brief travels

  it's good to go and it's good to come home .....

  Mom and I left Sunday morning for a "mini" trip.  I had a tax conference Monday in St. Cloud ....  so

  We shopped (shopped a lot at Crafts Direct) -- toured the always fabulous Clemens - Munsinger Gardens -- and shopped some more. 

   I scored an entire bolt of Kona "Snow" at crafts direct for $5 a yard ...and some expensive batiks -- and -- picture frames, glue dots, yarn, vinyl letters,  empty scrapbooks, Christmas gifts, foam cushions -- 4 large bags of stuff .. and it only took an hour.

  Mom is obsessed with Kmart -- so we went to Kmart ... the parking lot was full and the cart rack was empty -- at Kmart ... and then we realized the store had just announced it's closing -- so I scored again -- shampoo, etc for a year -- all at 30% off .... needless to say Ruby's trunk was full.

 

  The conference was a bust.  The garden pictures are still on the camera ... and it's back to reality.

been thinking ...

Been thinking a lot lately --
I think I'm going to give up certain technology for the month of October --

Might be good for the soul --

The no new clothes rule has worked well
The no new fabric kind of well

hmmmmm

Last day of market for me ???

 

Meet Miss Ana Kate .... she and her mom were at the market for the first time this season ... Oshawa Acres ...  don't you wish you could squat like this ....

 

the last picking of the melons ...

 

 

we were relocated due to the Oktoberfest (in September) Celebration in our usual spot ... that silver car was a left over partier from the night before. 

 

 

I gave the camera to Miss Ana Kate ... she took the "bee" picture and the following pix .. always good to see the world thru new eyes.

 

 

honey sticks ... I bought some to try ..

 

beautiful apples ..

prairie spry

 



 

and the bee returns ... he's kind of a cute dude.

 



awesome Friday!

   I followed my summer office hours today and actually left the building at 2:00pm.  And no, no lightening bolt came from the heavens and zapped me.

had a little incident in the patch ... tripped over a squash vine and went down --- it was a soft landing.  Twisted the ankle and knee and am a bit stiff this evening.  But I saved my glasses and the squash!

the girls were the afternoon supervisors.  Perfect afternoon to sit on the deck and read.  Tomorrow promises to be the same!  

the load -- ready to roll, watermelons, a few, very few squash and some sunflower heads to dry.

Dad's new truck -- ain't she a beauty -- a 1989 F350 w/a dump box.  Just what everyone needs.  I heard the mileage but it escapes me -- needs a bit of fresh paint.

night on the prairie

 

mr tough dude -- getting his furry winter collar/mane ... he'll be a huge ball of fur by Christmas -- he needs to learn to be friendly

 

 

I thought it was a deer until I downloaded and enlarged.  and remember I was told -- I didn't need new glasses -- and yes, I drive with these eyes.

 

 

trek home on the atv from the scrap shack -- in the dark, across the prairie .... (over the river and thru the woods to grandmothers house we go  --- except we go ... across the field, up the hill, down the road )

and another one

 

I won the Chamber photo contest last year -- and I'm hoping this is this years winner!

 

had to go back up and pick up dad  ... took the truck --- didn't think he'd appreciate a dark ride on the ATV.... although it was pretty warm out there -- and the weirdness of the night .... the lights on the tractor are like the lights on an automobile -- they turn themselves on and off automatically .... who'd a thought eh?

Happy Thursday ...



Harvest !

wordless wednesday

well, it would be wordless if I could find the cord to hook the camera to the computer.

harvest.is.over.
picked.
ripped.
done.


 

ugggg

   all productivity came to an abrupt halt Monday morning.  no internet on 3rd street -- after re-booting everything several times -- the phone calls began.  First to Hickorytech/Enventis (whatever they are called now) ...

1.  "no -- it's got to be at your end" .... to
2.  "I see some peculiarities in your line" on the answering machine -- while I'm on the
                  phone w/Dr. Lee, my computer geek.
3.   Dr. Lee arrives and it's not happening.
4.   Phone call from Enventis geek (while I'm outside of New Ulm -- driving) ... it's got to be your
                   routers.
5.   Get back to office at 4:30 (long day in New Ulm) .... and it's freeking working.  Mind you
                   the building has been locked since 11:00 so no one touched MY EQUIPMENT.

uggggg --- somedays I really hate technology.  Just hate it. 
Need to unplug willingly for a couple of days. 
So, Dr. Lee took two workstations home to fluff and buff and clean up for the busy season and I'm sitting here at Robyn's desk -- just computing away.

Visited Martin Luther College in New Ulm yesterday.  Meetings were in the student union.  Beautiful campus, lovely dining and a gorgeous drive both directions.   Meetings all day in St. Peter today (and tomorrow and Thursday) .. need to work nights this week at the office.

So instead of whining about the gizmos in my world --- just breathe and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us daily.   Love fall -- love fall colors.
 

aahhhh productivity with a P !

 

yes, I have horns and I like apples ....

I brought my friends too ....

 

 

  I made up my mind when I left the office on Friday that my project list would be completed ...

 

 

Friday -- picked, packed and loaded for Saturday market.

               sorted thru my pictures and loaded them to a zip drive to order prints.

               ordered Season 4 of Downton Abbey from Amazon.

 

Saturday -- market Saturday ... did well, sold out.  'tis good. 

               got stung by a honeybee on the way home ... thought my hand was going

                    to fall off .... all kinds of swearing while driving thru construction

               sorted the assorted tubs, planters, pots etc and tossed out an ATV load.

               took a ride on the ATV ... nice day for a ride.

               went to the office and spent 5 1/2 hours on a couple of projects

                finally ordered some copy paper ... we were running low.

                    (and finished up PBS' "the Roosevelts" while toiling away

                   didn't notice the weather that blew thru -- it was kind of nasty.

 

Sunday -- slept in (horrors) ...

              5 loads of laundry -- including the bedding.

              re-arranged the bedroom furniture (and the appropriate cleaning)

              donated the loveseat in the home office to Aunty J (she's moving)

                      (and moved the appropriate furniture -- and cleaned)

              took a trek to Mankato ... found some fun stuff  (no fabric)

              survived the small roundabout.

              took another ATV ride to check out the remaining patch

              I'm headed to the sewing room -- it misses me.

 

   So -- going to work tomorrow should be relaxing ... I never did get a nap.

 

Good bye Weekend!

Hello Monday

 

 

 



Thursday Night Travels

It was a beautiful night on the prairie -- I headed up to check out the unfrozen section of the patch and did a spot of picking ... and enjoyed the ride to and fro ...

 

the boys were goose hunting in the crp -- they may not have been happy watching me pass (and making noise) ...

 

this dead tree caught my eye on the return trek from the patch ... I've probably driven (rode) past it a hundred times this spring/summer (not yet fall) ... and never noticed it 

 

harvest is approaching quickly ... the touch of frost last week sure sped up the drying process ...

 

sunset was awesome ...

 

thankful for my digital camera's -- I shot 26 sunset pix and all 26 were in focus and gorgeous

 

the cat cam caught a "not so pretty" visitor -- a fat and sassy raccoon .. we'll see how long it takes to trap this unwelcome visitor

 

Have a great weekend all ....

 

Marie



Hospice Quilt

editing by Diva --- I posted this last week intending to hook up with Crazy Mom's "finish it up Friday" ... well Crazy Mom has some technical difficulties and there was no linky party ... so I'm hooking up with her this week.   Since last weeks post ... this quilt has been delivered to the local Hospice Committee to use for their silent auction.  Let's hope it raises some big $$$'s for a wonderful program.

 

 

once upon a time ... this was on the long arm ...

after completion it sat over the summer ...

pretty blacks, limes and greys .... all from the "scrap bag" (box) I ordered last February .... with some dots and extra lime yardage tossed in ... 

 

 

no pattern , no rules,  just chopped up into various widths and sewed together ...added the "dots" to give it some more size ... dots for the binding too ... muslin on the back ... had some wide stuff so used it up

 

please ignore the weeds ...

 

and it turned out pretty darn cool

I'm donated it to our local Hospice to use as an auction item for their fundraising event in October ....
 

 

it even looks good in a heap on the railing ... no ghosts ... that's my foot print on the stoop ... and of course more weeds.

 

 

Wordless Wednesday (almost)

twin moose calves at the Minnesota Zoo 

busyness

  I don't know about the rest of the world but I could sure use a nap!

 

Frost! Party!

 

yes, Mom, that would be frost.  "Are you sure?" -- yes, Mom, I know frost ...

 

 

 yes, that is a live trap under the tree .. an empty live trap ...

 

 

renaming Dad's wildlife camera as the CAT CAMERA ... Mrs. Grey -- the large hairy blob in the center decided to share her kittens with the rest of us.  here are 4 of the 5 ...

 

 

So, we had frost -- spotty frost.  Late Saturday afternoon I finally got up to the patch.  The west half was hit .. the west 1/2 is the "low -- down in the hole" half with heavier richer dirt -- so the zinnias, sunflowers and squash took a hit -- squash really don't like frost.  The watermelons on the east (higher half) seem to be okay ... weird.

 

Last night was our annual block party - and we were the hosts.  Lots of food, friends and laughter.  Lee and Dad fried walleye -- it was a hit --- lots and lots of fish got consumed -- and the cheesy turkey -- lots leftover (will be freezing today) ... ditto the scalloped potatoes -- neighbor Steve gets the taxi driver award -- he took Bessie, my ATV and took all the kids for rides .. they all had fun. 

 

We were sitting around our version of a fire pit (grill with hunks of wood) and all I could hear was giggles from the front yard -- the kids had collapsed in a fit of giggles -- fun!  And no pictures exist!  Too busy cooking and cleaning and then I realized  I'd left my camera at the office -- phone was dead and iPad keyboard was dead too.  Sometimes it is good to be unplugged!

 

 

 

 

 



Market Saturday

live from downtown St Peter... -- wireless internet at the new laundrymat makes this Diva happy 

I've picked a couple of atv loads of melons and have them in the truck ready for morning.  I always take my trust step stool ... helps get me into the truc box.  The white blob is my canopy  .. I just tossed it in last week ... it really needs a bath.  The faded red paint bucket to the left holds my canopy weights ... 6 10 pounders in that little bucket and the handle hasn't broke yet.  

Not sure if I'm going to market or just going to hand out fruit to the neighborhood.  Morning will tell -- it is supposed to freeze.  damn weather.

I've been banned to the back shed -- which I get to share with all the other old shit.  It works (the parking arrangement) the old shit sometimes works!

Later alligator!

T G I F

what more can I say -- long Friday of projects at the office -- before the play time begins. 

I did manage to pick an ATV load of melons last night -- no more nibbling by deer ... I'm not sure if I'll be attending the market on Saturday ...

big doings on Daisy Lane Saturday afternoon/evening.  the Block Party of the year ... turkey and walleye are on the menu ..

lets hope we'll be ready -- I haven't been much help ... but I'll have a vacuum cleaner wand implanted in my palm by 6:00 tonight. 

 

9/11

9/11 brings the flood of memories .. I think more so to my generation than that of my parents ...

9/11/2001 was also an important milestone in my world .. 'twas the day I purchased this old house (aka the money pit) 13 years ago ... so so many changes in the last 13 years -- maybe that day was destined to be a day of change.  It certainly was for me ...

 

 

9/11 is most likely the day my generation lost it's innocence -- we're a crazy bunch of baby boomers who really had never been tested -- we just took life and its excesses for granted.  I plead guilty.  

I found this on facebook tonight ... and it struck a chord ... we've become so polarized and opinionated lately that I think we lose sight of the future ..

    My challenge for today is to remember, to reflect, to appreciate and to look forward with grace, determination and responsibilty for the greater good.  

   Marie