To Your Health

A lot of times when we know someone who has suffered some sort of setback (like a job loss, for instance) and we're at a loss for words to comfort them, we stick with the old standby: "Well at least you still have your health."

It doesn't sound like much. But you know what? Having your health is a big deal!

I recently spent some time with a group of older women, who shall remain nameless. I noticed we had quite a pharmacy going on the bathroom and kitchen counters. All kinds of little brown plastic bottles lined up with lord knows what. I thought to myself, "Boy I'm glad I don't have to take any drugs!" Just a daily vitamin and calcium pill for this old girl.

Of course, that could change any minute. We just don't know.

I got a phone call from my twin sister last night. Her teenage daughter had undergone some tests recently -- including a CT scan -- to pinpoint the source of sporadic stomach pains this year. Turns out she has what doctors labeled a "huge" cyst in her abdomen area, likely attached to or stemming from her ovaries. When they say huge, they're talking 12 inches wide or long or possibly just circumference. Still, that's gigantic. And it doesn't belong there. The next step will be surgery and then a test to determine if it's just your standard mass or if it's cancerous.

This is whole helluva lot to deal with as a 16-year-old! And my twin, God bless her, has just survived 2 years of worry while her son was in Iraq. Then losing a job. Now this. She is one strong woman, that's for sure. And if she doubts how this will go, she just has to revisit how the other events turned out to see how God has been working on her side. Her son came home safely from Iraq. And she is 6 weeks into a new job she really enjoys!

This is going to be a rough patch though. But she and her husband and daughter have got all of us in this big ol' family of ours beside them and praying for them.

We're also praying for ourselves. Not asking God for anything, but thanking Him. I know I don't take my health for granted. I've had enough obstacles in the past to really make me grateful for the good days today.

And the next time someone does a toast and drinks to my health, I'll appreciate it even more.

Child Safety

I was planning to post some pictures from this past weekend tonight but I thought, why not share my favorite picture of the week first?!

Sort of a serious look for a 7th-grader, but these are serious times.

Earlier this week, my great-nephew Anthony (also a 7th-grader) turned 13. What? A teen already? Carter won't be far behind. How did we get these big boys all of a sudden -- and is there a way to stop them from growing up any more?

Nope. My niece and I (and a whole lotta of other 7th-grade moms and dads I know) are in for the ride of our lives. Some of you parents of post-teenagers are probably smiling and thinking, "I hope you go through what I had to!"

I'm guessing we will. Not really any way to avoid it. And, yes, I'll admit, that scares me.

I think what scares me most is that little by little my baby is getting out there in the world and I can't protect him. I can't keep him safe. Car seats, sippy cups, hand holding... all gone. He's "out there" now, looking all serious and adult-like and facing adult-like issues and decisions.

Seventh-grade seems too young for that. But it's not. Not anymore.

Carter told me he heard of some 7th-graders at the public school who got busted for having "pot and marijuana" at school. I said, "Pot is marijuana." He said, "Oh, I didn't know that was the same thing." He shouldn't have to!

Yes, it's a scary world out there. We can't protect our kids from everything, but we can arm them with common sense and a solid base of knowing what's right and wrong.

Prayers help, too. Maybe not for them -- but for me! I sure feel more at peace when I know Someone else is watching over my baby when I can't be there. Don't you?

Fair Game

Carter learned the hard lesson in Fantasy Football this week. Some times the guys you leave on your bench are going to score a gazillion points and the ones playing might get squat. As a result, you lose to a girl!

Hey, I don't mind. I was glad to chalk up another win and I'm not too proud to gloat over beating a 12-year-old! (I should say defeating not beating. I didn't lay a hand on him.)

He insists it's not fair but that's how the game goes. He should know by now that you never know what to expect from your opponent so you just do the best you can at the moment -- whether that's making lineups for your fantasy team or defending the soccer goal. Though I wish tonight's soccer game would have gone better than this fantasy game.

We played down in Nekoosa. This is the team we tied a few weeks ago so we figured we would be somewhat evenly matched. And we were, again. For 45 minutes into the game anyway. Then they scored on our goalie. (Some kid who happens to live in this house. Dang.)

I was so proud of all his incredible saves -- one-handed grabs and diving blocks. I even heard another parent comment to him about it. He did great -- except for that one moment when he dove but it wasn't far enough and it got past him. That's all it took. The game ended with another loss for the Royals, 1-0.

This was our closest game so I wasn't sure how Carter would be on the ride home. He was upbeat, though. "We don't take it that seriously, Mom," he told me. "I mean we try to win but if we don't, we're just disappointed for a little bit and then we're fine. We don't go home and cry about it." Well, that's a relief. Then I won't bother screaming from the sidelines until I'm hoarse. (Honestly, I haven't done that. Yet.)

I had tried to bribe him into a win, too, and now I see where that got me. I said if he won, we'd pick up the new Iron Man 2 DVD on the way home. It just came out today. Either he forgot about it or didn't dare mention it. Either way, I got it since it was on sale. I'll see when I can let him in the secret. He has games on Thursday and Friday yet. I can try it again.

And, if anyone from KFC (the Kellner Fantasy Club) is reading, I can be bribed to WIN again, too. I think you know what I like!

Da Bears

I realize 99% of Wisconsin is probably watching that football game tonight. In fact, based on my history, you probably think I'm cheering for da Bears. I might be, but I must admit I had to cheer for Aaron Rodgers for the first hour... just until he scored enough points for me to beat Carter in Fantasy Football! Oh yeah, he's goin' down!

I do have da Bears on my mind for another reason. Well, a different kind of bear -- we think.

After the rains, we discovered some footprints in the sand and mud in a path between our backyard and the next-door neighbor's. The way the footprints are pointed, the animal (with a 4-inch claw or so!) was headed from their backyard to ours!

What do you think it is? I took pictures of 2 of the paw prints that seemed the most visible (though I admit they don't seem as clear on camera).

I am not an outdoors-woman so I am not 100% sure, but they do remind me of those "bear claws" they make in the bakery! Trust me, I'd rather have that glazed treat than meet this guy out by the fire pit!

The good news is it -- whatever it is -- might scare the squirrels away.

But then what would my hubby Jethro do? That poor Red Ryder BB gun would just collect dust in the corner. Along with a few other things.

Wild Weekend

I would say that comparatively speaking, we women were not nearly as wild as the weather this weekend! Or I should say the result of the weather...

That rain dropped anywhere from 5-10 inches in a path that I drove through Thursday -- basically central and southern Minnesota and central Wisconsin. As a result, the river waters were rising everywhere from the Mississippi right in our cottage's front yard to the Wisconsin River near home and the Bloody Run Creek in my own back yard. Scary stuff.

Of course, you've seen all the news coverage. On my way home today I did make a few pit stops to take some pictures (I'll post later) but the water levels had dropped significantly from where they were at on Friday and Saturday. I saw plenty of images from others, though, and cannot believe how much water was everywhere!

Over at our "sister retreat" we had rain all day Thursday, high winds (and white caps on the waves on Lake Pepin) on Friday, then sunny and cool on Saturday, and simply gorgeous today on our drives home.

The weather did not deter us from any activities (except a boat ride). We managed to eat and shop and eat and tour a toy factory and eat and play games and take walks and eat some more. Mostly, we laughed, though. I think my stomach still hurts from laughing so hard and so much. But that's a good pain!

Had a great time with my sisters and, as a bonus, our brother surprised us and joined us for supper Saturday night. He came back to our place -- Park Place on Pepin -- for a little while after dinner. Played some games and laughed and talked. Now I don't know if he is really grateful not to be part of sister weekend or if he misses it. It was a loud, crazy hen house and I'll be the first to admit it!

Took some fun pictures and nice ones, too, of the of the "girls" and of the area. I'll have to post later this week when I get time. Now I gotta tuck my baby in and enjoy some hot-tub time before the frost hits tonight. (Yes, my blanket is already on!)

It's good to be home!

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

It has been raining for about 12 hours straight now -- and I need it to keep on moving through! My bags are almost packed and I am hitting the road shortly for Wild Women's Weekend XII!

This year, my 6 sisters and I will be staying in Lake City, Minn., on the shores of Lake Pepin. It's a beautiful area -- when it's not raining! There are pretty bluffs and fall colors to see, too -- when it's not raining! We have planned to take a boat tour around the lake to see the beautiful scenery and maybe an eagle or two -- if it's not raining!

Today is our "travel day" so it is fine for now, but it would be nice to have a little sunshine on Friday and Saturday. I'd take cloudy and warm at this point, too! Oh well, we always have fun no matter what we're doing so I shouldn't let the weather dampen my spirits (just my clothes).

My first stop today actually will be on the way. I am visiting an old friend of mine from Luther Point Bible Camp. Julie and I were counselors the summers of 1987 and 1988. I said old, didn't I? Anyway, she lives in Mondovi -- a town I would never just happen to be in or near. So this one time, since I am going through, we're getting together. It will be an awesome way to kick off a girls' weekend!

Better go finish packing... Diet Coke - check... extra jacket - check... camera - check... red licorice - you bet! I'm outta here!

Season Finale

As far as last days of Summer go, today was pretty darn good.

Since the Minnesota Twins clinched the Central Division title last night, I thought I'd be nice and bring TWIN-kies to work today as a treat. I was especially generous and put one on the chairs of each of those White Sox fans, too. Wasn't that nice? I'm sure they appreciated the gesture!

Oh how a pass to the playoffs -- plus a little evil payback -- can make a day! Seriously, I was in a good mood all day... even when the email system shut down... even when all the systems were running slow and I had a ton to do to get out of there for 4 days... yes, even then I was in a good mood! Thank you, Twins.

Then, of course we had to stop at King Cone on the way home. It is closing for the season on Sunday so this was my last chance to get there. (If hubby goes tomorrow or Friday without me, it would be wise to keep it a secret!) Anyway, had some yummy Peanut Butter Elephant Tracks ice cream and I am still full 5 hours later!

Now that's a great season finale! So long, Summer... It's been awesome!

Good Fortune

My fortune cookie at lunch today said I'd be "awarded with a great honor." I was thinking what could be a greater honor than Queen of the Crop? I mean seriously, there's something more coming my way?

My first hope was that it would be the honor of being mother of the game-winning goalie. But the poor Royals got slaughtered by that undefeated Marshfield team this afternoon. Not worth talking about since Carter is a bit down about it and convinced he's going to be replaced. (I doubt it.)

My next hope was that when I got home that I would have an enjoyable run in this pleasant weather! That didn't exactly happen either. It was a rough one. Way too much Chinese food at lunch. There will never be an MSG 5K, trust me.

Later, I figured it out. No, it wasn't the honor of having the remote, whole couch and entire house to myself for the Season Two premiere of GLEE (though that sounds great, doesn't it?!)

No, it was when I went out to the garage and successfully changed the windshield wipers on the car. I guess between headlights and wipers, I am still the Gearhead of the house. I am honored.

Now where's the cake and ice cream?

College Bound

While I had my girly weekend away scrapbooking, the guys were just fine on their own. Not that I had any doubts.

For fun, Daddy and Carter road-tripped up to UW-Eau Claire to visit Casey. This was Carter's first time at college and he thought is was pretty cool. Of course, not every kid has a big flat-screen TV in his dorm room like his big brother ...or lives on a co-ed floor in a dorm like his big brother. But, in Carter's mind, no one is cool like his big brother either! So he was just thrilled to be there and "hang."

They took Casey out to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings. Carter was an immediate fan -- because they have BBQ ribs, of course. (In fact, he had hoped to go to the one in Stevens Point on Sunday, too, but that didn't pan out.)

After the visit, he remarked several times how cool it was. How awesome. Good to know he is excited to get to college (for whatever reason)! Maybe that'll keep him motivated. I'm pretty sure he won't get there on a soccer scholarship.

No, that's not mean. I'm just an honest mother. He does just fine and I am happy he enjoys it. Only us parents care that after tonight's loss against Stevens Point, their -- I mean our -- team is 0-2-1. We have a whole lot of games left so maybe we're just off to a slow start!

Still wouldn't hurt to have a backup plan for college... like, say, good grades.

Queen of the Crop

You know what they say about the best-laid plans.... Sometimes they work out!

I am back from an incredibly productive scrapbooking weekend. All my pre-planning and organizing and packing, etc., paid off!

My friend Jenny picked me up late Friday morning and we headed to Stevens Point. The retreat was held at the Ramada. We were set up in the expo center area and our "snack room" -- yes, a whole room -- was located poolside. It was a bit of a walk away, which was good, because I never made a special trip there (despite my need for steps), only went at meal time.

We arrived earlier than most on Friday so we were on a roll by the afternoon and evening. I was very pleased to get 17 pages done in my 2009 album. We did not stay in the hotel so Jenny dropped me off Friday night around 10 and I drove on Saturday.

I picked her up by 8 a.m. and we had another busy day. The event organizers promised a weekend free of interruptions and they did not disappoint. Meal times were our only "scheduled" breaks but a person could come and go as they pleased.

On Saturday evening, they had some raffles and they took a current page count (how many pages you'd completed so far). By some strange coincidence, both Jenny and I had 38 done. I guess we were on the same pace and didn't realize it. And apparently it was a quicker pace than most because we got the "Queen of the Crop" award. We had to share the honor but I got the t-shirt (since she was crowned last year, too, and already has one).

So I get home after 11 p.m. and my youngest loyal subject is already in bed and the oldest loyal subject is next door enjoying adult beverages. As queen, I was going to order "off with their heads!" but my manservant came through with a back rub later so he gets a reprieve.

Today was a tough morning to get up and get going. Had about 5 hours of sleep but we both really wanted to get back up to Point and make some more progress. The scrap retreat actually went until 3 but we had planned to be out of there by 1 so Jenny could get home to her kids (and her husband could go out hunting). I was 5 pages away from finishing 2009 when we left!

This time, I wisely kept going. Jenny dropped me off and I went straight to the Scrap Cave to finish it off! I did it! I got 55 pages done this weekend and I have finished my 15th scrapbook!!

Feel free to bow to me (or I'll take high-fives, too)!

The Tie's the Limit

Had a much better soccer game this afternoon than the other night. We played the Nekoosa Papermakers at Washington Field. Carter (sporting #5 like Kevin "the Big Ticket" Garnett from the Celtics) played a forward the first half, then goalie the second half. Proud to say he did NOT let any goals past him! He had some great saves, too, including a penalty shot that would have cost them the game if he hadn't blocked it. As it was, it ended in a 2-2. Better than a loss, I guess! Here are a few action shots...

Nice save!!

Lucky #7

There are a few things I love about September... My annual Sister Weekend is right around the corner... The weather is awesome... Leaves are starting to turn... I can drag out my beloved hoodies... Schwan's "Autumn Treat" ice cream is to die for... And the Twins, once again, are in contention for a divisional title.

This business of being a Twins fan has become more fun for me since I now work with two White Sox fans. Nothing like a friendly rivalry to keep you in the game!

As usual, when we can keep Detroit at bay, our two teams sort of alternate holding the top spot in our division. In recent years they've both fought valiantly to the end and we've even had a pre-playoff playoff. Fun, exciting stuff!

This year, even without my personal presence at any games yet (still wishing), the Twins are having a great end-of-season rally and are secure (just for today) on top. Well, for a couple days. We are playing the Sox this week so anything can happen to change our lead. I wish they had the games on TV here! This is killing me!

Last night we won 9-3 so that put us 7 games ahead of Chicago. Whoo-hoo! Who would have thought?? Will we extend it to 8 tonight? I hope so. Right now it's tied zip-zip in the 4th so anything could happen.

Today, though, I needed to come up with something clever about the number 7. I recalled a grade-school joke about the number 6 being afraid of 7. So I just tweaked it....

Why are the White Sox afraid of 7?

Because 7... 8... 9.

Get it? 7 ate 9!

I love September, don't you?

Tuesday Tidbits

Survived another Monday. Don't we say that every week?? Here's a few other things going on...

Fantasy Football: As predicted, Carter was obsessed with watching the scoring on this all Sunday (and Monday). I can't fault him. He kicked butt over Casey while I was on the receiving end of a boot belonging to my hubby. My team sucks. Really, his margin of victory was the largest compared to the other 2 games! Now I can't decide if I should get some new players or give these guys another chance. Guess I'll ask Carter...

Pep Band: Tonight was another home volleyball game so Carter got to play in the Pep Band again. We planned things out a little bit better this time. Instead of getting him from soccer practice, coming home then running back into town, he stayed at the school after practice, got his homework done and then played at the game. Jim went and picked him up and they watched some volleyball, too. I don't think our varsity team has won any games yet. No fault of the band, of course...

Scrap Pack: While the guys were in town, I finished prepping for my scrap weekend. I have a few odds and ends to get together but am basically packed and ready to go! Is it Friday yet?

Filled with Glee: I borrowed the Season One, Volume One of Glee from a friend so I could see episodes from last fall before I started watching the show. After a marathon session at another friend's Saturday, I now have been watching an episode on the way to work and another on the way home. Just plug in the little portable DVD player and away we go. So I'm a little on overload but will finish in the next 2 days. Then I have to wait for Volume Two to come out and, what, somehow watch that before the season premiere next week? Somehow I ran out of hours a long time ago. Good thing I've got my priorities, right?

Well, Carter is out of the shower so I guess I gotta go make "good night" smoothies! (Any excuse, I know!)

Under the Lights

Tonight was Carter's first soccer game for the Assumption Royals. Since it was a 7 o'clock game, they got to play "under the lights" on the varsity field.

Lots of changes this year for our boy. Not a lot of other boys on his team. The field is wicked huge. And the goal is pretty stinkin' big to defend.

That did not bode well for Carter, who always manages to talk his coaches into letting him be goalie. Part of it is because he can kick the snot out of it. The other part is that he doesn't have to run up and down the field. I think that plays a big part!

So tonight he played goalie for the first half. Had some nice saves but that Immanuel Lutheran team got 3 by him! Not good. Not good at all. At halftime we were down 3-1.

In the second half, Carter played a forward. Saw a little action but nothing too exciting. I was secretly relieved the Lutherans scored 3 more goals against our second-half goalie, too. Then I at least it wasn't all Carter. Though we hope it humbled him some!

We never did answer with any goals but came close once. That wasn't enough, though, and the Royals Middle School team got smoked their first game, 6-1. (Probably a good thing I didn't even take my camera.)

No one was too down about it though. This was our first game and our opponent's third. So that means we can only get better. Let's hope!

Definitely a Day of Rest

I had no idea how this ol' bag of bones was going to feel this morning after my race yesterday. I was very relieved that I didn't feel too bad at all. Slightly sore in the lower back and my legs were tired, but not sore. Guess I will have to do it again, after all.

Still earmarked this as a day of rest, though (as Sundays should be). Slept in a bit, took Carter to Sunday School, went grocery shopping and was home by noon. Jim went up to Marshfield to watch Colin race one last time. Carter and I stayed home so he could do a school project and practice the Baritone. (But mainly to check Fantasy Football scores, I'm sure.) And I really, really needed to make headway on prep for my upcoming scrapping retreat.

It was a glorious, cloudless day, though, so I couldn't stay cooped up in the Scrap Cave forever. Took a leisurely 2-mile walk just to stretch my legs out good -- and mainly to get sunshine!

Later, had a nice visit with Carter's former babysitters and with a girlfriend who stopped by. Now I need to refocus and head back down to the Cave. I am sort of on roll so I better get back to it. This is going to be a busy week so who knows how much time I'll get to plan/prep/pack.

(Good thing I'm "resting" today!)

Blood, Sweat and Tears

We all remember the image above, taken 9 years ago on this date, when terrorists attacked U.S. soil in ways we could never have imagined. From civilians to firefighters and every type of emergency personnel possible, no one was untouched by this tragedy.

That's why I jumped at the chance to participate in a firefighter fundraiser event held on what we now call Patriot Day.


OK, I lied about jumping at it. The event, after all, was a 10K run and these legs had only done that prior to today by stringing a few runs together! Still, the promotion for the event -- in a little central Wisconsin town called Bear Creek -- drew my attention:

"...This event is being held to help out the Bear Creek Fire Department and Bear Creek First Responder services. On any given day when travelers drive through small towns and the need arises, they rely on the help of the the fire and rescue departments.

"In these small towns, such as Bear Creek, the people that respond are volunteers. Like all small towns across the United States, these first responders operate mainly on grants and donations. Without the proper funding, equipment and training suffer. This is something that Bear Creek refuses to let happen. So, on September 11, 2010 please come out and show your support."

So I did. I showed my support. In a weak moment I signed up and decided to go for it!

They called this event the Bear Creek Kraut Run. Unbeknown to me, Bear Creak is the heart of cabbage country and, where there's cabbage, there's kraut! Yuck. The only thing worse than the taste of cabbage or sauer kraut is the smell. Throw in some occasional manure from farms and it looked like we were in for some breathing issues!

The other challenge -- besides the obvious one of running that far -- was that the race kicked off at 8 a.m. I coerced a friend from work (or did she coerce me?) to not only do the race with me, but to put me up for the night last night. Sue lives closer to Iola (and Bear Creek) so we had a slumber party and carbed up at supper. Still had to hit the road by 6:45 a.m. but who doesn't love a sunrise run?


Oh what we would have given for a sunrise! It rained. Harder at some times than others. But steady. The whooooole time! Thus the hat. We wanted to keep water out of our faces at least so we could breathe.

It started off with a neat 9/11 opening ceremonies presented by the Color Guard. The flag was raised then lowered to half-staff. A woman with a beautiful voice sang the National Anthem and we were off!

Sue and I have been running together for awhile so we knew how to pace ourselves. Initially our goal was to just finish the darn thing! But really we wanted to beat a certain pace time. (Jim and Carter even got me flowers with a note that said they knew I could beat my pace!) I had my timer watch on so that helped. Of course, how could a person not do well when the start/finish line DJ sends us off with the theme from Chariots of Fire?

And after my first puddle soaked my shoes, I really didn't care what the air smelled like. So breathing wasn't an issue. Sue and I had "planned" walk breaks into our run -- 15-30 seconds of walking at each water station, which were about 1.25 miles apart. Just enough time to slightly rest and re-energize. I think that was the ticket. We were never out of breath -- except by the wicked manure barn at Mile 5 -- and surprisingly, weren't dying by the end.

In fact, being as competitive as I am, I sprinted (that's not as fast as it sounds) the best I could so I could beat 66 minutes. And I did. And I even passed 2 younger runners in the home stretch. Ha! I wanted to laugh when the DJ said, "Here she comes with a big smile on her face!"... but I can't sprint, breathe and laugh at the same time!

It was so great to finish better than I had dreamed (probably due to those wonderful flowers I got). And just finish! And say I did it!

We were soaked to the bone, but obviously very happy and, quite frankly very proud of ourselves. There were 150-some runners and we finished around the top third. Not bad for two old-timers!

Would I do it again? My endorphins (plus the 30 minutes in the hot tub when I got home) are telling me, "You bet!" Hey, for a good cause, I'll try just about anything.

FAN-tasy Football

This whole idea of getting the "boys" involved in Fantasy Football was a good idea. But hubby and I are pretty sure we've created a monster.

Last night was probably just a sneak peek of how FAN-atical Carter is going to be about FAN-tasy Football. He's a big FAN.

As is turned out, all 6 of us had someone playing in that game, so I'm sure we were all paying a little attention to it. But we all know that there's a whole lotta football yet to be played this weekend! Carter was like: "How many points is that, Dad?" "Oooh, I think I just got another 0.3 points" etc., etc.

You get the point (no pun intended). So as it turns out, Carter is leading his big brother Casey by less than 7 points, hubby is edging me by a mere 2.5 points and only a half point separates the Clay vs. Colin clash. So if we go by one game, just one silly little game I'd rather forget, it looks like there could be some close competition this weekend.

But who's counting?

(Oh yeah, Carter for sure...)

Rematch or Repeat (or Both?)

Tonight's the night everyone in The Big Easy has been waiting for ... a rematch of the NFC Championship game that they hope will be a repeat. Those of us wearing purple and yellow, obviously, hope for the opposite. We'll just have to see.

Honestly, I have been so wrapped up in the Twins and their good fortune of late, that I haven't given football much thought... yet. But, still, knowing a good portion of my readers prefer green with their gold, not purple, I figured I better blog before kickoff tonight.

I even got the call into my parents taken care of so my dad, the disgruntled ex-Favre fan, doesn't have to stay up late just to call me and rub anything in. All he said about the game was: "They're going to murder #4 tonight!" Well, maybe. I told him the old man would probably get injured tonight and be out the rest of the season. We'll see.

No, the Austin household is still reluctant -- even after a stellar season in 2009 -- to cheer for that former Packer. We have kept the Lions clothes in the closet (for now) and our Purple Pride remains intact. We will just do our best to support the team as a whole and not think who may or may not be "leading" it.

We have reasonable expectations, too, that we'll probably be lucky to go 9-7 this year. It's hard to repeat a good year -- unless we're talking about something more important, like marriage. That's pretty cool when the good years keep stacking up! (And I'm not just sayin' that 'cause I got flowers today.)

Though they'll be nice to look at tomorrow in case I'm in a bad mood!

Confirmation

Moving onto our next "first" of the school year....

Tonight we had orientation at church for 7th-grade confirmation. So you know where we'll be every Wednesday during the next 2 school years (and then some)!

Carter's Sunday School (now confirmation) class has always been the exact opposite of my family. There are 7 boys and 1 girl. Now I know what people mean when they say they feel sorry for my brother with 7 sisters! This poor girl!

I have watched (at least on a weekly basis) these boys grow up since kindergarten. They can be a bit rowdy at times, but I treat one of them as a second son. It will be so good that Carter will get to see him once a week even though they are going to different schools now. Us moms can work out a deal trading off driving, too. We do so much running, any little reprieve will help!

Just sitting in the orientation took me back to junior high and my own confirmation studies. I especially remember "sermon notes" -- those are still around, thankfully. The church I grew up in, Laketown Lutheran, was so small -- with one boy, my twin and I in our grade -- that we combined classes with First Lutheran in Cushing, which really only added another half dozen kids or so. All I remember is the boys (they went to St. Croix school, not Luck). Well of course I remember the Lord's Prayer and all that, too, but I really remember Scott D.!

Maybe it's a good thing Carter's class is all boys. Though now that I think about it, I really better keep an eye on that girl!

Pep in his Step

As we close out some of our lasts -- grade school, babysitters, etc. -- we are starting on another round of firsts with 7th grade.

I'm not sure if I previously mentioned that Carter will be active in band this year and that, last spring, when they found out he could play the tuba, they were quite excited to have him. He did start out the year on the trumpet but because they needed some more "low brass" players, he now finds himself with a baritone. Not quite as big as the tuba, but pretty big to lug around, nonetheless.

One of the great opportunities at Assumption is that once the band members are in Middle School, they have the chance to play with the Pep Band for home sports events. They are already busy practicing for the homecoming halftime show a month away, but tonight they got to play at the first home volleyball game.

So here is Carter, second in from the right, playing the baritone with other middle-schoolers and high-schoolers! He sort of had to learn most of the songs as he went along. "It was hard!" he said. But he also said it was awesome! "I just never dreamed when I saw the band playing all these times that I'd ever be on stage with them!" Cool, huh? (Can you believe the girl standing next to him is in his class?? Carter needs to grow!)

His biggest challenge, besides new songs, was reading music -- since his holder wasn't working and he had to see over his horn to read it on the stand -- and keeping up with their experienced tempo.

He's determined to keep trying, though. And as long as his homework is done (or can be done by a reasonable time when we get home), we're all for it! Yes, it's fun for Mom, too. And no, Jim already asked -- I did not cry!

Yet.

Labor-less Day

While I do appreciate those who worked today to keep things going, I appreciated even more hearing the storm sirens early this morning, then being free to turn over and snuggle deep underneath my blankets until the hail was done. That was nice.

The weather was cool all day and the rains were off and on -- and on again now I hear out the computer room window. That's OK. Most of our day was planned for indoor fun.

Some friends of ours were involved in a fantasy football draft at Jammers Bar & Grill in town. Since they had already paid for the Beer & BBQ deal, they needed people to come help eat, drink and be merry. That wasn't too hard. I brought my Hornet's Nest Cake (and gave out the recipe a few times) and we enjoyed some laughs, good food and good company. Some obnoxious moments, too, but mostly good.

Got home in the late afternoon and we were too full to think about supper so I figured I better get a run in. The rain let up just enough for me to go. I wore a hat just in case I got caught in it a few miles from home. It was a good run, though. Did 4 miles without walking and managed to outrun those darn mosquitoes -- who showed up in droves as soon as I got home and stopped movin'. They are just awful around here!

Spent the evening down in the Scrap Cave getting my pictures and pages in order. Made some good progress. My sister-in-law Sherry stopped by so I took a break and am not motivated to go back down now and resume the organization fun. I've plenty more evenings!

I keep forgetting this is Monday and I'll have to hit the ground running (not literally this time) on Tuesday. This is going to be a crazy busy week. So I'm glad I labored as little as possible today -- and all weekend for that matter.

Hope you did the same!

Early Birds

There's some truth to the old saying "The early bird gets the worm." What does the late bird get? Behind, that's what.

Today just got started late and went too fast. It's always a bad sign when Carter and I go to late church (10:30 a.m.) because our schedule is going to be late (or later) than we like the rest of the day.

After church we had 3 stops -- Bath & Body Works (sale), Wal-Mart (get groceries to make chili) and gas station (petrol and Powerball).

Got home and I mixed up the chili so that could go in the crock pot all afternoon. I also tried to help Carter with some homework (tried not to be too helpful), then did some of my own (proofing pages for work).

Since it was sunny out and hubby had already mowed the back yard, I said I'd do what was left of the front. Then I could get sunshine and steps on my pedometer. That worked out fine. No running today, just walking and pushing.

When supper was almost ready, I baked some cornbread to go with the chili then put a Hornet's Nest Cake in the oven for a potluck tomorrow. Before I knew it, it's Sunday evening and I did not really get anything done I had planned on. Definitely didn't get any work done in the Scrap Cave. Just spent the last hour looking through old blogs, trying to get my 2009 timeline down for my pages.

Now, 4 girls stopped by and kidnapped Carter for a game of Ghosts in the Graveyard. I was wondering if they played it the way we used to when I was a kid and my older sisters and cousins would scare the wits of me! I think, judging by the continuous screaming I'm hearing in the neighborhood, they must still follow the same rules!

I'm kind of jealous. Oh well, we all have our different ideas of fun these days. Mine involves pictures and papers. Carter's involves ghosts and girls.

I think he wins.

Bonus Round

I love holiday weekends. Just knowing we have an "extra" day is awesome! If we allow ourselves, it can be a bonus day to do whatever we want -- guilt-free -- and leave the chores and To Do lists for another day.

I did it. And I loved it!

To prepare, of course, I did my "Saturday morning" chores of vacuuming, sweeping, dusting last night just so I could start off the day guilt-free. That's not as easy as it sounds. But when I do it, it feels awesome!

It was nice to start out the day with 8 hours of sleep. There's a bonus right there. Carter and I had a mission this morning. We were going to hit the Adams Flea Market first, then the Lake Arrowhead Arts & Crafts Fair, then head up to Rosholt for a parade at noon. It didn't sound that ambitious when we planned it, but now that I see it written, it makes sense that we didn't exactly accomplish this.

Part of the fault was getting that 8 hours of sleep. We did not hit the road as early as we hoped. So we grabbed breakfast on the road. Carter got his glazed doughnuts and Mommy got her cinnamon roll and coffee. Perfect.

When we got to Adams (a half hour south), we couldn't believe the crowd compared to that Sunday afternoon we trekked down there. Not only were there tons of shoppers, but every possible vendor space -- and then some -- was taken. We managed to find the 2 items we were looking for and then only had about 20 minutes to browse -- and that was taking into account that we'd for sure have to skip the Arts & Crafts Fair.

We made the most of it but we were kind of bummed. There were too many useless, senseless cluttering objects that we never got to even look at, let alone buy and bring home to take up space. We may have to go back. (I joke about it, but Carter says, "Oh you and Dad aren't working Monday? I've got an idea what we can do. Adams Flea Market!") We'll see...

We hit the road in time to pick up our friends Christine and Nate in Rapids on our way up to Rosholt (about 45 minutes to the northeast ... yes, we put on some miles today). We got to the little village of 548 with 5 minutes to spare. Surprisingly, there was a huge crowd and the parade itself was great! Very long, about an hour or, as we measure things, "3.8 pounds worth of candy" long.

The reason we were up there was that my nephew Colin was in the parade with his Super Late Model race car. So I took some pictures of that for him and one of his racing sponsors. On a side note, Colin is having one heckuva weekend. The parade was just a teeny highlight. As of last night, since races were canceled, his season at Golden Sands wrapped up and he was the Super Stock champion! Very cool. Tonight, just for giggles, I guess, he raced in Marshfield and won the Super Stock feature race there. Awesome!

So back to Rosholt.... After the parade, which is held in conjunction with the county fair, we decided we should go get some "fair food" for lunch. First the boys went on a handful of rides. Then there was a quest for cheese curds, but they were apparently sold out. Dang. So Carter had a BBQ pulled pork sandwich and I had to settle for chocolate-covered cheesecake on a stick. Oh the sacrifices we must endure...

Got back to town about 4 and got a few groceries. Jim spent the day up in Marshfield doing some family tree work at the library, then visiting an aunt and uncle on the way home, so he had a good bonus day, too.

Tonight, after he went to church and I survived a 5-mile run (cheesecake, be gone!), we played the Bustola dice game. What better way to wrap up our extra day than to let Daddy win so he could have some fun this weekend, too. Oh the sacrifices... Whoops, I already used that line!

Guess I need another bonus day to come up with some new material!

Backyard Bambies

We live just far enough out of town that we are occasionally treated to some wild life (I mean other than when any Hedbergs come to visit). For the past 3 nights we've seen anywhere from 1 to 3 fawns prancing around the yard and stopping to eat something yummy in our grass.

Last night Carter and I were both trying to snap pictures but it was just too dark. We couldn't get it to work and the aspiring photographers in us just about died when there were suddenly 3 of them in the back yard! Just couldn't get it to work. That happens.

We lucked out, though, and at least one Bambi returned to the scene of the crime, er delicious dinner, tonight. AND it was still light out. Yay for me! Here's few pictures.

Sylvester the Watch Cat is like: "Yo, there's something back there and it ain't your ordinary squirrel!" She quickly became quite bored watching someone else eat so she left her post.

He's cute, isn't he?

I'm partial to brown eyes!

I sneaked out onto the back deck to get a good shot. He was alert and seemed aware of my presence but didn't bolt.

We just want to know what tastes so good! Maybe the deer can scare those darn moles away!

"You lookin' at me?!"

Yup. That's when he left us. Perhaps he was done with his side salad and went to get his friends for the main course. We'll see...

That's why it's 'Fantasy' Football

So we have this Fantasy Football league between the boys (Jim and 4 C's) and me. I mentioned last week that we held a draft and we each picked players for our teams. Now if you know nothing about fantasy football, forgive me for this story. You may not understand why it's funny.

The goal in "drafting" a team is to pick players for each position (QB, wide receiver, running back, tight end and kicker) who you think will score the most or, at a minimum, get a ton of yards for you each week. Our rosters allowed for 4 QBS, 6 each of RBs and WRs and 3 each of TE and K's. Plus 3 team defenses. Each week we as "team owners" will start a certain number of those players for each position (3 QBs, for example) and "bench" the rest.

Hubby is the commissioner of our league and is going through an online program on ESPN that allows us to get up to the minute stats during games plus makes it easy (supposedly) for transactions (dropping injured players and picking up available ones -- considered "free agents").

Well this easy, streamlined online process hasn't been without its hiccups. But Jim has got a handle on it now. He did have to manually enter the 6 teams (twice) and hadn't gotten to his yet but told the boys they could look at their teams and make sure things are OK.

When we got home from work yesterday, Carter, who got home 2 hours earlier, was working hard at the computer. Not doing homework, but writing his fantasy lineup down. Then re-writing it so it was neater. Well he did say he was very happy with his lineup, but neither Daddy or Mommy asked to see it.

Today, hubby goes on the website to check something with our fantasy league. Then he sees what Carter was so excited about. Since Daddy's team hadn't been entered into the computer, his players were still out there and, discovered by Carter, listed as free agents!

So Carter dropped Mark Sanchez or Vince Young and picked up Peyton Manning as his QB. "Gosh, I wonder why Dad dropped Peyton Manning?"

Three of the four players Carter "stole" are ranked in the top 3 for their respective positions! Carter was building quite the fantasy team. Not sure why it didn't dawn on him that these great players were suddenly available, but Daddy had to steal them back tonight.

But not before telling a few friends who do the fantasy football thing. They all thought it was a shrewd move on Carter's part. And he didn't even know it! Guess we'll have to watch our backs this season once he really figures out what's going on!

I Got a Massage!

There's a reason I don't always voice my goals and ambitions out loud. Because then, well, people know about them. And, gosh, I might have to actually follow through!

Apparently I have been talking too much about writing lately or the need for a laptop. I was just sitting at our computer cleaning off some email a few minutes ago when Carter pokes his head in the door and asks: "How's your blog coming?"

I hadn't started it and wasn't thinking about it just yet, thank you, blog police. "I haven't done it yet, Carter. What should I write about?" I ask.

"I don't know," he says. "I don't know how your day went."

Oh we don't want to talk about my day, I told him. My work days have been way too stressful lately and I don't want to be a big whiner and complainer. "I gotta keep it light," I said and then recalled that I did have something good and positive happen to me today -- I got a half-hour chair massage at work.

"Well there you go," says Carter. "There's your headline!"

So there is my headline.

Actually, it wasn't the only good thing that happened. First, I was fortunate to wake up at 3:15 a.m. and notice the clocks were blinking! Apparently the storms going on when I went to bed were pretty wicked. It would have been quite the stressful morning if Carter and I woke up to a blinking alarm clock -- and no alarm! Crisis averted.

The chair massage might still edge that out for the best part of the day. Each week, a masseuse comes in to work and offers the 15-minute massages for $10. If you haven't had a chair massage, it's just a basic massage not involving oils or the removal of any clothing. You sit on the special chair and they work on your neck, back and arms. It feels pretty darn good. I was feeling so beat up today that I signed up right away for 30 minutes. Well worth it! Why haven't I done this before?? And what's to stop me from doing it more often? Nothing.

Perhaps if I say my GOAL is to have a weekly massage, one of my loving supporters in this house will hold me accountable!

If I'm lucky, you may see this headline again :)