Pfundtner Family Easter Gathering 2014

Our Easter Sunday was filled with family at our annual Pfundtner Family Easter Gathering....

This year Steve's father, the patriarch of the Pfundtner Family was our host.  He rented the hall for Waupaca township for our group.  We are too many to fit comfortably in anyone's home. It is so nice to rent a hall instead of trying to visit for a few hours of time within in the confines of a restaurant.  Many of us travel 75-100 miles to attend and would like to have time to visit longer than a restaurant might allow.  The kids are all pre-school and need space to run and play and not disturb other diners. This works out so well!

Back row L to R: Steve Pfundtner, Dave Reh, Mark Pfundtner, Faith Hanna, Kirk Hanna, Heather Reh, Paul Pfundtner, Dan Pfundtner, Patrick Hrlevich, Frances Hrlevich, Ellie Hrlevich, Pete Pfundtner.

Front row L to R: Karen Pfundtner, Shirley Pfundtner, Lucas Jones, Robert Jones, Carson Jones, Jen Jones, Mason Pfundtner, Heather Pfundtner, Lynn Pfundtner, Wendy Pfundtner.

Tiny tots row up front L to R: Allegra Pfundtner, Erin Lock, Clayton Pfundtner, and Chelsea Pfundtner. 

Last year we held it at High Cliff State Park in the pavilion, but due to sever winter weather, there were frozen pipes both in the building and underground needing repairs, so the pavilion is currently not being rented out.  

Steve and I got to the hall early and started setting up.  

Soon the room was ready.....

Having tables and chairs all available from the hall is an added bonus so we don't have to 

gather and haul and set up card tables and folding chairs borrowed from family members. 

The family started to arrive and bring in dishes of delicious food to add to the buffet table.  The children were all excited to see each other.  We were missing a few family members.....  one nephew Andrew and also our son-in-law Mark both had to work out of town so would not be able to attend.  Also our daughter Heather, her husband Jesse, and our grandson Jameson were with Jesse's family for the holiday.  (we get them on Thanksgiving, and Jesse's family gets them on Easter)

The room was filled with laughter, chatter and silliness with the kids.... Steve's older brother, Mark, led us in a prayer while we all circled around and held hands.  The food line opened up and we shared in the family love put into all of the fine dishes. It must have been pretty good, because there wasn't much left over!

The grandtots were the highlight of the day....

Mason found a good place to hang out while everyone else was finishing up eating.

The giggly girls Allegra and Chelsea were outnumbered by four boy cousins!

After dinner was completed and cleared away, the grandtots were distracted for a bit down a hallway by myself--- the "Grandmuddah of Pfun"  while some aunties quickly took care of the Easter Bunny Duties.  Soon it was time for the Easter Egg Hunt!   

Each child was given a different colored bucket and told to look for the eggs that match their color!  It worked out so well with that system.  The older kids were busy helping the littler ones find the eggs of their color, and also filling their own baskets too.  It was so sweet to see them helping and sharing instead of hogging and grabbing all they could find.  

Here are a couple short little video clips of them during their hunt:

I really enjoyed watching them run around and discover their colors.  Little Grandtot Allegra looks so serious finding her pink eggs here!   Little nephew Lucas was concentrating on finding his orange eggs. 

Grandtot Clayton and nephew Carson were exploring the contents
of their blue and green eggs.....  oooooh candy!!!

Kidz N Forts! No need to say more!

After the children were done hunting their eggs, 

the men got out a cribbage board and started up a game.  

Those Pfundtner guys really like cribbage!  

 So cute to see all those generations around the card table, and seeing them all interact.

On another table some of the family members started up some other games,
and the kids were busy chomping down on their candy, getting a Sugar High.

And here are the wee ones with their bounty----

Some yard work

I know it's not RVing stuff today.... but I thought I would put together a blog anyhow.

I wanted to share a couple treasures I found that I mentioned in my last blog.  On my way home from the camphost orientation, the local thrift shop called me on my cell phone.  She had a couple quilts with wool battings (not polyester)  that they didn't know what to do with.  She was worried they would be ruined by washing them, and wanted me to have them.

I carefully soaked them in Woolite soap in the top loading machine, no aggistation.  Then I spun them out and added rinse water, again soaking them a while.  Added a bit of fabric softener.  Spun out again and hung to dry on the back shaker porch.

The one is rather plain with a blue floral print on a muslin looking background with red wool yarn ties.  But the other is an "eye-catcher" with four small sections that need a bit of repair.

I put them in the grandtots' bedroom as cuddle up quilts.  I will repair the one with a bit of vintage fabric scraps I have on hand and nobody will even be able to tell the difference.

Being a Saturday with NO plans---- we still woke up at 6 am but laid around till 8 or so and then Steve cooked up a big breakfast.  Well, that makes us even MORE lazy!   By 10, I finally convinced him to get up and out and about.  We needed to pick up a few more veggies for some trays for tomorrow's Easter Dinner with the Pfundtners.  We are travelling to Waupaca tomorrow to celebrate with Steve's family.  Will be seeing four of the five grandtots, so looking forward to that bonus too!

Once our errands were done, we decided to get a bit of yard work going.  The dogs were being silly playing with their ball.....  we keep Finney on a rope yet because he is not fully trained.  They had a blast in the yard and kept us laughing with their antics.

Here is a little video clip of them:

There are bits of spring coming up here and there around the yard....

The tulips and daffodils and snow glories are all poking their heads up along the south side of the house... I can not wait to see the riot of colorful yellows and reds and purples!

We cleaned out the garage and sorted and swept and condensed down things --- having a big load to go out on recycling day, and even more to haul to the city dumping area to take care of.  I had Steve drag out my big huge pot with the clematis vine and trellis... hope it made it through the winter okay in the garage.  The stems of the clematis plant seem flexible and I cut off the dead stuff.  Hope it comes back!  This one grows to a delicate light pale pink with deep maroon/fuchsia streaks in the centers of the blooms and petals.   The other clematis by the front porch is deep velvety purple!

Out back along the west side of the yard, the day lilies are peeking up. Not too bad considering our whole yard was covered in snow just a week ago!

Some tiny buds are coming up in the flower bed along the back and I don't know for the life of me what I had planted there last summer! Anyone recognize this?  I have to clear away the leaves yet and add some more mulch to the beds before too much gets away on me.  What are these?

Tossed burgers on the grill tonight and then took a long soaking bath

to ease aching muscles. 

Reading a good book and sipping on some wine, the evening passed quickly. 

Well, it's late here now.. 10 pm.

  

Ending tonight's blog with my ritual Easter Greetings...... 

Camphost Orientation and some furniture refinishing

I have neglected my blog again, sorry.... but since coming back from vacation, I have not had much RVing stuff to talk about. I guess I could just fill it up with grandtot stuff and what weaving or knitting I am doing.  But I do like to focus on RVing stuff.

Well------ Today I do!

High Cliff State Park has a new Camphost Coordinator ....  Steve's job description of Facilities Maintenance Repair Worker Advanced has now has evolved to incorporate a new task since Ranger Rob transferred to a new park.  Steve took on the added job of working with the camphost scheduling and training.  He started out planning an orientation for all of the scheduled summer's camp host volunteers to come to the park for a day.  His Ever-Faithful-Non-Paid-Assistant... known as EFNPA ... (or "me") has prepared all the paperwork, gathered up a meal and assisted with the program today.

The summer schedule is filled with camphosts taking a month at a time as their shift in the park.  We went over new changes, policies, contracts and shared ideas.  Camphosts offered feedback and ideas based on their accumulated years of experience as campground hosts at High Cliff as well as other parks.

Some of the hosts took a power point presentation on training for various pieces of equipment being used in their month working as hosts for the park.

While we munched on a luncheon of some delicious pulled pork sandwiches from Hilde's Deli and Bakery in Chilton, a pot of my famous calico beans, and some veggies and fruit.... followed up by an assortment of cookies from Hilde's.

The park naturalist Cindy presented a program on the history of High Cliff State Park, the lime kiln operation and some of the preservation efforts by The Friends of High Cliff Organization.  Their newest project is to restore the historic building that housed the general store and post office in years that the lime kilns operated.  Now it's a museum and nature center but needs a lot of upkeep and renewal to keep it functional.  

Steve and I will be doing our "stint" for the month of August as camphosts, with myself doing most of the hosting as Steve works full time days.  It's a fun job, and the rewards are worth it for giving of time and effort and energy to the park.


In other news, we did some furniture refinishing around the house....

My kind neighbors in the back yard, RC and Laurie, had an antique rocking chair, known as a "sewing rocker" because of the style with no arms.  Makes it easier to sew in!   They had done some remodeling in their home and didn't have a place for it any more.  So she asked I could kindly take it off her hands!   I offered to pay for it, but she said consider it a house-warming present! Awwwwww!

The chair is known as a "press back" chair because years ago they would soften the wood with steam and then press a metal form with ridges to stamp the design into the back cross pieces of the rocker!  I just love this pattern, it's so pretty!

The seat had a crack across the width of the chair.... and the finish was worn and old.  So it was time for a little make-over.

I was able to find an EXACT replacement of the same design of the seat panel ---- I ordered it from a company called http://www.vandykes.com/   They are still using the original stamps that were used to make the seats in the old days!   The seats are made from the same material as Spaulding basketballs.  Who knew?

The instructions were very clear. One just needs to carefully remove the old seat, trace the shape onto the new one and cut it with a strong scissors.  Using the same upholstery nails, I tacked it back into place but arranged the nails a bit differently to make new holes in the wood.  Easy peasy!

Once the seat was in place, it was time for a spiffy job of adding some rubbed in stain to the seat material.  That went easy.  Then the chair got an all-over covering of colored polyurethane by MinWax called Polyshades. I gave it two coats and now it has more of a reddish orange tone rather than straight brown.  It matches our woodwork in the house better.  

Here the chair got tested by a couple of grandtots, complete with a story book and some cuddles and rockabye baby songs.  (yes, even at ages 2 and 4, they still humor me and let me do some rockabyes!) 

When I had these grandtots for a couple days this week, I wanted to do another furniture refinishing project.  It was time to teach four year old Chelsea how to do this!   I had bought this cute little doggie stool from the gal who runs Critter Sitters Dog Grooming and Boarding in Stockbridge.  It needed a bit of sanding ...... and a new coat of polyurethane. (low odor fast drying)

 (just look at that concentration!) 

Little Chelsea was quite pleased with her creation.

It was a rainy icky snowy night, and we did  this project down in our basement. 

She was soooo excited the next morning to go down to the basement right away 

before breakfast and see if it was dry. 

That sure was one proud little girl of her workmanship and learning how to make something useful again instead of just throwing it away.  The stool is just perfect for the wee ones in our house to reach the kitchen sink---

See???

We had Clayton (2) and Chelsea (4) for three days this week.... and these are my most favorite pics out of the zillions that I took of them.  Please indulge me.

Hanging out in the front porch, sharing fruit snacks....

Playing in the "rainbows" 

on the stair case from the leaded glass window.+

And this one I REALLY like... they are exploring how the light plays off a blown glass flower paperweight and a leaded crystal snowflake paperweight I found at an antique shop in Florida.

I suppose that is enough for tonight.  I am planning on doing some weaving tomorrow.. or maybe some quilting.  Oh I will add some pics (as soon as I take them) of two vintage quilts I got from the thrift shop today on my way home from the park.  

Note-----  You know you are getting well known as a fiberholic when the thrift shop calls YOU on the cell phone to tell you of some fine treasure that came in ----- and could I use it in weaving or whatever fiber idea I might have for old quilts with real wool battings!   Seriously!  They called ME!