t or treat, mainly treats!

I headed in to IG and Denny headed to Buehlers.  I volunteered at the Orphan Grain Train.  I had known about it since Elfred Meisners used to help there when I worked at the Rec center.  About 8:20 I headed to Odebolt and watched the skits that our airbnb put on at the middle school about financial literacy- loans, interest, credit, debit, spending money, saving money, opportunity costs.  Then back to OT.  They pack up uniform boxes of clothes for shipment to those in need.  I got ham pickles, bread and eggs at grocery store- all necessities for Denny.  He loves his ham sandwiches at 6.  At 4:30 I was at Odebolt care with Paul and Maryann.  Paul was enjoying watching trick or treaters in the big lunchroom where he could watch the dressed up children from the warm comfort of his chair.   Jensens came and afterward I rode in the van with the parents as kids walked from house to house and ran back to van to get warmed.  When they headed home, I headed to Cherokee.  Jack was at Jan and Johns' so I went there, too.  Cute facetime from Erin.  We went in wonderful relaxing hot tub before heading to bed.  

Dentist and home

Slow start.  Denny left to drive the grain cart around 7:45; I had a dentist appointment at 8:30.  I asked Laura about dental insurance, she said it might be better to put the premium $ in an account and just go to one check up and xrays and pay the whole 100 percent of tooth repair instead of pay the insurance and pay 50% of tooth repair.  I stopper at school and new speakers in chromebook did not fix the lack of audio.  I stopped at Judy K. for a quick visit before heading home.  It is cold out there and so I sit under a blanket, in sunroom, just updating my blog. 

Becky made this awesome apple cake.... Picture from Matt. 

Home on Sunday Oct 29

We get to take Grands for donuts this am.  :)  Torren's last ffb game was 2 weeks ago.  Nice just to stay put.  I am not sure how we got it wrong on the calendar.  Evan did not join us before ss.  Jensens spoke at church; we brought Anabel home with us and fixed some scrambled eggs for lunch.  Denny fixed food most of the afternoon,  I took a nap and then made salad.  Whitney, Austin and Emma joined us for supper.  They have booked our bnb; they are staying in Spencer this week; Austin is working in Schaller.  It was fun to have them join us for supper and get to know them better.  I headed to bed early, I was kinda cold and kinda have a cold. 

From Saturday morning in Minneapolis:

a year of Saturdays

Denny left for Buehlers at 9.  I went to Missy's and got the TAG baskets almost done.  Anabel came home with me for a while.  We were talking and I asked her what she did yesterday and commented that she had like 2 Saturdays in a row, because they had no school on Friday.  She made the comment that my life was a "year of Saturdays" now that I am retired.  I guess that is the extended view of "everyday is Saturday".  :)  At 12, I went to a hunter's luncheon in Odebolt with Donna B.  Brian, Jenny Denny and girls joined us.  Afterwards  I took pecan pie to the Lindgrens.  Then home for a nap and to watch the ISU game on a blurry TV.    We played a game of identify the play and outcome as we searched the mishmash of pixels.  On a very sad note These are my final flowers of the season.  I went out in the windy cold of a dark 8 pm last night and tried to pick some because it was suppose to get down to 23 degrees.  I am really gonna miss playing with the flowers.  Cute Jack in cardinal and Gold.

                 Cute Rose with jam on her face. 

(It is good to stand corrected.  I never know if my kids read the blog, but this is the proof that ... it does get read.  I think Luke was perhaps goaded on by his sister, Missy after she posted about the book.  ????  So the red is beets, not jam!!!! )  Isn't she cute???

day with Jack

I left for Cherokee at 6:30 and spend such a fun day there.  Jack took a 3 hour nap in am.  We watched a couple of comedy during the day.   Jason came home from lunch and I took Mandy's advice and Jason made me the same sandwich he was making for himself.  YUM!!!  Denny at Buehlers got done with their beans.  When I got home he was working in the bnb fixing a leak in the water pipes.  I fixed pizza and we ate it out in the coop.  More dog pictures:

Laura to SL

When Denny left for Buehler's I went outside and rototilled more of the flower garden.  Some of the carpet was really tied down with weeds.  I picked up Laura at 10 and dropped her off at BV, then I went to Wal-mart.  I sized and hung clothes at SOS.  We stopped at study at Ginny's, we stopped at Foodpride and shopko, I got gas, dropped Laura at home and I headed home.  Missy called and I took Brooks to wrestling in Odebolt.  Denny called at 1 he was headed to Carroll to get a part for the combine.   Denny worked until 10:00?  We visited and chilled in the sunroom. 

Awana Banana split night ,,, Finished bulbs

Denny left for work before 8.  I headed outside around 9.  I didn't work fast, but I did get all the bulbs planted.  It was a beautiful day.  Warm and not windy.  Slow and steady is the way.  I started to put the garden to sleep with a massage and a warm cover.  Actually I was rototilling and then putting the long carpet over the soil that I got tilled.   We left for Awana about 5:30.  There were 130 clubbers and about 47 adults that had banana splits.  I was tired and was starting to get a sore throat and cold, so I went to bed.  REALLY happy that I got all the bulbs planted. 

Friends

I met Susan in IG at 9:10.  I stopped at store to gt battery for my phone right when Josh was heading to the dentist.  He is ordering a battery for my phone which keeps losing its charge.  We picked up Teresa and got to Kathy's around 11.  We visited with Lydia and Wendell and Lawsaon until Kathy got back about 12:30.  Before we went for lunch we stopped at the church.  There were lots of great changes since the last time I was there.  We had coffee at their house before heading home.  It was so good just to visit with good friends.  I watched The Voice and This is Us before Denny got back from working about 11.

Thank you, Jesus,

Dentist appointment at 9:20,   Grocery store for Banana Split night,   I brought home food for bnb guests,  t 2:30 I went to Evan's 5th grade red ribbon week skit,  It was pretty cool with videos omade by the students.  Anabel and Brooks both won awards for best coloring of picturess and design of posters.  After school I took Brooks to ride with Denny in Brian's Graincart,  Anabel came home with me.   When they left I went on a walk with Minh,  She brought some pictures on her phone out to the Chicken coop,  Pretty wedding in December 2014.  I chilled with Denny in the sunroom before heading to bed.  He put in 12 hours yesterday . 

Jack's baptism

We got to Cherokee about 9:30.  Nice church service.   Afterward we went down for coffee and then to the Country Club for a brunch buffet.  Very nice time with family.  At home we took naps, then I went out to plant bulbs.  Denny washed the pickup.  We washed the Prius.  Shane said he would put airbnb info at his job site, so Denny worked on a hard copy of airbnb information.  

No harvesting ... rainy ... dryer repair???

I slept until 8.  Uffta!!!  2 days of early getting around must have tuckered me out.  I awoke up to Denny running the vacuum to clean the dryer that went on the fritz yesterday.  Lord, guide and direct our coming and going.  So we headed to to Storm Lake after working on the dryer until 11.  Got a washer and dryer, ate Mexican, got cold medicine, got 2 possible TAG baskets, and headed home.  At home it took a bit to get W&D hooked up.  We chilled out under the big back yard maple tree and enjoyed the mild fall weather and carpet of golden leaves. 

got yore back, Jack!!!

I was in Cherokee by 7:30 to get the low down of Jack's schedule.  It worked pretty good, they had a daycare schedule from yesterday of when he ate, slept, diapered... so I kinda went by that.  What a sweet boy.  He likes to be outside, so  I put him in the front pack carrier and we went to the patio out of the wind for a while.  After his bottle we talked quite a bit.  He was getting good at responding by blowing bubbles and smiling.  I headed home thru Storm Lake and visited Mandy's clinic.  Nice to see where she is working.  I helped at SOS until 4 and then headed home by way of Arthur to get flower containers from Mary.  I picked up Evan and Anabel about 6:15.  They had fun at the Home school skating party.  Denny got back from harvest.  Worked from  10 am -12pm.  14 hours  I was in bed and out. #bestdayever      Like most of my days!!!  :)

Full Day

  Up early for devotions and then to Jensens by 6:10.  Missy is taking girls to ISU stem conference.  We got Evan to school by 7:50 for band practice.  Next to Doses where I got some kitchen towels.  At home I put together 20 bunches of flowers for food pantry.  Minh helped me.  At 11 I headed to Schleswig to get sandwiches to take to Julie and Darwin's combiners.  They are in Omaha for Darwin's cancer chemo.  I headed to Arthur and gave flowers to Mary to take to Galva.  I did a quick walk thru Rachel's store and met SG, TP and Elfreida at the Pizza Hut.  Then to Ginny's for study.  At 4:30 I picked up Jensens after library program.  We ate a pizza lunchables on the trampoline.  At home I started soup and Minh was outside so we walked together to Howard the wind tower.  Keelie and 2 cats joined us.  Strange cats!!!  Following us down the road.  I finished the soup and took some to Jensens.  It was slow cleaning up the kitchen while I watched This is us episodes.  Denny put in 12+ hours today.

Early out

Devotions early.  When Denny left to work I went out into the yard.   I planted bulbs near the deck.  Tulips, Daffodils and Allium.  I worked pretty steady til 12:15 when I got ready to get Grands at early out. Minh came out and we sat at the table and enjoyed the fall weather.   I took 2 yellow tomatoes to Maryann and Paul.  I took Grands to IG library program.   They were hesitant about having a snack in the grass between the library and pool.  The snake program was very good.  Story, live snake to handle, relay games outside, paper art project of snake to color, cut out and use heat from a light bulb to twirl. Mike B. brought his hummer and gave T&T clubbers rides thru the ditches.

 

gymnastics

Wonderful day for working outside!!!  It is 2:30 and I have been out since 10 when Denny left to drive harvest machinery.  He sent the email to our kids about his "rig".  I was outside until about 5 when I got cleaned up to go to gymnastics with Jensens.  I have lots of bulbs to plant.  I just enjoy being outside even tho it takes me a while to decide what to do and where to put the bulbs.  Minh came out to join me around five, right when I was heading in to get ready to go watch gymnastics.  Denny got back from working about the same time I got home.  We sampled the flavored popcorn from the Madison Farmer's market.  YUM!

Heading home

We left Madison about 7.  Left Dubuque about 9.  Got to Auburn about 12:45 and home about 1:30.  Great day to drive.  Minh and I went to get veggies at the high tunnel.  Then I worked in the flower garden, hauling dead flowers to the pile.  Minh helped me.  I roasted beets, made peanut soup, and fried hamburgers and hash browns.  Denny worked from 9am-10pm yesterday.  He is planning to use the $ to buy a grill for down in Texas.  Picture of cousins with Grandma and Grandpa Meylink.  How cute are we?!!!  Gail has an ear of corn, Craig has a puppy/ kitten?, and I got my eye on Grandpa's hand.  Maybe he has candy for me.   (Me-7 1/2-8 months old, pretty dress, shoes, and socks;  Craig-plaid shirt and bib overalls, haircut so you can comb it over to his right side;  Gail- sweater with big buttons?  Jumper or overalls with straps?  I LOVE her curly hair!!!!  and her sweet smile,  I think she looks like a young Todd).

Finished scarves

We left for church about 8:30.  I went with Gail and Bruce afterward.  12 of us for lunch at Come Back In.  Coburns joined us and Hendersons.   We finished the scarves for Nancy about 5 and headed to Todd's.  Oh, my, we forgot the ice cream so we turned around and on the way home we saw a house with a purple picket fence.  Nancy had to turn around to show me. Earlier that day I had asked her about having a pink picket fence in front of her house.  Uffta!  I owned up to the fact that often random stuff comes out of my mouth.  Why would I say a pink picket fence?????  My mind/mouth need to both work together and often that doesn't happen.  Faith, embrace and own up to all your failures.  Little sweet Hope has been feeling a little punk.  Her parents think she must be getting her molars.  When we got home, Nan and I sampled the flavored popcorn I got at the farmer's market, watched TV,  and I "putt"sed around with scarves and cleaning.  I sent out a text with pic of scarves to family.  Two responded and so I brought those scarves back with me to Iowa.  Nancy has a craft fair coming up and will take the rest of the scarves to sell there.
Two (of perhaps 4) guests checked into CCF.  Denny had sprayed for flies and had gone back to vacuum the remains.
Another great day.

Scarves

Nice slow am in bed.  We had a sister's call and then Nancy took me to the farmer's market around the square.  I loved to just walk and look at all the beautiful produce.  When we got home a little after 11 the tailgaters were coming to meet before the 2:30 Wisconsin football game.  Nancy has 50 silk scarves to make and she will give the remaining supplies to a friend, (never to do that craft project again).  So we "scarf"ed  until after 10.  Plus we ate with the tailgaters.  Justine and Kevin and girls came to visit.  Month old Jessa is a sweetie and Amy was appropriately dressed in rain gear and boots.  A cute green frog.  Justine was "upset" when she saw the family picture that Kevin had put his hand over the Wisconsin logo.   How funny was that!!!   At 10 when we decided to stop for the night, the scarves were so pretty to look at Nancy and I just sat and looked at them before we headed to bed.  (10 more to go tomorrow)  I know .... we have no life.   At home Denny vacuumed the dead bugs at CCF  and got supplies at IG.  There was a search committee meeting at 3.  Mark, who is coming to airbnb ccf is a relative of our dentist, Laura.  Small world.

Jensens sent out email about their mission work to Nepal.  Lord, guide and keep them.