The Event ~ Philly and More. . .

For some reason I always wanted to go to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.  I wouldn't consider myself a history buff, but there was a yearning to see a part of where America got it's start.   Now that I've been there, I am filled with desire to relearn history and filled with a greater appreciation of the forefathers who founded America.

Philadelphia was great.  It was interesting to see what I once studied in history books.  All kids should have an opportunity to see these tributes as they study American history.

However, the best part of our 10-day trip back east was the beautiful countryside, away from the traffic of the city.  We can drive and drive and drive through rural countrysides, but neither Tim nor I have a desire to be a part of big city traffic.

And travel the country roads we did!  We discovered Lancaster County - known for the 2nd largest Amish settlement in America.  Three days in that area was not long enough.

We had the privilege to have our own non-commercial tour of an Amish dairy farm, a personal buggy ride with Jake Esh, the farmer; and a personal invite into an Amish home for dinner.

I have much respect for the Amish community and their way of life.  They have hung unto their values and the simplicity and sacred things this country was founded on, and have not let technology steer them away from family, faith and lifestyle. I'm not saying I don't appreciate technology and progress that we have come to enjoy, but I do recognize that we have allowed the same to corrupt the home and family environment. 

We enjoyed browsing through a large farmers market in Ephrata.  The Amish baked goods were awesome and delicious.  Tim bought a new leather belt handmade by an Amish leather craftsman.

The food, especially in Pennsyalvania and Lancaster County, was the best.  The warm pretzels that were so popular, the famous whoopie pies, the shoo-fly pie, the huge smorgasboards in Pennsylvania Dutch country.    We stopped in  Dundalk, Maryland, east of Baltimore, just to eat at the Boulavard Diner which was featured in Guy Fieri's Diners, Dives and Drive-Ins.  I had to try the show's  featured sour beef and dumplings, and Tim went for the meatloaf tower!

Our most favorite eating place was the Historic City Tavern in Philadelphia where we enjoyed a great meal, new beers, and Martha Washington's famous chocolate dessert.  It is the same tavern that George Washington and other president's ate in, and the meals were all served by staff in period costume.

We also walked to Reading Terminal in Independence Square in Philly and orderd what was declared the best sandwich in America on a recent Food Channel sandwich contest.   Reading Terminal is a huge farmers market with eating counters where one can eat ANY ethnic food imaginable!  A great fun place to experience!

The countryside was dotted with covered bridges.  I wish we could have seen more than the 6-7 we came upon.  There is such an ambience about covered bridges.

We enjoyed a beautiful 66 mile scenic drive on Skyline Drive on the peaks of Shenendoah Mountains.  The day was 80 degrees, 35 mph, driving with the windows down and stopping at all the overlooks to take in the beauty of the Shenendoah Valley.

President Eisenhower's farm

We enjoyed a full day at Gettysburg where the Civil War was fought.  Again, history came to life, and I wish I remembered more from the history books.

Part of the battleground on which the Civil War was fought.



We enjoyed a tour of the Luray Caverns in Virginia, an underground cavaern of stalactite and stalagmite formations.

We visited the North shore of Chesapeak Bay

We enjoyed the wonderful musical theatrical production of Jonah while in Lancaster County.

It was a beautiful road trip, enjoying the fall colors at their peak!

We made it home one day before the historic Hurricane Sandy, the worst storm in the history of the US hit the very areas that we travelled through in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland.

It was a very eventful and relaxing trip.  I thought I could easily live  in Pennsylvania until I realized it still wasn't far enough from the eastern coast to avoid the effects of strong hurricanes.  I think I will live in western Nebraska for all the remaining days of my life.  But I want to enjoy many more roadtrips. . .

It was an eventful trip filled with many eventful memories!

The Event ~ Fall is in the Air!

My front yard in autumn.  How splendid!

Autumn is my favorite time of year ~ especially when the colors come out.  God's beautiful creations burst with reds, golds, orange.  Weather is mild, providing relief to the hot summer months, and teasing us with the promise of winter's rage to set in a few months from now.  

Autumn is an eventful time of year.  I feel so blessed to enjoy a scene like this through my front picture window!  Merle seems to enjoy it just as much! 

The Event ~ Dreamin'

More appropriately, I should title this "Nightmares".  I'm sure everyone has at one time or another wondered why they dream the things they dream?  Why certain people come in and out of our dreams?  People who are mere aquaintences, people who really have nothing to do with our own lives?  How do these people with such vivid clear faces enter into our dreams?  Why do dreams appear to be so real?  What triggers certain dreams?  Where do we find the answers to these questions?  Maybe a little research on line.

I had another tornado dream the other night.  This one was so real and so vivid, I awoke feeling like I knew exactly what it is like to be in a house blown away by a tornado and flying through the air.  My cat literally looked like it had been jolted by severe shocks of electricity.  What a sight!

I've had dreams (nightmares) of tornadoes several times in past years.  One time I remember I was trying to make friends with the tornado, talking to it through a basement window at a mechanics shop on mainstreet in Bayard!  The tornado had a face with eyes and a mouth and talked to me.

At a recent family gathering Alexis shared that she also dreams of tornados and our dreams are very similar. 

I also have recurring dreams of plane crashes.  I am never in the plane.  I am always on the ground watching a plane spin, fall and crash.  Often the big planes crash in fields close to our house.  I'm usually the one that calls 911.  Sometimes I help rescue survivors.  Sometimes they are really gory!  I'm not afraid of flying, but in reality, when a plane flys over, I keep my eye on it for a long time, making sure it doesn't go into a tailspin and lose altitude. 

I don't chew gum because I've had numerous dreams of not being able to get rid of the gum.  The gum never ends in my mouth and I'm digging all around the inside of my mouth with my fingers trying to get all the gum out of my mouth.  How can there be that much gum in my mouth?  It's really a yucky dream. 

Another recurring dream that I've had several times in the past but not in recent years is losing all my teeth ~ that my teeth would just start falling out for no reason.  I would feel something in my mouth and ~ oops ~ here's another tooth laying on my tongue.  They would just keep falling out, one at a time!

Of course there are always the dreams of being chased.  I think everyone has dreams of being chased, of having to run away from something, frantically.  Those can be really scary.

And then there are the really stupid dreams that put me in all kinds of weird places with all kinds of people from the past or people I don't even know.  When my kids are in my dreams, they are usually little kids again.    Some are just funny, some very weird, some very scary. 

Where does all this come from?  I guess I will have to do some research about dreams!

The Event ~ Puzzleing

Puzzleing - the act of putting puzzles together!

At family gatherings during my childhood years ~ and beyond ~ I remember there always was a puzzle in progress.  I spent many hours with cousins bent over a puzzle scattered on a table.  It was a social activity.

We still do that today, especially on the Corneliusen side of the family.  I recall the last three reunions of this family, there was always a puzzle or two or three in progress.  Family members would casually participate in the puzzle for minutes at a time or hours at a time.  One couldn't walk by without stopping to try and add one more piece to the puzzle.

This puzzle was put together at the 2012 reunion in Montana.  Working on the puzzle are Alexis, Connie, and Evelyn.

I have always enjoyed puzzles and occasionally would have one out to work on when family was around.  But I never had a good place to lay out a puzzle for an extended period of time.  And I didn't like having a wobbly card table taking up space.

At our last auction we worked, I bought a really nice drop leaf occasional table that looks nice wherever I put it.  With the leaves up, it's big enough for a puzzle.  Now I have a puzzle scattered out on it and enjoy spending a few moments here and there to connect a piece or two.  I find it a mental challenge as well.  It's a good brain activity.  Perhaps guests that come and go may also feel drawn into this activity.  How long will this eventful project take?  I thought this would probably take me several months to finish when I started it last week, but I only have about 40 pieces left to place.  I predict I will finish it tonite!

Then I will put it all back into the box and get out another one!  What an eventful challenge!

Finished first puzzle and then finished second puzzle.  It's an addicting event!       10/8/12

The Event ~ Gifting

I have three very small items (gifts) in my home that I have recently realized bring a smile to my face when I happenstance come face to face with them.  That said, I will elaborate a bit on  "gifting".

We gift to those we love, or friends we are close to, because we are following in the example of our Lord God who loved us so much he gave us His son as a gift to us. 

God gave us the gift of his Son that first Christmas; and people ever since have celebrated Christmas by giving people they love gifts at Christmas.  Even little children get caught up in the spirit of giving gifts to people in their family whom they love.   Children give simply and from their heart with enormous joy. 

OK, that said, back to my original train of thought. . . I have three specific items in my home today that could easily have been tossed out,  added to a garage sale box, or lost in the moves. However, these items have managed to stay the course and resurface from time to time and currently hold not only a safe place in my home, but also a special place in my heart.    They are just 3 crazy little things that have gained a spot of honor among my "treasures".

These items are gifts from my children in their younger years.  Two of the items were carefully selected for me for Christmas by Janel and Alexis when they went shopping with Dad at Western Auto store on main street Bayard years ago ~ they must have been maybe 6 and 4 years old ~ I don't even remember the year. But I do remember how pleased and proud they were of the gifts they each had selected. 

Through the years, they were probably packed away, lost, but always resurfaced.  I think its a miracle that I actually still have them.  Through the years I actually forgot who gave what.  I always remembered the majorette was from one of the girls, but which one?  And the lady pin cushion I had actually forgotten it was gifted at the same time as the majorette.  The majorette is in my display hutch with my Americana collection.  And the pin cushion is kept close at hand and in use in my sewing hutch.  But it wasn't until recently during a conversation with Alexis that she reminded me she gave me the pin cushion and Janel gave me the majorette and that they bought them at Western Auto when they went shopping with Dad.  I have no idea the course of our conversation to cause these items to surface in our discussion.  But her remembrance of the occasion, and jogging my memory has made me cherish these two items immensely.  My two special gifts from my two special girls! 

The third item is a special gift from my son.  The gift hangs on the wall amidst more Americana collections.  It is a counted cross stitch flag ~ an unfinished project ~ that Cash made about 1992-1993 when he was 11-12 years old. 

The country quilt shop had recently opened across the street and he went over and asked Donna Considine, the owner, if there was something he could make for his mom.   The counted cross stitch flag was the end result.  She showed him how, and Cash worked diligently on the project, but in the end didn't finish it, leaving it undone with a row of white stripes to finish.  The needle and white thread remains with the unfinished project.  I just placed the remaining thread in the shape of the USA around the flag and stuck the needle in the fabric.  Then I framed the piece.  It is a gift of Cash's love and diligent handiwork at a young age. 

Through the years I have received numerous gifts from my children and my husband.  Today I can't tell what they were and probably most of them I don't even have anymore.  I do know that they were always given out of love. 

I wish I would have kept a journal from the beginning of our married life noting simple little things like what we did each Christmas, the meaningful gifts we were blessed with, etc.  It would be fun to recollect some of those memories.

My grandfather kept a journal for many, many years.  Just a sentence to note something about each day.  Be it the weather, the amount he sold eggs for that day, the price of something he bought, etc.  I remember reading through some of its pages.  That journal still exists and is kept safely by some family member somewhere. 

It's not that we need to put alot of memory and importance on material possessions, but its the memories and love that are part of certain possessions that make them treasures.    And my pin cushion, my majorette, and my unfinished flag are three treasures that I cherish.  They are not tucked away.  They are placed prominently where I can daily enjoy, see and feel the love that was put into each gift.  They are events in my life, my past.  They are eventful memories. 

The Event ~ Worry

Worry is an event ~ an unpleasant event.  An unpleasant event that strips valuable time and resources from my day.  An unpleasant event that fills my head with negativity.  An unpleasant event that weighs heavily on me and creates an unnecessary burden for me to carry.  An unpleasant event that stirs trouble in my soul and mind.  An unpleasant event that causes me to want to be a control freak, which makes me an unpleasant person.   Worry can be a daily event that wears a person down. 

So why do I worry?    And what do I worry about? 

I think I worry most about my children.  Why?  Is it because I love them so much, I don't want them to suffer through trials,  and I only want absolutely the best and most perfect of life for them, and when it is anything less than that, I worry?  I worry about my husband ~ especially when he doesn't come home from the field or somewhere in the time frame that I expect him.  What bad thing has happened?
I worry about the future ~ I worry about the kind of society my grandkids will have to survive in (in a time when I will not even be around anymore!)  And I worry about their safety in a world filled with kidnappers and murders and drugs and peer pressure.   

STOP!  This is all useless negativity.  First of all, my children are all beautiful, well educated, capable, hard working, selfless, giving, thoughtful, and loving.  They can take care of themselves and only need my love, not my worry.  My husband is the best event that has ever happened to me, and the most meaninful daily event in my life.  God is in control of all of them, not me. 

So when I was reading my latest issue of Guideposts magazine, I was severely hit in the head when I read an "Upside Quote"  ~ "Worry is like praying for what you don't want!"   OMG  If all that "mind time" went into prayer instead of worry, my entire family would benefit.  That quote has stuck into my mind and nearly rid me of that wicked word, leaving a prevailing peace.

After all, comfort and prosperity have not enriched our lives as much as trials have, when I consider that trials draw us closer to God.  And as the song goes, "Just a Closer Walk with Thee,"  is what I most desire for those I love most.

It is my understanding that God will never leave us or forsake us and He will walk with us through the trial.  In the middle of our worst trials, we can hold onto God’s promise that He will always be there for us – even when He remains unseen and unfelt.  That promise is sure.  I expect God to remain with me and my family in any storm, lead us through it, and make us stronger and more faithful and better off because of it.

So my goal is to let go of worry and let God work according to His will in our lives.  Can I let go of all these pretentious fears?  I don't know.  But I'm not going to worry about it. . .  Just give God the glory for enriching my life through the family he has blessed me with. 

The Event ~ The Tree

This is a tree.  The reflections are the event. . .

When my Dad died in 1998 (14 years ago now, already), we came home from the funeral in Montana and found a small two-foot potted tree on our back steps.  The attached card reflected the tree was a gift from my work place, Farmers Irrigation District, in honor of my Dad.  In the years since, the tree has grown into a magnificent, stately, living memorial.  It's a beautiful tree, and everyday when walking past it, I think of my Dad.  If this tree were not here, my thoughts and reflections of life with Dad would be few and far between. I appreciate the significance of this tree and the memories within its branches!



The Event ~ Reaping the Red Beet Harvest

My little tiny small garden is producing a small harvest.  So far I have picked 3 huge cabbages, cucumbers to eat fresh, an abundance of zuchinni, of course, romaine lettuce, only 1 red tomatoe so far (lots of green ones show promise!), and a small harvest of red beets.

I like to raise red beets maybe every two-three years, because the only time we eat them is with hamburger pie, also known as Shepherd's Pie.  So hopefully one season's canned red beets will last at least two years.

Red beets are really easy to preserve.  After plucking from the garden, cut off the tops within 1" of the beet, hose down outside before taking to the kitchen, cook in boiling water till the peelings slip off, probably a good half hour, remove and submerge in cold water, slip off the peelings, cut off the tops and tails, quarter, and reheat thoroughly in water/vinegar/sugar/pickling spice as follows:

About 10 cups more or less quartered diced red beets
2 1/2 cups vinegar

2 1/2 cups water

3 cups sugar

2 Tble pickling spice tied in cheesecloth     

When tender and hot (30-30 mintues) pack into jars and seal!  Enjoy.

HAMBURGER PIE

1 lb hamburger browned with onion
Salt & pepper to taste
1 can french cut green beans, drained
1 can tomato soup

Mix all together, heat through.  Put into serving bowl.  Top with layer of mashed potatoes.  Sprinkle shredded cheese over all. Heat in oven till cheese is melted.

Now I like to take my red beets and mash them right into my individual serving of hamburger pie!

An eating event to savor.  And a family favorite!

The Event ~ Two Weeks With Ben

It's always our pleasure to have one of our grandkids stay with us for an extended stay.  This time we have Ben for two weeks.  Not his first time to stay with us, as he has been here several times.  This time he was here during fair time.

We took him to his first rodeo.  He really liked the bull riders.  It was very touching when the rodeo started off with a somewhat long prayer directed to our heavenly Father, God the almighty,  praying for the safety and protection of the rodeo participants and the animals, asking in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.  Wow, you don't hear that much in public anymore.  And then time to honor the military as well.  Those moments just send goose bumps throughout.

Another night we took him to the carnival, which he said was his first carnival, and let him do a few rides.  The carnival was packed with people which was a little surprising I thought.  It's nice to see people turn out and support a small town carnival once again. 

Ben and I also went to the fair parade in Mitchell.  We have lived here for 26 years, and I think this was the first fair parade I went too!  It was refreshing to see people turn out for a small hometown parade.  The candy that was thrown out was way more than I've seen at bigger parades.  Ben filled both big pant pockets and my purse with candy and shared with two little girls who were not big enough to quickly gather up hands full of candy.  The moms of the two little girls commented on what a nice boy he was and how nice of him to share his candy.   The first thing he did when we got home was divide it up into 7 little bags to share with his brothers and sisters!

We enjoyed time playing frisbee, which he was really good at.  Ben was excited to mow the lawn with the riding mower.  He got to do that twice and did a really nice job.  I just let him go round and round till he got it all, in slow gear of course.

BEn also helped me can cherries and peaches.  He took the stems off of 40 pounds of cherries, and he helped slip the peelings off  the peaches. 

He spent his days with Grandpa mostly, went swimming with a friend, and spent some time at Great Grandpa's house too.  His chores were to give the steers hay every morning and every night, which he did diligently.

Ben likes to help out,  But,  Ben is a real storyteller,  a bs-er to be exact!  He doesn't stop to think about what he says.  Much of what he says is not true.  I don't want to call him a "liar", but he has a habit of  exagerating  and "knowing all the answers".  He is just a kid who wants to know so much and be able to do it all, that he thinks he can do it all and he thinks he does know everything, and he doesn't think twice about saying so! Ben even admits he knows more than most people, and knows more than his Dad and Grandpa.   He loves to be helpful and gets a grin from ear to ear when given praise and recognition.  His words of appreciation, with a smile from ear to ear,  were repeated over and over again when we took him to the different events.  In the eyes of a young boy, he was thrilled and thankful to be taken to the carnival and the rodeo and the fair, and allowed to mow the lawn, etc.

He hurts when Grandpa teases him or makes fun of the way he talks.  Ben has an "r" speech impediment which drives Grandpa nuts.  But he probably got that from me, as I still have trouble with my "r" words. 

We worked on him not saying "cheater" everytime he didn't win at some silly little game we were playing, like who is first to buckle their seatbelt, but rather saying "good job. . . ".  He did a good job at that too!

Ben discovered he LOVES liver.  I fixed it one nite as "beef steak", and he thought it was awesome and begged to have it again the next nite.  So the second week I fixed it again.  He really wants me to take his Mom some of that meat and show her how to fix it!!  Ha-ha - that's funny!

Ben is a charming young man to be around.  We loved having him, as we do each of the kids.  Ben, we enjoyed having you and we love you and will miss you.  Someday when you are much older you will read this and get that big smile on your face!  Now I just have to get a picture of Ben and me together!

The Event ~ The Corneliusen Family Reunion III

July 1 - 4, 2012, Beartooth Mountain Ministries Camp, Montana

65-70 family members gathered together to enjoy three days of renewing family ties.  This is the third Corneliusen family reunion that I am aware of.  The first was 19 years ago in 1993 near the North entry of Yellowstone Park in Montana.  The second reunion was five years ago in 2007 in Scottsbluff, an event Tim and I hosted at Trails West Camp along the North Platte River right here in Scottsbluff.

And now the third reunion is history as well.  For those of us there, we all had a really great time.  For those family members who were not there, what a wonderful time you all missed out on.  The setting and scenery was beautiful, the food was delicious (alot of good cooks in this family), the activities fun. 

Kids and adults alike enjoyed horse back riding, zip lining, rock wall climbing, kayaking,   a horseshoe  tournament, lefsa making,  swimming, card games, reminiscing, and of course working on puzzles! 

It took us about a day and a half to complete this eagle puzzle.  A real challenge!

We enjoyed the opportunity to take granddaughter Mathilda with us.  She had so much fun.  She even climbed to the very top of this rock wall. . . .

Alexis' friend Val flew into Billings on Tuesday nite to join us briefly before heading out camping with Cash and Annie and Alexis on Wednesday morning.  It was exciting to finally meet this guy who Alexis is so happy to share her life with. 

Family Reunions are very special events and I am so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful extended family.  Till we meet again. . . 

The Event ~ The Perm

Mathilda likes Grandma's perm.  She would like to get her hair curled like that.  Today Mathilda got a perm ~ with Mom's blessing!  Her hair being long, she got a spiral perm.  I hope it is easy to care for and lasts a long time, and makes her feel like a princess.  What a curly girly event!

Event ~ The Sewing Lesson

There is still a place that, in spite of frustrations, I can still remain calm.  That place is at the sewing table.  No matter what goes wrong when I'm working on a sewing project, I seem to always remain calm.  I think it's because I realize that patience is essential when it comes to sewing.

Our beautiful 8 year old - almost 9 - granddaughter is with us for a few weeks, and it's wonderful to have the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with her doing "girl" things.  Together we decided that she should learn to sew.  I started teaching my own girls how to sew when they started 4-H at 8 years old. So certainly Mathilda could do the same.  

My own patience and calmness in this particular "teaching" time surprised me.  And Mathilda's ability to do a good job surprised me as well.  We started off sewing lots of straight seams on scrap fabric.  Using the 1/4" quilters guide and the "slow" position on the machine made it especially easy. 

Mathilda caught on fast and sewed for two hours last nite and another hour this morning.  She even did some straight sewing for me which included straps and pockets for a handbag I was making.  Tonite she is going to make a pillowcase to take to the family reunion as her "auction item" contribution.  I will cut the pieces for her and she will do all the sewing!

However, any new learning experience brings its own unique incidents.  And Mattie's lesson, unfortunately, included a not-so-pleasant incident this morning.  But calm Grandma was nearby!
Mattie was sewing on her scraps and somehow managed to get her finger between the needle and the pressure foot!  Yep, the needle went all the way through her finger - top to bottom!  Ouch!  That DID hurt!

After much consoling, I told her she needed to "get back on the horse" and continue.  She said she never wanted to sew again!  And that I could make her pillowcase for the reunion.  Of course, I was not going to make her pillowcase and we would not need to go to the store to find her trim fabric if she wasn't going to sew anymore.  When she felt better, about an hour later, she announced she would "get back on the horse" and sew again and she wanted to go to the fabric store to get her pillowcase trim!

After finishing the pillowcase, Mathilda sewed together a quilt.  She used scrap blocks cut from all the infant car seat covers that her mom made in recent years.  Janel sent the scrap blocks home with me for some useful future project.  I squared up all these blocks into 6 1/2 inch squares.  Following some instruction from me,  Mattie sewed everyone together by herself.  Then following more instruction, she sewed all the rows together.  An event she should be proud of.  We will get it finished soon.

So far, I find working with her on the sewing machine a very rewarding experience.  Stay tuned to see how long I remain calm and patient!!  This whole event took me back 30-35 years when I worked with several 4-H girls teaching them to sew.  If I could teach a group of  6 - 8 eight year old girls to sew on basic machines back then, I should be able to teach one eager girl to sew now on a machine that can adapt to beginners. An event to reamin calm for!

While Mattie was here, I got out a couple dresses that were Janel's so many years ago.  The dresses were about the right fit for Mattie right now.  What fun to reminisce when Mattie looked so pretty in Janel's pretty dresses!

Mathilda Grace ~ you are loved so very much!

The Event ~ Beet Harvest

The memories came flooding back when we started talking about our beet hauling days while playing the  a card game recently with friends ~ the Kaufmans and the Rahmigs.

It was funny how us three women unanimously agreed we should have driven for each other’s husbands and not our own.  There would not have been nearly as much hostility!  During beet harvest husbands yell a lot at their wives, trying to get them to move the truck closer or back or forward or wherever they want us to be to get the perfect load without spills.

We women tried so hard and sacrificed a lot to be out in those trucks from pre dawn till after dark day after day during beet harvest.  That’s what farm wives did for years, so when Tim and I got married, it was a natural assumption that I would learn to drive a beet truck.  I did just that from 1971 through beet harvest 1985 – till we left the farm and moved to town.

Since that time, beet harvest has transitioned from small little farm trucks to big semi and trailer trucks.  The farm wife has also transitioned from working on the farm to working in town because of the need to supplement the farm income.  Consequently, there are very few farm wives driving beet harvest trucks today.  Oh, there are some, but few. 

Anyway, back to my beet harvest days, we would be in the trucks like at 7 am or earlier, with our lunch packed, coffee and rolls packed, kids bundled up to ride along.  Grandma Stricker would watch the babies until they were old enough to ride along.  Then the kids would spend all day long in the truck with me. 

Back and forth to the beet dump.  Once at the dump, our trucks would often be one of many in a long wait line, as the process to dump was rather slow and truck line would get long.  Us farm wives would jump out of the trucks and congregate along the line, chat, share stories, and describe the yelling antics of our husbands.  Even then we said we should drive for someone other than our own husbands! 

The kids for the most part seemed to enjoy riding in the truck.  Sometimes they would ride in the tractor with Tim.  Usually they would nap in the truck.  Once in school, they would come out and ride for a couple hours after school and on weekends.  Sometimes, they would just go to Grandmas.  In the earlier years of my truck driving, I think we actually stopped for lunch and went to Grandma’s house where she had dinner on the table.  A quick lunch break and then back to the truck till 6:00 p.m. when the dumps closed down.  Sometimes we would load one more time and park the load overnight, ready to go to the dump first thing in the morning.

Anyway, just talking about those days with friends brought back memories that had long been buried.  The farm and family scene has changed dramatically since my harvest days experience.  Farming is no longer a “way of life”, but rather a “business” today.  Beet harvest continues today, but like everything else, it has all changed through the years.

Beet harvest was certainly an eventful experience.  I’m glad I had the opportunity to be part of it for a period of time.    

The Event ~ Listing

For Christmas 2011, my grandchildren worked creatively to personalize for me and Grandpa "Our Book of Lists".  Obviously, it was more "MY Book of Lists", but some of the lists apply to both of us.

The first page was titled "Places You've Lived. . ."

A little pink house in Terry, MT where I grew up

A big white house in Terry, MT where we moved to when I was maybe in 8th grade.

The girls dorm at NCB in Rapid City, SD June 1968-Dec 1969 when I went to college.

An apartment on Sherman St in Denver, CO while working as a legal secretary Jan 1970 - Nov 1970

A two-story house two miles east of Bayard when Tim and I got married Dec 1970 - Spring 1974.

A tiny white bungalow house 1 mile west of Bayard on a farm we boughtt 1974 - 1977.

A big beautiful green house we built on the corner hill on the same farm 1 mile west of Bayard 1977 - Oct 1986.

A blue and grey house on 1906 Ave K in Scottsbluff after we left the farm Oct 1986 - Dec 1989.

An old farm house 2 miles north west of Scottsbluff that we fixed up and we still call home today.  Jan 1, 1990 - present day.   

Page 2:  "Favorite Toys as a Child. . ."

A beautiful bride doll named Roberta.  My Aunt Bertha and cousin Evelyn made her lots of clothes when I took her out to their farm with me and spent a week or two with them.  I gave the doll and all her clothes to a toy collection drive that my FHA chapter was having when I was maybe a sophmore or junior in high school.  I wish I had pictures, because I can still vividly picture her and her beautiful clothes.  My granddaughters would have enjoyed Roberta.

A soft rubbery fat baby doll with curly blonde hair.

Coloring books.  I loved to color as a child, and I was very good at coloring!

A spirograph which I remember doodling with alot.

A metal doll house with lots of plastic furniture.  An heirloom and antique today if I still had it.

A metal dish set used for playing house with my dolls with my red/white table & chair set.

A small suitcase style record player that played lots and lots of records on in my bedroom.

These are the first things that come to mind when I think of the toys I played with as a child. 

I also played alot of pasture softball and hide and seek with all the neighborhood kids.

Page 3:  "American Cities You've Visited. . ."

As I think of them in no particular order. . .

Sacramento, San Francisco, New Orleans, Orlando, Cleveland, Chicago, Mionneapolis, Elkhart, San Antonio, Billings, Cheyenne, Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Albuquerque,  Santa Fe, Ft. Worth,  New York, Virginia Beach, Corpus Christi, Miami Beach, Nashville, Daytona Beach, Bismark, Bozeman, Boise, Lincoln, Great Falls, Las Vegas, San Luis Obispo, Skagway, Juneau, Salt Lake City, Boston, Bismark, Scottsdale, Cincinnati, Bartlesville, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Bennington & Burlington VT, little towns in New Hampshire, and many other small cities. . .

Page 4:  "Best Gifts You've  Ever Received. . ."

Pearl ring, engagement ring, 11 long stemmed yellow roses, diamond bracelet, (all from my soul mate!), pink easter dress and white gloves from my Dad, sewing machine for high school graduation,  cards from my kids with personal and thoughtful hand written notes (I still have them all!), a red/white drum majorette form Janel  and a lady pin cushion from  Alexis when they went Christmas shopping  at Western Auto when they were little (I still have both and still use the pin cushion!), surprise fix it projects from Cash in our absence, such as flower beds and painted basement floors.  These are the first things that come to mind, although there are many more that will come to mind from time to time.

Page 5:  "Best Purchases. . . "

An old round oak table and four oak school chairs purchased from a "junk lady" near Bridgeport in 1978.  The table had been used as a shop work table.  I sanded and stained it all and continue to use the set today.  It's the table my family was raised around.  Alot of memories have been made at that table.

Page  6:  "Favorite TV Shows. . ."

Then:  Father Knows Best, My Three Sons, The Waltons, Dallas

Now:  Celebrity Apprentice, The Firm,  Boston Legal,  House Hunters, Design Star, Food Network.

Page 7:  "People From History You'd like to have a Conversation With. . ."

Mary, mother of Jesus,  Martha Washington, wife of President George Washington, My Dad, Noah's family, my grandparents

Page 9 "Things People Should Remember you For. . ."  The cabbage burgers I would cart around the country;  my contentment and calmness;  my conservativeness (some may call it being cheap) and trying to teach my kids financial finess.  I wonder what others would answer on this one!

Page 16:  "Things You'd like to do Before You Die. . ."

Visit Norway,  take a (fun) family destination vacation with all my kids and grandkids,  attend high school and college graduations of all my grandchildren, be a Great grandmother & hold my great-grandchildren, go to culinary school and learn to cook (ha-ha!),  skip the school and just learn to enjoy cooking,  

Page 19:  "Bad Things You Did as a Kid. . ."

I was always a good kid, except when I. . . blew my snotty nose into my nanny's flannel nightgown; stole a pop from my Dad's pop machine in his shop;  waxed my mom's linoleum living room floor with oily dusting polish making it so slick and shiny it was dangerous;  fought all the time with my oldest brother;  knocked my youngest brother against the wall and thought I killed him; 

Page 29:  "Favorite Smells. . ."

Lilacs in full bloom,  fresh baked bread and cinnamin rolls, wood burning in the fireplace, fresh cut hay.

So this is a sampling from "Our Book of Lists".  This requires alot of thought. . .