Summer Swimming

When I was young it seemed we often had our Grandview Covenant Church Sunday School picnics at McKennan Park in Sioux Falls, SD, so the kids could go "swimming" in their kiddie pool. These were taken in 1959, it's fun to look back at these kids who are now 50+ years old. Neighbors, cousins, and siblings having a good time, just what summer swimming is all about!

L to R: Susan, Carol, Sharon, Evelyn, Barbie, ?. Karen, Debbie, Sally.

L to R: Sharon, Carol, Barbie, Debbie, ?, Joey, ? Kathy, Stevie.

L to R: Susie, ?, Sharon, Evelyn, Barbie, ?, Karen, Debbie, Sally.

L to R: Sharon, Carol, Barbie, ?, ?, Karen, Debbie.

More Artwork

Earlier this summer, while home at my parents, I took a couple more photos of some artwork of mine that they have. Both are watercolor paintings. The painting of our house, I did around 1990, and actually painted it sitting on the ground at the top of our driveway. (our house was built at the top of a hill in 1925) The frame is a piece of art as well and was in the family.
A photo taken in 1961 on a family vacation was the blueprint for this next painting. It was taken at Itasca State Park in Minnesota where the Mississippi River starts. There was a Native American camp there with Chief Little something adding to the atmosphere. Family lore has it I was scared of the Chief, thinking he was going to scalp us. (1960's TV shows!) I love how we're holding hands for the photo: Diane, Steve, Joe, The Chief and Debbie. He was a very nice actual Chief of a tribe there and I had a postcard addressed to me awaiting us when we returned to the farm. I still have the postcard with his personal note somewhere in my collections.

House Moving

The house across the street from me was moved this morning, making room for a parking lot for the Denver Savings Bank. Brent and Holly Wooldrik have been great neighbors and they will be missed. A group gathered in a light rain to watch the house move.

Ancestry from Ljung, Östergötland, Sweden

I've created a group on facebook for people with Ancestry from Ljung, Östergötland, Sweden. There are only nine members so far, and I'm related to them all! A couple people from Sweden have joined and I even met one new cousin via it. I hope more people find it and join in.I'm often confused by all the farm names from a parish and some have small differences in the records I've gotten them from. Maybe they are the same place but called something different over the decades and centuries? I posted farm names from Ljung parish that connect to my ancestry on the group page, here they are: Anderstorp, Banorp, Jonstorp Banorp, Backebo Rågårda, Blixtorp, Brohemmet, Bromshus, Bäckhem perstorp, St. Carlstorp Bjärka ägor, Bjärka, Bullorps ägor, Börstorp, Djupsjöhult, Djupsjö, Fiskarehemmet, Fattighuset Sjövik, Stora Fiskare, St. Fiskarehem, Fallet, Fallhemmet, Flistorp, Flistorpet, Fredriksberg, Gillerberga, Gillerberget, Gottorp, Grönkulla, Gunnarstorp, Hjelmsätter, Håkviken, Ljungs Herrgård, Högåsa, Klasbäck, Klasbäcks ägor Soldattorpet, Haraldsberg Klasbäck, Jonstorp Klasbäck, Klänkorp, Kohagen, Kvarnsjö Magdesjö, Norrby, Nybble, Nysätter, Ragnorp, Råby, Svarttorp, Rosenlund, Torget Klasbäck, Målaretorp, Mörstorp, Nybygget Älgshult, Sibborp, Skallorp, Skattegården, Släta, Slätmotorp, Slätmon, Slätmo ägor, Stora Högåsa, Säby, Transäter, Välnäs, Vågerstad, Skallorp Haraldsberg, Prästtomta, Öna Magdesjö ägor, Älgshult, Perstorp, Sjölund, Vipehagen, Säbyholm, Högforsen Perstorp ägor, Bommarbo Råby ägor, Målaretorp, Skallorp Haraldsberg, Lillbränna Åsmestorp, Åsmestorp, Ängstugan Åsmestorp, Åsen Säby,...
There is also a photo album there with photos from Ljung, mostly from our trip there in 2001. I have more to scan but that will have to come another time.

Summer "to do list..."

With the summer off of work there are a million things on my to do list. Some of the things are carry overs from last summer and some are even older than that! Where does the time go and how does a person manage to organize all the "free time".
I did go back home to my parents farm for 4 weeks and managed to tackle quite a few items on my list there, but now that I'm back in my own home I'm struggling with what direction to go. Prioritize and organize are difficult words for me right now. My thoughts and actions go randomly from one task to another and as other teachers know, you have to make time for playing in the summer as during the school year it's so busy or you're so exhausted...
I went plant shopping with a friend yesterday. I don't need anymore plants until my gardens get cleaned up and organized (there's that word again), but I did purchase a new hosta to add to the 125 plus varieties I already have. "Empress Wu" is a new huge hosta that is expected to grow to 4 1/2 ft. tall with leaves that may grow to 2 ft. long! How could I pass that one up? Now to find a place to put it. It will eventually travel to the farm where there is plenty of room, but for now I will baby it along. I just have to get out and work in the garden cleaning things up.
I also heard from a friend who teaches in Applington Parkersburg (the school that was destroyed by the Parkersburg tornado last year and this summer is dealing with the shooting death of their Teacher/Coach Ed Thomas, how much can a community take) and she wants to get together to share art ideas for the fall as we usually do.
There's doctor appointments, weddings, lunch dates planned for some moved on and retired teacher friends, genealogy data organization, things to get ready for the fall garage sale, taking care of the vegetable garden, sorting closets, filing papers, fixing things around the house,... the list seems unending.
I've also become addicted to facebook. It's been fun connecting to friends and family through it and I even started a couple fb groups, one for West Lyon graduates of the 70's and one for people with ancestry from Ljung, Östergötland, Sweden. Then there are the photo albums to post to fb and checking other peoples albums, identifying people in pictures which leads to family stories and more.
How's your "To Do" list coming? What's your secret to accomplishing your tasks? All suggestions are welcome!

Carl August Svensson's Bible

My Great Great Grandfather, whom I've talked about on my blog before, emigrated from Ljung, Östergötland Sweden in 1869 with his family. We have some family stories but of course always want to know more about his life at his homes in Sweden; Brohemmet, Fallhemmet and his immigration to Dakota Territory and life there. Carl died in 1890, after a year of suffering, his horse stepped in a badger hole and rolled over on top of him, breaking his shoulder blade, collar bone, and some ribs.
We found his bible (Swedish with a copyright date of 1855) made it's way to my parents home, via his oldest son's home (my Great Grandfather) and a little traveling until we gave it to my cousin A.J. Swanson recently. A.J. lives on the Swanson land near the cabin Carl built in 1871. The cabin is still standing and A.J. is busy with returning the land to a prairie, like it was when Carl and Carolina arrived.
The bible has an inscription in the front cover jacket pages which says "Denna bok till hora Carl August Svensson Brohemmet i Ljungs Forsamling född dan 19 Apr. 1832". This book belongs to Carl August Svensson Brohemmet in Ljungs Forsamling born April 19 1832.
It was a pleasure for us to return it to the Swanson farm he homesteaded on and we know it will be treasured for years to come.

Long Time Friend

On the 4th of July I went to Inwood, IA, a neighboring town and home to the Kock family and my friend Roxane was home visiting her family as I was. She now lives in New Mexico with her husband and two sons and teaches Family and Consumer Science to H.S. students.
We were classmates, in band, chorus, class plays, went on to attend the same college and both chose to become teachers.
Left: Here we are around 1972 in a photo booth on a band trip I think.

Right: On the 4th.
The morning was a rainy one that even delayed the parade, but we weathered it just fine. It was great to see her and her family and pick up as if we saw each other last week.

We also got together with some other classmates from the class of 76 and enjoyed our time reminiscing, catching up and just plain laughing. That evening Roxane came up to Larchwood to see my parents, as I had reconnected with hers, that's what friends do.

Summer Storms

While on the farm we had a couple storms. These views are of it approaching before the rain. It was like a blanket of clouds being dropped from the sky.
Looking Northeast of the house.Looking South of our house.Mom sighted this rainbow first after a nice steady rain. I grabbed my camera to find I couldn't fit it in the viewfinder, so I merged two photos together to show off this view looking east of our house.

I'm Back...

I'm back in Denver from Northwest Iowa. I'd like to think you missed my posts...
There were a few reasons for my lack of posts.
1. I was on vacation for goodness sakes!
2. I'm an iMac person and my Mom has a PC.
3. Mom's keyboard is nuts! It won't type two letters the same next to each other without a wait.
4. Her internet connection is slow or her computer is old and outdated.
5. I don't like her photo program. (Let's hear it for iPhoto!!!)
Ive been gone a month and in that time I've been in three states at once, (my parents live just west of the corner post where IA/MN/SD meet), I went to the Black Hills, had numerous family reunions and get togethers, had a mini HS class reunion with longtime friends, worked in the flower and vegetable gardens, yardwork, drove my folks to numerous doctor appointments (Mom was even put in the hospital for 4 days), cleaned closets, priced things for a garage sale, helped fix the mower, made a dozen cement stepping stones, breathe in, breathe out...
About half my summer vacation is done, time to get to my to do list here in Denver. I hope your summer is going well!