Coyote Sky Homestead

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. . .

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)

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.

Too Many Lessons

Emily's Mom Needs Improvement on List:

The girls and I have discussions about how they can make improvements, where I see they could do a little better, etc.

Well, I thought I'd give them a chance today to think of things that Mom could work on.

Sarah:

She said, " I want you to give all your attention to me first" we laughed over that one.

Emily:

Emily said I give too many lessons for everyday things (she's tired of seeing a lesson in simple occurences.)  So I will try not to overdo that.

Then she said don't be so humorous, be more serious with me (will try to joke less with her; it will have to be with her, though, as Sarah and I really enjoy a good giggle quite regularly)

The last one was do less housework and have more fun time with them!  So, I took them for a long walk with Bear today and later tonight we are playing Scrabble.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Went with dh to our dd's parent teacher conferences.  Am always apprehensive.  Oldest had doubts about her grades, but she got all As in English, Science, Social Studies, Spelling, Music, Satisfactory in Phy ed and Art and an A minus in Reading; a B in math.

She's in fourth grade.  It 's been a challange for her this year, but she is a smart girl.  Way too much of a perfectionist, though.  Her biggest obstacle sometimes is her self.  I try to reassure her; give her more faith in herself.  Down the road, she will no doubt forget her actual grades, it's the learning that is so important.

Sarah did well, too.  All 5s and 4s.  She wrote a paper about her mom; it is going to go up on the wall at school, so I didn't get to take it home.  Says my eyes are green, hair is red (it's more of a brown, probably) and she says I'm so nice.  I can't wait to put it up on my fridge.

Well, it's been a long night.  Tomorrow my girls have off.  I think we will have a fun day together.

Good News!

Dh's oldest got a job!  And he even says he likes it!  I hope it works out for him.  He has had a tough time of it lately, with jobs it seems.  He's so young and it's hard to get a start out in the 'real' world.  It's nice to have good news for a change.

Much sickness on my dh's side right now.  And for me, this summer was rough with my father's heart attack and my mother in a group home.  But things are looking up, I think. 

Dh and I made it to ten years.  We had struggled in our marriage a lot, but have had good times, too.  As I was saying to my neighbor friend/dance teacher, you need some bumps in the road to appreciate the good times.  I just hope to keep things smooth for some time.  I did lose the battle of the sofa, though.  He sleeps out there most nights.  I am getting used to sleeping alone.  Anyway, next goal is another eight years.  (first goal was five; then it was ten; now eight seems like the right #) 

When the girls grow up and leave, I know that will be a real test.  I'm scared to think about that.  I hope my marriage will be okay.  I want things to get better each year.  Or stay the same, but I don't want things like when we first got married; that was too hard.  My dh is an atheist.  There is a part in the bible where you are to cleave to your spouse and sometimes he does not do this.  I think that is a very important part of the bible.  To turn to each other and not others, especially one who might undermine your marriage.

 I think we have both failed at that many times.  It is a real marriage killer.  I have been told many times over by MIL--don't tell Joe and I don't, but I think maybe I should tell her not to tell me anything sensitive if I can't share it with him.  It seems like manipulation.  And I wish he would tell me things, plans; it's almost shaming when I have to find out from his other relatives. 

Well, didn't mean to go on.  Just happy that dh's son is getting on the right track.  I was worried about him.  It seems like he is closer with his dad now and I am thankful for that.

Tuesday

Dd's dance teacher called me today.  I was surprised.  Must have been around ten a.m.  Geez, we talked so long, I almost forgot what she called for.  It was just to see if the town hall would work okay.  I offered to help her clean the floor a half hour before her first dance class.  There's no water there, so it will be kind of a spray the floor with a wood safe deal and then cleaning with some old towels I have.  I'm going to have the girls get off the bus there on that day. 

I have not heard boo from my mom; hope she's doing okay.  She said she was getting out of her Group Home on the 1st.   She has not written or called.  But that is okay.  It is hard to make adjustments when you are no doubt used to a very structured environment.  She's getting older, too, and I imagine it's just getting hard for her to find a reason anymore.  She said to me not long ago, "I guess I'm supposed to live on a psyche ward for the rest of my life!"  And I wonder, too, how long she has to suffer.  And she'll say, "I want the Lord to just take me home."  Anyway, I hope she is able to sleep and rest. 

I have to buy a Turkey soon.  I will have to make a grocery list tonight.  I like making lists.

I have some Thanksgiving cards, too, for the girls to sign so I can send them out.

Packer Victory!

Sunday Sunday:

The Packers beat the Vikings!  Yeah!  I watched most of the game.  We usually lose in the dome and it's usually unbearably loud.  Seemed like there were a lot of Packers in the seats.

My youngest dd's dance teacher just called.  She had to find a new place to teach the classes, as the owner of the current place (in town) said she was pulling her kids out and she no longer wanted her teaching there.  So this is shocking, indeed.  Luckily, she is able to use the town hall, which is where I vote:  it has a huge wooden floor.  This is such a turn of events.  I'm still taking it in.

My dd's teacher lives near to us and it is a real godsend to have such an artsy gal out in the boonies.  She lent me a book to read.  It's called  Growth of the Soil; it's by Knut Hamsun's, translated from Norwegian.  It's about a Norwegian man going into the'wilds' and building his farm with a simple Lapp woman who has a hare lip.  At least I think she's Lapp, anyway, she speaks of her 'tribe' and of 'my people.'  I'm almost half way through it.  I think I've alreay hit the 'climax,' but we'll see.  She has two sons; then has a baby with a hare lip and kills it.  She burys it; but it is discovered.  She goes to prison for nine years and returns with remorse and with newfound ladylike behavior (not all to Isak's liking).

So, I'm trying to finish it.  Maybe I can borrow a few more of her books.  Sounds like she likes to read things that maybe the average person wouldn't.  Real literature is often a bit stilted and not to everyone's liking. 

As for the town hall, it will be a much larger dance floor.  The studio before was rather on the small side.  Anyway, I hope it all works out.  This is dd's first year of dancing and she likes it a lot.  One night there was no class (I had read the schedule incorrectly) and dd cried.  I was surprised.  I didn't know how much she was looking forward to it.  On a previous occasion, she had cried because it was too hard.  And I told her she was just learning and it would come.  Thank goodness, I was right.  I catch her doing the dance steps all the time--just in her everyday prancing about.

Well, I have babbled on about dance stuff and very little about homestead matters.  Dh redid the entire skirting around the trailer--he had to cut off a few inches of the wood panels because the ground freezes and pushes up against our metal siding--bending it.  This year that should not happen.  We eventually plan to put on better siding.  Someday.

I'd really love to have it hauled away and build a little log home somewhere in the back of our property.  I love to look at homes on the internet.  Right now it's just fun to look.

Day of Rest

Today was a fairly noneventful day for me.  I did do dishes late this evening, around seven thirty.  I didn't want to have to do them tomorrow.

I did a mimimal amount of vaccuuming, made the meals and straightened up a bit. 

I took a long nap.  My oldest dd wanted to read to me in the worst way.  She gave me a generous choice out of three books.  I chose The Teacher's Funeral  a comedy in three parts.  I listened intently through about the first chapter; laughing here and there and then I fell completely asleep.  She read four chapters and then I remember saying, groggily, "You can stop now." 

Youngest fell asleep, too; until oldest decided she needed to have THAT spot and the fighting ensued.  I think oldest finally settled in on the computer after a bit.

I woke up and watched some Hallmark movie on t.v.  Forget the title, something about Spring?  Anyway, it was set in the 1900s about a river rat man who loves a girl, has to leave her and ends up with a real trollop, is tricked into marrying her, she falls off a steam ship after abandoning their newborn baby, he returns to Nebraska?? or wherever and leaves son to live with same old girlfriend that he still pines for.   I like Hallmark movies because they have happy endings; lack gratuitous fleshy scenes and are usually well-developed albeit somewhat goody, goody.

I watched one last night, too.  That one was really good--called The Room Upstairs.  I think.  About a teacher who rents out her parents home to boarders, so she can afford to keep her house and memories.  That one had some edge to it; starred Stockard Channing.  She's really a good actress.

Dh put a woodstove in his garage last weekend.  It's so nice to feel the heat of a woodstove.  Just something so cozy about it.  The floor out there is gravel, so it's very rustic.  There are no windows out there yet.

Also hoping dh can fix the new e-mail soon.  I need a new one to do the photobucket thing, which I've never done, but want to see if I can learn how.  That way I can do lots more photos.  I taught myself how to resize them in our paint program.  I have not taken any digital photos myself.  Just use the ones dh happens to take and incorporate them into my blogs.

Anniversary Today

Today is our 10th year Wedding Anniversary!  I am baking a pecan pie right now as my gift to dh.  It's a 10-inch pie, for 10 years.  Well, it sort of worked out that way; took 3 cups of pecans to fill it.  One cup for each kid! 

Still working out by our dry pond.  Dh wants kindling for firewood, so I'm whittling away at my pile that I made yesterday.  Some of it's big, so that is going in our little black wagon/cart.  The small stuff goes into a blue barrel.

The sun is shining; it is a nice day.  It may not be as nice tomorrow, so I am trying to pick up the yard, here and there, before snow comes.

Bear, our German Shepherd, follows me everywhere.  So he was nosing around in the brush and I noticed on my way back to the house to make pie--he has burdock all over him.  It looks funny.  They are sticking up and down his back.  I'll have to take them out later.  They sure are sticky. 

I Voted

I voted today!  We vote in a white, almost church like building in the country.  It was pretty quiet, only one other person there while I was voting.

We have paper ballots and pencil.  Easy.  I voted for traditional marriage, but against the death penalty.   WI has two amendments on the ballot this year, which may make the turn out higher.

Weather:  it's cloudy out, fairly warm, looks like it's on the verge of raining, but it's not going to==just misty.

Update

I'm not sure how long I was off of here.  I think about a month--with no blog of my own?  Kept waiting for the old company to stop it's service and they gave us service all the way through Nov. 2nd.  It was actually hindering us from finding a permanent provider. 

Anyway, now we are connected again via our phone company, though it will cost a couple dollars more.  Still, cheaper than dishnetwork and other dsl things.

Halloween is over.  I have a couple photos that I can post in a few days. (when I have time)  Oldest dd insisted she wanted to be a vampire.  Youngest went as a witch.  I put white makeup on the 'vampire.'  We did not get the teeth, as you can't talk in them and we had already got her a pretty black and red dress.  I prefer homemade costumes, but could not find anything that looked like what oldest wanted.  She got hers for $9 at Goodwill; it was new in a bag.  She spent her own $ on it that she got from the tooth fairy [her last tooth.]  Youngest wore same black velvet dress and hat with silver moons and stars that oldest wore last year.

Anyway, glad it's all over and I told them one more year and we should be done.  At least with the going house to house part.  That we'll do one more year.  It's fun when they are young to get treats, but I think when they hit the double digits, it gets to be less about costumes and too much about the candy.

Growing up, my mom made me some really nice outfits.  She had these old lace petticoats, I think they call them.  The things that make your dress puff out.  She had a white one and she made it into a princess dress, sewing on stuff over it with that theme.  Then she had a black one for the next year and I was a witch and she sewed orange stuff on over that.  I think little crescent moons, pumpkins, etc.  Anyway the lace looked really neat.  When I put out my arms it was something special to see.

Dh built me a garden shed.  I'll have to post a picture of that sometime, too. 

That's about it.  This template is different.  Am still figuring it all out.  May change some colors eventually. 

New Internet Provider

Yeah!  We got a new internet provider; it's just through our phone company!  Will write more later (dh wants to use computer)  Will be fun to keep a blog again!