Plentiful snow

Wed., January 15, 2003 - Went to Book Club in evening.  Zoya cooked a chicken and gave me the dark meat - she only likes the white meat.

Thurs., January 16, 2003 - We have about 6 or 7 inches of snow. It started snowing yesterday afternoon and stopped during the night.  I baked a pumpkin pie & 6 loaves of banana bread.  Tom came in evening.  We had chicken casserole.  The usual laundry, etc. and Rummikub.  I called Lester to wish him Happy Birthday.  Also talked to Myrtle - 5 inches of snow there.

Fri., January 17, 2003 - Spent the afternoon in Zoya's apartment.  She had special medical examination in the morning & needed someone around in p.m.  Pat Ross was there, too. We had a good talk.  In evening Mitch & Anna came while Mary went to a company party.

Ack.  I don't remember a work party in January 2003.  Oh, well.  

And we still have snow here.  You really gotta love that some snow melts during the day, making for muddy roads and chores in the p.m., and then freezes overnight so that I am confronted with a rugged landscape of frozen ice/snow/mud.  Almost gets me cranky by the time I am done and back in the house.  So, glad that today is sunny and warm.  Hoping for less snow by tomorrow morning, even though it means more mud tonight.  The photo is from a day or two after our 8 to 10 inches of snow and everything was all frosty one morning.

Christmas, over and done

 Fri., January 3, 2003 - Mary took me for hairdo & brought me home.  Delores was sick.

Sat., January 4, 2003 - Dale & Mitch came & took my old recliner to Mary's garage.  It will be sold at auction in the spring.  Jean Hansen called in p.m.  I called Greta in late afternoon.

Sun., January 5, 2003 - Nancy came & I fixed dinner.  She boxed up the Christmas decorations.  Mitch & Anna came while Mary attended the writing group.  They helped Nancy take decorations to the basement.  Delores came in evening to play Rummikub.  Ray called in p.m.

Speaking of Christmas, Micki wrote the nicest post on Facebook about her memories of Grandma, well specifically her wonderful cream puffs.  A very nice post with some lovely things to say.  

I won't post the whole thing, but here is part of it and the photo she attached.

A quick trip north

Thurs., October 24, 2002 - Myrtle called.  Tom came a little later than usual.  He traded off his truck for a car.  The truck had poor mileage.  He will go to Winside Saturday for a load of wood for Nancy.  I'm going along & be at Greta's.  I called Greta tonight to warn her.
Fri., October 25, 2002 - Nancy came right after work for me.  We met Don & Linda Retzlaf at Nancy's place and then went to Staufer's Restaurant for supper.  We had a real nice visit & a good supper.
Sat., October 26, 2002 - Tom came a little after 8:00.  We had dinner with Greta & Lester.  I showed Greta a new Solitaire game. Started back to Lincoln after 2:00.  Tom & Nancy unloaded the wood.  Nancy brought me home so Tom could take the pickup truck to the dealer & get his new car.

I don't believe I have much to say about these entries, really.  Sure do miss going up to Winside for this or that, though.

Big stuff

Wed., September 18, 2002 - After work Nancy took me to North Bend where we met Greta.  Then I went on to Winside.  Raymond Iversen flew into Lincoln at 9:00 P.M. -- for a 2 weeks visit.
Thurs., September 19, 2002 - Called Myrtle in A.M. - pretended I was still in Lincoln.  Then to Rabe's to get my quilt that Arlene had quilted.  Visited & had coffee & cookies.  Then to cafe for chicken fried steak.  Met Lena, Edna & Otto Carstens there.  Elsie Janke had a doctor's appointment so I didn't see her.  Lester fell & Greta had to go home so she didn't eat with us.  In P.M. we went to Myrtle's.  Lois told us not to tell her too far ahead of time we were coming -- she gets all worked up & tries to do things.  Had a real nice visit.  Greta & I played Rummikub in evening.
Fri., September 20, 2002 - Went to Oberle's in morning.  Happened to see Dorothy Jo as she was headed for the bank.  She came to the house & we had a lovely visit.  In P.M. we went to see Sophia Morris.  John is in the nursing home -- he's getting Alzheimer's & Sophia couldn't take care of him.  She still crochets & pieces quilts but is hard of hearing.  Rather hard to visit with her.  Rummikub in evening.

Busy few days for Grandma leading to longer diary entries for her.  Giving me carpal tunnel syndrome here.

Chicken fried steak is one of those foods I absolutely love but don't have often, which is likely a good thing for my waistline.  Photo from the Food Network.

4th of July rolled around again

July 2, 2002:  Dolores came in evening -- played Rummikub.
July 3, 2002:  Mary took me to hair dresser.  Nancy came in evening and I showered.
July 4, 2002:  Nancy and I went to Winside.  Then to Ramon's place for the family picnic.  It was a wonderful day.  There were at least 48 people there.  Norris and Vicki were there.  Also Vicki's parents and her sister and husband.  They had been to Colorado for Dawn's wedding.  Mary, Mitch and Anna were there -- so was Bill.  Stayed at Greta's for the night.

That was a pretty good crowd for the 4th of July.  I still remember very distinctly the picnics out at Uncle Elmer's; mainly the new potatoes, Aunt Myrtle's raspberries, and Dora often bringing a new card game to play.  Due to being a bit of an island, age-wise, I usually hung out with the adults.  I am glad I did since that group has left and is leaving us while the ones younger than I are around to visit with now.

This photo isn't from Uncle Elmer's place, but I am betting it was from some 4th of July.  It never fails to crack me up.

I'm confused

May 18, 2002:  Nancy came in a.m.  We went to a bank to get cash for me.  Ate at noon at Howard's Pantry.  Nancy then bought flowers.  We went to her place.  She went for Dane and Anna who were at Dale's.  They helped her set out the plants.  She brought back hamburgers for us after she took the kids home.  Then took me home.
May 19, 2002:  Nancy came early p.m.  We ate lunch -- I showered -- she vacuumed.  Then we played Rummikub.  She left fairly early.  Maryan C. stopped to tell me the elevators weren't working.  She stayed awhile and we had a nice visit.  Nancy found the Pinwheel quilt in the basement storeroom.
May 20, 2012:  Played lazy today.  Listened to tapes from Lester.  Went to a general meeting in the lobby this evening. After the meeting we had angel food cake and strawberries.  Dolores came and we played Rummikub -- we each won three games.

I am wondering what occasion would put Dane and Anna at Dale's house without Mitch or Kyleah.  So . . . I wonder if Grandma wrote a wrong name.  In any event, it sounds like May 18 was a nice day.

Here is a totally unrelated funny that got me laughing.  I found in The Curious Gardener's Almanac, that "[i]n days gone by, it was not uncommon in springtime to see a farmer drop his trousers and pants and sit down on the soil.  If the soil was not too cold, that farmer knew it was time to sow his crop."  I know Grandpa was a serious gardener, and therefore was probably a serious farmer, but I am really hoping he used a different method!

And speaking of Grandpa and Grandma, Friday (when I intended to post this) was the 77th anniversary of their marriage.  I imagine they had a little celebration together.

Well, that explains it

May 12, 2002:  Tom took me to Nancy's for Mother's Day gathering.  Merilyn came alone as she had to help Linda.  Bill and Jenny and Jayson's family came in p.m.  Rest of family there for pot luck dinner.  Lynn couldn't be there -- some sort of track meet.  We had a most enjoyable day.
May 13, 2002:  Nancy took me to the doctor in p.m.  Still doesn't know why my right [foot?] is swollen and causes pain at times.  Played tapes that Lester made for me -- some beautiful songs.  Played Seven-Up in evening.
May 14, 2002:  Had my shampoo and set.  Started copying material from old journal into new one Greta gave me for Mother's Day.  Called Lester to thank him for the tapes -- 4 of them.

I had noticed that this most recent journal, unlike others before it, were written in the same ink and in very consistent handwriting.  I would bet that this journal is the new one Grandma is talking about and the one she had been copying in to.  I peeked ahead and found other colors of ink and other variances.  Mystery, small as it was, solved.

Grandma left out a word and I thought it was her foot that she was having problems with.  Maybe we will see as we go along if I am right or wrong about that.

The photo isn't from 2002 since it was taken at Bill and Jenny's, not Nancy's, but I am thinking it may be a Mother's Day photo but the mix of short and long sleeves may mean it was Easter.  I like it nonetheless.

Rummikub, cubed

"March 22, 2002:  Another "blah" day -- felt like I was getting a cold.
March 23, 2002:  Nancy and I to Winside.  Had corned beef and cabbage for dinner at Greta's.  Played Rummikub in the p.m.  Had Omaha Steaks for supper and then more Rummikub.  I slept in Lester's recliner.
March 24, 2002:  Palm Sunday -- went to church.  At noon went to auditorium for a pork sandwich dinner put on by a new 4-H club.  Played Rummikub again.  Left for Lincoln at 4:00.  Started to snow at Valparaiso.  Snowing pretty good when we got to Lincoln.  Had a grand weekend."

Either Grandma wasn't getting a cold after all or she pulled herself together to have a pretty busy weekend.  I really like the word "grand" used in the way she used it.

My project from the Winside history book ended up being bigger than I thought, so I'll have to crunch it down for this blog.  There is a listing of the different businesses/occupations in Winside by decade from 1886 to the 1940's.  I put them all on a grid to see how businesses came and went.  While it is interesting (to me, at least), it takes up four and a half, legal-sized sheets of paper so I really cannot scan them and use them as my "photo of the day".  I'll just list the different businesses I found:

Winside had, at one time or another, the following as listed in the book:

Agent* (I assume this was something with the railroad)
Bank
Barber
Beauty shop
Billiards
Blacksmith*
Cafe
Contractor/builder
Cream station
Dentist
Doctor*
Drayline
Drug store
Dry goods/groceries
Elevator*
Feed store
Filling station
Garage
General merchandise
Hardware*
Harness shop*
Hotel*
Ice
Implements*
Lawyer*
Library
Light plant
Livery stable
Liquor store
Livestock, grain & coal
Lumberyard*
Lunch counter
Mail carrier
Meat market
Notary
Photo studio
Picture show
Planing mill
Plumber
Postmaster*
Produce station
Radio
Real estate
Restaurant and rooms
Rooming house
Saloon
Section foreman
Shoe shop
Special police
Tailor shop
Tire repair shop
Trucking
Undertaker
Veterinarian
Winside Roller Mills
Winside Tribune
Winside Watchman

*Indicates those having an entry for all timeframes listed.  There was a newspaper during the entire time, but first the Winside Watchman and then the Winside Tribune.

The photo is the first I came upon that had both Mom and Nancy in it, and since they were both part of the grand weekend, I thought it appropriate to feature them.  You can both thank me later.

Quilting lesson, part 5 plus a birthday

"February 3, 2002:  Eleven cards (I think).  A wonderful time here in the party room at Pioneer House.  All the family here, especially Jayme and his girlfriend.  Had wonderful meal, birthday cake and ice cream.
February 4, 2002:  Nine cards today.  Played cards - "Seven Up" -- in party room this evening.  Six to eight people came.  Afterward played Cribbage at Delorous's apartment.
February 5, 2002:  Seventeen cards today.  Listened to tapes from Lester.
I remember the party and Grandma was right, it was wonderful.  The littler kids had a grand time running around (kinda anyway) in the lobby and back to the party room and back to the lobby again.

Speaking of running, I'm running late with this and will just hit the quilting lesson now.

A unique modern day quilt was made by Mary A. Lundy of Joplin, Missouri.  She wanted to enter an original quilt in the Kansas State Fair.  She used an 8" x 11" cross stitch embroidery sampler for her pattern.  Searched through stores in many cities for just the right color coordination.  Cut more than 18,000 one-inch squares for the quilt and 14 months later the quilt was completed in time to enter the fair.  It is a magnificent king-sized, mosaic-type picture, made entirely by hand. 

"Christ in Gethsemane".

World's largest quilt is in Columbia, South Carolina.  Director of Adult and Community education half-jokingly asked Hazel Ross to make the world's largest quilt to depict what goes on in community education. 
Measured 25 feet square.
397 blocks -- 396 were 12-inch square -- center block 24" square.
184 of these were log cabin, rest were represented house styles, churches, other buildings of interest in Columbia, park scenes, community education courses and recreational activities.
92 houses -- many representing the homes of quilters -- blocks worked in applique, piecing, cross stitch and shadow embroidery -- each block was lap quilted, then joined to others.
8,000 hours of labor
9 months of which 3 months taken to decide on design, fabrics, etc.
Husband very understanding at first -- his clean underwear -- buy new ones -- murmured "I'll be glad when that quilt is finished."

During the last weeks the workers were there every day and many in the evening, too.  After the quilt was unveiled, the man who started the idea gave a reception to pay tribute to the 150 workers and their long-suffering husbands.

Grandma's notes aren't quite clear as to whether the Mary Lundy quilt was a representation of "Christ in Gethsemane" but one might conclude that.  I tried looking online but after a quick search did not find information on this quilt.  I wonder why a Missouri resident was entering a quilt in the Kansas State Fair.  Maybe that's why I can't find any information -- it has been hushed up.

I've used the photo a couple of times already, but had to use it for this post since it was taken during the birthday party in question.  What a happy bunch.

Christmas 2001

"December 21, 2001:  Took my walk today.  Made cereal snacks.
December 22, 2001:  Baked three pies for tomorrow.  A bleak day -- Howard died on a Saturday a year ago.
December 23, 2001:  Nancy and I to Wahoo.  Left early enough to go to church.  The service was all singing by the choir.  Jayson sings in the choir.  After the service to Jayson and Lora's for dinner.  Everyone there except Lester, Tom and Merilyn."

I am wondering if this is the first year we did the auction/exchange instead of drawing names.  It seems to me the first time we did that was at Jayson and Lora's -- two houses ago.  I do know we were much more reserved and polite about stealing gifts that first time, namely Grandma's throw and Patty's tabletop waterfall.  But even discounting those gifts, we were super polite.  It took us a few years to get cut-throat like we are now.  Most likely due to our fine Scandinavian Lutheran upbringing.

Up top is another 1954 photo.  I think it shows how extremely fond Nancy always was of her little brother.  What I can't get over, though, is how teeny her purse is.  That would never fly today.  As per Nancy's comment from yesterday's post, Tom is wearing a favorite shirt -- again.  It looks likes Nancy's sleeves are different, so either she rolled them up and down or Tom wore the same shirt on two different days.  I put it here below for easier comparison in case someone wants to weigh in and disagree or agree with me.

What now?

"July 22 and 23, 1995:  Raymond and Marina in Lincoln.
August 3, 1995:  Raymond and Marina left for California.  In p.m., Howard and Marvin A. came to visit.
August 5, 1995:  Greta got some diabetic things for Howard. 
Helen and John visited Raymond Jones during the middle of August.
August 20, 1995:  Went to Lincoln for Anna's baptism.
August 27, 1995:  Katie B. and Louise H. visited here in p.m.
March 29, 1998:  Marina died.
April 3, 1998:  Marina's funeral."

Yup, that's correct -- Grandma went from August 1995 to March 1998 in this particular journal.  I have to remember to grab something new for my next post.  I do not immediately recall a 1998 or 1999 journal, so we may very well take an even greater leap with the next journal. 

Had to post a photo of the lovely Marina.  She and Uncle Raymond always seemed so very happy and infatuated with one another.  It was fun to be around them.

Ola Brogren

"May 22, 1995:  Lester took me to Pierce to doctor.  Had some radishes and onions from the garden. Rained this evening -- first since a week ago Saturday.
May 23, 1995:  3/4 inch of rain last night.
May 26, 1995:  Patty B., her girls and Della W. here in the morning.  Della is interested and does make quilts.

I can probably find Della on facebook.  I wonder if she remembers this visit.  I imagine she was able to view as many quilts as she had time to look at, and discuss as many as she had time for.

From my previously-mentioned treasure trove box, here is the section in the Winside history book (1942) on Ola Brogren.

"Ola Brogren was born December 11, 1852 in Brobru, Sweden.  When he was 16, he went to Westraby, Germany, to obtain work.  A serious famine in Sweden caused many other young people to do likewise.  His first job paid him about 5 cents a day.  He worked on a farm.  In 1863, he moved to Fahmarn, Germany, which was located on an island, where he also worked on a farm, his top wages here being about $30 a year and he worked himself up to a foreman.

In 1874, he was married to Dorothea Margareta Kahler and some time later in 1881, Mr. Brogren came to America, located first at Omaha where he worked on a section at $1.40 a day.  His wife joined him a year later and in 1888 they rented a farm near Elkhorn and started farming.

In 1891 he bought a quarter section of land 1 mile west and a mile north of Winside for $13 an acre and the family moved on this place which was their home until October 10, 1912, when Mr. and Mrs. Brogren moved to town.

Though 90 years old Mr. Brogren is still active and on occasion gets out his cross-cut saw and fells a tree.  He experiences unusually good health for a man of his years and gets around well.  He enjoys telling a joke and as his daughter, Mrs. Anna Andersen, will tell you, "he always sees the bright side of life no matter what happens."

Mr. Brogren can speak five languages, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German and English.  One impression he leaves with you in relating his life's experiences; it is this:  America truly is a wonderful land!

Mrs. Brogren died April 7, 1941.  Surviving children are:  Hans Brogren, Gretna; Mrs. Emma Stahl, Randolph; Mrs. Anna Andersen, Winside."

Going out on a limb here, but I think I would have liked Mr. Ola Brogren very much.  I wonder if he gave Grandpa hints on cutting down trees.  I know Ola's great-great-grandson Dale cannot be left alone with a stand of trees and a chainsaw unless one is expecting no standing trees when they come back.

The photo of Dorothea, Grandma Anna and Ola was taken in 1938.  Look at those working-man hands.

We're back

"April 18, 1995:  Lester took me to Pierce to Dr. Voss.  He prescribed some different medication to take down the swelling in my feet and legs -- Have had it since last week of March.
Apri. 20, 1995:  Tom, Merilyn and Nancy left in evening to go to Laughlin.
April 21, 1995:  I had Pinochle club -- Arlene R. played for me.
April 22, 1995:  Greta took Howard and me to auditorium for Rodney and Claire B.'s 25th wedding anniversary -- had a lovely dinner and then a social time -- also a short program."

You may have noticed my absence.  Let me summarize the reasons why there have been no posts as of late.  In no particular order:

1.  Having to actually work at work.  I don't know how long I can keep this up.
2.  Lack of electricity for approximately 36 hours.  Lots of busy activity during those hours to stay warm and keep snow melted to keep critters hydrated.
3.  Decided lack of consciousness after electricity came on and I could sleep without having to get up every hour to feed the two fires.
4.  Lack of motivation.

I am not complaining about all the power-off activities . . . it just all seemed to really sap my energy stores.  I am still having to work at work (sigh -- just kidding) but will endeavor to keep at it.

As for 1995, I don't have much to add other than I didn't realize hosting Pinochle Club was so time-involved that the hostess didn't even get to play cards.  But, the point is to visit with friends and have fun, so the actual playing of the cards was probably not all that critical.

Here's a goofy photo of Nancy and Merilyn in their reflection in a vehicle.  Pretty darned silly, which means of course, a picture had to be taken.

Got the FEVR

"April 12, 1995:  Missed WELCA - getting ready for FEVR Fest at Hooper tomorrow.
April 13, 1995:  Dale and the kids came to Greta's last night.  We left at 8:30 for Hooper.  Pupils from Cedar Bluffs rode the train from Fremont to Hooper for a pioneer or frontier life presentation. A most enjoyable day.  Home by 4:30.  I talked and showed quilts, etc.
April 14, 1995:  Howard planted potatoes.
April 16, 1995:  Easter Sunday -- Helen asked us for dinner -- Greta and Dorothy Jo there, too."

If I remember correctly, FEVR stands for Fremont Elkhorn Valley Railroad but I am open to correction if that isn't the case.  I remember when a bunch of us went one time well before 1995.  Mitch wasn't born yet, so it was the late 1980's somewhere.  That was when the robbers on horseback overtook the train, forced it to stop, and then ran off with our conductor.  All in good fun.  I rather wished I could have been one of the robbers riding hell bent for election on a horse alongside the train -- looked like a great time.  It's also a bit of a fun time trying to get people not from Nebraska to pronounce Hooper correctly.

Here is one photo from that very day in the 1980's, not 1995.  As you can maybe see also along were Rick, Nancy, Aunt Irene and Lester.  Also Mom and Dora and Dorothy Jo and myself.  I hope I didn't forget anyone.

New stuff and old stuff

"February 12, 1995:  Greta took me to church -- Jr. High youth held a casserole and dessert dinner.  We stayed for it -- some delicious food.
February 13, 1995:  Ladies started quilting my sampler quilt today.
February 14, 1995:  Cold, windy and some freezing rain.

Since Grandma didn't give me much to work with there, and because I am getting to the end of this particular journal, I am going to use up some of the extra stuff she wrote down in this book.

Nov. 7, 1969:  Greta and Lester married at Madison
Sept. 1971:  They moved to Winside from Norfolk to small house in east part of town
Sept. 1972:  Greta started working at the bank
August 1973:  Moved into present house
April 1976:  Lester sold his truck
May 1976:  Sonny and Jeff moved in
May 1980:  Mary moved to Lincoln
April 1984:  Lester retired
November 1985:  Had house sided
April 1987:  Got Button
August 1987:  Bought house next door
July 1991:  Fuzzy joined family
August 2003:  Greta to retire

I will let Mom inform me if any of that is incorrect.

(Don't tell Bill, Nancy or Tom but the only other list of any one child's life events is this short entry:

Bill & Jenny
Swedeberg 1971
Wahoo 1974)

Here's another photo that I don't think I have used and don't know when I might, so here it is.  At first I thought it looked like Grandma Anna's hose had fallen down around her ankles, but in looking at her footwear (what kind of footwear is that anyway?) it may be that she was wearing socks; something I never remember her doing.  She looks a bit weary with all those grandkids (well, kids too) hovering around.  I confirmed with Nancy that one of the blond little girls is Kendra, Uncle Ray and Aunt Aileen's daughter that died from cancer when she was still a child.  Nancy did not recall where Kendra fell in the birth order, so I do not know which one she is.  The photo was taken in 1956.  Mom, help here?

Cream pies!

"January 16, 1995:  Baked two cream pies -- one a birthday present for Lester.  Ted Wallingford called tonight that Dora was very sick.
January 17, 1995:  Tom called tonight.  They plan to come the 28th and 29th for my birthday.
January 18, 1995:  Went to Busy Bees Club at Ella Mae C.'s.

Every family has certain recipes that are "musts" for certain occasions.  I think cream pies would rank right up there near the top of the list with our family -- somewhere close to Omaha Potatoes.  I was an adult before I tasted cream pie, I believe.  Not that they doesn't look tasty, I just hadn't figured out what all the fuss was about and just left them for the obvious fanatics.

I had this post all ready to go yesterday, but thought I should delay until I could scan a photo of the known originator of the cream pie tradition, Maggie "Little Grandma" Iversen.  So, here she is.  I wish I could have known her. 

Flurry of activity

"December 16, 1994:  Howard, Greta and I to Lee & Rosie's for chicken fish supper. 
December 17, 1994:  Tom, Merilyn and Nancy came at noon.  Had chili soup and played Hearts all afternoon.  Tom and Merilyn stayed at John and Helen's.
December 18, 1994:  For Howard's birthday dinner at noon -- Tom, Merilyn, Nancy, Dale, Dane, Kyleah, Mary, Mitch, Greta.  Rick stayed at Greta's with Lester.  In p.m. to John and Helen's for clan Christmas gathering.  Nice weather.
December 19 and 20, 1994:  Too tired to do much of anything."

I think Grandma's last post rather goes without saying.  She had a busy few days there.  I am somewhat glad she didn't list everyone who was at the clan gathering -- makes for extra work for me picking labels for the post.  Soooo much extra work.

I am wondering if I read "chicken fish supper" correctly.  Perhaps Grandma missed an "and" in there.  Dunno.  Regardless, I am sure a fine time was had by all.

On a personal note, my laptop isn't fixed, rather isn't fixable.  Hopefully they will return it to me in the same shape as it was before I took it in.  It was doing nearly everything I wanted/needed it to do.  If they gummed it up trying to fix it, I shall be one irritated customer.  Fingers crossed.

In fairness to Tom and with regard to the un-smiling photo of him yesterday, here's a happy Tommy-gonna-be-Tom picture.

Knitting?

"November 13, 1994:  The entire family plus Helen, John and Dorothy Jo there at Greta and Lester's for their 25th anniversary.  The family went together and gave them a bread maker.  We gave them the Storm at Sea quilt.
November 14, 1994:  Beverly N. took me to Legion Auxiliary meeting -- Lila brought me home.
November 15, 1994:  Mailed knitted doily to Marina and Raymond -- anniversary present."

Knitted doily??  What's up with that?  I would bet the farm and all my critters that Grandma did not knit.  I don't think Grandma Anna knitted.  I lived my entire childhood thinking we were crochet people, period.  Maybe Grandma had one from the Iversen side that she was given or something.  But other than that, I'm stumped.  I can't see her going out and buying one, but I suppose that is a possibility, too.  I have an anti-knit bias and would like to see this settled.  Mom?  Nancy?  Jim? 

I think I am caught up now with this being Tuesday and this also being a post for Tuesday. 

Here's Grandma Anna contemplating, I am sure, the inferiority of knitting.  I love the doodad in her hair.

Different kinds of needles

"October 18, 1994:  Bertha, Lois, Lila and I quilted in p.m.
October 19, 1994:  Busy Bees at Bonnie W.'s.  Helen H. was hostess.
October 20, 1994:  Greta and Lester took Howard and me to Pierce to get our flu shots."

I like quilting needles better than inoculation needles, but I'm getting better about that.  I wonder how many times Grandma told the story on me of when I fainted after getting a tetanus shot in the 5th grade.  I still contend I was so frustrated Mom didn't believe me that I didn't need one that I got all worked up -- on the inside, of course; we Scandinavian Lutherans don't get outwardly worked up and especially not in public.  But, I survived both the shot and the fainting, and Grandma survived the shock of me fainting, and Mom survives still in the knowledge that I really didn't need that shot then but that there was no harm done.  And I truly didn't need one because I got one in the 1st grade after stepping on some glass in my bare feet at the neighbors' house in Norfolk.  Something I reminded her of at the time . . .

I have no photos of needles nor of the neighbors' house in Norfolk nor of me fainting.  But here is a photo of a fainting goat fainting.  Not that I consider myself a goat, but I do like goats.  I don't think I want to get fainting ones, though, because nearly all visitors to the place will holler and make them faint and I find that mean somehow.  Not that I am above posting a photo of a goat that someone probably hollered at.  I think I need to quit this now.  It's getting a bit silly.  Sillier than Scandinavian Lutherans should get while blogging.

Doctors everywhere

"July 20, 1994:  Bonnie F. took me to Dr. Sprik at Norfolk.  He made an appointment with Dr. Wadzinski -- thought I might need laser treatment on my left eye.
July 22, 1994:  Pinochle at Elta J.'s.
July 25, 1994:  John and Helen took me to Sioux City to Dr. Wadzinski.  I won't need laser treatment.  Lester had knee surgery.
July 27, 1994:  Greta has ear infection."

I am drawing a blank on Lester's knee surgery.  I don't think he had a knee replacement or refacing done, but other than that I'm lost.

I have no internet search ideas for this post.  It is going to be a short one to be sure.

I did look ahead and Grandma wrote up to August of 1995 in this particular journal, so I should probably be thinking ahead and looking for the next one to blog from.  This one took a beating and the front cover (just a little spiral notebook) came off and is held on by a rubber band.  So, it's a good thing it is nearing the end of its service.

For no particular reason, here's a photo of Grandma and Uncle Ray having fun.  And the shadow of the hat of the person that took the photo.  Their father, maybe?  He liked taking photos we know.