I'm Still Here!!

Hello Friends in the Blogging World!!

Yes, I am still here.  This thing called "Retirement," is an interesting challenge.
This will be a quick pictorial post of life the past few months!!

Retirement began on June 9.  It was an extremely emotional time and wondering if we made the correct decision.

June:

*Annual family reunion. My mom was able to attend this year.  At 90 years old, she was the oldest family member in attendance and my granddaughter, Tara, at 6 weeks old was the youngest!

* A new experience...friends of ours raise strawberries and sell them in several area communities.  They were short a seller a few days...So I spent several days selling strawberries in a tourist city about 35 miles from home. I met many interesting people.  A very delicious job!!  Of course, I received lots of teasing about my new job!

July:

We went on our second vacation in 42 years of marriage.  We started by attending a wedding on Sunday in Duluth, MN overlooking beautiful Lake Superior.

From there we traveled to Iowa to visit friends and family.  On to Missouri to stop at the Missouri Star Quilt Company. 

Traveled east near Jefferson City, MO where we reconnected with friends we hadn't spent time with  in 35 years. Of  course, we stopped at every John Deere dealership we could find!

 Near Eugene, Mo with Herb as my copilot holding the map we were on BACK backroads. Speed limit 60 mph, no shoulders, narrow when suddenly this sign would appear!! At one point Herb commented, "Do you realize you just went down hill, made a curve, and uphill all in the same motion!." I think I could be a race car driver in my next career. 

. Moving on to Indiana to attend the wedding of the son of friends.   Returning home after seven days!  We still have to learn on to relax and take our time.

August:
My friends headed back to school.  It was strange.  I really miss my school family of teachers and other staff.

 

September:

I headed to Minnesota to meet my college roommate, forever friend, and sister in every way except biological to attend the Junk Bonanza.  A great couple of days connecting and seeing lots of valuable junk.

October:
I spent my days and hours as a go-for and "Mom could you please.....?"  Taking lunches and suppers to the fields, following equipment from one area to another, transporting guys from one field to another,  running for parts and any other thing needed.

To Be Continued!!

A New Granddaughter has arrived!

Tara Marie has finally made her arrival!

  The ultrasound indicated a due date of April 20.

The doctor had set the date as April 30. 

Tara decided to make her arrival on May 7.

 She weighed 8 lbs. 8.5 oz and 20 inches long.  The largest of Katie's five babies. 

The oldest two have been with us since Friday night with the younger two at their other grandma's. 

I am going to take my saved up personal leave days to help Katie.

 Her quilt was ready.  Katie loved the pattern and the colors. 

Friday night Papa was in the field.  A storm had moved through east of us.  He called to say, "Rainbow." 

 To the east we found the rainbow.

Tatum saw this awesome cloud formation to the south. 

Tragically, we will have beautiful sunsets the next several days or maybe weeks due to the 

tragic forest fires burning in Canada.  It produces a haze  and amazing sunsets. 

Thirty calendar days and twenty  school days!

Discovery Day...

 Sunday DIL-1 and kids asked me to ride along in the gator for a Discovery Day.  Usually you see the view from my kitchen window.  Now you will also discover what is to be found on the other side.

On the first stop Kasey was determined she saw a sea shell in the water.  Walking through the edge of the pond in knee high mud puddle boots and holding her discovery net she was able to scoop out a snail.  It was alive and she was right!  After the picture it went back into the pond. 

 Floating on the edge they saw an egg.
Kasey used her trusty discovery net to snag it out of the water.

Mom was the brave one to pick it out of the net.  They found it had a soft shell and slightly
"squishy."

Kasey decided to take charge and tried to candle the egg with the sunlight.  After investigating it was also returned to the pond. 

We watched Canadian geese and Mallard Ducks.  Saw a muskrat swimming across the water and a turtle sunning himself on the top of a muskrat house.

 We headed into the woods to cross the stream.  There Cole spied the fresh raccoon tracks.

Kasey was the first to see the wildflowers.

No deer or bear were spotted on this trip through the woods. However, Kasey did find deer tracks.
 But it was still a great time of discovering.

25 school days...37 calendar days!!

Warning--school days story.
Sometimes it is fun to sit and laugh with students.  Friday we were coloring states using directions.
First, we labeled the compass rose..N..E..S..W..(Never Eat Soggy Waffles). After coloring states different colors in each direction following instructions.  I asked the question,"What direction would we travel to reach Mount Rushmore?" One eight year old girl jumped up excitedly bursting out with, "Waffles!" She instantly broke into giggles.  As did the rest of us!!

The Swans have returned!

Spring is making another attempt.  This week we had two days of rain which reduced the fire danger to "Moderate."  The grasses and fields are beginning to green. Trees are showing the promise of leaves.  This morning while washing dishes and gazing out the window, I saw the first glimpse of the swan gliding across the water.  I was surprised to learn how many people watch for their return to our pond each spring.

Yesterday was Cole's 6th birthday.  The grandkids are not only cousins, but best friends.  They have a fantastic time when they are together!

DS-1 and DIL-1 had an awesome patio poured last fall.   Cole's birthday was the first special occasion for the fire pit.  We cooked brats and hot dogs over the fire.

  

Miss Kylie needed some extra Papa time when she arrived.  

 

Of course Tatum, Miss "Herbal Essence,"  also claimed her time with Papa when eating ice cream and cake. 

 Last Sunday afternoon I made the time to sew the flimsy for my newest granddaughter who will be arriving any day!  Tonight I hope to baste and quilt to get closer to finishing it on Sunday. 

 

45 calendar days-30 school days--But who could be counting!!!

Another try at Spring!

On Tuesday afternoon we had snow. Today the temperature as reached 75 degrees.  The windows are open so I hear the birds, frogs, ducks and geese and  other sounds of spring.

The wind has been strong drying out the grasses and fields.  We are in an extremely high fire level alert.

DH. DS, and friend have been working at clearing some wooded land next to one of son's fields.  Isn't there somethink about a boy and his toys....a man and his toys...

Jessa spent the night with us.  It was time for bed when she announced, "I'm sleeping with you and papa tonight."  Now, we only have a queen size bed.  It was an interesting night.  I learned she talks in her sleep and as with most children,  I never knew when there would be an arm or leg coming across me.

Today we went for a short ride on the Ranger to see what we could find.  We saw a young eagle in a tree.

When taking her home tonight she called from the back seat, "Grandma." 
"Yes, Sweetheart."
"I love you Grandma."

Those words take away all the thoughts of things I had planned to accomplish last night and today.  The baby quilt will just wait for another day.  I do have twenty blocks put together!

Changing Times

An interesting  Tuesday morning at school. Around 9:40 the emergency lockdown announcement played over the speaker system. The entire staff immediately went into lockdown mode using the training we had last year. As staff  we knew it was not a "normal" drill due to events that were occurring. The city police department,  Washburn County Sheriff's Department, and SWAT teams all made an amazingly rapid response.   It was determined a tech person working on the phone system accidentally triggered the alarm.  After it was over all the classes discussed how it had not been a drill. This is the reason we practice and do what we need to do, including the reason to take our drills seriously.

Since this was unplanned it was treated completely as a full emergency lockdown.   All of the departments and staff reacted as we would in an emergency situation.  We pray it never occurs in our small corner of the state in the midwest.

I will admit ,when it was all over and we knew everyone was safe, my knees did begin to shake.  It was a little unnerving to see the SWAT team in uniform and carrying their weapons to walk past the windows.  We have now assured parents we are equipped to care for their children in an emergency!

Until next time...

Stay safe,
Linda

April Fools Trick

Parts of Northwest Wisconsin woke up to a cruel April Fools Day trick by Mother Nature!

 

By the end of the afternoon the snow is mostly gone. 

I have started on the quilt for my "to be born soon" granddaughter! DIL-2 is due around April 20.  I had lost my mojo for quilting for a few months.  I think it was from being so very stressed at school and tired out when I arrive home. 

Tonight I hope to make great progress on sewing the churn dash squares together. 

Tomorrow I head with friends for our annual trip to a quilt show in Rice Lake, Wi.  It is now a very large show. But, does have some awesome vendors.  Not only do I get to walk around looking at awesome things with my friends! Afterwards we head to Applebee's to eat, talk and best of all, laugh. 

Have a GREAT day!

Oops--just found out my nine year old grandson has a basketball game at 5:30 tonight!  The quilt may have to wait.

Unusual Weather for North West Wisconsin!

What happens when the temperature reaches 66 degrees in early March in Northwest Wisconsin...MUD!

On Tuesday the two older grandkids ride home with me from school. We stop to pick up the youngest at his day care.  My motto has always been, "Kids and clothes wash.  Have fun." 

It was a great 90 minutes at grandma & papa's before mom arrived from work. 

Finally some quilting completed!

Baby showers for special people require special quilts be sewn with prayers and love!

The first was for the daughter of friends who are missionaries in Nicaragua. It is difficult for them to be away when their first granddaughter will be born! Once again, I used the Moda Pinwheel pattern with the prairie points.  Rikki has decorated the nursery in pink and gray. I didn't expect her to use it as a wall hanging!

The second quilt was for the 2 year old grandson of the same friends.  He is the son of Rikki's twin sister.  Trisha has been going through an extremely difficult time in her life.   In an email their mother (grandma) told me the toddler loves trucks.  I had fabric left from Cole's quilt to I made a toddler size quilt for Greyson. He didn't have a special blanket of his own. 

Today was the shower for a gal at church.  Her mother-in-law is one of my very good friend.  It was a fun afternoon.  I had one flimsy together and decided I didn't like it.  So up to the "fabric collection" I went where I found flannel I purchased 1 1/2 years ago when a local shop went out of business.  It was easy and quick.  The fabric is from the book, "Guess How Much I Love You."  

Now the sewing machine and fabric will need to be put away until I finish our farm taxes!  Then on to a Christmas tree skirt for a shower gift, a baby quilt for my next grandbaby coming in April/ May, and a for my nephew's baby due in August!