Happy Birthday, Danny!

Here's Danny Neilson, flanked by his sisters, and his nephew and niece, in his Mid-town condo. It's his 74th birthday today. It's also a special day for his brother-in-law Stan (not pictured). He joins Dan on Medicare today!

Hey Joyce, Craig is here!

Craig Hahn of Lincoln, Nebraska is spending the weekend with us while attending a Peace Corps reunion in downtown Minneapolis. We stayed with Craig and his wife, Joyce, last winter on our way to Los Angeles. Craig, a retired pharmacist, volunteered in Moldova a year ago and is regaling us with tales of his experiences. Joyce stayed home this trip. She's with Stewie, the family dog.

The Bittersweet

Today's vegetable soup came with a popover for an extra dollar so we split
one, spreading on lots of butter in memory of Nora Ephron.

We enjoyed a light lunch at the Archer House Bittersweet Cafe in Northfield today; daughter Jennifer rode along and showed us around. The Archer House River Inn opened in 1877. The Inn is a grand 4-story red brick building featuring French Second Empire architecture and is situated on the banks of the Cannon River at the center of town. Northfield is the home of St. Olaf and Carleton Colleges, as well as family friends Stephanie and Greg. Among other things today, we checked out their memory foam mattresses. We need a new mattress and aren't sure about our next sleeping surface. Jennifer had keys to their house so we gave the beds a test drive, with Jennifer emailing snapshots to an amused Stephanie (who was at work) of her parents spread out in their bed, clowning around with the house cat. Not sure what we'll do for a new mattress just yet, the memory foam got mixed reviews. We've already eliminated water and air as a support system. Suggestions?

That's Stephanie and Greg on the right, sitting at our 2006 Thanksgiving table. Big deal. Today we were in THEIR bed.

Canola paradise

(Photos by Lorlee's sister-in-law Doreen)

The Bartos farm is a few miles from our old place in Alexandria. . . and it never looked better. Lorlee sends along these snaps of the cropland in full bloom. . . and loaded with bees humming like members of the Busy Bees 4-H Club. Canola is not only beautiful, it is a staple cooking oil among its other uses. It was developed from the rapeseed in the 70s (stands for Canada Oil, Low Acid) so it was unknown to we youngsters growing up near the farm. Whenever we saw yellow in farmers' fields, it was the dreaded mustard weed, the bane of the grain farmer. Happily, now bright yellow fields mean something entirely different. Our cousins in western North Dakota grow Canola as well. Thanks for the photos, Doreen!

Childhood friend passes

Growing up in rural Alexandria, we didn't farm, but almost all our neighbors did. So when we attended the Oak Grove one-room country school for the first six or eight years of our matriculation, we got to learn a lot about farm kids and their working families. We learned many had forefathers from a land called Bohemia. 
One of the farm kids was Roland, the easiest-going one in the high-energy Trousil family, a gentle boy, not that athletic, not that studious, just a nice fellow to know. Have not seen him for almost fifty years. Today we saw his obituary, and found it a comfort that Roland had kept the home fires burning for a lifetime on the old place up the road.
His obituary says that two of his Oak Grove classmates, Marlow and Roger Kluver, were there to carry his casket.
Here's the published record of his life:
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Roland Allen Trousil was born November 24, 1945 in Alexandria, MN, the son of Martin and Eldore (Hanson) Trousil. He was raised in the Alexandria area and attended school in Alexandria. After graduating from Jefferson High School in 1963 Roland worked with his father on the farm that Martin bought in 1954 east of Lake Andrew.

Roland farmed for many years. In 1972 he purchased the farm from his father. Roland loved farming and was good with the animals. He milked up to forty-seven cows. He was proud of his herd of Holsteins. Over the years he bred red & white Holsteins until his entire herd was red & white. He also loved working with his dogs over the years. Roland’s work on the farm was his hobby. After he sold the cows and retired from farming in 1999 he moved to Long Prairie, MN where he purchased a farm. Two years later Roland returned to Lake Mary Township and bought the Dynda farm south of Lake Andrew. Although he rented out the land Roland continued working around the farm. He always wanted to keep busy improving his place.

Roland also had a passion for restoring old tractors. He completed thirty-one full restorations. His preferred tractor was always an International.

On Monday, June 25, 2012 Roland died at his farm at the age of sixty-six years. His parents preceded him in death. Roland is survived by his brothers, Merle Trousil and wife, Cindy, of Alexandria and Warren Trousil of Bertha, MN; one sister, Sonja Zeithamer and husband, Richard, of Alexandria; and nieces and nephews, John Zeithamer and wife, Tammy, Twylla Vickmark and husband, Dan, Darren Trousil, Delane Trousil, Shelly Trousil, Jim Trousil and Jason Trousil.

A funeral service will be held at 11 AM, Friday, June 29, 2012 at Calvary Lutheran Church in Alexandria. Rev. David Wangaard will officiate. Sandy Buckner will provide music. Interment will follow in the Bohemian Independent Cemetery in Lake Mary Township. Casket bearers include Marlow Kluver, Roger Kluver, Arnie Schlosser, Fred Staples, Jim Trousil, Jason Trousil, Warren Engelbrecht and Darren Trousil. Honorary casket bearers include Bob Finnegan, Kenny Rutten and Paul Anderson. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 PM Thursday at the Anderson Funeral Home and also one hour prior to the service at church.

Arrangements are with the Anderson Funeral Home.

Doggles

"Now can I stick my head out the window?"

Happy Birthday, Mary Lou

Forest fires rage in Colorado today where the candles are ablaze on Mary Lou's cake. She's Kathleen's sister in Durango and we wish her the best on her 75th.

St. Paul Katie's back

After a long and frustrating hiatus, St. Paul Katie is back at the felt, holding and folding with the old poker-faced gang last night in Southwest  Minneapolis. Meanwhile, her driver idled across town at Pam's house, where he scored two frozen walleyes, and then stopped at brother-in-law Dan's 10th floor bakery. How was Katie's reboot? Above, she defends a big stack, keeping enough to cover a tank of gas, five bags of rock salt and a box of wheat thins.

Happy Birthday, Becky

Here's a toast to Virg's bride, Rebecca, celebrating her birthday today. Many more, Becky.