Santa Landen

This was actually taken last year. Landen is now more than 1 1/2 years old. Here he must have been about 9 months old. Soon we will be seeing him downstate. Can't wait!!

Copper Country Snow Pictures

These are some pictures of our big snow. I added them from pasty.com. I have not taken many pitures lately and need to add some new ones. Sure are pretty pictures!!

Thanks to God for all our Blessings

I HAVE FOUND SUCH JOY

by Grace Noll Crowell

I have found such joy in simple things;
A plain, clean room, a nut-brown loaf of bread
A cup of milk, a kettle as it sings,
The shelter of a roof above my head,
And in a leaf-laced square along the floor,
Where yellow sunlight glimmers through a door.

I have found such joy in things that fill
My quiet days: a curtain's blowing grace,
A potted plant upon my window sill,
A rose, fresh-cut and placed within a vase;
A table cleared, a lamp beside a chair,
And books I long have loved beside me there.

Oh, I have found such joys I wish I might
Tell every woman who goes seeking far
For some elusive, feverish delight,
That very close to home the great joys are:
The elemental things--old as the race,
Yet never, through the ages, commonplace.

Hey Blog, Long time no see!!

It's cookie baking day. I hope to get many batches done. Christmas is just two weeks from today!

I'm getting in the Christmas spirit. Lots of work--double shifts this week and then things are

slow and hopefully I will have time off for a couple of weeks. Thats if I don't get called in. I love my time at home which is so sparse. Seems that I'm never here to get caught up. I still have to do my big yearly exam online for work, which takes many hours. These past few weeks I've been busy organizing things at home. Leah is helping me. I've been making a few trips to the free store called Angel Missions to drop off things that may be nice for low income families. Seems that so many are having it rough this year. We've been so blessed and I hope the little baking or whatever I can do will help cheer someone.

Halloween

Tonight is Halloween and Leah carved our pumpkin a couple nights ago. It sure is nice to have her home again. I've had the empty nest for over two years now and my youngest decided to move home for a while till she goes back to school later. I have to work this evening so Leah and John will pass out the candy. Vanessa and Andy grew the pumpkins in their garden downstate.

The top picture is of a spooky sounding noise maker that Leah made last night. You take a plastic cup and put a hole in the bottom. Knot the yarn through the bottom. Wet the string and pull on it. Short pulls or long pulls. The sound should come through the cup. It is so cool! Our dog went nuts from the sound. He yipped and barked and could not figure what it was!!

I'm not a big fan of halloween, but its ok for the kids. I kind of hate the sugar and hyper my kids and I got from it. I also don't like the gothic or the way some go so into the creepy stuff. I never as a kid liked to dress up as a devil or ghost or a montser. It had to be something pretty, like a princess. Nowadays it all scary--the scarier the better.

My boss told me about a wedding she is attending tonight. It is totally gothic with the bride and groom dressed in black and riding off in a hearst. All the gory details of the wedding plans made me sick. Can you imagine the outcome of that marriage? I wonder what blessings they will have? Chains and swords are part of the attire!

Does anyone remember the days when we use to say "HELP THE POOR" at the doors instead of TRICK OR TREAT? I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and that is what we all said. We sure were beggars then---poor beggars!

Family pictures

While our kids were home for the funeral we took many pictures. Maybe we'll have a family

Christmas card done.

We will miss him...

“We are intricately woven with the threads of the past.
each person who came before us is a part of us
and we are a part of the family ‘fabric’ yet to come”
Pam Jones


John's dad, and my father-in-law passed away on October 12, 2008. He was a quiet man, very humble, and always nice to everyone. He never ever complained or criticized anyone. He went to church every Sunday--always...up until he had a stroke a week before he died. He kept a clean house and always did everything on schedule. He was a very loving, sweet man, and probably quite lonely since losing his wife about 16 years ago. He always spent Wednesdays and Sundays at our house. He came at 7:00 and left at 9:00. John always spent Fridays with his dad. Then there were other times when we took him for rides or out to dinner or over for holiday dinners. He will be missed by all of us.

Memories...

This picture was taken last Christmas at my sister Janice's house in Farmington. We took grandpa downstate for the holidays. At the time he did so well. We took him visiting to my two sisters and we stayed with my daughter and son-in-law Vanessa and Andy. We took him shopping after Christmas to the big mall and Ikea and even made a trip to the Rennaisance Center in downtown Detroit and rode the People Mover. We have pictures posted of this on my blog. Leah is standing here with grandpa.

Grandpa is sitting with Charley here at our house last winter.

The cemetary

Below are the pictures of the burial of my father-in-law. The funeral was on October 17, the same day my son Chad turned 24. It was a sad day as we will all miss him. We have many nice memories of him. My hubby John will surely miss him and so will all of his grandchildren. John and his sister Sandra (from Arizona) sat with him for many hours in the hospital and were able to be with him when he passed away. I feel bad that I could not be there as I was in Washington State at the time he took a turn for the worse. I flew home three days early and my two sons were able to fly home the day before the funeral.

The day of the funeral was cold, but the fall colors were still brilliant at the cemetary. It was nice that he had a military service after the funeral service at his church. They performed the 21 gun salute, said a prayer and played taps. We were fortunate to have all our children come home for the funeral. It was a sad time, but was still a nice time to be together for each others support, strength, and prayers.

Wordle your thoughts!

This is so much fun! Go to www.wordle.net and create your own groups of words in different colors, fonts, backgrounds. Check out the gallery and save your creations to the gallery.

Today's Quote:

“Your true character is revealed by the clarity of your convictions, the choices you make, and the promises you keep. Hold strongly to your principles and refuse to follow the currents of convenience. What you say and do defines who you are, and who you are…you are forever”

One blink and Autumn is over...

Lots has happened since I last posted on Oct. 1st. I'll play catch up soon! Thanks to pasty.com for the nice pictures.

Peace for today:

Peace doesn’t mean to be

in a place where there is no

noise, trouble or hard work.

It is to be in the midst

of those things and still be

calm in your heart.

Our anniversary drive and dinner

These were taken on our anniversary when we went for a nice drive to Ontonogan, Silver City and the Porcupine Mountains. We went to dinner a very nice restaurant in Twin Lakes then headed for a long drive. It was the hottest day of the summer. One of the those days you wish you had a suit with you to jump in the lake. It was so humid and muggy it was hard to get out of the airconditioned car. Boy, the lake looked so inviting!! The beach here was just down from town, a block or so. We spent more of our time watching the poor firefighters and the band that it was late when we got to the Porkies. We just drove through the State Park to see the campers. Looks like a nice spot to camp, but its very crowded and sunny--not many trees. We like a woodsy camping area much more.

The big fire downtown

Were we surprised when we pulled into town as a parade and bands were playing. We knew it was the Ontonogan Days and it was Labor Day Weekend and our anniversary, but little did we know about the big fire that broke out at 5:00 in the morning. Five downtown buildings were burned to the ground. How sad. The town still went on with the festivities as the firefighters were battling the blaze. The fire even made front page news in our paper the Daily Mining Gazette on Monday.

Painted buildings on the water front

While we were visiting the town of Ontonogan we saw this painted place down by the marina. We had not been here for many years and its only an hour or more from home. We often by-pass this town on the way to Duluth or Wisconsin. I was amazed at how it changed. It is a nice little town with a big river running along the town. And the shores of Lake Superior are just at the end of the streets close to town. I thought how fun it would be (to live there) and run a block or two down to the sandy beach for a quick swim!

A smooth slab of stone, washed by the waves

This smooth slate on the waters edge of Lake Superior goes along with the saying below.

Todays Quote

The most beautiful stones
have been tossed by the wind,
and washed by the waters,
and polished to brilliance
by lifes strongest storms.

I want to go back and pitch my tent on the sand...

It sure was nice to watch the big waves! John enjoyed skipping stones through the waves.

As we were exploring, we found this...

Last weekend John and I went to a different shore on Lake Superior. We took the road in to the mouth of the Gratiot River. It was a windy, gray day, but still alot of fun to walk the shore. It's quite a remote spot, I don't think alot of people know about it. Its a good place to pick berries and rocks. I found a couple of agates. As we were walking the shore, I found this little tent made of branches. It looks like someone camped here. Looks very inviting and cozy! I wish we had our sleeping bags.

My pretty new plate

My sweet sister Janice gave me this plate while I was downstate visiting my family. I just love it and am still trying to decide where to put it in my kitchen. It's one of those T.J. Max specials. We just love to go there to find neat decorating items for our houses. As my mom likes to say--"I'm having a T.J. Max attack!" The problem is we have to go 600 miles to get there!

A very good choice!

I'm very happy with McCain's running mate--Sarah Palin. With all the talk about her experience or lack of I think she has done a good job as Governor of Alaska and Mayor of Wasilla. She seems to be a fast learner and can handle responsibility. She is quite adept at learning new things and is well rounded, loves her family and has conservative values. She is very confident, expressive and I believe can handle the job of Vice-President of the United States of America. Let's pray to our Heavenly Father that this is the right choice, and what is meant to be for our country. And many prayers for John McCain also. I hope God will guide them along the way. Things are tough in this world right now and we need a strong leader. It surely won't be an easy job for anyone with the way the economy is, the moral values declining, the war, the natural disasters... It surely is a sign of the times as written in the Bible. Dear God, please continue to Bless our Nation.

Quote

Years may wrinkle the skin,
but to give up enthusiasm
wrinkles the soul.
Samuel Ullman 1840-1924
Educator, writer, poet

Summer fun!

A favorite Childrens Hymn of mine

Children of the heavenly Father, Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in Heaven, Such a refuge e'er is given.

God His own doth tend and nourish, In His holy courts they
flourish; From all evil things He spares them, In His mighty
arms He bears them.

Neither life nor death shall ever, From the Lord His children
sever; Unto them His grace He showeth, And their sorrows
all He knoweth.

Lo, their very hairs He numbers, And no daily cares encumbers;
Them that share His every blessing, And His help in woes distressing.

Praise the Lord in joyful numbers, Your Protector never slumbers;
At the will of your Defender, Every foeman must surrender.

Though He giveth or He taketh, God His children ne'er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose only, To preserve them pure and holy.

I Finally got it!

My one and only picture of Evan and Nicoles baby. I can't wait to get out there to hold her and Lars, see the other kids and take lots more pictures!

Our new grandson

Lars Joseph is his name. Chad and Chelsea's new little one. Will is the lucky little fellow who has a new baby brother. I'm trying to post the picture of my new grandaughter who was born a couple of weeks before Lars. She is Jan Valerie (middle name after me). Proud gramma is a smiling away! I only have one little shot of her and it won't scan. I'll keep trying.

Soon Leah and I will be flying out west to see them--October 7--I can't wait!

Quote for today

This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, in its place is something that you have left behind…let it be something good.

Lake Superior Diamonds

The Royal Thimbleberry

I thought this was very interesting from Wikipedia. What really got me excited was the fact that the Keweenaw Peninsula of Upper Michigan was mentioned, and that the jam is such a delicacy of our area. It sure is!! And I had to laugh when I read that the leaves can be used as toilet paper. Hee Haw!! Gee, I never thought of that!!


Thimbleberry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Thimbleberry

A flowering thimbleberry
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Division:
Magnoliophyta
(unranked)
eudicot
Order:
Rosales
Family:
Rosaceae
Genus:
Rubus
Subgenus:
Anoplobatus
Species:
R. parviflorus
Binomial name
Rubus parviflorusNutt.
Rubus parviflorus (Thimbleberry) is a species of Rubus, native to western and northern North America, from Alaska east to Ontario and Michigan,[1] and south to northern Mexico. It grows from sea level in the north, up to 2,500 m altitude in the south of the range. The plant is said to have given its name to the Thimble Islands in Connecticut, although it is very rarely seen in that region.

Thimbleberry
It is a dense shrub up to 2.5 m tall with canes 3-15 mm diameter, often growing in large clumps which spread through the plant's underground rhizome. Unlike most other members of the genus, it has no thorns. The leaves are palmate, 5-20 cm across, with five lobes; they are soft and fuzzy in texture. The flowers are 2-6 cm diameter, with five white petals and numerous pale yellow stamens. It produces a tart edible composite fruit 10-15 mm diameter, which ripen to a bright red in mid to late summer. Like other raspberries it is not a true berry, but instead an aggregate fruit of numerous drupelets around a central core; the drupelets may be carefully removed separately from the core when picked, leaving a hollow fruit which bears a resemblance to a thimble, giving the plant its name.
The species typically grows along roadsides, railroad tracks, and in forest clearings, commonly appearing as an early part of the ecological succession in clear cut and forest fire areas.

[edit] Uses
Thimbleberry fruits are larger, flatter, and softer than raspberries, and have many small seeds. Because the fruit is so soft, it does not pack or ship well, so thimbleberries are rarely cultivated commercially. However, wild thimbleberries make an excellent jam which is sold as a local delicacy in some parts of their range, notably in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Upper Michigan. Thimbleberry jam is easily made by combining equal volumes of berries and sugar and boiling the mixture for two minutes before packing it into jars.
Thimbleberry plants can be propagated most successfully by planting dormant rhizome segments, as well as from seeds or stem cuttings.
In a pinch, the leaves of the thimbleberry are recognized as a handy "toilet paper". They are large, soft and non-irritating.

Blueberries and Sunsets

This a close up of my blueberry fabric that I bought from a quilt shop. It sure does look like our Copper Country wild blueberries. I'm in love with this fabric!



This is a Lake Superior Sunset. It is always a different and changing look. When I snapped it I was running as fast as I could to pass up the trees to get a good view. The sun went down so fast that I really barely got the sun at all. It is just amazing how fast the sun goes down. Seems like its down in a matter of minutes.

Just one cup of Thimbleberries--thats all it takes...

The thimbleberry fits right over your finger, just like a thimble. In minutes I had two little jars of jam made. Also, I've got to mention that the leaves of the thimbleberry plant are very large and beautiful. They must be one of the largest leaves of any berry plant. A picture below shows how big and green they are.