Coyote Sky Homestead

Bear ROCKS!

Bear standing on a rock in our woods.  Good Boy, Bear!  Good Boy!  He just got his new license in the mail; so now he's licensed to be a County Dog, I guess.   

Cleaning

busy Tuesday

did a lot of cleaning today;

made my bed

did dishes in cabin

pulled out the fridge and--ugh!--there was so much filth, made my stomach turn, so nice to have that cleaned (only thing is, I can't get the fridge back up on the little flat board dh put it on, try as I did to get it back on there)  I guess he put that under there to keep it from scratching the floor when moved?

vacuumed the hallway, the pantry

washed the floor in the entryway

dusted the shelves in dd's room

cleaned out a large plastic container that used to hold dog food in pantry (will put something else in there eventually)

made girls' beds

Grandma's Obituary

Esther Linnea Nelson Johnson died Dec. 24, 2006. . .

Born Nov. 29, 1908, in Bark River, eighth child of Swedish immigrants, John and Matilda (Gustafson) Nelson, Esther's childhood was spent on the Nelson family farm where she learned the value of hard labor and common sense.

When Esther was 18 months old, her father died of cancer, leaving his widow and children to run the farm.  At the age of seven, she was given the job of driving horse and wagon to the Bark River Creamery to deliver cream, a distance of three miles. 

She was fluent in the Swedish language, and discovered her life-long love of reading at an early age.

Esther attended school in the south Bark River area until the eighth grade.  Shortly after, Esther moved to Escanaba and in 1925, enrolled in the Cloverland Business College in Escanaba, graduating from there in 1926.

Her first employment was at Hemett Grocery in Escanaba as a bookkeeper.  She subsequently moved to her own apartment, purchased and drove a Ford Coupe with a rumble seat, one of the first young women to do so at that time. 

Esher was later employed at the Sawyer-Stoll Timber Co. in Escanaba as a stenographer from 1926 to 1933.

She was wed to C. Elmer Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Johnson, also Swedish immigrants, on Dec. 24, 1931, at the home of her sister and brother-in-law, Signa and Elmer Carlson, of Bark River.  She wore a gown of brown silk crepe and carried sweetheart roses.  Elmer was employed at the Escanaba Dairy.  The couple made their home at 416 Ludington St.

In 1933, they moved back to the south Bark River area to raise a large family.  They ran a dairy farm, raised chickens for an egg route, and also supplemented their income with the sale of forest products until their retirement in 1972 when they moved back to Escanaba.

Elmer passed away of heart failure in Esther's arms on Aug. 13, 1975.  Esther was also preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Signa Carlson and Alice VanEnkevort; and by five brothers, Art, Ted, Edgar, Richard and Hilmer.

Esther's survivors include. . .

Friday

Big Weekend For Girls:

am taking the girls to dh's mother's after school to drop them off and their Aunt is picking them up later for a sleep over

the girls are very excited about it; hope they have fun

So Far Today:

made my bed

did dishes

To Do:

need to put the girls' stuff in the car

vacuum my bedroom

Good news:

I heard from an old girlfriend; she sent an x-mas card.  I had lost her address way back (in fact, an entire address book, still don't have a few addresses of distant kin).  Anyway, she is a head librarian for a medium sized community and her dh is starting his own law firm.  She says she has five pets.  It was good to hear from her.  I sent her a New Year card in return because her card came right before x-mas.

Tuesday

Well, my mom called me on Christmas Eve to say my Grandma died.  I'm still sort of in shock.  The cards I recieved from kin said she was doing fine, so just didn't expect this.  I had wanted to be able to go to the funeral, but they didn't give me any info about it til after. 

Had a 4H meeting tonight.  They opened their exchange gifts and ate pizza.

My girls are supposed to go to their Aunt's for a sleep over this weekend.  I think I'll go to my folks' then on Sat. for something to do.  I have not seen them for a long time.  Will see how the weather goes.

The weather has been strangely warm.

Christmas was okay.  The girls got way too much stuff and I dread sorting it all out in their room.

New Year's Day I went to the laundromat. 

Ten Today

My oldest daughter turned 10 today.  She opened her gifts in the morning.  She got a collection of Simpson's comic books--in wrappers, a Teddy Bear Calendar, Keith Urban's latest cd, four Hardy Boy books (hardcover), a twister game that is for two; has mats that you step on and a cd plays music, and an American Girl magazine--plus a few other odds and ends.

I made her a birthday cake.  This was supposed to be taken to school on Friday, but school was cancelled due to icy weather conditions.  I had to miss her school program because of the same weather the afternoon before.  The road were slick.  I won't drive in bad conditions. 

A little after dd's opening of gifts, we went shopping in R.L.  We have all our shopping done now.  Thankfully!  Also, dh stopped at the local store and we got some much need milk, meat, cheese, eggs, etc.

Then soon after we got home, dd's neighbor friend called and came over with a gift.  They played for quite a while--dd likes having her friend over and she recieved a neat cloth radio pillow.  Never seen anything like it before. 

At sixish, we had a spaghetti supper with garlic bread.  Later, dd blew out her candles on her cake and we all ate way too much of it!

I love that my dd's are growing up to be such wonderful girls.  They are a true joy. 

Wednesday

Today:

dug out about 500 family photos and put them in an album--this took a LONG time (should not have let it go undone for years)

made beds

I did have a little lunch today and supper (was hungry, for some reason)

diet is going well, though

really want to get this extra weight off

No SNOW?? say what?  I can't believe this ODD weather.

I listen to Michael Medved sp? just about every day and today it was about English Literature, of all things.  Loved listening to this. 

Marriage

dh is sleeping in the bedroom again; it's funny, because now I have to adjust to a body next to me (funny, you get what you want and then, you think, okay--I'm used to it he other way so much!)  He worked on the deck last weekend while I was out playing.  It looks GREAT!

Christmas

Christmas is Monday and all the gifts are done--but I have to do some baking, I think, on Sat. or Sunday.  Not sure what to make yet.  Cookies, maybe.

MIL and dh's son are coming over for Christmas, so am having finger type food, nothing too fancy or hard; they have to drive 30 miles, so will stay a short time--it gets dark so quickly now.

Visit to Ridgeland

What a Full Day:

Today I had a lot of fun!  First we went to the bank to cash some checks from my mom ($35 worth).

Then we headed west to Rice Lake.  I stopped at a grocery store to get all the stuff I needed to make the soup jars for teacher gifts.  Also got some pickled herring and a box of cheap cereal the girls like.  It came to $20 and some odd cents, I think.  (didn't use my cash, of course)

Then we went to Grandma's (my MIL's) and she was so kind to drive us.  We had to drive my dh's son to his work and drop him off.  Then she drove us to the Barron Community center where we dropped my oldest dd off (she had a friend's birthday party there and they were to swim, 'sauna' and hot tub for three hours).  This was quite a drive, so I told her bringing her was also part of her birthday present, which is the day before x-mas Eve. The gift to her friend was a stationary box--it had stamps, envelopes, stickers--geared towards girls; had an angel on the cover--got it at Walmart for $9; then she had a turning 10 card and inside were horse stickers.

Next we went to Dallas (just MIL, myself and youngest dd) to pick up my SIL.  I got to see her new bathroom tub and decor and her new washer and dryer (hers broke after 17 years); also her new stairway, in oak and pine, and her new furnace and the furnace room walls--which had been in just lath and that old stuff--redone in, I think, dry wall with textured paint, it looked like.

We all headed out in MIL's car to Ridgeland to a little cafe and boutique type place called On Golden Pond.  There is a selection of what you can have on any given day==soup and sandwhich.  I had chili and tuna croissant.  My SIL had a spicy chicken soup with chicken croissant; dd had a grilled cheese with chips and MIL had just a chicken salad sandwich.  For dessert, I had a cherry filled turnover, frosted, and dd had a cookie dough ice cream cone and SIL had a maple nut ice cream cone.  MIL was too full.  She eats like a bird.  Well, I ate like a queen, as I told them I don't do this often!  I've been dieting and fasting a lot, so I have lost weight.

Anyway, it was a grand time and I really enjoyed this.  Then at two thirty we left and went back to SIL's to make cards.  SIL has a craft store, but has yet to open it.  It is a marvelous little area in her home (used to be the living room.)  I can't wait for it to open, so I can go and buy something!  Maybe she will have a grand opening sometime.  (She has had quite a time as her son has been in and out of the hospital with a rare disease and her son in law also has health issues at times.  And her cousin, dh's cousin, too, is dying from pancreatic caner--only has a few months now as he can no longer stand the chemo). . .

So, we made pretty cards.  She has a machine that makes them all bumpy with designs.  You stick half the card in and pull a lever down, then put in the other half and pull the lever down.  It comes out looking so fancy!  Then we take a clothes puncher used to put plastic tags on clothes to put on a little decoration that hangs from the front.  I will maybe have to post a picture of the ones we made.  It's hard to describe them.  (I still haven't done the photoshop thing, though)  [Dec. is really busy]

Time flew by and and we had to go a little before four to pick up oldest dd.  Was great to hear all the fun she had. 

We drove home (almost 30 miles) as the sun was setting; it didn't take long before it was DARK.  It was only five-ish when we got home and it felt like midnight.  I'm not used to driving so late, I guess.

I am so happy to have been blessed with such a beautiful day.  The weather was perfect (and for WI--that is saying a lot).  The temps were really warm, felt like it was near 40? and the sun was out. 

Deck Railing:

Meanwhile, dh was working outside and dug some holes for the deck and put in two beams?  Don't know what you call them, but he said it was hard digging there as the deck was in the way and he had some frost to dig through.

And then he filled in some cracks in the ground where a few days of rain had been soaking the ground.  I will look at all this better tomorrow in the daylight.

Letter from Mark

TGIF:

I got a letter from my friend Mark today.  It's always great to hear from him, as he only writes about once a year (at this time of year).

His Grandmother died and he can have her house in E.C., but I guess does not want to move from St. Paul.  He wants to know what I think he should do.

Well, of course, I'd like it if he moved to his Grandmother's house.  I can easily drive to there to see him and we could have lunch and shop like old times.  But this is purely selfish on my part.  I guess he likes his life in the Cities and finds comfort in his job and apartment, though it is really small and he says he has too much stuff.

We've been friends since second grade, on and off throughout elementary (aside: I didn't have a lot of friends around 3rd grade? because of my mom, etc.) and friends in high school and in college.  He's funny--hilarious and we laugh and we can talk about anything.  I do miss that.

He updated me on our other friends--it sure is odd how lives turn out and all.  I guess one of my girlfriends is dating a guy from, oh I forget, Arkansas? anyway, she met him online and he sent a thin picture of himself and she met him and was repulsed because he's heavy and she doesn't think she could ever, well, be serious with him, but she feels shallow for this and likes him otherwise.  She is a very pretty girl and she's had a tough time of it with guys.  I say, put him on a diet and go for it!

Called my mom today.  She is okay.  Says her hands shake.  I asked if it was because of her meds, but she insists it is not that.  I don't know what it would be?  Sometimes she has this and sometimes not so much.  And she says she misses her group home--I wondered if that might not happen, too.

Oh, I also heard from Inge.  So Thank Goodness, she is still kicking!  She says she has a cat now and it pretty much OWNS her place, but she laughs--is good company.  She lives in New Mexico and I have not seen her since I was a kid.  She sent twenty dollars.  And she wouldn't have to, she is just so giving.  Maybe I am kind of like a family she doesn't have.   Anyway, I sort of adopted her as family, though, we aren't really technically 'kin.'  I can't recall if I mentioned that I wear her necklace that she gave me as a graduation gift.  I always wear it.  It never comes off--because she cared for me as an infant when my mom couldn't.

Current Favorite Songs

in no particular order

My Wish by Rascall Flatts sp?

Build it Anyway by Martina McBride

Tractor Another Round by ?

Sugarland's latest, not sure of title--if you want to? maybe?

Carrie Underwood's latest cheatin' song (although it sort of advocates things I wouldn't dare do--LOL)

Tuesday

Today's Projects:

defrosting fridge in cabin (there was little food in there)

did a few bills

seeing what I need to buy to make soup gift jars for teacher gifts

got the mail (heard from my mom; she sent me $25; plus I have $10 from way back, so will cash them sometime and take the money for Sat. when I'm meeting MIL and SIL and we are going to lunch and shop while my oldest dd goes to a birthday party.)  If I didn't need the money so desperately I would not cash them, but seeing them now as a Gift from God.

oh, dh got my stickers for my car; am so relieved about that. . . did not want to be pulled over for expired plates, etc.

defrosting some raw liver for Bear, my dog. 

making roast with potatoes and carrots for supper (told dh he'd be eating like a KING tonight)

A Few of My Favorite Things

These are a few of my favorite things:

my cupboards well-stocked

my children asking me to play a game

a good song that makes you want to sing along

a good book, one that changes me after I have read it

a meal made with love

my youngest dd's dancing

my oldest dd's acting

a moment to reflect

a toasty warm fire

a garden well-tended

my chicken mansion

my garden shed (can't wait to use it)

a trip to somewhere

a long drive

bills that are paid

a letter from a friend

teaching my children about life

a shared 'funny'

a movie

an ice cream cone

a family together

a place to call home

The Uss Arizona, remembered?

The USS Arizona, remembered?

   Shoulders squared, Our Boys began to answer

The surprise even as they battled the fear

Sizzling inside their ears.  When the deathblow

Struck, they were trapped within the sinking womb,

And began their days of unanswered banging.

   In shallow blue she harbors that crew,

Whose skeletal fingers still clench vain fists

Against silted walls in stagnant water;

"And some of the portholes still have air,"

Onlookers say while tossing coins through the oily

Veil that a hatch patiently leaks to the surface.

Daphne P.

December

Shopping:

I'm almost all done with Christmas shopping.  Every year this gets to be a rat race!

Weather:

It's really cold out today.  Don't think we'll make it to Math night at the school; my car does not run well when it gets below ten degrees.  The power steering goes on it.  Anyway, it is SUNNY out, which is always pleasant! 

Organizing some pictures:

put some pictures into an album; making it an album of the girls' cousins

Dieting:

lost a little weight; I don't think you can tell by looking at me, but my face is a little better. 

Love my Bedroom:

I have patio doors in my room that let the sun shine in.  Also have some plants on a wicker table.  Actually have a tomato plant that has grown up through my Swedish Ivy.  This happened because I used my own compost as potting soil.  Will see what happens with this plant.

Got Tree

So Busy:

Youngest had a birthday party at a bowling alley today. [correction:  she went to a birthday party--her best friend's]  She had lots of fun bowling.  Sent her with a little change and a dollar to spend on the machines.  They had pizza and watched the birthday girl open her presents.  Sarah gave her a cute toy with two small pet dogs in it and a card with stickers in it.  Her friend likes dogs.

Meanwhile, the three of us went to the Mennonite store, a dollar store and then the grocery store for hamburger and milk, etc.

Tomorrow we are supposed to go to Walmart in R.L. and then a benefit for dh's first cousin, who is sick and very ill from, I think, pancreatic cancer.  I've never been to one of these before.  Not sure what it's about.  Bringing a blank card with something nice written in it and some money, I guess.  I'll have to ask dh's mom what it all entails.  I don't know.

We got a tree, about five feet at a tree farm.  I think we'll do that from now on.  Easier than a fake one, really, which you have to store all year.  I like supporting area business, too.  It's not up yet.

I bought two bags of cranberries to string for it and I think we'll string some popcorn, too.

Have almost all my shopping done--just a few more things. 

Have x-mas cards and have one sent out to my folks.  Also, sent them the four suncatchers we made at 4H.  I think they will like that.

Going to watch American's Most Wanted now with dh.

German Shepherd

 This is my dog, Bear.  He is a purebred German Shepherd.  We got him for free from a newspaper advertisement.  This picture was taken last winter; he is about two and a half now, maybe going on 3?  Hard to know exactly; no records.

He is a very active dog, likes to run and play.  He is protective and territorial.  He likes his belly rubbed and rolls over on his back in a submissive position.

He has a bad habit of burying his treats.  And chasing cars, sometimes; but we tie him up when he does that for a punishment.

He was a challange when we first got him at about six months old, though, the breeders said he was only four.  He was cared for, but seemed to only know the insides of a pen. 

He has come a long way since then.  Sometimes I wonder if he remembers his first home, his two brothers and his kennel mother.  He was really wild when we got him and we had quite a time, but I am glad we kept being patient and now he is like no other dog I've ever owned.

As a homestead dog, he protects the property, barks at strangers and chases off coons and bear.  He sleeps outside in a warm, insulated cubby (dh just made it for him.) 

He comes inside the cabin when I do my laundry and sprawls out on the floor. 

This is my favorite breed of dog.  I have always wanted one and now that I have one, I'll never own a different breed.  I just love their intelligence and loyalty.  I don't think he even thinks of himself as a dog, but as a family member!

Hobbies

What are your hobbies?

I love to plant flowers:  perennials and annuals.  One of my favorite places to be is in a flower shop with a little spending cash and hundreds of plants to pick from.  I like to go up to the huge flower shop in Winter, WI, but also go to all the local ones.  I don't buy a lot; it's more for the enjoyment, a time I can take mostly for myself.  Sometimes I'll take the girls, but they want to 'rush' me.

I also like to cook, but will not proclaim to be the best cook.  I just like to read cook books and try things. 

When my dad had his heart attack, I taught myself to crochet.  Just to keep my hands busy.  I learned from a 4H book that the neighbor Leader had given my girls.  When he got better, I sort of left it behind.  I want to learn more about it, but where's the time?

My German Shepherd is sort of a 'hobby.'  He can catch a ball, he goes on walks with me.  He's my best buddy.  I love taking care of him:  feeding him, trimming his nails, bathing him, brushing his teeth, praising him when he gives a 'good sit.'  He's active and runs in big circles around me.  He can be naughty with chasing cars--thinks that's fun; then I scold him and tie him up.  He is much better than he used to be.  The hunters really got him going this past week.  Geesh!

My other hobby is chickens.  I don't have them yet, but I love to read about them, look at the chickens at the country fair and just have lots of chicken aspirations in general.

I don't know if you'd call this a hobby per se, but I love books of all kinds--History, Literature, Science, Children's books, Religion and Philosophy--I'll read just about anything unless it's too technical.

made pumpkin pie

Made pumpkin pie today. 

Did dishes.

We watched the Beauty and the Beast Christmas together and then Little Women with June Allison and Elizabeth Taylor. 

Just going to have pizza for supper. 

Washer Woman

Washed a lot of towels today from helping youngest's dd dance teacher Monday.  It was so warm that I hung them on the line for a while, so would dry faster in the dryer.

We have the town hall floor looking much better.  Told her I'd help her wax it sometime.

Why all this?  Well, when we had to impromptu use this place it was pretty dirty.  The girls seemed to have the deer caught in the headlight looks.

Anyway, it is actually a nice dance floor, though it has a bit of a slope.

I cleaned quite a bit of the house, too. 

I love Thanksgiving.  I love the smells.  I like being with my kids and husband and dog.

Chili