Sunday, January 29, 2006
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Illustration © Virginia McCorkell; photo of his mom, Jennie Horne, by Ethan Horne
From our youngest photographer (so far): Ethan, age 3.
Updates -
by Weston Johnson
Ashby MN
Coni's surgery at the Mayo Clinic last Friday (January 20th) to remove the tumor on her adrenal gland was a complete success! The doctors removed the entire primary tumor, which accounted for about 98% of the total cancer in her body.
The surgeon had told us Coni would probably be in critical care through the weekend, and in the hospital for at least a week, but her recovery was much quicker. She was moved out of critical care on Saturday afternoon, and came home on Wednesday.
She will spend the next couple of weeks resting at home, continuing her recovery. Several friends and family members keep her company and help her with things she is temporarily unable to do.
The next step will be chemotherapy to eliminate the remaining cancer. She has been accepted into a research program at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, and will go there for the latest treatments available. Her first round of chemo will probably start the week of February 13th.
Thanks to everyone for all of your thoughts, messages and prayers over the past several weeks. It means a lot to both of us!
Weston
UPDATE -- Parents-to-be
by Ben and Heather Henderson
Hastings, MN
The biggest and most important news in our lives right now is that we
are only about three months away from having our first child. Heather and I are
as excited as we can possibly get. We have the nursery all ready, new paint
and the crib and changing table are all set up. Next weekend we are
planning on painting the chest-of-drawers to match the other furniture
better. We do a lot of talking about how the birthing process is going to
go. We just can't wait.
Heather is now down to working two days a week at the bank. It is
nice for her, since it is kind of getting to the point where her back is
getting pretty sore by the end of the day when she is standing all the time.
I don't know who all knows, so I suppose it is worth mentioning: Heather and
I purchased our first home at the end of October. We bought a townhouse
down in Hastings, Minnesota. Hastings is about 30 minutes south and a little east
of St. Paul. We love our new home and we really like Hastings. It is a
little hike to work, but it is a great community with a great school system.
We spent the first several weeks in November painting, painting, and painting, with a little help from Dan and Mom (Henderson) to get it all done and ready for occupancy.
We celebrated our first wedding anniversary November 26th. It was just amazing to us how fast time has flown ... we just can't imagine how the next 22 years will go.
Hope this finds everyone doing well.
Ben H.
P.S. In response to the joke of the day, I really DO look good in a hula skirt!
UPDATE -- Introduction to Jack and Ginny Adair
by Ginny McCorkell
Blaine, MN
I would like to introduce our friends ... Jack and Ditto!
Ditto's given name is Virginia and she also goes by Ginny ... as you know, that is my name, too ... hence Ditto.
We have been known to confuse the clerks in quilt shops. She will say to me, "What do you think, Ditto?" And when I see something I want to show her I squeal ... "Hey, Ditto! Did you see this!"
We enjoy doing the quilt shop hop, we are known to linger in antique stores, we have been seen in red hats (we are our own little Red Hat Society of two), and we are prone to long chats.
As you can see by Jack's sweatshirt, he has a thing about guitars! He owns them, he plays them, and he even sings with them.
Hopefully, they will survive the shock of seeing themselves pop up in The Bulletin! *Big Grin*
Illustration © Virginia McCorkell
Jack & Ginny ("Ditto") Adair
UPDATE -- Introduction to the Larsons
by Bridget Larson
Ashby, MN
Let me start out by introducing myself.
My name is Bridget Larson and I am from Ashby, Minnesota. I'm a good friend of Donna (Anderson) Johnson (Dee, as I know her). I guess we got to know each other when her son, Chris, and my brother played sports together. Also, we are friends with Beaver's kids, too.
Dee also took care of my niece while she lived with us and lately has just been a really good friend.
My husband's name is Doug. He is self-employed, making lawn furniture he sells in the summer and he soon will be supplying a shop owner down in The Cities with his stuff. Besides that, he is "Mr. Mom" to our 16-year-old daughter, Paige.
Paige is a sophomore at Ashby High School. She is involved in video club, boys' stats, youth group at church and a new hobby of hers is driving "all over the country"!
As far as I go, I work in Alexandria at the Spine Rehab Clinic as an administrative coordinator (aka rehab secretary). I also work part time for Dr. Kim, a spine surgeon in Alexandria.
I recently became the "mom" to a little Maltese puppy a friend of mine couldn't keep, so that seems to keep me pretty busy with all the good things a new puppy brings. We also have a golden retriever named Sampson and a cat named Tigger.
Well, not much else to tell right now. I just want to thank everyone who works on The Bulletin every week to make it spectacular. I think it is awesome what everyone does to keep us all informed in all the happenings, literally around the world. You truly are lucky! Wishing you all health and happiness in this new year!
Bridget, Doug & Paige Larson
Day to Day R
With Donna Mae
Ashby, MN
Dieting To Lose Weight
as experienced by Donna
I've been battling the bulge for years, without much success, and figured I needed some "new" way of going about things. It dawned on me that I've always done better with others in a group; the peer pressure, some accountability, fun competition and lots of encouragement. But I cannot manage attending any groups, due to my long working hours, so I had to come up with some other solution.
I threw the idea out to a few of my friends and family that had also been mentioning they'd like to lose some inches and drop a few unnecessary pounds and become healthier individuals. To my delight, I had several sign up! It's wonderful having a group with like problems plugging away and helping one another. We've not been doing this very long, but already the first week there was a 31 lb. loss amongst those weighing in (10 people) and sending me their results. Awesome!
I've not heard from everyone this week yet, but so far, other than Beaver and I, people are doing super. We had a belated family Christmas and celebrated our anniversary (twice -- once being the night before weigh in), but I managed to stay the same and I know Beaver will get back on track too, as he's getting much more exercise than I do. I did increase mine a lot this week, though, and I feel it's the reason I didn't gain! So, I'll take staying the same and try really hard this coming week. I've got some tough "contenders" to "compete" with.
So far, this week's group (11 people) lost a total of 32.3 lbs! Way to go, people! You all deserve a round of applause! YEAHHHHHH!
Anyone else want to join us? It's free! It's FUN! It's promoting a healthy lifestyle, with friends ... what's not to like?
Dieting To Lose Weight
as experienced by Beaver
So, we're going to have a group weight-losing fest. I've tried many other ways of losing weight, so might as well get on board this one, too. Most of my past weight loss programs have blindsided me -- one day D will say something like, "I'm going on the (whatever) diet, do you want to eat the same stuff I will be eating?" Since the alternatives seem to be cooking for myself or starvation, I always go along. Truthfully, she would probably make me something else, but, being an uxorious husband, I try to help out.
Actually, I have always known how to lose weight. Just eat a little less, exercise a little more, and the pounds will disappear. I have successfully been doing this now for about 35 years, having only gained about 40 pounds in the process. Had I not been carefully following my program, I would now weigh about the same as a large cow.
What I don't understand is why it is that as soon as I even think about dieting, my brain tells me that I absolutely must eat more, because soon I will be hungry. Last week, without really giving it any thought, I lost five pounds. This week, my instinctive fear of starvation kicked in, and I gained two pounds. Well, fear of starvation and a weekend spent at a cabin where each person brought enough sweet goodies to founder a sugar truck. Several hours of skiing and a couple of hours of playing in the pool with the grandkids should have worn off a few pounds, but those cookies were too good to go to waste!
This week doesn't look so good either. I have a tax appointment with my accountant on Wednesday and must get all my information organized by then. That means many hours of sitting in the office, which is only five steps from the kitchen. I believe that it is physically impossible to do this kind of work without cookies. My brain will completely grind to a stop without an occasional Oreo. I think I'll go and get one right now.
The Matriarch Speaks W
by Dorothy (Dake) Anderson
Alexandria, MN
Welcome!
Please help welcome three more Bulletin subscriber families. If relationship came only from being blood family, then we could not include them -- but here at The Bulletin, relationship includes friendships, too!
Our only criteria for receiving The Bulletin is that you want it enough to ask to be put on the e-mailing list. What makes The Bulletin work is that all our subscribers participate as in one big, extended family. That participation can take many forms. (Scroll down a bit if you need that spelled out for you!)
We do hope to get an introduction from each of you. (See introductions to the Adair and Larson families and the letter from the Cloyd family in this issue. Check the About link to meet many of our subscribers who have introduced themselves in previous issues. Check the Who's Who link to learn about the family and friendship relationships and the Who's Where link to find out where families and friends live.)
Bridget Larson has been a subscriber for quite a while and has contributed lots of letters with kind comments. Now she is formally introducing their family (or the part that lives at their home in Ashby). Thank you, Bridget.
We have an introduction to the Adairs by my niece, Ginny Dake McCorkell. I assured her that I have met the Adairs one time before, found them pleasant people, and was pleased to welcome them "aboard."
Here is Ginny's comment: "I appreciate your running The Bulletin after the Grandma Dake tradition ... anybody is welcome! She certainly was a generous lady with a very big heart. When I think of all the unexpected company she welcomed, even in our generation ... and I know it started long before that ... I wonder ... How did she do it?"
May we always welcome "aboard" all of the ones who are, or who want to be, a part of our Bulletin "family"! And heartfelt thanks to our many subscriber contributors -- we sure couldn't do it without you!
Illustration © Virginia McCorkell; photo by Sarah Steinhauer
Levi Steinhauer contributed his best smile in a photo by his mom.
(Now don't be thinking up excuses. YOU can be a contributor, too!)
Who Is This?
Let's Play a Guessing Game: Whenever it is handy to do so we will run a picture of someone of the subscribers or staff members of our e-magazine. Tell us who you think it is -- we will let you know who was the first to guess it right -- and the correct guess -- in the following week's Bulletin.
(Send us some to run; we will line them up in our staging area to take their turn.)
How many can you identify?
Answers to last week's mystery pictures (click here to review them):
I do believe the mystery pictures this week are of me (Carol Dake Printz) holding sister Kathleen Dake Stahlecker ... and also me holding doll at an even younger age on the right.
Carol Printz
Sydney, NE
The "Mystery" picture this week is Carol holding either Stan or Kathleen, and I would guess Kathleen... I feel sure I have seen the other one but it would be only a guess at this point ... maybe Shari?
Tom and Lou Miller
Madera, CA
Anybody Know About This?
I have not been entirely happy with my real estate company, of late, and recently, it was suggested by a girlfriend that maybe I should contact one of those "We buy ugly houses" companies to see if they would be interested. But, I've never dealt with that, and wonder if anyone reading this has, or has any knowledge of how they work and are they honest and fair? Any comments would be greatly appreciated. I still have five weeks left on my current contract with my real estate company, so I'm not making any instant decisions. Just gathering information. Thank you!
Diana Martin
Brook Park, MN
Before we moved the second band of sheep home, from where they had been unloaded from trucks six miles away, I would take bags of sheep pellets to them to supplement their diet.
The first time I went, it was dark. I pulled onto the bedding grounds with the pickup, and all the sheep were on their feet, facing the headlights. It was memorable sea of eyes glowing blue green, every pair focused on me.
Within a week, this second band of sheep were trailed the last six miles home to sheep headquarters.
Esteban and Domingo's "sheep-camps" were now parked side by side across the creek from our front yard. The sheep-camps were round-topped dwellings built on top of four-wheel wagons. Each had a bed, a table, benches, cupboards, counter top, and a wood burning kitchen stove.
The sheep-camps were lighted with gas lights at night, and had a small window on each side, and one on each end, affording the shepherd some daylight and a limited view.
The door was built like a barn door, the top half opening separately from the bottom half. Hanging on the outside of the sheep-camp, next to the door, was the ever present broom.
Even though it was wintertime and cold, the top halves of the doors often stood open around mealtimes, to control the heat generated by the wood burning stoves.
Each sheep-camp also had a second round-topped wagon hooked in tandem behind it. It was called a "commissary," and was towed wherever the sheep-camp was towed. The commissary was where the horse's saddles, bridles, oats, and hay were stored. It also carried a 50 gallon barrel of water for the shepherd's use, dog food for the dogs, and usually some dry firewood.
There was a rail, and a feed-box, on the side of the commissary to tie the shepherd's horse to.
Both bands of sheep had now been moved into night pens at sheep headquarters. The groups stayed in the separate pens at night. During the day the shepherds took the two groups out -- separately -- into two different hay fields. It was important that the two bands of sheep were not allowed to mix.
During the day we fed them hay and the sheep pellets in the hay fields. We split five one-ton square bales between the two bands of sheep. Each ewe would get about five pounds of hay a day. We'd load the five large bales on a flatbed truck and two men would ride on the back to cut the strings and flake off the slabs of hay onto the ground. The truck had to move right along to keep ahead of the milling sheep. If the sheep got ahead of the truck -- everything came to a stop.
Checker would be running along with the truck. When the sheep did get in the way of the truck, I'd rev the engine, and Checker would take that as his cue to clear them out of the way.
The large hay bales could be hazardous, stacked up on the back of the high flatbed truck.
One day, the boss's son had just finished loading the bales with the tractor. As I pulled forward with the truck, one of the rear duals went up and over a four-by-four block of wood, that had been stuck under the tires to keep the truck from rolling away.
Going up and over the block was just enough to bring the loosely stacked load tumbling down on an adjacent pickup truck -- smashing in its roof and hood.
The boss's son apologized to me for the loose load, and thought he was to blame for the accident. However, I felt I was to blame, for not checking under the tires for the block, before I drove over it.
We were both relieved that the bales hadn't fallen on the two Mexicans who were standing nearby, waiting to ride on the back. It could have been much worse, but this was bad enough!
This day just happened to be one of the rare days that the boss was bringing the out-of-state ranch owner on a tour of sheep headquarters. (Of course, the owner also owned the flattened pickup truck!)
The boss's son and I discussed our predicament and considered quickly hiding the pickup. That way we could break the news after the owner had gone back to California.
But common sense prevailed, and we "fessed-up" to our blunder.
The owner dismissed the whole thing with a wave of the hand. "It's not a big deal," he said. "If you are busy working, stuff will happen. If stuff doesn't happen, you're not working."
He added that in just the past week, not one, but two of his truck drivers had been in wrecks, back in California.
Whew!
Esteban and Domingo were to watch the sheep so they wouldn't wander off the hay fields during the day. But watching the sheep was a mundane chore. They weren't very prone to go anywhere, once they'd been fed their hay. So, the two shepherds would walk home to their sheep-camps at noon to fix themselves dinner.
One afternoon, they dallied too long in their sheep-camps, and the two bands of sheep came home on their own, "wagging their tails behind them." The two groups excitedly mixed together at the end of the driveway, and were making a bit of a ruckus as they came through the gate.
The shepherds had fallen down on their jobs; when they heard the commotion the sheep were making, they knew there was trouble! There was a good deal of consternation, knowing that the boss would not be very happy with them.
It would take a good day, and a number of men, to run the 2,400 ewes through the working facility, to sort them back into their original groups.
I recalled the story in the Bible, where several shepherds would leave their sheep in the same corral, under the care of the night watchmen. In the morning each shepherd would call their sheep by name, and take them out to graze.
I suggested that when the sheep were taken out next morning, Esteban and Domingo should each stand on opposite sides of the driveway gate, and call their sheep in the direction they were accustomed to going. Perhaps the sheep would separate themselves, each going with their familiar shepherd.
It would be an interesting experiment -- and might save a lot of time and labor.
As the sheep went out the gate that morning, they did divide into two groups. However, it wasn't a clean sort. Some strayed into the wrong groups. When the boss's son told his dad over the two-way radio, about what we had done, his dad thought it had been a foolish waste of our time. He wanted a clean sort. He said we should get busy and sort the sheep.
We spent the next day running them all through the working corral, sorting them by ear tag numbers, into their proper groups.
Sheep in hay field, left; Amy, Sherry, Sarah at sheep-camps, right.
Travelogue t
Greg Dake and Sonja Maness left Raleigh, North Carolina, for Shanghai, China, on Friday, January 6, and returning January 28th. It's a business trip for Greg and Sonja is going along. They are taking extra time for sightseeing while they are there. (Greg is the son of Ernie and Carolyn Dake, grandson of LeRoy and Vonnie Dake, and grand nephew of the Matriarch, Dorothy Dake Anderson.) -- Aunt Ginny (Dake) McCorkell
View out hotel room window.
Arrival in Shanghai
We actually landed in Shanghai 25 minutes ahead of schedule, at 7:05 p.m. instead of 7:30 p.m. So maybe we didn’t take off so late from SFO after all. Or maybe the captain pushed it to make up lost time, who knows. I remember seeing on the display monitor between movies we were at about 35,000 feet high and fighting headwinds of, I kid you not, 165 mph. Imagine fighting your way through hurricane-speed winds and still arriving early. It was an amazingly smooth flight for all the headwinds, a few times of mild turbulence, but not bad at all. The outside temperature at one time was registering -63 degrees F.
After getting off the plane I found Greg waiting for me outside the jet tunnel; it was very good to see him. He looked even more exhausted than I felt. He said he managed to sleep or doze a good bit of the flight but was still very tired. We went through three different lines to get out of the airport. The first time was for the health quarantine; they merely took our cards and waved us through. The second one was for entry cards; again, they took them and our passports, stamped the passports, and sent us on. Then we got to baggage claim. We were very, very glad to see all four of our checked bags come up on the belt. We had extra clothes and etc. in our carry-ons in case our luggage was lost, but it was much nicer to know all our clothes, toiletries, etc. were with us.
Then it was on to Customs, where again, an official took our forms and waved us through a gate for "Nothing to Declare." Some people were directed to send their luggage through an X-ray, but we were not.
Outside Customs, we found a young man in a suit and tie holding a sign for the Renaissance Hotel with Greg’s name on it. We were very happy to see that, as well. There was a bit of confusion over what hotel we were staying at, though. I was under the impression, from what Greg told me a couple of weeks earlier, we were staying at the Renaissance Yangtze hotel. The driver insisted we had reservations at the Renaissance Pudong, on the other side of the city. Finally, Greg got out his laptop and found the e-mail he had sent our host, in which he had cut and pasted our hotel and flight info from his AmEx itinerary. They were right; I was wrong. We were staying at the Pudong property.
With that, we were led to a black Lincoln Town Car, waiting for us outside. This was the hotel’s private limousine. Our luggage was loaded up and we were whisked away to the hotel. Literally. The driver was going, at times, 140 kph where the posted speed limits were 60 and 80 kph. He obviously knew where all the speed-traps were, though, because he periodically slowed down to half his speed for no apparent reason. He also would toot his horn at any vehicles we passed that he thought might not see us coming. His driving was very safe in spite of his speed, though; I didn’t feel like he was putting us in any danger.
The drive to the hotel was about 20 or 30 minutes, not sure exactly how long it took. We got checked in, again with minor misunderstandings, but nothing major. It was fixed easily enough and our luggage brought up. All I've read about there being no tipping here seems to be true. The bellboy didn't hang around waiting for a tip, nor did the limo chauffeur.
We unpacked a couple of things, then went downstairs to one of the hotel restaurants for some food. We ended up ordering cheeseburgers and french fries from the menu, and ended up getting about the best burger I, at least, can remember eating. They were made from Australian beef, according to the the menu, and they were about 2" thick patties. We'd been warned in advance not to eat produce or anything else uncooked for a few days, until our bodies started building up immunity to local bacteria, so we left the lettuce and tomato on the plates.
The hotel provides bottled water in the rooms, as well as an electric water boiling pot (à la Alton Brown; I think we'll buy one when we get home because it is VERY nice to have hot water in only 1 minute for a liter at a time). We boiled water for tea in the room. The "complimentary coffee service" is actually tea service, as there is no coffee pot and only little packs of instant coffee in the room. There are four different kinds of tea bags, though.
After we came back from supper, Greg set up the router long enough to e-mail a couple of family members to let them know we got in okay, and to ask his mom to call our house and let my parents know we were okay. After he unhooked the router, we were pretty soon asleep, around 11 p.m. local time.
to be continued...
Photo Editor's Note: We are serializing Sonja and Greg's web log and illustrating it with the photos they are posting, but there is far more photo material available than we will be able to fit in The Bulletin, so we will also provide the links to the blog, for those who are interested:
Web Log: http://sonjas-travels.blogspot.com/
Below hotel: tennis court on roof, produce trucks on street corner.
Greetings from the Netherlands
Frans de Been
Oosterhout, The Netherlands
Did you know...
That when the name Holland is used instead of The Netherlands, it actually refers to the two Western coastal provinces, North and South Holland, which have played an important role in the country's history
That centuries ago the northwest of the Netherlands was covered with trees... That's where the name Holland comes from; "holt-land," which means woodland.
That The Netherlands occupies an area of 41,160 square kilometres [15,892 square miles] and is home to 16+ million people. Partly reclaimed from the waters of the North Sea, it is Europe's most densely populated country. [That's a little more than 1,000 people per square mile. The population is about equal to Florida's population but they are squeezed into less than 1/3 of Florida's land area.]
That The Netherlands is one of the European Union's most dynamic centres of trade and industry. Dutch economy ranks sixth in the European Union and 15th in the world. The port of Rotterdam is the biggest port in Europe. Amsterdam Schiphol international airport is the fourth biggest cargo-handling airport in Europe. That is why The Netherlands is often called the Gateway to Europe.
That with only 0.008% of the world's area, The Netherlands is the world's third largest agricultural exporter -- after the USA and France!
Vegetable Soup ... With Rutabaga For Flavor
by Virginia McCorkell
Blaine, MN
I just had to write after seeing Patty's recipe for Spinach and Cheese Strata ... what in the world is strata anyway? I do have every confidence that this makes for very tasty eating ... but some of us start to read a recipe and pretty soon the eyes glaze over and the thought comes, "Do people actually follow a recipe...?"
That said ... let me tell you about the vegetable soup that we made for Mom and Dad.
They have often told me how much better soup is if it has a rutabaga in it. That thought inspired me to head for the store one afternoon. I proceeded to the produce department to gather up carrots, celery, onion, green beans, tomatoes, potatoes ... and a large rutabaga.
Then I made my way to the meat department to pick out a good soup bone. I'm not sure what a good soup bone looks like, but I found a package that said it was a soup bone.
After I had checked out and loaded the groceries into the car, I called Larry and asked him to get the cutting board and our good Cutco knife ... the one with the broad blade that works good for chopping vegetables ... and the paring knife. And be ready to go when I got home. Good man that he is, he was waiting when I got there.
It was 3 p.m. when we finally arrived at Mom and Dad's. Not an ideal time to start homemade soup when 5 p.m. is the normal meal time.
Larry is a skilled "vegetable man," as he has spent a lot of time in the vegetable room at our fall conventions ... helping prepare vegetables to feed as many as 600-800 people over the four days of convention. He set right in to peeling, cutting, chopping and dicing ... while I set the soup bone to simmer.
But what to do with the rutabaga? The advice given was to zap it in the microwave and that would make it easier to peel. That advice proved to be good advice, as it wasn't long and the rutabaga was ready to go into the soup pot.
It was quickly apparent that one soup pot was not going to be nearly big enough and there was only one soup bone. We found another large pot and divided the vegetables. With one pound of hamburger to the rescue ... we now had two pots of vegetable soup ... with rutabaga for flavor.
It was Mom's job to season the soup the way they like their soup seasoned. Soon the lids were on and the soup was simmering.
After a long, slow simmer, Dad moved the soup pots to the garage for the night. Fortunately, it was cold enough for them to safely spend the night there.
The next day we heard about how good the soup was. But what is to be done with so much soup and only two people in the house to eat it?
The next thing we heard was that Dad was searching for containers to freeze the soup. And then ... "Can you come over and have soup with us?" By this time there had been more additions to the soup pot ... to customize the flavor.
About that time a call came that Larry and I were getting unexpected company, Martha and Ida Mae were coming. I offered to serve some of the vegetable soup to my guests to help relieve Mom and Dad's soup dilemma.
We had some leftover roast and some prime rib in the fridge, so I added them to the soup pot. Larry is not fond of any soup, so he just about cried when he heard that I had put prime rib in the soup. But it really was very good vegetable soup, with rutabaga for flavor.
Since the soup had been added to ... we ended up with quite a bit of soup left over.
We were very pleased when Martha and Ida Mae were able to stay longer than anticipated. The soup made a second appearance on the table ... and yes ... there was still soup left over.
Now I don't mind serving the same thing twice to my guests, but ... a third time? I think not. So I froze what remained and returned it to Mom and Dad, for them to enjoy at a later date.
Not long after that, Mom and Dad got a call ... they would be getting unexpected guests. Beatta and Ida Mae would be there for supper. I reminded them that they had four containers of vegetable soup with rutabaga in the freezer. They had already eaten one container of soup but we decided that the last three containers would be enough for the four of them.
Later that evening, I noticed that I had a voice mail waiting on the phone. It was Mom. "We can only find two containers and one of them looks more like sliced roast than soup." They added the roast and a few other things to the one remaining container of soup ... and their guests dined on very good homemade vegetable soup ... with rutabaga for flavor.
So did they have left over soup? I don't know ... I haven't asked.
But I wonder ... is that other container of vegetable soup still lurking somewhere in the depths of their freezer?
Does the rutabaga live on???
Caribbean Coral
by Betty Weiland Droel
MoundsView, MN
I had never heard of that color before, nor have I heard of it since, BUT, it was the color of the beloved, one and only -- Kaiser. The car my dad, Henry Weiland, had dreamed of ever since he heard about this brand new, beautiful car that had been built, and which he bought, in 1949.
George and Marjorie Temple, and their daughter, Geraldine (Mrs. Wilfred Huisman now) lived at Elk River. They were very dear friends of our family and we made that long trip up to Elk River many, many times. It was all of 25 miles -- a long way in the 1940s.
George was an excellent salesman. Like the saying goes -- he could sell refrigerators to the Eskimos! (No insult intended, Jerrianne), and George was the dealer for the Kaiser-Frazer automobiles. So, you have already guessed where this is leading ... George showed my dad a brand new, 4-door, overdrive, Caribbean Coral Kaiser, and my dad could think of nothing else. We heard about it morning, noon, and night. Eventually, Dad came home driving his beloved Kaiser.
My dad at that time was suffering from cholesterol problems and was not too well a lot of the time, but he enjoyed his Kaiser to the full. In 1951 my dad died. Everything he had lived his 51 years for was left behind, including his Caribbean Coral Kaiser.
My brothers were too young to drive, so Mother asked my Uncle Bertram and Aunt Lillian Bartlett, at Eagle Bend, Minnesota, if they would store this car (temporarily) in a shed on their farm ... and so they did -- and that is the last I remember of it.
UNTIL JUST NOW ... DON ANDERSON SENT ME AN E-MAIL TO TELL ME THAT HIS DAD HAD BOUGHT A CARIBBEAN CORAL KAISER THAT HAD BEEN STORED AT EAGLE BEND IN A SHED AT THE BARTLETT'S.
Evidently, it wasn't being kept for my brothers. I could not believe it. So THAT'S what happened to that car! I had never heard...
So, I have had flashbacks of our years with this car in the years since! Maybe Don has a side of this story to add...
Click here for "The Hunt For Carribean Coral."
Henry and Rosalyn Weiland and son Richard (at right) with car.
Celebrations & Observances
From the Files of 5
Hetty Hooper
This Week's Special Days
February 2---Groundhog Day
This Week's Birthdays:
January 30---Whitney Anne Johnson
January 31---Larry McCorkell
February 1---Kathlyn (Johnson) Anderson
February 4---Cameron Birkholz
Happy Birthday!
More February Birthdays:
'
February 6---Melody Printz
February 6---Kelli Nicole Mellon (7 years old)
February 7---Rylie Johnson (3 years old)
February 28---Eric Anderson
February Anniversaries
Z
February18---Roy and Betty Weiland Droel (13 years)
February 24---Jess and Louise Cloyd (61 years)
February 26---Tim and Char Morgan Myron (23 years)
February 28---Junior and Doris Anderson (44 years)
More February Special Days
O
February 12---Abraham Lincoln's Birthday
February 14---Valentine's Day
February 20---Presidents' Day
February 22---George Washington's Birthday
Miss Hetty's Mailbox:
Dear Mrs. Hetty and The Bulletin Staff,
Thank you for the nice birthday card. I had a great birthday party this past week! It was a Cowboy themed party with lots of cake and ice cream. My favorite part was the cake. I got a new belt and buckle to go with my cowboy hat and boots. Plus, many of my cousins and family came to visit. I like being 5 because it's bigger than 4!
Trevor Roberson
Hico, TX
Trevor as cowboy, left; Tracer, Trevor & Jeremy Roberson with cake, right.
Miss Hetty Says
The search spider was sent around this morning to index the January issues, so every issue should be searchable once again.
Keep Us Posted!
Please drop Miss Hetty a line and tell us who, and what, we've missed. And how about a report (photos welcome) of YOUR special celebration?
Everyone!
Miss Hetty
+ LETTERS TO THE EDITORS?
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Click here to review last week's Bulletin
Thank you for such a wonderful article. H.H. was a good man and I still miss him a lot. It's not easy to be alone, but also thankful that he is home safe ... for all someday a grand reunion ... we just want to keep our eyes on that precious goal.
I really love to read and reread The Bulletin, as it brings back memories of our way younger years. I baby sat Leroy and Vonnie's three in between my junior and senior year in high school.
Larry was a baby and I don't know how he got so big; he could up chuck more of his bottle then he took in. He must have made up for it when he got older.
Thank you, millions, it was so nice, I will print it out for my three.
Anita (Pfingsten) Weiland
Yankton, SD
Just read The Bulletin and enjoyed even the people I don't know.
I'm tardy getting a note your way. The old adage "the hurrier I go, the behinder I get" seems more applicable than ever.
Weather stays mild; I get a long walk in the park with a neighbor three to four times a week. We had a skiff of snow yesterday a.m. but I shoveled off the walks so it would melt and dry. It did, very well, and it is mostly all gone now.
Dorothy, I do love to read The Bulletin. I don't feel like we're close enough family to contribute and right now our days are not very exciting.
Louise and Jess Cloyd
Hot Springs, SD
Editor's Note: Jess and Louise, you now have a full subscription to The Bulletin. You fall very truly under "friends of the family." We have several of those on our mailing list.
Being we have been friends with you for almost 20 years, and being our grandkids (the Hendersons) used to call you Grandpa and Grandma, and being we are growing old enjoying one another's company, you certainly deserve to read our paper!
Your Friends: Don and Dorothy Anderson (the Matriarch and her husband).
Another GREAT Bulletin! Sooo much good stuff that it is hard to single out one or two things ... BUT, all the good responses to the previous week's mystery pictures was good for my ol' heart! You would think I had paid for the nice comments!
But I, too, claim those fine nieces as some of my "special" people. Carol E. Dake Printz, Carolyn Miller Dake and Shari Miller Schweiger -- how could you have many more fine and wonderful friends. I prize them all! I am in debt to each for things they have helped me with to respond to letters, phone calls and just being there!
Need to get some pictures for you, but many people are doing a fine job and I really appreciate all the efforts. Thanks again,
Tom and Lou Miller
Madera, CA
I loved the articles written by both my mom and Beaver! They should do more "she said/thought" and "he said/thought" articles. It was a fun and entertaining read!
Lori Chap
Maple Grove, MN
The past weeks have been busy at work; now it's slowing down a bit. Coming weeks I want to reduce my holiday hours for this year. At the moment I have 370 hours; that's about 10 weeks. Will work three or four days instead of five and at the end of February I have two weeks' holidays. Want to do some work inside my house and visit friends and relatives.
I feel good and hope you feel good, too. Every week its great to read The Bulletin and see what is going on across the ocean. Because of the very busy period I couldn't find time to write you or make an article for The Bulletin. For the readers it must be interesting to read more about the Netherlands. Well, I'll do my best!
Coming weeks I have more time for that. Here in the Netherlands we have no real winter, a few cold days and now only freezing in the night, no snow at the moment. In the northern part you see some ice skating on shallow water, but not in this part.
Have to work tomorrow and after that four days off.
Greetings from the Netherlands,
Ary
Last Week's Bulletin Review JKL
by Betty Droel
MoundsView, MN
My first impression of the first picture was WHAT ON EARTH IS THAT???? -- and then I looked further to recognize a Grand Piano from a perspective I'd never seen one from.
First of all, I want to thank you for making the update on Coni right there where we could read that first. We are anxious for word of her serious surgery, and these would be days of tough going for the loved ones standing by. I hope they know we think of them in a very special way. A day at a time, I was told, and sometimes a minute at a time -- very good advice to help one through a crisis.
Don and Patty's house looks very inviting for a place to just casually relax, and a great atmosphere for a cozy entertainment area. It must be totally log.
I have to admit, I have never seen a fireplace in a bathroom. That WAS a tub wasn't it? Sometimes being "old" isn't in tune with the times.
Thank you for the update on Anita Weiland and my brother Harold. The Bulletin is fair in giving all of us a turn to share our hearts and joys and sorrows. Thank you.
Brandon's college days will go fast. Then the real world begins. Hope he can enjoy it all, and if the "A's" don't continue, not to worry. Just keep on keeping on.
Caity's watercolor painting was amazing. She certainly has potential. I loved the way the colors flowed together -- glad you added that to your Day to Day, Donna Mae.
It was such fun to read the contrast in the reports by Donna Mae and by Beaver. I guess we all identify with Beaver's opinion of it all, and really laughed as the concert went on, and finally, last but not least, in comes the man, George, himself. It was so funny how he described even the traffic jam in the parking lot. Great writer -- and he can draw pictures with words. Wish he would write his version of winter chore time on the farm. In cold Minnesota.
FINALLY, a picture of our editor, the Matriarch, and our friend, Dorothy. Two pretty happy people cuddled up to her there. We wait for further developments with Lori and Shawn's "plans."
I don't have a clue who those children are in the GUESS item. I'm glad you have a link to click on so we can see last week's pictures. I was surprised at who they really were last week, and now I know this week's will be some I should have known.
Pretty interesting LTD Storybrooke, Larry. You had us wondering about this man that walked right in on Sherry and the girls. Sounds like she handled it very well, and who wouldn't be impressed with fresh cookies and coffee in that lonely place?
The Travelogue is going to be very interesting, and thank you for taking your time to write it up for The Bulletin so we can all enter into your exciting adventure in a place we will never hope to see. Sounds like the trip over there was going to be one of the hardest parts of it all. Or will a next chapter tell us of even more that was in the fine print of it all?
The "Spinach and Cheese Strata" sounds like something we would like, but I had better not eat! The coffee creamer in water would save lots of calories, though.
I read with great interest the Letters to the Editor. It would stir your enthusiasm for your work on The Bulletin to see how many people really appreciate it, and respond. I want to do my part in telling you how much I love each and every single issue, and all the various articles that sound so "alive" when you read them. Not the hum drum, dead sounding accounts they could be. Either you have great writers, or great editors ... actually, I think it's both.
Diana, thank you so much for your message of sympathy in regard to our mother passing away. It is an adjustment to not be thinking we should go up to see her. We have only the dearest memories, which is our comfort.
That Levi is certainly photogenic, or is it just Bitzi's designs that bring out the best?
Thanks again, and hope this isn't way too long again. Just want you to know you sent out one more great Bulletin, and we thank you.
Betty
To search a name in Who's Who or Who's Where: click on the link to open the page, then use CONTROL F on a PC or COMMAND F on a Mac. To search for a second occurrence of the name, use CONTROL G on a PC or COMMAND G on a Mac. (This works on ANY web page with text, unless the text is converted to an image. Chances are, it works in your e-mail, too.) HINT: Search by first name only, as most entries list the family name once but do not repeat the last name for each family member. In Who's Where you can search on state or city names, too.
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Quotation for the day: A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes. --Hugh Downs
EDITOR'S POLICY: If you wish to subscribe to The Bulletin, simply send me a statement of that fact. If you wish to keep receiving it I hope you will contribute to one of the columns that are running in this family epistle (at least occasionally!). My e-mail address is dma49261@juno.com
This Bulletin is copyright Dorothy M. Anderson; the contents are also copyrighted by the authors and photographers and used with their permission, and the contents are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the explicit consent of the creators.
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