What a Weekend!

We still don't have an antenna at the ranch, which means no internet or telephone. But I have figured out that I can send and receive texts... Strange! Anyway I am writing this in the car on our way to Moses Lake to see if we can find some lighter pipe for the antenna -- the 1 1/2 inch stuff we bought last week turned out to be way too heavy.

We had an absolutely incredible weekend! I spent Friday morning helping Diane and Dione prep food for Sunday lunch (lots of onion chopping for salads) and then putting together the roasters full of the ingredients for Green Bean Soup. Then I spent the afternoon helping Cleon tag the items for the auction on Saturday. When the stuff for the office came out of the trailers, I was able to find my boxes and start numbering auction cards. It was pretty amazing to see more and more cars and semis arrive and start unloading tarps and fences, tables and chairs getting set up for the booths and auction on Saturday. By that evening, we fed supper to 130+ people.

By seven AM the next morning, the crowds started lining up for the breakfast of sausages and pancakes while we handed out the cash packets Regan had prepared for each booth. Booth sales started at 9 AM and then the auction itself began at noon. People were in a generous mood. The loaf of bread that was auctioned off first (it would be used for communion on Sunday) went for a thousand dollars! Then it was resold several times for a grand total of $2150!

Here's one of the quilts being displayed as it was auctioned. Not this one, but another, a Lone Star quilt set the sale record of $5500.

Part of the crown watching the auction --

Some of the quilts in the big tent awaiting their turn to be sold --

There was absolutely no reason to go away hungry!

 One of the long lines in the afternoon. I think this line was for apple cider --

Or perhaps for Apple Butter. Both were being made while people watched.
 

Though it was very cold it the morning, it turned out to be a lovely day. People seemed to enjoy sitting in the sunshine, eating and just visiting.

No matter where you looked on the church grounds there were people checking out information about MCC (Mennonite Central Committee), checking out various booths, and visiting.

By the time the day was over and we had totaled up the proceeds, over $119,000.00 had been raised for world relief at the Mennonite Country Auction. We know that is only a preliminary number as all of the results are not yet in. For instance, we know that there was over $2000.00 in the Penny Power glass jug that had been raised by the children's collections of loose change (which had been matched by many members of the congregation) before the sale. The level in the jug was considerably higher by the end of the day. It won't be counted until later this week.

What a day! God is Great!

Puttin' Up the Tent!

Next Saturday, October 6th, is the Mennonite Country Auction at Menno Mennonite Church, out in the country between Ritzville and Moses Lake, Washington! The auction -- and the food and craft booths -- help raise money for relief for MCC (Mennonite Central Committee). Our sale is one of many held throughout the United States. MCC has a reputation of not only having a very small overhead (because of the volunteers) as well as assurance that relief supplies go where they are intended. Because of that, we get people from all over the state that come for a day of good food and fellowship and to contribute to world relief.

Today after church (and lunch furnished by Diane), it was time to set up the big tent. This is where the quilts to be auctioned will be displayed as well as nicer collectibles that are for sale.

First the three sections of the tent are laid out on the edge of the parking lot --

Here's Pastor Matthew pounding in one of the many stakes that will be used to tie down the tent --

When finished, there is a whole line of stakes all around what will be the perimeter of the tent --

Next the three sections of the tent are laced together. Menno's littlest folks have the nimble fingers needed to connect the sections --

They work hard with their dads and grandads to get the job done --

The fun thing about the auction is the way EVERYONE pitches in to help --

The guy ropes are attached to the rings on each section --

Okay, all laced together and ready to go --

Michael gets to crawl under to set the first of the three center poles --

The fellows raise the pole on the inside while the crew pulls from the outside --

One up!

And soon, all three have been raised --

Next the side poles are inserted, then the guy ropes are pulled tight and snugged down --

We didn't stay to see the side walls put on, but I'll take some pictures of the completed tent when we come down to stay at the ranch later this week.

There have been more and more lovely quilts showing up at the church from places as disparate as New York and Pennsylvania. They have been on display in the back of the sanctuary adding to the excitement about the coming sale. (You can see them at: www.mennonitecountryauction.mennonite.net/) 

A Recovery Day

I was thinking today about the first trip we took across the US in our RV almost six years ago. We were supposed to report to our Mennonite Disaster Service work site in Louisiana the first of October. Because our church hosts the Washington State MCC sale, the Mennonite Country Auction, the first weekend in October, we made arrangements with MDS to leave right after the sale.

We drove pretty much straight through from Washington State, stopping at rest areas for four to five hours of sleep and an occasional hour's nap, then continuing on. I think we made it to the Diamond, Louisiana work site in just three days. I cannot even imagine trying to do that now!

Nowadays, a three hour drive is about all we like to do. That means we leave late enough in the morning to avoid the morning rush hour traffic and make it to our new site before the evening rush hour. It means we get set-up when it's still daylight and have a bit of time to relax before supper.

Then we usually use the next day as a recovery day, staying at home in Auntie Violet and just taking life easy. (Which for Forry means a couple of naps in his recliner and plenty of time with his Sudoku...) I may or may not catch up on the laundry, but I usually spend most of the day reading or knitting. If we're planning to go sight-seeing in an area, we usually plan that for the next day.

Neither Forry nor I are morning people, so this kind of schedule suits our retired life-style. Because we have been on the East Coast with the three hour time difference, we often end up watching Mariner's home Seattle Safeco Field baseball games starting at 10 PM at night. Depending how long the games last -- and whether they go to extra innings -- we may not get to bed before midnight or later.

Today was one of those recovery days.

My Judy Blanket

I have a blanket that has traveled from the Mennonite Country Auction at Menno where I purchased it to our ranch where it went on picnics and boat rides.  Then it traveled with us to Spokane when we moved up there so that I could go to work for the AHEC (Area Health Education Center) at WSU Spokane.  In Spokane it saw more picnics and found a new role as a blanket for grandchildren when we had pizza in the TV room where they sat on it on the floor.

Now the Judy Blanket travels in Auntie Violet.  When we are parked somewhere, she sits on the back of the passenger chair which swivels around to face the living room.  When we travel, she plays an important role.  She covers the laid-down desk chair and prevents the wheels and the arm from scratching the cherry wood of the desk. And on rare special occasions, she once again gets to be a blanket for pizza eating grand children!

My Judy blanket is made from alternating worn blue jeans and striped overalls with a backing of new blue denim fabric.  She even has a few pockets with brass snaps (when she was new, there were napkins tucked into those pockets...).  There are also cherished Judy Blankets that live at the homes of our daughters.

These Judy Blankets are cherished not only for their beauty, toughness, utility and general usefulness, but for the lady who made them. Before the auto accident in the fog on her way to work, my friend Judy was one of the best ER nurses I have ever known. I learned so much from her in the early days of my own career. Due to severe head trauma and brain damage, Judy never practiced as a nurse after her accident, but she participated as much as possible in church activities.  Her sense of precision and order -- which she never lost -- shows in the precise measurements and placement of the squares of my blanket.

Judy passed away a few years later of hypothermia while sitting out in her garden (her sense of being cold had been impaired by the injuries from the truck that struck her...).  A wise person once told me that a person is never really gone as long as anyone still has thoughts and memories of them.  Thoughts of Judy often come to my mind as I wrap my Judy blanket around the chair wheels; or when I fold it to place her on the back of my chair; or when I glance up and see that her blues are picked up by the Chinese rug on Auntie Violet's floor. Thoughts of Judy warm me as much as my Judy Blanket!

So Far, So Good

The booths are all set up, the signs are all hanging, the change is all counted and ready to go. All of the fencing to steer crowds is up, the outhouses and dumpsters are in place. All is in readiness for tomorrow and the Mennonite Country Auction (www.mennonitecountryauction.mennonite.net).

This afternoon we headed for the church about 4 PM and helped unpack and set up the office. Cleon has gotten all of the auction lists copied and ready to go; I've got the auction number tags ready; and Sarah took the list home so that she she could make out the sale slips.

It started to get chilly when the sun went down and by the time dinner was ready for all of the workers, it was just plain cold! I had tucked my cap and gloves into my jacket pocket and I was VERY glad to have them! Diane and crew had fixed pulled pork sandwiches (fresh buns from the Hutterite colony), coleslaw, baked beans (the ones I helped mix up yesterday), and a choice of chocolate or yellow cake for dessert.

I think we're all ready to go -- just need to get into a warm bed and sleep fast. It'll be early tomorrow morning.

Green Bean Soup, Salsa and Maple Syrup...

Forry dropped me off at Diane's house (2.5 miles from Auntie Violet) a little after noon today and she, her sister-in-law Fran and I headed for Moses Lake. We dropped Fran off downtown to do some shopping and Diane and I tried to find the Health Department. Diane is in charge of all the food sales and meals at the Mennonite Country Auction and she had discovered that her food handler card expired yesterday (and mine expired sometime last winter). I was planning to spend the afternoon over at the church helping her and when she said she needed to take the test to get her card, I decided to go along and get mine too.

After doing some asking around we finally found the office (only the phone number is listed in the phone book) in time to review the latest food booklet before it was time to watch their videos and then take the test. It's a good thing we looked at the newer book. I had been quizzing Diane from her older book on the way to town, but they've changed a few things! For example, food must now be cooled to 41 degrees instead of 45 degrees like in the old book and food cannot be more than 2 inches deep in cooling pans instead of 4 inches... But we both aced the test, so one more thing out of the way.

When we got back to the church, Fran and I started putting maple syrup samples in 1 oz little cups with lids while Diane and Didi started putting together six roasters of ingredients for Green Bean Soup. Then Fran and I filled some larger cups with salsa for the taco salads. All of this stuff then goes into the cooler until Saturday.

Diane had invited Forry and I to her house for dinner after we finished at the church. Her brother Jim from Kansas (who is one of the auctioneers) and his wife Fran are staying with them, so we had a good visit with dinner. Diane had put craw fish etoufee' and rice in the oven before we left for Moses Lake, so we had quite a feast!

No Clouds, No Wind Wanted!

It was a quieter day today, the wind was only breezy, but it was COLD! We can handle cold weather for the Mennonite Country Auction (http://www.mennonitecountryauction.mennonite.net/) but wind makes for a really miserable day. All of the booths AND the auction are held outdoors, so everyone is praying for good weather on Saturday. This is what we DON'T want:


I've been in a real battle with this hair of mine -- it is so fine that if I put conditioner on it, it makes a limp dishrag look peppy. Without conditioner, it tends to get lots of split ends...

I very seldom pick up magazines, but the other day when we were in town, I picked up a whole batch of them: Redbook, Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, etc. They are worth, at the most, a half hour's worth of reading apiece -- and are of course, targeted to a much younger audience (Enjoy your 40s!; Still Sexy at 50!, etc.)


But this time, I learned something that seems to actually work. One of the articles on hair and make-up suggested that if conditioner was too much for your hair, but you still needed it, to put it on wet hair first, then wash your hair! By golly, I tried it this morning and I am impressed!
Guess I'm still not too old to learn a trick or two...
,

I Think It's Fall...

It's been cold the last couple of nights. It got down to 36 the night before last and tonight it is already 34 degrees at 10 PM. Forry's been going out and shutting off the water so that we don't have a frozen water line (then I have to remember to turn on the pump so that we get water from Auntie Violet's tank instead of from the hose). We've had the electric heater out and on -- it's on a thermostat so only kicks in as the temperature drops and it's been definitely been turning on!

We had such lovely weather last week. I wish it had held until after the Mennonite Country Auction (http://www.mennonitecountryauction.mennonite.net/) this Saturday. It's quiet now, but we had a nasty wind most of the day. It's always a concern the week before the sale. We've only had major rain twice, but nice weather sure increases the crowd -- and the amount of money raised!

It's always sort of ironic to see the fields of winter wheat greening up as it's getting colder and colder:

But the the green thistles start turning color and you know Fall is here!

Mennonite Country Auction is Coming!

Our Washington Mennonite Central Committee Relief Sale, the Mennonite Country Aunction is coming! It's always on the first Saturday in October, so this year it's October 3rd with the booth sales starting at 10 AM and the auction starting at NOON. The official website for this year's sale is www.mennonitecountryauction.mennonite.net.


The weeks leading up the the Sale are always fun when the items for the auction start to show up. This morning the back pews were draped with quilts. There was a very different one that came from a lady in New York called a garden quilt. The patches were all different kinds of fruits and vegetables -- including blocks of red potatoes. Walt has again made a gorgeous pair of turned wooden table lamps. I saw an antique oak cupboard sitting in the vestibule as well, along with a pair of Amish dolls.

Dennis and Kay ordered several cases of maple syrup (both flasks and cans) from Canada that will be a new item for sale in the booths this year. The fellows are going to fix a pancake breakfast Saturday morning so that people can sample the syrup.

One of the attractions for all of the relief sales across the country is Penny Power where glass five gallon jugs of coins collected by children are displayed and filled. This morning's penny collection portion of the service got just a wee bit long as Diane had decided to teach the children how the auction portion of the sale works. The kids all got Auction Cards with Bidder Numbers on them from me (and some coins to bid with...) so that they could actually bid on the items Diane had brought. A couple of the littlest ones (four year olds) really got into the spirit of bidding -- their parents are going to have to keep a close eye on them when the auction starts!

One of the older boys was high bidder on a box of 72 crayons, but he saw the disappointment of the younger boy who had been bidding against him. He turned and whispered in his Dad's ear, then quietly put the box of crayons in the younger lad's lap...

Lots of Errands Day

We had a 10:30 appointment at Stamper & Rubens with Randy to get our new wills signed, so made an early trip to Spokane today. Spent about an hour at his office, then went over to Kershaws to order a box of manila tags (Size 8) to use for auction buyer numbers at the upcoming Mennonite Country Auction. They'll be in next week.

Then drove out to R & R RV in Liberty Lake to pick up Forry's new dishwasher and get a diode for the new brake system he is putting into the Toad. Hadn't realized that they were going to be closed tomorrow for the Labor Day weekend, so it's a good thing we went in today to pick it up. Made a stop at the AT&T store near the Valley Mall to purchase a car charger for my iPhone.

From there to Costco to fill the Toad with gas ($2.79/gal.) and stock up again on fruits and vegetables. And of course, Forry got his Polish dog with sauerkraut for lunch so he was happy. Made a quick stop at Home Depot so Forry could get some small brushes, then stopped at the recycle place to get rid of all of our plastic and glass bottles, newspapers, aluminum cans and cardboard. From there we headed back to Ritzville and got to the post office in time to pick up the box of snail mail that Mary Mae had sent on Monday. Forry even stopped at Ritzville's Radio Shack to get a multiple plug-in for the car so that I can charge my iPhone and still keep the GPS unit on.

We debated a bit when we got home where on the counter to put the new dishwasher. I thought it should sit on the left end of the counter, but Forry wanted it sort of in the middle. It will cover about half of the garbage chute, but we usually keep the cover on it halfway anyway. This way there will still be a bit of room on the left for the coffee grinder and the French press coffee pot.

It's a Vesta, which seemed to have the best reviews (though there weren't very many) when we checked on the Internet. It's supposed to do four place settings and it looks like we should be able to get by with just one load a day. We're going to have to make a quick trip into town in the morning. As we suspected, the kitchen sink faucet is not going to work with the quick release on the dishwasher hose. And would you believe, there was NO sample dishwasher soap included and I didn't think to pick any up today...

Today is...

Today is almost over and I am already trying to remember what it is we did today. I know that I slept almost 12 hours last night and now I am feeling great. I sometimes wonder if I just don't get sick when I am really tired out?

We just sort of lounged around this morning, I actually made bacon and eggs for breakfast instead of granola. I still had some of the wonderful bacon that we got at the Mennonite Country Auction in the freezer...

This afternoon we ran into Moses Lake to take care of getting gift cards for upcoming birthdays and 8th grade promotions so that we could get them into the mail.

We stopped by Vic and Phyl's to see how things were going today. Sounds like the modifications Curt made to the bathroom (took the shower doors off so that the shower chair could be placed inside) worked well.

Made a stop at the grocery store and stocked up, but, darn, I didn't bring my list along, so still don't have everything we're out of!