Our Own Sweet Time

Feels like days since we've been home. Oh wait. It has been! Our time Up North was so action-packed, it just feels like enough to spread over many days instead of one or two.

Carter and I got up to my sister's Friday night in time to go to the movie Four Christmas with her and my niece. Movie was good. Quite entertaining. Ran into a couple of our cousins at the show. But then, it's always a small world Up North. (Interesting note about the theater. We had to put our own butter on the popcorn! I guess then we can't blame the counter girls if there isn't enough butter. We did send Carter out at "half-time" to reload.)

Saturday's Cookie Bake was a sweet time as always. Plenty of eating and talking and laughing and eating. Carter was a little disappointed he couldn't be the official taste-tester this year but most people weren't actually baking on Saturday. They did their treats up ahead of time so they could visit more and play more games.

We had four guests this year. My cousin LaRaye, who we don't see much and ran into Friday night at the movie; my nephew Tony's girlfriend, who was nervous about being thrown to the wolves, but likely learned we are more like hens than wolves; and two little boys, ages 4 and 6, who my niece was baby-sitting for the day. It was cool to have "little ones" about again. When did my baby grow up?!

The fun continued until almost 10 when people headed for home. I was glad I was staying at my sister's but did not sleep well either night. No fault of hers. I was sharing a bed with Carter and he is a wicked sleeper -- trying to kick and headbutt me all night. And when he wasn't doing that, he was talking in his sleep. How does he get any rest?

We headed home this morning. Stopped at my parents to drop off a wreath and then did our best to beat the snow and the Thanksgiving weekend traffic. Neither were too bad.

Got home in time to unpack (can't do laundry yet), do homework and watch the Vikings. Yes, I am a fan, but I am so beat I cannot stay up for the whole game. I'm just glad we're ahead and I can at least dream of a victory... or just dream, happily in my own bed again with the kicker across the hall...

Holiday Travel

The shopping is done, new washing machine is ordered, so Carter and I are hitting the road in a few minutes to head Up North. Yes, we are leaving the Couch Potato behind, but only because he is recovering so nicely. I have the house stocked with everything he needs -- from leftovers to magazines and movies -- so he'll be fine.

Every year, for quite a few now, my family has gotten together for an annual cookie bake on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I guess we call it more of an "exchange" now because many of us bake our goodies ahead of time so we can spend the day playing games and enjoying each other's company. This year, we've added a few nieces and honorary nieces (nephews' girlfriends) so we are growing! Should be fun.

My twin sister Raylene is hosting so Carter and I will stay at her place the next two nights. We're leaving now so we can get there by 6 and still take in a movie tonight, Four Christmases. That's our plan anyway. These days we just take what comes and just hope for a safe trip!

Thanks-Living

The fact that I am writing this is good thing. It means I didn't burn the house down making Thanksgiving dinner. And I ate my perfectly moist turkey and lived to tell about it. Whoo-hoo! So much to be thankful for!

Seriously, I do have a lot to be thankful for -- and not just today. In general, I do try to live by a philosophy of gratitude. Thanks-Living. We are given blessings every day that we shouldn't take for granted. And I thank God for them every night.

Occasionally, though, I have a momentary lapse of gratitude. Like the other day. Yes, I was cranky when I was seeing dollar signs attached to all sorts of "problems." I shouldn't have said anything out loud because Carter heard me. Tonight, when I was tucking him in, he let out a big sigh and said we had such a crappy life right now between the knee surgery, the car getting fixed, the computer on its last legs, the washing machine dying.

I told him, "Who cares? Those are just things. I was wrong to get so upset the other night. Things don't matter. People matter. I'd rather pay money for all those things than have you or Daddy sick with some serious illness. We need to be thankful for our family and friends."

He thought that was a pretty good idea. Though he's still not too thrilled with fighting the Black Friday shoppers with me in the morning just to buy a washing machine. I guess I can't find gratitude in everything! But I'm trying.

Drive-Thru Doctorin'

We've sort of joked about the short hospital stays for new moms and called them "drive-thru deliveries," but it is amazing what can be done medically in a brief amount of time in what they call "outpatient" procedures.

We were at the hospital well before dawn today for Jim's knee surgery. By 7 they were shooting him up with the pain killers and by 8 surgery was under way. We were home by 10:30 a.m. Now that is what you call outpatient.

Here I brought two books with me plus two snacks for the long haul. I didn't even get a crack at those! I hardly had time to worry!

They allowed me in his pre-op room so I got to witness them cleaning the incision areas -- after shaving off those few hairs he missed. Queasy me wisely turned my head when they were inserting the IV and doing the "knee block" -- like an epidural for the knee.

I sort of felt like an expert after watching so much Grey's. But that was not the cool part.

Remember awhile back I was relaying my near brush with a celebrity when I wrote about a surgeon who had moved here from California and his patient, the dirty dancin' Patrick Swayze, flew to Rapids for a post-op visit? Well that doctor was Jim's doctor! I tell ya, we got the best surgeon money (or our insurance coverage) could buy.

Seriously, he's a good surgeon and he remembered me and that story when he came into Jim's room. So he has fixed up both my favorite dancers now. That is way cool.

I'd have to say he must have done an outstanding job. So far, Jim is not even ornery yet. Who would be if they had a servant on hand? I didn't give him a bell to use but I am getting good at hearing him from two rooms away.

Now, we'll see how the night plays out -- and the morning. The knee may be painful by then. But hopefully not. I mean it wouldn't be fair to the inlaws to have a crabby couch potato on hand. What would they find to be thankful for?

'Twas the Night Before Surgery...

Carter is calling this Knee Surgery Eve. I don't think we need to be that dramatic but this is likely the only time (I hope!) that I can type the following: "As I type this, hubby is shaving his legs -- make that, leg..."

OK, now that that's written, there isn't much more to say about the surgery prep. Jim had off yesterday and today so he could get his meds ahead of time, along with a pair of crutches. They are using a scope -- not cutting him wide open -- so he should be in and out of the hospital in 4 to 8 hours (can you tell I was reading up on this?).

My plan is to stay at the hospital in case I am needed. Very unlikely but I want to be close by. I know I should be home cleaning the house for our Thursday guests. I should be calling the washing machine repairman (if there is one) since that just stopped working tonight. On the way into town at 5:45 a.m., we will be dropping the car off at the garage...

Yes, I know. We do have so much to be grateful for. I'm just not seeing it right this minute. I keep blinking and all I see are dollar signs. Yikes.

At least we have our health -- if you can count a guy who must be a couch potato for 4 days on doctor's orders!

The Road Not Taken

So what does Robert Frost know anyway? He and his big talk about the "road not taken." Obviously, he's never been the first vehicle out on snow-covered roads in the early morning!

Beats me why I didn't watch the weather forecast last night -- not that that would have changed anything -- but I was surprised to wake up to snow this morning. Not a pleasant sight on day when hubby is off from work and I hate winter driving!

All roads except a short segment on the 4-lane were snow-covered and slippery. I white-knuckled my way in, going about 45 mph max and only slid past one intersection where I needed to turn. I tried to keep myself relaxed by listening to Christmas music but turned the station when I heard "White Christmas."

Robert Frost and Irving Berlin must have been knocking back too much eggnog. White roads don't do it for me. I'm not saying "Bah-Humbug." I'm just saying...

Cooking Lab

While my Saturday blurred by like an Elf on Red Bull, my Sunday was much more relaxed. Church, Sunday School, grocery shopping and a Vikings victory.

I should have stopped there. But no, since I was on a roll with my holiday baking and such, I thought I'd try a new recipe. Not just a new recipe, but one I made up. Me, the Undomestic Goddess, making up recipes? What was I thinking?

Well the bad news is, a lot of the cookies fell apart when the caramel chips stuck to the pan -- just about burned into place. The good news is... who cares? We can still eat them at home! We have no standards for what food looks like as long as it's edible and can be washed down with eggnog.

And I figured out what to do differently next time to avoid the mess. So maybe, just maybe, I can break out of my undomestic role for the holidays. Well, let's not push it. I'm still cooking a turkey from a bag and "making" gravy from a jar...

Holi-Daze

We are in pre-surgery mode these days. Since I know hubby won't be able to do much lifting, walking, stair climbing and such after knee surgery Wednesday, we put him to work today.

After I had him haul the Christmas tree up from the basement (trust me, I can't do that on my own), he took Casey shopping in Madison. (Both of the big boys were supposed to go but Clay was sick.) We did this last year, too. Dad takes them shopping, gives them a dollar amount and doesn't comment on what they buy -- we certainly are no judge of what is "hip" these days. Then they give their stuff to me and I wrap it (because I'm one of those sick people who loves wrapping presents!) and hope they forget what they picked out until Christmas morning.

While he was gone mall walking, Carter and I decorated the tree, put up some other lights and, in preparation for next weekend's family cookie exchange, we made two kinds of cookies and our "pretzel doughnuts" (round pretzels covered with almond bark). All that plus we got to Micky D's so I could have my first eggnog shake of the season finally!

Whew! I'm exhausted. I treated myself to a holiday movie. Rented one. Lame. I should stick with the Hallmark and Lifetime channels. And I should have more time to do that and actually enjoy the season since I've got some of the big tasks out of the way. Did I mention I wrapped some presents tonight, too? I am on roll.

Of course, I've still got the big Christmas letter hanging over my head. But who has time to write?

Reflections

One of my sisters has a pillow that says, "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, I've become my mother after all." Next year, during our annual sisters weekend, that pillow will be "willed" to someone else. Instead of the "If the shoe fits, wear it" concept it, it's "If the pillow fits, take it home."

To a person, we all have traits -- both good and bad -- that mirror those of our parents. Just like we don't want to give our parents credit for all of our successes, we certainly can't blame them for all our failures either. There comes a time when we have to hold ourselves accountable for who we are, who we've become, how we've shaped ourselves into (hopefully) loving, giving members of society.

As parents, we must do the same. We have to let our children shine in their own spotlight and bite our tongues when we want to say, "He gets that from me!" That's the hard part. The easy part is being so proud we could burst our buttons... but we still have to bite our tongues when we want to say, "Look at our amazing kid!"

So I'm doing my best to hold my braggart tongue in check today. But I'm letting out a little peep that may sound like, "Look at our amazing kid!" but is really, "We love how our kid continues to amaze us!"

Last night we had parent-teacher conferences for Carter. His report card was quite satisfactory, but we all know that doesn't tell the whole story.

We were not surprised to learn that he is a bit of a "personality," that he does well speaking in front of the class and can hold his audience captive during a presentation (even when he's making up facts). This is where we say he probably gets that from both of us (a mix of charm and B.S.)... along with the writing and editing skills the teacher mentioned.

We were surprised to learn, though, that he's a bit of a math whiz and may be called upon to help some sixth-graders. His teacher said Carter likes to challenge himself (especially in math) and set his goals high. So while he may get his number-crunching abilities from Daddy, Carter's goal-setting style comes from his own inner drive to do well.

Of course we are proud, but this is also a scary milestone. We see that he is exerting his independence. He is beginning to shape himself into the person he wants to be and we have to let him do that ... no matter what may transform.

Who said parenting is easy? You're right. No one has ever said that. Even the days we want to wear a T-shirt that says "Proud Parent of a Fifth-Grader" are tough because it means our baby is growing up. At least for today (and just for today) I can find a little comfort in knowing it may be in the right direction.

Play on Words

Malapropism: Usually humorous misuse of a word or phrase.

-- From my Word of the Day calendar

My hubby and I are word people. Due to the nature of our careers as writers and editors, we appreciate good word usage and clever plays on words. We also get a good chuckle out of malapropisms, like "The coach is really raising the envelope this year" or "I think what she saw was just a pigment of her imagination."

Sometimes, though, it's just a slip of the tongue and we say the wrong thing on accident -- those Freudian slips that allegedly reveal subconscious feelings. Other times, we do it on purpose. Either way, it's usually amusing.

Yesterday morning in our daily call, I told Carter it was going to be a busy day at work because I had to get a magazine out the door. "What do you mean out the door?" he asked. I explained it was just a deadline phrase for getting the magazine to production and to the printers.

Last night at bedtime, Carter was talking about the two girls who had been vying for his love and attention. One of them gave up in the last week or so but the other one, Kayla G (I don't know why he refers to her with her last initial all the time) is still in the picture. However, he proudly exclaimed, "I finally found a way to get Kayla G. out the door -- not like a magazine but out of my life!" Apparently a new seating arrangements will do the trick. And I give him props for turning a phrase to suit his needs. There are days I wouldn't mind getting some of my work out the door and "out of my life" too!

At least Carter's play on words was intentional. I found out last night I am not exactly immune to Freudian slips myself.

I volunteered to do Thanksgiving for the in-laws at our house since Jim will be having knee surgery the day before and he may need to be on the couch for the day (and that's how most of us spend Turkey Day anyway, right?). My mother-in-law and sister-in-law have both volunteered to bring parts of the meal but I am handling the turkey. Now I did do this a few years ago when I had my family down for Christmas. Everyone lived to tell about it, so I guess I did OK.

So I know I am capable of cooking the turkey, I just don't like handling the innards and all that ick. You can imagine my pleasure while shopping last night when I found a turkey, albeit a more expensive one, that is already in a bag and ready to go in the oven. I don't have to touch it until it's done. Yay!

I was so happy that I told Jim when I got home. "Guess what? I found a turkey without the neck and the gimlets!"

The gimlets?! "Are you sure you didn't stop somewhere on the way home?" He asked.

I guess if you know me, you know I can have my own "happy hour" just spending time at Wal-Mart. I think it was just the euphoria of finding that turkey. I'm sure a "turkey gimlet" would turn my stomach. But I could go for a pumpkin spice cappuccino about now...

Bear with Me

Wouldn't it be great to be a bear? No one would dream of messing with us when we're cranky. We'd never have to diet again. We wouldn't have to shave our legs. And, most importantly, we could hibernate through the cold and snowy winters!

Of course, there are some drawbacks to hibernation. I'd miss out on Christmas music and movies and, of course, eggnog shakes. I'm not quite ready to give that up -- despite the lure of a long, winter's nap in all this darkness.

Carter is considering trading places with a much smaller animal. This morning, when he called me for his daily morning report, he mentioned our kitty was lounging in front of the window, looking out into the backyard. "I wonder what's she's thinking," he said. I said that would be interesting to know, and he said, "I'd love to trade places with Sylvester for one day. Then I could lay around, play some video games..."

"Video games?" I said. "Cats can't play video games!"

"Oh yeah," he said. "That's right. They don't have thumbs."

Then I heard him whisper to Sylvester, "That's OK. We still love you even if you don't have thumbs!"

Who wouldn't want to be a cat when you get lovin' like that? For that matter, I'll stick with being a mom. I get the lovin' and the eggnog shakes. Can't beat that!

Shakin' it Up

While I love my sisters dearly, nothing gives me quite the warm fuzzy feeling as coming home to my guys (even though they tried to torment me long-distance with their talk of slurping eggnog shakes without me!).

I knew they were up to some secret activities while I was gone but I didn't prod them for information. I figured as long as it didn't involve women dancing around poles, I had nothing to worry about.

On Saturday night, Carter indicated there was going to be a surprise when I got home. "This is something we'll have for life, Mom!" For life? I'm thinking, did they go out and get a dog or something? I doubted they would be so inconsiderate of our feline princess so I decided not to rack my brain too hard over it.

Of course, it did hover in the back of my mind and the moment I got home Sunday night I am glancing around seeing what was new or different. I noticed a lot of clutter was removed from the front of the fridge. Could that be it? Nothing else really jumped out at me so I figured I play it cool and they'd tell me in due time.

After supper, I started unpacking and then Carter caved under his self-imposed pressure and said he had to show me something. So I closed my eyes while he and Daddy led me me to his room. When I opened them, I saw that Carter's room was rearranged, there was a brand new desk in the corner and his room was clean!

Apparently they bought the desk the week before while I was off scrapbooking for the day, then hubby hid it under our bed until he could assemble it. Carter spent all of Saturday cleaning out his room (Jim claims he inherited his "organizational skills" from my side of the family) -- and eventually threw out a few garbage bags full of stuff. That's the reason he got treated to the eggnog shake Saturday night. It wasn't entirely a ploy to make me jealous. (At least I don't think so.)

I'm guessing his new homework desk is the thing that will be there "for life" and not the state of cleanliness in his room. Though it does prove we potentially can break the clutter curse. Yippee! A round of eggnog shakes for everyone!

S*I*S*T*E*R*S

There's a special kind of freedom sisters enjoy.
Freedom to share innermost thoughts,
to ask a favor, to show their true feelings.
The freedom to simply be themselves.

I am back in one piece after another sisters weekend (aka Wild Women's Weekend) -- this time, quite the extended version (Wednesday to Sunday) down in the southern tip of Texas.

If you have a sister, are one or have friends who are your "sistahs," then you know about the special bond that comes with that label. It's quite a blessing, isn't it? Here are some highlights from our blessed SISTERS weekend.

S is for SEVEN: There are seven of us girls in our family, all starting with the letter R. While we all are grown women, 40 and older, each with family and job obligations of our own, we have made it a priority to leave that all behind for one weekend a year for the last 10. Our destinations vary but have remained within the Wisconsin and Minnesota borders -- until this year when 6 of us hopped on a plane in Minneapolis and headed south to our sister Rayna's place in Pharr, Texas.

I is for IDENTITY: Despite our mother's advice to not cause a scene, it was hard not to stand out when we boarded our flight wearing matching lime green T-shirts with our names on the front and a unique "6 North Stars heading to the Lone Star" design on the back. When we were airborne, the captain even gave a shout out to us: "A special welcome to 6 of the 7 R sisters." Of course, we did a special "Whoo-hoo!" Not so quiet but not exactly a ruckus, either. We did have several people coming up to us to meet us, request to be an "honorary sister" and even ask to get their picture taken with us! I can't make this stuff up! We were quite the phenomenon.

S is for SILLY: The best part of any sister weekend is the laughter. The laughing so hard we cry kind of laughter that comes from finding humor in the same things, picking on each other, playing games, having the same reaction to something. Just good, clean silly fun. Who says we don't put the fun in dys-fun-ctional?

T is for TEXAS: Make that Texas Tourists. Rayna rented a minivan so she could cart us around to all the hot spots I've enjoyed on my two previous visits down there. We danced at Pepe's open-air saloon on the Rio Grande River. We sunned on South Padre Island. We shopped in Mexico. We also ate a lot. Everything is big in Texas -- including the portions!

E is for ENTERTAINMENT: Our last order of business on the flight was to write a song to sing to Rayna when we got to Texas. A quick group effort and we were ready to perform while riding the escalator to greet her and her husband Paul (who disappeared to other parts of Texas during our stay). So yes, we sang it on the ride down the steps. Did I mention nothing embarrasses us? I guess that isn't always a bad thing. Someone at baggage claim did ask us if we were a singing group! Later, at Rayna's place, we had our "opening act," traditionally performed by my twin Raylene and me, but with a special guest appearance this year by our gracious southern hostess! All of us will be singing ABBA's Dancing Queen for weeks to come (but hopefully not dreaming about our psychedelic costumes!).

R is for R PEOPLE: My niece Ashley calls us girls and my brother Ron the "R People." We had some fun with that on this trip, giving a cheer if our waiters' names started with R or "giving" people an R name if they didn't have one. (Did I mention nothing embarrasses us? We were in prime form.) As my sister Rayna reminded us at the end of our stay, the letter R also can stand for Relax, Restore, Reconnect, Renew, Refresh, Rejuvenate. It sounds so good, I wonder why I came back to wintry Wisconsin!

S is for SPECIAL: Spending time with my sisters -- or any of my family for that matter -- is so special to me. I love them all! And you know what? They know me and they still love me, too! My favorite magnet on my refrigerator says it all: I'm smiling because you're my sister. I'm laughing because there's nothing you can do about it! That about sums it up.

What happens at Sisters Weekend...

Five of my sisters and I are taking off today for our annual "Wild Women's Weekend" -- which, in truth, is not all that wild. But the name stuck so we use it.

Six of us will fly together from Minneapolis (yes, heaven help the airline) and my sister Rayna and hubby Paul will great us down at the Harlingen, Texas, airport. After we get settled at their place in Pharr, the brother-in-law will get lost for a few days while we talk and laugh and cry and talk and laugh some more.

By Sunday, we'll be tired and hopefully relaxed before heading back up to the snowy Midwest. Between now and then, we'll have some interesting adventures. None of my other sisters have been down there yet so Texas, Mexico and Rayna's lovely home will be a surprise for them. Two of my sisters have never seen the ocean, so a day on South Padre Island will be a treat for all!

I haven't decided yet if I am blogging "on location." Usually what happens at Sisters Weekend, stays at Sisters Weekend. We'll just have to play it by ear. Hopefully, I'll have the smarts to stay away from computers and email all together!

Countdown

Part of me wishes I would have taken today off since I have the rest of the week off. Who works for one day anyway? I tell ya, I actually got more done working under the gun of having only X number of hours to get it done.

Other than a meeting that lasted an hour longer than I would have liked, I zipped through the day, somewhat focused on work but admittedly unfocused with thoughts of the coming days with my sisters. On the way home from work, hubby says, "You'll be at the airport in 36 hours!" 36 hours? I'm not ready!

I sit here 24 hours after I opened the suitcase and haven't added a thing today. I was doing laundry after work and trying to spend last-minute time with my baby, who claims he will miss me. I think he's more worried about not having me around to help with homework. "What if I have social studies? Will Dad know what to do?" Trust me, he's in good hands!

I called my parents to touch base before leaving. Seriously, I wasn't calling to gloat about the game. I didn't even think about that until I was dialing. So then I had to! My mom says, "Can I give you girls some advice?" I'm thinking: What direction is she going to go with this? She basically says, "Please don't make a ruckus on the airplane and disturb other passengers."

I had one of my roll-my-eyes "Oh, Mom!" moments and assured her that a plane ride is like church. We'd be very respectful of others. No need to remind her people do occasionally laugh in church. I think we'll hold off on the singing, though, 'til we touchdown in Texas!

Salute to Veterans

Who would have thought 200-some years ago that an everyday person like me could write whatever I wanted for anyone in the blogosphere to read. If you are entertained occasionally, great. If you are offended now and then or you've had to suffer through my attempts at humor, I guess that's too bad. You certainly are not required to read this blog, are you?

What a shame it would be if we didn’t occasionally enjoy our freedom of speech! On Veterans Day, let’s think again about those freedoms established in the Bill of Rights back in 1791 and the countless men and women in service who have defended them since. They deserve our salute.

Although my father did not serve in the military, I had some uncles who did, along with my brother, two nephews and my father-in-law. I have the utmost respect for them and enjoy visiting museums, watching movies or reading books to learn more about our country’s involvement in various conflicts (including our own Civil War).

The artist sketches and photographs are spellbinding, too, and I wanted to share one with you. This incredible picture, suitably captioned “the human statue of liberty” was taken in 1918 and has been circulating around the Internet and in e-mails the last few years. It is thousands of men preparing for war in a training camp in Iowa.

As the Web site of the of the Iowa National Guard explains, the picture, formed by 18,000 posed soldiers, was taken in July 1918 at Camp Dodge, Iowa, as part of a planned promotional campaign to sell war bonds during World War I. It states: “On a stifling July day in 1918, 18,000 officers and soldiers posed as Lady Liberty on the parade [drill] grounds at Camp Dodge. According to a July 3, 1986, story in the Fort Dodge Messenger, many men fainted – they were dressed in woolen uniforms – as the temperature neared 105 degrees. The photo, taken from the top of a specially constructed tower by a Chicago photography studio, Mole & Thomas, was intended to help promote the sale of war bonds but was never used.”

Isn’t that amazing that the photo was never used? How unfortunate. It moves me to see all those servicemen standing at attention in the shape of what they are fighting for. Don’t forget to salute our servicemen and women on Veterans Day and every day!

Friendly Rivalry

Today was the Packer-Vikings game. We typically sit home because no one wants to watch the game with us. I can't imagine why not -- when we dress in obnoxious clothes like I have on (above) and Carter wears (below). The picture of me doesn't even show my Game Day pants -- which finally turned out to be lucky today. Oh, did I fail to mention who won today?

We went over to our friends Mike and Christine's house. They are Packers fans and their son Nate (above) dressed like one -- but later claimed he was a Vikings fan. "I just pretend I'm a Packers fan so I don't get kicked out of the house," he said.

What? Parents exercise their influence like that when it comes to sports?! Unheard of!

Anyway, I'm not going to gloat -- not really earned in our mediocre division -- but we are happy to finally beat the Packers for the first time in 6 outings. Our Purple Pride needed that boost!

Comfy Cozy Creativity

We woke up to snow on the ground and deck this morning -- and it was still snowing! It was the perfect day to spend indoors scrapbooking!

I stopped on the way to Crop-toberfest to get a large pumpkin spice cappuccino and I was set to get my creative juices flowing. I started my 2007 family memories scrapbook and got done with pages up through Carter's birthday in May. That's about where I was hoping to get at a minimum, so I was pleased with my progress.

Turns out I didn't miss anything at home. They ventured a few miles away from the house to pick up a friend for Carter to play with and that's about it. I think they played video games and there may have been a football game or 2 or 3 on as well for Daddy.

Looks like we all had the perfect comfy, cozy day indoors.

Tomorrow the heat will really be on with the big Packers-Vikings match-up so there will be no relaxing, trust me. (Note to my lovely Green and Gold family members: We won't be home so don't bother calling if the Packers score!) Nothing warms you up like a good ol' rivalry. Bet that snow melts Sunday!

Work at Home

Since the first quarter ended yesterday, there was no school today. I know. They just had the teacher convention last week and were off another Friday in October. I feel like I'm the queen of long weekends (which I don't mind), but I've learned my "off" days are just as busy as work days!

A good chunk of my day was spent preparing for tomorrow, when I am at an all-day crop-toberfest fall festival scrapbooking extravaganza thingy. I will be working on my 2007 album so I was getting things in order for that to make it a productive day.

I had to go into town for my annual female exam with Dr. Fun. Then it was off to the mall for a birthday gift and then two other stores. When my errands were crossed off the list, I treated Carter to a movie for being so patient and good.

We went to see Madagascar 2. We've seen the first one on DVD countless times. I'm not saying I love it, but it's entertaining enough I was willing to sit through the sequel. The movie was fine and the popcorn was great, of course!

On the way home, it started snowing! By coincidence, my sister called from Texas. She was trying out a restaurant us "girls" might like next week. Who cares about the food?! Just get me somewhere warm without the snow!

That reminds me. I should think about what I am going to be packing one of these days. I just couldn't find the time on my day off. I'll probably get to it Monday, on a work day instead of a run-my-errands work-at-home day! Whew. Time to catch my breath.

Raptor Wrap-up

Carter's first season of tackle football officially drew to a close tonight with a Rapids Raptors banquet and awards ceremony.

Each participant received a medallion with their name and football number engraved on the back. Carter (and many others) also received a neat trophy/award for perfect attendance (every single practice and game). They look really nice.

As part of the banquet, they also had a surprise guest speaker, Blaze Winters, an ex-NFL football player turned motivational speaker. Back in the '80s and '90s, he played for the Packers, Colts and Chargers.

Even if the 5th- and 6th-graders didn't know who he was, I think they were impressed that he used to play pro football. He had a good message to them about believing in themselves even if they aren't the biggest or the fastest. And told parents how he learned his life lessons (team work, self confidence, responsibility, etc) on the football field.

We thought for sure Carter (Mr. Undecided about next year) would be all pumped up about playing again after meeting this guy. But he still isn't sure. Oh well, there's plenty of time for that campaign. In the meantime, we have many good memories from his first season and, perhaps, that learning thing even started already.

What Now?

I felt kind of lost today. It seemed kind of quiet, didn't it? I suddenly remembered what was on TV and what was in my mailbox before the election and especially the recent months of campaigning leading up to it.

Now what happens? Well I hope the gas prices, which have fallen to almost reasonable levels, will stay that way. That's unlikely. Of course, we'd like the economy fixed or at least turned around and heading in the right direction. That just can't happen overnight. I'd like the conflict in Iraq to end, too, before my nephew in the Army has to get shipped off to fight.

We can't expect miracles. And I know from experience -- a lot of it -- that change doesn't always please everyone. I am hopeful, though, and that's a big step for people like me who have had to acknowledge, accept, embrace a mountain of changes in recent times. We just need patience, right? And we're loaded with that.

In the meantime, I can refocus on my own little non-political life. I've got a boy with an incredibly tough class load, another boy who needs to stop being a load, a little boy anxious about his first quarter grades (real letter grades this time), and my big boy facing knee surgery in a couple weeks.

There's plenty going on. Then there's me, just floating in my Democratic cloud, counting down the days to my annual Wild Women's Weekend. This year is our 10th one so six of us Northern girls are flying down together to take Southern Texas by storm next week! Checked the long-range forecast today -- should be sunny and in the 80s.

So I'll just keep thinking about that while the Austin clan finds our own ways to make our own little changes in our lives. If a new president can turn things around for the nation, we can certainly do our part at home, right? Yes, we can!

Political Projectiles and Prognosticators

I'll be heading to bed in about an hour without knowing for sure who our next president is. I have a pretty good idea, but those "projections" make me nervous. How do they know, really?

As an average citizen, it's OK to go with those and say, "Yep, Obama will be our next president." But as a former newspaper person, who spent countless election nights getting the facts, just the facts, I don't trust anything but the final results. And sometimes that's after a recount!

The last presidential election I had to cover as a newswoman was back in 2000. And who could forget that? In a nutshell: Gore won the national popular vote, but lost the electoral college vote, after a bitter legal battle over disputed vote counts in the state of Florida. George W. Bush won the election on the electoral college vote of something like 271 to 266.

The election was one of the most controversial in American history. But we didn't know that until later. In the meantime, that night, we were supposed to get that newspaper to bed by 1 a.m. Then the press guys are calling me every 15 minutes after that. "Can we go with something? We've got drivers who will be here at 6 a.m. to deliver the papers!"

I was the news editor. It was up to me to make the call. But I did not want to give our readers a morning paper without the final result. If they had to get that from the TV, then why would they ever need the paper?

Finally at 5 a.m., after 12 hours of caffeine and sugar highs and subsequent crashes, I finally ran a headline: Too close to call. Later, I realized that was OK. With all the drama that unfolded the next day (and weeks), it was completely acceptable.

I'm just glad tonight I can go to bed and it's no longer my responsibility to carry the news to the world. I don't even have to be right. Just like those television projection artists, I can say, "I think so-and-so is going to win," and if I have to eat my words for breakfast, then so be it.

All I can say is there are still results yet to come in from more than half the country. But I predict, I project, that this will be a historic election!

How's that for going out on a limb?

Election Eve

Twas the night before elections
And all through the land
Every television was stirring
With yet another political ad.

The "chads" were hanging
on the ballots with care.
In hopes this election
is won fair and square.

When out in the mailbox
there arose such a clatter.
Are those bills or letters
or just more political matter?

Now, Barack! Now, McCain!
Now, Palin! Now, Biden.
Let's get this election done
so we can stop all this fightin'.

We'll spring to the polls
and exercise our right.
Will we know our new leader
by the stroke of midnight?

So make your decision.
The time for voting nears.
Happy Election Day to all.
We'll see you in 4 years!

A Journey into the Unknown

Jim's nephew Colin, his godson, was confirmed today so I found myself attending a Catholic church service -- something I of Lutheran roots have done only a handful of times (usually for weddings or funerals).

The service ended up being about an hour and 45 minutes, mainly due to the fact the bishop from the diocese (a very engaging speaker, by the way) was visiting and officiating for part of the service, including speaking individually to the 15 confirmands. (To his credit, Carter only asked me twice when it was going to be done.)

It's strange sitting in a new environment, surrounded by new people, not knowing what is going to happen next. If the hard wooden bench doesn't keep you alert, certainly the need to pay attention to standing, sitting and kneeling does. I think that's a good thing.

We tend to go on autopilot sometimes, sitting on our soft, cushioned pews (us spoiled Lutherans), running through the same order of service with the same lay people helping out. Ahhh, there's nothing like that comfort zone! Some of our congregation is a bit shook up now that our pastor retired and the associate pastor accepted a calling elsewhere. The interim pastor does things differently. How dare he?

Seriously, I am OK with this journey into the unknown. Sometimes I find change refreshing. But I'll admit that is usually when I expect it will only have a minor effect on me or when I am armed with enough information I am confident it will be for the best in the long run.

Right now, I am accepting some major changes at work, but haven't gotten to the point I am embracing them yet. I don't know how they will affect me (I am grateful to still have my job, trust me) and I don't know the impact on the long- or short-run. That's scary stuff. The unknown isn't always a pleasant journey.

On Tuesday, we will elect a new leader for our great nation. No matter who he is, there will be some changes. Are we ready for them? What if they aren't the changes we want? What if some are and some aren't? What if on one hand I can buy cheap gas but on the other hand my nephew in the Army still gets shipped to Iraq?

We don't know what will happen. Ever. We are not in control. Ever.

The only way something changes from being an "unknown" to a "known" is when we take time to learn about it. Baby steps are OK. And prayers don't hurt either. Travel safely.

Wisconsin Whistlestop Tour

We sort of felt like political candidates zipping through (and past) dozens of towns and cities in Wisconsin today on our way to and from Luck to visit my parents. Of course, the only "whistle stops" were the places that had restrooms and fuel when we needed them!

We don't often do the trip up and back in the same day -- that's 8 hours round trip -- but this is when we could squeeze it in so we just did it. My dad turned 81 last week and we couldn't get up there for his birthday. When I realized I hadn't seen my parents since my birthday extravaganza, I figured a visit was way past due.

As my dad pointed out, it is nice to have a one-on-one visit so we can actually visit. Typically, our family gatherings bring in about 20-35 people. I usually go home and comment on the fact I didn't even get to talk to my parents, or this sibling or that sibling. It was nice.

We were pleased to see they were both in good health and in good spirits. They are still high on getting published in the newspaper. I brought with some of my recently published columns for their "reading pleasure," too.

As a bonus, I got to see my twin sister, who I haven't seen since our big 4-0. She's holding up well for her age (tee, hee). We had to put our heads together for our top-secret entertainment for the upcoming Wild Women's Weekend. That's all I can say about that since I have sisters who read this.

We headed back home when it was still light out and pulled in the driveway around 9. The nice thing was that we got to set the clocks back like it was just a 3-hour drive! Right. Still feels like bedtime to me! I don't know how the real candidates do it.