FAMILY UPDATE
by Our Niece
Brenda Hill
I enjoy reading each Bulletin but don't find it as easy to write! Our lives have changed a lot again recently with the addition of a family member. Summer, our foster child, joined our family on February 24th. We don't know how long she will be staying, but right now the social worker is telling us to plan on maybe 60-90 days. She is four years old and is a pretty typical preschooler! She goes to day care about a block away from where Jazmine goes. Summer also goes to Head Start in the afternoons.
Jazmine is now 9-1/2 months old. She is crawling all over and pulls herself up on things. She loves to explore, "read" books, and follow Summer around the house. Our house is definitely a LOT busier than just a short time ago!!!
We spent most of the day today shopping in Fargo. The girls did very well!
Keep up the good work, Dorothy!
Brenda Hill
Summer In Tunnel
Jazmine With Teddy Bear
UPDATE
by Diana Martin
Sure hope this finds one and all well. Is everyone as anxious for spring as I am? Every new flake of snow makes me so depressed! The only up-side is that it has been so dry the past few years, that we certainly need the moisture to balance things out, so ... guess there is good in everything.
Our "Honey" is mending slowly, and now has started to tear off the bandages when we're not looking, so it's a constant job of supervising and re-wrapping her leg. She can be such a brat! I imagine it has started itching with the healing, so we try not to get too upset with her ... just give her an awful lot of love and attention ... which, of course, she eats up....
I go to the doctor, today, for a check-up. This is re: the bladder/kidney situation. I'll find out if more x-rays and tests are needed. The results of the procedure were a bit inconclusive, so more tests might be needed.
I'm working very hard at keeping my B/P under control, and monitor it here at home on a regular basis, and of course, a lot of meds ... I am the worlds worst "pill taker," and just hate having to do that, but common sense, of course, tells me if I don't, the alternative could be much worse, so I've become quite diligent about that, too. The only residual aftermath from the stroke seems to be having to check and re-check day to day, routine chores just to be sure I've done them. Things that usually come naturally don't anymore, but I truly believe that that is improving.
Thank you to everyone who has e-mailed me and has voiced concern. Feeling loved is such an important part of a recovery process, I believe.
Wishing one and all a great week ... Love ... Diana
UPDATE
by Jim Miller
Just finished reading the Bulletin and must say I enjoyed it. Have air tickets for tomorrow [Tuesday] will meet bro Tom at the airport in Mpls. We have a car rented, will be to bro John's funeral and just catch up on past news from all five nieces. Hope to get up to see you and Don in the most perfect part of Minn. Would be nice if the weather could at least be decent for our short visit. See you all.
JIM
In Memoriam – John William Miller, Jr.
Funeral Services were held on Thursday, March 18, 2004, for John William Miller, Jr. He was born on February 28, 1917, and died March 14, 2004.
Today Don and I attended the funeral services for another of our good friends, John Miller. He was the son of Billy and Olive Miller. I have known John for my whole life, and he seemed an older brother to me. My Mother had served as surrogate mother to the Miller family for many years while their Mother was in the sanitarium recovering from TB (tuberculosis -- the scourge of those early days). John never forgot that time!
These last few years, as he suffered increasing memory loss, he had told the Hendersons about Mrs. Dake, who was such a wonderful kind and loving person, and he informed them she lived down "that road" (the one he passed as they returned him to the home after his Sunday visit) -- not ever quite realizing he was talking to Mrs. Dake's granddaughter and that Amy was no longer living.
The Miller family is such a part of our history, we do feel lonesome when we take count and find only three living members of each of the two families that used to meet together Sunday to worship, care for one another, stir up a cake and crank a freezer of ice cream for a birthday, go swimming in Washington Lake (or fishing on it), get mad at one another, and then make up. It enriched our lives to know one another, even gained a brother-in-law for us when our Blanche married their Jim. We spent a few hours today telling another one of our combined family good bye. And then enjoyed the fellowship of the rest that were there. It was a lovely service, a time for reflection on a life shared! ~DMA
Travelogue t
Mark, Kim, Heidi & Whitney
Cayman Islands J
Monday
by Kim Johnson
The day I have been looking forward to since I was old enough to know a palm tree from a pine tree finally came. We finally got to sit on the beach with no cares in the world except for getting salt in our mouths and getting sand in our food. We laid on the beach under the palm trees for many hours. We also practiced some snorkeling, except dad tried to swim on his back with the snorkel on and ... you can probably figure out the rest.
Everyone got fried to a crisp by the time we had to go catch our *cough* shuttle service. Wait … what shuttle service? It should have been named "The Speedy Turtle." I don't think this guy had a watch … maybe we should all pitch in and buy him a little mermaid one. We waited about 3 hours for "The Speedy Turtle" to come pick us up. Maybe we should have shipped a Kangaroo across from Australia to tote us around ... it probably would have been faster. Well it was a fabulous day over all and we look forward to the rest of the week ahead.
The Miss Kitty Letters*
By Miss Kitty
Spring Sunshine, Leisurely Naps & Lively Tunes
March 20, 2004 - Today, spring begins, according to the calendar, but when I look out the window, spring in Alaska looks just like winter in Alaska ... with more sunshine. I do love sunshine ... especially naps in the sunshine ... and with longer days, I have time for more of them. I've lived with Miss Jerrianne for six months now and we've gotten on very well together. I'm quite content here.
Soon after I moved in, a friend asked Miss Jerrianne if she knew the piano tune Kitten On The Keys. All I remember are a few words, she said:
Kitten on the keys,
Playing merrily,
Making pretty music,
Do Re Mi ...
But it turned out that wasn't what he had in mind at all ... he meant a ragtime piano piece that Zez Confrey wrote in 1921. You can hear it and see it playing on an old time player piano here:
http://www.fcrosby.com/freeman/piano/kitten.html
Miss Jerrianne explained to me that the music was recorded on punched paper rolls ... something like Braille for pianos. It wasn't necessary to know how to play the music ... just pump the foot pedals to supply power to turn the roller and the keys would go up and down, playing the music, automatically. She remembered seeing one at a friend's home when she was in grade school.
I do like lively music and when I hear it playing, I come running and jump into Miss Jerrianne's lap and see whether there is anything fun to watch as it plays. Sometimes it's an animated e-card with a catchy tune like the cards featuring dogs and cats and birds at http://www.jacquielawson.com ... and especially her Thanksgiving card that plays Turkey In The Straw on a fiddle.
Then, there was a request to translate "goobers" (peanuts) into the King's English. Miss Jerrianne turned to google.com to illustrate her answer and ... well, you just try to get this popular Civil War song out of your head once it gets in there! http://www.acws.co.uk/songs/goober.htm
At bedtime, I like to slip into one of my favorite hiding places and refuse to come out ... until Miss Jerrianne sings my favorite lullaby. I hear her calling, Here, kitty, kitty kitty ... but I do not answer her call. I lurk in the shadows and I don't make a sound. She turns out the lights and calls me again. I do not respond.
So she sings me a lullaby ... a Victorian ditty her grandma sang as she rocked her to sleep when she was little ... The tune ... though I didn't recognize it, and you probably wouldn't either ... is the same as My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean, but the words her grandmother sang were these (search for the first line, with quotes around it, at google.com for a slightly different version):
My kitty has gone from her basket,
My kitty has run up a tree ...
Oh, who will go out on the branches,
And bring back my kitty to me?
Well, I can't very well leave her lying awake, worrying about that poor kitty, so I mosey on over to my scratching post and give it a good workout. Scratch, scratch, scratch, she hears. That's my signal to her that I'm coming ... in my own sweet time, of course. After all, I'm a kitten, NOT a puppy!
Then I jump up on the bed and snuggle into my little basket on one corner. I'm so light on my feet that she can't be sure I'm really there ... until she reaches out and touches me. Then we both fall asleep in a minute, under the dream catcher on the wall, with no worries about some poor, little scared kitty being stuck up in a tree in the dark.
For more Miss Kitty adventures visit my web log:
http://www.jlowther.com/Pages/kitty/index.html
Miss Kitty
Day to Day R
With Donna Mae
Ashby, MN
We have a couple little sisters that came this afternoon, on a drop in basis. The littlest one, Kate, was up for a short while before she needed a nap, so she's still sleeping. The older girl, Sydney, is playing nicely with Jayce. She is very friendly and outgoing, willing to visit and also ask questions. I've learned she has a kitty, named Lucy. She informed me that Lucy is "white, black & blue." hmmm. When I questioned her as to how old she is, her answer was "I'm 56, just like my Mom!" (Now her Mom is more likely 30 something and I'd guess she's either a tall three or possibly four years old herself :-) So, it's been entertaining. DMJ
The Condensed Chef S
Today's recipe may be a bit on the adventurous side for some, but it will make a delicious reward for the daring. There are some acquired tastes involved, especially the goat's cheese, but beyond that, this recipe is merely a charming little Amuse-Guelle and should not be feared, so stop cowering and get out into that kitchen.
Chevre-Stuffed Roma Tomatoes with Grilled Jalapeños and Red Bell Pepper Coulis
Ingredients:
6 small Roma tomatoes, blanched, shocked and peeled.
3 0z. Chevre (Goat's cheese)
6 Jalapeños, split open, cleaned and grilled
4 Red bell peppers, or canned roasted red peppers
white wine vinegar (May sub, but not dark vinegars)
Sea salt
olive oil
Assembly:
After your tomatoes have been blanched and shocked (Submerged in boiling water for two minutes and then transferred to ice water for the same) peel them carefully and scoop out the tops with a melon baller.
Apply the chevre to the divots with a pastry bag. Then apply julienned strips of grilled Jalapeños, positioning them for maximum height.
Drizzle the bell pepper coulis around the plate, avoiding the tomatoes.
For the Red Bell Pepper Coulis:
Cut open and clean your red bell peppers and grill until soft. 4 Bell peppers will yield about a pint of coulis.
Puree in food processor, one pepper at a time, with a dash of white vinegar, olive oil and sea salt each time. A little water may need to be added, as well. If you are using canned peppers, just add a little of oil they are canned in.
Equipment required, of course, will be a pastry bag, a melon baller, and a food processor. If you don't own the later, just use a variety of red pepper sauce you can buy at the store, especially the "rooster" sauce you can find at most Asian markets. You can buy disposable pastry bags at finer supermarkets, or just have the chef in your family swipe you some. (Just kidding, sorry Chief.)
I hope you like this one, and can actually use it sometime. You may have noticed that I have been covering openers and salads up until now, but I think you are ready for some main courses. With this in mind, fasten your seat belts for next time when I will blow all of your collective minds with a main course entree that will make you feel like Wolfgang Puck.
This and That
6
by Elaine Wold
Wahpeton, ND
HUGS
(Author unknown)
There's no such thing as a bad hug,
only good ones and great ones
non-fattening and
they don't cause cancer or cavities.
all natural with no preservatives,
artificial ingredients or pesticide residue...
cholesterol-free, naturally sweet, 100% wholesome
and they are a completely renewable resource
Easy to care for, they don't require batteries,
tune-ups, or x-rays...
non-taxable,
fully returnable and energy efficient...
safe in all kinds of weather...
In fact,
especially good for cold and rainy days and
exceptionally effective in treating problems
like bad dreams or Monday blues...
Never wait until tomorrow to hug someone
you could hug today,
because when you give one,
you get one right back your way!
I JUST DID!!!
Celebrations & Observances
From the Files of 5
Hetty Hooper
This Week's Birthdays:
Rachel Henderson--March 21
Happy Birthday!
More March birthdays:
'
Donald Anderson--March 3
Jerrianne Lowther-March 6
Jolene Johnson--March 12
Janie Anderson--March 18
Donna Johnson--March 28
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mail: I saw a mistake in the latest Bulletin. Dan Mellon's birthday is October 18th ... I know this, because he was born on my 11th birthday! Diana Martin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our birthday cards brought some response:
Thanks, Miss Hetty!! :)
From: Janie Anderson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And so did the request for birth dates:
Our family's birthdays are: Nathan (Jan. 4, 1970), Brenda (April 10, 1972), and Jazmine (May 28, 2003). Brenda Hill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first week of my new column drew some interest. Thank you so much to all that wrote. I have been told that on the day this comes out there is to be a LARGE celebration of two birthdays (combined). I am trusting that Wyatt is going to cover this event. I think he is very well suited for reporting, as the celebration is for his Grandpa and Grandma Anderson. I will be waiting for his report!
Miss Hetty
+ LETTERS TO THE EDITORS?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DeLoris and I went out to Janie's for IRISH tea this afternoon. She hasn't aged a bit even though she had a birthday today! I did not ask her age!!!!!
Elaine
It surely sounds like Diana's dog got a bad deal. Just hope she comes through it OK & hope Diana's stroke causes no permanent disabilities.
Mavis
CHUCKLES
from Our Friends
Jess and Louise Cloyd*
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Anderson -- After much careful deliberation over your lab tests, CAT scan, MRI, brain wave test, electrocardiogram and consulting with the nurse, aide, receptionist and janitor we have come to your brilliant diagnosis of CHRONIC CABIN FEVER!!!!
There are several alternatives, not all applicable in your advanced years:
[1] A Caribbean cruise.
[2] A visit to a sauna (that's hot tub in English) for Swedes.
[3] An hour a day on the deck under a sun lamp.
[4] A trip to the South Pacific, preferably Tahiti.
[5] Make a list of blessings and another of cursings and weigh which is heavier.
[6] A trip to the Banana Belt of South Dakota.
[7] Or just stick it out---Spring will arrive--sometime!!!!
I won't mention the 60's we had for 3 days this week as it's only about 48 here now. The ground (and ROADS) are bare.
Last night we "celebrated" our 59th anniversary -- it's Feb. 24 -- but Friday night is BBQ ribs night at the restaurant in Edgemont and Ken & Anne invited us out there for ribs to celebrate. Little did we think when we were married in Springfield, MO, in 1945 that we'd have our 59th in Hot Springs, SD.
Hope you can see the light of day -- should I say a hint of Spring?
We're doing fine, thankful we don't have to drill thru 18" of ice for our food to come swimming by.
Louise and Jess
* Who just moved to SD this year to be near their daughter -- sounds like they had some nice weather -- at least the week they wrote. DMA
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.