by Elaine Rassel Doug Brownmiller died at his home Wednesday, February 9. This neighborhood has had its problems. Mullally’s moved to Storm Lake because of health problems, Jeanette died at home, Judy’s house burned down and now Doug has left us. His funeral will be at Faith Lutheran Church on Monday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m.
I was to bring 24 cookies for fellowship after burial. I was glad I had started the oven before I mixed up the cookie dough. The oven decided it wasn’t going to work! I had no choice but to buy cookies and take for the lunch. I have never done this before and hopefully will never have to again. The cookies were 21 in the package so I was lacking 3 cookies. I bought another package with M & M’s in it. None of the two are like home baked!
Wednesday night, I waited until after supper before I asked if someone could turn my king sized mattress around. “Sure but not right now,” was their answer. They were playing games on the cell phones. At 11:30 p.m., it was time to turn the mattress. My bed is one that has steps to get into it. Even though it is high up, it is low to reach under the bed and retrieve anything that has gone under. It was surprising what had gone under!
I had a dust cloth ready to dust the inner part of the wood frame but they decided it didn’t need dusting. Bethany used a “broom” to quickly dust what needed dusting. It didn’t work as far as I was concerned. I finally was able to climb over the framework and did dusting with the dust cloth. She thought the broom dusting was good enough. I still had one more sheet in the drier so it was after 2 a.m. before I had the bed made up. (They were in bed right after midnight.) A salesman selling mattresses once said that the mattress should be turned every 6 months as well as the box springs. I think he was right.
Thursday was my birthday and I didn’t do anything all day but answer the phone from those calling with birthday wishes. It was good to hear from them. That night the two in my household took me out to supper at the Marcus Pizza Ranch. At least I didn’t have to cook!
People couldn’t figure out why Grandma’s Garden was closed with a sign on the door that said they were at the hospital. Saturday’s paper said Max Drefke had died on Friday. Our condolences to his family. His service is pending as his son, Ken and wife are at the East coast.
The apples from the Humane Society were for sale this year. They went on Friday to pick up those that were ordered. They are such big apples! They would throw anyone off a diet!
I received the news that next week everything has to be in before Friday. I did work on an article that will be continued from this week and into next week. So, I am up on this. There is a City Council meeting this Monday at 5 p.m. so that is also needed before Friday. Without anything to do on that Sunday, it will be very unusual.
The MMCRU girls basketball winning streak ended up with a loss against Unity Christian in a nail-bitter game. They played well and will still be state material
Friday night, Kam Steffen was at the boys’ basketball game at Kingsley. He went out on the floor and made a 2-pointer. Kingsley also made a basket. It was nice that they let him shoot. He has been at Lincoln in rehab due to results of an injury well before Christmas. Hopefully he is on the road to recovery.
I see where Pantone’s color of the year for 2022 is a hue of violet called Very Peri. It is a periwinkle shade that is easy on the eyes but represents courage and inventiveness. The color system calls the new shade of blue “a dynamic periwinkle blue hue with a vivifying violet-red-undertone. Vice president of Pantone states, “Creating a new color for the first time in the history of our Pantone Color of the Year educational color program reflects the global innovation and transformation taking place. The complexity of this new red-violet-infused blue hue highlights the expansive possibilities that lie before us.”
Easter has lilies, Thanksgiving has gourds, Christmas has poinsettias, and Valentine’s Day should have amaryllis. Amaryllises are big bulbs that can produce among the biggest and showiest flowers a gardener can grow indoors. Best of all, water and a bit of light are all it takes to coax these bulbs into producing their huge flowers that are 6 to 8 inches across. It takes six weeks for this shoot to elongate and produce two to four gigantic flowers. Many of the bulbs are sold already potted up in soil. If not, use well-draining potting soil, rich in organics, and a 6 to 8 inch pot that allows for an inch or two of soil between the bulb and the pot’s rim. A heavy pot is recommended since the average amaryllis stalk can reach 2 and a half to 3 feet and will tip over a light container if not supported. After the plant has bloomed, it can be cut down and taken outside until time to return inside. Some people have luck with these the second time around.
Without much fuss and even less public attention, the nation’s egg producers are in the midst of a multibillion-dollar shift to cage-free eggs that is dramatically changing the lives of millions of hens in response to new laws and demands from restaurant chains.
Pushed by voter initiatives in California and other states as well as pressure from fast food restaurant chains and major grocers, egg producers are freeing chickens from cages and letting them move throughout hen houses.
McDonald’s buys about 2 billion eggs annually has gradually shifted to cage-free after customers have wanted this. A Gallup poll from 2015 found that nearly two-thirds of Americans thought animals deserved protection from harm and exploitation. Besides building structures with more space, companies had to figure out how to feed birds that could move about and how to collect their eggs. More workers and more feed were also needed because hens moving around would work up more of an appetite.