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.