the side doors in the winter, only the overhead door.

And that's the way it is...............

Today Its Winter

2011-11-10T06:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday it began to snow, and snow it did. By nightfall we had seven inches of the white stuff on the ground. This little Black-eyed Junko looks like he is enjoying it.

The Junko may like the snow, but poor old Rufus was not too happy. He hates the snow between his toes, and didn't ask to go out very many times through out the day.

The temperature was perfect for wet slushy snow, and really weighted down the branches

So much so, that this decorative tree, which has not lost its leaves yet, was so heavy with snow the top snapped off. Once everything melts, we will be able to determine how much damage there is.

The snow continued through the early evening hours, coating everything in white.

Just another shot out our bedroom door.

And what did I do all day, besides take pictures. Well I sat by the fire, read, knitted and listened to music.
This weekend, the weathermen are predicting highs in the 50's. Making this first storm just a memory.

And that's the way it is...........

Change

2011-11-09T05:07:00.000-08:00

Birthday Boys

2011-11-08T05:32:00.000-08:00

The Mister and our grandson celebrate their birthday today. Happy Birthday to both. We are traveling to the Fox River Valley to help our grandson celebrate. We have some errands first, then to my daughter's house to spend some time with the grands, go out for pizza, then back north before the snow hits. The storm with the potential for snow in the north, is not expected until very late today or early Wednesday morning. So, we should be OK.

A New Week

2011-11-07T06:05:00.000-08:00

I just love the way the sun reflects off the tree tops. Today is suppose to be the nicest day this week. Snow/rain are predicted late Tuesday and Wednesday and going into Thursday. We are going back to town tomorrow to celebrate our grandson's birthday. I also need to get to the material shop. I started making hats and mittens for the grands as part of their Christmas present, and unless my grandson has two left hands, his pair of mittens will not work for him. I have made lots of pairs of fleece mittens, and I honestly don't know how I managed to reverse the material. Oh well, attribute it to my absent mindedness.
And that's the way it is............

At My Feeder

2011-11-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

I always have plenty of birds at the feeders. In the afternoon the grey squirrels appear. I don't know where they are all morning. Maybe better pickings at other feeders.

On rare occasions this "Black Beauty" appears. She is not seen very often. Maybe she is the queen of squirrels, and the others bring her food. Other folks around the neighborhood have also seen here, but never on a consistent basis.

And that's the way it is....

Homemade Cream Soups

2011-11-01T14:20:00.000-07:00

Our local paper publishes a column by Sara Noel, called Frugal Living. A few weeks ago she had a recipe how to make cream soups. I thought it was interesting and I tried it. This is also a way to get a jump on my holiday giving. I like to give homemade gifts as well as store bought ones. So this year my family will be getting a powdered cream soup.

Homemade Cream-Soup Mix

2 cups powdered nonfat milk

¾ cup corn starch

¼ cup vegetable or chicken instant powdered bouillion

2 TBS dried onion flakes

1 teaspoon celery flakes

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

½ teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ cup mashed potato flakes

Combine all ingredients mixing well. Store in airtight container until ready to use.

To substitute for 1 can of soup combine 1/3 cup dry mix with 1 ¼ cups cold water and ½ TBS butter. Cook and stir until thickened. Use as you would canned soups.

Variations -- add:

Mushrooms: add ½ cup sautéed chopped

Celery: add ½ cup sautéed and minced

Potato: add 1 cup diced cooked
Broccoli add 1 cup cooked chopped.

I made a triple batch, which would be equivalent to twenty-seven cans of soup.

I just had to try some, it is really good.

So often, a recipe calls for a cream of something soup, usually what I don't have on hand. Plus I am thinking this is much more economical.

I placed a label on top of the jar to give the ratio. I hope these are welcome stocking stuffers!!!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T06:34:00.000-07:00

Trading in the Chevy for a broom today!!

Happy Halloween Everyone!!!

A Slow Sunday

2011-10-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

The Green Bay Packers have a by week, so no foot ball to watch. I could sew the hats and mittens for the Grands, but don't feel like it. I'm just being lazy. As I am blog surfing, there are many posts about the snow on the east coast. What a mess!! Hopefully it will melt soon. Here in northern Wisconsin, it is a dreary damp day. No snow as of yet, only very frosty mornings, as you can see the heavy frost on my rose bush leaves. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Going About His Business

2011-10-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

This red bellied wood pecker has been very busy for the last week. He had depleted our sunflower seed feeder twice in six days. Seed by seed, he takes them out and flies off. I watched him one day, he "hides" them in the neighbors roof, and sometimes flies farther than the neighbors. He begins at sun up, and quits at sun down. The perseverance of this bird. I wonder if he'll be able to find them during the winter months.

Earlier this spring, when we first moved up here this bird was so skittish, I could hardly ever get a picture of him. Now he's so used to us, we can move about, make noise and he doesn't care.

That's the way it is in the north woods.

Life Gets Tough

2011-10-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

I am writing this as a tribute to an "Upnorth" neighbor and friend. Yesterday, they found John dead. I don't know the details and don't want to. I will remember him as a version of a homeless person. Never owned a car, or home, or much of anything. He was in his mid 50's. One would see John walking the back roads of our up north community; you could recognize him by his plaid flannel shirt, a cigarette in one hand, and a can of Miller in the other hand. So he lived; working at odd jobs to support his addictions. He lived in a travel trailer, I have no idea what they did for heat (perhaps family members took him in over the winter months.) But let me tell you, you would never find a more honest person in the world. We always said we could nail a $100 bill on a tree, John could walk past daily, perhaps stare at it, but, never, never would take it. We would hire him occasionally to give us a hand with projects that were overwhelming to us. The rule was 'no beer' until the job was done.

Hopefully John can Rest In Peace, as he is now at peace.

The way it is in my neighborhood.

Paying it Forward

2011-10-14T05:10:00.000-07:00

During my working years, there were days when my dad needed a ride to the doctor, who treated his skin cancer. Many of those appointments were at the same time I was out of town for work. His kind and wonderful neighbors, would graciously take him to those appointments. I was so greatful for their kindness. Then never asked for a penny, the only request they had was, I pay it forward when I had more time on my hands. After 10 years, I will begin honoring their request, person by person. We have elderly neighbor across the road from us, whom we keep an eye out for. One day she asked me if I knew who to hire to clean their carpets. Of course, being the true Dutch person I am, I told her I could do it much cheaper that hiring out. Last night the Mr and I took a ride to Crandon to pick up the rug doctor. A little later this morning I will begin cleaning her carpets, accepting nothing more than thanks, and requesting the same that was requested of me years ago. And that's the way it is in the northwoods.

We'll Do It Ourselves

2011-10-13T04:27:00.000-07:00

When we decided to make our cottage our retirement home, I had one condition; I wanted a dishwasher. All my married life I was accustomed to a dishwasher, and wasn't going to settle for less in my retirement years. A built in was out of the question, as my cupboard space is very limited. I had been checking Craig's list, until I found a good deal on a portable one. Well, one of my favorite sayings is: 'I only intended to drain the swamp, and now I'm up to my rear in alligators.' To make a long story short, the portable worked like a dream, the only draw back was where it had to stand was very inconvenient. We have this full size pantry, with a full size door, and after doing some measuring, discovered the dishwasher would fit in the bottom half, (with only a few minor adjustments.) We sought the assistance of a local builder, he told us it could be done, and would take the job for the following week, Three weeks went by, and I finally called him. He didn't know when he would be able to get at it, maybe later in the fall, Well, I know how that goes in the north woods! Late fall would bring hunting season, then the holidays, then snowmobiling and ice fishing. FORGET IT!!!

The Mr. and I tackled the job. We took off the full sized door, and removed the trim. Inside the closet, we added 3 shelves. The next step was to measure and order doors at the building supply place. Yesterday, we tackled the project, putting the doors on, and trimming everything back out. I am very pleased at the way it turned out. (For a couple of rookies, OK maybe we're not totally rookies, I grew up in the home building industry, as my dad was a carpenter. Mister's dad also was a mill carpenter, and worked on a few projects on the side.

So, what do you think?

August, September, and October

2011-10-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

Wow, where has the time gone? I can't believe fall is here and will soon make his exit. As most of you know, I have dial up during the summer months, the leaves are so thick on the trees in Northern Wisconsin, our high speed Cell-com doesn't work. Without highspeed, it is hard to read everyone's blogs, because pictures take sooooooooooooooo long to upload. And contributing to my blog daily with pictures would drive me up a wall. I had to come back to town for a few appointments, and will fill you in on the major happenings of our lives. And most of all, catch up on the wonderful blogs I follow, finding out what's happening in everyone elses' world.

My first experience at preserving blackberry jelly, was successful:

One September afternoon, I took off with my ATV and a bucket, I found lots of black berries, and picked to my hearts content.

When my bucket was full enough back to the cabin I went. On the way I thought to my self, 'gosh I'm blessed, to have the opportunity to be able to go into the woods and to enjoy the peace and smells.

Home I went with my gift from the woods, to clean the berries and do the preparations that were listed on the package of pectin. And walla..... blackberry jelly for the freezer. This may not seem like much of a feat for those of you who make jams and jellies all the time, but is was a great accomplishment for me. Three containers will last me all year!

Now that fall has arrived, we have pulled the pontoon from the lake, after many months of good fishing. We have had many a fish fry with family and friends this summer.

Our last pontoon ride around the lake provided an array of vibrant fall colors.

Its always a sad day when the pontoon gets stored for the season. This year we used it more than ever, and enjoyed every minute.

This summer was a great one, filled with lots of visitors of family and friends who are like family to us!

With friends we took a short drive to Timber Stone Golf course, in Upper Michigan. I am not much of a golfer, so I pretty much went along for the ride, and a great photo opportunity. Here are my best shots!! What do you think?

Enjoy the remaining days of Fall. Later!!!

Sand and Water

2011-08-11T05:19:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Hurley. On the way north to Lake Superior we found this sand bowl. I was not brave enough to do this, but it was sure fun watching the younger members of our group.

Progressing farther north we began feeling the cooler air coming off the lake.

Aha, we arrived just in time to have our lunch on the beach.

One more beach photo before we find our way back.

We found some more muddy trails. Here's an atv trick, always take the mud holes right down the middle. If you drive on either side, more than likely someone will come flying right along side you, down the middle of the puddle to give you a mud bath. Been there and done that!!!

A shot of the late afternoon sun shining through the woods.

ATVing in the Northwoods

2011-08-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we drove to Hurley Wisconsin to spend a few days ATVing in this area. We are staying with a group of eleven friends. We found lots of mud going to Mercer!!!

And deep water!!

Smorgasbord lunch on the trail.

Some of the riders' machines!! The trails were muddy, and we experienced some rain showers. On the positive side 'no dust'

A little R'nR in Mercer before we head back to the motel.

A photo of a little lake island we passed along the way. Today we are going north to Lake Superior. The sun is out and it is a gorgeous day. I should be able to get some amazing photos.

The County Fair

2011-08-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

I have not been to a county fair since I was about 13 years old. The Langlade County Fair was featuring the Budweiser Clydesdale's. Although I'm not much of a horse fan, I did want to see these. We took two of our grands.

The grands are 'townies' so they enjoyed the bunnies, chickens, cows, and pigs. The poor deprived kids never felt the hair on the pig, and were so surprised how bristly they were.

We looked for Charlotte, but couldn't find her, and did not see Templeton either.

I just love these Guernseys, they have the prettiest eyes!!

I had never seen rubber hose on a billy goat's horns before; I suppose for safety!!

I'm guessing some child was too tired to keep going; I expected to see him/her laying in the hay somewhere.

This 'carney' guy tried to convince the grands he was Santa. Telling them this was his summer gig; and to remind their mother he is really fond of chocolate cookies. I think he's a left over Parrot Head!!

Tickets were $1.00 a piece, I thought wow, things have really become reasonable for families, until I noticed it took either 3-4-5 or 6 tickets to go on a ride.

I was telling the grands how much fun I used to have riding the Ferris wheel, they convinced me to go on with them. We had a ball.

This is a sight I had not seen fifty years ago!!!

And.... one more shot of the horses..

Pontoon Ride

2011-07-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was kind of a lazy day here in northern Wisconsin. Some of our friends joined us on a ATV ride. It was getting near dinner time, when I had the bright idea to take the boat out. We all brought appetizers to eat while we boated around Rolling Stone Lake.

The above picture is of the west sky, it looks especially eerie, as the humidity caused my camera to fog up.

This was the first indication that this trip might not be perfect. You see, on Wednesday, I went down to the dock to clean out the boat. I must have hit the light button in my cleaning frenzy!!! That dumb move caused us to have a dead battery. We would have looked so silly, with the boat docked, having our dinner. Our friend Glen saved the day, he just happened to have an extra boat battery in his shed. He went up to get it, and walla we were off.

The above picture is the west sky with the camera un-fogged.

Even though the sky looked threatening at times, the rain held off while we were out.

Glen and Sheila enjoying the ride.

I was having a good time capturing boat reflections.
I don't get to post often as I would like to, as I only have dial up at the cottage. I either go to the "Internet Tave' " or today I took Rufus to be groomed, and I am posting from the Crandon Library.

'Pecker Haven

2011-07-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

We have an abundant amount of woodpeckers hanging around the feeders. Now that the young are beginning to leave the nest, they too are trying to eat at the feeder.

Mrs. Hairy Woodpecker brought her young'uns to my birdfeeders. She was teaching by example how delicious the suet feeders were. Her young tried to land on the feeder wire, missing, hitting windows, and nearly missing the house a few times. Mom eventually gave up and started a new lesson... pecking bugs out of trees. Fun to watch.

I am still trying to capture pictures of the young birds of these two species. Enjoy your weekend.

Come Ride with Me!

2011-07-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite things to do, is take the ATV out. This is what my world looks like. I love to go to the Pickerel Creek Dam. It is so peaceful and natural.

The creek is full of Lily Pads.

I don't know what type of flower this is, but it is sure pretty. I couldn't get close enough to smell it. It was growing on the banks of the creek. (Far Side, can you help is out?)

This is a great place to sit a spell and lose yourself in your thoughts. I tried to do that, unfortunately after all the rain we have been having, the mosquitoes are horrendous.

The daisy patch was so pretty.

Thanks for sharing the ride with me.

This Week and Last Week

2011-07-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

Hello again, I am not missing in action, only out of internet. I am sitting in an upnorth bar with high speed :):) We had an awesome Fourth of July. I had all 5 grands at the cottage for 'cousin's week'.

The prettiest bouquet I ever received, wild flowers picked by the grands!!

Poor little guy, its tough being the only boy. Those women they know how to get him to work in their favor.

We took them all out on the pontoon. It was so much fun watching them interact with each other.

The little girls painted rocks. When I was getting them started, and had gone back into the house for something, Marissa, the oldest of the three, came in to get me. She said, "grandma something is going seriously wrong." Well, the artist she is, the only thing the other two were doing was mixing the colors. Easy fix. Whew!!!

Charli the oldest, earned her ATV Certificate during the week. She and her cousin went an ATV riding. On one of their rides, they found this turtle. I suggested they take it back, as I was sure the turtle was on its way to the lake to lay her eggs.

As usual the Crandon, WI, Fourth of July fireworks were beautiful. We found a new spot, by a medical clinic that had a lit flag in the parking lot. I love the way this picture turned out. It took a lot of tries to get a good shot of fireworks with the flag included in the shot.

One of our Fourth of July family traditions is a silly string fight. The little buggers all ganged up against me. Next year I will have to out wit them.

They are all gone now; and I am left with the wonderful memories and the painted rocks on my back steps.

Whew.............. they wore me out!!! I am already making plans for next year!!!

Jamma Gramma

2011-06-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

Some parts of the country are tinder dry, not so in northern Wisconsin. Since Saturday, we have had about 5.5 inches of rain. I kept myself busy by sewing jammas for the 3 little grand daughters. Grand #3 wanted the kitty printed material. Grand #4 doesn't like dresses or nightgowns so she got jammas with rufflie pants, and Grand #5 wanted flowers. A couple of years ago, my daughter gave me the idea of making summer pajamas out of old sheets. The sheets are so soft yet durable. I try to look for top sheets at resale shops or rummage sales as they have less wear. I usually can get 2 nighties our of a double sheet.
Next Sunday, I intend to travel to Mpls to pick up Grands 1,4,&5, and bring them back to the cottage for a week, as their parents are coming over for the 4th of July. My hubby is going south on Thursday to pick up Grands 2&3 and bring them back to the cottage. Oh the fun I am anticipating having all 5 of those little people all under the same roof for a few days without their parents. Mr. and I went shopping yesterday to pick up 'kid' food. We'll have somores, cook hot dogs on the open fire, as well as pizza burger pudgy pies.
I am still working on activities to keep them busy, as swimming is out of the question as Grand #4's ear is not completely healed.

I grew my own dirt!!!

2011-06-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

For many years hubby and I would rake our lawn and drag all the leaves to the low spot in the back of the lot. At the time, our intent was let the leaves rot and the low spot would fill in. Well this year I thought I might like a small vegetable garden. He built me a small raised bed, then hired the neighbor who has an endloader to push back the leaves and scrape the black dirt off and move it to my raised bed.

Here's the beginnings of my garden. Since this photo was taken, I have raked it smooth, and with then help of my granddaughter #3 planted Kolarabi, carrots, yellow beans, lettuce, squash, cukes, and of course, tomatoes. I will post pictures later.

We are loosing internet at the cabin, the leaves are blocking the signal. Today, I had to run to the laundromat to do my comforters. I brought my Cell-com router along, and WALLA, I can read all your posts, and comment on some of them. I am seriously considering unplugging my washer at the cottage, so I can come to the laundromat every week!!! My last experience at a laudromat was a nightmare. That's for another day.

A Busy Week

2011-06-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

After we closed on the duplex we went to Becker, MN to celebrate Grand #4's Fifth Birthday. She had so much fun going with grandma to pick out her cake. We had her party at noon, because her mother had to leave for work at 2pm. Later in the afternoon we went to one of the many parks in Becker.

My four granddaughters all together. The birthday girl insisted on wearing her princess dress. When we left Becker we came back to the cottage. Oh no, not to rest or recuperate, but to have Grands 2 & 3 with us for a few days. We tried to keep them very busy by taking them on an ATV ride, swimming, and fishing. We didn't catch any keepers, but the kids had fun catching them

Grand #2 driving the pontoon. He thinks he's hot stuff. It is kind of quiet around here today, just pa and me, doing a little R&R before the busy upcoming weekend.

It Is Sold

2011-06-07T06:32:00.000-07:00

The reason we came to town was to sell this little 'beauty'. I close tomorrow. Property is so hard to sell these days, I count my blessings I found a buyer. I did take a bit of a loss, but I did not want to manage property from 100 miles away. The duplex is in the neighborhood where we live in town. I learned so much about life's priorities from my tenants. During the years here are the reasons rent couldn't be paid on time:

my wife wanted a puppy so I bought her one with the rent money
we used the rent to pay for fireworks
my mother in law needed a new water heater (the MIL also lived in a rental property)
I don't have money in my check book
we had to take the kids to Great America
we accidentally drank it up
I had to get Dish TV hooked up
We don't have any food in the house.... they were on food stamps.

One tenant was good about telling me when something was not working properly, which I appreciated. I have had tenants tell me about a leaky pipe under the sink, way after all the wood was rotted and molding. That little leak becomes major.
I have had tenants come home drunk, forgetting her keys and kicking the door in. When I asked how that happened, she said someone tried to break in.

I am tired of cleaning up after them when they move out, I have a hard enough time cleaning up after me. Friends tell me I'm too picky to be a landlord.. OK, so I clean faucets with an old toothbrush, I also have a bad habit of taking switch plates apart and clean switches and the little screw that holds it all together. I also take apart heating registers and scrub them down and repaint them. When I re-rent all the windows are taken apart and sills are toothbrush cleaned. OK I'm NUTZ.
Anyway, I will not have to do that anymore. Retirement is ours in all aspects of our lives. -- Starting tomorrow.
Does anyone have interesting 'rental' stories?

Sounds I Miss

2011-06-06T05:21:00.000-07:00

I did find one draw back, living in the north woods. I miss hearing the sound of the train whistle.

All my life I could lay in bed and hear the lonely whistle cut through the evening silence. When I was a young child the train came from a Lake Michigan port, bringing grain and coal inland. The tracks were adjacent to my grandparents farm. My daddy would tell the story of how he and his younger brother were given a bucket to go to the tracks and pick up the dropped coal. These daily buckets of gleaned coal greatly supplemented the families winter coal supply used to heat their home. After I moved to the city, I could also hear the train whistle. These modern day trains hauled wood chips and other supplies to our paper industry. I also miss hearing the clackity clack as the train wheels rolled along the tracks; it was such a comforting rhythmic sound. I sometimes wonder, if we as a country would have done a better job of maintaining our rail system, perhaps we would be a 'greener' nation.

Rufus

2011-06-03T05:18:00.000-07:00

* My dog sleeps about 20 hours a day.
* He has his food prepared for him.
* He can eat whenever he wants, 24/7/365.
* His meals are provided at no cost to him.
* He visits the doctor once a year for his check-up, and again during the year if any medical needs arise.
* For this he pays nothing and nothing is required of him.
* He lives in a nice neighbourhood in a house that is much larger than he needs, but he is not required to do any upkeep.
* If he makes a mess, someone else cleans it up.
* He has his choice of luxurious places to sleep.
* He receives these accommodations absolutely free.
* He is living like a king, and has absolutely no expenses whatsoever.
* All of his costs are picked up by others who go out and earn a living every day.

I want to trade places with Rufus, he has it made.

In Town for a Few Days

2011-06-02T04:23:00.000-07:00

This morning I am counting my blessings because I have a home in the woods and one in town. Yesterday we had to come to town for a few days to close on a duplex I am selling. I traded green trees as my neighbors for rows of houses. I traded the frogs croaking in the swamp, for motor cycles accelerating as they go out of town. I traded the sound of the loon flying over head for the sounds of airplanes. I traded the moon light filtering in my bedroom window for harsh neon lights shining in my eyes. I traded the morning greetings of the birds for the traffic of the city coming alive. I can't wait to get back to my beloved north woods. I close on the 8th then we're off to 'the cities' for Grand #4's fifth birthday. Being a landlord gave me a very interesting view on life. Those will be stories for another day. Thanks for listening to me reflect.

A Memorial Day Story

2011-05-27T05:11:00.000-07:00

In addition to remembering those who have served to preserve, I would like to tell you another War Story.

It was during World War II, when my mother received a letter from a very distant cousin in Holland. Her request to my mother was; She needed supplies that were rationed in Holland. Even though the U.S. Citizens were also dealing with rationing, my mother managed to get her distant cousins coffee, some candy, nylons and clothing -- what ever she could send. This went on for the duration of the war.

When I was born, and the war was over, this Dutch lady sent these lovely red shoes to my mother as a baby gift. Unfortunately, I had big feet even back then; so I never got the chance to wear the 'little red shoes.'

As I was growing up I learned the history of these shoes, and if you come to visit me, the shoes will be prominently displayed as a reminder to care for one another, and sacrifice some of your needs to help others.

My parents, even though they didn't serve, are also heroes!

I hope you appreciate your Memorial Day weekend and give respect to those who 'got 'er done'.

This Week's Adventures

2011-05-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was just an absolutely gorgeous day in Northern Wisconsin. I decided to give up on organizing the cottage and take a ride. It was a dual purpose trip. I belong to a photo contest group from face book. Our challenge for May was 'Buds and Blooms', off I went to find buds and blooms.

These Woodsy Ferns (not scientific name) were poking their heads out of the cold earth, to reach the warmth of the sun.

Farther down the trail, everything is still brown. The leaves are just starting to emerge. One good thing, the snow is gone. Everything is so quiet at this time of the year. Summer people have not arrived, neither have the mosquitoes.

I came upon Mr. Goose, swimming in the creek. He was not happy to see me invade his space. He swam as fast as he could to get out of my sight. I did manage to capture a couple of photos of him, before he swam behind the weeds.

This is one of my favorite places to go. The old bridge is so picturesque. Many of my photos come from this area. When I let my husband know, I am taking off for a ride, he usually says, 'going to the dam'? On the other side of the road is where the water flows from Pickerel Lake into Pickerel Creek.

This is my best shot of the day. I don't know what kind of wild flower it is. To capture it, I had to get down on my knees and practically set my camera on the ground. My intent was to capture the flower and the creek behind it. I do like the way it turned out. Far Side.... can you identify it?

These May Flowers really bring back the memories. When I was a young child, my friend Linda and I would walk to the woods and pick May Flowers for our mothers. We had so much fun. Now the woods is gone; some greedy landowner turned it into a treeless subdivision. So goes the way of the world.
I had such a relaxing time on my solitude ride. The only down side was when I was kneeling to get my best shot, the wood ticks were getting their best shot at me. In the evening when I sat down to watch the news, I felt one crawling on my neck. I no more than got rid of him, went back to my chair and found another one crawling around. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Words to Live By

2011-05-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

Someone has written these beautiful words. One must read and try to understand the deep meanings in them. They are like the Ten Commandments to follow in life all the time.

1] Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble; it is a "steering wheel" that directs us in the right path throughout life..

2] Do you know why a car's WINDSHIELD is so large & the rear view mirror is so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, look ahead and move on.

3] Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.

4] All things in life are temporary. If going well enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong, don’t worry, they can't last long either.

5] Old friends are like Gold! New friends are like Diamonds! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a base of Gold!

6] Often, when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!

7] When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn't solve your problems, HE has faith in your abilities.

8] A blind person asked St. Anthony: "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?" He replied: "Yes, losing your vision."

9] When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them; and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

10] WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES; it only takes away today’s PEACE.

Still Struggling with Communications

2011-05-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

Operator I'd like to make a call. We hooked up with CellCom wireless at the cottage. It is better than dial up, but not perfect.
I can now open all your blogs, and sometimes if I'm really lucky, I can respond to them. Uploading photos is out of the question. I have made up my mind that one day a week I will go into town and use the public library for that purpose.

We are finally starting to experience spring in the northwoods. My daffodils are poking through the ground, as well as my day lilies.  The leaves are not budded yet, can't wait for all that sap to mess up my windows. I have been re-arranging at the cottage, transforming it from a summer hang out to our home.  I intend to have a garage sale on Memorial Day Weekend.  We have so much stuff that we need to get rid of. Simplify, Simplify.

Don't you just love this old phone, I have had it since I was a little girl. I am sure glad we don't have to communicate like that any more. I remember the day of the rotary dial, and party lines. Did you ever put a dish towel over the receiver, to listen in on other conversations on the party line? My mother taught me that trick; the towel muffled background noises!!  Smart cookie my mother was!!!!   I used to listen to the neighbor girl talk to her boyfriend. Oh what fun!!!

Remember Me?

2011-05-03T16:33:00.000-07:00

We are trying to start our retirement at our cottage. We left from our city home to the cottage on April 25th, and haven't been back home until today. Did you miss my posts and comments during that time? Let me tell you why. At the cottage we only have dial-up, while home has high speed. This dial up is driving me CRAZY. We are working on getting a better system, but are waiting for a booster, as we are in a 'dead' zone. Pray it works. I am bring my car up to the cottage, its cheaper to run that the truck. Until I get Internet, I am going to the library in Crandon WI to catch up on all of you, and to do a couple of posts on a weekly basis. I will try to get through as many of your posts as I can tonight. I miss you guys!!!

Succesful Surgery

2011-04-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

Surgery went very well

She is at home resting with her stuffed bunny!

The doctors plugged her full of antibiotics in hopes of her not

rejecting the cochlear implant.

My family and I appreciate your kind words and prayers.

In about 6 weeks they will fit her with the external part of the cochlear.

We are so blessed!!

Grand #4 Needs Some Prayers

2011-04-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

This little doll was born deaf, when she was two she had a double cochlear implants. Her body rejected the left ear. Her right one works fine. She is now going to a very special school for children who are profoundly deaf. Her school, Northern Voices in Roseville MN, has first taught her to listen, and now the speech is coming along nicely, even though she is hearing out of one ear. To give her a better chance in life, my son and daughter-in-law have decided to try implanting her left ear again. Please pray that her surgery (tomorrow- Monday) at the University of Minnesota goes well.

This photo is hard to look at. It was taken when she was two after her first surgery.

My Wish For You

2011-04-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

Models

2011-04-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

These two little dolls are granddaughter #4 & #5. Number 5 is modeling her new spring dress and hat.
Isn't she a little show-off?

This is granddaughter #4 She would rather wear a sweatshirt than a pretty dress. She loved her summer sweatshirt and matching hat!!!

These two are here from Mpls with their dad. Tomorrow is The Mr's. retirement party from the paper mill. Co-workers and family will be the guests.

Tomorrow grands 2 & 3 are coming over for a play date with their cousins. Granny will keep them busy with lots of activities, and feed them one of their favorites-- home-made mashed potatoes and turkey and gravy. All this activity keeps me in high spirits, regardless of the weather!!

And We Get More!!!

2011-04-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

As I read your blogs, I REALLY enjoy all your photos of spring. Your grass is getting green, your leaves are budding out, your flowers are peeking their pretty heads out of the ground. And I'm betting there is a renewed spirit in the air.
I would love to share those same experiences with you. Unfortunately, Mother Nature must be having PMS today!! She's really angry. Today, we are expecting 5 to 10 inches of wet slushy snow. Last week the Mr. put the snow blower to the back of the garage, and brought the lawnmower forward. What a joke.

Easter is Sunday, I have the grand daughter's dresses all made, but it will be way to cold to wear them. They will probably go to church with their cute new hats and snowsuits.

Not only is it snowing really hard, but there is thunder and lightning with it. This is a messed up year.

So goes in my neighborhood.

Enjoy your spring all!!!!

Seriously Its April 16!

2011-04-16T17:47:00.000-07:00

Photos taken today at the bird feeder. Its snowing and the critters are hungry :(

So Much For Quiet Sunday

2011-04-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a hot humid day; and the weather guys were predicting severe storms. About 7 pm the emergency sirens started blowing, which means a funnel cloud was spotted. We kept an eye on the tv reports, it looked like everything was going to bypass us. WRONG!!! At 9pm the sirens started again. And being me, I took a look outside, and suggested to the Mr. we should go to the basement. We could hear the wind and rain, and saw the lightning through the small basement windows. During this time we also lost power. Fifteen minutes later, we came back upstairs. Everything looked OK around our house, but the lights were still off. We regained power about 1 am. When I got up at 7 am I checked face book and look what I found. (attached photos) About 127 houses either had major damage or some type of damage on our city.

Funny thing, on Friday we picked up branches from the front yard, and piled them on the curb for later pickup. Some of our neighbors not 4 blocks away had their roofs blown off. Our sturdy little pile of branches never moved. Go figure.

As a community we count our blessings, as there was not a single injury during the tornado. Our county has an amazing Civil Patrol. My daughter's house was untouched as well. I am so grateful, we are so blessed.

Quiet Sunday

2011-04-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

So they say spring is coming!!! Today it is warm and humid in Northern Wisconsin, all our snow is melted and when it gets warm and humid severe weather is on the way!! The Mr. has been down with a cold since a week ago last Saturday. It sure is a terrible way to begin his retirement. But good thing he isn't working, he would have been too sick to go in. So its a quiet day in our household.

I made two of the granddaughters their 'summer' sweatshirts. Summer sweatshirts are needed in our neck of the woods!!! I found these sweatshirts at Walmart on clearance for $1.00 each. I bought them each one and embellish with happy face flowers. So it goes.... summer sweatshirts.

My second cataract surgery went very well, now I'm finished with that process, just waiting for the bills to come in!!! Oh my gosh.... eye drops and more eye drops. Will it ever end?

Crafting Weekend

2011-04-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was spent with family and friends at our annual 'girls crafting weekend.' There were twelve of us this year working on crafts or projects.    We were at a five bedroom two pull out couch cottage, about a five minute walk from my cottage. That location comes in handy when someone forgets something, they just go down the road and pick up what they need.

We have quite an arrangement for eats; which is usually the highlight of the weekend! I made a couple of breakfast casseroles; for lunch we "built a salad" and for dinner we went out.   Plus there was lots of chocolate and snacks, did I mention there was lots of chocolate?

My project was to make three sundress for my youngest granddaughters. I buy one pattern, cut out the size 8, then size 6 and finish with the size 4. This year I had everything cut out ahead of time.

Some of the gals did embroidery, some knit hats and scarves, some worked on quilts, some sorted and organized pictures, and others did scrap book pages.   As you can see the cabin's upper level 'great' room was perfect for our work, very spacious, with lots of room for ironing and cutting tables.

As you can see we had lots of room to spread out our stuff, plus a lot of good natural lighting.

I managed to get a good start on two of the dresses, just have to do the back zippers and add bias tape under the arms. The third dress wil have to be completed at home.

We had a fantastic time, catching up on 'old' news, and updating each other with our plans for spring and summer. As we were all packing up to leave on Sunday, everyone agreed it was so much fun, we should plan for another weekend next year.

End of an Era

2011-04-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

Today my husband retires from Thilmany's Pulp and Paper Mill after 44 years. Back in 1966 he started in the Poly Coating Department, he then went to school to get his CDL, and began driving semi loads of paper around the Fox River Valley. Moving from the garage after those jobs were outsourced, he again went back to school for millwright training, working in the maintenance department for the last 15 years. As we were raising our family, there were times when work was priority over holidays, weekends, kids school and sporting events. That was life in a mill town.

The mister is the last family member to retire from Thilmany's , following his grandpa Charlie, his dad and uncle, and his cousin. I find that sad.

I have to run, I have a date with the Mr. He just called and invited me out for breakfast, what a wonderful way to begin the journey of retirement.

Its Thawing

2011-03-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share this photo I took yesterday. The temp warmed up to a balmy 44 degrees. I took this shot of water dripping off the eaves and onto the deck. I'm glad I took time to enjoy the thaw, because last night Mr. Weather Guy said its fairly likely there is more snow on the way later in the weekend. Find me a tall bridge!!!! :(