A Stone

This picture arrived by text letting me know that the stone to mark the grave of my dad had been placed at the cemetery in Albert City.  It has been ten months since he died.  We knew that the monument company would place the grave marker after winter weather and before Memorial Day.

The memories of cemetery and returning Dad’s body to earth came back. Hearing the words,

 “In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to almighty God our brother Melvin, and we commit his body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”

Sitting in the front row in front of the coffin with family and friends surrounding us.  Sharing flowers from the blanket bouquet on the coffin.  Watching as they partially lowered the coffin.  Turning and walking away and being greeted by family and friends.  Taking pictures….and finally driving away.

And then the memories of being a child and a day or two before Memorial Day Mom and Dad would put us in the car.  In the trunk were our collection of vases with a spike on the bottom that could be pushed into the ground and hold fresh flowers but also assorted bouquets of artificial flowers and wreaths.  Just before we left Mom would cut flowers from our yard…I seem to remember some bridal wreath and irises.  At Albert City Dad would name the graves of Grandma and Grandpa Samuelson, Great Grandma and Grandpa Samuelson, a baby’s grave.  We would then move to another location and find Dad’s uncle and another set of great grandparents.   In the later years when we were with Mom and Dad at the cemetery Dad would then point to the vacant spots for him and Mom.

Smitty Gifts

 

 

Smith Brothers in Clinton, Iowa is still there.  Smith Brothers is an everything store.  A general store from bygone era, a hardware store, a department store, a gag store, a home goods store with cast iron pots and pans, enamel ware, wash tubs, wooden drying racks.

When we stopped recently the door was locked but it appeared to still be in business.  There are 4 entrances – one has appliances in front of it, one is boarded up, one was padlocked, and one had a recycling bin in front of it.

Looking through the big windows we could see the wonders inside.  Signs of all shapes and sizes, a Cowboy Bible (a flask) enamel ware, antiques, parts, cast iron everything- skillets, Dutch oven,  a kettle to put on the fire and invert the lid for a stove top, several varieties of pans to make corn bread. 

When we lived in Clinton my husband would poke around at Smith Brothers.  At Christmas, gifts started appearing from Smith Brothers – quirky gifts under the tree for everyone.  A thermometer, a bird feeder, a pruning shears, a trowel, a wrench, a tape measure.  It evolved into Smitty gifts and continues through 3 moves and 24 years.  Smitty gifts are still under our Christmas tree!

24 hours

We attended the movie Whiskey Tango Foxtrot last night.  For me it was an okay movie…not great nor horrendous.  Son 1 suggested that the title was code with the initial first letters.  I don’t know if that was the intent but indeed a bit of googling revealed that whiskey, tango, foxtrot is indeed military code for wtf….and since the dialogue probably included the third word about one-third of the discourse, it makes sense.

 

This AM I walked our “woods” with Sneakers.  It was about 40 degrees so more than walk it was stop and sniff…trees, melting snow, clumps of grass, tree limbs.  We met a well-bearded man who rides his bike with a small motor on it.  Today he was towing a small trailer – bicycle-size – and he was loading downed branches on it.   As I walked by he said, “I’m building a log cabin.” Willow Creek was moving along and the ducks were playing leapfrog and honking.  Spring is coming.

 

After the movie and throughout today I’ve been cutting and sewing to complete a second LWR quilt.  The challenge is to use the fabric available and end up with a 64 x 84 top that can be tied and finished.

 

Tonight we’ll meet John for supper and follow the Hawks and the MC girls in the basketball finals in Des Moines.

 

Inaugural Snowshoe

Yesterday (Jan 29) was my first snowshoe day this winter.  First, for a variety of reasons, but mostly because "my" path, Willow Creek, hadn’t frozen. 

 

It was a sunny beautiful day.  I heard a bird and thought I located it in a tall tree in our neighbor’s yard.  I’d snowshoe toward it and see it. It would go silent.  I start to go toward it hearing it above the shushing and stop and look. 

 

After several starts and stops it dawned on me the bird call was the binding of my snowshoe.

Doing Nashville

On a previous trip to Nashville we visited Andrew Jackson’s home and museum. The Hermitage.  It was great getting the story behind Old Hickory and his life.  The visit netted a picture of Andrew Jackson that Mike framed and now hangs in his office.

This trip we “did” country music with Jaclyn making suggestions, arrangements, and surprises.  Of course there were side trips to a car museum.

 

Mike's 1st car

Mike's 2nd car

 

and 3^rd row box seats to an NHL Predators game.

 

The Ryman started its life as a gospel tabernacle with money from Tom Ryman and after a short 12 years the tabernacle was “gifted” to the people of Nashville by the gospel preacher and named Ryman Auditorium. The stage was constructed to accommodate the opera Carmen touring from New York.  During the time until 1943 the Ryman was known as the Carnegie Hall of the South.  Usage included music, theater, preaching, lectures and integrated performers and audiences although Jim Crow laws were in effect.

Minnie Pearl's Hat

In 1927 George Hay the announcer on WSM announced "For the past hour, we have been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera. From now on, we will present the 'Grand Ole Opry'."   This radio show grew in such popularity that a larger venue for the studio audience was needed and in 1943 the radio show moved to the Ryman where it “lived” until 1974.

 The Grand Ole Opry then moved to a new venue called “The Grand Ole Opry” complete with church style pews in deference to its former home the Gospel Tabernacle/Ryman.  Jaclyn had tickets for us to the show and one of the performers was Loretta Lynn and of course she sang “A Coal Miner’s Daughter”.

 

 

We also walked Broadway in Nashville.  The street with many venues where “would be” singers hope to be found.  We also “found” the home of Goo Goo Clusters…a Nashville staple.

 

Quilts

The beautiful fabrics from Tanzania always seemed to call me.  After our last trip to the Southern Highlands of Tanzania I made a string quilt for a silent auction at our Synod Assembly.  (See previous post May 10, 2013))

I had many gorgeous pieces of fabric left and many were gifts.  Consequently I decided to fashion queen size quilts for each of our children.   Two years and four months later I completed this project. 

Quilt #1 (which was the one I just finished) is also a string quilt with a piano key small border. 

dog not included!

 Quilt #2 has blocks of half string and yellow triangle. 
 

 Quilt #3 is a whack and stack block with a narrow yellow border. 

 Quilt #4 is not pieced but fabric repeating a tree and blossoms with a small piping between the two halves. 

Quilt #5 is fussy cut with figures framed by the blocks in a diagonal pattern and framed with a two color border. 

Yes there are 5 quilts and 4 children…this was to ensure that everyone had a choice!

Bird Flu

Cousins Lorraine and, Jo, and I went to a Storm Lake motel to check about booking rooms for our family reunion in July, 2016.  The desk clerk started shaking her head before I’d even finished my sentence.  The motel is booked through 2016 and beyond to house workers involved with the bird flu. 

I’ve been following the results of the bird flu.  Buena Vista County, where we used to live, had 17 turkey or chicken facilities hit with bird flu.  The farms were raising turkeys and chickens and also “gathering” eggs for use in egg products.

Migratory birds seem to be the source but concern remains for transmittal.  Quarantines are in place, yellow tape, a staffed tent checking anyone coming to the farm.  Those going on the property don white coveralls, and facial covering.  Workers have lost jobs at the facilities and workers have been brought in to do clean up!  White 15 passenger rental vans ferry workers to Spencer or Storm Lake motels. My nephew talked to young men from New Orleans brought up to do clean up.

The carcasses kept mounting and initially no one seemed to know the best way to dispose of them.    Burn them, bury them, compost them? 

Friends Beth and Russ’s facility is using composting. The carcasses are windrowed with corn stalks inside the facility and the temperature is raised to kill the virus.

After the carcasses are removed the facility is disinfected.  This is a weeks’/months’ long procedure to verify that the facility is indeed virus free.  Only then is restocking possible.

Some BV county facilities are hoping to be restocked by the new year…if the wild bird migration doesn’t reinfect the facilities as they fly south this fall.