Same tune, second verse...

      It seems all I blog about is downsizing. Both of you, readers, must be getting tired of reading about it. Perhaps one of you will quit reading and then it'll be down to one. 😀 But, downsizing is what's consuming me these days. 

   Launched into changing addresses of business accounts today. The adage about stress being 'mostly either something that's happened or hasn't happened yet', applies. Thinking about it before hand was more stressful than actually doing it. 

   Constantly harping on downsizing reminded me of this old song.

The cow kicked Nelly in the belly in the barn,
The cow kicked Nelly in the belly in the barn,
The cow kicked Nelly in the belly in the barn,
And the farmer said it would do no harm,
Second verse same as the first, a little bit louder and a little bit worse.

Takk for alt,

Al

Found a good home!

     Downsizing from a three bedroom to a one bedroom on the way to the old folk's home meant a surplus bed. The condo has three bedrooms but the smallest has always been my 'cave'. So, while the condo is technically a three bedroom there were, notice the past tense, two beds. Now there is only one. 😀

    This morning Alyssa and Kevin, accompanied by Amber and Chad, carried off a king sized Sleep Number bed. This downsizing has revealed how much difference there is between  the life style of a couple and a single man. How many sets of bed line are necessary? Joanne, "multiple". Al, "one, just wash them, put them on the bed again and no folding is necessary." Unless she wants to change styles, Alyssa will not need to buy bed linens for awhile. 

    The silver punch bowl ladle, some other silver pieces, a 30 cup coffee pot, large cookie platter and miscellaneous  other items also found a good home. It's fun to give things away and gratifying that they will stay in the family. 

Takk for alt,

Al

Exhausted!

    Sorting, packing, making decisions so exhausted me yesterday that blogging never occurred to me until I was in bed. At that time I was not ambitious enough to rise and do it. Today, one of my two readers asked me about the omission. Sorry, I'll try not to let it happen again. This downsizing, which is going well thanks to family, is very hard work...but most of you have your own experience of it so you know. This, too, shall pass.

   Given my fatigue yesterday this Dagwood  comic is apropos. I've long argued that you can't expect to sleep well at night if you don't practice in the day. Practice and a clean conscience are the keys to sound slumber! 😁 "Not sleeping well? Are you practicing? Yes? Then what's on your conscience?" 

Takk for alt,

Al 

Details, details, details.......

    There are certainly many dimensions to a move. There are so many things to think of in making the transition. Certainly something will be forgotten...just hoping that it will not be anything major or troubling. It will be a move between cities and the first residence for me in St. Paul. The zip code is easy, even for a number challenged person, 55116. 

   Several boxes departed for the thrift store! 😀 That increase space in the condo and a lighter load. I do wish someone wanted a large punch bowl with silver ladle. Yes, and several other items, like a china cabinet and bookcase. 

Takk for alt,

Al

Photos!!!!!

     Of all the things we've done thus far in downsizing the condo sorting photos has been the most difficult. Decisions without end when one gets to this stage of life.  What to keep? Where to keep what is kept? What to discard? Yes, that is hard work but we are almost done. 😕 But we are almost finished! 😌 Remember a previous post about most stress either being about something in the past or that's not happened yet? Yup, I was stressed about what was to be done and now most of it has!

    Take for alt,

    Al

CHRISTMAS DAY!

      It was a lovely dinner and evening at Lisa's last night with the family. The joy continued this morning with a scrumptious waffle brunch at Lars'. Wonderful family time, such a gift! So many blessings. so much for which to be grateful.

Takk for alt,

Al

      Apparently Earl and I have similar talents at wrapping packages!

Merry Christmas!

 Two banker's boxes of paper to recycling and two boxes to the shredder, that's the measure of my day. 😃

  Wishing you all a blessed Christmas Eve!

Takk for alt,

Al

This strip brought memories of time aboard ship while I was in the Marines. As Marines were being transported by Navy ships so had little work to do while at sea. If two of us stood talking by an open hatch (door) sometimes a line would form behind us. When time passed and we, the talkers, didn't move someone in the line behind us would ask " Is this the line to......? When we said "No" the line would disperse with the Marines wandering off. 

Two big ones!

    Two rounded glass, oak, china cabinets graced the living space of the condo. Today's task was to empty them. "What's the story on this?" asked, as one held up an object. For some I could answer, for others a vague "gift from someone" was the reply. Were Joanne here she could have filled in many of the missing bits of information. That would have been a mixed blessing; interesting to know more, yet complicating by attaching more connection to the object. 

    Some will go with me to the old folks home. Storage is the fate of some heirloom pieces, for example, my grandfather's mustache cup. Some were claimed by Lisa and Lars. Pictures of some items will be circulated among the extended family free for their asking. Other things will go to the thrift store, and a few things will be tossed. 😞 The china cabinet from Joanne's grandma found a home...and moved... to Lars' house. The other rounded, glass, china cabinet still needs a new home as do several other pieces of furniture.

    While it was emotional sorting through those cabinets mostly I feel a sense of relief. As previously remarked, 'everything we own, also owns us'. It certainly is hard work.

Takk for alt,

Al

Three trips to the shredder!

    Three trips to the shredder beg the question "Why was so much saved?"  Nevertheless there will be far fewer documents making the trip to the old folks home. The building that houses my condo offers a shredding service, just dump the documents in a locked container. That certainly beats hand feeding in items one at a time. Perhaps in the future less will be saved...it remains to be seen. This is the kind of progress that's important but isn't very evident. 

   "If something happens bit by bit, it happens in stages." so says Google. That's a good description of this move to the OFH. 😊

Takk for alt,

Al

Tedious!

     Into every life a little tedium must fall. Admittedly I'm not the most patient with tedium. Sorting financial files is not a task that another can do. Some of those files had not been purged in a very long time...ever? Now is the time to do it, no need to transport irrelevant stuff to the old folks home. 

   Speaking of the old folks home, when I went to check my mail box all the other persons there were also old. That's different than here at the condo where most of those I encounter at the mail station are younger. Of course, most people are younger than I. 

   In case you're interested here are commodity prices from the Chicago Board of Trade, local prices will vary. The first figure is price per unit, eg., corn $5.9826 per bushel. The second figure is % increase for the day. Thanks for asking. 😜

CORN	5.9825	0.0725
	HARD RED WINTER WHEAT	8.4150	0.2825
	HARD RED SPRING WHEAT	10.2550	0.0575
	WHEAT	7.9900	0.2125
	SOYBEANS	13.0800	0.1575
	ETHANOL	2.1370	0.0000
	FEEDER CATTLE	160.8500	1.6250
	LEAN HOGS	82.4250	2.9500
	LIVE CATTLE	135.5250	1.0500

Takk for alt,

Al

"...but the kitchen sink!"

    You, know the old saying "Everything but the kitchen sink!"  Of course it's an idiom meaning that there was much of something. Making a foray over to The Landings today to check my mail it seemed logical to bring something from the condo when I went. Have you looked carefully under your kitchen sink lately? Transporting the cleaning items that lived under my kitchen sink seemed a logical first move. So, that's what I did, and now it can live under the sink at The Landings. It is a good symbolical start to the moving. 

   The Crossings, the site of my condo, offers document shredding. In addition to the box to Landings a box of documents was also delivered to the shredder. Inch by inch freedom comes. 

Takk for alt,

Al

Advent Dawn
by Thomas R. Smith

Seven-thirty. Driving northwest out of town,
the snowscape dusky, sky tinted smoky peach.
In the rear view mirror, a bright orange glow
suffuses the stubbly treeline. Suddenly a column
of brightness shoots from the horizon,
a pillar of fire! One eye on the road,
I watch behind me the head of a golden
child begin to push up between the black knees
of the hills. Two weeks out from Solstice, the sun
so near winter it seems to rise in the south.
A fiery angel stands over his cradle of branches.
And what strange travelers come to honor him?
And what gift will I bring to him this day?

To a good home!

    I'm happy that my two sets of good china, two sets of silver and many miscellaneous items have found a good home. Once, after Joanne's death, I had six guests for dinner using the good silver and china. COVID  ended any entertaining and now I don't have the interest in it. It was fun when I did it, using the skills I learned from Joanne.  She loved to entertain setting a beautiful table. Only the everyday china and table ware is going with me to the old folks home.

   As we methodically work room by room moving seems more within reach. There is still much left to do but seeing what's been accomplished shows that it can be done. It's the heirlooms that pose the largest challenges. Several boxes are packed for the thrift store. 

Takk for alt,

Al

  This is the table I set when I entertained six guests for dinner.

Room by room!

        Those of you who have downsized know what I'm doing. Leaving my three  bedroom condo for the old folks home means much work and many decisions. This morning Melissa and I got through two thirds of the kitchen. There are three choices for the items in drawers and cupboards: keep, give away and throw away. The kitchen was well equipped for entertaining which Joanne loved and often did in our first years living here. 'How many cookie sheets do I need?' That question was replicated dozens of times. "Where did you get this?" Perhaps half of the time I could answer. "What is this?" There were times I couldn't even answer that.

     When I do get to the old folks home my load will be much lighter. There's the reality that everything we own also owns us.  While this process of downsizing is hard work, it will also bring freedom. It's best not left for descendants after I'm gone. 

    Recently I read that " almost all stress is related to either something in the past or something that hasn't happened yet." Isn't that the truth?  That stress is just borrowing trouble.  "What, me worry?" 😃

Takk for alt,

Al

214 steps above Minneapolis,

       Well here we are! Fifteen floors above downtown Minneapolis. It was an easy and uneventful trip from The Little House. The last stop leaving Sinai was the post office. The postmaster searched the incoming mail and found one Christmas letter for me. She said she'd send me anything that came, wished me Merry Christmas and Happy New year, hugged me and sent me on my way. 

      Kaia knows the condo routine and heads immediately for her food dish to see if there might be something in it. As we stopped to chat with an acquaintance in the garage she showed off her good manners. She likes a bit of attention from others but isn't overbearing. She'll do well at the Landings. 

    Last night there was dinner with six of my South Dakota family at a restaurant in Brookings, which is almost a weekly occurrence.  . Seeing them regularly has been a gift of my extended stay in The Little House. While I've seen more of them I've seen less of my immediate family so an extended stay here will change that balance.  

    Before COVID struck, and I was living mostly here, I'd climb the steps to the 15th floor once a day. That's more than I can do now...few steps in Sinai. Perhaps I'll see if I can resume the full climb before I move away. It's a good stress test and doing it gives some assurance that I'll not have a heart attack this day. 

Takk for alt,

Al

Shadow

       Walking along, looking down to avoid tripping, a large shadow passed over me. It was a bald eagle about twenty yards above. Perhaps he/she thought I was dinner then upon closer inspection decided that either I was too old or too large and it flew on. It was a beautiful sight in full sun.

      Tomorrow I'll close up The Little House and relocate to Minnesota for an extended stay. Doing a USPS Temporarily Away, I guessed I'd be back in Sinai mid-April. The Sinai Post Master said not to worry, if mail comes for me she'll forward it to me in Minneapolis. How accommodating is that?

    Hunting season is over for another year for Kaia and I. She enjoys it so much I feel more sorry for her than for I. The hunting clothes are in the dryer and Kaia and I are just out of shower. She nudges my elbow as I type indicating "pet me". 

Takk for alt,

Al

Friendship

      Likely we first met in the three year old's Sunday School class.  In the same country school, which lay between our farms that were three and a half miles apart, we were classmates for eight years. From there we moved on as classmates to Sinai High School and graduated together. Now our wives are buried about thirty yards apart. 

      Today I spent time with him in the assisted living facility where he now resides.  We are truly old friends though I prefer the title of "long time friends." But, old we are, both surprised, how fast we became old.  Memories were shared, more time spent together, eight decades of shared experiences. Life is precious. to be savored and lived with gratitude.,

      Joining in the visit was his older brother and our peer, with  whom we shared a year of high school. His brother's wife is also buried in proximity to Joanne and the peer's son is not far away. In time the four of us will be neighbors in the cemetery. There is comfort in that thought, that I'll rest among friends.

Takk for alt,

Al

Walking, walking, walking....

      It's surprising how much walking in ankle deep snow adds to the fatigue. For the first time since Kaia came to me she fell asleep in the cab of the truck on the return to The Little House.. While I walked she ran, much of the time springing through heavy cattail cover. As I write she sleeps beside me. I'm too tired to write much and am also hungry becasue we didn't stop for lunch.  My story, and I'm sticking with it.

Takk for alt,

Al

The Little House

       Kaia and I are back at The Little House for a few days. When next we go to Minnesota the stay will be months not days. There's the impending move to Lexington Landing which will take time and effort. In just over a month I'll begin radiation for six or eight weeks. Being settled in my new place, before or soon after that treatment begins, would be helpful. There's much to do on either end of a move. No surprise in any of this. It will happen and then........

     The Little House will be winterized and locked up for the duration. The heat is propane so pre-paying last summer was a good idea as propane prices rise. Returning to Sinai will be anticipated. There is so much for which to be grateful!

Takk for alt,

A

Amazing!

      They were only here for two and a half hours. My assignment prior to their arrival "identify the books you want to keep." With that done they sorted and boxed the remainder for disposal. When Joanne and I left our house for the condo I brought 25 grocery sacks of books to the local library for their benefit book sale. Now there appears to be that many sorted for dispersal. Perhaps books reproduce on the shelf!  It's amazing what many hands can do in a short period of time!

     There is much left to do but with this grand beginning it seeds hope that the downsizing project is actually doable. Sooner or later, in one way or another, it's a universal experience.  You know the old saying about no one having seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul trailer.  

Takk for alt,

Al

Scheming

       We met at my new apartment, measured, discussed, planned and schemed about what should come, what should go where, what should be left behind, Then, after dinner at the condo, we analyzed the choices and hatched decluttering plans. Perhaps the move will really happen!  Certainly is nice to have the support, wisdom and aid of the family

Takk for alt,

Al

 

Watching the snow fall.

    Light fluffy snow has been falling since early morning, though now at 3:00 it seems a bit lighter. It wouldn't matter a bit if we were not planning to drive. It is a good reminder that we are not in control. A few days ago we had wind without snow and today there is snow without wind. So, who was dreaming of a white Christmas?  Not me, a brown Christmas would be just fine with me.  Bah humbug! 😃 Just kidding.

    So here sit two old guys trading lies while the snow falls. 

Takk for alt,

Al

Waiting for weather.

     Tim planned to drive from The Little House to Kansas tomorrow.  Kaia and I were to go to Minneapolis leaving about the same time as Tim. The local forecast is for snow beginning at midnight with the heaviest snows to the south of here. Perhaps we'll have to reschedule our departure. The joy of retirement means that reschedules, while they may be annoying (Yes, I admit to annoyance) aren't critical.  Driving into the snow is not important for either of us.  While we wait to see what happens the snow received recently is melting.

   Such is life on this corner of the prairie.

Takk for alt,

Al

     

One day to the next!

       Yesterday I hunted with a friend for three hours and we got one pheasant. Today, hunting with only Kaia,, I had a bird in ten minutes; on which Kaia made a spectacular retrieve.  One was enough so we only hunted long enough for both Kaia and I to get our exercise then we quit.

      Tim, from Mohall, N.D., is my house guest so this will be a brief post so that I do not neglect him!

Takk for alt,

Al

Porcupine eggs!

       Kaia is a magnet for porcupine eggs ala cockleburs. If she can reach them she removes them from her fur with her teeth. The carpet was ringed with them where she lay. There were over 20 in her ears, chest and neck that she couldn't reach. She's actually quite patient as I work them out of her fur. 

     The ground is white with light fluffy snow that came overnight. It was light enough that it could be swept from the sidewalk. Suddenly it looks like winter. 

    Such weighty concerns with which I deal. 😁

Takk for alt,

Al

Transitioning....

        In 1964 when we were married I joined Joanne in her head resident apartment, Bergsaker Hall, Augustana College, (now University) Sioux Falls, S. D. In late summer we moved to St. Louis Park, MN., for four years. From there we moved to Mohall, N.D., for 7+ years. Our next stop was back to Sioux Falls, S.D.  After 4+ years there  it was off to Davenport, IA., for 8 years. Leaving IA we bought a house in Golden Valley, MN. We lived there for 22 years before moving to the downtown Minneapolis condo. Now, after 11 years of living there, it's moving time again.

      This time is different because, for the first time since 1964, I'm moving alone. When I think of being in my new place I'm excited. When thinking of the process of getting there I can feel overwhelmed. My head tells me it will be okay, but thinking of the specifics of moving, can raise my anxiety. What should go where? What to keep? What to shed?  So many decisions!

     My preferred style is to do it, get it done, and not dilly dally. Perhaps that's the best approach in this situation. As radiation progresses a certain level of fatigue can be expected. It might be best to be settled in my new home before its onset.  Stay tuned.

Takk for alt,

Al

Wind without snow...

      "...like clouds and wind without rain is the man who brags about gifts he never gives..." Proverbs 25:14. The late Herbert Krause, Augustana College's author in residence titled one of his books Wind Without Rain. Today we experienced an old fashioned blizzard minus the snow. The wind switched to the northwest and blew at over 32mph sounding in the trees like a blizzard from my childhood. Without snow all that is drifting are leaves and corn husks. 

     This is an observation and not a complaint. 

Takk for alt,

Al

"...as you sow, so shall you reap" Galatians 6:7.

       There was a cattle lane leading from the barnyard to a far pasture when I bought the farm. With fences on both sides I opted to plant a double row of cedar trees in the lane. That was in the early '90s and now those trees are tall providing cover and habitat for wildlife. The deer trail in it looks almost as distinct as a cow path in a pasture. On either side of the these tree rows there is grassland. These trees produce copious amounts of cedar berries which cause cedar trees to sprout in the grass. Without control of these seedlings the grassland would soon be so filled with trees that its value as grass to wildlife would be lost.

     Spending a morning clipping off these seedlings is good exercise...stoop labor because they need to be clipped at ground level so they do not grow back. When I parked the truck next to some cattails, five pheasants flew out. Yesterday when we hunted those cattails there were no birds there. It is a testimony to the randomness of pheasants.

Takk for alt,

Al

                Much like folding fitted sheets.

Wheat...

     Wheat flower is used to make bread, and many other things. That was no surprise to me but when I moved to northern North Dakota, close to where North Dakota, Saskatchewan and Manitoba meet, there was much to be learned about wheat. Dad never planted wheat but some neighbors did; winter wheat. It was planted in the fall sprung up and then grew again in the spring. There was no winter wheat grown in that part of North Dakota, it was too cold and would winter kill.

    Durham wheat and hard red spring wheat were the varieties in northern North Dakota. Durham is used to make pasta. Hard red spring wheat is valued for its high protein content.  The protein content is 13-16 percent typically.. 

     So why these paragraphs about wheat?  On an agriculture website it was noted that hard red spring wheat was trading at $10.36 per bushel. That's unusually high, the price driven by this summer's dry weather, no doubt. A local buyer also posted flax as $21.00 per bushel. No flax is grown locally now, it's all corn and soybeans.

     What does this have to do with anything?  Who knows, just illustrative of my random mind.

Takk for alt,

Al

                                   This is my philosophy, too.

Innocent tree!

      "I think I shall never see a poem as a beautiful as a tree"  wrote Joyce Kilmer. Trees are really marvelous plants, in so many shapes, forms, sizes, numbers and places. Over the years I've planted thousands of trees and even though cedars keep invading the grasslands I have no abiding ill will of trees. Driving across Wisconsin on the way to Chicago it does occur that some places have an over abundance of trees. But, that's not why I did it.

     The tree had done me no harm when I shot it today. Hopefully some lead pellets in it will not compromise its health. The target was the wily pheasant that flushed behind it, so it is really the pheasant's fault that the tree took the charge. The pheasant owes the tree its life so it should be grateful but it is doubtful that occurs to the pheasant. There must be classes for young pheasants on how to use trees as protective cover becasue they often flush behind one. Well...maybe next time!

Takk for alt,

Al

Reflections on plans to move.

        Tom and Becky are the ones who got me thinking about my living situation. Over a two year period they visited twelve senior living establishments in the Twin Cities before making their choice. When the unit they chose became available they downsized from a large, lovely home in south Minneapolis to a two bedroom plus den. 

      They wrote a very informative essay about the process and the reasons. In that essay they included the story of a widow who was determined to stay in her house until she died. As she aged life became more difficult with house up-keep, getting groceries, etc. As her living situation created isolation she became bitter about being forgotten.  Staying did not turn out to be a good choice.

     In the years since Joanne died I've been acutely aware that living alone, as I do, has three major dependencies. Life in The Little House is dependent upon my ability to walk. Condo life, with no stairs to navigate, could be done with the aid of a walker or scooter. Living alone is dependent upon good eyesight. Fortunately my sight is good but both life in the condo and The Little House depend on seeing. There is no one with me to offer reminders therefore a good memory is important. Forgetting things in nothing new with me but I'm not forgetting more than I always did. The ability to remember is my third dependency. 

     Many senior living places offer free waiting lists. When an opening occurs the person on the wait list has a choice to either accept, or, if they are not ready to move, to remain on the list. Having a plan before disaster strikes is a good idea.  See the comic below.

Takk for alt,

Al