Don't like one answer, try someone else

June 11, 2002:  Missed hair appointment.  Hot weather.
June 12, 2002:  Nothing much happened.  Attended Book Club meeting -- read an article about the history of the flag to the group.
June 13, 2002:  Called Lois -- Myrtle still in hospital -- not sure how soon she'll be home.  Called Frances C.  She's moving in with Dana and wife.  Called Myrtle after dinner -- she doesn't know when she'll be home.  Has therapy every day.  Tom came for supper.  He did the laundry.  I showered and we played Rummikub.

Did Grandma not like Lois's answer to the question as to when Aunt Myrtle was coming home?  In all reality, it may have been that Lois thought Aunt Myrtle would know more later in the day, but it reads that Grandma maybe didn't like or trust her information and wanted to go to the top.

I think I can speak for the group and say that we had a grand time at Lois's yesterday for the 4th of July gathering.  Not as large a crowd as other years, but sometimes you get to visit better with people that way.  In any event, a fine time was had by all.  And cream pies were present.

Here's a photo from a 4th from the past.  I am thinking 1999 or thereabouts, but I am not sure.  Some were there, some were absent, and some are gone from us.

Grandma must have been worried

"July 20, 1995:  Howard to Dr. Patel -- took biopsy.  Raymond's took us to Toni's to eat.
July 21, 1995:  Pinochle at Ida's.  Gaylord's and Lee and Virginia N. here in the evening.
July 23, 1995:  Helen and I played Scrabble.  Bill here at noon -- Jayme was at music camp.
July 25, 1995:  Helen and I played Scrabble here.  John brought the stand for cassette tapes.  Raymond and Marina went to Elmer & Myrtle's."

I am thinking Grandma was worried about Grandpa's health, or very involved with company and cards and Scrabble, but I am positive we were up to Winside prior to July 25 to introduce Anna to the family, and there's been no entry by her about that.  Even if that date is incorrect, I have looked ahead in Grandma's journal and there's no mention of a visit prior to Anna's baptism in August and I know we were up before then.  But, I will forgive her the lack of a mention.

I imagine Mom remembers how ornery we were with the first Anna visit.  I hatched a plan and Rick dropped Anna and I off in St. Paul's parking lot and then he and Mitch rode down to Mom's.  We had to tell Mitch it was okay to tease Grandma this one time.  So, they get in the driveway and Mom comes out and Rick tells her that it was hot (which is was) and I was really tired so Anna and I stayed home.  Mom admits she told them in sullen tones to just come on in the house then.  By that time I was walking down the hill with Anna, so we didn't tease her for too awfully long.

Well, I thought I had a photo ready of Grandpa and Anna during the introduction visit and now I can't find it.  So instead, for no particular reason, here are Uncle Elmer and Grandpa living it up.

Outings and aboutings

"December 11, 1994:  To Lois and Gaylord's for dinner.  John's van wouldn't start so we had to use the Pontiac.  Just John, Helen, Howard and I were there.  Mark and Jeff, too.  Tom came late evening.

December 12, 1994:  Tom and I left at 7:00 for Sioux City.  Got to doctor's office before 9:00.  After examination and pictures of eyeball taken we ate at a Wendy's place.  Then Tom drove to the casino at Sloane.  Stayed about an hour -- won nothing -- back to doctor's office and then home.
December 14, 1994:  Went to WELCA Christmas dinner and program. Snowed during meeting."

Grandma got to go to the casino and Grandpa didn't?  Oh, the humanity.  I wonder if it was a spur-of-the-moment decision to go or if maybe they planned it and Grandpa just didn't feel like going out.  I know if I would have been there, I would have won nothing, also.

Here's a photo of Tom, thinking of something, I'm sure.  Probably not an outing to Sloane.

The sky is fixed

"October 4, 1994:  Gaylord and Mark worked in stairway evening.
October 8, 1994:  First sunny day in a week.  Past week cloudy, damp and cool.  About 3/4 inch of rain is all.
October 9, 1994:  Mark finished the ceiling in stairway.  Arlene P. in Wayne Hospital -- had a stroke last Thursday on way to Mullen." 

Interesting shorthand there for the 4th, but who am I to judge?  I have my little journal I have been keeping and I pity whoever tries to read it some time later.  For shame.

I don't know that I knew about Arlene's stroke.  Hate to hear of anyone having one of those.  Nasty business.  The fact that she was headed to Mullen makes me think of her son Mitch and then of course, also, my son Mitch.  So here's a picture of him yukking it up in Arizona.

The sky is falling.....fell, actually

"September 22, 1994:  Rained all day.
September 23, 1994:  About 4:00 this morning the plaster above the stairway came down.
September 24, 1994:  We went to Legion Hall for a pot-luck supper -- a surprise birthday part for Janet B. McCormick.
September 25, 1994:  Lois and Gaylord stopped in late p.m.  Gaylord said he and Mark would fix the ceiling.  We've had over 2 inches of rain since last Thursday."

I do remember seeing the big area of the stairway ceiling that fell down.  I'm pretty sure Grandma said it made quite the noise.  We were obviously thankful no one was using the stairs at the time.

I thought for sure I had a photo of Gaylord scanned and ready to go, but if I do, it's hiding from me.  So, Plan B is a photo of the house.  A note on the back indicated this was taken in 1925.  I will again state for the record that I liked the house this way, without the front porch addition that Grandma loved so much.  It's a point where we could not agree, not that I ever argued with her about it.

A fan of fans

"April 10, 1994:  Gaylord installed ceiling fan in living room.  Greta planted peas.
April 11, 1994:  Sprinkled and rained all afternoon.
April 12, 1994:  Snow during night and early morning.
April 13, 1994:  I served at WELCA."

Some people are not fond of ceiling fans anymore.  At least on the home makeover shows they are big on replacing them.  However, Grandma very much liked her new fan as I remember.  I can't that I blamed her for that.

Snow in mid-April.  I know it happens, but I am very much against the idea.

Speaking of the planting peas which puts me in mind of the garden obviously, is this a photo of the Hansen boys visiting?  I don't see any boys I don't think, but maybe the other people in the picture will provide a hint.

Grandma's birthday

"February 6, 1994:  Greta, Lester, Mary, Rick, Mitch, Gaylord, Lois, Mark, Nancy, John, Helen, Dale, Dane, Kyleah, Myrtle here for dinner.  Bob, Mary Lynne and Dorothy Jo here in p.m.  My birthday dinner.
February 8, 1994:  -20 degrees at night.
February 9, 1994:  Missed WELCA -- too cold and icy for me."

It's too cold and icy for me right now just thinking about -20 degrees.  I know it can happen every winter, but geesh!

The last sentence of the February 6 is written in a different ink.  Interesting that Grandma felt a need to write in her own journal an explanation for a family get-together.  Maybe she knew someone would be reading her stuff some day. 

Speaking of cold, here's this same winter photo I've used before.  Just a reminder of how much fun snow can be.  I also need a reminder to get more photos scanned . . .

Still in the hospital

"January 16, 1993:  Gaylord and Lois took Helen to Omaha.  John is at Clarkson Memorial Hospital in intensive care.  Doctor told Helen to go home -- she'd get sick too if she stayed.
January 17, 1993:  I called Nancy in a.m.  In p.m. she, Tom and Merilyn visited John.
January 20, 1993:  Snowed most of the day -- had 5 - 6 inches.  No wind to speak of so no drifts.  I was to have Busy Bees but meeting postponed until next month."

It was a rather tough spell for both Aunt Helen and Uncle John during these couple months.  To me such things seem even worse when they happen in the cold of winter.  Yikes.  I just realized that in a few days from this post I had my 31st birthday.  No wonder I can't remember some of this stuff -- that was eons ago.  31??  Heavens!

And just to make myself feel even older, here's a photo from high school where I was rockin' my red band uniform.  I loved that horn.  Even it is old now.  I need to go lay down and rest a bit . . .

Christmas party and doll feasting

"December 12, 1992:  Nancy, Mary and Mitch came this morning.  In p.m. to Lois and Gaylord's.  Those present were Elmer, Myrtle, Lois's family (Dana had to work and couldn't come), Joan, Monte, Bob, Mary, Irene, Dorothy Jo, John, Helen, Greta, Mary, Mitch, Nancy, Howard and I.  Before coming home we drove through the campus of the college to view the Day Christmas lights.
December 13, 1992:  Nancy carried down gifts, decorations, etc. from upstairs.  Started to snow about 10:30 or 11:00.  Nancy, Mary and Mitch headed for Lincoln a little before 1:00.  Nancy home and unpacked by 4:00.  The snow ended at Wisner and rain from then on to Lincoln.  We had 2 to 3 inches of snow."

Gosh.  Another entry for the family Christmas already?  Time flies when you post about three entries a day and when Grandma hadn't written something for each and every day to begin with.  I do remember our drive through the campus to look at the lights.  Mitch was at a good age to enjoy it which made it even more fun.

Here's a 1962 Christmas photo of me with a Christmas doll where I am trying to prove what a big mouth I have by completely swallowing its head.  The dress is long gone, but I do believe that is the same doll I have sitting on a shelf in my dining room right now.  I have always loved those type of glasses Mom is wearing.  I want some the next time I get frames.  Retro is in, right?

Busy, busy

"October 17, 1992:  Dane here in a.m.  Baked, etc. in p.m.  Went to German Dinner at auditorium in evening.
October 18, 1992:  Lois, Gaylord, Mark, Jeff, Nancy and Irene here for dinner.  Lois brought Irene.  Greta, Dane, Helen and John here in p.m.  Killing frost last night -- 20 degrees this morning.
October 20, 1992:  John and Helen took us to Pierce for flu shots -- no doctor there so couldn't get them.  Went on to Norfolk and visited Irene -- then to WalMart's and I bought a new Tappon microwave.  Charles J. plowed the garden."

A busy few days there between having guests and baking and going downtown and cooking a dinner and travelling and shopping.  No wonder Grandma didn't plow the garden herself -- too tired!

Since Aunt Irene got a couple of mentions, she gets to be featured in my Photo of the Day.  I have that wooden rack on my desk and it has a few birds on it.  One of the birds in the photo looks familiar -- I may have gotten it from her things or else I have one very similar.  I'm becoming a bit of a bird lover and bird collector myself as of late.

Hot and not-so-cold stuff

"August 15, 1992:  Lester took Raymond to Omaha this morning.  His flight left at 10:30.  Something's wrong with the refrigerator -- the ice cubes melted.
August 16, 1992:  Gene J. came at noon.  Need a new compressor!  Greta, Mary, Mitch and Rick here in p.m.  Gaylord and Lois came, too.  Gaylord brought Howard a wood burning stove."

This must be the wood burning stove that went in to the Honda House.  What a great addition that was!  Just ask any of the cats that used to hang out there.  It's hard to truly describe the Honda House to people.  It was a get-away, a club house, a tool room -- all kinds of things rolled in to one.

Best photo I have on hand with the Honda House in it, even though it is in the background.

Found the book!

"June 30, 1992:  Norris, Vicki and Ann N. visited here in p.m.
July 3, 1992:  Nancy came at noon.  We fixed food for tomorrow -- played Manipulation in evening.
July 4, 1992:  Picnic at Dorothy Jo's.  Those present:  Norris, Vicki, Ann; Ramon and Linda; Myrtle, Gaylord, Lois, Mark and Jeff; Irene; Bernie, Carol, Kris and Ryan; Marvin, Betty Ann; Linda and Christopher; Gary A., Jennifer and Karen; Kevin and Mary; Betty Jo; Rick, Mary, Mitch; Greta and Lester; Helen and John; Nancy; Howard and I; Bob, Mary and Michelle.  Lloyd in hospital for tests, an irregular heart beat."

Grandma had a new line in her book for each family unit so her list looks more impressive.  But it was still a pretty good-sized bunch that year.  And we just had our early 4th this last weekend.  Wunnerful.

I have pictures of Christopher from this particular 4th, but I gave them to Linda a while ago.  And of course, I don't know where the photos I kept are at the moment.  This photo is of a different branch of the family tree and may or may not have been taken on the 4th but I simply love it, so I am posting it.  I don't care if I've used it before or not.  Love it!  Love it!

A very merry unbirthday?

"February 2, 1992:  Bill, Jayme, Nancy, Tom, Merilyn, Dale, Dane, Kyleah, Mary, Rick, Mitch, Greta, Dorothy Jo and Johanna here for dinner.  Gaylord, Lois and Linda and Myrtle came in p.m.  Lester came home from hospital in p.m.  Myrtle Jacobsen died.
February 5, 1992:  Myrtle J.'s funeral.  I didn't go.
February 11, 1992:  Lila took me to Norfolk.  I bought a new floor lamp -- cost $120.79."

All those people there and no mention that it was for Grandma's birthday.  Her 80th birthday in fact.  She cracks me up sometimes.

Of course, we can't let a mention of Myrtle Jacobsen go by without relating how Nancy believed Tom came to join the family.  Rather than share the story of the birds and bees with Nancy, Grandma told her she fell down and hurt her leg and Myrtle Jacobsen felt sorry for her so she gave her a baby.  Nancy confesses that sometimes she wasn't sure if she liked Myrtle Jacobsen or not.  I for one, always liked Myrtle Jacobsen.  And I do believe Nancy has come around as well.

The photo is from Grandma's 90th birthday, but it was the best I had.

Another restaurant I don't remember

"April 2, 1991:  Gaylord came in late afternoon and installed the ceiling fan in bedroom.  The first radishes Howard planted are up.
April 3, 1991:  Guest Day at St. Paul's Ladies Aid.  Gertrude V. the speaker.
April 4: 1991:  Raymond and Marina treated John, Helen, Howard and me to dinner at Becker's in Norfolk.  Raymond, Marina, Howard and I visited Irene.  Seemed fairly good."

I couldn't find where Becker's is or was on a bet.  But, that's okay.

I don't remember that Grandma was a huge fan of radishes, even though I think she liked them, so I am guessing she mentioned them because they were the first thing to come up in the garden.  The photo here is obviously from later in the gardening season (whichever year it was taken) but I don't have a photo of radishes so had to make do.