Big Blog of Goo

Favorite Movie

2011-08-22T14:53:00.001-05:00

Snow Day Message for Daugherty Elementary

2011-01-10T09:51:00.006-06:00

Hi students in Texas. Wanted to send you a little peek of our snow day. There is not a lot there now, but it snowed lightly all day yesterday and during the night. We are supposed to have a LOT of snow this afternoon when school would be in session and they called off school to keep kids safe! That is really important when you teach high school students like I do, they are crazy drivers! We are supposed to get 8-9 inches total by tonight and then more snow tomorrow.

I had to use my computer to take the video because I don't have a video camera...hope it is not too jiggly for you.

Enjoy...From Mrs. Osborn's Sister (in-law)

Mrs. Wegener in Omaha Nebraska.

Talented People

2010-10-26T09:35:00.002-05:00

I am always amazed and thankful when I meet talented people. This summer in a quest to replace my favorite Vy & Elle bag which is on its last leg, ahem I mean strap, I found a super talented bag maker through etsy. I emailed Carol and solicited her help in recreating my beloved bag. Carol far exceeded my expectations and even continued to work with me after I botched the original dimensions and had her make a bag that wasn't even the same size as what I wanted. OOOPS. I learned a lesson: Never trust a website and Always measure for yourself!

Carol made 2 bags, I picked the one I loved and she has another listed on Etsy.

Carol's billboard bag.

Take a look at all she makes and buy a bag made from reclaimed materials. :)

Have a green day.
d

Amazing Song

2010-10-11T13:54:00.004-05:00

I am in a 60s mood lately; soulful R & B makes me happy. I was listening to Pandora while grading papers today and came across and Aretha song that I don't ever remember hearing before. I think it might be one of my new favorites. Subject matter is R & B heartbreak and cheating, but the bluesy sound is AMAZING. Sing it girl.

I Never Loved A Man The Way I Loved You

You be the judge.

10/10/10--350.org

2010-10-08T15:13:00.003-05:00

Check out 350.org

Thanks President Obama!

On Tuesday, October 5, we received news that President Obama will be installing a solar array on the White House Roof in 2011!

The announcement came just in time to give the Global Work Party on 10/10/10 a White House-sized boost. They are going to put solar panels on the First Family’s living quarters, returning to a tradition begun by president Jimmy Carter and abandoned by Ronald Reagan.

It’s a great win for your efforts over the last months–everyone who wrote letters, signed petitions, and turned out for the Solar Road Show as we rolled down the east coast from Unity College towing one of the Carter panels. We were disappointed that day that the White House wasn’t prepared to go solar, but very happy that they took our suggestion to look into the matter seriously.

Solar panels on one house, even this house, won’t save the climate, of course. But they’re a powerful symbol to the whole nation about where the future lies. And the president will wake up every morning and make his toast by the power of the sun (do presidents make toast?), which will be a constant reminder to be pushing the Congress for the kind of comprehensive reform we need. And remember, President Obama’s not alone: tomorrow, Maldivian President Mohammed Nasheed and a crew from Sungevity will be putting solar panels on their official residence. It’s a trend!

The first account of the day’s news, from Associated Press reporter Dina Cappiello, noted the efforts of 350.org to make this happen. In particular, we salute Jean Altomare, Amanda Nelson, and Jamie Nemecek, the three young women from Unity College who made the trip and who made an impression on the White House.

They remind all of us why we’ll be working hard this weekend–and why, when the day is done, we’ll be putting down the hammer or the shovel and picking up the cellphone to call our leaders. You never know what will happen when you ask for change.

Tuesday Morning

2010-09-28T09:27:00.005-05:00

I had the most difficult time waking this morning. The combination of things to do, lack of motivation, cool weather and late bedtimes have been working against me each morning. I was running late and I was CRANKY. My husband stumbled out of bed, and sweetly washed my travel mug and thermos so that I could tote my liquid energy to school.

I got to school and realized that I needed to turn it around.

I was reading about Emerson and came across the following which I believe sums up my new awakening to the day and leaving my frantic self behind.

"I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new."

I think that this also applies to my husband, who is in fact, my friend.

humbled
d

Blogging Sabbatical

2010-08-26T11:03:00.001-05:00

So sorry to my followers...I took a bit of a blogging sabbatical this summer.

Exciting details from the summer:
The chicken girls went from 3 to 2 in the great raccoon attack of 2010.
We went to New Mexico and it was AMAZING.
School started.
Harrison had sinus/nasal surgery.
The chicken girls (not sure which) laid an egg.

More to come!!!

DW

Hilarious Cousin

2010-05-30T22:14:00.002-05:00

Scott told me to check out my Aunt Robin's facebook update, there was a video there starring my cousin Jen and her cousin Gina. HILARIOUS....check it for yourself. For those of you who don't know Jen, she is the one in glasses.

Bieberfarts from Captain Hippo on Vimeo.

So Tired...

2010-05-29T11:18:00.003-05:00

We had HD in the Emergency Room from 1:30-3:45 this morning. Yesterday morning he complained of a sore throat which progressively got worse and turned into a bad cough over the course of the late night. He woke up screaming at about 11:45.

He has this horrible cough, sore throat, and was complaining of not being able to breathe (lungs and nose). ER doc said there is a huge polyp in the nose (great, thanks allergies) and that there was a different sound to one lung versus the other. They x-rayed his chest just to be sure that he was not in the beginning stages of pneumonia and gave him a breathing treatment. The breathing treatment seemed to help, but we have had a ROUGH night/morning. We are working on little to no sleep. UGH...Man I didn't realize how much I don't miss the asthma nights.

Send healthy thoughts H's way.

sleepy d

Last Day of School!

2010-05-28T19:59:00.006-05:00

HD and Lena went outside this afternoon for a little last day of school/birthday celebration. Lena turned 1 year old yesterday. Everyday we learn more about this silly girl and she is maturing into a sweet dog.

HD and Lena ran through the sprinkler to cool off.

Now HD is coming down with a cold. Cough, runny nose, tickle in the throat. DANG IT!!! Hope for the Viamin C Immune Support Gummy Bears and Centrum Kids and Homeopathic cough syrup to start working! SHEESH.

d

Goodbye Roo...

2010-05-22T21:44:00.004-05:00

Today was the day that we took Blanche aka Bernard aka Buddy aka Nugget back to Jenny the Chicken Lady. We traded a black australorp roo for a black australorp hen. So...we have Blanche again.

Here was H.D.'s goodbye to Buddy.

Kick Ass

2010-05-20T12:04:00.009-05:00

I love this song...see what you think of Mika.

Lyrics surprisingly clean!

Chorus:
We are young
We are strong
We're not looking for where we belong

We're not cool
We are free
And we're running with blood on our knees

We could rule the world
On a silver platter
From the wrong to the right light
To an open stream

With a crash and burn
We could make it better
Turn it upside down
Just you and me

We are the dream
No other way
To be

Chorus

I could change the world
I could make it better
Kick it up and down
Take a chance on me

When you fake a smile
And you think you're better
Gonna put it down
Rip it at your feet

No bridge to burn
Nowhere to turn
For me

Chorus

What do they know about us?
Are they thinking of somebody else?
Are they wondering what we might be?
Are they thinking of you or of me?

Chorus

Tuesday Nonsense

2010-05-18T11:12:00.006-05:00

This post should probably be called Monday shenanigans and other nonsense.

Yesterday I took Sophia the Chicken to visit the 4th graders at Loveland. She traveled so well in her little pet porter that I told my mother, aka Oma, on the phone that I should reconsider my traveling companions...Sophie the Chicken, #1 traveling girl! The 4th graders loved her, HD beamed and was very informative, a great day was had by all. I finished off the afternoon/evening watching the "girls" (I used quotes because remember Blanche is not really Blanche anymore) in the yard sun and dust bathing. I planted in the garden and weeded a bit and longed for early summer mornings and evenings to come.

Today, I sit at my desk trying to get motivated to grade the remaining freshmen papers I have waiting, but all I can do is think about how much I want to be sitting in my lawn chair in the sun watching the "girls" play in the yard, eat blades of grass, chase bugs and participate in other chicken silliness, putter in the garden, or read a book under my tree.

Hurry up May 28th...

d

Boo Hoo, a Roo.

2010-05-04T09:57:00.005-05:00

We found out that Blanche is really Bernard. And we thought Bernard was a Barred-Rock, as it turns out he was a double surprise. A Roo and a Black Australorp.

We will be taking him back to Chicken Jenny's (our chick supplier) and exchanging him for a her.

Here is an update on the "girls" though. Let's pray no one else starts looking masculine.
We have all the lumber, and now we just need to put that chicken ark together.

*prays to the gods of carpentry* Please look over my measurements (don't laugh family) and please watch over my fingers!!!

D

What's up my PEEPS?

2010-04-12T22:59:00.005-05:00

Meet chickie, chickie, and Sophia aka Sophi. H.D. named his girl Sophia aka Sophi, not sure why, just because he liked it. Sophi is the little vanilla girl looking at the camera.

Sophi is a Buff Orpington, to her right is chickie #2 a really sweet Barred Rock (Plymouth Rock) girl, and in front her in the middle is a Silver Laced Wyandotte who is the bossy butt of the brooder box. When you take one of the other girls out she cheeps and cheeps and hops and flaps until they come back.

Sophi is hilarious. When she does her "bidness" she makes the loudest cheep. I think she is going to be the gal who loudly celebrates an egg when she lays one.

Tonight we took the girls to the garden while we cleaned their box. They were cheeping, scratching, jumping, running, flying. The funniest moment was when the Wyandotte decided that a dust bath was a good idea. She laid down in the dirt and WENT TO TOWN! H.D. was laughing so hard!

Since H.D. named his chicken Sophia I was thinking we should use the other Golden Girl names Dorothy, Rose, and Blanche. LOL...I still want to name my chicken Nugget, but that might be kind of wrong.

What do you think...what are some good chicken (hen) names?

d
More to come...

WTF...What The FRIDAY!

2010-03-26T08:48:00.007-05:00

So this morning I woke, was in a daze, stumbled to the bathroom to do my business prior to a shower. It might be TMI, but I like to get that "business" out of the way before my shower...feels so much fresher for the day. Anyway...I was sitting on John P. Orcelain when the back of my legs felt itchy, really itchy, more than dry skin itchy. I investigated...I am COVERED in hives on the backs of my legs, my derriere, where the waist band of my pajamas has rested, and under my bosoms. The majority of the concentration being lower body, waist down.

Fast forward 30 minutes.

COVERED! My underarms, the underside of my biceps, the top of my foot, my back, my forearm. Sitting is painful, they don't just itch they sort of burn.

WHAT THE FRIDAY IS GOING ON!!! I called the allergist's office well over 45 minutes ago and so I sit in a towel on the couch on my burning itching bottom, waiting to swell into one giant red BLOB!

Take a look for yourself. What the legs picture does not show is my BUNS which are like 1 GIANT hive, (for those of you that know me) I might actually have a butt for a few hours today.

Wish I had a better camera, or maybe I don't!!! Sorry for the pit shot, the toes that need a pedi, and my grotesque mid section but I wanted to document the crazy hives. I have had small localized hive break outs before but nothing like this!

Hope you are having a better Friday than I am...

DW

Spring Clean Up

2010-03-23T22:26:00.010-05:00

Since we moved in to this house almost 11 years ago I have always wanted to pull out the bushes that lined the alley at the back of our property. This past Sunday, I finally got Scott to agree. We had to pull them out to prepare for putting up wood fence, but I thought it would be smart to do it prior to the bushes leafing out so that they would not be as much of a mess. I think it was a smart move on our part. We had a great hard work day in the sun, yep I said SUN on Sunday (what irony).

Here are some of the pics of our labor. Before and After.

Finally my garden space looks AWESOME...I think I gained about 2-3 feet at the back of the plot by taking those bushes out. Now to do some research about stump dissolve. I won't put it on the stumps if it has the potential to contaminate my garden, but as you can see there is still a cluster of the biggest stumps that was really almost impossible to get out.

This was stage one. Stage two is replacing the fencing with the wooden panel fence, and planting!!! I cannot wait.

Goodbye Sweet Girl

2010-03-12T10:34:00.007-06:00

Bijou (Summer 1999-March 12, 2010)

We love you Bijou...

The Edge...

2010-03-01T15:53:00.006-06:00

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? I have hit a funk the last week or so and to cope today I wrote the following poem.

Disclaimer: Poets sometimes use strong language (uh-duh) so ear muffs if you don't like it.

Beast

Feed the Beast
your nay-saying ways.

Feed the Beast
your gloomy fucking days.

Feed the Beast
your negative vibes.

Feed the Beast
your trumped up lies.

Feed the Beast
your bullshit fears.

Feed the Beast
your elephant tears.

Feed the Beast
your pointless facts.

Feed the Beast
so I can relax.

Feed the Beast
your annoying voice.

Feed the Beast
so I have the choice.

To starve the Beast.

Chickens? Are you Crazy?

2010-02-17T10:24:00.009-06:00

Ok, so I am a little embarrassed to admit that I have a current obsession with chickens. Many of you know that over the last 5 years or so I have become very environmentally minded. Not just from a "Save Mother Earth" standpoint, but also from a personal health perspective. One of the things that really concerns me is how much JUNK (aka antibiotics and steroids) is in our food.

On to chickens...

I have always said, "Someday, when I live on a little plot of land I will have me some chickens." Alright...I have never said it in such a red-neck way, but I thought it would sound funny. At any rate, I started questioning why I thought I had to live out of town to have chickens and started doing some research. Apparently, it is fairly common to have backyard chickens in the US. There are lots of people, in Omaha even, with backyard chickens.

Let the research commence...

If you know me, you know how I love me some research.

I think Scott is wondering if I am completely insane.

I have found a set of plans for a very cool chicken ark. It is movable, allows for the chickens to forage and eat bugs, has a coop up top, and is supposedly pretty easy to build. My friend Jordan offered to help the building impaired. :) I talked to my dad about saws the other day and he offered his miter saw, so that he could upgrade. My initial intention was and is to finish the quarter round that has been in my basement for about 5 years. HD's room needs quarter round, my kitchen needs a repair, and the living room needs some too. I think though having a miter saw will be really handy in making this coop happen.

I saw a listing for Black Copper Marans chicks on craigslist, and I think I might pursue a couple of those. My chicken wishlist includes a couple of Araucanas/Americanas (aka Easter Egg chickens) and maybe a Red Star.

I think that people are allowed 5 hens in the city, no roos for obvious reasons.

My goal...eggs. I would be willing to barter, trade, or sell my eggs to neighbors or others. With 5 hens...eventually I should have about 2 dozen eggs a week. I do not use eggs EVERY day so...plenty to share.

Sound off folks...what do you think.

Marans Hen

EGGS PHOTOGRAPHED BY HARLEY SOLTES

The eggs above are Marans eggs (the dark ones) and the other eggs pictured are Araucanas/Americanas.

Sick Day

2010-02-04T10:57:00.005-06:00

I had to get H from school yesterday. Poor guy is congested, has a sore throat, a cough, and super stuffy nose. He was a little feverish yesterday when we got home and the rule at school is 24 hours fever free. We are home today. I actually woke this morning with a really sore throat and headache. I think the sore throat for me was just sleeping with my mouth open, but the headache persists and I have a little cough. I am going to fetch some Aleve in a minute with a refill of coffee.

H has been bugging me about wanting to learn to knit. I decided I would try to teach him and see how it went.

See what you think.

Don't mind the crazy hair (mine) it is a sick day, darn it.

Jackson 5

2010-02-04T00:00:00.007-06:00

Everyday for my seniors I hold the door, greet them and play funk or disco, loudly, as they are entering the room. I think it might be more for me than for them, it really gets me pumped up. Freshmen can't seem to handle it. They always complain about the music, why don't I play rap, why don't I play their music, blah blah blah.

Seniors...seem to love (most of them) funk and disco. They MOVE! Some kids do little desk dances, sometimes random passerby kids dance in the hall, loads of the passerbys comment on wanting to be in THAT class. I love the atmosphere it creates. Pandora has been really useful, as I have some disco and funk, but not an unlimited supply. I think I might use my grant stipend to buy the subscription so that I do not have to listen to random advertisements, $36.00 per year seems really really reasonable! At any rate, yesterday I was playing my Pandora funk channel and the Jackson 5 came on. A song I don't recall ever hearing. Some of the kids knew it because it is part of the show choir's montage this year. It is Blame It On the Boogie. It is such a catchy, upbeat, fun song.

It was written by Mick Jackson, no relation to the Jackson 5. The lyrics from the chorus are so darn catchy...

"Don't blame it on sunshine
Don't blame it on moonlight
Don't blame it on good times
Blame it on the boogie"

I wish I could post it here for everyone to hear. This is a must have for everyone's ipod, or other music device.

Debate

2010-02-03T09:52:00.002-06:00

Monday afternoon I got the opportunity to see H and his class have a debate. The debate was about the town of Rocksburg building a dam. There were citizens for and against. H was for the building of the dam, and his name was Need A. Job. Each student read a statement they prepared about their character and why they were for or against the dam, then the debate began. They held cards in the air with their names on it and the city council president Judge N Jury called on the students who asked questions, responded to each others statements, etcetera. It was so cute and H did an AMAZING job. I was so proud and it was awesome to see him doing something academic since I have only been to school for parties previously.

I was thinking about how he is growing up so fast. Wow...where did the years go.

We shopped goodwill and got a navy wool blazer $4, a blue oxford .99, and a Tabasco tie .99. He was stylin'.

I think this last picture is hilarious because of the little nose wiper in the front. LOL. To me the picture is also adorable because of Mrs. Stevens look of pride. She emailed me to tell me how proud she was of H. Me Too!

Knitting Success!

2010-01-31T23:37:00.005-06:00

So yesterday I finished my first knitting project, a scarf for H.D. Then I started my first dishcloth. I did half last night and the other half tonight.

I guess I am officially a knitter!!! I can't wait to learn how to do more stitches and make afghans, cardigans, and socks.

d

Great Blog

2010-01-24T17:59:00.003-06:00

I think I have posted this before, and it is on the list of blogs I read, but it is worth a seperate post. I know that different regions of the US and even the world with much more well developed neighborhoods have a lot of pedestrians and dogs. I love how this blogger has a unique spin on blogging and captures dogs being dogs. His comments are humorous and usually spot on.

Check it out.

http://www.automatedredemption.com/flavorcountry/dogblog/

Try to create a Dog Blog caption for this one...I dare ya.
d

Snow or freezing fog

2010-01-16T19:48:00.004-06:00

I am not sure which we really had today, snow or freezing fog. Yesterday we had frozen fog and it was gorgeous. I still do not really have a digital camera (looked at one today while buying chicken at Cost-co), I still need to roll pennies to get a good camera. Thankfully, Scott's phone has a pretty darn good one.

I took some shots of H and Lena playing and having a ball in the snow, and some nature pictures. Enjoy.

It was snowing in this one.

Snowy Tug O' War

"I declare this snow mount H"

Kids @ Christmas

2010-01-07T21:34:00.003-06:00

Another snow day today, well inclimate weather. It was blowing, drifting, and dangerously cold today. We will have another tomorrow because it is supposed to be again, dangerously cold. I had to go in to school today (don't tomorrow wooohooo!), but had a lot of stuff done today. I even cleaned out my desk a task normally reserved until about May.

I was cleaning up the files on my computer this evening and saw this Holiday picture.

Here are all the kiddos. H.D. holding E2 and E1 holding R.V.

A darn cute bunch don't you agree?

E2 spent all of Christmas running around in nothing but a diaper. She really reminds me a lot of Dink when she was that age.

d

WORMS and SNOW?

2010-01-06T22:25:00.009-06:00

I got worms for Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I didn't say I have worms.

I bought a worm farm some months ago. I set it up and then vowed to wait until I had extra cash to buy the worms. It seems like that day never comes, so I asked Santa (okay Oma and Papa) to bring red wiggler worms for Christmas.

They came in the mail today, after a little shipping snafu. The first batch was accidentally shipped to my mom and dad's house. Luckily, Oma and Papa are going to keep them in worm bedding and well tended to until they see me again.

We decided to chronicle the set up for all the people who think worms in your basement are a weird thing to WANT.

While H and I were getting the worms' bedding ready, Lena was frolicking in the snow. Yep...more snow... :o(

So the first batch of worm bedding that came with the worm farm is coconut coir. I took care of moistening that and H brought the worms down to the basement. Here they are tossed on their bed.
The light brown is the coconut coir and the darker brown is the bedding that the worms were shipped in with a half cup water added to moisten them after their trip. Hard to believe there are 1000 worms in there.

Next we prepped a little food for these guys.

I won't add much more in for a few weeks until they are established, but the menu for worms today was...

Banana peeling, a moldy tomato (just bought those...DARN IT), a crust of bread, and a lone bean. Where the heck did the bean come from??? Additionally we threw some coffee grounds with an unbleached filter in for fun. Notice the food chopper in the first food picture? The food scraps are processed faster by the worms if chopped up a bit. I wanted to make their first meal especially easy!

Doesn't it look delicious?
Scott thinks so...
Ewwwwwww

Tonight the worms are all snug in their bed. I shredded some paper bag (with no print) and tossed that on the top of their bed to give them a little more cover because it didn't seem like the bedding was very deep.

So begins the Wegener vermicomposting experience.

More to come.

d

Happy 2010

2010-01-05T00:10:00.002-06:00

Happy Holidays from The Wegeners

Knitting Continued...

2010-01-03T14:19:00.004-06:00

So last night I knitted until I could knit no more. I hit an enormous tangle in the yarn. My knitting mentor, Kathy, said that is called "Yarn Barf" and I think that is a fitting name. I decided that since I was not able to proceed past the tangle that I would try casting off. I watched a video on YouTube and I was able to do it! Yay me!

Here is the result of my first knitting attempt.

WARNING...

What you are about to see is pretty ugly. LOL. You can see how uneven and wonky it is.

I am knitting though.

Knitting...

2010-01-02T22:21:00.007-06:00

A while ago I decided that I wanted to learn to knit. Today, I took the first step with the help of Kathy of the Nebraska Knit and Crochet Guild. Kathy generously gave me some knitting needles and practice yarn to start with. I am doing it. Not exactly beautiful yet, but I am getting there!

I ran into these women a couple of months ago in Whole Foods, and got their card. I met with them today and I am currently working on a small practice swatch. I am excited and can't wait to be good enough to try making a scarf or other small (aka easy) project. Kathy suggested that I make some dishrags (practice, functional, and an accomplishment) and that sounds like a great first project.

One of the knitters had a GORGEOUS sweater there today that she finished recently. It really made me want to be successful...

More to come...
d

Phantom CD and Favorite Picture!

2009-12-19T15:22:00.004-06:00

I was rummaging through my desk at school today (yes on Saturday!) to search for a blank cd to burn some music for the car while grading papers.

I found what I thought was a blank CD (not marked). It was not blank, it was an important CD that I had been looking for a couple of months ago.

On that CD I found one of my favorite pictures of my niece E1 and I.

What a Happy Surprise!

d

Hilarious Holiday Shenanigans on a Snow Day.

2009-12-08T14:07:00.002-06:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Turkey Time

2009-11-20T07:40:00.004-06:00

H had his 4th grade musical last night. There were some hilarious songs and he did a great job! Here is a little clip. Not the best quality, but it is what we have. Turn your sound up loud!

Hurrah...Employment and Puppy Shenanigans

2009-11-18T21:47:00.005-06:00

Scott was offered a job today. For those who didn't know Scott lost his job after 9 and 1/2 years a week before our anniversary. Thankfully, we have not hit the month marker yet for being unemployed. His new job will be a pretty dramatic pay cut, but it is employment in tough economic times. Thanks for all the thoughts, prayers, well wishes and hoping that all our friends and family have been doing.

Lena started puppy classes this week and is the star of class. She knows just about all the things that they were going to work on Monday night, so we did work on NOT jumping on people. It is REALLY a work in progress, but we are not giving up.

d

Top Five Reasons I Hate Facebook (aka: reasons I will not make a facebook account)

2009-11-07T22:41:00.002-06:00

People give me a hard time about not being on facebook. I have thought about this long and hard. To be frank, I am OVERJOYED that I don't have to deal with the facebook drama. The following are just a few reasons why you won't find me there.

1. All the stupid games...get off your arse, quit playing make believe farmer or cafe owner and do something with your life. Perhaps you could learn to garden, or cook FOR REALS.

2. I don't want to reconnect with all the friends or family I left behind. I left them behind for a reason! If my bf from high school or my mother's uncle's monkey wants to talk to me then they can call me or send me a letter. I don't really want to look at all their stupid mafia accomplishments or the baloney that their kids/grandkids are doing on a daily basis.

3. People are complete asses when they can hide behind their facebook updates instead of REALLY communicating with people.

4. No one cares about your pathetic life enough to want to know that you are going to launder your undies, or wax your eyebrows, or watching movies on a Friday night or whatever lame update you are posting for the whole universe to read about.

5. Just because everyone and MY MOTHER has a page doesn't mean I have to.

I am confused why people give me a hard time for not being a follower. I frankly feel refreshed to NOT be one of the 300 million active users. Think about that!

d

My Students

2009-10-26T13:41:00.004-05:00

My students participated in an awareness event for the International Day of Climate Action. The IDCA was on Saturday 10/24, but my students staged this event at school on Friday to educate their fellow students. It was amazing and wildly successful. They collected trash on Thursday night from the school and fashioned it into the number 350, which is the ppm of CO2 that we should be trying to have in our atmosphere. We as a world have a lot of work to do to get to that goal as we currently have about 387ppm. Thought I would share a little of my kids hard work with the world.

Climate Changes

2009-10-15T13:52:00.006-05:00

Ran across a cool website today and entered my own message of what gives me hope.

http://www.hopenhagen.org/

International Day of Climate Action is coming up on 10.24.2009. My students are going to be having an awareness day at school. We are planning to collect all of the garbage from the school and create a gigantic pile in the Warrior Walkway. Talk about impact. I will post pictures when I have them.

d

HILARIOUS LINK

2009-09-14T22:32:00.003-05:00

My dad sent me this hilarious twitter link.
http://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
I don't do all that facebook, twitting business but THIS is good stuff.

I am laughing so hard over here that I am crying.

I think that I should blog all the weird crap my dad says. That would make for some hilarious subject matter most days.

D

My hilarious brother

2009-09-13T16:02:00.001-05:00

My brother sends me things like this from time to time. I laughed out loud. That is just good clean fun!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Rainy Days and Thursdays always get me...

2009-09-03T14:06:00.004-05:00

I was going to say down, but truthfully I am not down. It is rainy, really rainy today. I love rainy fall days.

I was thinking today about all of the projects I would like to get done at home. Sometimes I wish the work week was 4 days and the weekend 3. Hear me out. I know I would not get much done at school (work) and I know that would mess with the rhythm of the world, but to be honest I wish I had one more weekend day consistently to get some things done.

I had a group of kids the last 2 mods that are flat out AWESOME. Some of them were not done with their assignment for today. I told them that they need to write and get their narrative done since it is due tomorrow, and if they were finished they are working on a peer editing activity. They are all quietly and diligently working. Watching little brains grow bigger really fulfills me. I wish sometimes that they got excited about the little things and thought that being smart was "cool". I think some kids really get it, but others get so wrapped up in the hype of trying to be just like everyone else and cool that they forget that their differences are what make them "cool".

Take me for example. I absolutely LOVE it when kids tell me I am weird. I AM WEIRD!!! I want to shout it from the highest mountain top, because weird is so much more desirable than mediocre, robotic, and assimilationist clones.

I seem to get a writing bug in the fall. I am feeling it lately, but I have so many papers to grade I am pushing it back. I think I will continue work on a short story I started about 4 years ago.

More to come as I get more motivated to write...

d

What happens when Dad is home...

2009-08-22T22:16:00.001-05:00

Looks like Lena gets a little spoiled when she and Dad are home alone during the day now that school has started. This is about the best 12 week picture we have...

She is such a good dog. Today I took her on a 1.2 mile walk, and she stops traffic. We were walking north and a woman was driving south on the street. The woman slowed, rolled down her window and hollered out..."AWWWWWW WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DOG!!!" This happens almost every time we go out with her. I think that I might have to look into getting a really good picture or two of her and enter her into a contest.

My camera is doodoo and I wish I could afford the camera of my dreams right now. I would really like to get some good pictures of her.

I am still stuck on her name, but narrowed it down. I need to send off her paperwork one of these days.

The options are:
1. Sagecreek Lena Sings the Blues
2. Sagecreek Lena Stormy Weather
3. Sagecreek Stormy Weather Lena
4. Sagecreek Lena's Sweet Song

Any other ideas?

d

Great Birthday

2009-08-07T00:22:00.007-05:00

Wow, I was going to say that today was my birthday but this whole day has gotten away from me without a blog entry. I got some LOVELY, but unnecessary gifts. I guess people really do read my crazy ramblings. My lil' sis sent me some gorgeous flowers, my friend Steph gave me a gift card to buy some clothes (once I lose a little more weight), Emily set me up with a ton of amazing utensils for my kitchen (much needed and so appreciated it was a really thoughtful and generous gift), I got some great cards and some green from my Aunt and MaRo. Oma told me to stroll by my bookcase and gaze at it (since it was an early present) that cracked me up. Lena was all of our gifts to each other this birthday season, but she felt the need to leave me...not one...but two presents of her own on the floor while I was making dinner tonight. How generous of her. C'est la vie. :o)

I wore one of my favorite dresses that Ro made me to work today and spruced myself up. It was nice. I didn't even really mind being there too much. I work with some funny and amazing people so it was nice to be around people you care about on your birthday.

After work I did a little browsing at the store with H.D. to determine how much he had grown over the summer. HOLY COW...he is tall and skinny. He brags that he will soon be taller than me (like that is hard). After shopping, we had a little dinner just the two of us since Scott works nights. We walked the dogs, I worked out to Tony Horton's Power 90 Express video (and sweat my buns off yes, I worked out! and on my b-day even) and had ONE glass of 7 Deadly Zins with Aunt Bee on my back porch. Seems like the perfect way to begin my 34th year.

d

Weekend Craziness

2009-08-03T11:30:00.006-05:00

So on my last weekend of freedom before the school year starts we did a ton of stuff.

Saturday H.D. had soccer practice at 8:30 am. We got up, made a delicious energy shake from the South Beach cookbook which had plain yogurt, silken tofu (dark chocolate), vanilla soy milk, and pistachios in it. It was soooooo good. My prediction was REVOLTING, boy was I wrong. Even H.D. liked it.

After soccer Emily and I went to the farmers market where I bought Zephyr squash, eggplant we will refer to as Eggie from here on out, and sweet red peppers. It was crazy busy down there, but was such a good time. I love getting to hang out with her whenever we can...so nice having your oldest and closest with you more than once or twice a year.

We went out to Jane and Tom's (Emily's folks) and I raided Jane's little garden and brought home a couple of green peppers, some tomatoes, another squash and some fresh basil. Jane's Market was good to me.

We ran a couple more errands and then back to the house where Emily worked on the internet, and I made mustard crusted steak for our dinner. We watched most of Mamma Mia and ate a yum meal, and H.D. and I walked Lena after Emily left.

Sunday was cooking day. Eggie watched me cook; and I cooked ALL DAY! The following is a list of dishes that I prepared and froze in ziplocs against my recycling and hippie nature (unless I can figure another way of doing it next time). I think I am going to wash and reuse the ziplocs to make myself feel better.

1. Breakfast Egg Casserole (12 servings) with canadian bacon, sweet peppers, tomatoes, sweet onion and mushrooms on half.
2. Spicy Broccoli (7 servings) Broccoli sauteed with olive oil, anchovy paste, and crushed red pepper. Sounds nasty--tastes DeLICIOUS.
3. Fresh Green Beans (6 servings) steamed.
4. Oven Roasted Veggies (6 servings) yellow squash, zephyr squash, sweet peppers, sweet onions, red onions, asparagus, garlic, and a little olive oil.
5. Kabobs (6 servings) beef, sweet peppers, sweet onions, red onions, tomato, and mushrooms (on some).
6. Pesto Chicken (3 servings)
7. Pork Chop Scallopine (2 servings and 1 plain PC for H.D.)
8. Ginger Chicken and Snow Peas (3 servings)
9. Mustard Crusted Steak (3 servings)
10. Grilled (9) Sirloin Burgers

That was my day. Scott made a Turkey Caesar Salad for our dinner, and lunch was burgers (sans bun for us).

After the cooking extravaganza, we took Lena on her nightly walk and since Scott was home Bij got to go too. She is getting so old and bad. We found another NEW tumor on her back behind her incision from the removal of the camel hump. It has just appeared within the last week and looks to be growing pretty fast. We made the decision as a family that we will not put her through any more surgeries as she has (4 that we can see) tumors and her back end is failing. It really took her a long time to get cooled down after the walk. Poor Old Girl.

Scott and I watched True Blood and I tried to get back on to a normal schedule and went to bed at 11:00. School starts tomorrow. :o)

Is this really a DIET?

2009-07-31T20:01:00.002-05:00

I made a version of a pork chop scallopine that Scott found in the South Beach cookbook. It was delicious. This was our dinner one night. Pork chop scallopine, canelini bean salad, spicy broccoli with pepitas, and a salad. I was surprised at how amazing it tasted. Then we finished off with a Ricotta Creme, definitely not a cheesecake, but it was a decent alternative.

9 Weeks and Help Naming Lena

2009-07-30T11:41:00.005-05:00

Lena was 9 weeks old yesterday. She knows SIT, and we are working on DOWN. Down is about 70/30, and she actually whined at the door once last night to go out! Hurray!

Asleep in the kitchen by the food!

Lena's ASCA (Australian Shepherd Club of America) papers came today from Pam.

We need to settle on her name.

Here are the options:

1. Sagecreek Lena Sings the Blues
2. Sagecreek Lena Sings the Reds (this is a play on the fact that she is a red merle)
3. Sagecreek Lena's Sweet Song
4. Sagecreek Lena You're My Thrill
5. Sagecreek Lena Stormy Weather (Her mom's name is Storm--but doesn't roll off the tongue. As much as I would like it to...since Lena Horne is known for Stormy Weather.

or Suggestions...?? We are limited on characters, Sagecreek must go at the beginning, so then there are 21 spaces remaining for letters, punctuation or spaces.

Let me know what you think!

d

The Quest to Become Svelte

2009-07-26T13:09:00.006-05:00

Scott recently informed me that he was going to try the Power 90 program to lose some weight. I had NO idea what this is. It is scheduled to be delivered Monday or Tuesday, but apparently it is some ass kicking workout dvds and a food plan. HE is finally determined to lose weight. I am usually the one that proposes stuff like this.

I jumped on the band wagon and in anticipation of his program coming we made a 2 week meal plan based on the South Beach Diet which we have had some success with in the past. I forgot how much work dieting is sometimes. I just have to stop being a lazy cook.

I wanted to share that I think that commercialism has created fat people based on the fact that it costs SO much more to eat a healthy diet. All the crap, preservatives, calories, and fat are exponentially cheaper than healthy alternatives.

Scott and I bought all the ingredients that we will need for the next couple of weeks, and I think then some. I decided that we will go forward with buying only 1-2 weeks at a time to avoid anything going bad.

Just a glance at what things look like at the Wegener household. I need to re-organize my cabinets, (did the frig) to make room and clean out so things are living on the counter until later today.

Incidentally, the refrigerator is like TETRIS.

I am tired of looking and feeling like Jabba the Hutt so I am excited to give this a try. I am however, quite nervous. Not about the muscle aches, or any of that, but I am nervous that I am not going to be successful and get discouraged. It is a weird fear, but just being honest!

d

Puppy Play

2009-07-24T08:58:00.004-05:00

Up to now Bijou has liked the puppy, sniffed her and trotted around with her, but I had doubted that she would really play with the puppy. Given that her legs barely hold her up some days. Wednesday night they barked and chased each other a little, but all standing up...no real rough and tumble play, and I had given Bijou a pain pill that night. Yesterday, Bijou had a morning and evening pill. She wasn't really hurting I don't think, but she was creeping around. This morning there was a pup wrestle mania in the living room. Bijou was the instigator this time... It was really good to see her interact with the puppy like the old Bij that always smothered most other dogs with love. They were almost "slap fighting" like kids sometimes do. It was hilarious. They were mouthing each other a lot as evidenced in some of the pics where one or both has their mouth open. Puppies learn bite inhibition best from other dogs, and I yip "ouch" really loudly if her razor sharp teeth bite me which is what all the books and people tell you to do. However, I am not the same as another dog. Bijou got rough with Lena, a little yelp and she backed off and Lena got a little rough with Bijou and Bij yelped Lena backed off. Perfect.

I also worked with Lena and the clicker this morning. Someone suggested trying the training in the bathroom to minimize distractions. I shut us in for about 3-5 minutes and we worked on making sure the clicker was "primed." This means that Lena knows that a click means "good job" and she understands that she gets a reward. I am convinced she knows. I re-read an email from Esther, a dog trainer in Holland that I met via YouTube, to be sure that she knows. Esther says, "click one time when she's looking away from you, if she looks up at you when you click ('where's my treat?') then she understands how it works." Lena's eyes were down. I clicked, she looked at the clicker, then my eyes, then the hand that usually treats her.

I am excited! We worked on "touch" today again and I started using the cue word touch after she performed action. I put my hand down, and when she touched it with her nose I clicked. This is an important command that will allow me to teach her other more sophisticated commands later.

We also worked on sit. She did pretty well, but it was getting close to about 4 minutes and her attention span was slipping. We ended on a positive note.

I am really excited about her...and nervous. I hope I do a good job, and I hope I am clicking at the appropriate time. Initially, I was clicking too late. Needs to happen during the behavior and I realized I was clicking after. I need to work on that.

Hopefully, we will start puppy class in a couple of weeks. I just hope that I can integrate clicker methods with their methods.

More to come...

d

p.s. If you click on the YouTube link above you see Esther in action. Her pup was executing those moves at 10 weeks. Lena and I have a lot of work to do to catch up!!! Actually, I don't expect to, Esther has been doing this a long time and I am a novice, but I am hoping we eventually get there.

A New Wegener Baby???

2009-07-22T12:55:00.012-05:00

Well although we have been trying for going on 5 years...there is not a real babe in our future (at least currently) but there is a new addition to our family.

Meet Lena Wegener

I knew that someday...when Bijou is gone. I wanted an Australian Shepherd. Bij has had some ups and downs this year and so I just started talking to breeders. I found a couple I didn't necessarily feel comfortable with (too much breeding) and then I found Pam Watson in Missouri. I told her that we were not ready for a pup but I had lots of questions for my someday. She was great...always willing to answer my silliest questions. Then she had two litters (her max for a year) pretty much back to back and one was 11 pups! She was faced with 17 pups to find homes for. She mentioned that she had some and I checked out her site. I immediately fell in love with Lena, but...I had always said, "when Bijou is gone." I didn't know what to do. We thought and talked and thought some more and finally I said, "I want her or nothing." Well, she was already spoken for...so much for that.

Then after the 4th of July we got a call from Pam. The people that spoke for her had a change in family situation and could not take her anymore...did we want her? Oh my...never a harder decision to make.

We had a family meeting, gave up eating out, and everyone agreed that she is their big b-day present, everyone agreed to certain chores, we all agreed to some sacrifices and she is going to be my physical trainer. :o)

We brought Lena home on Saturday after a 5 1/2 hour drive to get her and 5 1/2 hours home. We got to see her mom and dad and remaining brothers and sisters who were being shipped to Oregon (or Washington State) the very next day. It was exciting as you can see from the laziness that happened on Sunday.

She turns 8 weeks today!

Lena is a Red Merle Australian Shepherd...It will be no surprise to some of you that I only wanted a Red Merle or Red Tri Aussie...RED!!!

She has only made two small accidents in the house and both were totally preventable but on her first morning here, Scott forgot how small their intestines are and how fast food goes through. And I was on the phone canceling an appointment and was just about to take her out. Should have before I got on the phone. Both accidents were solids... :o) and the one I was responsible for was literally at the front door on the mud mat. She knows what and where to do it, but needs to learn to vocalize.

I started a very short clicker training session with her yesterday with touch...(more on this to come in the following days). She did well, but I kept it really brief as everyone has instructed that I have talked to (dog trainers).

Aussies are highly intelligent, and we hope for tons of tricks to share in the coming months. I am going to get her enrolled in a puppy class sometime the first part of August, and Harrison wants to learn so he can get involved with Junior Handling and run her in agility competitions. What an exciting chapter...almost as exciting as a real baby!

d

Junk Email...Better than None?

2009-07-14T09:05:00.003-05:00

So about a week and a half ago I went through all the emails in my inbox and junk mail and removed myself from just about every mailing list that I was subscribed to. Most would think that this is a good thing. I did. At first. Now I am not getting any email. I mean most days I am lucky to get one measley email. What a bummer, I am starting to think that maybe I should subscribe to a few random mailing lists.

d

Triple Decker Cats

2009-07-08T01:00:00.001-05:00

The boys sandwiching their crotchety old sis. This is the caliber of laziness around here lately.

Belated Texas Post

2009-07-07T01:31:00.007-05:00

A 4th of July Message from Uncle Dan

I hope everyone had a great Independence Day. Reece as started smiling now so I wanted to send a picture. Also he fits in my old shirt that O-ma brought down to Texas. He won't fit in it for much longer. Reece went to the doctor on Thursday and he now weighs a healthy 11lbs 12 oz.

Love
Dan, Heather & Reece

As promised, evidence of our Texas Shenanigans and Baby Pictures.

E got her ears pierced on this trip...She was showing them off.

These kids make an awful lot of funny faces...I wonder why...

How do you know...

2009-07-02T16:57:00.004-05:00

How do you know when it is time to put your dog "to sleep". Today I took Bijou to the groomers for a pre-Oma's house bath. I took her about 11:30 and got her back around 3:45. This is apparently how long it takes. I am skeptical but what do I know about dog grooming. Thank God they don't charge by the hour.

When I took her this morning she had more trouble than usual getting into the back end of the Scion. She hid from the groomer behind my legs, and then proceeded to poop the floor in fear. Ugh...she never does this.

When I picked her up she absolutely COULD NOT get in the back end. After one attempt she sat on the ground and looked sad. I finally laid the seat down and let her in the back door and hoisted her back end as she scrambled with her front paws.

Ride home was uneventful and I was chattering away at her happily about going to see her boy tomorrow night. He misses her and I know she misses him. (HD is at Oma and Papa's golfing, swimming, fishing, and learning the proper, boyscout way, to use a pocketknife.)

Once we got home she hopped out of the car, and crept up the front stairs to our yard. I was getting the blanket out of the back end when I saw her squat to pee. Her legs went out from under her and she was basically laying on the ground. Her front legs were holding the front of her up but her back legs were splayed out. She peed all over her backside, tummy, tail, and legs. So much for grooming. I hosed her off, sobbing the whole time and got her inside. My neighbors probably think I am looney tunes.

Man is she having trouble getting around. She isn't yelping or crying in pain but she can hardly get up from a laying down position. I can't wait to see what tomorrow's 2.5 hour drive does to her. UGH.

How do you know when it is time? She still gets excited to see us, she still eats and poops like a horse. She wags her tail when I talk to her but damn it, I refuse to see her suffer. How can I tell if she is suffering? Is peeing yourself suffering?

*cries* Man this stuff is hard.

She is 10 this summer...I know that is about normal for dals. We had the camel hump scare and now she has another small lump on her leg. What a hard thing to think about on a Thursday.

Help!!!

d

Allergies...Damn Them.

2009-07-01T15:55:00.008-05:00

So today I went for my weekly allergy shot. Usually no big whoop. Today seemed like any other Wednesday, talked to the nurses, told them about my trip, sat in the lobby and waited for 15 min to see if I had a reaction. The only difference was that I missed last week because we were in Texas. That is also no biggie. They just give me the same dose as the previous week and I go on the next week with the dosage increases. I left and everything was fine...a little itchy but fine.

Took Scott to work and caught a glimpse of my left arm out of my peripheral vision while checking the mirror as I was driving away. IT WAS HUGE.

I had a baseball (at least) sized lump on my left bicep, but felt fine.

I called my doc's office and the nurses wanted me back. When they saw my arm they were astonished. I have never had more than a little mosquito bite looking lump. They sprung into action. Got my doc to look at it...she was astonished. They gave me steroids (pill) and a shot of something (I think epinephrine) directly into the lump, and a claritin. I started to tremble from the shot and that felt pretty weird, but I was fine.

I thought I would take a picture of my nastiness to show.

This lump has gone down considerably in the picture because it took about 30-40 min for me to get home.

It is so interesting to me that I lived so much of my life really allergic and just dealing with symptoms. I think some have gotten worse with age, but the culprits in this shot were cats (DON'T SAY A WORD), weeds and grasses. The doc thinks it was the weeds and grasses that are blooming now that did it. I agree, only because since I got home the boys have been attached at my hip and I have had no sneezing symptoms around them. I do sneeze like the dickens when I get outside and smell freshly cut weeds/grass/outdoors.

Doc. N told Rita the nurse to made note that I should not have dosage increases while crap is blooming. Ok, well she didn't say crap but I did.

:)

You can sort of see how far the lump is sticking out.

The white zone is where she shot the epi. It was completely red when I got there. Even in this picture you can see the circum-ference of the redness.

Ewwwww...nasty and a bit painful.

d

Picture Requests

2009-06-30T23:47:00.001-05:00

I got a post from Aunt Robin about Reece Pictures. I did not take a camera, but Dayna did. I will email her tonight and post pictures hopefully tomorrow.

:)

He is a cutie that one.
d

Recycle Bank

2009-06-27T13:28:00.002-05:00

If you check again on the post about 3 before this...My points got added. You get 2.5 points for each pound of recyclables. We had approx 47 pounds in about 3.5 weeks. Not bad. We can not recycle glass, so it was paper, cardboard, and plastic.

Dayna, my sister, E, my niece, H and I have been in Texas since late Tuesday night. We had a fun road trip and MORE fun hanging with Aunt Heather, Uncle Dan, and Baby Reece.

HE is adorable and the kids are loving on him. We will post pictures when we get home, we forgot the cord for the camera.

We leave tomorrow in the wee hours.

Peace.

d

Birthday and other musings

2009-06-19T11:59:00.010-05:00

My birthday is coming up in a month and a half and I was thinking today that after a certain point it really doesn't matter what "number" you are. I don't even remember most days. Now you may say that is forgetfulness, old age, or nonsense but frankly I do not feel a day over 25 most days.

So on to the important stuff where birthdays are concerned. GIFTS!

My mom and dad bought Scott and I early birthday this year, we got a beautiful hardwood bookshelf when World Market was closing in Omaha. That was a great prezzie. We bought a second as the closeout sale brought lower and lower prices. (Yes we needed two, had books in boxes that we could not even get to or use.)

I was trying to make a list of things I could use, more for myself than anyone else. This always serves as a back to school list for me too since I head back on the 3rd of August.

Ideas:
Worms--More to come about this tomorrow.

Birkenstocks--The following 3 designs and colors are on the top of my list.

Gift Certificate to The Avenue.

New Kitchen "stuff"--And by "stuff" I mean EVERYTHING. It is my firm belief that at 10 years of marriage everyone should have a "Hooray you didn't get a divorce shower." Don't get me wrong, I love my husband, the name of the shower does not imply unhappiness. I just think that at about 10 years all your stuff is sufficiently worn and you could use some new.

A new couch.

The piece de resistance a Nikon D60 camera.

I really do have champagne tastes and a beer budget, just ask my husband.

Curbside Rewards Update

2009-06-18T21:32:00.002-05:00

I called today to ask about our recycling service because it had not been picked up. There was a mix up with our pick up date.

We were credited for a half month and we will have an empty bin next Wed. Check back on how many pounds of recyclables our family produces after 3 weeks.

d

Recycle Bank

2009-06-15T12:20:00.004-05:00

Wednesday is our first Recycle Bank pick up. I am excited to see how many pounds of recyclables we produced in just a week and a half.

Summer...

2009-06-07T16:25:00.003-05:00

Summer doesn't seem like summer any more unless I can work a trip to the beach in. I don't think that I am going to make it this summer though. I wonder if I can trick my self into believing (with enough wine and sun) that any body of water is "the beach".

I am digging the foods of summer. I love to eat in the summer. Probably, not any less than during the rest of the year but fresh fruits and veg are something that I start to crave.

Not that Costco is super "fresh" fruit fair, but it is still a bit early for the farmer's market to have berries, or melons.

Today we bought Tuscan melon, blackberries, cherries, and peaches. SO amazing. I snitched cherries as I was cleaning them.

We are going to have burgers on the grill, corn, and fresh fruit. I am trying to teach my forever hungry child to love fruits. I think it is going to take some getting used to because it is never the flavors that deter him but the textures. Darn Sensory Processing Issues.

Well as I sit on the couch drinking an iced coffee I made, not one I paid over $4.00 for (I did the other day I hate to admit it). I am really looking forward to the rest of summer's joys. Swimming, sun, tank tops, iced coffee (homemade), painting the trim of my house (trying to convince myself this is going to be fun), visiting Reece and Dan and Heather, working on my grad class that starts tomorrow, and soccer with H.D.

More to come...
d

Break from Blogging.

2009-06-04T15:25:00.002-05:00

Wow...I had planned to start off the summer strong with some poetry, continuing a story I started a long time ago, some reading, and study. I was derailed by a stomach virus.

HD got really sick and dehydrated. I initially thought it was overheated from soccer. I now know it was viral. We had him at the urgent care on the business end of an IV last Sunday. Then by the wee hours of Tuesday morning the virus had hit me HARD. Next victim, Tuesday night/Wednesday morning...Scott.

Today is the first day that I feel like a real person again. Scott still looks a little puny, but had to go back to work today. H.D. is bored just a few days into summer. I need to get a study schedule in stone for him so that we have no excuses to be bored.

Laundry, cleaning, and disinfecting our house before the weekend have become priorities. Oma and Papa are stopping through on their way home to help with H.D. watching while I have meetings Monday and Tuesday night. I hope the weather stays as beautiful while they are here as it has been the last week. Mild, cool, and rainy every once in a while.

Well, I hope to start writing soon...I will share when I have something worthy. Until then...I am resuming work on a landscaping project my Aunt Bon and I started last weekend. When there are pictures to share I will be sure to do that!

Hope all is well where ever you are...
Peace
dw

ADORABLE REECE

2009-05-28T14:59:00.001-05:00

I need to find a baby contest to submit this to...

Nebraska State Track Meet...

2009-05-25T12:59:00.013-05:00

My cousin Tyler graduated this month, won class B high jump, and tied for overall at state this weekend.

It was the first time that I had gotten to see him jump and I am so perplexed at how someone that tall jumps that high.

See for yourself.

Let 70s hair dude tell you about it!

We are proud of you Ty.

But of course!!! More Reece

2009-05-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

This is Reece's Glamour Shot.

This is what he really thinks...

Papa and Oma enjoying Reece. Do you think they picked out matching shirts on purpose? I sincerely hope not, that is just too dorky.

Reece Means...

2009-05-20T06:01:00.005-05:00

I looked up "Reece" on a name meaning website. Apparently, it is Welsh and means Enthusiasm. I can hardly wait to see him and love on him. Look at that hair! It looks a little red...Tee Hee!

The Cutestest Darn Family!

I am crackin' out my calendar and pinning down a time to come.

Papa sent a way better picture...

aunt d

WELCOME BABY REECE !!!

2009-05-19T12:27:00.007-05:00

Reece Vernon Osborn was born at 11:49 a.m. is 7 lbs and 8oz. LOOKS like his DAD!

This is the picture that Dan texted us just minutes ago...

LATER THAT DAY!!! According to Aunt Dayna- Reece is 20" long and has a massive dome, so big head was an appropriate nickname.
:) More pictures to come in the days to come.
d

UPDATE

2009-05-19T10:09:00.004-05:00

They broke Heather's water about 45 minutes ago. She went from 5 to 8 in about 45 mins. Got her epidural 15 min ago, and maybe we will have a baby in a couple of hours!!!

YAY!

I just talked to Heather and she was feeling pretty good, minus the itchy sensation and a little loopy feeling from the epidural. She was telling me about the intensity of the contractions...and we are excited to finally get to get to see him.

Big Head's Birthday!

2009-05-19T08:00:00.005-05:00

I have taken to calling Baby Boy Osborn "Big Head" for a variety of reasons:
1. He is no longer gummy bear sized so that name was out.
2. His Mama and Daddy will not tell me what his name is going to be. Not even a hint, well yes a hint. Dan said his name starts with a letter. What is that?...
3. He has a rather big head...he was measuring a bit big all the way around.
4. It was funny.

So it is Big Head's Birthday today. I got off the phone with Daddy at about 7:30 this morning and Mama was dilated to 4 and I could hear the thump thump thump of the baby monitor. I was so excited this morning that I contemplated calling in to work, hopping a plane to Dallas and just showing up. I talked myself out of it though. Frivolous, and would make Heather's head explode.

I will keep updating as I hear more info...not that anyone is keeping track, but it makes me feel busy. Maybe Aunt Dayna is keeping track, or Aunt Robin.

:)

Peace, Love, and Laboring.

D

Poetry

2009-05-15T12:06:00.004-05:00

It is spring and poetry is in the air. We are on a poetry unit with my freshman classes and that always makes me excited and gets my writer's juices flowing.

I found this poem and instantly fell in love.

What Do Women Want?
by Kim Addonizio

I want a red dress.
I want it flimsy and cheap,
I want it too tight, I want to wear it
until someone tears it off me.
I want it sleeveless and backless,
this dress, so no one has to guess
what's underneath. I want to walk down
the street past Thrifty's and the hardware store
with all those keys glittering in the window,
past Mr. and Mrs. Wong selling day-old
donuts in their café, past the Guerra brothers
slinging pigs from the truck and onto the dolly,
hoisting the slick snouts over their shoulders.
I want to walk like I'm the only
woman on earth and I can have my pick.
I want that red dress bad.
I want it to confirm
your worst fears about me,
to show you how little I care about you
or anything except what
I want. When I find it, I'll pull that garment
from its hanger like I'm choosing a body
to carry me into this world, through
the birth-cries and the love-cries too,
and I'll wear it like bones, like skin,
it'll be the goddamned
dress they bury me in.

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T22:03:00.005-05:00

I got a great Mother's Day prezzie. A lovely antique pie safe, a beautiful card, and a coupon for help. We went to see Star Trek. It was awesome. All in all a great Mom's day.

The pie safe fills the space in the dining room better than the old china cabinet. I will display some collectibles, maybe my antique glass items on top, but for now I put my hurricane lamp up there. Incidentally, all the things that were in my china cabinet fit in the new (old) pie chest.

I think I will bring the old Blatz beer crate I have in the basement. It is the one thing we asked for from my grandpa's things. It just might fit right under the pie chest. :)

d

NETA

2009-04-23T10:13:00.003-05:00

Today and tomorrow I am attending the Nebraska Educators Technology Convention. So far so good! I was engaged by the keynote speaker and I am attending the first session that he is presenting. I am excited to get some ideas to take back to school and share with my students and fellow teachers.

Happy Spring Morning.

2009-04-21T10:00:00.004-05:00

This morning I was driving to school listening to Bono sing Magnificent from the new U2 album No Line on the Horizon. As he was singing "Magnificent" a little robin bird landed in the middle of the road, right next to the car stopped in front of me. Robin proceeded to hop across the crosswalk, crossing the street to join his friends sitting on the terrace next to the street eating bugs. I smiled and laughed a little. He used the crosswalk. Amazing...

Magnificent...Really.

The Cleaner

2009-04-16T22:06:00.000-05:00

Even as a little kid I could sniff out problems.

d

Mamas and the Papas

2009-04-15T21:21:00.005-05:00

What wisdom...

I was looking for my iTunes for some inspiration for life.

A kid told me I was weird today...True. Then I started to think about what makes me, me. I started thinking about all the stuff that weighs me down every day.

Sometimes friends leave your life when you don't want them to, and then others reappear, you make new friends and burn old bridges. Daily life gets hard sometimes. I want to be a better diabetic, by better I mean more responsible ALL the time, not just when it suits me.

I am behind on my grad work, behind in grading, feeling like I am behind on me. I really want to lose some weight and become healthier, I want to teach myself how to embroider tea towels. I want to paint my bedroom. I want to clean out my closets. I want to start singing again. I want to remember to put lotion on every morning. I want to wake up without feeling tired. I want to work on the landscaping on my terrace. I want to start writing again...

Then I clicked on Make Your Own Kind of Music in my iTunes.

Nobody can tell ya
There's only one song worth singing
They may try and sell ya
Cause it hangs them up to see someone like you

But you've gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own special song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along

You're gonna be nowhere
The loneliest kind of lonely
It may be rough going
Just to do your thing's the hardest thing to do

But you've gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own special song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along

So if you cannot take my hand
And if you must be going
I will understand

You've gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own special song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along

You've gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own special song
Make your own kind of music

Thats what I am doing.

Cass Elliot sure knew how it is.
*Making my own kind of music* Don't let it hang you up to see someone like me...I am just trying to be me, for me!

d

Hilarious

2009-04-10T13:58:00.007-05:00

We love Flight of the Conchords. That Jemaine Clement is one funny guy. I was missing some of my good friends from school...S.P. I have been Google Chatting with nightly, but I was having VT withdrawals. I emailed to see how he was doing and let him know that I am still alive. What I got back was an email that contained a link to the following...

Needless to say I about peed myself laughing. You be the judge. Click on the "View Site" button above.

I think this is the best though.

Bugz the Musical

2009-04-06T11:01:00.005-05:00

H.D. was the horsefly in the 2nd and 3rd grade musical this week. I was going to video tape it, but that was before my bout with super germ. I did not get to school to borrow a video camera and we do not have one. C'est la Vie...Aunt B was the sicky chauffeur.

I have pictures that Aunt B took on my camera instead. He had a great time and I think he was the best costume! Of course that is also because I made the wings and put together the ensemble c/o of things we had lying around, parts from old costumes, and a quick trip to Goodwill (cowboy boots in just his size!). I am not sure about the makeup, one of the other moms did it. If I had been thinking we would have done a mustache and stuff at home but, oh well.

Enjoy...we did.

H.D.'s line in the musical was "*Whinny* I'm a horsefly and I hurt anyone who with me tangles." Which rhymed with the gypsy moth's line before...something something "spangles."

:)

Sick of Being...

2009-04-03T19:59:00.003-05:00

SICK!

I went to the doc on Tuesday for my dumb foot. It has been bothering me for a while. Turns out I have posterior tibial tendonitis in my foot. That was good news. It is getting better...Anyway Tuesday night I started with a scratchy throat and fever...Wednesday fever, cough, body aches, SLEPT ALL DAY...Thursday off to the doc. Upper Respiratory Infection and she prescribed antibiotics. About 2:30 the antibiotics hit and I was sick sick sick...(I will leave it at that).
Today the crippling headache hit. My forehead feels like it is splitting in half. My cough is disgusting and I am irritated, I want to be feeling good. I am tired of not feeling good. AND it is supposed to Snow tomorrow. SNOW...seriously...

I think I would like to have some Hot and Sour soup.

d

Soccer Saturday and Other Nonsense.

2009-03-30T11:29:00.003-05:00

So Saturday H.D. had his first soccer practice and game. He absolutely LOVED it. It was freezing cold, about 28-30 degrees. He was dressed in the following. A long sleeved t-shirt, his team t-shirt, his shin guards, socks over, his shorts, his long athletic pants, a fleece hat, his fleece neck warmer, and gloves. Most of the other little boys were wearing their coats over, but not H.D. He was running like a maniac and he "was not cold" which I suppose is a good thing. He at one point took off his neck warmer, and held it for a little while while he was waiting to go back in to the game, and then promptly put it back on...his temperature gauge was working.

After the game...we ate, had fun talking about the game, and did a little shopping.

Scott and I had date night thanks to Aunt B who said H.D. could come and hang there for a while. To quote H.D. "You guys never go on date night very much." So True. We saw Watchmen. It was ok...not as good as I had hoped.

Sunday, I spent my day making a horsefly costume for H.D.'s school musical this week. Taupe pantyhose, coat hanger, pliers, duct tape, ribbon, and a sharpie...VIOLA! Horsefly wings. More to come on the musical later this week. I hope to publish the video in QuickTime format later this week or next.

Hope everyone is doing well...
d

My guy...

2009-03-27T20:43:00.005-05:00

I forgot that H.D. and I were messing with the photo booth application after we woke up a few weeks ago. This is a really cute picture that came out of all that silliness.

Tonight we went to dinner together, and I got a haircut. I had a beer with dinner and he was getting a bit upset. He said, "Mom, I do not want you to get D.R.U.N.K." as he spelled drunk he whispered. I forget about how sensitive he is. He was quiet and looking sad. Sheesh...I reassured him that one beer was ok...for adults. :)

d

Special Request for Dink

2009-03-19T18:08:00.013-05:00

Last weekend we had the baby shower for my brother Dan and sis-in-law Heather. We all had a great time visiting, laughing, and spending time with each other which we don't get to do as often as we would like. For some reason we cracked out the laptop at various times over the weekend and took some HILARIOUS pictures with the isight camera and the application photo booth. Many a person laughed so hard they may have peed a little.

Dink, my sister, had a special request for the "fur googles" picture of my brother. So here it is...

This was my favorite...but there is another, of course.

Another that cracks me up is the Alien Baby.

Poor Lil' E.

HAHAHAHAHA

One of me so as not to pick on my poor family too much.

My crazy tiny mouth and giant eyes...LOL.

Can't leave tripod eyed Dayna aka: Dink out of the picture.

And a foursome of weirdos.

MaRo (our grandma), Dan, and H.D. all got together looking pretty crazy.

Everyone in this picture suffers from Large Marge Cranium Syndrome. : )

Last but not least...A.P's (aka: Aunt Linda) shrunken head picture. No one tell her it is posted here...It was a miracle I caught her on film willingly.

So now everyone knows how weird and twisted my entire family really is.

Man I love them. *Smile*

d

Boy Scouts

2009-03-17T10:21:00.004-05:00

Last night the Boy Scouts had raptors come to visit. Harrison LOVED it and did such a great job. I sat down with the boys because I wanted to see and talk to HD. He is the only boy in his den at the moment, so while all the other boys in the pack sat in their dens together, he was a bit lonely. I wanted to be close because there was a little screech owl, and I LOVE OWLS.

Chinook the Screech Owl

I think that this Red Falcon's name is Rusty...(I will have to ask H.D. tonight)

Baby Shower!

2009-03-15T18:24:00.010-05:00

Baby Boy Osborn was showered with love and gifties this weekend.

We had a great time and following is the evidence.

Candy Bar Doody.

Oma and Aunt Dee inspecting doody.

REALLY...inspecting doody.

For all you Firefly fans...

Congrats Dan and Heather.
We Love you.

Hilarious Morning

2009-03-13T09:21:00.010-05:00

H.D. and I are at my folks. We got here Wednesday night in preparation for my sister-in-law, Heather's, baby shower. I made the cake yesterday, I think it might be my best yet! I will post pics tomorrow.

Mom and I prepped all food last night. Washed fruit and veg, put together red pepper, artichoke bruschetta and bacon dip so that all we have to do is put them in the oven. We are all set so that when the bro and sis-in-law, sis and bro-in-law, girls, and Scott get here we can relax and play games or do whatever we want.

I had one weird arse dream this morning that deserves some air time, but it is so weird that I am not sure that I can sum it up in a good way this soon after. I will think on it a bit and try to post it later.

So after we got up I was listening to Across the Universe on my computer and H.D. loves to make crazy faces in the camera on my MacBook. Here are some of our latest creations for your viewing pleasure.

I think he could create some kickin' crazy art.

d

Awwww...Little HD Rocker

2009-03-02T22:51:00.008-06:00

I was searching in my old photo files for a picture of my sister's baby shower cake. I did not find it, but what I did find was another cake picture. I had been looking for this one. *sings* Spiderman Spiderman, friendly neighborhood Spiderman. It was one of my favorites for a variety of reasons. Numero Uno - H.D. LOVED IT! Two, the icing was so bright that it dyed people's poo. Probably not the most healthy, but hilarious.

Then I found this ADORABLE picture of H. Santa brought him drums when he was a wee one; about 2 and 1/2. He loved that set. Look at him go!

Scary Friday

2009-03-01T16:00:00.003-06:00

So Friday after school H.D. and I had a weird allergy scare. They had dollars for doughnuts at school and I forgot to send money for H.D. to buy a doughnut. Dollars for doughnuts was originally scheduled for a week ago, and then we had a snow day. I spaced the reschedule, so after school we went to Krispie Kreme for a doughnut. After the doughnutty goodness we went to the pet store to look at a few things, and then off to Old Navy. Old Navy always has cheap dog collars and H.D. loves to change Bijou's "necklace" according to holidays and seasons. We were looking for a shamrock "necklace" which we found for 5 bucks. Good deal.

While in Old Navy I heard H.D. sniff and turned to look at him. The whites of his eyes were firey red, and he had hives on his lower eyelids, under his eyes, and moving down to his cheek bone. I freaked out a little, but tried not to scare him. I drove him straight to Peds Express. It was 5 p.m. when we got there. Unfortunately Peds Express does not open until 6 p.m. The ER nurse looked at him and said to sit close by in case we needed her. That made me a little more scared. She mentioned anaphylactic shock and sheeeesh who knew that something like that could happen so fast. We waited an hour and by then the hives were almost gone. The doc looked at him though and could tell that he was reacting to something. H.D. was rubbing his eye again and the hives started to pop back up so that made me feel like I was not crazy. The doc did get to see them. Benadryl, a prescription for an allergy med, nasal spray, and singular and we were on our way.

It was snowing...We had to drive to 2 Walgreens locations to finally get one of the prescriptions. It was an interesting Friday.

H.D.'s Homework

2009-02-23T20:01:00.006-06:00

Tonight H.D.'s homework included reading for 25 minutes and writing a summary. This is nothing new, but his choice of reading was. This Christmas, Scott gave H.D. a beautiful hardbound copy of C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. H.D. chose to start reading that this evening. I worried about the realization that this was not a picture book, and the whining that would follow. There was absolutely no whining and he really enjoyed himself. He read 2 full pages of The Magician's Nephew.

We had to have a discussion about what it means to be "mad" not angry mad, but crazy "mad." We also talked about rafters and attic spaces. It was enlightening for an 8 year old who has never really explored an attic before. I am going to have to explain a lot of British vernacular but it is worth it.

H.D. was really proud of his summary, and as I watched him tonight I got a little misty. He is certainly growing up fast. Those adult teeth that were barely showing just a few months ago are a little more than half way in. As I talked to him and observed him it dawned on me how much he reminds me of my little brother. (That is such an oxymoron as adults but I like it.) H.D. shares a lot of things with my little brother, and especially reminds me of Dan as a little kid. Gap Tooth Grins, sensitive and loving nature (except for when my brother was beating on me or sitting on my head), musical arm farts, laughing at silly silly boy jokes, a creative thinker, and an all around fun guy.

Wow, my Monday turned out pretty amazing.

d

Friday Night Excitement

2009-02-21T12:10:00.006-06:00

Last night Harrison and I did nothing special. We did a bit of relaxing. Harrison played computer games and I watched Friday night programs. Harrison likes Ghost Whisperer, so weird that a kid would like a show like that, so we watched it. Then I watched Doll House. It is a new Joss Whedon show, and last night was much better than the first episode. It is starting to get interesting, I am so excited. I love Joss Whedon shows. First I loved Dark Angel, then FireFly.

So Harrison was off to bed and I was left to my own devices. I should have been grading papers, but my Friday's are the longest days of the week at school. I see every single class of students I have on Friday. I decided I could relax. I watched The Incredible Shrinking Woman on HBO family.

It was a throw back to my childhood.

I am still singing Galaxy Glue, Galaxy Glue, What would you do without your Galaxy Glue.

:o) Oh the memories.

d

Bijou Update

2009-02-16T09:17:00.013-06:00

So I have had people ask recently how our dog is doing. She is great. A little history for those of you that do not know.

Bijou is our 9 1/2 year old Dalmatian (Papa calls her a Damnation).

She is a good girl, a bit stubborn and some people equate stubborn with dumb.

She had a lump on her back the size of a golf ball last year and we took her to the vet. Vet said it was a fatty tumor, after a needle "bibliopsy" (sorry could not resist a My Big Fat Greek Wedding reference) ahem...a needle biopsy.

So what do you do with a fatty tumor in the middle of a Dalmatian's back? A big fat nothing. Pun intended.

Until it grows...and grows...and grows. I think you get the picture.

October came and for Halloween Bijou went as a camel. She looked horrible. Here is where I would insert a picture if I had one. (I do I just have to wait till I get back to school to scan it in.)

November came and the hump started applying for its own zip code. I got worried one day when I was letting Bijou in from outside and it looked like she tripped (over nothing) and was dragging her back legs for a few seconds.

Off to the vet!!!

The vet was ASTOUNDED at the size of the hump...(lets call it Horace from here forward). She had one look at Horace and Bijou and decided that although they typically leave fatty tumors alone, Horace needed to be excised and quick because of his rapid growth.

December 11, 2008--- Papa's birthday (my dad) and eviction day for Horace.

I was so worried since it was so close to Christmas and H.D. has already had to deal with the loss of a pet when Caesar died 2 years ago on MLK day suddenly. He still talks about that day, still talks about the loss, and still cries from time to time when he gets nostalgic.

Bijou came out of the surgery doing fine, but did spend the night with them because the surgery was much more evasive than they first thought.

Now is where the gruesome post op pictures come in followed by some awesome 2 month post op pics.

She wore a T-shirt to cover that nastiness up and to keep her back warm...poor baby.

Here she is today.

Hair is still slowly filling in, and she and H.D. are rough housing around as I type with her chewy bone. She is happy as ever, eating cat turd tootsie rolls out of the cat box, and befouling the air of her humans so much so that we have to leave the room.

YAY!...the miracle of Horace's removal.

P.S. Horace was a giant fatty tumor inside which cancer was contained. Bijou requires no additional treatment, she does not have the cancer anywhere else. It was evidentally a type (myosarcoma I think) that does not spread and is not a nasty nasty cancer. I supposed then that means that the fat of Horace was a blessing...he encapsulated the nasty cancer beasties and saved our Bij for a couple more years of time with us!

HUZZAH HORACE.

d

p.p.s. I cracked myself up a couple of times on this one. :o)

Snow Day

2009-02-15T17:51:00.008-06:00

Friday we did not have school because of snow. It wasn't massive snow but was enough to make people nervous and cause accidents. H.D. wanted something to do yesterday, so I sent him out to scoop the walk again.

Doesn't look like he got much scooping done. He wanted to know if he could have hot chocolate when he came in and he wants to know when it will be Spring. Any ideas?

D

p.s. Happy Birthday Aunt B

A fluffy dream...

2009-02-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

I was sitting on the couch last night, so tired that I could hardly lift a finger, literally. I am not sure why.

I was having a dream...an awake dream. It wasn't technically day so I don't know if I can call it a day dream. I was thinking about how beautiful it would be to check into a hotel. A really quiet hotel, with no TV, no phone, no computer, and big, really big fluffy pillows and covers. In my dream I sink into the bed...and SLEEP...and SLEEP...and order room service and SLEEP.

The only thing is in my dream there are windows open and a nice 68 degree breeze, a really light spring rain, and birds chirping in the background.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my dream...

d

Interesting Nebraska History

2009-02-12T08:00:00.008-06:00

This is from one of my favorite blogs. Shorpy Photo Archive-- http://www.shorpy.com/

My friend Steph is from North Platte, and I thought the note (below) written by the photographer was amazing. I wish we still talked that way...

You are the bees knees. d

October 1938 at the Alamo. "Mildred Irwin, saloon singer at North Platte, Nebraska. She entertained for 20 years in Omaha before coming to North Platte." Medium-format safety negative by John Vachon. View full size.

Letter from John Vachon to his wife, Penny:

October 29, 1938

Last night I had an adventure. Of the 1st water. To have it I had to get kind of stiff. And I did, dear. Pretty plastered. But it was all in the line of duty, eminently legitimate and justifiable. About eight o'clock I went into a corner saloon. It was a saloon in the grand tradition. I drank only beer, but great gobs of it. At the piano was a big huge large fat blonde woman of 45 to 50 yrs. With beautiful smeary red makeup on her puss, and huge mammy type bosoms. And her voice, O that you could hear her voice. She has Sophie Tucker in the wastebasket . . .

A real Wednesday...

2009-02-11T15:30:00.012-06:00

It cracks me up that people call Wednesday "hump day" and that Flight of the Conchords have a song called "Business Time" coincidentally about Wednesdays.

Just saying.

So I was thinking today of my blessings. I think that this year I have had more than I first recognized. I was stressed at the beginning of the year...a husband with torn quad and surgery, a son with broken arms, a grad class that was kicking my arse, but it is not in my nature to be negative or let stuff get me down. I started thinking this fine Wednesday about all of the things I am lucky to have and thankful for.

1. A great kid.
2. A loving husband.
2. Amazing parents, siblings, nieces, grandmothers, aunts, uncle, cousins.
3. A gummy bear. (My brother and sis-in-laws term for their wee baby...in utero)
4. My friend Adam, wise sage that he is. He is such an incredible addition to my life, and the kind of friend you have your whole life and grow old enjoying wine and life with.
5. Steph's grounding influence in my life and her friendship. Another keeper...
6. The chance to get to know some amazing kids.
7. Influencing people, one hippie statement at a time.
8. A compassionate heart and mind.
9. My Emily...(not the niece, the "good daughter" my friend since forever) being close in body now not just spirit.
10. Karen and her great work with H.D., she makes such a difference in his life.

I am sure I could continue the list, but the point here is there is a lot to be thankful for, a lot to remember when the weight of negativity attacks me...when the outsiders in my life start to bring me down.

d

The Unveiling of...The Cake!!!

2009-02-08T15:17:00.004-06:00

Ok so the cake was not as bad as I thought it would be. It was definitely a challenge though.

Take a look for yourself! It was a hit with the b-day girl...and that was a relief! It was tasty too. I am kind of hoping that she gets into horses or something someday...I am getting tired of purple and pink icing. Hardy Har HAR. It was my first ever attempt at icing roses and frankly I impressed myself on those.

Happy 5th Birthday to "My Girl"...

New Email

2009-02-03T13:26:00.000-06:00

Cox internet and cable was just too pricey so we have changed. The cox.net email address that you have for me does not work. I will not post my email here for all, but if you are one of my admirers and want my new email...leave me a post and I will email you from my new account.

Cake!?!

2009-02-02T22:15:00.007-06:00

Getting ready to make my niece's birthday cake. I have myself worked into a tizzy.

This is the cake from the website that my sis bought the pieces from....I am going to practice icing roses tomorrow night. Wish me luck. I will take a pic of the finished product if it is ok to show here.

I decided since I was showing off a cake I had not made yet that I would show off some I did make.

This was E's 4th b-day.

This was 3rd...

Her 2nd birthday was the first time I had ever worked with fondant.
I will post her first cake later. It was an experiment and was not my best work, but not my worst either. I have it on the home PC and am to tired to get it at the moment.

I have to find the picks of H.D's cakes, He has had Spiderman, a Flag, and I can't remember the rest. I am going to have to look back at old pics and scan some film in to the computer so I can post a montage of cakes I have made.

D

Inauguration Tuesday

2009-01-22T14:58:00.002-06:00

HD was excited and perturbed by the inauguration of our 44th president. After watching at school, and then at home with mom he was pretty well done with all that inauguration business. I was trying to watch news coverage during dinner, he wanted to watch cartoons, and said "Why is it always about Barack Obama?" I think I may have used this line on him one too many times..."It is not always about you!"

It was a good lesson, and he did realize the importance of the event, it was just more than his little 8 year old self could handle for one day. LOL

This was a priceless kid moment that needed to be recorded much like the day that I was telling my friend Adam about a phrase that my dad taught my sister about Ronald Regan when she was quite small (too small to know what she was saying). My dad would ask her what she thought about Ronald Regan and her squeaky little voice would chime in with "Ronald Regan is an @$$40le." At dinner that night Adam turned and asked HD the same question "HD what do you think of Ronald Regan?" and HD's response was "I Dunno, I've never been there."

The things kids say! LOVE IT...Adam insisted that I record both incidents for posterity and future chuckles.

Holiday Greetings From Our Family

2008-12-27T19:33:00.004-06:00

I have been taking a blogging sabbatical while I try to get control of the things that NEED to be done.

I thought though I would share with you our holiday photo. As many of my friends and family know I take the environment, recycling, reducing and reusing quite seriously, as evidenced by my request that Santa bring me a red wiggler composter for my basement. At any rate I have not sent out a holiday card in some years for just this reason.

It seems that this is a perfect venue to send out the Holiday greetings to all that I normally would via mail.

We had a great time with my family this Christmas. HD and I were blessed to get to spend a few extra days at Papa and Oma's house with Uncle Dan (my brother) and Aunt Heather (my sister-in-law). We played wii, looked at baby things (Uncle Dan and Aunt Heather are expecting their first baby due in May) and ate a lot of food. My sister and her family joined us Tuesday and Scott and Vincent on Wednesday. It was a time of laughter and merriment.

Again We hope that the year treated you as well as it treated us, and Happy Holidays!

Head is Spinning

2008-12-11T08:36:00.005-06:00

I have not blogged in some weeks, feels like years. I am trying to push my way out of my hole. I have so many things on my mind and plate currently that I go to bed with a headache and wake with one.

Recently I took H.D. to the art supply store. He loves looking at the things there and planning out his creativity. He really wants one of those posable drawing mannequins. The really small desktop versions. It was so cute that how can you say no? Well I did in honor of Christmas.

I did let him get a sketch book, some charcoal pencils, and little smudgers to experiment with. Now there are smudgy and smeared pictures lining the first 5 pages of the book. One of the drawings is a huge building, a skyscraper I think. Below it underground is the devil, and above it in the sky is what looks like a fly. I am told that the fly is God. Interesting...I think that he is exploring perspective *LOL*.

Another drawing is a lighthouse. It was really not too bad.

The Nutcracker, a little scary, but I think it was the teeth that set me off. I have this thing about really gnarly looking teeth and that one had some whoppers.

H.D. has had this obsession with Nutcrackers for ages. He loves them, wants one, and this year his 3rd grade class took a field trip to "The Nutcracker". He loved it.

Well that is all I have time for today. I am watching over my freshman students as they do the prewriting, rough draft of their final essay exam. The mod is almost over and I feel compelled to grade a paper or two in the time remaining.

Peace.
d

P.S. I was feeling quite cold, and in honor of warmer days a cute pic of my nieces E & E. Enjoy!

Yay!

2008-12-05T12:43:00.002-06:00

My brother and sister-in-law are going to have a baby! WHOO HOO! It has been a long rode for them, and I can relate.

Congrats and looking forward the end of May and to coming down in June to hold a wee baby!

D

Halloween

2008-11-19T11:52:00.006-06:00

I am home sick today...day 2. My munchkin gave me a horrible horrible cold. I was at a conference on Monday and suffered through the day on Zicam, Ricola, Coffee, and Puffs. Then things got worse and Tuesday I was out of bed for a total of maybe 5 hours. UGH. Cough, Goo, Aches...ridiculous.

I thought in honor of feeling so icky, and H.D. returning to school today (he was the perpetrator of the illness and stayed home Monday and Tuesday) I would post some Halloween pictures for all.

HD and his teacher