Felix has an overnight at Grandma D's!

So Felix is spending the night with me and he has been so much fun! We played with Legos, cars, put together a puzzle, watched a couple of "Little Lulu" cartoons (yes, he was enjoying it, Peder). Then he spent some time running around in my back yard. When we finished the puzzle, I told him I wanted to take a picture of him, but he was disagreeable. That is until I told him he could take a picture of me. Well, that was a  hit. We kept taking turns taking photos of each other.. Here is a sampling:

He said he was taking a picture of my shirt. :-)

This is the puzzle we put together.

Felix took this photo of his cars

Felix took a photo of my pie safe.

We ate dinner at Broadway Pizza. Much to the delight of Felix, they had a train that ran on a track near the ceiling. He couldn't get over it.

While Felix loved the train, I loved the light fixture over the table. And the pizza was delicious!

Our office building is undergoing huge changes

As I mentioned a few entries ago, our office building was purchased a couple of weeks ago. The new owners are planning to use the majority of the office space in the lower level, so there is a lot of remodeling going on. More than a week ago I began packing up my cubicle where I have "lived" for over 13-1/2 years.

After several trips to the opposite end of our office with box after box, and my many plants, I got moved into my temporary space:

This new (temporary) space is considerably larger than my previous office. I'm not really unpacking  much because I will be moving again in about a month. There are twelve in our office who will be moving to new locations. Two of us will be moving twice - Stacey and me. I'm fine with that.

Last Wednesday a dumpster was delivered to our building and as of this afternoon, it is well past the top, with more to be piled on to it by tomorrow's pick-up time. It's actually been a good chance for things that have been stowed away for years to be tossed out—old files, film, folders, and things such as typewriters and Dictaphones! (Don't worry, Heidi, they were disposed of properly.)

Friday afternoon the cubicles that were vacated were dismantled. Monday morning steel framing took their place, and today, some sheet rock was added.

My former cubicle being dismantled

This is the location of my former cubicle with steel supports being installed.

Here's the location of my old cubicle. Sheet rock was added later today. Our office manager will be moving into this space once it is completed.

I'll update more in a few days. Having the camera in my new iPhone is coming in handy!

I have entered the 21st century!

Today I entered the 21st century. I bought an iPhone! This was a big step for me, one I have been thinking about for the past two years or so. The nice people at the Sprint store were so helpful. One of them even agreed to type a message for me while I watched. It went like this:

                                                        "This is my first text. Mom"

It was addressed to Heidi and Peder. As I was telling her what to type, my voice broke up. I was crying when I said, "Mom." I told her it was emotional for me and she sweetly chuckled. 

I will have a lot to learn, but my good friends at work are all so anxious to help me. One benefit I look forward to is communicating with my grandkids in the coming years.

Flowers

This morning I watered my plants which I think are so pretty this summer. Then I came indoors and sat in one of my porch chairs. I was sitting there admiring them and enjoying the beautiful morning, when suddenly a hummingbird flew up to the hanging impatiens. She (I think it was a female since she was drab in coloring) poked her beak into one of the flowers and then must have spotted me because she flew away. What a thrill this was! Perhaps she and others feast off my flowers when I'm at work, but I'm so glad I got to see this one today.

My Birthday

Yes, another birthday crept up on me. They sure come quickly! My first celebration was last Friday night in Rochester with my brother, sister and cousin Pat. Jerry took us out to eat at a nice restaurant. Following our dinner, the waitress brought a birthday dessert to our table (on the house). It was 3 large, warmed brownies, topped with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream and real whipped cream. Thankfully, this was served with four spoons. It was very yummy. 

On Sunday, my birthday, my friends and I traveled out to Waconia—a small town 30 miles west of downtown Minneapolis—to Lola's, which is on Lake Waconia. It was a gorgeous day, and we had a nice view of the lake. Our food was very good, and it was fun to get together again. It had been quite a while since we had had a birthday gathering—last November!

No, this isn't my car. It was parked outside the restaurant, so – why not? A little photo of me standing next to it won't harm anyone.

L to R: Laurey, yours truly, Nancy, Bonnie, and Debra. These are some of my dear friends.

On Monday, my co-workers gave me a nice party, complete with home-made chocolate cake and home-made fudge icing, plus ice cream. They gave me a beautiful arrangement of fresh flowers, too. It was a fun time, reminiscing of my first week at our company. That was over 13 and a half years ago.

When I got home from work, I had a package in my mail box. I could tell from the mailing label it had come from Hans' family in Japan. I opened the box to find greeting cards—one from each of them, and then I opened this beautiful Kokeshi doll. [Double click on the photos to enlarge them.]

She has the image of Hans' destroyer engraved just under the torii gate. On the back is an engraved Japanese and American flag. I will treasure her!

Nels thought the box was for him!

Over the weekend, I heard from all of my kids, and even got "Happy Birthday" sung to me by Marshall and my Aunt Ginny. I'm grateful for another year!

Jerry and Janet's new home

Friday Pat and I drove down to Rochester to help my brother and sister in getting settled into their new home. They moved last week to a one-level town home just a block away from their previous home.

Six weeks ago about right now—5:15 pm—a driver made an illegal turn and plowed into my sister's car, sending her to the hospital in an ambulance and totalling her car. She sustained a broken ankle, broken ribs, and a fractured sternum. After 5 days of hospitalization, including surgery to stabilize her ankle, and a couple of weeks of rehabilitation in a dreary nursing home, she went home to live in 3 rooms of their four level town home, dependent on a wheelchair and family and friends to bring food and help her shower and change clothes.

While she was in the nursing home, my brother signed papers for the purchase of a new home, one that would eventually make their lives easier. And then the fun began—sorting, clearing out, and packing possessions.

A little over a week ago the majority of their things were taken to their new residence, much of it being parked temporarily in their garage. A little path was created so they could come and go, and begin the process of emptying the cartons and finding a place for everything.

With the help of Jerry, Pat, Keith, Deborah, Annika, Chad and I, we got the majority of it unpacked and put in its new home. Oh, Janet did what she could, too, though that is not easy when being bound to a wheelchair. Here a few photos of their new home.

Jerry, taking a break in their new dining room

Janet has beautiful dishes and it was fun to display them in their handsome Amish made hutch.

The American flag on the top on this pie safe was earned by Jerry and was awarded him when he retired from the US Navy. He served 21 years!

After Annika helped unpack carton after carton of dishes, she earned a well deserved break to play with the American Girl dolls. Annika is Deborah's sweet daughter.

A visit to see where Laura Ingalls Wilder was born

Saturday I went along with Peder, Aurelia, Felix and Leo to the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum in Pepin, Wisconsin. I believe that route is the second prettiest part of Minnesota – down highway 61 from Red Wing to Wabasha. No matter the time of year, it is always a gorgeous sight.

After stopping at McDonald's for lunch and the Nelson's Creamery for dessert (ice cream cones), we made it to Pepin. First off we found a park where the kids could run around a bit.

Leo and Aurelia on the merry-go-round

Next to the park there was a railroad museum. Since it was free, we opened the door and were very pleased to see a sweet, little old woman who was the volunteer. Her story of how the little depot was rescued was really interesting. She is the lone survivor of those who saved it. I think she thought my grandkids were pretty special because she gave each of them a baggie full of tootsie rolls. We spent a nice amount of time looking around and then headed out for the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum. 

(Double click on this photo to enlarge it)

Aurelia looks so sweet in a Laura Ingalls hat.

Part of the museum had an interactive area. This was the one room schoolhouse. I pretended to be the teacher and asked if anyone had a question. I was pleased to see them participate. 

Leo in the museum kitchen. This reminded me of my Great Aunt Ett's kitchen.

Aunt Ett and Uncle Johnny

One of the great memories from my childhood was visiting our Great-aunt Ett and Great-uncle Johnny Owens who lived in Butternut—a tiny community of 3 or 4 houses and a creamery. These were our "Laura Ingalls Wilder" relatives because they didn't have electricity or running water, and yet Aunt Ett made the most delicious meals with her wood-burning cook stove. It was always an adventure going to their home.

Groundcherry sauce

I remember coming into their house from the back door, entering the kitchen and seeing Aunt Ett pumping water from the little handle on the island in the center of the kitchen. She was elderly and stooped over, with deep creases in her face. Her gray hair, which was probably very long, was wrapped into a bun at the back of her head. She would be wearing a print dress with an apron and walked with the aid of a walker. A home-made pie would be sitting on the counter. Often she would ask my sister to pick out a jar of pickles from her pantry to go along with our lunch. There would be canned jams, jellies, and ground cherry sauce in there, too. Next to the pantry was a gun cabinet. My Uncle Johnny once let me shoot his BB gun at his pigs. I suppose he had no worries because the BBs couldn't penetrate their thick skin, and I probably had rotten aim.

Uncle Johnny was a short, thin man, with a generous smile. I don't remember his occupation, but I know he raised a few pigs. He had an old car - a model A or a model T, which was usually stored in the garage. We kids would peek in the garage window to have a look at it, but had to be careful where we stepped because there were times when snakes were spotted in the ferns that grew around the outside of the building.

One of our favorite things to play with was the two steel-wheeled cart. My brother pulled us around the yard on its flat bed. In their living room there was an upright piano and a typewriter which sat on a typewriter table. They let us play with both of these. What a treat that was!

The bedroom had a thick curtain which served as a door. We were allowed to put our coats on the bed, but then we were told to come out. I think there may have been an upstairs, but that was out of bounds.

These simple, dear relatives are no longer around, but oh, how I wish they were. My kids missed out on seeing how these hardworking folks lived and loved. By the way, one of their grandsons went on to become one of our Navy's admirals. He is retired Admiral William Owens.

Happy Birthday, Heidi!

I'm home now—got in this afternoon—after a wonderful time with Heidi and her family. This was an unusual time for me in Seattle since Heidi and Chad were in the middle of a move to a new house when I arrived. It worked out well, however, because I was able to help with the kids so that Chad and Heidi could do some things at the old house.

I really enjoyed playing with Marshall and getting to know Corinne better. Here are some of the photos I took.

This was Chad's birthday dessert: a strawberry/rhubarb buckle. His birthday is July 11.

Heidi created these beautiful blown glass bowls. The fur tree was carved from a large chunk of a sequoia tree. She asked for the chunk after the homeowner took the tree down. It was on her walking route. 

Family photo of Heidi holding Corinne, Marshall, and of course, Brian. 

Marshall enjoying Heidi's chocolate birthday cake.

Stuff

I can't recall a time when so many people were moving—many of them "down-sizing," leaving a home with several bedrooms and multi-levels, to homes with only a couple of bedrooms and all on one level. Most of them are in my age bracket, and thus have accumulated years of "stuff." Like me, their closets are stuffed, their dresser drawers are stuffed, the garage is stuffed, the kitchen cabinets are stuffed. When did we gather so much stuff?

Last year, when my cousin Pat was going through my Aunt Liz's stuff, my cousin Linda, my sister and I sat in chairs as she opened box after box, deciding what to keep; what to discard. At that time I went home with some "stuff" – really nice things, but where was I going to put them? Then a couple of months ago, at another "cousins weekend," Pat brought out more boxes and bins of "stuff." Again, I brought things home. Do you want to know the truth? I have yet to unpack these treasures because I have no room. My closets and hutch are stuffed.

In early May, my girlfriend Bonnie's dear 94 year old mother passed away. Bonnie, whose home is already stuffed, had to make big decisions about what to do with her mother's things. By the way, her mother's home was also stuffed. Bonnie offered her mom's TV to me. I thought about taking it, but felt so guilty about having more than one TV. Well, I took it and now have 2 TVs - one in my cottage and one in my bedroom. I'm actually enjoying it. I also took a beautiful china plate, a darling figurine w/music box, and a beautiful pear paperweight. These latter items I was able to put to use right away.

So now my friend Laurey is moving to a smaller home – she's downsizing. A few weeks ago she gave me a beautiful bird bath. I had no problem using this since it sits outside my porch. She also offered me about 40 movies—some still in the original wrapping. Well, I took about 25 of them. I know, my movie library shelves are already stuffed, but I couldn't resist! This past Saturday I went to her home to help her sort through things. Again, I came home with more stuff: pastel chalks, a couple of children's books, a darling bedroom lamp, and a teddy bear. I could have had more. She offered me a treadmill that has hardly been used. I declined. Where would I put it? She also offered me a GORGEOUS hard rock maple bedroom set. It has two lovely dressers, a beautiful maple framed mirror, a night stand, and a matching head and foot board to a double bed. I couldn't use the head/foot board, but the others pieces would have been beautiful in my bedroom. That was Saturday. I had to let her know by Monday night and move the furniture out by tomorrow. The decision was overwhelming to me: how would I be able to empty my dressers, arrange for a truck to pick up my pieces and deliver them to charity, and then go to Laurey's home to pick up the furniture and bring it to my home? I declined. Someone is going to get a beautiful bedroom set. Lucky them!

Now my brother has bought a new house—all on one level. Prior to moving, he and my sister will have to get rid of a bunch of "stuff." Lord, help me so I am not tempted to bring home even one thing from their home!

Seeing what my family and friends are going through, I have begun to get rid of some of my stuff. So far, I have cleaned out three dresser drawers. I threw some things away, shredded some paperwork, and have a bag of things to take to charity. It's a start!

My Big Toe

[This is not my foot—merely an example of what mine looked like this morning.]

It seems I can't go a full year without some sort of problem with my feet. Nine months ago I had a toe nail removed on my big toe due to an ingrown toe nail. That new nail is nearly full grown, and as of last week, it was getting painful. By yesterday, the area around one side of the nail was a vibrant pink. This morning it was red. Thankfully, my podiatrist had an opening today so she was able to look at the toe and evaluate it. The new nail is growing a bit curly - and thus, there isn't enough room for it. After numbing the toe, she removed a sliver of nail about 1/8th inch wide and then applied acid to the area, killing the possibility of any new nail growing in that area and thus allowing more room for the nail. She said it is 98% fool proof.

I'll be soaking it twice a day for the next six weeks, applying a medication to the area, and finally covering it with a couple of band-aids. The Novocaine has yet to wear off, so it's feeling fine.

Wedding Bells – 50 Years Ago

50 years ago this evening, I was walking down the aisle to be married to Steve. It was a beautiful wedding with my sister and Steve's sister standing up for me. Steve's brother and cousin, Mike, stood up for him. My cousin John was my page boy and carried my train. Our good friend, LeRoy sang a solo, as did I, and our home-town church organist, Irene, played the organ. My Aunt Liz and Aunt Ginny, plus others, had a big hand in helping me get ready—baking, frosting, and bagging the groom's cake—cherry devil's food.

That was a long time ago—a half century—and while we didn't live together happily ever after, we are friends, and share 3 amazing kids and 8 adorable grandchildren. We now share this day with our son, Peder and his wife, Sarah, as they had their "surprise" wedding on this same date, 9 years ago. Happy Anniversary, Peder and Sarah!

Voicemail

For the past six or more years, I have had voicemail from my telephone provider. It has been very nice, allowing me to save messages for years. I have many precious ones—Annika when she was about two years old. I could hear Rachel in the background telling her to leave a message and sweet little Annika says, "But she's not talking to me." I have some from Josiah thanking me for sending him Sir Topham Hatt and hearing him say, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I have some from Heidi and Hans telling me "Happy Birthday, Mom," and "Happy Mother's Day!" There are some from Rachel who was just checking in. There's one from Aurelia asking me to go to supper with her. And I'll always love the one of Hans calling to tell me William has been born. But the one I really don't want to loose is from my Aunt Liz. I cherish it. Next week I will loose the messages because I am changing my carrier. What to do? Today I called my sister and brother to see if one of them has a tape recorder. Luckily Janet has one and is going to loan it to me so I can play the messages on my speaker phone and record them.  [I already checked with Centurylink to see if they can record them for me. No such luck.] I think my grand kids will think it's fun to hear their voices when they were so young.

There are letters, emails, and text messages (not yet from me), that are nice to read. But for me, there is nothing like hearing the voice of my loved ones.

Farewell, Uncle Allan

Today our family gathered at the cemetery in Lake Crystal for a burial service of my Uncle Allan's ashes. He passed away February 12th of this year. This is the same cemetery where my grandparents on my mother's side of the family are buried. We took this opportunity to put flowers on their graves.

Uncle Allan and Aunt Ginny's kids, my cousins: Dave, Linda, Diane, and John

My maternal grandfather's grave.

Pat graciously dug the holes for our red geranium plants. This grave is my maternal grandmother's.

Jerry, Linda, Janet, Pat and I standing at our maternal great grandfather's grave. Nels immigrated from Sweden, coming by ship and settling in Minnesota where he met and married our grandmother Valinda.

Ellie, John's wife, with Pudge

Cousin Linda; Pat with Aunt Ginny

Jerry with Dave and his wife, Cheryl

Dave, Diane's husband, with granddaughter Hazel

My darling first cousin, twice removed, Hazel

Preparing for the picnic. Our family has had multiple picnics at this park.

Dave, holding his darling grandson, Vance (Hazel's baby brother)

Remember the cousins' slumber party this past weekend? An idea came up that Pat could/should create a "gift" bag for Aunt Ginny and each of her kids. This is our cousin Dave opening up one of his treasures. This was really fun!

Here's Diane inspecting one of her gifts.

Was John pleased with this jug? Yes, I think so.

My cousin Diane holding her precious granddaughter, Hazel

L to R: Jerry, Pat, Janet, Dave, Linda, Diane, John and yours truly