Christmas Shopping

Last Friday it dawned on me that I'd better get it in gear and get my Christmas shopping done! While I had picked up a few things prior to that, I had much more shopping to do. I bought a few things when I was in Rochester on Friday, but last night I did something never done before by me - I cyber-shopped! I felt guilty that I wasn't giving business to the neighborhood shops, but being under a time crunch, I had to get over that feeling and move on. In about two hours I completed what I had set out to do. Yep, we're in a new era, or at least it's new for me.

Rest in Peace, Peppi

It's with sadness that I write today. Peppi died unexpectedly just after my breakfast today. He was fine when I uncovered him this morning. I talked and sang to him while I was eating - he was eating, too. Then while washing up my dishes, I heard his wings flapping against the cage. I went in to see if some how he was caught, but found him on the floor of his cage. His eyes were closed. And he was gone. I will miss him.

Sweets

Why do some foods go "out of style"? The foods I'm thinking about right now are candies. I just ate a packages of Chuckles, sugar-coated jellie candies in assorted flavors which are cherry, lemon, orange, licorice, and lime. I bought them a few weeks ago at a small confectionary in Niswa, MN. They were as good as I remembered. I also bought a package of Mallo Cup - two chocolate cups filled with a whipped marshmallow creme center. I'll save these for another time. I asked if the store had Black Jack Taffy. They had none.

When I was a kid, I liked a candy bar made by Pearson's - 7-Up Bar. I loved 6 of the seven sections - I didn't like the orange jelly.

A Tree Glows in Bloomington

This morning I heard a news story of a Bloomington man and wife with a 53 foot oak tree on their property. Since 2001, it has been their gift to the community to decorate that tree with thousands of lights. Apparently it can be seen for miles - and also happens to be visible to all who fly into the twin cities toward the north/south runway at Minneapolis*Saint Paul International Airport. Tonight I decided to drive that way to see it for myself. It is awesome!! You owe it to yourself to see it!

I tried to take a photo of the tree, but one needs a better camera than I have for it to turn out. To see the newspaper article (with photo), click here.

Good-bye, Autumn!

We have had the most beautiful autumn - warm temperatures, beautiful colors, gorgeous blue skies, long-lasting flowers. Unfortunately for us, it has come to an abrupt end. I woke up this morning to this! Our six month (plus) winter begins! Ugh!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Marshall!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Marshall! I sure wish I could be there to hug you, sing to you, and go to your birthday party. I hope you have a very fun time, sweetheart! Enjoy your birthday cake. I'll look forward to seeing pictures. Grandma loves you!

Frivolity

It's dangerous to be away from the office on a 17 day cruise to the Mediterranean. Look what may be waiting for you when you return! This is my co-worker's desk space - and for a joke, we pretended to use his office for a break room in his absence. He returned today and was visiting outside his office with me and a friend. Suddenly he glanced into his cubicle and exclaimed, "What in the world is this?!" Then he laughed. He knows we missed him!

Happy Veterans' Day

Today has been declared Veterans' Day. It is a day when our nation remembers those who have served in our military and those who are currently in active duty. My mind automatically goes to my son, Hans, and to my brother, Jerry. I am so proud of both of these men. Jerry served in the US Navy for 21 years. I believe it was his model that inspired Hans to join the ranks. Hans has been in the Navy nearly every year since graduating from high school. Thank you for your service and your sacrifices. Way to go! I'm also proud of my cousin, Nathan, who is in his first year in the Navy.

Others in our family who have served are: Uncle Allan, Wayne, Keith, Pudge, Chad, Charlie, Pete, Ken, and Ryan. Thank you for your service!

Dear Friends

Our Red Hat Sewciety traveled to Fergus Falls today to have lunch with Joanie, who was one of our members, but retired from our office in May and moved there with her husband to their new apartment which is built on their daughter's acreage. Construction began several months before their move and so we were curious to see everything. What a nice place!

Joanie fixed a delicious lunch of salad, chicken/broccoli/cheese filled crepes with pumpkin pie for dessert. We had a good time of visiting and catching up.

The drive up and back was very nice. I hadn't been up that direction since Heidi moved away from Grand Forks, ND. I had forgotten how pretty it is around St. Cloud and Alexandria. Another thing that surprised me was some of the similarity to Germany - - small towns with gorgeous, big churches and tall steeples.

Apparently the Fergus Falls area had a big snow storm a couple of weeks ago. I hadn't heard that. Today we saw remaining snow in the ditches and on some of the banks! I'm sure not ready for that.

It was good day spent with friends.

Procrastinating

I've been putting it off for a couple of weeks now, but with the days clicking off the calendar and "you know what" coming soon, I must get on it - - the laborious task of swapping out my summer clothes for my winter clothes. This is one of the most dreaded jobs for me. I guess each year I just hope they'll magically swap themselves. Maybe I'll get it done this weekend. Maybe. I wouldn't have this conundrum if I had a closet like this one!

Service Appointments

Yesterday I had a cable converter box installed on my TV - necessary to continue getting some of my channels. At the same time, I upgraded to the next level of cable reception. The service call was to be anywhere from noon to 2 (don't you just love those "window" of times?). He came at 1. It took about 25 minutes for the installation, followed by a short test to be sure everything was working and a brief demonstration of the new remote, and then he left. I hurried back to work - not really sure what new channels I was going to have. When I got home from work, I had about 10 minutes to watch TV and then had to get ready to leave for an evening event.

Today I had another service appointment - the installation of an automatic car starter on my new VW Beetle, a gift from my brother. (Thank you, Jerry!) A few years ago Heidi & Chad had one installed on my red Beetle for my Christmas present. What a wonderful gift for someone who hates winter! When I sold the car, it had to stay with it. I took the car to Best Buy this morning. My boss followed me and brought me back to work. Later this afternoon he took me back and I picked up my car. Again, the technician demonstrated the remote.

Tonight is the first chance I have had to check out the new TV channels. While some of the new ones aren't of interest to me, I am happy to have the option of watching the Food Network, History and Discovery channels, Animal Planet, The Weather Channel, and Fox News .

Now to get used to two new remotes. Aye yi yi!

Amish Stool

This is my new, Amish stool which I really like! The tall handle works very well for toting it here and there, and makes for some good support. It has already come in handy in my kitchen and cottage. I think it will be useful when my grandchildren come for washing their hands and brushing their teeth at the bathroom vanity. Since it is made of solid oak and by the Amish, I'll most likely have it for years to come.

Amish Visit

In 1988 I became acquainted with many dear Amish folks in the Canton and Harmony area in southeastern Minnesota. Over the years I have continued to visit one dear Amish lady, Lovina, who runs a little general store on her farm. Her little store is very interesting. One can buy fresh, harvested honey, home-made jam, parts for kerosene lamps, Amish coloring books, large bags of powdered jello, soaps, stainless steel frying pans, knives, red-hot cinnamon jaw breakers (fireballs), Amish community cookbooks, fly tape, herbal medicines, Amish pasta, cheese, oatmeal, fresh eggs, etc.

Three weeks ago I wrote to Lovina to ask if she was going to be home today and if her store would be open. About a week later, I got a very nice note from her letting me know she would be there and would be happy to see me. [The Amish don't use electricity and have no phones. Their lives are so different from ours. Women and men work all day long on their farms. Young children and old are expected to pitch in. Most have big gardens. Many of the men make furniture to sell - beautiful furniture. The women quilt, bake, weave baskets, wash clothes which they hang on clothes lines to dry. They respect Sundays as a day of rest. There is much more I could mention, but just wanted to give a glimpse.]

Today we stopped at 6 farms - each with a store. I'm excited about a new two-step stool I bought.

Getting Ready to Fly

Today when I went home for lunch, I was pleased to see the leaves had all been cleaned up by our lawn care service. Everything looks so nice and tidy. Then while eating lunch, I noticed not a few, but at least 15 robins in the yard. I think they may be eating a good meal before taking off for warmer parts. I'll miss them. Have a good, safe flight! I hope to see you in the Spring.

Weekend with the Knitters

I LOVED this darling playhouse for Barb's grandchildren.

L to R: Mary, Glady, Louise

Delicious Saturday breakfast!

Pat, describing how to make our candy dish project

My candy dish and spoon before putting the wire trim on it

Gayle and Louise applying their decorative wire trim

L to R: Merrianne, Mary, Glady, Louise, Gayle, Barb (hostess), and Pat

I have some generous friends who share what they have. One particular friend is Barb. Each year she invites our knitting club to come to her cabin. This is the second time I have gotten to be part of the event. We had nine ladies there, and we made a fun craft - a candy dish. Pat is very gifted when it comes to knitting and other crafts, so each year she puts something together that is fun to make and useful.

We had delicious meals (we divide into groups of two or three and provide that meal), shopped in Nisswa, watched the movie For Richer or Poorer - a movie that I find really funny, sat around and talked a lot, helped one of the women tie a quilt for a co-worker, and went to church together on Sunday morning. Everyone had a very nice time.

Happy 1st Birthday, Will!

Today my 5th grandchild, William Friedrich, turned 1 year old. He was born in Germany, to Hans and Rachel. I got to meet him and be with him for a couple of weeks when I visited them in Germany in May, and I can tell you, he is adorable! At that time, he was rolling and rolling across the floor and trying to crawl. Now I hear he is walking, has some teeth, and still wins the hearts of everyone who sees him.

Though I didn't get to go to his party today, I was able to capture this picture of him from Rachel. Isn't he cute?! Happy 1st birthday, Will!

No Regrets

I'm very happy I decided to buy the 2010 Final Edition of the VW Beetle. I just found this article with photo of the newly designed 2011 Beetle - and it just doesn't do it for me.

Weekend with Aurelia Part 2

Mixing the topping for the apple crisp

Spreading the topping on the apple slices

Nancy, Aurelia, and yours truly

With our hands and apples washed, Aurelia and I prepared the apple crisp and popped it into the oven. While it baked, we ate dinner and watched Lady and the Tramp. Aurelia was so tired, she went right to bed when the movie ended.

During the night, I heard Aurelia coughing and sneezing. I thought she was coming down with a cold so I rolled over and turned off the alarm clock, expecting us to sleep in. At 7 am, I had the feeling someone was staring at me. I opened my eyes, and there stood Aurelia - fully dressed for church. "Hi, Grandma D. I'm all ready for church!" I jumped out of bed, got her a quick breakfast, dressed, and out the door we went. Aurelia sat with me in the choir loft for our morning warm-up, and in the pew next to my chair during the worship service. She was so good! Many of my choir friends commented on how well behaved she is.

After church we went to a local restaurant with my friend, Nancy. We had pancakes and sausages, and Aurelia ate everything served to her. She also colored the picture provided by the restaurant.

Driving her home, I couldn't help but notice the beautiful trees and bushes, and fall displays in some of the yards. On my way home I stopped to take some pictures. It sure was a nice weekend with Aurelia!

Playing with Aurelia

Today Peder and Sarah brought Aurelia and Felix over. I got to hold and play with Felix while Peder and Sarah ran to the store. He is so sweet! He smiled and smiled, and looked all around at the things on my walls. He watched Aurelia as she played with some toys. When his parents returned, they took him home and Aurelia stayed with me.

After lunch, we took off to do some errands. We stopped at Breadsmith, and then went to two pet stores to replenish Peppi's food supply. I knew Aurelia was going to enjoy the pet stores. The first one has only birds - mostly parrots. Two of the large ones talk occasionally. The big blue and orange one surprised us by saying, "Hello, there." "Hi." The grey one only said, "Hello." I have always enjoyed going to this store. The owner/proprietor is a very nice, gentle man. He has raised canaries and parrots for many years.

From there we went to a second pet store - the one from which I bought Tweety and Peppi. They have a few varieties of food that the previous store doesn't have. Plus, they have lots of tropical fish, turtles, gerbils, rabbits, some birds, and now and then an Iguana. I was totally surprised to see the sign, "Store Closing," on the window. They told me they are closing at the end of November. Everything will be sold. This is sad - but it's probably due to the other "big box" pet stores in the area.

Next errand - buy apples at the grocery store. We hope to make some apple crisp later. Aurelia was a big helper - pushing the junior shopping cart for me. She did a good job! No running into people or displays.

Next stop - a drive through the beautiful woods of Hyland Park and a stop to play on the slides and swings. Aurelia gathered some acorns, and climbed on the playground equipment. Another little girl soon joined us, and they played together for a little while. It's been a beautiful day, but a little on the warm side.

Political Ads

I don't know about you, but I'm weary of political ads - on TV and in my mail box. Each year it seems they start earlier. If I had my way, each candidate would have 30 days to campaign. Period. If they were already in office, any time they step away from their job - to campaign or stump for another - and miss a vote in congress, they would have to take that time without pay. Only 4 more weeks to go. Ugh!

A Fall Drive

Eagles' nest

With few weekends left to take in the fall color, today I drove to Aunt Liz's to have lunch with her, Pat, and friend, Mary Beth. We drove through downtown Stillwater and up highway 95 to Marine on St. Croix, a charming village with beautiful homes. Along the way we stopped at a roadside viewing area where we took a few pictures and marveled at how high the water was on the St. Croix River due to the recent rains.

Coming home we spotted a huge eagles nest. We weren't fortunate to see any eagles, but saw lots of beautiful foliage.

Weekend Events

Rosy

Our view at the Twins' game today

My new Twins' blanket

Last night I took Rosy to see The Sound of Music which was performed by the drama team at my church. I had seen it in the spring when it was performed as a dinner theater venue. It was brought back by popular demand, and enhanced due to using the Sanctuary rather than the Great Room. Rosy had not seen the movie or read anything about the Von Trapp family, but she said she really enjoyed it - especially when the children were on stage. I'm no longer her tutor - a hard decision on my part, but I plan to continue doing things with her from time to time. I think she may have grown two or three inches since May.

This morning I went to the Twins' game with a friend. We took the light-rail downtown and got to the stadium at 10:15. My, it was chilly inside the corridors of Target Field - - and in our seats. We were in the shade AND wind the entire game. It was about 48 degrees at game start (12:10), with a 15+ mph wind. I had brought a blanket and wore a turtle neck, sweat shirt, and a hooded coat, but I still froze. After the 3rd inning, I went to one of the Game Stores and bought another blanket and a head band. We were behind for most of the game, but in the bottom of the 9th inning, with 2 outs and bases loaded, Casilla was up to bat. The count was 3 - 2, when he hit a ground ball to center field, bringing in two runners to end the game. Twins 5; Toronto 4. It was so worth staying for the end of the game!

Peppi

I'm an animal lover - well, I love many animals. My favorite large animal is the giraffe. I have had more than a few pets in my life time: fish, cats, one dog - a St. Bernard, and canaries. At the present time, I have two pets: a beta fish at my office named Jonah, and a canary in my home, Peppi, who turns 3 years old this coming Wednesday, September 29.

Today Peppi got his cage cleaned, which is sort of an ordeal, but one that makes me feel like I've accomplished something when all is washed and put back together again. Canaries are singers, and unlike most other pet birds, are not meant to be handled. Peppi lives his days in a very pretty white cage, next to corner windows, which allows him to see activity outside as well as me and any guests I have. About every six months, I have to reach into his cage to catch him in one hand in order to gently hold him to clip his claws. He is very quick, and flies from one side to the other; to the top and then to the bottom. With a little luck and patience, I'm able to grab him. The first time I had to do this, I was as frighten as he was. I held him ever so gently, being careful to not squeeze him too tight. I could feel his little heart pounding. He pulled his nails into a fist-like position, and I had to carefully unfold each toe to clip the nail, being sure to not trim too close to the blood supply. When I had done all the toes, I placed him back inside his cage and let him try to compose himself. But today I decided to hold him just a bit longer and I stroked the top of his sweet little head. It was really nice getting to touch him in this way. And I think he liked it.

Happy 60th, Aunt Ginny & Uncle Allan

Aunt Ginny with her birthday cake

Uncle Allan and Aunt Ginny

The happy couple 60 years ago!

Uncle Allan donned his Navy hat for me.

Lorna, my first cousin once removed, modeled Aunt Ginny's wedding dress.

Row 1: Aunt Ginny & Uncle Allan

Row 2: Dave, Linda, Diane, and John

Happy Anniversary!

This past weekend Aunt Liz, Pat, Janet, Jerry and I drove to Indiana to celebrate my Aunt Ginny's 80th birthday and her and Uncle Allan's 60th wedding anniversary! This event was hosted by their kids Dave, Linda, Diane and John.

Aunt Ginny and Uncle Allan have been an important part of my life. Aunt Ginny is my mother's youngest sister. The summer after my 4th grade, I was privileged to ride with them from Minnesota to their home on Long Island, New York. It was a trip I'll never forget, because I had never been that far away from home before. I stayed with them two weeks. The second week my mom, dad, brother and sister arrived. During that time we got to go to several places: toured the UN building; stood outside the window of the Today Show; went to the Ed Sullivan Show; went to the top of the Chrysler Building, toured the Statue of Liberty; rode on the Staten Island Ferry; swam in the Atlantic Ocean at Rockaway Beach; and spent lots of fun days playing with my cousins.

The summer after my dad died, I spent the month of June with them. They lived in the Chicago area at that time. Again, I had fun playing with my cousins. They are very special to me.

At the anniversary celebration on Saturday, my four cousins paid tribute to their parents. Their remarks are impossible for me to record here, but let me say, they were touching and memorable. From one of them I learned only 2% of married couples make it to 60 years of marriage. Aunt Ginny and Uncle Allan attributed their long marriage to the commitment they made years ago. They have been wonderful role models for us. Once again, Happy Anniversary Aunt Ginny and Uncle Allan!

Autumn Is In the Air

We have been having what I consider perfect weather since Saturday. The humidity is gone, and the temperatures are in the upper 60's and lower 70's. It's nice to wear a sweater again, and to ride in my new car with the sun roof slanted open just a bit. Now, if only this would last until around December 15th! Is that asking too much?

The Last Seven Days

The last seven days have been full to the top! No wonder I'm tired today. Here's a recap:

• Friday: drove to Branson, Missouri, with Aunt Liz, Pat, Janet, and my sister-in-law, Donna. This trip took us 14 1/2 hours - a trip that usually takes my friends Jim & Lil 9 hours - reason being we have more needs and probably more interests. Also, we got on a wrong highway in Kansas City and ended up in a big traffic jam due to an overturned tanker.
• Saturday: walked over a mile in Lil's beautiful neighborhood, including touring two new model homes. In the afternoon we went to see Noah, the Musical, which is a fabulous portrayal of the Biblical story. After going to a pizza place for supper, we went to the show, The Haygoods, which features a family of seven who sing and play various instruments. It was very enjoyable.
• Sunday: we went to church with Jim & Lil and spent the rest of the day at their home - visiting, eating, and singing, and capped off the day watching a very nice fireworks display from across the lake. Also, this was Hans' 40th birthday, so I called him and we got to chat for a little bit. He was a bit distracted due to unpacking things from their move.
  
• Monday: this was mostly a repeat of Friday, only we made it home in 13 1/2 hours, shaving off an hour. I'm trying to decide if I'm a candidate for long car trips in the future.
• Tuesday: back to work. Since I had been off on Friday, I had tons of emails and other work to do. I ended up working nearly 9 hours.
  
• Wednesday: after working all day, I went to choir rehearsal.
• Thursday: after once again working all day, I went to a pot-luck supper at a friends' home where we watched the Vikings take another licking by the Saints. On the way home, a loosely capped jar of bread & butter pickles spilled inside a cloth bag on the floor in my new car. I knew right away I was smelling vinegar, but couldn't stop on the highway.
  
• Today: I took my car to a car wash where they shampooed the removable carpet mat. The pickle problem is solved. I'm going to clean Peppi's cage in a few minutes.
  
• Tomorrow: I'm going to a big neighborhood garage sale that's held annually in a very nice neighborhood. Pat is going with me, and Sarah may join us there. Should be fun.
  

Blog Neglect

My cousin never updates her blog. It's disgusting. She's a lot of fun, does unusual things almost every day - funny you don't read about her in the New York Times. Anyway, she's sitting beside me, and I'm pestering her to update her blog. The last time she wrote was back in March. With such an active, fun, interesting life, wouldn't you think she'd want to share it? If you want to egg her on, leave a comment on my blog, and I'll be sure she sees it.

Don't Try to Take the Light Rail Tonight!

Tonight for the first time in history, both the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Vikings will be playing in downtown Minneapolis. The reason this has never happened before is because until this year, both teams have shared the same facility. They are anticipating 100,000 will be coming to these games tonight, which are only about 7 or 8 blocks from each other. Add to that, the performance of Wicked, at one of the downtown theaters. They expect 4,000 patrons to attend that event. And that's not all - the Minnesota Gophers are also playing in Minneapolis tonight. Do you think that's a a lot? Well, there's one more big event transpiring in the twin cities - the Minnesota State Fair. The fair is known to have the largest attendance in the United States for a 10 day event. Just yesterday, 175,000 folks passed through the gates of the fair.

Which one am I attending? None. BUGGIE and I are settled in for the night. If I weren't leaving for Branson in the morning, I might be tempted to venture out for one of these.