Another anniversary day....

Today brings us another anniversary...this time it's Kevin & Julie (Korkowski) Nelson who are celebrating 22 years.  Time flies when you're having fun!  Happy anniversary, Kevin & Julie....

Kevin and Julie with their kids in the middle

The latest count....

Things have finally improved in the man vs. beast competition!  After capturing one little chipmunk in the live trap, he ESCAPED when 'man' was trying to end it all.  So...set the trap again, this time with peanut butter (thanks, Jennae!) and we had success.  After that little guy went 'swimming', it seems he had a brother who was ready to take his place, and he too went 'swimming'.  Now, for all you PETA proponents, no need to contact us....we are simply doing what is necessary to keep our landscaping from being in shambles.  "If mama ain't happy, nobody's happy", right??!!

It's a big day of celebrations....

Lots of partying going on today...we have two birthdays and one anniversary!  Birthdays are being celebrated by Annette O'Donnell (#58) and Bob Peterson (#58).  And, the anniversary couple is Mike and Brenda (Magnuson) Dupont who are celebrating 16 years as Mr. and Mrs.  
Happy birthday and anniversary...party on!  

Annette

16 years ago....

This is the weekend...

It's time for the annual 'pilgrimage' to Two Inlets for the gathering of the Korkowski clan.  The weather looks to be warm and the skies sunny...lots of good conversations and a ton of laughs will be guaranteed!  Pictures will follow in the days to come.....

Man vs. 'beast'

It seems we have a battle going on at our house, that of man vs. beast, and the beast is one little chipmunk...and we think he's getting very angry at Cliff's attempts to thwart his activity or attempts to kill him!  It all started with a bit of dirt spilled over the edge of the two pots of flowers on the front step, maybe just a week ago.  The dirt was cleaned up, thinking it was a 'one time' occurrence.  To make sure it was just one time, Cliff put out a very generous supply of poison nuggets, which the little fellow (Cliff could see him) proceeded to gobble up...every last morsel!  So, we're thinking....'that's the end of that problem'.  Wrong....several hours later, there was dirt spilled out again, only this time it was much more of a mess.  More poison, bigger mess!  Today was time to get out the big guns so a live trap was purchased at Fleet Farm, baited with peanuts and voila...peanuts gone and so was the chipmunk...and this time, he really tore up the plants!  For a guy who can seemingly solve every problem that comes his way, this is not going well.  Man is becoming extremely frustrated, beast is enjoying the peanuts and is determined to show 'man' who the boss really is.  At this rate, there will soon be more dirt vacuumed off the front steps than left in the pot itself.  Stay tuned!!

A smile for today....

Thanks to the comic strip Family Circus for this cartoon....Cliff asked that I put it on to remind all of the siblings about how they felt when he was practicing his violin!!  There seems to be a direct correlation. :)

Books you may want to consider....

This posting is for Sr. Cordy.....she was wondering what people were reading these days, and when we talked about the book club that Theresa and I belong to in the cities, Sr. Cordy wanted me to post what those books were so others may get some suggestions from it.  So, here's the list of what we've read....

BOOK CLUB SELECTIONS READ

2012

January        This Glittering World by T.  Greenwood

February       Loving Frank: A Novel by Nancy Horan

March           The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

April                Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

May               Defending Jacob: A Novel by Wm. Landay

2011

January        A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

February       City of Thieves by David Benioff

March           Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

April                Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman

May               Cheap Cabaret: A Friendship by Cathie Beck

August           Beneath the Lion’s Gaze by Maaza Mengiste

September   The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

October        Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson

November   Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

2010

January        The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver

February       Too Small to Ignore by Dr. Wess Stafford

March           Fallen Skies by Philippa Gregory

April                Still Alice by Lisa Genova

May               Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

June               The Help by Kathryn Stockett

July                 The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle

August           No meeting

September   The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

October        The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

November   Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish

December   No meeting

2009

January        Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by

                                    Vicki Myron

February 24

March           Knit Two by Kate Jacobs

April                (did not meet)

May 5

June 2

July                 The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

August           Peripheral View by Rita Kuehn

September   Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons: A Novel by Lorna Landvik           

October        Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult

November   In A Perfect World: A Novel by Laura Kasischke

December   The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Prior reads:

2008

                        The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs (1^st book read)

                        A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon (June?)

                        Against Medical Advice by James Patterson

                        Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Rodriquez/Olson

The ones highlighted in yellow are ones that I particularly liked so highlighted them as a reference for others.  

Now that you see what we've read.....how about you readers out there tell me what you're reading or have read, and we'll add to the potential summertime reading list.

No ice buckets needed....

Recently saw this idea on Pinterest, and I must say it is a great idea...now if I only had this type of picnic table!!

If you have this type of very 'normal' picnic table, you can do this....simply remove a board (or part of a board) from the inner part of your table. Insert a galvanized steel gutter and secure it.  Voila!  You are done...just fill with ice, beverages, and you have a party going on!

The cost of living...1947!

How times have changed......came across a little book dedicated to the year 1947, and after looking at it a bit, it seemed to be a little wealth of trivia for you!  So, here goes...

1947 COST OF LIVING

FOOD

Granulated sugar..................85 cents for 10 lbs

Vitamin D milk....................78 cents per gallon

Ground coffee....................55 cents per lb.

Bacon..............................48 cents per lb.

Eggs................................23 cents per dozen

Fresh ground hamburger........42 cents per lb.

Bread..............................13 cents per loaf

LIVING EXPENSES

New home cost...................$6650 average

Average income...................$2854/year

New car............................$1290

Average rent.......................$68/month

Tuition at Harvard University....$420/year

Movie ticket........................55 cents

Gasoline.............................15 cents per gallon

US postage stamp...................3 cents each

There now, who doesn't wish for simpler...and less costly....times?

Two anniversaries for the day.....

No birthdays for today but rather two anniversaries....Bob & Rose Mary Peterson are celebrating their 33rd anniversary while Seth & Jean (Korkowski) Pfeifer are at 5 years today.  Congratulations to you all!  

Seth & Jean...5 years ago

Birthday cake today....

It's time for birthday cake and ice cream down in Florida as Joe Majhess celebrates #46.  He's heading to Minnesota soon to gather with the family...let's hope the rain lets up for that week!  Happy birthday, Joe.....

He's resting right now.....

No pictures to prove this, but we do know that Paul Korkowski did participate in the MS 150 bike event about 10 days ago and performed to the 'nth' degree as usual.  He finished first both Saturday and Sunday, and that's after he rode from the Twin Cities to Duluth to participate!  He raised almost $5000, both externally and internally, with his employer Cisco matching for his goal.  Last I heard, he was eating a ton of calories and going into hibernation.....

It's worth the wait....

All during the long gray days of winter, we dream of what's to come in a few months....spring and summer.  Well, wait no longer...summer has arrived!  Today is the summer solstice and the season has begun.  Pack a picnic, fire up the grill, take a dip in the water...whatever means summer to you...and enjoy this season we absolutely love to pieces!!

Dance fever....

This picture is a live action shot, so thus it's a bit blurry....BUT, we do know it's NOT John Travolta!  No, it's Joseph Majhess (Joe & Jennifer Korkowski Majhess) showing his moves during his Dancing Classrooms class he took this year.  Oh boy, he seems to have some of his Minnesota grandpa's moves in him!!

From the land of sky blue waters.....

(Can't you see the commercial on the television, with the thumping of the drums and knowing they would be talking about beer?) Oops...I digress! Back to some trivia about the waters of Minnesota...maybe this could come in handy at Trivial Pursuit?!
Inland Waters - 4779 sq mi (largest area of any state)
Major River Systems - Mississippi (the world's 3rd largest river); Minnesota; and Red River of the North.  Water flows from Minnesota in three directions: Hudson Bay, Atlantic Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico.  No water flows INTO the state!
Total Distance of Rivers and Streams - 25,000 miles
Total Distance of Lake and River Shoreline - 90,000 miles...more than California, Florida and Hawaii combined!
Boating Waters - 2.6 million acres
Canoeing Waters - 3550 miles
Headwaters of the Mississippi River - Itasca State Park
Major Waterfalls - Big Falls in the Arrowhead region; Caribou Falls in the Grand Marais area; High Falls in the North Shore Lake Superior area; Manitou Falls in the Little Marais area; and Minneopa Falls in the Mankato area

Father's Day...remembered......

Happy Father's Day to all our dads out there...and we have a lot of them! We thank you for helping us raise strong families, for working hard to provide, and for being the role model you are.  And, we remember the 'Pops' who had a hand in the making of our family....

Welcome to Medicare.....

It's time for Dave Korkowski (#65) to place that little red, white and blue card in his wallet and join the ranks of Medicare citizens!  Many of us welcome you to the inner circle...happy birthday, Dave!

Time for a birthday celebration....

It's been a bit light in the birthdays area recently, but today we can celebrate....it's Erin Korkowski (Joe & Sue) who has 20 candles on her cake.  Here's hoping you have a wonderful birthday, Erin!

Today is Flag Day in the USA...

When : Always June 14th

Flag Day, is a day for all Americans to celebrate and show respect for our flag, its designers and makers. Our flag is representative of our independence and our unity as a nation.....one nation, under God, indivisible. Our flag has a proud and glorious history. It was at the lead of every battle fought by Americans. Many people have died protecting it. It even stands proudly on the surface of the moon.

As Americans, we have every right to be proud of our culture, our nation, and our flag. So raise the flag today and every day with pride! 

Properly Display Our Flag

There is a right way and a wrong way to display the flag.  The American flag should be held in the highest of regards. It represents our nation and the many people who gave their lives for our country and our flag. Here are the basics on displaying  the American flag:

• The flag is normally flown from sunrise to sunset.
• In the morning, raise the flag briskly. At sunset, lower it slowly. Always, raise and lower it ceremoniously.
• The flag should not be flown at night without a light on it.
• The flag should not be flown in the rain or inclement weather.
• After a tragedy or death, the flag is flown at half staff for 30 days. It's  called "half staff" on land ,and "half mast" on a ship.
• When flown vertically on a pole, the stars and blue field , or "union", is at the top and at the end of the pole (away from your house).
• The American flag is always flown at the top of the pole. Your state flag and other flags fly below it.
• The union is always on top. When displayed in print, the stars and blue field are always on the left.
• Never let your flag touch the ground, never...period.
• Fold your flag when storing. Don't just stuff it in a drawer or box.
•  When your flag is old and has seen  better days, it is time to retire it. Old flags should be burned or buried. Please do not throw it in the trash.

Did you Know? There is a very special ceremony for retiring the flag by burning it. It is a ceremony everyone should see.Your local Boy Scout group knows the proper ceremony and performs it on a regular basis. If you have an old flag, give it to them. And, attend the ceremony. 

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Famous Flag People:

Betsy Ross was a seamstress who made clothes for George Washington. In June, 1776, Washington approached her to make the country's first flag and the rest is history.

Francis Scott Key Inspired by the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key penned the lyrics to our national anthem as he witnessed the event as British rockets whizzed in the air while our American Flag flew in the breeze

Did you Know? If you like to study flags, then you are a Vexillologist!

It's a keeper.....

Hey, fellas...the little lady can fish!  Andrea (Magnuson) Zuidema was out fishing yesterday when she caught her first walleye and a whole mess of northerns.  She said she out-fished hubbie Nate but his excuse was that he was driving the boat to the right spots for her to catch those fish!  Nice try....

And this time the garden came to us......

Mike and Mary Lee Korkowski have a lot of green going on as well so he sent me some pictures of what they have growing in their garden.  That's grandson Gavin Nicholas checking out his height vs. that of the peas (and he's a bit behind!), and then there's the garden itself.  So far, they've enjoyed asparagus, peas, lettuce and strawberries...sounds like a good salad to me!  We'll be enjoying the fruits of the earth a bit later than everyone else this year as the seeds were just planted last week, but the grocery store will keep us going until then.  

Gavin vs the peas...and the peas win!

Not a weed to be found....

Going touring up near Brandon....

No birthdays, anniversaries, etc. so touring we'll go...today we'll check out the landscaping at Dennis & Christella's home where things are lush green and providing beautiful landscapes....

Peonies....a Minnesota favorite!

Lots of good eating in this earth

Gooseberries and raspberries to come....

She's growing up fast....

In looking for any 'news' in the family, I came across a recent picture of little Cecilia Korkowski (Matt & Amber) as she enjoys her first summer as a toddler; how fast they change from baby to little girl, and she's no exception!  She seems to LOVE the outdoors!

Marvin Buse, Donna's father

Thanks for all the prayers for my Dad.  He passed away so peacefully to his new heavenly home tonight (Sunday) at 7:15 p.m.   He was surrounded by family to give him a great send off.  He didn't want to be in the nursing home but he sure didn't have to stay too long. 

Visitation at Glende-Nielsen Funeral Home in Evansville on Wednesday from 4-7 with a prayer service at 7:00.  The funeral is on Thursday at Grace Lutheran Church in Brandon at 11:00 a.m. 

Thanks again for everything everyone did and all the prayers.

Norb and Donna

40 years together....

Today is a super-special day for Derald & Theresa Krentz as they celebrate their 40th anniversary.  We hope you can find the time to kick back a bit and raise a toast for many more years of happiness!  Happy anniversary.....

More enlightening information......

In case you want more trivia(l) to know....we have it!  

A triple crown winner....not the Kentucky derby kind

And another end-of-year achievement comes by way of Florida.....Ellie Grace Majhess walked away with three top awards from St. Paul's Lutheran where she attends classes.  She snagged the Principal's Award.....

and she took the Spanish Achievement Award......

and she also took home the Art Achievement Award!  Congratulations, Ellie...look out 4th grade, here she comes!

Mom also sent word that Joseph took home the Golden Principal Pick for outstanding academics, plus geography, but was home with the flu for the last three days of school.  Classes ended for all last Friday.

Ambitions at age 6.....

Last week Thursday, we drove down to Rochester for Abby Oxentenko's kindergarten graduation...a big deal to a little person aged 6!  One of our favorite parts of the program is when each child's name is announced, and as they move forward to receive their diploma, a teacher announces what that particular child would like to be when they grow up.  As one might expect in that city, many of the children wanted to be doctors because mom or dad was a doctor.  Of course, we assumed that was maybe going to be Abby's answer, but oh no, she has much bigger expectations.  It seems she aspires to be a princess and live at Disney World!  And then there were similarly funny goals...."I want to be a Target saleswoman so I can sell summer clothes"...."I want to be a stay-at-home mom so I can clean my house"....."I want to be a dentist so I can dig in people's mouths"...or how about "I want to be a chihuahua doctor"!  Out of the mouth of babes comes the funniest...and most insightful...of things.  

It's a BIG birthday.....

Today is a special birthday for Deb Korkowski as she celebrates the big 5-0!  We hope you celebrate in a really BIG way on such an important milestone in your life...happy birthday, Deb!

Queen forever.......

In the absence of any Korkowski-related news (other than some of us saw Buckingham Palace some time ago), we will be hearing all about how today marks the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth.  Poor Philip....second fiddle for all these years!!

Another "men only" weekend......

It would seem that there were a lot of 'Korkowski family' women who probably enjoyed a good deal of shopping, lunching, and drinking wine this past weekend as yet another group of men from the family hit the sky blue waters for some fishing.  Kent Roers, Tony Krentz, Mike Stark, and Derald Krentz were out on Lake Michigan to snag some salmon and trout, and from the looks of the picture, they obviously had great results.  Looks like some great dinners on the horizon!

Kent, Mike, Derald and Tony

Time for a bit of education....

When all else fails, there's always a bit of interesting trivia in the files, and today we bring you these....try at your own risk...and then let us know how it works!

The fishing is great......

Day #1 of the annual 'boys only trip' proved to be very lucky indeed! Shawn & Evan Oxentenko, along with Cliff, Paul and Alex Korkowski, caught their limit of walleyes on yesterday's excursion with day #2 still being fulfilled.  Word has it that the lodge was grilling fish for their dinners last night so they could go back out today and catch more.  Five of the catch from yesterday 'were outside the slot' with four of the five being more than 23" in length.  Fish stories are sure to follow!  

Shawn and Evan; Alex, Paul and Cliff

Alex with a big one!

Evan with his happy "so glad to be fishing" smile

Shawn's nice catch