My Angel

  On a CBS  tv show this morning the host posed a question. "Do you believe in angels?"  60% of Americans responded yes. 40% responded no. I am part of the 60%!

Saturday I zipped up the highway to Williston to bury my cousin Donnie's ashes in the cemetery where is parents have plots.  I totted along a beautiful silver grey foot marker, a white rose, a satin butterfly, a glow in the dark light, and my IPad with charming guitar music provided by my talented granddaughter.

After reading from my pastor's 'special' book I shed a few tears and took some pictures of Donnie's foot marker and his parents headstone. I kicked around some golden fall leaves filling the cematery and sat momentarily on someone's headstone to view my photos and my cement work.

To my astonitionment I saw angels! One putting a bright beautiful glow on Donnie's name and on the othe one casting a dancing shadow across his father's name.

I quickly glanced up from my IPad towards the granite stones to view the angels. Sadly they were gone. There were no shadows at all, no trees to cast such an expression. The overcast sky didn't allow  sun to glow anywhere.

I'm guessing My uncle Howard is dancing at Donnie's arrival in heaven. I'm thinking my aunt Alyce is probably cussing him out for his early arrival.

I'm sad at my cousin's passing but 'they' sent me the message I have another angel - an angel with a big heart and a big cense of humor. 

They are rejoicing with the newest angel and now I should also. 

I have a new treasure

I was at South Pleasant Lutheran Church on August 4th for a closing service at this Church.
The Church was establish in 1890 1 1/2 miles west of Chistine ND. My maternal grandfather was the 1st baby baptized in this Church, and as a note my cousin Larry Johnson's son was the last baby to be Baptised here.
I wonder the struggles my great-grandmother Lena (Oslie) Johnson had prior to her baby's baptism. This Church located off the Wild Rice River in rich Red River Valley area. Lena and her husband John O Johnson had the homestead place across the Wild Rice River with a wooden bridge.
While visiting this Church I met up with my now favorite cousin Larry. He told me a story of the old days when they had English services all but 1Sunday a month. He Zipped off to recover an old English Bible, it was about 5X7 inches. As he continued, he stated they had 1 Norwegian service each month. Interesting I thought to myself. I  hovered over the wonderful Bible. I spoke up....(being they are closing the Church), do you suppose I could have one of these Bibles? He replied, sure...what one would you like....English or Norwegian? Of course I said Norwegian.
Larry than hustled down the steep pale green cement steps, and returned with a pale black leather Norwegian Bible. It was wonderful! The thought of me holding a Bible that very well was held by 4 generations of my family. The 1st being John O and Lena Johnson, 2nd was Art and Viola Johnson, 3rd being Ardel and Paul Ingwalson, and the 4th being....Me! What a treasure I have, and maybe pass onto the 5th along with a story of course.

Max Stoye

Let me tell you a story of a man from Crosby ND. His name is Max Stoye. He came to Divide County USA from Germany to make a better life for himself. He soon found himself a 45 year old single father of 2 young men.
His sons received draft letters to join the war (maybe WWI). He was heart broken, he couldn't let his boys fight his beloved Germany. He went to the County board and begged  for his sons to be able to stay at home and farm his family farm, they were all he had left. They refused. His sons were sent off to war.
He took his own life......
My Step-Grandfather Andy Ingwalson was Max's friend, and when the Catholic Churched refused to let him be buried in the Church Cemetary Andy did what he could to find him his final resting place.  Andy  took the Priest out to his own farm land and got approval for a burial plot out there along the road. And, at the appropriate time the Priest and Andy said prayers and a goodbye to a man who now had lost his sons too.
Max Stoye's grave is along a road, and along a driveway where there is a large oil holding facilitie. He will never know the wealth his land had under it, or prosper from it. Someone has put flowers by his head stone, maybe the person benifiting from his lands wealth, maybe someone who has heard his story.
War is horrible, it changes lives. It changes lifes of those that go to war amd those that are left behind. This is just one of those that were left behind. And the story also of a friend who wished it had ended differently.
Year 1908

Great Uncle Carlot

When I started this blog it was for my family to learn more about our family history, so today I want to tell you about my great uncle Carlot Johnson.
   Carlot was my maternal Grandfathers brother. Carlot lived on the Johnson family homestead 19 miles south of Fargo and west of Christine, on the Wild Rice River. On the other side of the creek/river from where my Grandpa Johnson farmed, and that farm is still in the family.
   Carlot had lost his right arm and right ear in a farm accident years before I was born.  Carlot was a natural musician, he play violin...with one hand! He played the harmonica, and usually carried it in his shirt pocket. He played an electric organ. A small key board, with one hand. He would play a bit of the tune and then a few cords and back and forth. I remember all of the family in his house and everyone singing to the top of their lungs. My grandfathers family were quite musical. I don't have those talents.
   I found years later a few of the other brothers that went to homestead in Canada also were very musical. I also think those Canadian brothers had big feet, when you look at pictures you saw big feet, maybe it was those leather lace up shoes they wore.      
   What I would like everyone to know about Carlot was, he liked kids. He liked it when he played a little tune for kids that they would smile and talk to him. I think he knew his handicap was obvious  to children but he was a little laid back and new how to get kids to look at him for the man he was and not just his handicap.
   Thank you Carlot for the life you lead and the smiles you brought to all us kids.

Jesus Loves Me This I Know

Jesus loves me this I know, though my hair is white as snow.
Though my sigh is growing dim, Still He bids me trust in Him.
Yes Jesus loves me..Yes Jesus loves me..Yes Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.

Though my steps are oh, so slow, With my hand in His I'll go.
On through life, let come what my, He'll be there to lead the way
Yes Jesus loves me..Yes Jesus loves me..Yes Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.

When the nights are dark and long, In my heart He put a song.
Telling me in words so clear, "Have no fear, for I am near."
Yes Jesus loves me..Yes Jesus loves me..Yes Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.

When my work on earth is done, And life's victories have been won.
He will take me home above, Then I'll understand His love.
Yes Jesus loves me..Yes Jesus loves me..Yes Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.

I love Jesus, does He know? Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say, That I love Him every day.
Yes Jesus loves me..Yes Jesus loves me..Yes Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.

Advise to Mothers

I heard a cute interview with Chuck Barris on PBS today.

In high school he wrote a Dear Abby type of column for his school paper called "Advise to Mothers."

As you may note I haven't wrote on my blog for sometime. You may ask why would this topic encourage me to write a blog entry. Well I'm a grandmother to 20 children of all ages. Sometime I scream in my hear "mother wake up."

In life I feel all children want to hear from there parents that they are being heard. This voice come in many forms. For instance 1. If a teen child dresses provocatively maybe that child is saying "I need some male time?" So moms response should be, hey dad spend a little more time with your daughter. 2. If a preschooler has temper tantrums, maybe moms should respond by spending more one on one time with that child. 3. If a 20 something child cusses around his girlfriend enough to make a sailor blush, maybe mom should work at boosting her sons self image.

Its not easy being a mother. There is no parenting class that teaches us how to parent that is worth a darn. After all each child is an individual, each family dynamic is different.

Its only when you are a grandparent that you feel you have some parenting skills, and truthfully by then your kids have grown and you can't put you parenting skills to work.

When I had children in the house I was sure when each of them turned 18 I would be done parenting. It was a 18 year sentence with a beginning and an end.

Now I know that parenting is a lifelong adventure. After I turned the tv off and thought of the Chuck Barris interview I chuckled. I remembered him on the Gong Show. On the Gong Show had a person with or without talent that was gonged and giggled at to the entertainment of the viewer.

To Chuck and his book and his goofy interview I send out a deafening Gong. With or without you cute little smirk you also don't have the answers in life for mothers.

My advise? 1. Fly...by the seat of you pants. 2. Be flexible. 3. Nobody has to take my advise.

Joan & Me

Here's a picture of my fishing partner and me. See the story below about my big adventure!

Me and the rock

This is me against a huge rock on the shores of Lake Superior, no sand here. No wonder so many ships sank, did you know that the Mayflower sank into Lake Superior? you do now

Pic

This is me on the shores of Lake Superiors....no sand here, just these huge harsh rocks. No wonder so many ships sank here. Did you know that the Mayflower sank in Lake Superior?

Vacation Pictures

Enjoy

Vacation Pictures

My Vacation at Tofte MN

Recently I spent a week at Tafte MN (north of Duluth) for a week of fishing and fun.

My fishing partner was Joan Gebhardt and we stayed a a wonderful condo.

The fishing could have better but you'll see me in a picture with a Lake Trout, so it wasn't just to bad. Joan & I ate fish just about everyday! One day it was smoked Trout & Smoked Salmon m-m-m.

We also went up a gondala at a off season ski resort, I got some great pictures of the leaves turning orange and red. The red was just out of this world.

This area of MN is know for its home made pie (well ate a lot), and it's lighthouses. In 1 picture you can see me holding one in my hand. tee hee!

We had a great fishing guide, he and his wife know Lake Superior really well and lead us back and forth across the current. The down riggers were huge, this was a real adventure!

We visited a fishing store one day and the guy (in his 80's) makes all of his own lures. He made earrings out of lures too, or course I had to buy an orange pair. A girls gotta shop ya know!!

I hope you enjoy the pictures, maybe next time you can come along--the condo sleeps 5 and we can always make room for more.