FIRST CHRISTMAS

My new grandson and I have something in common already and he is only a few weeks old. This is his first Christmas and it is my first Christmas without my dear husband. We had been together since childhood. First Playmates and then dating and then marriage.

It was a joyful Christmas. All my family came and stayed with me. We played games, watched movies, and ate a lot of goodies and real food. My grandson, Skyler, insisted we get out the sleds and we had a lot of fun sledding on our hills. It was a first for 4 year old Jasper and he loved it.
It was very cold and windy and we had to dig into my collection of old scarves and mittens etc.

The ghost of Christmas past was with me constantly trying to make me sad with memories.

Jasper received a bicycle from Santa and Lacey and Jasper made a racetrack through the kitchen and living room and kept those wheels hot for hours.

Sylvia is nearly 12 years old and she like holding little baby Kirk.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR. See you on the trail. Love you all Grandma Jeanie

G'MA JEANIE'S ALASKA CONNECTION

On a lighter note my grand daughter, Micole, lives in Alaska with her husband, Jason, who is in the Armed Forces. She sent me a few pictures of Fair Banks and her new apartment. It seems that they live in near Blizzard conditions all the time. There is only about 4 hours of daylight and the sun is on the horizon.

I think the Christmas tree is impressive for a first tree.
Beautiful.

Merry Christmas

CHRISTMAS DURING WORLD WAR TWO EPISODE TWO

The United Stated declared War in December 1941 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I was four years old. I was visiting my grandparents in Marshalltown, Iowa for the holidays. I was spending the night with my mother's brother Bob and family. He was home on leave from the Army.

They were newly weds without any children yet. This was wartime and no lights could be turned on during the darkness of evening and nighttime. Most of my family hated this, but I lived in the country and we had no electricity only oil lamps and candles. I did not feel the terror that other city children felt during this time. It all felt natural to me. This was called "Black Out" and ordered by law.

CHRISTMAS DURING WORLD WAR TWO EPISODE ONE

This is the time of year for reminiscing. The year my sister Mary Ann was born is the first Christmas I remember.

My mother went to stay in Knoxville, Iowa, at an old house converted into the first Mater Hospital in Knoxville. She had a room upstairs and dad and I would climb up those long stairs. I can even remember the smell of the place which was rubbing alcohol and other cleaners.

At the end of the long hall was a bird cage with a green parrot in it. This parrot could say "give me a cracker". The people there would give me a soda cracker to feed a little piece to the parrot. This made a tremendous effect on me and I can still remember exactly how I felt. I still am in awe to this experience.

This was December 1940. The United States had not yet declared War.

Keep the Peace. Love you all Grandma Jeanie

3 BIRDS ON THE SEAWALL

Here are a few pictures from my friend in Kodiak, Alaska, from out his window.

I like the red birds the best. How about you?


Happy Trails.

ROADS TO NOWHERE

These pictures are from my friend who lives 10 or 13 miles West of Des Moines. Her horses and mules are having a great time in the storm. Many of our Iowa roads still are a road to nowhere as the snow plows just can't get to everyone.

RIDE HARD LIFE IS SHORT. Love you all Grandma Jeanie

LET IT SNOW, LET IS SNOW, YOU KNOW ETC.

I took a few pictures yesterday. I live in a sheltered area around the house, but the driveway
is drifted in with 5 or 6 foot drifts. My garage is buried as well. Hopefully, I will get plowed out sometime late this afternoon.

I shoveled a path to the barn and around the house with the help of my son who came over to help me out.

I am trying to find something really funny about the snow, but just can't think of anything.

RIDE HARD LIFE IS SHORT. love to you all Grandma Jeanie

ps Nana and the cat, Bootie, have been playing leap frog in the snow, so I guess that is amusing
if not really funny.

IT IS BEGINNING TO FEEL A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

The sunrise is of Mt. Rainier from my daughter, Cathy's, new home in Olympia.

The other pictures are of myself on recent trail rides.

The snow storm we have been promised for tomorrow has changed my plans. I was going to Iowa City to the dentist and out to lunch with a friend. The weather has a way of changing things. Now I am baking cookies for Christmas boxes.

I bought a new snow shovel a few days ago and it works well. In fact, it was fun. The cat and dog loved it to and kept getting in my way. we will all get tired of this new game before winter is over it is safe to say.

I do not like this time of year because of the Deer Seasons. They seem to go on and on. It is not safe to walk in my woods every day during deer season. I have a family of deer that live on the edge of my pasture. There is a buck and several others. It is fun to see them hiding all during the holiday

It is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. Keep the peace. Love you all Grandma Jeanie

NOVEMBER 2009 LAST WEEKEND

This weekend was fabulous on Saturday. That is County and myself on the rock. It was a perfectly lovely ride and hard to believe it was the last weekend of November. Before the ride we enjoyed another Thanksgiving meal at Ron's. Everyone, but myself, brought a lot of good food. Ron is so popular because he makes awesome pies and other comfort foods.

We went to Elk Rock on Sunday. The weather was not so nice, but everyone was dressed for it.
we had hot dishes for our lunch after the ride.

We did have a little problem with mud and so glad Don and his horse came out of it without lasting injuries.

ROLL BABY

County Fair enjoying a roll. She makes all kinds of funny noises when she rolls. Even Ditchdiving
mules can rockin Roll.

TURKEY AND TIRES

This is Jorgen and Gretta. Baby Kirk and Lacey's big brother and sister. We all were at Carrie and Crayola's home for a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Cheers to the Turkey that was cooked by Joe.

Grandma Jeanie had a flat tire on the way to the Turkey dinner. Thankfully fixed by Kirk and Crayola in time to eat a hot Thanksgiving meal.

I now have two new tires and I am ready to rock and roll. Love to all Grandma Jeanie

PEPPERMINT SCHNAAPS

One of our members makes homemade peppermint schnapps. We had a taste test.
Jeanie, Cathy, Judy, Don, probably everyone one the ride except Alice sampled the drink. The most stars(5 out of 5) was given by Chester. Cathy's black Gelding pictured here.

We had an exceptionally great trail ride for this time of year. The landscape was so beautiful.
It was hard to believe we were just a few miles from Lovilia off highway 5. Someone said"It looks like Colorado without all the people".

It was raining when I returned home. way after dark. A novice driver of big rigs. I did so well I think I will live forever. Love you all Grandma Jeanie

WRAPPING GRAPES

Mia came yesterday and we wrapped the youngest grape vines with aluminum foil so the rabbits can't eat them when the snow gets deep and they are hungry.

I always have helped Glen do this task and it brought back lots of fun memories.

Later Mia went to the funeral home and we brought back Glen's cremains and placed them in a carved wood container that an artist friend of Mia's had made for us. It is hand carved and very beautiful. It was a difficult journey, but now it is done and he will stay on my dresser for evermore.

On a more joyful note we went to see baby Kirk and sister Lacey. The baby is doing well and Lacey is proud of him and likes to help.

Mia was our only grandchild for about 5 years. Now I have 10 grandchildren and 2 greats.
Live is good. Love you all Grandma Jeanie

BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER

This is my lovely youngest daughter. She and her friends live in the state of Washington. They were discussing some serious topics during their luncheon. The topic I was interested in is:
WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL DEFINITION OF FUN?

If any of you have an opinion on this subject, I would like to hear it.

I have experienced several losses in my life recently, and by some miracle I am still able to have fun. This amazes me. Nothing in my past would have predicted this.

Thanks for listening. Love you all Grandma Jeanie

SOMETHING NEW 2009

Last night, Friday the 13th, has always been my lucky day. I decided to try something new.
I drove to Ottumwa to the Eagles Club and joined the BootScooters Dance Club. It was fun and I
learned a new line dance. My next Saturday night off from work I will join the Eagles Club as well. There is Country dancing every Saturday night in a welcoming atmosphere.

It is always nice to make new friends as well as greet folks there that I already have danced with in the past. Love Grandma Jeanie

BABY KIRK HAS BLUE EYES

I went to see my new grand baby today. It was a humbling experience. He is so precious. I know Glen would have been so proud.

I am a proud grandma and he is a beautiful healthy baby. I give his mother a lot of credit for that.

He is my next little cowboy. His sister is a roughneck little girl and he better be tough.

Love you all Grandma Jeanie

Baby Kirk has blue eyes. He could barely open his eyes and I think he did not want to. His dad never opened his eyes for 3 weeks and I called the Doctor who laughed at me.

PLEASE WELCOME BABY KIRK

Kirk Laverne Visser the second was born
Wednesday November 11. He is my 10th grandchild and the #3 boy. I have two greatgrandchildren as well. I am blessed.

I am on my way to see him for the first time.

More pictures are coming. Love Grandma Jeanie

MORE FUN IN MISSOURI 2009

My friends Ron, Jan, and myself laughed so much we could not stop laughing. Everything was just so funny. I have not been like that for a long long time. I even lost my voice and I still can barely squeek.

We were always the first one out on the dance floor as soon as the band started. After a while the floor would be so crowded, it was hard to move. The first picture is Jan dancing with Ed.I and in the other picture with the white shirt on. I am dancing with Ed. A nice fellow I would like to see again.
Dancing with him was like dancing with a run away train. He knew all the right steps.

INDIAN SUMMER 2009

November 8,2009. Don's ride. It was a lovely warm day in the seventies. The Winter landscape was beautiful.



Ron picked me and Jenny up. He was already loaded with nice friends, but they squeezed me in.

I was so lucky to have this day off.

The food was good and Ron's potato salad is to die for. I don't know how he does it. Maybe he could give his friends a lesson in HOW TO MAKE POTATO SALAD. He raises his own eggs, maybe that is the secret.