Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Caleb is back!

Caleb got back to NC yesterday. Hoorah! Ellen and Larry were out to greet him and to meet Vanessa's parents. I will learn more when they get back which I think is today or tomorrow. What a nice birthday present for Ellen.

We had a good weekend on our annual Wisconsin cruise with the old cars. We met in Anamosa and cruised northeast toward Viroqua where we spent the night. We visited Amish country and a threshing bee on Saturday; Sunday we drove through some awesome country where the leaves were turning colors. Very pretty. We saw Amish children walking to church dressed in their best; buggies pulled by horses with families going to church; and saw corn shocked in fields. This all on the way to Gays Mills where we stopped at Sunrise Orchard and then went into town to see their festival. We were to be in their parade, but since it was raining (almost all weekend) we opted out and came home. We stopped in Fennimore to get some cheese and Bill noticed some old tractors so we stopped to look at them; Bill talked to the guys while I bought some homemade kettle corn (which may be the reason my tooth hurts today). The windshield wipers on the Edsel turn on from the inside; but turn off only by getting under the hood. Sometimes we had to drive a long ways with the windshield wipers flapping on dry windshield.

Ben has one more race (I think I have said that before!) in Tipton on Sunday afternoon. He tried racing in Marshalltown Saturday night but got in a wreck and needed a new A-frame among other things. Good thing it is raining so he has time to work on the car.

Caitlin got to go to Sioux City to a hair show over the weekend. She said she learned a lot and enjoyed the trip.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Amana a bust

Due to the icky weather on Sunday, not many cars came for the charity cruise and show. Bill and Sue took the Edsel up as we were to work in the registration booth with others as they were expecting a lot of cars. I was told one person could have worked the both and not been busy. Anyway, Bill and Sue took the cruise and came home with chocolate, wine and peanuts. Sue got to go shopping with Lee and Deb.

I got to go with our search committee to hear a prospective pastor. We left Clarence at 8:00 and got home around 2:30. It rained part of the way there and all the way home; not a hard rain but wet nonetheless. I went to Tipton for some groceries after we got back. Then I tried making the salad I wanted to take to Circle Monday night. It was a cherry jello & cherry pie filling base, with cream cheese mixed with crushed pineapple top. Well--I couldn't get the cream cheese stuff to spread at all, and it only covered part of the top. So--Monday I made a carrot casserole to take instead. Yesterday I scooped the pineapple stuff off the top, put the jello into dessert dishes and put some cool whip on it for Ben, Larry, Bill & me for lunch. Was better that way anyway!

Went to Fox's pond for our Circle meeting Monday night. So very pretty there; the pond was as smooth as a mirror and the reflections at late afternoon beautiful. All but 1 member was there for a pot luck supper and bingo and a short business meeting for us women.

Amana a bust

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

School board election day

What a Tuesday! Because I had a dr. appt. in Cedar Rapids, my cohorts and I decided to set up for the school board election in Lowden at 8:00 a.m. In doing so we find ourselves short one cord, a very important cord, so I called the Auditor's office and they would get us one. My appt. in CR was at 10:00 so by 8:45 I left Lowden. All went well at the dr. office; got a blood test; mammogram; bone denisty; pap smear; flu shot and tetnus shot. Was back in Lowden by 12:05. Could have been there sooner; but somewhere between Clarence and Lowden the hazard lights went on in my car. I could NOT figure out how to turn them off or why they were on. I pulled over and read the book, but still couldn't find the button to push, by the radio it said, but there isn't really a "radio" on this screen. Oh well, I drive to Lowden with the hazards on. Pull up in front of city hall, meet the auditor who is just leaving. I ask about the cord--it was there all the time, just in a place where we didn't look (Of course). I tell her I can't turn off the hazard lights; by the time she comes to my car I find the dumb button and turn them off. I think she now KNOWS she hires really dumb people to work her elections!

We stay at the polls until 8:00--we have a total of 29 voters, including the 4 of us, so just 25 people bother to vote. This costs the school lots of money and no one cares enough to vote, but we had no competition so the incumbants win of course. We play a lot of cards and eat lots of snacks to pass the time. After 8 we clean up; modem in the results and load up my car so I can take all the stuff back to Tipton. Seemed like a long day!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Labor Day

I am going to write my blog a day earlier than usual, so that I can remember what we did yesterday. Not that I am old or anything!

Marilyn and Aldie came out around 11:00 and we drove down to Sunbury to see the new feed mill River Valley Coop has built. It is a huge, huge structure and now we see why we don't get patronage dividends anymore.

From there we drove down towards Davenport via Walcott. We drove past where Sue Boedeker Monson lives as I wanted to see how far she drives to come to all of our search committee meetings. (Long ways) On into Davenport to Applebee's for lunch. I think we left a perfectly good gift card there which I didn't realize until late last night. Hope the very nice waitress uses it as a very nice tip! From there we drove down town as Aldie wanted to see where a new grain elevator was but instead we took the Rock Island Arsenal bridge and into the Arsenal. Everyone in the car has to show an ID to get in! We stopped to watch a tug push it's barge thru the lock and dam. I talked to a young man (who looked at lot like Caleb) who was working the barge and he said he was on the barge for 2 months at a time and it was hard work he was doing. From there we sort of drove around on the island and then went to the cemetery, trying to find uncle Merle's plot. We found where the general area was but didn't see the actual grave. I hadn't been over there since his funeral. Very impressive with rows and rows and rows of grave stones.

Then on to see the American Pickers building in LeClaire. I had been there before but the rest hadn't. A lot of people were there visiting and some of the stuff we saw there we saw them "pick" on the tv show. We took the long way home "checking out the crops".

After getting home we played cards, roasted hot dogs on the grill, plus the potatoes Sherrie & Milan showed us how to make, played more cards and by 8:00 the Klahn's were gone. Fun day.