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Saturday, February 23, 2008
Gramma's comforter, in between
One Third Done, maybe
Johanna helped me scrub them down this week and today, I took the oil and rubbed and buffed and the lower cabinets are done! They look nice. And clean!
Now there are just the uppers to do . . . and the 24 little, high cupboards that make the circle at the top. They will be easier to clean (less grease and food to remove) but there are so many of them!
I have to get this Spring Cleaning done because, as you know, come Spring Missouri will be calling.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
To Do
Monday, February 04, 2008
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Mama's Boy
I think he had a hippy Mama!?!
New Born Son
Craig Dale's Birth Day
So I went to my doctor's appointment and the doctor (Wiedemier or Youngblade, don't remember which) said you are dilated. Go to the hospital now. (He must have had notes on Erica's quick arrival!) I said "can't". I have to go home and see my Girls and get my suitcase. I want you to go now. Sorry, have to see my Girls. After a bit of a discussion, he allowed I could do those things but be at the hospital by 5:00 p.m. So, I stopped back by work and told my co-workers and called Lanny and asked him to meet me at home. Then I went to Pat's and talked to my babies and reminded them of the new brother or sister they would soon be able to see and hold. After hugs and kisses, I went on home to get my suitcase.
It was a pretty mild day for February when Lanny and I made our third trip to St. Lukes. There was no trouble getting to the hospital. Once again, it was late afternoon as we made our way down 14th Street to the middle of town and checked in at the hospital. We were ushered into the labor room where all the preliminairy checks and measurements were gotten out of the way.
In those days, they put the expectant mother on a guerney and wheeled her down a story or to the cold, cold delivery room. Was the theory that germs won't grow in an ice cold room? or was it just for the convenience of the doctors and nurses, gowned to the teeth? No blanket, dressed only in hospital gown and laying on a slightly padded delivery table. Always, with me, the first rite of business was to break the water which almost always brought on the final stage of labor and in this babe's case, it was no different. Labor was hard and quick and after a short hard labor, there he was, beautiful, tow head baby boy, laying on my chest. His daddy was in the waiting room.
The nurses swaddled Baby up and took him across the room. I knew that they would circumcise him while we were still in the delivery room. Done, they again gave the babe to me to embrace but wait! the poor babe was bleeding from both ends! He had blood trickling out his mouth! What's wrong? Oh, the doctor said, I clipped his tongue. "Nothing serious." What a relief but . . . poor babe, this had been a rough day!
Daddy was in the hall and was to get a glimpse of his new son before they wheeled us off to the nursery and recovery room. Unfortunately, as he was admiring the 8 lb 3 oz bouncing boy, the nurse came by and, noticing my palor or other evidence, whipped the sheet off me and called for supplies to stauch some heavy blood flow. Himself, caught unawares, immediately turned more pale than his wife. His eyes rolled in his head and he swayed unsteadily on his feet. Fearing he was going to fall atop the gurney onto me and his new son, I interrupted the nurse tending me to tend my husband! They got him down, with his head low and maybe smelling salts, and soon he was revived and strong again.
Later, in our room, these new parents examined minutely their new son. He did sport one birth mark but it was small and faint and he'd probably outgrow it. Mama, of course, supposed he looked like this family member or that one and his father said "He looks just like Craig Dale".
So babe and Mama recovered nicely for a couple of days while mother and father debated names and wondered if we would ever decide on something other than Baby Boy Hofmeister. Finally, filling out the papers we proudly named our new son, Craig Dale Hofmeister. Craig, because it was a nicely masculine sound and Dale after his Grandpa, Lanny's dad. I hope Craig likes his name because he might have been Eric Vaughan Hofmeister!
Little sisters couldn't visit the hospital in those days and Gramps and Granny came to care for the little girls. Mama couldn't WAIT to get home to them and to introduce them to their new brother, Craig. At home, the girls fell in love with him and wanted to hold him, give him a bottle and kiss and hug him. As winter moved to spring, I would load three babies onto the stroller and walked each day for fresh air and exercise (my Dr. Spock baby care book, always near). We played in the park, went to children's hour at the neighborhood library and met and visited with neighbors. I was now, a stay at home Mom with three beautiful children and I enjoyed every minute of it!
Ground Hog Special
but I liked the sound of "Ground Hog Special". We were to
only get a bit of snow, maybe an inch. We got 4" at least.
It is pretty and it won't last long but what else might be served
up for Winter before Spring gets here?
There's an old saying, "Early Easter, Early Spring".
I like that saying. Easter is really early this year.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Redbuds @ Red Haw
One Man's trash
Home Made
Friday, February 01, 2008
Foresight and Faith
About 1963, Gramps and Granny built a new house in Afton. They had sold Austin Auto Parts and were going into the house construction business. So, first, Gramps built the "Green House", sort of a show case for what he could do. Advertisement. And of course, he needed a home for his wife and last four children!
Meanwhile, my nature loving Mama, ordered her a bunch of lilacs and the folks planted them all along the north edge of the yard, lining the alley. Soon, the neighbor to the west lined his yard and the neighbor, east, across the street, planted a row. This small street in Afton, IA is glorious during lilac time!
Every spring, I drive Mama by the Greenhouse while the lilacs bloom and remind her that she and Gramps planted them. We did? she says. And each spring I am thankful my Mama had the faith and the foresight to plant the lilacs.