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.