My favourite picture of Shannon

This is my niece, Shannon. The picture below was taken twenty years ago at my wedding. Shannon was adorable. The one thing about Shannon besides her fabulous style for dancing, is her personality. We have video of her at my wedding with a big plate of food (big for a three year old) and sitting next to a perfect stranger ( i think it was Mr. Farrell). She sat and ate all the food on the plate, occassionally smiling at the gentleman next to her as if it was her big brother. She acted like it was common place and no problem sitting at a table of strangers. Shannon has always been a friendly good natured soul and I enjoy her company. She likes to hang around with us older dames.

She just graduated from Nursing School last summer which we are all especially proud of, and works in Chicago at NorthWest Hospital.

And, she still has the best moves.

Its that time of year

It is that time of year and I am getting ready to head south to Chicagoland to spend Thanksgiving with my family. One never knows how it will end up. The last visit my nephew ended up in the emergency room with about 8 stitches in his upper lip. We were playing "Capture the Flag" kids versus adults version, and my brother in law had a stick in his hand. Now we know that children should never run with sticks, and they should never run at sticks especially if my brother in law is waving it. My son and my brother in law's son both know this because they know Jim (my brother in law) and accidents always happen in his vicinity. My poor nephew doesn't spend enough time with him to know this, being that they live in Ohio.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Headmen minus one

I went to Winona to see Harry play. It was a coffee house called "Blooming Grounds"

Harry and his friend were the opening act in a series of acts. The coffee house was featuring a line up of about 6 groups. I guess you would call it "alternative acoustic". I observed that all
the acts did covers, but made them their own. The guy who came after Harry had a definate style that was r&b blues and did a Hank Williams song in a pretty cool way. They were all so young.

The way the boys (Harry and his friends) got the "gig" was Harry was teaching his friend guitar (and that is how this group started) and there was a fire drill at the dorm and the kids ran out with guitars in hand. They continued to play while they were waiting outside and some girl heard them and asked if they wanted to play at this event at the coffee house.

Harry and his friend (one person missing) call themselves "the Headmen". They did 3-4 covers and then one of their own. They did Oasis (Wonderwall),
Jason Miraz, (I'm Yours), Smashing Pumpkins (Time of your life), Semisonic (Closing Time), and then another ..can't remember ..their versions were good. They did one they wrote themselves and that was probably their best, outside the Jason Brasman(?) song. They hadn't done any practicing before their spot, but say they plan to start. Originally Harry said they were going to play 3 songs that he and his friends wrote but ended up only playing one of their own.

The place was crowded. Harry and his friend got a good reception and the crowd was very supportive. Half the crowd were the participating "musicians" and their friends. It was a neat bunch of kids. I was flattered that Harry asked me to come. Very cool. Of course I took the boys out to dinner afterward. Thats a big deal too.

I'm back!

So I moved to Rochester, by myself! Everything I did just didn't seem to work out so here I am, and as my soon to be ex husband always says, "it is a wonderful life if you don't weaken..." and it is.



My mom and sisters came up in October because they wanted to "help" and we had a great visit. We went to the local farmer's market.



My sisters are spoiled living in Chicago. They could not help comparing. We went out for a pub crawl and I gave them the 10 cent tour. I live four blocks away from the downtown area. They liked the idea that there might be a bar at the end of my block. That was the way it was when we were living in Lakewood after college. Our bar scene was a bit of a let down for them. They kept saying, "this is out in the boonies!".

Then Laura went out Saturday morning for coffee..up to the local version of 7-11. As she was coming out of the store with coffee in hand, a couple of police cruisers had pulled up, and policemen were surrounding some guy. They pushed him to the ground, their pistols pointed just like on TV, at the guys head. She was freakin' out. What got her worse was that the local bystanders, none really, seemed to notice. It was like normal. People just went about their business. She talked about that the rest of the weekend. So there you go, not average after all.

My sweet baby boy has grown up....

He'll be graduating from highschool this spring. These are some of my favourite pictures. Motherhood has been a great experience. I learned to be patient and I learned tolerance. There were many challenges as you can see. Harry was quite the pistol and sometimes my sanity suffered. Its not over yet. I am not sure it will ever be.

We've been getting a lot of rain....

There are days after a rain when our driveway is just coated with earthworms. You may not be able to tell from this picture... but there are quite a few. Its a bit unsettling having to drive over them. I found this Q&A out on the internet. I apologize but I forget where I found it.

Ecology

Q. Why do worms come onto driveways and sidewalks when it rains?
A. Dr. Dennis Linden, Cindy Hale, and other worm experts say that worms do NOT surface to avoid drowning. In fact, they come to the surface during rains (especially in the spring) so they can move overland. The temporarily wet conditions give worms a chance to move safely to new places. Since worms breathe through their skin, the skin must stay wet in order for the oxygen to pass through it. After rain or during high humidity are safe times for worms to move around without dehydrating. It is true that, without oxygen, worms will suffocate. But earthworms can survive for several weeks under water, providing there is sufficient oxygen in the water to support them.

Q. Do earthworms come to the surface after heavy rains to avoid drowning?
A. Not exactly. Earthworms can survive for several weeks under water providing there is sufficient oxygen in the water to support them. They surface as a response to high relative humidity after rain because they can move around safely without drying out.


Q. Where did our earthworms come from?
A. Experts believe most native species were wiped out wherever glaciers covered the land. Most earthworms we see today were imported mainly from Europe by early settlers. The worms or worm cocoons traveled in the rootstocks of plants brought by the settlers from their homelands. Europeans added soil, with its earthworms or worm cocoons, to ships for ballast. Once anchored in North American harbors, ships released their ballast -and living worms, who found new homes.

Q. What do earthworms eat?
A. Earthworms eat dirt! Their nutrition comes from things in soil, such as decaying roots and leaves. Animal manures are an important food source for earthworms. They eat living organisms such as nematodes, protozoans, rotifers, bacteria, fungi in soil. Worms will also feed on the decomposing remains of other animals.

Q. How do worms eat?
A. They don't have teeth but they have strong mouth muscles. Dew worms or nightcrawlers often surface at night to pull fallen leaves down into their burrow. When the leaf softens a little they pull off small bits to munch on. Worms also "swallow" soil as they burrow.

Q. How much do earthworms eat in one day?
A. They can consume up to one third of their own body weight in a day.

Q. How can I tell if there are earthworms in the soil?
A. When trying to find evidence of earthworms, look at the soil surface first. Earthworms often leave small piles or pellets of soil on the surface. Dig a spadeful of soil and sort through it for earthworms. Experience will also allow you to find cocoons. While you are digging, always watch for evidence of large burrows with "slickened" sidewalls. These may indicate the presence of nightcrawlers.

Q. Why do robins tug at earthworms in the soil?
A. Worms use the many tiny bristles or setae on each of their body rings to help them crawl as well as to anchor themselves firmly in their burrows. The robin has to tug because the worm is gripping the soil!

Q. Can earthworms survive freezing?
A. If frozen, they will die. Some of them the adults survive freezing temperatures by going below the frost line or estivating. Worm eggs within a cocoon survive deep in the soil over winter, and they hatch in the spring when conditions are right.

Q. When are worms most active?
A. In the fall and spring. Cool (temperatures of 50, 60, 70), moist conditions are best for earthworms. They aren't active when it's cold or dry.

Q. What do earthworms do when it gets too cold, too hot, or too dry?
A. Earthworms escape by either burrowing deeply into the soil (up to 2 meters), or entering a reduced metabolic state known as estivation. When conditions are favorable, they will emerge and resume normal activities.

Q. What happens during estivation?
A. Each worm forms a tight ball deep in the soil. Its metabolism slows way down.

Q. What are some earthworm enemies?
A. Snakes, birds, moles, toads and even foxes are known to eat earthworms. Beetles, centipedes, leeches, slugs and flatworms also feed on earthworms. Some types of mites parasitize earthworm cocoons or the worms themselves.

My mom was in the hospital

She is not sick ...well not really, just enjoying her golden years. She went in to have a routine stress test performed. During the test the medical professionals saw indication of an irregular heart beat. The doctor wanted to put her on medication to regulate this. In order to do that they wanted her in the hospital for a couple of days for observation while they adjusted the medication.

So I heard from my younger sister, Laura, who stopped by to see her at St. Edwards in Naperville. After telling me about mom's condition my sister added: Mom is enjoying all the attention and "Oh my God" wouldn't you know, every other attendant is some good looking guy, and they all flirt with her, like "well what are you in for, a vacation?" ... and her cardiologist is this blond adonis in his forties! Talk about chiseled!

I called my mom last night to see how she was doing. She was watching a baseball game and doing a crossword puzzle. She referred to the cardiologist as "that doctor that looks like Richard Chamberlain". I asked how she was feeling and how was it going etc and the response was "Great! I am getting all my meals served to me in bed!". Family was visiting. My older sister and my niece stopped in to see her, and it was my niece that gave her the book of crossword puzzles. So sweet. My mom told me about the attendent who has been monitoring the EKG (young, good looking,very friendly) ... one of the monitors on her chest got dislodged and she said to him "Look where it is... what are you going to do about it?" He reached in and adjusted it! That just tickled her to no end!

So then day 2 and I talked to her. She was getting bored... as expected. She was ready to go home. The sweet thing is how many of her family members have stopped in to see her. Her son in-law Mike was over and Billy stopped by. That pleased her immensely.

Laura is going over to her house today to play online Scrabble for her. It is mom's turn. Mom plays with her two sisters. One lives in Connecticut and the other in New Jersey. Mom says it takes about two days to come around to her turn. She had not told her sisters that she was in the hospital so she needed some one to fill in for her in her Scrabble game. She advised my sister not to worry about winning, like by being too clever or whatever. But I know my sister. She'll go for a slam dunk.

Senioritus: its not just the kids, its me!

I am in the process of planning a graduation party for my son. There is no way around this activity. Harry wants one and I just cannot let him down. And, this is a big deal around here. because there are three seasons in this area: Winter, Summer and Graduation. For a month this spring, every weekend will be filled with breakfast brunches and open houses. Mostly open houses. Its ham sandwiches, potato salad and cake, the scrap book, the sports medal,s and the 4H ribbons. People get knew carpeting, resod their yards, put on additions, and plan years in advance. I AM NOT KIDDING.

When I started thinking about this I thought, we are going to have a big party, no wall of fame, no ham sandwiches and no cake, but we are going to have a live band and invite the whole universe. As time goes by, I find that my interest and involvement in Harry's school year is waning. I have gone to a few of his track meets. And to think of all those years I coached soccer teams in 30 degree weather, and taught religious education to all those kids (my son included!), its hard to believe i could be so disinterested, but its true! I am ready for him to fly the nest. As for a party, I'm thinking Harry can just invite his friends and i'll buy pizza! Well almost. I do have a few things up my sleeve. I am going to borrow some tables from the neighbors, and I'll pull out the bowling balls and pins, volley ball set, croquet, horseshoes and have at it I guess. Some of my family members are coming so I think they will help me set up. I guess its not so bad.


HERE IS WHAT I DID THIS WEEKEND:

I went to a mosaic workshop and loved it. I have been dabbling in this activity for about ten years, starting when my son was very young. I would give him a hammer and let him break the tiles. He loved it.

What was great about this class was that the instructor gave us her formulas for grout and tile adhesive. Many of the pre-mixed varieties and other brands found at local hardware stores or tile stores have cancer causing substances (like latex) that are highly toxic. The instructors formulas do not have additives, are very strong and can stand subzero conditions. She gave me alot of information about tools, where to find quality, and techniques. It got me over a serious hump. She also offers classes in Puerto Vallarta in the winter and I am giving it serious consideration. I feel recharged and rejuvenated. Oh yeah.


(Pictures above: first one is my work area in the basement. I used to have alot more panels, but I gave them as gifts to friends and family at Christmas. The second picture is of the shoes I covered: mostly shells and some buttons and a buckle. I white washed the shoes with paint. One of the things she talked alot about was using negative space and how to achieve it. Also, I didn't have to grout between the objects. I am also working on a metal cigar box - humadore? that i am loading up with little porcelain animal figurines .. a zoo!)

HERE IS WHAT MY SON WAS SUPPOSED TO DO BUT HAS NOT DONE YET: He needs a new car, but has to clean up this one so we can sell it or give it away. Its got some serious problems and I don't want to put any more money into it..Harry's got some money saved so we'll just get a new one.

Fifty is Nifty

This is a picture of my older sister on her fiftieth birthday which happened a couple of years ago about this time of year. We went to some kind of review in Chicago. I am sure you can tell the kind of review. Jenny posed with some of the entertainers. The club and this review have been around since the 70's and we heard that one of the entertainers (the "girl" in the middle) used to date Dennis Rodman. This night club, and I can't remember the name, is a popular event for bachlorette parties and the girls wear plastic lauas?help) and the emcee has them stand up and the "girls" prance with them or tell jokes. It was fun. My sister was surprised. The bigger surprise though was that I showed up.

My sister is the oldest of four and the first to hit the big 5 0. My brother is a year younger and turned 50 in 2006 and I am turning 50 this year. My little sister (who was always taller than me) will turn fifty not long after that. Yikes!

What I get the biggest kick out of though is the kids, our children. They think we are just such old turds, like we don't know what they are doing. Sheesh! Like we've never done what they are doing or know what they are talking about. Times change but not that much.

My niece Megan (proud owner of Pufkin the hamster, and winner in the Egg Decorating contest) is in the process of moving out of the house and into an apartment near Wrigley Field. We are all very excited about that and I wonder how she'll feel every weekend when several of her Aunts (and me too!) show up at midnite looking for a place to crash because they don't want to drive back to the burbs. I can't wait for the day my mother and Mario show up for the same reason. In our family it doesn't matter how old you are, you never lose it.

How we spent our weekend....

It was a warm, er well 40 ish and sunny Saturday afternoon so I went down our fencelines (we own the property on both sides for now) and cleaned out the bluebird boxes. I don't expect the bluebirds for at least another month, but when they come home for the summer they will want their houses move in ready.... I use a cordless drill with a phillips drill bit, and of course I always carry a refreshment.

We spaced the bluebird boxes twenty five feet apart, but swallows will also use these boxes as nests and usually every other box will have been occupied by a swallow. There is a difference in how they build their nests. The bluebirds fill them fuller. None were empty so I was quite satisfied.

On Sunday my son invited his buds over for a little male bonding. They cooked Gumbo. Someone's mom gave them a recipe and helped them with the shopping (where to go because it is hard to find ethnic foods like anduoille sausage in this area).

They cooked what normally takes about four hours and condensed it into two with tricks like high heat and the boys each did a 15 minute rotation on stirring, like every 15 minutes it was someone else's turn. I offered suggestions like, you should brown the meat first for better flavor but i was over ruled.

The put the minute rice in with the water and then boiled it (sigh).

I think they were happy with the results. I went out before they were done and while the kitchen was pretty neat when i left (they were cleaning as they went) it looked like a hurricane went through after that, even though amazingly all the dirty dishes were in the sink.

Egg Results are tabulated

First, thank you to all the Judges in this event:
Blackbird , gmcountrymama,those member of my family who always post ANONYMOUS comments so shall remain anonymous, erika, sharryb (who has two great web sites), ginnie, palm springs savant, suzy, kate, kaywag, and MizMell. You guys were great, even those of you who liked all of them!

HERE ARE THE RESULTS:
Bulimiegg and Night of the Living Egg tied with 4 votes!
Eggceptional Ride and Eggy Rider came in with 3 votes! A close second.
Dirty Egg-tini finishes third.
Clown Eggs, Spartan Egg, Plaegg, and Eggstreme Lack of Time all recieved an honorable mention.

So the winners are: Megan (niece) & Me (YEAH OH YEAH!)
Jim (brother in law), Jenny (sister) were second.
Shannon (Megan's sister my niece) came in third (oh yeah!)
Me (again YEAH), Harry (my son), Mike (my brother in law) and Kelly (niece) all recieved honorable mentions. In truth conceptually and ironically some were pretty good. We completely missed the whole Spartan thing .. I thought the concept was LAZY, and not sure what Mike was thinking...probably his egg looked sick to begin with like uh yeah color. Eggstreme Lack of Time was simply clever, which is how I would describe my niece always.

Have to go out now and check out the neighborhood ..er find Peter Rabbit and his family and have a discussion with them about the garden. There have been quite a few of his family members at the birdfeeder this spring.

Thankyou EGG JUDGES There is still time to vote

Thank you all for your input. I am going to tally the results and get back to you with the final numbers. There are still probably a couple more days for voting if anyone feels compelled.
We've had two more snow storms since I last blogged, and last night the temperatures were in the 20's, but it warmed up to 40 something this afternoon. Next week it will be in the 50's so say the meteorologists.

The ground is still frozen but the birds are singing up a storm. Chatting up their mates and what not. Its going to get pretty crazy around here, just wait and see.

I'll keep you posted, I promise.

The EGGS are in! Please help us and VOTE!

Above are all the entries anxiously waiting your comments. Below are the individual entries. EVERYONE participated, including my Brother in laws (i heard the drill and several power tools coming from his work area - we all sequestered ourselves to our own personal spaces to avoid detection and maintain the element of surprise). I am missing one entry but she is an OVERACHIEVER and we can do without that.

(ABOVE) Eggstreme Lack of Time (from a college student just returning home from Spring Break Ski trip in Colorado....)

A Couple of Yeggs (below)....

HAPPY SPRING!!! Your comments (and opinion) are most welcome!

I love Craigslist

My life is a little bit crazy right now... we just put our dream house up for sale. Here is the listing. It is way too much work for me living out here. As much as I love this lifestyle and all the birds and bees etc, I need a change. I am seriously thinking of either putting everything up for sale (furniture etc) or having an auction and getting rid of it that way. I want to do something like move downtown (big city right) and rent for awhile. My goal is to simplify my life. I am going to walk away from this one and do something completely different, er like... buy furniture from Ikea ... (I feel like the opening scene on the Mary Tyler Moore show where she throws her hat up in the air and they play that song..well eventually ..things are pretty bad right now).

Anyway, I love Craigslist. In the last year i've sold so many things: a VERY HIGH END tandem (bicycle built for two), a 20 year old car top carrier from Sears, a 300 gallon water tank, a xylaphone, a drum kit, a chainsaw, a keyboard, almost sold the drum set but oh well, and I just put an advertisement for MAX the WONDERDOG out there and have had two inquiries. I LOVE CRAIGSLIST. I've taken pictures of everything in my house. It is so tempting....

MizMell tagged me for a 4x4 meme. I thought someone was going to help me with this but they never did so here goes:

4 jobs I have had: Yarn winder, plant waterer, waitress, waitress, coctail waitress, waitress (oh thats more than 4!)

4 shows i watch (i don't tivo): American Idol, Seinfield, hmmm Seinfield, hmmm John Stewart (well that is sort of 4)

4 places I've been: Chicago, Cleveland, Baltimore, Washington D.C (worked all these places and lived in them as well...i don't do vacations, i visit relatives.)

4 foods I like: well thats tough Coffee, strawberries, pinnapple, kiwi ...not sure if coffee is actually a food, but I like mocha alot (is that a food?).

4 tags: Jami (she is one of my favourite commenters over at Hollywood: Where hot comes to die), Ginnie , Erika, Blackbird (i know she'll say yes ..well i hope so).

From the kitchen...

This is one of my favourite pictures of recent history. It reminds me of a picture you might see in a religious education book ..... like the kind we used when I was a kid in CCD, the catholic version of Bible school. I can't remember what the acronym stands for. This picture reminds me of that because we seem to be having fun doing something constructive. Actually I think my mother was getting irritated with us for not focusing on the dishes.

My mom always had lots of energy and enthusiasm and was tenacious as a task master. When I was young, every Saturday, she would get us kids up and we each had a job to do. I had to clean the bathrooms. I remember using a toothbrush to polish the chrome. Now whose idea was that? Not mine, I am sure of it.

The girls took turns doing the dishes at night as well. We would have done them together but we fought too much. I can remember complaining bitterly, as we all did, that my brother didn't have to do them. Well he's got his now. He does lots of them. His wife is very modern.

Hey we have another two months of this...

I mean, well, March is usually the snowiest, most unpredictable month here in southeastern Minnesota. It doesn't start like a lion..it just looks the same as February, which looks like January. The end of March looks like, well, if we're lucky, mud. So anyway, I borrowed this from another favourite site of mine HOW ABOUT ORANGE?

Can you tell a fake smile? I got 16 out of 20 right. Thats above average. How about you?
Take the quiz...

Which Jane Austen heroine are you?

Ok, I love Masterpiece Theatre. I found this on Poeticat's blog link via MizMell's blog. I don't normally subscribe to this sort of thing but I love Jane Austen. I've read her novel's and I love all the adaptations of her work.

Take the Quiz here!

Winter drags on... I am running out of inspiration

The picture you see above is a corner of my front porch, to the left of the door. Our front porch is wide enough to have a glider and chairs for sitting. There is a rail that goes across the front, so it looks homey. My stuff is sort of thrown in the corner there. It is winter and this area has been neglected since November. You'll notice that my decor is pretty tacky. There are some frogs I bought in Myrtle Beach and a dwarf (in honor of my son who steals lawn ornaments from his friends' houses). I put refrigerator magnets on the barrel (where else would you put them?) and sea shells, because I can't help collecting them on vacation, sit on top of the barrel along with some tacky metal yard art sculpture. What can I say? I grew up in a neighborhood with religious statues, chrome balls and pink flamingos. If a tree died sure enough the next day your neighbor would paint it white. Its hard to lose those early influences. I still love those neighborhoods with their heavily manicured evergreen shrubery (japanese yews). In fact I put those same green bushes in my front yard and I keep them neatly trimmed. Our house, which is out in the middle of nowhere looks like it fell out of a suburb from the 1950's, except the yard art has been updated for the new millenium.

As you can see also, the Christmas Owl, my dog Max's best friend, is still around. I told myself that when the temperature got over 32 degrees I would get rid of him. Well it hasn't.

Below is a picture of our cat Tiger and her best friend. Its a weasel that came off some kind of battery operated rolly ball. A christmas present no doubt from one of my nieces or nephews in years past. I tried to wash it once and that was a big mistake. Tiger carries it around with her. I will find it on the couch or the bottom of our bed. This is what she does with it when she's eating her dinner.

My maternal grandparents (again!)

Left to Right: Unknown woman, Henrietta Kappus Fitzgerald, Frances Kappus Reilly, Unknown man, Amelia Caroline Kappus (mom), Dennis Francis Moroney (dad).

Left to Right: Aunt Henrietta Kappus Fitzgerald, Unknown womand in black, Aunt Frances Kappus Reilly, Amelia Kappus Moroney (mom), Dennis Francis Moroney (dad)

The Easter Egg Contest: will you help us?

Nearly every year now for at least three or four, my family has an egg decorating contest.
We are very competative and we have trouble finding individuals willing to judge the eggs under that kind of pressure.
This year my son and I will not be going to Chicago, where the rest of my family resides, so we will be competing in the egg contest remotely, and I suggested that we do the judging using pictures, or I was going to ship our eggs down there early. What my family has agreed on is my posting the pictures to this BLOG and asking my vast readership to do the voting. This will probably require me to learn photoshop and also how to post pictures and text in the proper sequence. Anyway, would you folks be willing to help us? We would be so appreciative. To give you an idea of the nature of the competition, here are eggs from past contests.

SUN BATHING BEAUTY

As you see this grouping all have titles but I cannot read them. Perhaps my family will let me know what the titles of these various entries are.

Here is another grouping from a different year. The red/black egg to the left in this picture is a lady bug and I believe that entry won for that particular year.

Here is a close up with bad lighting (my flash wasn't working) of the lady bug entry. The Beatle eggs are off in the distance.

I have to ask my nephew what the name of his entry was, its the one with the plant material mixed in with the egg. The other eggs in the picture are mine. I rolled them with glitter and then got nervous because I saw my niece and her sister meticulously puting sequin by sequin on their eggs to create the lady bug and the the sun bather, so I added some sequins to my entries as well. Needless to say, I did not win.

La Galena (chicken in Spanish?) My niece did not win, and she is still bitter about it.

LORD OF THE EGG ... this is the entry that won for that year (up against entries like 'La Galena' for example). This was done by my other niece who is cousin to the niece who is still bitter.