Sunday, January 31, 2010

Winter


I'm one of those strange people who actually like winter.
Here are some of the reasons why:
Sledding
Skating
Snowmobiling
Pretty white sparkling snow
Or just relaxing in the house with a crackling fire burning,
a good book and cookies baking in the oven.
What do you like about winter?


Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Dust Bunnies

Dust bunnies run rampant in our house.
Perhaps it's because we have a wood stove or because this is an old house, I don't know?
I do know, they seem to multiply very fast. Wouldn't it be great to find a market for the little critters.
I would box them up in special little crates, of coarse with nutritious dust bunny food and a bit of water for the trip.
They would arrive happy and healthy at their destination, ready to develop new colonies all over the world.


Saturday, January 23, 2010

Growing Up

My Uncle Randy wrote this poem. It brought back fond memories of Grandma & Grandpa's Victorian style brick house. Playing with siblings and cousins in the huge lilac bush's and tree's that surrounded it.

Growing Up
By Randy N. Simmons
Growing up during the 1950's
The world was different than it had ever been before.
I thought it was the way it had always been
because it was the world I knew.
I grew up on Birch Street
But I don't know if it even had a name then.
Probably it did.
The high brick house stood on the corner
Tall, dark and surrounded by massive trees
That dropped there shade like a funeral pall
Encompassing the house and yard
Bounded by a double row of thick green lilacs
growing taller than five of me.
A giant snowball bush thrust up
in the middle of the green grass
Where my brother and sisters and I pretended it was Winter in late Spring.
Staging snowball fights with round white blooms.
Spring flowers lightened the gloom
With myriad blossoming colors under the shady blankets.
My world existed in a few square blocks
of rural mountain town where the school building stood
Brick solid two blocks north
where I learned to read
Opening world of unsuspected wonders.
The white church we attended almost ever Sunday
sat quietly half a block away
Where HELL was scared into me
and Heaven was driven out
Near the empty lot full of foxtails
Spearing through saggy socks
Stabbing ankles above worn sneakers
Whose gaping holed toes let dirt, rocks and weeds
To turn our bath water into roiling brown floods
Filled with the broken debris from frenzied baseball games
Played with discarded sticks that filled our hands with slivers
And white paint peeled and flaked from the foam ball
With missing chunks a neighborhood dog tore out
Before we found it.
That was my world
Except when a mother took us downtown
To stores filled with toys, cloths, candy
Tools and magnificent, unimaginable things.
My dad was gone from home allot
Creating house, barns, shops with his mind and hands.
Building homes for other families that we couldn't afford
While my knees stared out of ragged pant legs.
Growing up in the 1950's

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Student Stacey


I'm a student. I don't know if I'm a very good student. It's been so many years since I went to school. I think I've forgotten how to study.
The first of January I transferred from housekeeping to activities at the long term care center. You are required to get your CNA so I'm taking class's. It's been a little hard toggling between class & working but the stress will all be worth it in the end.
I defiantly like the activities position. Working directly with the residents and helping keep them active. They love to play Bingo and dice. We exercise and bake with them.
Last week we made bread in the bread machine with a couple of ladies.
Clara did not think that was the proper way to make bread. She had baked many loaves of bread in her life and this machine was just to modern for her.
I will be taking my Certified Nurses Assistant test the second week in February.
Hopefully I pass.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Tropical Heat Wave/ Contest Winner

We're having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave.
It's a balmy 24 degree's.
That's a far cry from the 32 below temps we've been having lately.
The little birds are out singing & gobbling up their bird seeds.
I went out for a walk in the woods with the dogs and had to force myself to come back in the house.
Thanks to all of you who participated in Mom's Birthday contest. My winner is
Check out her blog. Michele is very creative & has great crafting sewing and embroidery idea's.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Happy Birthday Mom


Moms Birthday was January 9th. She is no longer with us but my sister Paula and I always find a way to celebrate Moms Birthday.
This year we are going to have a contest on our blogs. Anyone who comments has a chance to win. Mom loved contests so this is a great way to honor her.
I'm giving away a pillow made of the fabric in the picture above. Mom also lived home made gifts and this pillow is something I would have made for her Birthday.
Mom would have put this pillow on her bed that always smelled fresh and clean like talcum powder and sunshine. I think Mom hung the bedding out on the cloths line even in the winter.

Happy Birthday Mom. We love & miss you!
Be sure to comment on this blog post and on Paula's @ www.onarainynight.blogspot.com
for a chance to win our prizes.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year!

We brought in the new year watching "The Twilight Zone" and eating popcorn. I think I've seen most of the episodes, but I still love to watch this show that lets your imagination flow into unknown dimensions.

One of the episodes has two lady's in a sweltering apartment. The Earth is moving to close to the sun and turning it into an oven. Water is scarce and sweat constantly rolls.
It turns out the young woman is only dreaming. It seems she has been running a high fever and when she wakes up the opposite is happening. The Earth is moving away from the sun. Everything is freezing and it will soon become a ball of ice.

This story reminds me of a true North Dakota tale.
In the year of 1936 the average winter temp was 30 below. Back then there where on modern conveniences. People had to brave the cold to take care of the animals. There was no indoor plumbing, so going to the out house was a very cold trip.

The summer was just as bad. Hot and dry, not a drop of rain all summer. The land was parched with average temperatures around 110 degrees. It got up to 120 at one point.

This morning it was 24 below. The high will be 10 below.
I hope we're not in for a year like 1936!