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My Guy,

My Girls!

My Mac!

I HAVE DONE IT THIS TIME!

I just can't believe I am that stupid.  We changed the LEFSE weekend but we never let Alexis know, she doesn't get group text.  In my not communicating with my kids often enough I screwed this up.  It's the second time in a year we get together as a family.  Totally my fault but it won't change her schedule.  It won't bring Alexis, River and Autumn to Mac's this weekend.  I feel like such a twit.  Heide wanted a different weekend and then changed back because Joey couldn't come.  We will just have to always go with the first weekend in November.  I will be broken hearted if they can't make it.

Yesterday was a free day.  I had to make three bank deposits for church, we made over &1000 from the craft fair and bake sale. We WELCA women have raised over $6000 for the church this year.  What an accomplishment.  What a lot of work.

After I went over to Linda and June's for coffee and Jim joined me.

I wuld like to learn how to put pictures from my phone to my blog.

I just was able to select one, it is Skye's dog, NICO BLUE.  But not successful in getting others.  Heck I can't even find others.

I don't know why I can't get I. To any current pictures.  What a pain technology is sometimes.  Especially at the hands of a twit!

I was so tickled.  I found my stylist pen.  It is so much easier to text and type with.  It was in the bottom of some bag.  

The kids are up and I need to get ready, will need to leave around 7:30 to get to Crosby by 9am.

BIG DAYI

Picked up Skee Green for church.  His wife Nancy is in the same Rehab center I was in.  She is on Coumadin and for some reason sprung a leak in her groin and lost the ability to walk.  It will come back after the blood collected dissipates.   It will take time.  Nancy is so active, at 80 she still golfs, and she played softball till she was 50.  She really is amazing, and I dearly love both she and Skee, Skee's health is rather fragile  these days, we almost lost him 2-3 years ago and he never made it back to his former strength.  He doesn't drive anymore but there are a lot of us around that do.
We had a big day, it was really fun, church, Jim went separate because Martha was stuck in the elevator and panicked and started pounding on the emergency switch.  Kill me, no one seems to want to be calm, they just panic and the pastor can't seem to retain the procedure to get out.  Love him to death but the small things just seem to leave him.
We are reading a book in book club he recommended "The Wolf at Twilight", a a res. book.  I was resistant at first because I only want to be entertained when I read, what a twit I am, do I never want to learn anything.   I need to see the "Paradigm" film again.  Guess who can be resistant to change.
Enjoying the book thought so far.  He is part American Indian and fascinated by it.   I would be to but how can you be fascinated by being 3/4 Norwegian and 1/4 Swed.  We just are!
We had our baskets downstairs and some of our crafts from the sale still downstairs along with bake goods.  I got the pies sold, you just guilt people into buying them and it works.  I can't wait till the bank opens and we have a final count of our money.
Gave Skee a ride home after Church, I also gave Raquel a ride but dropped her off early along with cookies for the afternoon concert.
We had the "Grand Rapids Male Chorus", at church in the afternoon.  They were awesome.  25 men blending their voices together in such a beautiful way.  I am going to have to look up their website.
I picked Skee up for that, helped Gwen and Betty out in the kitchen,  Teresa and Duane were here from Brainerd.  What a concert.  First time using our new round tables for entertaining.  We even sold some more crafts.
Got to call Heidi and see how her girls weekend went and Mark about our upcoming LEFSE weekend.  Talked to Mac this morning.

SUNDAY, the aftermath.

I say that because I am tired.
I think I woke up three times last night with leg cramps.  It must mean I am lacking something.  Maybe brains.  I don't know but it is driving me crazy.  Legs, be gone.  I mean cramps, be gone.  I really feel like I am going to die from pain when the cramps strike.  Time to see my Doctor I guess.
Let's see, what to report.  The sale went well, we sure had fun, bought chances on some baskets from the craft sale, was fun.  Found some earrings and of course a new watch.  Kill me I have so many but they look like jewelry, this one has a double row of blue beads.  I love it, and for $5.00.   I found some wonderful jelly from Dawn.  She makes the best jelly.  Some earrings of course, buy two pair for $3.00 each and get the third pair free.  Now can you beat that.
Certainly found enough stuff at our booth to buy.  We made nearly $800.00 with our bake goods and crafts.
It is Sunday and we have church and our Men's chorus this afternoon.  I am bringing Skee to both.  Will be fun, Jim is going fishing to the hot pond today and not available.
Today is Reformation Sunday, we wear Red to church.
I hear Jim up, it is going on 8, I had best get at it, busy day and we are cooking a chicken today, FUN,  with mashed potatoes and gravy, maybe some stuffing.  We will see.
Later.

FRIDAY - THE COUNTDOWN

Well yesterday was super busy but I think almost every day I have managed to go across the street.and have coffee with June and Linda.  I had to have them be guinnie pigs for my pie, bread and cookies.
I have some serious pie making to do today, I made at least 6 dozen sugar cookies and 10 dozen oatmeal-date-pecan cookies, had to have Jim bake most of the oatmeal ones because I had WELCA and Bible study, it is Deborah we studied last night.  I have the book "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World".  I will read a few pages when I do my deviations in the morning.  What would I do without the quite time in the morning.  I so wish you could see Makons in the morning.  She lies on her back making goofy noises just hoping you will notice her.  She sure is a good girl so much of the time except when she wants to bite everybody.
I have 4 pies to make today so I had best get at it, I managed to write out a few notes today, I still like to send cards.
We are getting ready for LEFSE next weekend, hip hip hooray!

RUM RAISEN APPLE PIE

I got everything ready yesterday and made it today, it sure looks pretty.  The proof is in the tasting.  I will rake 2 pieces over to June and Linda's to see what they think, of course I have Jim who is the ultimate taster.  It was Jim that said he wanted raise a in his apple pie so I went online.  We have to wait and see now.  It sure was fun.  I mean how mulch fun can one person have in a day.
Have to call Heidi. Later.

It is Monday morning and it is going to be a busy week

I need to finish emptying out the camper, what a job, it is like moving.  I need to go over to June and Linda's for coffee this morning.  Lots to see and talk about.  We have our Fall Bazaar this weekend and I have a funeral down in Minneota, it is a 5 1/2 drive from here.   Nancy' Mom died in her sleep two days ago.  What a wonderful way to go.
I plan on baking apple pies and am going to make one today to start with.
 We had such a good time in Door County.  Our last dinner out was The White Gull Inn.  It was expensive but delicious.  I brought home 2 bottles of wine for Carrie, non I was interested in, one a Cranberry I think and one a Rasberry, she mentioned a winery to us and we found it, it was fun.  I got a Cab and a Guerstameiner for wine club.
We went to a couple of other ones but the real fun were the drives.  The colors were spectacular.  It was snowing out when we came home and it started again just now.  Have to shower.  Later.

Saturday and our last day here.

The time has flown. On Wednesday we drove the whole island.  It was a fun drive.  We went all the way to Northport where you catch the ferry to Washington Island,   It was $26 for the car and $13 per person, we weren't really interested in going but it was fun going between Gils Rock and Northport, they have a road that swivels, maybe I am not explaining it well, it is much like the crazy curves road in San Francisco, too fun.  They have puzzles and stuff with the road as a subject.
We had fun going through Ellison Bay, Sister Bay, Ephrain, Fish Creek, Juddville, Egg Harbor, Baileys Harbor, Jacksonsport, Whitefish Bay and Sturgeon Bay.
On Thursday we mostly went North as far as Egg Harbor, Jim ate at the camper and I stopped at a McDonald's for their wings.  For dinner we went to The White Gull Inn, the guy who owns it is a frat buddy of Jon Fryxell.  It was a fancy dinner and yummy.  No disappointment there.  We have visited two wineries on the island.  I don't even remember which ones but I want to visit more today.  There are some big doings at one of the communities today with a parade and all.  It rained late yesterday, we went down to Sturgeon Bay yesterday for some shopping and on the way ate breakfast at The Town Hall Bakery and it was superb.  $35 but super good.  The island is expensive, who knew.
We stopped at a county park, Cave Point County Park, I guess it's the only county park in a State Park.  It is in White Fish Dunes State Park, we didn't get to the Dunes but walked all over the County Park.
The kids just loved it.
Sure is sunny today, little Otto threw up during the night so we had to change the bedding, ulnar just like having a kid.
I here Jim, need to beat him to the shower.
A new adventure awaits us today!
By the way the leaves are spectacular and it is at peak!

FRIDAY - FRIDAY - FRIDAY

We have done so much in just two days, where to start, it would be fun to pick out some highlights.  Let's see, on Wednesday we drove all around the island, it was cold and rainy but we just didn't care.   We did go to a county park, it had a really long dirt driveway but was so worth it, there was an orchard three quarters of the way there and leaves here are at their peak so it's so wonderful with every turn in the road we see a new view with Lake Michigan as a backdrop, when we got to the end of the park that overlooks the lake it was sheer cliffs of limestone, it so reminded me of scenes in "The Last of the  Mohichans."  That was one of my favorite movies, the sceanry and of course Daniel Day Louis.  We took some wonderful pictures and since I did bring my camera but forgot the charger I am silly in that area.  All our pictures are on my and Jim's phone.  Technology, is it truly our friend, it is if you know what you are doing, and we don't.
We had breakfast in Baileys Harbor at a well known place, The Harbor Fish Market & Grille, it was a lovely place, Jim of course had his stuffed Cherry stuffed French toast and of course everything in Door County involves Cherries.  So many cherry orchards and apple orchards.
We had dinner that night at Casey's BBQ and Smokehouse in Egg Harbor because Jim heard about their ribs, he thought were super, so were the sweet potatoe fries.   I of course didn't have the ribs and regreted it.  
I am going to have to run because Jim is up now and want's to get going.  

IT IS TUESDAY - I THINK

I am trying to finish my last entry but it is not cooperating so to heck with it.
We drove from Ashland WI to Mosinee WI yesterday and the drive was lovely, leaves are looking good, for a part of the trip I had my eyes closed, I got up at 4am, anyway Jim was lucky enough to see a Bear chewing on something in the woods.  Heck when Sharon was up in August and we were driving from Federal Dam to Grand Rapids she saw a bear cross the road and I had my eyes closed then too.  Do we see a pattern here?
The name of the campground is Lake DuBay Shores and we are located in Central WI on the Wisconsin River.  Big Lake but the campgrounds is 50 years old and kind of dumpy, at least the sites seem to be.  I had a nice fire in the afternoon and I had a bag full of driftwood to start the fire with and you wouldn't believe the pine cones just lying around.  They were so full of sap or pine tar that it really was a nice fire and we had some logs from Carrie and David's Cabin.
I wish you could hear the rain, Dot would go nuts, she loves rain so much, we are just waiting for it to get light out.
What miserable weather.
I have a brother and sister, Lynn who will be 74 and Sonja who will be 76 today.  They share same day birthdays.  I talked to my brother Mark last night and he was in at Buba's Bar with Lynn yesterday afternoon, it was already raining in Minneota, I knew I had better have my fire yesterday because the rain was coming.  They are also saying the nice weather is over with.  What do they know, is nice weather a state of mind.  It may have to be.

Here it is Monday already.

We have done so much this week, but the thing we have done the most is relax.  It has been heaven.  We got here Tuesday and we spent the time just setting up.  On Wednesday we scoped out the lovely city of Ashland WI.  We are camped at the city park and have the best spot here.  It's a pull through parallel to a bay on Lake Superior.
One thing this city is known for besides being on Lake Superior is the murals that are all over the buildings downtown.  We had so much fun walking the dogs downtown taking pictures.  I used my Ipad for pictures and now have to figure out a way to get them to my blog.  That in itself will be interesting.  We did a little shopping, I really needed some new turtlenecks and they had quite a sale on them at a local store downtown.  Moore's Army Surplus Store.  Turns out it was quite a lovely store and huge.  Jim had to go in and get something the first day we were here and he told me about a local production of "The Sound of Music".  Moore's is where you pick up the tickets and since we weren't going to Carrie's cabin until Saturday morning we could go to the play Friday night.  We went back there to buy tickets and it turns out that the owner of Moores have a daughter that is quite talented and is the lead in the play.  Tickets were only $15 and we are excited to go.  The theater only seats 97 so it will be cosy.
The one thing they have is of course a Wal-Mart.  It does come in handy.  I forgot a robe and purchased a fuzzy pull over to keep me warm.  We leave our electric fireplace on at night for heat.  with the down comforter we are snug as 4 bugs in a rug.  Of course the dogs sleep in our bed, it's a king and there is lots of room.
We have had two meals out.  We ate dinner at a restaurant called "Platters", for $70 you would have thought the meal was more memorable but it was OK.  I had whitefish, Jim must have had some pasta, he usually does.  We also ate at a place downtown for lunch.  Beautiful bar, now how can they screw up nachos, but they did, not enough cheese and it wasn't melted, or it was melted and dried and cooled.  Anyway very forgettable but I did have a beer that was made from apples.  Really good.  Apple Ale or something.
By the way the play was splendid.  Marie in the play was not only superb but lovely too.  The other part that was special was Mother Superior and of course all the children were good.
We  went over on Saturday and spent the day with Carrie, David and kids,  It was very overcast, windy and cold.  I was dressed for it.  They have a cabin but it is alll dug up.  No floors and you can't live in it.  Next summer they will get some work done on it.  They have to be 75 feet from the lake in order to add on to the cabin and that seems to be the hold up.  They are trying to create that distance by adding on to the shoreline.  Good luck to them.  What a job they have ahead of them.  They do have a cute shed and have converted half of it to a cute bu

RUMMAGE SALE

That's what I have been up to.  It was a huge success, we made double what I set a goal to make.  About $2300.00.  I was there from 8-5 every day and sometimes longer.  The day of the sale I got there at 6am and we all stayed till 3.  I got there Sunday at 6 again because I helped Gary usher and we had a little hot dog, BBQ lunch for the congregation so I brought tables and chairs up to the narthex for seating.  It all went very well, I made all kinds of crasins, pecan cookies.  We had lots of sweets left from the sale.  There were 4 of us that did 80% of the work.  Ginny, Betty, Linda and I showed up every day and Nancy, Sally, and Darlene each came a couple of days.  You would not believe how helpful the guys were the day of the sale.  I had Pastor Dale, Jim, Paul, Roger to name a few.  Why at the luncheon at the church I let the congregation know I didn't sell any of the large tables and walla I sold 4 on the spot.  Brad, Nancy Johnson's son came right in and helped deliver them.  They were the really big ones, we needed to get rid of some of them because of  the new donation we are getting, we are getting 10 round 72" tables and cart in memory of Charlotte, Judy Gravelles sister.  YIPEE SKIPEE!
I have to admit I am tired and my house has been sorely neglected.  Now I have to get ready for our trip.  We are going to Wisconsin to look at the leaves, to visit Carrie at her cabin and off to famous Door County.
I had to run to church at 5am today to get my creamer.  Out at home.  I really like it in my coffee, it's sugar free but not fat free.
I still have a lot to get rid of, I got a hold of the Orphan Train people and they will be here after we get back.  They take all the clothes, shoes, linens and unbreakable household items.  It helps us a lot, they give them to flood victims and people that are setting up independent living after a rough time.
I had best get at it, my head is still swimming with things to do.  Isn't being a Christian fun.  Or just a good person that likes to help others because I am so blessed.  TYJ!
I need to take some time to smell the roses.  It looks like we may not even go South this year.  Bet we at least get to Texas for awhile.