Category Archives: Family

A new/old appliance

January 13, 2021Columns, Family, food, funsusanmanzke

If you have an unheated enclosed porch, you have a refrigerator/freezer, depending on the winter weather. It has to be enclosed otherwise wild animals might raid it.

This column is an account of the time I used our porch as an extension of my refrigerator.

Our children didn’t raid the soup and stews that they found on the porch. It wasn’t until they discovered that I was cooling chocolate candies out there that the goodies became endangered–Bob liked to make a stop there, too, for a quick snack as he came into the house.

This winter, I’m using an unheated closet next to the porch as a beverage cooler. It works perfectly, too bad I don’t have a lot of company these days who would enjoy a perfectly cooled drink.

Another cat?

January 12, 2021Car-E, Family, funsusanmanzke

The gift of flowers from Rachel was a substitute for another present, a cat.

Rachel thought that Car-E could use another playmate since Cruella hated when he wanted to play with her.

Lucky for me, Rachel didn’t bring me another cat. Here’s a little video with Car-E and my flowers.

A fun day, like today, can have simple things that make me smile.

I hope you have something that made you smile today, too.

Sad anniversary

January 9, 2021Bob, Family, Memoriessusanmanzke

I wasn’t alone at home on January 8 2021. I met daughters Rebecca and Rachel at the Green Bay Botanical gardens. There we walked, laughed, and remembered Bob, husband/father.

It was a winter day, but very nice for January in Wisconsin.

We dressed in layers for cold weather.

As we walked around and warmed up, coats opened and gloves came off.

Of course, our masks stayed on.

I had expected phone calls this day, but the girls were able to take off of work and spend it with me and that was good for all of us.

Missing mittens

January 4, 2021Columns, Family, funsusanmanzke

A thief must have taken the kids mittens in 1981. Robby and Becky assure me they set them to dry after coming in from playing in the snow and now half of them are gone.

This column was written 40 years ago! Wow, has time flown.