12 Things

12 Things I Enjoy Doing And When Was The Last Time I Did Them

 1) Coloring -- this past summer at a picnic in the park hosted by our church. I started coloring because I like to and thought it would draw some of the kids in. I colored by myself. I enjoyed it 'tho.

 2) Swinging on a big, heavy duty swing -- I think it was the summer of 2012. I need to do this more often.

 3) Flying somewhere -- February, 2004.; more than a decade. Wow.

 4) Attend a Vintage Trouble gig -- 4 weeks ago.I think it's time for another.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP15yfMnQ3g

 5)Read a book for more than 5 minutes at a stretch -- 18 months ago? I think it was "Life" by Keith Richards.

 6) Crafting -- I love to knit but I am always working on something for someone else. I would like to make something for myself other than dishcloths.

 7) Painting a room -- painting our bathroom in August of 2012. Once I hold a paintbrush in my hand, I'm hooked and will paint anything just for the sake of painting. Or maybe it's the smell of paint...

 8) Biking -- over 25 years ago. I think I am out of shape now.

 9) Window shopping in Hastings -- over 15 years ago. The kids are old enough that they shouldn't break anything or even need to come with me. Hmmm...

10) Tending to my gardens all day. About 17 years now. Kids, parents, you name it. Maybe next year.

11) Going to visit my cousin in Las Vegas -- over 10 years. I love spending time with her.

12) Planning, creating & executing something for the house -- Youngest daughter's room was redone 6 years ago -- 4 beautifully coordinating colors, each wall a different color and then covered in white polka dots. 600+ lovingly cut out by me on mu lunch breaks for over a week.

Weather Pro

Being a native Minnesotan who has lived my entire life in the land of 10,000 lakes, I have spent 55 winters in the state. In my mind, this makes me entitled to comment as a winter weather pro. There are 3 components to a Minnesota winter: snow, cold, and ice. The variable is the amount of each that you have to put up with each and every year. A week or so of each is normal. The “January Thaw” is just that; a brief respite of mild weather in late January that melts some of the snow and lightens our attitudes.

The winter of 1975 had a lot of snow. I remember this because we drove to the western Minnesota town of Clara City in late November to attend my cousins’ wedding. We drove through roads with walls of snow taller than the cars to get there – sort of like this photo that was taken 3-2-14.

Some years it is all about the cold temps. Several winters were like this the first few years I was married in the late 80s and early 90s.There was a week to 10 days of the bitter cold and then the gift of a few milder days came upon us like manna from heaven.

Other years, like a few years ago, the winters are so mild that we end up with freezing rain instead of snow. Layers of ice cover everything; power lines, tree branches from the trunk to the twigs, even mail boxes are enclosed in a seamless, clear coating of ice. Safely inside, looking out, the world is a shiny, sparkling wonderland. Having stocked up on milk , bread and eggs, I can smile serenely knowing  that we won’t starve and that it will soon pass Like summer, the sun shines after the rain and the world sparkles like a crystal chandelier but in a day or two, the sparkle melts and it is back to winter as usual.

Last year, we put up  with 40+ days with temperatures below 0 degrees. We had just enough sun to make things icy. By below-0-day-35-or-more, I felt that I was either a character in a depressing Russian novel or I was about to write one. Then one week the sun’s angle was high enough and the days long enough so that the miracle of melting began in earnest. The ice on the driveway and parking lot at work was still there but there were actual bare patches in the sheets of 1-2 inch thick ice. That was still a lot of ice but hey, it was a start and cheered our frozen souls.

That winter season was long and rough physically as well as mentally. Maybe I am less tolerant the older I get but I was SO glad when winter was really over.

Now we are heading into another winter season. Predictions have been saying that this year will be worse than last year, Others say not so. I guess we'll just have to find out, I can't wait.

Treat Bags at a Funeral

This spring saw the passing of Lucille, a woman I have known my entire life. A native of our town, a friend of my mom and the person who had been a member of our church longer than anyone else living. Living into her 90s, she had lived an active life up until the last few years. Well into her 80s she remained an active member of the our state capitol's hiking club. I think that is pretty impressive.

She had a heart for helping and caring or others. At her funeral, I learned that she had always wanted to be a nurse but life had other plans for her and she never became an RN. What she did become was a caring mother, a doting grandmother who spent many hours caring for her grand-daughter and the caregiver to her husband who died before he could retire. After his death, she became a home health aide and worked with many people in the area. That job was interrupted with her daughter's diagnosis of cancer. Lucille cared for her divorced daughter up until the day she succumbed to it and also continued to care for her grand-daughter afterwards. A few years later, her only sibling died. Her brother, a farmer who never married, had his meals brought to him daily by his little sister, Lucille. She also did his laundry and mending. For the rest of her life, Lucille's only family consisted of her grand-daughter and eventually, her grand-daughter's husband.
Her beloved grand-daughter spoke with laughter and tears at Lucille's funeral. She shared quick stories of events in her grandmother's life, some of Lucille's favorite things -- flowers and the color pink -- and how she owed so much to her grandmother, including the desire to help others after Lucille's example; she became a nurse as her mother had before her.

At the luncheon that followed, cake was served with pink frosting and as each of us left, we were given a brown paper bag decorated with stickers of pink tulips and tiny polka dots containing a pink geranium. A tag was taped to the bag stating that we were to plant this gift in our gardens and to think of Lucille each time we looked at the geranium and cared for it. It was the only time  I have gotten a 'treat bag' for attending a funeral and while it seems kind of weird in a way, when I think of the lady and what the gift represented, I am touched by the gesture and fondly remember Lucille. Each time I look at those pale, pink petals I am reminded of her caring heart and hands and while life may not let you become what you want, just bloom and grow where you are planted.

Rock Show at the Civic Center

June 4, 1976.  A beautiful spring day, bordering on being hot.  A few puffy clouds in the sky, new leaves on the trees in that shade of green that is only found in spring-time leaves.  in the days of festival seating, my friend, Carol Anne and I waited about 10 hours in line for Paul McCartney & Wings at St. Paul's Civic Center. We made friends of the group next to us in line and spent the day talking, taking turns getting food to save our place in line, hearing the sound check and the security guard on the other side of the gate taunting and teasing us.  When the gates opened, making a run for it while the guys attempted to hold the crowd back. I almost fell in the crush of people but we managed to get seats for the gang about 7-10 rows from the stage. I just found this clip last week and I am sure if the quality was better, you could see us.  Surely it was a memory-making day and one of the best concerts I've ever attended.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxUTrMkH7Cc

Weekend of the butt

This seems to have become the weekend of the butt and things related to it at our house. The other night at dinner, the youngest started it off with this little gem at the dinner table:

If you read some of my posts on Facebook, you'll know that the 10 year old certainly keeps things lively at our house. Tonight she was telling about how the kids in her class were comparing the ages of their parents by the year they were born. She double-checked with my husband by asking if I was born in 1950. I told her "58" and that confused her. "1858?' she asked. Snickers from the teen and dad. "1958" I replied. Teen pounced on this to show her superiority, Do you know HOW OLD that would maker her?!", she asked incredulously. Under his breath, i really did hear dh say "She'd be farting dust".
I get no respect.

Last night, said 10 year old got to have a friend over for a sleep-over. The conversation in the back seat made the drive back to our house pretty entertaining. My child asked the other if there was much 'drama' at her school. She wasn't sure. My child related the soap opera rate at which other 5th grade classmates were 'dating' and breaking up to which her friend then told her there was no drama of that kind in her class. There was, however, a lot of stink from a couple of boys (and a few others I'm sure) and that her classroom was called the Fart Factory. 
Further discussion was whether it was better to let the fart out all at once-- loud and proud, letting go a little bit at a time or holding them in and bearing the pain.

This morning, I was listening to Bob Seger (in town last night with Kid Rock, weird combination IMHO) singing his heart of about loving to watch her strut. When it got to the line "they do respect her but" I heard it in a whole new way. Now I am hoping for a little derriere deference or rear regard for myself. Considering the dinner table comment from my true love, I am not holding out hope on that one.

It's been almost a year again so it must be time for a post.


I'm thinking.

...   ...  ....

Still thinking.


Aha! I have been fairly good about getting at least 10 minutes of writing in each day. It hasn't happened yet today unless you count this.
I have entered one writing contest so far this year; last year I think I submitted 3 or 4. I am not very good but it's more interesting than doing crossword or soduko puzzles and I can only improve, right?


I am home with a not so sick 10 year old. It's been nice being home today and knitting, You Tube-ing, and eating cappucchino muffins. I have also done 2 loads of laundry, made lunch, and filled the dishwasher to earn my keep.

Last night I came up with an idea for the local Peeps diorama contest. Now to get it made.

If I don't post before 2014, Happy New Year!

Really?

OK. I guess 1 post per year is my limit. Since last year, changes have come; some easy, some harder than I would like. I have taken the plunge and entered 2 writng contests and created a Peeps diorama. The writing is awful but it does feel good to stretch my wings and do something that I used to love to do. The diorama never got entered becasue I thought the deadline was at midnight. turns out it was at 5 p.m. I missed the deadline by 3 hours.
Some things never change, like, dare I say it? The stupidity of people!

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/olympics-organizers-ask-keith-moon-to-play-closing-ceremony-20120413

Really. What can I say? I'll just walk away with my mouth hanging open.
Happy 2012.