Good to Be Back Home Again (North Dakota Trip)

 

We just got home from a trip to North Dakota- You can see the photos in video above to John Denver's song, Its Good To Be Home Again. It was a short vacation but a memorable one. 

We left at 5am to drive to Billings, Montana on our vacation.

Sunday we drove to Minot and arrived about 4pm after getting lost briefly in Williston due to growth and changes. Minot had changed too- and we visited the grave of my dad, mom and sister first. We also visited Sunnyside Mobile Home park where we lived before sawyer- Lots of Changes!

Monday we all drove to Sawyer- the principal of the school was nice enough to update us on changes. Next year the high school goes to Max due to lack of students. We also visited the Sawyer Cemetery and Mennonite Cemetery where many who made a big influence on my life are buried. I owe a lot to even those who I did not know- your life influences so many- either for the good or bad.

The Hedahl Farm is in background-lived there from 1961 to 1966

Tuesday we drove to Kenmare- my grandpas old farm where my aunt Carol/Kenny have done such a great job fixing it up- again, the work they put into it I am still enjoying as will those after me. We had 19 attend- mostly aunts and uncles and most, I had not seen for years.

Wednesday I drove Wayne to airport for his flight, and then took off for home. I went home via route 2 and Tim via I-90(the way we came). Lots of good memories and a whole different view of Montana. My parents moved to Tacoma in June of 1966 on that route- and somewhere near the rockies, the van the truck was pulling came loose- luckily my mom was behind that wheel and brought it to a stop. We stayed in Shelby, about a 10 hour drive from Minot. Checked in around 4pm.

Thursday we saw our first accident- but hopefully no fatalities and we, were the 6th car behind lineup that they let us drive in ditch to get around. Around 9am we entered Glacier Park and drove the Going to the Sun Road- the first day it was open for this season- so lots of cars and full parking lots. We had done this with our kids and lots of memories again. We were out of park around noon and headed to Sandpoint to stay at Jan's sisters for night.

Friday we left for home about 8;30 and got home about noon. the traffic was picking up for the holiday weekend greatly and glad we go to go when we did. Thanks for our neighbors for watering our plants, to Darcie for feeding our pets, and for Tim, Wayne and so many others for making this such a memorable trip. It was a short trip and wish we could have seen others- but maybe next time.

We left Cindy's around 8:30 and got home about 12:30 on Friday, June 30th-  Below are photos from previous trips- you guess the year and who is in it....

Thank God For Kids

How about we have a National Children's Day to show the importance of Children in our society? I cannot imagine a world without Kids- Thank God For Kids! I made this song a few years ago- I can ad one more grandchild to the 5 in video now- its fun being a Grandpa! 

How grandchildren perceive their grandparents

1. I was in the bathroom, putting on my makeup, under the watchful eyes of my young granddaughter, as I'd done many times before. After I applied my lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, "But Grandma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!" I will probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about kissing the toilet paper good-bye....

2. My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, 72. My grandson was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, "Did you start at 1?"

3. After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, "Who was THAT?"

4. A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like. "We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods." The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, "I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!"

5. My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo and I said, "No, how are we alike?'' "You're both old," he replied.

6. A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather's word processor. She told him she was writing a story.
"What's it about?" he asked.
"I don't know," she replied. "I can't read."

7. I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last, she headed for the door, saying, "Grandma, I really think you should try to figure out some of these colors yourself!"

8. When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."

9. When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, "I'm not sure." "Look in your underwear, Grandpa," he advised "Mine says I'm 4 to 6." (WOW! I really like this one -- it says I'm only '38'!)

10. A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, "Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today." The grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. "That's interesting." she said. "How do you make babies?" "It's simple," replied the girl. "You just change 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'."

11. Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a public servant," said a teacher. The small boy wrote: "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant." The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. "Don't you know what pregnant means?" she asked. "Sure," said the young boy confidently. 'It means carrying a child."

12. A grandfather was delivering his grandchildren to their home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties.
"They use him to keep crowds back," said one child.
"No," said another. "He's just for good luck."
A third child brought the argument to a close. “They use the dogs," she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrants."

13. A 6-year-old was asked where his grandma lived. "Oh," he said, "she lives at the airport, and whenever we want her, we just go get her. Then, when we're done having her visit, we take her back to the airport."

14. Grandpa is the smartest man on earth! He teaches me good things, but I don't get to see him enough to get as smart as him!

15. My Grandparents are funny, when they bend over, you hear gas leaks and they blame their dog.

Have I Told You Lately That I Love You

April 13th, 1974, Janice and I were married in Coulee Dam, Wa.  It is not what you spend on one another, but it is important never to forget to say "I love You" and to thank God for your spouse at the end of the day; as this song says. The song is more important than the photos, but the photos show us through the years- and on our 42nd Anniversary, when the waiter asked us to hold hands- now that is a smart waiter.... Today,  Let me wish you Happy 43rd Anniversary Janice-  and most of all,  to say,"I Love You."

Happy Birthday Janice

We actually only have one birthday, we just celebrate that same date each year and the more you have, the longer you live. (I think) I added a few photos of my wife,  to a Birthday tune. (She asked me not to use last years tune again?) I hope Janice has the best year ever and many more. Happy Birthday Janice

Someone said the Happy Birthday Song is copyrighted, and it's hard to find a new birthday song for Jan on her birthday. Yes, I have made several for this occasion and I decided to make a new one for this birthday since it is a special one, a monumental one. I won't tell you how old she is, but it is the oldest she has ever been today.  Happy Birthday Janice and many more!

What Things Cost in 1954

Average Prices in 1954

Car: $1,950

House: $17,500

Gas: $0.29

Bread: $0.17

Gallon of Milk: $0.92

Stamp: 3 cents

1954 Facts you may not have known:

BUSINESS & ECONOMY:

• New York Stock Exchange prices reach their highest level since 1929

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY:

• Increasing global concern about nuclear fallout and radioactive waste disposal
• Dr. Jonas Salk begins inoculating schoolchildren with his polio vaccine
• Physicist and nuclear pioneer J. Robert Oppenheimer dismissed from government projects due to his political beliefs
• First successful kidney transplant

SPORTS:

• World Series: New York Giants over Cleveland, 4-0
• Philadelphia Athletics move to Kansas City
• Sports Illustrated debuts

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT:

• Movies: On the Waterfront, Rear Window, The Seven Samauri
• Songs: Hernando’s Hideaway, Three Coins in a Fountain, Mister Sandman, Young at Heart
• TV Shows: Jack Benny Show, Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, George Gobel Show, Mr. Wizard, Disneyland
• Books: A Stillness at Appomattox, Bruce Catton; The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien; Lord of the Flies, William Golding
• First annual Newport Jazz Festival held

EVERYDAY LIFE:

• 29 million U.S. households have television sets, double the number in service three years before
• Billy Graham leads an increasing interest in Christian revival meetings
• Davy Crockett becomes a national fad; sales of "coonskin" caps soar

FUN FACTS:

• Sales of comic books reach 20 million copies a month
• The phrase "under God" added to the Pledge of Allegiance

January 14 – Marilyn Monroe marries baseball player Joe DiMaggio.

February 10 – After authorizing $385 million over the $400 million already budgeted for military aid to Vietnam, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower warns against United States intervention in Vietnam.

February 23 – The first mass vaccination of children against polio begins in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

March 25 The 26th Academy Awards ceremony is held. RCA manufactures the first color TV set (12-inch screen; price: $1,000)

April - Bill Haley & His Comets record "Rock Around The Clock", thus starting the Rock and Roll craze. April 1 The U.S. Congress and President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorize the founding of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado.

May 14 – The Boeing 707 is released after about two years of development.

June 14 – The words "under God" are added to the United States Pledge of Allegiance.

August 16 – The first issue of Sports Illustrated magazine is published in the United States.

September 3 – The last new episode of The Lone Ranger radio program is broadcast, after 2,956 episodes over a period of 21 years. Reruns of old episodes continue to be transmitted.

November 23 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average rises 3.27 points, or 0.86 percent, closing at an all-time high of 382.74. More significantly, this is the first time the Dow has surpassed its peak level reached just before the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

December 1 – The first Hyatt Hotel, The Hyatt House Los Angeles, opens on the grounds of Los Angeles International Airport. It is the first hotel in the world built on an airport property.

December 4 – The first Burger King opens in Miami, Florida.

The TV dinner is introduced by the American entrepreneur Gerry Thomas.

Wind Beneath My Wings

It has been a good winter- although we probably have one more month till we change schedules- I made this video to remind you of the hard work winter maintenance workers. I am thinking of the Utah worker with 23 years of experience who was forced off a 300 foot embankment by a truck.  Tomorrow I say goodbye to Adam who leaves to work for the city of Wenatchee-(for more money) what a great worker ! I miss the other Adam who is filling in up at Stevens Pass- another great worker and who will be still working probably into March up there? I want to thank the drivers who looked out for us, who gave us some room, and slowed down and were patient with us. Thanks to the temporary winter drivers who stepped up and me it look easy when so many things could have gone wrong. And we have some of the greatest bosses- they give us some good equipment and make safety a priority. I can say to so many- You Are The Wind Beneath My Wings.

This is an excellent video by Utah DOT telling of a snow plow accident last month- the driver is probably still recovering as I post this- the accident did not need to happen. (I wanted to make this part of my video above, but could not figure out how to make it happen.) An extra big shout out of thanks to the 98% of drivers who look out for us, give us extra room, and even wait for us to turn around or stay behind us when it is snowing and slippery out.

Here is an accident just last month on Hwy 97 near Goldendale- again- did not need to happen- someone did not slow down-