Sunday June 28th, 09

Hot! 

That is how the weather has been in Minneapolis over the last couple of weeks.

Today is "Gay Rights Day" it is sunny with a nice breeze for the annual parade down Hennepin Avenue. These folks also have a large celebration at Loring Park, at the edge of downtown. 

Minneapolis is famous for its park system and now with the newly completed Grand Rounds around the lakes for bikers, joggers and hikers, we Minneapolitans are becoming famous for our outdoor activities.

The tomatos are doing just great. My only task is keeping the water tanks filled during these hot days and trimming the suckers so more tomatos will appear. We do have quite a few small green ones appearing and are checking the progress each day.  

Doris has been busy with one of her favorite summertime civic activities. She is a whiz at selling "Auquatenial Skipper Pins" for the Minneapolis Great Get Together each July. The sale of these pins, with there flashing lights helps to fund 10 days of outdoor summer days each July. She loves to sell them and over the years has developed many customers who wait for her to call on them. She always outsells every one else who sells these pins and helps to raise the money that the celebration depends on.  Don't get to close to Doris at this time of the year, you too might be wearing one of these flashing pins. This year of course she is accomplishing this task with her right arm in a sling and pushing her Cadillac walker all over the area. I don't need to tell you that she is doing well.

With the wedding over last week, Jane is breathing a bit easier. This was her first daughters first wedding and she gave it about 200 per-cent. She is now getting back to normal. 

Business remains steady at Jane's Eide Saw and Tool Company. She does a great job, especially in these times of economic uncertainty. 

I have not been very busy in my shop as of late. This is mostly due to hot weather, a thickness planer breakdown and the frustation of the inability to connect to the internet. Some of us were born in the wrong generation to become adept at these machines that seem to be taking over our lives and causing financial problems with the newspaper industy. It seem as if you don't have an e-mail address folks wonder about you. I sometimes would like to just shut it down and walk away, however it seems like a monster has been created and you cant quit. 

I enjoy communicating with everyone and a computer does solve many problems that I would have if If if if and it goes on and on and on.

Michael Jackson's untimely death is an example of how e-mails have taken over our past communication avenues. Again Doris and I are from the wrong era to have enjoyed this popular entertainer. 

Two silkworms had a race. They ended up in a tie!

Little Suzy goes home from school and tells her Mom that the boys keep asking her to do cartwheels because she is good at them.

Mom said you should say NO. They only want to look at your panties.

Suzy said, I know they do, thats why I hide them in my back pack.

Jim and Doris

Minneapolis, MN

Sunday June 21, 09

Summer always comes. 

Sometimes early sometimes late sometimes it seems as though it never will, but it always does. 

Savour it!

This week was busy. Doris to the casino on Tuesday. Gina, Jim Jr's wife picked her up at home and transported her to the bingo table. She did win $80.00 big ones. She was able to get along well with her Cadillac Walker and even took the bus home. What a gal.

Yesterday was eventful. Dawn Burmaster, Janes oldest child, married in Brainerd, MN. Her first marriage. She and Dave Eckendrode, his second marriage,  both have childrern, some of them still at home, others out of the nest. Dave is an auto mechanic. Dont anticipate havinghim work on our car as it is quite a trip to get the oil changed. It was a fun wedding about 175 miles North of Minneapolis. Up early and to bed late. 

Doris, as usual is out and about at her favorite time of the summer selling Auquatennial Skipper Pins. Even with splits on her arm she outsells all others year in and year out. The Aqutennial people love her and she loves the challenge. 

We have finally entered into a period of rain. Not a lot but quite often. The landscape is turning green once again and the farmland looks much better in our corn and bean growing area. 

The lakes are still low and that affects the fishing. I havent been out as yet this season. Pontoons on Lake Mille Lacs and hard to rent due to the poor economy. Many of the providers are out of business or are not doing much due to both the economy and the low water. We are all appreciating the rain fall, however it takes a lot of rain to fill a big lake. An inch is not even noticible. 

It is approaching the Carlson Family Reunion time with Doris' clan in Madison. We are waiting for the date and location of this years fun time. 

Doris' 65th Central High School graduation class is also scheduled. It's hard to realize, she and I have been out of school for all these years. I did not graduate with my class in Kenosha, as I opted to join Uncle Sam's army in 1945. Mistake? I don't think so but will never know. I never have had any contact with any of those I palled around with then. I wonder about some of them who I was close to but that's as far as it has gone.  I did attend The Uof W for a couple of semesters and met my Bride, Doris. That was and is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I am not sure if Doris wants to attend this reunion. She has lost most of her close freinds over the past years and is somewhat affraid as she realizes it will not be the same. We shall see.

Pun! She was only a whiskey maker, but I love her still!

Sign: At a Tire Shop: "Invite us to your next blowout"

All of the Battenberg's here in the uper Mid-West are fine and dandy. The saw business is surviving the current economy and holding its own. We hope the same is true for all of you out there. 

Thanks for tuning in again this week. 

Jim and Doris

e-mail jimbattenberg@usinternet.com

Sunday 

Minneapolis

Flag Day, June, 14, 2009

Doris and I are hoping all of you out there are flying your flag on this special day.

We fly ours each day except during inclement weather. 

We believe it's the thing to do in all the world is providing.

Doris began her second week home from the rehab center and is doing great. Loosing the normal use of her right arm hampers her a bit, but the strong Norwegian heritage does help. She is tough and keeps on keeping on.

Our upper Midwest weather has finally turned to spring.  We do need rain here. The lakes and rivers are quite low as well as the green parts of the country. I havent heard anything disaterous about farm crops as yet. Probably because the weather has been cool as well as dry. We are promised a great week of spring weather with some rain mixed in. We shall see!

Our week was busy. I was especially busy as I am now Doris' right hand man. I am learning how to plan meals, shop for groceries, clean (well partially) and all the other duties Doris has been providing for me all these 60 plus years. I am glad I'm able to rise to the ocassion.

Next week end we will travel to Brainerd MN. Our grandaughter Dawn, Jane's eldest child will be married to Dave Eckenrode. They will and are settled in Sabeka, MN. Jane of course is busy as a bee. This is her first shot at becomming - Mother of the Bride -  and head wedding planner. 

Both Dave and Dawn have children. We shall welcome our second blended family to the clan. Jim and Gina also provided us with a blended family. Jennifer, Julie, GiGi and Jon.

It should be a fun trip. Doris and I will ride with Jim and Gina. Jay and his brood will travel to Brainerd with their travel Trailer. They will be camping at a church campground nearby and all the little Battenberg's are excited. We, will attend the wedding and return home the same night.

We hope with all the bad economy, all of our freinds and our families are surviving. It's hard for me to imagine the threat of loosing ones job, home, saving in this time of our lives. I gues Doris and I were fortunate to be born just ahead of the so-called Great Depression. Many lost everything, however I don't think there were as many White Collar Crooks as there is now.

THE BEST WAY TO FIX THE ECONOMY

"Patriotic Retirement"

  There are about 40 million people over 40 in the wok force.

  Pay each of them 1 $million severance with the following stipulations.

    1. They leave the work force immediatley.                              40 million job openings

    2. They buy new American cars. (40 million cars are sold)  Auto industry saved

    3. They either buy a new home or pay off their mortgage.   Housing crisis fixed

How easy can it Be!

I have had some issues with my internet provider and or the Apple Store or myself. Each one of them blames the other. 

I worked overtime this last week updating and learning to be more careful. 

I hope things work better. Please let me know of any problems so I can work on them.

 (I did'nt say Fix)

With the all the threats of the news papers going down the tube I need to get better at this medium. 

Jim and Doris

Monday, June 8,2009

Hi to all!

There is good news today. On Saturday morning past, Doris was released from the Re-Hab Center at Uof M Riverside.

We are happy to be home and together again.

She is doing well and getting around the building with her Caddilac walker. The re-hab people have installed a right hand shelf on it to accomodate her right arm cast. She steers and breaks with her left arm and hand. I will install a basket on the front tomorrow so she can carry mail and other necesarry's. I wonder if she needs a rear view mirror and a horn?

I am enjoying having her home and I do not miss the daily trip to the hospital. 

We are both somewhat housebound. Doris because she is recovering from the trauma, surgery and loss of her right hand, and I from the change in my lifestyle. It surprising to learn how much one misses the use of an arm, especially the domanant arm. We are both learning. 

Well needed rain finnaly arrived in our part of the world. Our tomatoes enjoyed and even though they were never deprived they are enjoying the gift from above.  The buds are forming and I am hoping for bees to help polinate. 

From my condo neighbor, "Alice Thompson":

"At 5 minutes, 6 seconds, after 4a.m. on the 7th of August, 2009 of this year, the time and date will be 04-05-06-07-08-09. This will not happen again until 3009" Mark your calendars and impress your teachers, students, relatives, friends and  neighbors. 

I apologize for the typo in Doris' hospital phone number. Show's I'm only human. No need to print a correction as she is home at 612-332-9965.

Thanks for tuning in, I appreciate.

Jim and Doris