Category Archives: Odds and ends

In anticipation of spring

February 19, 2020nature, Odds and endssusanmanzke

This morning I took a sweatshirt out of the back of my closet. It had hung there for a long time, still inside-out from the last time I washed it. It seemed like a good idea to wear a sweatshirt today as the windchill would be below zero today–and tomorrow too.

Anyway, when I turned it right-side-out, I found out that the front was very springy. That turned out to be my theme for the day.

When I went to a friend’s house, I carried needed things in two flowery bags. They seemed perfect for the day’s theme.

Now I am back home. The high for the day is 14 F with a feels-like temp of -1.

My trip to the mailbox and to my chickens wasn’t very spring-like.

Oh, well, I tried.

Mail

January 23, 2020Odds and endssusanmanzke

As I have written about waiting for mail delivery and mail retrieval, today, I’m writing about mail.

I can’t believe the amount that has arrived here lately. Of course, most are expressions of sympathy. I so appreciate every envelope I open.

Sometimes the littlest comment gets to me.

Today I’m sharing a bouquet sent from our friends at the library. It brightens our home, but I have to set it where the cats won’t get to it. Cruella started pulling out the greenery before I stopped him.

I thought I’d share these flowers today because they are so beautiful.

I’m going to have so many thank-yous to send I’ll need a secretary (office assistant) to help. Most probably our family will lend a hand.

Happy Thanksgiving

November 28, 2019Odds and endssusanmanzke

Our family actually had our Thanksgiving turkey on Sunday. I thought of cooking a turkey today but decided on lasagna instead. Bob’s sister will join us for lunch and then for a game of dominoes.

No matter what you are eating today, we wish you the best today and every day.

From Susan and Bob

A reminder

November 27, 2019Odds and endssusanmanzke

Today I went to our clinic and got my flu shot.

I hardly noticed the poke as I was trying to take this selfie and wasn’t paying much attention to what the nurse was doing.

I recommend that, if you are able, you head to a nearby establishment to get your own flu vaccination. News reports say it takes 2 weeks to develop antibodies against the flu, so the sooner, the better.

Bob got his shot two weeks ago, so he’s all set.

Wishing everyone good health.

Too early a season

November 10, 2019fun, Odds and ends, reviewsusanmanzke

When I married into the Manzke family, I found that one winter activity they did was jigsaw puzzles. I think I had attempted one once in my life but found we didn’t have a large enough table for a puzzle so that one was never solved.

Bob taught me how to start a puzzle. When turning over the many pieces, extract the edges and put them together first.

It wasn’t until we moved here on Miller Road that Bob and I took up doing winter jigsaw puzzle ourselves.

Today was the first of the 2019-2020 season. It came to us as a gift for my August birthday from a friend named Susan and is 500 pieces.

Our first finished puzzle of the 2019-2020 season.

These days our pieces are larger in size, but fewer in number. Only on rare occasions will we do 1000 piece puzzles. Five hundred and even three hundred work better for us these days.

So we’re off, with one puzzle under our belt, though it’s too early. In many past years, we didn’t start until December, after fall farm work was finished, but nothing is ordinary anymore, especially the weather.

Now it’s time to box this puzzle up and bring out a second. The season has had a good start.

Susan Manzke

Writer, Speaker, All-Around Good Person