Amsterdam

It seems I've started and saved this post several times, but when I come back, it's gone, and I'm usually too wiped out to hassle with writing coherent thoughts. I am exhausted daily, but loving every minute of it. As we rode the train to Amsterdam Tuesday morning, it occurred to me that many of the experiences I find remarkable, the folks here think of as commonplace. That's a good thing, so long as they remember to appreciate them; for instance, the train ride itself, on a functional and efficient public transit system. The development of the auto and US highway system over the years has brought many improvements to our quality of life, but at the expense of reliable public transportation options in all but the largest cities. Rural America is left in the lurch, needing expensive cars and expensive fuel, when perhaps our resources could be better invested elsewhere.
We got to Amsterdam and wandered around at a leisurely pace. We checked out some public squares with street performers and buskers, and went to the Rijksmuseum. Neither the iPastor nor I are well-schooled in the fine arts, but even we could appreciate the talent of Rembrandt and the other Dutch masters on display. The Rijksmuseum wins for being highly accessible to noobs. :)
Afterwards, we headed for Vondelpark, both for historic/sightseeing significance, and to check out some sights from John Green's latest book, _The Fault in Our Stars_. He's a family favorite, so I needed some pictures for the Things at home. The man singing to the ducks made the trip worthwhile all on his own. We walked back and visited the Anne Frank House. The line to get in was daunting, but it actually moved along quickly, yet didn't feel too rushed once we were inside. Visiting a place that one reads about is an interesting experience anyway, but the gravity of the story of the Hidden Annex made it all the more surreal. We walked back up near the train station, and took a canal tour. We'd been walking past and over them all day, so it was quite interesting to see the city from the opposite view.
Afterwards, we headed back to 't Goy and settled in for the evening.

Day 3: Antwerp

We headed out with both DDs for a day trip to Antwerpen, Belgium. Couldn't be this close and not sneak one more country in. Did the sightseeing thing, ate, walked, ate more, and just had fun visiting with our girls. :). Have to steal pics from the iPastor. He was far better with the camera thani was today. We visited a lovely cathedral and the "Hidden Street," as well as an America Today store, where we could purchase Mountain Dew for DD#1. It was rainy but still pleasant, and the highlight of the day was just knocking around with our girls. They hadn't met before, and it was fun for them, I think, to compare "war stories" of their time in Minnesota. We made our back to Holland, and put DD#1 on a train back to Vlissingen, while we headed back to 't Goy.

Day Two

After going 36 hours straight, I finally crashed about 8pm local, only to wake at 4 am. We had a little Skype session home, then managed to go back to bed for a while. We headed to Vlissingen where DD (Dutch Daughter) #2's parents are vacationing, and where DD #1 lives. We had a quick visit with the parents at the beach, then we're off to celebrate our Dutch Granddaughter's 5th birthday. She was outside waiting for us to pull up, and I was greeted for the first time by shrieks of "Grandma!!" it was a little disconcerting, but I could get used to it. We were awash in babies and adorable children who I will not plaster on the Internet, but suffice it to say the extended family and friends were warm and gracious, and a loud time was had by all.
Supper was takeout from the local fry shop, which was a hit with adults and kids alike. We wound down with some Dutch and American TV.

And we're off!

Greeting from 't Goy, Netherlands. It's rainy and too cool for July here. But we are here to spend time with our kids, and weather be damned. Our flights were blessedly uneventful, uncrowded and smooth. I read 1 1/2 books of the Hunger Games trilogy, and tried unsuccessfully to sleep on the plane. We were picked up at the airport by Dutch Daughter #2, who took us home to feed us and let us grab a quick shower, then we were off to explore old Utrecht with her sister. We wandered the old downtown and the open air market, then toured a museum of old carillions and mechanical orchestras and hurdy gurdys, which was surprisingly charming. She brought us home and fed us yet again, and we are currently in danger of lapsing into a food coma. It won't be long before jet lag has its wicked way with me, so I'll leave you with a couple of photos.

Twinkle

Most years, when we have no big 4th of July plans, we watch the fireworks in a small town on the other side of the county.  Their Lion's Club puts on a nice show, and it's a low-stress, enjoyable time. As one would expect, traffic streams out of town afterwards, concentrated on the two main routes.   I scoot across the intersection instead of turning with the rest of the cars, and take the county roads home.  When I come to a certain intersection every year, I look to the southeast corner.  I don't know what made me notice, but one year on this trek I saw the entire ditch there, well sheltered by brush, was alight with lightning bugs.  Over the years, it's become my habit to check out that intersection on late summer nights, usually on Independence Day holidays.  They've never disappointed.  I don't know if it's a phenomenon of temperature, climate, or just happenstance, but every time, lightning bugs blink a friendly greeting from that particular intersection.
Tonight, I visited a winery on that same side of the county.  A dear friend took ill last Monday.  Upon inspection, it became apparent she had actually been ill for quite some time.  She made the decision to take hospice by Friday, and left us on Sunday.  Her husband opted to hold her memorial at a place she loved, drinking wine and sharing music and stories on a beautiful summer night.  As I drove home, I made my way back to my comfortable county road, and came upon "my" intersection.  It was positively blazing, the lightning bugs blinking fast and staccato.  I lingered at the stop sign, no country traffic to prod me forward, and enjoyed the show for a moment, thinking what a kick my friend would get out of the story.  She must have agreed.  As I let out the clutch and made my way through the gears, Owl City's "Fireflies" began to play on the radio.
Godspeed, Sharon.  You were a bright soul in our midst and your absence is deeply felt.

No more pencils...

The end of this school year has me just as anxious as my students.  Yet another one of my Things walks through graduation this year.  The Norwegian Afro and the Italian Songstress, who've spent all year becoming part of our family, will turn around and head home.  I have to make it through several more concerts, awards nights and meetings, then school's out for summer.  This year I am more antsy about the whole process.  I finally got full-time hours by taking on a new content area, and the resultant learning curve has me weary.  We're working hard to find homes for exchange students, and it feels like that's harder this year, too.  But mostly I am giddy like a kid in a candy store, because come July, I finally get to turn the tables and go abroad for the first time in 20+ years.  I can't wait.

Hmmm, a little dusty in here...

So, I've been unfaithful to my blog with Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr (though I ended that crazy thing with MySpace years ago).  I've been reflecting on social media platforms, and their place in my life, and I do think it's time to come back here for more long-form musings.  I enjoy the challenge of condensing a thought to 140 characters, and Tumblr is great for sharing little gems I find along my internet wanderings.  Facebook has been a slick tool for reconnecting with folks.   I have some things perking in my brain, though, and some events to document.
Wayyyyyy back when the internetz were new, I had fantasies of my kids finding my blog like grandma's diary in an attic, and learning about me.  As I reflect on what I've posted all over the ether, I'm not ashamed of what they'd find, but it certainly doesn't plumb too deep. I do hope, however, that they won't need the internet to know who I am.

Riddle me this...

As we drove home from the airport Saturday, my daughter was sipping tamarind soda from a plastic cup. She exclaimed a couple times that she got a tiny little shock on her lip when the soda touched it. This led to passing the cup around the car and everyone having the same phenomenon. We wondered how soda from a plastic bottle could be poured into a plastic cup and generate a static charge. Any science type folks wanna do some 'splaining?

I had an idea like that once...

Go here




Laugh a lot.  Check out the previous 4 similar posts.  :)

Frazzled?

Summer is crazy. By the end of the school year, I'm just as excited as the kids about break. This summer has seemed like more work than the school year, with less to show for it. Here's to gathering my wits and having a more productive second half. :)

technology

Setting up as many ways as possible to post here, in hopes that I might actually do it!

Correcting essay tests in flight draws some good attention. Glad to be representing those who work even harder than I do so kids can learn!

I'm really thinking this will be my next writing assignment. But for now, to in-flight grading...

Objective: Students will express an idea completely, effectively, and intelligently in 140 (160?) characters, without resorting to abbreviations or netspeak...

Headed to Vegas for EF regional mtg. Good time to catch up on blogging. Character limit is an interesting writing exercize. I feel a lesson plan perking...

I hope I never become blase about the wonder of the view from 37k feet. Grain elevator/bin complexes and drainage systems are easily ID'd up here. Yay farmers!

the limitation of posting via text is the restiction of 140 characters. I could not decide on a book to bring, so I am reduced to amusing myself with my palm.

Although it won't send until I have wireless access, I write from 37000 feet enroute from FSD to Dallas. To my dear reader, Cliff, I waved as we passed over!

Insert your favorite cliche about the swift passage of time here.

Holy cow.  Almost February.  We have several milestones here.  The first semester of the 2010-11 school year is over, here in the frozen tundra where the legie says we can't start until after Labor Day.  In that time we crammed in a long weekend in the Black Hills, a ski trip in Mankato for the teens while Mom and Dad went to meetings, and the normal Thanksmas and Christmas mayhem.  That means my eldest is half done with her senior year.  The first semester spreads over 5 moths with the various holidays and breaks, but the last is crammed into four, and will fly by.  I have to plan a graduation party.  Memorial Weekend, Saturday.  Bring a salad and stop by :)
It's also time for our first half-year exchange student to return home, which no-one is happy about.  We liked her so much we took on another half-year, a He-wi to replace our She-wi, currently staying with a welcome family until she departs.  Silly state department, not letting us have more than two in the house (we have a full year German with us as well.)  Shameless plug:  we've been hosting for nearly 10 years, we love it.  You should try it.  Go to effoundation.org to check it out!
The first of the foot dragging daughters finally got her driver's license, and had her first accident (minor) within eight days.  Nothing hurt but pride, and a dented door.  And a side-effect of a mother wistful for the days of toddling and tricycles.
So, we gather up to launch into the new month, new semester, and new family dynamic.  I'll send a postcard now and then.

Placeholder

Whoa, I really need to sweep out the cobwebs around here.  Got some really good intentions about writing more.  I keep waiting for the time to sit down and crank out a massive post, but I need to let that go and just get some words out of me.  For now, though, I need to go tend to my poor neglected house and children.

Changing Seasons

It is difficult for the State Fair to truly disappoint, but I faced some sad realities there this year.  Although we parents joke about how our teenage kids hate us and would rather be anywhere else but near us, there's a grain of truth in there.  Not so much a rejection of us, but an embrace of their own selves blossoming and growing, away from us.  We did some exploring of the fair together, but they were far more interested in their own adventures, and fellow adventurers, than they were in their family. 
An additional complication:  Thing 3 and her older counterparts are experiencing a period of particular friction, and must bicker and snark about every aspect of their lives together.  It was far more peaceful to have the teens out on their own and keep the tween and little brother with me.
As we hit the Kidway, I had even further cause for melancholy.   First off, there are more and more rides that my little guy is outgrowing.  Though he's not quite up for the thrill rides on the Mighty Midway yet, the beep-beep cars and baby ferris wheel are past him now.  Luckily, the Kidway at MSF has a nice variety of rides of various levels, and he and his sister found plenty to do as I watched.  Unfortunately, I can no longer do spinning rides without careful planning and Dramamine.  That's one of those physiological quirks I experience that seem to coincide with childbearing.  I can still do coasters, but spinning is a no-no, and upside-down has not yet been tested.
As I watched from the sidelines, I had another pang I wasn't expecting.  My bachelor uncle, Tyke, doted on me when I was little.  He was always the one to take me to the county fair.  We'd go in the afternoons when it was less crowded; my mom would either nip off by herself to the exhibits, or spend the afternoon with my grandma at the house she shared with Tyke on the edge of the fairgrounds. He'd take me on rides and buy me pie and ice cream in the church booth, trying to convince me that the blueberries and raisins in the pies came from the fly strips hanging in the rafters.  When I had kids, my much older brother, Don, became the Tyke to them; when there was a carnival or fair in the neighborhood, he'd generally show up and cart them off to the midway.  The last time Thing 3 qualified for state, he met us there and took the kids on rides while iPastor and I got to sneak in a bit of a Dennis DeYoung concert.  As I watched my kids that hot August afternoon, I suddenly missed my brother terribly.  I am generally at peace with Don's death.  I am surprised when these moments sting so sharply.
Fast on the heels of State Fair came the Lifelight festival.  We only went for part of Saturday and most of Sunday this year, but we had a nice visit staying at Hotel Grandma, and our German and Kiwi kids got in a little Sioux Falls shopping.  The festival weather was nearly perfect, the new location is great, and the music was awesome.  A wonderful wrap to summer.
Everyone trundled off to school, and by the end of the second week the back-to-school colds were making the rounds at a furious pace.  So far I've avoided a full blown case of anything, but I've been really working on fluids and naps to make sure it stays that way.
We spent my birthday weekend in the cities, using passes to Como Town that Thing 3 won at the fair, visiting with friends and family, and spending Sunday at the Renaissance Festival.  Again, we were faced with the differing tastes and preferences of a growing family, and I sadly realized how few real family events we have left as Thing 1 looks ahead to college next year, Thing 2 close on her heels.  I had another sting from Don as well, remembering how we'd taken him to his first Renfest and made an addict of him.  With the sting comes a smile, though, so those moments are welcome.
My drive to school is becoming more red and gold, as well as brown from the crops.  Quite a bit of rain last week has kept the fields too muddy to harvest, but the crops themselves are ready to go, except in very low spots.  The cool damp of last week has been replaced with a stretch of Indian summer, which I am enjoying very much, though it hatched out the Boxelder bugs. I felt it was time to post, but now I need to get up and out into that sunshine while it lasts.  Happy Fall to All.  

It's nearly time.

I am a shameless Minnesota State Fair addict.  I don't even know why.  Generally, I don't care for hot, overcrowded, overpriced venues, but for some reason I get all giddy and weird at state fair time.  We live a solid three-hour drive from the state fairgrounds, so, unlike some people, I can't get to the fair every day.  I've considered taking a fair job just for that purpose, but school workshop days and Lifelight conflict, and I am also a Lifelight junkie and a fan of my job, so that doesn't work out.
The Minnesota State fairgrounds is bigger than the town where I live, which really isn't all that difficult, so I guess that's a poor comparison.  It doesn't change the fact, however, that the Great Minnesota Get Together is a whole lotta big.  There are lots of cool things to see, many free stages with live entertainment of all sorts, and free swag from bandanas to shopping bags, to yardsticks, to things the kids can build.
Nearly every year, someone in the family participates in the County Fair Talent Contest.  That determines the date we attend.  We have a little choice in the matter, so I try to shoot for Monday through Thursday whenever possible. One year we wound up performing on a Friday and the mass of humanity that day set a fair attendance record. That was not my idea of fun. Tuesdays and Thursdays are my favorites, as they are usually discount days.
As well as being a state fair junkie, I am also a cheapskate.  These two things may not seem to go well together, but I make it work.  Once we learn our date for the fair, I hit the website, downloading the schedules and scouring the contents of the Blue Ribbon Coupon Book.  I buy tickets ahead of time to save a few pennies, and plan my assault.  I spend the extra ticket to park on site and leave a cooler in the vehicle with water and snacks (now that I no longer have to push a stroller all day, which was handy for cooler hauling).  I advise my kids to pick treats that we can't find at home.  The Evil*Empire has cotton candy in the snack bar; go for a deep fried candy bar, spam nuggets, or falafel on a stick.  Exceptions are made for Sweet Martha's cookies by the bucket and State Fair French Fries, um, also by the bucket.  Although these are commonly-found foodstuffs, there's something special about the ones at the fair.
We refer to our family as "Seat of Our Pants Productions," but over the years I have learned that the state fair is not the place for spontaneity.   The place is too dang big. If one wanders aimlessly, he will quickly become exhausted and want nothing more than to claim a bench and remain there. Without at least a basic plan, about the time someone decides they'd like to check out an act on one of the stages, its too late to get there for the last showing of that group.  So we plan.  I have everyone else check out the schedule for ideas, and plot a route.  I allow for deviation if someone finds something interesting and wants to check it out, but I can be a bit of a Fair Nazi.  I tend to skip the livestock barns and ag/hort building; as a rural Minnesotan, I get plenty of exposure to those items on a fairly regular basis.  I go for the attractions we can't find at our local fairs.  Some of us always go on the skyride or space needle.  Who cares if we did it last year?  The fair from the air is always a kick (except for the acrophobics in the family.)
I must go now, to scour the map and plan the attack.  I shall return to you with tales of our conquest, and pictures of loot!

A little hint...

Thing 4 came to tell me about the present he put together for his sister.  It took a little creative questioning, but when I finally got the whole story, after I stopped laughing, I let Thing 2 know she should probably tone it down a bit.
It seems that Thing 4 went outside and talked a little with one of the contractors (also a neighbor, so it's all cool).  He went to his truck and handed him a pair of orange foam earplugs.  Contractor told Thing 4 to give them to his sister, so she wouldn't be bothered by him and yell at him so much.

Summer, we hardly knew ye

Hopefully, y'all haven't given up on me out there!  Summer has been rocketing by, as summers are wont to do, and though it seems on the surface I haven't much to show for it, closer inspection reveals more. I'd hate to bore folks with the "What I Did on the First Half of My Summer Vacation" essay, but my brain works best chronologically, so deal with it.
Memorial Day Weekend we spent mostly at home, but did venture south to visit my sister's family and decorate the stones.  The kids took some rubbings and we jotted down some info for iPastor to use for genealogical work on my side of the family at his leisure.  He's a hobbyist at that, and far better at it than I.  That evening, we took a short detour on the way home and adopted Oscar, a beautiful blue merle rough collie.  I currently have but a crappy cell phone camera, so I have no pictures to share.  Google it.  I'll wait here.  Pretty, isn't he?  His family had obviously trained him well and taken very good care of him, but the kids were out of the nest and everyone left at home is too busy to give him the attention they feel he deserves, so he came to us.  Poor dog.  He's very well-behaved, if a bit clingy, and the only real fault I can find with him is that he sheds like crazy.  Every time we brush him we get enough fur for another dog, so we've taken to calling his brushings "puppies."  Thing 4 has a new job of gathering or vacuuming Oscar puppies.
The elder two Things left their McJobs after a new manager made conditions there quite miserable for them.  They have both taken on new positions as sandwich artists, however, and I can't wait until their beards grow in and they can get their very own bones. /obscure reference
We got our two exchange students sent off, and on the way home from the airport iPastor bought an iPad, which he said was a fair tradeoff for the dog.  Since I also got to play in a musical all of June, I'll call it even.  I might be able to scrounge some pictures of that, but I have to figure out who has the rights to what on the theatre Flickr account.
Back on the home front, I set out with a massive "to do" list at the beginning of summer, that I tried to make more realistic by breaking into small chunks.  As of yesterday, we had accomplished 26 out of 70 items on the list.  Not too shabby.  I definitely won't go back to school thinking I accomplished nothing.  As I speak, my neighbor the carpenter is banging about on the roof, installing shingles.  So that's siding, most of the windows, and shingles accomplished in the last 3 years.  Again, not too shabby, if detrimental to the Paradise Falls fund. /not-quite-so-obscure reference
As we settle in for the rest of the summer, I'm hopeful about a supplemental job in my district, awaiting the arrival of the next two exchange students, madly trying to help with the placement of 18 more students in our region, getting ready to plan my newly revamped class, working a little bit more at Job 2, planning a couple days camping with friends, and just generally trying to grab onto these last days of summer as they fly by.   Hopefully, they'll contain some lively fodder for these poor, neglected, virtual pages.

Mutal of Watson's Wild Kingdom

caricature by Chip Cooper

Hello and welcome to this weeks's edition of Mutual of Watson's Wild Kingdom.  The housecat, usually docile and calm, will revert to its instinctive predatory habits when in the presence of prey.  We see here Felis Cattus lounging carelessly in the back lawn, when a baby blackbird drops into its field of vision.  It is a scientific mystery as to why the blackbirds have suddenly become so clumsy, but this spring they have been dropping out of the nest, and complaining loudly about it, at an alarming rate.  This young fledgling has chosen an inopportune spot to descend, and squawks helplessly as the housecat takes notice of the bird's prediciment, and hunches to pounce.  Adult birds hop through the trees in the yard,  setting off a noisy shrieking alarum call, following the cat's path in the air even as she trods it afoot.
As the cat prepares to take her kill, the birds, so clumsy in their youth, show a surprising aptitude for military airstrike tactics.  The birds form a respectable five-man strafing formation, dive bombing the cat.  Her concentration ruined, the cat slinks away, mightily offended at the interference of the adult birds, who have caused enough distraction for the nighbor kid to scoop the bird into a low hanging nest, allowing a few minutes of respite until it takes the plunge again.  Tune in again next week, when Jim Fowler braves the front sidewalk against the mighty peril of the barn swallow.

meh

It seems that every time I get worked up enough to write about something, someone beats me to the punch. Not too long ago I got an email about the men who guard the Tomb of the Unknowns.  My spidey sense immediately began to tingle at catch phrases "for life," "swear an oath," and "never."  So I googled up the National Cemetery website and the Tomb of the Unknown's site and verified my suspicions.  Someone felt it necessary to embellish the already interesting story of these tomb guards by injecting a bunch of hyperbole and outright untruths.  Isn't their job honorable enough without all the claptrap?  It seems like I'm getting more of these sorts of emails lately.  About the time I got a good rant worked up to write, I found this site as I looked for sources.  Go there.  They do it well enough.  I don't have to reinvent the wheel.

May has been just about enough to wear a body out.  We came out of April with unseasonably warm, beautiful weather, then dove into a week and a half of March rain.  Once we shook that off, the gnats came out in attack mode, and the temps shot into the nineties.  Between our family activities and my commitments at work, we've churned through three choir concerts, two band concerts, two recognition breakfasts, one honors awards night, a camping weekend involving no showers, exchange students from 15 countries and a voyageurs canoe, a junior high dance, two dance shows, and a retirement party.  Still left: another campout, a graduation and, sadly, two funerals, one for a young lady gone far too soon.

I also made my semiannual leap of folly into MASC's production of Hello, Dolly!  Mrs. Levi ought to keep me out of trouble for a few weeks.

Now it's time to fetch the McKid home from work.  Here's hoping I can put my nose above water again soon.

My lawn maintenance plan is sanctioned by God!!!

So you may have gotten this forward in your email, but it is too good not to share:

GOD:
St  Francis, you know all about gardens and nature. What in  the world is going on down there on the planet? What  happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff I  started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden  plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand  drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and  flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of  colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles.

St.  FRANCIS:
It's  the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites.  They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to  great lengths to kill them and replace them with  grass.

GOD:
Grass?  But, it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms.  It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites  really want all that grass growing there?

ST. FRANCIS:
Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it  green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and  poisoning any other plant that crops up in the  lawn.

GOD:
The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST.  FRANCIS:
Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it-sometimes twice a week.

GOD:
They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?

ST.  FRANCIS:
Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

GOD:
They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

ST.  FRANCIS:
No,  Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it  away.

GOD:
Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

ST.  FRANCIS:
Yes,  Sir.

GOD:
These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

ST.  FRANCIS:
You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops  growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to  water it, so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

GOD:
What  nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and  form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.

ST.  FRANCIS:
You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into  great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

GOD:
No!?  What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?

ST. FRANCIS:
After  throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something  which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

GOD:
And where do they get this mulch?

ST. FRANCIS:
They cut down trees and grind them up to make the  mulch.

GOD:
Enough!  I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you  scheduled for us tonight?

ST.  CATHERINE:
'Dumb  and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about....

GOD:
Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St.  Francis. 

Be careful what you wish for

The weather in these parts has been gorgeous.  Too gorgeous.  After our soggy flood stage, the water has receded and not been replaced by much rain.  It's also been dreadfully windy lately, and last evening as I was driving, clouds of topsoil were visible gusting across the road.
On the competition front, a good time was had by all at knowledge bowl, but the team placed well out of the running.  Meanwhile, two of my speakers have qualified for state, so we're bound for that tournament next Saturday.  Then, I'll have my Saturdays back!
Meanwhile, I think I'll find something constructive to do with my few remaining hours of weekend...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Spring sprang

Here in our part of the upper Minnesota River valley, its been all about the high water lately. Two of my three routes to work were underwater for the better part of the last two weeks. The third came close. Tuesday last, the wind picked up and blew ice onto the causeway, reducing traffic to one lane. MnDOT had electronic signs in readiness in case they had to post warnings. The water receded and MnDOT in its infinite wisdom decided this was the perfect time to drag those signs out and light them up. And leave them there for two weeks.
Spring has been busy. I had planned to roll seamlessly from Knowledge Bowl season into Speech season, but my first Varsity team decided to be stinkers and qualify for state, requiring another month of practice and extending the season into April. We'll head to a lake resort up north for State competition on April 15, and the way the weather's been, some of the parents may be booking tee times. Meanwhile, the speech team has been plugging away as well, and I expect a couple of them to qualify for state as well. The regional competition starts this week.
We've had a dryer on the fritz lately, and have made quite a challenge of line drying and ironing. It will be interesting to see the electric bill. It has led to wonderful family togetherness, enjoying games like "Sock Concentration."

The local Chamber had an Easter event downtown:  egg coloring, Easter Bunny, and a door to door basket fill, a la trick-or-treating, but with more pastels.  The kids named it the Creepy Bunny Crawl, however, due to the stylized rabbit poster marking participating stores:

And, in a sure sign of spring, the train is back:

Although you'll note, the engineer is not so optimistic as to remove the snowblower just yet...

Holy Cow, did I let a month sneak by again?

Winter plods on in our little corner of Minnesota. The slush and rain is ugly and grey, but hopefully will precede not so much flooding this spring,
We pulled over on the way home from school to watch a HUGE bald eagle just sitting in a field, hangin' out, minding his eagley business.
Kyle is home from a weekend trip to LA, where he had meetings and training for our job with EF There are so many awesome kids this year, we want to host them all. Instead, we're looking for awesome homes for them. If you'd like to host an exchange student and touch the life of a kid from another country, check out the link or contact me here.
My team goes to regional Knowledge Bowl competition tomorrow, and hopefully on to state from there.
Sorry to be such a poor hostess here. I've got spring fever and I'm itching to clean, putz and plant.
You all keep warm and THINK SPRING!!!

Snow day!

Made pancakes. Kid helped.
Kids did chores on their own. (they wanted something)
Got a few chores done.
Had a real conversation with my husband.
Made a big dinner. Other kids helped.
Cooked ahead for the week.
No wonder the day seemed to fly by.

Why I'm neglecting you

In brief:

Someone quit at Job2 and I'm working more lately.
Education cooperative gigantic inservice day
End-of-Quarter workday
End of quarter work load
Beginning of Semester lesson plans
Training weekend for foreign exchange program concurrent with...
Supervision of ski trip for 102 foreign exchange students
Watching the Vikings, yet again, snatch defeat form the jaws of a victorious season
Nearly weekly knowledge bowl tournaments disrupted by...
Nearly weekly snowstorms


Aside from all this, we're all well, if a bit winter weary.
Off to prep for next week's mayhem!

Take it Tuesday: Winter Blues

A recap for the Winter Blues theme: the view from the landing.

Mr. Murphy and the knowledge bowl tournament

Our New Year's Eve game party was mostly harmless. A good friend and "auntie" to the kids came out for a visit over the long weekend, bringing along the boyfriend of Thing 2. He's a great kid, and was nice to have around. We got in a good visit as we alternated shotgun duty... The kids have started inviting their friends for the NYE party, and this year it was kind of a pain in the butt. There is such a continuum of maturity in kids that age. Some of them were great fun to be around, and some were toddlers in teen bodies. I don't think they'll be invited back en masse. The grownups all behaved themselves fairly well.

I managed to spend a few hours that Sunday getting myself ready to go back to school. In our infinite wisdom, the regional Knowledge Bowl coaches planned subregional competition the day after break. I thought I did a pretty good job of laying out my sub plan and my preparations for our home tournament. Monday went fine and one of my teams qualified for regions. I came home and got to work on the tournament planning. Tuesday I accomplished quite a bit, and assembled my packets for the printer, planning to send them Wednesday. On Wednesday, school released early in the onset of a winter storm. At bedtime, Thursday school was already two hours late. By 5 am it had been cancelled. I got quite a bit more done working from home, and hoped for a late start Friday to get my tourney packets to the printer and set up the scoring software with the IT dude. They called off school. By 8:30, I'd made a few calls, and determined that if I could get myself to school and find a custodian to let me in to print, I was home free. By 11:30, I was there, none the worse for wear (the side roads were still plugged and the windchill was nasty, but the main roads had been cleared) and spent the day in a blind rush putting my tournament together. Saturday dawned clear and cold, and the tournament went off well, but not until after a good deal of hairpulling on my part. This past week I spent catching up all the stuff I let slide while I worked on the tournament, and putting in a few more hours to help cover at Job 2. Hopefully that serves as an explanation of my absence around here, especially when combined with the fact that my life has been pretty uneventful and boring.

We did discover another impostor cat, this one resembling our grey striped tabby, Raelin. This one is also much friendlier than the other impostor, inviting himself in. Our Vietnamese daughter let him in, not realizing until later it wasn't Rae. My sister-in-law was just here for a short visit and let him in on the way out. He was here long enough to have a quick snack and use the rest room, so I suppose he's no worse than the kids' friends.
Tonight the Vietnamese daughter must participate in "Snow Days" coronation, so I'll get in a little work time at school and get prepped up for the rest of the quarter. The school year is nearly half over. It boggles the mind.

New Year's Eve

I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year
"Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown."
And he replied, "Go into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way..."

Minnie Louise Haskins, "The Gate of the Year" 1908

Christmas break

Teachers get as excited for this time of year as students do. I've been having a lovely mix of lazy slacking and productive putzing through the Midwestern Snowpocalypse of 2009. Our local snowfall amounts were relatively tame, totalling 12-15" in spurts over three days, enough to make the backyard all purty and provide impetus for a snowfort. There were enough lulls in the storm for most folks to get out and dig in spurts rather than face an insurmountable mountain at the end. We only had one short trip into town for Christmas with my in-laws, then back home to snuggle in for the next round. The real crap came the day after the snow stopped falling, when it thawed just enough to get wet, and the wind blew to refreeze sheets of nasty packed snow and ice onto the roadways. This, of course, was the the day we were scheduled to drive to the cities for a Christmas party with friends. We made the attempt, but turned around after creeping along the sheets of ice until a 4x4 passed us in the opposite lane, then spun out directly behind us across our lane. We stopped by McDonald's on the way home, where they were all too glad to see our Things who work there, as so much of the help had called off due to weather. So, after forgetting to take the day off, then scrambling to cover their shifts at the last minute, they wound up working anyway. They always tell me they want money... The county roads still suck, but the major highways are finally in decent shape.
Tonight is our annual game party for friends and neighbors, and I expect goodtimes all around. It's been another rollercoaster year, with plenty of adventures and the loss of my brother to keep life interesting. We are blessed with relatively good health and steady income for the time being, and count our blessings as we face our challenges. May it be as well for your you and yours.

Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated

I'm here, all is well, just busy.
I have been keeping my nose to the grindstone and making some progress.
Knowledge Bowl has been fun, but no big wins yet this year. Saturday morning was the last day of firearms deer hunting in our neck of the woods. On my drive around the lake to meet the K-Bowl bus, I saw a hunter in full winter camo and blaze orange trudging back toward his vehicle. About a hundred yards behind him, a deer picked his way along the path in the opposite direction. I swear he was chuckling.
As mentioned previously, we're gearing up for a quiet Christmas at home. My family's big gathering is done, and no-one else can get together until January. Brother's wife #2 is visiting over the weekend, and we'll have some friends visit for a couple days over our annual NYE game party, but otherwise we'll enjoy some quiet time together.
While our December has been mostly tranquil, some of our friends and neighbors have been dealing with illness and death, and we keep them in our hearts.
I guess now I need to get ready for work. Take care!

Withdrawl

My internet at home has been down for 36 hours.
I think of a million things to look up or people to contact, then remember.
I am an addict!
Thank goodness for datsphones...

NABLOPOMO fail

28/30 in a very hectic month. Not so bad.

Ow.

After a cold, nasty, October, our November has been mostly dry and beautiful. Yesterday the temperatures crawled up into the low 50s, and the sun shone all day. We spent most of the afternoon out in the yard playing the yard games ma picked up on the Black Friday sales. The fresh air was welcome and a little disconcerting for those of us preparing to hibernate. After supper the bulk of us trundled off to the indoor ice rink, where I perched myself atop a couple of metal blades for the first time in over 20 years, and teetered around the ice for about an hour. I discovered a couple of new muscles in the process.
I'll check in again tomorrow, if I can roll myself out of bed.

Success!

Fat. Sassy. Sleepy. Thankful.

Thanksmas

Well, I got all the activities for this week completed, and managed to teach a little in between, too. Oy. Looking forward to four days with family for Thanksmas. I will get to curl up in a comfy corner and do a little grading. Our Thanksmas gatherings have plenty of activities to join as well as quiet time to visit and just chill. It will be nice not to have the housework and other distractions calling to me. It will be good to reconnect. Now it's time to pack and prep and bake a bit before we leave.

It's a wrap

Kids pulled off their show with aplomb. Not without a glitch here and there, but they had energy and carried it off despite lapses. I am very proud of them. And really, really glad its over for a while.

Show time!!

Matinee and 7pm tonight, then it's time to pack this baby up. I've had a lot of fun with these kids, and maybe they'll ask me back next year. I'll try to curb my response rather than run screaming or laugh in the poor woman's face.

Sweet irony

...that even as I struggle to get these kids on the stage and finish this play so I can have a little sanity, I think ahead to the next show and can't wait to start. Or maybe that's insanity and not irony. They both start with "i."

Philippians 4:13

...and it's a good thing, too, because I need all the help I can get.

The old gray mare...

Friday night. All I want to do is crawl into bed. When did I get boring?

home stretch

Four days until this play hits the stage. Enough coffe and aspirin and I may survive.

The story of my life...

see more dog and puppy pictures

Today's lineup...

Let's see...
Evaluation during 3rd hour class, tech work all afternoon, rehearsal after school,
and my daughter's band concert tonight. More coffee, please.

Fall Frenzy

I am a little busier than I want to be these days, but it's all good. Since I only have a part-time teaching contract, I take on extracurriculars to help pad the paycheck. The middle school play may kill me. I try to remind myself that this cycle repeats itself with every production I have ever participated in, regardless what my role has been, onstage or off. Next week it will be over and the panic will fade. Until then, gaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

Long days have their benefits.

I had to collect a batch of exchange kids from a lock-in this morning, which necessitated a drive out in the frosty morning, watching the sun rise. This afternoon, I went off in search of some costuming items and drove home in a glorious sunset. Long days aren't all bad.

Running in circles...

...but I haven't caught my tail yet.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

All is well, but I've plum hit the wall. Nitey nite.

Addendum...

As I was getting Thing 4 ready for school this morning, he was pretty owly, so I called him a crabby pants, 'cuz I'm mature like that.
He replied, "Don't you know one of the Ten Commandments is "Don't Call People Names'?"
I smiled and told him that wasn't a commandment, but a pretty good idea, nonetheless. He considered a moment and said, "Actually,(pronouced ak-a-chully) He meant eleven commandments."

Remember a Vet Today!

Thank you to all who have served, and those who serve still.

But its a good tired

Long days lately. Working on a play with the middle schoolers after school. Plum beat. Having a blast!

A sad realization

Over the weekend, I heard a radio story introduced by the announcer,"When we hear of mass shootings, we often..." and I tuned out the rest of the story. My brain was too busy trying to wrap itself around the concept of a world in which "when," "mass shootings" and "often" all fit logically in the same sentence. God Bless Fort Hood, and God save us all.

Hrumph

I watched with interest the shenanigans as the US House of Representatives debated and eventually passed the HCR bill last night. Between all the grandstanding and gladhanding, its surprising either party had any time for legislating. Of the three Reps from my own state I was able to track, one blithered incoherently, one snarked about the Stupek ammendment though the majority of the state is pro-life, and the one from my own district voted AGAINST his constituency.
The one moment of levity I got was from a brief exchange. I don't remember who the (R) rep was, but he was stickling on the rules.
Rep. Whatshisname: "Does the chairman know where the actual document is so we can (I forget what he said) it according to the rules?"

Chair: "The clerk has possession of that document.".
RW: "So I'll take that as a no."

The baffled look on the face of the chairman was the only thing to smile about all night.
We need health care reform in this nation, and desperately. We don't need one party refusing to play while the other tries to railroad a bloated bill just because it can.

November!!

Wow!! What a great day outside! It gave us a chance to get out and tackle the yard a bit. You may remember this brush pile from a post in May:















Well, today, we hacked the new chainsaw out of the box and borrowed a lopper from the neighbor, so now it looks like this.

















The catch here, is that with that saw and loppers, we also cleared a bunch of scrub trees from the alley, so the pile above was replaced with this one...











and this one...













aaaaaaand this one.






Said neighbor is Uncle Dan, who also uses his big John Deere Lawn tractor as a source of light exercise. Since his kidney transplant, he feels a bit more up to getting out and about. He still can't handle lots of walking, but he does quite a good job of mowing our lawn! He gave it one last pass today, then when he saw us out puttering in the yard, wandered over with some of his accessories to power rake and help run the saw and lopper. The kids raked and burned leaves had a fire for recreational purposes in the outhouse pit, while we roasted weenies and marshmallows in the firepit and enjoyed the sunshine. Tomorrow is supposed to be nearly as warm, although cloudy. Hopefully we can get a bunch done then, too.

Polite terms?

Indian summer? Saint Martin's Summer? Gypsy Summer? Brittsommar? Altweibersommer? Ruska? Saint Luke's summer? WHatever you deem politically correct enough to call it, it's here!!! We spent every possible moment in the sunshine and fresh air today, and now I'm tuckered out and ready to do it over tomorrow!

Nice try...

It is an absolutely GORGEOUS fall day. Those in the know threw a fire drill on a temperate day to go outside in shirtsleeves. The caveat? Telling the kids to go back inside...

I think he was on to something...

see more Political Pictures

Another little moment of win!

My six-year-old was reading his Beginner's Bible tonight. I heard him reading aloud and poked my head in to inquire. He said he was reading to the cats. He invited me to sit down and read it together, so I had him read to me. It was the story of Moses parting the Red Sea. The only word I had to help him with was Pharaoh. Then he wanted to show me a particular picture, and started flipping pages. He passed a picture of the nativity and exclaimed on the way by, "Hey, it's the New Testament." For all the nagging and fidgeting this poor kid endures, it's good to know he's picking it up on his own. I concentrate so hard on the behavior sometimes I miss the message. Good thing he doesn't.

Why I do what I do

Just finished English 11, and one of my "average" students stayed behind to discuss something she'd found online while looking for some supplementary material(!) about Of Mice and Men on her own(!). She made some good connections and asked some good questions, and as she left she said, "This book is really sad, but it's good. It's like real life." This is why I teach.

NABLOPOMO

In order to kick my butt into posting a little more often, I joined NABLOPOMO again this year. No guarantees of quality, but you should see me around here more often, at least for a little while!

That's not what I meant...

I've been complaining that it has been so grey and dreary hereabouts. Today is snowed, fluffy white and clean. I think I'll just keep my mouth shut from now on.

Just kidding!!

Ok, I was totally not serious about that whole "see you in a month..." thing, but I just looked at the calendar and realized 3 1/2 weeks have, indeed, slipped past me, and if I'm not careful, my little joke will become true!
It seems we can't catch a break at school. A car accident involving a senior and a former student has left us with yet another funeral in the school district family and two other young people on a long road to recovery. This is a district with approximately 800 students in K-12, so nearly everyone knows everyone else, making these events exponentially hard on the students and staff.
I keep storing away anecdotes to share "later," but never getting around to sharing. The all picture-taking season is mostly over, ruined by incessant rain and drear. Not to mention that my favorite route to school is in the middle of renovation, so a stretch of gravel road now inhibits my morning drive. Those of you who live on gravel have no sympathy, I'm sure, but this is new, temporary, soupy gravel that threatens to suck my vehicle into the muck, and I am sad. To my credit, however, along the routes I do drive to school the score is now brakes 5, deer 0. Hoping to remain undefeated in that category.
Now it's time to kick the morning routine into high gear. Hope I've got more coffee...

Well, hello there, October...

Wow. The time, she sure does fly. Let's see what's been going on around here.
After the first weird week at school, we rolled into a normal year. Our normalcy hit a little bump last week with a small epidemic of three different family suicides within our district. Follow that with the news yesterday of a substantial layoff at a major employer in the district, and to say the mood is a little gloomy around the building is an understatement. We soldier on, though. The kids are pretty resilient, and the staff is first rate.
I got out to Meander a little this weekend. In the past I've always worked these weekends, so it was kinda fun to be out and about for a bit with all the other artsy farts, wishing I had more money to spend.
I treasure my weekends at the moment. All too soon, my Saturdays will be claimed by Knowledge Bowl meets, and then, pending school board approval, speech meets. I think common speculation is that I'm a bit cracked to take on so many extracurriculars, but being part-time gives me a little more time to devote to such things, and the extracurriculars pad my itty bitty paycheck just a titch.
Thing 1 is taking a recreational vehicle class at school, and has made the Purple Ride her project for the term. She transferred to my school this year, and frequently pops in on her way to her class across the hall from me, smelling of motor oil and happily mussed up. What a kid.
Our borrowed daughters for the year seem to be settling in. The Swiss Miss is quite busy with volleyball. Our VIetnamese daughter plans to try basketball. I, of course, made both daughters at my school try Knowledge Bowl for the season, and from the interaction I see there, they both seem to be fitting in just fine.
Now I'm off to plan and set up for my week. I'll talk to you in another month!

Resuming normal

We're getting back into the swing of things here at casa del goose. The first week at my school was subdued, to say the least. A sophomore boy killed himself the Thursday before school started. In today's world, most of our kids had word via text and Facebook within the hour, so they had the long weekend to process the news and their reactions. His funeral was held the following Thursday at school so the kids could participate as needed. All in all, the district. local clergy, staff and kids did a wonderful job, but we didn't push too hard that first week of school. We got rolling pretty well this week, and right into homecoming week mayhem.
On other fronts, the rollercoaster ride of jobs and activities is keeping the local gas station well paid as we haul kids hither and yon. Today I don't have anyone to haul, and I'm enjoying a little break
With that, I'm off to enjoy some time in my home with its inhabitants!

All's well

Everyone survived our weekend at Lifelight, we all got back to school safely, and when I got home today ipastor had baked pie! Life is good!

Time keeps on slippin'...

Summer has whizzed past like a kid thru a sprinkler. Today and tomorrow are teacher workshops, then it's Lifelight or bust! After a short recuperation Monday, we're all back to school! Situation normal...

Still here

Life has been a frenzy lately, with no time to sit and create wonderful and witty writing upon which you, my loyal readers, can feast your brains. Oh, I never did that? Well, everything's normal then. Carry on.

Situation normal...

New kid picked up and safely ensconsed at home. Rushing like mad to place the last few kids before their Visa windows close. Prepping a theatre workshop for Thursday, when iPastor drives off the other direction to take kids to get their pre-braces spacers. Showing both the Purple Ride and the new kid around to family and friends. A pleasant, busy time, hereabouts.

I TOLD you we were the Griswolds...

So, you know how things go. It started out innocently enough. With two exchange students, we should upgrade to an 8-seater or drive two cars anywhere we need to take the whole family. As long as we're looking, might as well find a big van, like an old daycare or church van, so we can haul our camping gear as well. Found one we liked, but it sold. Feeling a little dejected, iPastor resumed the search, to find this:


Anyone got tickets? I've got your ride.

It's twins!

Scare anyone? Scares me...

Those of you loyal readers (yes, that was plural, I know you're out there lurking about...) who've been around awhile know that we host exchange students with the EF Foundation roughly every other year. When speaking with someone new, iPastor gets a real kick ut of telling folks we're expecting our 10th kid and watching reactions. To his credit, he's easily entertained.
We selected our student for this year early this time around, and have been in contact with her since February. As I was emailing with the Regional Coordinator about our upcoming mandatory family orientation, he mentioned needing more families in the district where I work. One thing led to another, and as of this afternoon we are officially hosting two students this year. Along with our Swiss miss, we will have a young lady from Viet Nam. Still awaiting details, but looking forward to an adventure.

Its quiet...too quiet

With three daughters off at camp, Thing 4 is feeling alternately like master of his domain, or kinda lonely. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Just gotta get used to it, I guess.

Summer Slump

I seem to be in the same slump as nearly everyone else I read regarding interesting subject matter to post. I'd like to think my life is far too busy and important to allow me time to chronicle all the fascinating and wonderful insights in my brain, but, nah. No sense trying to blow smoke up yer skirt.
We've been busy buying the dentist a new boat. Things 1 and 2 required significant dental work before they get braces next month. Spending a lot of time in the waiting room or inventing errands to run while we wait in town. I've been continuing my attempt to purge unused junk from my house and finish projects on my round tuit list, all while attempting to make time to read educational articles, screen books for teaching, and gather materials for a summer enrichment class I'm supposed to lead. Meanwhile, three friends have lost parents or in-laws this week, we're preparing for my brother's memorial service, and the anniversary of MIL's death is sneaking up on us. We just closed on her house and it's been lingering in the back of everyone's mind. Staying busy is helpful on that front, anyway...


We did have an awesome July 4 weekend with friends and family. Our friend and shirttail relation (my brother-in-law's brother-in-law, or my husband's sister-in-law's brother ...whatever) has a place on Dead Lake. He bought the land the same year we were married, and has proceeded from tenting on the grass, to a popup camper on barrels, to erecting a frame structure with extension cords and hauling water, to finally digging well and septic, plumbing and wiring. We've had an open invitation for years, but it has been since Thing 4 was learning to walk (pre plumbing!) that we've had a chance to get there. We had quite a crowd, with our host, his parents, bro and sis-in-law, their adult son and his wife, and our brood. There are three fold-out couches, a queen bed and bunks, but we still managed to fill the joint. It gave iPastor a chance to try the tent out of our own yard (albeit in someone else's) so we set up and enjoyed the loveliest July 4 weekend anyone could remember. Not too hot, not too cold, no wind, just right. We played with all the water toys, ate wayyyyy too much, and watched the neighbors around the lake try to outdo each other with fireworks. I'm none too happy with blogger picture layout after last week's issues, but we'll give 'er a try with pics of the cabin, our guest quarters, and the lake view from the deck.


Now I should be off to shuffle through one more load of laundry. I think it's too wet to mow, but the neighbors are outside trying to prove me wrong, so I should add that to the agenda as well. It may be still enough for a bonfire, as well. Cool.

Oh, hello there, July...

The first month of summer has buzzed by at its usual rapid pace. I've been doing a whole lot of nothing, which is how it should be, at least a little bit. I do fear arriving to about August 15 and thinking, "Holy @(*&^! I haven't gotten anything done this summer!!" I guess I'd better kick it up a notch, then.





As previously mentioned, a dear old friend came to visit for a short afternoon, but it was just like we'd never been apart. Easygoing conversation and fun. We ran to town to help with our church's entry in the annual kiddie parade. Pastor salvaged the little train and we pull it out for just such occasions. We started handing out freezie pops instead of candy a few years back and it's been a big hit. After the kids disbursed and raided the playground, my friend and I just hung out and wandered around downtown for a while, chatting and enjoying the evening, which ended all too soon, since he had a long drive home.














Montevideo's Fiesta Days have been going on for the better part of 60 years, experiencing the same ebb and flow of community involvement and activity as any other small-town celebration. In the past few years, a few new activities, such as the hobo village in our Milwaukee Road Heritage Museum (depot and turntable) and a flurry of activities around the newly-built playground in the city park. A few years back, when main street had been renovated and everyone was all about "downtown revitalization," most activities took place on main street. Guess I prefer the shade of the park.




Be that as it may, the parade committee (where I served my time in 1993) is fond of saying that the parade has been rained on but never rained out. The rain sure tried this year. It rained all morning, then let up for the start of the parade, just to come back and dump buckets on the last 1/3 of the 2-hour flotilla. There was no severe threat, though, so the participants trooped on through. The Things made out like bandits on candy, since attendance was down and most all the entries had a buttload of sugary goodness to bestow. There's still a stash on my fridge.

I think our train is way cooler than this guy's, though...




















Since then, it seems like deskwork and appointments have eaten a lot of my time. We closed on my MIL's house, and have been burning the road between our place and the dentist and orthodontist, spending the proceeds. Planning for a shingle crew to be here soon, too Have also been getting my brother's affairs in order and got his marker ordered from the VA. Lots of little projects to eat my time. The teenage Things are itching to get their rooms painted, and Thing 3 has been waiting patiently for hers, as well.

We'll be spending the 4th with iPastor's brother and extended family at a lake home a couple hours north. This week has been beautiful and the weather holds promise for the weekend as well. All of you have a safe and happy Independence Day!!

Good Advice from one Thing to another:

"Stop licking your sister!"

and the livin' is easy...

Back in action at Casa del Goose after a long weekend in Jamestown, North Dakota.
Our van has been starting 9/10, so we opted to take the car, since we were down a kid and could all fit. It was good news/bad news all weekend, as we spent the bulk of it visiting pawn shops, thrift stores and rummage sales. It really limited our cargo space, which prevented us from buying items like trap sets and game tables, but maybe that's OK.
We got a pretty good start and stopped for a lengthy coffee break in Fargo, meeting up with iPastor's high school friend. We cruised the pawn shops and music stores, then headed west to Jamestown, for a mostly surprise 40th birthday party for my friend from college. After that, we had two low-stress days of simply hanging out with no agenda. Did the aforementioned thrifting, scoring a few bargains, including an 8-man tent. We also hit a cache of old, well-kept, kitchen acoutrements. The solid, not plastic, non-teflon coated wares that hold up to years of grandmothers. I love that stuff. Scored an apple peeler, a steel wok, and a stick malt mixer.
The kids played video games, watched movies, and hung out at the public pool. So did the grownups. Sunday morning we headed to church with our friends. Couldn't skip, she's the pastor. Afterwards, we started out for home on a slightly altered route, stopping in Watertown to take my sis-in-law for birthday lunch. We rolled into our own yard, reuniting with the kid who'd been travelling with the high school choir in NYC. We immediately switched to the van, and headed to town for the baby nephew's second bday party in the park. Needless to say, we were a bit wrung out when we got home.
The next day, iPastor and the kids set up the tent to make sure we had all the parts and check for holes, etc. It came together with minimal fuss, and the kids immediately set up shop with a drop cord, dvd player, and dorm fridge. Rouging it certainly is different than when I was a kid.
After Christmas, my Facebook exploded with many friends from high school and college. These electronic reunions have resulted in several face-to-face reunions planned for this summer. Tomorrow, a dear friend and groomsman, whom we had lost touch with for a few years, will come to visit. I'm stoked! Now I should really get to work. Yuck.

Oh, hi there, summer!

After taking forever to get here, summer is upon us. Wow. The kids hosted a last-day-of-school bonfire, we've done a little putzing about the house, we took a day trip to Sioux Falls to hang with friends and take in the Siouxland Renaissance Festival, and we have a 4-day weekend planned. Next week a friend is back in Minnesota from the east coast, so I'll work in a visit. If it continues to rocket along at this pace, summer will be gone a lot quicker than it came!