Wayne, Nancy and boys came over last night. I'd requested help in finding colors to paint our living and dining areas. The painting was a must. I couldn't take the "baby-poop" yellow anymore!
Nancy compared swatches and placed them against the walls and woodwork to make sure the color would match the existing woodwork in our 1920s era home. She found what she believed were the perfect matches and the rest was up to me. I had to wash the walls, tape the woodwork and get the paint and various other assundries all for painting. Nancy said she'd be by later to help.
I couldn't believe how long the cleaning and taping process took but I remained firm in my resolve to get this painting done during labor day weekend. By early afternoon, Nancy came and we started to paint. I did the cutting in near the trim and Nancy manned the roller.
In a couple of hours we finished the dining area and have yet to finish the living room, hopefully on Monday. I keep looking at our handiwork and am marveling at the appearance of the room. It seems so fresh!
Then we went to ... well, originally we were going to celebrate our labors at Applebees but a bunch of Hillcrest Norweigian students beat us there so we went to the chinese restaurant nearby.
We both ate WAY too much but it was good!
Thanks, Nancy. You are a trooper and I appreciate your help. And I thank you for your company at dinner! Good conversation and good food. We are blessed! Thanks, Nanc!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
The Pig Whisperer
Robert Redford portrayed a horse whisperer and Jennifer Love Hewitt plays a ghost whisperer, both in theatrical form. But after my day-long stay at the Minnesota State Fair last week, I have been dubbed the Pig Whisperer.
My aim, as an agriculture reporter, was to work in as many ag related booths as I could during one day. I started with the pork producers. At the association's Oink Booth in the Swine Building, fairgoers could see a sow and her litter. They were in an crate surrounded by a fence. The sides of the crate were enclosed in plexiglass so the crowd could see the antics of the little ones and get a good view of the little ones feeding.
The Minnesota Pork Producers' communications director Amy Brandel brought me into the pen and told me to pick up a little pig. The people like to touch the pigs, she said. And it's a great way to tell everyone about hogs and hog production.
My first little porker sat snugly in my arms. People patted its head and, when I told them how soft the tip of the snout was, they touched it and were amazed at the feel. When that little one started to grunt and wiggle, I put him down. All the pigs were gathered on mom's side trying to get her to lay on her side so they could eat. She wasn't having any of it and just laid still.
So I picked up another. Again the people came, young and old alike, to touch a pig. Pig's don't have sweat glands, I told the people. That's why farmers have sprinkler systems in their barns so they can cool off the hogs on hot days.
I mentioned other facts and the people asked questions.
Then the sow laid on her side and all the pigs started to feed, quite noisily too, I might add. I'd better put this little guy down, I thought. When I put him in the crate, he landed with a light thud and didn't move. He was asleep. I rubbed him to wake him up but it was the grunts of his siblings that caught his attention. He stood up, shook himself and went to momma to get his dinner.
It's been 30 years since I've worked with pigs and the experience was a sheer thrill for me. It was fun reconnecting with the industry and finding I still have the touch with livestock.
And to learn...I AM the pig whisperer!
My aim, as an agriculture reporter, was to work in as many ag related booths as I could during one day. I started with the pork producers. At the association's Oink Booth in the Swine Building, fairgoers could see a sow and her litter. They were in an crate surrounded by a fence. The sides of the crate were enclosed in plexiglass so the crowd could see the antics of the little ones and get a good view of the little ones feeding.
The Minnesota Pork Producers' communications director Amy Brandel brought me into the pen and told me to pick up a little pig. The people like to touch the pigs, she said. And it's a great way to tell everyone about hogs and hog production.
My first little porker sat snugly in my arms. People patted its head and, when I told them how soft the tip of the snout was, they touched it and were amazed at the feel. When that little one started to grunt and wiggle, I put him down. All the pigs were gathered on mom's side trying to get her to lay on her side so they could eat. She wasn't having any of it and just laid still.
So I picked up another. Again the people came, young and old alike, to touch a pig. Pig's don't have sweat glands, I told the people. That's why farmers have sprinkler systems in their barns so they can cool off the hogs on hot days.
I mentioned other facts and the people asked questions.
Then the sow laid on her side and all the pigs started to feed, quite noisily too, I might add. I'd better put this little guy down, I thought. When I put him in the crate, he landed with a light thud and didn't move. He was asleep. I rubbed him to wake him up but it was the grunts of his siblings that caught his attention. He stood up, shook himself and went to momma to get his dinner.
It's been 30 years since I've worked with pigs and the experience was a sheer thrill for me. It was fun reconnecting with the industry and finding I still have the touch with livestock.
And to learn...I AM the pig whisperer!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Facing up to Facebook
I joined Facebook a few weeks ago and suddenly, this week, several friends, also with Facebook accounts, asked me to be their friend!
I know, I know, it sounds wierd if you're not using Facebook yourself but once you make those connections, you can instant message and leave messages for the people you know.
I was so excited to get so many people to be my Facebook friend that I admit I gushed a bit about it when the guys and Julie came over for Jose's bd. Wayne just tsked and said something about mothers being on Facebook and shook his head.
Jose had his 15th bd this week! We gave him a cell phone. It's much easier to be in contact with him now and he's pretty good about letting us know where he's going with his friends. He's excited about it!
Andy is in football. He says it's been going pretty good. He's also Sophomore Class president so he's had a busy time the last few weeks between leadership training for Hillcrest, Football practice and completing his athletic skills training at Athletic Republic, a new business in Fergus that helps athletes build up their stamina and do strength training and the like.
Both guys are getting ready for school. Hillcrest starts on Monday. Jose already has had orientation. There goes the summer! We have some major shopping to do tomorrow afternoon and our time for shopping is also limited since they have the school picnic tomorrow afternoon and I have to go to Barrett to help my bro and sis load up chickens for butchering at the Ashby plant.
Never a dull moment!
It's a brief update but it catches all up on what we've been up to.
Oh, and Doug has a bus trip later this week to Bottineau where we lived for a few years! HOpefully he'll be able to get in contact with our good friends while he's there. Shelah? I need some phone numbers! Thanks
I know, I know, it sounds wierd if you're not using Facebook yourself but once you make those connections, you can instant message and leave messages for the people you know.
I was so excited to get so many people to be my Facebook friend that I admit I gushed a bit about it when the guys and Julie came over for Jose's bd. Wayne just tsked and said something about mothers being on Facebook and shook his head.
Jose had his 15th bd this week! We gave him a cell phone. It's much easier to be in contact with him now and he's pretty good about letting us know where he's going with his friends. He's excited about it!
Andy is in football. He says it's been going pretty good. He's also Sophomore Class president so he's had a busy time the last few weeks between leadership training for Hillcrest, Football practice and completing his athletic skills training at Athletic Republic, a new business in Fergus that helps athletes build up their stamina and do strength training and the like.
Both guys are getting ready for school. Hillcrest starts on Monday. Jose already has had orientation. There goes the summer! We have some major shopping to do tomorrow afternoon and our time for shopping is also limited since they have the school picnic tomorrow afternoon and I have to go to Barrett to help my bro and sis load up chickens for butchering at the Ashby plant.
Never a dull moment!
It's a brief update but it catches all up on what we've been up to.
Oh, and Doug has a bus trip later this week to Bottineau where we lived for a few years! HOpefully he'll be able to get in contact with our good friends while he's there. Shelah? I need some phone numbers! Thanks
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Chip throwing champ!
I just got back from two days at Farmfest.
Two highlights were:
•I was part of the media panel asking questions of U.S. Senate candidates. Interesting debate and several hundred filled the forum tent where the questioning took place.
•And I was on the media team for the Department of Natural Resources Buffalo Chip Throwing Contest! I mentioned this is in a previous e-mail.
Well. the media team won!!! I have to admit, though, that my forte wasn't throwing the chips for distance. Yep, threw like a girl! But when it came to accuracy, I carried the team! Got both chips in the tub! The guys were the ones that threw like girls in that event!
So we got a nice framed certificate and a medal! I hope someone is impressed because Ijust kept getting razzed around here! People just don't have respect for good chip throwers!
My bro and sis, Byron and Karen, came to Farmfest today too but they missed the chip throwing contest. As I was explaining to them about the event, my brother reminded me that our mom would often walk with our uncles and aunt through their pastures picking up cow chips or cow pies that were used for fuel. Can you imagine burning that stuff? But, any source of fuel, I guess. That's the true bio fuel!
Two highlights were:
•I was part of the media panel asking questions of U.S. Senate candidates. Interesting debate and several hundred filled the forum tent where the questioning took place.
•And I was on the media team for the Department of Natural Resources Buffalo Chip Throwing Contest! I mentioned this is in a previous e-mail.
Well. the media team won!!! I have to admit, though, that my forte wasn't throwing the chips for distance. Yep, threw like a girl! But when it came to accuracy, I carried the team! Got both chips in the tub! The guys were the ones that threw like girls in that event!
So we got a nice framed certificate and a medal! I hope someone is impressed because Ijust kept getting razzed around here! People just don't have respect for good chip throwers!
My bro and sis, Byron and Karen, came to Farmfest today too but they missed the chip throwing contest. As I was explaining to them about the event, my brother reminded me that our mom would often walk with our uncles and aunt through their pastures picking up cow chips or cow pies that were used for fuel. Can you imagine burning that stuff? But, any source of fuel, I guess. That's the true bio fuel!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Opportunity drive NOT an opportunity after Vikings Training Camp trip
Doug and Andy had great plans on Monday when they decided to go to Vikings Training camp.
They were going to take my car BUT I had arranged to get a much needed oil change for my dear Mitzu that now tops more than 340,000 miles (think Mitzubishi will give me a discount on a new one?)
Well, they admitted they had not informed me in time of their plans so they decided to take Andy's Taurus. The Taurus is a used vehicle we got from my bro Byron and has been a great little runner for Andy since he got his license in May.
I called them at training camp and they were having a blast. They got to see many of the players, experienced training camp (Andy getting some professional football training camp views before he starts training with the Hillcrest crew) plus buying some stuff like a Vikings football for Breiden.
From there they decided to make a day of it and went to the Twin Cities for the Minnesota Twins first series game against the White Sox. Basking in the glory of a Twins win and the Twins moving up in the standings of the division race, they started for home.
All was going well until they hit St. Cloud when the car decided it had had enough. They managed to go off on Opportunity Drive by St. Cloud near where a highway patrolman was parked. He gave them a ride to a convenience store and they tried to call me - twice but between the fan and deep rem sleep, I never heard a thing!
They finally reached Wayne (Wayne and Nancy had just returned at 10 p.m. that night from their week and a half on the east coast - yes, they had the kid with them too on their travels) Wayne had to get JP's car and went to get them. It was about 5 a.m. by the time Doug woke me up as he was getting into bed to sleep! I was then getting up!
What a night. Quite memorable with all their activities. And they call that bonding time? Definitely, though, the time at training camp and the Twins game is the winner of the day. That car stuff is just, well, the stuff of the day!
They were going to take my car BUT I had arranged to get a much needed oil change for my dear Mitzu that now tops more than 340,000 miles (think Mitzubishi will give me a discount on a new one?)
Well, they admitted they had not informed me in time of their plans so they decided to take Andy's Taurus. The Taurus is a used vehicle we got from my bro Byron and has been a great little runner for Andy since he got his license in May.
I called them at training camp and they were having a blast. They got to see many of the players, experienced training camp (Andy getting some professional football training camp views before he starts training with the Hillcrest crew) plus buying some stuff like a Vikings football for Breiden.
From there they decided to make a day of it and went to the Twin Cities for the Minnesota Twins first series game against the White Sox. Basking in the glory of a Twins win and the Twins moving up in the standings of the division race, they started for home.
All was going well until they hit St. Cloud when the car decided it had had enough. They managed to go off on Opportunity Drive by St. Cloud near where a highway patrolman was parked. He gave them a ride to a convenience store and they tried to call me - twice but between the fan and deep rem sleep, I never heard a thing!
They finally reached Wayne (Wayne and Nancy had just returned at 10 p.m. that night from their week and a half on the east coast - yes, they had the kid with them too on their travels) Wayne had to get JP's car and went to get them. It was about 5 a.m. by the time Doug woke me up as he was getting into bed to sleep! I was then getting up!
What a night. Quite memorable with all their activities. And they call that bonding time? Definitely, though, the time at training camp and the Twins game is the winner of the day. That car stuff is just, well, the stuff of the day!
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