Lots of digging, lots of family

Wed., August 19, 1936 - Howard helped dig silo over home.  The men came over here for dinner.

Thurs., August 20, 1936 - Went to town for Old Settlers Picnic.  Had dinner up home.  Rained good about 6:00 this evening.  We were home by 12:00.

Fri., August 21, 1936 - Howard went over to the folks this afternoon and they dug silo.  I washed up the dishes for Raymond.

I cannot begin to imagine how much digging would be involved to install a silo.  Big around, and I imagine fairly deep to be sure the darned thing would stay put in a high wind.

How interesting that Old Settlers should pop up, given that the weekend before last was our every-three-year family reunion.  Grandma and Grandpa both would have really enjoyed it.  For the first time, I believe, our branch of the family tree was represented via the youngest in attendance; Tanner was 5 weeks old over that weekend.  The number 17 on his onesie says that he is the 17th Iversen born here, from Peter and Maggie's children to Tanner.

As usual, I talked too much to the people I see often and not enough with the people I do not see so much.  Lots of Aunt Helen's family came back for the interment of Uncle John's ashes.  It was a nice service.  I learned quite a bit I did not know about Uncle John when the minister read his obituary.  For example, I had no idea he played in the band for Truman's inauguration.  How cool is that?

In all, a great reunion -- lots of people said so.  And as I said, Grandma and Grandpa would have enjoyed it, probably even more so than some.

A sad day for a little boy

September 13, 1965

Dear Mom, Dad, Tom, and Grandma,

Guess I better sit myself down and write you a letter.  Don't know what's the matter with me lately.  Seem to be so busy, but really can't think of anything I've done.  Guess it's a case of "the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get."

Well, Dale has started school.  After the first day he said he wanted to carry his lunch rather than eat in the lunch room.  Then the next day they sent home menus for the month.  When I read to him what they were going to have he decided he would eat the hot lunch.

I had ordered Dale's clothes from Sears.  They didn't get here til Wednesday after four.  So he had to wear his Sunday School pants to school for two days.  I had told him he would have to wear them to school.  So the first morning I went in to get him up he said he wasn't going to get up because he didn't want to wear his Sunday pants.  So I said okay, but then he got up anyway.

He catches the bus at 8:15 and gets home at 2:30.  School is from 8:45 to 2:00.  I get up at 7 every morning.  That's really something after being able to sleep as late as I wanted for nearly a year.

I have Pat's kids today (the one that looked like Leila).  She got sick during the night.  Her husband called me up at 6:30 this morning and asked if I'd go over and get the boys.  Then they put her in the hospital.  The doctor said he thought it was pancreas infection.  But he won't know for sure til the results of the blood tests are in.

Jim's mother is on her way up so I won't have these little live wires much longer.  Sure is a job taking care of them, when I'm not used to it.

We have a different TV now -- a console model.  Gary traded a gun for a pistol for the TV.

The only things you left here were your tablet, the crossword puzzle book, and a handkerchief.

When we got home that night after taking you to the train Dale said, "This sure is a sad day with Grandma and Grandpa leaving."

Shirlee and Bill spent one night with us.  They were on their way to Lake Tahoe.  Sure was a surprise when they drove up.

Dale rides his bicycle without the training wheels.  I sure was surprised when he told Gary he wanted them off.  I thought he would want those wheels on for a long time.  But it was just a month that he used them.

Now, I can't think of any more to write about.  Guess I'll close and get this thing mailed.

Love,
Gary, Greta, Dale and Mary

How sweet and intuitive of little six-year-old Dale to recognize a sad day.  I don't think the photo shows what Mom ordered for school clothes, but those are from the 60's.  Look at the prices!

Two more letters from the 60's and then we are back to Grandma and 1932.

What trip?

"February 15, 1995:  Busy Bees met at Charlotte's today.  Howard took me -- was warmer in afternoon.  Tom called this evening -- they had a good trip.  Bought a condominium in Laughlin.
February 16, 1995:  TOPS held open house this p.m.  Visitors were Kris M., Betty M., RoseAnne J., Audrey Q., Lois M., Melissa D.  Had a good lunch.
February 18, 1995:  John and Helen came back in late afternoon.  Visited John's family, Marjorie and Shirlee."

Well, so far as I can tell reading backwards, Grandma hadn't mentioned that Tom and Merilyn were even taking a trip.  Seems they went to Laughlin, say my excellent powers of deduction.  I think Tom and/or Merilyn rather scoffed at calling the place a condominium, though.  Said it was just a teeny apartment.  But I think they enjoyed it.

I found this on wikipedia about Laughlin.  See if you can figure out which part I find somewhat depressing:

"Its name comes from Don Laughlin, an Owatonna, Minnesota, native who purchased the southern tip of Nevada in 1964 (informally called South Pointe). At the time, Don Laughlin operated the 101 Club in Las Vegas. He opened what would become the Riverside Resort, offering all-you-can-eat chicken dinners for 98 cents, 12 slot machines and two live gaming tables, along with eight motel rooms (although four of the rooms were occupied by Don Laughlin's family). He wanted to call the community Riverside or Casino, but the post office opted for Laughlin instead.  Laughlin is the third most visited casino and resort destination in the state after Las Vegas and Reno, and is one of the top five destinations for American RV enthusiasts."

Nice.  I am older than a town, albeit an unincorporated one -- that part was earlier in the article.  As a side note, the kids and Nancy and I went to Owatonna, Minnesota on one of our trips.  There is an old building being used as government offices that was once part of an orphanage there.  They had lots of photos and articles and other information in the hallways about the orphanage.  Very interesting.  Appropriately, here's a photo of Mitch and Anna outside that very place on that very vacation. 

Feeding birds and a Sunday recipe

"April 20, 1990:  Lester took Shirlee to Omaha to fly back to Florida.
April 30, 1990:  Ice on bird bath Saturday morning and Monday morning."

Ice?  In April?  I think Grandpa already had a bird bath heater by this time, but he had probably retired it for the winter.  Grandpa had at least two birds baths and he liked to feed the birds as well.  It was always a safe Christmas or Father's Day gift to bring an industrial-sized bag of bird "feed".  Grandpa corrected us if we said bird "seed" because he didn't plant it to grow birds.  He would act disgusted that we would make such a silly mistake, but he was teasing, of course.  One of my earliest memories of doing something with Grandpa was when we built a bird house together.  Simple four sides and a roof.  And the hole was small enough that the sparrows couldn't use it; Grandpa liked wrens better.  Maybe drilling that hole for the wrens was what led me down the path of distructive drilling, which will be my story tomorrow.

The recipe is for Monkey Bread.  I think there are many variations, but this is the one Grandma made, and accordingly the one we like best.

Monkey Bread

2 loaves frozen bread dough (don't rise)
2 T. milk
3 oz. pkg. vanilla pudding or butterscotch pudding (not instant)
1/2 c. margarine
1 c. brown sugar
nuts

Snip 1 loaf of thawed bread in date-sized pieces into greased 9x13 inch pan.  Melt margarine.  Add milk, brown sugar and pudding mix and nuts to margarine.  Mix and spread mixture over bread in pan.  Snip second loaf over mixture.  Let rise 2 1/2 hours or until dough comes to top of pan.  Then bake in 300 - 350 degree oven for 1/2 hour until top is brown.  Remove from oven and tip over on foil.

This is good stuff.  I made this recipe once and to thaw the bread and not allow it to rise, I think I put it in the refrigerator overnight as per Grandma's suggestion.  If you don't often have dates around to compare in size, snip the pieces to be the size of the hole you make with your finger and thumb.  That should do it.

Oh, and the picture has absolutely nothing to do with anything, but it makes me laugh.  I have no idea why Dale and I felt compelled to make a doll-headed scarecrow in the bathroom, but we look rather pleased with ourselves and Mom thought the event worthy of a photograph.

Easter

"April 15, 1990:  Easter dinner guests at Greta's -- Nancy, Bill, Jenny, Jayson, Jayme, Dale, Lynn and Dane, Shirlee, Howard and I.  Helen and John had dinner at Dorothy Jo's but came in p.m. to visit the family.
April 11, 1990:  I had stomach flu, only time I was sick all winter long."

Okay, now Grandma is goofing with us.  Skipping around chronologically for no apparent reason.  Nice to know that her flu was over in time for Easter, however.  I am not sure why I wasn't at Easter that year -- must have been at the in-laws or sick because normally we would have gone.

The picture is from several Easters later.  Anna appears to be attempting to get Grandpa to give up the egg he is hiding in his hand.  Grandma looks amused.  I loved Anna's hair cut that way, but alas, she grew her own opinion and her hair along with it and she hasn't turned back yet.  Which is funny to me because I remember Mom looking at pictures of me when I was little in a similar haircut and telling me how cute it was.  I probably rolled my eyes because girls of a certain age just don't think that short hair is cute at all.  Long hair is where it's at.

More quilting and some visitors

"April 1990:  I started quilting the outing flannel rail fence quilt the 4th of April -- finished it on the 10th.  We had .70 inches of rain on Monday, April 9.

Mon. April 9, 1990:  At 2:00 p.m. John, Helen, Shirlee and Raymond J. left West Covina -- arrived in Winside Thursday April 12 about 2:30."

I love how Grandma made a point of the time the group left and when they arrived.  Not sure of the reason for the detail, but I like it.  In reading ahead, it appears that the California visitors came to escort Uncle John and Aunt Helen back to Nebraska.  Everyone both those two eventually left, and they took possession of their Nebraska home within a month or so.

What to say about Aunt Helen?  For some reason, I think it is funny that Gary introduced Aunt Helen to Uncle John.  I think Gary was a teenager at the time and thought John was a decent guy.  Aunt Helen agreed, obviously.

Aunt Helen seemed to me to be able to have fun whenever and wherever she wanted.  Even in telling a story where she was frustrated with someone or aggravated about something, she seemed to end her tale with a laugh at the whole situation.  I like the story about her standing in line to register for the 9th grade.  The superintendent saw her and told her the 4th grade room was downstairs.  I have no trouble at all believing that she politely, but firmly told him how the cow ate the cabbage.  She was all of 4' 4" tall at the time but mighty, I am sure.  She is second from the right in the photo.