All posts by susanmanzke

Bob and Sunny out for a ride

Cancer update, Family, pets

My husband Bob couldn’t wait to get outside this afternoon. It was the first really nice day he and I took the cart for a ride without family help.

Today Bob wanted to look at a plow he intends to sell but he needed some measurements off of it–too bad his helper (me) took so long trying to understand what he wanted to be measured–I wouldn’t let him off the cart to do the measuring as he gets a little wobbly and I didn’t want him falling.

Bob and Sunny (the dog’s not driving. Susan had to push him over so she could get in.

After we did our measuring, Bob and I drove back to the house where Sunny was waiting.

Our dog got so excited when he saw the cart coming for him, I thought he’d run out before I could put his leash on.

We three drove around the farmyard a couple of times, but that made Sunny happy and us, too. It was a good afternoon. Any day when we don’t need any doctors is a good day.

Spoiling Sunny

pets

Our dog, Sunny, is a great four-footed friend.

Sunny is in the habit of going outside for a final potty run when the ten o’clock news comes on. To get him to hurry back inside the house, I give him a little treat or two when he returns.

The other night I was half asleep when I let him out into his pen. As I waited, I grabbed a couple of dog treats for him. Meanwhile, I munched on a small handful of pretzels. As I walked toward my bed, I handed Sunny a treat.

Another pretzel went into my mouth. Trouble was I got my hands mixed up and instead of popping a pretzel into my mouth I started to pop in a dog treat. Luckily, I caught myself before chomping on his treat. That sure woke me up and I ended up laughing at myself as I handed Sunny his treat. I don’t think I’ll make that mistake again, at least not too soon.

A gift from a friend

crafts, Friends

My friend, Doris, returned late Wednesday with a gift for me. I now have a starter kit of alcohol inks and supplies of my own. I never expected Doris to do such a thing and I am grateful for the surprise. I’m even more thankful for our years of friendship.

I may work on a few eggs today, or I may wait for the weekend. It would be fun sharing this art with family.

Our actual family Easter get-together won’t take place until April 28. It doesn’t matter the day. All that I care about is that a big chunk of our family can come together on the farm. Maybe by then, the yard will be dry enough for our grandchildren to have their egg hunt outside. No matter, we’ll have good food and an abundance of fun.

Eggs of a different color

crafts, Friends
My friend Doris

My friend Doris came to teach me how to make these wonderful eggs. Doris had given me some as a gift a couple weeks ago and I begged her to show me how she made them.

My long-time friend not only showed me her secrets, she also brought all the supplies we needed.

Another friend, Bridget, found out what we were doing and asked if she could join us. Of course, we said yes.

I couldn’t believe the beautiful eggs we made in just one afternoon. I’m considering getting some of my own supplies so I can create more eggs in the future.

Bob even came by to check out our creative endeavors, though he wouldn’t attempt painting an egg himself.

Notice Doris is wearing gloves and our kitchen table is covered in a $1 plastic table cloth. Also, old clothes were worn. This kind of ink stains easily.

Our finished products

These are now my eggs. See the extra large egg. Before Doris came I happened on a Legg’s plastic egg I had saved for some reason for years and years. Now I know why. It was meant to become this lovely creation.

Coffee and cake

Friends

If it’s Tuesday, it’s time for coffee. A group of my friends meets every Tuesday morning at Sissy’s in Seymour for coffee. Today we also met for Kathy’s birthday.

I’m holding bread, ready to give Kathy her gift. Kathy is on the far right.

For quite a few weeks, I didn’t make it to coffee. I was too afraid to leave Bob’s side when he was just starting his cancer treatment. Today I thought Bob well enough so I could leave the house for an hour.

Everyone knows what gift I bring for birthdays. Each person gets fresh-made bread, still warm from my oven for their special day–last week I brought 3 loaves, catching up on birthdays I had missed earlier in the year.

Because I can’t count on Bob remembering exactly what pills to take at 11, I left after one cup of coffee and no cake. Of course my friends didn’t let me out of Sissy’s without cake. They sent me home with a big slice, enough for both Bob and me. Yum.

Coffee Tuesdays always leave me with a good feeling, even if I have to leave early. Today was special because of Kathy’s birthday, but really, any time spent with friends is good.

Happy Birthday, Kathy!