Category Archives: work

Yard work on the farm

April 3, 2020Sunnybook Farm, worksusanmanzke

I’m a writer, so when I pick up a rake or shovel it is usually grudgingly. Still, work has to be done.

Last year, autumn changed into winter too soon. A lot of fall yard work was left until spring. Now besides fallen leaves, I have fallen branches to pick up. Those chores aren’t too bad, but raking has added issues.

With a gravel driveway, a lot of the stones were picked up when winter snow was plowed. Every spring raking that gravel adds to the work. Stones are much harder and heavier to rake.

Getting as much gravel out of the grass as possible is important. Hitting rocks would be hard on the mower, besides they can go flying and hurt someone.

Raking is good exercise. It also wears a person out.

After two hours of work, I was pooped.

It doesn’t help that there’s a lot more to rake. So this afternoon I’ll be out in the yard raking again. Good thing the weather will be in the 50s after lunch.

Writing is so much easier. At least it is when I have something to write about.

Five jobs I’ve had

March 18, 2020worksusanmanzke

I saw a post on Facebook, suggesting people list five jobs they have had. I think they said five so we wouldn’t have a list an arms-length long. I just started thinking about my list of jobs and definitely had more than five.

Of course, I’m a writer and a speaker. That leads me to being a fur trader….

at least as a speaker telling about Wisconsin’s past.

I’ve also been a mechanic…

under Bob’s tutelage.

Right out of high school I worked in a grocery store lugging boxes and stocking shelves. After that, I was a bookkeeper/clerk at Frankfort Grain in Lumber in Frankfort, Illinois and then came the time I was a receptionist for a Dr. Polito DDS. (All Illinois jobs)

While in Wisconsin I worked as a secretary for the religious education department at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. I also was an activity assistant at a nursing home and an elementary school teacher’s assistant.

Somewhere along the way in the 90s, I had a short-lived job working for Budget Rental at the airport. (Too high pressure for me.)

The longest-lasting job (besides writing) was farming. I was Bob’s partner and right-hand-woman, especially when he needed someone to hold something or reach into a small place to turn a wrench.

I drove tractor, pulling implements: baler, cultivator, disk.

I was always on call when Bob got stuck and needed a pull.

During haying season

I even moved bales (in the 1990s).

This is beginning to sound long enough to be a column. I just may expand this job thing in the future. Stay tuned.

Technological advancement

March 5, 2020Odds and ends, worksusanmanzke

Two weeks ago I arranged for a new router. The box came in two days and has been sitting on the counter ever since.

I thought I could hook it up. Plugging in all the wires wouldn’t be too bad. What worried me was all the things that need WIFI here. They would all need to be reconnected with the new router number.

Halfway through setup I ran into a problem and called for help from my provider, CenturyLink–DSl is the cheapest option I can get in the country.

A woman, far away, helped me through all the things I had to do to get my new router working. All the wires were hooked in the right places. I just had to click the right things on the website to get everything working with the router.

I listened to her. She waited for me to do as directed–she was very nice. It took a little time but

I DID IT!

Still, I wasn’t finished. I had to get my TV to recognize the WIFI and my Echo and my cellphone.

The phone was easy. The TV took a little time, but I didn’t have to Google an answer.

The Echo/Alexa was different. I Googled my problem, found someone who had answers on youtube. It was easy after following his step-by-step directions.

Everything seems to be going well, or else I wouldn’t be able to post this blog.

One more big step for me!

Bob would have been proud

March 1, 2020Odds and ends, worksusanmanzke

Today I checked the oil level in my car. I’ve checked oil before, but I always had Bob as a backup. This time I was on my own.

First, was to remember the latch to open the hood.

That was easy to pull. Getting the hood to open was the challenge of the day. I remember Bob cursing at the car hood when he couldn’t get it to open last year. I didn’t curse, but I felt like it. I had the latch knob in my hand but couldn’t budge it…. until, suddenly it worked.

Finding and pulling out the dipstick wasn’t a problem. I even remembered to bring out a paper towel to wipe the oil off the stick.

All went well. There was even oil on the dipstick. It wasn’t necessary to add any.

I was so proud of myself.

I have an oil change appointment for Friday, but I didn’t want to have any kind of problem before that scheduled time.

Now I know I can drive back and forth to Seymour this week without worrying about low oil.

Six inches of snow!

February 18, 2020Weather, worksusanmanzke

It kept coming down overnight. This morning I stepped out of our back door to see the total.

I’d call it about six inches. It may move around more now as the wind is picking up.

The wine bottle tree Bob made a few years ago shows off the snow.

Eventually, I will get the bulk of our driveway plowed out. But for now, I moved some away from the door and fence.

The good thing is the snow has ended. There are no storms in the forecast for the next few days.

There’s time to recover and watch it blow. ….. Wait a minute! Blowing isn’t good.

Susan Manzke

Writer, Speaker, All-Around Good Person