Birthday Girl, 5-29-22

Today is Telly’s 11th birthday!

She’s such a good girl and just wants to be close by one of us all the time. She came here after we constructed all the fencing around our farm – she belonged to one of the fence workers who continued to contact me about Telly – begging me to let her live with us. She was able to jump over their fence and would follow the kids to the park. I finally relented and we are the lucky ones! You can see I gave in and have never regretted it. She’s a sweetie pie!

The wind is relentless! I planted my garden today but it will be a surprise where or if anything comes up. I planted a big assortment of pumpkins and have enlisted the church youth group to pick them in the fall and take them to town to sell them. I will keep the ones I want and the rest will be a donation.

When I delivered flowers to the cemetery at Crystal Lake, my hometown, I drove down by the lake and had to take a picture of the local attraction – THE WORLD LARGEST BULLHEAD! Haha! You might not even be familiar with this type of fish which we grew up on but it’s a type of catfish. When dad would take us fishing this is what we caught at Crystal Lake. Fried bullhead and fried potatoes – yum!

Are you watching Yellowstone this weekend? I still love this show and will watch more tomorrow. The wind is sucking all the moisture out of my plants and I will water thoroughly tomorrow – too bad it won’t rain tonight.

I’m sewing on Bitcoin – mindless sewing – and trying to get caught up on the long arm. Soon I’ll have lots to show you.

The kittens are settling in at their new home in California.

A new ice cream store opened in Garner.

Hazel and Telly got all their shots updated yesterday because they’re going to the groomer this week.

Connie and I are going to visit our friend Gloria on Thursday – she has a new house and a new quilting studio that we can’t wait to see!

This week is much calmer than last week – whew!

Happy Memorial Day to all of you! Late in the day we’ll go for a ride with the dogs and pick up the flowers at two cemeteries. We’re looking forward to a low key day – we haven’t had many of those recently.

51 thoughts on “Birthday Girl, 5-29-22

  1. Jean Elliott

    I remember catching bullheads at Crystal Lake. Then my dad would clean them and deep fry them. They were really good.

  2. Paula Nordt

    Happy Birthday, Telly! Catfish! I really enjoy freshwater catfish in a restaurant. But my husband and I love to go saltwater fishing along the Texas Gulf coast, and saltwater cats are not fun! They possess a barb that is extremely painful if it gets you!

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Paula – even these bullheads have that barb- one needs to be very careful when cleaning them.

  3. Sandy

    Hi Mary, a big happy birthday to Telly! A rainy day in New Zealand, having a restful day as l climbed too many stairs looking at houses yesterday, found one possibility, so the search continues. Would like to visit your new ice cream 🍦 shop, can it beat boysonberry? My favourite! Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy

    1. Diane in Maryland

      Sandy – I will ask Ashley if she’s had boysonberry ice cream! I’ve never seen it here in our grocery stores. Good luck with the house search!

  4. Kathy Hanson

    Hope sweet Telly has had a wonderful birthday, what a wonderful dog! She is so easy to love!! I haven’t even started watching Yellowstone, is it on Netflix? With Penny taking up a lot of time I don’t have enough time in the sewing room to watch it! Would love to though! The wind has really been hard on things, we have had rain here though, thankfully! Hope your garden will do well!

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Kathy Hanson – Yellowstone is on Paramount – I love it.

  5. Mary M Rhodes

    Happy Birthday Telly!! My cousin does the decorating of 2 cemerties. Soldem day. Here in Ohio we have catfish. My dad used to catch alot of them. I have too. They are good fried. We are drying out. Rainef for days total 9 inches! Mowing is going big job. My cats birthdays in May- 11 yr old and 2 7 yr olds.

  6. Donna J in south central KS

    Happy Birthday to Miss Telly! One of the luckiest dogs in Iowa. She seems very happy to be allowed to share the farm with Hazel and the rest of the critters and quilts. That’s a sweet life! And she’s well cared for and loved.

    When I was little our German relatives would call obstinate kin as Bull Headed Dutchmen. Didn’t know it was an actual thing.

    Best Wishes and Blessings to friends and family who are remembering those who have passed on, especially military folk who served our country. We thank them for their service.

  7. Alice

    Happy Birthday, Telly! Such a sweet girl! For those asking about the blue & yellow quilt, it’s a free pattern by Pat Sloan. It’s an 18″x18″ block. I’m using it as a table topper. And I’ve made a couple for gifts. It’s quick & easy to put together!
    Alice in SW Ohio

  8. Heidi

    Lived in Iowa 46 years and never heard of Crystal Lake. Remember Clear Lake, I used to go to camp there as a kid. Camp Morrison. Even remember the camp song and I am 79 now. I loved to catch and cook bulkheads. So easy to clean, just pull off skin, not like scraping off scales. Wonderful memories. Miss Iowa will always be home.

  9. Sue in Oregon

    Happy Birthday, Tellie. Her birthday is the same as my husband’s, but there is a whopping number of years between them. I made him a rhubarb upside-down cake, except I make it in a 9×13 so I don’t turn it upside down. It’s the strangest cake in the world but so good. Anyone want the recipe? I’ll check back and if you do I could type it in.
    We had a huge storm yesterday on the 28th of May. Wind taking limbs off of trees and driving rain coming in torrents. Plus, it was cold. I don’t remember a May like this one has been. Never want to see one again.
    I regretted having just put my tomatoes out, but today they look fine.
    Do you think Neflix will ever have Yellowstone? Or, maybe Starz? We have yet to see it as we do not subscribe to the channels that show it.
    That is quite a tribute to a Bullhead. I have never tasted it. We do have Catfish here and it is good. Mostly we fish for trout.
    June is just around the corner. Yah!

    1. Pamela

      Yes. Please share the recipe. Always looking for new ways to use the rhubarb. Thank you.

  10. Jo in Wyoming

    Oh! I love when pet friends Telly and Hazel, will celebrate her birthday at the spa together. They will be spiffed up to find something nasty to roll in. Does life get any better? 😳🤔😁🙄
    Happy Birthday big girl.

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Jo in Wyoming – yes, they won’t stay pristine for long but they’ll get their toenails trimmed, too. And Hazel will be so white again – she’s looking kinda gray right now.

  11. MaureenHP

    Enjoy a more relaxing week. You have had a hectic schedule lately! The day with Connie and Gloria sounds like just what you need. Have a great week!😊

  12. Kelli

    Happy Birthday Telly!! I hope you have a pawsatively wonderful birthday! I love seeing your pictures and hearing about your escapades. Wiggle and wag today and beg for an extra treat! My Cavalier Beau wishes you a doggone good birthday celebration!

  13. Gloria from CC

    Happy Birthday Telly you sweet dog. Such a happy and friendly dog. Looking forward to Thursday! Memorial Day: to all military thank you for your service.🙏🇱🇷

  14. Linda

    I hope you have a bountiful harvest of pumpkins in the fall. That’s a fabulous idea having high schoolers pick and sell them in the fall, a much better fund raiser than selling over-priced candy bars that no one really wants to buy.

    Happy Birthday Telly! Such a handsome boy!! Goldens are the best, so loyal, kind and loving, you can’t beat a golden!

    Happy Memorial Day Mary. I am especially remembering my Dad who served in WWII and my brother-in-law who was a Viet Nam vet who at the age of 18 was ordered to be a gunner on the first in attack vehicle. He passed from agent orange induced cancer a few years ago and never got over the fact that he had to gun down people at such a young age. I pray for all who served who were put in difficult situations for our freedom.

  15. NancyTD

    Happy Birthday to Telly.
    Sue—please share your upside down rhubarb cake recipe.
    Have a nice day with Connie.

  16. Vicki

    I love the bullhead statue. In the summer I would walk beans and after a hot and sweaty day of bean walking I occasionally would just walk into the lake near that statue to cool off, work clothes and all. Mom wasn’t happy with my lake water clothes, but it sure felt good! My sons still remember that statue and their visits to Grandpa and Grandma.

    Great idea about the pumpkin patch.

  17. Karen Cyr

    My aunt, who lived in Sac City, was a wonderful quilter. But her most favorite pastime was fishing for bullhead at Storm Lake. Some of my most memorable meals were bullhead rolled in cracker crumbs and fried up. YUM indeed! Good luck with your pumpkins. What a great idea to have the church group involved. Happy birthday Telly! You were all very lucky to find each other. Enjoy your quiet day of remembrance.

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Karen Cyr – maybe fried bullheads are a North Iowa “thing”?

      1. Sarah F.

        Nope! My mom fried bullheads when dad caught ‘‘em here in central Iowa. Me I have never been a fish lover.

  18. Kathy in western NY

    Aww sweet Telly living a contented life being you and your husbands faithful companion. Our rescue that looks like Telly is the same way about staying close by us and minds so well. My girlfriend said she just paid $65 for her King Charles spaniel to be groomed but we decided maybe her rent was increased so she has to charge more now.
    My husband use to attend a fundraiser that served fried bullheads and he loved them so I asked him why it has changed to perch served and he said it all has to do with where they get a quantity from, I guess as our lakes must not have a large supply anymore.
    Great idea for church group to sell pumpkins this fall. Very kind gesture to help this kids out !

  19. Lois Ann Johnson

    Sending birthday love to Telly; what a good girl! I will be spending a quiet day here at home. I will be baking a Rhubarb Coffeecake, using up some leftover rhubarb that a friend gave me. I am hosting a coffee tomorrow morning for some friends and will serve the coffeecake to them. I am interested in the recipe mentioned today–the “upside down rhubarb cake.” It is rather “stormy” here today and that frightens my Bailey. She refused to go out earlier this morning and so she is “holding it.” Our little town (Humboldt) used to have a Memorial Day parade but no longer do that now. However, there are still ceremonies held around the county memorializing our fallen.

  20. Diane in Maryland

    Happy birthday to Telly! How nice that you and Connie are getting together and going to go visit a friend with a new quilt studio. Please take some pictures for us to see! Hot weather is predicted here..90+ and of course awful humidity. Been nice not having AC on but I will be the first one to turn it on when it gets hot.
    Been enjoying breakfast on the porch and the cat and I have been entertained by a chipmunk running around on the deck which is attached to the porch.

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Diane in MD – what’s Trice up to lately? Love to hear about him and his animals!

  21. Diane from Colorado

    Happy Birthday, Telley!! Lucky girl to get to live at the farm!!

    I was up at 5:30 and went straight out to walk the dogs while it was cool. We had thunderstorms yesterday—a rarity these days—and it sprinkled while I was out with Skyler this morning. Welcome moisture, for sure.

    I made my sister a couple of embroidered flour sack dish towels for her RV yesterday but otherwise no sewing here. My next project is binding a little watermelon wall quilt from a Country Threads pattern from a few years ago!

  22. Joy in NWest Iowa

    Happy birthday, Telly! Sweeties! We had a very stormy weekend! Up in the middle of the night two nights in row with bad storms and warnings! Hail and wind and tornado warnings. Yikes!

  23. Donna

    Happy Birthday Telly
    I celebrated my 87th bday, yesterday. I am visiting my son & family in Columbus, MD and got to meet my new GGrandson, 2 month old Landon
    Donna, from Wis

  24. Launa

    Just received a snow alert way up here in Idaho. Been quite a few rainy days, too! Have Yellowstone set on TiVo. It is filmed @ the CHIEF JOSEPH RANCH not far from me…in MT. A beautiful place!
    A very Happy Birthday to lucky Telly! I remember her story.

  25. Sue in Oregon

    Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

    5 Cups Rhubarb cut into 1/2 inch pieces and spread out over a 9×13 pan
    1 Cup sugar sprinkled evenly over the top
    1 Pkg jello sprinkled over the top. Should be your choice of strawberry, cherry or raspberry
    3 Cups mini marshmallows spread over the top
    1 Yellow Cake Mix made according to box directions and spread over the top
    Bake 350 degrees for 50 mins.

    Happy Memorial Day everyone.

  26. DonnaJ in KS

    To Sue from Oregon
    Thanks for rhubarb recipe
    It sounds wonderful!!!

  27. Rita in Iowa

    Happy Birthday Telly. Hope everyone had a great Memorial Weekend.

    I made a Rhubarb Dump Cake, very good.
    Spent a great deal of time weeding in the flower beds, hoping it is the last of weeding as the flowers are filling in the gaps.
    Getting very high winds, hope that is all we get.

  28. Pat Smith

    Happy birthday to Telly! You and so lucky to still have her. We’ve never had a golden live past the age of 10. Cancer seems to get them about that time and the loss is so painful that I still remember it. We said no more dogs after our last golden, but after a year and a half, I started looking at pictures at the shelter. You know the rest! Thank goodness we did as our little Sonny has been the most wonderful dog ever. I had to laugh at the big bullhead. Once while at GNR, we took a drive to Crystal Lake and were so surprised to see that huge bullhead sculpture. It seemed like a nice little town—I didn’t know you grew up there. Iowa is full of surprises.

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Pat Smith – my home farm was 3 miles south of Crystal Lake. Here’s a hug for Sonny!

  29. Linda from Estherville

    I don’t think I mentioned our winter. Our snowbirding began in Bullhead City, AZ in December. When we would go out exploring I looked for the statue with the large fish and wondered how it compared to our Bullhead in Crystal Lake. I finally started storming to Lynn about the lack of a tribute to the bullhead. As I was ranting, we drove past another sign of a bull, and a beautiful metal sculpture of his head. Geeze, I said, there is a nice bull’s head you would think they would have a bullhead. A LIGHT WENT ON! The laugh was on me.

  30. Beryl BC

    Happy Birthday to Telly!

    We planted garden in Ohio today. Either it was wet or we weren’t home; today it finally worked out. Got tomato plants from a young woman that grew them from seed, 15 plants and all different. Now we are wishing for rain; tomorrow it will be near 90 as a high.

    I look for the bullhead every time we pass through Crystal Lake. I remember occasionally going fishing there. Fried fish was always good, either the bullheads or the Northern or Walleye brought by relatives from Northern Minnesota.

    I read about the new ice cream store in Garner. I don’t know if we will get to that part of Iowas this year, but am always ready to try out different ice cream.

    We have left plants at the local cemetery. I’ve wondered how long they need to be at the cemetery. I guess we will pick up sometime this week.

    Not much sewing has happened lately. Many outside things to do, and some traveling.

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Beryl BC – drove by “our” house in Britt – sure do miss stopping there.

      1. Beryl BC

        Miss having that place to visit. I’m happy a family is living there and maintaining it.

  31. Lynn In Scottsdale

    Happy Birthday Telly!

    I think pets get sweeter when they are older. Wishing her a wonderful 11th year.

    Good to hear you will see Connie this week.

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