Happy Saint Patrick's Day

And a Happy Saint Patrick's Day to you all.  

I have been working on designs all morning and decided to stop for awhile.

I have had a very painful week and am hoping this week will be much better. I had to have my big toenail removed because there was infection under it. I still have the feeling it was because of that horrible bee sting I had on the same toe last August. I think I even posted a picture of the big blisters it caused. I honestly don't know if it was a bee that stung me or not because I have never had a reaction from a bee sting before. The bee sting or whatever it was happened at the end of August and then my toe started hurting, red and swollen in Oct. I know I should have gone in earlier but kept thinking it would get better! I finally called the Dr. a couple weeks ago when it started draining fluid at the base of the nail. I had been on antibiotics for 10 days and it still wasn't any better, so I went in last Monday and he removed the whole toenail because the infection was under the nail. And another 10 days of antibiotics. It has been so painful since then. And it still isn't any better so after I finish this bottle of antibiotics if it still looks and feels like it does I will have to go in again, I guess. 

Enough complaining. Everyone has hurts!

Now I will talk about Persona themes. It appears to me that they aren't as popular as they once were. I wonder if Windows 8 has anything to do with it. I don't have Windows 8 and don't want it so I don't know if that has anything to do with it or not.  I really enjoy making them and have so many made I will probably not live long enough to submit them all. But yet I keep making more. It is that "over achievement" I have always had.  Or maybe it is hoarding!  

I have been saying I would write about my family and just haven't taken the time to do so, but I came across a letter a great, great aunt had written to my mother in 1947. I had it in my genealogy packet so I will tell you what she wrote.

My Great Grandfather was in the 15th Regiment, Illinois Infantry. He was a Corporal on the U.S.S. Cairo, which sunk when it struck two torpedos on December 12, 1862 in the Yazoo River. Luckily there were no casualties. Chauncy (my GG Grandfather) married my GG grandmother in June of 1864. He was a carpenter by trade. In 1868 they still lived in Illinois, but he decided to travel to western Iowa to purchase land from Chicago Burlington and Quincy Rail Road. Which he did for $12.00 per acre. The next summer they loaded a covered wagon with all the goods they could. With a team of horses to pull the heavy load, they started west with several other loaded wagons and friends. They formed a caravan and began their journey.

As Iowa was still mostly prairie they were soon crossing it and fording streams. After about six weeks, they came to the land he had bought. This was in September of 1869. They lived in the wagon until they could build a shack. It was made with barn boards with battons over the cracks. The lumber was hauled from Red Oak, which was just a "mudhole" with a blacksmith shop and one general store. This was 12 miles from their location and they would only pass one house on their way to Red Oak.

The railroad had just been put through as far as Council Bluffs the year before. People were moving fast, starting new homes, so they soon had many neighbors and friends. Some became discouraged and went back east, but Chauncy and Esther had much faith in the country, lived through all the pioneers disappointments such as dust storms, "grasshopper years", poor prices and winter blizzards.

They had brought tree seed with them which they planted and soon had a large grove. (I remember playing in that grove with my cousin.)

In 1894 they built a good barn and 1895 they built a new house in which they lived until 1909 when they moved to Red Oak and left the farming to their son, Ira. The farm stayed in my mother's family for many, many years. I have many happy memories of the farm. We lived for awhile only about 1/2 mile from it and I would walk down our dirt road on Monday night to watch "I Love Lucy" with my cousins. We couldn't afford a TV even if we had electricity!

This is an old photo of the original farmhouse they built.

That is enough for now. I will write more about my Rebel family side another time. 

Have a great week!