This year has been rather full of traveling for me, less for Norm. Some of it has been with Candy, some alone. But all of it has been in our trusty Oldsmobile Van. The Tan Van. Do you remember on Sesame Street – the shady culprit with a trench coat? He was offering shady deals and was talking about having a plan about a tan van. So Norm and I would always talk about “the Plan” with the “Tan Van.”

No longer! We purchased a 2006 GMC Yukon Denali (or is it the other way – Denali Yukon?) with low mileage. (Actually, a dealer told me that many people use either set of words, depending on what they want to say.) Ken found it at an auction, bought it and fixed it up for us – we collected it a couple of weeks ago and just love it!

As far as the travels – either Candy or I (or both, sometimes) go to Rapid at Christmas time – this time it was Candy. So this next Christmas is my turn. So that was one trip I didn’t go on.

Mom hurt her leg in February so I went out to spend some time with her early March. Alone – and had a great time. Coming home, I went through the Badlands – normally we go through Wall, but I changed for this trip. I saw some cool sights and a tailgate of a gawker! The car ahead of me (very few cars on the road in March) stopped suddenly and I didn’t have time to swerve away. I smashed a headlight of the van. The reason for the gawking? Lovely Big Horn Sheep along the road (or close to it, anyway!). The closest I’ve been to them in years! Got home safely and Norm didn’t even yell at me for smashing the headlight!

Antelope says “Hi.”

Almost worth a smashed headlight. (We needed to replace it, anyway – it was getting “foggy.”

Beautiful sunset on the way home. No, I wasn’t driving – I stopped for this!

New Ulm Trade Fair is in March, so Norm and I went there – although it might not really count as “travels” as it’s only an hour away. But it’s for three days, so I’ll count it.

Then Mother’s Day, Candy and I both go to Rapid to celebrate. Another great time!

June and July have been rather quiet, unless you consider trips to Walnut Grove (half an hour away). We have had the Yukon for two out of the three Saturdays that we demonstrate – it’s taken a little while to figure out how to pack, but it’s working out well and there is more room for our things than in the Van, so we don’t have to stuff the things in.

Then there are the trips up to the Cities to see family. Those aren’t “travels” per say – they are required (by me) to see loved ones – not as often as I’d like but still rather often.

Jessica is borrowing my harp for the summer.

But August is going to be rather busy and we will be having our new “Denny” for travels. Norm and I will be going to Albert Lea to camp at the Big Island campground with friends. We will be going up to Jill’s in-law’s cabin to celebrate Hingles’ first birthday. We will be going to Rapid City for a week.

September is another busy month. Candy and I are going to Rapid to be with Mom while Dad goes to an event in Montana. We arrive home just in time to re-organize and go to Watertown for North Country Fiber Fair.

After that, I believe that we will be slowing down to just visits up to the Cities for family. All with our lovely new Yukon. It has a sunroof, fold down seats (yay), heated seats and remote starter. Candy and I went to Mankato on Friday and she likes it, too. Especially the good, COLD air! We do have to get a new radio sometime in the future, but for now I have a bluetooth speaker for Candy’s Ipod and my tablet.

And now we are preparing for our first camping trip with Denny. I think it will be fun!

It’s a beautiful day today – you have a beautiful day.

No, I won’t wish you “Happy” Memorial Day and I won’t celebrate it. To me, it is a day of remembering and mourning, not for celebrations and picnics in the park (or shopping for sales!).

It is also not the day to “Thank a Veteran.” The Veterans that we need to thank on this special day are past speaking to in a general sort of way. Veterans Day, in November, is the time to thank the ones who are still alive, although all are suffering in various levels and ways.

I have several Veterans in my family, but I am not thanking them today – I am remembering the ones that have given the ultimate sacrifice.

Now these young men and women did not step up and say “I’ll die today for my country.” They were saying “I will live as best I can and if I have to die, I will, but I hope I won’t.”

All the Veterans stepped up with that thought in mind. But some were not able to come home. And of those who came home, some did not survive for long.

Of all the “brave, honored dead,” I have one to remember most of all. My brother joined the Army, went to Viet Nam and came home. However, he was damaged by the war and lived a troubled life, which was taken away too soon by the effects of Agent Orange, and who knows what else, that was sprayed on and around our soldiers as they fought, all by our own country. So although he didn’t die on the battlefield, being on the battlefield eventually killed him.

Today for me is a day to be angry. How many have died and how many more must die for profit? Yes, “profit!” The big businesses and the big governments around the world decide who will fight and where they will fight and how much money “they” will make with the blood of the soldiers who follow their orders. Yes, I am angry! My brother was taken from us too early. He should be here playing with his grandchildren, his grand-nieces and nephews and be with us. And there are millions around the world that feel this way – angry at the losses we have had to endure for hundreds of years.

So, no, I will not celebrate – I will sit at home and think and mourn on my own. I miss my brother and ache for the families that miss their loved ones.

So, now I’m back after a long hiatus. It’s Candy’s fault that I am writing again. She is starting up her blog and has guilted me into catching up.

So, since February? Well, Mom had a leg problem when her leg gave out and she was unable to put weight on it. She spent time in the hospital getting her pain level down and trying to figure out what the problem was – they never did figure it out.

I went over to spend some time with her to help if necessary. She had home care so she had help of all kinds. We managed to spend quite a bit of time together until I went back home.

We went to New Ulm for the yearly Trade Fair and had a great time, as always. Friend (and Stitches member) Suzy told me that she wanted to learn to weave. We talked to another friend, Blackie, who said he had a loom for her. The long and short of it was that we decided to go up into Wisconsin to his place to get her loom – at a great price as well! Norm and Roxie joined us for the trip up there to see Blackie and Gail’s place, supposedly to keep us out of trouble! Fat chance about that! At the same time I decided that I wanted to replace my 24” loom Harriet Dare. I emailed Gail to ask her to have Blackie look for one for me.

Suzy ended up with a 24” table loom that is very sturdy. Norm helped her fix it up and I helped her get her warp ready – she’s going to make a bunch of place mats with her first warp.

Suzy’s loom

I ended up with a 30” countermarch floor that was handmade by someone who knew what he was doing. He made it for his wife and it’s obvious that she used it for a long time. I have named her “Black Bess;” she will be a big asset to my loom collection. She is solid mahogany, so is beautiful! I have her all ready to warp when I get home. I think towels are in order for her. I just finished an eight foot runner on Harriet Dare for a friend and need to get it ready to mail off to him.

Norm working on Black Bess

I now have eleven looms, but, like I said, I will be selling Harriet Dare, so that makes “only” ten. I don’t have all of them warped up but am getting there. I have projects planned for all of them.

Candy and I went to Rapid to visit Mom and Dad for Mother’s day. We had a good time, As always, and headed home after five days.

On our way out to Rapid, we stopped in Chamberlain at an antique mall. It’s a great place to stretch legs and hopefully find treasures. And we did this time! We found a Berry Bowl set for Mom, Candy found a Jadite plate and I found a Madame Alexander doll. I had two when I was in Junior High and they are packed away somewhere but I don’t know where right now. This little girl is so sweet that she just had to join my group of dolls at home.

Cecilia

While this had been happening, my family has been busy as well.

Bitty went to Guatemala for a semester of Spanish classes; she came home last, which was exciting. She has enjoyed the time but is glad to be home.

Bubba has been busy at school. She is doing that special educational thingie where she takes high school classes jointly with college classes. She will do like Bitty did and graduate from high school and her two year college at the same time. She is already considering college choices.

Bitty loves to work on Bubba’s hair

Stormy will be three this summer – hard to believe that she had grown so quickly! She is a bright, active, happy little girl.

Hingles will be nine months old this month and is growing oh! so very quickly! It’s so amazing to watch a little one grow and so wonderful to know that this little one is part mine – not all mine, as momma and daddy won’t let him go home with me, but he *is* part mine, like all of my granddaughters!

Beautiful blue eyes

Norm had cataract surgery last fall and discovered that he had scarring on his retina that had to be taken off. He had the surgery in March and had to take almost three weeks off of work; he also could not bend over or lift more than five pounds. but he was very good and was very careful. Even when we went to visit Jill and he couldn’t lift the grandchildren! However, it was worth the effort and care because his eye is back to 100%.

We have had crazy weather, as everyone seems to be having, with one week hot and one week cold. But the flowers have figured it out and are now blooming – and the leaves have come out on the trees. There’s even enough sun (and sometimes no wind) that Roxie will go out on her black pillow and soak up sunshine.

And we have a lot of beautiful birds to look at.

A flicker at the suet feeder

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Baltimore Oriole

Peek-a-boo says the House Fince

A huge pod of Pelicans

Goldfinch begging for food

We have kittens – our kitten from last year gave us four pretty babies. I am hoping to keep one, myself, then find good homes for the others. Then she will go to the vet and be neutered. I was going to do it this winter but didn’t want her to suffer in the cold, as she’s a barn cat, not a house cat. And was unhappy that a stray male found her. However, I am pleased with the kittens. Four boys, two grey and two orange; I plan on keeping one of the grey ones.

Dark grey is my choice

We went up last weekend to see the families. We got to spend wonderful times with all the grandchildren and with daughters and my favorite sons-in-law. The weather was perfect for playing in the park and eating on decks.

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend. In the “old” days, it was always on the 30th of May and I am sure you remember me complaining about a commercial weekend taking over. But for the first time in a very long time, the “true” day falls on the commercial weekend. Norm and I were going to go camping but it’s raining and we do have a lot to catch up around here (a blog post, for one) so decided to postpone for awhile.

It’s a beautiful rainy day. I am listening to Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet.” I always think about Jill when listening, as it was one of the pieces she played while in the Minnesota Youth Symphony. You have a beautiful day.

Yesterday would have been Cara’s 68th birthday.  When I look at pictures of her, it’s hard to picture her that old!  It’s true what they say – someone who dies young stays young in your mind.  I have aged but she hasn’t.

This is the last anniversary to “celebrate” or, to be more exact, mourn in this month.  Two birthdays, a wedding anniversary and a death – four events for two people.

Let no one try to put a time limit on your grief.  When someone close to you leaves, it won’t take a month, a year, ten years to ease your pain.  Yes, the acute pain lessens, but you never stop missing that person.

February is the time that I remember.  I go into a shell and think of my sister and my brother – both of who are gone from this physical world.  I dream of them quite often, especially Cara.  She tells me that she is happy where she is, but because of the situations happening, I know in my heart that she wants to be reunited with Candy and I.  And someday we will!

Grieve all you want – take all the time you want.  Someday you will be together with your loved ones but until then, you are allowed to miss them as long and as strongly as you need.

“Only” seventeen years!

I still miss you and always well, Cara.  You were a big part of my growing up and being grown up.  You were a sister, a friend, a mentor.  You still come to me in dreams, and that is fantastic, but not enough.  I wish you were here in real life.

Not much else I can say, is there?

I love you.

1972

Today would have been Charles’ 70th birthday.  During that last several years of his life, he didn’t want to celebrate his birthday or even talk about it.

Because, in 1999, on his birthday, we got the call from Dad that Cara had collapsed and was in the hospital not expected to survive.  Not the birthday present anyone would expect or want.

Charles was exactly two years and one month younger than me.  We were very close, growing up.  With just two years separation, me wanting to be a boy (sigh …. wishes never work!) and our moving around a lot, he and I did many things together.  Cara and Candy were close, too, and they did things together as Charles and I did.

Thanksgiving, 1948

At one time, when I was about ten, Charles and I decided that we were twins.  I think someone said something about our birthdays being so close together.  So we concocted this story that in first grade, I was advanced but he was held back (he actually was willing to go with that story!); to keep him from being embarrassed, Mom switched the year of his birth to two years behind mine and moved his month to February.  At that time, we were close in size and looked similar.  The kids we told didn’t believe us so went directly to our mom and asked her if it was true.  Without blinking an eye or asking questions, she backed up our story!  This allowed us to do more together without kids asking why we were running around together.  And because of this, when Charles was in Little League. the coach let me practice with them and let me sit on the bench during home games.  (Remember, now, back then girls didn’t play on organized teams.)

We got along very well, considering we were siblings.  Of course we had fights; when perfect me clashed with a typical boy, there would be fights.  But we stayed very close throughout our adult lives.  It was a blow when he left us.  It will be forever before I stop missing him.

Christmas, 1966

I love you, Charles!  Happy Birthday!

This past few weeks have been pretty busy and a lot of fun for me.  We had a very quiet Christmas – Candy, Cookie and Binni went to Rapid to be with Mom and Wayne came over to spend the afternoon with us.

Then for the New Year’s weekend, Joy and family came down for what has become a tradition – our “Christmas” together.  We had enough snow for a nice New Year’s bonfire (also traditional, now) but not enough for sledding.

A Wrinkle in Time Trilogy

A new camera

New Year’s bonfire

During our time together, we had the traditional “Grandma’s Macaroni and Cheese,” including the (also traditional) pop-in-the-mouth-bit-of cheese for each granddaughter.  Custard was requested (and made); lefsa, of course.  Ken always makes a wonderful ham and we did this one in my nearly new toaster oven that is pretty darn big.

Ken and the girls decided to walk to the Farm and help Norm do chores – a full three miles from home!  The sun was shining but the wind was blowing.  However, it was warmer walking that any of us anticipated and they made it just fine.

They headed home after too short of a visit (sigh) and we prepared for our next trip. 

We went up to see Jill and her family on my birthday weekend and celebrated Christmas there.  On Saturday, Jill took Norm and I for a ride and ended up at the theater to see “Star Wars!”  She didn’t want me to have to avoid spoilers until it came out on DVD!  And …. she needed to see it again! 

We enjoyed our time with our favorite youngest grandchildren.  Stormy is growing so very quickly and Hingles is just about six months old!

We headed home to rest for awhile – I to do more weaving and Norm to work at the Farm and to split wood for us.  I am sure he’s afraid we will run out of wood this winter, even though it’s been so very mild!  Thank goodness he loves cutting, splitting and hauling wood! Our little woodstove has kept our house pretty toasty these past few years and has really helped with the cost of propane!  We both love sitting by the stove and enjoying the flames flickering through the glass door.

The next trip was up to say goodbye to Bitty, who was heading to Guatemala for a semester to study Spanish close up and personal, as she will be living in a local home while going to college down there.  (She now has a blog so that you can follow her if you wish.)

We spent a few days with Joy and family, then met Eric with the two little ones to collect their dogs.  Hank and Remy spent some time with us as Jill and Eric went up to Aberdeen to enjoy “The Princess Bride” with friends and to meet Cary Elwes, the handsome “Westley” in the movie.

With best friend, Karla, and (sigh) Cary Elwes.

We stayed home for awhile, playing with the dogs and watching them try to tree our kitten, Pinto Bean, while she enjoyed teasing them by being just out of their reach.  Then headed to St. Peter on Sunday to meet with Jill and the kids for a lovely lunch and return the dogs.

Unfortunately, Hingles was suffering from exhaustion, teething and a cold so he was very fussy most of the time.  Jill, Norm and I took turns walking him to calm him down until two waitresses took him away from Norm so that we could eat and they could cuddle a baby.  Between the two of them, they got him to fall asleep.  It was with great effort that we talked them into putting him in his car seat so Jill could take him home!  Of course, Jill says, he slept the whole way home and was a happy camper when he got home! Silly baby!

So now our traveling, visiting days are over for awhile.  But while home I got news that Mom had suffered with a fractured hip.  I was fretting to go out there but things kept getting in the way.  However, I will now be able to go out and spend time with her while Dad goes to Montana for a Berlin Airlift dealie-ma-hinger. 

Norm has been having problems with his right eye since his cataract surgery and is going to have surgery in March; he has scaring on his retina that will be removed.  Chances are that his eyesight will improve.  We certainly hope so!

On this stormy night Norm and I are going to defrost a freezer before the Super Bowl, which we may or may not watch.  Our farmer friend, Betty, has a steer to head to the butcher and we will be getting half of it, so we need to make room.

We have a blizzard blowing (again)!  But it still is a beautiful day – you have a beautiful day.

Ten years ago, in October, Norm and I moved to Ash Lane Farm from Historic Murphy’s Landing in Shakopee.  We had semi-retired and Norm had gotten a job at a beef packing plant with the hopes of finding a better job later on.  He worked as maintenance at a company that did not value employees.  He would not have insurance for three months as the turnover was terrible.  He was on the “swing” shift, which was 3:00 until 11:00.  But often he had to work overtime because someone on the later shift wouldn’t show up and he had fill in that job for awhile.  So the mandatory overtime was draining him and he was getting nothing done at home because of the sleep he needed to keep going.

We were still unpacking from our move and getting organized.  Norm was putting shelves up for storage above the garage door.  Usually very careful on ladders and reaching up, he was careless and over-reached, falling on the cement garage floor and landing on his head.

Norm came in, holding his head and saying “I need help.”  He wouldn’t let me call an ambulance (because we had no insurance) but went to bed with pillows around his neck.  I thought he had whiplash, so was talking about going to the chiropractor the next day.  My mom happened to call that evening and we discussed Norm’s problem, so Dad got on the phone and told us to go to the VA in Sioux Falls (never thought about that).  I drove Norm there and met Mom and Dad AND Charles, who was coming up from Oklahoma for Thanksgiving.

We got Norm registered very quickly, thanks to Dad, and he got X-Rays, where it was discovered that he had broken his neck.

The VA was marvelous, getting us hooked up with a surgeon in Sioux Falls.  We spent several days in the hospital while Mom, Dad and Charles stayed at our house in Storden.  Surgery was not an option, since Norm had shattered his bones, so they put a “halo” on that had to stay for three months.

So, after ten years, I am still thankful at this time of year – and also at other times, when I remember – that Norm managed to keep his neck upright while we traveled the ninety minutes to Sioux Falls, that he had VA status so that monetarily we didn’t have to worry, that he healed to such a wonderful degree.

He still has to be careful, he still has a partially stiff neck, he still gets tired easily and he still pushes himself more than he should.  But he is NOT paralyzed and he did not die – the two options that “should” have happened with this accident.

So, happy anniversary, Norm.  It was a miracle and you are a miracle.  I love you and always will.

What were YOU doing that day?  Oh, yes …. not many of my friends and acquaintances were old enough to remember or were alive, yet, even.

So, I will tell you or remind you – this was the day that John Fitzgerald Kennedy, our thirty-fifth president, was shot and killed by Harvey Oswald.  This tragic event changed the way we Americans saw the world.  If our president could be killed, what else was capable?  It was the end of innocence!

Kennedy was the president of the young people.  He was young, well spoken, good looking.  He had a beautiful wife and young children.  It didn’t matter to us exactly how great a president he was, he was OURS!  And now he was gone.

There are many articles you can look up to find out more about him, if you want, and more about the assassination.  But if you expected to find anything mentioned about the anniversary, you’d have a hard time finding it.  It’s “old news” and very few even care to remember – but I am one.  

When he was killed, I was in college; we all heard it over the loudspeaker radio in the college commons.  The rest of the time was a haze – comments by the teachers, classes cancelled for the rest of the week, special church services, time spent hunched over the radio and even (rare for that time) watching the funeral on TV.

Even today, 52 years later, I remember the feelings – the shock, dismay and sadness – of that day.  What important day do you remember as clearly?

In 2006, our family was down to one dog and that was Goldie, a Golden Retriever. We had just lost our Shetland Sheepdog, Meggie and both Goldie and I were a little lost for companionship of a smaller dog.

Now Norm has never allowed me to get a “small” dog – the Shetland Sheepdogs that we bred and showed were the smallest allowed, although we did sneak a Schipperke into the batch for Joy at one time.

So, being as how I wanted another dog and being as how Norm would object for some reason unknown to me, I didn’t mention it to him. I did talk to Candy and try to decide just what kind of a dog I wanted, as I had all the options in the world (since Norm had no input in this). I decided that I wanted a Miniature Dachshund to replace a foster I had at one time that I had to adopt out.

I looked online on Petfinder.com ….. a wonderful place if you are looking for a new pet. I found the picture of a Dachshund that I fell in love with and had several conversations with the foster home that had her. She was located close to the Cities.

The picture online I fell in love with

I was going to demonstrate at the Minnesota State Fair and made arrangements to meet the foster mom on my way home. Still Norm didn’t know of my plans. But after I picked up this cute little bundle whose name was Peanut, I called Norm to tell him that “we were on our way home.” I also called when I stopped in Mankato to get dog food to tell him that “we were shopping and would be home soon.”

Norm met me in the driveway and I reached over to get Peanut out of the crate and handed her to him. Now, the foster mom said that Peanut wasn’t comfortable around men, but I knew Norm and knew that there would be no problem. So, I placed this little bundle in his arms and he grabbed her and held her, saying “I thought we agreed not to get another dog (no, we didn’t, but so?). I said, “She’s not a dog, she’s a family member!”

Just after we got her

The rest is history! Norm fell in love with her and has loved and cared for her from that time on. Peanut traveled with us on most of our trips – to our camping out and demonstrations to traveling down to Florida to camping out in our modern camper. She has been comfortable in any situation.

Our Christmas letter picture one year

Out on the boat with Bitty and Bubba

Sleepy girl

She got along very well with Goldie; but then we had to make that terrible decision with Goldie as she was getting old and sick. She got along very well with Roxie when we got her 2 years ago. She has gotten along with all of the dogs belonging to any one we meet. She even got along with our cats! She was a love and friendly with just about everyone we ever met.

Until 2 years ago when we discovered that she had Cushing’s Disease – a disease that affects the liver and other parts of the body. She had a potbelly, was always thirsty, always hungry and gradually became very uncomfortable, if not actually in pain. We treated her with medication and blood tests every six months. The doctor told us that we would be lucky if we got another 2 years with her; she passed by several months the 2-year mark but only because we were so hesitant to let her go.

Camping with Roxie this spring

Sharing a bed together

Until finally, today, we did. It’s a hard decision to make but one that every pet lover has had to make at one time or another. Having to do it often, if you have many pets doesn’t make it any easier for any of them. But there is a time when your loved one looks at you and says “Let me go; it’s time.”

We had 9 wonderful years with a lot of laughter, love and joy. We will miss her but we know that she is now waiting for us to join her over the Rainbow Bridge.

Farewell, Peanut – we love you and will miss you!