Trip to Elkhorn, NE

 67 degrees with overcast sky in Clarinda, IA at 1:00 PM Monday, Memorial Day 2021.

Saturday evening we ate at J Bruner's here in Clarinda with Phyllis' sister Beth & Steve Gregory.  Their daughter, Kara and husband Jason Cooper and son Tyler came from Denver for a graduation party Sunday in Elkhorn, NE, of Beth's son Chris & Becky Gregory's youngest daughter Sarah from High School.

Yesterday we drove to Elkhorn, NE - just west of Omaha - to a graduation party for Sarah. We were near where sister Louise lived on an acreage for a few years back in the late 1980's.

I took 20-some pictures at the gathering, and realize now that this picture is the only one I got of Sarah, when she was hugging Phyllis when we were leaving. Lots of pictures of all the others! Guess she had spent much of her time in the reception line near the entrance and as we milled about, ate an excellent BBQ lunch provided, and visited with many people, she wasn't in the pictures.

This is the photo that the above cropped photo above was taken from. Many, many classmates were there and many family members and friends.

Just took photos of her invite card:

In center of this photo is Sarah's mother Becky, to left is Becky's Mother from Sioux Falls, SD, and Phyllis

Sarah was quite

active in running

and swimming. Had

many photos from school

and many of her ribbons

and back-numbers

on display.

I started making this quilt case from Walnut tree off our farm (1987) last summer. Finally got around to working on it again.

This morning I put second coat of Tung Oil on it and rubbed it down and it is now in the south bedroom. The bought Oak quilt case that hs been in this position is now in our bedroom and she has room for more quilts.

Friday we went to a friends place and got flowers and put them on some gravestones in the Clarinda Cemetery.

Phyllis' parents, grandparents and great grandparents are buried in Clarinda.  Put flowers on them and then went to my sister Louise's grave and renewed the flowers there.

The one peony from the back yard
and some extra cemetery flowers.

HOW DO COURT RECORDERS KEEP STRAIGHT FACES????

These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while the exchanges were taking place.

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?

WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?'

ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?

WITNESS: My name is Susan!

_______________________________

ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?

WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.

____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?

WITNESS: No, I just lie there.

____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: What is your date of birth?

WITNESS: July 18th.

ATTORNEY: What year?

WITNESS: Every year.

_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: How old is your son, the one living with you?

WITNESS: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which.

ATTORNEY: How long has he lived with you?

WITNESS: Forty-five years.

_________________________________

ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?

WITNESS: I forget..

ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?

___________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?

WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

____________________________________

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the 20-year-old, how old is he?

WITNESS: He's 20, much like your IQ.

___________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?

WITNESS: Are you shitting me?

_________________________________________

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?

WITNESS: Getting laid

____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: She had three children , right?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: How many were boys?

WITNESS: None.

ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?

WITNESS: Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?

____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?

WITNESS: By death..

ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?

WITNESS: Take a guess.

___________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?

WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard

ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?

WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male.

_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?

WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.

______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Doctor , how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?

WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.

_________________________________________

ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?

WITNESS: Oral...

_________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?

WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 PM

ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?

WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.

____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?

WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?

______________________________________

And last:

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?

WITNESS: No..

ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?

WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.

ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?

WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

Will post next month - Lynn

Lincoln trip

 83º in La Feria and 74º here in Clarinda now at 9:30 am Tuesday.  Well, with full blown AD..................it is now 9:45 am on Wednesday--is 75º now here in Clarinda with bright sunshine.

Got our first flower off the transplanted Peonies by the deck.

Last Sunday we drove to Lincoln, NE and had short visit with our Niece Angie and her son Michael, as well as my brother Roger and his wife Carolyn.

  

We met at a restaurant for lunch.  Michael refused to take off his mask, or to eat or drink anything.  Oh the hazards of a 11 year old.

Phyllis had this chicken "slider" -- quite a creation sitting on bed of French fries.

Had a little time to visit at Roger & Carolyn's house in northwest Lincoln.

On our way back to Clarinda, we drove thru Riverton, and then drove around a bit in Coin.  Friends from years ago, Darrell & Francis Murphy (with her sister) were sitting on back porch and we stopped for a good visit.  Hadn't seen them for the 27 years since we left the Elevator in Coin in 1994.  They are having some health problems.

Yesterday I gave my first blood donation since my open-heart surgery two years ago.

Got these two "Good Morning" photos this morning of our great grandkids.

Hadn't seen brother Roger for a year, and haven't seen brother Don for two years.  Plan on going for a short visit with Don & Vicki in Cape Girardeau, MO next week.

Will get to see/hear a few days of music at Wahoo, NE on our way to Callaway, NE for my 60-year Class Reunion near the end of June.

   

Will post again, sometime.  Lynn

Rainy Days

 76º with overcast, a bit misty sky at 1:30 pm Saturday.  Have had much rain over the last week - I dumped 3.5" out of one rain gauge after several days.  At least it has somewhat warmed up, finally.

Thursday I mowed the lawn in the morning and then late afternoon it resumed raining as it has done for several days.

[[I just discovered an old photo file on my computer, from Christmas time in 2014, that anyone familiar with Kenwood RV people might be interested in - Click HERE to see ]]

Grass was wet, but had to mow when possible.

Have spent many hours planning our travels beginning late July and ending first week of September.  Have made all RV Campground reservations; and, several tour reservations, also.

Made successful trip to Omaha on Tuesday.  Planning on going to Lincoln tomorrow to visit brother Roger & wife, Carolyn and probably daughter Angie and son Michael and also daughter Julie.

GROANER'S CORNER :(( A businessman was in a great deal of trouble. His business was failing, he had put everything he had into the business, he owed everybody-- it was so bad he was even contemplating suicide. As a last resort, he went to a priest and poured out his story of tears and woe.  When he had finished, the priest said, "Here's what I want you to do: Put a beach chair and your Bible in your car and drive down to the beach. Take the beach chair and the Bible to the water's edge, sit down in the beach chair and put the Bible in your lap. Open the Bible; the wind will rifle the pages, but finally the open Bible will come to rest on a page. Look down at the page and read the first thing you see. That will be your answer, that will tell you what to do."

A year later the businessman went back to the priest and brought his wife and children with him. The man was in a new custom-tailored suit, his wife in a mink coat, the children shining. The businessman pulled an envelope stuffed with money out of his pocket, gave it to the priest as a donation in thanks for his advice.  The priest recognized the benefactor and was curious. "You did as I suggested?" he asked.  "Absolutely," replied the businessman.  "You went to the beach?"
"Absolutely."  "You sat in a beach chair with the Bible in your lap?"  "Absolutely."  "You let the pages rifle until they stopped?"
"Absolutely."  "And what were the first words you saw?"  "Chapter 11."

================

  Later --

Visit with grandkids and great grandkids

 59º  with overcast skies here in Clarinda, IA at 3:00 pm Sunday.  Had .1" rain overnight and predicted for more rain today.  (I am just now finishing this up at 6:00 pm and it has been raining for some time again this afternoon)

  Yesterday, Saturday, Granddaughter Ashley with Jessica & David as well as Granddaughter Emily came in the afternoon from eastern Iowa.  They had been uptown here in Clarinda at their other grandpa's place where our daughter-in-law Patty and her sister Pam were helping their Dad clean and sort things at his house, probably preparing to sell the house.  That gave time for holding Grandson David and reading to Granddaughter Jessica.  The four of them had supper with us and stayed overnight, going to Grandpa Fred's for breakfast this morning.

They all came back to our place about 1:30 pm and had lemon pie and a short visit before heading back to Marengo and Iowa City.

I read some more books today to Jessica.

Yesterday afternoon the ladies sat on the deck while I was cleaning the maple seeds from the screening on the rain gutters.  Got some overhead shots of them.

Great Grandma with both the great grandkids.

Reading to Jessica last evening.

Saturday morning we drove to Burlington Jct., Missouri to the greenhouse.  Phyllis got some flowers to put on tombstones next week and we also picked up a couple shrubs to put in front of the house.  

The one flowered shrub and the other one on the other side of the rose bush will grow to about two feet tall and two feet across -- considerably smaller than the huge bushes we took out last summer.

I also got up on ladder and cleaned all the Maple helicopter seeds from the valleys and rain gutters.

Discovered a missing piece of screen in one corner that was really filled with seeds.  Cleaned and then added new screening over the void.

I was still working on the cleaning project when the girls came.

Jessica "helped" some.

Some views from above.

Oh, yeah--even though I had convinced myself not to mess with tomatoes this year account we will be gone with the travel trailer so much----here are the two grape tomato plants I bought at the greenhouse.  Guess will get what we get.

Have been planning a week-long trip in June and a more-than-a-month long trip in late summer.

Later, Lynn