Announcing the Birth of My New Grandson

This afternoon Heidi gave birth (emergency C-section) to Marshall Dean. He weighs 7#, 12 oz.; is 19 1/2" long; has a chubby face, blue eyes, and lots of dark hair. Heidi sounded tired when she called, but very happy. Congratulations, Heidi and Chad! I can't wait to hold Marshall. :-)

Mall of America Photos

Josiah having fun at Lego Land

What are the chances of running into Chris and Allison at the Mall of America?!

Josiah working on puzzle.

Rachel and the kids on the Merry-go-round

My mode of transporation

Monday Photos at Target and Olive Garden

Rachel, ecstatic about being in Target!

Aurelia and Josiah getting acquainted.

Sweet Annika!

Happy Veteran's Day!

Happy Veteran's Day to Lieutenant Commander Hans De For, my first born, plus my brother Jerry, retired US Navy; my Uncle Allan, US Navy; cousin Wayne (deceased), US Navy; son-in-law Chad, US Air Force; nephew Keith, US Navy; cousin Pudge (Pat's husband), US Air Force; cousin Charlie (Kari's husband), retired US Air Force; Pete, Rachel's father, US Air Force; Ken, Sarah's father, US Air Force; Sarah's brother Ryan, US Coast Guard.

I will never take for granted the sacrifice these men have made, and are continuing to make for me and our country. Enjoy today - your special day!

Special Days Off from the Office

Last night Rachel, Josiah and Annika's plane arrived from Germany. I was at the airport to meet them and help Rachel with the kids while she rented a vehicle. When they came down to baggage claim, I could see them through the glass doors. As the doors opened, Josiah ran to me and hugged me saying, "Hi, Grandma! We came to see you!" It was so cute. Annika was in the stroller and I'm not sure she remembered me as she shied away. I was at their home in May, but she is only 2 3/4 and just may not have remembered me. Also, they looked very tired. Josiah told me they had two flights - one long one and one short one. It wasn't long before she was chatting away.

I took today and tomorrow off so I could spend some time with them. This morning we stopped at my office so I could show them off to everyone. Then we were headed to Target - their all-time favorite store. But on the way the kids fell sound asleep, so Rachel decided we could go for a drive. It was fun riding past their first house in St. Paul.

Target was a fun experience. I'm still dealing with the Plantar Fasciitis (argh!), so I drove one of the automated carts. What a great service for those who have difficulty walking. Thankfully (and hopefully) for me, this is only temporary. Each of the kids got to pick out a toy for a treat.

This afternoon Josiah and Annika are at home with me and we sent Rachel out to shop by herself. I'm sure she is having a good time. Tonight we are all having dinner with Sarah, Peder and Aurelia. What a wonderful day off - spending time with off with my family.

On another note, Heidi & Chad's baby is due in five days. I pray all goes well with the delivery.

The Last Rose (geranium and impatiens) of Summer

This is what we awoke to this morning - our first snow. It probably won't last long, but it's probably the end for my patio plants. I don't have enough room to bring them inside, so I guess this is "good-bye."

On a lighter, happier note, gas is down to $1.96 a gallon here. Yahoo!

Treasures found in my closet

Yes, when Pat and Aunt Liz helped clean out the closet in my cottage last Saturday, they unearthed some treasures I thought were "long gone." Among them were some of the Amish pieces I used to have hanging in my home. I decided to bring them to the office to decorate the outside of my cubicle since author, Beverly Lewis, is coming for a visit today and tomorrow.

The shirt and pants, plus one of the prayer caps, were given to me by Grandma Zook. She passed away this past spring, but I have pleasant memories of going to her home to buy fabric, specifically double-sided flannel, for nighties.

The wall hanging quilt was hand sewn by an Amish woman. The stitching is wonderfully done.

Getting Relief

It's been almost three weeks since I got out of bed in the morning and felt like I had broken bones in both heels. After five days, I went to the doctor, where he confirmed what I had learned on the Internet: Plantar Fasciitis. He instructed me to go to a good shoe store and purchase inserts for my shoes to support my very high arch and sore heels, which I did, to the tune of $180 due to having to purchase new shoes that would handle the new inserts. Also, he told me to ice my feet every three waking hours, which I have been doing.

Update: my left foot seemed to heal right away with the new inserts, but the right foot has been just as painful as it was when this all started. I have been limping along; staying seated at the last two choir rehearsals; missed singing in the service yesterday, and even been taking the elevator at work (I vowed I would never do this unless on a stretcher) - which has been known to get stuck - once for an hour an a half! Saturday when Pat and I went to a big discount store to buy bins and organizers for my cottage closet, I drove around in a motorized cart!

Today I saw my doctor again and after hearing my complaints, he offered to shoot some cortisone in my foot. I took him up on the offer. Immediately after the shot, I felt relief, but he warned me that after the numbing left, I would need to use ice again. It should feel lots better by tomorrow. I also bought a Strassburg sock, which I'll start wearing tonight when I go to bed. This sock forces your foot to stay in a stretched position while you sleep, helping you heal.

Pack Rat

A photo of Heidi at age 5.

Oh, my! Where do I begin?

Pat pushing back part of the mess.

Aunt Liz sorted through thousands of photos.

Everything you see here came out of that closet!

All neat and tidy.

Okay, a couple of my kids have the same problem as I - - we have a hard time getting rid of "things." Over the years I have moved 18 times. Wow! I don't think I had ever tallied it before. But with each move, one throws a few things out, right? Well, that's sounds good, but then after those treasures are tossed, remorse sets in. Oh, how I wish I still had A, B, C, or X.

I guess over the past several years, I have maintained this attitude, "Out of sight, out of mind. Who is this bothering?"

The only one of my offspring who has commented on the way I keep my closets (or don't keep them - depends on how you look at it) is Heidi. I don't know from whom she inherited it, but she has no problem with tossing away things. She even has EMPTY kitchen cabinets!!

Yesterday my dear cousin, Pat, and Aunt Liz, came over for the day and we tackled the closet in my cottage. I know this closet was in horrible shape because I had to quickly slide the door closed to keep the contents inside! Yes, I was ashamed. But Pat and Aunt Liz have this incredible gift of organizing. They have always amazed me. This project took most of the day, and a lot of junk was tossed, but some treasures were uncovered too. Among things we found my childhood doll, my dad's home movies, and an unfinished counted cross-stitch project I have been looking for for at least three years! Shame, shame on me.

They're Special To Me . . .

I am blessed with two aunts — my Aunt Liz and my Aunt Ginny. They are the younger sisters of my mother who died when I was 14 years old.


My Aunt Liz has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. She has always been the best story teller, whether it be about camping with the retarded residents - by the way, she is the first female scout leader for the handicapped in Minnesota - or her ventures across the country with her friends or grand kids. She took me in to live with her family the year after my mother died and let me drive her car (I was 15, but had my driver's license) all over the twin cities! She allowed Pat and me to scrape out the last bit of lipstick that is in the tubes (you know, when it is down to the "flat" stage), melt it on the stove in a coffee can, and pour the mixture into the empty tubes, creating a new color! I would never have let my kids do that!! She agreed to make the groom's cake (cherry devil's food) for my wedding - something that she regrets to this day.

She loves to read - reads about 4 books a week! - no fooling. The public library in her village gave her permission to make a check mark in the back of each book she reads so she doesn't accidentally check it out a second time. Annually she makes about eight plum puddings for family and friends each December. In fact, last December her chiropractor came to her home to learn how to make the pudding so he can make it for his family! (I know, there are some of you who don't care for this treat. I happen to like it a lot!) She sews, loves to travel, and takes naps several times a day. At any given election, she will be one of the judges in her local area. She is often seen driving the golf cart - The Patty Wagon - around town. She's quirky, fun, and the "real deal." She has been and continues to be one of my best friends. Thank you, Aunt Liz.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She's thoughtful, caring, strong, compassionate, never interferes or gossips - that's my Aunt Ginny. Like my Aunt Liz, she loves to read, and to my surprise, she likes reading mysteries. She's raised four beautiful kids and at times has nursed her husband. Though I don't see her as often as I'd like, we correspond by email and sometimes over the phone. My first big memory of her is the summer after my fifth grade. She and Uncle Allan lived on Long Island and Uncle Allan worked in New York City. No one in our family other then they had lived in an exciting place, and that year at the conclusion of their vacation to Minnesota, they said it was okay for me to ride back to New York with them. Wow! I don't think I had even been out of Minnesota prior to that. We drove on the turnpikes in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and then went to Valley Forge. I had never been to a place where a President of the United States had been! This was really exciting. Aunt Ginny made me feel just like I was part of their family.

The summer after my dad died, Aunt Ginny once again welcomed me into their home. This time they lived in a Chicago suburb. I got to stay with them for about 4 weeks. It was such a fun time. They were in the process of having a new home built in another Chicago suburb, and a couple of times a week, we would drive there in the evening to check on the progress. Our drive took us past Buckingham Fountain in downtown Chicago, and I loved going past there and seeing the fountain change colors. I really had fun with my cousins, but Aunt Ginny is the one who made me feel special.

When we lived in Joliet, they were about 30 miles from us. Sometimes we would get together for supper or dinner, but Aunt Ginny was always one of the first to come to visit at the birth of my kids. She really cared - and she still does. While she reads my blog faithfully, she prefers to comment by direct email, and I really appreciate that. In fact, just this week she wrote to tell me she is concerned about my sore foot (Plantar Fasciitis) and shared with me that she has had this condition too. She cares about my kids, and their kids, and even mentioned my grand-dog Brian's improvement following his ACL surgery, and relief that Heidi and the baby are okay following the car accident a week ago. I'll never forget where I was on 9/11 while the first plane flew into the north tower of the World Trade Center - - I was walking to work and having a conversation with my Aunt Ginny. She may not remember that. I know when she and Uncle Allan have their morning devotions and prayer time, they will be including me and my family. She is a true prayer warrior. Thank you for being so special, Aunt Ginny.

Fun with Aurelia

Isn't she precious?

Let the strong winds blow . . .

. . . I believe I'm as ready as I can be. Today I had new windows installed in my home. Prior to the arrival of the installers, Sarah and Aurelia came for Sarah to take down the pale mauve mini blinds in my bedroom which were here when I moved in. I have never liked those blinds, but they functioned fine, and were always covered up with my window treatments. In the past couple of weeks I made the decision to get rid of them and put in white Plantation blinds such as I have on my other windows, making everything uniform from the outside. Sarah is so good at doing anything mechanical - she amazes me! I got to play with Aurelia for a little while, and that is always fun. She has the cutest smile, and she's so smart. We got out a doll and doll cradle, and she picked up the baby, hugged her tight, then put her back into the cradle and and covered her up with a blanket. It was darling!

Finally at 10:30 a man came to do the job. He told me his partner hadn't shown up. I thought the rest of the day may go poorly, but it didn't. It just took a little longer than I had imagined. I watched as the old windows were removed and noticed how much brighter the new ones seemed. I imagine it is due to them being constructed with white vinyl, rather than dark stained wood. When the windows were totally fitted, he carefully caulked around the outsides, and then the insides. Then he rehung my blinds, and even mounted the hardware for Sarah for my new bedroom blinds. Sarah stayed to help me return some of the furniture to its place and clean up a bit, and then took a very tired Aurelia home. I must say, it was really fun being with my family again! Thank you, Sarah, for all of your help and for making TWO trips to my home today. I owe you.

Busy, Busy, Busy

This has been one of the busiest weeks I can recall:



Sunday: Sang at church, followed by brunch with friends; car window would not close after talking to a friend in the church parking lot; drove to another friend's home to borrow a costume for the harvest party at tutoring on October 27.



Monday: Stopped at body shop before going to the dentist to see if they could work on my malfunctioning car window; drove to the dentist in 38 degree weather - window down, wearing a coat and mittens with the heat turned on full blast; received a good check-up at the dentist; dropped car off at the body shop; worked until 5; picked up car, slammed down a quick supper, picked up another tutor and two kids, tutored Rosy until 8, took kids and tutor home, dropped into bed.



Tuesday: Dr. appointment for my very sore foot (Plantar Fasciitis); worked until 5; drove to specialty shoe store for suggested inserts into my shoes - only to find out they wouldn't work in my shoes. So, I had to pick out shoes in which they would work - however, the store didn't have them in suede - rather in shiny black - the kind 85 - 90 year olds wear. They said they could get them from another store by Wednesday at 5 pm. Okay. I'll come back Wednesday;drove to church for a choir meeting; got home and dropped into bed.



Wednesday: Arrived at work early to make up lost time from Monday and Tuesday; took 15 minute lunch; worked until 4:45; drove to the shoe store and purchased shoes; wore them to church for another choir meeting; choir rehearsal; got home and relaxed a little before dropping into bed.



Thursday: Got to work a little early; drove to a store during my lunch time to purchase new plantation blinds for my bedroom windows - Sarah is coming Saturday morning to take down the old blinds before the window installers arrive to replace the windows in my home; returned to the office to work until 5; went home to start laundry and eat supper - - my first night home since Sunday!



Friday: After showering and eating breakfast, took everything off the walls of my dining room in preparation of the window install tomorrow, put out the garbage for weekly pick-up; and am now at work.



There's still more that has to be done in preparation for tomorrow morning, but at least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. My feet are tolerating the inserts in my new shoes, but the pain still exists. It's Friday and I'll have two days off from work; I'll get to see Sarah and Aurelia tomorrow; and I'll have new, tight, easy to clean windows in my home.

BUGGIE Is Repaired

I'm blessed to have an auto body repair shop two blocks from my home - plus, they know me by first name. I guess it helps that I have brought them fresh baked cookies a couple of times!

Anyway, my car has been repaired, and I'm sure it is good a new! Yayyyyyy!

100,000 Miles

Isn't she classy?!

99999

Aurelia with Grandma at the Tendermaid.

L to R: Jeanne, Joanie, Karen, Nancy, yours truly, Aurelia.

Touring the Spam Museum.

100,000

Yesterday I met my Red Hat group at our office where we piled into one big car and drove to Austin to tour the Spam museum and eat at the Tendermaid. It was an opportunity to show my friends where I grew up, went to school and church, and worked for a time. Coincidentally, Peder, Sarah and Aurelia also drove to Austin yesterday to see Steve and to go to the Hormel Nature Center. Since Peder knew our Red Hat Sewciety had planned to eat at the Tendermaid, they chose to do the same. It was fun introducing them to my friends.

When I parked my car in our office parking lot, the odometer read 99999. Oh boy, this meant the 100,000 mark would turn over just as I was pulling into my garage later in the day! I've known it was approaching for a few weeks, so I'd been toting my camera in my purse. You may take this kind of event for granted, but I have never kept a car as long as I have had BUGGIE. My *trusty car had its tenth birthday September 8. I'm hoping for many more miles and years of service from her. I like my car as much today as the day I did when it was new. For me it is comfortable and fun to drive.

*I hope crossing over the 100,000 mark doesn't mean things will be falling apart. But just today before pulling out from my church parking lot, a friend drove up beside me and I powered my window down to talk to her. Guess what? The window will not go back up! So tomorrow I'll be going to the shop to get her repaired.

In a Quandary

• One day when I awoke, I discovered I had only three stands of hair, so I decided to braid it.
• The next day when I awoke, I had two strands of hair, so I decided to part it down the middle.
• Yesterday when I awoke, there was only one strand of hair, so I wore it in a ponytail.
• This morning I had no hair, so I thought, "Good, now I don't have to do my hair!"

May your decisions today be this easy.

Photos from the weekend

Janet, Pat, Aunt Liz
Home-made soup by Janet

Home-made caramel apples by Pat

Mississippi River south of Lake City

Yours truly with Aunt Liz in Wabasha

Aunt Liz posing with bald eagle, Harriet

Aunt Liz, yours truly, Pat, Linda, Janet, Diane

Turkey feathers in a garage sale

A Special Weekend with Family

How does home-made chicken noodle soup, fresh from the oven whole wheat buns, pumpkin bars and gorgeously wrapped caramel apples sound? Oh, and picture this: a fall table, decorated with miniature pumpkins, acorns, bittersweet, and oil lamp lighting. Add one aunt, 4 cousins, and my sister, and you have the perfect fall get-together. This was the scene on Friday, the beginning of a very nice family weekend.

Saturday we journeyed south to Hastings, Red Wing (for some shopping), Wabasha (for The National Eagle Center and lunch at Slippery's - and a garage sale!), then onto La Crescent (the apple capital of Minnesota - to buy apples, gourds and Indian corn), Canton (where we shopped at the small general store of my Amish friend, Lovina, whom I met 20 years ago this past Spring), Harmony, and finally joining 2 dear friends and my brother at the Branding Iron in Preston for dinner. The Branding Iron is set on the top of a bluff - giving us a view of the gorgeous fall foliage in the town below.

Riding together in a van for 12+ hours provides lots of time to laugh and visit and just plain catch up. It is always SO MUCH FUN!

An Alternative

If you live in Minnesota, you know how much we have been hammered with political commercials. I think they started in May, 2007 - this is not an exaggeration! I have memorized the location of my "mute" button on my remote. And quickly change the radio station when one begins.

Just Saturday I got a call from a pollster asking me one question: On the idea of abortion, are you a) in favor of it; b) in favor of it when the health of the mother is at risk; c) in favor of it for reasons of rape; d) never in favor of it? If you know me, you know my answer.

Tonight is the third debate on TV. I'm glad I have a previous engagement - - my knitting club. Oh, the TV will be on, but I don't have to watch or listen to it if I choose not.

I'm really tired of this whole thing. If we lived in England, I believe the candidates would get 4 weeks to campaign. That's sounding really good to me.

Oh, I know, at least we live in a land of free speech and have the right to vote - even the women - but a big part of our national debt could have been eliminated with the $$$ that are being spent on this election. Agree?

Summer is over . . .

The days have gotten much shorter, the leaves are changing and some are falling. Acorns are on the sidewalks. Tutoring has started up again. And I have had to turn on my furnace. It has gotten chilly.

In about a week, some of my family members and I are taking a day's journey down highway 61 along the Mississippi River to see the fall color and then are driving over to what I affectionately call "Amish-land" to call on my Amish friend, Lovina, and shop in her general store. Sounds like fun!