Carpe Diem

November is National writing month.  There is a web site that is expressly for writing during November.  It is nanowrimo.org.  Their only goal is to get people writing.  They are challenging people to write 50 thousand word novel from November 1st until November 30th.  If you can complete you will get the satisfaction of the accomplishment and a certificate for your wall.  But also you will have that first book that you can edit and do as many rewrites as you want.  I have been published twice on a small scale so my interest is to get that novel from my mind into my computer.  Besides that I was challenged by an English teacher from Beach, North Dakota.  It's hard to pass on a challenge.

Retirement

I am  a year and half into this thing called retirement.  I am no different then any other retiree who says I am busier now then when I worked.  True statement.  My clock says it all.  The only difference between work and retirement is when you work you had to wait until 5:00 to take your naps.  This clock was my favorite gift that I got when I did retire.  I got it from Natalie's Mom and Dad. Natalie is my son's wife.   So that makes it even more special.    In the words of Dana Carvey "Now, isn't that special." (church lady skit)  I am here to report that retirement is wonderful. 

Anyone that knows me well, knows that my passion is quilting.  Well, the year before I retired I got to thinking that I probably would not be able to afford this high dollar pass time.  So I started buying quilt kits a $100 apiece.  I quit when they totalled 25.  So far I have sewn every day of my retirement, but only have done 2 of the prepurchsed kits.  Talk about funny.

I think it was my mind set.  Work equalled money.  Since I was not working I would not have money.  It is really nice to see money just drop out of nowhere into my bank account.  

Another old building is on the chopping block

The Bemidji City Council is planning on redoing the Library park.  It is a three year project.  But on October 19th an article in the Pioneer announced that the Bemidji's Carnegie Library could be torn down  or moved to fit their plans.  There has been much discussion, both real and virtual (facebook).  Today in the paper I learned something about the Carnegie Libraries. There was an editorial by Dr. Annie B. Henry(a professor at Bemidji State University) explaining how she as a black child in the 50's could not enter a library.   Mr. Carnegie attempted to minimize discrimination and racism by offering to build and put reading materials into Carnegie libraries in any city that agreed to his main requirement:  the Carnegie libraries had to be accessible and used by all Americans.  After that article's appearance tearing down a building that is steeped in that much American history might be more difficult.

Some of the buildings problems is that it has an entrance facing one of the busiest streets in Bemidji.  Another it needs an elevator and handicapped accessibility.  All are fixable.  Our church sealed up our front door entrance with a beautiful stained glass mural.  A  flower box sits where the front steps used to be.  Move the entrance to the back of the building.  I see opportunity for the vo-tech and BSU students to design a mural for the front door area.  Make it a contest. It is presently being used as the fine art center.   One could tap into that talent.  Also, they could use the arch saved from the high school as part of the designed entrance in the back.  I see beauty in the old, where as some people just see old.

 I will be truly saddened if tearing down this building does come to fruition.  I learned my love of reading and eventually my love of the written word from checking out books weekly from that very library.  I have already lost my high school building.  Now this??

Soup Kitchen

My graduating class,class of 64ever, works in the soup kitchen once a year.  Yesterday was the day.  The director is a classmate.  She does a wonderful job. Bemidji hosts a soup kitchen three days each week.   I am including pictures, but not of the people who come to eat.  Just classsmates. We served 130 and we did not even eat soup.  It was a chicken or beef, oven baked potatoes and green beans.  It is a very humbling experience.  It makes you wonder what happened to so many people that they are in this situation.

Bike Trails

Bemidji area has an extensive network of bike trails.  Two trails that I know of go from Bemidji to other cities.  One goes to International Falls and one goes to Walker.  My great nephew and I have for the last two summers spent every summer Monday together.   He is 9 years old this year.  We plan work projects and fun projects in a meeting that we lovingly call our safety meetings.  Generally a safety meeting starts our day out.  We make our plans for that day which always features my expectations of his behavior that day.  He gets input into the plan and therefore buys ownership to the plan.  Last summer we had a plan to landscape the front of my house.  When he arrived I was already deep into the work so he just jumped in and started working.    Then about an hour into the project he comes to me and exclaimed that we forgot to have our safety meeting.  Nothing short of stopping and having our meeting would do.  So, of course, that is what we did.   

This picture was taken in the Bemidji State  Park section of the bike trail that goes around the Lake Bemidji.  I think there is 33 miles of trails.  This trip we put on 9 miles.  I heard no complaints from him that he was too tired.  Anyway, we packed a lunch and ate it in the park.  What was a great way to end the summer of fun Mondays.

Oh no I am deaf

I recently had an MRI.  It took all I had to be able to complete the test.  First of all you are stuffed into a form so that you can not move.  Then they put a space-like clear helmet on your head to well I guess I don't know its purpose.  You put ear plugs in as the machine is so loud and abrasive to your hearing.  I just kept going to a happy place and trying to remember everything about it so I could block out the test.  But the strangest thing that happened was the quickness that I got out of that confinement as soon as she brought me out.  I was so paniced that I jumped out and started tearing all the gear off.  The technician was helping. But the funniest thing that happened was  I kept saying I am deaf from that loud machine.  I said it over and over.  The technician then said that I should take out my ear plugs and of course I could hear just fine.  I have been laughing all afternoon.

Walmart has pharmacies in most of their stores.  I now see that they are also giving flu shots in the main aisle.  Now I wonder how long will it be that tucked in the back conrner you can get a MRI or a Cat scan?????

I got my test results back this morning and found out that there were no aneurysms present.  Yippee.  One of my close friends said that I always knew you had a good head on your shoulders.

Trees are big

I was outside talking to my neighbor when we both heard a cracking sound. 
Then a huge crack and followed by a thunderous crash.  One of their trees had fallen. It was really  weird to have it happen so we could witness it.  I have finally answered that age old question if no one is in the woods is there any noise.  The answer no it is silent.  There are only sound waves in the woods.  You would need receptor (ears) to hear the noise. 

Autumn Concert

Sunday afternoon my friend Wilda and I attended the Autumn Concert put on by the Bemidji State University Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble. The auditorium in Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex is a nice facility -- good acoustics and nice seating. We certainly had a surprise when the clarinet player stood up for the applause of the end of the piece and fainted.  After a short intermission we were told that she was okay and the conductor would take her place on the carinet and finish the concert.   It was a pleasant way so spend a Sunday afternoon.

World Relief

I have transferred my membership to the First Lutheran Church.  As I found out later my best friend from high school is also a member.   I got the royal treatment as she introduced me to the church family.  I have two observations as a new comer.  The church is the busiest church I have ever been in.  Their ministries are world wide.  And secondly they are the coffee drinkingest bunch I have ever seen.  Both are good.  I wonder is drinkingest a word????  Anyway, I have joined the quilters and the knitters.  Both are doing their projects for Lutheran World Relief.  My knitting group averages 8 to 10 women and the quilting group has 22 to 25 women in it.  There are three groups of worker bees in the quilting groups.  There are the top sewers who manage the fabric donations.  That is mainly Wilda and I.  There are ladies who tie the quilts.  Finally there are two gals who sew the binding on.   All the fabrics and materials are donated.  We have money alotted us from FLCW (Women of the church) from which we buy batting and maintain the sewing machines.   But now the best part.  We have a 30 to 40 minutes coffee time.  Remember this is the drinkingest bunch.  We have one member that comes just to make the coffee, set the table and get the goodies out.  She is such a dear.  Not a mean bone in her body, but she is showing signs of demenia.  We can sing grace and after we end she asked did we sing the blessing.  We answer yes and she says I must have been in the kitchen.  We all love her to death.  I am proud to tell you I am a better person from these volunteer hours.

As in the commercial says the world needs more winners and these groups are surely that.

Brother

I take my brother to dialysis three times a week.  It requires that I get up at five and pick him up so that he can be there by 5:50.  Then I pick him up at 10:15  and bring him back to Nielson Place.  Dialysis has a way to teaching one patience.  I guess that that has not been my long suit.    God has a way of always sending the lesson that you can't master back at you.  So here it comes again.  Well, I am here to tell you that I get it.  We have been at this since July.  Brother tells me that I will not have to drive him as soon as he can walk again.  He is recuperating from surgery and can't put any weight on that right foot until it heals.

Good news this morning.  His dialysis treatment has been moved to 7:20.  So I have a repreive I can sleep until 6:00.

It's fall can you smell the Lutefisk

My church had their annual Lutefisk supper. There are many jobs to do but I choose to work with my friends Wilda and Larry.  We are handling the take outs.  We will take orders, fill them and bag them for pick up.  I've never done it before so it will be fun to see what really happens.  We don't cook the lutefisk in the church.  A U haul truck is rented and the fish is cooked in it.  Imagine the next people to rent that truck.  The only scary happening was when only half of the coffee maker was working.  I figured that with all those Norwegians and Swedes in the building there might be a riot if they were told that they could not get their coffee. The church makes good money.

Tree Removal Project

My tree removal project was going to be a priority on next years to do list.  But a wind storm changed that.  One of the dead jackpines fell, but got hung up in a near by tree.  It seemed to me to be dangerous to leave that tree.  It was an accident just waiting to happen.  Today the crew of brothers and cousins arrived and made short work of the trees.  They took all the logs to burn at their next party in the burn pit.  I took all the branches to the landfill.  Now what will I have to do Next summer.  Fish maybe.

Let it snow





Look what I found this morning.  The first snow.  It will not last the day as soon as the sun comes up.  I was right is is now 11:00 and all the snow is gone. 

Festival of Tables

As a money maker the First Lutheran Church sponsored the Festival of Tables. You set a table for 8 guests.  They pay $15 to eat lunch with you.   Carole, Wilda and I did a watermelon themed table.  As you will see in the photos everything was either watermelon shaped or at least watermelon colored.  Our centrpriece  was composed of cup cakes that had ants on them carrying of course watermelon slice.  We even had Watermelon aprons.  There were 18 tables total.  The guest come early enough to see all the other tables.   We played songs before the meal.  Of course, they had watermelons in the song.  The watermelon crawl and  Old dogs, children and watermelon wine.  We tried to get watermelon wine, but the liquor people do not carry it as I guess it taste awful.  Or at least that is what they told us.  We had so much fun.  Next year we are doing a Norweign theme or a hat theme.  Who knows what we will think of by then.

Fall Craft Show

I am getting ready for the American Legion crafts and book sale on November 19th at the Legion Post.  I have been in the auxiliary for 10 years.  I just transferred my membership to Bemidji.  I will have hats, purses, table runners, quilts, crayon aprons and cup cozys.  Of course, I had all summer to make all the items I wanted, but no that didn't happen.  I am now under the gun.  I have 5 crayon aprons, 3 hats and one table runner left to make.  And you have already read my blog on the partridge in a pear tree.   Wish me luck.

My first insulated garage

In the summer my garage would be as hot of 120 degrees.  In the winter it was just 7 to 10 degrees warmer that the temperature outside.  I have now have a heated, insulated garage. This winter will be an experiment in water control.  I do not have a floor drain.  I have two things going for me.  One is that I only keep my car in this garage.  I keep my truck in the steel building.  The other is that I drive my truck most of the winter.  My Prius has only 5-6 inch clearance and in Minnesota that just isn't enough.  My truck is a 4 wheel drive on the fly.  That decision which will cost me a bit more money on gas is a no brainer -- I drive the truck.  Besides it has heated seats.   I hope to keep the temperature in the garage at 40 degrees.

Gobs of peanut butter

Recently I was at my son house in Jamestown visiting.  I had just heard that peanut butter was going to go up 30%.  Like every other senior what is on your mind you expound to great lengths.  I may have talked about peanut butter 2 or 3 times.  Finally my son said if he would give $10.00 for that extra raise in price could we just not talk about peanut butter for the rest of my visit.  That weekend I was having my daughter in law help me set up  my blog page.  She asked what I wanted for my address so the only thing I could think of was gobs of peanut butter, ergo the address.  Ergo is the old English word for therefore.  I use it a lot when I am doing crossword puzzles, but lately I have heard it in two commercials.   It is funny how words come back into popularity. Well, the end of this story isn't good.  Peanut butter went up 62%.  But I was ready with my 4 jars of peanut butter.

Legion chili feed

I am the newest member of the Bemidji American Legion Auxiliary.  That means that I got to serve the chili and fry bread while  running my legs off.  This picture is actually a photo of me pretending to do the important job of serving and stirring the chili.  Maybe next year they will move me up.   But I did have fun.  The Post commander and the Auxiliary  President  are mother and son.  They seem to work well together.  I know I'll have a great time with this bunch of people.  Life is good.

Class of 64ever

A number of my classmates meet at Luekens every Thursday to have lunch.  Any one from out of town always knows where we are and joins us.  It is so much fun.  We never seem to run out of things to laugh about.  One Thursday Luekens did not have any butter for our rolls.  One of us asked and they said that the butter wasn't ordered or they missed putting it on the truck.  Or something.  Well, that would never do so I bought a tub of butter and we passed it around.  Problem solved.  So I thought.  During the next few weeks it seems that certain classmates are making it their business to pay me back.  Every Thursday a pack of butter is put on my tray.  Oh, I got to go I just remembered that I got one today and it is still in my purse. 

This Thursday we had 4 guests and it was Howard Harder's birthday.

I just heard that there is another lunch bunch meeting called the Metro class of 64ever.

House warming

This is an old story, but one that is worth recording.  After being gone from the Bemidji area for 46 years I have purchased a house and move from Beach, North Dakota.  After unpacking for a month I figured it was time to throw a party.  I invited my friends and relatives, hired a band and made pulled pork.  Well, actually the band needed a place to practice and their pay was supper.  The warming kept the house warm all winter.

Peeping Tom?

Last night as I was working at my computer in my dining room I heard a noise outside my patio doors.  I looked up and was face to face  with a deer.  When he saw me he quickly turned and stumbled off the deck.  Just when I was about to experience writers block for my blog my wildlife springs to action and I have but yet another story to tell.

Garage apron

The house that I bought needed several things that would make it more complete and convenient.  The most important being the apron on the garage.  The day that was chosen to do this project threatened rain.  As the day progress it looked like it would pass.  We just got the cement poured and smoothed it started to sprinkle.   We covered it and it set up okay.  Best thing I could have done to improve living conditions.  I get less sand in my garage.  Life is good.