Pageviews last month

Friday, December 30, 2011

Memories of the winter of 1982

This was a very hard winter on the farm....every weekend in January we had a blizzard and also sub zero temperatures.. lots of frozen water pipes in the barn and the house... and carrying water to all the livestock in the lean-to.  Our wood to heat the house was in the machine shed..so we used a cardboard box on the sled to push it to the house.

One of the weekends we went to town on Friday to get some feed and had it in the trunk of the car and when turning the corner by Klingbiel's there was ice and we hit Brunner's well drilling truck.  The car was totaled so we got a Chevy from Marcott's....it worked but it had some interesting quirks about it. Which brings me to the song of Dashing Through the Snow!!

 DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW

IN MY RUSTY CHEVROLET
DOWN THE ROAD I GO
SLIDING ALL THE WAY
I NEED NEW PISTON RINGS
I NEED SOME NEW SNOW TIRES
MY CAR IS HELD TOGETHER
BY A PIECE OF CHICKEN WIRE

 CHORUS:
 RUST AND SMOKE THE HEATER'S BROKE
THE DOOR JUST BLEW AWAY
I LIGHT A MATCH TO SEE THE DASH
AND THEN I START TO PRAY
THE FRAME IS BENT THE MUFFLER WENT
THE RADIO IT'S OK
OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO DRIVE
THIS RUSTY CHEVROLET

 I WENT TO THE IGA
TO GET SOME CHRISTMAS CHEER
I JUST PASSED UP MY LEFT FRONT TIRE
AND ITS GETTING HARD TO STEER
SKIDDING DOWN THE HIGHWAY
RIGHT PAST THE NEGAUNEE COPS
I HAD TO DRAG MY SWAMPERS
TO GET THE CAR TO STOP

(REPEAT CHORUS)

BOUNCING THROUGH THE SNOWDRIFTS
IN A BIG BLUE CLOUD OF SMOKE
PEOPLE LAUGH AS I DRIVE BY
I WONDER WHAT'S THE JOKE
I GOT TO GET TO SHOPKO
TO PICK UP THE LAYAWAY
CAUSE SANTA CLAUS IS COMING SOON
IN HIS BIG OLD RUSTY SLEIGH

(REPEAT CHORUS) Da Yoppers

Farewell to Uncle Bill

Wilbur Stockwell (1926 – 2011) Wilbur B. Stockwell, 85, of Pittsville died Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011, in the emergency room of Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital, Marshfield. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011, at Rembs Funeral Home, Marshfield with Mr. Bruce Shaw and Mr. Perry Pearson officiating. The visitation will be held on Tuesday from 9 a.m. until service time. Burial will take place in Dorchester Memorial Cemetery and his children will serve as pallbearers. Wilbur was born Jan. 29, 1926, in Brewster, Wash., the son of Lester D. and Lois Ada (Dissmore) Stockwell. He was a veteran of the United States Army. He married Audrey Brunner May 19, 1950. She died Sept. 24, 1974. He then married Myrtle A. Krisher Jan. 29, 1975. Wilbur farmed in the Dorchester area for 25 years and also worked as a mechanic most of his life. A hobby that he enjoyed very much was working with computers and he was an avid reader. He is survived by his wife, Myrtle, and his children, Alan (Pamela) Stockwell of Winona, Minn., Randy (Deanna) Stockwell of Dorchester, Bruce (Mary) Stockwell of Franksville, Jeannine (Louie) Orlando of Caledonia, Brian (Julie) Stockwell of Jamestown, N.D., Steven (Pearl) Stockwell of Milnor, N.D., Douglas (Brenda) Stockwell of Fairmont, Minn., and Delmer Stockwell of Pennsylvania. He is also survived by twenty grandchildren and thirty-three great-grandchildren.

catching up..

Before the holidays all of the grandkids had programs at school

Trevor had a choir program and then he also sang in the madrigal....the group does very good!!

Shawn had his and it was each class singing two songs.

Emily and  Erin were in the fourth grade group and also they sing another group..they give up their lunch recess a few days a week to be in this group.

It so nice that they like music...something they can use for life.

And then there is Mason....you never know what he will come up with. One day he was down in my house and went in the guest room...he says " this is nice!" and also he found my twin baby dolls that I have... the "babies" had to go upstairs with him and then another day they had to go to town with us!!!!

He has also taking to barking and panting like a dog!!

I am still going swimming twice a week and may try to go more after the first of the year...many in my class go to the other classes too.

Shawns class

Emily and Erin in the center back.


taking baby to town!!


Tuesday, December 20, 2011

What the girls did.....

Kara and Alicia scrapbooked as much as they could that weekend...I was planning to help Erin sew...but first the machine was giving me fits and finally got it to sew without breaking the needles and between us we got one little dress done..

The kids also kept busy with their i-pads and the boys did do some R C racing..

We had a big "dinner" Saturday evening

The  chair slid and down she went!!!

Erin cutting the doll dress out.

Can you do this???!!!!!!


Alicia busy with her scrapbooking..

Kara on her chair!!! and Kayla checking the internet on her phone.

Goin' to the dogs!!

We had a family Thanksgiving and Christmas get together the second weekend in December..

We now have a dog..housedog...and Jake was invited to come visit Shooter too.

Mason is especially taken to dogs and so is Emily...so guess where we could find them????



Jake and Shooter

Mason in the cage with the dogs!!

Emily and Jake out from under everyone's feet.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

one year ago.....

Happy Anniversary to Levi and Kayla


We went out to Soleas for supper on Friday night.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Friday Fun

Kayla found this place in Little Chute that offered classes on making cards....so we did that yesterday..they were cards of the season so I let her buy them.... but here they are...I like the stocking...it can be used to give gift cars!!


Shooter and Mason

Aren't you going to share????

I-S Aquatic..

For most of the month of November I have been going twice a week to a swim exercise class...it is for those with arthritis and such....mostly older people...I mean older than me!!!

I started this after my therapy was over...insurance would not cover anymore... but during therapy we did water exercises and that helped a lot.

So this is what I found to do and it is only 8 miles from here..and it helps tremendously!! Now if I would be more careful I'll get fully better....the cane is still my friend...especially outside.


Monday, November 21, 2011

Munchkin and what he does....

Mason calls his other Grandma...Nanna and now he has started calling me Granna instead of Granny!!

This afternoon he came down to my house and was doing this or that....I wasn't pay close attention and all of a sudden he is saying Granna, Granna,,,HOT, HOT!!! I looked that way and there was smoke comeing off the scentsy holder that I had on the stove.....here he had played with the knobs and turned the burner on!! I had to find the right knob to turn it off and get the holder off the burner..By that time Mason was back upstairs!!!
HOT, HOT!!!!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Old brown cupboard.....

This cupboard has a story...when we moved to the farm in the Medford area it was living in the breezeway of the barn..used for storing cow medicines of everykind. Since we had an old farmhouse kitchen I wanted to have it in there...which meant the big job of stripping it...that was almost 30 years ago. (also this cupboard was used in the house many years before as the only cupboard Aunt Dorothy had when they first moved to the farm)

I used it in the entryway at the Dorchester home and in the laundry room of the Fremont house.

When we moved to the place by Waupaca the girls said I should not put it in the house....that house was small enough there was not room...so it got stored in the garage.

WELLLL....after the fire and I bought the house in New London it came with me...I think it got put in he basement.

Since we moved into the log house in Ogdensburg it found a home in the back room.

After the new old stove got put in there was room in the kitchen for it...but she needed a new dress...so I tried to do a Shabby Chic...turned out not bad for the first time of doing this method...


brown dress

partly dressed


all pretty..


Thursday, November 10, 2011

2011 first snow..

We got our first snow yesterday November 9th and it was a very heavy wet snow and about 5-6 inches..I went to my swim class early in the day and came home about 10:00. The roads were horrible, it took me over an half hour to go the eight miles. We also lost power in the afternoon for two hours....some were out for much longer... find out we really rely on electricity!!


Monday, November 7, 2011

He was working hard!!!!


and Granny was shakey....

Thursday, October 27, 2011

I like the fall trees...










 






Middle school concert...

The other night I got a phone from a little voice down south...wondering what I was doing the next evening...she said that Trevor had a concert....I like to see how the kids do and especially listening to their concerts...

So the next afternoon I  moussed down to Kara's....enjoyed the scenery....lots of oak trees and they still have their leaves...


Concert was short and sweet...



7th grade




before school..

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Friday, October 7, 2011

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Johanna BraaksmaJohanna Braaksma   March 5, 1921 - October 5, 2011

Johanna Braaksma, age 90, of Sibley, IA died Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at Sibley Nursing & Rehab Center in Sibley, IA.
Visitation will be Friday, Oct. 7th from 2:00 to 8:00 PM, with the family present from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Jurrens Funeral Home of Sibley.

The family will gather at Jurrens Funeral Home in Sibley at 9:00 AM Saturday morning, Oct. 8th and proceed to Holman Township Cemetery for a graveside service. Following the grave side service a memorial service will be held at 11:30 AM at the Demco Center in Boyden, IA. A time for food and fellowship will follow the service at the Demco Center as well.

Johanna Albertina Rosenthal was born March 5, 1921 in Litchville, North Dakota, the daughter of Peter and Dientje (Olthoff) Rosenthal. She was raised on a farm northwest of Litchville, ND and attended the Litchville Community School. In 1930 Johanna and her family moved to Hastings, MI, where she heard the Gospel and yielded her life to the Lord and continued faithfully to the end of her life. She graduated in 1940 from Woodland High School in Hastings. She continued her education at Detroit, MI where she studied for a year focusing on office administration. She then worked for the U.S. War Department in Detroit for the next five years.
On January 15, 1946 Johanna was united in marriage to George Braaksma Sr. in Hastings, MI. The couple moved to a farm near Allendorf, Iowa where they lived and raised their family. The couple retired in 1979 and moved to a home in Sibley, IA. In May of 2010, Johanna and George moved to the Viola House in Sibley. In July of 2010, both George and Johanna entered the Sibley Nursing and Rehab Center in Sibley, where she remained until her death.
Johanna was active with the Osceola Community Hospital Auxiliary and the Care Committee for the local nursing homes. She especially enjoyed time spent with family, friends and the workers of her faith. She enjoyed traveling, crocheting, reading and cooking meals. She will be remembered as a selfless person; for sharing their home with George’s brother Gerard and sister Margaret during the early years of George and Johanna’s marriage, and later caring for her own mother, and a close family friend, Gertrude Winney.
Johanna is survived by her husband of sixty-five years, George Braaksma Sr. of Sibley, IA; and nine children, August Braaksma, Dianne (Roger) Birkhofer, Patricia (Bob) Dreesen, Mary (Don) Braasch, Gloria (Randy) Bartlett, George Jr. (Margie Newkirk) Braaksma, Bonita (Tim) Thomas, Betty (Tim) Kellen, and Barbara (Joel) Bosma; twenty grandchildren; twenty-one great-grandchildren; sister, Annie Stadel, many nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Peter and Dientje Rosenthal, infant twin siblings; infant son, Arnold, infant daughter, Marjorie, and Brother-in-law Laverne Stadel.

Mom worked for George and  Jo different times before she was married....helping with the children when a  baby was born. Dad also helped George on the farm right after he came to America.
Mom liked to go visit them in the nursing home in the last years..she was able to visit them on the Monday before she passed away.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Uncle Sipke's house..








Copies of pictures from the real estate ad. It says the house was built in 1875.






therapy scenery

This is what I saw when I parked at the hospital..

Sunday, October 2, 2011

" running away"...

Elaine and I took a couple days to drive up nort" to see the colors....it was fall like weather...raining sometimes, windy at other times and the temp was where a sweatshirt felt good. We had a great time visiting and we stayed in a place with a pool.

I haven't said much about this .... but I have been getting weaker as for walking...lots of falling down ... especially outside... so I haven't kept up the flower beds very good the last part of the summer. So a visit to the Dr. made appointments for physical therapy. That had helped a lot...so I was able to get 2 sessions of water therapy .... I like doing the exercises in the pool.

Now some pictures of the fall colors..


little house..

always like to see the flag flying..

white birch..

railway bridge...

fall colors....