tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94946752012-01-26T12:49:25.214-06:00Shallow thoughts from my home in Northeast Iowa.Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.comBlogger11721100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-76312389689811101472012-01-26T07:04:00.000-06:002012-01-26T07:04:00.945-06:00

My essay Preparedness for Young People took 2nd place in the essay category of the 2011 Safecastle Freedom Awards. I'm very happy about this! I'm still shocked that I made it to the finals, so winning is just another shock... and I was more excited about the 2nd prize (the Excalibur dehydrator) than the 1st prize (the Katadyn water filter) anyway.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-11723663186098424162012-01-26T06:27:00.000-06:002012-01-26T06:27:37.370-06:00

My stove's very close relative is for sale on eBay, located in Omaha. Look at this beauty! The enamel's in wonderful shape, and what's really remarkable, all the front knobs are still there! I don't see the oven temperature control dial on the right side. Maybe that's one of the things sitting inside the oven. That might be an interesting repair to have to make. Other than that, though, this

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-59195431436742922602012-01-04T06:22:00.004-06:002012-01-05T12:58:15.313-06:00

Safecastle ran a "new media" contest over most of 2011, seeking short written articles and short video pieces on some aspect of preparedness. Fifteen blogs hosted the contest entries, each of them choosing one essay and one video to submit as a finalist to Safecastle. I submitted mine through Rural Revolution. And I'm their finalist pick! Here's a link to all the finalists so you can read them

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-56372679480118479002012-01-02T21:18:00.001-06:002012-01-02T21:18:13.743-06:00

New Albin City Clerk Bobbie Goetzinger reads the oath of office to Mayor Elect Barry Stahl. Police Chief Conrad Rosendahl looks on. Mayor Stahl's first act as mayor was to swear in returning council members Joey Sires, center, and Kathy Goetzinger, right... and new council member Joel Monroe, below. Seated at far left is council member Lori Darling. In back by the flag is Police Chief

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-56707140009811470212011-12-30T15:32:00.001-06:002011-12-30T15:32:34.920-06:00

We got permission to hang a big bulletin board in the hallway of our department. We got the biggest we could possibly afford, 4 by 8 feet, the size of a sheet of drywall. It was installed this week. I decorated it with a border of printed out medical terms and a big banner that reads THIS IS WHY WE ARE CALLED MEDICAL LANGUAGE SPECIALISTS. Then today one of the staff was complaining that she had

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-57265041160873137322011-12-13T20:29:00.001-06:002011-12-13T20:29:03.313-06:00

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-79683894262971458612011-11-30T11:33:00.000-06:002011-11-30T11:33:00.228-06:00

I went to the jeweler and had my wedding ring cut off yesterday. Don't worry, it doesn't mean anything other than that my hand is bigger. Or maybe the ring shrank. Anyway, though the tightness of the ring did not bother me, it has driven Barry crazy to see it looking tight and uncomfortable. I last took it off a few months ago. I have tried since, but it has not been possible and it hurts to try

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-57858210708149066892011-11-29T11:16:00.001-06:002011-11-29T11:17:12.517-06:00

The Panje voice button allows patients status post laryngectomy to speak once more. http://www.technicalproductsgausa.com/ent/panje-voice.html

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-72846313490226792642011-11-26T10:32:00.001-06:002011-11-26T12:51:10.076-06:00

Sorta forgot I had a blog there for awhile, heh. We had a lovely Thanksgiving celebration with my parents driving down from the Cities, all three of our children gathered at our table, and two good friends of Barry's, Ron and Carolyn, whom I had never met before but who completed our gathering beautifully. Carolyn is a musician and so she and my parents had plenty to talk about. Okay, so now

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-73219455330882924292011-10-29T12:10:00.001-05:002011-10-29T12:10:33.159-05:00

I love my new job. I LOVE my new job. There is one teeny little drawback, though, and that's not getting to go to The Way Station any day I want to. So I went this morning. They recently remodeled, enlarging the store with the former theater space, and it's airy and welcoming and not claustrophobic anymore. It's great. I found a bunch of career blouses in my size. Somebody must have been

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-44514097112417285922011-10-15T16:45:00.000-05:002011-10-15T16:47:17.854-05:00

A few weeks ago, I went to an estate sale and bought two matching table lamps for three bucks. Here's one of the two, before. (Click on any of the images to get a closer look.) They were made of milk glass and wood pieces. Only one had a shade. They needed to be rewired, the wood parts had lost most of their finish, and the milk glass was really grubby. First off, I took the lamps apart,

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-75998034184188792372011-09-29T21:19:00.000-05:002011-09-29T21:19:40.049-05:00

Very stormy evening. The sun broke through just long enough to show us this.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-57182985494569570372011-09-22T20:46:00.002-05:002011-09-22T20:46:53.143-05:00

"Come over, I have some clothes I want you to try on," wrote Angela by e-mail this afternoon. I wasted no time in popping over to her house. "Some clothes" turned out to be pretty much a complete work wardrobe! Plus some simply lovely jewelry that she and her daughter Amy made themselves! I'm serious! Angela blessed me with some gorgeous, quality clothes. And they FIT ME. She commented that she

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-49630443687762257332011-09-22T14:40:00.001-05:002011-09-22T14:40:50.598-05:00

I opened a letter from our vet's office while at the post office while talking with my fellow dog-lover and friend Deb the Postmistress, and when I took this from the envelope, we both burst into tears. It's a print from Bo's paw, taken after his death. They meant it kindly, but it was just a shock. I wasn't expecting it. I'm glad to have it, but it was hard to see it nonetheless. They took it

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-78615460074868626292011-09-22T11:24:00.000-05:002011-09-22T12:07:49.714-05:00

... that I'm behind on processing it all mentally, never mind blogging about it. I worked my last day with Webmedx/Nuance on Tuesday. It was bittersweet, logging out for the last time; I have enjoyed the work, and especially enjoyed the people with whom I worked. I was pleased to work with one of the finest supervisors of my working lifetime, Dina Joseph. She's a fair minded, highly intelligent

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-59281838879083302002011-09-16T10:57:00.003-05:002011-09-25T07:20:55.849-05:00

I just returned from taking our dear Bo to the vet one last time. We adopted Bo on January 1, 2002, from Turbo Kees Keeshond Rescue in Chicago. He filled the huge hole left by the death of our Prissy. I liked to think that, rather than our rescuing him, Bo rescued us from being a family that had no dog. Our children had never known a home that did not have a dog, a Keeshond, in it. There had been

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-67852749542166441082011-09-03T10:40:00.002-05:002011-09-03T10:40:44.434-05:00

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-24432293860554811172011-08-31T12:05:00.002-05:002011-08-31T12:05:44.853-05:00

It's quite likely that someday we will have a US Army chaplain in our family. CNN did this piece recently which I thought you'd enjoy watching.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-68458955483907814492011-08-28T11:09:00.001-05:002011-08-28T11:10:56.873-05:00

The service today at St. Peter's was full of zingers. First the congregational prayer zapped me: I have struggled to walk faithfully with You and I have not made friends with the foolish, nor do I socialize with the deceitful.... You ask us to love one another and show each other honor. You tell us to be zealous, faithful and serving You in all things. But You know me, O God. You have heard my

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-1547927588940535732011-08-27T14:00:00.000-05:002011-08-27T14:00:48.762-05:00

Underwhelming, isn't it? This is all the yield in potatoes from our 4 barrels. I'd love to know what I did wrong. There were lots of cutworms in the barrels, for one thing. These potatoes we did get are delicious, and they will make (one batch of) nice potato salad. Still, I was really hoping for, like, 150 pounds of potatoes. I want to try something similar next year, only with a cylinder of

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-52922230880444438172011-08-26T07:45:00.000-05:002011-08-26T07:45:33.880-05:00

Here are two garments I entered in the fair. The black apron I'm proud of, and it won a blue ribbon. The eyelet blouse I entered because I said I would enter a blouse and I did not have time to make a better one. It's okay. It won a red ribbon, and probably did not even deserve that much. The apron has a little story behind it. Last spring, when Lisa Fruitful were making costumes for The Sound

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-39050267422768585182011-08-18T14:58:00.002-05:002011-08-18T19:01:02.322-05:00

The Houston County (MN) Fair is going on right now, and this afternoon is the Ugly Purse Contest. I'm pumped. I'm stoked. I've got THE purse. I'm going to take this thing. That's right. This is my time to shine. And yes, that IS a baby alligator, stuffed, on an alligator skin handbag. He has ruby-red glass eyes and he is quite scary. Boo! I'll let you know how it turns out, but I'm feeling

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-19676710889628617102011-08-18T08:25:00.000-05:002011-08-18T08:25:19.106-05:00

Kieffer, entering his senior year in high school. Lil Miss A, entering 6th grade.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-69297604568869444952011-08-16T17:53:00.001-05:002011-08-18T08:55:15.797-05:00

I wanted to take a picture of Lil Miss A's adorable new haircut (she got about 6 inches cut off), but she insisted on holding bad Beckham during the pictures, and he did not cooperate at ALL.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-58609568679706913692011-08-15T22:41:00.000-05:002011-08-15T22:41:26.540-05:00

I got some canning done this weekend, some stuff from our gardens, some from the farmer's market, and some (the corn) a gift from our neighbors. The tally, if I remember right: 5 quarts sweet corn 2 quarts yams in syrup 7 pints dill pickles 4 pints green beans 6 quarts Italian seasoned tomato sauce I need to step up the pace here. I'm doing pretty well, but we need more. I added 4 gallons

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-32701830641351409102011-07-28T20:49:00.000-05:002011-07-28T20:49:43.181-05:00

I showed you how eaten up our cabbages were getting in this post. I was washing out 7-gallon plastic jugs that had once contained cooking oil using Dawn dishwashing detergent to cut the oil, and got to looking at those cabbages, and in total disgust, dumped the oily, Dawn-y suds on the cabbages. Guess what? Whatever was eating them, is gone! And the cabbages are doing okay! All but 2, which

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-6498715317257343542011-07-27T07:23:00.001-05:002011-07-27T10:13:11.035-05:00

I went through high school with Tom Klein. He just launched his website, featuring his music on the uilleann pipes. Check it out - and click on the Music tab to hear samples of his music.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-44994114099348158312011-07-24T19:37:00.000-05:002011-07-24T19:37:09.513-05:00

I bought this interesting scoop-shaped basket at The Way Station. Have any of you seen anything like this? It's old, and it's well made. It's not just a larger basket that got cut off at one end, the ends are neatly woven into the basket. It's about 14 inches long, 13 inches wide and 5 inches deep. It fits nicely in the hand for scooping loose grain (though tightly packed grain would probably

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-60996095659847421952011-07-23T16:32:00.000-05:002011-07-23T16:32:53.901-05:00

This morning my late neighbor and fellow church lady Gladys Richards' estate was auctioned off, pretty much across the street from us (down a couple of doors). They sold her little house, which was on a nice-sized lot but not a particularly interesting house in my opinion, plus most of her belongings. I popped in and out throughout the morning while getting other things done. I bought a bag of

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-49489870935182363362011-07-22T11:13:00.000-05:002011-07-22T11:13:36.695-05:00

Remember our other robin family? - Both babies died, so our robin parents decided to try again, in a new tree. Here is their second family. This morning I was up at 5, and witnessed this glorious sunrise.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-7212858709289969962011-07-18T22:23:00.002-05:002011-07-22T11:38:06.860-05:00

Click on that for a panoramic view of our campground in the Yellow River State Forest after Sunday at about noon. You'll see one crazy family camping amongst the blazing heat and humidity, mosquitoes, and rabid raccoons. (That's us. Right in the middle, at the end of that dirt driveway.) Everyone else was wise enough to head home. More pictures:

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-1075111232793309422011-07-14T11:22:00.000-05:002011-07-14T11:22:39.896-05:00

"Black" hollyhocks (actually they are deep purple). A heritage variety we don't know the name of. Horseradish which I just started from rootings. In a barrel so it doesn't escape. These tomatoes are in the former chicken pen and are very, very happy  to be rooting in a deep layer of old chicken poop. Lots of nitrogen. Hops, taking over the garage as usual for this time of year. People

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-35264811777765666582011-07-14T07:53:00.001-05:002011-07-14T07:53:54.685-05:00

Webmedx is now part of Nuance Communications, the company that produces the Dragon line of speech wreckognition software. I'm tired.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-36875064413426160242011-07-06T16:07:00.001-05:002011-07-06T16:07:53.272-05:00

We Stahls spent last week visiting my parents in Roseville, Minnesota. A big project we accomplished (okay, mostly Barry accomplished, we helped somewhat) was to sand and refinish the hardwood floors in the dining room and hallway. These floors have been under carpeting nearly all the time since 1958 when their cute midcentury ranch home was built. So the floors are in great shape, just needed

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-12268286098822313232011-07-05T15:07:00.002-05:002011-07-05T15:07:52.551-05:00

Christ Community EFC to host open house

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-33916805064090791582011-06-27T17:05:00.002-05:002011-07-04T21:02:41.413-05:00

I stopped by a church rummage sale Saturday morning. They're the best. The greatest stuff, the best prices AND they want to clear out everything, so are usually making deals right and left. When I arrived, everything was already half the marked price. I picked up two big boxes of old dressmaker patterns for one dollar (they were originally a dollar a box). I grabbed them so fast and rushed them

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-90209910368251338882011-06-26T19:37:00.000-05:002011-06-26T19:37:37.701-05:00

This was shot by a firefighter fighting the Arizona wildfires. He has become something of a cyber friend of mine. Look how quickly the flames move. Just sickening.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-81674707201473322322011-06-23T07:29:00.000-05:002011-06-23T07:29:45.596-05:00

If you are a follower of Adrian's Undead Diary, then you already know that June 23rd was the day the Zombie Apocalypse began, so this is a pretty important anniversary. If you are not a follower of Adrian's Undead Diary, then why not?

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-56328300554192637162011-06-22T16:55:00.000-05:002011-06-22T16:55:02.634-05:00

ALLERGIES: Rattlesnake venom.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-75620671673942462002011-06-20T20:23:00.001-05:002011-06-20T20:24:44.104-05:00

I was working this evening and suddenly had an urge to check on the robin family. We had quite a storm last night. When I approached their tree, I found one of the little robins on the ground below the nest. They still have no feathers, just mostly invisible fluff, and their eyes are not yet open. I ran back to the house to grab a tissue (just in case, yes I know you are supposed to be able to

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-67835081441155418192011-06-20T18:30:00.000-05:002011-06-20T18:30:42.255-05:00

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-29244795107653801852011-06-18T15:11:00.002-05:002011-06-18T16:20:03.508-05:00

This morning my friend Karen and our daughters, the lovely Miss C and Lil Miss A, all went strawberry picking just outside La Crescent, Minnesota, at Kathan's farm. The season only opened yesterday so the pickin' was really good. The berries were plentiful and beautiful, though not as sweet as one might hope (though, strangely, by the time I got mine home, they seemed sweeter). After we picked,

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-16930120288731254992011-06-16T21:21:00.000-05:002011-06-16T21:21:05.334-05:00

This is my favorite, with the evening light. This was with a flash. They thought the camera was their mama, come to feed them. Forget it. Not Mama. Look! Teeny robin feetsies!

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-88031737634639263912011-06-12T18:46:00.002-05:002011-06-12T18:46:45.202-05:00

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-87810905989346107002011-06-12T18:28:00.000-05:002011-06-12T18:28:17.235-05:00

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-7560186393536336082011-06-12T18:11:00.000-05:002011-06-12T18:11:42.149-05:00

The link is here.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-49731676373988105262011-06-11T15:07:00.002-05:002011-06-11T15:07:42.355-05:00

What a striking bird! This one was hanging out on one of our corkscrew willows.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-76180635550863589372011-06-10T22:22:00.002-05:002011-06-10T22:22:41.992-05:00

ISR: He has originally the natural tendency... Dictated: He is originally from Nashville, Tennessee...

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-65016366882720697772011-06-10T11:07:00.000-05:002011-06-10T11:07:12.848-05:00

ISR: "This is a 45-year-old woman with a history of baby monitor tic." It was really something completely different. Cannot figure where ISR got this. But anyway.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-8700045430210513462011-06-10T10:55:00.002-05:002011-06-10T10:55:55.708-05:00

Maybe she doesn't know what "incredibly" means. "... as well as a history of polio when she was incredibly young."

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-22070396007250356282011-06-10T10:28:00.003-05:002011-06-10T10:56:16.645-05:00

She has a strange speech habit (maybe she cannot help it) where she never says the combination of the K and S sound. So, like every time she says the number 6, it's "sits." And I never noticed how many times the number 6 can show up in a discharge summary. "Infection" is "infetsin." "Antibiotics" are "antibiotits." Grrr. I just want to SHAKE HER. Edited: Hmmm. She seems to have trouble with the

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-72862426505564330952011-06-10T09:31:00.000-05:002011-06-10T09:31:28.364-05:00

And it's on people! http://www.ajronline.org/cgi/reprint/164/4/900.pdf "Fine, transverse folds crossing the entire lumen of the esophagus have been termed the “feline esophagus” because their radiographic appearance mimics the appearance of folds in the distal esophagus of the cat."

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-89700367120156346462011-06-08T16:16:00.000-05:002011-06-08T16:16:03.900-05:00

An interesting tool used laparoscopically to cauterize the cervicovaginal junction, allowing in vivo morcellation of the ligated uterus for removal. http://www.karlstorz.com/cps/rde/xchg/SID-9600EFBD-18E80791/karlstorz-en/hs.xsl/7537.htm

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-67948155767664567552011-06-08T15:25:00.001-05:002011-06-08T15:37:21.039-05:00

Stolen photo from a turtle center Barry was digging in the back yard a few minutes ago, and realized too late that he had just taken out a turtle nest with a swipe of his shovel. Poor mama turtle walked so far to lay her eggs, and now they are ruined (all but one that did not get broken which I grabbed away and reburied elsewhere). He grumbled, "It's probably a snapper anyway." Britta said, "

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-50150727963117656022011-06-07T08:40:00.001-05:002011-06-07T08:47:38.563-05:00

The "Army Road" is a gravel road built and maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers that runs out from town about 2 miles through marshlands and water meadows to a place to launch boats or go fishing. I forget it's there most of the time, which is really sad, because it's such a beautiful part of our area. Britta worked 2nd shift at the nursing home, and then, when someone called in sick,

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-56432803656883634412011-06-06T08:57:00.001-05:002011-06-06T08:57:28.390-05:00

I wrote this on a preparedness/survival message board in response to a question about how the time frame of one's raising might affect one's interest in preparedness. And now in rereading my answer, I see that I didn't do a very good job of answering the question. but I thought I'd share it here anyway. I was born in 1962 to a schoolteacher mother who grew up on a small Kansas farm, and a

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-2946094458331869522011-06-05T07:17:00.003-05:002011-06-06T11:40:24.421-05:00

My dry-mesh open-air dehydrator is really working out well. It takes longer to dehydrate in it than it would in an electric one, at least in our climate (in the desert, it probably would not be much longer, if any), but it uses free solar and wind energy. So far we have dehydrated morel mushrooms, fresh parsley (I got it on clearance at the market), rhubarb, a lot of peaches, and now I have

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-34523366863659028372011-06-02T17:22:00.001-05:002011-06-02T17:59:45.823-05:00

Lovely weather, finally. Birds nesting like crazy, things growing. My potatoes in their barrels are growing healthy and strong. I feel bad every time I bury them in dirt and make them grow again. Potato guilt. I'm going to get back to work now after a fun supper cooked out at the fire pit: Johnsonville Turkey and Cheddar brats on buns, with toasted marshmallows for dessert. A neighbor gave us a

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-71420907099167130652011-05-29T18:54:00.002-05:002011-05-29T20:11:32.237-05:00

Let me show you what's growing right now. Starting with the front yard, this is a flower bed alongside the house. Coral bells Columbine. A big jumble of mint, chives and a mystery plant that comes up every year. A baby sassafras tree my in-laws brought us from Pennsylvania. Sassafras is not supposed to grow around here but maybe this little guy is willing to make an exception.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-25561529906068243982011-05-23T19:09:00.001-05:002011-05-30T08:02:57.951-05:00

I picked this up at the library today and am reading it. It's excellent. And scary. It's a cautionary tale that is worth reading by anyone who is anxious to try living off the land and the sweat of one's brow. A couple of idealistic young people bought 60 rocky acres of farmland in the 1970s and built a small self sufficiency farm there, and had two three little girls. They were making it, sort

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-60035992120716734932011-05-20T17:15:00.000-05:002011-05-20T17:15:28.860-05:00

Barry's parents are visiting this week, and just typing that tells me how I am neglecting this blog, because you should already know that. Anyway, this morning my partner in crime Lisa Fruitful and my mother in law Jane Stahl headed off to Spring Grove to garage sail. We did very well. Some highlights were the wringer mop bucket I had been saving up for on line - for only two dollars! - and

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-48009046201699232942011-05-20T14:46:00.000-05:002011-05-20T14:46:11.405-05:00

Nine months ago, and this morning:

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-14816162754472477192011-05-14T16:22:00.001-05:002011-05-14T16:26:03.986-05:00

For the last day of Lil Miss A's ballet class, the parents were invited to come watch. It was not really a recital, but we got to see what they have learned in the past 10 weeks. It's amazing. They have learned a LOT. Her camera was acting up so I only have a tiny clip for you. She is the one wearing a black leotard, with her back to the camera.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-18970676485194869892011-05-13T20:31:00.000-05:002011-05-13T20:31:16.436-05:00

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-42568937036866401522011-05-12T14:27:00.000-05:002011-05-13T15:26:01.389-05:00

"The patient is full of feces."

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-51214145108087368132011-05-10T23:19:00.001-05:002011-05-30T08:05:28.568-05:00

In 2002, which is when I turned 40, my dear husband surprised me with tickets to A Prairie Home Companion at the Fitzgerald Theater in the Twin Cities. My parents looked after the children while we went to the show. It was a wonderful experience. I will never forget it. Not that I need to worry about that: The whole show is still on the website here. Near the end is a song sung by Robin and

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-68881671340427948162011-05-01T18:51:00.000-05:002011-05-01T18:51:56.429-05:00

Queen Bess is my mother's wedding registry silverplate pattern. Just thought it was fun to find it being used as a bookmark.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-32672525085853906252011-04-16T15:40:00.000-05:002011-04-16T15:40:55.964-05:00

Now THAT's my idea of a good time. A friend let me hunt through the last bits of what remained of a fallen-down garage that belonged to his grandparents and then his parents. He okayed everything I took, so I made sure I did not take anything he wanted. He let me have all these old canning jars, storage jars and glass jugs! A total of 13 quart canning jars ranging from beautiful old blue ones

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-21433900285939921742011-04-15T10:56:00.002-05:002011-04-15T10:56:26.755-05:00

"We then introduced an awl to the center of the tibia. Spelled O-W-L."

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-44902060918585597752011-04-08T09:48:00.001-05:002011-04-08T10:40:33.959-05:00

I told this story on Facebook, and was informed that it is adorable, so I got to thinking I should write it down so I do not forget. Yesterday was my 49th birthday. I don't expect a fuss over my birthday. Maybe when I get into the 80s, I'll start wanting more fuss. But it's sweet that my family still makes a minor-league fuss some years. This time my Little Miss A (who, incidentally, is now 10

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-27280262276373526582011-04-02T14:42:00.000-05:002011-04-02T14:42:34.270-05:00

Over the past couple days I tried making homemade ginger ale using this recipe. It turned out really good! The two changes I made were to use half the yeast it called for, and also to start with a cup of sugar and a couple of cups of hot tap water, shaken together hard in the bottle to mix thoroughly and dissolve the sugar, then I added cold water and the rest of the ingredients. I also vented

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-61864246134929346352011-04-01T10:20:00.000-05:002011-04-01T10:20:13.463-05:00

Are y'all aware of Amazon.com's Subscribe and Save program? - They give you 15% off and free shipping if you sign up to have something delivered every so often (up to every 6 months). Example: Traverse Bay dried cherries or dried cranberries, a 4-pound box, is under $18, less than $5 a pound, through Subscribe and Save. You can sign up and then cancel the subscription tomorrow, if you like; or

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-71506560625630939412011-04-01T08:13:00.006-05:002011-04-02T13:21:59.963-05:00

and here I thought the Google team had forgotten, until I saw Gmail Motion. And then there's YouTube's Century of Viral Videos: And in other news, George R.R. Martin's Dance with Dragons is so huge and cumbersome that Bantam plans to split it into 5 smaller volumes, a Google Autocompleter weighs in, and Weinstein Co. has nabbed the highly sought after movie rights to popular nursery rhymes

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-9613549423787713502011-03-31T12:47:00.001-05:002011-03-31T12:47:46.486-05:00

You probably know that oil lamps burn better when the oil level is higher rather than lower. I don't know why, but my guess is because the oil does not have to be pulled up so far to burn. Yet it can take a lot of kerosene to completely fill the reservoir of a lantern, and if you have a bunch of them throughout the house like I do, that's a lot of kerosene! Years and years ago, my father in law

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-82500779740431861722011-03-31T12:41:00.003-05:002011-03-31T22:11:05.353-05:00

Work has been slow this morning, which leaves me time to get into trouble. I got to thinking about canning jars, and how I want more of them. :) I posted an appeal on Facebook for them and immediately got some offers. I picked up a dozen here in town and washed them up. Then I started wondering how many I actually have for the season and if I have enough Tattler reusable canning lids. Which led

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-88741820970809661112011-03-24T08:27:00.000-05:002011-03-24T08:27:25.938-05:00

CoAlign titanium expandable spinal cage system I did not find much information on this out there.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-10448165532461208482011-03-23T17:12:00.000-05:002011-03-23T17:12:36.902-05:00

... something interesting happened, but I'm having the hardest time remembering what it was. Oh yeah, now I remember! My son Kieffer was born. He weighed 8 pounds 4 ounces. He was tall and thin. He had a lovely pair of lungs and was strong and healthy. He was then and is now very precious to us. Also he is still tall and thin. In honor of Kieffer, I have a chocolate cake in the oven. It's an

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-38996429062209002572011-03-22T19:17:00.000-05:002011-03-22T19:17:22.276-05:00

Two new blogs from two new bloggers! My niece's blog and my daughter's blog.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-43206973330434636272011-03-21T16:23:00.002-05:002011-03-21T16:23:24.688-05:00

Is your computer fixed? :)

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-59405380072347291582011-03-21T15:59:00.000-05:002011-03-21T15:59:49.859-05:00

What a weirdo. Oh wait, she's me. I confess, I raid people's recyling bins. In particular, I have a neighbor who puts interesting and useful things in her recycling and puts it out a day ahead of time, too, to give me a fighting chance of salvaging stuff. For example, she puts a nice sturdy empty gallon jug that once contained cranberry juice in her recycling about every second week or so.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-29036980998141578422011-03-18T11:36:00.000-05:002011-03-18T11:36:37.900-05:00

According to this link, it's used for breast reconstruction, but I found it in a surgical repair of massive abdominal injury from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Kind of amazing stuff. It's pure collagen, and it is incorporated into the body as healing takes place.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-2734770930656209342011-03-18T10:54:00.000-05:002011-03-18T10:54:32.269-05:00

We ran out of vanilla extract again, and while I bought another bottle to get us through, I also decided to start our own here to be used when that runs out. A bottle of cheap vodka, a couple of packs of extract-grade vanilla beans and we're good to go. It's only been working or soaking or whatever you'd call it for a few days, but it already smells like vanilla extract and it's hard to keep

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-68854419061680635202011-03-18T10:50:00.000-05:002011-03-18T10:50:11.977-05:00

SKIN: No rash or lesion noted except as noted in the skin examination. 

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-16899250600501620272011-03-17T10:19:00.000-05:002011-03-17T10:19:48.621-05:00

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-29758463815982659462011-03-14T08:00:00.001-05:002011-03-14T08:10:03.057-05:00

There was an estate sale in La Crosse over the weekend, and Britta is working on furnishing her unfurnished apartment for next school year, so we zoomed up there to take a look. She found a pretty set of bookshelves for $24. I found a couple of odds and ends, including this little box style handbag. The price tag said "Hawaii". The yellow twine is icky but I love the raffia flowers. It was $3. I

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-31111779867767520592011-03-10T13:43:00.001-06:002011-03-10T13:43:55.947-06:00

"FINDINGS: Small PDA, status post coital collision."

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-48156525330113455372011-03-10T10:10:00.001-06:002011-03-10T11:42:21.557-06:00

On a whim (or maybe a desperate desire to see something growing), I got my sprouting jar out and sprouted about a cup and a half of wheat berries over the course of a couple of days. I'm letting a small portion of them continue to grow in a windowsill so that we have wheat grass for salads, but the rest went into bread dough for 3 loaves of bread today. I just sliced myself a sample and oooooh my

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-78331804223812067542011-03-10T09:56:00.000-06:002011-03-10T09:56:43.163-06:00

I'm excited because my friend Lisa Fruitful and I get to help out with some of the costuming for the high school production of The Sound of Music! We're having a sewing blitz this Sunday afternoon to see what we can get knocked out. What fun. :) Let's see... Knickers and lederhosen for boys, lots of dirndl skirts and vests and pinafores for the girls... Whee!

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-7546460828730054622011-03-08T14:57:00.000-06:002011-03-08T14:57:58.956-06:00

On a 2-year-old girl: "She has been noncompliant and lost to followup until 14 months of age."

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-23202885526867875032011-03-08T13:54:00.000-06:002011-03-08T13:54:20.177-06:00

"The C loop and duodenum were essentially held taut - T A U G H T - ..."

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-4696527871181192522011-03-04T07:43:00.000-06:002011-03-04T07:43:37.255-06:00

Kind of a big week in book publishing, as far as I am concerned! First, Patrick Rothfuss' second book in the Kingkiller Chronicles, The Wise Man's Fear, released this week. Second, we have an actual firm written-in-stone release date for A Dance with Dragons, the 5th book in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, July 12th. And then last night my father emailed me to tell me that

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-445760888218455802011-03-02T09:05:00.001-06:002011-03-02T09:07:08.181-06:00

The way it was dictated, I thought it was a Matrix II system. Nope. Danek Medtronic METRx X-Tube System It's a minimally invasive treatment system for spinal stenosis and disk herniation. Posting these on my blog is really for my own edification, as by writing about it, I reinforce it in my memory, and of course I can find it again someday if I get stuck.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-15539647494086417882011-03-01T06:10:00.000-06:002011-03-01T06:10:34.031-06:00

House Rules for Kids Moving Back Home

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-54201666285389892102011-02-28T08:21:00.000-06:002011-02-28T08:21:42.808-06:00

This is from Pam's Retro Renovation blog site and it just makes me happy. Click the picture to learn more about this adorable, non-gutted kitchen with original cabinets.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-56209123388493592802011-02-25T08:34:00.000-06:002011-02-25T08:34:04.888-06:00

ISR: The patient is scheduled for a transanal craniotomy for tumor resection.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-11963585483420511192011-02-23T14:26:00.000-06:002011-02-23T14:26:16.112-06:00

"He is sleeping. He is much more alert and awake since I saw him last."

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-45440855657844206362011-02-22T15:46:00.000-06:002011-02-22T15:46:12.005-06:00

spigelian hernia: A specific kind of acquired ventral hernia.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-10367079357103873762011-02-22T13:09:00.000-06:002011-02-22T13:09:06.573-06:00

ME: Please stir that while I pour this.SOMEONE ELSE: Okay.SOMEONE ELSE: What are you doing, anyway?ME: Making soap.SOMEONE ELSE: Why? Do we need soap?ME: NO. But I need to make something. And I have all this tallow to use up.SOMEONE ELSE: Guess that's why it smells like meat. Comments: First of all, we don't always do things because we need to. Sometimes it's because we want to, because it's fun,

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-16060205210098144122011-02-21T12:23:00.002-06:002011-02-21T12:24:49.170-06:00

Today is unofficially the Urban Homesteaders' Day of Action, when bloggers all over the place agreed to write about urban homesteading. Why? Because, to give you the short version, a family that has a website (which I'm not going to link to) about urban homesteading decided to trademark that phase, then sent letters out to other bloggers, websites, radio stations and even a city library telling

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9494675.post-16151211393893791022011-02-21T07:08:00.002-06:002011-02-21T07:08:44.929-06:00

Star Wars. Love the Yoda baby hat.

Maria Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01860866965815658652noreply@blogger.com0