What The Snow Reveals

Last night I went to bed with the doors locked and bolted; the house all secured for the night. But the snow reveals we had nocturnal visitors. Some 4 legged creature, I'm guessing a domestic cat, snuck around the corner of the house fitting into the small space between the garbage can and the corner of the garage, ambled across the driveway, followed the driveway edge, crossed the driveway again by the mailbox and continued across the street. Another set of tracks revealed a deer ran across the grass and stopped in the driveway, stopped to paw up (hoof up?) the grassy area between the car treads, urinated on the ground, and then followed the driveway out to the street, heading west on 164th.

We Put Up The Tree Today

Today Offspring #2 and I went to Frattalone's Hardware store to buy a Christmas tree. The weather was warm and pleasant. Another tree shopping couple were eating ice cream cones while selecting their tree. Our tree is up and looks awesomely handsome against the red walls. We listened to Anoka High School Christmas music while we adorned the tree with lights and ornaments. We do not have a fashionable tree with matching ornaments. Our ornaments were given as gifts, home made, or purchased while on vacation. Each souvenir ornaments takes me back on the trip. I have a goldfish from Hawaii, a Queen's guard with bearskin hat from London, a St. Charles Streetcar from New Orleans, a little copper man from Arizona, a wooden gavel from the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., a sailboat from Virginia, a moose on a wooden plaque from Glacier National Park, and this year I added a little Pilgrim Monument from Cape Cod. (I forgot to get an ornament from Africa? I'll have to make one because that trip needs to be commemorated). Offspring #1 has many ornaments on the tree that he made in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. He received some from teachers as well. We have a good number of Girl Scout ornaments too - stick pins and sequins stuck into a foam ball, leather shapes with fabric paint decorations, jigsaw puzzle pieces glued onto a tree shape and spray painted in gold. I found one ornament that I remember getting in a cereal box in 1983 (the date is on it but the name of the cereal is gone, I doubt it's made anymore). I have an ornament marking the Minnesota Twins success in 1987. I have a baby's first Christmas ornament from 1984. I have one marking my first Christmas as part of a married couple from 1980. The marriage is over but I still got the ornament - yeah! Several of the ornaments I made myself. There are the needle point pair of mittens and a purple needlepoint outhouse complete with toilet paper roll and bear perched on the seat (we left the door closed this year so he could have some privacy). We have several ornaments fashioned out of the tree cookies formed when we cut off the bottom of the trunk. One of our tree cookie ornaments looks either like a fried egg or a English muffin with a pat of butter in the middle. Another tree cookie has a star carved into one side and the other side lists the names of the people and the pets at the time including a zebra finch by the name of Slim Shady. As we hung the gift ornaments we remember the people who gave us the ornaments including family, teachers, friends, customers, Girl Scouts, Boy Scout leaders, and neighbors. Putting up the tree is a real trip down memory lane.

Why We Are Grateful - A Collaborative Effort

This year we decided to go with the letters of the alphabet and the numbers 1-12. Somehow 9 and 11 got left empty. Here goes: angels, Barack Obama, cops, diplomacy, everything, friends, Gary, home and health, ice, job, kind people, love and Legos, Mother Nature, no narcs, opinions, politics, Queen Mom, rain, Sarah Palin, trees and turkeys, unicorns, ventilation, water, xray specs, yo-yo's, and the zoo. 1-family, 2-eyes, 3-legs, 4-me, 5-golden rings, 6-times fun, 7-bananas, 8-food, 9, 10-my rating, 11, 12-children.

Cranberry Chutney

Cranberry Chutney

Ingredients: 1 orange peeled and chopped, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 package (12 ounces) fresh cranberries, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 1 large Haralson apple peeled and seeded and diced, 1 snack sized box of raisins, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, 1 TB vinegar, 1/2 tsp. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes or until cranberries are bursting. Chill until serving time. Makes about 4 cups. Can be frozen.

Postsecret Exhibit at the Minneapolis Library

The other thing we saw on Nicollet mall yesterday was the Postsecret Exhibit at the new Minneapolis Public Library. I love the Postsecret.blogspot.com website. I check it every Monday to see the new secrets. Some of the postcards are remarkable for their art. Some card are haunting. Some I can identify with. Some are funny. Many are sad. Was it worth walking 5 blocks down Nicollet Mall? No, not with my gimpish gait. Viewing the website will be enough for me. I believe Frank, the Postsecret webmaster, does an incredible community service to many, many people.

Trees On The Nicollet Mall

Today Offspring #2 and I traveled down to Nicollet Mall. We walked between 8th and 2nd, between Macy's and the Minneapolis Library. The mall was crowded and bustling. Trains and buses went past and horns were honking. As we went by the Mary Tyler Moore statue I noticed the trees on Nicollet Mall. When did they plant red oak trees in the midst of downtown? Red oaks seem more like a rural tree to me - the kind of tree you see in pastures with milk cows grazing beneath them. Or you might see a red oak on a slight rise just beyond a wetland. I gotta say, red oaks on the Nicollet mall look awesome. They're about 15 feet high and decorated with white lights. But the light brown leaves that remain on the red oaks in the winter are their finest decoration. We went to the 8th floor auditorium display at Macy's. This year the show was all about elves geting ready for Christmas. We saw animated elves of every color and race. We saw elves sleeping, elves teasing each other, elves baking holiday treats, elves sorting mail, elves chopping chunks off a giant chocolate chip, elves balancing accounting books, elves singing, elves decorating, elves making mistakes, and elves fumbling around blindly with a box over their head. My favorite part was a singing tree choir. The trees had faces and books in their hands. Some swayed side to side with the music. All the trees were smiling and resplendent with their frosted branches and multicolored lights. These were more like Vegas trees than Minnesota trees. They were lively and festive and they made me smile.

The End Of An Era

The year? 1979. The job? Nuclear pharmacy technician doing quality control on bone scans, lung, scans, and brain scan injections (back in a career fumbling time of life). The setting? A nuclear pharmacy across the street from Louis' Tavern (home of great Italian sausage sandwiches) on University Avenue near Vandalia in St. Paul. This is where a coworker turned me on to a radio show called "The Morning Show." The stars of the show were Jim Ed Poole and Garrison Keillor (before Prairie Home Companion) and have been Jim Ed and Dale Connelley for the past 25 years or so. I've been listening to this show during my morning commute for almost 30 years. I am sad to say that December 11, 2008 will be the last broadcast. The Morning Show has been my companion for so long. I feel I have grown up with this show. Dale and Jim Ed are my friends. The Morning Show where I would request songs to be played for my children's birthdays. I would record the song and Jim Ed's voice announcing their name and birthday for them. The Morning Show where I came to know and love artists such as Greg Brown, Ladysmith Black Mombazo, Suzy Roche, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Leon Redbone, and Ethel Merman. I always loved the alarm before they played Ethel Merman. This is the show where I reminisced about my early years when ever they would play cowboy songs like Mule Skinner Blues or Drifting Along Like the Tumbling Tumbleweed. The Morning Show would play songs about every topic under the sun (duct tape, lime jello marshmallow cottage cheese surprise, bears dancing in the woods, sweet potatoes, rings of fire, the speed of planetary revolution, and impressionist painters). I have come to know the skit characters like Bud Buck, Captain Billy (Arrrgh!), and Dr. Larry Kyle from the Genway Corporation. I have been a faithful listener except during the weeks where they beg for money. I absolutely cannot stand the fundraising weeks. If there is a hell and if I go there, I'm sure the radio will be broadcasting fundraising appeals. In any case, I am so sad this show is ending. I will miss The Morning Show very much.

On another note, thanks to a reader and the Snopes website I know the felon website I gave you is not legit. Every time you type in your address different criminals and crimes appear. Not knowing where the felons are does not make me feel safer.

Project Feeder Watch Update

Saturday: Slate colored Junco-1, Black Capped Chickadee-5, Crow-1

Sunday: White Breasted Nuthatch-1, Black Capped Chickadee-6, Downy Woodpecker-1, Crow-1, Canada Geese-31

(I wasn't going to count the geese because they were flying above my yard but they were in the viewing area and they passed through not once, not twice, but three times and honking at full volume all the way. I don't know what was up with these geese. Were they lost? Lacking leadership skills? Confused because the Rum River iced over for the first time this season?)

Dachshund Philosophy

Suscribe to the Dachshund Philosophy! I just heard about it yesterday. The Dachshund Philosophy (in a nutshell) is this:
Why Can We All Just Get A Long Little Doggy?

Star Struck

Today I had the opportunity to listen to Lorna Landvik speak at the local library. Oh, the joy. She was great. There was standing room only. She read a little from her newest novel which I haven't read yet. Unfortunately, the bookseller who came did not bring enough copies so I could not get one. I can't remember the title of it but I know it has a Christmas theme so it would have been a great book to buy this time of year. She read from that book and spoke a little about the characters from her other books. She answered questions. She even answered one of my questions! I asked who were her favorite authors. I was so star struck I can't remember who she listed. Jon Hassler was one and Ann Tyler (also on my list) but I can't remember who else she said. Some of her favorite authors were put into the book, Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons. I'll have to go back and read that again.

Steppenwolf - Herman Hesse

I just finished reading an old classic, "Steppenwolf" by Herman Hesse. Hesse is a German author and a steppenwolf is German for wolf of the steppes. Here in Minnesota, we'd probably name it Timberwolf. The story is of a man who thinks he has two beings inside of him. One of his beings is a man and the other one is a wolf. He thinks he's part wolf because sometimes he wants to be alone and feels like growling at people who intrude his space. In truth, sometimes I want to be alone and sometimes I also feel like growling at certain people so maybe I am a Steppenwolf too. After reading this book, I think the author must have been doing some drugs during his writing. Some parts reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. The main character drinks small glasses of liqueur and smokes hand rolled cigarettes and suddenly his world gets magical. At the end of the book the character goes through a series of rooms that totally sounded like the Holodecks on Star Trek. You remember Holodecks? They were enclosed entertainment rooms where the environments, down to every last detail like temperature and smells and colors, were simulated and capable of interaction. At the end of the book, the main character comes out a better man; improved because of his experiences and more aware of his strength and weaknesses. Steppenwolf was a good book.

Thanksgiving Cookie Art-Cookies Are In My Future

Thank Scribbit for this Thanksgiving cookie recipe that I plan to make soon. They are simple enough. Glue a peanut butter cup to a ginger snap with frosting, band it with white frosting and add a yellow buckle. I have another plan for turkeys involving chocolate sandwich cookies, candy corn feathers, Whopper heads, and frosting eyes and beaks. I borrowed a spritz cookie press from a gal at work for the week. And I am seriously thinking about Rosettes. I know Thanksgiving is supposed to be about turkey, potatoes, and pie but I've got cookies on the brain (and a tofurky in the freezer.

Something Fun To Do On Saturday

I confess, I am a HUGE fan of Lorna Landvik, author and stand up comedienne. I've read all her books including "Patty Jane's House of Curl" and "View from Mount Joy". Lorna's books have the most fascinating characters in them. A friend and I went to her show last year at the Bryant Lake Bowl and she was a stitch. She had costumes, she had music, she was hilarious. At one point during the show, she took 4 words from audience members and presto, within seconds, turned those four unrelated words into a skit with a box of props she kept on stage. Lucky for me, and you (if you are interested) she will be appearing at the Rum River Library this Saturday (11/22/08) at 1:30 p.m. I'll be there!!

A Cage Of Stars

"A Cage of Stars" by Jacquelyn Mitchard was a book I really enjoyed. From the first page it kept my interest and several passages made me cry real tears. This is a story about a girl named Ronny Swan and her family. Her family are LDS (belong to the church of Latter Day Saints). I don't know much about LDS but this book gave me a taste of the culture and a thirst for more knowledge about the faith. The author makes the girl and her family very real and entirely believable.

The Morning Sun Was Rising Like A Orange Rubber Ball

Did you see the sun rising this morning? I drive south and east on my way to work but it wasn't until I crested the top of the hill where eastbound Hwy. 10 goes over University Avenue in Blaine that I saw it. The sun took my breath away. The sun looked at least 1/3 larger than any sun I had ever seen before. I felt frightened at the large size until I reassured myself that it's an optical illusion because the sun is just above the horizon. I spoke to a man at work about it. He saw it too. He though the sun looked ominous - that something bad was sure to happen today. So far so good for me. And the sunrise yesterday was awesome in it's beauty as well. The sky started out to be candy apple red with tints of orange and yellow. As time went on the sky colors turned pastel with pink, peach, orange, and gold. A coworker at lunch today told me the the fall and spring sun rises and sun sets are typically more beautiful than summer or winter. Is that true in your experience? I see more sun rises in the spring and the fall because of my commute. I'll have to pay attention to see if the spring and fall sun rises and sunsets are more beautiful.

A First For Me

This is my stunt double in the picture, not me. On Tuesday evenings I have the opportunity to use some exercise equipment including weight machines. Each machine gives you the chance to adjust the weights. You can adjust the weights in 5 pound increments. Ten pounds is the lightest weight and the highest is, actually, I don't know the highest. I never get anywhere near the highest but I am guessing it's around 100 pounds. I've been going since July and I can really feel that my arms and shoulders and back are stronger. Usually, when I get on a piece of equipment, I lower the weight. The person who used it before me is stronger than I am. Arm curls are the toughest for me. I can barely handle 20 pounds. The lateral pull-down is the equipment where I can handle the most weight. I have worked myself up to 55 pounds. Tonight, for the first time, I had to actually INCREASE the weight on a machine (the lateral pull down) from the previous user. I am so proud.

Who Lives In Your Neighborhood?

Hmmm, here is an interesting website. Type in your address and see what convicted felons live in your neighborhood. Gee, I always thought sodomy was a crime from the turn on the century-a crime no longer punished. www.felonyspy.com/search.html

Project Feeder Watch Update

Saturday: Black capped Chickadee - 6, White Breasted Nuthatch-1, Blue Jay-1

Sunday: Black capped Chickadee-5, White Breasted Nuthatch-1, Downy Woodpecker-1, Slate colored Junco-1.

I Miss Girl Scouts

On Friday I visited my Girl Scout co-leader and her family to catch up and exchange travel stories. I told her about my trip to Africa and she told me about her trip with the Girl Scouts to the Girl Scout Chalet in Switzerland. Her trip involved Germany and Paris as well. We caught up on our lives and the lives of our girls. We talked about the girls in our troop and what we know of how they are doing. We had an awesome troop of girls. We both agree on that. Our troop was #631. The 631 girls were not the type of girls to sit at a table and do crafts quietly. Noooo, not at all. Troop 631 girls were more likely to be running up and down between the tables and having a good old time. Troop 631 girls liked to travel and see new things and to plan their own activities. Troop 631 girls figured out problems on their own - often surprising me with their successes. They did things I never thought would work out but I was smart enough to keep my big mouth shut and contain my surprise. All we leaders got to do was ask a few leading questions and go along for the ride. And what a ride it was. Don't think we didn't have problems. We DID have problems! Interpersonal conflicts? Yes. Cliques? Oh, yes. Yelling, screaming, and tears? Yes, yes and oh, yes. Why do you think Troop 631 earned so many badges on conflict resolution and team building? Eventually it all worked out and every girl in our troop went on to earn the Gold Award. For those who are unfamiliar with Girl Scouts, the Gold Award is the highest award a girl can get - equivalent to the more higly publicized Eagle Award in Boy Scouts. I miss my very successful girls. I miss seeing them a couple times a month. I miss hearing what they had to say. I miss their energy because some of their youthfulness was transferred to me. I miss their perspectives. I miss being involved with them. I miss going to Dunn Brothers for meetings even though I don't drink coffee. I miss watching them accomplish their goals. I miss bearing witness to their courage in overcoming their fears and pushing themselves out of their comfort zone. I miss the way the meetings forced me to take my mind off my own troubles and focus on something else. I miss the cases of cookies piled high to the ceiling in my entry way. I DO NOT miss the Girl Scout cookie paperwork and the troop end of the year reports. I know I will see them again. We put together a time capsule last year (or was it the year before?) that will be opened in July of 2017. The time capsule is gathering dust in the rafters of my garage. And they are all my friends on facebook so I have that going for me too.

Another Favorite Tree of Mine

Here is a photo of a new favorite tree of mine. This one is a red cedar tree and you are looking at the right side of the tree. This tree is located in St. Michael. A friend of mine owns this tree and I went to his house today to pick some bittersweet vines for my winter foliage displays. As you can see, he lives high above a river. The river is the Crow river and across the bank is the Crow Hassan Park - part of the Three Rivers Park District. This hill we are on is a clay bank formed by a glacier terminal moraine. The Wisconsin lobe of the glacier ended here at this spot and the silt and clay particles sifted down as the glacier melted away and formed this high cliff. Much of the cliff has fallen away but this 6 foot long skinny spit of land is being held in place by this tree. The owner calls it a bonsai tree and that seems appropriate as it so twisted and gnarled that I could not determine what was the trunk and what were the roots. Because cedars are slow growing and because the clay soil is lacking in nutrients, this must be a very old cedar tree. The owner says this tree was once a hangout for high school students; a place for them to do things they didn't want to do in public. The owner climbed onto the trunk and up part of a branch. I was thrilled enough to be standing next to the tree on this narrow peninsula with 100 foot cliffs on either side of me. I had no need to climb onto the bonsai tree itself. As we stood admiring the tree, we kept our eye on some bow hunters walking through the fields and patches of red twigged dogwood across the river. Suddenly we noticed a pair of deer running. One deer ran awkwardly and desperately. We knew it was injured - probably been struck by an arrow. The three hunters walked through the weeds and shrubs that were at times at tall as their shoulders. From our tall vantage, we could see the deer and the hunters. We tried to signal to the hunters which direction the deer were headed. It was hard to know if the hunters saw us. This was about 3 p.m. I sincerely hope the deer did not suffer and die for nothing. I hope that if the deer was shot by a arrow, it died quickly and the hunters found their bounty.

Chicken Bird Soldier

Lately I've been enjoying swimming again. I go to a local middle school and do laps. I'm much stronger than I was last year. I'm able to swim laps for the entire 55 minute session. I can do my modified dog paddle/crawl stroke and the side stroke and the back stroke. I had four years of swimming lessons at Lake Owasso during my formative years. I never graduated past advanced beginner because I could not overcome my fear of diving. But I did learn how to swim. My favorite is the back stroke. You lie on your back and while your legs do the frog kick, your arms go in the chicken, bird, soldier formation. The chicken is where you put your hands in your armpits. You follow that with the bird formation where your arms are straight out from the shoulder. You end with a forceful pulling down of the arms so they're at your sides like a soldier. When I do this stroke I feel like I'm flying upside down. I am buoyant in the water and able to move in a carefree, arthritic free manner. I can really get into it. I'm no Dana Torres but I try to make each stroke perfectly and forcefully. I got into the movement so much that one time I (BOINK!) hit my head against the edge of the pool. And just like a fish says when it hits a brick wall in the water, I said, "Dam!"

I'm A Little Slow On The Uptake

Lately I've been having trouble getting up in the morning. Is my sleepiness from the shorter days or the colder weather? This morning as I listened to my alarm, I thought about it. I have a CD alarm clock. I listen to Jewel in the morning. The CD I have in is called Pieces of You. When I reset the alarm clock for daylight savings, I advanced the song to the next track. The song that plays now is called "Morning Song." So, as I lay in bed wondering why it's so hard for me to get up, I listen to Jewel sing in her beautiful voice, "Come on darling, lets go back to bed." No wonder I am having trouble getting up with lyrics like that! Time to replace the warm comfortable voice of Jewel with something more energizing. Perhaps George Thoroughgood could wake me up with "Bad To the Bone." Or maybe I will try Michael Jackson (my favorite house cleaning musician) with "Beat It."

Reading Lolita In Tehran by Azar Nafisi

Last night our book club read "Reading Lolita In Tehran" by Azar Nafisi. This book is written by a female English literature professor who taught in Tehran. In the prologue she says it's a real accounting of a book club she held but she also says the characters have been changed for their own protection to the point where they may not even recognize themselves. Seems to me it should be one or the other. She writes about how it was to be an educated and affluent female during the revolution. Once Iran was known as a center for female progressiveness. Women were respected, educated, and successful. Women were pilots of airliners. The culture changed. And she makes the point that the citizens allowed the culture to change. The culture changed to the point where it became illegal for a woman to shop for groceries without a chador (head scarf). Anything a woman did that caused a man to feel lust became a punishable offense. Pink socks could cause lust. A strand of hair outside the chador could cause lust. Polished fingernails could cause lust. Eating an apple could cause lust. The men were not punished for their feelings of lust - only the women for arousing them. The chador, once a symbol of holiness, once banned from being worn in public in the 1940's, was changed into some kind of sexual perversion prevention plan. Nafisi sneaks a few glimpses of the culture into a story that cuts back and forth through time. She is banned from teaching at the University because of her refusal to wear a chador. She starts a book club for 7 students at her house where they discuss English literature. Each chapter concentrates on a piece of literature but we really couldn't find a connection between life in Tehran and the books they were reading in the book club. In one chapter they discuss The Great Gatsby. This chapter occurs while she is still teaching at the University. Students in her class are reluctant to speak freely because one of the students is a Muslim extremist and they are afraid of reprisal. She decides to open the debate by putting The Great Gatsby on trial. The extremist student argues the book should be banned. She argues on behalf of the book. Despite her bravery and her actions that go against the cultural repression of women, she surprisingly escapes punishment. I wouldn't put this book in my top 25 favorite list, but I thought "Reading Lolita in Tehran" was worth the time I spent reading it. Now I want to read "Lolita."

The Feeling of Wood

This weekend as I worked on my stairs, I thought about wood and how it weathers. Sometimes the older the wood the more beautiful it becomes. A couple weeks ago I went to a funeral at Sacred Heart Church in Urbank, Minnesota. I sat in the wooden pew. I mourned a woman who was baptized at the very same church 90 years ago in 1908. Ninety years is a long time. The same pews and kneelers were here 90 years ago. On the back of the pews are small book holders to hold the prayer books and the song books. Between the book holders are the small clips to hold hats. The pew in front of me was worn and scuffed. The grain of the wood showed through the dark stain and the many coats of varnish. In some places the wood was worn making the dark line separating the years of growth stand higher than the wood between the lines. Several edges looked like someone had rubbed or picked at the wood wearing off the varnish and stain. Many, many people have sat in these pews before me. I marveled at the multitude of prayers that have been said in this European style church. I am sure mothers prayed for their children who went to war (WWI, WWII, Korean Conflict, Vietnam, Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan). The wars have changed but the anguish of parents and family is constant. How many broken hearts have knelt in these pews? How many desperate people have asked for divine guidance? How many farmers knelt in thanksgiving for the rain and the sun? I gaze up at the beautiful stained glass windows and wonder how many happy couples sat and looked out the very same windows? I look up at the three white castle like peaks on the altar and wonder how many children have prayed to be granted more independence and self-determination? Are there any human emotions that have not been felt in these wooden pews? I doubt it. The wood on these pews has seen it all.

Happy Armistice Day

Thank you for your service.

Not The Best, Not The Worst

Finally, after months and months of putting it off, I finished my steps. As you can see, they're not the best yet not the worst. The color is not as light as the flooring and not as dark as the kick trim. The places where I put the plastic wood putty still show but not as brightly as they did before. I was on my knees on the stairs all day on Sunday. First I used my brown sharpie pen to color the putty spots. It worked best if I smeared the sharpie ink immediately with spit. I tried water and it didn't work as well. A rag and a sponge didn't work as well either. Only the finger rub with spit on it blended the sharpie ink into the wood. After a while I got real good at gathering spit in my mouth while coloring the spots. Basically I have licked my stairs. I rubbed my finger so often I pulled the skin away from the fingernail a little bit. After that was done I put another coat of stain over it followed by a coat of shellac. Then I waited a half hour, sanded the shellac, wiped it off, and put another coat on. Wait, sand, wipe, and paint. Wait, sand, wipe, and paint. I am glad it is finished. I am also glad I didn't have to paint the steps because even thought they're not perfect, I like the fact that the wood grain shows. The steps look worn and used and that is okay because the whole house looks worn and used so everything matches.

Project Feeder Watch Update

Saturday: Black capped Chickadees-5, White breasted nuthatch-1, Crow-1, Red-bellied woodpecker-1, Goldfinch-4
Sunday: Black capped chickadees-5, White breasted Nuthatch-1, Slate-colored Junco-1, Downy Woodpecker-1, Cedar Waxwing-6

What I Found In My Closet

One morning this week I was searching in my closet for a particular shirt. The lighting is not good in there so I was on my hands and knees with a flashlight, kneeling on the closet floor and peering above me searching in vain for this shirt. But, much to my surprise, on the very far left side of the closet where I seldom go, I found this (the one in the picture) shirt. This shirt is nearly as old as my friendship with DK in St. Cloud. She is the one who bought it for me back in the 1970's. I knew I had a Suzuki shirt but I never realized it said Motorcycles on it until this week. This old shirt has seen a lot of good times, hence the stains and the missing "I". See the sweat stains around the neck and arm pits? That is from a combination of dancing and changing flat tires. As a poor college student I couldn't afford new tires so I bought retreads. It wasn't unusual for me to get a flat tire and I would always change them myself. See the orangish stains on the midsection? Probably spilled a little of our favorite drink of the time - Southern Comfort and Tang (powdered orange drink favored by the astronauts). There is a little burn hole near the bottom hem. That happened at a 4th of July party. I was seated on the ground next to DK. Bob Seeger was singing "Night Moves." This party had a bon fire going. Somebody lit off a bottle rocket and it went awry. The bottle rocket bounced off me and went into DK's lap. She was seated cross-legged and the bottle rocket made a circle in her lap several times before exiting and going who knows where. We both sat in amazement watching her lap being illuminated. Things always happen to her - a modern day Calamity Jane. Ah, what a night it was. I found more than a shirt in my closet, more like a fabric of memories.

The Twelve Steps Of Insanity (tongue-in-cheek)

1. We admitted we were powerless over nothing and we could manage our lives perfectly and we could manage those of anyone else that would allow it.
2. We came to believe that there was no power greater than ourselves, and the rest of the world was insane.
3. We made a decision to have our loved ones and friends turn their wills and their lives over to our care.
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of everyone we knew.
5. We admitted to the whole world at large the exact nature of their wrongs.
6. We were entirely ready to make others straighten up and do right.
7. We demanded that others either shape up or ship out.
8. We made a list of anyone who had ever harmed us and became willing to go to any lengths to get even with them all.
9. We got direct revenge on such people whenever possible except when to do so would cost our own lives, or at the very least, a jail sentence.
10. Continued to take the inventory of others and when they were wrong promptly and repeatedly told them about it.
11. Sought through nagging to improve our relations with others, as we couldn't understand them at all, asking only that they knuckle under and do things our way.
12. Having had a complete physical, emotional and spiritual breakdown as a result of these steps, we tried to blame it all on others and to get sympathy and pity in all our affairs.

Hats Off To Medina City Council

I have to admire the members of the Medina City Council who, despite numerous protests, decided to act on the larger picture and welcome a 407 foot wind turbine to the city landscape. They wanted cheap, clean and renewable energy for their city. The turbine is expected to supply the energy needs of 500 to 700 homes.

Journey of the Corps of Discovery

I've recently been interested in the Lewis and Clark Expedition so I borrowed this film from the library. The film was very interesting and I learned much from it. The scenery is beautiful. They included parts of the 5 journals written by the men on the expedition. I saw writing by Thomas Jefferson explaining the objectives of the trip. They delved into what were the possible emotions felt on the trip as they crossed the Rocky Mountains, as they first laid eyes on the Pacific Ocean, as they returned from the trip into St. Louis, etc. The historians speaking on this film kept comparing this expedition to the first trip to the moon. They emphasized that unlike a trip to the moon where you have Houston on the line to offer advice, these men and woman were entirely on their own. I agree it was a historic trip with lots of peril but I disagree it ranks up there with a trip to the moon. Why? Because people already were there. People inhabited the land they traversed. Lewis and Clark were not entirely without advice. Sacajawea knew where they were going. She and other Native Americans saved the corps of discovery on many occasions. I picked up on some racial bias during this film that disturbed me but I would still recommend it if you want to know more about the Lewis and Clark expedition.

The Times They Are A Changing

I can feel the pendulum swinging in the other direction.

Just The Remedy I Needed

I admit, I am a fan of Boston Legal. Ever since a friend of mine told me he watches it just to appreciate the comparison of William Shatner from his Captain James T. Kirk days, I've paid more attention. At the end of every show the characters Denny Crane, played by William Shatner and Allen Shore, played by James Spader gather on a terrace to smoke cigars and drink while seated in white leather chairs. They blow their smoke up at the urban sky and chat about their day and their love for each other. I find it very unusual and amusing to listen to two men talk about love. Last night I happened to turn it on and I swear, this was about the funniest episode I have ever seen on any show during my many years of television viewing. The two men get into a political argument. They are both upset at the other one about their chosen presidential candidate. They start out agreeing not to discuss it to preserve their friendship but Allen Shore is so upset at Denny Crane he can't help but say, "The man has had melanoma three times. If elected he'll be the oldest man ever elected president. The chances are good he will die in office. Do you seriously want Palin to be the president of our country?" That starts off the debate. As they talk their voices rise in passion. Soon they're both debating at the same time and not listening at all. The argument is getting out of hand and continues to escalate for several minutes. They're shouting words at each other like "Yes We Can." and "Bridge to No Where." and "Muslim Terrorist." They start screaming at each other, their faces red in anger and spittle flying from their lips. They're so mad they're ready to come to blows. I start to laugh at them because I can relate to how they are feeling and how ridiculous this all is. Both men have timely and good arguments. Both are passionate about their beliefs. The points they are making are all things I have read about in the newspaper and on the Internet. How can two friends oppose each other so vehemently and still remain friends? One of the men, in desperation, takes out a paintball gun and shoots the other one in the leg leaving a green stain on his pants. "My God, you shot me," he says. "That hurt." He grabs another paintball gun and shoots him back in the face. "You almost put my eye out!" shouts the other man. Both men are enraged. They shoot paint balls at each other until the entire office is covered with paint - one side with purple paint stains and the other side with green paint stains. The other staff in the office are staring in disbelief at the two men through the glass office wall. Suddenly they realize they are being observed and they both come to their senses. I can't write the scene as funny as it was on television but it was hilarious. I was laughing out loud. Tears were running out of my eyes. My belly hurt from laughing at these two men having it out on the eve of election day. The timing was perfect. At the end of the show, when they meet on the terrace for cigars and a drink, the two men apologize and are friends again. This episode of Boston Legal was just the emotional enema I needed. No matter how the election comes out, we will get through this.

I'm Thankful

It's true that I am frustrated by all the attention (stalking) I'm getting from the candidates. I dread the phone calls (up to six per day). The ads on television are so annoying I can't bear to listen to them. The name calling, muckraking, and accusations dishearten me. I am appalled by the number of mail ads I get. I got 7 today. These ads don't even make it into the house but are tossed into the recycling bin without even reading them. How dumb do they think I am that I would base my very important vote on some scary accusation printed on a post card? If only the billions of dollars put into this advertising were used on something other than buying my vote, like early childhood education or prescription coverage for seniors, or domestic violence prevention, the world be be a better place. As frustrated as I am, I also feel grateful because I am SO VERY FORTUNATE to be able to vote. Our system is not perfect but it is better than many. I am even more grateful after visiting Kenya earlier this year where an election occurred, people voted, the votes were tallied, and the loser was declared the winner because of political pressure. People turned to violence, neighbor against neighbor. Houses and stores were burned and women were raped. The economy suffered and tourism dropped to record low levels. The problem went on for months and is still being felt by people in the Rift Valley. So tomorrow is election day and after work I will wait in line at my polling place no matter how long it takes to cast my vote and I am grateful for that opportunity.

Project Feeder Watch

Saturday morning: Black capped chicakees-6, Blue Jay-1, White breasted Nuthatch-1
Sunday morning: Black capped chickadees-5, White Breasted Nuthatch-1, Junco-5

I'm Not There

Last night I went to the Walker Art Cinema to see a movie and hear a discussion. The movie was "I'm Not There," and I was glad there was a discussion because I was very confused. The movie is about Bob Dylan, the enigmatic music performer. I am a fan. His recording of "Like a Rollingstone" is one of my favorite - always reminding me of my Aunt Annie. Because Bob Dylan is such an enigma, it takes six characters to describe him. This isn't your typical movie. One of the characters is a black child and another is a woman - not people who would automatically come to mind when describing Bob Dylan. The director introduces all six in the beginning of the film and then has us going back and forth through time as each character describes the life of Bob Dylan. Cate Blanchette disappears into the character to the point where I don't even see her anymore. She was awesome. One thing about Bob - he is a heavy smoker. I saw so many cigarettes smoked last night that my own chest was hurting. I found it easier to not try and figure things out during the movie but instead relax and take it all in. I think it's one of those movies where every time you see it you would learn something new. Two Thumbs up for "I'm Not There."

Yard Work

With the nice weather I decided to clean out the garage and yard. I took the annuals that had been killed by frost and replaced them with some trimmings. I took branches off the spruce tree and the red-twigged dogwood and the crab apple and stuck them into the pots. There they will sit brightening up the yard until April.