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The Miss Kitty Letters*
By Miss Kitty
Sometimes It Gets Cold Inside, Too!
December 13, 2003. Br-r-r-r-r-r-r! First came the snow and the dark and, finally, the cold. I don't get outside much when the temperature drops below zero. "It's too cold out for kitty cats," Miss Jerrianne says, as she puts me into my kennel and drives off without me. Still, it didn't seem so bad until the cold tried to sneak inside the house.
Four nights in a row I spent a few hours confined to quarters until Miss Jerrianne came home from various meetings and holiday parties, and we stayed up very late every night all week. I was ready for a change of pace on Saturday morning when I finally convinced her it was time to get up.
All the rooms seemed a bit chilly when we made our morning rounds, as though she might have turned the thermostat down a little too far the night before. Then she checked the furnace. Cold! No whooshing sounds of the gas burner heating water in the boiler. No sounds of water gurgling through furnace pipes or the humidifier. No sounds. No heat! Cold!
Miss Jerrianne called the plumbing repair place ... only one plumber working on a Saturday, she heard ... maybe by 5 or 6 p.m. ... overtime rates ... 2 hour minimum, portal to portal ... maybe ... maybe not, too. She called the backup plumbing repair place and left a message on a recorder ... and we waited by the phone while she worried about freezing pipes ... and considered a trip down the snow covered back steps, to plug in a heat tape in the shed. We waited some more ... nothing ...
As soon as Miss Jerrianne poured fresh water and kitty crunchies into my dish and started making some breakfast for herself, our luck improved. The backup plumbing shop called back and said they would send a plumber out right away. Miss Jerrianne got dressed quickly and she decided that I should get dressed, too ... in my harness. She said I could watch the plumber from inside my Celltei pouch, so I wouldn't be afraid and hide.
Of course, I played hard to get ... escaped from her grasp several times and slipped into the bedroom to hide from her. She outsmarted me, I hate to admit. She shut the door and waited a few minutes. When she opened the door, I was standing there, waiting to be let out, and she caught me. She buckled me into my harness and zipped me into the pouch.
The plumber arrived at the front door, just as I made my escape out the front window of the pouch ... though there was really no hope of escaping from its 10-inch leash. Miss Jerrianne said she was tired of peeling the cat (me!) off the top shelf of the closet whenever someone came up the front steps. She gave the plumber directions to the furnace room and stuffed me back into the pouch, rather unceremoniously.
Miss Jerrianne is very big on self-improvement, I'm afraid. She said I would just have to face my fear of strangers and learn to overcome it. (!) She carried the pouch, with me inside it, down to the furnace room and set it on the floor so I could observe the furnace repair. I liked seeing shiny copper wire unrolled and puddles of water wiped up with rags, but I hope she's not expecting ME to repair the thing if it goes out again.
In an hour or so, the furnace was feeling much better and it started making little whooshing sounds again, as soon as the pilot light was re-lit. The dripping water dried up, the plumber collected his check and went away. The pipes (and I!) didn't freeze. Miss Jerrianne let me out of jail.
I needed a catnap after all that excitement. I think she needed one, too, but she opted for a hot bath with bubbles that smelled like roses. I learned my lesson about rose bushes, though, and I slept right through it.
For more Miss Kitty adventures visit my web log:
Memory Lane
My Doctor
by Dorothy Anderson
When I had my tonsils out I was six years old. I remember the experience -- and it was a terrible trauma to me, as I bled profusely and had to have stitches. It was then that Dr. Roholt became "my doctor." He was able to still my fears and make me feel safe. I continued to go to Dr. Roholt until I married and moved away from the area where he doctored. He is the one who came to our home when I was in such horrible pain and recognized the polio symptoms and sent me off to Sister Kenney Hospital for treatment.
Years later I read in the Minneapolis paper an account of a time when a small town in Northern Minnesota had a Dr. Roholt Day to honor him for the work he had done there. He had been providing health care there until he was well into his nineties.
Here is a little essay of life in Waverly from the Howard Lake Herald! I enjoyed reading about my dear friend Dr. Roholt.
"C.L. Roholt, BS, MB, and MD, physician, and surgeon. Eyes tested. Glasses fitted. Night calls promptly answered. Phone no. 67." I had my eyes tested by him, and my corrective lenses were for astigmatism and near-sightedness -- as have every pair of glasses I have worn since!
In a news item in this same issue, "Marks" mentioned that "the day Dr. Roholt returned home from vacation he had 42 patients waiting to see him."
In my day, there was a wag who said that the sign in Dr. Roholt's waiting room that read "Doctor is in. Please be seated" was sometimes misleading. There were times, it was alleged, that Dr. Roholt would post the sign, go out the back door, and walk down to the lake at the bottom of the hill where he might do some fishing before he resumed his practice. People waited patiently and the waiting room conversation, as I remember it, never lagged.
This and That
6
by Elaine Wold
Wahpeton, ND
Things to remember as we start the New Year.
1. No one can ruin your day without your permission.
2. Most people will be about as happy as they decide to be.
3. Others can stop you temporarily, but only you can do it permanently.
4. Whatever you are willing to put up with, is exactly what you will have.
5. Success stops when you do.
6. When your ship comes in..make sure you're willing to unload it.
7. You will never "have it all together."
8. Life is a journey,not a destination. Enjoy the trip!
9.The biggest lie on the planet: "When I get what I want, I will be happy."
10. The best way to escape your problem is to solve it.
11.Life's precious moments don't have value, unless they are shared.
12. If you don't start, it's certain you won't arrive.
13. We often fear the thing we want the most.
14. He or she who laughs....lasts.
15. Yesterday was the deadline for all complaints.
16 . Look for opportunities...not guarantees.
17. Life is what's coming...not what was.
18. Success is getting up one more time.
19. Now is the most interesting time of all.
20. When things go wrong, don't go with them
The Best of
The Bulletin :
One of the recipes that had its place in The Bulletin in its first year, and that several of you may have missed or forgotten was the one that follows:
The Family Cookbook
Culinary Heirlooms
Special Mother's Day Edition!
There is no word in the English language as sublime as "Mother." It instantly conjures images of comfort, warmth and stability. And if you're lucky, like me, the word "Mother" also reminds you of good food! That's why today's focus is on my Mom. (You want it to be on your Mom? Get your own column!)
The following recipe was on my request because I remember many fine drizzly spring or fall days eating pancakes for supper, a heresy in some families. I remember especially the thin ones that I thought we called "Swedish Pancakes." Perhaps this is just a faux memory, but that's what I remember them being called; please correct me if I'm wrong, as I'm sure you will.
Heat up your syrup in a pan of water and prepare yourself for:
Mom's Super-thin "Swedish" Pancakes
Beat 2 large eggs until bright yellow*
Gradually add 4 tablespoons sugar and then a half teaspoon of salt.
Add 2 cups of milk.
Add a scant cup of flour gradually.**
Spray heated griddle with pan release spray.
Spread the batter in very thin pools.
Cook at high to medium temperature.
The pancakes must be prepared and eaten immediately, as they do not "keep" well.
The pancakes need only to be flipped once and then transferred to a warmed plate.
Serve with warmed syrup.***
* Mom describes the color as "lemony." She also suggests using a blender to make sure the mixture is as smooth as possible.
** Mom says it is "crucial" that the flour is added gradually, until the mixture "looks like a thick cream." She also adds that it may or may not take the entire cup of flour.
*** Mom says "Some like fruits and creams (instead of syrup); after all, this is just another crepe in Plebeian clothes. I know I loved them with Grandma Cleo's Chokeberry syrup and thick cream! Yummy!"
Thanks Mom, although I have to admit to feeling a bit disillusioned at hearing my childhood favorite described as "Just another crepe in Plebeian clothes!" Oh well, "a rose by any other name" and all that jazz, I guess. Happy Mother's Day everyone! (Where applicable.)
Next week: An experiment in contrast and comparison, really this time!
Big Deal
Classifieds (
THANK YOU!
Beaver and I would like to send a big THANK YOU to our children for the original, wonderful Christmas gift they gave us.
Becky came up with a vacation plan for us, Jolene thought of making their home into the "Hotel Johnson" and it rolled on from there. Wyatt made a cute brochure about a two night stay at the "Hotel Johnson," with "fully stocked cupboards." It's noted in the brochure as being the "world's only EIGHT star hotel." :-)
When we decide to use our gift certificate for a two night stay, they would come and stay here, doing the chores. This trip will also include a night at the Comedy Club and tickets for an evening at the theatre. There are also two gift certificates: one for $40 at Bennigan's and one for $50 at the Outback Steakhouse! Wyatt also said we could go shopping at Herberger's with the gift certificates for each of us at $40 each. What an awesome gift! How clever, too! Thanks for the inventive presentation, Wyatt.
Our Hotel Johnson brochure has pictures: on the front is a picture of their home, then it's a tri-fold folder, with other pictures, including our "room" and descriptions -- looks so much like a real brochure. He did a great job. On the back is a picture of a smiling Rylie and above it, "You'll always leave happy!" Then a logo sign at the bottom and their address with Johnson Hotel Management. Too cute!
So, thanks to Wyatt for all his work putting the brochure together and for running around to all those places getting the gift certificates. Thanks to all for being so thoughtful and kind! WE are blessed!
Ma & Pa Johnson
+ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Following is an excerpt from a letter to the Editor from the Fargo Forum Brandon is Tom and Mavis Morgan's grandson. I received this from Mavis.
Vicki Hartland letter: Let’s not be so hard on North’s students
The Forum - 12/20/2003
I attended a North hockey game (Dec. 4) and swelled with pride and gratitude, when our national anthem was sung so beautifully by Brandon Hellevang. I thought of all those serving in the military here and across the world because without these very brave men, women and their families, it would not be possible for myself and others to live so freely and so happily.
I felt thankful for those who have served like my husband, my son, my uncles, my aunt and my grandfathers. I felt deeply saddened for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their families. We cannot possibly know their pain, and there is no amount of gratitude that is adequate.
A huge thank you and great respect to all who have served, who currently are serving and all their families.
Vicki Hartland
Fargo, ND
Even with money very tight this year, Russ, as usual managed to give me something so special, I just wanted to pass it onto anyone else interested. He bought me a book entitled The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn.
What a delightful and historically fact filled book! I strongly recommend it to anyone who has ever struggled with the Santa Claus concept. It's an easy read, and very educational as well as fun. Happy New Year to one and all!
Love......Diana
Hello Dorothy and Don,
What a wonderful family you have that they are coming all the way to Missouri to help you pack and drive back to Minnesota to the new house. Glad for you that the house was sold so quick and you are able to move soon.
As you said you will have good memories about the time in Missouri but must feel good that you will live close to the family. I looked on the map and Alexandria is further northwest from Howard lake.
Hope you won't have too much snow in Minnesota and greetings to everyone; will send my garden article in tomorrow,
Greetings from Maassluis, The Netherlands,
Ary.
Hi Dorothy,
We really appreciate receiving The Bulletin and the time and effort you put into creating it. It is especially nice to read about and sometimes even see pictures of those we don't communicate with often enough from all over the country. The stories are all wonderful reading! You have created a terrific day brightener!
We hope your move to Alexandria goes smoothly. When we get back to Minnesota we might even get to see you. Thank you for including us in your devoted readership.
Argyle and Kathlyn Anderson
Grandpa and Grandma,
I just thought I'd send a quick note to wish you a Merry Christmas, and to thank you for the e-card you sent me. I have had a very nice Christmas so far. We spent yesterday celebrating my dad's birthday, then opened presents last night. Today I spent most of the day with my mom and stepdad. Now I'm back at the farm and I have tomorrow off work, so I get to stay up here for the long weekend. It will be nice to have some time to relax here at the farm.
I hope all is well in Missouri, and I'll see you in a few weeks!
Weston
Just read The Bulletin! Interesting again as usual. There are some talented writers in the column... I wonder if some haven't missed their calling!!!!!! Anyway, we can all enjoy reading about them in The Bulletin.
I can see why you will be needing a break as you will be busy ... but just think how nice it will be when you are settled in the apartment. Let the storms rip and roar, you will be safely tucked in with the computer to send out more Bulletins!
Elaine
CHUCKLES
A friend of ours sent the following "song" to me. I am not quite sure if it is meant as a warning to me -- or is a statement of how it is with him -- but anyway it gave me a chuckle and I thought you might get one out of it, too. DMA
(sing to the tune "Jingle Bells")
Dashing through the fudge,
With my hands on the cookie tray
Out comes the peanut brittle,
Laughing all the way . . . .
Dr Pepper's in the fridge,
My spirits are all bright
Oh what fun it is to eat
As my weight goes out of sight!!
Oh, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle
jiggle, jiggle, jiggle
Jiggle aaaaaallllllll the way,
Oh what fun it is to eat,
Those treats along the way . . . .
Jiggle, Jiggle, Jiggle
Jiggle, Jiggle, Jiggle
Jiggle aaaaalllllll the way,
Oh what fun it is to eat,
Don't think what I will pay!!!
QUOTATION FOR THE DAY: Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live!
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.