Picnic at the Farm--A Story in Pictures

Jim was raised as a farm kid.  On this farm to be exact.  Jim's dad sold it in 1980 when he retired, but got it back later in the '80s when so many farmers suffered in an economic downturn and some lost their land.  It has been rented to the same people ever since.  

We could sell it, the renters want to buy it, but I feel rather rich to own land.  It harks back to how our country was developed, by people who went out to farm the land.  

Over the years Jim and I have come out together and with the kids to get wood.  Nathan had an airsoft gun/birthday party out here.  It's a good place for target practice, four-wheeling and adventuring.

It's a good place for remembering, too.  The house has been moved into town, and we hope to use it oftener as a picnic ground.

There are two ways to come into this place.  Coming in on the north side we have to be more careful after the corn is planted.  That way also fords a creek so we can't go that way in very wet weather.

The south side means travelling 3/4 mile over hilly pasture land to the creek, full cow trails to bump over.

We set up camp under a tree down in a little valley next to the creek and started a fire for our hamburger and brat supper.  We were going to have hot dogs too, but I forgot them.

We brought a little civilization along with us. 

As everybody knows (or should know) the fire has to die down to coals before we can cook anything on it so we had play time and snack time first.

Potato chips.

Watermelon. 

More watermelon. 

Roasted marshmallows.

And butterfinger bars. 

My kids ate so many of those growing up, and now the next generation is enjoying them, too. 

Zane thought the whole place was great for adventuring.  As long as he kept in shouting distance, we let him go.  

Making marshmallow sticks 

Four Wheeling

Eventually we ate...

The men (and some of the women) shot at targets and pop cans.

...And then we gathered around the fire to wait for the storm to come. 

Too bad we couldn't get both smiles on one photo.

Dreaming of someday.

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Busy Days

What a day, what a week this has been!

Now, if I can remember it. 

I did a lot of things this week including finishing two rag quilts, throw size, putting them in the washer to fray them and ruining the pump.  

You think I would learn.  Sigh.

So, I have been doing no laundry most of the week, which came to a crisis this evening necessitating a visit to the laundromat so Jim has jeans and we both have underwear for the morrow.  

I thought we could make it but the weekend and holiday intervened and the new pump didn't come in today.  It will come in tomorrow.  

I celebrated getting those quilts done (before the pump died) by cleaning my sewing area and getting all my mending and altering done and starting to repair a quilt top I found in my grandma's quilting things after she died.  

Cute pincushion handmade and given to me by a dear friend. 

I've been weeding in my flower gardens and not knitting because my wrist has been hurting.  We have been restructuring our flower gardens to reduce the size. I haven't been able to keep up.  We got the first stage done yesterday. 

It's been raining about everyday.  Not very much, but enough to put a damper on any outside plans.  I made a plan for our family to meet at the farm to have a picnic on Memorial Day.  The weather report showed chances of rain and storms for every day through the weekend.  I remembered then that anytime I ever make plans for Memorial Day it rains, so I wasn't too sure if we would end up with a picnic at the farm or in my living room.   

When I was a kid we went to put flowers on the graves of my dad's family.  It turned into a mini family reunion/picnic in the town where my dad grew up.  It wasn't a tradition in my mom's family or in Jim's.  We go up to his folk's graves every few years when it's not raining.  The most successful time we had was when we decided in the morning, "Let's go pick some flowers and run up to Broken Bow." And we did.  It was cloudy that day, but it wasn't raining. 

So, I spent a lot of time getting ready for that picnic, cooking and packing because we were going to a place with no running water, no power, and 45 minutes from home.  

I forgot several things, including the hotdogs, a long handled turner, something to serve the burgers and brats, plastic ware, napkins and cups, relish, ranch dressing and heavy duty rags.

I did have plates, paper towels, water (for washing and drinking), and a son and a daughter that left later than we did and was able to bring the things I remembered, which was the table service.

We duct taped the dessert server to marshmallow skewer/roaster thingy so we could turn the burgers.

I looked up what to call the things you roast marshmallows on, and one site just calls it a stick, metal, wood whatever, a stick. 

We had perfect weather and and we had a really good time.  We kept watch on the weather, which meant someone walking to the top of the hill or standing on the cab of the pickup.  As it got later, we packed most everything up.  When the dark clouds started rolling in at sunset, we packed up the rest and drove home.  I'm going to do another blog post for that day because I have lots of photos I want to use.  

I thought I would put one on here from the day for everyone's entertainment. 

A Little Bit Squirrelly

It is still Tuesday, but I nearly forgot to blog.  

I had a busy weekend.  We attended funerals both Saturday and Sunday.  One was far enough away we spent a night at my folks in order to get there in time.  

I didn't know these people terribly well, but I knew the ones they were connected to.  

When Jim's father died, the family went out after the rest of the congregation filed past the casket.  I was moved by all those who came to stand by at that time.  

The funeral isn't for the dead, it's for the living.  

And I want to be there for them, whenever I can. 

So, then I was busy after we came home, unpacking, getting small projects done, working in the flower garden, potting the plants we bought on our trip and buying more when I didn't have enough.  

There was grocery shopping and knitting group today.  

And laundry.  And cooking.  And office work. 

I'm glad when I feel like working and get lots done.

I went to see what photos were lying in wait in my camera to use in this week's blog and I had this one of Barry and I taken especially because I have photos with the other boys (see last week's blog).

We like to watch the birds come to this new feeder that our son got Jim for his birthday.  However, the squirrels like it too.  I watched him scamper down a thin branch close to the feeder, lean over and hop on.  So, Jim cut off the branches.  Today I saw him climb down the wire that the feeder hangs on.  I have also seen the grackles chase this squirrel off the feeder and out of the tree. It doesn't deter this creature at all and the feeder is empty again. 

My daughter and her husband made an enormous batch of banana bread and we got some. 

Wasn't that nice?  And the package is so nicely decorated.  

I stole this photo from facebook.  I suppose it is really sharing since it is my daughter's photo and her kids.  When they are with me, I keep busy getting down toys and games for them, playing with them, feeding them, and all the other things that go with having small crazy people in the house, that I don't have time to take many photos. 

Library day. 

Quote of the Week:

"A parent's job is basically a daily struggle to help a crazy person stay alive."

Life Happens Everyday

May has been an extremely busy month and we are only half-way through.  We've had memorials, graduations, doctor's appointments, kids moving in and out, company, concerts, and birthdays. I'm also working on a knitting and a sewing project. And we had a garage sale. Besides, all this the people around here think they need to eat every day and have clean clothes so I still have to do all the rest of the usual life things.  

I decided there should be more photos of me out there so we have a few today.  

Zane, spring concert. 

Christian, birthday gifts from Auntie. 

Three years old. 

He still thinks he's my boy, and I love it.  

I just love this photo, who wouldn't? 

I think this boy had a pretty good haul. 

That C-boy of ours is a real sweetie at the moment.  Several of us chipped in for his big present, that kitchen set which he loves.  We have way too many dishes for our own kitchen set so I wrapped up some for Christian and handed him the gift when we got to their house.  

He took it and said, "This is for me?", just like he wasn't expecting presents.  

It melted my heart.  He was so happy and smiling and thankful for all his gifts.

There is another new thing going on in our house.  Jim has been suffering from plantar fasciitis for some months and the pain has become simply untenable.  So, we went to the doctor and besides the usual things like exercises, ice and painkillers (the first two aren't happening) and the unusual thing is the boot.  The idea behind the boot is to keep the foot straight so the muscle doesn't stretch and 

re-inflame.  In the few days he's had this boot it seems like it is making a difference, especially with the lack of sleep at night.  

However, his heel is some better and he is getting used to sleeping with the boot. 

Three and a Half Years

...and counting.

I went to Omaha today.  Not that it's such earth-shattering news since we go there about once a month.  This trip was to see my oncologist and (thankfully) get another examination and "come back in 6 months" report, because everything looks just fine.  I like this doctor.  He asks about a lot of other things that might be going on in my life and how I'm handling them, not just if I have any possible cancer recurrence symptoms.

This visit was different than all the other ones because the scope they use to look in my sinuses is now connected to a screen so the doctor is doing his work looking at the screen instead of through the scope.  I got a change to see what the inside of my sinuses looks like.  It looks like a great big hole.  I was interested in seeing what the condition of the skin looked like in there.  Since the radiation there it is rather unstable, slow healing skin.  

My doctor always has his PA or a resident examine me first.  I like this because they are always interested and bring up things I haven't thought about.  This one remarked that my mouth didn't open very wide.  I knew that of course, and it was brought home to me in a real way this month after my second mastoidectomy when the dental hygienist couldn't get the x-ray thingys in my mouth.  I could not open my mouth wide enough. The muscles have loosened up a little since then and it is better now.  When I went back again for the x-rays they got those things in with a lot of work.  My mouth didn't open wide enough to bite a banana before that last surgery, and after surgery it was worse.  I think it is going back to it's previous size, which still isn't very wide.  

Radiation damages muscles and creates scar tissue which makes those muscles tighter which is why my mouth doesn't open like it used to.  

There are so many things that change after having chemo and radiation.  They are really drastic treatments that can take away a lot of what you had before.  

The main thing it took from me is the cancer, and I can deal with the rest of it.  

I have a different body to deal with and some things are annoying and difficult, but I would still choose this over the alternative.  

Life is still full of many joys, not the least of which are three little boys.  

They love to feed the chickens.

Zane and tee-ball. 

It's Thursday Today

I'm sitting here in my favorite spot on the couch, blogging on Thursday and watching contractors tear part of the neighbors house apart.  

I have a good excuse for not blogging on Tuesday.  

I was in a rental crossover thingy driving to a memorial service 5 hours away with 3 grandkids and their mama.  

We would have taken this trip in my daughter's van except in the eleventh hour it decided it didn't want to go and we had to scramble for a new plan which resulted in the rental.

Those boys are really good travelers, only in the very last hour on the way home did they express their extreme tiredness of the trip.

I have more things to do this week than I can get done, literally.  Some things are just not going to get done and house-members and visitors are just going to have to adjust. 

I missed two days with this trip.  Lynette has moved home for two days to wash, sort and pack before she moves into her first apartment.  

I will want to see said apartment and perhaps take some photos.  

I have visitors coming this weekend (not for the whole weekend).

A garage sale is planned for next weekend.

A new month has started which means business bills need to be paid and accounts need to be balanced.

The basement is an absolute disaster with packing, sorting and garage sale mess (plus the normal mess that I was planning to take care of last winter) scattered around.

There is a denim quilt partly sewn that is lying on the floor in pieces.

Resting has to be done or I won't enjoy any of the rest of the week.

Meals have to be cooked, clothes need to be washed, all those little things that seem to roost on flat surfaces have to be put away.  

One guest room still needs to be put in order.

Today, then, I decide what are the most important things to do and what things will just have to wait.

As of right now, the rental is returned, the most important business stuff in taken care of.  The laundry is in.  Supper is leftovers.  

What is left to do is make a path through the basement and order the guest room.  

The rest of the things will get done as I have strength and time. 

Pictures for the week

 Early Mother's Day gift from my oldest daughter!

Barry picked out the lovely blue dish.

A glimpse into the neatest part of the basement with quilt and background of the play area.  

Blogging and resting are the same thing in my book.

Blogging on Wednesday (Instead of Tuesday)

 I forgot to blog on Tuesday.  

Of course, this blog is really being written for my convenience not readers so that shouldn't really matter.  I was supposed to be testing myself to see if I could hold to a schedule and since a couple weeks ago I blogged on Monday, and this week I'm blogging on Wednesday, that isn't working very well at the moment.  

All I remember about yesterday is that we were expecting an enormous storm that was going to blow us off the map, which thankfully didn't turn out to be as bad as it might have been and we just got rain.  2 inches overnight and another 0.40" today.  

I wasn't feeling very well that day either.  I think I knitted too much when I should have been up and doing.  

We've been doing some outside work.  Saturday, Jim and I cleaned up a little spot in back of the shop to finish his tree planting project.  I planted spinach and Jim planted another two rows of sweet corn.  It doesn't take very long the way he does it.  

I had the boys Friday for a bit and it was the most gorgeous day of the whole week.  I don't have very many photos.  Those boys keep me running so I don't have time to take any.  They played the whole time in our sand circle (where the pool used to be) while I pulled the weeds out of it.  We have a little sit-upon excavator toy and we didn't have any fights over it.  Luckily they all took turns with that, the sand, the rocks, the digger, and the 'heavy equipment', aka Tonka toys.  

Our apple trees are easy to climb and I wish I had a photo of Zane way up in the far apple tree.  Christian was so nearly into this one.

Barry was having so much fun just swinging.  Those are Barry's legs. 

And here comes Zane for his turn on this tree. 

I thought our new front step area would be a good place to take a photo of all this boys.  It is a good place and they were surprisingly compliant.  

I had the 'little boys' this morning since their mama had orientation for her Occupational Therapy Assistant program she starts in the fall.  Due to time constraints, and previous plans, I drove up to her place through the rain and after breakfast and a change of clothes, we drove back to Gramma's through the same rain and made a mess of the inside of the house instead of playing outside.  I can't remember one thing we did except get out the Fisher Price house, the Lincoln logs, the playmobil, the lego game, Blokus, and Outburst in-between drinking chocolate milk, roasting marshmallows in the fireplace and making pancakes for lunch.  I think Christian played with the house for a little bit and eventually they brought the doll strollers upstairs to push babies for two minutes, So, then we had to put all the un-played with toys away again when mama came.  

Thankfully, their disinterest in playing with the toys came before any of the boxes were dumped, so that wasn't a very big job.

It's supposed to rain some more this week.  

Time is too slow for those who wait, 

too swift for those who fear, 

too long for those who grieve, 

too short for those who rejoice, 

but for those who love...Time is ETERNITY