Christmas Greetings

Annual Christmas Breakfast

   Lorraine, Irene, Sharon, Nancy, Tee, Elsie, Janet and Naomi

The WT's enjoyed their annual Christmas breakfast on Monday.  Many of us ordered the Belgian waffle with strawberries and "don't be shy" with the whipped cream.  We were happy to get together before some more WT's leave for various holiday destinations.  We hope they make it through the snow blowing through the midsection of our country. 

Mary has been with her husband, Doug, as he is receiving treatment for a recurring cancer.  He has been in the process of preparation and injection of his own stem cells.  They are keeping us posted and eveything looks positive.  We are learning new things as they share their experience.  Tee visits her husband in a nursing home a little distance away and Pat sees her husband in the nursing home in town.  Lorraine is still caring for her husband at home.  The WT's are busy being caregivers in many ways. 

Elsie is on her way to visit her son in North Carolina.  Other WT's are making shorter trips to be with family.  Christmas is about family and friends, everything else is tinsel, a little extra sparkle.  We wish you the warmth of family and friends this Christmas, the blessings in our lives.   

Remembering Friends

Once again we are mourning the loss of fellow WT's.  Dororthy died on August 28, 2012.  She and her husband spent the last year near their daughter in Ohio.  While there, Dorothy had heart surgery and didn't regain her former strength.  Dorothy always had a concern for others, had a quiet sense of humor and enjoyed learning about and sharing new things with us.  We miss her kindness and the interesting conversations we shared. 

We also lost Maggie on August 19, 2012.  She suffered from dementia for ten years.  We always enjoyed her stories about growing up in a family with twelve children.  Her quiet manner and ever ready smile is missed.

 

Almost Summer

The garden centers are are busy with everyone anticipating summer.  The deer have been enjoying the WT gardeners' lovely flowers and shrubs since the grass turned green.  Discussions about the current deer repellents are common at morning coffee.  The deer have the entire north woods to munch on but they prefer the urban snacks and greens. 

The gardeners among us are waiting for the next full moon before doing their serious planting.  We are still wary of frost at anytime before that.  Those of us who don't garden watch our perennials come up, hoping they grow bigger than the weeds so the weeds won't show. 

Memorial Day weekend was mostly rainy and wet but the services at the cemetery went on.  Graduation takes place this Friday so our shopper paper is full of invitations to open house parties for the graduates.  Each home has tables full of delicious food.  Sometimes one has to attend several parties in a row.  You have to pace yourself, while eating.  Lorraine has a lot of celebrating to do with two grandchildren graduating from high school and three from college this month, all in the area. 

The church quilters are tying up loose ends, so to speak, for their summer break.  One Lutheran church gives quilts to their graduates.  They were honored to gift five graduates with quilts.  Three Lutheran churches are looking for a pastor to shepherd all three.  Much prayer and blending of policies is taking place.

Our clinic is moving into their new facility at the local hospital this week.  We look forward to the open house and viewing the new rooms and equipment. 

We enjoyed a surprise visit with Jodie a few weeks ago.  We miss her since she moved to the big city.  The WT's are doing well, getting ready for the busy summer and looking forward to friends and family visiting our north country.

Spring

Sometimes, daily life overtakes us.  We move more slowly so the time goes quickly.  Hence, not much gets written on the blog.

The WT's survived the mild winter.  Our group at morning coffee is usually 4-5 WT's.  We are glad that Tee is doing o.k. since her time in the hospital with an irregular heart beat.  Dorothy and her husband are still in an assisted living home near their daughter in Ohio.  Lorraine is walking/limping without a cane since her broken leg last fall.  Pat makes it to coffee now and then--we always enjoy seeing her.  She spends time with her husband at the nursing home.  Naomi spent some time in Mexico with her children.  Sharon has a new great grandchild and has been busy sewing on quilts and wall hangings.  Mary is on her travel/seminar schedule.  Irene enjoys going to dances in the area.  Nancy helps us keep track of world events and events in our country.  Also, she promotes eating more healthy food--read the labels! 

The various school sports boosters are raising funds with a fish fry, spaghetti feed and hamburger fry.  Spring cleaning is sprouting rummage sales at churches and communities are having rummage sales to raise funds for the Fourth of July celebrations. 

Golf leagues are meeting and playing--taking advantage of the odd weather patterns--warm weather in March.  We are grateful for the nice days even if it messes with our northern psyches.  We can adjust.   Happy Spring!

Christmas Greetings

Left and around: Mary, Tee, Naomi, Linda

Lorraine, Laurie, Irene, Sharon and Pat

The Wt's enjoyed their annual Christmas breakfast of Belgium waffles, various forms of eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast. The owner of our gathering place graciously supplied us with a large selection of Christmas goodies. Some of our group have left for time to spend with their families. Lorraine is making progress, healing, and was able to attend. Linda brought her 18 month old great grandaughter, who sat quietly, studying our diverse group. It's always a treat to share Christmas with little ones. They enjoy everything going on.

This year, we each wore a piece of jewelry that was meaningful to us. There was a pin from Norway, a locket from a grandmother, a mother's bracelet, pins that were received while dating the now husband, a necklace from Austria, a delicate Black Hills gold leaf necklace and a necklace from Bethlehem. Sharing memories with friends and relatives adds fun and warmth to the holidays and the feeling that we probably don't need anything else for Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Cheers

Laurie, Janet, Naomi, Elsie, Sharon, Tee, Linda, Irene, Lorraine (hiding behind Nancy), Nancy

The WT's pictured are having a wine and cheese party to cheer Lorraine in the hospital. She had surgery for a broken femur. This was the result of reaching on a top shelf in a store with her foot on the bottom shelf and falling backwards when the edge of the top shelf broke. After three weeks in the hospital and rehab, she is at home waiting to heal so she can resume full care of her husband once again. Life is always a surprise.

The WT's keep busy. Dorothy and her husband are still near their daughter in Ohio. Mary and Doug celebrated their first anniversary in September. Pat is serving on a committee that shares local ideas and input about our clinic and hospital care. A new clinic is being built.

Fall passed by quickly. We have a covering of white. The squirrels are still hunting and gathering, mouths full of pine cones. Earlier in the fall, a squirrel in a tree threw a green pine cone at Lorraine and her dog. He froze on the branch when the dog looked up. The deer hunters finished the season last weekend. They will have stories to tell. The high school boys' cross country team made it to the state finals, coming in ninth there. They did very well.

Thanksgiving is upon us. One of the few holidays that doesn't involve gifts or treats. We can enjoy good food and each other. Many Thanksgiving blessings to you, your friends and families.

Spring to Summer

Our Spring Breakfast

Irene, Sharon, Dorothy, Dorothy's daughter Mary and son-in-law, Nick

Mary, Emily, Tee, Lorraine, Naomi, Mary, Irene, Sharon and Dorothy

We enjoyed having breakfast with Mary and Nick, visiting from Colorado. We continue to have breakfast the first Monday of each month but don't always get a picture.

Our neighbors have come to mind lately, as most of the WT's live in the same neighborhood. A neighbor down the street has put their clothes lines to an interesting, perhaps good use. They are heavy with thick grape vines, abundant with fruit for home made wine. A young couple close by took their clotheslines down when they moved in. They weren't being used. Now, their clothes pole holds a swing for their little boy. Some of the WT's still enjoy hanging clothes outside, summer or winter. One WT has a granddaughter who said, "Eeew, people can see your underwear hanging on the line." The grandmother thought that with what the teens wear now-a-days, it hardly matters what is on the line.

The WT's are slowing down some. Some of the busyness of summer has gone by--the 4th. of July, Water Carnival and families visiting. But gardens are coming to their peak so it will get busy again.

We enjoyed having Jodie and Jo come to visit at afternoon coffee. It's always nice to see WT's who have moved away.

The school fall sports practices are starting in two weeks. Fund raisers are beginning. The class of 2013 is hosting a fish fry. The local florist is advertising fall and winter wedding planning.

Our WT's are hanging in there. Dorothy had heart surgery and is at her daughter's in Ohio, recovering well. Naomi is in the hospital with pneumonia this week. We look forward to seeing them home and well. Our coffee groups are small now and then but we never tire of interesting discussions and laughter, laughing at ourselves. "Blessed are they who laugh at themselves for they will never cease to be amused."

HELEN REMBERED!

We have lost our eldest, our very good friend and the "mother" of our group: Helen passed away this week. She was a retired teacher and lived for all of her families--her daughters and granddaughter and great-granddaughter, her Lutheran family, her retired teacher family and her Walkie Talkie family. We will remember her words of wisdom that she shared with us each time she joined us for coffee or an "adventure" and her political comments at election time (when she was never shy about expressing her beliefs!).

On May 1, 2010, she celebrated her 90th birthday will all of her "families." She was the "Queen Mum" with her tiara.

We will all miss her!

We're Still Here

"Some say you can always tell how exciting your life is by the hour you get into your nightclothes. Sometimes we have to change our pajamas because we dribbled our dinner onto them." Erma Bombeck

Despite a long break since the last posting, the WT's are still active and enjoying life in our small town. We probably don't put on our nightclothes until after dinner.

The dirty spring snow, snirt, is on the way out. The gardeners are reporting green perennial leaves peeking through the soil. The crows came back the middle of March and are having noisy, cawing conventions on garbage collection day, discussing their best finds, pecking through the plastic bags on the curbs.

Pat was able to travel to visit her daughter and family in Amsterdam, going with her son and daughter-in-law. We are waiting to hear how she enjoyed the trip. Dorothy and her husband spent an enjoyable month in a senior apartment building in Ohio, near their daughter. Naomi celebrated her birthday at a brunch with her family. Several of the WT's met Emily, who left her north woods, for dinner and a meeting about "A Crime Wave". Three mystery writers were in town to discuss their work.

Helen J. is staying at her daughter's home. We miss her. Irene has been busy working at projects at church. Mary is working on a new pattern. Sharon and her husband have attended some college hockey games. Lorraine is immersed in caregiving duties since her husband has been home after five months in hospitals. He is paraplegic, the result of his accident last Labor Day weekend.

The ads in our Shopper reflect the hopes for spring. There are meetings for softball teams, summer seasonal employment, tuneups for lawnmowers and rummage sales. Since we all enjoy good food, we have choices--the Ducks Unlimited Banquet, the Fire Dept. pancake feed, ham bingo and a local mystery dinner theater, "Who Turned Out the Lights?" The A&W opened in the middle of March to encourage us along the long winter.

The church Lenten soup suppers and services have been packed. Several new churches have joined the round robin of services. The Lutheran, Catholic, Methodist, Covenant, and Church of God churches are all sharing their faith together. Lorraine and her husband were honored last week with recognition and applause for being in church. Pastor mentioned that they had not been there for many months. Her husband thought that could be a dubious honor, but they were very happy to be there.

The morning WT coffee group has been rather small these days but the conversation is great!

WT's Christmas Breakfast

Merry Christmas

from the WT's

From front left to back: Mary, Lorraine, Tee, Linda, Nancy, Janet, Laurie, Sharon and Pat

Fall to Winter

The Wt's love a challenge as demonstrated the other morning. After an ice and snow fall with slippery everything, eight WT's showed up for morning coffee. Nancy took up the challenge and drove in from the country. A hearty group.

We learned a new word last week--naturist. Mary had a cab driver recently who said that he was a naturist. Mary couldn't guess that it meant a nudist. We didn't think the word is in a dictionary. "Google" has information about magazines covering the topic and there is a book at Amazon called, "Fun in the Sun". The cab driver said that there is a camp for nudists in our state. Mosquitoes came to mind.

We are missing Helen J. who fell while visiting her daughters. She was hospitalized with some injuries but no broken bones. We wish her well.

The WT's think that winter and the shorter days came too fast. Someone mentioned that in just four weeks we will start to add a little more daylight to our days. Irene said that we have good days and challenging days. (No bad days.) We can hang in there and meet the challenges and count our blessings--health, family and friends. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Season of Changes

Once again, the WT's are into the hunting and gathering season. Not many have hunters in their families but the WT's are accomplished gatherers. The craft and bazaar sales are beginning with reminders of buying gifts for the holidays. The gardens have been cleaned up and leaves are crunched and mulched. Some WT's cover garden areas with some of the millions of pine needles that are on the ground.

The Lutheran Holy Rollers have completed their lefse bake and sale. It was a great success. Mary is busy teaching seminars. Helen J. has been at her daughters' for awhile. Another WT, Darlene, moved away. Sharon and Lorraine are in an osteoporosis exercise class to build stronger bones. Every little bit helps.

Lorraine's husband had an accident and suffered a spinal cord injury. After two surgeries and complications of pneumonia he is still hospitalized after two months. Returning home will involve a long rehab and learning how to live differently.

The WT's keep in mind that everyday is a blessing to enjoy the best we can. Walking, talking, laughing and supporting each other makes a good day.

Remembering Joan

JOAN

Joan died last Friday morning after a courageous two year battle with cancer. She was a wonderful example of living each day and enjoying it the best that you can. She came to lunch or breakfast with us even if she couldn't eat. She came to keep in touch with friends. We will miss her.

Celebrating Mary

Mary and her grand niece, Stella

The WT's had a wonderful time celebrating the upcoming marriage of Mary and Doug with a large group of friends and relatives. We enjoyed dinner at our local ski/golf lodge. While waiting for our dinners, we played two games involving words about weddings and a game called, "What's in your purse?" Points were assigned to items such as a band aid, cell phone, scissors, calculator, etc. Those who didn't bring a purse were thinking they would've won a prize with the contents of their purses at home.

After introducing all the guests, Mary told the story of how she and Doug met, (a successful blind date) and how the wedding plans were going. The big day is this Saturday at Doug's family's cabin.

Mary was happy to have her niece Sarah here from Norway with her two daughters, Stella and Maya. We wish Mary and Doug all the best!

Breakfast Guests

Tee, Mary, Larry, Michael and Elsie

This morning, we were honored to have Larry and Michael, Elsie's son, both Doctors of Music, with us for breakfast and conversation. Michael gave a wonderful performance on the new organ in the Lutheran church on Sunday morning. The congregation was excited to hear the range of music and sounds the organ was capable of, as Michael played.

Naomi, Lorraine, Irene, Laurie and Nancy

Our summer breakfast group is smaller than usual. We were enthused with our guests as much as two tables full would be. Michael and Larry live in the southeast and comparing ways of speaking was interesting.

Helen S. flew out of our town, on her way to live near her daughter. We wish her well. Helen J. is back in the Cities to be with her daughters, grandaughter and great grandaughter because the city is digging her street down to the pipes, for repair. This is the season.

Swiftly Summer

The WT's are in the "summer is going too fast, we have to hurry and get things done" mode. There are reunions, weddings, graduations, festivals, going to cabins and traveling. We are having a beautiful summer, wondering if we are in the right northern state.

Graduations and parties are over. Lorraine had a grandson graduate. She cooked up potato salad for 80 people and probably could mix up a batch while dozing off.

Mary is busy with wedding plans, planning another book and working on teaching trips. She will have a private wedding ceremony in August and a reception in September. She is the youngest WT, so she is doing well with everything she has to remember.

Sharon has a new great grandson. She's busy staining the outside of her house. Helen J. has a new great granddaughter. A wonderful addition to the celebration of her 90 years. Pastor Barb is away at school for a few weeks. Joan is in rehab, working to gain some strength back. Helen S. will be moving to be near her daughter. We will miss her.

The 4th. of July was full of celebrations and reunions. More people seem to come home for the 4th. than for Christmas. The WT's have wondered, at times, what we could do to march in the parade. A nearby town has a women's precision lawn chair team, doing fancy maneuvers with fold-up lawn chairs. At various intervals, they sit down and have a drink. We could handle the sitting part.

The music festival has come and gone. The young people, with extreme talent, at the music camp in town are from all over the world. The WT's enjoyed many concerts and an opera.

A Water Carnival is coming up this weekend. Three days filled with tournaments, a parade, music, food, a water ski show and fireworks. Hopefully, one day soon, we will all have time to sit in the shade, listen to the birds or read a book. That is part of summer, too.

Wedding Plans

Mary and Doug

The WT's are excited to tell you that Mary and Doug will be getting married in August. We are looking forward to the celebration. We always enjoy a party and this will be a very happy reason to party.

Special May Day

This was a wonderful day of celebration for Helen's 90th. birthday. Her daughters and granddaughter gave her a party with an abundance of good food, music and birthday cake. Included in the large gathering were fifteen WT's. Jo and Lil, who had moved away, came over. We had a great visit.

Helen's daughters made bookmarks, with meaningful quotes, as mementos of her birthday. One that the WT's appreciate says: "All are needed by each one; Nothing is fair nor good alone." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Helen

WT's: Seated, Joan, Nancy and Helen

L to R: Jo, Lil, Helen S., Pat, Irene, Tee, Linda, Naomi, Janet, Lorraine, Dorothy

Spring Fever

Avid WT gardeners are waiting for the soil to thaw. We don't think anyone has dug down to check it out. Spring is now more than a promise. Rhubarb is peeking through and we have feared for our tulips and spring flowers as they are tricked into forgetting where they grow. Spring can be covered with snow at any time.

Our monthly breakfast gathering brought together ten WT's and Dorothy's daughter from Ohio last Monday. Joan left to begin a new round of chemo and to go to Indiana to be with her son and family for Easter. She enjoyed her trip. Naomi and Darlene had a good trip to Mexico. Irene enjoyed her jaunt to Nevada with some friends. Mary has been busy designing and sewing sweatshirts for taping two sessions on the "Sewing with Nancy" television program. Pastor Barb welcomed a new granddaughter into the world. Lorraine's grandson completed four years in the Navy by spending time in Haiti after the earthquake. His ship was on the way to Africa when they changed course. He filmed his experiences in Haiti and was featured on a regional t.v. news broadcast.

Our high school basketball team went to the state tournament, the first time in many years. They lost their first tournament game but had a wonderful time. Fans dressed in red and black filled the bleachers. The team was lead out of town by police cars, fire trucks and ambulances with their sirens blaring.

Our excitement for our local theater to begin showing movies again, died with a fire in the building. They were going to reopen with the movie, "Avatar" last Friday. The fire was on the Monday before. There are no definite plans to begin showing films again.

Our community is bursting with many fund raising events. The fire department is having a pancake feed on a Sunday. There is a salad luncheon coming up to raise funds for the 4th. of July celebration and plans for a huge community rummage sale. There is a youth hockey banquet, cancer survivor dinner, Ducks Unlimited banquet and a church rummage and bake sale. We do like to eat!

We can rest from all of the activity by picking up some new books by our favorite authors at the library. Fun reading for spring.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter with family or friends. Four Lutheran choir members had a busy time on Easter Sunday. They played bells in the bell choir, dashed into their choir robes, sang in the choir, dashed out of their choir robes and played with the bell choir twice again. Spouses probably considered a new meaning for the word, ding-a-lings. Happy Spring!

KEEPING UP

"Ever feel like a vinyl record in a compact disc world? You don't fit the equipment, you can't get anyone to repair you and you are going at the wrong speed." Erma Bombeck

The WT's are making an effort to keep up with the technical world, although several do not own a computer or a cell phone. Jodie tried to help us, when she was here, especially with computer questions. She took us on treasure hunting adventures, geocaching, with a portable GPS.

Mary received a Kindle for Christmas--a thin, small electronic book reader. She demonstrated it at coffee several mornings. The astonished comments included: "You get the books without plugging it in? The words just come out of the air! It will read to you! You can choose the size of print? You can read newspapers from around the world?" The amazement went on and on. You would think an alien landed in our midst.

The WT's had a great group of nine at coffee last week. We are slowly coming back from illness and travel. It's good to have Joan and Dorothy back. Darlene is leaving for a vacation in Mexico and Mary is in Tennessee and back to her travel schedule.

The churches are gathering on Wednesdays for a soup supper and a Lenten service, alternating churches and pastors each week. Six churches, of several denominations, are participating. The singing of hymns is uplifting as a church is filled each week.

There is a Cabin Fever Dinner/Dance coming up with an Italian buffet cooked by our mayor, Mary, who is an excellent cook. They will be raising money for our 4th. of July celebration. We heard the hopeful news, that our theater may be reopening soon.

The sun has been shining and the snow is slowly melting. Walking is a little easier and warmer. Darlene, Mary and Lorraine have been walking on most days. They are inclined to drive to coffee in the below zero ranges. In days gone by, WT's walked at 20-30 below zero. Tee and our late WT, Margaret, walked at a historic 50 below zero one day, years ago. Joan, Tee, Sharon and Irene have been walking in the school to avoid the ice and cold. When the walking is done, we have no problem with the talking.