January 2020

The new year kicked off in Rudolph with lots of snow (Mark got to plow four more times!), very little sun (gloomy most days) and mild enough temperatures for some outdoor work.  Mark and Hilde had been eying the dying birch by the big shed for a couple years, planning an approach which would not damage either shed or driveway lights, while carrying away dead branches which had fallen.  So one of the milder days, Mark pulled up the tractor, climbed aloft and trimmed the remaining branches before successfully dropping the trunk where he wished.  There is a root sprout there which should survive to replace it and some very productive black cap berries (seedy wild black raspberries) circling the stump.

The very fresh balsam stayed in good shape until Mark and Hilde reluctantly took it down in mid-January.  Taking down the Christmas tree and the colorful decorations is always a sad point in January.   However, watching the Packers lose to the 49ers was actually more painful.  They came very far this season and all the fans can hope for even more  next year!

Determined to use the dull winter time for projects, Mark and Hilde both tackled clearing out some of the years of accumulated files and oddments.  The hope is that it won’t take 48 years to de-clutter.  Hilde has been trying to organize and digitalize all the genealogy information and the many, many heritage photographs she has been given.  It is a daunting task.  Mark has years of legal files downstairs and must carefully sort through them so that all confidential material is burned, not recycled. 

Mark began a special project:  making a dining table from the red elm harvested on the Lomira land more than 30 years ago.  He has gotten the base section done,  joined the lovely elm boards for the top and now needs to do all the tricky support work.  By the time the weather permits Hilde to do the staining and finishing outside, he will have it done, ready for that final step.

Hilde has continued her craft work also, producing a slew of handmade ornaments for the coming Christmas, a bright and warm afghan and some smaller cross stitch items.  Two more duffle bags are almost complete, using yet more of the combined fabric stash.  She is contemplating another quilt and looking at more ways to use up fabric and notions. 

Hilde’s mother celebrated her 88^th birthday with a black eye form a fall, but Hilde had a nice photo from the previous month.  Arlene is resilient and cheerful and had no other injury.  She keeps busy with little sewing projects and television—Hilde calls her frequently.

The new session of taekwondo has brought a trio of students returning to the sport after lengthy absences.  It is interesting to work with this different challenge—regaining stretch and relearning forms is tough after a long absence. The high level of illness in the school population especially has had class attendance down in January.  More people enrolled than present. 

January really sped by as Mark and Hilde kept busy.  They are thinking about ordering garden seeds and more sap bags for the syrup season.  Once January is done, the winter if half gone!