Life A Bloom

Snow dog

2012-01-15T07:49:00.000-06:00

My dog loves the snow. We took Josie up to the park to frolic in the fresh, untouched fluffy snow. She ran around and messed up the perfection of an untouched snowy field. To see her ears flying as she ran around... it is joyful.

Doggie Happiness

2012-01-11T05:54:00.000-06:00

We took Josie our dog to the dog park on Sunday. This weather is so nice - nice enough to bring her out to run and play with other four-legged friends. It was so nice, Jon and I, to walk from our house to the local dog park.

I brought my camera with me, and busted out the telephoto lens. Boy, that was FUN. I took 200 pictures while we stood around and watched the dogs frolic. Twas fun.

The look of joy on Josie's face was awesome. To see her happy makes me smile too.

What have you done lately to bring a smile to your face?

Expanding my Skills

2012-01-07T07:56:00.000-06:00

For Christmas this year, I cashed in my credit card points and purchased a Canon EOS Rebel T3 camera. I am so excited to take my love of snapping pictures to the next level. Jon was fully supportive, as he always tells me that I fill my time with obligations, but not hobbies.

Since it has been a snow-free winter so far, a few days after Christmas we went hiking in Kenosha, WI to Petrified Springs and to the harbor to take pictures. It was fun, and we both enjoyed being out in the calm winter weather.

Today, I signed up for a camera class at Art's Camera Plus. There is nothing like starting with the basics. I know enough to be dangerous, but not skilled. So I am excited to pursue photography and develop past my point-and-shoot abilities.

Above are two of the photos from our hike. I have a ba-zillion, but they take forever to load so I will just share these two with you.

Are you pursuing any items from your bucket list this year?

Autopilot turned off

2011-11-28T18:50:00.000-06:00

I had a wonderful and tradition-changing Thanksgiving holiday. When I get a moment, I will upload with more details and photos, but mom and I spent the holiday up by my sister and we went to Door County for a girls week. Originally, I was planning on going to the cabin. Alas, plans change, and even though I missed out over in Western Wisconsin, we celebrated over in Green Bay.

I drove to work this morning for the first time in over a week, and it did not feel like autopilot. I guess I have had autopilot on for a while, and to appreciate my drive with a different sense caught me a bit off guard.

One thing I appreciated very much about my holiday was spending time with my mother and sister. For almost a whole week! It was so very special and dear to create positive, loving memories with them. And to spend almost a whole week together - incredibly rare, and every moment was filled with appreciation for the women we are, not looking back on sorrow, but really living the week appreciating each other. Wow. It was amazing, and so good for my heart.

Hence, my autopilot was turned off.

I will get the actual trip pictures of Door County up soon. Right now, they are on my camera, and I am taking the free 10 minutes I have to open my heart a little bit more and tell you what I was up to.

I hope all of you were surrounded with those you love over the holiday, and if for some reason you were not, that your heart knows of the happiness you share with those you love.

Daylight

2011-11-10T07:16:00.000-06:00

Grrr. I was mentally ready for colder weather, but not mentally ready for daylight savings time. I am not a fan of driving to work in the pitch dark only to drive home in the pitch dark. I really need to make a point to swing by the windows throughout the day to appreciate the light of day!

These were fall sunrises I took a few weeks ago before daylight savings time. I found a beautiful spot on my drive in to pull over and snap a few shots.

Have a beautiful day!

Belated Birthday

2011-11-07T20:35:00.000-06:00

In typical fashion, I am just getting around to cleaning off my camera from a month ago. Not like it is too delayed. It is not like finding a roll of film in a camera - remember when you used to use film cameras?! I would have film sitting in the camera for years. Now I am on a one-month delay. Dare I say, "impressive?"

For my birthday, we went out for breakfast at our favorite breakfast place - Manny's in Twin Lakes, WI. Fantastic food, outrageous portions, and they even have flavored coffee creamers. Why yes! Below, Jon and I at Manny's. Then, since Jon, Mom and Dad let me drive for my birthday, I got to choose where we went next. I dragged them over to Petrified Springs, which is next to the University of Wisconsin Parkside campus. It is a beautiful place. Jon and I took our engagement photos in the park, and he liked taking those pictures even less. The few pics I got were very nice, and my parents even enjoyed it.

Fall is always too short, and there is some magical beauty in walking through the woods in fall. It has always been my favorite season. It was a perfect way to celebrate.

Even though it is a month old, and now while there are just a few withered, yellow leaves left on the trees, I could not resist sharing a few snapshots in time to document the perfect birthday, surrounded by beauty, with the people I love.

What have you done lately with your loved ones? Anything special to mark the time?

Get Your Silly On

2011-10-27T06:52:00.000-05:00

In the week before Halloween, I protested putting out decorations, but now I am getting ready to celebrate. I put a few calls out and I am trying to coordinate a small group of friends to come over to carve pumpkins. This is not a typical or annual event, so it is like brand new! Tomorrow is also our work Halloween dress up / pot luck. I actually planned a costume this year - in it to win it!

So this morning, I had a few minutes to start off my day, and I wanted to put a post up on my blog. I was not entirely sure what direction it would take, but when I was scrolling through my albums, I found some silly pictures that will hopefully brighten your day.

Above, me and my nephew Robert. He is one of the silliest people I know. Here we are making monster cookies before going to the cabin this summer. He loves to come over and cook with his aunt Kelly. I love cooking with him too. Usually, we make monster cookies or pokemon pancakes. He has to design the pokemon pancakes because I have no idea what they are supposed to look like! It is always silly and we laugh a lot.

That very same up north adventure, we had a sighting of the fancy wheels above. Yup, that is silly.

This silly photo is at work, where my department was playing a practical joke. The explanation would be so long, it would not be funny. But trust me, it was a hoot.

I already cannot wait for the holidays. Last year, our family had so much fun together. Now that my sister is married, and my brother has a steady girlfriend, we have more people for the holidays. And everyone brings something different to the day. Last year, it was one of the most memorable days for me.

This was at the Harley Davidson museum, and I went for a work thing. So, rather than overly posing in a typical plastic smile next to this motorcycle, I hopped on and pretended to be zooming through the hall. I LOVE it - I laugh at the memory of being silly.

So, there you go - the silly and completely random pictures I found on my drive. What is the purpose? They are some of my absolute favorites, showing unabashed humor, no self doubt, and capture the free-spirit. It never fails to bring a smile to my face to see these later.

And that is priceless!

What are some of your favorite silly photos or memories?

Contemplate the Perfect Change

2011-10-19T13:21:00.000-05:00

I might have told you earlier about my new kitchen island. I am so pleased with this change!

This was my first ever purchase on Craig's List. It was quite the adventure. I took a buddy, the pictures were accurate, and the price was reasonable. It was a win for me! Yea!

As you can see, I have a built-in kitchen hutch and we had a round table in a square room - this was not the most efficient use of space, but it was what we had until we could decide what we wanted to do.
Jon left to go hunting, and I found an AMAZING deal that I HAD TO HAVE. I called in for some help, let Jon know, and had everything arranged before Jon could come home. I got the table moved out and the island moved in and...presto! It is a move I am happy to have finally made.
It has changed my cooking life.Wow- a kitchen triangle workspace is amazing!

Sometimes it does pay to wait to live in a space to figure out what will make it the most effective. Granted, we could move faster on many of our projects, but it was we can handle, our funds can afford, and I am loving it when we complete a project.

It is a perfect set-up for us. Now, I have to find tall stools. Right now you can see our old green chairs that are staged so we could figure out how much space to use, but totally do not work now. Not quite perfect, but certainly a huge step in the right direction!

Next I think I have found a baker's rack at The Container Store that is my next dream purchase. That would replace the microwave stand in the back corner. I think it would compliment the built in hutch and balance out the room. First things first though. Tall stools.

Are you one to implement a quick change, or contemplate a perfect change?

10 Minutes to Tidy

2011-10-12T14:34:00.000-05:00

10 minutes can tidy my to-do list, eliminate my stressors, and immediately see results. Sounds promising, right?

I’ve been floundering lately at home. My focus has shifted off-course a bit, and I’ve become lazy in my organizing. Namely, putting things away, but where do they go? Oh yeah, that would mean I would have a good SYSTEM of places for things to go. So things are more stressful than they have to be.

We’ve been on a 5-S kick at work, with LEAN efforts to eliminate waste, such as in my manufacturing environment. So, I’ve cleaned my desk and created color-code files, and labels. Labels are everywhere! At my work desk, my stuff has homes! Wow…it is amazing how much more organized I feel, ready and charged to tackle the mountains of work. (Really, it sounds amazing, but it probably does not look like a desk as would be featured in Real Simple. I promise.) But it is light years better than it was. And for that, I can tackle my work with more efficiency and find things faster. In theory.

Really, I just like getting to my desk in the morning and not have the stress of yesterday still left out.

So, let’s go back to organizing my house. I have been fall cleaning like mad the last few weeks, and the organizing kick continues. It feels so good to organize! (I never thought I would say that. I am living my old nightmares!) I even went to the Container Store and slowly browsed each aisle to appreciate what the product could do for me. I could see the potential, absorb what the product could do for me, and really start to imagine my life in neatly organized systems, shelves, tubs, and bins.

Proudly, I only walked out with a few items, of which I could tackle immediately and see the results. I found controlled and precise organization from minimal purchases for maximum results. Yeah me! And I actually went home and put the items in place within 2 days. That is really good.

I know I have many areas to get to, but to see the results of my minimal effort feels nothing short of amazing.

With the few changes I did my kitchen feels more organized, accessible and immediate. I also have to tribute it to a larger purchase – we eliminated our kitchen table and purchased a kitchen island on Craig’s list. It has 2.5 cabinets with a counter for two stools! It has changed my kitchen dramatically, for the better. Pictures to follow.

My 10 minutes this morning I was able to accomplish: dishes done, coffee made, lunches assembled, and the garbage ready to take out.

I cannot wait to put in 10 minutes when I get home to see what I can do. I know I will not walk into a mess in my kitchen, which will help change my outlook. My dining room table has gotten pretty full lately. 10 minutes can really tidy it up.

How do you make 10 minutes do amazing things for you?

A Free Hour

2011-09-28T06:54:00.001-05:00

I snapped this photo on my way to work a few days ago, and while the photo is nice, in my mind's eye, it is much more colorful and sharp. The photo still turned out pretty.

This morning I have a free hour, which is not usually the case. I used it to tidy up the kitchen, make lunches, made myself a latte and oatmeal, and the compose a post for my site. Really, I am waiting for Kitchen Aid help line to open up in a few minutes so I can turn on my mixer and let them hear it over the phone. I tried to call customer service on my lunch hour, and I thought it was the strangest request - but it makes total sense!

So - that is how I spent my free hour this morning. What do you do with a free hour in your day?

From the Field

2011-09-22T15:26:00.000-05:00

Muhahaha! Shout out to the 80's!

I was out photographing a site for work today, and I did not realize I needed to bring my safety glasses with me. My contact on-site handed over this pair. Hey, it got me into the shop, and that is really all that matters.

Sincerely, I really love what I do - can't you tell!

So Long Summer Fun

2011-09-19T09:34:00.000-05:00

So long summer concerts. Not that I took in too many. Really I only went to one. This is from the Montgomery Gentry concert at the Walworth County fair. It was hot. The music was great. We went with several friends and had a blast.

For the Labor Day holiday weekend, I went with a girlfriend to the Bristol Renaissance Faire, at the WI/IL border. It is like 25 minutes from home, and this is the first time I have ever been. It was awesome! Not going to lie, I felt out-of-place because I did not go in costume, because I was in regular modern day clothes. The people watching was spectacular, the live performances were great, and of course, the delicious food. I really enjoyed it. It was definitely stepping out of the norm.

Below: I took this sunrise picture on my way to work last year, and it remains one of my favorites. The sunrises have been spectacular the last two weeks. Have you noticed any amazing sunrises?

Straight from the garden. Check out the variety! Turnips, Swiss chard, tomatoes, peppers, onions, tomatoes! Creative cooking is on the list. With the weather changing as fast as it is, this is the last of the amazing summer colors. I think this is the end of our tomatoes.

For some reason, Blogger will not let me put a caption above. Well, that is me with my one fair food item for the year. A foot long corn dog! It was so tasty.

I made my first batch of steel cut oats of the year. I missed oatmeal.

Are you enjoying the change in seasons? What will you miss? What are you excited for?

Girl Time

2011-09-15T12:50:00.002-05:00

I choose to make my life what I want it to be. That is not always the easiest way, and sometimes I flounder, but overall, I try to do a lot of stuff that interests me. I love volunteering, and I spend my time on the Park Board, and on the Parish Council. I like to know what is going on and be part of things. I try to get to pilates class and book club. I spend some free time working out, and I attempt to garden. Sometimes I even fix things around the house. Watch out when I get my sights set on something, as I tend to be fairly focused.

One area that I am not great at is adding GIRL TIME! This month, I actually fit some girl time in, and it was fantastic. I forgot how fulfilling and meaningful it is to hang out with women I enjoy! It is very energizing and something I really need to do more often.

Below, we are getting together for our "book club," aka - let's watch a movie that was based on a book. Whee! It removes the stress of actually having to read a book, and since some like to read, great. Some don't, great. No biggie. So, don't laugh, but for our first "book club" event, we watched "Twilight." Ha! Only one has not seen it yet. There is a method to the madness though. "Breaking Dawn" comes out in November, so we want to get all of the movies in prior to the release of the next installment. One thing is certain, it is really hard to get 5 busy women together, oofda. So we started last week. It was at my house, and we moved the couch, made popcorn and opened a bottle of wine - pretty perfect. And we are shooting for it again this week. October is gearing up to be jam packed with events and activities, so better get "New Moon" in now. Like I said; focused.

Another shout out for Girl Time this month: Jessica came down to Beloit, WI last weekend! Yea! We had so much fun going to the farmers market, lunching on salads, and taking in some softball. You know it would not be girl time without a salad, come on! It was fun sitting outside watching the softball tournament. It only took me three times to get our picture centered. With this blast of cold air, that could be the last Saturday in shorts. All I can say is bring it on! Thanks Jess, it was awesome to see you.

What have you done lately to fulfill your girl time? Do you have a regular get together? What do you do?

Action in the Kitchen

2011-09-13T15:00:00.002-05:00

I made my first California rolls! It ended up being way easier than I thought it would be, and I didn't even use a bamboo mat. Up to this point of the year, I have not been doing much of the meal planning or preparation, Jon has been doing the bulk of the work. I was excited to tinker in the kitchen again and be creative. Well, sushi is creative!

I didn't can many tomatoes this year. I did make homemade tomato soup, and it was spectacular.

I do not plant eggplant in my garden, and I got this beauty at the local farmer's market. I sliced it length-wise, brushed some olive oil, shook some spice on both sides, and roasted in the oven. Love it! Healthier than chips, but gets crunchy, which is satisfying.

Green beans - I didn't feel like freezing these, so I cooked 'em! I sauteed some with balsamic vinaigrette, sugar, garlic. Yum.

This is what I picked on Sunday. Turnip, Swiss chard, red peppers, tomatoes, yellow pepper, onions, and red cabbage.

This is a Thai curry something that I made. The colors were so pretty, and for being a jar mix, it was delicious! With the fresh veggies, it was so good.

Going to the Fair

2011-09-02T12:58:00.004-05:00

Tonight, with our friends, we are headed to the Walworth County Fair. Yea! Close to home, easy to get to, and it is FUN! Montgomery Gentry is playing tonight, and I am really excited about it. Now the rain just has to hold off. And I have been dreaming of a corn dog for a few weeks. Yum!

This is as far as I have really gotten planning fun activities for the holiday weekend. I am looking forward to getting some productive work in at the house.

Tonight though, hopefully the rain will hold off. I hate wet shoes.

Are you doing anything fun this weekend?

Afters and Befores

2011-08-29T20:25:00.000-05:00

I have had this awesome wicker planter from my grandparents' house,and I finally repainted it -

Almond Bisque

Before: seafoam green

Yours Truly: after

The mop before:

Porch: fresh paint, and planted flowers. I missed putting in spring flowers, and summer. I was not going to miss the fall flowers too! I plan on enjoying the September evenings on the porch.

Chicago Rock N Roll 1/2

2011-08-17T19:29:00.000-05:00

I've been busy...running and running and running....like Forrest Gump, but cool in my own way!

I read Carrie's post about Grandmas, and I was in the midst of training with my pal, Jillian, and I did not want to set up my big race of the year to be defined by failure.

So on one of the many runs Jillian and I were on, we talked about what our strategy would be for the Chicago Rock N Roll 1/2.

We really wanted to HAVE FUN! Enjoy the experience of the race, the people, the environment, and not set us up for disappointment.

So...that is what we did. We did not chase our PR or set a spectacular time, but we. had. FUN!

We brought Jon and Sam, and got a hotel room for the night, enjoyed the race expo, dinner, a little walking around, and ran a great run early the next morning. How can one beat that?! Fun in the city, with the husband and great friends, and participating in something big!

I loved the Rock N Roll event - they even had spirit squads throughout the race! Like high school and college cheerleading squads with signs and uniforms! I loved it. And bands rocked the course, they had a ton of water stops and the course was neat. It was cool running around downtown Chicago. During the last few miles, we ran North along the lakefront by Soldier Field, and the buildings get bigger and bigger and bigger...

We even had an awesome kick at the end! Jillian and I picked it up about 3/4 of a mile out, and then the last of it we hit full stride and sprinted to the finish! It was so cool to pass like 15 other runners - I can remember the feeling of striding out and pumping my arms and really feeling like I could do just about anything! It was a great, freeing.

The temps were awesome too - low 70s and overcast. It was runner's bliss. It sprinkled a few times, which was fine for us running, but spectating not so fun.

That is what I've been doing with the bulk of my free time - planning in my 10 mile runs, cross training, and generally plotting our race. I have to give Jon a huge kudos, it affects him so much when I take on a race like this - we are always working around my workouts. He's cooked more dinners this summer...I think I can count the number of times on my hand the meals I've prepared...

But now school starts for him, so the tables can shift a bit.

I couldn't do an event like this without him...or Jillian!

6th Year Anniversary

2011-06-17T08:24:00.001-05:00

Yea!!! It's our 6 year anniversary today! That's like, 2,190 days of wedded bliss. It is so fun to be married to my best friend. I could not imagine life without Jon!

So I thought I would add a few "us" pictures, and I realize they are all hunting or socializing. We definitely partake in many more activities than this, but they are the photos that were easily accessible today. Enjoy!

Chicago

2011-06-16T07:53:00.000-05:00

I just got back from a trade show in Chicago. Unfortunately, I didn't really have enough free time to get together with any Chicago-dwelling friends. I did fit in a run around Soldier Field on Sunday night and found myself on the pedestrian path that the soccer fans were using to get to the field. Ironically, my local training around my house is relatively flat, and this provided more uphill sections then I usually get. I thought that was funny.

This Friday, Jon and I celebrate our 6th year anniversary! Dang! Time goes so fast. I love being married to my best-est friend.

Hope you all have a great day filled with at least one adventure!

Week in Review

2011-06-08T10:17:00.000-05:00

We went camping this weekend. Jon and I went with our couple-friends. We had 6 adults and a three year old. It is hard to schedule 6 adults, let me tell you, so we camped locally. We went to Bong State Park, which is like, 15 minutes down the road. Then, anyone who had to be somewhere else at any given time, they could leave and come back! Super easy, convenient, and everyone can participate.

It was a warm, hot, muggy weekend, and we didn't really have any plans, but we still enjoyed cooking over the fire, smoking out the mosquitoes and generally hanging out. I really enjoyed myself. We did a 5 mile run around the lake, and that was the most challenging run to date yet. Tall grass, uneven path, hills, heat. It was awesome. Then we hung out at the beach and found the water to be the perfect way to cool off.

Sadly, I did not take even one picture, but that is OK. Because who really looks pretty camping?! Seeing as I do not really enjoy having my picture taken when I do get all dolled up, why on earth when I am camping? Just sayin'.

I've been regularly going to a pilates class on Monday nights. I love Mondays anyway, and this is the perfect way to end my favorite day of the week. I have never paid this much attention to my core before, and I can almost touch my heels down in the downward dog pose. Sometimes, I forget to bring my balance with me, but I really enjoy this class. I even sit with better posture more often, and that alone is worth it.

I've been working on a huge project for my church. I've been co-leading our Parish Plan team, and after a long year of many hours into this project preparing and meeting, we are finally ready to reveal the final to the whole parish community. Whew! I have definitely enjoyed learning, participating, leading, and doing, I am ready for a break from this intense obligation.

I had my regularly scheduled check-up with my specialist this week. Knowledge is power, I am telling you. Since I have been feeling really good, and my crohn's is under control, I came in with a few key questions and had a really good informative session with my Dr. I try to be informed with researching the internet, but crohn's is fickle and individually based. So, research on-line is hit and miss, and does not always apply. It was one of the better appointments, and I really like to know what is going on, what I can do differently to keep things under control, and hopefully, avoid major active flares. Because I certainly do not have/make time to be sick! haha.

Hope all is going well with you all!

I Cleaned off my Camera

2011-06-02T12:57:00.000-05:00

I cleaned off a few images from my camera today, and thought they might bring a chuckle. Mind you, I have many more goofy pictures out there. Maybe I will share them someday.

Jon and I went away for the weekend - a whole 11 miles down the road to Lake Geneva, WI! We stayed at a B&B, relaxed by the lake, and since we went at the end of April, the lake was empty! Now that tourist season has started, this will transform into a busy lake. But for us, it was so quiet.
Um, this is in Las Vegas. I was out there for work back in March, and I actually took a few pictures. The sunset was so pretty that night. And of course, it is not a "normal" pose.

Memorial Day Weekend. Mom and Grandpa at our house. Grandpa even tipped his hat so there wouldn't be any shadows on his face in the picture. We had a few friends and family members over for a cook-out on Monday. We painted our kitchen on Saturday and had everything cleaned up on Sunday with people over on Monday. I need to have parties more often.

I was in Scottsdale, AZ in May, and this is Sunset over Camelback Mountain. One of these trips, I am going to hike it. I just never have/make time.

Spontaneous Visit

2011-05-20T11:05:00.000-05:00

I got a surprise call from a dear friend on Wednesday. Thursday, Carrie was coming to SE Wisconsin!!! Within 24 hours, we were sitting next to each other at the Whitewater baseball stadium. Afterwards, walked around a pond, and went to a local Mexican restaurant. It was so fun to catch up, chat, and just ENJOY the company of a good friend.

Timeless friendship is the best, no?

It was wonderful to connect with Carrie. While we currently do not talk often, we keep some semblance of on-line communication open. However, nothing can replace an in-person visit with a dear friend! It was nice to pick up exactly where we last left off.

It was lovely! Thanks Carrie!

When was the last time you picked up the phone to connect with a dear friend? Call your friend today - it is amazing and you will feel great about it!

PS - anyone up for a conversation to catch up...let's connect!

Good Thing it is Raining

2011-04-26T08:44:00.000-05:00

It is true - April showers do bring May flowers. I am crossing my fingers...we are so close to beautiful spring weather, but first, must experience dreary, rainy days.

It's a glasses kind of day.

Or it could be because I am completely obsessed with a new book series, and my eyes are strained and tired from staying up until the wee hours of the morning - reading the heroic adventures of my newest, favoritest series. And lo and behold, it is an adult series! none of the tween stuff.

Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. Wow. Scottish rebellion, time travel, modern-day heroine. Plot twists in every page. Captivating story with unbelieveable descriptions. LOVE it.

It competes with my ultimate series, The Clan of the Cave Bear, by Jean Auel. Which just came out with the last book in the compelling series last month. I cried. It was a great end to a series I hold dear to my heart. I read that 800 page monster in two days.

Now my eyes are really tired, because the last month, my nose has been buried in a rediculously large book and all of my thoughts are twirlling madly at what will happen next to Claire and Jamie.

Not that I am obsessed or anything a'tall.

Don't call, because you know, I am probably distracted and reading.

My DVR queue is filling up because I cannot "make time" to catch up on all my shows. And now I want to tape the Royal wedding...blast~decisions...

I have not been running much, but found a place on a spin bike in the corner of the gym...peddling my arse off while I flip the pages...

Nope, not obsessed at all.

Domesticated

2011-03-21T14:47:00.000-05:00

Last fall, I drove into work and stopped to snap these lovely photos. I'm just getting around to sharing them with you! Oh well, they are still pretty enough to share.

I am itching to get in my garden. I have wandered a few local greenhouses and garden centers. I have not gotten anything except to dream big. I just love wandering the aisles of supplies, seedlings, garden tools... I find it very fulfilling.

I signed up for the Chicago Rock N Roll 1/2 marathon in August. It is has been good to get back into working out and dedicating some time to the gym. I hadn't realized how much I missed it. I just booked my hotel room for the race, and I am excited to make a weekend of it. I have often thought of doing some destination running and signing up for a race in some distant state. It is always nice to run in new territories, down new roads.

Lately, much of my free time is going towards my Church. I am co-facilitating our strategic plan for our parish. It is more in-depth than I ever imagined, and I am finding it to be extremely rewarding. It is been an amazing process, and for the hours I've logged, it is great to see what we've accomplished.

This weekend, I channeled my inner Betty Crocker - I was too lazy to lug groceries home in the rain, so out of my freezer/pantry, I made some roasted potatoes/sweet potatoes, cold tuna pasta salad, tator tot casserole (Jon's favorite), cranberry upside-down cake, two pans of granola bars, and baked some chicken. HA! I think it would've been easier to go to the store! For as dreary as it was on a rainy Sunday, this was a perfect way to spend my free day. And I didn't even think of making soup since that's my normal go-to on a Sunday.

I had a very impromptu girl day-saturday last week when my sister was home. Mom, Becky, a few girl friends...wine...chick-flick...foot soaks...it was wonderful. I have not had friends over in so long, I almost forgot how much fun it is to entertain.

My quest to keep my dining room table clean and ready at all times to eat is going much better than I ever thought. I am so tired of eating in the living room. So I have pulled out the 50's housewife mantra. Eat at the table -together. I am loving every meal so much more.

I even had Sunday family dinner at my house last week. This typical activy always makes me so happy. Had the parents over, Grandpa came, and it was rather festive and celebratory! And for no obvious reason except to get together.

I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Joyful and Holy Christmas-es

2010-12-23T10:07:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

The week of Christmas preparation is winding down, and I FEEL like I am almost there. I have been tackling small doses of prep at a time and I actually feel ready for the holiday to be here. Keep in mind, I still have a few last minute things to take care of - but they were planned that way.

I am looking forward to spending time with my family, seeing a few friends, coffee & cocoa & cookies. I do look forward to giving out our presents and I always hope the recipient will enjoy what we've picked out for them. I am also looking forward to Christmas Mass, as they sing the familiar holiday songs. They speak to me. (And we only hear them for about a month a year.)

I have enjoyed researching new appetizer recipies. I think I found my niche. I made some mushroom philio dough pockets and cheesy bread cubes for Thanksgiving. They were a hit! So I have been looking for new items to try. And the internet is full of bloggers with awesome recipies. Have you ever gone to the Pioneer Woman's website? www.thepioneerwoman.com I really enjoy. I also really like Iowa Girl Eats - she is very healthy. www.iowagirleats.com This Christmas, I am shooting for something with veggies in it.

I know January is the time for resolutions and whatnot, but I have my sights set on a few items already. I think I have a race or two that I want to run - which means training. And new shoes! I LOVE picking out new running shoes, and I refuse to wear them unless I am working out/running. That is serious motivation for this gal.

And I want to learn how to knit socks. I know! But I HAVE to move past square dishcloths. I even gave up on scarves... I really like smallish projects - not afgans. Somehow that seems so daunting, that I know I would never finish it. So I stay small. For the record, I never make a dishcloth for myself - they make great gifts!!! So back to the socks...I saw a friend of Jon's making them, and I know I COULD do it, I just need to learn how. Plus, the project is small!!! There is a knitting store in Burlington, so come January, I want to go to the knit nights and learn. Learn to do things past small squares that is more challenging and still small...There you have it.

So to you and yours, may your following days be filled with laughter and love, family and friendship. Merry Christmas!

Celebrate Life

2010-11-04T07:31:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite novels references naming years by theme. I would name my year Celebrate Life. My life is GOOD. I have so much to be thankful for, and I am not overly naive in how much life can change-good, bad, and whatnot. My balance in my life centers on appreciation. So many good things can be taken away so quickly, yet out of adversity grows appreciation, love and a change in perspective.

This week is the one year anniversary of my brother's successful brain surgery.

It is strange how vivid almost every moment from that week is permanently etched in my memory bank. I remember whatn I was wearing (I know- like who cares!), what the doctor wore (yellow shirt - really), the expressions on my family's faces and how they changed through the week, who I was talking with on the phone and when, sleeping at the hospital, the strength and will of my parents, feeling the presense of God.

This year I have tried really hard to reflect and appreciate my life and make it the best I can. Sometimes on a daily basis this is easy to forget, but it is so important to make every moment count. I have tried to refocus on appreciating those I love so much more.

I have been so busy this year. Weddings, vacation, volunteering. Park Board, Church, and everything else.

One thing I should be more appreciative for is my health. This year, I have had so many appointments to get my chron's under control. It has been a bit temperamental and acted up more than usual. So it has been the year of tests. It has been 5 years since I was diagnosed, and I am so appreciative that I am as healthy as I am. That could change, who knows. I do have my health, and it is all relative.

So below is the man I love and could not imagine life without. I adore sharing every day with you, Jon, and having you in my life has made every day special.

Activity-Free Weekend

2010-08-23T16:28:00.000-05:00

This summer has been jam-packed with activities, which has all been super fun. So this past weekend was the first breather in over 6 weeks where we did not have an event or activity or obligation. While all weekends have been special, this was special too.

So I do stretch the truth. I spent Saturday morning in a conference room for Church. We are re-establishing our mission, vision and values. We have our 100th anniversary coming up in November, and we are planning great things. So, Saturday morning I spent planning with our team.

After that...it was fun time! Jillian and I drove down to Chicago to meet up with some of her friends. So we did the girly things, trying on several outfits, swapping earrings and full hair and makeup. I loved every moment of it. So. Much. Fun. Sarah, I owe you a call. I was in your neighborhood! We went to this fundraiser for a dance company. So Jillian and I had a great taste of local Chicago.

Sunday was a blissfully perfect day. Jon's mom came over to spend the day with us and my parents and grandpa came by. Jon grilled and smoked a turkey on the charcoal webber, and for a first effort - it was fantastic! It was strange - like having a perfect thanksgiving, but not on the actual calendar date. And everyone was so happy to be together with open hearts and open minds. It was like what we all try to achieve with a perfect holiday, just not on a holiday.

And everyone left by 3 pm! So Jon and I got our yard work done. He mowed the lawn, and I attempted to clean out our garden. What a disaster - my garden that is. I have ignored the weeds so much so that one kind is taller than Jon! And the velcro quack grass! It clings to all of my clothes. So I did some major clean up, but it still looks like $h!t. I am getting a good deal of produce, so that is good. It is just not very pretty. Mom and I did a couple batches of tomatoes and whatnot already and I made a delicious vegetarian lasagna with fresh tomatoes. I just need more time in my days to accomplish all that I dream up.

So, since I was not able to make it to girls weekend, I am waiting patiently to hear all about what is going on with you all. Please call, update your blog or drop a line!

Becky's Wedding

2010-08-18T08:05:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning, I pulled out my camera to see what picures I had of the wedding and I was bad. I did not take any pictures after getting ready before the ceremony. I will have to rely on the photographer and pictures from our guests to really show the party.

Here is mom, Becky and I dressed and ready for the ceremony. We were all smiles and so happy. Amazingly, Mom made it down the aisle without crying! (She cried through the entire rehearsal practice.) And Becky looked simply beautiful. My dress didn't do anything for my butt, but from the front, when we had our flowers in hand - lots of greens, pink stargazer lilies, and some yellow flowers - the dresses looked really pretty. Becky had two colors in the party: the light blue I am wearing and then a turquoise color. So the four bridesmaids were split in two color dresses. It really looked nice. I just don't have any photos to show yet.

And here is Becky and I with our neighbor girls, Rachel and Lauren. We have been in their lives the entire time! Becky and I babysat for them and have watched them grow up. The girls handed out programs in my wedding, and Becky had them do the same for her. Rachel put it best at her confirmation this spring: It just would not be a celebration without you here, you are always at our events! Becky and I feel the same about these girls too. Now if only they would stop growing up...

Becky and James had a wonderful wedding. All of Becky's plans for centerpieces of square clear glass dishes with grass topped with butterflies (fake ones) looked simple and stunning with twinkle lights up in the hall. Mom and Dad planned amazing food with the caterer, and even today the guests are still talking about how good the food was. And for all of you that have gone to many weddings, as a guest, good food makes all the difference in the world.

The Vos cousins, aunts and uncles DANCED. And at all good Vos weddings (my mom's side of the family), a good wedding is spent entirely on the dance floor. Becky and James have surrounded themselves with good people, and that makes for a very special evening and a life time of happiness.

I really enjoyed the other bridesmaids: Bridget, Becky's best friend, Marci, Becky's college mate, and our cousin Amy. We had gloriously fun moments throughout the entire wedding process - from planning the shower to the end of the reception. Amy and I have not spent much time together now that we are both older, and we spent several hours each night talking after the lights went out. Boy, did I enjoy! And Marci - as I am getting ready to stand up to give my maid of honor speech, Marci enjoyed the fact that I had laminated my speech pages. Gotta love being a type A personality...

More stories will come out, I'll just wait for more pictures. A big thanks to all who helped to make Becky's day special and wondeful. Jill and Mary especially! Wow! The best helpers ever!

More Cali Pictures

2010-08-10T12:52:00.000-05:00

I had broken my camera at the CA wedding - I dropped it on the concrete. So, I am very excited to be reunited with my Canon PowerShopt ST1200. Really excited. I contemplated just replacing it, but it was brand spankin' new at Thanksgiving. So I decided to just get it repaired. The newer model is different, and the camera manufacturers have stopped making viewfinders. I find this to be terrible - all of these screens are hard to see outside in the bright light. I have come to really rely on the viewfinder. Therefore, it made perfect sense to send in my Canon and get it repaired. Whew! And they could fix it too!

So I cleaned off a few of my pictures and wanted to share more of the California pictures I took. They are in random order for increased confusion. Haha.

Newly wedded Chris and Julie. The details of their wedding were so perfect. It was a lovely wedding and I was so excited to be a part of it. Stunning, aren't they?!

Julie and my uncle Rick.

This is me! This was before the wedding. Uncle Rick and I went to a winery in Sonoma and had a great lunch. The winery was fabulous, sitting on top of a knoll - the wind was all over the place, but it was sunny, warm, and perfect to taste the wine, sample cheese and crackers, and enjoy the scenery.

Ahh, the highlight of the trip (excluding the actual wedding) was watching the sunset on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Or the highlight of the trip could be learning a new dance move: The Jerk. Dang, didn't need to run that day - my legs were killing me after this dance party. These kids were fantastic and fun.

Three cousins: Kelly, Tara, and Julie. There are a lot more, but these were the three girls that made it to CA for the wedding.

So it would not be a trip to San Francisco without catching up with Molly! We spent a lovely day together enjoying the beach and riding bikes. It is always an adventure with Molly.

Back to watching the sun set - we drove to the opposite side and up into the hills. It was spectacular views and the night was perfect. The air was a bit crisp, but relatively clear to see the city and coastline. Julie and I took tons of silly pictures. This is one of my favorites.

The view of the bridge as we were driving across.

Need I really comment?

I am sure I can stretch out this trip and post a few more shots of CA as I took tons. Since CA, I have done a few things, but I did not have my camera for the entire month of July. So I had to take a documentation time-out. Jon and I went to the cabin and spent a week fishing and whatnot. We had a great time.

I also went to Colorado for work and it is the first time that I have been to Denver for a tradeshow. I absolutely adore going to new cities for shows. Don't get me wrong, Vegas is amazing! And I will be going in 2 weeks (can't wait!). But there is nothing like going to a new city off the same convention routes that thrills beyond measure. Denver was fun. And San Diego in 8 weeks. Love it!

California

2010-07-22T13:21:00.000-05:00

Three words: So. Much. Fun.

I spent 8 days split between San Franciso and Sonoma and stayed with Julie and Chris. I loved every minute. I even got to see my college buddy, Molly, and we were able to spend some time together, make some memories, and laugh a lot.

Jon was not able to get out of teaching summer school to join me, so I went off by myself. I like traveling with others a lot, and I also really enjoy traveling by myself too. I didn't focus too much on seeing the tourist sights on this trip, but enjoying my week of free time window shopping, running, and catching up with Molly, Julie and Chris.

Julie and Chris are now married! (that was the main reason for the trip.) My cousin was absolutely stunning in her dress. Her wedding was amazing: charming, detailed, beautiful. And the two of them are so very much in love. It was so wonderful to be a part of their wedding, and I enjoyed every moment.

Fabulous Weekend

2010-06-15T07:21:00.000-05:00

Man, this summer is jam packed with activities. And, as you probably know, that suits me just fine. I do love me some activities!

This past weekend was a quick weekend visit to Erin. Jess joined us and we spent a lovely weekend with Erin (and Joe). Thanks again for your hospitality and wonderful-ness. As always, time is too short, but packed with reminiscing and creating of new memories. It feels so good to connect as girlfriends do, and continue these beautiful lifelong friendships.

We were able to meet Beth and Carrie for lunch, and even though that was a few short hours, it was fabulous! It is good to laugh and talk and share. I love catching up. Let's do it again!!!

It was a terrible weather weekend in the Superior/Duluth area, so our plan of hiking was cancelled. So we bummed around and went to the Portland Malt Shoppe, which for some reason, I never remember doing in college. That was good. We stopped to see the Rose Garden, and I cannot believe that the roses was not in bloom, and how behind the flowers are up north. Down south where I am, my rose gardens are on their second bloom already. It is so easy to forget how cold it is, and stays, in Duluth...

So we went to see the movie, The A-Team. I loved it and really enjoyed the great one-liners. I never really like the "award" winning movies. Typically, my favorites are more entertaining quality.

I have some pictures, but no time to download. Hopefully, I will get them up on Facebook soon.

Adventures

2010-05-27T13:47:00.000-05:00

Here I am, two weeks ago in Naples, FL. And every once in a while, I take a picture I ACTUALLY like of myself. Lately, I have been more of the behind-the-scenes photographer, and regularly avoid getting my picture taken. Alas, I have one I even like!

Note the nametag (I haven't Photoshopped it out yet)- I coordinate a big trip for my company, and am the meeting planner. It definately keeps me busy with details and always interacting with people. Love it. Cheers to another successful year.

Jon and I spent a weekend up in Wisconsin Dells this past weekend. We had a fantastic time. We did not have any plans on Saturday, and we took time to stroll through places that we would normally never take the time to stop. Sunday we rented a fishing guide and boat and we went up and down the Wisconsin River. What a treat! At some point in our lives, we will own a boat. It was so nice to be out on the water and enjoying the peace that only fishing can bring.

Off and Running

2010-05-05T07:44:00.000-05:00

I did it! I completed my second 1/2 marathon on Saturday. It started in Kenosha, WI and the course ran right by Lake Michigan. And it was a glorious day - sunny with moderate temperatures. Perfect. It was fun.

Finishing was tough this time, and the last three miles were a struggle, but I finished just 5 minutes slower than my time last fall - so that is not bad at all! In fact, I was shocked when that was the end time.

I have pictures - but I will have to post later. I know Steph posted some on Facebook already, so I imagine most of you have seen them. They turned out pretty cute!

So that was Saturday. Sunday, I decided that I needed to weed my flowerbeds, and I set my sights on just one bed...and boy-my back and arms got their workout. Sunday night, I didn't know what was more sore - my legs from Saturday, or my upper body from pulling weeds! Needless to say, I found the entire situation rather funny. But my flower bed looks just beautiful (and actually tidy)! It has taken a few years to get it where I want it, and I am still trying to make sure to have something in bloom at all times thru the summer. I am getting there.

CrazyLegs 2010

2010-04-27T07:39:00.000-05:00

Saturday, I ran in Madison for the CrazyLegs Classic. It was a really fun 8K. Over 20,000 people lined up around the capital building and took off at the starting line with high 5s from the football team. The marching band, Bucky Badger, and the pom girls all lined up at the beginning to cheer on all the racers. The course wound around campus and the lake and the finish line was right inside Camp Randall Stadium. Now, I am not a UW-Madison alum, but it was pretty cool. I ran with two alums, and I got quite the campus perspective from the course. I don't have any pictures because it was misting and I did not want to deal with a camera. With so many racers, it was a packed course. I have never really ran with that many runners before, so that was pretty cool.

Next week is the Wisconsin Marathon in Kenosha. I am signed up for the 1/2 marathon, and it looks like a hoot. It should be really pretty running along Lake Michigan.

That is what is going on in my neck of the woods. Work and run.

I did go to book club last night at the Burlington Public Library. We discussed "The Little Giant of Aberdeen County," by Tiffany Baker. It was a great discussion, as the book covered all kinds of life trials and triumphs, and from the perspective of the small-town misfit. It was one of those books that I could not put down - it was a very good story. Next up, "The Leisure Seeker." A month goes by quick!

Wedding

2010-03-23T08:35:00.000-05:00

Like the wrap job? I cut the extra string off after I took this picture...

Mom and Jeff at the wedding

Classic Jeff.

Dad, Mom, Jeff, Colleen and me.

Hoover Dam #2

2010-03-23T08:33:00.000-05:00

I like lampposts. I always take pictures of lampposts of the cities I get to visit. All places have very different ones.

Hoover Dam

2010-03-23T08:08:00.000-05:00

For as many times I have been to Las Vegas (in the last seven years, I figure no less than 20 times) I have never seen the Hoover Dam. I typically have no free time unless it is at night. So, this time, I was able to stop up to the National Park. It was spectacular to see, and I was playing with the features on my new camera to the different settings and lighting features. It was fun, and I enjoyed seeing the sights.

Food Photos

2010-02-26T09:01:00.000-06:00

I cleaned off my camera, and wanted to show some of the artistic foods I have made over the last several months.

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting topped with toasted coconut. I even made it with some of the shredded zucchini I froze from this fall. It was my first attempt at a double layer round. It was much easier than I thought to make, and it turned out prettier than I expected. The glass pie platter was a gift from my mother at my bridal shower. It was from her collection of pink depression dishes. This was the first time I made a round cake, so I thought it was appropiate to put it on the beautiful dish (this photo does not do it justice) and invite my parents over for Sunday supper.

New Years (I know - really current) - I made my first baked brie pastry puff. This was simple, and turned out stunning. So stunning, that I made it twice!

For some Christmas presents (even older pictures than New Years!) I made banana bread. I was excited that they turned out so cute. Sometimes, I even surprise myself. I didn't take a picture, but I crocheted dishclothes to go with the homemade banana bread. Domestic dork that I am...

Christmas prep

2009-12-23T16:02:00.000-06:00

Cookie baking - I have tons of pictures, but the funniest one (where we all don't look exhausted) is the one of Melissa and I. We both brought our husband's monogrammed 9 x 13 cake pans. From the Kitchen of....

And too boot, I gave Grandpa his presents early. Who wants to wait for Christmas! So lunch on Monday, I brought over his gifts special. Monogrammed hankies (its a generational thing...) And a pedometer. He is an accountant from way back, so his job is to record how many steps he takes every day and then tally it up at the end of the week. That will sharpen his pencil.

80s Rock

2009-12-23T15:56:00.000-06:00

Mr. T lost to Aerobics instructor...
We had a very serious costume contest. Guess hot pink tights are the sure way to win!
But the birthday girl is always a winner!

Would you believe I was a TRIVIA contest winner! I think my partner carried me - but I contributed a correct answer or two. I remember the question: what color are Luigi's pants in Mario Brothers? Ha! Also, I could compete with Mrs. White for her excellent display posture...and in that sparkly eye shadow, she has no competition! silly stuff...

awe...sweetness captured!

Something else was captured here too - I really think something lives in that mullet..

Cake. amazing cake. Way to go Noah - he designed this architectural masterpiece.

Rockin' 80s Turn 30

2009-12-23T15:48:00.000-06:00

Featuring Mr. T and Cindi Lauper (aka Jon & Kelly) woop it up for Melissa's 30th birthday bash. In true reminiscent fashion, Jon and I dressed up for the occasion. For those of you who know us well, for Halloween, we dress up as ourselves...we are living on the edge, people.

80s Aerobic Instructor (aka Jillian) and I prior to leaving for bash...take note of the volume in my hair BEFORE the costume contest.

Group shot. Sam sports a mullet in true fashion.

The Birthday Girl and myself in a self-portrait. Check out the awesome blue eyeshadow...

So much fun. I had a hoot.

A Whole Lot of Holiday in My House

2009-12-14T09:14:00.000-06:00

The day of Thanksgiving concludes and night falls. Guests are gone and the leftovers are put away. My notebook flips from my Thanksgiving preparation pages to my Christmas Lists. I sit with a steaming cup of tea as more pages are added and my lists get longer. My cookbooks are open to my favorite holiday treats. What I wnat to make and can make are usually two very different lists. READ MORE

Exerpt taken from what I wrote for another blog I manage - WildeckConnect. I know you are all dying to know about the material handling industry. But the post I just put up on "Holiday in my House" I think you would all enjoy. Check it out.

Black Friday

2009-12-01T16:38:00.000-06:00

I used to avoid the stores on Black Friday. I did not want to participate in the frenzy, thinking maybe it would strip down the thought process of selecting the "perfect" gift for that special someone. Nor would I ever seek out insane crowds of people. Ugh! No interest.

The last few years, I am realizing there is a method to this. Boy, it IS good to check off shopping from the holiday to-do list. And this year, maybe it is no different than other years, it seems like the week of Christmas comes FAST. So I did participate on Black Friday.

In a controlled way.

Jon and I went out at 8 am. Nothing too crazy. It is surprising what we did acomplish. And now I do not have to think of shopping the coming December days. I can do all the fun stuff. Like wrapping. And then have the pretty packages under my tree for more than a day.

I am excited to get out the Christmas Decorations, make cookies with pretty sprinkles, and in general enjoy the company of those I love. World Peace anyone?!?!

The 19th Wife

2009-11-13T07:24:00.000-06:00

The novel, "The 19th Wife" by David Ebershoff is this month's library book club discussion. I just finished this novel, and I had a great experience reading this story. Certainly, it might have been a novel I would've eventually picked up on my own, but the book club introduces some great reads. I tend to gravitate towards any historical fiction novel, and if you have similar tastes, I highly recommed this book.

What is this about: This book elloquently unfolds the greatest mystery of polygamy in the Morman faith.

Whatever preconceived notions you may or may not have about this topic will be challenged throughout this novel. Granted, it is fiction, but has amazing historical references and follows past and present characters to present all points of view of polygamy and relationships as dictated by the Morman culture. Albeit fiction, it makes a challenging case to present multiple views, and open the readers' perception of the Mormon's chosen, and dictated lifestyle.

Monday is the discussion meeting. I cannot wait to hear what people in my community have to share on this novel.

The Jitterbug

2009-11-12T15:41:00.000-06:00

After a long 2.5 weeks, I am back to having lunch with Grandpa. It was a delight to dine our brief hour together. The record of the day: Swing Classics.

He is now going to the activity center 2 days a week, so he has a lot more to talk about. Yesterday was his first day, so he dressed up and sported his fancy shoes and even put on a tie. I cannot help but appreciate his efforts and giggle just a bit. He was full of stories and showed me the cards he has gotten in the mail and a handful of photos.

I shared my fat-free cake with berries. He gobbled it up.

And once the Jitterbug is in my head, it is on autoplay and repeat.

Healing

2009-11-09T09:44:00.000-06:00

Jeff is on the mend! He came out like a champion! The tumor is removed, all is well, and miracles do happen. He has to heal from the surgery, which is a process all on its own, but everything is hopefull, and full of promise. The tumor is not cancerous, so no follow up chemo or radiation is needed. He does have rehab, but that is promising.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. My family went thru a very stressful and tramatic time, and we are all in the process of healing. Emotionally and physically, we are all spent.

I am off to Alabama today. Looking forward to a flight alone to continue to decompress and heal from an awfully stressful week.

Prayers

2009-11-02T07:27:00.000-06:00

Please pray for my family: my brother has a large, benign (non-cancerous) brain tumor. He has been having severe headaches, and it finally was bad enough to go in, and yesterday they determined an immediate course of action is necessary. As of right now, surgery is tomorrow.

Yesterday was a very long, shocking and stressful day. Becky is in Green Bay. My mom is helping out my aunt in Florida who is recovering from an anursium on the brain. My dad, Jon and I went to the hospital.

The week will unfold, and we are doing ok.

We just need your prayers.

The Big Three Zero

2009-10-05T08:03:00.000-05:00

Thanks all for your heartfelt birthday wishes!

As for feeling older - nope. Right now, I am in great shape from all this 1/2 marathon training, and really could not feel better - strong both physically and emotionally.

Celebrations - much ensued for the weekend, and I have a lot to be thankful for (I know - thanksgiving is truely the season of thanks) but to be thought of by so many - it was memorable.

The best part was a cozy chili supper on Saturday at my house with family and close friends to share, laugh and dine. It was awesome - lots of stories, laughter and wine. We were going to go out, but it was so fun to hang out with the peeps I have not seen in so long, that we never moved from the kitchen table! We did have every intention, but we just had FUN! And that is second to none.

So, my heart is filled with love. All the kind birthday wishes are heartfelt.

This week is my positive thinking week. I am coming off a stellar weekend filled with amazing well wishes and it is going to propel me forward to my 1/2 marathon. (I did not devote much / any time to training this weekend, but I tapered real well...) So this week is a bunch of puny runs (4,3,2, a walk) and I am not planning to wear any high heels to work this week. (Can you say obsessive dork? I can.) But I am so excited to RUN! (now I am really showing my inner dorkisms.) I have been training for this 1/2 marathon for 14 weeks now, and I have one more week to go. Simply cannot wait to get to the line, feel the butterflies in my stomach, and then run! I am really excited. Plus, it is the extra bonus of running with a friend, Erin, that I am looking forward to. I have not trained with anyone all summer and trained solo the entire time. I am looking forward to stepping it up with a friend.

So, the birthday was awesome, and this week is going to be fantastic! I have off next week again, and I am taking a very long weekend to go to my race. So, next Saturday, please think of Erin, Joe and me as we take off and run the morning away.

Time Flies

2009-08-26T07:31:00.000-05:00

Summer always is too short. Where did the last month go?

I took pictures of the garden, but it looks much the same as last year - minus zuchinnis, cucumbers, and squash. We are battling a squash bug, and therefore, we did not plant any crops from the "cucubus family." No need to feed the bugs. Such excitement, let me tell ya. But good news, I love to frequent the farmers' markets, and now I actually have something to purchase!

We've done some canning and freezing: pickles, corn, tomatoes, salsa, zuchinni, beans. Certainly, not to impressive measures as in the past, but alas, it is still good.

The running report: my inner rock star shines brightly (some days). Most recent accomplishment: last Sunday, I had to run 6 miles at a medium pace. I laced up my sneakers, and off I went. It...was...fanstatic! I even broke one hour - by a good number! Some days, it is just simply amazing what my body responds to. And others: well, they can be more of a fight. Last night I had 5 miles on the docket, continuous hill run. It was awful. No consistancy, and a bit of a battle. But, I completed it, and today will be a new day. But overall, it feels so good to have consistant exercise (which I was lacking) and a good goal in mind. I am on week 9 of training, and consistantly running 4+ miles a night. Coming from a leading couch potato lifestyle, I am very pleased with my training.

The only thing taking the hit for time, is my garden produce. There are just not enough hours in the day! I am working on having more realistic expectations on what I can accomplish each day, and in turn, each week.

I went to an auction on Saturday with my Dad. Had some serious scores: it was a really small auction, and no one was there to bid, so I got a new reading lamp, dresser (which I desperately needed) and several other practical household items. I didn't spend more than $5.oo an item, either! It was awesome and thrilling.

I actually planned out my week of meals and a menu for the week. I even based it on what was on sale at the grocery store, what I had coupons for, and what I had on hand. That was Sunday - and I felt "in control" and on top of things. Today is Tuesday - not sure if I would gauge it successful yet, but it is only Tuesday.

I am looking forward to a week off in September and a week off in October. As you can probably imagine, my "to do list" is growing quickly - and honestly I cannot wait to go accomplish a few projects - such as paint, reorganize, and just stuff. It also ties nicely into garden produce. You know - get ready for winter, and close up summer. House stuff. The never ending seasonal tasks.

True Story

2009-07-30T20:11:00.000-05:00

I am supposed to be packing for our long weekend camping at Devil's Lake state park. I am excited - this is like the first day off during the week I have taken this summer (or at least that I remember- and that is obviously long overdue).

Jon has been dusting off our camping gear and getting all the lists made and checked off. All I have to do is pack my bag, keep it light, and try to get some homemade blueberry muffins made. And where does the evening go? (It is already like 8:15 pm...) But this totally does not speak to the awesome day I had. The morning was rough, lunch was fantastic, and my presentation today went far better than I could've hoped. But I digress.

Lunch with Grandpa: he is a spot of sunshine in the middle of my day. Not a day has gone by that I have not shed a tear, purely out of sentimental joy, as I find peace, and walk on the path of enlightenment. It certainly is not the path I expected to take, but I am cherishing every moment.

Today it was raining during lunch, so Molly the nurse, set up two tv trays in G-pa's bedroom, and we dined and had good conversation. I have been encouraging him to journal after I leave, and write a few thoughts down. His first entry last week detailed his newly scheduled dentist appointment (hehe) and how important keeping his schedule was. Can't teach an old dog new tricks...

The second post (now this is funny) he describes our lunch meetings: I am the president and chief officer of our club, he is the silent partner! (believe it or not, but he gabs more than I do!) 5 lines in his journal on this club structure...I laughed so hard.

Today, well today, he knocked the sentimental socks off me. He had 10-15 lines in his journal- solid with a story. I did not lead him on this topic, but I was so pleased that he started the dialog. He talked of the day my Grandma was taken in the amublence with polio to St. Luke's hospital at 2 pm on a Tuesday. (unbelievble amounts of detail.) I could feel his anguish in his clear and descriptive words about the trama Grandma went thru, pregnant with her second. She went thru Polio treatments that stripped her of any strength, and how they prayed. Oh how they prayed to Jesus. Grandma had her second baby in the hospital, was released and the baby stayed in the hosiptal for a few weeks following alone because Grandma was not strong enough to care for the baby at home. (I was hard pressed to keep from shedding tears as he retold this to me over lunch.) And for a fork in the road, this was a life changing event. He spoke of the difficult living arrangements, the 18 month child to care for, Grandma's treatments, and how faith was a guiding force. Grandma's Polio changed many things about their life together, but two things came out of this: unbelieveably strong love for each other and a faith with Jesus that helped them throughout many journeys in their life.

"True story," he says.

I tried to turn the faucet off when I pulled back into the parking lot at work.

Lunch Dates

2009-07-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Every lunch hour this week, I have been meeting my special gentleman. We dine on the back patio, listen to the birds and the wind rustle the leaves in the tall trees. There is no sound of passing cars to muddle with the sounds of nature.

Grandpa moved into a group home up by my work 2 months ago. He was living on his own up until then. Funny how things work: His house was a quarter mile from where we live, but it was always hard to get up there. Now, he is a 10 minute drive from my work, and I can get there almost every lunch hour. It just works.

So we dine together, Grandpa and I, and chit chat about this and about that. My mother started a journal for him to keep, and people to write in for him. So yesterday, we busted out the journal, and started a list of his favorite songs.

This is the best part of my day. I walk in, and he says, "Kel-ley, I can program my watch by your entrance!" (I get there the same time almost every day.) He puts his knarled-knuckle hand in the crook of my elbow, and he escorts me out to our patio. The nurse is lovely, she sets up two placements for us, and brings his lunch out to him. I pull out my 10 tupperware containters...share my fresh garden veggies and cut up fruit with him. You should see him attack the fresh peapods! I always say "thanks for letting me visit and have lunch!" and he always expresses that "I am welcome every time, I look forward to this."

It is awesome to make someone's day in such a simple way. I always leave with tremendous joy in my heart, swelled with love.

My question to you all, is do you have any journal topic ideas? What questions would you like to have asked your grandfather? We are a sentimental family, so this is right up our alley.

The Safety Geek in Me

2009-07-23T08:51:00.000-05:00

http://ohsonline.com/articles/2009/07/22/z359-family-of-standards-grows.aspx

I have been out of the safety industry for almost 4 years now. And being the geek that I am, I still keep an eye on the safety market, and read the press releases and reports. I guess once a safety geek, always a safety geek. (I say with the utmost respect, of course.)

In my perusings yesterday on the wires, I came across the OSHA update on the ANSI standards that are updating the Fall Protection Z359 Family of Standards. This is very exciting to an ex-fall protection advocate. I won't go into insane level of details, but it struck a cord.

I am sure that none of you will find much excitement in this, however, I am interested to see how the fall protection manufacturers have to shift to meet these new requirements and how that will shift the marketplace. According to the link above, this new code will be effective on November 16th, 2009. National Safety Council's safety show, the largest safety trade convention, takes place in October this year, and I cannot wait to see the beginning of the shifting trends.

For the record: I always notice the fall protection activity on drives around the country. One big industry and safety concern is loading railcars, so all the graineries out in the country have these active fall protection systems in place. Jon so loves to keep up with it, as do the gents I travel with.

WhistleStop

2009-07-01T18:34:00.000-05:00

All Aboard! I am running on this train! Disclaimer: no walking until the end.

Erin, Joe, Jon and I met up at a Brewers game last week. It was sooooo HOT. But so good to see Erin and Joe. And with all the running and discipline that Erin has, I have been inspiried to join her for the 1/2 marathon this fall. 15 weeks of training started (already).

3 days logged in, and as Lao Tso's famous words state, "A Journey of 1000 miles begins with one step." (or something similar to that). That has been the pace so far.

In my miles of self-discovery, it has been much like riding a bike. It is simply amazing how much my body remembers of my Cross Country college days (not that I was any good, but I sure had fun). The breathing, relaxing of my shoulders, pretending to hold a potato chip with my thumb and middle finger. Relaxing so much that my cheeks bounce with each step. (That is an awesome feeling)

My mind knows how HARD it is. So that is a little slower to come around, but with a great goal, I am on my way. And I love northern Wisconsin in the fall. It is a perfect reason to get up north this fall.

Last Payment

2009-06-25T07:54:00.000-05:00

NO more student loans for this woman! I mailed my last check off, and I am no longer in student debt. WhooHoo! This is a monumental moment, and I have milked the low interest rate for long enough, and this bill is history! (I focused more on putting more money towards higher interest bills - mortgage, car - and didn't worry about paying off the student loan early.) So, alas, no more $$ to this bill.

Keep in mind, I do not have my Masters. Yet. Nor am I signed up for any programs. Yet. We'll see.

Major Ups, Minor Downs

2009-06-10T15:31:00.000-05:00

What is up lately:

1. Won concert tickets on the radio. I actually solved the riddle when I called in! Whoa!
2. Went to said concert: Third Eye Blind with my sister. Had a rocking time. It was AWESOME!
3. Dryer had its last spin. No heat. Consumer reports here we come. Socks are drying everywhere right now. $
4. Van. oh nelly. My front wheels needed lots of work - wheels included, as well as the "arms" and "hub assembly". Yikes. $$$
5. And last: won Bare Minerals make up at the church festival this weekend. $5.00 of raffle tickets netted me $88 of fantastic powder. I was happy. Now I just have to learn how to use it!

Otherwise, garden is planted. Check. (weeks ago). Planted more seeds. My asperagus crop was bumper this year. And I pick approx. 4 strawberries each night. Tired of rhubarb, as I have made many crisps. Grilled our first corn (not from my garden.) Walked thru our farmer's market several times. Love it.

What else...hmmm. Living the fast lane. I will post a real entry soon. My camera battery has been dead for a while, so no new pics.

One Block Over

2009-04-15T12:44:00.000-05:00

I did it -I went to our public library! I drove home last night and went out of my way by ONE whole block. I think I have stepped foot in there approx. 3 times in the last 2 years. That is a poor, pathetic showing. However, it is good to know I am back on the wagon.

It is amazing how much has changed and what is offered now. I am going to need a tour to learn of all the tools now available! And I have not been to the library in so long, that they needed to renew my library card! Goodness gracious!

What did I accomplish last night:

1. I picked up the list for the upcoming novels in the Adult Book Discussion group.

2. I am really excited about this month's book. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Let me highlight...REALLY EXCITED. It is a fabulous book on food, where it comes from, and what one family did to change. I have blogged about this before, but if you have not read the book - do it! And then call me to talk about it. I have not committed nearly to their level of locally grown produce and food and lifestyle, but you know me...I have my garden and more quirks.

3. I checked out the next book on the list for next month: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Started it last night, and it could be good. It has won several awards.

4. Decided I needed to try books on CD again. I put in a mere 1.5 hours a day in the car, on average, every day. I could get thru a book a week and then some! I was overwhelmed at the amount of titles my library had available. So, I selected Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. I have been listening to a lot of talk radio, but that does nothing, if not make me more upset. So I thought I would go for something smart- hopefully challenging, and something that would be a totally different perspective. The first session this morning was good - so I look forward to driving home tonight.

And that, my friends, is my library "adventure" of the evening. So I ask you, what is your feeling about your local library? When is the last time you stepped foot in there? What have you checked out lately?

The Prize of Lent: Easter

2009-04-10T09:59:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter to you all! I know it is still a few days away, but I am getting ready and reflecting upon the journey.

This lent, I have added value to my life. (did you know I am a professional marketer - it is all about adding VALUE. Ha.) Instead of giving up a food, or a beverage, or whatnot, I typically try to add more VALUE to my day. My goal this year was to journey thru lent with added prayer and meditiation. This year especially, it was well timed.

SOUL FOOD. I am not always the most diciplined, nor the most faithful. But when my faith is at the center of my life, things just seem to run smoother. It might sound hokey, but it is the truth. And every year, I am turning more like my MOTHER. And this topic, faith, is one of the most blessed traits she could pass on.

For this Easter, I am going to every mass: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, The Easter Vigil, and Easter. My mom and I did this several years ago, and I felt SO GOOD. I am the first one to skip a Sunday. But when my faith is center - really everything else goes well. And the Holy Week celebrations are...special. So that is what I am in the process of doing. And after Holy Thursday mass, it felt good. Mom, Grandpa and I. If that is one thing that my family has taught me and passed down to me, is the value of Mass.

So I pass my happy thoughts and pray for blessings on each of you. Enjoy your Easter, and God Bless.

Hobbies

2009-04-09T08:04:00.000-05:00

Thought I would share a beautiful picture: Cherry Blossoms. I always wanted to see the beautiful blossoms. That is the one thing I really wanted to see when I lived in Japan, but obviously, the timing just did not work out. That just means Washington DC would be a good option. Not this year, but someday...

So, all of you ladies have great hobbies. I really have no hobby that I claim as my own. I need to find a hobby to gratify my life, and less with the obligations. As much as I love being involved, I am at a point where I need to pare down on boards, meetings, and committees. I have not made any decisions yet on what is going to go, but I do have to think and contemplate my options. So I am seeking suggestions. Any good ideas on rewarding hobbies?

I maybe should explain more about what I like to do. I enjoy cooking, gardening, and fixing up our house. Gardening season is coming up fast, so I probably would not really need to add anything new with that coming up, but I still should fill this gap in my life and I feel I need to add value to my life. And lately, I feel like I am constantly giving, and not getting too much back. I need to do something that is rewarding for me. I sound so selfish...oh well, deal.

Things I have thought of doing (in no particular order):
Yoga Class - I took one when I was in San Francisco, and it was FANTASTIC. (not that WI would even compare, but...)
Knitting Socks - One of Jon's teacher friends does this. I am fascinated, but hesitant. I have been knitting since I was like, 6 years old, but really have not progressed much past square/rectangle items. And for some reason, the final products are really not that beautiful, and somewhat unimpressive. I cannot read patterns, and consistantly lack the patience for longer projects. I might save this for winter.
Book Club - The library has their monthly adult book club, and I used to participate. I saw the librian in town, and she re-invited me because I have not been absent for so long (like two years). This sounds funny on so many levels: why would the librian know my name? For as much as I like to read, why do I not frequent the library more?
Woodworking - I feel like I should set up shop - literally in my basement. It would be perfect. I have seriously thought of making a coffee table for some time. I feel like it would be something that I could definately do - and a hands-on project that does not deal with a computer screen or a tv. it would not take much, and I have a lot of the tools already. I just need to start, I guess- find a pattern and just do it.
Running - I've been doing this more consistantly, today however , my hamstrings are letting me know I need to do it more often. I ran 40 minues last night with the dog, and I should have opted for an outfit that did not require heels today. But I look good, so that counts, right?
Photography - I have what I would consider some raw talent for this (not that I show anything beyond lazy on this blog. Extremely LAZY.) I have thought of taking a class to learn more, I do like learning. I want a new camera, both a point-and-shoot, and a SLR. But I really do not want to invest in more STUFF right now. I am trying to pare down, at the moment. But I do need to just go shoot stuff, with the equipment I have. I am past showing my house updates, and my dog. I am not really into self portraits either. I did found a great photo sharing site that is fun to view: http://www.jpegmag.com/. I am not a member, but it has some great stuff to look at, if you like viewing photography. And I should do something with my pictures that I have, so I really have not captured anything more. (I hate scrapbooking. Tried that once. And I still have the stuff. Could do it, but I really do not have the patience.)
Bake Bread - I want to learn how to make delicious artesian loaves. The ones that are like $6+ at the store. I love to look at them, but hate paying for it. I am not real good working with yeast, but then, I haven't really tried.

So I probably answered my own question, but I am still interested in your hobbies and suggestions. Perhaps I might find your requests far more intriguing.

So back to my request - what hobbies would you suggest getting into?

What I've Been Doing

2009-03-27T07:44:00.000-05:00

I have been searching for my happy place. I chose not to post for a while, mostly because I have been fried and stressed beyond belief. So much so, that I wound myself so tight, and experienced a flare up. Now that things are a bit back in order, not that much has changed, but I am adjusting, I feel the need to post and connect again.

To answer the unasked question: what have I been up to?
1. I am a huge Twilight fan. I will never answer the quesion, "How many times have you read the book?" because a quote-un-quote normal person would only read it one time, and maybe a second. Me, however, would never really be classified a quote-un-quote normal person anyhow. So why conform? I have the soundtrack, all 4 books, and now the newly released DVD. Stephanie Meyer's website is also fantastic with exerpts and other goodies. Not that I am obsessed.
2. American Idol. I held off on really getting into the season until the top 10 were in place. Now I maintain my seperation by not voting. I have always figured that if I did not vote, then I could not be terribly disappointed, just be happy for the winner. So far, this season has been really good.
3. Seeds. I have been dreaming and looking and wandering with the thought of planting. I actually purchased most of my seeds already. We have not had any snow banks for weeks already, so it is not far away. I also bought some grass seed to fill in some of my bare patches in our yard. Now that we are really done with the outside of our house (or close anyway) I do not have to account for tools and equipment eating up my lawn. Now it is serious time. I actually had every intention of tossing seed out last weekend, but did not quite get to it.
4. Tossing the ball. Jon and I busted out our softball gloves and we have been playing catch while throwing the ball for the dog. It has been nice. We used to play in a bar league, and I don't really miss the obligation to go, but I do miss playing something. So we have been tossing the ball in the front yard, enjoying Spring.
5. Las Vegas. I just got back from a week in Vegas, and this time, we stayed at Harrah's. Not bad at all. I always love their dueling piano bar show (which is free) and very good. Surprisingly enough, I did not even buy anything. I usually go with a plan: new jeans, shoes, other items. This time, I really do not NEED anything, so I returned without a purchase. This is a recession people. Not that the crowded Las Vegas Blvd. showed that. It was neat to see the new Plazzo (sp?) hotel and the new stuff going up. A lot has changed since I was there 8 months ago.
6. Wii Fit. Love it. Should do it more often than I do, but it is FUN. And it is my time.
7. Running Shoes. I got a new pair of running shoes back in Oct. for my birthday. They are still new, and barely used because I want to use them for running. Not that I have been running much, but definately more often, and it feels good. My body is much stronger than my mind. I have been walking a ton, so my body is more ready then my mind, so I have started to just do it. Like the commercials. Wearing my IPod and with my dog. Love it and need to do more.
8. Managing Stress. This has been my crux lately. I have been under huge amounts of stress and it is definately taking its toll. For a while there, I felt like I had forgotten how to laugh and smile. Like the kind that reaches the eyes. Nothing was fun. So, to manage, I have found that to relieve some of that stress, I have not put off until tomorrow, pardon the cliche. The brief hour I am home at night I spend organizing for the next day and doing some light cleaning so that I do not have to take care of the bulk of everything on the weekend. Amazingly, I have almost accomplished more tasks in my personal life with a lot less time.

So I have been thinking about you all lately, and certainly my thoughts have not been nearly so far away or as distant as my blog posts. Make it a great day - and I will most certainly do the same!

January

2009-01-20T08:20:00.000-06:00

I just got back from a week in Chicago. Impeccable timing - as it was the coldest freeking week of the decade. Good times, really. I was with my salesguys, and it always is very entertaining.

I have not told you about our week at the Cabin. Jon and I went up to enjoy the winter wonderland, and had plans to fish, fish, fish, and maybe get into some snowshoeing (I only have a pair for me..) As always, it was awesome to see my aunts and uncles, and enjoy pizza at the Trading Post. However, the week was not the activities we anticipated. Jon experienced some unpleasant sickness. And tactfully, may I say the outhouse was just a few to many steps away... the poor guy never took his boots off at night (just in case..). Certainly not the romantic week alone I had envisioned! Never a dull moment.

I am off to New Orleans this week. I am not so sure about that city, but they have some of the best food. I think I will have to bring extra tums and whatnot, but the food is amazing. Funny story - the last time I was in New Orleans, it was the hurricane prior to Katrina. I was at a convention, and the city was evacuated. 8 coworkers and all our luggage packed into an Astro Van. and we drove for hours. Many of the hours we sat in traffic as part of the mass exodus. We were amazed when the penetentiary had a busload of inmates they were evacuating; they were driving on the shoulder of the highway. We scooted behind the bus, and moved miles in minutes. That was a huge improvement over the inches we rolled in hours. We pulled off into a suburb of New Orleans to get water, and the boards over the windows and carts full of basics was somewhoat disturbing. I plan never to live in an area of dangerous natural disasters after this experience. I will take the snow, cold, humidity, and occasional tornado. At least I have a basement. Call me Dorothy - I only can get to the basement thru the bulkhead doors!

So, alas, off to New Orleans.

Becky, my sister, is engaged, as I posted a while ago. James is getting deployed to Iraq at the end of the month. Life is never dull, really.

I will sign off with that, because I certainly do not want to get into the economic doom and gloom. There really has got to be a break in the clouds at some point...

Overdue Update

2008-12-23T08:42:00.000-06:00

Where did this month go? I have been blocked access at one computer, and then I conveniently crashed another. Therefore, a post is in order now. One of these I can now access. Yipee!

The many random thoughts I have to update you on:
Thanksgiving with Julie was wonderful. I did not even put her to work - we just had FUN! I very much so wish she would move back, but having someone to visit in CA is not so bad either.

We have our new furnace installed! Holy moly! It has been crazy. Neighbor Dave, my co-gardener, and his crew installed it and ran new duct and everything. And thank goodness it was before the major cold snap we are in. Jon and I love the new forced air. Gone is the steam boiler and we are in the modern times on this one. The next phase is running it up to the second floor. Right now, I just leave the door open to the upstairs and let heat rise naturally. So far it is working. I would totally take pictures, but the floor grates probably only excite Jon and me. This is a big project done, and we can almost check it off the list.

I went to Albuquerque, NM this month. And conveniently it snowed there! 1.5 inches, and they call off school, gov't offices and everything the night before! It was so funny. There were accidents everywhere, and that is unfortunate. But 1.5 inches is really, as you know, nothing. And then I flew home to 6+ inches, circled the airport for a lovely 1+ hours at 10 pm one night... That made for a junky travel trip. I went by myself though, and I do love to travel by myself.

So I was not going to put up any Christmas decorations this year. The weekend after Thanksgiving was the furnace installation weekend, so I was contemplating doing nothing. But then Jon went to work...and I started to pull "just a few" boxes out, and low and behold, the entire house is fully decorated! Jon came home and was a bit bahumbug...oh well. At least it is pretty!

So because I put my tree up, I felt someone besides my mother had to come and visit. So our wing night buddies, Sam and Jillian, came over for dinner last night. It was fancy dinner night: tator tot casserole, tomato soup gormet (added basil), and salad. Jillian jazzed it up with a fresh pineapple and a batch of boxed brownies. We had a great time. I am learning that it is ok to go simple sometimes. It was nice and festive, and it felt good. Does this make sense? And it is so nice to have a couple to do things with. We are such social bugs, you know?

Today is my last day of work until Jan. 5th!!! I am so excited about that. We are headed up to the cabin for a week over New Years. It will be cold - but fun. So, alas, I must get to my stuff and get wrapped up for the year.

Happy Holidays to you all, and Merry Christmas!

News

2008-12-09T05:47:00.000-06:00

Becky is engaged to James. Holy cow.

Houseguest Holiday

2008-11-24T05:55:00.001-06:00

My cousin Julie is visiting for Thanksgiving. She arrives on Tuesday, and will stay with Jon and I. Her parents are staying with grandpa. I am so looking forward to having her! She is a hoot. I cannot imagine what we will get into. The last time she came and visited, we cracked open a bottle of wine, and we ripped out my carpet. Now this might not sound thrilling to you - but Julie is an interior decorator in San Francisco. And she knows her stuff...This trip, I am hoping she will help me hang a few misc. pictures, pick out paint colors for a few rooms (I won't make her paint!) and whatever else she deems necessary when she walks in. So the last few weekends I have been cleaning like mad. I am relatively clean, but I have not done the Deep cleaning for a while, and it was time.

While I have my mind on getting things ready for our houseguest, Jon had off this weekend. He didn't go hunting because he didn't know if he would have off from the store. Anyway, we went to visit his mom in Brodhead. I do like to visit on a Saturday because then we can go to the Dairy for fresh cheese, and to the Amish bulk store. That is straight out of Little House on the Prairie. The grandma Amish lady bustles around in her dress and white hat...it is a delightful stop. But they have bulk goods - flour, cornmeal, oatmeal, soup base, spices, candy, and whatnot. I love going there.

Then Sunday, we cleaned the basement. Holy moly.We have a really old style basement - not the finished off kind. Confession: we really have not deep cleaned this area, and the people before us left us junk. Lots of junk. But we are getting a new furnace, so we have to open things up a bit. So, Jon and I spent the better part of the morning hauling scrap steel to the curb, old - really old - electrical fuses and just stuff...but alas, Jon and I made a huge dent in the project. And it is really clean down there. I would not eat off the floor clean, but clean.

So then I was running around like mad to get my house re-straightened up. Boy, we were tired last night. And I made pumpkin muffins and sloppy joes. But, I am excited for the holiday week. At work, we get to wear jeans MTW, and then I have off! I am excited!

Goals and Thoughts

2008-11-18T08:19:00.000-06:00

At the beginning of the month, I quietly made a goal for myself: I wanted to beat my current monthly post number (8). I didn't think that would be too terribly hard, but...what is interesting in thought sometimes doesn't make it to the blog. And I do not express terribly interesting discussions.

So last night - the highlight was I burnt my finger on the hot pizza sauce when I pulled the pizza out of the oven. I swear - I screamed like a little girl. Jon said I sounded like an elf. I could not believe how intensely painful that was. It was way worse than a paper cut. That is just an exclaimation of "ouch." This was elfin screams of "Ahh," and "AHH," and "OWEEE. " (do you get the picture?)

Next topic: I have started my Christmas lists. I am facing this somewhat with a mission to provide gifts of expression and love. I want to be more creative this year - don't moan, it doesn't have to be cheesy - but really focus on what Christmas is, and what my loved ones need.

A couple of very random thoughts on Christmas this year:
1. Gift Cards. Rethink purchasing gift cards as many retailers are unstable and might not be around in 12 months when someone might remember to cash in the gift card.
2. We are going up North to the Cabin for New Years with my family. I do not want to haul useless items in large boxes. Winter clothes and ice fishing gear will take up too much space.
3. I am toying with the idea of not doing Christmas Cards this year. Our local charities are in need right now. I am seriously thinking of donating what I would spend on Christmas Cards and postage to the local shelter. I absolutely love receiving and sending christmas cards from my friends, family and other loved ones. But perhaps this is a way to make a difference. What do you think of this? Would you be offended as my friend if I choose to do this instead? Let me know what you think.

All I want for Christmas...

2008-11-14T07:33:00.000-06:00

...is a SLR camera! I traveled to North and South Carolina for three days this week. Boy, when and if Jon ever get to a point of retirement, I want to go there. He has had his eyes on Missouri? (Why, I still am trying to figure out - me- no thank you.) But the Carolina's are just beautiful. Any tax base will be an improvement from WI, as the third most expensive tax state.

Back to the pictures...the sunrise was taken outside my hotel window - and there is a highway running below the tree line. I tried to position the camera to avoid the 18 wheelers passing by. I thought they turned out beautifully.

This beautiful statue was across the parking lot of the hotel - it was a beautiful copse of trees with a statue of the Virgin Mary. Carolina is still in peak fall colors: reds, oranges, yellows, and plenty of pine. I do love the sight of pine trees.

Can you find me in the picture???

Meditation

2008-11-07T07:50:00.000-06:00

Last night, I swung by Jon at the sporting goods store and said a quick hello.
*I lead a very exciting life*
Then I stopped by my parents' and ate with Mom and Jeff. Nice.
*I lead a very exciting life*
After that, I went home and played with Josie the dog for a bit.
*I lead a very exciting life*

I was definately not in the mood for tv, and I turned on cable to the music stations. I turned on the Meditation tunes, and my quiet time begins. I do like instrumental music. It is very soothing and peaceful. In my family, we reference it as Aunt Rose's cleaning music. I guess everyone's version of therapy is different. Mine does not include cleaning, but that is another story.

Back to my themed evening: I lit a few candles, made a cup of tea, and then I decided to write my cousin a letter. This might sound a bit strange, but he is in jail right now. (For your reference, I have a lot of cousins.)

My mom goes over to visit on visiting day, but he only has a few guests allowed each week, so I wanted to write a letter. So about this letter, I type most things now, and a handwritten letter with my chicken-scratch penmanship...I was a little worried about legibility. But then I did not know what to say. As you can only imagine, what would be interesting about my life? I blog about Epsom Salt and prize-worthy Carrots and Apple Pie. Thanks to you devoted readers for finding me so darn interesting.

But I guess what words are on the paper do not matter so much as reaching out to my cousin, my family. And when I licked the envelope, and stuck a flower sticker over the flap (I am a dork - I know) I felt a kinship in my meditative state: giving of myself, with the simple act of writing a letter, can change a few things. Deep.

Cleaning My Kitchen

2008-11-05T07:49:00.000-06:00

In an effort to avoid depressing political presidential coverage, which by the way, overtook prime time television and monopolized all the good things about tv, I focused on the piles of produce I had to clean and put up.

Jon made mexican rice last night - meatless, of all things? I was very confused - and it was way to spicy for me to eat, so I made some quesidillas. Yum. melty cheese and chicken, sour cream and guacamole. Delightful.

I have probably 2.5 lbs of carrots I coined last night. I failed to take any pictures, but these were prize worthy carrots. Crisp, crunchy, bright orange. I happily chopped and coined carrots. We are living large, people.

I also had two bags of green peppers we rescued prior to the first frost. I julianned and froze them. They will work really well in soup. Have I ever told you how much I love to make soup? Stick around...perhaps Sunday I will make another batch.

Carrie posted about curry butternut squash soup. I made that last Sunday (soup makin' day). It is amazingly delicious. Smooth, creamy, buttery, lightly spiced curry. Umm, the warmness is very soothing. Good recommendation Carrie!

I just have to put up my kolarabis now. I hear they are delicious in soup as well. I will have to let you know on that.

Back to my carrots. I found a carrot site: http://www.carrotrecipes.net/ Hopefully, I can find something to do with all these carrots...and there are still more in the garden waiting for me.

#5

2008-11-04T08:16:00.000-06:00

My favorite number is 9. But 5 is pretty cool all on its own. What is #5??? I was the 5th ballot to be turned in this morning at the polls. Pretty cool? I'm smokin' cool.

I did not look into the poll times, so I figured 6 am-ish would be about right, maybe 7am. So I showed up at 6:30 am to find that the polls open at 7 am. Oh well. I got my coffee cup out of the car - I do heart the new Pumpkin Spice flavored creamer - and stood in line.

I was surrounded by my neighbors, and that 1/2 hour went really fast. It was fun. Several of my parents' neighbors volunteer at the polls, so I see them every election. I do admire these folks. Donating their entire day to run the polls. They deserve a round of applause.

I typically leave my house around 6:30 am every morning. But this morning, I voted at 7 and arrived at work by 7:45 am. I am contemplating this shorter commute time...hummm. Maybe early is not so much better at all.

More Girl Time in Minnesota

2008-10-29T07:56:00.001-05:00

One of the best things in life is time with girlfriends. Our gatherings do not happen nearly as often, and certainly not in the masses like we were able to gather this weekend. It was great to see every one of you - we do not see each other face to face that often, but when we are able to meet, it is something magical. A big congratulations to Amy.. and soon to follow, Liz and Sarah on their rite of passage into motherhood. Below are pictures from the weekend. (Backwards of course, sorry)

Nolan with Grandpa Becker at the local Lions Club omlette breakfast. That is true, down-home fun. My father would be very proud.

The final kid group picture. Annie, standing up, was actually just standing, and not a flying streak in the photo, Nolan isn't looking, but with the pumpkins help, he is lookin' good. Kade and crazy Ryker couldn't look much cuter. This was about a 10 minute project. Darn, they are so cute!

What is even cuter... mommas, aunties, and cameras!

Image of the process and action.

Here is Annie in action - and the boys are entranced by the leaves.

You ladies are all beautiful! Thank you for the wonderful day.

Girl Time

2008-10-29T07:51:00.001-05:00

A few weekends ago, I drove up to see my sister, Becky, in Green Bay. We had an awesome, lovely time. I think I mentioned this trip a few posts ago, you might recall the story of the ginormously large cabbage from the farmers' market. Well, that was from this trip. However, I still wanted to post a few of the pictures from our nature walk in the glorious fall weather.

As time goes on, not to sound cliche, but Becky and I are starting to look more- and more- and more like each other. We could pass for twins in this picture.

End of the Blooms

2008-10-29T07:41:00.000-05:00

Since I am very secure with my inner "dork," I had to post some beautiful photos
I took a few weeks ago. I was out in my garden the afternoon before a light freeze, and I picked the last of my flowers and some herbs. I am not a majorly talented flower aranger, but I was pleased with the transformation. And I had forgotten what such prettiness can do to change my mood. I will have to remember this.

Herbs: lemon mint, lavender, and oregano. The small yellow flower is...are you ready for this...this is true dorkism...a piece of broccoli that I let continue to flower. Kinda cute?!

Shasta Daiseys and whatnot on my kitchen table...

I could not help but to also post a picture of the most perfect apple pie! I made it myself, and when I pulled it out of the oven, it could not have been more perfect! (this does not happen every time..)

Epsom Salt

2008-10-23T07:43:00.000-05:00

Oh, major discovery here! Epsom Salt. I know a few things about epsom salt, but I was totally unaware of the magical principles until I read the complete package. And it is considered "GREEN."

Holy Moly!

This ties right in with vinegar and baking soda as easy and effective cleaners. And if you are thrifty like me - all are incredible cheap. Add a bit of bleach to the mix, and your arsenol is complete. Wowsers!

So I had to include the link to the epsom salt council (who knew such a following of people could be so devoted to something like epsom salt?)http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/

But yes, it exists.

For the Garden (trying to contain my excitement!):

Houseplants: 2 tablespoons per gallon of water; feed plants monthly.
Tomatoes: 1 tablespoon per foot of plant height per plant; apply every two weeks.
Lawns: Apply 3 pounds for every 1,250 square feet with a spreader, or dilute in water and apply with a sprayer.
Garden Startup: Sprinkle 1 cup per 100 square feet. Mix into soil before planting.

For Health:

Foot bath: Add a cup of Epsom Salt to a tub of warm water as a popular balm for aching feet. (I was familiar with this one)
Laxative: Consult the package directions for instructions. (Next time I see the GI guy, I am going to ask about switching from the expensive off the shelf stuff I take on occasion and switch to this - it is waaaaay cheaper- by a waaaaay lot. And it is much more natural, if you will. All you certified health pros out there - I know better than to just switch without consulting my specialist...Good grief! Why would I be interested in messing with the confirmed treatments. Epsom salt might be too harsh. I will have to ask.)

More fun uses can be found at http://www.care2.com/greenliving/use-epsom-salts-13-wonderful-ways.html

Facial cleansers...hair volumizers....bath soaks...

And the ultimate best part: Difficulty level: Easy

Thoughts Extended

2008-10-14T07:59:00.001-05:00

So, you love my random thoughts, heh? Good. Here is another edition.

I spent the weekend up in Green Bay with my sister Becky. I loved every moment of it. We had a very relaxing time. I finally! met her boyfriend, James - and he is very nice. We did a lot of hiking and drank a lot of coffee and talked even more than that. Sigh. It...was...awesome! We visited the Green Bay farmers' market (go figure) and it was amazing! They must've had 18+ farmers in their market. And it was cheap! Burlington has a ways to go, but it is on its way. Items that are noteworthy: I purchased lemongrass, scallion onions, cabbage, bok choy, green peppers, carrots - for a grand total of $7.00!!!! I was super excited. Uber-excited, even. So let me tell you about this cabbage...it was two times the size of my head! It was gi-normous! And it was a whole $1.50. Wow! (Do you sense the excitement? Should I use more explaination points??) Let me clarify...I was excited.

So with the grand list of veggies, I had no idea how to use them. Lemongrass is a new item for me. So we consulted Becky's cookbooks and came up with a perfect recipie for Asian stirfry. We got some garlic and fresh ginger and oyster sauce. Yea, not so sure about that, but wow - it was awesome! The oyster sauce make a huge difference to the flavor of the stirfry - definately recommend it to y'all.

So totally flipping directions...my Walmart photo account was going to expire on Oct. 4th and I would loose the albums I had stored. Not that it matters, I keep CD backups, but I thought it was due time that I ordered some prints. So I uploaded all of our summer photos and had them shipped. I figured it out that it would be worth the 50 cents more to have them deliver it to my door with shipping than going into the actual Walmart for pick up. Has anyone else realized how incredibly slow and disorganized the photo section is over there? I hate it. Plus I pick up another $15.00 worth of items I cannot live without but do not necessarily NEED. So I looked at the shipping option as a savings of $14.50. Definately worth the shipping.

I was so excited to get a fun item in my mailbox. Because who really wants to look at the shrinking Mutual/401K statements? I would rather look at my photo memories - and I was so excited to have some of them look so fabulous, if I do say so myself. My "artistic" ones even printed off better than I could've hoped. I have posted several of them on previous blogs, and maybe I will dig out the link, but I am lazy - so not today.

Hazelnut coffee today. I am savoring the nutty flavor in my coffee. And the fall colors driving in were beautiful. I think I will drag my mother hiking this weekend. Jon has to work. Dad is going to the cabin, so hopefully, we can adventure.

Is this conversationally random enough? Hope so. Enjoy your day!

Thought of the Moment

2008-10-09T16:32:00.001-05:00

For as busy as I am - I am certainly trying to enjoy each day. And I think it is going quite nicely. I had a fantastic birthday. Just not on the day. I flew home from CA on my birthday. I met up with my long time friend Melissa. We met in Kenosha and went hiking in Petrified Springs Park at UW Parkside. We had a panini, ice cream, and we made new memories. I love it. I love having a dear friend living within a mear 30 minute drive. Hot darn! More friends are welcome!... because I confess. I am not always a great "new" friend. I am open to new friendship, but I suck at being a friend. I do wish I was better, and I have every intention. But it is HARD. Therefore, I continue to cherish my exisiting network. And I adore my network. That is all I have to say on that. Certainly not the direction I intended this post to go. Whatever.

Oh, back to my birthday. I got the best gift of all. Time. Time with Melissa. Mom and Grandpa and I went to the apple orchard to get apples and squash. Time. Jon and I spent the afternoon together to get a present...for me! Would you believe he got me shoes?!? We went to the Nike outlet and I picked out new runners. I have not had a pair of new runners in a while. Maybe I will even start..you know it..running. Anything could happen. Jon and I seem to always get shoes for gifts. That must be our stand-by. Christmas we both exchanged shoes and did not even know it beforehand. Good thing we both adore new shoes. His choice is Redwing boots. Mine-I am not limited to the shoes that I like. uhmm. maybe I should be 'cuz I have a lot.

And this weekend, I am going to Green Bay to spend the weekend with my sister. So I did not have a party. And I did not see all the people I love. But to have Time with many people I love is what matters most.

Sappy.

Sorry for the sap, but I am grateful to speak of the time I got to spend with those I love. And it is only the 9th of Oct. and there is a lot of goodness going on.

On a different note I had a goal to see if I could shed some lbs. this summer. I walked consistantly, ate somewhat better, and I stick to a sleep schedule. Tomorrow is my 6th month check up (not for babies...do not fear) and I certainly hope I have subtracted rather than added. I fear crisis mode is going to pop my bubble.

Travel

2008-10-03T08:26:00.000-05:00

I have been traveling a lot lately. I was in Anaheim, CA last week and I ran into my old company and industry out there. It was kinda nice: I left 3 years ago, and I was amazed at how many people remembered me - that was really nice to know that I left a good impression. My old competitors and business colegues picked me out of the tradeshow crowd and remembered my name. It was really special. I was really excited to be...remembered. It felt good.

I just returned from San Diego. Wow - I really like that place. A Lot.

Sunday I am off to San Antonio, TX. I am looking forward to that place. I like it there too.

I also have gads of travel mishaps. Delayed flights, broken planes...just another day out of the office.

Two Mantras

2008-09-15T08:18:00.000-05:00

I did it...I cleaned off my dining room table.

I completed my 3 months worth of filing! (I hang my head in shame). But the piles are gone! And I have a bag of garbage and a bag of shredding. Boy, that feels soooo good.

I did the switch. Summer green table cloth is gone and my fall decor in place. The rainy weekend kind of supported this. Bright colors be gone.

I felt so good about this cleaning energy. I have taken on two mantras:

1. Less is More.
2. Rotate pretty knick-knacks.

I love the switch. I love to pull out treasures. I never knew I would be a fan of less clutter. Wow! Dust free and wide open spaces.

Only I walked into my attic...I certainly have to bring a few loads to Goodwill. But now that the weather is cooler, I can go in and organize and part with things. Eventually, we want to make that into a real room - not just storage. And before we can do that, I better start going thru these boxes. But alas, all in due time. As you can tell, it felt good to clean the part of the house we actually live in.

Now I just have to tackle a few other projects, but this is an excellent start. Julie, my cousin from San Fran - the designer, is coming to WI for Thanksgiving! And she loves to walk into my house and change things up. So I have to have a good palatte for her to work with. And I have some paint chips for her to go thru. As always, I have many plans...

The next tidy plan involves my kitchen. My hutch with the open glass doors needs major re-organizing. Pronto!

Soup Season

2008-09-11T08:08:00.001-05:00

Have you been noticing the air smells differently? The fall scents are starting to fill the air. When I go for my nightly walk, there are now a few fallen leaves making thier appearance. And last night, I when I was eating a later dinner, by 7:50 pm my backyard was enveloped in inky black darkness. Although, I was not too sad. I love sweatshirt weather, carmel apples, and soup. I love soup.

Jon has me on soup watch: I am not allowed to use our big metal kettle when I make soup - because then I fill it and make a huge batch. He does not like to eat the entire pot, so I have been pointed to the smaller kettle to make a controlled amount of soup.

The funny thing about yesterday, which I had no intention of making, is that I made soup! Jon was not ready for soup season to start so soon. I had a whole chicken that I threw in the crock pot yesterday morning, along with carrots, onions, celery and seasoning. I had every intention of making chicken and rice: but I used my smaller crockpot, and these items filled it. I hesitated to dump in the rice - but only after I added two tall glasses of water. I was fearful that the rice would expand beyond the crock capacity.

Jon made rice when he got home, and dinner was ready. His only constructive criticism last night was to add less water. We were laughing - it made really good soup. However, neither of us are really ready for soup season.

It was pretty darn tasty though. I think I will make my chicken soup this way from now on.

Greatest Ever Cookbook

2008-08-21T12:47:00.000-05:00

I have not been reading novels lately. However, I have been flipping through cookbooks every evening and just enjoying the thought of tasting delicious food. Sometimes I make the recipies, but mostly, I just flip through the books. At some point, I would like to get in the habit of making a new recipie each week. Like every Wednesday. I am not there yet, but I have tons of great recipies I will eventually try.

So I would like to introduce you to my latest favorite cookbook. The Gardeners' Community Cookbook. All of the recipies are related to the produce out of home gardens. And the ingredients are "normal" not gourmet, which adds to my appeal to acutally make some of the recipies.

Mom and I made the recipie for spagetti sauce to can, and it was amazing.

As you know, I have this abundance of produce right now. And this is the type of book that can only help out. Now I just have to get the husband to use the veggies when he cooks too...

Dealing with Garden Bounty

2008-08-20T07:45:00.001-05:00

So you have probably been wondering why I have not posted recently. There are many things going on right now, and mostly, I am trying to enjoy summer for as long as I can. But very recently - my garden has consumed my evenings of picking and watering. I am trying to keep up with the enormous amounts of fresh veggies my plot is producing. Last week my tomatos went wild. Cucumbers are coming out of my ears. I have not purchased lettuce at all since spring. Peppers, beets, zucchini, herbs, beans, snap peas, carrots (more will come - it is early for roots), and other things I am not thinking of right now.

But I would like to show the before picture from this spring:

And what it looked like two weeks ago (the most recent picture):

And for the most joyous recycling experience, Dave and I retrofitted some old window screens for our climbing vines. Since we have replaced all of our windows in our house, we had a whole stack of wooden frames in our basement. Out of sight, out of mind. Jon and I really did not think much of them, until Dave came over with a few he had aquired. Brilliant! So I went to the basement and I must have 15-20 screens. They have been quite an innovative solution to the chaotic growth in our garden. Not only are we encouraging vines to grow up, but we are also using several screens to "contain" as well. Our tomatos tend to take up the entire path, but now they are corralled in between screens. Here is a picture of our healthy pickles.
As I mentioned above, window screen corrals:

So the fruits of our labor are bountiful. Tomato-hell is here. Mom and I have started canning - she has done several batches, and I have helped with a few of them. Chili sauce, spagetti sauce, pickles, dilly beans. And last night, I had another ice cream pail full of tomatos. I think I have to make salsa tonight.

That is where I have been. And where I will be again tonight. Between produce and the Olympics running so late into the night, I am having a hard time getting up in the morning.

Northwoods Vacation

2008-08-04T12:51:00.001-05:00

Ahhh. Bliss. Vacation. Lack of Cell Phone Reception (huge bonus). Husband. Dog. Cooler of food and beverages, mostly the adult kind - and some kool-aid juice boxes for me. You know, I gotta cater to the inner child some of the time. Fishing poles, my bike, and several books. Yes, we went to the CABIN. One week in warm weather, warm lakes, and my husband and dog. It was all of our dream come true. Although, we both have money on our dog - she had the bestest dog heaven week of all.

This is a picture of a different lake not by our cabin. We went for a speedboat ride thru 5 lakes connected by channels. It was something I have never done before. Check.

My family. Dog. Husband. Myself. Yes, he really is that much taller than me. Sometimes I forget until I see a picture and I am stunned at how much bigger he is than me. We couldn't get Josie to look at the camera - the lake was the other way. We could hardly keep her out of the water. She loved swimming and leaping off the pier - any pier for that matter.

Mini-Reunion! Lucky strikes! It just so happens that 6 of us would be in Duluth on the very same day! Janell, Erin, Beth, Kelly, Tiffany with Kade, Carrie with Addie. Brian, Jon and Joe snapped pictures for us. Although, next time, we should take pictures in the shade. I know my eyes are closed!

A trip to the cabin must include a visit to the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, WI. Let me tell you about a grand time that is...old lures, fish mounts, and tons of boat motors. We certainly know how to have a good time...Jon has been there 2 times now. Even he said we do not have to go back. It is neat to see, and go into the big muskie, but we won't go back for a while.

Josie in the lake.

And that is the short version. I have more pictures to post and stories to tell. Vacation rocks.

Camping...in our Living Room

2008-07-15T07:35:00.000-05:00

Holy moly...Jon spent his entire day yesterday ripping off the rest of the outdated, old-lady wall-paper. Today, he is going to wash down the walls, the floor and patch the plaster walls.

I had spent Sat. trying to scrape off one corner of the room, but I found one teeny tiny corner to be exhausting. So Jon went fishing this weekend with a buddy, and took charge of the project yesterday. Needless to say, I was absolutely elated that it was finished!

Now, I just have to pick a paint color...by Wednesday! Yikes! I just got a new bed cover - white with a navy square stripe. So I think I am going with a soft yellow (because it is the color of sunshine and happiness!) with white bedding and punches of nautical blue. I realize this is totally not a traditional color scheme for a bedroom, but I like it, and I think Jon will too. Seriously, anything is better than the authentic 1940's wall-paper. Then, I want to get a head-board. I think I do not really like the bedroom "sets" so much, but we will see.

So as the title of this post implies...we blew up the air mattress last night and camped in our living room. Needless to say, Josie, the dog, was elated! She is not allowed on our regular bed, so camping on the floor for her was priceless...

4th of July and a Photo Update

2008-07-09T07:49:00.001-05:00

I confess...I did not take any patriotic pictures for the 4th weekend...

Jon and I had a great extended weekend together. He is not working at the hardware store for a few months, so we now have weekends together. We have not had too many weekends together for a very long time, so we kinda look at each other...and say "what do you want to do?" back and forth a few times. It has been very good for us - hanging out more together. But it is a bit of an adjustment, mainly because our hobbies and interests are very different.

We spent Friday the 4th over at his mom's in south-central wisconsin. We watched the parade and picked mulberries. It was good. Then we headed home and went to the fireworks with our neighbors and their little boys. I do enjoy traditional activities: family, parades, fireworks. I was happy.

We went over to Bong state park to get our state park pass and we did some hiking with the dog. It is the largest managed prairie in the state. Minus the beating sun and the bird-like mosquitos, it was very nice.

We went to our friends' annual 4th of July BBQ on Sat. It was a case of time flies - we haven't seen them since their last 4th of July BBQ...We have to get better at making a point to catch up with people - especially our friends who live close by. However, that is a case of varying opinions...I love to see people...the hubby is a bit stubborn on this topic...

Then Sunday, neighbor Dave knocked on my door, and we spent the bulk of the day in the garden. I had no intention of devoting the day to the veggie plants, but they got the royal treatment. Dave had aquired some old screens to prop up and give the climbing plants rooms to grow, and I had a light bulb moment - I have approx. 20 old wooden screens to our old windows in the basement! So we cut out the fine window mesh and stapled fencing to the frames. Talk about a new use for old things! Then we spread straw in the aisles to help with the weeds and water evaporation. Needless to say, I was absolutely beat. But we have the most amazing looking professional garden around. I do not have pictures yet, but they will be on the way.

The pictures I do have:

My climbing rose bush in the front of my house is stunning -

Of course I have to post a pic of the happy-go-lucky dog, Josie. Here she is holding a bone:

Fishing in the Kenosha harbor - picture of the lighthouse:

Jon fishing:

New project alert! The last of the old-lady wall paper...we are offically taking off the last room with wallpaper! So our room has been the last to really get any attention...it has been rather hodge-podge, but low on the list because it is upstairs. So my goal is to have the room completely refinished by the start of school. That will give me time to figure out what color to paint it.

Beautiful yellow flowers...Apparently in my lack of interest in weeding, I let a few unidentifiable plants grow -and this was my surprise! Last year, I had pulled these out thinking they were weeds!

Too Busy Living

2008-07-01T07:42:00.000-05:00

Hi y'all. I hang my head in shame...I have not posted for far tooooo many days. Weeks. Almost a whole month...I am terribly sorry for the disconnect, but I am going to chalk it up to too busy living.

First and foremost: Jon and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary. He was incredibly sweet- the third anniversary is the year of leather, so he got me a black coach purse! I was so excited! He wanted a specific kind of fishing pole, a drift rod for those who care, and he is having the rod hand made...so a few mac n cheese meals are coming our way! But he got me flowers, made my favorite dinner, and was romantic and thoughtful. I love this big guy...he is amazing.

What else...the garden. I will have to post pictures: it looks absolutely perfect. Dave weeded. I detest weeding. So I give him all the credit for the beautiful garden. I have been picking leaf lettuce and spinich like crazy. and the romaine is full of love as well. Soon I will have peas and beans. My herbs are coming along too, although my basil is somewhat of a disappointment.

What else...Jon and I are going up to the cabin for the last week of July. I am very excited to take a break and spend some time in the forest with some campfires, bikes and Josie the dog, and Jon the husband.

In the Dirt

2008-06-06T07:41:00.000-05:00

Jon and I hit our first MLB game of the year. The Brewers vs. Diamondbacks. This is the most unflattering picture of me, but oh well - I only got one picture. We had seats in the upper deck, and it was great. We went with my uncle and his family, and we tailgated beforehand. It was freezing. I was drinking my pop, and my hand was going to fall off from the cold. Not really, but it was not a summer day...

Mom and I went to the seasons' first Burlington farmers' market last night. They switched parks this year, and relocated it right downtown -and away from the highway traffic. It was whimsical and charming: they had a banjo player, a kiddie jumping castle, free drawings, bison meat, flowers, more flowers, honey, and all kinds of things. It was so beautiful, in a simple-pleasure kind of way. I cannot wait to watch the market grow: this was the first, and local produce has not hit yet, so there will be more vendors. But the flowers for sale were gorgeous. Some of the hanging baskets were gigantic. If only I would be able to keep them looking lush and bright for the entire summer, would I welcome their presence on my porch. I did forgo planting the front. The porch is not finished yet, and I do not want to put stuff out if it is going to get trampled. So I put pots on my steps. That will suffice. But I am keeping things simple out front, to a minimum this year. But I can still look.

Good news - our garden is planted: the veggie garden, the herb patch, and my flower beds. Dave and I had Grandpa down to help plant this year. Oh, he was in his glory digging in the dirt. We had so much fun together planting - very celebratory and in good cheer.

Grandpa and Dave planting pepper plants.

Switching subjects: last month was busy for me. I had my huge trip to Naples, FL for work. It was awesome. All of my peeps were happy, our guests were happy, and my plans all worked out flawlessly. And bonus: I got a jump start on sun-kissed skin. After that and all of my yardwork, I am looking bronzed!

Life in the Fast Lane

2008-05-11T20:54:00.000-05:00

Last weeks' surprise was a porch renovation. The guys were finalizing the soffit and facia on our siding project and knocked over a rotten pillar. Low and behold, we are entering porch repairs. Not a huge deal - we anticipated porch woes very soon, just not this soon. So they jacked the porch up 3-6 inches depending on which part of the porch you are looking under. The fresh lumber is always a sign of moving ahead! Regardless of the fact that I donated all of my newly blooming tulips - I decided that the tulips will appear again next year, and now I can sit on the porch with no worries. I did make a stink about the tulips...but I am over it.

I have to show off a blossoming strawberry. Ignore the creeping jenny in the background. I am entering weed control season. Right now the weeds are winning... but the strawberries are all blooming. yea!

Big news from our camp...the summer haircut for the dog. Jon on purpose decided to keep the tuft of unusually long hair on her head. And the hairdresser even kept the back to form a, yup, a true mohawk. She looks extremely goofy and I am waiting for PITA to show up on my doorstep. But the rest of Josie looks amazing.

We had mother's day at our house: Jon's mom and Becky and Robert, my mom, dad, sister, brother and grandpa. I guess I only took one picture...I am horrible. But arent' my mom and grandpa cute?

And - my sister with my spoiled-rotton dog...cuddling on our couch. Josie is under the blankets..

Wedding Pictures

2008-05-11T20:49:00.000-05:00

As promised, here are a few snipets from Sarah's Wedding. Isn't she beautiful? Left to right: me, Sarah, and Melissa

This is not the greatest picture, but the only one I have of Andy!

Much later in the evening...Jon and I. Tell me he doesn't look like he is having a good time...

Sarah's Wedding

2008-04-30T07:56:00.001-05:00

This weekend was Sarah's wedding! It was all-consuming, so I have not been able to post at all. She was so beautiful! She looked great and Andy was fantastic. The ceremony was a candlelight ceremony at 7 pm on Saturday. They are Lutheran, so things are so similar to Catholics, but just slightly different responses. It was in an old chapel, and it had all the beautiful stained glass windows and creaky wooden floors and benches. The ceremony was amazing; Sarah's sister-in-law, Jill, sang the Lord's Prayer, and it was simply breathtaking. As a bridesmaid, I was the second in line, so when Mel went to fluff Sarah's dress, I was bombarded with holding 2 programs, three sets of flowers, and 2 candles. Apparently, I had some funny expressions. That was a lot to juggle!

The reception was fun. I was really excited to get my hubby, Jon, out on the dance floor. I think I even got 4 dances out of him that night! Amazing things do happen...

I have pictures, but I brought the wrong cord - the new cameras have a smaller USB connection...I really hate it when there is no universal cell phone connections, plug ins, and now the USB. Why do we not simplify life and keep things like these cords from changing? This is what fills our carbon footprint - the fact we have to have all our electrical appliances unnecessarily "updated." Seriously, that should be a rule - it would keep mfgs from unnecessarily changing the necessary accessories. Things like USB cords they supply with the unit anyway. Sorry for the rant- I am done.

Tiff - I really enjoyed your post on getting your fruits and veggies. I too, try to get my 3-5 and 2-4 servings a day. I have to be a bit cautious with the massive intake on fiber - my system goes wacky otherwise. But I have 4 pieces of fruit currently on my desk: banana, red pear, orange, and a golden apple. I also have the aluminum water bottle, the re-usable coffee mug, and regretfully, a Nalgene plastic water bottle. But I fill that with the crystal light single serving packets, and the Nalgene is bigger than my aluminum bottle, so the powered drink is not overly strong. I do not know if I am ready to completely part, but I have been drinking out of the aluminum one more for the plastic reason.

So to eat all of these fruit and veggies - I always put frozen veggies in casseroles (we like them for weekday meals. I love one pot meals.) and I cook a lot of eggs, so I will clean out my veggie drawer and chop and dice anything that needs to be used. Scrambled eggs are great with spinich, asperagus, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. Those are the culprits in my fridge that I never quite use the entire package up.

When I grocery shop - stick to the outside perimeter of the grocery store to avoid the over-abundance of processed American corn-filled crap. Veggies, fresh bakery, fish, meat, dairy...beer...oops (that counts as corn) the wine is right next to the beer - no corn!

I am also really excited for my garden to fill my cart instead of the expensive grocery store. I just picked my first three asperagus trees! I need to cook them tonight. I also have my spring onions to use. So, I will try to start shopping in my own backyard, and that will help the expense of veggies.