Me? Letter??

No, I never lettered in softball or any sport for that matter.

I was built for comfort not for speed. And in those days you couldn't letter in music or drama.

I can swing a mighty bat, but I can't throw, field, or run to save my life.

If only they'd given out letters for having a great social life or squeezing out every single second of sleep before the bus came, or laughing until I spit out my Pepsi.

Liar Liar

Friend SkyDad has a fun game to play. It's part of an award, but he asked us all to play along. And I play well with others - one of my many virtues. I'm naming some facts about moi. One of them is a lie. Which one?

1. I don't like ketchup
2. I am an excellent batter
3. I qualify for membership in MENSA
4. My American family tree goes back to the 1600's.
5. I've never been to Europe
6. I have an odd gift for mimicing accents.
7. I have perfect pitch

8. I think Joe Biden is kind of hot

9. I lettered in softball

10. I like the smell of gasoline

Bike-a-palooza

I know you've all been waiting with wicked anticipation so here she is:

MY "NEW" BIKE!

What should I call her?

I feel like Pee-Wee Herman when I ride her.

"I'm a rebel Dottie"

She's got three speeds that are no different from each other, so she's a workout even on the little hills around here. I figure she's about 30+ years old.

The salvage guy threw in the baskets for FREE!

I also bought this lovely 21 speeder with front suspension. She's superior for riding, but without beach handle bars my hands grow numb and painful.

But for $50 for BOTH bikes, how could I turn it down???

Yard-a-palooza. The Universe took me away from my own backyard, but look what she gave me in the meantime . . . . lilacs AND bridal wreath spirea. And marshland to boot!

By suppertime Monday, this area will be a 6' x 13' raised bed garden planted with beets, onions, lettuces, spinach, herbs, carrots, etc. and a dahlia or two just for fun.

How lovely in the sunset.

I just finished mowing that whole yard. My heart rate is way up - what a workout!

Peace

Too busy to post now, so enjoy some AMAZING choral music. Our High School choir did this emotional piece last year, and their rendition was even better.

Cheap Vacations

Great cheap vacations coming up this summer. Here are photos from the last visit there.

My sister's friends bought 3 cabins of an old resort on a tiny crystal clear lake north of Park Rapids. In exchange for a little maintenance they are letting us use the cabins again for FREE in late July!

In July we are meeting Johnny C's New York family in Duluth! We got a great deal on a cottage/house combo right on Lake Superior, on Park Point. The Italians meet the Northwoods.

Public Education?

I'm climbing up on my soap box now. WHEW it's hard with these bad knees!

I've got a bone to pick with our local "public" schools.

The field trips, and class trips, and music trips are growing more extravagant and expensive with each passing year. Next year alone, the HS choir is going to DC at a price of over $500 per kid. The Honors English class is going to England. And the Spanish class is going to SPAIN for $thousands. In between that you throw in trips to nature centers, ball games, theatrical events, sports fees, drama fees, music fees, science fees etc. The kids are expected to raise money and go. Or get the $ from their parents or relatives. This is "enrichment" for these programs.

I say all "enrichment" offered by a public school should be equally available to ALL students regardless of their ability to pay. I just find these offerings morally reprehensible when only the kids with money can take advantage. My kids get fabulous grades, and are involved in plenty of activities, but they can't be "enriched" because we're broke.

Private schools? Don't care - charge away! Clubs? Travel all you want. Families? What you do with your own travel budget and time is none of my business. But when a public school sponsors and endorses trips that most middle to low income taxpayers can't swing, there's just something really wrong.

Also, why do HS kids need a trip to London or Spain? And why is it the school's job to organize that trip? And why do the people of this town have to be subjected to yet another magazine sale, or candy bar sale, or cookie dough sale to fund an ill-advised venture?

There are certain things we can't have because of our new economic picture. We can't get a car for them, we can't go to warm places during Spring Break, we can't get the latest fashions, etc. We accept this. But to have the public school, of all places, deny kids based on income goes against the principles of public education.

Boring post about Saturdays

Don't you love having a relatively free Saturday? Twin #2 had her dance recital which was fabulous! Our arts guild runs a wonderful dance program that's all about the art, and not dressing little girls up in ridiculous costumes and prancing them around like little Britney Spears wanna-bes. Twin #2 has been taking modern dance and I must say she's quite good.

Anyway - above we have the deck Johnny C is remodeling single-handedly.

Here's our firepit, again hand made by Johnny C. We had a campfire last night.

DINNER~paninis and burgers. Using the cast iron cookware on the grill is my favorite. Tonight's paninis were turkey, pesto, roasted red peppers, and provolone.

My frozen burgers. I've discovered that if I freeze burger patties, they still cook up just fine - first I defrost them a bit in the micro. I like to make mine with chopped garlic and parsley. And freezing them lets me load up when ground beef is on sale.

And no, I didn't use that much oil. It just likes to pool in the front of that pan.

Johnny C is not Pa Ingalls

My husband is one funny man.

We've been reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder series to the cupcake. Last night was his turn. We hear cupcake cracking up like she's being mercilessly tickled. Come to find out, Johnny C was ending the chapter where Pa pulled out his fiddle. Johnny C exclaimed "AGAIN with the damned fiddle? Can't they go one f***in day without that thing?"

Another Litte House story from my family:

Probably about 1940, when she was a young Mom, Grandma Gie had her youngest on her lap while she read out loud from one of the books. The older kids were also quietly listening while they set the table or did their homework. Grandma decided she'd stir things up. So she read "and then Ma said Charles! You old son-of-a-bitch, get out there and get those chores done!" Grandma said the youngest almost peed his pants.

Old traditions are important in our family.

Insult to Injury

So the fever of the infection wasn't the infection at all, but instead the lead-up to a nasty head cold.

LORD I hate these things! They keep me from tasting food and I love my food!

Why can't some pharma company make a drug that REALLY works for head colds? I just want to breathe and make my head quit hurting.

Stayed in with movies and laundry all day. Well except a short trip to Target where I got HAILED on! Yes, hail, and cold, in May.

We watched Sherlock Holmes (loved it) and Young Victoria (loved it too). We're postponing Mother's Day - I'm just not up for it. We also postponed cupcake's 11th birthday. It was far too cold and rainy for the planned campfire cookout and Mom - the Master of all Ceremonies - feels like an old banana peel.

So what's up with you? Hope someone's having a much better weekend.

Kidney Humor

I love google images. Just typed in KIDNEY HUMOR and kept myself amused for about 15 completely wasted minutes. I'm pathetic.

Home with a bladder/kidney infection from who knows where. What a pain, like I have time for this. But I did get some narcotics out of the deal.

Not much to say whilst I recuperate. There's a large green electric box at an apt complex nearby with a long rust stain that looks like the Ayatollah Khomeini. Hope I don't set off an international incident with that observation.

Had an argument with youngest daughter about why she DOESN'T think she deserves the moniker Contrary Mary. And she proved my point by taking the exact opposite viewpoint of everyone nearby. No she didn't! Yes she did!

ION television has replaced our nightly Criminal Minds ritual with 2 hours of Ghost Whisperer. That drivel makes me insane. Jennifer Love Hewitt gets to have one continuous emotion through every episode. And the sets and scenery are so overly designed and color coordinated. Not that Criminal Minds was anything lofty, but GW is everything I can't stand about television.

Me and my kidney are going to sit tight, take our antibiotics, and be back soon with more.