Life Down On The Farm

Unromance

2012-02-02T08:31:00.000-06:00

Sit in front of a blinking computer curser and write something about romance. Okay, I can do this, after all, I have been married almost 24 years so I should have lots of romantic stories. Ummm...wait a minute, this doesn't seem to be flowing out of me like it should. Could it be there is no romance in my life? Nah, mine is just a different sort of romance.

I married a down-to-earth farmer. He is the guy who seems to remember the crop price he got for his corn in 1982 easier than my birthday. Even his proposal of marriage wasn't romantic. Just a simple question I asked of him one night "how do you plan to spend the rest of your life?" followed by his to the point answer "married to you". No down on one knee, no fancy diamond in his pocket, no drama. That is my farmer, unromantic to the core. But you know what? That is one of the many things I love about him the most.
I don't want the flowers and candy and fancy wrapped gifts on Valentine's Day. I want the steady, unending, reliable daily love. I want to go home after a bad day at work and know he will be there ready with a joke that I have heard a million times before, but it still makes me laugh. I want the guy that doesn't buy me flowers because they will just die anyway. The farmer that took 22 years to buy me jewelry, after all hadn't he bought me a wedding ring, what more did I need? I don't like romance, to me it is just a big show. I much prefer the little day to day stuff that doesn't scream "look at me, I love you!" but just quietly says "you are my world and I don't know what I would do without you".
My "romance" comes from the guy who makes me laugh, makes me think, makes me scratch my head in disbelief and makes living in an empty nest bearable. That last one is the most important, after 23 years of having kids around and then suddenly it is just the two of us, that is a tough adjustment to make. The true romantic knows when I am feeling lonely and reaches across the couch to hold my hand and tell me it is okay to feel that way. I don't need the show, I just need the knowledge that forever, for always and no matter what, I am loved...24/7, 365.

Catch-up

2012-01-30T16:54:00.000-06:00

I feel bad that I haven't posted in almost a month...yikes! I guess it is because nothing has been going on to write about, which is good and bad. The kids are doing great and keeping themselves busy. Dan has been crazy nuts with pig things so I spend many an evening alone...which means I can catch up on my quilting :)
I made a list of quilts I need to get made, right now the list stands at four, two baby quilts and two lap quilts. I still need to get Dan's lap quilt and Brian's queen size quilt quilted, but since I already have two quilts at the quilter they will just have to wait.
I am loving the "winter" weather we have been having, just enough snow to make me cuss when it was here and now nice warm temperatures.We are going to pay for it when spring comes and haven't got enough moisture, but for now I am enjoying it.
Nothing else going on, looking forward to Dan's birthday in a week. Planning on taking a trip to Spearfish the first weekend in March, hopefully Dan can work something out with chores so he can go too. Life is good down on the farm :)

Final thoughts

2012-01-10T20:26:00.000-06:00

I have a fascination, some people might say a strange fascination, with cemeteries. I could spend hours walking through the headstones and thinking about the people buried beneath them. Although I find it difficult to walk among the rows of stones simply because I am walking on someone beneath the ground. It is strange to love cemeteries, but feel guilty for "walking on the dead".

I find it incredible how people choose to be remembered, or how people choose to have their loved ones remembered, for all eternity. For example, on the headstone of a loving husband and wife are hands shaking with one another...doesn't seem the thing for a married couple.

The older headstones are often the most beautiful, with carvings and statues. I don't think people care less now than they did in the earlier years, I just think something as elaborate as a statue on a headstone would be cost prohibitive. Maybe people would think it was too "showy" or "over the top". I personally love them.

Sometimes I see a headstone that just takes my breath away...like when I see one with my child's name on it...

.And sometimes they take my breath away just because of the abuse and neglect that have overcome them through the years. I am sure this is an old, old grave and perhaps no family member is around anymore to care for it, but in a few years the head will fall off this statue and I am guessing no one will ever repair it. That is sad

I know what I want my headstone to look like and I know where I want my remains to be buried. After looking at so many cemeteries and so many headstones it is hard to think of this kind of thing with morbidity, but more with fascination and planning for the future. Someday there may be someone else who finds joy in strolling through cemeteries and I hope they maybe stumble upon my headstone and it makes them smile and want to take a photo. I want my headstone to tell a stranger of my life, short and too the point, but the important details spelled out for all to see. After all, a headstone is the final tangible thing you leave behind. Memories fade and are recalled differently as time passes. Pictures tell of happy times and family gatherings and vacations, new babies and weddings. But a headstone tells most of all...the years you lived your life, who you chose to love for a lifetime, perhaps the children of that love. Headstones compel loved ones to bring you flowers at least once a year, to leave little momentos of special meaning. Headstones are a link to the past, even if it is a past of a complete stranger. I want to be the one that people talk about and take pictures of. I want to be the one that fascinates someone, just because my headstone is like me...unique.

Friday footwear

2011-12-23T11:09:00.001-06:00

I bought a new pair of boots and every time I wear them I feel like a total bad ass :) I love that the zipper is on the outside instead of the inside. Aren't they adorable?

And the addiction continues...

2011-12-10T11:25:00.004-06:00

I said if I found another one I liked I would probably buy it...

Born in a stable

2011-12-07T09:30:00.005-06:00

I have this problem. If I find something I really like I can never have just one. Be it shoes, purses, angels...or in this case nativity scenes. I have nine and if I see another one I like I will probably have ten...or eleven...or...

This particular one I found at a local craft show. It amuses me how you can't really tell which is Mary and which is Joseph.

This one I just bought this year, after I told myself I didn't need anymore. You can see how well I listen to myself :p
This is one of my favorites. Each figure is only about an inch tall at the most and it has the whole scene of the wise men and the shepherds and animals. I thought I lost it this year, but luckily I found it at the bottom of a Christmas tin...it is so tiny it would be easy to lose!
This one is one of my older ones, the stable was made by my dad so that makes it extra special. It is the centerpiece on my entertainment center every year.
This is the scarf on the entertainment center, it too shows the wise men and the shepherds. Not really a full-fledged nativity scene, but I still count it :)
This one is my all time favorite, the one I will never, ever part with. It was given to me when I was six years old, just before we moved to Marathon. Cheap plastic, but I love it!
Another oldie but goodie. Has been in Dan's family ever since he was a little boy. Cardboard and plastic, but it has held up really well.

Silent Night sits on my kitchen windowsill, tiny but adorable :)
The other new one I bought this year. I just thought it was so cute and almost childlike.
So obviously there is no doubt at my house where baby Jesus was born, although Dan likes to point out that since the wise men weren't really at the stable some of my scenes are wrong. Oh well, I love each and every one of them anyway.

The boy

2011-11-09T06:38:00.006-06:00

Today, on Brian's 23rd birthday, I can safely say I completely understand him.

He is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

(Riddle-a question or statement so framed as to exercise one's ingenuity in answering it or discovering its meaning)

(Mystery-anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown)

(Enigma-a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation)

This is the child that lives the life of a hippie but wants all the modern computerized accessories.

This is the child who can cook like a trained chef but loves fast food.

This is the child who hated school but is incredibly intelligent.

This is the child who no one will ever completely understand, not even himself. Yet this is the child who is no longer a child, he has become a man in the blink of an eye. I may never figure him out, but I cherish the 23 years I have had to try and look forward to many more.

Size doesn't matter

2011-11-02T14:49:00.002-05:00

I am comfortable admitting I am a big girl...as in size, not age :p Therefore, some of the really cute clothes out there do not come in my size, but yet I want to stay "fashionable". So what is a girl to do? Become obsessed with things where size doesn't matter of course!

My current obsessions are:

Shoes - not really a new obsession, and they do matter for size, but not size as in body, just size as in foot, so that makes it easier. I think I currently have about 20 pairs of flats, four athletic shoes, a pair of boots and two pairs of heels. Loves me some shoes!

Purses - again, not a new one, but still thriving! I just bought a new purse, just plain brown, but it is so soft and roomy I absolutely love it! Gotta have a purse big enough for all my stuff, and whatever other things I throw in there and forget to take back out :p

Rings - once again, size does come into play here, but not if you are into the big rings that are now all the rage and have "watchband" style bands...makes 'em stretchy! I only have two so far, one is a big black flower and the other one is a bouquet of flowers with tiny colored stones in the middle of each. Every time I go somewhere that sells rings like these I check them out, but some are just too gaudy. Never fear though, I am sure I will find more :)

Fingernail polish - I recently decided I needed to stop biting my nails, and what better way than to make them pretty? I discovered polish that is just stick on, real polish strips that are sticky on the back and comes off with polish remover. My first try was zebra print and I was hooked. Now I have lots of colors to play with in regular polish such as red, pink, turquoise and gold. I painted them red the other night, then put some gold sparkles on top and now they look very autumn like :) I also have strips with hearts and some with purple leopard print!

So those are my current obsessions with fashion. This fall I have also fallen in love with Cinamon Dulce cappuccino, Vanilla Carmel latte and Carmex lime twist chapstick. Simple little things that make me smile :)

Boo!

2011-10-27T09:26:00.005-05:00

Oh how I love Halloween! The one time a year you can dress up and pretend to be someone you aren't. You can be a superhero or a nurse or an animal or even president! I remember years of dressing up when I was young...the plastic/vinyl costumes we wore with our winter coats and the hard plastic masks with the elastic band that went around your head. These costumes came folded up in cardboard boxes with a see-through window so you could see the mask. I remember finding the costumes every year that were stored away and picking out who I was going to be that year. Putting on the mask with the eye holes that never quite lined up with your eyes and the tiny nose holes that really didn't let you breathe very well. But my favorite part was the little slit for your mouth...just the perfect size to stick your tongue through! Now that I think about it though, I wore costumes that were probably worn by my older sister or brother before me and I bet they did the same thing with their tongue...ummmm...ewww!

When I was little I so hated that I often had to wear a winter coat with my costume. Seldom did it fit under the costume so I had to wear it over. Well, really, what was the point of a costume if no one could see it? I had a lot of indignation over that at the time, but when my kids went trick or treating guess who made them wear a winter coat? Karma can be a bitch sometimes :p

Remember "trick or treat for Unicef"? I did it every year for many years, but to be honest, at the time I had no idea what Unicef even was. Now I do of course, but it is no longer something kids go door to door for...another childhood ritual that my kids never got to experience.

I made every costume my kids wore through the years...from the pumpkin they all wore their first year (Brian at almost a year old, Becky at 6 months and Kayla at 2 months). We had a devil, an angel, a couple princesses, Dracula, a clown, several witches, hippies, a pig, a 50's girl and a peanut M&M package. I must say, Brian as Dracula was the creepiest through the years...he really was scary! All the costumes are stored away in the attic, maybe someday a little person will once again wear some of them.

Halloween is indeed one of my favorite holidays...even though I HATE to be scared. I don't like scary movies, I don't like creepy things and I most certainly don't like haunted houses! I do however like to remember the year Becky, at about 2 1/2, held up a cookie with a spider on it and said "You 'cared of the 'pider mommy?" and the year high-school-aged Brian went to a haunted house, had a gorilla with a chain saw jump out at him and Brian yelled "AHHH girl pants!" and the year Kayla smiled for the first time ever...while wearing her little pumpkin suit. Yes, Halloween is indeed a scary good time.

Raving Rant

2011-10-24T15:44:00.004-05:00

I need to rant about a few things, so you have been warned.

1. Pregnancy is not disease. I understand, and sympathize, that some people have difficult pregnancies. However, for the most part women breeze through the nine months "eating for two" and have no issues. But some women seem to think pregnancy is a condition, an illness, a "thing". It isn't! These women use pregnancy as an excuse to not do things, to make people feel sorry for them or to just plain bitch about everything. This annoys me.

2. Secrets. Secrets do not make friends, and they are not work-friendly. Taking a co-worker into the corner to whisper to them makes you look junior-highish and is childish. Stop doing it.

3. Over-zealous religion. I know I have complained about this before, but it continues to annoy me. There are people who are very religious and they not only talk the talk, they walk the walk. They do not bother me, they actually inspire me. But then there are the people who merely talk the talk...loudly! Do you really need to make every facebook post religious? Do you really need to comment that people who don't go to church are wrong? I don't think so...especially since you are just "mouthing it" yourself. God knows who is religious and who is not, so I really wish the fakers would just knock it off already.

4. People at sporting events that aren't there to watch the event. I paid money to watch this game, I don't need the "know-it-all" behind me talking throughout the entire game and giving commentary on what the referees are doing wrong. I also don't need the hipsters in front of me spending the whole game poking each other and taking pictures of themselves together, then laughing at the people who are in the picture behind them...namely me or whoever is at the game with me. Grow up and watch the game or stay home!

5. People who think their children are wonderful and perfect and special in every possible way! "Oh Johnny and Susie are so great and smart and they never do anything wrong, I just can't believe how blessed we are to have them!" Pardon me while I gag...no kid is that perfect. Maybe they haven't messed up yet, but give them time and they will...I guarantee it. Might not be a big mistake, but they will do something that will make you wonder just what kind of kid you are raising. Besides, the kids who are constantly told how wonderful and smart they are are the kids who grow up to be the loser in the corner who can't deal with the world because no one is constantly praising them. Help your kid out in the real world and let them grow up normal.

I believe that is it for now...of course there is always going to be something else sometime that will annoy me so stay tuned! Oh, by the way, if any of my writing here annoys you...feel free to quit reading my blog :) Have a nice day!

The same, but different

2011-10-20T10:52:00.004-05:00

Sometimes it is surprising the similarities between parent and child, but also the differences. My kids are a lot like Dan and me, and also like each other, but they also each have their own unique personalities.

I like to be surrounded by bright colors, so does Brian. But I also like things neat and tidy, Brian doesn't care. Dan and Brian could talk about politics for days, but Dan can't carry a tune in a bucket and Brian has a beautiful singing voice.

Becky and I could shop for shoes forever. Yet she would like to wear those shoes in a big city and I prefer my country living. While shopping, Becky would most definitely not be accompanied by Dan, who hates to shop...unless they were shopping for books, which they both love.

If I have the time, which is seldom anymore, I love to bake. Kayla took baking pans to college so she could bake. Of course, she could do her baking late at night because she loves to stay up. Me on the other hand? I am in bed by 10pm every night. Even though Dan won't admit to it, he loves our cats, as does Kayla (she admits to it!) Kayla also loves music, any and all music. Dan sticks to his "country oldies".

All three of them have great singing voices, they are all above average in intelligence and they all are kind, caring individuals. But Brian looks like Dan and the girls look more like me. Brian is determined and sometimes stubborn. Becky tries to keep everyone happy and is usually happy herself. Kayla is somewhat quieter, but can be outgoing when she needs to be.

All of them are the same as their parents and each other, but then again, they are all different too. What about your kids?

Shiny!

2011-10-06T13:39:00.001-05:00

I saw these shoes on a website and thought they were adorable, but then wondered where would I ever wear them. Then I realized...everywhere!

Grandma and the charm bracelet

2011-10-06T08:22:00.007-05:00

I remember my 15th birthday, and for me to remember that far back it must have been something special. Actually, I remember the gift my grandma gave me for that birthday...a charm bracelet. Back in those days charm bracelets were very popular and I desperately wanted one. My birthday was often spent visiting my grandma (my mom's mom) because with an August birthday and a grandma that lived in a big city it just made sense to visit and go birthday/school shopping while there.

My grandma was one of a kind, the kind that loved me more than anyone else ever has, and she wasn't politically correct enough to not tell others that I was her favorite. So naturally when I told her I wanted a charm bracelet that is what she bought me. But this post isn't about the charm bracelet, which I still wear by the way, but it is about my grandma.

Grandma was born Roberta Elaine Marple, the youngest of six. Roberta grew up and married my grandpa, who died before I was born. Through the years Grandma was a bit of a rebel, she married and divorced a man, which was a bit of a scandal in that time. She then married again, and once again became a widow. All through the years though, Grandma was just a grandma to me...didn't matter who she was married to, or even if she was married, she was just grandma.

I remember growing up and visiting her, the minute I walked in the house I always gave her a big kiss..a smacker as she called it, right on the lips. She always said I was a lover, and she liked that. I also remember she always, always, always had Lifesavers candy in her purse, she knew what grandkids liked. Grandma had some little idiosyncrasies that live to this day, things we still mention when we think of her. She had a bad habit of mispronouncing words...Tupperware was too-perware. Mandarin oranges were man-deer-i-an oranges. I will never forget the time she was supposed to come to our house, she lived in Marathon by this time, and she put her salad on the top of her car while she put some other things in the car. Being a bit forgetful she took off for our house without taking the salad off the top of the car! The salad didn't make it out of town, so we didn't have salad with that meal :) There was also the time a police officer was following her, with his lights on for her to stop, and she made it all the way to the corner to turn to our house (about 3 miles) before she realized he was there. Grandma was never the kind of driver that was the "little old lady out for a Sunday drive", she was more the "little old lady out for a drag race!"

The year before she died I was pregnant with my first child. It was Halloween night and Grandma was getting older, having a difficult time getting in and out of her chair. At this time she lived in the retirement apartments in Marathon and she asked me to come to her apartment and hand out candy to the kids at the door, there was just no way she could get up and down so many times and she couldn't stand for that long either. I was 9 days away from having Brian, although I didn't know I was that close at the time, but I was still more agile than she was. About a year later, when Brian was just over a year old, Grandma died. I still remember getting the call from my mom that she had died, I can still picture standing upstairs at the old dial phone listening to my mom tell me the person I loved so very much had died. I was heartbroken. When we went to the funeral and burial we left one-year old Brian with friends...and while we were gone he took his first steps. At first I was upset that he did that without me, but then I realized Grandma had her final hurrah with that...she always did have an ornery streak in her and this was her way of saying good-bye, don't forget me.

When we lived in the old farmhouse by Marathon I would often stand by the sink in the kitchen washing the dishes, and I could feel as though someone was watching me. There was a door in the kitchen that led to the front porch, and it seemed as though someone were standing on the other side of that door looking through the window. I knew who it was, I could feel the presence of Grandma, and I knew she was watching over the new wife and mom that I was, telling me that it would all work out and that things would be okay. When we moved to the Albert City farmhouse I guess she thought I didn't need her anymore because I haven't felt her watching me since. I miss that.

Grandma was a bad driver, she had her cranky moments, she was forgetful...but she loved her family and she loved me especially. Grandma was one of a kind, and I still think about her and miss her every single day. If what they say about heaven is true, that the people up there can look down on the ones they left behind, then I hope Grandma is still watching me. I hope she sees the two great-granddaughters I gave her after she died, and the other great and great-great grandchildren that followed. I hope she knows I named Becky for her (Roberta Elaine became Rebecca Elaine). I hope she knows I miss her. I hope she knows that I secretly treasure that fact that I was her favorite (well, not so secretly perhaps). I hope she knows that our family has a hole where she once was. I hope she knows how much I treasure the things that once belonged to her that I now own. But most of all, I hope she knows while she was on this earth, despite all her bad habits and silly little annoyances, she was loved, even if we never told her enough.

(This post needed to be written, I am wearing my charm bracelet today, which made me want to write this. But, I am also writing it for Jennifer over at Getting Down With Jesus.)

At home with God

2011-09-17T08:30:00.007-05:00

Doesn't seem to matter where you go to church as an adult, because if it is a different church than where you went as a child it is just a church. The childhood church is your home church...no matter how many years you spend away from it. I am not a "Bible-thumper, shout it from the roof tops" kind of religious person, in fact I don't go to church on a regular basis, but that doesn't mean I don't have religion, and it doesn't mean the church doesn't mean something to me. (In my opinion, people should do a little less Bible-thumping and roof top shouting and just start living like Jesus did) I personally have been a member of three churches in my lifetime, but the one I consider "my" church first is the one where I grew up in, the one in Marathon. Sure the Albert City church is mine as well, the one where my children were baptized and where they were confirmed...maybe someday where one of them will be married, who knows? But the Marathon church is where I spent every single Sunday when I was growing up, every single one. The church with the big stained glass windows...

The church with the huge chandilier...I spent many Sundays hoping those chains were strong enough!

The church, where as a wife and new mother, I brought my family to visit.

January 21, 1989...Brian was two months old.

Yes, this church is my "home church"...well, one of them anyway...I have become pretty attached to my Albert City church too. But that is a story for another day.

Friday Feet :p

2011-09-09T08:37:00.002-05:00

I bought these new shoes at, of all places, Walmart! Usually Walmart has zero selection anymore, and what they do have are plain, ugly or just weird and uncomfortable looking. However, these are incredibly comfortable and oh so cute! Love 'em!

Silence is not so golden

2011-08-22T17:32:00.002-05:00

Well it is done...my house is empty. Kayla is officially a college student and I am officially an empty nester. Good thing I like Dan so much! :) The house seems quieter and emptier, even though between school and work she was seldom home the last year. I guess it is just different when you know the kids are all gone and only coming home to "visit". But, we raised those kids to be independent and I am proud that they are doing just that!

I am what is called a "helicopter mom". In other words, I tend to hover over my children. I do not apologize for this, in fact it basically defines who I am. However, it is much more difficult to hover over them when they live 2, 6 and 8 hours away :p Nothing brightens my day more than when one of the kids calls or texts or emails...even if they are having a problem, it still makes me happy just to hear from them.

Someday when I die and go to heaven and God asks me what I accomplished on earth I will just pull out photos of my kids and say "this!"

First Update

2011-08-18T08:04:00.002-05:00

After the previous post I felt I should do an update, after all, it has been 3 months since I started this adventure! August 2011 - 207 lbs

Becoming accountable

2011-08-17T13:37:00.003-05:00

I am currently trying to eat healthier and lose weight. I am not dieting, because that is not a way of life, it is just a temporary change. I am changing how I eat and what I eat. I am also exercising...although I hate that part of my lifestyle change...blah! So in order to be accountable to someone other than myself, I am putting it all out there on my blog. I plan to take a monthly picture of my progress, or lack thereof. I also plan to update monthly on how much I have lost, or gained as the case may be. This is a lifelong journey and I am only beginning...but I will make it and be healthier for it!

May 2011 - 225 lbs

Eight is Enough

2011-08-13T18:01:00.003-05:00

Got tattoos number seven and eight today...and I have made the executive decision that eight is enough. Well at least I think it is for now...I do not have any more ideas that I really want and I have most certainly almost run out of places I am willing to expose to the tattoo artist! Every single one of them is in a place that I can cover with ease, if needed. Although I don't want to cover them because I am proud of them! I guess I can't really reasonably cover the one on my finger, but it is not one that most people will notice.

It surprises me how mainstream tattoos have become. So many people have them, they are not just for bikers anymore! I guess the "tramp stamp" was the beginning of it all, but now the foot seems very popular, as does the wrist...for women anyway. I don't know if it is a trend that will continue, but I figure when I am an old lady I will be a very colorful one and have something interesting for the undertaker to look at :)

Here ya go Sissy-grin

2011-08-09T17:03:00.002-05:00

I had a request from Becky to blog about her, so here it is! Not a lot of new things going on with Becky...she is still in Spearfish and still dating Nik, in fact he has moved in with her. Not because they are madly in love (although maybe they are, she hasn't told me one way or the other) but because he couldn't find a one-bedroom apartment that he could afford on his own in Spearfish. I said they should move in together, she said they should move in together and his mom said they should move in together...took Nik a little longer to figure it out :p

For Kayla's birthday Becky bought her her first tattoo...music related of course! Then Becky got a matching one...number seven for her. She now has a music heart on her side, an owl on her wrist, a peace-bomb on her lower stomach, a stack of books on her thigh, a shoe on her ankle a heart butterfly on her other ankle and a pin-up girl on her back. Becky is becoming the tattoo queen!

Becky discovered a website that sells shoes and purses at one set price for everything, you just have to be a member and buy something every month. Of course buying a new pair of shoes every month will be a huge hardship for her...not!! I must say, she does take after her mother :) On that note, she also takes after her mother when it comes to getting lost, or at least taking the "scenic route" when going somewhere unfamiliar. The gang (Ashley, Kayla, Fred and Haley) went to visit Becky over the weekend and she decided to take them to Mount Rushmore. On the way they ended up in Wyoming...just a little off track of where they wanted to go.

She has decided to change her major from English Education to something with business or library science. Her ultimate dream is to own a small bookstore with a coffee shop and sell old and rare books. I told her she could open the store and I would run the coffee shop and make muffins for everyone. Sounds like a good business plan to me...plus who doesn't love books?

So there is the blog post about Becky...who of course is my favorite child. Oh wait, that isn't right...I love them all the same (of course!). Hope you like it Wooboo Grill :D

18

2011-08-06T03:18:00.002-05:00

18 years old...wow...

In honor of my favorite band nerd turning 18 today I decided to list 18 instruments she can, or perhaps will, play in her lifetime. The first 13 she has already played, the first 4 she has mastered.

1. Clarinet

2. Bass clarinet

3. Trombone

4. Trumpet

5. Flute

6. Piccolo

7. Bassoon

8. Piano

9. Guitar

10. Recorder

11. Drums

12. Keyboard

13. Saxophone

14. French horn

15. Violin

16. Cello

17. Tuba

18. Sousaphone

Kayla has accomplished a lot in her 18 years and now is off to college to accomplish more. Her dream is to live and perform in New York City, and I see her doing it. Lucky for me she will have to do at least 5 years of college first so that will keep her closer to home! My band nerd has put so much determination and hard work into achieving what she has done so far...music is hard work and takes a lot of time and just plain talent to really do anything with it. Kayla has put the time in and the talent was God-given, so with the two she is a fantastic musician. I am looking forward to many more birthdays filled with "music presents" and dreams being fulfilled. Kayla was a shy, quiet little girl who turned into an outgoing, sometimes dramatic young lady...I can hardly wait to see the full-grown woman she turns into next.

Learning to be polite

2011-07-19T09:03:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I want to say something to someone, but it would not be polite. Therefore, I am going to release all my not-so-nice thoughts here :) Forgive me for being such a b*#ch...

1. Please just shut up and let me do my work. Just because you have nothing to do doesn't mean I don't.

2. Did you look in the mirror this morning at all? Your outfit doesn't match and looks ridiculous.

3. You are not a teenager, stop dressing like one.

4. Stop ASKING your kid to behave and TELL them to behave.

5. If you don't have enough money to buy this subscription then don't call me and ask for a lower rate. If you can't afford it then just don't buy it.

6. I don't care which political party you are for, just don't be bashing the other ones. Have some respect for your fellow man.

7. You chose to have these children, so quit your complaining and take care of them. Television is not a babysitter.

8. Oh you have a problem? Well so do I, plenty of them. I have no trouble listening to your problems, but if you have to keep repeating the same thing over and over and never try to fix the problem just please find someone else to complain to.

9. Yes I have tattoos. No I don't want your opinion on them.

10. Please, I beg of you...shut up!

Never again fear zombies

2011-06-22T15:26:00.001-05:00

"Zombie Stomper Heels"...wear these and never again have to fear zombies! Such a good deal!

Yes!

2011-06-22T15:22:00.000-05:00

I think this has to be the next purse I purchase...

Disappointed

2011-06-22T14:28:00.002-05:00

I bought the green shoes pictured in the previous Tuesday Tootsies. They are adorable and even brighter green than the picture shows. I bought them to use for when I go walking, but the darn things gave me a huge blister on the back of my foot. Grrr! I can't use them to exercise in, but I still decided I would wear them for "everyday" just because they are too cute to give up. I wore them yesterday and got compliments on them from so many people...some complete strangers! I was disappointed they weren't going to work for exercising, but I am happy they are good for something :)

That time again

2011-06-22T14:11:00.003-05:00

I guess it is that time again, time for a family update...mostly because I need to put something new on here and I have nothing else to write about!

Start with Kayla this time. She has been working a lot this week, several people are gone on vacation so that gives her more hours, which she appreciates. When you have a bass clarinet to pay off you need money! Every Tuesday night she has been going to Storm Lake for municipal band practice and then every Sunday afternoon they have a concert in the park. It has been beautiful weather for two of the three concerts and it is so relaxing to sit by the lake listening to music. Kayla is also looking forward to music camp at USD in a few weeks, followed closely by going with some friends to visit Becky followed closely by moving into college! She found out she will be going to London over part of Christmas break to perform in the parade on New Year's Day with the USD marching band...pretty exciting!

Becky is taking the summer off from classes and spending it working full time. She doesn't have a bass to pay for, but she seems to have inherited her mother's shoe and purse obsession so she needs money for that...and rent and food of course! She texts me quite often, usually with silly little things, but I am always happy to hear from her. If I want to know what the weather will do I just have to ask her what it did for her the day before...seems to travel to our area the next day.

Brian is still waiting to hear about the job he applied for and really wants. The lady told him to call in a week if he hadn't heard from them, then she leaves for three days when he is supposed to call! He sold his car, that no longer ran, so got some money to live on from that. Of course he gets to live rent free for the summer so only has to buy food...but he likes to eat so that could be a major expense for him. I don't hear from him as often as I would like...I usually have to call him to make sure he is still breathing. He is no longer on facebook, "just one more thing he is too cool for" as he says.

Dan got all the crops in and they seem to be growing well. He has sprayed the corn and beans once, has to do the beans again when they get a little bigger...or is it when the weeds get a little bigger? I have been working on eating healthier, which means so have Dan and Kayla, and exercising every evening. Well, okay, almost every evening! It seems to be working...the scale is going in the right direction...down!

So everyone is healthy, relatively happy and doing well...guess I can't ask for more :)

Tuesday Tootsies

2011-06-14T13:46:00.003-05:00

I am in need of a new pair of walking/running shoes and considering these. Opinions?

Don't question why...just go with the flow

2011-06-09T08:11:00.003-05:00

Did you ever notice how sometimes nothing seems to go right? It can be a bad day, or that bad day can turn into a week or even months! But then all of a sudden things start to turn around and look better. Sometimes it happens all at once, sometimes it is just little things that start to add up. It really is a curious thing...is it fate or is it faith? Is it actions or is it inaction? I don't understand it, don't try to understand it. I just figure you can't have a crappy life all the time so eventually things have to turn around. But then I wonder, what if someone is having a crappy life and does nothing to try to improve it? Does their life stay crappy or does it magically turn better? The homeless person on the street for example...I am sure they would rather be working and living in a house but is it their fault they are not or is it the fault of someone else? Did they become homeless because of a job loss due to downsizing or because they pilfered the company's money and were fired? Whatever the circumstances, it happened, and this person probably is hoping for a better life...but do they have to make it better or will it just happen on it's own? Questions to ponder...I am just glad things always seem to turn around for me...don't know how, but they do and that is all that matters to me!

Not cured

2011-05-30T08:36:00.004-05:00

The addiction has not been cured, in fact, it may be worse than ever! But isn't my latest purchase adorable? The zebra print even feels like a real zebra! (Well, I have never actually touched a real zebra so maybe it doesn't...but it is soft and fuzzy!) The inside of the front and back pockets are even the zebra print, as are the handles and bottom (this purse won't be sitting on the floor!). The bling in the center of the flower is pretty too. The bright pink of the purse was what first drew my eye...it was in the window of a store and once I saw it I just knew I was done for. They had turquoise, black and green as well...but pink is my color. I was actually going into the store for something else (I bought it in a health food store of all places!) but the purse was just calling my name, so I had to answer...when a purse begs me to bring it home I just can't say no :p

Newsmakers

2011-05-21T07:40:00.004-05:00

Arnold Schwarzenegger had an affair.
The end of the world, the rapture, is coming today.
"The Donald" decides not to run for President (although he would win, according to him).

How are any of these worthy of the top news story? The first one should be private between the people who it concerns. The second one, and frankly the third, are just plain ridiculous. I really need to stop watching national news if that is the best stories they can come up with.

Tuesday Tootsies

2011-05-17T11:10:00.001-05:00

If I had anything to wear with any of these shoes, they would so be in my closet!

The Graduate

2011-05-13T12:59:00.000-05:00

...

2011-05-09T11:51:00.003-05:00

Seven more days of school...

Thirteen more days until graduation...

One hundred one more days until college move-in...

One hundred twenty two days until first college marching band performance...

YIKES!

Disappointment

2011-05-05T08:35:00.003-05:00

Sometimes it is just better to say no than to promise something and then not come through. If something is going to make you uncomfortable then don't say you are going to come to it and then make excuses at the last minute. If you do this enough times you will cause people to think you are just making excuses, not really having something else to do. Promises made should be promises kept and if you back out you cause disappointment the first few times, but that disappointment eventually turns to anger and then the whole relationship can be ruined. Tell the truth in the first place and avoid the circumstances later.

DISCLAIMER: This is not about anyone I am related to, by birth or marriage!

Hatred

2011-05-03T08:29:00.003-05:00

Osama Bin Laden is dead. That is a good thing for the world, since he was a terrorist and all. But the way people are celebrating is a bit much, in my opinion. Death is not something to celebrate, dancing in the streets, I don't care who died. Not saying I am not happy he is dead, just saying I am not celebrating.

People are having a fit because he was buried at sea within 24 hours of his death...I mean really, the body should be hung up for all to see and shoot at, pee on, spit on, throw things at?C'mon...have a little respect for the dead. Yes he was a horrible man who did horrible things, but does that mean we need to stoop to his level? What if someone we respected, but another country hated, was killed by the other country? Would we accept it if that country mistreated the body? Nope. So why should we not offer the same consideration to Bin Laden? People are also wanting to see pictures of the body and video of the burial at sea. What the heck? Gruesome! Trust what the government says, he is dead and that is all the proof anyone should need. He was a bad, bad man and now he is dead...let's just leave it at that.

Fashion no-no

2011-04-29T09:21:00.003-05:00

Now that it appears spring may actually be here I feel compelled to share some fashions that I personally find wrong. Granted, I am no fashion guru, but sometimes you don't have to be to see what is wrong with what someone is wearing. At times I wonder if these people look in the mirror before they left the house :) Please keep in mind, this is merely my opinions, not meant to offend anyone!

1. Socks with sandals...really? Sandals are for letting your feet feel the breeze on a warm day, so the socks kind of negate that.

2. Knee length shorts worn with knee high socks. Basically the same reasoning as sandals and socks.

3. "Daisy Duke" shorts. No one wants to see your rear-end sticking out of your shorts. The only kind of men you will attract by wearing these shorts are sleaze balls. A real man would prefer you leave a little something for him to imagine and discover later, in privacy.

4. Shorts worn with a jacket or long sleeve shirt. If it is chilly enough that you need a long sleeve shirt or a jacket then it is too chilly for shorts.

5. Skin tight jeans and/or tank tops on a "voluptuous" woman. The only thing you are showing off is the fact that you are apparently incapable of buying clothes in the correct size.

6. Cowboy boots worn with shorts. It is not sexy, it is not a "country look"...believe me, I live in the country and that is not how you dress to work on a farm.

7. Cleavage. Just because it is warm doesn't mean you can start wearing your low cut shirts without a tank top or cami underneath. It is not sexy, it is trashy. Please learn the difference.

8. Colored underwear under white pants. Yes it is good that you are wearing underwear, but I don't need to see proof of that fact.

9. Leggings are adorable, but only when worn under a skirt or long t-shirt. Leggings are not meant to be worn with an average length shirt, no matter how thin you are.

10. Swimsuits worn anywhere but the beach/pool. Unless you are a child, wearing your bikini top with shorts to the local store is just weird. Take the time to throw a t-shirt on.

So that is my list of "don't do" for spring and summer. I am sure my opinions won't make a difference to anyone, but I felt compelled to share them anyway :p Feel free to add to my list, or criticize as necessary :)

Mini-vacation

2011-04-13T15:25:00.004-05:00

Have to give the quick run-down of our little mini-vacation to South Dakota. Kayla and I set out on Sunday morning (a half hour later than planned, because Kayla didn't get up on time) and made it to Spearfish by 5 pm. Found the college and Becky's car, then called her to find where she was. She met us at the door of her dorm and was kind enough to let us in :) We sat around her dorm for awhile, I took some pictures and when the girls got sick of the camera flash we decided to go for a drive and some supper. Becky took us to Spearfish Canyon and it was gorgeous! I took lots of pictures there as well. After supper the girls went back to Becky's dorm and I went to my motel room...nice and quiet and HGTV to watch!

Monday morning we all slept in and then met for an early dinner. Becky had class in the afternoon so Kayla and I went to Mount Rushmore. The drive was through the National Forest most of the way so it was beautiful, very curvy roads and lots of going up and down the mountain. When we finally got there, after going through several quaint little towns, the view was breathtaking. We walked to the viewing area and took some pictures then walked around about half of the trail so we could get closer to the faces. We saw two people walking up near the faces, they looked really tiny! By the time we got around the trail to be close to the faces the two people were walking down the mountain...it was two police officers and they were looking for "evidence"...they were very excited when they found paraphernalia! Imagine, getting high on Mount Rushmore! After that excitement we went to the museum and learned some new things about the faces...for example the face of Teddy Roosevelt had to be blasted several times before the workers could get to good enough rock to carve it. Kayla was surprised that the faces didn't go in a straight line, but we learned why! After we were done there, and a visit to the gift shop of course, we headed back to Spearfish for Becky's concert. We had some extra time before she had to be there so she took us on another drive and we checked out the local cemetery (I love cemeteries). There were some beautiful areas fenced in around 4-7 graves and a couple of areas that had cement liners around the graves. One area even had a huge cement slab with little headstones on the top. Three of the graves had domed cement where they had to break the concrete to bury the people and then cement it closed again. One was so tiny, maybe 1 foot by 3 feet...a baby's grave.

The concert was awesome! The band played 8 songs and Becky was right on the end of the row so we had a perfect view of her :) It was so weird for me to see her playing in a college band. After the concert the girls went back to the dorm and me back to my hotel.

Tuesday I got to the dorm about 9 am and Becky took us to the BHSU bookstore. Kayla and I both got some shirts to show our BHSU pride and Becky even conned me into buying something for her. We told her good-bye and headed for home. On the way home we stopped at Wall Drug and got a few souvenirs and pictures, then we stopped at the Corn Palace and took lots of pictures there as well. At Wall Drug they had a giant jackalope so Kayla sat on it and I took a picture...it was a hoot!

We got home about 9 pm after a long day of driving. The way out was a lot more fun, we got to drive into the scenery, but on the way home the scenery was behind us so not as much fun. We are already making plans to go visit again, this time with Dan and Brian along. I keep teasing Kayla that she will be in college when we go so we could just go and she would never know... but of course we will take her along as well :)

We had a great time seeing where Becky goes to college (beautiful campus) and watching her in the concert. We also loved her taking us sight-seeing and doing some on our own. It was a great mini-vacation!

Two decades

2011-04-09T05:11:00.001-05:00

Two decades ago, at 7:50 am, the world gained another person. Granted, probably more than just one, but the one I know about it the most important person born that day! In honor of my intelligent, beautiful and funny daughter's 20th birthday I will list 20 interesting facts/quotes about Becky.

1. Her full name is Rebecca Elaine, she is named after her maternal great-grandmother Roberta Elaine.

2. Her first smile was at 3 weeks :)

3. Her first word was at 11 months, it was "kitty".

4. At the age of 3 she put on play shoes and lipstick and then said "now I look like a real woman".

5. At 2 1/2 years she talked to Santa at Wal-Mart and then saw him again the same day at Santa's Castle, she refused to talk to him again because she had just told him what she wanted and he should have remembered.

6. When she was almost 3 she would close her eyes and ask "who turned out my eye lights?".

7. Three years old she proudly exclaimed "you are the best mom and dad and I won't ever buy another one!".

8. At 3 1/2 she was asked "what are you good for?" She answered "loving!" (She was right!).

9. Also at 3 1/2 she said "Santa's reindeer are magic if you just use your imagination!".

10. The day before she turned 4 she was a flower girl and when she was 14 she was a bridesmaid.

11. Brian made her mad when she was four and she came crying to me saying "Brian made me lose my temperature!".

12. Looking forward to joining Girl Scouts she wondered when she would be old enough to be a "cupcake"...i.e. Brownie.

13. When she was 4 1/2 she decided that when she was 7 she would know everything there was to know about being a mommy, but she would have to wait until she was MUCH older to be a real mommy.

14. At the age of 5 she got a book about learning to read but she was concerned that she would never learn how. When asked why she thought that, she said "I just have a feeling".

15. Once said "Christmas is not for presents, it is for sharing joy and laughter with your family" She was right and we remind her of what she said to this day.

16. When she was in 1st grade she asked me what "estimate" means. I said "guess", meaning that to be the answer. She said "But I don't know!"

17. She graduated high school number three in her class.

18. She works full time while going to college full time and gets good enough grades to be on the Dean's List.

19. She has had her hair colored at least four different colors...blonde, brown, red and whatever her natural color is :)

20. She is the most intelligent, funny, beautiful, kind, compassionate, loving 20 year old that I know :)

Tuesday (Friday) Tootsies

2011-04-08T13:54:00.002-05:00

I know it's not Tuesday, but these tootsies were too cute to not post!

Boohoo

2011-04-02T09:11:00.002-05:00

Last night at Swing Show Kayla gave me flowers. I cried. Kayla played a trombone solo in a jazz band song. I cried. Kayla sang a solo. I cried. Kayla sang in the senior song and they showed a video of pictures of the senior kids. I cried. Kayla presented gifts to the band directors. I cried. Kayla sang back-up for a friend. I cried. My final time to watch a swing show and I saw most of it through watery eyes. I am just a big crybaby...it gets harder to let go with every child that goes.

Things that make you say hmmmm

2011-04-01T08:32:00.003-05:00

Sometimes you just have to shake your head and not even try to figure people out. Some people just do whatever they want to do, whether it is right or not, even whether it is legal or not. Then when they get caught they have every excuse for why they did it. They don't confess that they made a mistake and offer to redeem themselves or the damage they did, they just make excuses. "I was told I could take care of that anyway I wanted to" or "I thought that was junk so was getting rid of it" or my favorite "Oh I destroyed your property by accident". When something like this happens it makes you wonder what kind of history these people have. Then when you check into it it is even worse than you imagined! I guess that is a life lesson for everyone...check backgrounds before you rent someone your property.

Live and learn. It is what it is. S#*t happens. All good platitudes to live by. But save yourself some grief and do the homework. Check strangers out that will be involved in your life, call the past people who dealt with them. Most importantly, don't be afraid to handle the issues that come up as they should be handled...DON'T. BACK. DOWN.

Woot!

2011-03-18T08:49:00.003-05:00

Excitement at our house yesterday! Kayla was a participant with the LM jazz band at the USD Coyote Jazz Festival. Previous years they have gotten II and III ratings, in fact last year they were the only ones in their class (1A) to get a III rating. This year was a different story! They got put into the A class, where their small group of musicians should be, and came home with the first place trophy!! The bus had to leave because some of the kids had to be back for work, so Kayla asked me to stay and see if they placed. I sat and sat until they finally did the awards ceremony, not really expecting anything for LM. The announcer awarded the third place trophy, then the second place and I thought to myself, well this was a waste of time. Then he announced the first place winner as Laurens-Marathon! I looked around, no one was getting up and going down to take the trophy so I figured I must have heard it right...and went right on down and grabbed that big ol' trophy =) It took all my willpower to wait until I got to the car to call Kayla on the bus and tell her...she announced it to the rest of the band and the screaming began! They were so excited...but after we hung up Kayla called back a few minutes later to verify that I had actually said first =)

Last night we moved Brian into his apartment in the big city of Marathon. It is freshly painted and has a really nice little kitchen with new cabinets and counters. We got all his furniture moved in and his bed set up, he was very excited to actually get to sleep in his bed instead of on the couch! He still has a few little things he needs to get...like a shower curtain!...but nothing that can't easily be found at Walmart. I had forgotten what nice little apartments they are, his living room is good sized and he has friends right next door. The last tenant even left a nice grill outside his door, so he can barbeque this summer =) Kind of weird not seeing him on the couch this morning when I got up, but happy he is in his own place!

Newsy news

2011-03-08T09:01:00.004-06:00

Quick update...though not much going on.

Brian is loving his new job...yay! He is still dealing with the landlord at the Marathon apartments and trying to get in there. He calls her and she says the place needs to be painted before he can move in. He says he doesn't care if it is freshly painted, she says ok I will call you to meet me so we can look at the apartment and see if you want it. She never calls so he calls again and she says a faucet needs to be fixed before he can move in, but she will call him to come see the apartment. She never calls...this is getting old! He keeps bugging her...eventually she will let him move...just a question of when.

Becky decided work wasn't exciting enough, so instead of just cutting the sandwich for the customer she hacked off part of her thumb! She tells me it was gushing blood and ruined the sandwich. Of course, she felt compelled to text me a picture of the bloody thumb...bleck!

Kayla just competed with the show choir at a festival in Emmetsburg and they won first place out of four! Woot! Of course, it was because their "home room" was the Josephson room (it was the room of sister-in-law Kelly, and said Mrs Josephson above the door). There was even a personalized note on the board to Kayla when they got there...she was quite famous for the day.

Nothing new with Dan and me...no surprise there. The four kitties aren't doing anything new either :p

Stolen

2011-03-07T13:39:00.001-06:00

I totally stole this from the internet, but I love it...

"Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag.She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilightseries.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Nail biting moments

2011-02-21T10:05:00.002-06:00

Saturday Kayla and I went to USD for her to audition for admission into the music program and for scholarship money. Technically that is what the audition was for...she has already been admitted into the program so we are just waiting for how much money they are willing to give her.

I found it amusing that she is already so well known at the college by so many professors. Of course the clarinet professor knows her well, but so does the low brass/marching band professor and the Director of Bands. She did her audition (with Bb clarinet, bass clarinet and trombone) and then talked to the three on the committee. They all seemed surprised that she played a woodwind and a brass instrument and was accomplished at both. Kayla just laughed.

There are more scholarship auditions this coming weekend so no decisions will be made until March. But Dr. Haddad, the clarinet professor, told both Kayla and me that we could get ahold of her if we didn't want to wait until the official letters go out in early April. I guarantee I will be emailing her before then!

I think Kayla did great, but I may be a little biased. She is glad it is over with and now she just has to coast through the next few months and she will be at USD.

44 Things I Have Learned in My 44 Years

2011-02-18T11:52:00.001-06:00

Life isn't fair, but it's still good.  
When in doubt, just take the next small step.
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.  
Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.  
You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.  
Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.  
When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.  
It's OK to let your children see you cry.  
Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.  
Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.  
Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
You can get through anything if you stay put in today.  
When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.  
Overprepare, then go with the flow.  
Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.  
The most important sex organ is the brain.
Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"  
Forgive everyone everything.  
What other people think of you is none of your business.  
Time heals almost everything. Give time time.  
However good or bad a situation is, it will change. 
Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Believe in miracles.
God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.  
Growing old beats the alternative - dying young. 
Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable. 
Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.  
If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.  
Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.  
Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.  
All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.  
Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.  
The best is yet to come.
No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.  
Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.  
If you don't ask, you don't get.
Yield.  
No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift...

I really should...

2011-02-15T13:03:00.004-06:00

I really should keep this thing more updated, but there is not much going on!

Brian got a job, this is one I, and he, thinks he will really like. It is only temporary since it is working for a nursery but he is excited about it anyway. He starts tomorrow and it is supposed to go through November. I told him it has both the things he loves...being outside and playing in the dirt =) He is filling out his application for an apartment in Marathon so now we need to start going to auctions and finding furniture and dishes.

Kayla has an Honor Band coming up soon, just one of many. She also has scholarship auditions at USD on Saturday. She is auditioning with her bass clarinet, Bb clarinet and trombone...although not all at the same time! I figure since she is so flexible they should just go ahead and give her the highest amount offered right?

Not much new with Becker-Loo...she just keep plugging away at college and working...she is planning to come home for a few days in early March so that makes me very happy.

So that is all the update you are going to get...will have more after Kayla's audition and if Brian gets moved and of course when Becky visits. I guess a boring life is a good thing to have =)

15 Lessons to Keep in Mind

2011-02-08T13:58:00.000-06:00

1. The only person that can ever truly make you happy is yourself. Stop depending on everyone else.

2. People lie, stuff happens. Don’t take it too personally.

3. Want people to think you’re amazing? Start believing you are, and then they will too.

4. Smiling is the ultimate anti-depressant. Smile and laugh out loud, it doesn’t look stupid, I promise.

5. The world is never just black and white, right or wrong, one way or another. Try and see things from as many points of view as possible.

6. "Let everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final"
— Rainer Maria Rilke

7. Have empathy.

8. Gossip, problems of the past, events you cannot control, negative thoughts and negative people; time spent on these is time poorly wasted.

9. When you're jealous or find yourself filled with hate for someone/something, stop. The only person its hurting is you.

10. Although the newest, most expensive material things may make you feel as if you’re a better person, they won’t hold you at night or listen to you when you need it. Make sure your priorities make sense.

11. Step outside your comfort zone- it’s when you’ll really feel alive.

12. Don’t be afraid to be yourself, the people who really matter, don’t mind

13. Let your emotions out sometimes, humans have them for a reason.

14. Celebrate the things you have. Think only positively of the things you don’t (but would like to have) and they too will come.

15. Love unconditionally ♥

C-O-Y-O-T-E-S

2011-01-31T11:06:00.003-06:00

I took Kayla and two of her friends to a USD basketball game Saturday night. The girls game was amusing because although it was an easy win for USD (they played Texas-Pan America) one of the girls on the opposing team was hilarious! She was a big, manly type girl and she kept yelling at her teammates...in a big, manly type voice :) Then she would hit her chest and yell things at the USD players...I guess she was trying to intimidate them but it probably made them laugh just like it made us laugh. She played a few seconds of the game, but was mostly a bench warmer who yelled a lot.

The boys game was more exciting. At first the Broncs were ahead of the USD Coyotes for most of the game, but then in the last few minutes the Coyotes pulled ahead and fought for a tough win. It was close...the Broncs were ahead, then the Yotes were ahead, then the Broncs...and on and on. But in the end the Yotes won! The girls were all yelling and cheering...it was a fun night.

Of course, the team mascot was walking all around during the game and the girls got the idea they wanted to have their picture taken with him. Once he came near where we were sitting but all three of the girls chickened out and wouldn't try to get his attention so he would come over. Then "Charlie the Coyote" came over again and this time they got brave and waved to him...and he came over for a picture. I grabbed my phone to take it and suddenly had two other phones handed to me! Luckily for Megan and Laura they had phones similar to mine so I knew how to use them. We got the picture and enjoyed the rest of the game.

Spent the night in Vermillion and then of course had to take some time for shopping for USD things on Sunday before we headed for home. Both Megan and Kayla will be Coyotes this fall so they have to show their support...and Laura will be one next fall. I think I officially have more USD things now than I do ISU...and I have a lot of ISU :p

Fun weekend in South Dakota...Kayla and I will be back for scholarship auditions in a few weeks!

Busy Weekends

2011-01-27T08:00:00.002-06:00

Next couple of weekends are going to be spent away from home...busy busy busy!

This weekend I am taking Kayla and two of her friends to a basketball game at USD in Vermillion. Since I don't want to have to drive all the way home that late at night we are spending the night there. The girls tried to convince me to take them to Sioux City on the way home to shop...but no way I am taking three girls shopping!

Next weekend we will spend in Sioux Falls for the wedding of Nick and Katie. I love weddings so am looking forward to this one...plus get to see most of the family so that is always fun (and loud) too.

Dan is not going to either of the weekend getaways so maybe he will get used to me not being around on Saturday nights and find someone else to keep him company...but I doubt it!

Privacy

2011-01-23T08:50:00.004-06:00

The story of why my blog is now for only readers that I approve of...

Many years ago, just a few months after Dan and I were married, we had a gathering of friends at our house. I went into the kitchen to get the food ready and Dan came in to help. Being that we were still newlyweds I pinched his rear end on his way past me and one of our friends saw me do it. Ever since then I have been known as "Grabby" amongst this group of friends. Childish yes, but I didn't mind and lately hadn't heard the name for years. Then yesterday I get a forwarded text message from one of the group..."how will we live without grabblog?" I texted back, confused, what was a grabblog? Got no answer, then it dawned on me...that was the nickname they had given my blog, grab blog, and they were referring to the fact that I had not updated in a long time. I was furious...if they were making up stupid names then they were obviously making fun of me and what I had written. I knew one of the people from this forwarded message was reading my blog but I didn't know the other one was. Had they not slipped and forwarded the text to me I never would have known. Until that moment I didn't care who read what I wrote, I even had followers that I had no idea who they were. But that was the final straw, the blog became private and will remain that way.

This morning I received another text from one of the "perpetrators" apologizing for the bad behavior. This person admitted what they had done was wrong, that they were childish and that this person hoped I would forgive. It was also said that this person hoped Dan and I knew that this person is a true friend and at visits and phone calls was not doing either for personal gain or gossip opportunities, but only as a friend. I texted back, thanked for the apology and said that the blog would remain private. If this person wants to know what is going on then ask me.

So that is the story. For those of you reading this I welcome you and hope you continue to read. I will add people as I see fit, and deny as I see fit. I will not release the names of the people that caused this in the first place, I, unlike them, refuse to purposely cause someone grief...so don't ask me. These people are still our friends, and I respect their privacy.

New stuff...finally!

2011-01-23T08:37:00.002-06:00

I know what you are thinking...about time she got around to writing on here again! But...I have excuses, really I do...ummmm....anyway....

Not much going on around here, just trying to stay warm, which can be a challenge! Brian has moved home again, Kansas was expensive and he just couldn't find a job, which made Kansas even more expensive. He has a job interview Tuesday and we are very hopeful about it. Details after Tuesday...cross your fingers!

Becky has decided not to transfer to USD after all this fall. She is happy at BHSU, loves her job and has made new friends. I am a little disappointed but will just have to find a time to go visit her...and she comes home every couple of months so that is better than a lot of people have.

Kayla has senioritis and it is terminal :p She is counting the days, not until she graduates, but until she can move to college and start marching band! She had an Honor Band in Fort Dodge a couple of weeks ago and was 2nd chair of 4...but all 4 girls playing the bass clarinet had been to All State! Yesterday she had district speech and did improv and radio news...she got a II rating on both but she did a fantastic job!

So that is the jest of what we have been up to...not much really, just the same old same old. I go to work, Dan does chores...we come home, go to bed and start all over again. But...I love it.

Slacker

2011-01-12T13:07:00.001-06:00

I have been lax in my blogging duties...I promise an update soon! Other than trying to avoid the cold weather not much has been going on...but we did attend an honor band so that is newsworthy!

Revelation

2011-01-01T09:47:00.000-06:00

Spending at least 18 years raising a child you think you know them. But then they move away and come home to visit and you realize there are subtle things you never noticed before. Having spent a week with all three kids around I have now realized that they are alike in so many ways, but different in so many other ways. They don't change as much as little children as they change when they become adults. Who knew?

zzzzzzz

2010-12-29T13:00:00.001-06:00

The way I feel right now I think I would have more energy if I were dead.

Family Jewels

2010-12-27T17:56:00.002-06:00

Have you ever noticed how some women take their wedding ring off when they do things? They take it off to wash their hands or do the dishes. They take it off to work outside or clean the house. Some women only wear the ring when they are going somewhere. It is all about caring for the diamond or precious stone in the ring. I don't look at it that way. I have worn my ring every single day for the last 22 years, I only take it off when I go to bed at night. I used to even wear it to bed, but I apparently have a habit of throwing my arm across Dan at night and he didn't appreciate being scratched by my ring.

To me my ring is a symbol of our marriage...probably what most women say, but I mean it differently. My ring is just like our marriage, it has been in hot water, it has been in deep s**t, it has been shiny and new and it has been not quite perfect in shape. My marriage has been the same things...every day I slip on the ring I remember the day I first had it slipped on my finger. I remember the day we went to Spencer and picked it out, I remember the day I had to have it cut off and sized bigger. This ring symbolizes the ups and downs of a day to day marriage.

Someday I hope to live long enough to pass my ring onto a grandchild. It isn't worth much monetarily but the memories are priceless. I hope to have a day where I look at my child's children, and think that it is time to pass the ring on to them. There is nothing as precious as passing family treasures down the generations and I hope to be able to do that. I will have something for each grandchild special from me, or Dan, and I hope they cherish it as much as I cherish the things I have from my grandmother. Doesn't have to be expensive, in the case of my wedding ring it doesn't even have to be shiny and new, it just has to have meaning. I want to share the joys of my marriage, and life, with my grandchildren.

Tree apples

2010-12-27T09:50:00.002-06:00

Concerning my previous post about people not getting the memo...apparently the apple doesn't fall far from the tree...no wonder the kid acts that way, the parent is just as bad! Good thing I am not letting it bother me...I know who is right in this particular situation...not always right, but they are this time. War is never the answer...

New Year Resolutions

2010-12-27T09:47:00.003-06:00

I have only one resolution for the new year...the same one I have every year and manage to keep. No resolutions! There are things I would like to accomplish in the new year, but why set myself up and then fail...such a disappointment. If I succeed then I might think that next year I can set higher goals...and then be even more disappointed if I don't reach them. So I will just continue to plug away at my life and if something happens that I worked for then great, if not, then there is always another chance another time. Ahhh...freedom!

Read the memo

2010-12-25T08:30:00.002-06:00

Didn't everyone get the memo? Christmas is supposed to be a happy day, not a day to make someone cry. I wake up Christmas morning and, out of habit, reach for my phone to check my emails. One such email is a notification of a posting on my facebook wall...a not nice posting, a posting bashing one of my children, a posting that had no reason to be on my wall. So after reading the post I deleted it, because really it was not at all nice nor was it at all necessary to put out there for everyone to read...facebook has private message for things that should be private, although this particular post didn't need to be said at all. So if the person who wrote that post reads my blog, and I am pretty sure this person does, I just want to let them know that they ruined my Christmas day. No one is perfect, including my children, but don't be putting them down, that just makes you look petty. The comments made will continue to run through my head, I will try to forget, but it won't be easy. You hurt my child you hurt me. I hope you feel good about yourself, I hope what you said made you feel like you are right and my child is wrong, because apparently you need to feel that way. I am sorry you don't feel enough love in your life that you need to hurt someone to feel happy. Most of all I hope you have a Merry Christmas, because thanks to you I won't.

Thankful

2010-12-17T21:15:00.003-06:00

I am thankful my son is still alive.

He was hanging out at a friend's house when someone started banging on the door. Before anyone could get to the door to open it, it was kicked open and there were two men with assault rifles. They told everyone in the room to get on the floor, but the eight people there didn't really take them seriously...until they were told again and had the guns pointed at them. Brian was sitting on the floor and the robbers were grabbing cell phones and car keys...making it harder for the people to contact the police after the robbers left. It was obvious that the robbers didn't know what they were doing...their actions and words were confused...and when one guy said a dumb remark Brian laughed. Sometimes this kid doesn't think...so the robber punched him in the face and then pointed the gun at his face. Brian was calm...but it makes me sick to even think about it.

They took cell phones, car keys, wallets, computers and money and left. But they also left behind computers and money and other valuables. No one's car was taken, just everyone's keys. Brian lost his keys, phone and wallet...which contained his debit card, social security card, health insurance card and some cash. All of those things can be replaced. Brian can't.

I was okay when he called and told me what happened, and how they talked to the police for three hours. I was okay when he said he lost everything, including his apartment key, because all of it has his Iowa address so the robbers don't know where he lives in Lawrence. I was even okay when he told me he has a bump on his head from being punched. But after I hung up and was relaying the story to others someone said "lucky he is alive"...then I wasn't so okay. The reality hit me...my son had a gun pointed at him...

I thank God he didn't get hurt any worse and that no one else got hurt. The things that were stolen can all be replaced...lives can't. I have no problem with guns, but when you are using them to rob people I have a problem. I hope the robbers get caught and punished. I also hope Brian continues to deal with this the way he is now...one freaked out person in the family is enough.

Adventures

2010-12-16T17:38:00.001-06:00

I took the afternoon off today to help Dan take a load of junk to Spencer and get rid of Becky's old car too. We had everything loaded and took off...me driving the truck that was pulling the trailer full of junk and Dan driving the car that had no brakes. Everything was going well until I crossed Highway 10 and the truck suddenly died! I tried to restart it but it wouldn't, so I called Dan to come back and help me...all the while thanking God that I had made it all the way across the highway! He came back but it still wouldn't start, so thankfully we had jumper cables in the truck, and after a few tries, the truck started. Dan decided it would be better if he drove the truck since it seemed to be acting up, and I would drive the car. Okay...but the car had no, none, zip, nada, zilch for brakes! YIKES!

I was fine as long as I went slow and gave myself plenty of time to stop...we took the back roads so there wasn't much traffic. My biggest concern was the big hill on the way into Gillett Grove...I was slightly (totally) freaked out about going down that and not being able to slow myself down! But I made it and it really wasn't bad. Got as far as the intersection of Hwy 18 and M54 and had a stop sign...lucky for me there was no traffic coming so I kind of slowed down and cruised my way across :) Made it to the next stop sign on the edge of Spencer, but by this time I had a whole line of vehicles behind me! I slowed way down and with the help of the emergency brake I came to a full stop...about 50 feet from the stop sign! But there was no way I was going any closer or I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stop again...I let the cross traffic go and then I took off.

Finally, after what seemed like years, I made it to the place where we were selling the car...never have I been so happy to see a business! We got our money for the junk metal and the car and headed home. Of course, the truck had no trouble for Dan the rest of the way up to Spencer or all the way home...typical!

Think again

2010-12-15T11:05:00.003-06:00

You may think I am going to post all about why I don't go to church and why I don't feel it is necessary to do so in order to be a good Christian. You are wrong...I have talked and talked on this subject and I am not doing it anymore. Go to church, great...just don't imply by my not going that I am wrong.

All I Want For Christmas

2010-12-14T10:12:00.003-06:00

All I want for Christmas is my family around me...and I didn't think it was going to happen this year. Brian is 6 hours away and Becky is 8 hours away...and they both work so have schedules to deal with there. I had resigned myself to only having two of the kids home, but then Becky surprised me and said she is coming home too. Happy dance!

I know that I won't get to spend every Christmas with all the kids, or someday with all the kids and their kids, but that doesn't mean I have to like the idea. I will take every chance I can get to have them with me, even though it is just another holiday, I want them around for it. Of course I would love it if they would choose to live closer to me, but I will be happy if they are happy.

No present will be nearly as wonderful as having the kids all home at the same time, I will take way to many pictures and they will grumble about it way too much...but we all know we all love it :) After all, the older we all get the less we will see each other so I have to document the times we are all together.

All three kids home together...Merry Christmas to me!

This Year We...

2010-12-09T13:17:00.002-06:00

It is that time again, time for the annual Christmas letters everyone sends in their cards. To me the letter is more important than the card, because it tells the world what has been going on and how much your kids have grown and just how wonderful your life is compared to every other sorry sucker in the world...haha.

I try to make my letter amusing, simply because no one wants to hear how perfect my kids are or how wonderful my job is or as I said, how great my life is compared to theirs. But, sometimes my amusement is not someone else's amusement and family members take things a little to seriously! Usually the older folks who don't realize I am kidding when I say we all moved to a potato farm in Ohio and now live barefoot in a dirt house. I always have to pass the letter through the kids to make sure they approve of what I say about them...like I would change it if they didn't!

Pictures should be a requirement in Christmas cards, especially from people that I only hear from once a year. I do want to see how the kids have grown and changed...not necessarily how much they have improved over the year, but some accomplishments are okay...after all, even in my amusing letter I get some bragging in :)

I shouldn't complain about the people who just send a generic card and sign their name at the bottom, at least they took the time to think of me and send a card. But I would still much rather get a letter and pictures than anything else...even if their life is so much better than mine :p

X does not mark the spot

2010-12-08T13:30:00.001-06:00

It is Christmas people, not xmas. X does not replace Christ in any sense of the word so please cease and desist from using it as such. Thank you.

This...

2010-11-28T08:25:00.004-06:00

This is what I am thankful for...minus a few that didn't get in the pictures, and minus a few that couldn't come...but this is what makes my life complete...my family :)

Why is thanksgiving called thanksgiving anyway?

2010-11-25T10:11:00.002-06:00

In 1621 the Pilgrims had a good harvest and were thankful that they had made it to the New World and were actually surviving and prospering. So, in order to celebrate all of their gifts and good luck the Pilgrims decided to have a harvest festival and a day of thanks. They celebrated with venison, fowl, fresh vegetables, and maybe some pumpkin desserts. Also, the day was made up of sports, conversing with friends, and simply resting after a long harvest. The Indians were invited to also share in the festival and many of them did. The original Thanksgiving was not as much of a religious day as it was a festival of thanksgiving.

I am thankful for my many blessings 365 days a year...God, family, friends, work, housing, love...I got it all :)

Tuesday Tootsies

2010-11-23T16:38:00.000-06:00

Shoes designed by the band nerd :)

Our House Is A Very Very Very Fine House...

2010-11-20T10:02:00.004-06:00

I love where we live, I love the farm and being in the country and I love our big old farmhouse. But this time of year, when I am having my entire family come for a meal, I see all the flaws of my house and worry everyone else will see them as well.

I see the garage door that Becky ran into and we haven't completely fixed yet. I see the walk-in garage door that doesn't quite fit right and the wood around it where the cats have sharpened their claws. I see the veneer chipping off the main door into the house and the slightly broken door threshold. I see both bathrooms that we started to remodel and haven't had time to finish. I see the walls in the living room that are cracked and could use a fresh coat of paint. I see the hardwood floor in the sewing room that is scratched and needs a rug to cover it. I see the furniture that is getting worn out and the stove that is on it's last leg. I see the tile in the office that needs to be replaced and the wall and ceiling that need to be fixed because of the leaky roof and bathroom plumbing this summer.

But then I stop and think about our old house. This house that is almost 100 years old deserves to show some age. This is the house that has been in the family since it was built, the house where Dan's great-aunt and great-uncles lived, the house where his grandparents lived, the house where his parents came as newlyweds and the house where Dan and his sister and brother came as newborns. This is the house where we all gathered for holidays and "just because" days. This is the house where we gathered to mourn the loss of Dan's dad. This house has a lot of history, good and bad, happy and sad.

This house is where we moved our children, the first time they ever had to move. These four walls, with their chipped and cracked and peeling paint is where we have celebrated birthdays, graduations, and awards. These walls hold the pictures of our families and the posters of our interests. The furniture may be worn, but it is worn from people visiting and sleeping and enjoying their time. The floors are worn and scratched from years of kid's toys scraping across them and high heels on feet that were learning to walk in them. Things weren't always repaired immediately because the money was better spent on something the family needed, not just wanted for cosmetic reasons. Things weren't always repaired because the time was better spent with the family, watching the kids in their concerts and sporting events.

Our house may be old and starting to show it, but it is a house filled with so many memories, so much love and laughter that it doesn't matter that some things aren't exactly like they should be. Our house is just like us...not perfect. But it is perfect for each of us that live, and have lived, in it. This is more than just a house, it is our home.

Be Careful What You Wish For...

2010-11-19T08:12:00.002-06:00

I am sitting here writing this in a motel in Lawrence, Kansas. I brought all Brian's furniture and stuff down to him yesterday, got him all moved into his new apartment. Now I am getting ready to go home and I keep thinking about the room I can now transform into a sewing room.

I have been thinking about this sewing room for months, pretty much ever since Brian announced he would be moving to Lawrence and working there. I had so many plans what I could do with it, once his bed and table and posters were gone. I could paint the room, put up new curtains, maybe a nice rug...the ideas were endless!

Then yesterday Dan and I loaded up all Brian's things and the room was empty. I took down all his posters and decorations, swept up the thumbtacks from underneath where his bed sat and opened up the sewing machine, which he had been using as a computer table. Suddenly it was no longer Brian's room..it was just an empty room in the house. I thought I was ready for this...heaven knows Brian is ready to move on! But it hit me pretty hard...he is gone for good now. No longer do I have a bedroom for my oldest child and that is a little strange. Of course he is always, always welcome to move back home if he needs to, but I doubt he will. I can legitimately change his room into mine and he will be okay with that...as long as I leave room for an air mattress when he comes to visit! I know he is old enough to be on his own and be responsible for himself, but it is still hard to take this final step.

I will paint the room a bright, fun color. I will add new colorful curtains. I will move in my sewing tubs and fabric. I will put in a big table so I have room to work. I will start laying out Kayla's t-shirt quilt and start sewing it. I might even put some sewing themed decorations on the walls. But no matter what I change in the room, and no matter what I do in the room, it will, in my mind, always be Brian's room :)

In Denial

2010-11-13T08:16:00.005-06:00

I refused to believe it, I didn't want to hear anything about it, everyone was wrong. I didn't rush to the store, I didn't stock up on anything, I didn't change my plans, it wasn't going to happen. But then it did...SNOW! Lots of snow. Now I have no laundry detergent and Saturday is my laundry day. I cannot go to the bridal shower, although I do have a gift ready. Luckily Brian is moving south today so should be able to get going and drive out of this nonsense. I really hate snow, although it does look pretty...for awhile anyway, until it gets dirty. Everyone complains about snow, yet we continue to live in Iowa. I have an excuse to live here though...can't very well move our farmland to somewhere else so I have no choice but to live here. What is your excuse for not moving?

Twenty two accomplishments

2010-11-09T04:40:00.003-06:00

On the occasion of Brian's 22nd birthday (how did that happen so fast?) I will list 22 things he has accomplished in those years...in no particular order :)

1. Learned to sit up
2. Learned to crawl
3. Learned to walk
4. Learned to talk (and hasn't stopped since)
5. Learned to read
6. Learned to write
7. Learned to use the toilet :)
8. Learned to dress himself
9. Learned to do math
10. Learned to ride a bike
11. Learned to drive
12. Graduated high school
13. Learned to fix many computer problems
14. Learned to play the trombone
15. Learned to act and do speeches
16. Learned to cook
17. Got a job
18. Got accepted into college-twice
19. Learned to climb a tree
20. Learned to build things
21. Lived in apartment on his own, paying bills and cooking for himself
22. Made it to 22 years old without causing his mother a heart attack or having her kill him for doing something stupid :)

Happy birthday to my favorite son!

Tuesday Tootsies

2010-11-09T01:08:00.000-06:00

ROAR! :)

Hey hey hey....goodbye

2010-11-04T20:32:00.002-05:00

In a week Brian is moving to Kansas. He has no job yet, no apartment yet...but he is still planning on moving. I am ready for him to go, he is 22 and needs to be on his own. I will enjoy having a sewing room, food in the house, and less laundry to do. But...I am going to miss the big lug :)

Rights

2010-11-03T15:23:00.003-05:00

I am not a political person, but I do believe every person should have the same basic rights under the law. Doesn't matter if they are black or white, man or woman, religious or atheist. Every single person deserves to be treated the same.

Everyone is in an uproar over gay marriage. Personally I don't think it should even be an issue under the law. Just because you want to marry someone of the same sex doesn't mean you should have your legal rights taken away. I don't think the church should necessarily recognize gay marriage, but that is not the issue here. People are touting family values and the sanctity of marriage...if that were the problem then divorce would be illegal too.

People are also so pleased with themselves for having booted out the three "activist" Iowa supreme court judges. Won't make a bit of difference...most of the laws passed by them were on a 7-0 basis so even if three conservative judges were appointed it wouldn't make much difference since 4 is more than 3. Also, how many people know that those judges were appointed by Gov. Terry Branstad...a Republican! Gasp!

The elections are supposedly a referendum on President Obama. Bullshit. Two years ago everyone was mad at the Republicans so everyone voted Democrat. Now they are all mad at the Democrats so they vote Republican. I think being an angry American is the wrong way to look at your voting decisions and the wrong way to run a country.

Just my thoughts...

Tuesday Tootsies

2010-11-02T01:30:00.000-05:00

Remember the brown shoes I loved and wore and wore because I never thought I would find a replacement pair that I loved as much? I was wrong...

They're baaaa-aaack

2010-10-28T08:59:00.004-05:00

No, not the aliens...the 80's! Well, the 80's fashions anyway...as I sit here typing wearing my jeans tucked into my knee high boots and ruffles down the front of my shirt :p

I clearly remember my early high school days of wearing straight leg jeans tucked tightly into my knee high boots...back then though the boots were brown leather and had a zipper up the inside leg so they could be put on and taken off...also made for easier jean tucking. The jeans were also just your basic straight leg style. Now the boots are almost always pull on "scrunch" boots and many of them are only slightly above the ankle...but you still tuck your jeans into them! The jeans now are called "skinnies" and are much more form fitting on the leg than just straight leg style. Back in the day you could buy little "stirrups" to fasten on one side of the hem of your jeans, go under your foot and fasten on the other side of your hem...helped keep your pants in the boots. Then, horrors, the stirrup pants faze began. I really hope that is not a fashion look that returns! I personally just tuck my jeans into my knee high socks and that works just fine :)

I had several "ruffle shirts" when I was in high school too. Shirts that had big, borderline huge, ruffles down the front, sometimes several layers of them. Nowadays the ruffles are still in several layers, but much smaller...more of a tuxedo shirt style. The cool thing is to wear the ruffle shirts with a vest or open front sweater, I love both of those looks.

Other trends of the 80's are also making an appearance in the stores. Prairie skirts are back...remember the cotton, flowered pattern multi-tiered skirts? I haven't bought one of them yet, but pair one with a ruffle shirt and you couldn't scream 80's any louder! Scarves are another good example, although they were more late 80's and were a slightly different style back then.

I can't say I completely object to the 80's fashions...just keep leather pants and parachute pants away from me and I will be fine. A few years ago the 70's were all the rage so when will we revisit the 90's? Some basic things never go out of style...women were wearing pencil skirts and basic black since the dawn of time (ok, maybe not that long ago, but you get the idea) and they still wear them today. Same with men and a basic dress shirt and tie. Staples you can always turn to and be in style. I personally wear whatever I like...be it from this year's style or something I have owned forever and still love. Vests are huge this year which I adore but skinny jeans are also huge which is a little more difficult for a "big girl" to pull off. Oh well, I wear what I want when I want and if someone is offended by my lack of style then they can just look the other way :)

Tuesday Tootsies

2010-10-26T01:28:00.000-05:00

Just a little bling, but not too much. Comfy and go with lots and lots of colors...not really silver so not too flashy. Love, love, love these shoes!

Everything but the kitchen sink...no wait...

2010-10-24T08:33:00.003-05:00

Everything AND the kitchen sink. Dan got my new sink installed yesterday...after a trip to Menards to buy the sink and the necessary plumbing...then a trip to Ace Hardware to get the necessary plumbing to replace what broke when he started taking the plumbing apart...then another trip to Ace Hardware to replace the necessary plumbing that he bought wrong on the previous trip! I love my new sink! :)

Four...will there be more?

2010-10-21T08:19:00.002-05:00

A small heart on my wrist...been wanting this one for a long time.

Trick or treat

2010-10-20T20:26:00.002-05:00

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays...although I hate being scared. I have many memories of Halloween so I figured this would be a good time to share them :)

When I was little we used to go trick or treating in the country. Mom would drive us around to all the neighbor's house and they gave us candy. Nowdays no one does that, only people who live in town have little ghosts and goblins knocking on their doors.

I remember the vinyl costumes we wore and the plastic masks. The costumes were always worn over our heavy winter coats so we looked two sizes bigger than we were. The masks had eye holes and a small hole for the mouth...so you could breathe and just big enough to stick the tip of your tongue through.

There were two houses in town that I always was slightly apprehensive to go to. One was the Dukes house...Mama D would dress up as a witch and scare the daylights out of me! She did the same thing to my kids years later. The other house was the home of my first grade teacher, Mrs. Lehman. She would always demand we do a trick before we could get a treat...I had no tricks!

In junior high I went with a bunch of my friends to a haunted house. Just so happens this particular haunted house was in the barn of the house at Marathon were Dan and I moved after we got married. The barn was gone by the time we moved there, but I still remember how scared I was to go through it. Lucky for me I had friends who were just as scared so we basically ran through!

Back in the day we would also go trick or treating for Unicef. Basically we went door to door begging for money...but it was for a good cause...or at least that is what we were told!

One year, I think Brian was probably almost 3, we couldn't take him out because we had a huge ice storm. I think I was more disappointed than Brian was.

All three of my kids wore a pumpkin costume that I made for their first Halloween. I made it for Brian when he was almost a year old. Becky wore it when she was 6 months old and poor Kayla was only 2 months old when she wore it...so with each kid the costume swallowed them up more and more :)

I remember walking down the main street of Marathon one year with some friends. We weren't doing anything or causing any trouble, but we happened to be in front of the bank. The banker's daughter lived across the street above the post office and she sat at her window all night watching for people who might do something to the bank. Apparently we looked guilty because she yelled at us to stay away from there.

I must say, my favorite Halloween memory doesn't even involve me. One year Brian and Becky and some friends went to the haunted house in Schaller. Brian was trying to impress a girl so he wasn't afraid at all...or so he thought. They came to a room and a man dressed in a gorilla suit jumped out with a running chain saw (with no chain on it of course) and Brian screamed like a girl and yelled "ahhhh...girl pants!" Girl pants was the word of choice when you are scared and can't get the word gorilla out :)

Halloween may be the devil's holiday, but I don't think anyone really thinks of it like that anymore. It is just a day of fun and black cats and ghosts and goblins. Kids are too lazy these days to cause any trouble and little ones in costumes begging for candy are adorable. BOO!

Tuesday Tootsies

2010-10-19T01:26:00.000-05:00

The perfect "school marm" shoe...but now adorable and perfect for dresses or pants :)

Amazed

2010-10-13T08:07:00.003-05:00

My children continue to amaze me. If this is too much bragging for you then feel free to stop reading here, because it is going to get crazy.

Brian could be a mechanic. Last night Dan needed help with replacing a tire on his pickup so Brian and I went out to the shop to help (he said he needed three people, he really didn't). Brian just jumped right in and did what needed to be done to get the new tire on the rim and replace the valve stem...no questions on how, just knew. The other day he was working on his car...fixing the headlights that wouldn't go on dim, replacing the motor on the back door window that wouldn't go up and something else with the engine that was above what I understood. He knows how to do all these things because he has helped Dan so much through the years. It amazes me how much he knows about fixing cars and trucks and tractors and combines.

Becky should be a fashion designer. She can look at her clothes and see outfits that most people would never dream of and they look fantastic and cute! Sometimes she would get ready for school in the morning and come downstairs and I would just think wow, I would never have thought of that! Just simple things like jeans and a t-shirt she can dress up with a scarf or a vest and make it dressy. Becky knows how to tie scarves in every way imaginable or to drape them so they look just right...I know how to tie a knot and call it good. She can go to the store and pick out cute dresses and then make them look even better with accessories...usually things I would not have thought to put with that particular dress, or any other outfit she wears, but as usual, Becky pulls it off and it looks great. Her fashion sense amazes me.

Last night Kayla told me she had a song she wanted me to listen to. She started it playing on her computer and I was stunned at how great it sounded. The tones of a clarinet filled the room and I was wondering to myself which professor she had gotten this CD from (the professors at the colleges she visited each gave a CD of their professional recordings to Kayla). Then she tells me that she had recorded herself playing her All-State audition solo...I was stunned! The music was beautiful and the sound was too. Kayla is going into music performance and music education in college and I say those are the perfect majors for her. Her musical talent is amazing.

So there you have it, my children amaze me...usually on a daily basis! :) Of course they all have many other talents that also amaze me...Brian's ability to so easily make friends, Becky's ability to handle whatever comes her way in life, Kayla's ability to do so many things at once....the list goes on and on.

Tuesday Tootsies

2010-10-12T08:03:00.002-05:00

Ever had gum stuck to your shoe? Now you can buy shoes with gum already on them! Although how you would walk in them, or even why you would want to is beyond me.

Points to Ponder

2010-10-08T16:20:00.004-05:00

Some things to think about...

Why is a semi called an 18 wheeler? Cars aren't called 4 wheelers.

Why do we say someone is out for a Sunday drive if they are driving slowly?

Why do people who farm half the country say they are blessed? Why not just admit they are greedy?

Why is what people do in the bedroom, and who they do it with, anyone's business but theirs?

Why is everyone so intolerant of other country's religions?

Why do people who live in areas that get a lot of snow in the winter complain about it? If you don't like it move somewhere else.

Why are there two names for fall/autumn? None of the other seasons have two names.

Why does bacon taste so good?

Who ever came up with the idea of hotels?

Who first looked at a cow udder and wondered what would happen if you pulled on it?

Why are dogs and cats the only 4 legged animals that are domesticated?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Why can girls have long hair but it is considered "hippie" for boys to do it?

Why do girls wear make-up and high heels and dresses and men can get by with sweats?

Why is it if a woman has many partners she is a bad person but if a man does it he is a stud?

Why do people give their children hard to pronounce and hard to spell names?

Why does the woman take the man's name when they get married?

Why does a picture of a heart look nothing like a real heart?

Why is the heart the only body part that means something else? You don't give someone a picture of an ear for Valentine's Day.

Why do people go on TV on those stupid court shows?

Why doesn't purple match red?

Why did someone decide to put 24 hours in a day?

Why were credit cards invented?

Why do some areas of the country have breakfast, lunch and dinner and others have breakfast, dinner and supper?

Why do kids at school have lunch but at home they have dinner?

Why is pink a girl color and blue a boy color?

Why do people have cell phones with them 24/7? Twenty years ago no one had one and we all got along fine.

Why isn't white gold called silver?

Why do some girls think they can run around half naked and then get mad when people notice?

Why is steak more expensive than hamburger? It all comes from the same cow.

Why does pop taste different in a can compared to a bottle?

Why do some people call it pop and some call it soda?

Why is it called soccer here but football in Britain?

Why do women have to shave their legs and armpits but men don't?

Why do people think the government shouldn't control health care but they should control whether or not a woman can terminate her pregnancy?

Why are the rich people Republican and the poor people Democratic?

Why do women think they have to have big boobs, blonde hair and no excess weight to be attractive?

Why are there so many reality shows about losing weight? What is wrong with being overweight?

Why do people abuse their children?

Why are they called lady bugs instead of man bugs?

Why are you still reading this?

Grrr...

2010-10-07T09:21:00.002-05:00

Our internet is ridiculous! In order to get high speed we have to have a satellite dish, because apparently we live in the middle of nowhere. But the satellite limits everyone who uses it to a "Fair Usage Policy" which means that you can only use up to 80% of your plan before they basically shut you off. So with Brian home and using Youtube a lot our usage goes up and then we have no internet at all in the evening. It is on a 30 day rolling basis, so we pretty much have to not use it at all for 15 days or more so we can get it back to normal. It really, really is a pain in the butt!

I have been investigating alternative providers (at work of course, where the internet actually works) and was excited that Iowa Telecom, where we get our phone service, offered HughesNet satellite. I called them yesterday and was told they no longer offer it. HughesNet and WildBlue are the only providers in Iowa for satellite and we are already with WildBlue so then I thought maybe I would just go to HughesNet directly. Checked them out and find their usage policy is even tighter than what we have!

So now I am going to call Iowa Telecom back and sign up for dial-up internet. It will be slow, but at least I will have a backup when WildBlue goes anal on us. If only I didn't live millions of miles away from civilization.

Whoops!

2010-10-04T18:51:00.001-05:00

Today I wore my favorite black skirt to work. I went to the bathroom, did my business and zipped up my skirt...or should I say tried to zip my skirt. The zipper broke! Here I am, in the bathroom with a skirt that won't zip...what to do? Well, since I work with mostly men and the women were all gone for the day I knew no one would have a safety pin or a needle and thread. So I zipped it as far as it would go and held the rest of it together under my sweater. Made it to my desk, grabbed the stapler and headed back to the bathroom for some temporary repair :) Lucky for me I only had an hour of work left so it held for that long...and now I have an excuse to go shopping :)

Update

2010-10-04T13:18:00.002-05:00

Not a lot has been happening lately, but here is what has been.

Kayla and I spent Friday and Saturday in Vermillion at USD. We went so she could have a lesson with the clarinet professor on Friday and sit and watch the marching band that evening, we then planned to watch the football game on Saturday. But it turned into much more for her. The band professor invited Kayla to march in the parade with the band (it was USD Homecoming) and then play with them in the stands during the game! To say she was excited is an understatement...she still hasn't come down from that excitement. :) They even gave her an "official" band t-shirt. She is hoping (planning) to go back and play with the pep band during a basketball game. Good experience for next year when she goes to USD.

Brian is still enjoying working at Arby's, still keeps saying he will be moving to Kansas but has yet to do anything to further that. He doesn't want to live at home but doesn't do anything about moving either...makes me laugh. Home means cooked meals, a clean house and his clothes get washed. If he lived in Kansas he would have to do all those things for himself. I think Dan is really enjoying having him live at home though...Brian has been a huge help with the pigs and harvesting.

Becky tells me she is getting all As in her classes...and still has time to play Family Feud on facebook! She is enjoying working at Arby's in Spearfish as well, likes the managers a lot. She also gets a laugh out of her roommate and the roommate's friends. Becky has learned some new things from them and their Asian culture and I am sure she has taught them a few American things too. :) Of course, I only know these things because I read her blog...she never calls me :p (hi Becky!)

Dan has finished harvesting the beans but hasn't had time to switch out the heads on the combine yet to start the corn. Yields were pretty good he tells me, except for where the river ran through the field for most of the summer.

So that is the update for this week...who knows what may happen before the next one!

Tuesday Tootsies

2010-09-28T06:28:00.000-05:00

I have had these brown shoes for years. They have a "hidden" heel in them and are incredibly comfortable. For years I searched and searched for a pair of brown shoes to go with both dresses and pants so I really can't give these up, I may never find another pair to replace them!

The Ones

2010-09-24T18:25:00.002-05:00

Senior year of 2011...also known as "The Ones" :)

The Art of Cooking

2010-09-22T18:32:00.002-05:00

I made cinnamon rolls tonight and realized when I opened my cookbook that this was apparently a well used recipe...the page is discolored and stained. Cookbook page as art? Why not?

Bloggy Becky

2010-09-22T15:26:00.003-05:00

Becky has started a blog and I am proud to say I was the first to be an official follower. This blog is so Becky, but I hate to comment on everything she writes or she will get annoyed with me and stop writing, or worse, change the blog site and not tell me! Even though she lives hundreds of miles away she still makes me laugh :)

Struggling

2010-09-22T13:16:00.004-05:00

Sometimes life doesn't go the way you planned it. Sometimes you have to do things you never thought you would have to do. Sometimes you can do the same thing and get different results.

You raise your children to be independent, self-sufficient, respectable adults. Along the way there are always bumps and upsets, but you learn to deal with them and move on. But once in awhile those bumps turn into hills and if you aren't careful, those hills can become mountains.

It is difficult to admit that your child is depressed. Mostly because people just assume that means she is sad and she will get over it. No. She has an illness called depression and unless treated properly she will not get over it. Yet the treatment doesn't always work 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Some days are hard on her and that makes those days hard on me as well. She has no reason for her feelings and that makes it harder yet. Sometimes, plain and simple, life sucks.

Depression is a common illness and there are probably plenty of people we are in contact with every day that suffer from it. But it has such a stigma attached that few people talk about it, let alone admit they have it. Television commercials try to sell the right drug to "fix it" but it is still something that no one wants to talk about. These people are just sad, tell them to get over it and move on. Someone dies, you are sad. Your car breaks down, your house starts on fire, your dog dies, you get a detention in school, you get fired...all those things make you sad. But for those things you know why you are sad, with depression you don't know why. That alone makes it more difficult, then when you have people telling you to get over it that just makes it worse. People bitch and complain about how bad their lives are, you tell them they are just making you feel worse, they continue to bitch...not helping!

No one knows how a depressed person feels unless they have been, or are, depressed themselves. Living with someone who is depressed is like walking on eggshells, is it a good day or a bad day? Is there something I can do to help or will I make it worse? Why can't I fix my child? Why can't I fix my child...

Tuesday Tootsies

2010-09-21T08:05:00.001-05:00

These are my new "they hurt but are so adorable I wear them anyway" shoes :) Is it wrong to love an inanimate object?

Little Happinesses

2010-09-20T19:03:00.002-05:00

Several years ago I typed all my recipe cards into the computer, printed them on cardstock and then laminated them. Now they are all pretty with borders and decorations and easy to wipe off when I spill on them :p

At the time I did all that the printer automatically put two copies of each recipe on the cardstock, so I made them all up and laminated them all with the plan to someday give the extra recipes away. Today Becky asked me for the recipe cards.

Sometimes it doesn't take much to make a mom happy :)

Pass it on

2010-09-19T19:08:00.003-05:00

The cool weather of fall and winter make me want to spend time in the kitchen baking...so that is just what I did today. I made chili in the crockpot for supper and then made carmel dumplings and brownie pudding cake for dessert. The special thing about these goodies are that all three are recipes from my family, the chili is several generations!

I have a basic set of recipes that I can always turn to when I want to make something. For meals I can always do chili, oven chow mein, begger's night casserole or even mashed potato/meatloaf in one dish. Dessert is easy too with carmel dumplings, cherry crisp or angel food cake to choose from. Even breakfast is covered with cinnamon rolls or donuts. The best part of all these yummy foods is that all the recipes are homemade, are from either mom or grandma and have been a staple of my life when I was growing up.

Now I am passing these family treasures onto my kids. Just the other day Becky wanted the chili recipe..already cooking for herself and Eli. Nothing says love like cooking and baking for your family and nothing tastes better than something made from scratch instead of a box. Takes more time, but so worth the effort.

Weekend Festivities

2010-09-17T11:16:00.002-05:00

Busy weekend ahead...which is always fun. Tonight I am going to the football game to watch the marching band and my favorite drum major leading them. Of course I will take lots of pictures, after all, this is her final year as drum major!

Tomorrow night Dan and I have a birthday party to attend in Storm Lake. It is for my boss and at King's Pointe so should be a fun time. There is a great band that is going to play and lots of people are attending. Not very often we get out to do something like that so should be a good time.

Sunday Kayla and I are considering going to LeMars for their ChalkArt Festival. People, some professional artists, draw on the sidewalks with chalk...big drawings. Some even look 3D. This has been advertised on TV for several weeks now and looks like it might be fun. Also a good excuse to get some yummy ice cream at the Ice Cream Capital of the World.

Dan is hoping to start combining beans this weekend too. He has to load pigs today and then has a lot of other jobs to get done for his "other bosses" so he isn't sure if he will get time or not. The beans are ready and waiting!

The weather has cooled down and the crops are turning colors. Fall doesn't officially start until next week, but I am welcoming it now. Harvesting, dropping leaves, sweatshirts, football games with marching band...I love it!

Sharing

2010-09-15T13:05:00.003-05:00

This is a blog I read often and this particular post was just too good not to share!

http://manolobig.com/2010/09/15/my-world-is-full-of-can/

Farmer

2010-09-14T14:23:00.002-05:00

I am the wife of a "real" farmer. That means he not only has crops in the field, he has animals to take care of as well. His job is not just in the spring and the fall, his is year-round. Sometimes even day and night. I am also a part-time farmer. I know how to drive the tractors and how to bale straw. I know how to vaccinate pigs and how to chase them when they get out. I know how to sort pigs for market and how to disk and plow. We are not people who just happen to live in a house in the country...we are farmers and proud of it.

Tuesday Tootsies

2010-09-14T04:56:00.002-05:00

Pretty gray suede flowered flats. These are as close as it gets to going barefoot and so comfortable. Plus they go with everything!
I am guessing there are some people who are reading my posts and thinking "now everytime she puts shoes on here we have to look at that tattoo." Bahaha...get over it!