Girls only

The time is upon me !   Ugh

Can you say..... HOT FLASH

I've been having a horrible time lately with these hot flashes.

Over the last year I have had a few here and there but now....

they are here to stay.  UGH

It's been the worst a work,

 nothing like trying to work-up a patient while my face turns red 

and the sweat starts beading up on my face. UGH

The majority of my co-workers are middle age women, so our work station is

 equipped with 3- 4 hand held mini-fans, they are quite popular throughout the day!

Twice today, while working up patients I had a mini fan in one hand pointed at my face, 

and with the other hand I was typing

 ( my one-handed typing skills are improving daily)

It feels a little pathetic, but whats a girl to do?

WELL.....

 Today, a work friend told me she had seen these little fans on a rope last night 

at Dicks Sporting Goods.  I thought, it's worth a shot, so after work

 I high-tailed it over to Dicks and picked one up.

My new handy-dandy fan on a rope, and it's hands-free

It's been on my neck all evening, 

the air blows upward,  through a vent, toward my neck and face, 

which really helps during the dreaded flash! 

 It's not too big, its quiet and easy to turn off or on, and runs on 2 AA batteries.

It's perfect!

Tomorrow, I can get back to 2 handed typing,  hopefully the flashes will be less intense, 

and, the best part.... 

*everyone is gonna be soooooo jealous!!!

30 years and counting....

For most of my married life, it's an event that our family has looked forward too every summer.

 The annual Church of Christ Softball tournament in Fairbault, MN

Our kids were toddlers then, now the boys are playing along side their dad

 and my daughter has her own little ones to tend to  :)

It's a team that has evolved and changed over the years, this year 3 of the early year originals were there.  My husband (orange shirt), Russ (gray-green shirt) and Steve (green Jesus shirt). 

This was Steve's 35th year of playing.  

* 

 Over half of the team this year was related in one way or another.

"I got it, no I got it"......

Ben & Joe, (brothers) my husbands second cousins once removed

(are you confused yet)

*

Below Steve, (my husbands 2nd cousin) is snuggling my grandson

 all the while missing his granddaughter's who are in TN

 2nd cousins....twice removed

My two boys (right & Left), my son-in-love in the middle

Uncle Gavin taking a break between innings to play with Audrey

 Uncle Brice got a smile out of Carson, aint nothing sweeter!

My guy.... He's still got it!!! 

Cheering on our team...year after  year 

My daughter being the good mommy that she is

 I love that my adult children still play together

 Good times...you shoulda heard the giggles  :)

Audrey has the full attention of Christa and Moose.

Who could resist that sweet little voice when it says,"will you play with me"?

See, I dont always have a camera in my hands   :)

Gods' Country (part two)

As promised in my last post, here are a few photo's and personal notes

 on the churches my dad and I visited on our road trip to "Gods' county" last week.

Lenora Methodist Church

Oldest church in Fillmore County

 To find out more about this very cool pioneer church check out this website

Lenora Church History

It's on my bucket list to attend a Christmas service in this Lenora church...

maybe it'll be this year.

 Wood floors, wood slat walls and good old wooden pews, I love that! 

 The church is always open....I love that too.

Heat source...wood burning stove 

 Candle suffer, hanging right by the door as you leave

Yes He is  :) 

 The outhouse behind the church....Gotta love it

*

On to my Dad's home church in the Country near Mabel, MN

 Scheie Lutheran Church

Love the large Stained glass window

Dad's looking for his Confirmation photo

Dad and his identical twin brother Gerald.

I think that's my dad on the Left  :)

*

and last but not least... 

South Fork Church

Dad never went to this church but I love the look of it with the tall steeple and welcoming front door. 

Dad brought us here for a picnic one year when I was a wee one, I still remember the place.   

The cemetery is old and it shows, old weathered wood cross's mark the stones 

that can no longer be read. 

There are 3 cemeteries associated with this church A, B & C.

The other significance of this church is that right across the street

is a barren area amongst the trees (see right in the center of the photo)

This is the spot where sat the South Fork School my Dad attended in his early years.

and yes.... He walked 2.5 miles to school  :)

Love seeing the sights and hearing the stories my Dad has to tell of his youth, 

It's such a beautiful area with so much history! 

As I drove south toward Gods' Country, dad started a list of the places he wanted to show me,
some we saw this day, others's I've seen in past visits.
I love that it's in his own handwriting and it tells the history of his youth.

I'm looking forward to another trip in the fall with Dad to Gods' Country.

God's Country (Part one)

A couple times a year, my Dad and I take a road trip down memory lane

He calls it God's Country

Can you read the words on this shed?

So it's true... It is God's Country.

  Lanesboro, Harmony, Fountain, Mabel/Canton, Black Hammer,

HighLand, HenryTown, & Lenora are just a few of the towns we went through.

(and Dad had a story for each place we traveled through)

Farmland at it's best 

Lunch in Highland, I believe this was the only business in Highland 

Loved the vintage tables and chairs

(Dad is posing for me....good sport)

Menu

 HenryTown is where many of my Dad's relatives are buried

I took this photo, cuz I love the wooden sign, with the cornfield in the back.

The grass road that leads to what's left of my Great Grandpa Jen's farm

I love this path and what's at the end of it... 

...The old windmill.

My Dad actually lived at this farm for a couple years.

The Storlie School in Preble Township

(southeast Fillmore County)

 This School was bought by a family and restored to be a summer home.

The significance of this school is that my grandma and her mom attended this school.

 Our trip ended at the Creamery in Rushford, MN

If you've never been to this creamery, I highly recommend it!

They have a full menu but the ice cream was "to die for"

I think Dad's eyes were bigger then his belly

OH dad  :)

***

Stay tuned for part two of our trip to God's Country.

 I'll feature a pioneer church, other old beautiful churches and old cemeteries

Part Two of the Hay Ride

Hadley Valley School 1855

 Moved to the History Center from NE Rochester  to preserve the building.

 It serves as an example of the pioneers desire that their 

children had an education.

 The guide was sure to line up the children (in the tour) by gender,

 just as they did back in the day.

 Blackboards...I remember those, do you?

 I love the old desks, they had us all sit down and pull out our

little individual chalkboard and reader.

We learned many neat facts about school...

the way it was then.

Old water fountain... pretty rare to have one of these

and of course....the FLAG ! 

The whole tour was a great history lesson, I love to learn about the early days, 

especially those days right here in my City.