I decided to put Suny's picture at the beginning of this blog entry, since it is mostly about him. This is one of my favorite photos of him. He looks so sweet, and he is as sweet as he looks.

So much has happened since I last posted. I thank my niece Susan's son Austin for his post on one of my blogs. That comment has made me realize that my memories are of value to some members of my family, and that I should keep on posting them.

I don't think I've posted much about our current dog, Suny. I got him from an area vet who formerly raised Shetland Sheepdogs, and showed them around the country and in Canada. This little dog was so sweet, and he has been our constant companion for many years. We got him in 2004 when he was just a few months old, and he has traveled all over the country with us (we have not flown recently, except for David's trip to Berkeley in early March to attend the funeral of his uncle Rex. I stayed home with the dog and the chickens!)

I don't see a photo of dear little Suny in this blog, so I will add a few, and tell you about him.

Suny was new at our house when this photo was taken. It must have been some time in the fall of 2004, as he was born in August of that year. Shelties are extremely intelligent dogs, and Suny is no exception. He knows a lot of words we use to talk to him, and he is very obedient, unless he decides he doesn't want to be, which is not often. He lies next to David's chair each evening, and if one or the other of us is gone, he is not quite at ease until we are both back home. Suny sleeps next to our bed on the floor of our bedroom. He thinks he is one of the family, and we agree.

In this photo, Suny is a bit older, and is showing his mature coloring...I would call him a 'tri-color'...with mostly reddish-tan fur, with black tips, and with a white collar, nose, feet, and belly. He has tons of fur, and when he gets brushed, a pile the size of another complete dog appears on the floor next to the person who is in charge of the grooming (either David or me...we don't take him to a groomer...he would be too nervous.)

In the above photo, Suny is lying near our couch at the Research Farm. The year was 2008, and Suny was four years old.

Here is a photo taken at the home of my son Dave and his wife Carol. This was one of the times Suny and I stayed at their home while they were on vacation, and took care of their house and their cats. The cat outside is a feral cat they called 'Bratty.' He earned that name when he took a swipe at my daughter-in-law's hand as she sat a bowl of food out on their deck for him. The photo below was also taken at their house, perhaps the same year. Suny rather enjoyed trying to relate with their house cats, but sometimes the cats were not so sure. Usually by the time we had been there a few days, they were less concerned about him, and sometimes even tried to play with him.

Suny has been in many states with us, including when we made our trip to North and South Dakota in 2009, as we explored places where my paternal grandparents lived, and where my father grew up.

This is a photo of David and Suny looking out over the Theodore Roosevelt National Park which extends along the western part of North Dakota. My father told of a picnic he and his family were on in this area when he came upon a nest of rattle snakes. My aunt Rachel (wearing her long skirts of that time - the early 1900s) was fortunate to have on that long skirt, as it became a barrier against the strike of one of those snakes as she accidentally jumped over their nest in the long grass!

This photo of Suny has him beneath the table in the RV we had rented for that 2009 trip to the Dakotas. He always liked being underneath something, and to this day, is most comfortable when he is in some type of 'den.' Our trip was fun, but the roads near the Bakken oil field with such a large vehicle made parts of it more adventurous than we enjoy. The blacktop roads were pretty narrow, with barely any shoulder between the road and the deep ditches and hills of which this area is composed. And, there were many trucks traveling these roads. At one point, a van began to pass a truck before it had full view of the coming traffic (us!), and we had to pull onto the shoulder to avoid a collision. That was very scary, since our vehicle was quite wide, and the shoulder not really wide enough for three big vehicles side-by-side. But, we didn't go off the edge, and all was well. I do think that all three drivers were pretty shaken by the incident, though.

Here is a shot of one of the many oil pumps that scattered over the countryside in western Dakota. I believe I took this shot just north of Buffalo, South Dakota (near where my father lived for a time - 35 miles south of town - on a homestead in a sod house when he was about 11 years old.)

In the summer of 2010, we spent the night in an old Norwegian log cabin located near Decorah, Iowa. This cabin (called Fern Hollow Cabin) was once lived in by Norwegian settlers in the area, and is furnished and equipped exactly as it would have been at the original time of its use. There was an indoor composting toilet, and an outdoor outhouse. The house was filled with antique furnishings and with historical information, and we enjoyed our stay there. In the photo above, Suny is in the living room of the cabin, next to the old trunk and child's stool, exploring his new surroundings.

This photo is of Suny in the summer of 2010. He's certainly become a handsome dog, hasn't he?

In the photo above, Suny was sitting in front of a beautiful crab apple tree that was in the yard at the Iowa State University Research Farm in Kanawha where we lived while David worked there (until his retirement in 2014).

This is a photo I took of Suny as he sat in the back seat of our car. He looks so very intelligent, and indeed, he is...

Both of the above photos were taken in September of 2011 when Suny was 7 years old. 

In the photo above, Suny is getting a treat from Hannah, David's niece and a daughter of his brother Joel. Every holiday Suny was with us when David's family gathered to enjoy time with David's mother, Ann. This photo was taken at the common dining area for visitors to residents of the complex where Ann Rueber lived before she moved to Windhaven Assisted Living. The date would have been during the 2011 holiday season.

In the fall of 2013, we traveled to the Dallas, Texas area, and then on to Phoenix, and back home. In this photo, Suny and David are relaxing at our La Quinta Inn Motel room in Plano, Texas. We spent several days in that area visiting with Alitza.

While in the Dallas area, we visited the Dallas Museum of Art, and saw the Jim Hodges exhibit. Nellie, the daughter of our friends from Kanawha, Dawn and Ray Bassett, helped with the sewing of the gigantic fabric wall mural designed by Jim Hodges, and I wanted to be sure to see the original. It is amazing, and Nellie should be very proud for her work on this beautiful piece. I have a poster of the work framed and hanging in my living room.

After leaving the Dallas area, we traveled through Lubbock, Texas, and visited the Buddy Holly Center (although at the time of day we were there, the museum was not yet open). Here is David with Suny posed in the giant frame of glasses similar to those worn by Buddy Holly.

While we were traveling, we came upon an area where there were 'pictograph' rocks. David went on the trail, but I kept Suny in the car with me, since many of these places do not allow pets to accompany their owners on the trails. I don't recall exactly where these pictographs were located, but the scenery in the background of the photo suggests near the eastern side of the mountains in New Mexico. In any case, Suny looks like he is getting the scent of some animal, and he seems quite interested.

We stopped at this 'outpost' on Hwy 60 through New Mexico, and spoke briefly with the owner, who spent some of his time as a hunting guide for elk. He was not happy about the reintroduction of wolves to the area, as they were known to attack young elk (and that would have cut down on his business...) Needless to say, I was adamant about the fact that wolves were there long before people, and had a right to their natural habitat. We had seen a sign along the highway warning people about wolves, and heard tales of wolves close to human habitat. I can see that a parent might be worried about a small child waiting for a school bus on a dark winter morning, especially if the stop was a distance away from that child's house. But, there had at that time been no known attacks by wolves on children. Of more concern might be leaving a small dog tied outside, as that animal could look like 'lunch' to a hungry wolf...

More of the scenery on that road (Highway 60 through New Mexico).

Suny and David enjoying the beautiful bougainvillea and other flowering plants in Diane and Jerry's yard. This area is where pets are allowed to spend time outside, and in the lower part of the photo, you can see one of their Yorkies.

In this shot, David and Suny are exploring the 'family' part of the back yard. In November, the weather is lovely in Phoenix!

David is looking out over the view from South Mountain near Phoenix, with Diane's help in explaining what he is viewing.

In the photo above, Jerry is telling David some facts about the area near Sedona, AZ as we were on our way back home in November of 2013. At that same time, we stopped at Jerome, AZ before we all went up to Flagstaff and had lunch with my grandson Russell and his girlfriend, Molly. After that lunch, David and I and Suny headed back east toward home.

David walking Suny with Diane alongside in Jerome, AZ.

Suny is looking up at the camera. This shot was taken in the kitchen of the house on the Iowa State University Research Farm when we still lived there, taken before November of 2014.

This photo shows Suny asleep on the sheepskin rug at the farm house in Kanawha. The photo would have been taken before November of 2014.

There was an old, hollow and rotten tree in the back yard of our acreage. This photo shows Suny sitting in front of the downed tree, showing how 'empty' it had become. This photo was taken in the fall of 2014.

The above photo was taken in April of 2015. David and I were on a trip through parts of the south to visit Civil War sites where my great-grandfather and my great-grand-uncle fought in the mid 1800s. This was taken at Fort Fisk.

In the photo above, David and Suny are walking across the Taos Gorge Bridge as we were on our way to Phoenix to attend the wedding of Diane and Jerry's daughter, Krista, which took place on November 7, 2015. The photo was taken on November 3, of 2015.

No, Suny did not attend the wedding. Diane's Yorkies and 'Uncle Suny' stayed at Diane and Jerry's house during the ceremony, where Suny was quite happy to spend time with these busy little dogs!

Suny may have some allergies because he tends to lick one paw or the other until there is no fur left in one spot on that paw. In the photo above, he is wearing his 'cone of shame' which helps keep him from licking himself raw. Needless to say, Suny is not fond of this arrangement!

In the three photos above, Suny is outside while David tears down the old shed that was behind the house. This took place in February of 2016.

Suny, asleep once again, in his bed. We usually bring the bed up during colder weather, since he likes to snuggle in it. When it is warmer, the bed gets moved to the family room in our lower level, where he rarely uses it. He is so covered with thick fur that he doesn't need any extra warmth around him when it's warm out. The photo is in the living room at the acreage at Christmas time of 2016.

A familiar holiday cookie that has been made by the Rueber family for years are these little round goodies seen in this photo. Suny loves Kliigans, too, so he always waits while David is spreading them out to cool, just in case one falls on the floor. Yes, he gets to keep the ones that fall!

Here is another shot of Suny taking his nap in the living room, with our Christmas tree glittering near him.

This photo shows Suny as he and David come back from getting the mail on a cold and wintery day.

Here is our most recent photo of Suny. David took this as Suny had his nap on the floor near the living room couch. As he gets older, Suny sleeps more and more. At his visit to the vet for a complete physical last fall (2016), it was found that Suny has a tumor in his bladder. He is taking a pain medication, and that seems to be working pretty well at allowing him to remain comfortable. But, we know his time with us is limited, and we are dreading the day when he is no longer able to remain without pain. We have contacted the local veterinarian and will take Suny in for an exam soon (It is now May of 2017). After that exam, when the time comes to let him go, we will have a person close by to help with that situation. We love this dog, and will not let him suffer. He has been a loyal companion for almost 13 years. As long as he is comfortable, we will continue to enjoy his company. Each day we are grateful for this beautiful dog and his loving temperament.

Hi, folks! Here is my recipe (actually from the Tassajara Bread Book) for yummy Summer Swedish Rye Bread:

1.

• 6 c. lukewarm water (85-105 degrees) 
• 2 T. yeast (2 packages) 
• grated peel from 4 oranges
• 1/2 - 3/4 c. sweetening (honey, molasses, brown sugar - I used honey, but molasses would make a nice, darker loaf)
• 2 c. powdered dry milk (optional)
• 1 T. anise seeds
• 1 T. caraway seeds
• 7-9 c. unbleached white organic flour (or organic bread flour)

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in sweetening and dry milk. Stir in anise and caraway seeds, and then the white or bread flour. Mix well with a long wooden spoon (takes some arm strength to do this...I get David to do it! - 100 strokes until flour is incorporated.)

Let dough rise for 60 minutes in a really big bowl (I use a Tupperware big mixing bowl - sold Tupperware a couple of times over the years, and I have a good supply of that kitchen ware...) The lid will probably pop open after a short time due to the wonderful action of the yeast gases. Just set the lid on top of the bowl, and let it work.

2.

• 2 T. salt (a bit more, or less - I usually don't put in more than 2 T.)
• 1/2-1 c. oil (I use walnut oil, but other nice oils can be used, as can melted, cooled butter
• 8-9 c. rye flour

Mix the salt and oil into the sponge, then add the rye flour (I don't put all of it in at once, but rather add it until it seems to not want to absorb any more - you can get too much flour in the dough, if the weather is dry...and sometimes when it is humid, you need more to avoid it sticking to everything, including your hands!) When the dough starts to come away from the sides of the bowl, it is getting to a good place.

Knead on floured surface, using more whole wheat flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the surface, continuing to knead for 10-15 minutes until dough is smooth.
Let rise for 50 minutes.
Punch down.
Let rise 40 minutes.
Shape into loaves. (I divide the dough into fourths, and roll each portion into a log, from one end to the other, which makes the bread form a nice loaf, and helps to avoid large air holes in the dough).
Let rise in the baking pans for 20 minutes. (I use regular loaf pans, sprayed with Pam or an other cooking spray.) When the loaves are slightly rounded and coming above the top of the pans, they are about ready to bake. You don't want to let them rise too long, or they become too 'airy.'
Bake in a 350 degree oven (pre-heat while the dough is in the last rise of 20 minutes). Bake for one hour, or until the loaves are nice and brown and sound hollow when tapped.
Remove from the pans and let cool on a wire rack, or eat right away!

Yum!

Using whole wheat flour for kneading

      

A Lot of Trips Out West...

This photo is of Doug's oldest son, Russell. I went out to his graduation in 2007, which took place in the Phoenix area. Somewhere in my various boxes of photos, I have a picture of myself with Russell in his cap and gown, but right now, I can't locate it. So, here is the family...

As you can see on the photo, the date of Russell's graduation from high school was May 25, 2007. Left to right - Mickey, Hannah, Russell, and Sarah.

Krista was the next one to graduate, I don't have photos of that event. Not sure why...maybe they will turn up as I get more into sorting... Here is one of her senior photos. She also graduated in 2007, and I was there for that.

Here I am with my two daughters.... Alitza next to me, and Diane on the far right. I can't remember if this was at Krista's graduation, but I think it was. The ceremony was held at an outdoor football field, so we had a quilt and some seat pads along for comfort.

I tried to be present for my grandkids' important occasions, and in this case, I had flown to Phoenix for the graduation. Unfortunately, I have not kept good records about these trips, so I don't have dates to go with some of these photos. 

Many times when I was in Phoenix, it was at the time of year I could attend my granddaughter, Krista's dance recitals.  David often did not come with me, as his work at the research farm was always very busy during the spring and early summer. We were really only able to take vacations together in August, when he had a bit of a break between the planting and growing seasons, and the fall harvest. He had a big field day at least once a year, and had an annual garden field day as well, and sometimes there was also a field day in the spring. On those occasions, we often had busloads of students from area schools, as well as area farmers, and sometimes state and university dignitaries attending these events, so it was important that the farm looked really good and that all the work was caught up. 

With my first grandkids close together in age, I was out in Phoenix pretty often to attend their graduations. Now that they are nearly all grown up and out of their parents' homes, I don't get to see them very often, so the times when I do get to be together with them are special.

My trips out to visit my kids in the Phoenix area were sometimes interesting. One time, Alitza and I flew out to visit, and on the plane going out there, we sat next to a man from Japan. He spoke very good English, and we struck up a conversation. He gave a candy bar from his dinner tray to Alitza (yes, back then, dinner was provided, as were drinks and snacks...), and that smoothed the way to talking to me. He told me that he owned a big paper company in Tokyo and that he often traveled to the U.S. on business. He also told me that he and his wife enjoyed theater and drinking. (Interesting combination!) When the plane landed in Phoenix, I thought that would be the last I would see or hear about him, but I got a package after we got back to Kanawha, and it contained a beautiful Japanese hanging calendar. I assume it was produced by his company. He also sent a letter, but in reading it, it came to me that he wanted to send his kids to America, and that he was looking for a family to 'sponsor' them. Well, I just couldn't have done that at that time...had to work, and didn't really have enough room for any extra people living in our little house. So, eventually, the correspondence with him ended, and I never heard from Mr. Uda again (think that was his name, but it's been a long time...) I still have that calendar, and now it is hanging in my art room as a decoration. Life can bring all sorts of surprises!

I am planning on posting some of the photos I took on various trips out to visit Diane and her family, and Doug and his family. At that time, Diane and Jerry lived near Auwatukee and Doug and Gail lived in Scottsdale, so a visit out there made it possible to see both families.

Here is Tyler in his slightly soggy graduation cap and robe. That night while we watched the ceremonies, it began to rain. The graduates were all seated on chairs on the football field, and they got pretty wet. But, we had a good time anyway. And, in Phoenix, in May, it is usually pretty warm...

Here is Mickey, Doug's youngest son. This is his graduation photo, and his graduation took place in 2010. I was not able to attend his ceremony because that same time my sister and her husband from Dallas were going to be visiting in Iowa, and I felt I needed to be there. As it turned out, it was a good thing that I went to see them in Cedar Rapids, because that was the last time I saw either of them. My sister Margaret was on oxygen at the time, and her health continued to fail. She passed away in September of 2012, and her husband Al died in 2011. Neither of them were able to come to Iowa and visit again after that time in 2010. I don't know how I knew that I needed to not be gone while there were in Iowa, but call it a 'gut' feeling....I knew... 

I found this photo of Sarah with her graduation gown on, but I'm sure I have a better one somewhere. I'll try to post it once I locate it. I am not certain what year she graduated, but I think it might be 2011. These first five grandchildren were born very close together.

I also went out for bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs, so my visits were frequent then. Now, Doug's youngest daughter Hannah is the only one still at home, so I don't go out often. Hannah will graduate in a few more years, and I will make every effort to be there for it!

Meanwhile, I will keep on adding stories and photos about my life and activities. I will try to keep it somewhat interesting, but I am pretty sure only family members will want to spend time reading it all...

Until next time...  I have to go put my feet up. Today was a rather nice day, and I got a lot done... washed the screens and got them on, planted some big pots with flowers for the patio, painted a little wren house that hangs on our deck, brought some deck furniture and decor upstairs and put it out on the deck, and now I'm aching and tired. Both David and I have arthritis, and especially when we are active, those old joints begin to show our age. Tonight it's my ankles... So, folks, later....

  

My Life Working...

When we moved to Kanawha in 1977, after David finished his studies at Iowa State University and got his Masters degree, I applied and got a job working at the local newspaper. My first bosses were the Johnsons, owners at that time of the newspaper. I had my own IBM Selectric typewriter, so I did most of the typing at home, putting the news in columns that could then be pasted up onto the sheets of layout paper to be printed on newsprint at the printers. 

I did this kind of work every week until after Alitza was born, and after I decided I wanted to return to college to get my teaching certificate. As I posted earlier, I lived in Ames in married student housing for the months when I was in class, and came home the rest of the time to live in Kanawha. I took Alitza with me some of the time, and other times when I had tests and needed to study, she stayed at the home of my babysitters in Kanawha, and David took care of her during the evenings and weekends when he wasn't working.

After I got my degree in Art Education, and my teaching certificate, I returned home to work and live until David retired in 2014. As mentioned previously, I did some substitute teaching, but never was able to find a position in the area to teach art. I grew tired of substitute teaching, and was also working at the newspaper office part-time (it was only operating with open hours on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings until my boss took the layout sheets to the printer to have that week's issue of the Kanawha Reporter printed and bundled to be mailed and delivered.)

We made good friends with the people who also worked at the newspaper, and after it was sold, first to Ed and Barb Dorsey, and then to Rodger and Beth Tveiten, I continued working there. When Rodger bought the newspaper, he moved it to an apartment on Main Street, and we operated from that spot for several years. Later, he bought a building across from the new telephone company building. In fact, the building he bought had formerly been the telephone company office. That place was where I spent half of my weeks from that time until I retired in about 2006. (I retired at the age of 66 years.)

We did a lot of socializing with the people I worked with, and the photo below is an example of that. This was taken December 20, 1980, at the home of Louise and Bob Smith. Louise was a typist at the newspaper.

On the left, David is seated in one of Louise's pretty off-white swivel rockers. Louise loved red, and her carpeting was red, as can be seen in this photo. And, there I am, in my red outfit (from my sister Merry), coordinating quite nicely with the decor!

This is a photo of my boss, Rodger Tveiten, at the same Christmas party. (Louise had a habit of writing on her photos...a real no-no if you want them for 'posterity!') This must have been shortly after the Tveitens bought the paper, and just a couple of years after Alitza was born.

This photo was taken at an anniversary party we gave for Bill and Twila Schroeder. A corner of the anniversary cake can be seen in the lower right corner. I don't recall which anniversary we were celebrating, but it was a nice party, as we were dressed up in our nice stuff, and the good dishes and crystal is on the table! In the photo, Beth Tveiten is on the left in the turquoise dress, Rodger is in the center, and I am on the right, once again wearing a nice dress Merry gave to me. Back then, I was only about 145 lbs. and I could wear many of her clothes!

Louise's husband, Robert, had died in 1984, and by the time of this party in 1986, she was dating again. Louise was 71 years old on this birthday. In this photo, in the back row, are Twila and Bill Schroeder, Homer Hitchcock (Louise's current date at that time), and David. In front are Beth Tveiten, Louise with her birthday cake, and me. Often when we had a party, Rodger would bring movie tickets that he received from area theaters as payment for running their ads, and we would all go to a movie. It was a fun time, and they were fun people.

I was becoming a close friend to Louise, and was usually a 'sounding board' for her personal life issues. Louise had just one child, a son, and he lived in Rochester, MN, so after Robert's death, she sort of 'adopted' me, and we were close friends. I ended up being her power of attorney in 2000, and remained in that capacity until 2012, well after she entered the nursing home at the age of 91 years. 

In this rather blurry photo, I am again wearing one of the outfits given to me by my sister Merry (thank God for Merry!). We were at Louise's house for Christmas in 1987, and I am helping in the kitchen.

This photo was taken the same year, 1987, and is definitely not at Twila's house. That is Louise's off-white velour loveseat, and her print on the wall behind David and I. But, it's possible that we had cocktails at Louise's and then went to Twila's for the dinner. (Or, Louise's notation on the back of the previous photo could be incorrect!) Anyway, there is David with his beer, me with my 'peachie' and Alitza is seated on the floor just next to me. (Louise loved to make 'peachies!')

Louise's son Ron, and his former college roommate and fellow Vietnam vet, Wayne Hoelscher, decided Louise needed to meet Wayne's widowed father, Marcus. So, they arranged a date, and the two began to see each other. On June 27, 1992, Louise and Marcus were married, and Louise asked some of her friends to serve as 'bridesmaids.' In this photo, Twila, Lucille Swan, and I are eating a bit of lunch before the start of the wedding. As you can see, I still am in my red jeans, but I do have my top on for the wedding. (We made our outfits!)

In this shot, Louise and Marcus are dressed and waiting at the stairway just before they got ready for their wedding. 

And, here they are, at the restaurant, enjoying a toast to their future, and wearing their wedding clothes!

After the wedding, a party was put on by the wedding couple, and was held at the local restaurant. In this photo are Lois Schroeder (friend of Louise, and sister-in-law to Twila and Bill Schroeder), Rodger Tveiten (my boss) and me.

And, here are David and I, waiting to be served at the dinner party after Louise and Marcus' wedding.

Louise and Marcus sold their homes eventually, and moved to a senior living complex in Rochester, MN, to be near Louise's son and grandchildren. Marcus' son lived not far away in Minneapolis, so the move was convenient for both of them.

David, Alitza and I visited Marcus and Louise at RealLife in Rochester when she was caring for her son, Ron, who had become seriously ill. Here is a photo of the two of them...Marcus and Louise.

Louise's son Ron died at the age of 50 years in 1999.  After that sad event, Louise and Marcus moved back to Kanawha, and rented a nice apartment in a new complex that had been built. 

In this silly photo, I am dressed like a witch, with 2" fake black nails, a wig and some plastic spiders on my face. I am standing outside of Louise and Marcus' apartment with Marcus, and enjoying the many kids that came 'trick-or-treating' in their neighborhood. At our house on the research farm, we had very few trick-or-treaters, and I didn't get all dressed up for nothing! (I must admit I had to have help to get over to their apartment, even though it was only on the other end of town...just a few blocks! My nails were soooo long that I couldn't open the car door without one of them popping off, so David had to drive me to their apartment!)

In 2001, Louise's granddaughter Heather got remarried, and I went with Louise and Marcus to Heather's wedding in Rochester. 

This photo was taken at Heather's wedding in July of 2001, and you can see Louise, with Marcus behind, and me sitting at a table at the reception.

In spring of 2002, Marcus had a fatal heart attack. Louise was once again alone, and I became her sometime companion. I took her shopping weekly to Mason City, and we always ate lunch, usually at Applebee's, and had a pretty good time. Louise was a very fun lady!

Louise often had someone from town drive her to Rochester for doctor appointments and to visit Heather and Michael, her two grandchildren who lived there. She had various drivers, usually retired men from the community who wanted to do something useful with their time, and offered this service. Eventually, she hired Bill Dahl to drive for her, and they became close friends. Bill was a widower and lived in an apartment on the same side of town as Louise's apartment. They spent many hours playing cards, and singing while Louise played the organ (she had been organist for the Kanawha United Methodist Church for many years, and was exemplary as a musician.)

Here are Louise and Bill, seated on her pretty dark green velour couch, accompanied by all of Louise's stuffed bears! They were happy together.

In November of 2005, Louise and Bill were married at the Methodist church.

This is a photo of them at their wedding. Once again, Louise had her favorite color worked into the scheme of things... red!

Here she 'plants a big one' on David, who doesn't seem to mind!

I don't really remember the reason for this gathering of our group, but it was on November 16, 2005, and Rodger Tveiten was making good use of his camera!

Here are David and I, at that dinner.

In this shot, left to right, Carol, Louise and Beth Tveiten, enjoying eating out.

Now...we're starting to get a little silly...

Louise got sick and after an extended illness and hospitalization, she entered the Kanawha Community Home on June 16, 2006, where she lived out the rest of her life. Bill moved to an apartment across from the nursing home, and visited her every day until her death January 10, 2013. She had picked a loyal man, as Bill's first wife Ruth spent 11 years at the nursing home, and he visited her every day as well. Bill had become a regular fixture at the Kanawha Community Home, and he did many good deeds, until he also passed away, a few years after the death of Louise. Below is the last photo I have of Louise, after she had been at the nursing home for several years. She had become a 'shadow' of the fun-loving woman who had been my friend, but I continued to visit her and remained her power of attorney until her death. David and I cleaned out her apartment when Bill decided he didn't need such a large apartment. Bill moved to a smaller apartment, taking some of their furniture to use there.  His new, smaller apartment was right across the street from the nursing home, and he spent a lot of time there.

This was Louise on her 95th birthday, seated at one of the tables in the nursing home, enjoying a piece of her birthday cake (I had ordered and picked up the cake for this party). Louise was almost 98 years old at her death. 

Everything seems to happen with some purpose. After Louise's death on January 10, 2013, David retired, and we moved to our acreage in central Iowa. (David's retirement took place November 6, 2014.) I was happy to be able to help Louise during the latter part of her life, and she was a good friend.

Since we have moved, Rodger sold the newspaper and is now retired. Twila Schroeder died suddenly at the age of 85 years, and her husband Bill died a few years after that. 

Life is never the same. People come and people go. Some leave memories that last forever, and some are less memorable. Change is a constant, and often getting used to that can be a struggle, especially as one gets older. 

So, now that we are in a different house, a different part of the state, and our lives are quite a bit different, too. But, every day has its beauties and its challenges. Life goes on, and we are both well enough to enjoy it.

Keep visiting my blog, and I'll post photos and stories about our trips and our lives, and sometimes a good recipe or some other piece worth reading.

See you later...