Celebrating 70

 Today I finished my 70th year on this earth and began my 71st.  Celebrating 70 seems hard to imagine.  I remember asking Dad what it was like to turn 90 and he said, in here, I don't feel 90, it's just out there that I look 90.  I understand that a bit.

It was a nice birthday.  Sitting in the living room this morning I looked out to see the Northern Cardinal flock perched in my maple trees.  What a treat.

The wind was catching his cone head.

I see 6 Cardinals.

What a birthday gift to be able to lounge in my living room and look out the window to see these lovelies.  I am grateful beyond measure.

Glenn & Kathy and Lois came to Rice Lake for lunch today.  We met at the Rice Lake Family Restaurant.  I asked for the big 'Gus' table and Glenn announced in true Gus style, "Here's the deal", with regard to paying the check.  Laila & Gus were with us in spirit.

We sat and chatted long enough that we saw the tables around us turn over once or twice.

I received some nice gifts for my birthday.

Laila sent a fun night light.  It's a soothing add-on to my living room.

My friends Karen and Mark sent a fancy bar of dark chocolate with chilis.  Very tasty and unique.  Clever 70 tie in.

And friend Suzie sent a subscription to a glossy magazine with interesting articles and fantastic photography.  I will love reading and enjoying the photos.

Glenn bought my lunch.

I received several birthday cards in the mail, several ecards in my email, Facebook greetings TNTC and many text messages, the first of many woke me before I was quite ready to start my day, but it was all good.

Dad & Ev made a comment in their later years about gifts...
"if I can't read it, eat it or drink it, I don't want it."

It was a very good day.

I'm very grateful for family and friends and good chocolate.

Christmas Day 2022

 Peace to you on this Christmas morning.

Merry Christmas 2022

 A quiet night at home, with Barley, a glass of cheer & football on TV. The weather has been frightful. I likely could have had a good drive to Luck to join the family, but just wasn't up to the challenge with the cold temperatures & blowing snow. 

I hope your Christmas is everything you hoped for and the new year brings you peace. 

Snowy start to winter

 

I made a run to the post office to mail Christmas cards this afternoon.  On my way home, I stopped on the town road long enough to snap a couple of photos of my pine trees and yard.  Mother Nature has dressed those pine trees up real purty. 

Cardinals

 I have been enjoying watching several pair of Northen Cardinals in the yard this week.  It is hard to get a good group shot, close ups are easier, but have posted a few group shots here for your enjoyment.

Is it the red? 

Is it the red on white?  

I'm not sure, but seeing these flashes of color on a snow branch always takes my breath away.

Writing of the cards

My house cleaner was coming today, so I needed to clear out. I started with breakfast at The Rice Lake Family Restaurant. The place was hopping. It looks to me like they have regained good staffing levels, a few new faces mixed in with the old. It's always a good meal, fast service and no limit to hot coffee (decaf for me these days).

After breakfast, I drove to Cameron in search of a spot to hang out and work on writing my Christmas cards.  Plan A was to see if the Senior Center was unoccupied.   Plan B was to find a spot in the library. 

Plan A worked out.  The facility was rented for a 3pm party,  so I had a few hours to take advantage of the peace & quiet, with no distractions

I set up shop near a window & the Christmas tree.

Perfect.

Last year, I just never got around to sending my Christmas cards. This year, I am a little ahead of my normal last-minute schedule. 

I always read Christmas cards as they come, then on Christmas Day, I read them all again and take time to appreciate the pretty cards, some, like the one below, 

are home made and real treasures.

Homemade, or not, each card is a little gift in an envelope. 

I didn't quite finish before the party folks started to show up, but the lion's share of the cards are in the mail.  It's a good feeling to have sent so many greetings to friends and family. My friend Mary always reminds me, everyone loves to get mail. 

 It's feeling like Christmas. 

Snow Day & Kyle is the Market President

Before the big snow at our cabin Up North.

Backyard here in Rice Lake

 

"Frandsen Bank & Trust is pleased to announce that the Luck, Wisconsin office will have a staff change effective January 1, 2023. Charvey Spencer, the current Market President, will be transitioning to a new role in the FFC Loan Review Department. Kyle Johansen, the Vice President-Business/AG Banker, has been promoted as the new Market President.

In response to the promotion, Kyle states, “Making great things happen for our customers continues to drive my passion for banking after 24 years in the business.” Kyle Johansen has been with Frandsen Bank since March 2014, and his eight years of experience with the company have drawn support from his peers.

One of the main highlights of the transition is the experience that Charvey Spencer can share with Kyle Johansen. Charvey has been with Frandsen Bank for 30 years, and throughout his tenure, he believed educating his colleagues was important. Charvey added, “The Luck team is a great group, and I have received much satisfaction assisting team members as they moved along in their careers. I have always said that a leader’s job is to train our replacements.”

Kyle is attending the Graduate school of Banking program in Madison, Wisconsin, where he will be provided the opportunity to expand his knowledge in the financial service industry.

Besides their hard work and dedication to the Frandsen Bank & Trust community, Charvey enjoys spending time with his wife Joan and their five grandchildren. Kyle and Heather have been married for 23 years and enjoy spending time with their six children. Kyle also serves as the President of the Luck Village Board, which he has been involved with since 2016, while his wife Heather owns and operates the 710 Salon, Spa, and Mercantile in Luck."

(It didn't mention that he is the nephew of you know who.)

Aunt Johanne

My cousin's wife, Cathlee, found this 8"x 10" photo of my Aunt Johanne recently. Johanne's sister, Ane Marie, had written a note on the back, "Johanne 1944".

They are pretty sure that AneMarie's husband, Don, took the picture and printed it in his darkroom. Photography was his passion when he worked at the Richmond shipyards during WWII.

The picture was taken while Aunt Johanne lived with Don & AneMarie for her senior year in High School.

Christmas

 Today the Christmas Village took life and I also lit up my tree.

I don't remember when I put the village up last but I am pretty sure it was before covid. It really adds charm and coziness to the living room. Of course two of the lights didn't work but that's to be expected, so for now the maltings and one of the little business buildings are dark. But they will get light as soon as Amazon delivers.

🌲🌲🌲

More big news at this house is that I have a new garage door opener.

 Over the weekend the old opener self-destructed. It had been going that way for a while and finally would only open one inch.

 I contacted a handyman on Facebook who said he could install a new opener and suggested a chain model. Farm & Fleet had the perfect model so I ordered it and picked it up in the Drive-Thru on Sunday. This model is Wi-Fi enabled so I am able to monitor my garage door from my cell phone. This is something I have wanted for a long time and I am very pleased. 

Richie and Annie came today and installed the new opener, in about 3 hours it was all done & he hauled off the old one too!. They are relatively newlywed and have three small children. When I asked him what his rate was, he said he charged a flat rate of $20 an hour but, if that was too much, he would work it out with me. In the course of our conversation he also mentioned that the three kids have been sick, his wife had been sick, and they are facing financial challenges so he's trying to earn a buck where he can.

I paid him for 9 hours of work.

I'm as happy as a clam.

👏👏👏👏

It's time for a toast to Dad. 

I mixed up a Manharpttan in Dad's special high ball glass and I'm enjoying the peace & quiet and the lights of the little brewery village.

Barley likes it too.

🐈‍⬛

Basketball & Lutefisk

 I do not believe that those two words have often been used in the same sentence.

Thursday night, I drove over to Luck to watch great niece Stella play Varsity basketball.  It was the Luck Cardinals vs the Drummond Lumberjackettes.

It was not a game that the Cardinals would win, but it was great to see the girls back on the court and there is definite promise in this team.  I'm looking forward to the next time.  And, sitting on the bleachers with family is  great for catching up as well.  Great nephew Owen was playing boys JV in the other gym at the same time.  I'll have to wait to watch him play varsity ball I guess.

After the game, Stella was invited to be interviewed by the We Are Luck broadcast team.

This was especially fun because Laila was watching the livestream, so she got to hear Stella's interview.  I'm so grateful for that technology.  It was really brought Laila closer to the family.

Wearing #1 this year, Stella drives to the bucket.

The Drummond team seemed bigger than our girls, but the Cardinals did not back off.

Smiles all around during introductions.

Sunday was the annual holiday meal at The Norske Nook here in Rice Lake.

My friend Jeri who I went to grade school with, came down from Shell Lake and we had a very enjoyable meal and much good visiting.  

I didn't know Jeri very well in school, she was quite shy, very smart & lived in town.  I rode the bus home everyday.  Now that I live here, we have a shared friendship.  I respect Jeri's outlook on issues and we always find plenty to talk about.  She's an avid reader and is the one who first showed me a Kindle!  I'm glad that we have connected and share those roots of our youth.

Not everyone likes Lutefisk.

It's an interesting dish to be sure.

The rest of the meal is wonderful and making this a holiday tradition is good for me.

My nutritionist will be proud, I did not eat all of food served on the plate 

and I left the restaurant pleasantly full.

It is officially the holiday season.

Impromptu Photo Shoot

 As I was doing some work on the computer today, the Tufted Titmouse were busy flitting about.  This one took a few minutes to give me a chance to take a few beauty shots.

Wow.

💕💕💕