Fun Roadtrip

Sometimes, ya just gotta get away. So, Yesterday, I took a roadtrip with sister Mel and B-I-L, Slim. Seems he had some business with a fur buyer, so we rode along to spend his money.

Before we even got there, via, Garmin GPS, (even tho, he knows the way), the big guy (Slim), turns left instead of right. We won't even go there just yet.

Our first stop was Bletsoe's Honey Bee Cheese Factory in Marathon, WI., where we snagged some fine blocks of fresh Wisconsin cheeses, Spun Honey and Blueberry Jam...oh, did I mention, that which you see on the table is just mine. It fit in the bottom of one grocery bag. Mel and Slim, however, filled 2 boxes full of cheese for every Tom, Dick and Harry on their long list.

Just on my table, is, Top, left to right, Cheese Curds so fresh, they were still warm and squeak in your teeth when you bite them, oh sooo good., Blueberry Jam.

Center, More cheese curds, Spun Honey, Monterey Jack with Caraway, Mild Cheddar, Queso Blanco Mexican Fry Cheese with chives and garlic.

Bottom row, Baby Swiss ( which is going into French Onion Swiss Casserole tonight), Tomato/Basil Cheddar, Onion Cheese, Colby, (deriving it's name from it's founder town of Colby, WI, just down the road a piece). It's still my favorite. You cannot beat the full, mild flavor of Colby.
While the Big Guy was busy selling, Mel and I were eyeing up all the goodies in the nursery that Jack, the proprietor, had just gotten in an hour earlier. Not many were priced yet, but we were happy to wander and wait before we pounced.

I got two Cotoneaster shrubs and a Mohican Viburnum.

Some of his beautiful, full shrub prices were unbelievably low.

Before anything else goes in the ground, I have some eliminating to do first. The gophers and moles have been a real problem in my yard since the dry spell. Worse yet, are the grub patches all over my lawn.


A stop at the Fleet Farm, and more seeds were added to my growing box of seeds. As soon as the ground warms, the cool weather seeds are going in, such as the carrots, peas, lettuce, radishes, spinach...can't wait.
We have our normal weather back, after being teased a couple of weeks ago with that unseasonably warm front. Patience, Dar. Aren't the gourd seeds I got this year going to be fun for the GrandLoves to help paint into birdhouses?
SO, with all of the prep-work I have to do even before planting, all of you are

WELCOME, to come and help. Free iced tea and crumpets (what are crumpets, anyway?), and a big (((squeeze))) and a thank you, to all who wish to help. No charge for the aching joints, sunburns, or laughs.
God Bless You All as You GetErDone'

Sprinkles, Woodticks and Projects

The grass is finally turning green. It's been warmer, an actual sprinkle, here and there, so thanks all of you fine folks out there that are praying for rain for north central WI. They say they will not lift the fire ban until we get at least 1/2 an inch of rain in one rainfall. That has not happened yet. There have already been 3 brush fires in our township alone, not good. We are still riding on a wing and a prayer.

The dreaded woodticks are out in full force. They are fast lil buggers. It's the spider-like tick that can be dangerous. We have two types in our woods, the deer tick or (bear tick) which are as small as pinhead sized to half the size of a pencil eraser. They attach to the skin of larger animals and humans. I know, I have been bitten. They survive on blood and the disease carrying ticks, can cause Lyme Disease, which by now, most of you may have heard of.

The other tick we have here, are the dog ticks that also attach to humans but do not carry the Lyme Disease.

The Lyme tick, as they are now called, survive primarily in the northeastern states of the U.S., WI and MI, parts of CA, UT., NE., and parts of Canada. Lyme Disease has been reported in up to 25 of our states, so the ticks are not choosy. I call them vampires, for they are blood suckers.

Living in the great North woods, we have plenty of them. I picked up one of each type yesterday, while walking the edge of our woods. Luckily, I spotted them right away, and they did not have the opportunity to attach themselves to me.

My son has Lymes, as had several members of our family, throughout the years. It is treatable with antibiotics, best caught within the first 3-4 weeks of being bitten.

Symptoms are different for everyone, some getting all, some a few. Andy has had all of them, getting very sick from time to time still today. His bite was from last spring.

Symptoms include:

bullseye rash-can be at the bite site, or not

fever

fatigue

muscle and joint aches and pain

arthritis

irregular heartbeat

sensitivity to the sun

butterfly patch across the bridge of the nose and cheeks

These are the most known symptoms.

Andy still has days when he can hardly get out of bed, and goes on antibiotics again.

So, folks, if you live in tick areas, wear light clothing, tuck in your jeans if you're hiking, or wear your socks over them, not fashionable, but it may save you a lot of agony. Do a tick check not only of yourself after your walks, but of your pets. They will thank you for it.

To read more about the Lyme Disease or the disease carrying ticks in your area, just Google woodticks or check out www.revolutionhealth.com

Don't be afraid to get out there and enjoy the nature around you. Just be aware.

I didn't want you to get that crawly feeling all over, but I do want you to stay healthy.

Now, finally, the reason I was wandering around the woods in the first place., I was looking for a discarded mailbox for my project. Bill is going to help me straighten it out and drill a hole in it for me while I carefully hold it. Hmmmm, maybe I will put it in the vise for that part. The finished project, you will have to wait and see just like I have to do. It will be cool.

Blessings and Be Careful Out There

Easter Brunch and Funtime

Some of our family gathered at our home for Easter Brunch and Funtime on Saturday. We always love to see Mom enjoy the festivities, after all, she and Dad (in the picture on the shelf), started it all.

The next four pictures are of our children and their babies, our GrandLoves.

Meet my daughter Darcie and her boys , Austin and Christopher. Little Austin loves the horses like his Mom and Christopher is into cars. He can name just about every one he sees.
This is Bill's namesake, Bill, Jr., his wife, Jolene, and daughters Megan and Katie. Mom Jolene, is holding Megan's hand down so she doesn't hide her face with her eggs again. She did not want her picture taken. Megan has a 'puppy love' crush on her cousin, Sy. She even made him a card filled with stickers. Katie, with the braid her Daddy did for her, loves school. She and I had many special moments this visit.
I'm not sure why, but my son, Dustin is pulling their daughter, Ryele's ear. She's a little princess. With them is Josh, the hockey, baseball and football kid, and Mom Steph.
Meet our son, Andy and Danielle, and sons Syrus in the center, big boy Ben and Baby Noah. They all just moved into a new apartment while they save to buy their first home. Sy and Ben are so excited to have their own room again and new bunks. Noah just wants to take a nap!
Sneaking away from the camera each time, was Bill's son Stacy who has two daughters, Hannah and Chloe, who spent Easter in Baraboo. Brother Eric was another one who avoids the camera at all costs. I was taking the pictures so none of this mug either. Ha!

Of course, we had an Easter Egg hunt for the little ones. Actually, it allows the BIG kids to be little again for just a while.

Where, MoM? Where's the egg?

Megan and Ben finding another egg.
I LOVE this shot of our GrandLoves. Left to right, back, Sy, Megan, Katie, Ryele, Josh, Christopher. Front, Austin, Noah, Ben.

Nine of the eleven were home for Easter. YES!!!
Easter is not Easter without an exhilarating run through the field. So, let's go fly a kite . At one time, there were 7 kites in the air.
The most I could get in one shot was 4 but this one of 3 was a bit more clear. What a beautiful day to fly a kite with just the right gusts of wind to carry them high but not so strong that the little ones couldn't do them alone. They were so giggly.
Even the big kids got into the fun. Fly that hawk, Darc.
Ryele's kite flew up to the highest heights,Let's go fly a kite, Austin, and send it s o a r i n g.

Grandpa was about to get the kite up and Ben says,

"O.K., I'm done Papa!" Even Grandpa flew the kite anyway.

It was a great day.
More memories were made for the photo albums. What holds close to my heart was when Katie says, "Grandma, you are my fun Grandma. We always do such fun things when we come to your house." She melted my heart.

I Hope your hearts were melted this weekend with fond memories, new and old.

BlessYouAll

Hoppy Easter Hurry, they're coloring eggs.

Look, he's already started without us!

A wonderful Blessed Easter to you all as we realize far beyond colored eggs and baby animals, that HE has Died and Rose Again, just for Us. Thank You God, for sacrificing Your Son.

God Bless You This Easter

Seven Years Ago

I come across these pictures of one of our last Great Rainfall Years.

My sunflowers and squash grew leaps and bounds 7 years ago.

We are getting desperate for rain. Our water table is so low, that another year of drought will surly be devastating to the area. The trees are showing signs of stress, the ground is powder, and we can only pray it rains, rains, rains, and rains some more. How dry is it? Well, the old-timer down the road says the frogs are lining up at the pump for a drip and the creek is only running every other day. That's dry.

This sunflower towered 12 feet, saluting the sky. Praise the Lord.
The sunflower on the left is well over 16 ft. tall. My son is 6'6", to give prospective. It's been many a year since we have had a good crop of winter squash.

So, be a love, and pray for rain for us up north in the mid-WI. The southern part of the state does not seem to be doing as badly, but the rest of us are in need of a lot of praying to dampen things a bit. We will take all the moisture we can get. Our new well will get a real work-out watering my gardens this year. Let's hope it's deep enough to last til the drought has passed.

Enough of my griping, but I was just thinking of the gardening we need to do to sustain the shelves and freezers with this wonderful economy we are in. We shall reap what we sow., and be glad of it. We would love to have our spirits 'dampened.'

Bless Your Hearts and Have a Prosperous Year

Dandelion Bed in Highlands

Meet Windy. Doesn't she look like Spring in her bed of Dandys? This picture was taken by www.highlandphotos.net. Please check out this wonderful site of my daughters.

My daughter, Darcie, has had a true love of horses since she played 'Pin the Tail on the Horse'. She HAD to have a horse, not a donkey, when she was just 5 years old, for her Pin the Tail on the Donkey game, at her birthday party.

Her love was seen in her drawings. I saved them and just a few years ago, I made a wall quilt of the drawings, for her by transferring them onto fabric. Surprise!

Her first horse was actually an auction error...on my part. I was at a horse auction with my brother Doug, talking away, 'with my hands', while he was wanting to pay more attention to the auction than I actually was. When the auctioneer said, "SOLD to number 257" and looked our direction, we started to look all over for who the lucky owner of this cute white Shetland Pony was. I backed away from my brother aways, leaned back, cleared my throat, whispering to him and pointing at the numbered card in his shirt pocket, sheepishly said, "Um, Doug, That's YOUR NUMBER." Well, he immediately said, "YOU, Go to the other side of the arena, sit on your hands, and don't even look at me!" I didn't go to the other side of the arena, but I DID sit on my hands. I guess you could say that ,as I said in my Twins post yesterday, THAT was one of the times Doug would just as soon have 'punched' my teeth out.

Needless to say, Darcie was surprised to see a pony of her very own waiting in the old coop when she got home from school that day. If memory serves me, she was about 9 yrs. old. She named him Honey, who was the sweetest little guy. Bill was concerned that Darcie would take care of him about a week and newness would soon wear off once she found out she would have to get up and take care of her horse before school. I told him that it would either last two weeks or the rest of her life.

Not once all through school and then her first Arabian,that she bought with her own money, did she complain. The horses were always tended to before she even ate her breakfast. I was pretty proud of her., well, maybe, except the time she and her girlfriend tried to bring Honey in the house.

She joined 4-H, entering her King at the fair each summer, went on many trail rides and competed whenever, wherever, and with whomever would take her with. She learned much independence with those horses, as well as responsibility and respect. We were concerned that she would show no interest in anything that would see her through life. As she entered college, she became a graphic artist, but, big surprise, most of her art was horses, nagging away at her.

Her love lasted a lifetime. She created her own business, via internet combining horses and her love of photography. She doesn't have time to show her own horses at the time, raising 2 little boys, running a business and chasing her dream. She is on the road weekends and sometimes weekly, taking photo after photo, at shows throughout several states, fairs, anything equestrian., her favorites, of course, the Arabians.

Below is a picture of Darcie with her Windy, the filly in the dandelions. Notice, my daughter sports the same mane as her horse. When this picture was taken, she just had gotten a foot cut off her hair and donates to Locks of Love.

Do you think I am proud of my Lil' One?....You bet I am!! (((HUGS)))
Take a look at the wonderful photography she does on her website at www.highlandphotos.net. She would love a visit from you anytime.

So proud to be MoM

Bless Each and Every One of You

Happy Spring

The Twins

Meet Douglas Wayne (Doug) and Darla Suzanne (Dar)

Aren't we just the cutest 'widdo darlins'
Mom and her twins ...
Dad holding his angels
Portrait time! Don't you just love that little bunny in her hand,? and check out those shoes and the toothless grins!
Speaking of toothless, Doug was always happy to slam the door that held one end of the string that was tied to the my tooth. What a helpful brother.
Their Senior High School Portrait
Off to war he goes and was she ever scared for him. Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, all part of the package deal in the late 60's and early 70's.
Thanks God, our prayers were answered. We have lived many years as twins, right down to knowing what each other is thinking, physically feeling each others pain, and crying together. We will be celebrating our 60th birthday this summer, and are still there for each other. This last picture was taken at our parents 50th Anniversary over 13 yrs. ago. We haven't changed much in looks so this picture is legal as an update...LOL..however, we also still have the same receding hairline we had as babes...so there you go. Doug and I, the 'O' twins of 1950 still going strong on fun through it all. Life is good.
God Bless Your Day and Smile