From Liz

I just checked my blog & I haven't written anything since May!! Where does the time go? For someone who is retired with nothing to do I sure find myself not being bored & always keeping busy with little things --like being on the computer for a couple of hours reading other peoples blogs & the email!!. And then I look something up --like a recipe & the time really goes !!
We were all disappointed that Ginny&Allan & Linda could not make it to Minn. but it was a wise decision with all the flood waters in Wis & S. Minn.
I finally got Vics old boat & trailer sold--I put an ad in paper on a Wed & it sold on Sat. It was Bryans boat now but he had bought a different on so did not use this one anymore. Got $400 for it which I was surprised as it was an OLD boat!The money went into Abby & Annas college fund.
Pat & I did go to Jamies school for Grandparents day She had drawn a pix of me & Pat-FUNNY! I was real skinny & Pat was fat ! I think she got her drawings mixed up!
Mary & I are going to casino at Hinckley tomorrow & stay ovemight.We have a coupon fpr a free room & that works great as I can go take a nap & then come back a play the slots some more!!
Now the weather is nice we(pat &I) have been riding around on the golf cart(the Patty Wagon) Went to library yesterday.It is fun to run around with it--You ought to see how the people laugh when they see a white-haired old lady driving it!!
Lynn lets see some blogs now.

News from Liz

Sunday I went to a baby shower for Emily(Dianes daughter). It was at Diane & Daves new house in Blaine.Their house is really,really nice .Has lots of windows so gets lots of light-they have a screened in deck(very smart for Mn.& allthe mosquitos)& that looks out over a pond & some woods & a cornfield. Diane said the farmer planted the corn for the wild life & they reallyhave it. They have seen deer ,wild turkeys, beaver in the pond just in back of their house & sandhill cranes. We saw the cranes on Sun. Janet came on Sat & spent time with with Donna before she left on Sun for the Ukraine. Emily got a lot of nice baby things at the shower. There were 3 babies there--one was only 10 days old!! Janet is in a Sweet Adelines concert on May 17th & Diane & Dave are going -they are going to pick me up.Pat will be in Hayward Wis. so I didn't think I would be able to go but this will work out fine. Fri. I am going to Jamie Lorch's School for Grandparents Day. We were to write a letter & tell what it was like when we started school. I think mine might be a litte different as I started school in a one room schoolhouse.YES we had to walk to school-rain,snow or shine. We were on a farm which was only about a mile from school. The teacher had all 8 grades-there were aout 12 or 15 students altogether. There were little desks in front & then medium size ones & then large ones for big kids.I carried my lunch in a little tin pail with a cover.Lunch was usually a peanut butter sandwich, a cookie or piece of cake & some fruit like an apple or raisins. When I was in 4th grade the country school closed & then I went to school in town & a school bus picked us up. At the country schoolwe had to carry water from the neighboring farm .We had to take turns to get the water --we had a pailto carry the water. The toilets were outside toilets -one for boys & one for girls. In winter ther was a big old heating stove that burned coal & wood. The teacher would get there early in winter to start the fire so it would be warm when the kids got there. Interesting times !!

Spring!

We had 1 day of spring--yes terday! It was a beautiful day --now today it chilly again but no snow in the forecast--lucky us!! I am now another year older but I do not feel any older!! Thanks to everybody who sent me cards--Pat & Pudge ,Kari & fam & Mary Beth were here Sun for a nice dinner that Pat had made & we had a birthday cake & everyone sang Happy Birthday to me then we lit the candles again & sang to Kari & then once again & sang to Pat. We got a lot of mileage out of that cake!! I have rented out the basement to a young teacher until th end of the school year.She was hired at Pats school to finish out the year & she needed a place to live as she lives in Menomonie Wis. I agreed as I knew it was not permanent. Pat & Pudge are getting a new roof put on their house--There are about 8 guys over there working on it. Denny was here this a.m. with plans for an addition to his house. He is going to add a 2nd story & have 2 bedrooms, bath & laundry room up there. He is retired now & enjoys retirement.Don't we all??Pat will retire this year& that will be different for her. I enjoy reading everyones blogs --I check them every day!

latest news--

Did we ever get snow on Mon.!! About 10 in. here.I had an appt. at the chiropractor but it was snowing and blowing so that I cancelled it. No way was I going to drive in that!! Donna was here on Sat. to get her vest & dress that I had sewed for her. Pat was here also so we went out to eat lunch at a new restaurant here in Willernie-There has been a small market where they sell meat ,cheeses & deli sandwiches. They bought the laundromat nextto it& made it into a restaurant. We now have 7 eating places here in Willernie from an upscale supper club to a coffee shop. Pat was here cleaning the downstairs as there is a possibility that I will rent it out for 2 mon. The school where Pat works hired a new teacher & she lives in Wisc. so wants a place to live until the end of the school year. I said OK but did not want anyone permanent. She came out on Sun & looked at & will let me know before Sat if she wants it.She looks about 17 !! Pat is now in Chicago with her 2 friends on their shopping trip.Their kids went together & gave them that for a Christmas present. They took the train & were looking forward to that. Bryan & family went to Florida for a week & Pudge went to St, Louis (I think) so I have Bryan's little dog Casey.She has been really good for me-When I had her before she cried & whined a lot-not this time -she is getting old so she sleeps a lot . But she has to sleepin the bed with me.She is little -about 8 lbs. The snow is just about all gone already!

Chicken with its head cut off!!

Time that I write here again!! I am like Donna with her 10 min. weekends--it was only yesterday that I wrote here!!!At least it seems that way. Sun. Pat & Donna & I went to Rochester to celebrate Janets birthday. We went out to eat & then came back to their place for birthday cake. Lynn & Eddie came --I havent seen Lynn for a long time. & it was good to see Eddie after he had been so sick & in he hospial.He is doing great except for a monstrous hospital bill !!--$30,000 ---& no hospitalization! Poor guy will be paying that almost the rest of his life .
I have been to the dentist twice last week-Had one small cavity & then my front bottom were getting loose. Dentist put a fine wire to the solid teeth & the covered that with dentists cement.Now they are fine!
Yesterday I got a new dining room table -new to me -It was Tiny's. Angel(Tiny's granddaughter) called Pat the other night & told her the house was sold & did she want the dining room table so she went to look at it & told me it would look good in my dining area so yesterday Pudge & Denny got it .It is really a pretty table -also has 4 chairs. I'm glad I got it.
I noticed that Sarah used the expression"like a chicken with its head cut off" but I bet you young folks do not know how this expression came about. On the farm when you cut a chickens head off & let go of it it would flop around as much as 10 feet or so from where it lost its head ,hence the expression. another bit of trivia you could have lived without!!!

bits & pieces

Pat & Pudge got back from Florida last Sat. & got home in time for some more frigid Minn weather!! We have had our share of it this winter. Several below zero days & wind chill bad. Doesn't bother me too much as I stay inside- Although I have been going to chiropractor once a week for the pinched nerve .It is 95% better. I got the Life Alert last week. A small machine plugs into the phone line & electric outlet.When the lady was here we tested it-My machine is in kitchen on the little shelf under cookbooks-- any way she had me go all over the house to see if they could hear me after I pushed the button which is on a string around my neck--I went downstairs by the washer &dryer & they could hear me loud & clear-then I went into the garage & shut the door & they still could hear me. Amazing !! Hope I never have to use it!
Yesterday Mary Beth & I took tour bus to the casino in Hinckley.I did not win this time but it was good to get out of house & do something different. i made a vest for Donna tis past week-She had the pattern & material. It turned out good but I had a terrible time with the lining! She hasn't seen it yet.
I am reading a book by Minn. author P. J. Tracy--a mother & daughter team--one lives in Mn. & the other in Cal. It is a murder mystery taking place in Mn. The murdered person is put in a snowman--There have been 3 so far & I am only half way in the book. It takes place in winter in Mn.and is Oh so familiar when the write about the weather.

casseroles & bean soup.

We did get together at Diane's house on Jan.26.When we were there we talked about hot dishes. Diane said they called them casseroles--here in Mn casserole is the dish the hot dish goes in.I told them about Minnesotas hot dish law & then I told them that the U.S.Senate had a law that bean soup would be on the menu every day in the Senate dining room & this was a Senator from Minn. that got that passed. The Senator was Knute Nelson & this was at the turn of the century.He had gone to the dining room & they did not have bean soup on the menu So he went back to Senate where it was made a Rule that bean soup be on the menu every day. It is not a law but a Senate rule & apparently tradition has taken over as bean soup is still served every day!!Minnesotans get passionate about their food!!Although no one has gotten lutefisk as a rule or law --YET!!
Pat & Pudge left for Florida yesterday-Good timing as it was 14 below here this morning. I am staying in the house!! I made some Spanish rice for lunch today--I haven't had that for a long time.
Tomorrow someone from Life Alert is coming to set it up for me.I hope I never have to use it --but it is a safeguard. You have to pick 2 or 3 people to be first responders so I put down Pudge & Pat & Denny Lindroth & my neighbor Barb Parent. They have to have a key or access to one. I will know more after tomorrow.
Heidi that was to bad about the cabin having bats. I am not afraid of them --just the rabies they carry so I do not like to get to close to them either.
Yesterday I downloaded the pictures from my camera to the computer--I felt so smart that I was able to do that-but I did have good directions.I wish I could send pictures but my computer is too slow but I enjoy everyone elses pix.