Vacation? Maybe stay-cation

"September 12, 1994:  Greta's vacation started.
September 13, 1994:  Went to the Methodist Ladies' Guest Day.
September 14, 1994:  WELCA.
September 15, 1994:  Greta took me to Norfolk to shop."

Mom's vacation was off to a wild start, apparently.  But sometimes, in my humble opinion anyway, a good stay-cation is just as refreshing as a trip out of town.

And speaking of vacation, here are the kids and Nancy with Grandma and Grandpa at the end of the first vacation the kids and I took with Nancy -- our Nebraska vacation.

Visiting

"September 7, 1994:  Howard to Dr. Voss to have prescription renewed.
September 8, 1994:  Luayne stopped in evening.  She and two other ladies were on their way home from a Legion Auxiliary convention at Minneapolis.
September 11, 1994:  Neil W. took Howard to a threshing bee at Pierce.

Two of these three days had some uncommon events for Grandma and Grandpa, but I am here with nothing to comment about really.  I am sure the visit with Luayne and companions was enjoyable as was Neil and Grandpa's trip to Pierce. 

I can easily picture in my mind a group sitting around the table visiting, though.  So many conversations with family and others took place in that dining room.  Rarely did a bunch go sit in the living room to visit.  Probably because coffee and maybe treats were involved.  But even so, the dining room table was the place to be.

And here are some of us in that very spot.  I spy a coffee cup, playing cards, maybe some aspirin, and two -- count them two! -- ashtrays.  Oh look, Tom was there with us.

A tad late

"August 24, 1994:  Nancy came here in evening.  She left about 8:00 Thursday morning for Deadwood to visit Connie.
August 27, 1994:  Greta, Dorothy Jo, Helen and I went to Fremont for Dora Jensen's 96th birthday.
August 28, 1994:  Fritz S. came and visited in the morning."

It's still Sunday in 2012, right?  I missed yesterday's posting (busy with ducks, putting plastic on coop windows, helping build a table) and didn't get to my laptop much.  Then today I spent much of my time in the bathroom.  For those in the know, I will just say "SuPrep" and leave it at that.  The fun big day is tomorrow.  Then back to normal living.

Back to 1994.  I had forgotten all about Connie living in Deadwood.  It seems forever ago, but then 1994 was well, quite a while back.

I love Grandma's mentions of Dora.  I've said it before, I suppose, but I enjoyed her very much.  I wonder what happened to all of her slides.  The photo I have posted of her speaks for itself.

Surgery for Ramon

"August 16, 1994:  Ramon had surgery -- part of his right lung removed.
August 19, 1994:  Pinochle at Laura J.'s.
August 20, 1994:  Tom and Merilyn met John and Helen at Onawa.  Tom's came here in p.m.  They stayed at Helen's at night.
August 21, 1994:  Tom finished the patio.  Also fixed the front railings -- they are steady now."

Pretty normal stuff here.  I do remember that Ramon had that surgery.  Sounds like quite the ordeal.  I never saw him sick, but I bet he was a pretty good patient.

I know I've used this one before, but here's the only photo I have handy with Ramon in it.

Corn and more corn

"August 5, 1994:  Pinochle Club at Elsie J.'s.
August 6, 1994:  Daisy J. and Arlene R. brought sweet corn.  I got it all in the freezer -- must have had over two bushels all together.
August 10, 1994:  WELCA.
August 13, 1994:  Nancy came and brought Dane and Kyleah.  She weeded flowers for me.  She and Howard picked sweet corn at Schellenbergs.
August 14, 1994:  Nancy went home in p.m.  I froze the corn she and Howard picked."

This post has more of Grandma's entries than usual, but I wanted to get all the corn news together.  Frozen sweet corn is great, but there is still something grand about fresh sweet corn still on the cob.  Yum!  Garrison Keillor has a song about the wonder of sweet corn.

On a personal note, I was thinking that our cats had been eating a lot of food lately, but with winter coming on and it being colder, I thought it made sense.  I went outside last night to give Beau (dog) his antibiotic and saw a shape in the dark eating cat food.  It didn't look like a cat exactly, and as it turns out it wasn't.  A possum was calmly gobbling away.  It saw me and left by jumping off the deck, but certainly not with the panic and shame I thought it should.  By the time I got around the deck, which didn't take very long at all, I couldn't see where it went.  And all this but two feet from the back door.  I promptly took the cat food dishes inside for the night.  This morning I was met by a dark silhouette of a cat -- it was really a cat this time -- meowing outside the door for food.  Poor kitties have to suffer due to a nasty ol' possum!

But back to more cheerful things like corn . . . here's Grandpa and Uncle Raymond enjoying some, not thinking of possums at all, probably.  But with those serious expressions, who knows?

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.

More baseball

"July 15, 1994:  Greta and I went to Lincoln after her work day.  I stayed with Nancy.
July 16, 1994:  Nancy took me shopping.  Greta and Dale's went to Kansas City to a ball game -- Greta's Christmas present from Dale's.
July 17, 1994:  Nancy took me to a Sears store in p.m.  Mary and family came over in p.m.  Got back to Winside after 10:00."

I remember going to Kansas City for a Royals game when I was in junior high.  I think a pretty large bunch of us went down.  I also think that was the trip when we got lost in detours but Mom pulled us out of our apparent going-around-in-circle pattern.  I do know the Royals played the Yankees; I have been to two major league games, that one and one in New York and so have seen the Yankees both times.  At the New York game I won some prizes from Canon (it was Canon Camera Day) because of the serial number on the camera I had borrowed from Aunt Irene.  I think I still have some of my treasures -- the Canon visor and camera strap at least.  That was when I was in Syracuse for legal assistant training.  Kim and I went down to a game with tickets I won from WPIX.  Missed a Don Mattingly home run because I was collecting my goodies and getting my photo taken.

But back to 1994.  I imagine a fun time was had by Mom and the Bowder clan.  And it seems Grandma had a productive visit (shopping) and an enjoyable visit (got to see me).  So, to use an over-used phrase -- it was all good.

This photo wasn't from a trip to Kansas City, but I am about the same age as the trip we made when I was in junior high.  The socks and hat are great, I think.  I put that hat on the lamb I showed at the Wayne County Fair when I was an honorary Benshoof daughter.  Not during the showing, of course, but Martian was stylin' when he was wearing it.

Post-reunion normalcy and baseball

"July 8, 1994:  Pinochle Club here.
July 10, 1994:  Marina, Greta and I to church in Pilger to hear the new ministers, Gary and Ruth Larson.  Ate dinner at the Black Knight in Wayne.
July 12, 1994:  Raymond and Marina left for home.

Things were getting back to normal for Grandma, which means I do not have a wealth of material here on which to comment.  So, I'll steer towards Pilger.  Turns out that a major league baseball player, Bud Tinning was born and raised near Pilger and attended high school there.  According to wikipedia: 

"Tinning was born and raised in Pilger, Nebraska, where he was a sports star for the high school and local sandlot baseball teams. Tinning was born into the Arthur Tinning family. His father was a farmer by trade and the family lived northwest of Pilger on their farm. Bud's siblings included two sisters Mabel and Marie and two brothers, Oger and Dewey. Bud's mother died in childbirth when Bud was only two years old. As a youngster, he attended Pilger High School for two years however he quit school to help his father on the farm. In the summer, Bud played baseball with country teams on local sandlots such as hayfields or in pastures. Marty Willers was a catcher for Bud during that time and said that Bud was known as the hardest thrower around with an excellent fast ball. He was first noticed by professional baseball scouts while pitching for the Genoa, Nebraska town team, and began his professional career with the Omaha Packers, a franchise in the Western League.  His minor league career was highlighted by earning all-star status in the Western League for Des Moines in 1930, as well as for his 1931 season with the Minneapolis Millers, where he was noticed by the Cubs and was signed for the 1932 season at the age of twenty-six. Lou Gehrig wrote: 'Lyle hung up one of the most sensational minor league records ever established in 1931 while pitching for Des Moines in the Western League when he won 24 games and was beaten only twice'.  While a starter in the minors, Tinning soon proved to be a success as a long relief pitcher, who could be counted on for occasional starts. Bud was 10 years younger than the manager for the first part of the 1932 season, Rogers Hornsby. In the 1932 World Series, Tinning pitched three shutout innings against the New York Yankees in two relief appearances, and stuck out Babe Ruth. The Baseball Almanac described Bud as 'a crafty pitcher.'"

An injury ended his career and he and his wife lived in Indiana.  According to the article, they visited Pilger frequently.  He and his wife are buried there.  I won't comment on the fact that he pitched well against the Yankees.

Family reunion 1994

"July 1, 1994:  Rain and wind.  Couldn't go to Elmer's in the evening for the weiner roast.  Bill, Jenny, Jayme, Jayson, Lora, Tom and Merilyn here in evening -- played cards.  They all stayed in motel in Norfolk.
July 2, 1994:  Reunion at Legion Hall.  Paul, Trina, Lynn and Lorraine, Gary, John and Mike; Jean, Toni, Marjorie, Frances, Dana.
July 3, 1994:  Heather and Mike here in p.m.
July 4, 1994:  Jean, Marjorie and Dorothy Jo here in a.m.  Nancy left about 1:30.
July 5, 1994:  Rose's funeral in a.m.  She died July 1.  Lorraine, Lynn, Paul and Trina here in p.m.

As hectic a time as Grandma was having in 1994, I had quite the hectic few days here in 2012.  Thursday evening and Friday morning was spent finding to aged basset hounds that had wandered off.  Fluky thing with a door blowing open.  These same two dogs got winded just galumphing around the pasture a week ago.  In fact, one had to be hauled back to the house in a wagon.  However, when left to their own devices, they manage to wander over two miles from the house.  Found one by the side of the road, seemingly waiting for we pokey humans to show up; shivering, wet, a bit dazed but otherwise okay.  The other was less than a mile away on the other side of the road, and seemed a bit perturbed I woke him from his nap.  He was far enough down in the ditch that it nearly required me to slide down in the wet weeds to push him up and then wait for a rescue of my own.  Thankfully he was able to pull himself up with a little help from me pulling on his collar.  He is the terminally ill one but seemed much less stressed than the other, healthier one.  Then on Saturday and Sunday we moved the dog kennel panels around the yard and otherwise made a big job of relocating all four dogs.  In the end it looked great and we had an excuse to take some of the family out to eat to celebrate our combined efforts.

Now back to 1994.  Grandma must have gotten interrupted on July 2 as she has an incomplete sentence there and in reality it had no period, but I can't stand to leave it sitting there without one so I took some poetic license.  Other than that, it looked like a typical family reunion with folks coming from all corners of the USA to be there.  Fun times, to be sure.

I stumbled across a photo from Jayson's wedding.  Mitch isn't doing the silly, squinty smile he used for the professional photos, but he is cute nonetheless in his little tux.  Actually, it's a pretty good shot of all three of us, I must say.

Nothing until Monday, probably

I left the jouirnal at work and I ended up not going to work today (missing dog crisis, now averted) so unless I make a special trip in to Lincoln and further to downtown Lincoln this weekend (unlikely), they'll be no posts until Monday.  So sorry.

Good news, sad news

"June 30, 1994:  Met Tom and Merilyn at Wee Town.  Then on to Fort Randall -- Howard and I with Raymond and Marina.  Merilyn struck it rich -- got $2,500 on the poker machine.  Nancy came in evening.  On way home we stopped at Prenger's to eat.
July 1, 1994:  Rose Thies died, funeral July 5."

I am not a pessimist by nature, but I am pretty sure I could play a poker machine for 15 years straight and not hit $2,500.  I just don't seem to be that lucky.  But, oh well. 

I've talked before about visiting Rose Thies when I was a little girl.  I always liked her.  And so accordingly, here is probably the only photo I have of her.

What a bash!

"June 25, 1994:  Nancy did some odd jobs for me.
June 26, 1994:  To church.
June 27, 1994:  To Dannebrog -- very interesting.  Nancy went home from there.  Raymond drove.
June 29, 1994:  To Greta's in evening for her birthday.  Dorothy Jo, Frances C., Jean, Marjorie, Helen, John, Raymond, Marina, Howard and I there."

In reading ahead a bit, I believe I know why so many out-of-towners were at Mom's for her birthday, but still!  That's quite a bunch to entertain on your birthday.  Hope somebody else brought the cake. 

I have been to Dannebrog a few times.  Always had to stop at Harriet's to eat.  I wonder if she is still there.  She was getting a little bit up in years but very engaging and energetic so far as I could tell.  Always had a nice time chatting with her a little bit.  Bought her cookbook, too.

I thought I had scanned the photo from the family ancestry book that had Grandpa and Grandma Iversen and their children in it, but apparently that is not the case.  I thought with several branches of that family at Mom's party, it would have been quite appropriate.  Instead, here is Wilma holding Mom, and Dorothy Jo holding Ronnie.  With Wilma dying young, I don't think I will have many chances to use her picture by tying her in with something Grandma wrote.  She is quite lovely here and quite enthralled with Mom.  And that is only right since when Mom was a little girl she adored Wilma in that way that littler girls are enchanted with older girls they find pretty and grownup and everything they want to be some day.  Apparently Dorothy Jo thinks Ronnie or someone off-camera is pretty funny.

The TV saga

"June 19, 1994:  Greta, Rick, Mary, Mitch, Dale and Dane here for dinner.  Kyleah had been sick during the night so Lynn stayed home with her.  Nancy finished cleaning the front porch.
June 20, 1994:  The TV had a burnt out fuse and a loose dial -- cost $37 to repair.
June 22, 1994:  Raymond and Marina came.
June 23, 1994:  Nancy came in evening.
June 24, 1994:  Nancy took me to Norfolk and got the TV."

Looks like maybe Nancy was naughty and didn't get to have dinner on the 19th; she just got to clean the porch.

Now, 1994 wasn't that long ago but when was the last time you, dear reader, had a television with a dial on it?  It's been awhile for me.  Some comedian was saying how his folks and grandparents told him how tough they had it when they were young, like walking two miles uphill both ways to school.  He wondered what he would tell his grandkids -- that he had to get up out of the chair and turn a knob to change channels?  Such a tough life.  One time when the electricity went out and Mitch was young enough to be a bit scared about it all, I told him the things I didn't have when I was his age like Nintendo and a computer and such.  Even at that young age, he was impressed thinking how miserable my childhood must have been.  The photo is of me on my non-motorized vehicle laughing at his naivete.  I am guessing those are my diapers on the line behind me.  How scandalous!

Monday, Schmonday

"In June sometime, new carpet installed on front porch and front steps.
June 16, 1994:  Got a permanent.  Nancy came in evening.
June 17, 1994:  Nancy cleaned front room and living room.
June 18, 1994:  1 1/2 inches of rain in early morning.  Lightning struck the TV.  Bill, Jenny, Jayme here for dinner for Father's Day.  They took the TV to Norfolk to be repaired."

Well, okay it not Monday anymore but maybe I can get two posts in today and be caught up to my self-imposed schedule.

Glad I wasn't there when the lightning struck so close.  I do not think I would have enjoyed that.

Yikes.  I am drawing a major blank here.  I have nothing coming to mind to wax poetic about, so will close.  But as I've probably said before, excitement isn't always good so in a way it is nice that most of Grandma's posts are fairly, dare I say it, mundane.

Here is a photo of Uncle Nels (Little Grandma's brother) and Grandpa's dad, Peter, toasting to mundane events.

What, no anniversary?

"June 5, 1994:  Went to church.  Had first good rain in over a month.
June 7, 1994:  Had new potatoes -- not a lot but a good taste.
June 8, 1994:  WELCA -- then TOPS at at the Black Knight at Wayne -- belated installation dinner.
June 10, 1994:  Pinochle at Leona B.'s."

Normally Grandma mentions her and Grandpa's wedding anniversary, but 1994 must had have some distractions going on.

There's that TOPS group going out to eat again.  Tsk, tsk.

Other than those two little items, I got nuthin'.  And it's Monday and this was supposed to be posted on Sunday so I am going to finish up, regroup, and post Monday's stuff a bit later today.

They aren't planting or digging potatoes and the mower has nothing to do with the garden really, but here's an outside photo -- close enough.

Wedding

"May 28, 1994:  Howard, Dorothy Jo, I, Greta and Lester to Valparaiso  for Jayson's wedding.  Lester drove the Lincoln.  Nancy came to Winside after the dance.
May 29, 1994:  In p.m. Greta and Nancy and I put flowers out at the cemetery.  Then they planted my flowers.
May 30, 1994:  We ate at the Legion Hall.  Nancy did odd jobs for me."

I remember Jayson and Lora's wedding very well.  Mitch was three and was supposed to be a ring bearer with Dane and Kyleah was the flower girl.  It was touch-and-go as to whether Mitch would walk down the aisle like he was supposed to.  I think one of the bridesmaids grabbed him and cheered him up and on.  He did great and looked adorable in his tux.  For the photos he had this non-tooth smile/grin going for every single photo.  It was a hoot.  Of course, I don't have a photo ready to use.  And after working outside most of the afternoon and now realizing I am an old, out-of-shape woman, I am not going to go look for a photo now.  Darn back is killing me.

Instead, here is a photo of Uncle Ray and Aunt Aileen and Grandma Anna and some Brogrens at a wedding.  Close enough.

Graduation parties

"May 13, 1994:  Nancy came in evening.  Mark M. drove.  He's working Lincoln for Tom.
May 14, 1994:  Nancy and I to Wakefield to buy plants.
May 15, 1994:  Tom and Merilyn here.  Tom worked on patio.  Went to Lois's in p.m. for Jeff's graduation."

Graduation.  Such fun.  I am pretty sure I did not go to Jeff's graduation.  Whether that is because I was not invited or just couldn't/didn't go, I am not sure.  I think maybe I was a ways down on the cousin family tree and didn't get an invite.  And that's fine.  We are trying to figure out where to start and stop with Anna's graduation invitations right now.  Some people will be invited to the ceremony, others to the mainly-for-friends party, and then others to the family party, probably with some overlap.  Good thing we like company.

As for 1994, I don't have much else to say.  Seems I was elsewhere when all the excitement was going on.

Here's the best, but not good, photo I have of the patio.  It's there, but you have to look in the vicinity of Aunt Irene's gams to see it.

More snow?!?

"April 24, 1994:  Greta and I went to Lincoln.  A shower for Lora at Merilyn's. 
April 28, 1994:  Between 4 and 6 inches of snow.
May 8, 1994:  Mother's Day at Nancy's for dinner.  All except Jenny, Jayson and Lora there.  Bill and Jayme came in p.m."

A bit nutty having that much snow in late April.  We had that 13" of snow in Lincoln in April of 1997; took three snows to get to that much but we did it.  Nice thing was, of course, it melted pretty quickly.

I recall Lora's shower.  If I remember right, she received silver napkin rings that Aunt Irene had.  Not sure of the Aunt Irene part but am sure of the napkin rings.  The shower was at Tom and Merilyn's place in Forest Lake Estates. I  always liked that house.

May as well use the photo of a shirtless Jayson with Nancy and Grandpa (shirts on), all looking very very thrilled to be doing whatever they are doing.  The photo is a nice one, however, of the back of the house a few yards over.

Storm at Sea

"April 15, 1994:  Pinochle Club at Laura J.'s.
April 17, 1994:  Tom and Merilyn here.  Tom and Mark M. worked on resurfacing the patio.
April 19, 1994:  Finished piecing Greta's Storm at Sea.
April 20, 1994:  Busy Bees at Helen's."

I have a fondness for the Storm at Sea quilt pattern.  It isn't rocket science, but whoever designed it used straight lines in a fairly simple pattern to give the appearance of curves.  Very nice.  The quilt Grandma is speaking of is on my bed at this very moment.  Looks great, especially when the bed is made.

I am sure it wasn't stormy, and she's on at the sea, but here is lovely Anna on the beach in Florida.  Warning to those who do not like nose piercings, even fake ones -- do not look too closely at lovely Anna's nose.  It is truly a fake piercing, thank goodness.  And she was wearing clothes, even though it appears she is not.  (Maybe I should pick a different photo . . . )

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.

Drawing names for Christmas

"April 3, 1994:  Easter Sunday at Tom's.  Everyone there.  Drew names for Christmas.
April 5, 1994:  Snowed last night.
April 8, 1994:  No Pinochle Club.  Mildred Krueger's funeral.
April 9, 1994:  Greta and I went to Sioux City.  I got material for a new dress for Jayson's wedding."

I know this is an oft-repeated story by me, but I cannot think of drawing names for Christmas without remembering the time Bill put his name on all the slips of paper.  It was only when one of the husband/wife teams compared notes that it was revealed what he had done.  Of course, it was doubly funny because Bill was on the short list of those names no one wanted to draw.  Not that we dont' love him, he is just more difficult to buy for.  But now we do the swap-and-grab or whatever you want to call it and do not draw names anymore.  And that is quite fun by itself.

I must say Grandma was slacking off there a bit -- the wedding was in late May and here she is only buying fabric in early April.  What a procrastinator!

I can't let this chance to use the photo of Bill in his underwear go by, so here it is.  Again.

Garden planting schedule

"March 19, 1994:  Greta took me to Wahoo -- Jenny gave me my birthday present, a permanent in p.m.  Greta went on to Lincoln.
March 20, 1994:  To church with Bill and Jenny.  Played cards in p.m. until Greta came.
April 1, 1994:  Good Friday.  Howard planted potatoes and onions.
April 2, 1994:  Howard planted radishes March 18 and they are up."

I should be writing down when Grandpa planted what since I swear we are having a garden this year.  Rather nice that Grandpa can help with that, all these years since he has been with us.  Hope to get a tiller next weekend.  Have a volunteer tiller (aka son-in-law) all lined up and the weather may cooperate.  Right now there is a chance of rain, something we badly need but not so much on a weekend when we want to do something outside.  Will just wait and see.

 The photo quality isn't good, but Grandpa is sure looking studly in his work clothes.  Maybe he was on his way to the garden.

Completed projects

"March 2, 1994:  Finished Nancy's afghan.
March 15, 1994:  Finished piecing Merilyn's quilt.
March 16, 1994:  Busy Bees here.
March 18, 1994:  Ray, Luayne, Brandy and Jakob here."

I can't wait until I retire so I can finish things.  In fact, I am so excited I have started several projects and am not finishing them on purpose so I can finish them later.  Not that Grandma did that; it's simply my plan for the future.

I don't remember Grandma doing much crocheting at this time, I thought she was only doing quilts.  Shows what I know.

Since Uncle Ray' name came up, here's a photo of him with his mother and sister.  I really like Grandma Anna's expression on this picture.  She isn't smiling broadly but to me she looks quietly proud of her children and pleased to be having her photo taken with them -- just my take on it.  Something in her eyes....

60 years

"February 18, 1994:  Pinochle at Marie H.'s.
February 19, 1994:  To Elmers' for their 60th anniversary.
February 26, 1994:  Finished Mary C.'s quilt.
March 1, 1994:  TOPS ate out at Geno's -- all present for belated Christmas party."

Is it just me, or does the TOPS club go out to eat a lot?  Not that one can't eat healthily (is that a word?) at a restaurant, but . . .

Other than that, I'm coming up empty here.  I had to actually work a bunch at work today, something that is very annoying when you would rather be creating a blog post, albeit a short one.  But, it is good to have a job and all that, so I'm not really complaining.  Just typing along to make this a teeny bit longer without it becoming too annoying in its lack of content.

It would be wrong to not post a photo of Uncle Elmer and Aunt Myrtle given the 60 years together being celebrated.  So, here they are -- second and third from the left.

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 . . .

Canasta

"January 30, 1994:  Bill, Jenny, Jayme and Greta here for dinner.  Played Canasta.  Still cold.
February 3, 1994:  Howard to Dr. Sprik.  I had new left lens put in my glasses.  John and Helen took us to Norfolk.
February 4, 1994:  Pinochle Club at Ida's.

Another birthday for Grandma, her 82nd.  Big spoiler alert -- the family came up soon after for a dinner; we did not forgot.  I am just saving that for tomorrow.

I remember Grandma Anna playing a lot of Canasta.  My memory may be foggy on how much she played but for some reason it is the card game I associate most with her.  Oddly enough, I barely know how to play and have only done so on a few occasions. 

A quick search on wikipedia provided this info:  "The game of Canasta was devised by Segundo Santos and Alberto Serrato in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1939.  In the 1940s the game quickly spread in myriad variations to Chile, Peru, Brazil and Argentina, where its rules were further refined before being introduced to the United States in 1948, where it was then referred to as the Argentine Rummy game by Ottilie H. Reilly in 1949 and Michael Scully of Coronet magazine in 1953.  The game quickly became a card-craze boom in the 1950s providing a sales avalanche of card sets, card trays and books about the subject."

Who knew, right? 

Speaking of Jayme (up there before I got side-tracked with card games), here's a cute picture of him and Jayson.

Nasty winter weather

"January 25, 1994:  Sleet - cold.
January 26, 1994:  More sleet.
January 27, 1994:  Between four and five inches of snow last night.
January 28, 1994:  John and Helen took us to eye doctor - for Howard.  Bought TV for $295.69 from Mid-City."

I am certainly glad there was some distraction from the weather, even if it was just the eye doctor.  A new t.v. purchase is always good though, regardless of the weather.  I can understand the limited journalling...cold, nasty weather can kinda take over sometimes. 

Here's my favorite snowman again, looking somewhat perplexed by all the snow.

Such an omission

"January 21, 1994:  Above freezing today.  Helen to hospital.  Arlene R. took me to Pinochle at Leona's.
January 22, 1994:  Went to visit Lester.
January 23, 1994:  To church with Greta.  Helen home from hospital.
January 24, 1994:  Visited Rose in p.m."

I am shocked that Grandma forgot to mention my birthday.  Not that she has mentioned very many others, but still.  I have already forgiven her.

Aunt Helen must not have been too sick but what a rash of hospital stays in the journal lately.  Hope the rest of the year fares better.

For no particular reason, here's Grandma and Nancy when neither was in the hospital and it was definitely above freezing wherever they were that day.  I mean, for Nancy to have short sleeves on, it must have been at least 90 degrees out.