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Now that the pool is closed, you would think I wouldn’t be so busy. Well think again. This summer, Jacob bit off a little more than he could chew by taking on four yards to mow along with our two yards that he is supposed to mow. With school and football practice, he is falling behind, and guess who is taking up the slack. You guessed it, me. Thankfully, my friends have a riding lawn mower they have allowed me to use. Jacob has been offered to use it as well but prefers to use our push mower. Weird, right? I hate borrowing things, especially l...
The pool is closed for the season. The last days are always bitter-sweet. On the one hand, I’m glad it’s over. It can be a frustrating job. On the other, I am going to miss my guards and my pool rats. Some are off to college, and I will only see them here and there over the next few years. It’s fun to watch them grow. I love watching the kids learn to swim. At the beginning of the year, a few wouldn’t leave the three-foot area and, by the end of the season, they were going off the diving board. Sunday, I went grocery shopping. I didn’t...
Through several conversations with her son, Ross, Deb Koehler learned many of our deployed troops need our help. Koehler is currently enlisted in the United States Space Force and deployed with an army unit. Ross calls home regularly and has recently expressed to his mother many of our troops feel homesick. Deb took this seriously. She spoke with her church family in Nelson. The members and board of the United Church of Christ decided to reach out to those deployed via "Operation We Care!" With...
Much comes to mind as I sit here trying to think of what to write about this week. The problem is I’d get in trouble for publishing three-quarters of it, and my editor would have to remove the other quarter! LOL! I’ve been trying to eat healthier and cut back on carbs and sugar. I think it is making me surly, more so than usual. Carbs are my favorite food group, pasta, potatoes, tablespoons of sugar straight from the bowl! LOL! My favorite meal is Lucky Charms. I haven’t had Lucky Charms in over a month! On the bright side, I’ve lost a few pou...
The Nelson Volunteer Fire and Rescue department members held their 5th annual street dance and served a free-will donation dinner Friday. The meal was donated by Carroll and Patty Sole and Caps Cafe. The dinner consisted of a pulled pork sandwich, beans, potato salad, chips and a cookie. The meal collected a little more than $1,000 for the departments. Jay Lyon and John Hodge cooked the pork and potato salad. It is a family recipe made by Chelsey Seamann of CAPS cafe. Patty Sole put together a...
I’m always joking that I will drive a car until the tires fall off. Well, folks, I almost did that very thing. I knew the tires were fairly worn but was hoping to get through a few more months before I had to replace them. We took the car in for an oil change and the attendant in the pit noticed that I had wires showing on one of them. Talk about embarrassing. I have been doing the maintenance on my vehicles for 20 years. In the last couple of years, I have become lazy. Having a car that doesn’t burn oil and a check engine light isn’t stuck...
I can’t believe we are at the end of July already. Where has the summer gone? Oh wait, I know, I’ve spent it running around like a chicken with its head cut off. This past week Jacob went back to Dad’s for another short visit. One tank of gas. We picked up the Omaha boys for a visit. Another tank of gas. We took the Omaha boys back to Omaha. You guessed it, Another tank of gas. The price of fuel right now burns my tail feathers. We shall not speak any more on that topic; I don’t want to be in a crummy mood all day. The money pit has taken up mu...
First and foremost, I have a mistake I need to correct. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article about the Fourth of July events in Oak and made a mistake. I said the pastor’s name was Keith, it is not. It is Kevin Bogus, and I know this. I often make that mistake. I am sorry, Kevin, and I hope that my embarrassment and acknowledgment of this mistake keeps me from making it again. Another boneheaded thing I did this week was trying to save a kitten along the highway. As I drove home from the money pit Saturday, I noticed a cute little black a...
By Teraesa Bruce This week I am writing to you from the pool. With the fair beginning and half of my guards off to church camp, I am short-staffed, so I am down here “managing” things. Working at the pool is like that dream, you know the one, you are standing in front of the class in your underwear! George took his vacation days to work on the money pit. It’s been chaotic, to say the least. He and Jacob spent several days pulling wires, framing for windows, installing a door and cursing. So much cursing. LOL. For a while, I kept trying to co...
We had a busy weekend with all of the holiday festivities. Friday, we were in Oak for the Fourth of July block party and pot luck. I took a cake made by the women at Caps Cafe. Time got away from me like it always does, and I forgot I needed to make a dessert. So last minute, I texted Chelsey and asked if there was any way she could whip one up for me. Then I forgot to take a spatula! Oh well, folks figured it out, and what was left, the boys finished as a snack when we got home. If I could keep my family out of it, I would buy a few made-up...
Friday, Melanie Wilton hosted the annual 4th of July community get-together at the Oak. For about 10 years now, Melanie has organized a pot luck dinner and “block party” for the friends and family of area residents. Everyone brings a dish or two, something to drink and plenty of fireworks to keep the youngsters busy and put on a show after dark. There is always plenty of food and good conversation. The children run amuck playing in the park, finding bugs and toads, and playing basketball while the adults catch up and take a break from regular d...
Just another busy week in this house. Robert is on leave and has been home since Tuesday. I had thought he wasn’t coming home until Thursday evening, but plans change. My house is somewhat clean and put together. I have my dads to thank for that one. We had my dad over for dinner last Wednesday, and then on Friday, my “bio” dad and stepmother came for a visit. We had a good visit with both! Managing the pool has been a challenge this week as well. With one assistant manager on vacation and the other ill, I feel like I’m running in circles...
I wouldn’t want any of our readers to miss out on any of the festivities coming up this weekend, especially all the food and the opportunity not to have to cook. So with that said, here is what you have to look forward to. In Nelson, on Saturday, you can get away with not having to cook a thing all day. The Nelson Fun Days kick off with a free-will breakfast in the park, beginning at 7:30 a.m. The Sacred Heart Altar Society will serve lunch at Noon. For dinner, the Nelson Volunteer Fire Department will be hosting a free-will hamberger feed. I...
This past week felt like two! Besides the regular day-to-day, we managed to have a couple of hours to catch up with some friends and continue cleaning up the garages. Thursday, I drove to Kansas to pick up Jacob from his dad with two of his friends in tow. I’m so thankful for the company as that can be a long and boring trip by one’s self. On Friday, we set off to Omaha to see our two youngest boys. Along the way, we paid a much-needed visit to the bone-crusher. I gained an inch in height after what felt like having my neck broken. I can...
This weekend was exhausting. We cleaned out the garages at the money pit and started on our storage shed. For months they have been a catch-all and dumping ground for the family. We decided since we could not find any of our tools, it needed to be the priority for the weekend. Although we are still not finished, we have made a huge dent. I must say I am ashamed of the mess. I did not create it on my own, but I was definitely a part of the problem. I am hopeful it will continue to improve and things will get put away from now on, but we all...
We turned on the air conditioner the other night. It seems I will not get much of a reprieve from the freezing temperatures. The hubby has the thermostat set to “Meat Locker!” Outside of the house, I wear a tank top and shorts, and inside I wear a hoodie and sweat pants! He’s all happy, lounging on the couch in a pair of shorts, and I’m bundled up like it’s January and the power went out. The past week was a blur. I had so many things to do and so little time to do them. I’m not really sure how or if it was all accomplished, but the world d...
Thursday, Governor Pete Ricketts held a town hall meeting at the Clay County Fairgrounds. The meeting was to inform landowners about his opposition to the 30x30 plan being promoted by President Biden. More than 100 local officials and landowners attended the meeting. Landowners expressed concern about how the federal government planned to acquire the land. From what I learned, it seems they may go about it in a sneaky, underhanded way. The 30 by 30 plan hopes to conserve 30 percent of US lands...
A friend of mine asked me how many hats I would be wearing this summer, and I couldn’t answer. In the last week, I served as a painter, photographer, babysitter, pool boy, quasi reporter, caregiver, manager, a crummy housewife and neglectful mother and friend. Honestly, it has been a blur, and I haven’t been able to remember what day it was for most of it. I run into the house just to run right back out of it, and by the end of the day, I don’t feel like I have accomplished a thing. This morning I drug myself out of bed at five! I’m not a m...
Many folks have fond memories of summers at the community pool. For many youths, being a lifeguard is their first job. This year the community of Nelson has a large group of teenagers working on getting the pool open. Since the pool was closed for the 2020 season, pool employees have many items to check off the "to do" list before the opening of the new season. Painting has been at the top of that list. The pool house is getting a fresh coat of paint inside and out. It is white with black trim....
With one crazy week in the rearview and another in the windshield, I’m feeling somewhat overwhelmed. Our Omaha boys will be here for Memorial Day weekend and into the next week, and fingers crossed, the pool will open that weekend as well, or at the very least shortly after. As with every year, it has been a struggle getting everything working correctly. I have to say I have had more help this year from the lifeguards than I have had in years past, and that, my friends, is a miracle! I have a love-hate relationship with the pool. I love working...
I am so thankful school is out this week. Like so many others, my son is ultimately over it, and I am over having to motivate him. He has a couple of summer jobs lined up, and I hope a paycheck is enough to keep him moving. I’d like to have at least one month off from nagging him about responsibility. I still can’t believe he will be a senior next year. Things are moving along at the money pit. Not as quickly as we had planned, but they are moving. We pulled most of the old water lines this weekend and started installing the new ones. I am quit...
I got the taxes done, and we got our refund. Yay! We paid off a debt that has been weighing on me for almost a year now. I can’t tell you how good that felt. We even had money left so we decided to see if we could get some things we need, like appliances. I’ve never had new appliances. After looking at them, I may never have new appliances! LOL! Oh, but you can make payments! No thank you! The only payment I want is my car payment. In actuality, I don’t want that one either. George and I have been considering purchasing a king-size bed as we...
The City of Nelson plans to open the municipal pool plans the doors for this year’s pool season. Last year, the state was not allowing pools to open until July, and with the shortened season, and the COVID-19 restrictions, the decision was made to close the Nelson pool for the year. The city hopes to see the work at the pool completed soon and the pool open for business by Memorial weekend. The official opening date is not until June 15, but the last few years, the pool has been able to open e...
My baby attended his junior prom Saturday. How time flies! He looked so handsome and grown up in his tux. It’s hard to believe he will be a senior next year. I’m not sure if I should be getting the baby photo’s out and crying or celebrating that he will be out of the house in another year or so. Technically I still have two more to go after Jacob, but being the evil step-mom, I’m not sure how involved I will get to be in any of that. Tuesday evening, when the sirens went off, I grabbed my keys and my camera and headed out the door. I wasn’t act...
The community has been “a buzz” about removing the Sandy Creek and Lawrence-Nelson Schools’ mask requirements. Being the curious person I am, I decided to dig in and find out what all the fuss was about. I spoke to quite a few people and left quite a few voicemails that I am sure will never be returned. It seems this is a hot topic for this area of the state and many were reluctant to speak to a reporter. I called the Nebraska Department of Education. There I spoke to an informed gentleman about the schools’ mask regulations. He said schools we...
