So, what better way to start todays blog, but to tell you I've been busy on this 96 degree day, could even hit 100, I'm guessing, but I'm in my COOL basement computer room where the temp is around 60 degrees year round. I was up at the crack of dawn when a City truck pulled up the fire plug to put water in their tank. They are black topping streets nearby and use my hydrant as the water is cleaner than a block away.

Laura had asked me last night if I would take a picture of the dumpster before it was hauled away this morning, and when I heard that diesel truck pull up, I was sure it was the truck picking up the dumpster, so out of bed I flew, got clothes on, and before anything more happened I snapped several photos for the archives.

After reading my four chapters from the Bible, Donna and I had breakfast and then she was off to the doctor to see how her ear infection was doing. They drained the ear, and prescribed some very powerful (at least expensive) eardrops, he sees no problem in her flying to Iowa next week so the plans move forward. While she was at the doctors, I went to Laura's and started ripping lathe from the bedroom walls, was worn out after a hour, but had all the lathe from ceiling down to waist high. Went back later on and took off some more. I enjoy being the destroyer, don't think its part of my emotional makeup, but when I can create a project or do something like this for others, I enjoy it.

About now, I was going to insert a photo of the old Stephenson farm house, but it didn't work. I'm still looking for your suggestions on how its done, so e-mail me the answer. Am going to go read some more from a library book, "The First Crusade" the story of how the Franks and a few other Europeans were marching to Jerusalem to eradicate the muslims who had taken over the Holy City, around 800 A.D. Its grusome in places, but it also tells me why there is so much hatred between the muslims and Christianity today. Check it out.

cherio for the present (will tell you about that saying one of these days)

Well, its a new day, and the sun is out shining brightly, its supposed to get close to 95 degrees today, we will just have to wait and see. I've been somewhat busy helping neighbors I would guess. Had a call as I was finishing up breakfast from neighbor Wanda Schmidt, saying Henry had a bunch of scrap iron for me. It was mostly old gutters plus a bunch of iron turnbuckles. Very heavy ones, used for heavy use.

Their daughter Mariam was there and I hadn't seen her for years. Told her my nephew Daryl still asks about her most every time I see him. She was a red head back when he saw her, but she said to tell Daryl, "she's not a red hear anymore, mostly grey with a few dark hairs mixed in.

Yesterday my bridal wreath bush got a haircut. Tool the electric trimmers to it, and it looks a lot cooler today. See that the poppies need to have their heads trimmed too, before all that seed falls to the ground, will let some reseed the soil, but certainly not the thousand that must be there right now.

I was hoping to type this on the word processor and transfer to this blog, but had no luck at it yesterday. Anyone got suggestions to this old boy on doing it. If so, many thanks.

Will sign off and go eat some breakfast and then tackle the day. cheers!

Well, here it is a few days later, and Donna was talking to my brother Harold today, and just as I suspected would happen, the old barn is down to the ground. People are grabbing that old stinky barn wood, and you know something? I'm not even interested at looking at the place where it used to be. If someone years ago had taken care of the roof, it would still be a good place for cattle to be in. But, time goes on, and sometimes a barn costs more on taxes than folks think its worth so down they go.

One of the saddest things I see as I have traveled across the midwest is a silent silo standing out in a field. I call them the "Silent Sentinels", they are out braving the weather, having proudly served their masters over the years, and now just stand abandoned. This is sort of the way I felt about all the roofless homes and churches in Ireland. Once proud people lived in them, and then were forced out during the famine and "before" by greedy landlords, roofs burned or just left to deteriorate, SAD.

Not too much to do around here today, went next door to Laura's house and pulled a few more lath off the walls, swept up the living room floor & kitchen floor and then came home. Took a shower to get the dust off me, and then this afternoon, sat in the shade and peeled some apples from her tree and made apple sauce. mmmmm, rather tasty, if I may say so. I'm not a good cook, but I know how to peel apples, and from the looks of the tree, we'd better get out and buy lots of sugar & cinnamon, as I think I'll need some. wonder if this program has spell check on it, find myself digging into the dictionary to see if I've spelled something right.

Have just about finished with Laura's raspberries, they got scorched last couple of weeks, and I just couldn't see pouring water on them, when we had already made many jars of jam from the early pickings. They are so delicious when they appear on my toast.

My neighbor's (in the Bonebrake house) are about ready to put some paint on their home, will be anxious to see what colors they have chose. We get a kick out of the painters, as they are very relaxed, and we often see them laying around under a tree eating or drinking pop. They had a big job as the paint on the window sills was badly cracked and peeling, so they spent more time preping it than it will take to paint. They are a neat couple and plan on tieing the knot in August, and I just think we may be there to help them celebrate, if we get back from Iowa in time.

Well, think this is it for tonight. Will try and add more family history next time I publish again.

So, here it is a few days later on, not too much has changed in the world, except in the FIFA World Soccer match, Italy has defeated France in a penalty shootout. Sadly, one of the great French players was ejected because of a head but to the opponents chest. I say sadly, because fouls do happen, whether intentional or accidental, but this RED CARd was given to the player, after an official had seen it on the screen, not something he had seen with his eyes while the play was going on. I believe umpires have the responsibility to only call what they see.

Can you imagine what would happen if each officials call was subject to review on the big screen before you were called safe or out. It just shouldn't have happened that way.

Well, on a more positive note, I finished the book of Isaiah yesterday morning, and started Jerimiah this morning. As I have since 1962, I try and read the Bible through each year, and have done so in almost every year. I read it straight from cover to cover. Used to read it 3 chapters each day but Sunday, and 5 chapters on Sunday. This year, I am reading 4 chapters each day, and seem to be ahead of what I was reading the other way. If you haven't done it, try and do it for the rest of this year, and start fresh next January 1st.

Donna found out Friday she has an impacted ear canul, that is mispelled, but can't find the right way to spell it. She is taking powerful steroids to correct the problem, and I think its working. She has a bad cough to won't let her get a good nights sleep along with the ear problem. We are hopiing it will be corrected before we fly to Iowa for Harold & Donna Mae's 50th wedding anniversary celebration.

Will sign off for now. Hope you have been successful in finding this Blog.

GRANDPA HOWARD'S CHRONICAL

So, what's this all about, you may ask? Well, its about me, Grandpa Howard.

It all started during the depression year 1933, when I arrived in this world, must have been a cold winter night, for it was January 2, 1933. I was born in the cold 2 story house on what we call the 4 corners, just west of Lafayette, Iowa. The house is the same one my father was born in some 35 years earlier in 1898.

I was the 3rd child born to Spencer and Clista Stephenson, the first son. My two older sisters were Lois and Betty, and my brother Harold was born the following year on the last day in May. That's basically our family, except for our dog Shep, and later on Tippy who was our constant companion for nearly 16 years.

We lived in that home place for four years, and then moved 1/2 mile West to what I now call the home place. Was a 4 bedroom house on two levels, cold as could be in the winter and hot in the summer on that 2nd level. We had a two hole outhouse to take care of those kind of needs. Next to the house was a pump house, which covered the pump or well which supplied all our drinking needs, for us humans as well as the livestock.

A corn crib was about 50 feet from the pumphouse, and it had a corn crib on one side, and a oats storage on the other side of a driveway between. This was completely covered, and you could easily put two wagons safely inside if the weather turned rainy in a hurry.

The barn was 30 feet to the west of the corn crib. I recently learned that the main part had been moved years before from the 4 corner place to its present location. A cattle shed was added to the West side and a horse shed was added to the East which made it a pretty large structure. As I write this today, it is still standing, but is scheduled to be torn down before the summer is out.

Well, this blog should be about something recent, so, I'll tell you what I have been doing the last couple weeks. Its been hot here for one thing, and my neighbor Laura said she was wanting to start her remodel on her home, and me being the guy I am, volunteered to help her.

I was only going to open up a space in the ceiling of her living room, so she could use my shop vac and take out the blown insulation (looks like paper) as she wanted to take the ceiling out and have a vaulted ceiling. I started with a small hole, took off some more lathe & plaster and before I knew it I had a large hole. Did this for 4 days 3 weeks ago, maybe 3 days last week, and this week I finished the living room & kitchen. In between, last saturday, some of Laura's friends came over and helped take plaster & lathe from the walls & took the front porch roof off and the cement on the porch. Also took the chimney down, and it came down with a BANG, when they got beneath the ceiling line, the darned thing fell over.

Thats it for tonight, will add more in day or so.