Christmas 2008 - Let It Snow

The weather outside really is frightful!! We had 8 more inches of snow yesterday, so we stayed home. The total for December is 36" It is really beautiful. Here is the latest picture of the new kitten. Her name is Calli. That is short for Calico.

Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania

At Brynn Mar, PA
Thanksgiving at Heidi's-one of the two. Heidi-Nick-can you tell which one it is?
Plenty of activity, lots of food and no end of fellowship for Thanksgiving.
We came home Saturday to a house of 2 happy cats and a well-pleased dog.
Today-Monday 12/8--we have 4-6 inches of snow and more on the way by tonight(forecast)

Advent----True Light
Whenever darkness seems to come. light those candles in your home
Place in the window for all to see
That the Light of the world came for you and me.
(Christmas 1959)

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My newest tenant

This is one of five kittens born to a calico mamma cat in the shed. Send me some ideas for a name. Blackie and Mikie have adopted it already. It also knows where the heat of the fireplace is and sleeps on the woodpile next to the stove.

The New Bench has Arrived!

Three pictures were taken at Ebenezer Cemetery today. This is Stan and Val's memorial bench. The top picture is the back, the middle picture is the front and in the last picture you see Stan sitting on the bench! It was raining/snowing when we took the pictures so Stan is bundled up! We all are very pleased with how it turned out. Actually, it exceeded our expectations. From the front you can see that under the bench, on the granite foundation, all of the children's names and birthdays are engraved.

Two years ago today, Val went to the hospital for her only stay there during her last years. We miss her very much and will enjoy sitting on this bench enjoying the countryside that she loved so much thinking of her.

The Last Rose of Summer

This is the last rose of the bush Val & planted. Summer comes and summer goes but the harvest of a good season remains.

When grain turns deep orange
And corn tassels way beyond reach
Apple trees bend heavy with fruit
Goldenrod and black-eyed susan trims roadsides
Queen' Lace and Gentian deck theditches
And days brcomr shorter to let us know
Fall is not too far away.
August '89

Now we wait for another line of another poem
"The frost is on the pumpkin."

More pictures

The Haebiscus(sp)that really grew this summer.

September half gone already.

September 15-half gone half to come.
The rose bush I posted last has new rounds of bus (2) ready to open. if we don't have frost. I'll post another picture of the first blossom on a new Hibiscus in the next post. That plant is almost 6 feet tall and has more blossoms coming.
I could post another picture, but it spells work. It's a pile of firewood for this coming fall-winter. It will take piling and a bit of splitting plus getting it ready for burning in the new Insert Stove.

I'll include a poem I sent to Poet's Fellowship in '03
September's Moon
This last September's full moon brought fruits and joys
Of another season's stewardship of soil.
Seeds and patient deeds of preparing, sowing and then not doubt
But strong faith in a Creator God.

As fruit ripens on vine and flowers bloom in endless awe,
There comes a real sharing of the nurture of nature's common elements
Of growing and reaping in gratitude form rain, wind and sunshine.
To give proof of trust and hope not in human work alone
But also in thanks for the Divine. 9/15/03

September half gone already.

Sunday in Madison

Top photo is at the Cracker Barrel with Heidi and Carla standing, and Stan and Gladys Olson (Neil's mother) seated. Bottom photo is the last rose Val planted.

August-going fast

Wednesday August 20 and sun sets sooner
Air is cooler and ripe apples-taste best.
Day of health history for Blackie dog
After a clipping yesterday a trip to the
Vet today. Age is showing a bit and exercise
Becomes a must lest she weigh too much.

Me and the three in D.C.

3 days in D.C.

Saturday night-August 2:
Last week Thursday, thru Sunday was a once in a lifetime experience. How often do you experience the swearing in of an immediate family member and the official welcoming of a Vietnamese grandchild in a 3 day family meet in Washington D.C.?
Last Friday and Saturday were history for the Hayes family as Nancy, Tim's wife, was officially sworn in as ambassador to Bulgaria on Friday and Nancy & Tim's youngest Alyssa, was welcomed to our family by ceremony of 2 Vietnamese clergy on Saturday?
It doesn''t only blow your mind, but it inflates youur ego in more than one way.
This is the first draft, later, more with pictures.

Howard's Last Trip

The last miles of worthy tribute to one who worked and lived with acres in this and other roads in three townships, Ashford, Lomira and Byron ,
Always tilling mother earth with the highest of respect for plowing, seeding and harvesting, come what may. Howards seeds fell on good soil and his harvest now is very plentiful.

One of my poems about nature RAIN IS GOLD
It comes like sheets of sprayed mist only thicker and long enough to water mother earth.

Now listen as corn stalks snap and second crop alfalfa shoots up
gives way to making hay, watching everything spring forth
like hothouse plants

Then watch the crops come to that later time of the first ripe apple
or later on the cuke that seemed so far away that day in May

Prayer for Howard's family

Today we celebrate the life of my nephew Howard Hayes, who died last Wed after a brave bout with cancer,
I will do an eulogy for Him. He, like his Dad, brother Marvin died at age of 70. My closing prayer of the eulogy
Lord, we thank you for a life well lived
In receiving, believing and then given without measure
To help others, as we share our most cherished life's treasure
Given by God from heaven above in never ending eternal love.
In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sunday-Update

Home most of day-Saw Howard 2 days agoHe came home from Froedert Milwaukee to Home care Hospice for his cancer condition.
Todd & Paula return today from music tour in Europe.
Will be picking first ripe tomatoes this week. Also, yellow raspberries have begun to ripen-they need to appear orange in color and come off the stem easy.

Cooler weather

Don't need the fans today--cooler outside plus a shower yesterday afternoon. Need to pick strawberries today, smaller, but sweeter.
Also, need to transplant volunteer tomatoes that came up in the garden.
pear tomatoes

Daily Trek

Blackie likes to run. The corn is high. Looks waist high. We had rain overnight and clouds today, but it is very humid. Mosquitoes are biting. Blackie goes right to rest under the apple tree.

Meeting of Hayes family in May

The first weekend in May, Ken and Ruth K. Doug and Debra came to visit Wisconsin. We had a lovely Sunday brunch at Bublitzes with them and Nieta and took some pictures. Here they are! Doesn't Doug looks happy doing that tip math? Nieta must be telling him how to do it.

Antsy Blackie

Blackie needed to go out!

Peonies and Iris

Picked peonnies for two weeks and found iris on east end of garden

First Post

This is Stan's new blog. This first post will be short as we try to figure out how it works. We have a picture from Sunday when Carla was here and there was lots of strawberry picking! Back in a few minutes with another garden post.