Watch this.

I've been asked a similar question in the past and heard very few people speak a proper answer.  I agree with Governor Huckabee 100%.  You'll see on sites like MSN.com exactly the twisting of words he mentions.  It is disappointing that people jump to accusations and don't seriously listen to the answer.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/2038135300001/

Another Medical Update

Some more tests came back earlier this week.  So, here's the latest...

• Hypoglycemic
• Iron's too high
• Something's going on with the thyroid

Doctor "prescribed" protein shakes so I get better nutrition.  I stopped taking my multi-vitamin which had 100% dv of iron.  The final tests, the results of which I will find out Thursday (20th), should indicate what the thyroid issue is...we hope.  Meanwhile, I try desperately to not fall asleep at work and avoid the foods I shouldn't eat...I've had little to no success at either, but I still try.  I'm really looking forward to Thursday when hopefully I will have some real answers.  I'll keep you posted.

Decorating. Check.

There is so much to do and only a tad bit over a week to do it.  I finally finished decorating for Christmas.  Here are a couple bad pictures to prove it.

Justin helped me put up lights outside the week after Thanksgiving.
Yea for brothers with ladders!  :)

Finished decorating the tree last night.
It only sat naked for a couple days...but right in front of Baby Jesus!  Scandalous!

(P.S. Glad this thing is working again!  Maybe I can get a little caught up...maybe.)

Musing

Was standing at my office windows looking for my house (I can't actually see the house, but I can see the approximate area in which it resides), when the unexpectedness of that moment struck me. I would never have guessed I would be where I am now, doing what I am now, etc. I live in Lincoln? I have a house? I work for the same people to whom I owe an inordinate amount of money for going to expensive schools for so long? How on earth did this all happen? Yes. This is 100% not where I expected to be. Staring out an office window in downtown Lincoln looking for, of all things, my house...surreal it is. It blows my mind sometimes. It makes me grateful, is a little bit humbling, too. Life has this uncanny way of changing without our being aware. Then, one day, you are staring out a window.

Thank You

Just a quick thank you to the family and friends who went to see "Scrooge." Most of you drove an hour or longer to get there, and I greatly appreciate that. It means a lot to me to have people in my life willing to take the time to come support me.

Medical Update

I have had a lot of tests done lately. Some of the results have finally come in. I wish I had had these done sooner. The results I was given tonight were food sensitivities and allergies. There are three things to which my body is sensitive: hemp, teff, and cow's milk. The doctor says I should be able to, after 3-6 months of abstinence, gradually work those back in or at least be able to tolerate them better. There are four foods which I need to cut out 100%: amaranth, coffee, sesame, and tapioca. That last one he says will be the difficult one to remove because it is used in so many things as a thickener.

I am so glad to finally have a start getting this health "stuff" under control. I'm so sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. Hopefully getting rid of these things from my diet will be a good start.

Stupid technical difficulties!

I'm so disappointed with blogger.com right now.  I wanted to spend my evening last night during the election coverage getting my blog updated.  But I couldn't get any pictures to upload and I had to keep refreshing the screen...and it's still doing it.  I'm so frustrated!  So I apologize to everyone who was waiting for pictures of Dad's birthday party.  I really wanted to get them posted yesterday and now it won't be until probably Saturday.

VOTE!

Tomorrow is Election Day. (Yes, with a capital "E.") If you don't vote, you may not complain about the result. I hope those who didn't vote four years ago have been quietly waiting and learning their lesson until they can cast their vote this year.

I am going to go stand in line tomorrow to be among the first to vote in Nebraska. I want to spend the day with my "I voted" sticker worn proudly on my chest. I'm also going to have FNC (FoxNews Channel) playing at work all day long.

It is our civic duty to vote - a solemn right and freedom. It is also something not to be taken for granted. The United States is still the "Noble Experiment." We are unique. It is the job of every citizen to be engaged in our politics - in the election of our governing leaders. It is the gift our founding fathers left us - a nation led by the people and for the people.

So, I urge you: VOTE! Don't take your freedom for granted.

Insane (but good) Cartoon-Movie

Okay.  So I'm sitting here watching "Justice League: The New Frontier."  It's an hour and 15 minutes of the origins of the Justice League.  It's insane!!  Two words: fascinating and cheesy!

There were a couple mentions of God.  They were battling something from the center of the Earth that kept spewing out monsters that were like dinosaurs, was taking over weak minds, creating cults in its honor, and telling the heroes they didn't have the will/power to defeat it.  Anyone else think that sounds like a veiled semblance of Satan?  And so it was the person newest to his power and the an originally true human who saved the day after Superman, in his usual Christ-like manner, sacrificed himself for all. And, of course, he did later rise from the "dead" - in case you wondered.

It also touched on politics, condemning the veritable "witch hunts" of the late 50s and championing a coming together of the nation despite individual differences.  It concludes with JFK's "new frontier" speech.

So that covers the fascinating part.  Anyone for some cheese?  Wow.  It usually had to do with moments involving girlfriends of some of the male heroes - The Flash, Superman, and The Green Lantern - but there were just some funny, funny lines and moments in general.

It was a fun way to spend a little over an hour between church and play practice.  I think I'd recommend it to anyone with at least some familiarity with the characters.  If you have no idea who many of these people are, you'd probably feel a bit lost..but maybe that's okay, too, because that's sort of what these heroes are in the world to do - save the lost.

Walter, Peanut, and Bill O' Reilly

If you are familiar with Jeff Dunham and his ventriloquism, and even if you aren't, the interview Bill O' Reilly does with Jeff's puppets Walter and Peanut is pretty darn funny.  It was just on tonight and even though I missed it, I did see it on the Factor's website.  The link is below.  Look for "Jeff Dunham in the 'No Spin Zone'" video.

http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/oreilly/index.html

Some day this link will go nowhere, but in the meantime, I hope you check it out.  :-)

My Favorite Rock Star

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og1qmplP-xM

The Spirit Moves Me

I am so excited for Sunday!

For most people, it's just another day.  But it's my third favorite "holiday" of the church calendar.  Reformation Day is on All Hallows Eve...a.k.a. Halloween.  Being Lutheran, we are celebrating it on Sunday, making the 28th Reformation Sunday.  Reformation Day is the commemoration of the night Martin Luther nailed his "95 Theses" (or discussion points) to the church door knowing that the next morning (All Saints Day) people would be passing through those doors on their way to Mass.  And thus began The Reformation that changed the world (not just religion - I can go into that in another post).

There is something about that Sunday that reaches through me way back into my genetics all the way to the very first Lutherans in my ancestry.  On Reformation Sunday, I am worshiping with all my relatives through time.  It's like a crazy Star Trek effect taking place in my soul.  When I sing that day it's not just my voice.  The voices of all those Lutheran ancestors sing with me.  Reformation Sunday has the ability to fill me with joy to overflowing, refresh me more than a "normal" Sunday, and shut off at least for a while all the "junk" that may be going on elsewhere in my life.

Yes, I am proud of my Lutheran heritage.  I like being a Lutheran - born and raised.  I am fascinated by religion, so I have not been lax in looking at the differences between many religions, and even faiths and I happen to agree with the Lutherans - Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone.

And one of my favorite bits of scripture are what I lovingly call "the Lutheran verses."  That would be Ephesians 2:8-9.  There's nothing I can do to earn God's grace and love and salvation.  He gives it as a gift.  What I do is a result of that gift - kind of like saying thank you.

I was blessed with the opportunity to pick the music for this Sunday's service.  I even get to coordinate a big choir/organ/trumpet/congregation arrangement of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" (the Lutheran theme song if we ever had one).  It is going to be so fun!  And there's an organ-piano duet of the same song as pre-service music.  It's beautiful!  Just the rehearsals lift my spirit, and fill me with energy I didn't have when I walked in the building.

Speaking of rehearsals, this week is insane and wearing me out (which is why I'm up late writing).  Play practice Sunday night...worship planning meeting Monday night...instrumental rehearsal Tuesday night...youth rehearsal Wednesday night...play practice Thursday night...choir/team rehearsal Friday night...choir/team rehearsal Saturday morning...sing Sunday morning and play practice Sunday night.  I think after that I can rest...after getting home from work Monday night.  Wow.

Something I have discovered is that being so happily busy with preparations for this Sunday has given me the opportunity also to share what Reformation Day is all about with people who just aren't familiar with it.  Some haven't heard of it at all.  Many who have don't really understand what it is and why it's important.  Honestly, I don't know who else (if anyone) celebrates Reformation Day.  I just haven't heard of anyone celebrating it besides Lutherans.  Special choirs and traditional German food are my favorite ways to celebrate our history and the theology to which we ascribe.

All I can ask for those Sunday, all the planning and practicing and history aside, is that God take the music and use it to do for others what it does for me - uplift, energize, refresh, and fill with the Spirit.  I hope others can be moved, too.  I look forward to being a conduit.  I hope my face and my voice just exude the Spirit and voice of God.  Honestly, I don't know how I could possibly have the energy to do all this.  How does someone who can't stay awake at work, who is in pain all of every day, possibly have the energy and spirit to go to rehearsals all over the place and spend a whole morning singing with energy?  Energy, energy, energy...it's not me.  I know that I can't do it.  The desire to do it is my "thank you."  Actually doing it is some days purely an act of God.  Some days, I have no idea how I do what I do...but I am so glad I do it.  I can't imagine the opposite.  I think it would be physically impossible for me to not go sing in church on Sundays.  And I definitely, definitely, need to sing on days like Reformation Sunday.  Physically, what I more likely need is to be asleep.  But emotionally and spiritually, I need to go sing the music of "my tribe" - the Spirit moves me.

It's that time.

Last night I was driving home and heard birds.  Not every day, see 'em everywhere birds - birds flying South birds.  I couldn't see them (it was dark and I was driving).  I pulled into my driveway and heard them again.  This time, the moonlight let me see the birds, flying in their V...and heading South.  You know what that means.  Winter is coming.  My fingers and toes get cold just thinking about it.  I don't think I'm emotionally prepared for it to be winter.

Watching the Game

So here I am watching the football game - not for a lack of frustration waiting for the overtime plays of the previous game to get over.  Don't know what happened in the first 15 minutes that we had three points and Burkhead got injured.  Will have to ask Sandra and Branden what happened since they are actually there.
No big party this weekend.  Just Chris and I watching the game this time.  So I was lazy and didn't make a lot of food or "decorate" for the event.  Samson is chillin' chewing on a rawhide and the weather is gorgeous, so the doors are open, making it a pleasant 71-degrees in the house.

(Whoa!  Al Capone attended was there the last time Nebraska played Northwestern.  That's a fun bit of trivia!  Go ESPN!  lol)

Kind of nice more or less having the weekend off.  I like having the football parties.  Samson goes nuts over having all his "friends" visiting.  I don't quite go nuts, but I do enjoy it.  Probably needed the slower weekend anyway.

I think I'll pay better attention to the game now.  :-)

It's scary.

I don't know why, but I've become hooked on FoxNews Channel.  I started watching back in the early stages of the Republican primary.  But that's not what's scary.  What's scary is the type of news one learns about watching the news as much as I do now.

Tonight there was a special show investigating what happened in Libya on September 11.  I just about cried.  It's frightening that just shy of one month before the ambassador was assassinated, the majority of the security was pulled out.  It's difficult to fathom how something like that could happen - that our own government could drop the ball so badly and then lie about it. Mostly, though, my heart broke for the man who was in charge of the security team that was withdrawn.  There's nothing quite so upsetting as watching a strong, military man barely keep himself together saying that if he and his team could have been there, they could have saved those people.  And you know each member of his team is probably thinking the same thing and feeling the same way.  It's incredible really, and upsetting.  The world is so horribly unstable and the people who want desparately to do what they can to protect each other aren't allowed to do so.  What is wrong with this logic?!

Also scary, are the cranky feminists that seem to be coming out of the woodwork.  One woman actually said she's treated like a "second-class citizen."  What?!  You're some sort of "expert" or something asked to be on a news show seen internationally.  How is that treatment as a second-class citizen?  I suspect there are some jerks out there in the workplace treating women poorly, not paying them fairly, et cetera, et cetera, but can there be that many?  Still?  Have we as a culture still not grown out of that?  I haven't noticed anything like that...but I have only ever had one male boss before, so maybe I've just been lucky.  Either way, what are these women whining about?  They have it good!  You can't tell me the nice clothes they wear for their interviews are the only nice clothes they have.  I can imagine the kind of cars they are driving.  And I bet some of them are balancing family with work of their own choice and some probably could stay home with those kids if they would like to, but no, they have to be on TV fussing that they can't get cheap enough birth control and high enough pay.  *rolls eyes*  Bunch of whiney babies.

Wars and rumors of wars...so the Middle East has all sorts of war going on all over the place and that's real war...and then there's the purported "war on women" that is so much fiction it makes me want to slap a liberal, whiney, bra-burner.

Also scary?  There are people all distraught that Mitt Romney said he received a binder full of qualified women while there are people dying at the hands of psychotic terrorists all around the world.

New Toy!

Hallelujah!  Finally I have a new laptop to replace the one that died in July.  Three months without my own computer (having to use my work one for everything) was torture!  But now has begun the new torture of getting used to it, personalizing, et cetera.  Here's a bad picture of my "ooo-ing" over the new laptop.  :-)

What the heck?!

Usually no more than two or three people read any given post on my blog.  My last post, however, for some reason has had nine views.  Nine.  That's a lot for my blog.  Why in the world did nine people look at my blog fussing about not being noticed or known?!  There are so many better posts to read.  Why that one?  I can probably tell you who the two or three regulars are.  Makes me wonder...

Too Much Excitement

The last few days have had more than enough excitement, I think - and apparently of the variety I always have which therefore inspires apathy.

Two Sundays ago, Elkhorn-Valley Community Theater had auditions for "Scrooge: The Musical."  I will be playing Mrs. Cratchit (that would be Tiny Tim's mom, for those of you who are less familiar with the story).  It's completely different from the part I had last time.  We had our first rehearsal this last Sunday.  So far, the only people who seem the least bit interested or excited about this are those of us actually in the show.  The enthusiasm from friends and family has been all but zero.

Saturday I played with Samson in the backyard...for about five minutes.  He was a bit over-enthusiastic and managed to run into my legs, taking my feet right out from under me.  I 100% hit the ground - hard.  Scraped both palms.  One arm went out.  The other I managed to half fall on and knocked the wind out of myself.  Seem to have twisted some on the way down, too.  My mid- and lower-back, left shoulder and neck are suffering the most, but really there's nary a part of my body that doesn't hurt (more than usual).  Last night I was having bad muscle spasms in my back.  The spasms haven't happened as much today, but the general pain and discomfort have been more than distracting at work and at home.  Acetaminophen just doesn't seem to cut it. Ointments aren't really helping either.  I have an appointment with a new chiropractor tomorrow at 5:00.  I think it must be a God thing because I called the office at about 5:00 yesterday and here I am getting into a new doctor within just two days at a time that actually works with my work schedule...things just don't happen that way in the usual course.

So I'm in a lot of pain - which is normal and warrants no comment, right?  I don't go around broadcasting that pain (I can only think of about four people to whom I've mentioned it).  Some people do with theirs because they need to be the center of attention.  (Yeah, yeah.  Poor you.  I hurt, too, all day, every day.  Get over yourself.)  I don't want pity and don't require sympathy; I just get annoyed with apathy.  I was taught to care and the Bible says you should put others before yourself.  So I do what I need to do, help other people where I can and even when some would think I shouldn't.  I politely listen while others vent or just tell their stories.  I am honestly glad when things are going well for the people about whom I care, and do truly want to help, pray, and wish the best for them when things aren't going well.  But it occurred to me last night that I don't often hear or see the reverse happening.  Who is listening to me?  To whom do I vent?  Let me think.  Mom.  Okay.  Anyone else?  Hmm...no one's really coming to mind.  Now that to me is rather distressing.  Good grief!  What would I do without my mom?!  Good God!  Poor Samson is just no help when I'm dealing with pain (except for instinctively going into cute and snuggly mode).  He has no advice about things at work.  He doesn't understand what theater is, let alone why it's worth talking about.
Full disclosure, I don't go around talking about myself, sharing my grief all over the place at everyone and etc, etc, etc, and I certainly don't ask for help.  I have my Northeast-Nebraska, German-Lutheran, farm upbringing to thank for that.  I also make a concerted effort to not whine and complain (thanks to someone pointing out in the past how much I was doing that, and the introduction in recent months of a great amount of perspective).  So, I suppose part of why I don't hear "So sorry you're hurting!  Anything I can do to help?" is that I'm not saying I'm in pain and need help.
...But should I have to?  "How are you?"  I might skip my response and go straight to asking that person how they are.  Sometimes I think I lie and say I'm fine when I'm not.  Today I told a couple people I was "managing" and then asked how they were.  And there, I had deflected another potential moment when I might (heaven forbid) have had to share.  But here's my point: who besides my mother is close enough to me to be able to tell when there's something up without my just blurting it out?  Anyone?  Anyone?  ("Bueller?  Bueller?")  Easy answer: no, there isn't...well, maybe there's one other person.  But I know there are several out there who think, "well, I would know!"  Um...right.  If anyone truly did, I probably wouldn't be writing this.

Now I've come this far in my rant and have to think about deleting the whole thing because I can imagine how some people will react.  (That is, of course, assuming anyone will read this.)  I'll be mocked by one or two.  Mom will either ignore it or call me to make sure I'm okay.  (*rolls eyes*  Some people's mothers!)  Some may even take it personally and get offended.  Others might feel the need to make some sort of concerted effort as if they came up with it on their own.  (Don't.  Because I'll know.)  And about the time anyone gangs up on me...do you really want to see me annoyed?

I'm a private person.  I don't need 500 friends on Facebook only 17 of whom I've ever even met.  Even of those 17, I don't need them all to know everything about me.  It is my choice that the number of people in my life who "truly know" me is very, very, very small.  The number of folks who know in general what's going on in my life is higher.  I'm good with it being this way...as long as those who only think they know don't pretend they do and those who should know don't chose apathy.

That brings this rant to a close.  Chalk it up to my being tired, cold, and in a great deal of pain, but whatever it was, it has all been far too much excitement.

If only there were more of these days.

It's Labor Day.  I have made very certain to not do any real labor.  I did check my email.  I also pushed the start button on the dishwasher which I forgot to push on Saturday.  Otherwise, all I've done is watch DVDs, TV and take a nap.  Boy do I need more days like this!  It has occurred to me recently that I am very worn out and really need a real break - a coming to an all stop to recover from the constant go-go-go of the week(s).  There should be more paid days off.  Every couple weeks or at least once a month.  The stretch between Independence Day and Labor Day is so long.  And now we wait for Thanksgiving...well, I get Veteran's Day, too, but most don't, so...or a real vacation.  That's probably actually what I need to do - a real one though, where even if I wanted to take my laptop, it wouldn't be able to connect to the internet.  That means going camping in the middle of nowhere, I think.  Volunteers to make sure I take a real vacation and don't try to work every day for a week when I'm supposedly off work?  (Mom and Dad can tell you how bad I am about that.)  I am very sad to think I have to go back to work tomorrow.  It's kind of like when you come up to a stop light and have just barely managed to stop when the light changes and you are expected to go again...except in this case, being still is what you really want.

I must be getting old.

I am watching the Republican Convention...and finding it far too interesting.  I've never watched a political convention before.  I can only conclude that this is an indication I am getting old since I haven't bothered to find something less non-fiction to watch.  I'm tempted to shut it off just to keep from aging even farther.  Pretty sure the more I watch the older I am getting.  At the very least, it's not making me any younger.  ;-p

Chop! Chop!

I had a goal today of getting all this zucchini chopped, shredded, etc...and then I sliced my thumb.  So, rather than get a bit too much of myself into my food, this is all the farther I went.  Looking forward to using what I have done in different meals.  :-)

And that's only the two smaller ones sliced and diced!

It was torture!

Last Saturday my friends decided they needed to take me out for a surprise.  I had rather figured out where we were going, but it was still extraordinarily nice of them to treat me to such torture - my first pedicure ever!  The best part was the massage of both feet and lower half of the legs.  So now I must assault you with a picture of my feet.  :-p

I think I picked a nice color, Jon with the bright green toes!

Yea Garden!

The zucchinis and cucumbers have started producing.  I'm so excited!  I will need to start coming up with recipes for the zucchinis and fast.  :-)

Baby Zucchini

There be zucchinis here!

My First Cucumber

My Simple Pleasures

Life would be likely empty without simple pleasures.  I am, for whatever reason, inclined right now to list a few of mine (in no particular order).

1) Produce from my own garden
2) Woodchuck (the beverage, not the animal)
3) Hair clips and ponytail holders
4) Pictures of friends and family
5) Phone calls from friends and family
6) Rain
7) Being loved by my dog
8) My new "microwave safe egg pan"
9) Books
10) Napkins
11) Food
12) Being able to have doors and windows open so the breeze comes through the house
13) Having a house for the breeze to move through
14) Getting to leave work early
15) Flip flops
16) My teddy bear
17) Pajamas
18) Having a TV
19) Soap
20) Pretty things (like art and fancy dishes)
21) Blankets
22) Card tables
23) Finding fun new things on the computer like "Windows Journal" and "Sticky Notes"
24) A real mailbox
25) Did I mention books and Woodchuck?  Just kidding.  Laughter is another simple pleasure.

That's probably enough to list for now.  I encourage people to stop and think about what they have in their day-to-day lives that make them smile, that they are glad to have, that are just nice, and yet so often taken for granted, forgotten about, or ignored.  We all move too fast to see the simple pleasures in our lives.  Maybe the world would be a kinder place if people ever paused to think "Gosh that microwave egg thing is cool!"  And then giggle.  :-)

Fair Day

On August 4th, Justin, Trisha and the girls, Tasha and Shawn, Kim and Jaden, and I all went to the Lancaster County "Super" Fair.  I got super sunburned and there were a few super moments.

Ivy feeds the miniature horse in the petting zoo.

Nikki really enjoyed her deep-fried Ho-Ho.

Something I've never seen at a county fair before - a bear show.

Ivy and I love the merry-go-round!

Checking out the chicks.

Post-fair fun - air hockey at my house!

The Best Company

I was blessed with a whole lot of wonderful, wonderful company a few weeks ago.  I was just about exploding with joy at getting to see friends I had not seen in almost three years (and a little one I hadn't even met before).  Everyone all in one week?!  It was crazy, but I wouldn't have changed...except to get to spend a whole lot more time with everyone.  :-)

The Harris kids - all cuter than buttons and sweeter than sugar!   :-)

Me with my friend, Dawn

I miss them all - missed them before they even left!

Kim and Jaden at the Haack Farm

It is so fun taking a small child out to the farm.  It's been a few weeks, but I'm finally posting pictures of when I took my friend, Kim and her four-year-old daughter, Jaden out to the family farm.  It was really hot that day, but we had fun.

There's a chicken in there!

This is either a very tolerant or a very limp cat...or both.

It wouldn't be a farm experience without feeding the cows.



In the air conditioning now making No Bake cookies.



Sharing Play-Doh



I do believe every creative ounce I have in me came from my mother.



On a hot, hot day, nothing beats getting a drink from the hose.

 

...And then getting sprayed with it.


Yet another shining example of how there's nothing but fun at the Haack Farm.  :-)

When a frog's not available...

...kiss a toad?

Or two?

Or three?

No thanks.

(All three toads were found around the farm within only a couple minutes of each other if that.  Kinda' difficult to see that second one.  ...Hold the phone!  We may be facing a plague of Biblical proportions.  Next thing you know, cats and dogs will be living together!)

Difficulties or No Difficulties

I still have no personal computer to speak of, so I'm continuing to use my work laptop.  Found out we get a discount with Dell through work, so might end up going that route unless it would prove to be cheaper doing something else.

I am tired and sore and, it seems, getting sick.

But it's okay.  My life is blessed.  I was blessed today with the opportunity to sing in church all morning with no fear of persecution.  In some other countries, I would not have been able to utter a sound for risk of death.  I had a steak, sweet potato and steamed vegetables for lunch.  There are people in other parts of the world starving to death.  I came home to my dog and my house with all my "stuff" in it and there are people living under bridges and in the nooks and crannies of downtown with nowhere else to go.  While I can't say I still have my health, I have the tools to work through and deal with it and my health could be so, so, so much worse.

My life is blessed.

"Oh say can you see..."

Sandra and I had the honor of singing the National Anthem for the opening night of the rodeo at the Madison County Fair on Wednesday, July 11th.  You can find a couple pictures on the Madison County Fair's Facebook page.  Look under Wednesday 2012.  We are pictures #170 and 172.  I have a couple here, too.

It's the waiting that kills ya'.

"Oh say can you see..."

"...gave proof through the night..."

Aunt Linda says we are now committed for life to do this every year...at least as long as she is on the fair board.  Neither of us minds that idea, I think.  :-)

No Western Like It

Have you seen "Into the West"?  It was a mini-series on TNT.  I am watching the DVDs from Netflix.  Steven Spielberg was the executive producer.  The music and backdrops are awesome.  There are folks in it you'd recognize.  I dozed off during the first episode and missed some stuff, but I don't blame the show.  I haven't been sleeping well and was exhausted.  I think I spent the second episode's hour and a half bawling my eyes out.  People were dropping like flies!  Here's someone trampled by a cow.  There goes another falling out of the wagon during the river crossing and drowning.  Then the ever classic "You have died of dysentery."  (I'm quoting the old computer game "Oregon Trail" - just explaining for you youngsters out there.)  Well, no one said that exactly, but you get the idea.  Now I'm sad I don't have the next disc yet.  Anyway.  If you get the chance and have any interest in westerns, you should watch this series.  I might have to add it to my wishlist.  The DVDs must be on Amazon somewhere.

Remember those hamburgers?

Remember the hamburgers I wrote about in a previous blog - the ones I made ahead and froze?  I said I'd tell you how they turned out.  The onion ones weren't anything special, but the ones with the steak seasoning were awesome (just had one for dinner last night and the other for lunch just now)!  I am looking forward to the ones with the Italian seasoning.  I'm thinking it might be yummy to use spaghetti sauce and mozzarella (pseudo-cheese to avoid the lactose) instead of the usual ketchup.  Sounds so good!

Anyway, there you go.  It worked out pretty well.  I will definitely be doing that again sometime.  :-)

Stupid Computer!

So frustrated!  My computer has pooped out or something.  I just need to get a new one.  It killed my power cable and the battery, so it is just sitting on a table being useless.  I've had to use my work one for everything.  (Including right now.  Don't worry.  I'm on my lunch break.)  A computer guru I know says I should wait until October when Windows 8 comes out.  Um...I need my computer!  It has my budgeting stuff and my church music data on it.  I hadn't recently backed it up, so I don't know which bills I paid already this month and which ones are left and I can't search in my music except going through the files by hand which takes forever!

So now I can't decide what to do.  I really could use access to what's on my original computer...and will at some point need to get all of that off there and on to a new one anyway.  But Jon has a point that I should wait until October (which would also give me time to hopefully save up some money).  And school sales will be coming soon, too.  Feel free to give me your opinions/advice.

As We Gather at the River

Ever seen the Platte River?  Mom and I drove over it on the way to visit Grandma Geu in Aurora.  (Yes, she really is "over the river and through the woods.")  I had to stop and take some pictures.  It was quite the sight to see.

From here it looks like a river of sand.

And it practically is.  There's barely a trickle on this side and the other.

Sand as far as the eye can see...and just a tiny bit of water.

The Platte River has always tended to be shallow or dry, especially in times of drought.  But this - this is intense.  You know it's getting bad when the rivers dry up.

Party Recovery Day Part Four

Last one from Party Recovery Day!  There are more cute dog pictures, but they are cute Nikki pictures, too.

The prince's horse gets ready for a boat ride before the building of the castle.

Um...Nikki, usually pillows go underneath someone's head.
I'm sure Samson appreciates you putting it on top instead.

Peek!  Hi, Samson!

"Auntie, your dog is nice."

"Paws" for Cute Dog Pictures

Of course I took some pictures of my pup while we were outside playing Sunday, the 8th.  Have to take a moment to stop and show them to you.

This one just makes me laugh.  :-)

Aww!  Happy dog!

Glamour Shot

Party Recovery Day Part Three

More playing outside!  It was the perfect day for it.  :-)

Sandbox Time

"I'm scared of bug bones!"

Hanging Out

Swinging Good Time

Party Recovery Day Part Two

Hula-hooping was just too darn fun to not keep playing on Sunday.

Nikki and Ivy give hula-hooping tips to their aunts.

Woohoo!  Go, Dad, go!  Who knew?!

Hey, Sandra. Can you hula hoop and catch a ball at the same time?

Let's practice counting.  Count the hula hoops - 1, 2, 3.

Now how many hoops are there?  Let's count - 1, 2, 3, 4!

Mom finds her hidden hula hoop talent.

Even Branden couldn't say 'no' to Nikki asking everyone to hula hoop!