Please don't leave a message at the beep.

Much of my childhood was spent "on the phone" with the cord stretched across our dining room and shut in the door to the upstairs as I sought a little privacy to talk to my friends. In a world without call waiting, I find it interesting that my parents allowed this as much as they did. Later we had a cordless phone and that solved some problems in that they didn't KNOW how much I was on it! As a child who lived in the country on a farm with no one but my siblings to play with, the phone and the mailman were my links to the outside world. I loved getting mail, but that's a different post!  Still I used to be pretty devoted to my phone and wanted to caller ID to see my missed calls, had staring matches with my answering machine, and all the other typical Bridget Jones things in college.

I actually fought getting a cell phone pretty hard way back when and now I look back and think that my reasons then were wise. No one should be that available.


I vacillate between using the phone for a good old chat with friends and between using it as a tool that doesn't warrant any unnecessary conversation.  If I'm calling someone local it's because I have a question or want to schedule something or make fairly immediate plans to get together and talk. I have little patience for an extended conversation when I'm not in a position to enjoy the talk. Because with the ease of cell phones one can answer anywhere and I frequently do, but just because I can respond and ask "what's up" doesn't mean I am in a position to hear a long story.

When it comes to leaving messages I frequently don't. Sometimes because the reason I'm calling was a pressing and immediate one and if the person I'm calling isn't available then the opportunity will expire by the time he/she is. Sometimes I'm just calling to chat and I'll leave a message saying as much. Or I will leave a detailed message that can be responded to specifically instead of playing phone tag and never getting down to the issue at hand. Better yet, if someone doesn't answer I will often text them why I was calling so that they can read it and respond when they can.  What I hate more than anything is wasting my minutes to listen to a voicemail that merely identifies the speaker and says "call me back." I can figure that out by my caller ID. In fact, I've started waiting to listen to messages until after 9 pm so I don't use my minutes on them. Yes, I'm that cheap.

I do have friends who almost exclusively text rather than talk on the phone and I tend to only talk to them when I'm driving and cannot text. This can become wearisome too when it means we are having an extended serious conversation and there are things I'd like to say but can't quite word it in that concise texting manner that also conveys my intended meaning. It's a skill and I'm working on it.

Recently I've been plagued with phone calls from a few people who seemingly call for little or no reason and get VERY irritated if I don't answer, saying things like "you are ignoring me," "no one is this busy," "you never answer my calls." It almost feels like bullying. The truth is my family, in particular, has an uncanny ability to call at exactly the wrong time.

I thought this went without saying. If I don't answer my phone it is because one of  six things is happening.
(1) I am entertaining guests or talking to someone face to face.

(2) I am at the cash register at a store (This is USUALLY what is going on)

(3) I am at a meeting or at work. (During the school year, I'm amazed at the number of people who expect me to answer my phone between 8-4 -- I'm working, people!)

(4) I am in a movie.  (I WISH this happened more)

(5) I am sleeping.

(6) It's in a different part of the house and I can't hear it or I'm outside and it's inside.

Better yet... just text me, I can read that even when I'm busy and then I know if you wanted to chat or had something that was time sensitive.  With more technology, it seems like the rules keep getting more and more complicated and that some folks just aren't keeping up and it causes all kinds of hurt feelings and misunderstandings. Perhaps I just need to change my outgoing message to include some more specific explanation of what is going on that day! Until then, please forgive me. There is no (7) on the list. I promise.


(7) I am avoiding you because I don't like you and don't want to talk to you.

Meet Henry.

I picked up my sweet puppy in central Minnesota and drove him home late Friday night. It turns out he enjoys audiobooks and is a good little traveler.


We've been busy this Memorial Day Weekend with potty training, crates, chewing, getting used to a halter and leash, going for short walks, and lots of sniffing and exploring. I think my little guppy is adjusting quite nicely. He's met a few neighbors and is a big fan of my sister. He likes to listen to me read aloud and he's a is soothed by country music and talk radio. Also, by default, this little cubby is a Bears fan.

Countdown.

'Til the end of school? Sure.
But even more importantly, 'til I get my dog.
Yep, I decided on a breed. And a breeder. And now I just need to decide on a name.

This is my little guy at 4 weeks. He'll be 13 weeks old when I get to bring him home.

Through this journey I've learned a few things about breeders and breeds, gender, and training. Now, I get to put it all to the test. I've loaded up on puppy gear and yet, I feel like I'm cramming for some test.


I am wanting to read as much puppy training stuff as possible before he comes home. I suspect, in the end, we'll just figure it out together.

Here are the two training books I've spent the most time reading:
The Other End of the Leash by Patricia B. McConnell
The Art of Raising a Puppy by The Monks of New Skete

Down came the rain and washed the culvert out...

The road to my Dad's farm.

My route home for Easter took a little longer due to road conditions. I expect this sort of thing in the Valley or near Devils Lake. But, this? This is unprecedented.

God Bless Dairy Queen!

It was my birthday today and I celebrated by helping my youngest sister break in her new grill. She's recently moved out of my mom's place into a house with four other girls, three dogs, and three cats. :)

Her roomies were so sweet and joined in the feast, provided mostly by my mom who knows how to do cheezy potatoes right. And since most everyone knows I do not like cake, my mom went the extra mile and picked up a yummy Dairy Queen number. Delish!

The best bit was Shade (Ashley's border collie) was back home and on the mend (will post more on him later).

Every year I forget to get my free movie rental on my birthday over at Hollywood Video and for once I remembered, probably because they've got "going out of business" signs up all over. Still, I stopped in to pick one out and discovered they aren't even renting anymore. Just selling everything off. Sad, sad day. Maybe they are out of business because they gave away too many free birthday rentals? Oh well, not to me, anyway.

Instead we watched 2012 which I picked up at the public library. As films go, it wasn't fantastic or anything, yet it was a bit thrilling and my geologist loving was kicked into high gear as I tried to imagine the south pole shifted into the space where Wisconsin once was. And of course, there's John Cusack.

I had a good night and a good birthday. Yay. Here's to an even better year!

Peek-a-Boo Peanut!

Here's a recent picture of my little guy!

You Grow Girl!

Mom decided to rent a garden plot this year after I'd decided I'd probably pass. She went with All Seasons instead of the GF Park District which is probably wise considering last year's crab grass fiasco. I agreed to help her with her garden and so this week we planted. I helped stake out the rows on Sunday and on Wednesday she planted most everything. On Thursday I planted my rows--mostly lettuce and flowers.

If I remember correctly we planted mini pumpkins, gourds, spaghetti squash, cucumbers, corn, Indian corn, potatoes, peas, carrots, parsnips, tomatoes, four kinds of peppers (sweet bell, jalapeno etc), zinnias, bachelor buttons, spinach, lettuce (several varieties blended), nasturtiums, and glads.

Wordless Wednesday -- the cheater's edition in which I take a picture of words and of my grandma's cookie tin which I love tremendously.

Shasta Daisies, 1996

A tiny daisy-covered birdhouse amidst the pothos in my window sill.

Each time I notice this bit of knick-knackery sitting on the sill, I miss my grandma. I found this itty bitty back in the mid 90s in my favorite local bookstore-- The Book Fair. Carolyn, the store's proprietor had a variety of these hand-painted bird houses for sale in her shop. She'd painted them herself and she'd lovingly pluck one from a shelf and display it to customers if they showed an interest. Each one had its own design and color pattern, size and style--its own personality. When I saw this one it just said--Grandma. Well, maybe not "grandma" in general, but Grandma Mickey, in particular.

After Grandma passed away a few years ago, my birdhouse gift returned to me and I was flooded with memories of all the good things I loved about my grandma and the passions we shared. She loved her birds and flower beds. Two things I've loved best through the lens of her life.

Now, Carolyn is gone too. I have a used edition of The Living Shakespeare (1949) complete with underlined quotations, that I purchased in her store--it turns out she did the underlining there too!

It's a simple thing, this daisy covered bird house, but it represents a lot. Whole people spring to mind, when it catches my eye. Some folks question the point of keepsakes, of the things we find hard to put away or weed out. Yet, this birdhouse, that book, offer reasons such things are worth keeping. They bring smiles, recognition, and remembrance.

Merry Christmas!

Shade

Peanut

Candy

Love Happens

Love Happens (2009)

After a twitter based debate over the price of matinees at River Cinema Theatre my sister and I just decided to SEE a film in the afternoon to settle this once and for all. There were a number of choices and we opted for the "romantic comedy" option, though I think it could be better labeled "romantic tragedy." I cried A LOT during this film. It had a lot do with loss and grieving and working through that. It's the premise of the film, really. So I'm not sure why I missed that. I guess I just saw Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart looking lovey and I got confused. In the film, Eckhart's character Burke Ryan's wife died three years earlier and he's written a best selling book about how he's moved on. Only, he hasn't. His agent books him for a workshop/presentation in Seattle where the accident happened and he is suddenly being forced to deal with it all head on. Jennifer Aniston's quirky word-loving character Eloise, runs a flower shop and their paths converge one day at his hotel when he catches her in the act of vandalism by graffiti.

The film is still enjoyable, even more so if you need a good cry. Not the best, not the worst. You might want to stick with this one as a rental.

By the way, I was right. Matinees are $4.50 as opposed to their evening prices of $6.50. Ashley was confused because the last film she saw had a $2.00 surcharge because it was 3D.

Pretties and Produce

My mom's favorite flower is the gladiola. Here are a few that bloomed. If she wasn't out of town for the weekend, these would be on her kitchen table. I love them more because they make me think of my mom and my grandma, who would often create an arrangement like this only nicer and bring it to church each Sunday so there would be fresh flowers decorating the front of pulpit.

I love dahlias. They don't last as long as I'd like them too and I wish I'd planted more colors, but they are lovely, lovely, lovely. And if I had to pick just one color to have, well anyone who knows me knows, it would be red!

My spaghetti squash seemed to grow overnight. And the tomatoes are ripening on a regular basis now. I may grow tired of cucumber slices in vinegar, but not yet. I've picked some onions, beans, and carrots too, but I didn't manage a picture.

This squash is a whole lotta food. I need to figure out what to do with them because this is the first of many soon to be ready!

Here are two bell peppers growing in my window box at the apt. They are meant to be orange. I suspect they'll be ready soon!

Memories and Shaving Creme

via Le Love

When I was young I often had the occasion to spend the night at my hometown grandma's house. Thinking of those times summons all sorts of sensory images:

Kitchen: Sun shining in, prisms casting dancing rainbows on the wall, the floor. Fresh flowers on the table.

The room was warm, friendly, the heart of the home. Grandma was a great cook/baker, but her cookie jar always had Oreos inside.

Living room: Black Forest cuckoo clock. Jade, ivy, rich flowering violets. A china cabinet with Coalport figurines.

"Mine" was named Kelly, because she was a teacher and green and lovely and prim and Grandma said she reminded her of me. While I've no urge to collect china dolls for myself, I spent many childhood hours looking at her figurines and pouring over the import catalogues that featured them.

The Front Entry: The Tupperware animal toys, Lincoln logs, Jeans Beans and other dolls. On the shelf, out of reach were board games: Chinese checkers, Whot, Scrabble, and more. Hanging in the closet were her coats -- including a worn fur she'd had for years.

I realize now, my grandma was not only a stylish lady but my own hero when I was young. I held her world and possessions in a kind of awe that hasn't faded. I saw her every day of my life, but she was always someone special.

The Basement: Cool, damp, scary open stairs, a small enclosed root cellar that smelled of potatoes and onions and earth. Canned goods, vases waiting for flowers, and old toys. My favorite was an old baby buggy that my aunts played with in the early 1940s.

The Front Yard: Bird bath, hummingbird feeder, lilac bushes, tiger lilies that would stain your clothes, babies breath and gorgeous flower beds.

The Back Yard: Rose bushes, a small garden, clothes line, mint plants, honeysuckle, and a shed full of all kinds of treasures -- old hats and gloves, things from grandma's past.

I remember being fascinated by "taking one's garbage out" and how it was picked up by someone. We just had "the burn barrel" and an entirely different garbage routine at home.

Guest room: firm mattress, cool sheets, new nighttime noises

I grew up on a farm inhabited by nature sounds at night and found the sounds of town unusual and distracting when it was bedtime for mini-me. Of course now, I'm trained to ignore the loud clanking of the trains that pass 1/2 mile from my house and the whistles as they blow through the center of town at all hours of the night.

Grandma's bedroom: the wooden jewelry box, her drawer of handkerchiefs, her kissing angels and lilac perfume. I loved to just put my nose to the bottle and inhale deeply. That smell was incredible to me when I was young. Grandma always had a Bible and a small book of devotionals by her bed.

Bathroom: Dove soap, ceramic wall hangings, a wooden toilet seat, a towel hamper built into the wall where we'd hide as children when playing hide and seek. It's so small I can't imagine ever fitting in there.

The inspiration or seed for this blog post came from the picture at the top of the post. It reminded me of the medicine cabinet mirror at my grandma's house. Truly, MY first home. What I think of as my grandma's house was actually my parents first home where they lived for about eight years before taking over the family farm.

Sometimes when the bathroom gets really steamy, one can read a message on the mirror written forty years ago in shaving creme. My memory fades and I can't quite remember what it said. I know there was a heart and it might have just said I love you, I think there might have been names or initials. Mom says she's not sure who wrote it -- her or dad. She thinks Valentine's Day may have played a role. It doesn't matter. I just know that I loved that steamy mirror message. I loved that 20 years later it would still show up, forever imprinted on that mirror surface.

The house was sold about a year after Grandma died. All sorts of memories are linked to the physical bits of that place, but I have them in my heart too. I hope that steamy mirror message still appears spreading its love.

Wordless Wednesday -- Hamster Style

Globe-y Goodness.

My Uncle Errol dropped by a few days ago with a belated birthday gift. A trio of goodies that made my day. I'd mentioned I was all about the globes lately, one day when he was admiring my studio space. When he saw a couple for sale at a local thrift shop, he knew they'd be the perfect gift. And he was right!


A few years ago when I was writing articles for the Red River Women Today, I wrote and an article on Great Dinners.

Great Dinners is one of the Empire Art's Center's fundraisers. Every 12-18 months a Great Dinners event is held at 10 different host homes all on one night--each host couple serves anywhere between 6-12 guests. The end of the evening activity is a Great Desserts party at the Empire and all the hosts and guests gather to discuss their meals and the experience. Everyone who's done it raves about the experience. Maybe next time around I'll get to be a part of it, instead of just writing about it!

When I was working on the article, I remember perusing the cookbook from the first event. I didn't buy one at the time, and truthfully I probably wouldn't be daring enough to try many of the meals described in the book. However, Errol remembered my article and figured I might like a copy of the cookbook--also a thrifted treasure. I am always touched when friends and family "pay attention" and gift accordingly. It's so meaningful and kind.


The white rack is meant for magazines or books. Something I found in mom's garage. I figure I can use this fixture in my classroom or somewhere in my house. I'm a big believer in books as art! The blanket? A remnant of my babyhood. Just another little something I need to find a way to display.

Happy Mini Donut Day!

Errr... I mean, 4th of July. Sometimes I forget the reason behind the season and just start to celebrate deep fried festival foods --mini-donuts, stuff on sticks, Indian tacos, and beer gardens.

I just got back from a quick trip around the downtown food fest -- oops, there I go again. The inflatable kid bouncy things were deflating and making way for lawn chairs and families getting an early jump on prime fireworks watching spots. What the heck? Is someone REALLY going to stake their claim four hours early? Oh well. Not everyone can watch the fireworks from his/her bedroom window.

My mom, my uncle, and I strolled the town square listening to live music and watching kids get caricatured and folks get henna tattooed. Everyone and his dog was out on the town --literally--there were a lot of dogs to be seen. I thought about taking pictures just to show the diversity of pooch, but I was afraid of appearing strange, so I took pics of food instead!

On a more serious note, many folks get patriotic on Independence Day --they don the "team colors" and wave the flag, singing songs of praise for one's country. It all smacks of a giant pep rally. I see nothing wrong with that except that too quickly it's all forgotten. Like a Christian who makes it to church for the holiday services a few times a year, too many of us are fair weather-Americans. Patriotic, duty-bound citizens when it serves us, when it's popular. Too many of us curse the government, the economy, in one moment and do nothing to change the things we can with all our other moments. A Chinese proverb says, "It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness." Don't just celebrate our freedoms with bottle rockets and cold beer--honor your country's independence with your votes and by getting involved in your communities.

What do we mean by patriotism in the context of our times? I venture to suggest that what we mean is a sense of national responsibility ... a patriotism which is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. --Adlai Stevenson

The true test of the American ideal is whether we're able to recognize our failings and then rise together to meet the challenges of our time. Whether we allow ourselves to be shaped by events and history, or whether we act to shape them. --Barack Obama

The notion that a radical is one who hates his country is naïve and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who likes his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen turning to crime; he is a good citizen driven to despair. --H.L. Mencken

The government is merely a servant -- merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn't. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them. -- Mark Twain

Happy Fourth of July!

Angels and Demons

It seems like my mom has been dictating my movie viewing most of this month. The plan was to go tubing on the Red Lake River with my mom and my sister for my sister's birthday but it turned out to be a rainy, bleak day. So, our next best option was a movie--the only one mom really wanted to see Angels and Demons. My sister tends to see every movie she's interested in the minute it comes out, so she didn't mind. In the end, neither did I. (secretly, I rather wanted to see a bit of light hearted fare -- The Hangover, maybe, or The Land of the Lost.)

I'd read The DaVinci Code back when that was all the rage and I found it interesting but not mind blowing in the way people had described it to me. I was eager to see that film because Audrey Tautou was in it. I left that film disappointed despite that fact. The DaVinci Code seemed an awful lot like National Treasure with Nicholas Cage though the book didn't read that way at all for me. It's very difficult for films to measure up to books--a task rarely accomplished. Though I'd argue that some directors manage it.

This time around, I'd not read the book first--nor do I really have any intention of doing so later. I think this may have made the film a bit better for me. Angels and Demons is the prequel to the other film/book but many have claimed it is even better. I'm not sure where I fall on that score. Tom Hanks played Robert Langdon and in this film we get to see the Vatican archives which reminded me a LOT of the Kerlan Collection at the Anderson Library at University of Minnesota... Obviously the Vatican was on a much larger scale. I do have a thing for libraries, archives, and ancient one of a kind books. I am the kind of weirdo who does get a bit of a thrill looking at the daily page in the Book of Kells at Trinity Library in Dublin (did that trip TEN years ago, can hardly believe it's been that long).

Though there was a female lead in this film too, she wasn't nearly as interesting as the role played by Ewan McGregor--Camerlengo Patrick McKenna--the stand-in for the pope until a new one is chosen following the pope's untimely death. Ayelet Zurer played Dr. Vittoria Vetra, a research scientist who was part of the team of CERN scientists working Large Hadron Collider trying to replicate the origin of life. Their experiment produces three vials of antimatter which are unstable and highly dangerous. And, of course, one of them is stolen by terrorists determined to overthrow the church. The film is about the collision (no pun intended) between science and religion and the emergence of the Illuminati, an ancient order. Langdon and Vetra are led around the city of Rome in an attempt to prevent the murders of the four preferitti (primary hopefuls for the papacy) and also prevent the destruction of the Vatican and much of Rome by finding and safely reclaiming the vial of anti-matter before it explodes.

The film was nonstop action and it almost moved TOO quickly. I suspect the reading pace would be gripping but have more intellectual pondering, more time for speculation. I think the pace of the film revealed the flaws of the story to some degree in that it hardly seemed possible that they could even be pursuing the baddies at that pace... one's mind would have no room for error and would have to move lightning fast in order to accomplish even half of what they are attempting. Yet, lives are on the line and so Langdon's brain is in overdrive all the while dealing with Vatican rules and regulations that forbid him access and slow him down.

Still, I'd recommend the film, though others have lambasted it. I did enjoy the adventure flick feel to the film and having no book to compare it to, it was just fine by me.

The Siren Call of Technology...

I did it. I bit the bullet.
I need a new laptop but I'm definitely waiting for Windows 7.
Soooooo, in the meantime, I bought a netbook.

ASUS Eee PC 1000HE 10-Inch Netbook (1.66 GHz Intel Atom N280 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, 10 GB Eee Storage, Bluetooth, XP Home, 9.5 Hour Battery Life) Black

What is bigger than a blackberry, smaller than a laptop, can run faster and actually has more storage space than my current, rapidly-aging computer? Why, it's a NETBOOK!

The word netbook is a portmanteau of the words Internet and notebook. Primarily designed for web browsing and emailing, they rely on the mainly web based programs, are between 5 inches and 13, weigh between 2 and 3 pounds, have no optical disc drive, and cost far less than a laptop. Not really designed to replace a main computer, this is a great, ultra portable addition.

A Netbook Haiku
My heart is still pounding.
I wish it would arrive tomorrow.
I can barely contain my glee!

Up Made me Feel a Little Down.

That's not entirely true. It was lovely. A very sweet film. I went to a matinee of Up with my mom and sister on my birthday. It begins with a young shy Carl meeting a spunky Elle, both determined to live out their adventures. In short order we see them become fast friends united in their adoration of explorer Munsk and they promise to one day see Paradise Falls in South America. Then in a five minute montage we see them marry, try to have children, grow older, and finally Ellie dies. Yes, this rapid march toward death was not something I was eager to see on my BIRTHDAY! Yikes. The story is about dreams and promises about living your adventures and living without regret. It's about a lonely 78 year old balloon salesman, Carl, and a young boy, 8-year-old Russell, who is desperate to achieve his last badge in his Junior Wilderness Explorer training. It's about an unintentional teaming and their adventures in South America where they meet Kevin, a 13 foot rare bird, and Doug, a dog fitted with a collar which serves as a translator. I have to admit Doug was my favorite character.

The film seems to have some rather "grown up" themes for a Pixar film which I expect to be created for children. I'm not complaining, I just find it interesting. The story is exciting and lovely and touching. Bring tissues.

Better Late Than Never

There is really no good reason why this couldn't have been done in a day... and instead it took a couple years! I bought this fabric for my brother, the Scooby Doo fan, awhile back in order to make a cozy comforter for his bed. He was complimenting me on one I'd made for myself and I decided I should do one for him for his birthday--in 2007. I was nearly done with it by this Christmas but it took until this weekend before I finally did the yarn ties. Sheesh. It was a good feeling to send him home after Easter dinner with a cheerful little blanket.