New Year! New Hobby!

Last summer I succumbed to a new instrument. When we were in Branson, Missouri, I fell in love with the hammered dulcimer. Since then I have practiced everyday to improve my "style". Having played keyboard instruments all my life, I find the string instruments to be a challenge. BUT, I shall overcome. Maybe I will post a song when I get a little more confidence!!

Boy Meets Dog

"If only this glass door wasn't in my way!!" said the dog and the boy!!

Arff! Arff!! Ryan and Jacob try out Benny's kennel. Two kids and room to spare!!

Time for a Christmas story!

Christmas Day 2009!

Jacob with his talking toy that is voice-activated. The adults enjoyed it as much as Jacob!!

Christmas Highlights

Ryan starts his music career!!

The Three Amigoes

My three teacher friends were over for food and fun before Christmas.

Dogs Are Kids Too!!

What can I say!! Winter in Iowa and we are having a blizzrd. What a difference from the wonderful fall scene on the blog heading just a few days ago. Actually I mowed lawn on Sunday and by Tuesday the lawn was covered with 2 inches of snow. We now have 8 inches on the ground and huge snowdrifts. Going on the 3rd day of no school. I'm sure the kids are loving it.

Speaking of kids......Benny loved the snow and romped and played for a long time this morning until he was literally worn out. He looked at me like I was crazy for not joining in the fun, but my snowshoes are not as sturdy as his!!

Sure glad the corn is in the bin and most farmers have completed their combining for another year.

Benny's First Successful Hunt

Fall in Iowa means pheasant hunting and although it has been a slow year, yesterday was a winner!! Bill and Benny, our griffon, hunted our 20 acres of timber and brought home two nice pheasants! Benny (also nicknamed Scruffy by the grandkids) is only 6 months old and is already getting into the hunting routine. Benny was so excited about going hunting again this morning, he could hardly sleep last night.

Voila!!

Here you see the "addiction" pieces in action. The set of dishes pictures here are NOT the same dishes!! Yeah, fooled ya, didn't I? One set is my grandmother's Haviland china, and the other is another set that are fakes - also purchased at an auction. Give up? The Haviland is on the top!! Guests for the holidays will be eating off the fakes, but they are just as pretty as the real thing and the goldware works fine for either set. (Yes, mother, I will iron the tablecloth before the guests arrive!!)

The auction was so much fun because several of my teacher friends were also there and we helped spend each other's money!! In fact, the Christmas party may be at my house using ALL utensils, dishes, etc. from garage sales or auctions!! And I will ask my guests to do the same. Sound like fun? We have to do something during this economic downturn to save, reuse and recyle.....but I do it just for fun!!! When and where is the next auction??

Feeding My Addiction

After feeding my face on Thanksgiving at Mom's, it was off to feed another addiction the day after. Yes, I am addicted to.....not shopping.......auctions!!! Yes, it is true!! Experts say the best way to control an addiction is to first admit you have one!! My hand is raised - I admit it!!
This auction was for a lady from Clarence whose husband ran the men's clothing store - which, by the way, is where my father purchased most of his clothing. She is now in the assisted living wing of the local nursing home and she had some beautiful antiques!! I didn't purchase any antiques, but I did find this outstanding set of GOLD silverware still in the original package! GOLD, you say??? I have my grandmother's Haviland china which is white with a gold ring and these silverware (or is it goldware) pieces are going to look lovely with the dishes. Wait and see!!

Handsome Brothers!

After I downloaded all the wedding pictures, I just had to add this one of my handsome husband (right) and his handsome brother (left) and our wonderful new sister-in-law (middle - but you probably figured that out)!!

Wedding Bells

Bill's brother, Dale, and Amy were married yesterday, November 21st in their beautiful backyard. What a joyous occasion! Shown here with their youngest childen, Amy's son, Christopher and Dale's daughter, Ashley. Congratulations - we had a great time at your wedding!

A Weekend in Northeast Iowa

Bill and I took off on Friday night for northeast Iowa, one of the most beautiful areas in the state. Bill wanted to check out the McGregor Gun Show. We left about 5 on Friday night, stopped at a little restaurant in Hale for the fish supper and on to Dyersville where we stayed the night at a really nice Comfort Inn. The next morning we traveled through the haze to McGregor, a great river town that takes you back in time. After a brief stop at Cabela's in Prairie du Chien, it was off to the next event. (By the way, Bill bought two really nice antique shooters at the gun show!)

Harvest Time Winds Down in Iowa

As you can see, I have updated the header photo, which is the view that now replaces the previous picture. We raised all corn this year and it averaged a little over 200 bushel per acre - a record crop!! And we aren't the only ones. Many farmers across Iowa are feeding the world with a record corn crop! So when you go to the grocery store - think about all the work that goes into raising just one acre of corn and you may appreciate your supper a little bit more!
Happy Fall, everyone!! God Bless the American Farmer!!

Children of the Corn

Niece Jamie and nephew Jason pose for the famous movie namesake "Children of the Corn". However, they are not near as scary as the real thing!!

A Woman's Work is Never Done!

Sister-in-law Karen drives the "catch" wagon and works just as hard as the men. If you ask her - she will tell you that she is not a farm wife - she is a FARMER!! Besides that, she owns more land than most men in the county!! You go, Karen!!!

Two heads are better than one!?!?

Husband Bill and brother Jim in the same combine?? Bet that was a lively conversation!?!?

Combining Done on the Home Place - November 14, 2009

Harvest is moving along and yesterday we finished combining our remaining 80 acres. Our crop is in for the year, but Jim still has about 300 acres left and should easily get done if the weather holds out. We have had 2 weeks of beautiful harvest weather. Mr. Weatherman - give us just another few days!!

Birthday Girl!!

Anyone recognize this picture? Yep, yours truly at the tender age of 7!! Oh, sooo many years ago!! I can't believe that I am 60 years old today- gosh, I don't feel that old.

The 2nd graders asked me how old I was today and I suggested that they make a guess. Of course, anyone over 16 is old to them, so they said 32. Gotta love those 2nd graders!!

All-in-all turning 60 wasn't as bad as I had imagined and after a delicious steak dinner cooked by my dear Bill, I am going to head for the hammered dulcimer and relax!!

Here's to another 10 years!!

Ready for Take-Off

This looks like a new space ship from NASA ready for take-off, but it is really from an Iowa farm. This last summer my brother installed an extensive drying system and what you see here is steam coming from the drying system. The corn from the field is loaded into the large bin and is moved by conveyer into the space capsule shaped bin. On this cold, crisp, fall morning the steam was rolling off the dryer. The corn is dried to a certain percent of moisture so it will keep over the winter. After it is dried in the "space ship", it is moved into storage bins like you see on the right.
The weather has been very nice this week, so the farmers are going crazy combining.
I love this time of year in Iowa!!

We came. We saw. We ate. That's enough!!

(I hope I don't get in trouble for duplicating this logo, but I knew I would be in trouble if I posted what I saw in this restaurant!!)
After a clean bill of health from my oncologist, Bill and I decided to celebrate. Having heard so much about Hooters and their great.....wings! We decided to give it a try. Mark and his buddies in high school always told us about the great......wings, so why not? Afterall, Bill and I are almost 60 years old!! Aren't we allowed a little craziness?? The food was good, the atmosphere noisy, the wings tasty and the beer was cold. Other than that, we have had enough and will probably opt for Applebee's next time, but we just couldn't miss the .......wings!!

DEER GEORGE!! Yes, this is just one of the gems that Jay brought for Bill. Uncle George shot this deer in Colorado and for years Jay has been trying to get rid of it. He is rid of it now because it is in our basement. Thank goodness I dodged the bullet (pardon the pun) and convinced Bill it should be on the basement wall, not my living room wall. (No, the rest of the deer is not in the box - silly person!!)

Folks and Friends

We were excited this weekend to have guests from Fort Collins, Colorado. Jay and Ruthanne joined us on Saturday bearing gifts!! Jay is Bill's cousin and he brought all kinds of goodies that were once built and owned by his father, George. Bill was like a little kid in a candy shop and he is now downstairs petting his prize possessions once a part of Uncle George's collection. Thank you, Jay and Ruthanne for making the special delivery trip.

And to top off a wonderful weekend, friends from Des Moines joined us as well for dinner at the Tipton Country Club. I love having company and this weekend was the best!!

Bright Brighton!

My darling student, Brighton, was honored today at the University of Iowa for his excellent performance on a very difficult test. For the recognition ceremony he was able to pick one teacher that had the most influence and guess what!!??? He picked me!!! I was so honored and appreciative that I could be there with him on his special day!! Good Luck, Brighton, you are the best!!

Oldest Grandson - What a ham!!

It is only October in Iowa, but man, it is cold - 35 degrees!! Jacob is all bundled up to play outside. It was so cold, his tractor wouldn't start!! He wanted to combine, but it was too wet, so he had to plant corn instead, on Grandma's living room rug! I wonder if the corn will come up??

Grandchildren - Gotta Love 'em

Ryan William and what a busy boy he is!! He had lots of things to check out at Grandma's house.

Unblogged!

No pictures this time - I'm experiencing being unblogged, deblogged - whatever you want to call it, so I will just tell you that pictures are forthcoming - I just haven't had time to post them. Last week was busy with watching the grandchildren, going on field trips with my students, and a multitude of other activities that were not nearly as interesting as the grandchildren and the field trips.

Stay tuned - I'll be back!! ( Didn't Arnold say that?)

When Old Friends Meet

Last Saturday, Jerilyn and I met at Biaggia's for a loooooonnnng lunch. Yeah, we were in the same booth for over 3 hours and there wasn't a moment of silence. Jerilyn is my very dear friend from high school that I just don't get to see as much as I would like. She leaves next week for her condo in sunny Florida and I leave from the garage to go back to work!! Love ya, Jeri!! Maybe someday I will be able to visit you in Florida!! Sigh.......................

Fall is in the air!!

Savoring the last few days of summer,
No more warm days - what a bummer!
The leaves gently falling,
Ol' Winter is a callin'
and I bask in the beauty of flowers.

Flowers, you say, this time of year,
The landscape is ugly in Iowa I fear.
Then you haven't seen the wildflowers all around.
Purple, red, white and gold abound
and I bask in the beauty of flowers.

Winter soon places it's blanket of white
and we snuggle together on a cold winter night.
So break out the tomatoes so carefully preserved
and wait out winter for another summer year
when I will bask again in the beauty of flowers.
Author: Me

The Barglof Clan on a beautiful fall day in Iowa!! Dr. Erika cleaned our teeth on Saturday, the same day in which the Hawkeyes beat Penn State!!! Go Hawks!! Sunday was family day at Mark and Betsy's. Tomorrow - back to work!! Why does work have to interfere with having fun?

Grandpa and Jacob. Jacob loves to have his picture taken. Grandpa isn't so willing!!

Daughter, Dr. Erika with grandson, Jacob on Mark's back deck!

Benny Becomes a Swimmer!!

Benny, the Wire-Haired Pointing Griffon is swimming!! We took him out to the Bennett Park pond last night and he jumped in just like a kid!! He loves to swim and usually makes a big splash (note the splash in the picture).

Oh, Bountiful Harvest

Ahhhh, fall in Iowa!! My favorite time of the year!! Yesterday I finished up the garden - pulled the carrots, picked the tomatoes, stepped on the weeds........I think we have enough tomato juice to feed all of Cedar County and then some.

Since this blog is from an Iowa farm, you should really hear about the "farm". The corn isn't quite ready yet, but some soybeans were combined north of here and they yeilded 50 bushels to the acre and tested 10%. For all you non-farmers - that's good!!

(Raise your glass -of something) Here's to a boutiful harvest and may God bless the farmer with pleasant weather, a great yield and most of all a safe harvest season. Thank you for feeding the world!!

Roland and the Rolettes (Cedar Ramblers)

Last night the Cedar Ramblers had a gig at the local bar - GB's. Pictured here are Roland (guitar), daughter Julie (singer), my mom (keyboard) and me (accordian). Julie's husband renamed us Roland and the Rolettes. I think it has a nice ring to it!! We played all the oldies for 2 hours and everyone was dancing, singing and of course, drinking!! Look for us on tour soon!! I think the next gig is in Durant - about 10 miles away! Road Trip!!!!

The Li'l Darlings

The li'l darlings that I teach spent the day at the YMCA camp working on team buildings skills. We came home dirty, tired, thirsty and hungry, but we loved every minute of it!!

Hangin' With the Big Boys

Last night, Bill and I enjoyed a wonderful night with the big boys!! We attended a Republican fundraiser for our state rep, Jeff Kaufmann and the featured speaker was Michael Reagan. What an awesome speech and a great guy! He was whisked off right after the speech, so I didn't get a picture with him, but I did get to shake his hand!! We did have a "connection" since his grandfather lived in my hometown for a while!!

Salsa, anyone??

...................to this. Only 1 jar of jalapenos, 2 fresh green jalapenos, 2 hot peppers, lots of garlic and other ingredients to give you heartburn!!! Think 4 quarts will be enough hot stuff??

Garden Goodies

From this.............................

Quasquicentennial

This year was our town's 125th anniversary!! I was in charge of the Memory Walk which included gathering historical pictures and displaying them on posters throughout Main Street. Friend, Jo, helped with programs and editing. Thanks, Jo!!

Jacob is so talented - he can play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star with a corncob and a stick!! Now that is real talent!!

Music, Music Everywhere

Jacob as a violin expert!! I know, he is brilliant because he is my grandson!!

Luke's wedding

Luke and Yasuka at their wedding reception with Mark and Betsy at Luke's parents' farm. Congratulations!!

Beautful evening and a great time with some wonderful folks!

Mark at 31

Mark turned 31 on Sept. 8th. Funny, I don't feel much older than that myself!!

Swinger

Benny's favorite spot - the porch swing! Can you say "Swinger"?

Benny Arrives

Bennett of Midnight Falls has arrived. He is an adorable (but wiggly, jumping, running, biting, barking, whining) puppy! He was flown in to O'Hare from a breeder in Alaska and we have "puppyized" our house. Everyday he gets a little better but oh, what a change in the household.

New cowboy hat!

The day we left for home, we spent a day in downtown Denver. The museums and shops are great! Bill even wore his new cowboy hat purchased in Estes Park!!

How do you like the black one compared to the white one? Oh, Bill, you rock!!

Cousins

Bill's cousins from Ft. Collins, Jay and Ruthanne!

We had a wonderful visit and a great tour of Ft. Collins, including the Budweiser garden and a few beers!!