Giving Thanks 2008

And a lovely time was had by all at my brother's manse on the hill. He has the most incredible view of the Decorah valley right out his living room windows. Above is a shot of the ubiquitous KIDS TABLE where we put 10 of the 14 kids in attendance. The other 4 had graduated to the adult table. They were thrilled until they learned that sitting at the adult table includes kitchen clean up duty. With much freedom comes much responsibility kids! Now get to work because those dishes aren't going to wash themselves.

Another group shot of the kids. Two of mine are 2nd from left and 2nd from the right.

We had a Thanksgiving adventure involving that sectional couch - stay with me, it's long but funny. The night before some friends and their extended family were up for drinks and snacks. We had a great time, and talked about getting together again on Thanksgiving Day. During our Tgiving meal, we thought it would be hilarious to walk down to their house, dessert in hand, and station groups of us at each 1st floor window and all peer in at exactly the same moment. While talking I looked up in time to see 4 of THEIR kids walk past the front door. So of course in our hysteria we decided THEY were plotting the same thing WE had just discussed, so I yelled "HIDE!" and we all dove over that sectional and hid from view. Of course, it wasn't them, just a few of their kids heading to another neighbors house. But we've decided that from now on, our Thanksgiving tradition will involved some adult yelling "Hide! It's Them!", then we must immediately seek cover.

My brother frying the turkey. That is a fake fur Iowa Hawkeyes football helmet-shaped thing on his head. He has owned and proudly worn that thing since 1980. If that hat could talk, you would tell it to shut up because there are kids listening.
Doesn't he remind you of Clark Griswold's cousin, played by Randy Quaid? Funny coincidence, for many years, they owned a historic house in Decorah known as the Griswold House. It used to belong to Luther College. How appropriate. Last I checked my brother doesn't own any white dress shoes.
The founders of the feast: all the women. From the left: ME, doing my best Jabba the Hut impression, sister Valley Vortex, Cousin Vet Tech, sister Cheesecake Maven, and SIL Southern Belle.

We don't have any lovely photos of the food because we are pigs and dig right in. The menu included: deep fat fried turkey, marinated roasted turkey breast, fried potatoes, cornbread stuffing, scalloped oysters, squash, tossed salad with smoked almond tapenade, crudites, dips, sweet corn salsa, 3 different cranberry compotes, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, chocolate pecan pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and gingerbread cookies.

We DID end up walking the pies down to the friends' house where we caroled on their porch until someone noticed. With a combination of our five families, and their three families, we played "Mafia". Great game for a group of all ages and all you need is a deck of cards - if you want instructions let me know.

Another wonderful Holiday with family. Life is Good. Money stinks, but life is good anyway.

A Holiday Meme

Roses are red, violets are blue, I was tagged with a meme, now YOU are too!
I've also just decided that posts in December may or may not contain gratuitous Christmas-y images that may or may not have anything whatsoever to do with the post subject.




1. Five names you go by
a) Mom
b) Moooommmmmm!!!!!!!
c) Margaret
d) Margie
e) Cueball

2. Three things you are wearing right now:
a) jeans
b) Smartwool socks
c) old lady reading glasses

3. Two things you want very badly at the moment:
a) Someone to pay my mortgage
b) a good job for my husband

4. Three people who will probably fill this out:
a) Michael
b) 2nd sister
c) themom - wait, too late!

5. Two things you did last night:
a) drove home for NE Iowa to Minnesota
b) cried the whole way out of sheer stress and an ego that is shattered all to Hell

6. Two things you ate today:
a) scrambled eggs
b) chai tea


7. Two people you last talked to on the phone:
a) Twin #2
b) My sister

8. Two things you are going to do tomorrow:
a) take a stack of books to the used bookstore
b) take some too-small ice skates to the consignment shop

9. Two longest car rides:
a) NE Iowa to San Diego, CA
b) Minnesota to Daytona Beach, FL

10. Two of your favorite beverages:
a) iced tea
b) hot coffee with cream

It Feels Like Christmas

NOW let the Christmas fun begin! If you haven't seen The Muppet Christmas Carol with Michael Caine, go rent it now. Especially if you can remember The Muppet Show.

Happy Thanksgiving All!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! We're leaving tonight for a few days of merriment, long walks, cards, coffee and good food with my extended family in Iowa. I will be back next week in CHRISTMAS COLOR and SPLENDOR! Till then, be thankful, be gracious, be generous, be joyous and be your wonderful self.

The REAL reason Mormons backed Prop 8

It was to keep their manly Mormon boys out of sparkly sets and tight flashy pants. And to keep them from singing about "holiday greetings and GAY happy meetings". Give it up Mormons, it's just gonna happen and there is NOTHING you can do about it!

Men are Pigs, like we need proof

Men are pigs.

I learned another shocking atrocity about the male gender today over at Coaster Punchman's Five Things I Hate. I learned that men moan and groan and make actual statements while they poo in public bathroom stalls!!

Men, this does NOT happen in the ladies room!

Women need everyone to think that only strawberry ice cream comes out of our bodies. Women will hold back a virtual tsumani of excrement if anyone else is in the restroom. We will sit with clenched cheeks while veins pop out of our foreheads waiting for the other bathroom user to flush. THEN we will expel as much as possible while the flushing is at it's peak. After the flushing has subsided, we will clench again until that horrible other woman turns on the hand dryer. Once she leaves, we are home free. Unless another rude patron enters, then the whole circus starts again.

We also stay locked away, anonymously, in the stall until the other women have left. This leaves the mystery of the actual poo bomber intact, because no woman wants to be identified as the thunder cheeks who must have had an extra large bean burrito for lunch. We will NOT exit the stall until the restroom is clear, thereby leaving our ego intact. Even if you KNOW who's in there, you let the mystery continue. "Poo? No, no, no one poos in here!" Actually we don't even talk about it. We just hold our heads high.

Men are pigs

Are you a better scholar of civics than our leaders?

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US elected officials scored abysmally on a test measuring their civic knowledge, with an average grade of just 44 percent, the group that organized the exam said Thursday.

Ordinary citizens did not fare much better, scoring just 49 percent correct on the 33 exam questions compiled by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI).

I answered 28 out of 33 correctly — 84.85 %

Average score for this quiz during November: 77.8% Average score: 77.8%

Go to the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and take the quiz.

Post your score in the comments.