Odds and Ends (Playing catch up)

Wow!  I have a lot to catch up on.  And, no, I did not roll my eyes, but it did make me giggle a little.  On religion:  I was very "spiritual" when I grew up, but I, unfortunately, grew out of the practicing part of religion.  The only times that I have felt spiritual is when I look over the lake and I see the sun coming through the grey clouds, and that to me, is my mother poking her head out and saying, "I'm still here and I'm watching you :)"  I do still believe in god and when I do go to church, it is a Lutheran church.  But, when I was a teenager, I became very pissed and wondered why everyone told me this is how it was . . .I mean Bible stuff.  This is what happened!  I didn't appreciate that and I wanted to make my own idea of what history was, yes, God is involved, but so are the dinosaurs. 

As far as the "Buddy" character.  I don't know what I feel.  My friends were in the building when he decided to open fire and I worry about them and hope they are doing OK.  I knew him, I feel bad for his family, but my sis is right!  Own Up!

And my nephew!  Don't even get me started, he is quite the character.  I enjoy that whenever I come to the house it's "Sleep Over Time".  Time to hang with Auntie!  When I went to town for Christmas, I could only be there for the day (because I had car trouble again!)  and as I was heading out to come back home, I went to say goodbye to him and his sister.  He, with his bottom lip sticking out, asked me "Why?".  Now, if you knew this kid, it would break your heart to hear the disappointment in his voice.  I was crushed, but he understood and can't wait to come in visit or have me come back to his house.   The last time he was at my house, his mom took him upstairs to go potty, and when they were walking up the stairs he said "Aunties house is old".  I think I need to put a new layer of paint on everything :)

ps.  If I hadn't just gotten done with a 10 hour work day, I would write about my adventures "on the job".  I will save that for the next post. :)

Prayer

It is time to get a little religious.  I know my sister is going to roll her eyes at this, but it is important to me and it is important that my children know this in a straight forward way since they may not pick up on it during their childhood.  A misconception I had about you your father children is that he didn't strick me as the most religious type guy.  But actually he is incredibly spiritual.  And he truly feels the most in touch with God when he is in the woods.  I have heard a lot of people say that they feel closer to God outside.  I personally think they are sort of telling the truth and also they want an excuse to get out of going to church.  But your father is very spiritual.  He prays before he goes to bed.  I can hear him whispering and I asked him what he was doing one time and he said praying.  He sometimes is singing a song too but he said he prays a lot.  Your Dad likes to talk a lot so I guess it shouldn't surprise me that since he is praying man that he would have a lot to say.  One of the things that I have noticed too doing youth work is that some kids have this built in spirituality.  I don't know where it came from or why they have it but they do.  Up until a couple of years ago B had no really regular religious interaction.  But we started going to church and she just loved and really seems to have a connection with God.  I pray Kaj gets to be the same way.  He is starting to have really fun questions and comments, like when we were waiting for the Christmas Eve service to start and he said when is God going to get here?...Cause I haven't met him yet.  It is wonderful to Bs faith growing and how much she is learning and the excitment that she has for it.  I also makes her Dad really happy too that she has that in her. 

Hot Bed

I really enjoy being married.  It sounds a bit funny to say since we got married 4 months ago it is still new.  We have lived together for over 5 years.  So I would say that is quite a bit of time to be together.  I love Skinner and have become dependent on him.  As much as I hate to say that it is true.  When you are in a relationship it is nice to know that you can do things yourself, but you also need to allow yourself to rely on and trust the other person.  When I was in Australia I got to know this wonderful couple in their fifties.  They had been married for almost 40 years and they were in counceling.  He was a wonderful man but she just had problems trusting him.  He hadn't cheated or abusive.  She just wasn't wired to trust.  The councelor had them do an exercise.  He was to lock the car doors every night for a week and she couldn't nag or even ask if he had.  She just had to trust that he would.  It was incredible.  She lasted a couple of days and then she just had to ask him.  We tend to come to rely on our partners, we need to to have a partnership, be a part of a team.  We don't know how we ever did it alone, but we have done it alone and someday we will again and we will be alright.  Skinner reminds me of that every once in awhile.  He is teasing me about something but it is a good reminder that we each have been on our own and while we love having the other person on our "team" we would each be alright on our own and the other person doesn't have to worry we will be alright.
On the other side of the coin when married the other person is always around and always will be.  Unless it is scheduled you just aren't going to be sure when you are going to get "me" time.  Last night Skinner climbed into bed and while I almost can't fall asleep with out us laying back to back because that has become so much a part of my routine.  He brings up the temp. in the bed about a 100 degrees to where I can't sleep.  And if he falls asleep first his legs twitch and the heavy breathing (sometimes snoring but not as much as one might think).  I just have to get out of there to go to a cooler room. 
Funny how people just can't be happy where they are and be thankful for the position they are in. 

Sometimes we make bad choices, OWN THEM!

At work I have some wonderful people that I get to be with every day.  One of them who is the VP is really nice but she has a real problem telling people when they have done something wrong.  There is no need to be nasty about it.  All you need to do is ask did you do this?  If so it needs to be fixed.  Do you need help with that?  But instead she will maybe point out directly to you that you did something wrong.  Most likely she will address all the lenders saying we all are doing it wrong and then make tons of excuse for why that may have happened.  Not being mean at all she just doesn't want to say it is your fault and that was a dumb move.  Sometimes I feel myself fall into that making excuses even when I was just human error.  It is really hard to get through to her that it was me that made the mistake and I will claim that.  I am not going to make up some bullshit excuse when it was just me being stupid one day or I just entered it wrong and I will fix it.  The other thing is that there are very few things that can't be fixed.  It may seem like things can't be changed but other than death and someone not being in love with you that you are in love with, I can't think of any.  In the world that I am raising my children we are so afraid to teach our children to take responsiblity for their actions. 
Case in point, in my opinion, one of my neighbors at the age of 36 was sleeping with 15-17 year old girls.  He is charged about 6 years ago.  He plead kinda guilty.  Meaning he would plead guilty but didn't have to say that he was but he thought there would be enough evidence to convict him.  After he did that he had to register as a sex offender.  He lost his job, but found another one(although it was for a business that wasn't thriving), I am sure he lost friends and so on and so on. 
But he came over to our house a couple of times in the last six years.  He really is a nice guy.  But he doesn't think that he did anything wrong.  He just could not understand what the problem was and felt that the County Attorney and the cops were out to get him.  I was talking with one of his family members and she said "it isn't always the guys fault you know.  Those girls would climb into his bed in the middle of the night.  What was he supposed to do.  He shouldn't be getting all the blame for it.  Those girls should take some of the responsibility."  Another family member said in the paper "I can name 20 other guys in this town that are older that are doing the same thing.  I don't see why my brother is the one that they are going after."  For real people.  Yes there are some 15 year old girls that are very mature.  But before you fuck them you need to realize that you could go to jail for it if someone got mad about it or turned you in.  It is like driving drunk.  You get behind the wheel of the car after having a few.  You know what the law is.  If you get caught own it.  It is no one's fault but your own.  No one is going to make you get behind the wheel of a car drunk and drive.  No one, especially not some 15 year old girl should be able to make a 36 year old man have sex with them.  What a load of crap. 
Anyway our neighbor just couldn't seem to let it go that he had been told what he did was wrong.  He felt that it was totally okay.  What is okay about telling people that you only like high school girls because after they graduate they get fat!  He appealled the ruling because of a technicality and was going to have a jury trial for each of the 3 girls he allegiedly had realtions with.  Keep in mind he never denied having sex with them just that it was wrong.  Anyway the jury of course found him guilty of the inappropriate relationship with the first girl and right after that he shot the  attorney and one of the witnesses.  So then of course he went to jail.  But still the family seems to blame everyone else for bad decisions their son made.  They are having a hard time putting together that he was a good guy.  He did lots of work for elderly people and never charged them or cashed their checks.  He loved animals.  But he also loved teenage girls and that is just not normal.  He could still be a good guy and have something wrong.  Not everyone is perfect all the way through.  But no one ever said Buddy you made a wrong decision and now you have to pay the consequenes but I still love you.  Instead they said Everyone else is doing it so it must be okay for him to do that and there is nothing wrong with you Buddy.  Everyone is just out to get you.  Personally I think Everyone has better things to do that worry about how to go after one guy. 
Anyway take responsibilty when you screw up.  It is okay we all do it.  Know that you are loved and move on.  Do not waste years of your life worrying about one mistake or even a few mistakes.  Correct if need be and move on.  If you can't correct it, like drinking too much, maybe you have a problem.  Like my Dad used to say "If there is something that you have to do, like having a drink or 10 everynight, then you might have a problem.  And it isn't very fun for people around you if you get crabby because you haven't had your 5 o'clock cocktail,  you really don't have to have that." 
Anyway to tell the whole story or at least to this point.  Buddy(not his real name of course)has been in jail for about 2 weeks.  On Christmas Day he got the flu and that night was sent to the hospital and died the next morning.  The whole think is tragic for the family.  Hopefully this will bring it all to an end.  And they won't want to drag it out.  I am hearing more rumors of them filing a lawsuit because he didn't get medical attention right away according to them.  Again they are saying this isn't his fault which just pisses me off.  He had sex with young girls, he shot a couple of people, he went to jail.  You don't get to go see a nurse whenever you want to when you are in jail.  Also no one can predict the future.  How is a guard who sees you throwing up supposed to know that in 5-8 hours you would be dead.  Bad things happen to good people.  But good people need to take responsibility when bad things happen.  People won't love them any less or think less of them.  I just can't stress that enough.  We have other things to worry about other than our opinion of other people all the time.

The World today

How does one not get lost in the crappy status of the world today?  It is depressing to think about but it is getting harder to afford things, we consume way too much crap, there is crazy violence and corruption. 

All I can control is my little part of the world I suppose.  Man am I the serious sister or what?!  Karli is the one that can make me laugh til I wet my pants.  I wonder why that is.  She does have the gift of humor naturally.  She got all the good stuff.  The ability to make people laugh, leadership, people feel they can confide in her, everyone loves her.  I am very blessed to have her as my sister and even more blessed to be as close to her as I am.  I wish that we were physically closer.  It would be great to see her more often.  I wonder if we would hang out alot if we lived in the same town.  When we lived together we did quite a bit.  I wonder if she would ever move back up here?  It is nice having a place to stay in Duluth but I am pretty sure I could figure something out.

Skinner was gone to a class overnight this week.  We have been together every night for at least a year if not longer.  I take that back I was gone for a couple of nights this spring.  But it has been a long time that he has been the one to leave the house.  It was so strange.  I used to be so independent.  I still am but at the same time it was one night and instead of relishing it like I used to I was just kind of lost without him there.  It was a very strange feeling.  It felt a bit like my love for him is growing everyday (sappy I know) but it is really true.  I am very lucky to be in the situation instead of thinking what in the hell have I done.  He really is my best friend.  I am really truly blessed.  I also pray that my kids will find that same thing when they decide to get married.  My is that a whole nother nightmare to think about.  Them getting married.  Although I would really like some grandchildren preferably close by.

I wish I had something really inspiring for the day but other than sappy true love and the world falling apart I got nothin'.

Random

I love Betty White!  She is hilarious.
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The other night I was trying to tweeze a whisker from my chin and Kaj asked what I was doing and he goes "Mommy just let it ride."
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I remember my last boyfriend before I was with my husband.  He was a super nice guy, I absolutely loved him, I love his family, and I could totally see spending the rest of my life with him.  Then my husband came along and I was a little frustrated with my current "kind of" a boyfriend not wanting to move forward with life.  I was starting to really get that no body was going to get him to move forward in life (something that is still frustrating) but you can't change people.  They will never change.  You might get lucky that they change but you can never expect anything to change.  People are who they are.  So actually the whole thing set me up pretty well for falling for my husband.  He accepts you the way you are and don't think for a moment that you will have any chance of changing him.  If you want him to change then you are just going to need to go somewhere else.  But all through that my sister never said I told you so.  When I had my "kind of" a boyfriend she was not comfortable hanging out with him or his family.  For a short period of time she would but I could tell that she just didn't want to be around me with them.  And she told me too.  When we broke up she was relieved because now we could hang out again.  There was nothing said we just moved on with life and she enjoyed my new boyfriend and I feel that she is comfortable with us which is a highlight in my life.  We don't get to pick who our loved ones choose to love.  You just deal with it.  It doesn't mean that we are always all going to hang out and smoke the peace pipe.  It is an ever changing thing and when people are continuely forced to do things that is when people really start to have problems. 
For instance family functions where the people are there who want to be there and a couple who are there because it is their spousal duties is not a bad deal.  Only small amounts of guilt would have been applied to make that work.  When the guilt is layered on heavy and the expectations that everyone then is going to be happy about being forced to be somewhere, things are not going to go well.  Not at all.  Relax people.  We have an Uncle that didn't meet our step-mother until she had been married to my Dad for 7 years.  He came to visit when he wanted to and he had a fine time.  Had my Aunt loaded him in her car and drove up here before that I don't think that it would have gone so well.  As I recall he and my Aunt even drove seperately.  He likes to be able to go when he wants to go.  I think it was kind of unheard of for a woman to drive seperatly on a three hour drive, but my quiet Aunt wanted to spend a bit more time with her family.  At least that is how I assume it was.  We are a good Finnish family and actually discuss what does on is not something that we do. 
For instance, my Aunt got divorced and we didn't even know it happened until it was all done.  I would say that we are a close family but we that kind of stuff we don't bring up.  I even asked my Aunt B how Aunt D was doing and she shrugged her shoulders and said good I think.  THEY SPEND EVERY OTHER WEEKEND TOGETHER AND YOU AREN'T TOTALLY SURE HOW THE OTHER ONE IS DOING AND YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MARRIAGE?! WHAT?!  I will give my Dad credit for trying to be the more communicative person in the family, but he only goes so far as to say if you need anything just let me know.  He never pries if after his first test question is met with a very short answer.  But that is how they were raised.  I remember one holiday we were leaving my Grandparents and my Grandpa was out getting the car ready for us and Grandma was getting us ready to go inside and she said "I am worried about Grandpa I just don't think he is doing very well"  and then outside Grandpa said "I am worried about Grandma I just don't think she is doing very well"  They sit right next to each other every day but they can't just ask each other or given and honest response.  Oh well what do you do.  I miss both of them very much.  It would be great to be going to their house for Christmas.
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Apple juice controversy:  There is news out today that arsnic is in apple juice and unsafe levels of it.   We are poisoning our children.  Well it is always something new.  Here is the thing people "MODERATION".  Do not feed your children just apple juice all the time.  The same is true for sugar, cheese, ...a little bit of everything.  I seriously doubt the people making apple juice our trying to kill our kids.  And it is from apples or it is supposed to be so if apples have arsnic in them naturally then either that is how it is supposed to be or we have a bigger problem. 
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I really could be a better speller.
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I have been at my job for 6 years now.  I really like it, but I wonder with all the moving of jobs I have done before if I will get an itch and need to move on.
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After having a crisis of my Mom dying when I was 13 and my sister 8 I find myself sometimes waiting for the next crisis.  It can really ruin my day when I am in that mode.
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Journalling is a wonderful thing that I really need to do more of.
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Hunger Games is a good book
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I miss the old Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden books.  I wonder why I never got into the Hardy boys?
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I am really enjoying my life.  Sometimes I could be more exciting but I am with my family so that tends to be plenty of excitment.
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I feel bad for and mad at people you don't have any self confindence.  We are all wonderful people and our happiness does not depend on what someone else will do or not do.  Or on how we look or what we have.  Yes some of those things can make you happy for awhile.  If my husband does the dishes yes it makes me happy.  Yes I might be more inclined to do something for him, but it isn't a requirement to make me happy that he does the dishes.
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I love all my Aunts.  But my Auntie K was wonderful during my wedding week.  Aunt B and Aunt D saved my butt as well during that week.  Really I wish they all lived closer because they are all very fun and relaxed people.
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All of my Uncles current and form were pretty good guys too.  At least from what I remember.
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I think perhaps I should stop at this point I can always write more later.
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-M

Characters

It is always fun to see who shows up for holidays and how everyone fits together.  Since the introduction of wine to family gatherings I must say that everyone fits together better and better every year.
The Aunts I am getting to know a bit better every year.  If I thought my Dad was Finnish they are the poster children for the reserved Scandinavians.  I love getting to know them as adults and embarass them a bit.  Neither one of them had children but they seem totally fascinated by my son.  They have been asking to have him for an overnight since he was a baby but they want him potty trained first!  How I talk about them you would think they maybe live together but they don't.  One lives in the cities the other on the range.  The City Aunt comes up to see the Range Aunt about every other week.  The City Aunt is married but her husband doesn't seem to leave the house at all.  It was seven years from the time my Dad married my stepmom before my stepmother met my City Uncle.  I really like him and I like the fact that is a bit funny like that.  My Range Aunt was married to a cop and I really like him as well.  But one day she called out of the blue and said they were divorced.  What the?!  I didn't ask too many questions.  I asked the City Aunt what happened and she had no idea.  She said the Range Aunt didn't talk about it and she didn't ask.  I can't imagine not getting into that one with my sister.  But on the other hand maybe my sister would appreciate it a bit more if I was like City Aunt!

Holiday's, Arg!!

Oh the Holidays, they are upon us.  Tis the season to be merry or tis the season to dread.  My sister and I have had our fair shares of both.  Multiple Christmas's in multiple locations, Thanksgiving at a restaurant or Thanksgiving at an assisted living home.  I know it sounds cheesy, but as long as you are with family, maybe not even yours, holidays can be good.  But I still can't shake the dread that they may be the most stressful time of the year.  I have a job that requires me to work most of the holidays, if not all of them.  My family has adapted many traditions to suit my work, therefor I am thankful.  We celebrate Christmas, 3 days after actual Christmas.  Thanksgiving at a restaurant was due to it being across the street form work and I could walk over, eat, and walk back to work without skipping a beat (and don't forget not having any dishes, that was a bonus).  By the way, Thanksgiving is a holiday that is often forgotten about.  It hasn't even happened yet but Black Friday is coming soon.  

I have had the last two days off and can't afford to shop.  I can't afford to decorate.  I occasionally look at the computer and pick out things that I would have bought for fun.  I have a fresh look on what it means to cut coupons and shop with a shopping list at the grocery store.  And currently, due to my lack of green, I am thinking about what I can make for everyone for Christmas.  Who knew it was so expensive to own a house, yes, you know the mortgage, but no one tells you that the bills are what will bring you down.

On a side note, I just finished going through a box of stuff that used to belong to our mother and found our Grandmother's Wedding album, as well as our parents wedding album.  It is interesting that, except for our Aunt, I don't recognize any of the people in our paren'ts wedding party.  And . . . I found a picture of Mom in like 5th or 6th grade,  I had to do a double take, I thought it was me!  Pretty weird, but cool. 

Technology

It is funny that you posted about cell phones and TV because I have been thinking a lot about those things and maybe we could go with out or should go without.  I also have been thinking about how much has already changed in the world since we were born. 
I just got back from a funeral for a woman that was 99 years old(Skinner's Aunt Olga).  Think about what she had when she was born.  Nothing.  Maybe a couple of outfits, certainly not a care, no phone, no TV, no radio.  And now at the time she died we are all so lazy letting technology do so much for us. 
For the record I am a couch potato and I do have a cell phone although I never have it with me unless I am expecting a call or am traveling. 
About the whole billionaire thing.  If you can come up with an idea I will front you the $750.  The problem these days is there are so many rules/regulations and so many people that want to help you that are just scammers.  I would just be happy with making enough to get what I want and still have money left over to put away for a rainy day.  And not be so worried about how to pay the bills.

Depressing or inspiring . . .TV

Have you ever watched a TV show and either half way through it or at the end of it, thought, "Now why didn't my life go that way?"

I have watched half of a 20/20 episode about millionaires and how they went from living in a car to owning 4 houses and worth billions.  Of course the first one had to do with one of the only people that has made billions through theater.  Of course!!

It was a piece on the owner and founder of Cirque de Soliel . . . .made billions doing theater.  PS, this part really made me miss theater.

One of the following segments was on a man, who with $750, started what is now a multi-billion dollar company.  So I pose a question to you . . . .what do you/me/we have that is worth something to someone else?  Between you and I, we could do $750 . . . ..

Cell Phone Pheasko

I like that quote, it makes a lot of sense.  

Once I start reading my book, hopefully I will find many more like it.

So, have you ever thought about cell phones?  I come from a generation that grew up with out them and by the time I was 16, you were AWESOME if you had one, but not looked down upon if you didn't.  Now, if you are 16 and without a cellphone, you are considered an outcast.  

As an adult now, I try to remember what it was like without one.  I begin to worry.  It is a love/hate relationship with cellphones.  You hate them because they won't stop ringing, but when you get a flat tire, you thank your lucky stars that you have one to make the call to the tow truck or your dad.  I have a cell phone, and when it rings, it rings.  There are also stretches of days where it won't make a sound . . . .and yet, I carry it with me everywhere and panic when I don't have it.  I will literally turn around and make a 15-20 minutes drive just to go home and get my cell.  Because, as we all know, if you don't answer your cell, something is wrong.  Oh, and don't forget to mention that you cannot remember a single phone number any more when you used to be able to recall 50 phone numbers at any given time.  I can however, say, that I am not really up on the whole "app" thing.  I have a couple but I know people who have and "app for everything".  I would prefer it if they would actually come out with the bud light app that can pour beer from your phone, talk about false advertising.

Then there are people who refuse to carry one.  I am currently in a relationship with someone who has not owned a cell phone in 3 years. . . .and loves it!  Doesn't worry about who is trying to call, doesn't care that it drives me nuts that he doesn't have one, doesn't like it when I have mine because it makes too much noise.  And is totally fine with it.  He would prefer to make smoke signals if he was in trouble than carry a cell phone with him.  Oh, and he doesn't have to worry about the bill.  Lucky duck.  

Sorry, the rant is due to the fact that I am at home, relaxing, I have walked away from work for the day and yet . . . .I still have the cell phone in my pocket, waiting to ring, in case someone needs me. 

Quotes

Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option.
-Unknown, S at work had this out and it just stuck with me.

The Day After

Oh my goodness, I have missed a couple.  Sorry, I was busy feeling old. . . .   Yes, I remember the bear hunt dad had to go on when we were little.  It was not like the song that they make you sing in elementary school.  I also remember that dad let me look at them the morning after.  That was more than a little traumatic.

So, my birthday day was great!  I woke up and took a nap, someone had told me that that was OK now that I was old.  Then I went out for dinner with my boyfriend and a couple of our friends and for the first time in my life, I ended the evening in a casino 30 minutes from my home and got to bed at 3am (PS - woke up at 11am, I have not slept in like that since I was 19).  That is something that you should do on your 21st birthday . . . .not your 30th!  And I got a card from Auntie D that stated "Congratulations, you are over the hill" and she wrote in "1st",  I am over the "1st Hill".  Great!  I think that that particular card summed it up for me.  When you turn 21, you are crawling up the hill and right when you reach 30, you realize that just beyond the horizon is another hill, but at least you are standing up at this point.

You are so right about holidays and special occasions, enjoy the day and the moment.   There is no use is being upset if it is not what you expected or planned. Anything can be fun if you are in the right mindset and as far as Christmas, I have not celebrated Christmas with my family on Christmas in a long time, but as long as we are all together long enough to have Auntie B knock someone over to get a present at the dice game . . .that is Christmas.  

So, it is officially past my bedtime and I am spent.  The last two days of celebrating my birthday have been fun and I have to go back to work tomorrow. 

My sister and gathering advice

I have been trying to think of something really cleaver to say for your Birthday or tell a great story about you but I am not feeling it other than I feel really bad about making you eat dirt when you were a little kid.  Sorry about that.

So I will just tell you that you are a wonderful woman and I am so proud to call you my sister.  Really I am the luckiest sister to have you.  There is no one n-o o-n-e that makes me laugh that way that you do.  Even when you were telling me the story today of you going to the Emergency room with your heart stuff.  How scary for you and yet when you are telling me about it I just wanted to laugh.  Other than that you were at the hospital and your heart is freaking out which is not funny at all.  I hope you have a wonderful Birthday.  Which brings me to my thoughts on parties, holidays, and any celebration or gathering.

My philosopy is this:  Christmas does not have to happen on the 24th and 25th of December.  It happens when the most people can get together or it happens multiple times.

Thanksgiving:  Pick a spot, figure out the food and be thankful that who ever made it could make it and that you are all fed and got to share some time together.

Birthdays:  It is great to have birthday parties.  Again they don't have to be on that day.  But be thankful that who could come did.  Gifts are really hard to buy and some people just do not have the nack for it so go easy on them.  Quite often there is some humor in it all.  Grandma S. for instance.  Do not shop at a store that you (Grandma S.) buy your own clothes at.  Your Granddaughters are not going to wear anything that comes out of that store.  That is just how it is.  Love you Grandma and I wouldn't have that piece of advice for others or story to tell if it wasn't for you.  But I was able to hand off a bunch of those items to older friends of mine that really appreciated them.  I should mention that celebrating with birthday weeks is really fun, because it is all for that person and you are bound to have at least one day that really makes you feel special.  The same is true with a wedding.  It is definately a week long celebration! 

Easter:  You have to have a jelly bean hunt and go to church and other than that I would say follow the guidelines for Thanksgiving.

Most important though is that whoever shows up at that moment is just who was supposed to show up.  Don't be pissed off the whole time because someone didn't come, it makes everyone else feel like they don't matter and puts everyone in a bad mood.  And always make your expecations clear but don't hold it against people if they just can't make it work.  Gatherings are way more fun that way. 

WOW that was a lot.  I should maybe get back to work.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNTIE

GUESS WHO IS THIRTY TODAY!  MY  LITTLE SIS.  Did you know that is also happens to be National Dessert Day?  How lucky is she.  Kaj laughed when he heard Auntie was thirty today and said "Auntie is older than my Kevin!"  Kevin is one of the providers at the daycare.  Kevin is actually more in the forty catagory. 

So other than that I don't have anything too exciting other than we are picking up Brandi for the weekend and we are going grocery shopping in Two Harbors.  Last weekend we went for a 4 wheeler ride up to where our house used to be located on the Elbow River.  It is a really nice spot back there.  I wonder if we could move it back!

Almost there

Will you be wearing a birthday suit for your Birthday?

Almost 30!

I don't think that you will have any problem with the 30s.  I can't believe you were only 25 when the little one was born!  Speaking of which he went outside about 30 min ago and I should go check  that his father knows where he is. 

In regards to the bread cutting machine I loved the vibration.  I shook the whole counter it was on. 

At camp a couple of weeks ago a couple of bear cubs got stuck in the lock in cooler for the night.  Do you remember the cubs Dad had to shoot because the mother had to be shot and the cubs were too young to survive on their own.  I remember lying in bed when Dad went to go and do that.  I could hear the shots all the way at Ledge (our cabin/house).  They were so little.  Dad was not a hunter by nature.

Bread Cutter

Wow!  You got pretty deep with that last post.  I hate politics.  I sometimes feel out of the loop or guilty when I do not watch the news, but sometimes it is too much and I just don't want to get into it all.  Sometimes I like being ignorant and living in my own little world of work and family.  Anything past that is slightly overwhelming.  
On a side note, we are still making out way through the two loaves of bread that I made.  I am not good at cutting thin slices, so whenever you have a piece, it is a meal in itself.  I miss the automatic bread cutter that camp used to have.  I remember being told to never put my hand near the thing but it was sooooo impressive how it would cut the loaf in perfect pieces. 

Um . . .My favorite birthday?  Well, the only one that I can remember is the one that we have pictures of, that is why I can remember it.  I was probably about 6 or 7.  And I had a cat cake, I think?  My parties were always Halloween themed, of course until I got to be old enough to go to the Homecoming Football games, then they were football themed or something of the sort, because they would fall in days of each other.  I have had many wonderful birthdays over the, now 30 years.  I hope this one is just as good!

Politics

Let me just say what a joke politics are.  Even if you are someone that isn't going to be like all the other politicians you end up having to be because that is the way the system is set up.  Those old politicians don't just happen to keep getting reelected they know how to play the game.  The same is true on smaller scales, such as work.  It is the game and either you play or you go find another job and it will most likely be the same their as well.  I am so tired of the Presidential election and it is over a year away.  It seems we never get a rest from elections with the 24 hour news system that we have.  Peter Jennings is/was my favorite news reporter of all time and when the 24 hours news started happening he made a comment something to the effect that we shouldn't be reporting just for the sake of reporting.  We need to make sure we have it right and we need to make sure this is a story that people need to hear.  News has become like gossip.  They report it but can't confirm it and a few days later it comes out a totally different way.  I wonder what the news will be like in 40 years. 

I have been thinking a lot about how much the world has changed in my life time and that of my grandparents.  Someone had a picture of a rotary phone the other day and said our kids aren't even going to know what this is or how it works.  Crazy.  My husbands Dad was born in 1918 which makes him 93 now.  He started out life with walking and horses.  You did everything the hard way or at least we call it that now.  We currently have an excavator, a skid-steer, loader, mini, lowboy, dumptruck, 4-wheelers...It doesn't seem like that big of a deal to have those things.  I just wonder what the world will be like when I am 93. 

Whew, that was a serious type post but there are going to be those kinds of posts sometimes.

So Proud

I am so proud.  Almost 30 and she can finally cook something other than noodles!  I totally forgot that you were 29.  I thought you already were 30(shows you that I am old enough to be suffering from dementia).  Now I am going to have to really come up with something special for your birthday. 

The little one called Granma Becca last night to wish her a happy birthday.  Before he could do it though she just kept going on and on about this grousse that was attacking her back door trying to fight with his reflection.  I have never heard of someone having as many problems with birds hitting their house windows as much as our parents. 

Do you remember learning as a child that when it was your siblings birthday you don't actually get any presents just they do.  And those presents don't have to be shared with you.  Oh that is just a brutal lesson for kids.

What was your favorite birthday party of all time?

Bread and Noodles

Funny you should ask. . . .I just got done mixing dough for white bread in a bowl that cannot, I repeat, cannot handle 10 cups of flour!  I may as well mixed it on the floor.  I am currently letting it rise to then "punch down", rise again and then make into loaves.  Lets hope that I did not waste my time making 2 shoe shaped bricks, but lovely loaves of bread.  My creativity is in baking tonight.  For dinner, I have cooked myself good old egg noodles and french dressing (don't knock it til you've tried it).  

On a slightly different note, I have been repeatedly reminded that I am facing a very monumental, and from stories that I have heard, traumatic day . . . the end to my twenties :(  One of my co-workers asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I told her that I wanted to go out and get sh!* faced.  (my attempt at PG but keeping the story real).  She laughed and said it was a plan. 

How's your garden?  Is it inside now?  Our Step mother informed me that her tomatoes have taken over 1/2 of the kitchen in their house. 

I also talked to Dad and he is embarking on yet another wild adventure in his, not busy enough, world.  

Getting organized

Some things to get the creative juices flowing.  I would like this blog to also be something the kids would be able to read (after we are dead!) to get more of an understanding of our family.  Family stories. How we grew up.  Moments of maturity. Who were some influential people in our lives. Biggest mistakes...and so on. 

Just the other day I was thinking about Solveig, Yvonne and Kirsten.  I will have to dedicate a whole post to them.  And I think we could also have catagories about what we really think of people, politics, money and so on.  Just some more thoughts to get things going.

How is the cooking coming along?

Couldn't do it

Honestly could not do it.  There is nothing that turns on the depression like the idea of going back to school.  Learn a new job not a big deal.  Hands on training I love it.  But homework yuck.  Class yucky...you get the idea.  You always were better at going to school than me.  Also people usually use nicknames so that when other's read the blog they aren't divulging too much personal information.  You really need to watch more of the Disney channel so you can catch Phinus and Ferb talking of internet saftey information!

Homework sucks!

Mac and Cheese

I can't believe it has finally been started!  "Come talk to me I'm pooping!"  I realize that it is not what we had talked about at first but, this is awesome.  I, the younger one, but not shorter, am not as up on the technology as my sister and this is my first ever blog posting.  How exciting!!
 So where to start . . . .
First, my sister never explained where the title came from.  When we were growing up, we had some of the best talks while one of us was going to the bathroom.  I know, it is kind of disgusting, but if you consider that where we grew up it is no surprise.  My sister and I grew up on an island with no place for a septic tank, therefore we had outhouses and very few were 1 holers.  They were always 2 or even 4 holers.  So instead of waiting outside for the other person to finish, you would just go at the same time . . . again, it sounds gross, but when you gotta go you gotta go, so why not go together.  Your family anyways, right?  
So anywho, that is where the name came from.  

Now, as far as my current living/working status.  I live in Duluth with my boyfriend in a nice little old house (and not the "cool" old, but the outright "falling apart" old).  I have two dogs, mastiffs (one of my sisters ponies is smaller than my dogs) , and a Grumman in the front yard.  I work in the hotel industry.  I am the last child out of 5 that is not married or with kids, not bitter :)  (but I dote on my nephew like no other).   

I am at home cooking my famous Kraft Mac and Cheese and getting ready to start my homework.  I am taking an extra curricular seminar for work and for the first time in 6 years I have homework.  Not the easiest habit to get back into, but at least it's interesting.
(I hate to brag, but I make a pretty mean Mac and Cheese)


I could sit here and write for an hour or two, but . . .like I said, I got me some homework. 

The First

Since I am the oldest and I always wanted to publish a book called Come Talk To Me I'm Pooping, I will be making the first entry to the blog.  My hope is that this will be a conversation between my younger sister and myself.  We are leading fairly different lives as many sister's do.  You travel different paths to get through and end up seeing different sites on the way.  We don't always understand why the other one would want to travel on that trail but what can you do other than love them and hope they have a good trip.  Also I wanted a place where I could just through out thoughts that I have.  My sister is hilarious and I am hoping that she will through in her random thoughts as well. 

So to give you an idea of where I am on the trip.  I am in my mid thirties, just married to the father of my 4 year old boy, I have a 10 year old step daughter and and 24 year old step son.  We live in the country and have a couple of horses, a pony, and a dog.  I like to think I am a gardener and my husband is more and more wanting to embrace his inner farmer.  Like really couldn't be better at the moment.  Other than the stress of the economy.  Lettuce is twice what is was a year ago.  When I saw that it is a not wonder people are having a hard time making it these days.