Farm News

After working with the Kicking Bear Event last summer, both Wayne and Brandon invested in gear for bow hunting.  Here they are!!  Bow season for deer starts a lot earlier, so they've had many weekends to hunt.

Our Sammy knows a pretty girl when he sees one.  He is a little intimidating!  Mostly his size.  He doesn't know that he isn't a dog.

Here he is at the house...begging for peppermints or letting me know that his pail of water really isn't as fresh as he likes.

And here's Brandon's first deer.  In our area we have way too many deer and besides the damage they can do to vehicles, they can do a lot of damage on corn fields.  As you can see, Brandon is pretty proud!  I think Grandpa was just as proud of him!
Jolyn

Sights of Fall

Fall is by far my favorite season!  The colors, the crisp air, the harvesting...   Here's bounty from out garden.  A week or so later we went out there and found about 7 more!  And we've been giving them away ever since!!



This gives you an idea of the size of this whopper!



After baking and cooling....about a 4 hour process...I vacuum pack them in quart bags. 

Stopped in Preston Sunday and picked up 1/2 bushel of Cortland apples to make applesauce.

Another sign of fall is the traditional decorating (in the middle of the night) the Senior boy's cars....

and toilet papering their yard!  I can't imagine giggly girls being so quiet that they didn't wake anyone!  Not even the dogs!!

And of course...bringing in the field crops.  They were able to start Labor Day...yes, Labor Day and finished beans on the 29th of September and should finish the corn this week!  Amazing.  Most of the corn has been dry enough that they don't have to dry it!  We are so blessed.  Normal years they would just be getting started!  Wayne says he's looking forward to being able to enjoy some fall days without sitting in a combine!
Jolyn

About Time

Labor Day weekend was a fun time when two of the grandsons and our great-granddaughter came to visit.  Oh yes...two of our daughters too.  Here Vivvi is explaining the deep secrets of rocks in the driveway to Isaac and Max...I think.  Or it could be that old pastime of looking for bugs under rocks.

We almost forgot to have our shoot out.  For their first time...they were just too good!

Our target was paper plates and a jug of water.  Forgot to pick up balloons...they're much more fun!

Oh of course...we had some good eating!!  This was a delicious cobbler that we poured cream over and devoured...I was going to save you a piece...but....
Jolyn

Buggy Barn Block



I was in a quilt shop that had a sample of "Oh Christmas Tree" from the Buggy Barn book "Undeniably Crazy".  Now, I'm not sure if you have to be crazy before you make this...or you feel crazy after you're done...but I was gung ho!  FOR ONCE I decided to wisely make a sample block before cutting out 20 blocks.  Wise decision.  Not crazy yet.  As I traced the 24 x 18" pattern on to freezer paper and realized I would need to do this 5 times...maybe I should make a lap quilt...3 blocks by 4.  Good idea!  As I worked on the block...and began to pull out my poor hair...and finally...after ripping out a piece more than once or twice or more...I decided a quilt 2 x 3 blocks would be enough.  Then I finished the block and decided this is an only child!  I think it will make a cute wall hanging...but there is a pattern in the same book called Crazy Cats that I really like.  Just in case I'm not totally "Undeniably Crazy"!
Jolyn
FYI...the block is supposed to look wonky.  That part wasn't hard.



The 2012 Blockswapper's Project



Each year at our Expo...the Blockswappers bring their year's project.  From nine-patches to stars to themes...each year is different.  This years is really different.  Before we start a project...we set the rules.  For this one, we were to make the same row for each of the other 10 Swappers.  We picked a color palate...which we looked at on a computer screen and agreed on.  BUT...it was an unusual palate!  We meet again after a couple of months of frantic sewing and sweating...this one involved a lot of sewing.  It was fun tho to see the quilts all done.  I suggested we throw them in a pile and then just grab...but that was shot down.  I'd like to put the names on each...but I'm not sure who's the designer on some of these.  Anyway....interesting!  For some of us procrastinators...the binding was still warm!!  Jolyn

2012 Expo

It's time for the 2012 Woodcarvers and Quilter's Expo!  Takes place in the high school here in Blue Earth.  This year over 250 quilts are being displayed.  I was feeling bad that I only had one to enter....but it was enough!!  Each year we feature an area quilter.  Merle Stensrud was our choice this time.  She is well known as the paper piecing queen!  I took the class from her and developed a love for doing it.  This is her Feathered Star and the picture above...which jumped out of order and of course I don't know how to fix it...is one of her masterpieces.



Most or all of these were classes she taught at Calico Hutch!




I didn't get pictures of all her quilts...but loved this batik one.




Like I said...woodcarving and quilts.  These are just a few of Lauri Ristau's.  Love her work.




Forgot to look and see who did this...but love it.  More pictures to follow...but you really need to be there to see everything. 
Jolyn




Blessed

                                                           Nehemiah 8:10b
                                                "For the joy of the Lord is my strength."

   One day last week we spent the night in Rochester as it had been three months since Wayne's last colonoscopy and now his next one was due.  Neither of us slept much...different beds and Wayne had to be up at 4 A.M. to start drinking his "cocktail".  He had the office do a wake-up call, but we were both awake when it rang.  I decided that beings I hadn't slept anyway, I would get up and have my devotions. 
    I had bought a new devotional book: "Hope".  Truthfully...I bought it because I liked the moleskin cover.  The first week's theme was "Brokenhearted".  So fitting for where we are in life right now.  There's a Bible verse... a meditation...something to think on...and then "Digging Deeper".  After reading the devotional, I was to read as much of Psalm 119 as possible.  It was like opening a treasure box...jewel after jewel.  It touches my heart how God knows our hearts and what we are going through and hundreds of years ago inspired men to write His Word that today would be exactly what I needed to hear.
   Around 5:30 I went back to bed and slept...waking up less than two hours later.  (Time to get up!)  Amazing...I felt refreshed!  It was His strength that got me through the long day of sitting and waiting and then me driving us home.  It truly was the joy of the Lord giving me strength.
                                                               Jolyn

FYI...they still were only able to get part of the tumor so they will give it one more shot with another colonoscopy in three months.  If not successful...then he will need to see a surgeon.  We're going to talk to God about that.

Wrapping It up

Sooooo...Morgan came back for another week...spending time playing the guitar on the porch...until it got dark and the bats started making their way out from behind the shutters!!  yuck!!



She washed Grandpa's tractor...can't start the fall season in dirty tractors!!




She and Grandpa took a tour of Blue Earth in the old Dodge and of course had to stop at the Drive Inn...soon closing for good...




We each made a batch of rye bread.  Morgan wanted to try a round loaf.  She said it reminded her of a pillow!




On her way home...we're discussing why Scheel's has a statue of G. Washington outside their store...other than to take our pictures with.




And this was all that was left to remind us of our fun time with Morgan...she loves to drink water out of pint jars...and now has me doing it.  She is greatly missed.  The end.
Jolyn



Crop Report

Sweet sweet corn!   Just add butter and salt and yummmmmy!!!

Here's our crop report...and no this is not sweet corn...but look at the size of those ears and already starting to dent!  Are we blessed??? 

Looks like a good crop!

No...Morgan...it's not that kind!

Our first tomato!  I let Wayne and Morgan have it....I'm so kind!  Course if you know me...you know I don't eat those things.
Jolyn

Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd

Wayne and two of our grandsons went down to Cedar Rapids and joined our son-in-law and his dad and other guys and went to Promise Keepers.  This is Marque's dad...Pete and his buffalo herd.  I don't like the way this bull is looking at the guy in shorts plus the little fence between him and him...Pete said if they charge...don't run straight away from them...run at 90 degrees.  I don't know...these still look like it would take some fancy footwork to out manuever!  Just saying.....



Don't mess with mamas and their babies...or with papas either.
Jolyn



Company!!

We were blessed with an overnight visit with our church's first youth director!  Here we met their son for the first time...Elihu!!

It's a shame when the best picture is one from the hog barn!!

And all too soon it was time to say good-bye...Chara is such an animated talker for her age!  Was so much fun having them and giving our toys a chance to be played with! 
Jolyn