Happy Birthday, Ty!!

Ten years ago right now I was recovering from the anesthetic after my C-section for Ty's birth. I told him tonight he looks a little different than he did that day. Here we are when he was 2 days old:Here Ben welcomes his brother:And here he is today, opening his gifts at the restaurant of his choosing -- Old Country Buffet. All the retired folks shuffled around us with smiles on their faces and wished him a happy day.

It was kind of hard to tell, since he has such a poker face, but I think he was pleased with his gifts.He hates it when I say this, but MY BABY is so OLD!!! I just can't believe it's been ten years.

Laugh til it hurts

I spent the weekend with a friend and we laughed so much and so hard that I am totally, completely miserable today - the muscles around my rib cage hurt more than I can ever remember them hurting. She said she heard somewhere that good laughter adds 8 years to your life. She & I will be living 'til we are about 148, I think!

feels really good.

New Knitting Project

OK, today I finished knitting-felting project #2! And though I realized too late in the game that I shrunk it too much, so instead of being a bag you can carry a file folder and pad of paper in, it's a cute purse-type bag instead, I still am pleased as punch with it. (I know, a little humility would be a good thing here ...) Honestly, though, when things are this simple and yet turn out so impressive-looking, it's hard not to be even a teensy bit giddy.

First, done knitting but haven't washed it yet ...

And here, after washing not once but twice (my error) ...

And those of you who are particularly detail-oriented will recognize that my bag matches my slippers :-)

Gotta love power tools

Today I did three handy-person (no gender assumptions here!) jobs around the house and I am feeling quite adept at wielding minor power tools :-) I have my Dad to thank for that. He has been building and fixing and constructing and re-doing things since I was a baby, and growing up I was often his right-hand-girl, assisting with all kinds of projects and jobs. I learned early on how to use most tools - either through using them myself or observing him closely. As a result, there are very few household repair-type jobs that I don't feel qualified to tackle. And there's something empowering about even little things - like installing a new smoke detector (one of today's jobs) in under 10 minutes! I went to the hardware store this morning (the local one, not Home Depot) and enjoyed walking up and down the aisles, looking at all the cool stuff and imagining the projects which would make purchase of said stuff necessary ... it was not unlike, in a small way, the feeling I get at bookstores. Just experiencing the richness of the offerings, knowing that whatever I need I could get, was a pleasant feeling.

Something new to fill my mindless hours ...

Aww, I have a new fantasy. It's to be part of the Rock Bottom Remainders. Have you heard of them? It's a group which convenes once or twice a year to perform for charity. A band made completely of famous authors. Amy Tan. Stephen King. Dave Barry. Scott Turow. This list goes on and on. They are passably good though certainly will never stop writing for this gig. But they all look like they are having so much fun, and what an incredible group of people just to hang out and chat with.

Go to You Tube and search for Rock Bottom Remainders. It's a fun way to waste some time ....

TGIF

Well today it's raining (wow, what a shocker) but I am feeling better than I did a couple of days ago. For one, it's MEA - so no school yesterday and today, which just makes the days a little easier. For two, Colby seems to be over whatever it was that was irritating both ends of his digestive tract. And for three, I bought myself a present: The Tassimo.

I fell in love with this gizmo on my girls' weekend away last month. My Knitting Queen friend brought hers along and we all enjoyed cappuccinos all weekend long ... I knew it was just a matter of time before I succumbed, and this week seems as good as any to give myself a treat.

It's so cool ... makes incredible cappuccino, latte, hot chocolate, or regular coffee and/or tea in individualized servings. For me, just one cup at a time is perfect! And Ty is loving the hot chocolate.

If you would have told me a year ago that a machine which makes hot caffeinated beverages would bring me joy I would have scoffed.

Live and learn, baby, live and learn.

It feels like Monday

Things I hate:

1. being awakened by the sound of a large dog retching on my bed
2. adult acne
3. ANOTHER day of rain and gloom

Can I just go back to bed for a year?

Jack-o-Artwork

As we get ready to plan our artistic endeavors for this year's Halloween decorating, I thought it would be appropriate to post photos of pumpkins at the State Fair to offer inspiration!



You've got the semi-basic designs of faces ... The seasonal variation on a theme ...
And our personal favorite, the "make it look like something else altogether!"

Another New Lay Out

OK, this is way too much fun. Jessica makes it so incredibly easy. And I am fast coming to the conclusion that I need a better camera. Hope Santa is good to me this year!

From this summer's wedding ... my new/ex sister-in-law!

Wow!

I signed up for an online Photoshop class and it started today. I am SO excited. I just completed the first assignment, and here is what I created:I just look at it and grin, can't believe **I** made that. Granted, she already had the background ready for us, and all the embellishments - we just had to provide a photo and write the text. But still! **I** made that!! Can't wait to see what she teaches us next!

LOL!!!!!!!

Supreme Court Gives Gore’s Nobel to Bush
Stunning Reversal for Former Veep

Just days after former Vice President Al Gore received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts on global warming, the United States Supreme Court handed Mr. Gore a stunning reversal, stripping him of his Nobel and awarding it to President George W. Bush instead.

For Mr. Gore, who basked in the adulation of the Nobel committee and the world, the high court’s decision to give his prize to President Bush was a cruel twist of fate, to say the least. But in a 5-4 decision, the justices made it clear that they had taken the unprecedented step of stripping Mr. Gore of his Nobel because President Bush deserved it more.

“It is true that Al Gore has done a lot of talking about global warming,” wrote Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority. “But President Bush has actually helped create global warming.”

From Andy Borowitz

Knitted Bacteria

Haven't done this, don't know that I will, but it's a cute idea.This pattern makes an oval-shaped bacterium about 4 inches long

(that's about 50,000 times actual size). It's especially cute half-way done and upside-down!

Getting that MRS degree

New course offering: a BA in humanities with a concentration in homemaking. Strictly for women only. Apply at Baptist University in Fort Worth, Texas.

This is for real. The class syllabus includes getting stains out, meal preparation, and "general homemaking."

Apparently not all Baptists think it's a good idea, but the Southern Baptists (which is the same group Jimmy Carter left because they were getting too extreme) say it's simply following the Bible-appointed rules for a woman's place in the home.

I just don't even know what else to say.

it speaks to me ...

The danger for most of us
lies not in setting our
aim too high and falling short,
but in setting our aim too low,
and achieving our mark.

Michelangelo

Is this for real?

OK, I know you all are thinking I have way too much time on my hands - which totally is not true, it's just that the only interesting parts of my day usually involve some form of media because why would I choose to write in my blog about the grammatical errors I edit in Power Point presentations for 7th graders?

Anyway. Tonight was flipping through channels (trying to convince myself that a wee break before heading down to the computer to finalize a grant proposal was in order) and I find a show called "America's Most Smartest Model."

Huh?

I honestly didn't have a clue as to whether I was seeing a real show or if it was a re-run of a Saturday Night Live spoof. So I watched for a few minutes to see if I could figure it out, and it seems to be for real.

I have to hand it to them, I loved the challenge they were doing when I was watching. They had to dress themselves from a rack of clothes and then walk the runway in their best high-fashion walk ... but while they were walking, they had to list as many words as they could which fit into a designated category. One person had to list states (apparently we have 53, as Memphis, Indianapolis and Seattle are now states, at least in this young man's mind.) One had to list non-US cities. One had to list flowers. He said "Rose. Tulip. Rose. Tulip." and then fell silent. One had to list elements off the periodic table - now, I thought that was REALLY unfair, given the other categories -- but he did very well, and actually named about 10 before saying "metal" - which they beaned him for but I thought it was an understandable mistake, since so many types of metal are legitimate elements. Of course he walked like a 4 year old, not even remotely like a model. Only one or two of the 10 (12?) contestants could both walk and talk at the same time.

So sad, really, to have all those stereotypes reinforced. (note: I will not be watching this one to see who gets eliminated next ...)

Homework for Moms & Dads???

On the radio yesterday the Satellite Sisters were talking about a ninth-grade teacher who assignes homework to his students' parents - and the parents' completion of said homework affects their child's grade. I found the article in the NYTimes, Spreading Homework Out So Even the Parents Have Some, and just read it though. While the intent is good, i.e., to get parents more involved in their child's school work, I really cringe at the thought of telling parents they have to do homework or their kids will suffer the consequences. I resent a teacher assigning parents another task in their busy lives. What surprised me most, though, was how few parents complain. On the other hand, I remember worrying about making a fuss for fear that I would provoke a negative response taken out on my children, however subtly or unintentionally.

How would you respond if you were told as a parent that you had to do an assignment to give your child a chance at an "A"?

Sorry, George.

Sigh.....

What the World Eats

What do people in different parts of the world eat in a typical week? How much do they pay for that amount of food? This excerpt in Time Magazine shows 15 of a series of photographs answering these questions. I really enjoyed the photographs - it was fascinating to really look at the types of food spread out, comparing the ratios of fresh produce to packaged products, just the sheer bulk of food to feed families of various sizes in different countries, but also the artistic qualities of the photographs themselves -- I mean, take a minute to appreciate the arrangment of the food items, the careful stacking of boxes, cans and other containers -- this is true art.

I really want the book now. At a minimum I am going to B&N to look at it off the shelf. Then maybe it will go on my Christmas wish list.

Very fun site

Today I was checking up on my daily blogs and Jessica shared something she had found -- Random Got Beautiful. It's a collection of photos grouped by color, and it's quite fun to look through. I submitted 4 photos:

Brown
Orange
Red
White
We'll have to see if any get added!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Hello friends - my blog has gone Pink in October in support of October Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Bloggers everywhere are joining to bring attention to the fight against Breast Cancer.

Visit Susan G. Komen for the Cure for ideas on how you can help. Your TO DO list:

1. Educate yourself
2. Show your support
3. Get Involved
4. Make a difference

The sites listed above can get you started on your list!

I have lost dear friends to breast cancer, but thankfully I have more friends who have beaten it! Join me in helping continue to raise awareness to find a cure.

The Polar Opposite

This is the daughter of my very close friend in Chicago ... she is a senior in college and is "flying high" in every (positive/legal) meaning of the phrase! I just got this photo today and had to

share.

Hmmm .....

From today's Dilbert blog ... made me laugh, as I never would have thought this way - but it's probably totally true! I always slow down when I see one of those machines.

"Around here, the police have little portable trailers with radar and a display sign. They leave it unattended on side streets. The radar tracks your car and the display tells you how fast you are going. They’ve discovered that motorists slow down when they realize the device is tracking their speed. This doesn’t work on me. When I see that trailer, I speed up because I know the police won’t put both the trailer and a real policeman in the same neighborhood. It would be a waste of money to have both, since the trailer with the radar slows down everyone but economists. "

Click here to read the entire ranting .....
(note ... I do not appreciate his musings on women who get stopped for speeding, though. Sometimes he is funny, sometimes really not so much.)

Britney lost her boys. Honestly, no matter what your feelings for her may be, this is very sad news. Not that I am saying she should have full custody, but to have none at all? Imagine, as a mother, no matter how many mistakes you had made, and how unprepared you were, and how many bad choices you made .... being told by a court that you could never have your own children live with you, never kiss them goodnight as part of their bedtime routine, never be part of their day-to-day lives.

Will this be the shock she needs to pull herself together? Or will this be the final blow that pushes her off the edge?

It's just such a sad situation, all around.

It's Official.

Move over, Survivor, I have a new favorite show. I have become totally addicted to Dancing With the Stars.

It's so fun. So uplifting. So cheerful. So invigorating. And so not mean, spiteful, and there is no lying or cheating or backstabbing involved.

The show ends each week and I dance around the living room. The boys look at me with bemused expressions on their faces. I don't care! I'm imagining doing the quick-step. The mambo. The foxtrot. How fun is that?!?

This year I am loving the race car driver, Helio something-or-other, and the Cheetah Girl, whose name I am unable to remember. And Marie Osmond is on - looking terrific, and I know her personal life has been really hard these past couple of years, so it is wonderful to see her enjoying herself so much. And Jane Seymour - well, she is amazing. The oldest person in the competition yet one of the best. 'Elegance personified' is how one of the judges put it last week, and it's so true.

We get to know the dancers - which is maybe the part I like best. On early seasons of Survivor you got to know the contestants, and got to care about them. Now the show is all about the competitions, and you never learn anything about the individuals and their lives. DWTS lets us know the personalities, the weaknesses and the strengths - and it is just so much more fun.

And they don't vote each other off - instead, you really get the feeling they all enjoy one another's company so very much, and they are all rooting for each other.

Yeah, my new favorite. Not that I am giving up Survivor, I have too long of a history to simply walk away. But Dancing leaves me feeling happier! And that is a good thing.

Knitters, Unite!!!

Woo-Hoo!!! Hey, our bridges are in disrepair, our educational funds are lacking, health care - what''s that? - but.

Our State Government knows what's important. Next week, October 7-13, is officially Knitter's Week in Minnesota!!! I think that means it's our patriotic (state-riotic?) duty to knit all week. Nothing but knit.

I'm so on it!

(Thanks, Lisa, for the info!)

A holiday idea for you ...

For many of the past 20 years, I have arranged to sponsor a family at Christmas. Sometimes it was just our nuclear family doing the sponsoring, sometimes our extended family joined together to sponsor a larger family. I just signed up to do it again this year. This year the boys & I will sponsor a 2-person family, just small enough that we can have fun selecting gifts for and complete the role of sponsor effectively.

Through the years, I have been so pleased when I hear the boys talk about helping others, or when I watch them figure out just what they want to select for "our family." I have asked them to use some of their own money to help with purchases, and love that they are learning to see Christmas as a time to reach out with generous hearts and give to the community around us. It's been another of those situations where, truly, you end up getting more than you give.

If this sounds like something you would like to do, follow this link and read more about it.

SMART Habits update

Well, Calandria posted today on her SMART habits which made it painfully clear to me that I have not been following through on my own. Let's see if I even remember them. Umm ....

First one, I think, was something about food? And then didn't I say something about organization? Oh my, I am pathetic. Hey, Ben & I did go to an organic co-op yesterday and bought some groceries, I think I get points for that. And I finally did a H--U--G--E task for Hillmans that I have been dragging my feet on since February, so I think that gives me points, too. Since I don't really remember what my habits were supposed to be, it certainly seems acceptable to me to give myself points for things that might have fit the categories.

OK, SMART Habit of this week: Re-read what I wrote before, and see if I can actually DO those things. And then I am actually adding a third habit for this week - I stole the idea from Calandria - I am going to hug my boys daily ('unexpected hugs' as Ty calls them) and make sure to say "I love you." Honestly I think this one will be a no-brainer as I am already doing this 99% of our days ... so it will be nice to have ONE SMART habit I excel at!

Saturday Surprise

Never thought I would be saying something like this, but today I *love* Nickolodeon TV.Today is World Play Day on the Nick channels. If you go to that channel, you see a message and hear a voice-over telling you to go outside and play. No programming whatsoever for the prime Saturday morning/afternoon viewing time.

Now if only they would do this once a WEEK instead of once a year, but it was such a fun surprise to see that they are doing it at all!

This is why we live in Minnesota. Honeycrisp apples.

THANK YOU UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA. My mouth has died and gone to heaven today all because of a perfect apple.

Must-see YouTube

Oh my gosh, get your kleenex and don't try this at work where you have to be quiet!!!

You simply MUST view this YouTube. Probably twice, to take it all in.

William Tell Overture for Moms

Now I have to go watch it again.

Photoshop for Newbies

Well, you may have noticed that I was able to make a round photo of my tattoo show up on my user profile. I was so empowered by my ability to do that, that I went out and tried another Photoshop technique (learned from Jessica, the Photoshop Queen.) (now I've introduced you to the Knitting Queen and the Photoshop Queen. You can thank me later.)

And ta-da, here is my very first attempt at funky stuff. Apart from the lion photo being slightly too short - were I a perfectionist or were someone paying me for this, I would have re-done it, but for my first experiment I deemed it worthy - I am quite pleased with myself.

This is actually 4 separate photos, each one dragged into one file, each one individually made into a pie-wedge shape, and then layered together! I'm impressing myself :-)

Wet and Fuzzy!

Well, here they are! Wet and fuzzy right now. I *think* waiting until they are dry to trim off the fuzzies is the way to go. (SME???)

And here is the left one on my foot - giving you a great view of my tattoo, too!

Once they are dry and trimmed up I will take more pics. Right now it seems the right one is a teensy bit bigger than the left, so I will have to see when they are done if I need to re-cook that one a titch.

Both boys are clamoring for their own slippers now!

So far so good???

Well, they are definitely smaller ....

but I think I used too much soap.

Fingers (and toes) crossed!!!

OK - they are in the washer RIGHT NOW.

I am SO nervous.

Sleep is overrated, anyway

So, stayed up late last night, and TA-DA! (the second one did go a lot faster than the first.)

Now I have to get more info from SME as to how to shrink them down.

More pictures after that step!

Slipper Magic

This weekend I went on a Girls' Weekend to a friend's cabin in Wisconsin. There were 14 of us there. Most of the women had become friends in college (at UMD, go Bulldogs!) and the rest of us had been adopted by one or more members of the group over the past 20 or so years. This is an annual event, but I have only gone once before (despite numerous invitations) but hope that this year will not be my last.

My friend SME (think "Who's there? Its-SME!") was there, too - her first time on the weekend, even though she is one of the core UMD-ers - and she, as you may be aware, is the Knitting Goddess. On her blog she had posted photos of felted slippers she was making, and I implored her to teach me how.

So over the weekend, she did just that! In the two days away I made the first half of my pair of slippers (without kids, dogs, phone, computer, laundry, or any other distractions. I figure it will take me about 63 1/2 days to make the second one.) Here is a picture of me wearing slipper #1. Note this is NOT the finished product, I am not suffering from an inability to count stitches, nor did I have a problem with needle size.

The next step is to cook this baby. I thought I had to actually boil it on the stove, but SME assures me I can simply wash it in the machine in hot water, and it will shrink right down to the size I want. If it's too big after one washing, I wash it again. I just realized as I type these words I don't know what to do if it shrinks too much. Merry Christmas, Mom, I guess.

SME advises me to get the second one knit before shrinking so I can do them together. So you may not see the final final product for a while. But this was quite fun to do, and I can't wait to finish! Maybe the boys have a school vacation this week that I forgot about???

Cool YouTube

Just found this YouTube, Beatboxing Flute: Inspector Gadget remix and it is amazing! Flute like I have never heard before ...

Carla, I expect Ava to be doing this in a few years ... (or you!)

Men Are Just Happier People—

What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can be President. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station rest room because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress~$5000. Tux rental~$100. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend. Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck. You can play with toys all your life. Your belly usually hides your big hips. One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache. You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

Jackson Pollock Wannabes

Click here to have fun with modern art!

(just start moving your mouse, and click to change colors.

Pressing the space bar makes it disappear so you can start again.)

OMG, it's ME!

Just randomly blog-hopping and found this ... "7 Habits of Highly Ineffective People" ...thought I would be reading it for a laugh but instead it was like looking in a mirror.

Just finished reading Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez. It was a fascinating look at how a hairdresser from Michigan ended up starting a school for Afghani women to learn to be beauticians, and ended up in an arranged marriage to an Afghan man. It was thoroughly enjoyable but I did find myself wondering about some of the situations she was describing in vivid detail, given the way women are still treated in Afghanistan today.

Turns out I was right to wonder, as I found in a news article. Apparently the women she describes in the book - even though she changed names and details - are now fearful they will be ostracized or worse. One woman actually believes she will be killed because of the details in the book. Very scary.

Seems Rodriguez left Afghanistan after the book was published, even though in the book it is made quite clear she considers Kabul her home and it doesn't sound like she has plans to leave. There is a movie in the works out of the book, and the book itself is on the NY Times bestseller list. But it sounds like there is quite a bit of speculation about the appropriateness of Rodriguez's choices and decisions. Really a shame, if what is being suggested is true - that she went there with a good heart and wanting to help but now is more interested in making a name (and a bank account) for herself, at the expense of those she purported to help.

100 things

I was challenged yesterday by a friend to make a list of the 100 things I want to do in my life. She says it's hard to do - she has been working on her list for a while and is only up to #22.

The first things that come to mind (and the list is certainly not in order of importance!) include:
1. Visit Hawaii
2. Go white-water rafting
3. Visit Alaska
4. Visit Macchu Pichu
(I am seeing a pattern here ...)
5. Live abroad again
6. Learn to play guitar or piano
7. Hold a conversation in a language I don't know today
8. Write a book that actually is published and sells


I think I need to come up with some ideas of things I could actually do within the next 3 months ...

It is hard, she wasn't kidding.

Try it - I challenge you!

I'm disappointed ...

Are my standards too high? I have always thought of Jodi Foster in positive terms. She has avoided so many of the traps and entanglements so many child actors get caught in as they grow into adulthood. She is clearly intelligent, with her Yale (I think?) degree, and her control of her own career.

But lately ... I just don't get it. Her newest movie, The Brave One, is not a movie I would ever be inclined to see. In it, she plays a woman who is out walking the dog with her fiance, and they get mugged and beaten. The fiance dies, and I guess something in her snaps, as she buys a gun illegally and goes around shooting people. The "redeeming quality" is that she only shoots BAD people.

Now, I just read an interview with Ms. Foster and she is asked her opinion on guns - and she said she is very opposed to them and wishes the US had stricter gun control laws, and that she would never want her children exposed to guns.

Yet this is the movie she chose to make. She justifies it by saying it's "over the top", clearly not realistic, and it's what the market wants.

So I'm disappointed.

Back to School

We started school the day after Labor Day and it's going quite well!


Here Ben is working on an art project (mosaics) and Ty is finding Tokyo after I gave him the longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates for a history lesson.


They both are anticipating science to be the favorite subject - we got microscopes this year with all our other school supplies, and they are eager to use them.


We have two new teachers through MNVA - new to us, and new to MNVA - so the year will be interesting! We already miss the teacher we have worked with for the past 4 years, but hopefully we will still see her at all-school gatherings.


We're also involved in a co-op which is studying Minnesota history. We'll have a good mix of reading, movies, and field trips with a fun group of families, every-other-Thursday.


So far so good - hopefully the year will continue this way!

Heard a guy on the radio today ...

"The US will never be destroyed from the outside. The only threat to the US is that it could be destroyed from the inside."

He went on to ask what has happened to this country?

I have no answers.

The Wonderful Land of Oz

A friend of a friend just moved with her husband to Australia for a few years. They have started a blog, which I have been reading, and I am physically aching with a longing to live abroad.

I am just so envious ..... some day I want to live in Europe again ...

School Photos

Well, we have some of the first photos available to see from the opening of Peace House Secondary School -one is above, after each student received a hand-made quilt from Minnesota. Click here, " photos " and then click on "view slideshow." Oh - you might want to have a kleenex! It's quite moving ....

TODAY IS THE DAY!!!!!!!!!

Today is September 10. Even though the day is more than half-gone in Tanzania as I write this, everyone who reads this - SEND GOOD THOUGHTS to Arusha and Peace House Secondary School and especially to Mark & Carla as the SCHOOL IS OPENING TODAY!!!!!

I don't expect Carla to blog about it for a while as she must be totally exhausted ... but she will like knowing there are people back here thinking about her constantly. She deserves it!

SMART Habits SCHMART Habits

OK, I have officially failed. DUMB Habits is more like it for me.

Eating junk this week.

No peaceability in my house.

Another Saturday came and went and did I even notice, much less think of a new SMART habit to start?

Heh. Whatever.

Small world part 2

Today was our MNVA Back to School Picnic. My friend Theresa was going to be there with her son, and Calandria was maybe coming, too, with her daughter. So even though we didn't really feel the need to get any of the "welcome back" information, we were eager to go to see friends and meet teachers.

Well, after the official business was taken care of, Theresa and I were talking (Calandria hadn't arrived yet) and she introduced me to a friend of hers, Lynn, who is starting MNVA for the first year with her 8th-grade daughter. When Lynn said her name and her daughter's, I found myself asking, "is your husband Tony?"

Back when I was in college I lived in a rooming house that was actually a cooperative, owned by the students living there, and it was in the middle of frat row ... and let's just say the people who lived there were not the type to have ever gone through rush. I lived there for a year with my friend Alice, and in a room up on the 3rd floor was this adorable Italian-American young man with dark eyes and dark curly hair. I was smitten, I had a total crush on him ... but alas, he was not interested in me at all because of this young woman named Lynn, who he thought might turn into something serious.

Yes, the Lynn I met today. Guess 25+ years counts as serious! So I said, after she had responded with "yes, my husband is Tony, do you know him?" "I lived in the co-op in college." Both Lynn and her daughter got amused looks on their faces, and they both said "OH! You lived in the CO-OP?!" I said "yeah, and I had a crush on him back then!" and laughed. But the laugh was on me, because they then said that he was on his way there - right then! When he showed up 10 minutes later, everyone at the table looked from him to me and back again. He got a quizzical look on his face and I said we were taking bets as to whether or not he would know who I was. He was tactful and vague and then I told him ... and to be honest I really don't think I would have ever recognized him, either.

But the small worldness doesn't end there. He and Lynn left, then Calandria showed up and we went to the zoo. When I got home tonight I (of course) googled Tony to see what he does these days, and he is an author. His specialty is civic dialog - bridging the divide between liberals and conservatives. Calandria -- sound like anything we've talked about before? Citizens for Civility?

Even back then, in an unrequited crush, I apparently had good taste :-)

Small World Story

OK, Carla posted a small world story so now I have to write about mine.

Last week, a friend of mine from college came to stay with me for a few days, as he normally lives in The Netherlands, but comes to Minnesota a couple of times per year. I'll call him "Ron" (because that's really his name.) Ron has a lot of friends in the Twin Cities, so he is often out and about visiting during his stay here, and on his last day he invited me to join him and two others for lunch. Seems each of the other two have some sort of connection to Africa, so he thought I might enjoy meeting them.

We first drove in to Minneapolis to pick up friend #1, I'll call him Henry. Then we drove to pick up friend #2, I'll call her Anna, in Brooklyn Park. Then we had to find a place to eat - and ended up at Rocky Rococco because both Henry and I were jumping up and down in the back seat of the car in excitement because we both thought Rocky Rococco was gone from this world.

Anyway. We sat at lunch chatting, and Anna talked about her experiences in Malawi. Then Henry talked about his experiences in South Africa. Then it was my turn. I started by saying I was involved with a small non-profit based here in Minnesota which has been providing scholarship funds for AIDS orphans in Tanzania, and now we are building a school. Without missing a beat Anna asked if I was working with the Augustines. Seems she grew up 4 houses away from them in a small town north of the Cities. Then Henry asked if I had heard of Books for Africa, and when I said how much we love Books for Africa he beamed and revealed he is on their board of directors!

Ron thought we might enjoy hearing each others' Africa stories but I honestly think he felt a little left out when Henry, Anna and I discovered how much we really did have in common!

As Carla said in her blog, you just never know when you might be the cog in the mysterious workings of the universe.

Like a magpie attracted to bright things I am.

Reality television to me calls.

Relaxation do I find when watching contestants I am.

Laughter to me comes after comments from Carla I do read.

Challenge you do I to comment a la Yoda.

My favorite tool is a Todd

I have gotten in to watching Design Star on HGTV this summer and now it's down to the final two. One of the final two, and the one I have been expecting to win all season long, is Todd - from California (of course) who likes to work with his shirt off (of course).

But he really is quite talented in a California-sort-of-way. Bigger than life personality.

I missed the first couple of episodes and got the chance to tape them over the weekend and watch them last night. In the first episode the 11 contestants had to design their own living space. Several of them needed things built and Todd was THE MAN with the power tools. As one of the rather "stereotypical" male designers said with a smirk, "My favorite tool is a Todd."

It was a priceless moment!

Peaceability
"Calmness. Peacefulness. Serenity. The tendency to try to accommodate rather than argue. The understanding that differences are seldom resolved through conflict and that meanness in others is an indication of their problem or insecurity and thus of their need for your understanding. The ability to understand how others feel rather than simply reaction to them. Control of temper."

This is from the site that I was looking for when going through my favorites as referenced in the post one below this, where I found the "So the thing is" blog.

This is a site called Values Parenting, and Peaceability is the September value. It's very possible - likely, even - that I have blogged about this site before, as I really do like it - and I really did like it when I found it the first time, over a year ago. Back then I promised myself I would visit it regularly to learn ways to teach the boys values. Well, here it is a year later and I am making the same promise to myself. Maybe I'll keep it this time.

Whoa.

That reminds me of another promise I made recently. And another promise I have not kept up. SMART Habits. Whoops, where did the time go?

OK, a two-fer. A new SMART Habit. Values Parenting. Yes.

And as for the food SMART Habit - well, I can't say I am totally successful, but I am much more mindful of what I put into my mouth or onto the plate for the boys to eat, so I guess I am making progress. And for now, that will have to suffice!

So, the thing is ...

I found a new blog today. I was looking through my bookmarked favorites for some other website for some other reason, and I found a link to a writer who posts her columns that she produces for some publication or something ... whatever ... but now she has started a blog! All of her columns start with "So, the thing is ..." and then she goes off. So that's what her blog is called, too. This picture is from her blog. Say it out loud. Then enjoy your giggle!

State Fair Champion of Champions

Have you heard of Marjorie Johnson? She is from Robbinsdale and is the most-decorated baker around. She has won over 2500 blue ribbons, and has been a guest on Rosie, The View, The Tonight Show, and lots of radio shows. She is now a special correspondent for Jay Leno - covering sporting events and, I just heard, she will covering the Emmys this year!

She is just a hoot - she stands 4'8" and NEVER stops talking. She has her own website, and this year her cookbook is coming out, and she says she has been so busy getting it written that she hardly had any time to enter any baked goods in the Minnesota State Fair.

So she only won 7 blue and 2 sweepstakes this year.

I'm ordering her book!

How's that again?

Well, Miss South Carolina says it all. And I shouldn't laugh til I cry, but I do. Every time I hear it.

Last night ... totally off the wagon...