And Yet Another Long Overdue Post

 

   The picture above is of my paternal grandparents on their wedding day.  I absolutely love my grandmother's wedding dress and veil.  She died when I was very young and only had one time getting to know me when I was about 2 years old.  I have no memory whatsoever of her and that is something that really makes me sad.

   This leads me into some other thoughts.  I cherish my time with my grandchildren and get to spend lots of time with the 3 older boys who live close, Bradley 12, Isaiah 11, and Steven 7.  I so wish we lived closer to our two youngest grandchildren Tate and Peyton.  Jeff and I are trying to figure out when we can go and visit them that works for both us and for them.  Since we had to cancel our trip earlier this Summer, this is something that we really feel we need to do soon.  Praying we can find a way to make it work for all of us.

   Life has been beyond busy here and time seems to just fly by.  We have been determined to keep the gardens alive with this horrible heat.  We had one soaking rain come through is the past 3 months.  The thirsty ground took it all in and I could see that the plants were happier for a day or so before the heat again took its toll on them.  I frequently have to water twice a day.  The heat is also taking a toll on the hummingbirds who are drinking up all the nectar I put out for them.  I have to refill the hummingbird feeder every 3 days now.  It used to be once a week.

   I have been harvesting squash, potatoes, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries from the garden.  Our tomato plants are starting to set fruit, as are the cantaloupe plants.  The cucumber plants are starting to produce tiny little cucumbers.  The pole beans are struggling, and I don't know if we will get anything off them.  Our apple tree and pear tree seem to be struggling and producing little sized fruit.  I believe this is due to the heat and lack of water.  I need to get better at making sure they stay well-watered.

   Jeff and I spent about 2 weeks getting ready for our townwide yard sales.  We did sell a bunch of stuff and made about $100 for us, $38 for Jeff's aunt and Heather also made money selling her delicious homemade huckleberry cinnamon rolls.  We had lots of stuff left over so we took the sheets, blankets and bedspreads to the Red Cross Shelter that had been set up for victims of a big fire burning south of us.  We met a sweet mother and daughter there who had left with only the clothing on their backs and asked if we had any sweaters since it got cold in the shelter at night.  Jeff gave them a big bag full of sweaters from our yard sale and they were so grateful.  I really do pray they have a home to return to.  The rest of the items were donated to one of our local thrift stores that keeps the money in our community to help people get back on their feet again.

   We have made many trips up to see Jeff's aunt and will be going up to see her once again tomorrow.  We will deposit the money from the yard sale from the sale of some of her things into her account at the care center for her to use as she pleases.  I really do enjoy our visits with her and am so glad that we are in each other's lives again.  She is always pleased to hear how her cat Remmie is doing and this time I get to tell her how Remmie now cuddles with me at night and sometimes even during the day.

    While in town tomorrow to visit Jeff's aunt, we will also be going to an appointment with a Medicare broker since Jeff will be 65 next month.  Is it just me or is this whole Medicare thing confusing?  Hopefully I will understand more after tomorrow.  My reward for sitting through all of that is being able to go to a few thrift stores.  The Goodwill up there has been newly redone and the items there are really nice.  I have a few more things that I would like to pick up like some soft cotton lounge pants and I am hoping to find some either there or at another store.  The last time we were there I found some needed things and some nice artwork.

   Speaking of thrift stores, I found a really nice cuddly blanket that is perfect for this Winter and Christmas time.  I also found a knome, a decorative plate, a shirt, and a few other items.  The stores are putting out more Fall decor now and I am here for it!  Today I actually went through the Fall decor I have on hand here at home.  Most of it came from thrift stores.  Very few items were bought new, as I find great stuff at the thrift stores, and I can't stand to pay retail for anything if possible.

   I had better end this post here.  I need to get a few things done before Chris comes to pick me up.  We are having a birthday party for Isaiah at the skating rink (no, I will NOT be skating), followed by dinner at Panda Express.  Jeff is working today so he has my car and he will just meet us at the party.  This way I only have one car in town, and it gives me a chance to have some one on one time with Chris.  We rarely get that chance anymore and both and I enjoy our visits.

    Be blessed my friends and keep praying, staying strong and keeping your eyes and ears open.  So much is going on in this crazy world and we need to be able to separate the truth from the lies.  Make sure to also take time to relax, unplug and enjoy life to the fullest.  We all need that balance to keep us sane.

   

 

   

   

Happy Frugal Cinco de Mayo!

 

   Happy Cinco de Mayo!  I love this holiday for its traditions and for its delicious foods.  I also really like being able to stock up on staples used in Hispanic cooking.  I found salsa and tortillas on sale at Safeway and got the maximum allowed.  Oh, and I cannot forget the cheese I got on sale too.  One can never have enough cheese in this house.  Jeff eats cheese almost every day so we go through a lot of it.  I only buy cheese when it is on sale. 

   It has been a busy week for me despite having to take time to rest.  I was able to get all the seed potatoes chitted  and they will soon be ready for planting out.  I did some cooking, worked in the garden and got a lot of housework done.  Jeff and I put a shade cloth up over part of the roof of the greenhouse and it has made a huge difference in there.  We have some of the shade cloth left over and will be using that to shade one of the raised garden beds when needed.  I learned how to and gave my hanai sister Shannon's little dog Casey her shots for diabetes since I will be taking care of her and the rest of the fur babies coming up here soon when Shannon goes to her daughter's college graduation. 

   My grandmother's hope chest is now put in a place of honor in the living room.  It is HUGE.  I can only imagine what my sweet Grandma put in there over the years leading up to her getting married.  I am sure there was the beautiful hand crocheted bed coverlet that her mother made for her.  I have that coverlet and it will be making its way back into the hope chest once more.  Also going into the chest will be wool blankets and some precious to me quilts.  I'm still debating about what to do with the rug that my great grandmother designed and made.  My mother had it on top on the cedar chest in her home protecting the top of it.  I remember that rug being on the floor next to my mother's bed in other homes.  If I remember correctly, the rug was made for my mother as part of her wedding gift from her grandmother who passed away before my mother got married.  I have surmised that my great grandmother knew that she would not be around to see my mother get married, so she made the rug years in advance.  My grandmother had a matching one, but sadly it got ruined after my grandmother passed away and was left in her home.  I wish my mother and I had thought about getting it when my mother was advised by one of her new stepbrothers to come and get anything that belonged to my grandmother's side of the family before it was sold off.  We all really liked and respected him.  He was watching out for us and was so good to my grandfather.  

   I've continued to try to stock up on things that we need and food.  I made a trip into Pullman on Thursday to get the sale priced cheese, salsa and tortillas.  After I got those at Safeway, I headed over to Grocery Outlet.  I came upon a awesome sale on canned luncheon meat (think Spam) for .99 a can!  Now Jeff loves this stuff and it stores forever, so I bought a flat of it.  I had not seen that low of a price for about 3 years now.  When deals like this come around, you bet I buy a lot of the item!  I think God was smiling on me because I also found my favorite Ace brand Guava "cider" in the adult beverage section. 😎  I had this down in Las Vegas and feel in love with it.  I had been unable to find it anywhere up here since then, but now Grocery Outlet is carrying it.  They lady I spoke to in charge of the ordering for that section said she just ordered more of it and is looking for different flavors also.  Cue the happy dance on my part.  Yes, it's the little things like that in life that can make me smile.  It reminds me of home in Hawaii and the carefree days on the beaches there where my stress would just melt away while watching the waves in the ocean.

   My son Josh called and told me that he had some news that would make me very happy.  I immediately blurted out "you guys are pregnant", which was then greeted with a chorus of "no" from both Josh and Lauren followed by "why would you even think that?" from Josh.  LOL!  They have both previously said they were done having kids after Peyton was born because they felt their little family was complete.  My reply to Josh was "well you said it was something that would make me very happy and grandbabies make me happy".  Anyway, it was not that, but that Josh was not picked to deploy to a place we had previously invaded.  He really wanted to go and get his deployment done while the kids were little since he had not been eligible to deploy for 8 years based on his previous jobs.  Now that he is eligible once again, he is itching to go.  Now, this is that part where I share with you all that Jeff and I have been praying that he not be deployed, especially with how much of a tinder box our world as a whole is right now.  Jeff has specifically been praying that Josh would be considered "too valuable" to deploy, just as one of his uncles and grandfathers had been.  Apparently, Josh is needed at this new base to get the troops there back in line again and trained well.  They are talking about moving him to a new group to lead them now also.  Thank you God, from a very grateful mom and dad, for your protection over our son.

   Speaking of kids and grandkids, I finally got some prints ordered from Walgreens of all the grandkids and kids.  I found a half off digital coupon code that really brought the price down.  I have a large collage frame that I will be putting the pictures in. I really wanted some updated pictures of the family to look at. Now to find the walls space for it! 

   Oh, I finally got the results of my echocardiogram.  It showed no abnormalities!  Another answer to prayer.  I was amazed at how much stress left my body when, after months of trying to figure out if I had a leaking heart valve, I finally have my answer and it was such good news!  My PTSD related to all things medical, had reared its ugly head during this time as I thought back to my childhood with heart issues and all the tests, blood draws, and painful shots I had for years, most of it done alone.  Despite having gone through therapy, I don't think that fear will ever leave me.  Some things go so deep and there are still others, that are yet to be dealt with as they are much too painful.  Those things are kept in a sealed up "boxes" in my mind.  Anyway, I don't want to dwell on those painful things, I just want to celebrate the prayers that have been answered and God's provision for our family. 😊

   

   

   

   

   

Family Genes Run Strong!

Uncle Ronnie, Grandpa Duerr, Uncle Gary and my father, Fred Duerr

My father, Fred Duerr, holding up a baby quilt my mother made for the first great grandchild of a good friend.

   The pictures above just amaze me.  The top picture is of my father, his brothers and my grandfather many years ago.  My grandfather passed away years ago and my Uncle Ronnie passed away within the past few years.  That only leaves my Uncle Gary, who is the youngest brother, and my father, who is the oldest brother.  The bottom picture is one taken within the past week of my father.  I did a double take when I first saw it...he looks exactly like his father, my grandfather, did!  My mother agrees!

   This is the one of the many times we have seen how strong the family genes are and how they continue down through the family.  The artist Albrecht Duerer is one of our relatives and there is a picture of him that also made our jaws drop as one of my brothers looks just like him.  So many generations between them, and yet there is no mistaking that they are definitely related.  My mother looked just like her grandmother did as a child. I have a large picture of my Tutu (great grandmother) as a child and every time I look at it I see my mother.  

   We are seeing the same thing in our grandsons.  We can see the family genes coming through strong in Steven and Tate, who look like their daddies did at the same ages.  I can't wait to show Lauren the pictures of Josh as a baby and have her see what I am seeing!  I will get that chance tomorrow and I can't wait!

 

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 2/12/2021

 

   Well I finally got it done!  Jeff and I worked together to get the antique teacup display shelf up on the dining room wall.  My cousin Jeremy gave me display shelf saying that I should have it since it was made in Paris, Maine and we have strong family ties to that town and Maine in general.  When he first gave it to me I did not realize exactly what it's purpose was but quickly discovered it upon a closer inspection.  It is perfect because it finally allowed me to be able to safely display my grandmother's teacup collection.  The ones on the bottom and middle shelves (with the exception of the rose one at the right end of the second shelf) are all hers, as is the little creamer on the top shelf.  The rest are mine collected over the years because my eyes were just drawn to them.  I call this a frugal win since Jeremy gave me the shelf, I had the teacups and they bring me great joy!

Other frugal doings in no particular order:

~I made a nice lemon pasta chicken that fed us for 4 meals.

~I also made a old fashioned boiled dinner with potatoes, sausage, carrots and onions...lots of leftovers that will have corned beef added to make another 2 meals over the weekend.

~We sold the bunk beds to a lovely family that are going to be doing emergency placement foster care.

~Jeff ground up a bunch of bulk coffee beans that we had been given.

~Jeff had a doctor's appointment and they are trying a new medication for his sinus issues.  Luckily the little pharmacy across from the doctor's office had the medication he needed and it was just $10 so that saved him a 45 minute trip one way to Walmart.

~More loaves of bread were made.

~I watched more disaster movies on YouTube...cheap entertainment.

~We got a bigger coffee maker out to use while Josh, Lauren and Tate are here this coming week.  We are all big coffee drinkers.

~I made a detailed shopping list so that I don't overspend and I don't forget anything.

~A menu plan was also figured out for the next 2 weeks since we will have lots of family here for meals.  Luckily I have the makings for homemade mac and cheese, lasagna, a ham dinner and a big turkey dinner all on hand.  I will use the leftover turkey for turkey pot pie and the ham for sandwiches and ham and scalloped potatoes.  I almost forgot, I also have everything here to make shoyu chicken and rice too!  YUM!

~I was able to consolidate all of my seeds for the garden into a large plastic container.  That will make them much easier to sort through and find this Spring.

~I've been having fun learning about the meanings of our family surnames and have learned some interesting things about our family's past .

   Not much else going on in the frugal department.  We have been busy trying to get the house ready for the kids' visit.  I still need to get the guest room finished being set up and get the pack and play all cleaned and ready for Tate.  I have managed to get the kitchen floors and cabinets all scrubbed and just have the rest of the floors to do now along with the dusting and some decluttering.  Hopefully we can get to most of that this weekend.

Be blessed!

 

It All Started with a Tiny Book

 

   I am blessed to be part of a family of very creative and talented people.  We have musicians, dress makers, gardeners, quilters, stone masons, blacksmiths, and writers.  Today I am going to focus on one writer in particular who inspired her some of her grandchildren to become writers about what they were passionate about also.

   Awhile back, while visiting with my Uncle Mo, I mentioned a book that I remembered that his mother, my Grambunny, wrote.  I told him about how the book she sent my mother had somehow gotten lost when my parents moved to Montana and that I had been looking online, but could not find a copy of it.  He told me that he had multiple copies of it and would love to send me a few.  Saturday, a package arrived in the mail with three copies of the tiny book. 😀  

   I went on facebook and thanked my uncle for sending them and told him that I was going to see if my mother wanted one of the copies.  My mother saw the post and said "YES, she does". Gotta love my mom.  I put one of the copies in the tote that I am taking to Montana next month so that I don't forget it.

   My Grambunny, always looking for a creative outlet, decided to write a small book and self publish it about pumpkin carving.  She wrote this little book in 1971 and it sold for .25 at various little stores and fruit and veggie stands in her area.

   The book itself was written and illustrated in Grambunny's wonderful and quirky style.  It's like having a conversation with her and how where others may see imperfections, she sees possibilities for creating something unique and fun.  Grambunny saw people in the same way, we are all flawed in one respect of another, but that is not a bad thing.  Everyone is unique and has something special to offer the world.

   Grambunny was a survivor and no matter what bad things were thrown her way, she handled them with grace, on her own terms and made the best of it.  She left a bad marriage with her 3 young sons and then got remarried to my Grandpop.  Always one for an adventure, they moved to Hawaii and pastored a church there.  My uncles grew up being some of the few "white kids" living there at the time and quickly fell in love with the people, the music, the food and the lifestyle Hawaii offered.  So did Grambunny!

   Later in life, when my Grandpop became an alcoholic, my Grambunny tried to help him overcome it and when things got too bad, she bravely made the decision to separate from him until he got his act together and stopped his self destructive behavior.  We were all very supportive of her for doing so.  They later reconciled when he finally stopped drinking.  After he passed away, Grambunny, in her own wonderful way, filled her home with music, friends, family and laughter once again.  I always made sure to have a layover and spend some time with her when I would fly back and forth to college from Hawaii.

   I will never forget a letter that I got in the mail from her that started with "Do you want to see my scar?".  In it she told me that she had lung cancer and that it has spread.  She knew that she had little time left and had opted not to have any chemo or radiation that would prolong her life but leave her too ill to enjoy what time she did had.  So, in typical Grambunny style, she decided to do a "farewell tour" while she still could and visit as many of her friends and family possible.  She came to see my husband and I and meet her great grandchildren.  She took such delight in playing with all 3 of them.  Jaysn was a toddler and the twins were just babies.  I watched her soak in all those moments and make great memories for herself and also for my husband and I.  As I hugged and kissed her goodbye, I knew it would be the last time that I saw her in person.  I told her how much her visit meant to all of us and how much she enriched my life, how much I loved her and how much I would miss her.  She told me that she had led a wonderful life, full of adventures and love and that this was just the start of a new one.  She wanted me to focus on all the good, soak in every beautiful moment that life had to offer and to create the kind of life that I wanted for my family.  She left me with a hug, kiss, lots of I love yous and told me she was so proud of me.  As she pulled out of our driveway she did so with a huge smile on her face as she was off to see my Uncle Mo and his family.  I will never forget that, her or the gift that she was to all of us.

   Her willing to take risks and pursue her passions were not lost on the rest of us.  She inspired two of my cousins to not only pursue their passion about food, but to write about it.  My cousin Andy opened Thai restaurants across the country, is a James Beard award winner and has published 2 cook books with another on the way.  He has also created a line of Thai foods and drinks that are now available to buy to use at home.  My cousin Marissa is a canning food expert and teacher who has also published 3 cookbooks and just finished another one.  She started out as a blogger and built a huge following and got book deals out of that.  She was someone who never let fear or shelf doubt hold her back, she just plowed on forward and did what she loved, found a way to make it happen and set a wonderful example for the rest of us.  As for the writers in our family, Grambunny paved the way with just a tiny self published book.  It was yet another gift that she left for us and for future generations.

   I think this last paragraph in her books sums up the way she lived her life so well...

Just a few Inherited Treasures

   Family is very important to me.  I am the keeper of the family genealogy and I  treasure things that link our family all together.  I have been blessed to inherit some wonderful items and in some cases, I am adding to the collections and hope to continue passing them down to future generations.  Here are just a few that I hold dear.

  The following children's prayers needlework were all done by my Tutu (great grandmother) and hung on the wall in my childhood home.  I loved them and as a child long ago asked my mother if I could have them one day.  I will never forget the day a package arrived with these in it...I cried because it ment so much to me to have them.  They now hang in my dining room where I can see and enjoy them every day.  Please excuse the glare on the glass fronts.

   My Tutu also had a spoon collection that she started as a child.  Some of the spoons have her initials and dates engraved on the backs of them dating back to the late 1800's and early 1900's.  I have added spoons to this collection over the years also.  The old spoon rack with the copper bottom was also her's.  My grandson Bradley is fascinated with the spoons and looks at them every time he comes over.  I think he will most likely be the next in line to inherit them. ;)

 

   The painting below is one that my Grandma Jean had in her home.  I remember it hanging up on the wall and loving it.  She was drawn to all things Oriental because of their beauty and simplicity.  One of her most treasured trips in her lifetime was going to Japan and exploring the gorgeous and peaceful gardens there.  When I look up at this picture, I am reminded of her and my Grandpa Mark.  I miss them both so very much.  Again, please excuse the glare on the glass.

 

   All of these treasures hold special meaning to me and bring me great joy and comfort.  They bring back memories of time spent with my Tutu and my Grandma Jean and Grandpa Mark.
I think I appreciate them all the more now that I too am a grandmother and my own mother has now taken the title of Tutu to my children and grandchildren.  I imagine that my Tutu and Grandma would be very happy to know that their legacy ( grandchildren, great grandchildren and even great great grandchildren ) are still enjoying these wonderful treasures.

 

Our Grandparents Would Be Proud

 

I have been doing the family genealogy and lately have been focusing on my mother's side of the family.  It seems to be much easier to get information on her side than it is on my father's side of the family.  Yesterday I decided to take a closer look at what my generation has been up to and where we all are in life.  I have cousins that I have never met in person but, thanks to Facebook and the internet, I was able to track most of them down.

My mother's parents divorced when she was a child.  The divorce was hard on everyone.  Up until that time, my mother had only her brother David as a sibling.  My grandparents both remarried wonderful, loving people and my mother gained three new sisters and three new brothers.  I never thought of my step-grandparents as any different than I did my blood related grandparents.  To me they were just Grandpa Mark and Grambunny, two people who loved us all and we them.  After my grandmother passed away, my grandpa Mark (father of the sisters), again remarried another very kind, caring and generous woman who had 3 sons of her own.  As you can see, we now are dealing with a really large family!  My focus, for this bit of writing will just be on the first and second marriages for my grandparents and the grandchildren that they were blessed with.  My Grandpa Mark's third marriage took place after I was an adult and I am so thankful that he was able to spend the remainder of his life with Grandma Hazel who loved all of us kids as her own also.

All four of my grandparents on my Mom's side would be so proud to see the legacy that they have left in their grandchildren.  In the group of us we have 2 published authors specializing in food, a very successful restaurateur /chef  and James Beard Award Winner who owns several restaurants and is still expanding, 3 musicians, a minister, an economist, a marketing director of one of the largest computer software companies in the world, a computer software developer, a teacher, and IT specialist for a major door and window company and another IT specialist who travels around the world trouble shooting for different government and private companies, a scholar who disproved a very popular and long accepted economic theory, and an international model who also is an amazing photographer.  There are some that are still in high school and their greatness is still yet to be revealed  and  I am still trying to track down a few more. :)

Our grandparents gave us the gifts of love, laughter, music, good food, a thirst for knowledge, gardens that inspire beauty, wanting to learn about different cultures, ideas and beliefs and to accept and embrace those differences.  I am so thankful that my cousins, siblings and I had these wonderful people in our lives and I cherish the moments that we shared with them.  They have now all passed away and sadly, so have some of their children (my mother's siblings).  I'm sure that if our grandparents could see us all now, they would be proud of each and every one of us who are successful in the paths that we have chosen.  I am also convinced that they would love seeing that some of their great grandchildren, that are now adults themselves,  are finding happiness and success in life and continuing the legacy that they all established.