blind?

So on Thanksgiving day I open the door at my daughter in laws mothers house and my 6 year old grand daughter takes me by the hand and says "let me help you up the stairs, grandma, now that you are blind" BLIND? hmmmmmm. Simone had heard only part of a converstaion that her mother had with someone and this is the story she told her older sister - "Grandma got poked in the eye and mom had to take her to the emergancy room and now she is blind in one eye?" So Janessa asked me what really happened. So this is MY story - at my last eye exam the dr. told me I had cataracts and he suggested I have them removed. So on November 22 my daughter in law took me to Bemidji to have the surgery. Dr. Shanfeld must be an early morning person because we had to be there at 6:50. He did the surgery on my right eye and we were home by 10:00. I had to go back for a post op the next day and again my daughter in law did the driving. I'm glad we had to go right away in the morning because the weather got kind of nasty and roads a bit slippery. The next ten days my eyes tried to cooperate with each other and didn't always succeed. Neither my regular glasses nor my music classes helped. I could see distances pretty good without any glasses but reading music was a challange. So yesterday when I went to see my PR eye doctor I said "help - I need to see my music" And he did by having me get a pair of reading glasses. So now I can see my music!!! Maybe I was a bit blind after all. I have the other eye done December 20.

Obviously not a deer hunter

One very foggy morning many years ago Lowell came into the house and announced "the horses are gone". At that time we had about 9 head - why? I don't know. So we loaded a saddle and a couple of pails of oats in the back of the pickup and started looking. We found them in the field just North East of us not far from home. When the horses heard the pickup they knew there would be oats in it so it wasn't hard for Lowell to catch Smokey and put a saddle on him. As he started across the field with all the horses following him it suddenly occurred to him that it was OPENING DEER SEASON. So he put his head down by Smokey's ear, slapped him on the rump and said "Let's go". As he and all the horses galloped across the field toward home he was pretty sure there were several dear hunters annoyed with him.

Sky pictures

I've been noticing the sunsets lately - more than I usually do. So I've taken a lot of picture. Here is one that I edited with 2 different setting.

 

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Fences

 

Lowell fixing fence in September 1956 to keep a small boy (Randy) contained in the yard. I think we did something with fences almost every year that we were married. We had woven wire fences; wooden fences; electric fences and fences made of steel gates. We made new ones; fixed old ones; changed fences and took up fences. We used wooden posts; steel posts and electric posts. We even made a post from woven wire filled with rocks. We used fences for sheep, cows, calves and horses. I don't think Lowell ever threw away a fence post. I learned how to straighten electric fence posts but didn't have enough strength to pound the steel posts straight but I could tell someone how to do it.

When we lived in Austin, MN we had 1 1/2 acres and of course had horses and a fence. The night before we moved a neighbor asked us what we were going to do with the fence - Lowell asked him if he wanted to buy it to which the neighbor said "no". So after my brothers' pick up was loaded with the rest of the household goods he and Lowell took up the fence. It took them 'tll midnight to get that job done and loaded on the pick up. For those of you who don't know about woven wire - it does not roll up tight like it was when new. I wish I had taken a picture but imagine this GMC red pick up loaded with household goods and a large roll of woven wire on top. And a neighbor standing in the middle of the field with no fence wondering what happened.

Sophie

Sophie loves being outside. She's discovered the squirrels that have taken up residence in the trees.

Voices

It had been two years ago last week that Lowell died and I was a little weepy driving to town one day and heard this song. We drove around quite a bit in our Ford pickup and many times he would say "Slow down, girl" or "your coming up to the stop sign too fast, girl" So after he died I almost always heard his voice when I drove the pickup.

VOICES by Chris Young
Some of You could say I'm a little bit crazy
You could call me insane
Walkin' 'round with all these whispers
Runnin' 'round here in my brain
I just can't help but hear 'em
Man, I can't avoid it

I hear voices
I hear voices like
My dad sayin' work that job
But don't work your life away
Mama tellin' me to drop some cash
In the offering plate on Sunday
And granddad sayin' you can have a few
But don't ever cross that line
Yeah I hear voices all the time

Turns out I'm pretty dang lucky
For all that good advice
Those hard to find words of wisdom
Holed up here in my mind
And just when I've lost my way
Or I got to many choices

I hear voices
I hear voices like
My dad sayin' quit the team
And you'll be a quitter for the rest of your life
Mama tellin' me to say a prayer
Every time I lay down at night
And grandma sayin' if you find the one
You'd better treat her right
Yeah, I hear voices all the time

Sometimes I try to ignore 'em
But I thank God for 'em
'Cause they made me who I am

My dad sayin' work that job
But don't work your life away
Mama tellin' me to drop some cash
In the offering plate on Sunday
And granddad sayin' you can have a few
But don't ever cross that line
Yeah I hear voices all the time
Yeah I hear voices all the time.

Then last summer I bought a GMC Jimmy and I don't hear his voice anymore.

Hands

My daughter had posted about her wedding and a picture of hers and Marks hands. I love those kinds of pictures and it reminded me of Lowell's and my "hand" picture. My that was a long time ago.

A cross stitch project

This was my spring project for the wedding of Janessa Wolff (my grand daughter) and Sam Green. I had done a smaller version of this for myself several years ago and I love looking at it. It hangs above my kitchen sink. So I thought it was the perfect gift for Janessa and Sam.

 

I finally finished the crochet project that I started last Spring. I enjoyed crocheting this and learn a lot. The main thing I learned was that I should have crocheted all 5 panels BEFORE I cross stitched on them. It would have been easier to count the squares. But all in all I'm pleased with it.

Grandpa and Grandma Duncan

These pictures were taken in the backyard of my Grandpa and Grandma Duncans house. (my dad's parents). Grandpa built the fireplace-I think this might have been the first patio in Redwood. I loved roasting marshmallows with Grandpa. I would do what most kids do - become impatient and have a flaming missile (makes me think of that Denise the Menace movie). Grandpa would patiently show how to make a golden roasted marshmallow but it took too long. Grandma loved her flowers. On both sides of the bridge were lily ponds with gold fish in them. Grandpa built the bridge, birdbath and a lamp post the worked that you don't see, out of rocks he collected. Her specialty was dahlias - they were huge and she would save the bulbs from year to year-the goldfish lived in their basement during the winter. I remember the goldfish as being very big and we (grand kids) would feed them oatmeal. Beyond the bench was a hammock where I spent quite of bit of time. I loved that back yard!

Music stuff

Tomorrow night begins our last 4 days of rehearsals before our opening night (Friday)of Godspell. It will be an interesting esperience. First of all we are in the Century school (middle school) instead of the high school because of the repairs being done. In the HS we always had a small orchestra that played "in the pit" so we couldn't really see what was happening onstage. The Century School doesn't have a pit so I can actually watch the rehearsal and performance. Our music ensemble consists of guitar, drums and bass and myself on keyboard. Again different. Here are a few pictures of rehearsals and the set as well as the inprovised seating area. I enjoy the rehearsal and performances of our operas but I'm always glad when they are done. Since there is so much music I have to be there every night from 6 - 10. Music is fun to play although somewhat challenging because a lot of it is jazz/rock. But I'm learning. Come if you can. Performances are July 30, 31,
August 1(3:00), 5,6,7

Storm clouds

Here are some pictures of storm clouds coming mostly from the north.

Pictures around my house

Hannah's graduation

This scrapbook design customized with Smilebox

Forlorn and waiting .......

This barn has housed sheep, cows, calves, horses, geese and pigs - lots of pigs.
When Lowell bought and sold feeder pigs he would usually use the pickup and buy anywhere from 10 to 20 at a time and then they would be housed in this barn until he had enough to load a 2 ton truck to take to a feeder pig market (once a week). One year we had 10,000, yes, 10,000 pigs go through this barn and we didn't lose any! I think the reason we didn't lose any was because after each load of pigs went out one of us - usually one of the kids - would hose down the floor so that it would be clean for the next bunch of pigs. Lowell was very carefull so that the pigs wouldn't get sick.
One very cold winter we farrowed out several bunches of babies. We divided the barn using old carpeting and tarps so that we could keep the heat by the sows. And we used heat lamps. That was hard work and we decided we wouldn't do that again in the winter. But it was fun watching the baby pigs and educational for the kids. My favorite breed of pigs was the duracs.
So now the barn stands empty waiting for new windows and doors. And maybe another generation raising calves and maybe pigs. But it wont be me :)

Easter remembered

It seems that Palm Sunday was "celebrated" more when I was a girl than it is now -- Although I don't remember specifics except that we sometimes had our choir contata on Palm Sunday.
We had a communion service on thursday night and on Good Friday most of the churches participated in a 2 hour service. Each pastor had 20 minutes with a hymn beginning and ending each section. People were free to come and go as they pleased although when it was at our church I was there for the two hours since I was organist. I never minded because it was interesting to listen to each pastor talk on the particular scripture he was given. Oh and ALL the stores closed for those 2 hours.

My non church memories include the many Easter dinners we had at my Aunt Beth's home. She was my mother's sister. We all lived in the same town so it was easy to get together which we did often. Aunt Beth loved to intertain. Since there were quite a few of us she had to have several tables . Everyone had their own place setting including a bread and butter plate, a finger bowl, salad plate, several forks, knives and spoons, water glass - even our own salt and pepper shakers. There was so much food: different kinds of meat, vegetables, salads, and many desserts. Mashed rutabagas was the one dish that neither my dad or I liked. Each family would bring colored eggs and after the dishes were done and food put away we (the kids) would go Easter egg hunting. I suppose the adults hid them but I don't remember. Even after I married and had kids we often went to to Aunt Beth's for Easter. It then became my age group to hide the eggs. She tried one more time when my kids had kids to have a big Easter dinner. It was still very good food but it was too much for her. So that tradition ended.

I wish I had - - - - -

Today is Lowell's birthday - the 2nd one without him. I'm getting used to my single life but I find myself "wishing I had"
1. Told him I loved him - more
2. Went with him on the truck - more
3. Talked with him - more
4. Went camping with him - more
5. Held his hand - more
6. Listened to him - more
7. Went on driving excursions with him - more
8. Had a chance to love him - more

Ollie

Ollie, my little dog was attached by a BIG dog last week. This big dog lives down the road and seems to be able to roam the neighborhood at will. He and a another dog friend make regular rounds and I have had to scare them off my yard a few times. Before I realized they were around one of the bit Ollie. I didn't think it was real serious at first because Ollie ran into the house but when I tried to pick her up she cried and snapped at me. Saturday I took her in to the vet and he discovered she had 3 punctures. One of them quite serious and she was terribly bruised. So the vet cleaned the sores, gave her a shot and sent me home with some pills. Today she is pretty much back to normal although you can still see the sore. He suggested I shoot these dogs with bird shot. Hmmmmm. I wouldn't know what gun to use or how to use it -- maybe David can show me when he gets home. So now when I let my dogs out I look around to make sure these big dogs are not on the yard. It's most annoying.