The Nilson Hog Trough!

Hubby made new hog troughs this summer and I wanted one too!  He made them out of big PVC and here is my project!  Mine is for keeping salads cold on our many summer get togethers!  Fill the inside with ice and set in the salads.  We already used this one for the family wedding a week ago, and I just painted it today.  Several people want Steve to make them one. 

The pvc comes in a blue, but is faded and scratched, so I painted a base coat of cream on.  Didn't care if a little blue showed thru, as I'm sure with use and getting carried and moved around, it will get scratched up a little.  I then free hand painted on watermelon slices and stained the wood ends and feet.  I'll spray on acrylic satin finish tomorrow on the dried painted area for protection.

Here's the inside.  It is 14 inches across, and 45 inches long.  Handles on each end.  Filled up with ice and set in the bowls, and you're ready to party!   We had 4 big salads, and a couple of little ones in there at the wedding.  Sure worked good.  The end is caulked with silicone caulking so it doesn't leak.  Our first outing, one end leaked a little, but we recaulked it before I started painting.  This was a  good day's project for me.

Here is our garage - now ready for the siding.  The steel is on order, so hopefully will get it on by the weekend.  We've had so much rain, that our cement work isn't all done yet, but that's okey.  It will get done soon.  We plan on having a BIG party when the kids are all home the week after the 4th.  We'll be able to use the garage even tho it won't be finish completely.

My knee is feeling better.  Still can't kneel down, but I'm getting some range of motion back and can walk better.  Swelling is better, but does bother in evening if I've done too much!  Slowly healing, and I'm happy about that.  Keep smiling everyone! 

A surprise in the Mail!

I got my package from Buttercup Counts Her Blessings!  It is great.  Thank you so much.  Be sure to check out her blog, as she has another give away going on!   This is what I won.  The terry bath robe is so nice and soft and thick!  Then the accessories to bathe with, and also coupons for Greek Yogurt.   Think I should have used my flash on this picture.

Here are some of my flowers in my garden.   This one is what I call "old fashion" lilies.  These came from my mother's garden (she passed away in 1977).  I split them up every 3 -4 years.  They've lasted a long time.  There are some that have really turned into giant lilies, but they haven't bloomed yet.  So more pictures later of them.

A favorite - Daisy's.  They're just starting to open up.

These are just about done.  A slight breeze when I took this picture, so a little blurry.  But kind of like that.

Have a great weekend everyone.  Hope no bad weather for anyone this weekend.

A busy weekend!

Our family gathered together this weekend for a wedding of our nephew Jared and Jenni.  After 10 years of dating, they finally tied the knot!  And, what a happy, happy bride and groom.  It was a very lovely wedding and a great family get together! 

I get tears in my eyes during the part where they put on the rings and recite their vows!  I think Jen shed some HAPPY tears! 

Great nephews and nieces got bubbles to play with.  That kept them busy for awhile!  There were 6 kids 8 years and younger here at our place, but more at other relatives and motels.  Sure a lot of energy going on!  I didn't have my camera with me at the wedding dance, but you should have seen them all dance.  They all had a great time, and I'm sure slept soundly after getting to their beds late Sat. night. 

We've had some nasty storms here in this area on Friday.  The town of Wadena, is about 45 miles south of us, and they were hit very hard. Tornado damage is so terrible.  Here are a couple of pictures of the damage to their high school.  I heard on the news today that the path was 1 mile wide x 10 miles long, and it went through the southwest of the city.   It was rated a F 4, so that is pretty nasty!  All of our wedding company were rerouted around the city on their way up north from southern Minnesota, the twin cities and Iowa.

The entrance to the high school with a grain auger right through the wall!

The roof of the school taken off, and damaged cars blown in!

We've never had a tornado at our farm, but that's not to say it can't happen!  Thankfully no one was killed in Wadena, but there were 38 injuries.  A lot of volunteers helping those folks to get things back together.  I've listened to their area  radio station and they're getting help from all over. 

I have to say I'm sorry for not writing up a new blog for the past weeks. I've been trying to lay low with  my leg up to let my sore knee heal - it'll be a long process. Finally did go to the doctor, and no broken or cracked knee cap; no blood clots; just very very brused knee. Doc said it'll take awhile to heal. Not suppose to force bending it until it feels okey to do so. There is still water on the knee, but the doctor said that will be absorbed. So that's the update on my knee.

Clean Dog Is A Good Thing!

A clean dog is a Nice Thing! 

It was so nice to take Odda to the groomer and have them give her a bath, good brushing, trim hair on feet and do her nails.  They said she was a good girl, but she did put her "brakes" on when they were putting her in the bath tub!  I took her at 8 in the morning and picked her up at 4 pm.  Now the white is brilliant white and she is so nice and shinny.  She really needed her day at the spa!  She looks 10 lbs lighter now without all her winter coat!  We'll have to do this again, so she isn't so afraid of the bathing. 

We had our dog schooling in the evening - and she did great.  She was tired from her day out, and behaved perfectly.  Wish last night would have been the testing for Canine Good Citizen - she did great in everyting.    One thing that will cause her to not pass in testing for CGC is when a stranger comes up to talk to me.  She always wants to greet them too!  That is not wanted in the testing.  So we'll keep on practicing and we'll see how testing goes.  Our CGC testing will be done on a Saturday toward the end of June.  I even had my camera there, but forgot to carry it.  Will carry it around my neck next Tuesday, so I'll remember to use it. 

On this past weekend, I took both dogs to town to walk on the "Heartland Trail": a biking, walking trail that used to be a RR track, now changed to a recreationa trail that goes many miles through many towns.  I met up with three others from dog training, as an extra outing for our dogs.  Before leaving the house my husband thought I should take Hooch with too, as he gets left home so much.  So off I went with both dogs.

Well, I thought all was going well, we all got dogs unloaded, leashed and down to the trail and not far into our walk, my two dogs, still hadn't settled down into the pattern of two dogs on left side, walking at heel position, and I tripped over the small one "Hooch" and what a bummer.  Skinned up both knees, with the right one the worst, scratched up my face a little, with bad scratches on the right lenses of my glasses.  I had to just sit on the ground for awhile to get my bearings!  Two young ladies stopped to help and gathered up my dogs leashes.  One was an athletic trainer and told me to get ice on it right, etc. etc.   But I needed to see if I could walk!  Well, after getting up and re adjusting my glasses, we did walk.  I walked for an hour on this bum knee. I did quit before the others, and after I got in the car and started out of the park I knew that I needed to stop at the grocery store to get some frozen veggies to put on this bad knee.  It swelled up like a volleyball!  Couldn't bend it!  Well, it doesn't look much better now.  I'm black (purple) and blue from mid tigh to almost my ankle - it looks really nasty.  The swelling is going down some, but I'm still gympy, and not walking real good.  I can bend it, but CAN'T kneel.  Now also, my left foot big joint by big toe really hurts and is black and blue, and I have a tender spot on the left knee.  I didn't go to the doctor, but figured if I'd broken something, I wouldn't be able to walk at all.  I'm still putting cold on it occassionally, and taking Ibuprophen.   Don't think there's much else the doctor would do.  So I'll just take my time and wait for it to heal up.   I stopped at the eye doctor to order a new lens (less than a month since I got my new glasses)!  Hope I'm not going to be hobbling along all summer!  Way to go Jo! 

My Yard

Happy Odda!  In the shade!  When I'm out in the yard, she's my tail - has to be next to me, until our Jack Russel, Hooch wants to play.  Then they run and chase each other, play bity face, and tug of war with one of the toys.  Then she comes back to cool off and lay still for awhile. 

Took her in to the groomers for her first groomer bath.  I hope she's being a good girl.  We're having scattered showers today, so I think I'll let her in the house today, so she stays clean for awhile.

My one poppy plant.  Looks like I will have six flowers before it's done.  That's great.  This is the best it has ever looked.  Love the tissue paper thin flower pedals.  So pretty.  I would love to get more plants going.  Maybe it will reseed this year.

My iris plants are blooming later than everyone elses.  Finally got some weeding done!!!!

Love the rich purple colors.  They are so vibrant!

We've been trimming up the limbs on the big pine trees.  I planted two the year we got married (1970) and they must be 40' - 50' tall now.  Sure do like them.  In later years have planted 4 others and they are not as big.  In fact, one, is growing crooked now because a strong wind during a storm uprooted it and we didn't

 get it pulled back.   Now I need to rake up all the pine needles and clean up the old pile of wood that is

for the burn pit.

I was glad to have Steve come help me remove branches, and help to cut them!  This took all afternoon!

Glad it is done,  now just the final clean up!

I'm a Winner!

I won, I won,  can't believe it!   I'm so excited to have won the giveaway that Carol at Buttercup Counts Her Blessings had.  I'll be getting a terry bath robe, bath accessories, and coupons for Yoplait Greek Yogurt.  More than generous I'd say. 
 
She is having another giveaway this week, so be sure to check out her blog.  I love her blog: http://buttercupcountsherblessings.blogspot.com/   "Buttercup lives in the Big City of New York and posts such wonderful pictures of the city.  You see parts of the city that you miss when visiting and just taking tours.  When reading, it's like being there with her.  I so enjoy my blogging friends!

Do Ya Want a Job???

Today I was going through a box that my sister gave me.  It had some cloths, knick knacks and also my high school diploma and tech school diploma.  I was looking at the diplomas, and there were several folded up papers.  Couldn't believe what I opened up!  It was her time ticket/pay stub from her high school job that she had during her school years.

I graduated in 1965, and had started working as a "car hop" at the Dixie Drive-In since I was 14 years old.  I didn't remember that my sister followed me in the work endeavor!  My sister graduated in 1967, so she must have started working there about the time I was done.  Oh my - do you think there was a minimum wage back then.  Don't think so.  This slip, shows that she worked 60 hours for .75 cents a hour!  Then looking closer, you'll see that after the gross earning, the taxes were subtracted, and ALSO the shortage she had for that pay period!   Oh I laughed.  After all said and done, for the 60 hours from Aug 16 through Aug 31, 1965, she got a whoping $29.82!   So kids today.  Do you want a job for those wages!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What did you get with your first pay check!   I remember what I got.  I spent my check on a little AM white bakelite radio.  (wish I still had it)  So spose my whole check must have gone for the radio; and I'm sure it probably wasn't much over 10-15 dollars!    Georgia (little sister) said that is what she bought too!  We each had our own room, so I'm sure she needed a radio too!

I remember as I got older than the 14 years old, that I worked the weekend late night shifts.  Tips were good, but the hours were very late!!!   On Saturdays I'd work until 3 am.  We were always open til the wee am hours, because the dance halls closed after 1 am, and you'd get the "drunk" crowd that would come in and spend money and order a lot of food.  The older "Harsha" guys were always there, and of course you had to be able to take the teasing!  One night as I was carrying out a big tray of food and drinks out to their car (the tray would hang on the window edge), as I was almost ready to hand it on the opened window, one of those big, big bugs (think water beetle) flew and "clung" to my face - my cheek!!!!!!  OMG!  I screamed, the tray went flying (some food inside the car and on their laps and all over!  I ran with this stupid bug still hanging on my cheek, to inside the Dixie where the owner (big guy) Art had to get it off me.   With me still screaming and by now crying!  Oh to this day, I'm still scared of those bugs.    Of course they were flying all over the drive-in, because bugs like lights and maybe "car hops"!

Not end of story.  I had to pay for their new meals that were ordered up, and offer to get their clothes cleaned = (lucky me because my parents owned the local dry cleaners!).  I don't remember if they actually did get their shirts laundered or not, but the offer had been delivered!

Then I took a lot of teasing after that about the whole incident.  Now it's just funny.  Had forgotten about it all until I saw Georgia's pay stub. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA!

Happy Birthday to our 3rd daughter!  Wishing you a great day today!  Here you are on your First Birthday!   Wishing we could share cake with you today.  Eat lots for us.

Note the leather shoes babies wore then.  You don't see those shoes anymore.  They were good support for young feet.  Also, baby ring on her finger.    I think granddaughter Renee's hair is like Jessica's.     

Jessica and Blue were buddies!

Cutie Pie!

Looks like Renee got to go to school with Mommy and play on the big gym floor!

Hot day and first time playing in her new little pool!  Looks like she's lovin' it.

Tyring to add a little grass to the water!

Can't wait to see you in July baby Renee! 

Polka Dot Pizzaz!

Spiffing up the outside furniture with a little pizzaz!  Got some outside canvas type material and made a new cover for the cushion.  Added ties and tied it 3 times through the middle.  That was easy.  I also had bought material in the lime green and black stripes, but not knowing the length of my picnic table, I didn't get enough material!  So used left over of the polka dots to put at each end.  After I got that done, I think it actually looks better that way.

So the picnic table has polka dots at each end.   Sewed an edge around the whole thing, and then stapled it to the underside of the table.  Have usually done a plastic table cloth every summer, but they are also hard to find in the right length.  This will let the rain go right through, so that should be better.  I'm sure we'll only get the one season out of it, but it looks cute.  I'm going to get some darker stain  and stain the benches. 

Something caught Odda's attention!  Her coat looks pretty shiny here, but she does need a bath.  I've been brushing her every other day, and all the third coat of hair is almost out.  She had a lot of hair for winter, and now she looks thinner with it all out.  She is now 15 months old, but still a pup!  A goofy teenager in fact.  Willful and doesn't always do what you want her too!  But is getting better.  We have an appointment at the groomers for next week.  I hope she'll be a good girl for them, as she doesn't like water.  Is quite the handful for me when I give her a bath!  Guess I haven't done it often enough.  But in MN you don't give your outside dogs baths!

I've been up since 5 am this morning!  The birds are making a lot of noice.  The geese and loons woke me up.  They are really loud!!!!!  Telling me to get my BuTT out of bed!  Hope you all have a great day!