1983, 1988–1990

(1983 journal entries, 1988 calendar summary, 1989 journal entries and calendar summary, 1990 journal entries and calendar summary)

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you. John 15:16

1983 Journal Entries

May 10

I hate the idea of Mom not being "next door." This is a new experience for me – I've always had her at hand.

Today I've offered many special prayers for Jon J. and the Shirley family – what great sorrow is theirs!

It's good to have Gayle and the children home to pop in at any time. God is so good – oh, that we might praise Him more and magnify His name.

Note: Grandma Rosie had moved from the farm to North Star Apartments in Roseau. She was only 81 years old and had raised all of her children on the farm and lived there, even after Grandpa died in 1974. Even though she was in relatively good health, some of her children thought that she should not live alone. Mom was not one of those who believed that Grandma needed to move, and she was very sad when it happened.

June 5

The crops don't look too bad despite the heavy rain. In fact, some look nice. Roy has been so concerned about not being able to pay expenses and interest this fall.

Wayne started working for a construction crew this month. It's lonely not having him pop in and out during the day. The "little ones" are such a joy and really keep the old tepee hopping. Pam and Wayne and Gayle and Bill work pretty steadily. What fun when Joyce, Rod, Shawn and Sharon come out, and now another seems to be added to the crew (Jerry). I am so blessed with so many loved ones around me.

Last Sunday the airplane came to spray the barley. What a riot! So much excitement for doing so little?

Today I spanked Katie and Tony. I felt so downhearted, but they were real friends the rest of the day. I pray that they understand why and not think of me as an ogre – I love them so much.

Mom left for Uncle Christ's in Bottineau – she'll be gone a couple of weeks.

1988 Calendar Summary

Thirty-four calves were born from February 23rd to May 8th (exceptions: first calf was born the last of August, 1987 and the second one was born sometime in January). A calf was born to #91 on March 31st. On June 28th "a brand new "Si" (bull) joined the herd. Only one calf died this year.

During this year, Wayne sold cattle in January. The Farmer's Union dividend in January was $29.36 and January expenses totaled $106.25. Mom recorded expenses that included everything from antifreeze for the tractor ($22.23) to mineral blocks for the cattle ($7.00).

1989 Journal Entries

June 15

Today was such a pleasant day! Roy and I drove to Thief River and took Gayle, Tony, Joyce, Jena, Katie, Linsay and Rozie with us – all in one car! What a group of wonderful people – I love them all!

I pray for Wayne. He seemed so distressed this morning.

Tomorrow is the day – the girls and kids are biking to Roseau (It was a success!).

Notes: 1) Yes, the number of people in Mom and Dad's totaled nine! Of course, Jena was just a baby and Rozie only four years old, but, still, the conditions must have been crowded. 2) For a few years in a row, Joyce, Gayle and Pam, and whatever kids had the inclination, either walked, rollerbladed, or biked to Roseau, a mere 21 miles away. It took them most of the day to make the trip, and someone would pick them up in town to return home.

November 1

God is so good! Little Hannah will be all right. The hard fractures will take time to heal but there are no internal injuries elsewhere. Pam's ankle will heal also. Praise the Lord!

Note: Mom was referring to an accident when Hannah was about three months old. Pam was carrying her and slipped on some ice on the stairs and fell. She and Hannah had to spend a night in the hospital for observation because Hannah sustained a skull fracture and the doctor had to keep an eye on brain activity. Pam must have hurt her ankle in the accident.

November 3

Opening deer hunting weekend! Bill flew into Thief River and Roy went to pick him up. I pray that the "boys" will have a good relationship in their Jakt Stuga – and have good luck in getting their deer too.

August Eklund died after fighting cancer for some months. His life was a real testimony of faith in Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. He surely must have stored up treasures in Heaven.

I've definitely made the decision to retire after this term. To make it stick, I'm destroying materials as I go along. I still don't know if that's the way to go, but I'll just have to trust the Lord to lead me.

Note: The "Jakt Stuga" is a Norwegian term meaning "the shack." It is the place where the men in our family stay while they hunt and spin yarns around the campfire after a day of hunting. Women are invited to the Jakt Stuga for after supper campfires and special occasions, such as kids' birthdays.

December 1

Judy and the boys arrived for their extended stay - it will be fun to have them here and get to know them. Can we all live together peacefully for four months, I wonder?

Note: Here Mom is talking about the sabbatical I was given by the University of Toledo in 1989-1990 when I took the boys to the farm for four months, so they could have the experience of attending a rural school and spending time with their cousins. My plan was to do some research in Mom's first and second grade classroom, a necessary requirement for my sabbatical request to be granted.

1989 Calendar Summary

Once again, Mom recorded the birth dates for all the 43 calves that were born during the period of March 4th to May 27th. The bulls got out with the cows on January 12th because of deep snow and again on January 21st. A cow aborted her calf the week of January 16th, and two little darlings died in April (one froze to death). May expenses included $496.82 for wheat seed, $10 for Bolus pills (calves), $5 for fire repair, $17.40 for filters, $17.65 for a calf replacer, and $5.08 for a chain.

1990 Journal Entries

February 1

All fears have been put aside – we are having a great time. Wayne fixed up a little office and living quarters for Judy and the boys in his basement. That alleviated so much congestion in this little house. I'm really enjoying the boys and truly loving them. They are such good kids. Zachie has accepted the fact that he has a short fuse and is doing something about it – even laughing at himself!

Tony is making great strides at growing up and controlling his temper also. How I love them all!

It is such a mild winter – so much fun to be outdoors. The kids are really enjoying themselves with their cousins. We get to snocat without freezing.

Two weeks later: Everyone left for the annual Presidents' Day ski weekend at Boyne. That's cruelty to old people! I'm so used to having 12-15 people around that living alone is hard to handle.

Everyone returned safely – happy and tired. Thanks to God once again for His protective hand.

February 23

Jenny starts work at the Patch; Chris is already working at Farmer's Union. They want the extra money but a lot of freedom will be sacrificed. Chris wants to buy a four-wheeler and a helmet.

April 1

Judy and the boys left for home this weekend. I hope they enjoyed themselves here, but I know they were anxious to get home.

They had car trouble in Janesville (again!) – must be their nemesis. The transmission ceased to work so Bill had to drive from Toledo to pick them up and then return to Janesville for the van later.

Note: Mom's "again" refers to a car accident we had in Janesville in 1982, when Willie was four and Zach two. That time, we were also returning from the farm where we had enjoyed a wonderful summer vacation. It was a more serious accident, unlike this incident which only involved car trouble.

April 8

More snow now than all winter long – seven and a half inches fell last night.

Easter came and went. We had a good day. I called Judy and her family – her voice is still gone from the cow incident!

Note: While I was home those four months, Wayne, Mom, Dad and I arranged a schedule whereby one of us would check the pasture at various times during the night for calves that had recently been born. On one of those nights, I had the two o'clock run so I made my way into the middle of the pasture to see if any of those little darlings had been born. I shined my flashlight around the huddle and decided that all was well. On my way back to the fence, I heard a noise behind me and looked back to see a cow rapidly picking up her pace. It was when I thought I could feel her breath on my back that I knew I was in trouble. I ran to the electric fence and realized that I couldn't get under it fast enough, so I picked up a stick that was lying on the ground, and brandished it in front of the cow until she retreated. During this whole time, I was yelling for Mom and Dad, who eventually heard me and came to my rescue. I had laryngitis for several months after that event. By the way, I held no animosity toward the mama cow. ... she was just doing her job: protecting her baby.

May

So far a nice month – but sunny days are interspersed with lots of cold and some snow!

The last little calf was born on May 3rd – a nice, big bull calf.

We had our teachers' banquet on May 4th – I surely enjoyed it! We honored Lloyd who retired last summer and Jeannette E. along with a couple of bus drivers.

Little Hannah has been very sick with an infection in both ears!

I suppose this was my last spring program. This retirement decision is the hardest I've had to make. I've taught all my life and teaching has become a real part of me! But then, I'm resilient and can make a switch even at 64.

We had a very hard frost – down to 20 degrees.

Our trip to the Tetons was great. I never thought I would get to see so much natural beauty – breathtaking at times! Pam and Hannah and Sharon and Jena stayed home – we missed them very much and they were glad to see us when we got back. All that distance travelling and not one single mishap with either car – oh, how I praise the Lord and thank Him for His goodness!

Fall

Very, very dry – I wish it would rain but that too is something that God must handle. The garden was good, despite the lack of rain. The potatoes and corn are excellent.

We transplanted some strawberries and raspberries closer to the well so they could be watered. I really hope they'll winter okay. I miss having berries to eat and care for.

Pam didn't lose her job – instead she got full-time work doing what she enjoys. Everyone is busy. Sometimes I wonder what I would do without them all around. How blessed we are!

Life is progressing well without going to school. I enjoy subbing and it keeps me in the thick of things. I have no trouble keeping busy on the farm, helping with all that needs to be done before winter comes.

The children are all growing and everyone is an individual. Shawn and Dale aren't married yet – Dale says you can't rush into these things. He's very nice and is fitting into the group very well. Sharon is going with Andy who seems very quiet, but he and Sharon obviously like each other. And little Jena – what a doll! We surely love her and thank God for her – smart as a whip and a real bombshell.

Besides going to school, Jenny and Chris are working part-time – keeps them out of mischief and gives them the extra spending money they like. Jenny takes school very seriously and is on the A honor roll, but Chris is more nonchalant – he does okay and that's good enough. He has grown quite a bit this year and is becoming a good-looking young man.

Tony is a fifth grader and I believe that he's taking the responsibility for doing the best he can – and really, that's good. He too is growing up. Katie is in the 6th grade – I can't believe that she'll be in junior high pretty soon. She's a very good student and has a lovely personality. I think I'm losing Beezy – her activities keep her so busy, but, thankfully, she still finds time to stay with Grandpa and Grandma. Rozie is so cute and still likes to do things with Grandpa and me. Little Hannah is growing – not so much in stature, but in development. She walked very early and became independent very quickly – what a little imp!

Judy keeps us posted on Willie, Zach and Jon. I still get very lonesome for them and love them a lot.

The Christmas season is fast approaching. But the weather is not cooperating – very warm and no snow, like mid-October. Is this just a weather prank or is it part of the global warming they're talking about? Roy has talked about global warming for a long time. It frightens me!

Mom is so good. She went with us to the cookie exchange at Joyce's on Sunday – I think she enjoyed the company and baking.

Norma's little Derek died in November. They all grieve for him but God knows what is best. He didn't have a chance here and just think of how happy he is with Jesus. It must be especially hard for the family this time of the year.

Christmas

What a beautiful time of year! We got our snowfall earlier so it is very white and peaceful looking. But, as usual, the temperature slipped incredibly low – 30 degrees below and a little lower.

The children are such a blessing – they make every day worth living! Judy and her family could not be here this year but she makes certain that they are with us in love and in spirit. Gayle arranged for Santa to appear (isn't that just like her!) and the children's eyes almost popped out of their heads. Grandma Rosie was out and that always makes Christmas dearer. She's 86 but she's very active – I love her dearly. We have begun to go to Pam and Wayne's for gift opening – that was a brilliant move as they have so much more room. Christmas is Christ's birthday and we want more than anything else for Him to be present with us. How sad it would be if He didn't love us so much!

December 25: Wayne and Pam and girls and Sandy and her two girls left today for Arizona and New Mexico to visit Pam's brothers, Steve and Dave. They are stopping at Phyllis' along the way. It's a long journey and they will be gone for two weeks. Rozie was very "unsettled" about being gone so long and I'll be happy when they're home again. God, give them traveling mercies.

1990 March, April, May, and June Calendar Summary

Twenty-five calves were born in March, 14 in April (April 9th and April 30th in the snow) and two in May for a total of 41 calves. In June, there was a separation of the cows; some were herded into the draw and others went south.

1991

(1991 journal entries and March-October calendar summary)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus!

I Thessalonians 5:16

1991 Journal Entries

January 3

Gayle and Bill and family came back – they had a good trip.

January 9

Wayne and Pam and family also came home from Arizona where they had a good time. Now things will get back to normal. Sure was quiet around here. I'm glad that Joyce, Jena and the Warroad people were still around – it's always great having them close by.

January 15

Today's the day: Will we go to war? What a tremendous burden for us! Wayne shipped 30 head of cattle with Dwayne. I got to sub three days for Sara who miscarried – so sad.

Note: The war Mom mentions is, of course, Operation Desert Storm waged by coalition forces from 34 nations led by the United States against Iraq which had invaded Kuwait.

February 2

This morning I heard an unusual bird sing – very pretty. It's so mild.

I went to town early and stayed all day. I saw Tony play a hockey game, visited with Gayle, and went to see Grandma; Don and Gerry were there. In the evening, I watched Chris' team play, but they were so rough and tumble that I'm glad Chris didn't play much. Chris and I came home about 7:30, and we noticed that most of the fields were bare – must have really melted today.

Sunday – another unusually mild day; more snow melted. We all went on a picnic in the evening at Bemis Hill. The children had a great time.

The cows are taking advantage of the winter thaw – they're out grazing in the pasture and that's something for the beginning of February!

I'm going to sub for Sara on Thursday and Friday – great!

Note: This was early to have a picnic, even for the Pearsons who were noted for being the first to set out for Bemis Hill in the spring and the last to enjoy a picnic in the fall.