What We're Up To

This is just an update without pictures - boring I know.

The new grain bin I blogged about a couple of months ago will be put up tomorrow.  I had mentioned the guys tearing down two very old, small ones and tearing out the old concrete.  Then the concrete was poured.  Today they are supposed to be bringing equipment and then the bin tomorrow.  Bill was mowing there this afternoon.

Bill has gotten his air lines (for airing up tires, etc.) put in the shed with the help of Bryan.

Last Fri. we went to Okoboji to have lunch with a lady we farm for.  She recently celebrated her 90th birthday.  

Today was the first day of VBS (Vacation Bible School) at our church.  I picked up Diane's girls from daycare in Pocahontas this morning, and took them to VBS, had a picnic lunch in the car since it was over at 12:15 and then took them back to daycare.  I was a craft helper.  The girls had fun. We have over 200 kids attending!

We're having beautiful weather in the 70's here this week!!!  I LOVE having windows open and spending time on the screen porch.   Sweet corn is just getting ready. 

   

NW Iowa P.E.O. Luncheon

Our Rolfe P.E.O. chapter has been working on this luncheon for a year.  The various groups have to take a turn organizing it every eight years and 2014 was it for us.

We had committee meetings with other area chapters starting last summer to decide on date, theme, location, meal, program, etc.  Our local group chose to find a speaker for the program and to do the favors since I had the Stampin' Up! purse die which would go along great with our theme "Pursonality"!  We got together once in Feb. to put 220 of the purses together and decorate them and again this month to fill them with the lipstick and perfume samples and gold foil chocolate coins.                                                                                                                                                               

220 little purses made in about 3 hours

purses with the lipstick, perfume & choc. coins

Jill Bush, owner of Xessorize in Ft. Dodge, was our speaker.  She and her daughter did a great job and showed us how to tie large square scarves to wear as coverups, regular scarves, demonstrated her invisi-belt and lots of other fun accessories to go along with our theme, "Pursonality".   She set up a table so the ladies could shop before and after lunch.  She sells lots of purses, jewelry and more at her shop.


The fun P.E.O. member below behind the table with the lips purse provided all the purses for the centerpieces from her collection - and it was announced that they were NOT for sale!



 

Mary Lou shopping

owner of all of the purse centerpieces!

The tables, all set and ready with the program in pastel colors and Jill's advertising on a separate white piece and the purse favors sitting on a white doily.








The Estherville P.E.O. chapter was in charge of registration and brought these great decorations for their table!

Lunch was a salad with bread followed by vegetable lasagna with some roasted peppers and onions on the side and then carrot cake for dessert.

This room is used for wedding receptions a lot so there were little white lights going up with the white fabric to the center of the room which made the room look special.

It was a nice day and all turned out well.  But we are glad we have 8 more years until we have to plan another one!

** if you LOVE the little purses, contact me about getting the purse die which is used with the Big Shot that I sell through Stampin' Up!  www.cindykemna.stampinup.net
    

Card Making

It seems like this is a busy time of year for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. so I've been making cards and thought I'd share a few I've sent out recently.  The first one was for Diane's husband who is a fisherman.

Bill's Uncle Tim & Aunt Bette Jo celebrated their 50th anniversary last week so this is the card I made for them.

And a thank you for Northwest Communications in Havelock for letting the fire dept. use their 8 omelet cookers for the fundraiser breakfast during Greater Rolfe Days last weekend.

If you'd like to learn how to make cards or buy Stampin' Up! product, please go to my web site at cindykemna.stampinup.net to see our catalogs and/or order any time - or e mail me at cindykemna@gmail.com.  You can also see any special promotions and check out the Clearance Rack at my web site.

Not So Cute

It's always a battle here to keep animals from eating plants, flowers, trees and sweet corn.  This summer I've had a beautiful pot of impatiens on our back deck but a few days ago woke up to this!

And the next day this!  Even after sprinkling cayenne pepper on and around it as had been suggested by master gardeners.  Bill thought "they" would probably be knocking on our door next asking for a little salt and mayo! 

I really didn't want my flowers trimmed all around like this!!  At the same time, some flowers in the front I planted in a pair of Bill's old boots were being nibbled on.  One evening I saw the culprit - a small bunny.  The last straw was half of a new shasta daisy being eaten a couple days after I planted it.  This was the third year I've tried to get one of those going!  

Bill had to put chicken wire cages around all of our new grove trees to keep deer from tearing them up while we're trying to get them going so I asked him yesterday if he could put something around the daisy.  Notice I also moved a pot with a scrawny basil plant near it.  Someone had said they don't like the smell of basil.

This morning I looked out and the bunny was INSIDE this chicken wire!  (why didn't I take a picture!)   I woke Bill up, and the bunny is no longer with us!! 

Greater Rolfe Days

This weekend was Greater Rolfe Days which happens every year the weekend after the 4th.  The firemen do water fights for the kids on Fri. night and sometimes a meal.  

Yesterday after a day of a nice rain, the sun came out just in time for the rodeo.  Bill got a call to bring the big 4 wheel drive tractor to the rodeo grounds to help get the semi hauling the livestock (bulls, horses, etc.) through the mud to the ring and then went back when it was over to pull the loaded livestock trailer out plus other vehicles and trailers that were stuck.  Good but muddy rodeo this year!

This morning was the firefighters' omelet breakfast.  We served about 185 people.  There was lots of help this year and it was cooler.  We borrow, for free, 8 propane burners with skillets, spatulas & ladles from a company in nearby Havelock.  We get free eggs from a Ft. Dodge egg farm.  We let people put their choice of warm diced ham, green peppers, onions and mushrooms in a paper cup and then they go to one of the cooking stations where a friendly firefighter will cook their omelet and add cheese if they want.  Bill and another guy grill sausages which we have in a roaster.  There are muffins, orange juice, milk and coffee.  It's a good money maker.

There were various other activities around town throughout the weekend like the Lions Club auction, free doughtnuts at the park, free hot dogs for lunch, Freedom Girls' maid rite and salad lunch plus pie and ice cream, games for kids in the old school gym, kiddie parade, library book sale, school class reunions, band at the bar, games at the pool. 

Rolfe has 4 new planters at the main intersection corners this year.  So pretty!!  We're battling the rabbits here at our house.  They really like impatiens and another flower I have.

Carmel Dairy Queen is 54!

Mom, former employee Karen King, me

My mom & dad owned the Dairy Queen in Carmel, Ind. from when I was age one to 17.  I recently went back to visit and planned my trip so that I could go to the Carmel Historical Society's program on the Dairy Queen being 54 this year.  It was to be an employee reunion too - fun!  The Dairy Queen is one of only about two businesses in Carmel still in business!  Back in the day, it was the first fast food restaurant in Carmel and became "the place" to hang out.  At first it was a small walk-up DQ.  They soon added indoor seating and sandwiches and added a putt putt golf course next door.

The Historical Society did a good job showing old pictures of it that mom had provided and telling about the owners since Mom & Dad sold it.  The current owner and manager have had it for 19 years.  

Mom said that the first day the store was open, she was being trained on how to make cones when a school bus full of kids came on the last day of school!  She said she quickly learned how to make and sell cones!  She also says she would put me in like a pumpkin seat by the window while she waited on customers.  

We mostly remember Glenn filling out his order for a tenderloin and fries and sending it down the line!  We made ourselves lots of extra thick shakes and hot fudge sundaes with extra squirts of hot fudge and ate lots of "mistakes".  Glenn and I worked in the back from a young age doing things like dipping Dilly Bars and Buster Bars, weighing out servings of french fries and breaded mushrooms, etc. and during busy times we cleared tables.  I worked there as a real (paid) employee a couple of years before they sold it when I was a sophomore.

The current owners invited us to come to the DQ after the program and see if we still remembered how to make a cone with the signature curl.  None of us had forgotten!  They all looked good!   We took some pictures with the original DQ sign (top picture).

The kid in the blue shirt at first thought Mom needed instructions!  ha ha! 

nice cone Mom!

my cone

People always asked us if we ever got sick of ice cream and all of us answered "no way"!  And we still love ice cream - especially soft serve.