Datka family reunion!

The Datka's - my mom's side of family - were firmly planted in the Hales Corners, WI farm fields (across from Menard's where the Hales Corners Speedway used to be) for...I don't know, many years. Grampa Myron & Grama Helen raised 9 children there and I spent many youthful days with my family and cousins doing what kids do on farms, I guess. Very happy times. Grampa passed away when I was 5 so my recollection of him is faint. Grama passed in 1976 (don't quote me on that).

 

Tough, hard-working, salt-of-the-earth. And dear people....

 

Cousin John and wife Cheryl hosted this little shindig last Saturday at their home in Dousman. Wonderful time. Uncle Ronny and Aunt Karen couldn't make it and Uncle Jerry and Uncle Ralph have passed. 

 

Left to right:  Uncle Rocky, Uncle Butch, Mom (Dolores), Uncle Bobby and Uncle Kenny.

 

Left to right, top:  Uncle Bobby, Uncle Ronny, Uncle Kenny, Uncle Jerry, Uncle Ralph. Bottom:  Mom (top), Aunt Karen, Uncle Rocky, Uncle Butch.

 

 

First cousins. There were 15 in attendance. Now - double that and add 9 and you have the total number of Datka first cousins. Impressive. Let's see if I can do this:  Top row - Me, Brother Jason, Sarah, Julie, Matt, Susie, Kenny, Glen. Middle row - Myron, Diana, John. Bottom row - Theresa, Billy, Elizabeth, Ralph. ;)

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"If it ain't broken..."

Irish Spring soap in nylons. Kept the critters away from the garden last year. (That's my story & I'm stickin' to it). Thanks again, Cousin Julie (Datka) Dorshorst. It's a farm thang.

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TGIF! presents...Peat cutting in Ireland!

The Irish goverment, it seems, will be clamping down on these peat cutters. There are laws in place to limit the amount of peat harvesting - for ecological purposes - that one can do but the restrictions have never been enforced. Bastards!

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I'm gonna kill Shelley Edlin! My FarmTown addiction.

Above: My "avatar" - Jeffrey James. My farm is named after my dad's R&R trio from the late 50's, early 60's, the Glenn Mar Trio (wait - that name doesn't even make sense...it should be Glenn Mar Farms; I'm an idiot). I fashioned by avatar with a blue mohawk because it stands out while I'm in the middle of the marketplace trying to get hired by some other farmer. It's chaos...I can't even explain it.

If you're not aware (or your dead), Farmtown is a game where you and your friends design, grow and maintain your own farm. It's quite intense, complicated, realistic and addicting. There are currently over 11,948,808 monthly active users and I have 17 friends that partake. Many of the players I interact with I have never met.

My high school friend Shelley emailed me and said, "hey, you should do this...there are some people from home on it and it would be fun!". Now I desperately want to kill her! What's interesting is that you not only "farm" your own farm, but you can hire out to other farms and harvest and plow their acreage. By doing so, the farm owner makes more money and the worker makes money - and both parties accrue experience points so you move up the ladder and can aquire additional seeds, buildings, animals and more property to farm. Do you even care? Thought not. Silly muggles.

Above: One stage of Del Mar Farms on Facebook's Farmtown. It's changed since then

How does this affect my life - or anyone else's? It doesn't. It's a stupid game and it's wasting all our time. But it's addicting and competitive as hell and, if nothing else, it's helping me to communicate with people I already know. I could regale you with all sorts of Farmtown stories but you wouldn't understand or care unless you play the game. If only my father knew his 44-year-old son is addicted to this. He'd have me committed.

Look for my series, "The Further Adventures of Jeffrey James Avatar in FarmTown" , here and on Facebook. It's a hoot. At least I think it's a hoot. Alright, gotta get back to Del Mar Farms - I should say "Glenn Mar Farms" now - my coffee is ripening.

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Happy Birthday, Grandma Datka!

My maternal grandmother, Helen, was born today 102 years ago. Though she died when I was 13, I remember her well. She was kind and loving. She could crochet up a storm and cook like no one's business. She was small in stature but a tough women - she had to be, raising 9 children (my mother included) on a farm.

I wish she were here - like all my grandparents. So much has happened over the last 30 years. So much I'd love to share with her. Happy Birthday, Grandma.

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