Hidden Jewels in Pine River, Minnesota!

An article in our local newspaper was recently published about a community thrift store I support. I wanted to share it with you in case you have anything you'd like to donate, or if you're ever in need. They have clothing and other household related items. Read on.....


Center embraces PR-Backus
INITIATIVE AWARDS: OUTSTANDING NONPROFIT
By JODIE TWEED
Staff Writer

PINE RIVER - If the Pine River-Backus Family Center had arms, they would stretch out into a giant hug, encompassing the entire community.On Friday, the family center will be honored by the Initiative Foundation as the 2007 Outstanding Nonprofit for doing what it does best - listening and filling the needs that exist within the community.The center, one of five in Cass County, was established in 1996 with funding from the Initiative Foundation as a way to combat teen pregnancy in the community. Its programs now include drug prevention and education, youth summer programs, parent education, home visitation and basic family support. About 2 1/2 years ago, the family center opened the Hidden Jewels thrift store. The center was looking at ways to diversify its revenue stream to support its many programs and also realized a thrift store that was needed in Pine River.

Brenda Biever (left), manager of the Hidden Jewels Thrift store, and Leslie Bouchonville, executive director for the Pine River-Backus Family Center, recently looked over items for sale at the thrift store, which is part of the family center in downtown Pine River. The store provides revenue for the family center's programs and also serves a need in the community. Brainerd Dispatch/ Steve Kohls

Leslie Bouchonville, the family center's executive director, said there aren't a lot of shopping opportunities in Pine River, so local families usually travel to the Brainerd/Baxter area to shop. This can create a serious hardship for families living in poverty who can't afford the gasoline to travel to Brainerd, much less purchasing clothing for the entire family.Brenda Biever-Burbach, Hidden Jewels store manager, said prices are kept affordable on purpose. The most expensive item you'll find in the store costs $4.95. Most items cost 97 cents. A nice sweater may cost $2.95, she said.

Mary Plouffe, a part-time worker at the Hidden Jewels thrift store in Pine River, organized the shelves of dishware at the thrift store. The thrift store charges no more than $4.98 per item and most things cost 97 cents. Brainerd Dispatch/ Steve Kohls

All the items are donated from Pine River and surrounding cities. When a family loses its home in a house fire, the family center is there to offer their help with clothing and other items. A single mom with children may stop in and find a nice selection of school clothes for children of all ages. No one is turned away for an inability to pay."We're here to help the community," Biever-Burbach said. "I don't know another community that reaches out to the community like this."Bouchonville said the family center is more than just a store. People stop in to see what's new in stock, browse the ever-changing inventory and chat with other customers and volunteer staff. It's also a non-threatening entry point for individuals and families to learn about the other services the family center provides. The store has about 40 to 50 customers on a typical day and brings in about $26,000 a year to support family center programs.


Doris Knott, a part-time worker at the Hidden Jewels thrift store in Pine River, marked donated clothing earlier this month at the thrift store. Brainerd Dispatch/ Steve Kohls

Bouchonville said it's an honor to receive the award from the Initiative Foundation."The award is not only about the staff and the board, it's about the community," Bouchonville said. "I think it speaks to Pine River and Backus and how everyone is working together to make it a nice place to live. It's exciting."The thrift shop is in dire need of volunteers to help sort incoming donations and help with the store, Bouchonville said. The store has a nearby storage room that is filled with items that need to be sorted and priced. The family center also is looking for donations for its Christmas For Kids toy drive, which provides Christmas gifts for families in need in the community.
The Hidden Jewels thrift store is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesdays.
JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.

Precious Memories...

Make your own slide shows and scrapbooks

Meet Little Bear...

The newest member of our family...
This is Little Bear. He's a 6 month old AKC registered Pomeranian puppy my daughter brought home recently, and with my permission, this time. (out of guilt, actually, but I'll explain that later).....
So far, I think he's a keeper!! Ü He's all black except for some white on the front of his chest.
This little guy is sooo cuddly and sweet that I couldn't help but fall in love with him. Such a gentle, loving little dog!
As most of you know, I HAVE to have my afternoon nap....and as it turns out, so does Little Bear! He cuddles up right next to me on my pillow and falls asleep with me every afternoon. Such a sweetheart! Did I say he's my "daughter's" dog??? hehehe
He's already housebroken, which is great because I'm terrible at teaching that! The only negative thing about this little fella right now is that he's deathly afraid of our black lab, Rossco. He yips and whines when Rossco comes around, or if Bear walks into a room and sees Rossco sitting there...he'll yip, run and hide! Rossco just continues to wag his tail and sniff the little dog, bumping him with his nose to try to get him to play. Rossco just doesn't understand why Little Bear is so intimidated! *lol* I hope he gets use to Rossco pretty soon tho, because Rossco, altho he's a big, 90 pound or so dog, is also an 'inside' dog. He sleeps in the house with us, goes outside when he feels like it, then he's back inside the house again. He's a big baby. I've tried holding Little Bear while petting both dogs, and at least he doesn't whine and shake anymore during that, but as soon as I let go of him, he runs and hides until Rossco goes outside again. Any pointers on getting them to be friends?? I could sure use some!! Ü I don't think he was ever around big dogs before.
About my guilt.....
What happened was, my daughter met someone in town who was trying to get rid of their three puppies, about 6 or 7 weeks old, saying they were going to have to kill them if they didn't find a home for them, so of course, she had to save them all! Sheesh. (I swear it must be on the Internet somewhere that all folks have to do is tell her they're going to kill their pet and she'll take it off their hands!!) *lol*
It seems like every other week she's bringing home some kind of abandoned pet, and while she's at school, then goes to work, then goes to 'hang out' with her friends in her spare time, guess who's taking care of whatever the latest pet is??....and my nerves are shot with that job! I'm no good at teaching them to do their 'duty' outside, (or anything else, for that matter!), so of course, I'm feeding them, holding & comforting them, playing with them, and cleaning up piles and puddles every time I turn around. My old nerves just can't handle that responsibility anymore!
Well, she found homes for two of them, but she didn't try with the third...she decided to keep him! EEeeeekkk!! (I'm pulling my hair out by this time)
Cutest and friendliest little thing I've ever seen. Black and white, was going to be a small dog when full grown, such a neat personality. Bright-eyed. Loves to cuddle....the whole nine yards. I can see how she couldn't resist! BUT....
I was the one taking care of him!! After a couple weeks of that, I overheard a nurse at work talking to someone on the phone about how she was looking for a puppy for her children, and describing this dog to a "T"!! (colors, markings, etc) So, I told her about the puppy, then showed him to her, and she immediately fell in love with him! She went home, told her kids about the puppy, and the next day took him home. I was really happy. I know this family personally, and this really was the perfect dog for them. So I was tickled, explained to my daughter how we 'had' to do this and that it was best for the puppy, and she seemed to understand...

UNTIL....the puppy actually went home to this family. THEN.... my daughter whined around, wanting the puppy back, laying a huge guilt trip on me about how much she really loved this puppy, and driving me absolutely crazy. Well, what was I going to do??? I couldn't take the puppy back from those kids! They were already in love with him!!! So...I agreed to help her find another dog, one that was already housebroken, and that we BOTH agreed to. And within a couple days, we found Bear. Another nurse at work led me to a friend of hers who's a breeder of these kinds of dogs, and WALLA!
So, we agreed to try it out and see how it goes. So far so good, and I am now guilt-free. My daughter has a little dog to love and cuddle and sleep with, and my friend's kids do too!! Wooo-Hoooo!! And best of all....I'm not cleaning anything up!!! Just a little love and attention, but I can handle that! Ü
Now let's just hope this is the end of this on-going saga, and that baby season is over for all pets right now!!
Why don't people get their pets spayed or neutered if they don't want babies from them???!!!!!

Fall Chores

Can you believe it's FALL already???! Sheesh! Where'd the summer go? We had a few hot & dry spells, then about mid-August it started getting colder.....and from there it just got colder and colder and colder and....well, you get the idea. Things started to die off from the frosts at nite, and before you know it, the yard's full of leaves again! We still have a LOT of leaves ready to fall from the trees tho, so this picture is nothing compared to what it WILL look like in the near future...

Last weekend my youngest daughter and I worked on getting the barn ready for winter. What a job that was! We ripped down a few walls to make a bigger area instead of several rooms, so we could haul the rabbits and their cages in there for the winter. We're down to just two rabbits right now....a male and a female. In the spring I s'spect they'll have some babies so we'll be back in the rabbit business again. Yippee!! (a little sarcasm there) Ü Now their cages are protected from the snow and the rabbits won't have to deal with our cold, winter winds. I'm not really a rabbit person, but my girls wanted them, and I sorta fell in love with this one.....This is Black Jack. Jack for short. Ü He's a very gentle rabbit, and weird! *lol* He was a house rabbit with his previous owners. I didn't even know there WAS such a thing! ha! They kept him loose in the house, and whenever he needed to go to the potty, he'd go in a box! Just like a cat! Have you ever heard of such a thing?! I haven't! And he hops on his front paws! When he hops, the back feet kick up high in the air and out to the sides. Now honestly, how could I get rid of a talented rabbit like that??! So, he's a keeper! I would have been content just to keep Jack, but my daughter insisted that Jack needed a girlfriend. So we kept Delilah. She's a brown and white rabbit, with floppy ears. They sit side by side in their cages in the barn now. Maybe by spring they'll be well acquainted enough to decide to get together and start a family. Who knows. (I really don't think male rabbits are picky as to who their girlfriends are, tho) hehe

The chicken pen wasn't so bad to clean out. Pretty soon I'll be adding shavings to the floor in here for winter, and I'm sure by spring I'll be cussing up a storm when I have to clean it out then! We're down to 15 chickens now...from our original 20. Took me awhile to figure out something's been stealing one for supper every now and then at nite when I didn't shut the chickens inside for the nite, but after hearing a chicken being carried off by something (we think a coyote or a wolf, since the dog didn't want to mess with it, and whatever it was, it wasn't afraid of me!) during the nite one nite and having to go out there with my dog, I've been pretty good at shutting the little chicken door after the chickens go in the barn at nite! *lol* Turns out there are 7 hens and 8 roosters. I'm only keeping the hens and one rooster. My neighbors are taking the rest and butchering them for their freezer. I didn't feel like doing that messy job this year, so I opted to give them away. Ü

Now that the animals are all taken care of for the winter, it's time to get busy with the rest of the yard....gathering up the hoses and putting those away, making sure to drain them so they don't freeze and crack over winter, getting my pond emptied out and draining the pump and putting that in the shed, and of course gathering up all my yard and garden decorations. I know I could leave those out thru the winter, but they last so much longer and look so much better if they're put away every year and taken out again in the spring. But....that's a job that'll have to wait until my next weekend off.....whenever that is! hehe

Floods in Minnesota...

Can you believe the floods we're having in Minnesota?! I had no idea until this morning that so many folks have died because of it! Here's some links to pictures I found of the flood. This isn't happening in my neck of the woods, fortunatly. Please keep the folks in these areas in your prayers!...

To see Tracy Thelen's photos of flooding at Sidie Hollow in Vernon County, click here.

To see Phyllis Skarda's photos of the Bad Axe River overflowing at South Creek Road and Lockington Road at Romance, Wis., in Vernon County, click here.

To see photos of the devastation along Hwy. 35 and elsewhere in southern La Crosse and Vernon County, click here.

To see photos of severe flooding in Winona, Minn., and Minnesota City click here.

To see Rodney Aspenson's photos of severe flooding in Petersburg and the side of Gays Mills, Wis., click here.

To see a gallery of photos of flash flooding in Winona County, click here.

Chek out my new ride...

How's the weather been in your neck of the woods? It's been rainy in mine. Rainy and cold. Sheesh....yesterday and today I've been back in my sweats again! Just last week it was tank tops and shorts and in my bare feet! It's true what they say about Minnesota weather.....you never know from one minute to the next what it's going to be like! Guess I shouldn't complain tho. Right now there are folks in Minnesota who are having flash floods and losing everything they own. Haven't heard of any lives lost, so that's a good thing at least. Just last week, folks even closer to where I live were having winds that ripped off their roof and brought down their trees. Some had golf ball sized hail too. Lots of damage done in some areas, and garden crops broken down and ruined. Such a shame. My prayers go out to all those folks.
On a lighter note...I just got home from a fun (but tiring!) evening at work. My co-worker and I took the girls out to a dance at a local lodge. They had a great time, however I wasn't too impressed with how loud the music was. It was hot in there too. I think I'm just getting too old for that stuff. *lol* But....the girls had a blast!! Their favorite was the Chicken Dance. What a hoot! I have to say I think that was my favorite too, and I was just sitting on the sidelines watching everyone. That was enuf fun for me! ha! The girls were real tired when we got back home, and wanted to go straight to bed! I think they'll sleep good tonite. (I know I will!!) Ü
Well, I gave up on fixing my old car. I've been putting too much money into it for awhile now, and was going to have to put in a new thing-a-ma-jiggy for the coolant stuff before the weather turns to freezing, which was going to cost me ANOTHER five hundred bucks, so I just decided I'd get rid of it and get something more reliable. One thing after another keeps going wrong with it, and it just hit 100,000 miles. I've been putting water in the coolant thingy, but once it starts freezing I can't do that anymore. Didn't have it quite paid off, but I needed to trade it in before it completely quit on me! I wonder what these dealerships do with the more junkier cars they get for trade-ins? I never see them in their lots.
Anyhoo....here's a couple pictures of my new ride.....

I absolutely love it!! It's a 2004, 4-wheel drive Jeep Liberty, and hopefully having the 4 wheel drive will help me with my fear of driving in the winter-time. I'm use to having a front wheel drive car tho, so it's taking me a little getting use to driving this thing. I'm practicing a lot tho! hehe

I made sure my payments and the insurance weren't any worse than what I was already paying for my car, so I think I got a pretty good deal! Not spending any more money than I'm use to every month, but having a MUCH nicer ride! Ü It gets 21-25 mpg, which is a little worse than my car, but well worth it to have everything working and in like-new shape. The heater and air conditioner work, I actually get more than two radio stations, (a lot more!!), and I don't feel every little bump in the road like I use to with my car!

Yep, I think AuntyB is finally movin' on up! Ü

Until next time.....

Gardening for Wildlife

Have you ever considered getting your yard certified as a wildlife habitat? I'm going to do it! According to the questionaire I answered here: http://www.nwf.org/backyard/ , my yard already has everything I need to qualify!

It costs $15.00 when you send in the application, and once you're certified you'll get:

• A personalized certificate that recognizes your NWF Certified Wildlife
  Habitat™.
  
  
• A free NWF membership which includes a full year’s subscription to the
  award-winning National Wildlife® magazine.
  
  
• A free subscription to the quarterly e-newsletter, Habitats, full
  of insightful tips and information on gardening and attracting wildlife year
  after year.
  
  
• Your name listed in NWF’s National registry of certified habitats…to
  recognize all you’ve done for wildlife.

And, once you complete your application, you’ll be eligible to purchase the “wildly” popular Certified Wildlife Habitat™ yard sign that shows your commitment to conserving wildlife.

All you need to do is provide elements from each of the following areas:

• Food Sources. For example: Native plants, seeds,
  fruits, nuts, berries, nectar
  
  
• Water Sources. For example: Birdbath, pond, water
  garden, stream
  
  
• Places for Cover. For example: Thicket, rockpile,
  birdhouse
  
  
• Places to Raise Young. For example: Dense shrubs,
  vegetation, nesting box, pond
  
  
• Sustainable Gardening. For example: Mulch,
  compost, rain garden, chemical-free fertilizer

Need more info? Just call 1-800-822-9919 or email info@nwf.org

Too Many Cats!!

My daughter has this cat I've never liked....her name is Scarface. She's a calico cat and her face is split down the middle in different colors. I've always thought she was an ugly cat, but she was the baby of my daughter's favorite cat who was hit by a car and killed, so I let her keep her. As long as she was an OUTSIDE cat. (we have several outside cats already)

For some reason, Scarface likes me. I don't know why. I'm not mean to her or anything, I just don't particularly care for her. I think she's ugly. My daughter thinks she looks neat. Ha!

Well, Scarface got pregnant, and for the last few weeks she's been overly fat and miserable, so I've been nice and let her be a house cat. She wanted in the house, and who am I to deny her that comfort? It's been so hot outside, and I know I prefer the central air, so I couldn't just leave Scarface outside in that heat now could I??

My husband HATES any kind of animal in the house. He has no sense of humor when it comes to our pets, and he doesn't beat around the bush when giving his opinion. Actually, he really doesn't have much of a sense of humor whatever the subject. But THAT's another story....*lol*

Unbeknown'st to my husband, Scarface has been hiding under our bed to sleep at nite. I've seen her there, but as long as she doesn't bother me, I don't bother her. And since I know what it's like to be pregnant and miserable, I let her stay.

Unfortunately, she liked it under there a little TOO much, and yesterday afternoon she had her babies there. The quilt to our king-sized bed lay on the floor at the foot of the bed since it got too hot the nite before and was kicked onto the floor.

So guess where Scarface decided to have her babies??? You guessed it! Right there, at the foot of our bed, on my favorite quilt, which was on the floor. Fortunately for her, she waited until hubby went to work to do this. Otherwise I think a few things might have gone flying in the air!

Now, if I were any kind of a housekeeper, I would have made my bed that morning. But NOoooo...Not me! It wasn't bothering me to have it lay there on the floor. But it bothers me now!!

I called daughter into the room when I saw all this, and yelled to her (in sort of a panic) that we had to clean up this mess before her father came home. She understood completely. hehe

So we gathered up the quilt, took it to the laundry room to let it soak until I came home from work last nite to take care of it. (In the meantime, hubby was suppose to just think I was cleaning the bedding, so I changed the sheets, too. (sneaky, eh?) Ü

Before going to work that afternoon, I instructed daughter on where to move the cat and her kitties in an out-of-dad's-way place, making a new 'bed' for them elsewhere.

A short while later, I get a phone call at work from daughter saying, "I've tried moving Scarface and her babies to different places in the house but she keeps going back to your bedroom door and clawing at it with a baby in her mouth!" Now, in some ways this really was funny, but the thought of 'Dad' coming home to find these cats in the bedroom sobered me up pretty fast. So I told her of a different spot to move them, and Scarface did the same thing. After a few phone calls and each time Scarface clawing at my bedroom door wanting in, I finally told daughter to open my bedroom door and let her do what she wants, and to tell her dad when he got home not to get upset, that I was going to take care of it as soon as I got off work. Ü

So....I get home, try to hide the cat and kitties under my bed, and each time Scarface moves her kitties right inside my bedroom door, out in the open where hubby has to walk around them when coming in or out of the bedroom. Is this a stupid cat or what?? I mean, she HAS to know he doesn't like her even more than I!! *lol*

I finally told hubby what was going on (but not about that quilt!) and explained the situation to him and how persistant Scarface was, and told him he was just going to have to put up with it. (That actually went a lot better than I thot it would!) hehe

So last nite, Scarface and her babies happily (but not too quietly) slept in our bedroom, on the floor, in the corner by the door. She's happy, all five of her babies are happy, and evidently that's all that matters. Ü

Chickens growing like weeds!

Look how much my chickens have grown!! I can't believe it! Still don't have an outside pen for them so they're roaming the yard, but they seem to like it that way! Ü

I Love My Job!!

I've worked at this group home for quite a few years now, and I love it just as much today as I did the first day I started there! It's within a mile from my home, so that makes it nice in the winter time, since I hate driving in the winter! (what am I doing in Minnesota???!) Well, at least I don't have far to go! Ü I have fantastic bosses and co-workers who've become more like family than anything else. Everyone works so well together as a team, even when we disagree on something. We all love the folks we take care of....and everything we do there, we do for our folks. They are our first priority, as they should be.

When I'm not at work, I'm usually at home doing something homey. I'm just a home-body, I guess. Since my 'work' is home away from home for me, often you can find me there in my spare time (when I need a break from my gardening or other things I'm doing at home), just visiting with the folks and the staff and having coffee with them. It's really a wonderful, relaxing place to be. Everyone is family there! If you can't find me at MY home, you can probably find me at theirs! Ü

The other day we had a picnic and invited lots of other folks over. Boy, what a turnout! Everything was sooo perfect!! The weather was absolutely beautiful, (I worried it would rain), the gardens and the trail were breath-taking as usual (we work hard to make sure it stays that way!), there were soooo many people who showed up, and everyone had such a great time!!

I took a LOT of pictures for our memory book, and I'll share a few of them here, with you...

Years ago we had a paved trail added for the folks. It comes full circle around the home, with a figure '8' shape at the bottom of the hill. We also have a bench down there, if we feel like sitting a spell. Ü These pictures are part of that area. Everyone loves walking this trail! And as you can see here, some prefer to ride!... (I happen to be more of a rider than a walker!) *lol*

You really relax when you walk this trail. And what a great view!! All sorts of wildflowers and trees to enjoy. It's kinda like a labayrinth, you start walking and by the time you come back to the beginning, all your troubles are left behind. Ahhhhh.....
It was quite a long day, and everyone was tired by the time everyone was gone and all the clean-up was done, but Oh, was it ever worth it! Can I really call this a job???!