COTTON CANDY EVOLUTION

There's something so right, and yet, so wrong about this picture...

I'm instantly transported back to my childhood. Some of the greatest, most carefree years of my life. Every summer my parents would take us to this amusement park in Green Bay called Bay Beach. There were rides, and arcade & a couple different park areas to cook out and play on swings & slides under these huge trees right on the bay. Most of the time my Grandma Madeline (my Mom's Mom) was with us. She would go on the train ride and the merry-go-round with me as many times as I wanted. I wasn't a thrill seeker or a risk taker. I had bad experiences on the tilt-a-whirl and the scrambler at a young age and they terrified me. The ferris wheel was so huge I was intimidated by it. I did go on the bumper cars once in awhile but my brother always thought it was funny when he and his friend spun me out and cornered me so I lost interest fast. The building that contained the arcade looked like the White House--at least it did to me, a 9 year old from Wisconsin. :). There was also a small concession stand inside with a lot of tables. So while we played games, my mom and my Grandma would sit at the tables that looked out over the bay. Sometimes the big double doors were propped wide open and that air would fill the building. When I close my eyes, I can be there again. I can here all the "dings"! and "bling blings"! from the games and feel the humid bay air whip through my hair. But my FAVORITE part? THE COTTON CANDY STAND. That's right. I was so easily pleased. I absolutely loved the way that sweet sugary smell drifted on the breeze all through the park! It was the classic, trademark, "cotton candy pink". Freshly spun onto a cardboard stick while you waited. 

I'm guessing that by now you have guessed what was "wrong with that first photo. If not, maybe this one will help. 

I'm not a fan of the imposter colors that have made their way into the cotton candy world. I'm also not a fan of the fact that finding a cotton candy stand that will give you freshly spun cotton on a stick is a rarity. It's all pre-bagged. Ugh. I guess I have to make my peace with that. And sometimes I can make my peace with the blue cotton. But I can't deal with that yellow and green stuff. Why are they ruining something that was so great in it's classic form? Evolution? Is evolution of cotton candy even a true concept? I guess if you love it as much as I do, then it is. 

I know this is a short post, but man, this cotton candy thing really bothers me. LOL I really am hanging on to my childhood a little too tight. :)

THE GHOST OF INDEPENDENCE DAYS PAST...

It's crazy how your mind gets flooded with memories of your childhood when you visit the same places time after time. This year, Pat & I are waiting for the fireworks in the same little town that I watched them in while I was growing up. I remember the summers they were rained out and cancelled and it felt like the world had ended because it was one less exciting summer night out spent with my friends. I was a country girl. I wasn't like the kids who lived in town and they could all walk or ride their bikes to the nearest park to hang out every night. Seeing my friends during the summer was an event, it took planning and coordination among parents. Not an easy task to accomplish, especially on a holiday. Luckily most everyone around here celebrated in the same small town.
When I was young, we started the day at my Grandma's house just north of the city limits. We picked her up and came back into town for the parade. In the 30 some years I attended that parade, I have to say not much had changed. But it was oddly comforting. :). Then after we gathered up our handful of candy we went back to Grandma's house and had a cookout. We hung out all day until it was time for the fireworks and then we came back up to the park where we laid in the grass impatiently waiting to see the glow of the flares the firemen used to light the fireworks display. It's all done by hand here--it still is.

Over the years some things have changed, our Grandma has gone to heaven. But I like to think that when I'm here, in her town watching these fireworks that on a few occasions we watched from the bedroom window of her house, that she is with me. My Aunt & Uncle built a house on Grandma's property. For many years they carried on the parade/cookout tradition. Now we host the the cookout and have foregone the parade. I miss it, to be honest. I actually got to be in it a few times. My sister's employer had a float and I was invited to throw candy. It was about 100 degrees that day and we had a Chevy truck bed full of goods. I was with another girl and we just left the parking lot to get on the route, and we encounter this lovely senior lady, a very warm, gramma-ee looking woman watering her flowers in the front yard. My friend and I smiled and waved to her and she turned the garden hose on us! That pretty much set the tone for the parade route. We got water-ballooned from rooftops, and ambushed with 5 gallon pails of the coldest water on earth. The truck bed looked like a pool and we looked like drowned rats. We ended up giving an entire box of candy to someone toward the end of the route just so we could hide! And somehow... It's one of the best times of my life!

I've wanted to explore and go other places for the 4th because I heard their fireworks are better, but my heart keeps bringing me back here. I've only missed a few years. And in comparison to where I was, I wish I had been here. Even through the suckee years where the displays were cheap and they sucked!
Big picture: I'm here right now, it's dusk and the neighbors are shooting off some impressive "warm up" fireworks. But I am anxious for the big show. I'm going to put this blog on hold because I would like to try to capture a few photos to insert in here to lessen the boredom factor. :) Happy 4th of July everyone! ~ Angi
As promised: photos... (All captured with my iPhone 5, so I know they aren't the greatest quality--but they are still fun!)

TIME'S MAKIN' CHANGES...

I don't know what it is lately, but I am completely obsessed with my age. And wanting to go back in time, to about the summer of 1988, when I was 11 years old. I think about how things are now, compared to how things were then, and every day I long more and more to turn back the hands of time. Just to experience the little things again...
Every summer, two of my best friends spent almost every Monday-Friday at their grandparent's house; which was right down the dead end road from my house. The only thing separating us was a quarter-mile of beat up asphalt, 3 hay fields, and a corn field (which sometimes rotated to an oats field). We would take turns riding our bikes or walking to the other's house in the morning, come home for lunch, (sometimes spending that time together too), and then doing it all over again in the afternoon. I loved visiting them most. Their grandparent's had a farm and I loved feeding the cows and the pigs, playing with the kittens, laying on our backs, legs crossed, on bales of hay chatting about boys and our dreams on hay wagons in the hot summer sun. We also made "deer beds" in the hay field and played hide-and-go-seek in the corn fields. I remember how sweet the air smelled when the alfalfa was in full bloom on the hottest summer nights. It was intoxicating. (That smell still makes me smile today). We also caught tadpoles that hatched out in the big water tanks outside for the cattle.

Sometimes we even got dirty and did some work. Baling hay was actually FUN. And the best part was, they hired a really hot boy my age and his dad. As soon as the hay fell, I knew it was a matter of 2, maybe 3 days, and I would see him. He'd come out and spend all day baling, and then we'd all spend the evenings unloading. After we were finished, the farmers had a FABULOUS lunch that we all enjoyed. All of us kids, (me, my two girl friends, my little brother, and "the hot boy"), would opt to eat outside and chase lightning bugs and talk about "summer stuff". The days it rained, I was truly sad because I knew I wouldn't be seeing that boy and his dad cruising down that dead end road on their way to work on the farm. And that would be a day I didn't get to see him smile. Or hear him laugh. Or see his sparkly brown eyes.

Tonight as my Beloved and I were taking our ritual drive around "the country block" looking for furries and enjoying the sunset, I was telling him how when we were kids, we only watched TV when there was nothing to do outside. Summer seemed to last forever; I never counted down the days and I was able to enjoy it so much more. We used to pick these weeds out of the ditches and when you put them in a bonfire, they made a Snap! Crackle! Pop! sound like Rice Krispies. Pop Rocks were a scientific marvel. We would take a stick, and some string and put a hook on the end and let it hang in my grandparent's creek all day long and never get bored. We'd catch minnows in that same creek, just to watch them swim around in our bucket for awhile and then we'd let them go. We'd climb their maple tree and lay up there in silence for hours, content just to be above the world and watch it turn. We'd run in the hay fields and catch butterflies to study their colors while they sat quietly in a jar. Then we'd let them fly away.
Lightning bugs didn't get off so easily though... *laughing* My brother and his friends would catch them, pinch them til they popped and swipe the juice on their face like war paint. It only lasted a few seconds, but if you were good, you could do two at the same time and make both cheeks glow at once! Although I couldn't do the actual "popping", I did let them paint me. *shakes head* Why I let them smear bug guts on my face is beyond me! *laughing*
I remember walking in my grandparent's house in the evening while Grampa was watching Brewer games. (I can still hear the commentary in my head). But he would always stop watching and give me his full attention. Sometimes I'd even sit and watch with him, while he explained the finer points of the game to me. (And sometimes he shared his *a-hem* "expert opinions" as well). Gram was usually in the kitchen baking, or going through recipes deciding what she was going to bake the following day. There was almost always fresh watermelon cut, and some delectable dessert to sample, and she was always willing to sit and chat at her giant oak kitchen table. Gram's kitchen was ALWAYS open. You could never leave hungry.
I loved watching her do laundry. She had one of those old-school wringer-washers with the 2 rollers that squeezed the water out of your clothes and flattened them like a pancake, until about 1999. And that's how she liked it. They didn't have a telephone until the 90's either. They just didn't see a need for it. But as they got older, their children insisted on it, for their safety. So they gave in.
I loved spending the weekend there. I'd wake up to the sound of "AM 1360 WOZZ" old country and breakfast was always worthy of a blue ribbon. I'd spend the mid-morning coloring or playing the piano or exploring the upstairs and all the old photo albums and antiques. When lunch rolled around, we'd all sit together and Grampa would read the paper. The afternoon was spent outside, playing in the garden or the tree or by the creek. Dinner was excellent. I always walked away stuffed and pretty much ready for bed. I'd snuggle on the couch and watch TV, or back in those days I'd listen to my "Walkman" with musical selections like Bon Jovi, White Lion, GNR, Martika, Debbie Gibson, New Kids On The Block or Milli Vanilli. (Yes, messed up, I know). But the cool night breeze cruising through the living room window carrying the scents of summer along with the chirping of crickets and frogs was the ultimate country lullaby.
As hard and as often as I wish for it, and hope for it, and pray for it, I know I'll never get those days back. Grampa is in heaven, Gram is almost 95 and can no longer live at home. My girl friends are all grown up and have moved away. The neighbors quit farming, one has passed away. My brother doesn't want to chase lightning bugs anymore. "The hot boy" is still hot *laughs* but doesn't work for the neighbor anymore. I DEFINITELY don't listen to Milli Vanilli anymore.
I'm trying to continue Gram's culinary legacy, practicing (screwing up) her recipes on a daily basis. I'll never have the magic touch that she did, but maybe I can create a little magic of my own.
The one thing I can do, is continue to enjoy the moments that still occur, like the sweet smell of alfalfa in the air...the sound of the frogs and crickets...And I might even climb that maple tree before this summer is over....

I HAVE A STORY TO TELL...

For a very long time, I've been told by MANY people, I should write a book based on "my life".  I've gone through some pretty traumatic stuff.  And for that reason, everyone thinks I should crank out a book.  I can't tell you how many times people have heard what happened and then said, "OH MY GOD! THAT'S MOVIE MATERIAL!"  I have a hard time wrapping my head around a concept like that...

Writing about that time of my life would be really difficult for many reasons.  It would be painful to relive those moments, even if just in my mind, and I've tried really hard for many years to move past it.  So why erase the progress (how large or small it may be), I've already made?  That was between 17 and 19 years ago.  During a pivotal time in life.  I missed so many rites of passage...prom, homecoming, graduating with honors, going out with friends on the weekends, so many things so many other teenagers get to do.  I missed them all. 

When people are sitting around reliving their first kiss, first date, date to prom, etc., I'm trying to escape because those are all topics I don't want to discuss.  It's time I can never get back, and it just makes me SAD.  I WANTED to maybe be on the pom squad, I WANTED to go to homecoming and prom, I WANTED to go to the movies with friends on the weekends...  Instead, I was locked in an abusive relationship and I was lucky to ever even see daylight, let alone other people.  I was even torn from my family.  They were made to be my "enemies".  How twisted is that?  I can't believe I FELL FOR IT.  It's crazy what the mind can do...but I digress...

Even if I "wanted" to write about all of this, I'm not sure I could.  I have forced so much of it to the furthest corner of my mind that I'm not sure if I want to, or even COULD, bring it forth again to write about it in detail.  Some of the events will NEVER be erased or even dulled, but some of the day to day "normal" things are all but forgotten.  What sucks is that, along with trying to mentally erase all of those day to day memories that were bad, also goes some of the good that happened during the same time.  Birthdays, stories grandparents told me, family events, just "things" that I would have LIKED to remember...I CAN'T.  Perhaps under a state of hypnosis I could, but really, would it be worth it?  To maybe bring myself back to a state of sheer terror and panic and confusion?  All to write a book for the world that may never even  appreciate it for the lesson that lies within?  And!! Do I REALLY want the world to KNOW *I* went through that?  Am I ready to see my name and story in print?  Will I want to rip every book off of every shelf out of embarrassment because I allowed such despicable things to take place?  Could I really handle putting my entire life on "display"?  Huh.  I.  DON'T.  KNOW.  

THE MAGIC OF CIVICS...

If anyone had told me 20 years ago, that I would have spent the last 15 minutes before sunset walking across a hay field watching the skies for geese, inhaling the scent of Gio cologne wafting through the air that my crush from junior high was wearing, I would have told them they were completely insane. And yet, it's true. I did that tonight. I'm sitting here right now shaking my head and smiling, knowing my history with this boy.
It all started in my 7th grade Civics class. I scored a seat in the back corner of the room, right by the door. So when the "hall monitors" came to pick up the attendance for that hour, I had a prime view. Of course the teacher for this class was beyond cool...Mr. 'M' was young and had a knack for relating to the younger generation while still maintaining a necessary level of authority. He also thought it be "fun" to play on the "weakness" of a "little girl's" crush. He caught me gazing at this boy every time he came around. He'd even prolong my "agony" by holding him up with casual conversation. It was SO HARD not to just stare at this boy and soak up every feature, his sparkly eyes, his cute blond hair, his intoxicating smile...*sigh*....yes, this boy had everything a 7th grade girl could ever want or dream of. He was a year older than I, and hung with the popular crowd if I remember correctly; which meant a few things, one of which was that he was waaaa-haay out of my league. So I was left with nothing but my daily dose of the boy when he came to pick up attendance. And somehow, that was good enough for me. BUT...hoooo-hoooo, BUT--Mr. M, sensed that I wanted more. So during his "casual" conversation with the boy, I heard him mention my name along with "she's cute right?" All I could think was "Oh, holy fuuuuuuck." I don't think I looked at the boy for a week after that, for fear he would somehow think I had asked Mr. M to say those things to him about me. But I couldn't hold out any longer than a week. No way. I missed his eyes. I missed his smile. I missed his voice. I missed his laugh. And technically, he'd never know these things. And he never did.
Then, one faithful day, September 1, 2009, as I was laying in the middle of a wheat field, on opening day of goose season, I was checking FaceBook. On my page, "the boy" had been my "friend" even though we'd never actually spoken. But we have mutual friends and went to school together--and well--you know how FaceBook works. So I see a post from the boy stating: Text me the goose report *cell number*. I half laughed and half cringed because, here I was, in the PERFECT position to communicate with the boy, but so I go out on a limb and actually DO IT?! Well, either I was feeling especially brave that morning or the lack of sleep caused a temporary lapse of good judgment in my brain because I just "DID IT". When I hit "send", I screamed inside and squeezed my eyes shut waiting for the backlash. It wasn't 10 minutes later that my BlackBerry chirped and I had one new text. Oh crap. My heart started pounding but I knew I had to finish what I started. The text read something to the effect of: "thanks, who is this?". Then I was like shiiiiiit. So I decided to bust out my wits and go to war with the boy. So I replied that I was the queen of the GOOSE MAFIA and he requested the goose report so who better to get it from than "ME"?? So eventually he nailed it down to who I was and we "joked" about a joint hunt someday.
WELL...turns out "someday" wasn't too far off in the future. We planned to meet out at the "D.O.T." In October, just about a month after our first contact. I was sooooo excited....but sooooo-oooh nervous. I'd say there were butterflies in my tummy but that would be completely inaccurate. It was more like BATS flop'n around in there. So finally, we meet he jumps out of his truck, and turns around, and this wave of heat washed over me. I was instantly that "little girl" back in 7th grade, with the crush on the 8th grade 7th hour hall monitor. His eyes, his smile...all fully intact. Damn him. But I had to get it together. So I tried my best and introduced him to the guys and got the hunt under way.
After that things just got better, our friendship grew and we even revisited the 7th grade crush incident. He claimed he didn't know. But I think he was just being polite as to protect my school girl crush memories. We even joke about it in front of everyone else, but it's more of an inside joke and a way for us to rip on each other. But I love it. I love those eyes. I love that smile. I love that laugh. The only difference is that, now he KNOWS about it...

THE END.

6:30 PM  An hour and a half separating me from my weekend.  Friday nights are usually pretty slow after 6:00.  I was hoping tonight was no exception.  Maybe Harold would close up shop early like he does some times when it's slow...I think he's just as anxious as I am to get the weekend going.  Not much time had lapsed when I heard the familiar "RING" of the bells above the glass entry doors.  I heard some boyish banter and laughing.  When I rounded the corner I was relieved to see it was only my younger brother and some of his friends coming for what was undoubtedly, their usual Friday night fair, frozen pizzas and soda.  But what happened next was not what I expected.  When my boyfriend walked through the doors and our eyes met, I know mine sparkled with excitement as my breath caught in my lungs and I smiled as brightly as I could.  But he didn't return the sentiment...no...indeed he did not.  Instead his smile quickly turned to a look of anger and his eyes were transfixed on my now confused face.  I suddenly had this pang of fear and doubt run through my body...as he approached, my heart rate picked up; not like it normally does; when my body is all "aflutter" with my tragic love for him.  This time, it was strictly out of FEAR.  When we were finally face to face, and the other boys were out of ear shot, he said to me in a hushed tone, "you look very pretty tonight...is that a new shirt?"  Unclear of his intentions, I meekly whispered, "yes."  He took a deep breath, looked around once more and then with all the restraint he had in his body he whispered angrily, "DON'T. EVER. WEAR. IT. AGAIN."  I, of course, didn't know how to respond to this.  I could feel my whole body go weak, and I swallowed hard.  Just then, the other boys and my brother came wheeling around the corner laughing and joking around as usual.  I shook off what had just transpired to the best of my ability, and plastered a fake smile on my face, while holding back the inevitable flood of tears that otherwise would have occurred.  I took in the natural "ribbing" from the guys, and 'he' acted as though nothing was out of the ordinary.  As the boys left, he threw a frightening glance over his shoulder, just as he disappeared through the doors...  That, was the beginning of the end.

WHAT LITTTLE GIRLS ARE MADE OF...

When I was a little girl,  I never wore dresses or painted my nails or did anything normal girls that age wanted to do...  "Be a princess!" OH HELL NO!  Thinking back, I don't think I ever possessed an ounce of "typical little girl" status. I always hung out with the boys.  Mostly because the majority of my family consists of  "boys" and therefore, I didn't have a whole lot of choice in the matter.  Getting the boys to conform to the idea of me tagging along with them was the issue.  I had plenty of girl friends who I spent time with on a regular basis, but quite frankly, they were fucking boring compared to the time spent with my brothers, my cousins and their friends. I was the redneck girl thrashing through the mud on a quad with her cousins laughing like a maniac!  To this day, I'm still the little girl, wanting to tag along with the boys on their dangerous adventures rather than go to the mall or try on absurd amounts of clothing "just for the hell of it."  90% of my closet is dedicated to Fox Racing apparel, and the other 10% is split between Harley Davidson, camo and custom clothing made for the hunt club I co-created, "THE GOOSE MAFIA" (TM).  No Gap or American Eagle or Banana Republic for this chick...NOPE.  Don't get me wrong, I DO retain a fair amount of feminine status--this girl likes to look good...in and out of the field.  My hair has its very own reputation to uphold.  It's my favorite feature.  See? I really AM a chick *Wink*
I'm the girl all the boys love--and the one all the girls love to hate.  I'm a huge fan of any and all forms of weaponry (guns, bows, etc.) and hunting, fishing and explosives.  Yes, this girl loves her a little T-N-T!  Therefore, I can closely relate to most guys and that is awesome for me and awesome for them and COMPLETE hell for their girlfriends.  *Laughs*  I think it's funny. 
*Smiles bigger* I've also got sort of a brilliant, genius, maniac, lunatic "cousin" as we call him.  He's in the military and has served 2 deployments in Iraq...not SHORT ones either--18 months a crack.  He's home now.  Safe and sound....well....I use that term loosely.  He's as safe as a licensed pyro can possibly be.  *Laughs*  I remember him coming up to my grandparents almost every weekend for YEARS while I was a teenager and he was always causing some kind of chaos--wait--that's a lie--it was complete and pure pandemonium! ...and funnily enough, I always wanted in on the action.  I idolized this maniac.  We did some heinous things, but all in good fun, no one was ever hurt (that I'm aware of) and they are some of the funniest  memories and most missed times of my life that I can recall.  I'll give you a "milk and marshmallows" sampling of what we did--we paint balled the neighbors cows in 3 or four different fluorescent colors.  *shakes head laughing*  We were so fucking juvenile!!  And the worst part is, if you put a loaded paint ball gun in my hand right now, I'd do the same damn thing without thinking twice.  I do believe there were some M80's and a particular river/culvert incident too...that made me giggle. *shakes head*  Ever since then, spending time with that crazy cousin of mine, and being in such close proximity to weaponry and explosives,  and his constant fucking encouragement of my usage of such mechanics,  I now consider myself to be a fairly warped individual.  And I'm pretty sure some of my girf friends question my sanity on a regular basis.  I saw a pro pyro show a couple days ago put on by the PGI (Pyrotechnics Guild International) and my cousin was head of security at this particular shindig.  I had temporary VIP status and got to go behind the scenes...I saw and felt things NO ONE else ever could or will.  It only fueled the flames!  *Laughs* No pun intended, really.  I love playing with fire.  LOVE IT.  It's a complete rush.  Everyone plays with fire in their own way, mine just happens to be in the literal sense of the word.... There's something about that trademark "THUUUUNK!!" when a 12" shell ignites and the way the concussion resonates through your chest while watching sparks fly choreographed and synced perfectly to the beat of music.  It's like being thrown into an alternate universe... if you just let yourself "go" it's like falling through a magical tunnel of stars that sparkle infinitely.  It's how I imagine HEAVEN.  Instead of traveling through this metaphorical heaven, I want to CREATE it!

M

LIFE'S MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENTS...

This program needs a spell check function. I bet I misspelled "embarrassing" in the title. I'm actually a pretty anal about spelling and grammar and when I go back and read my posts I just ache with remorse over the crappy simple mistakes I made. OOOYYYYY!! Going forth, I'll be more thorough, and I'll even spend more time...I wanna take this more seriously, since I've been getting positive feedback and because I'm thinking of taking this to a "new level", thanks to some encouraging words from a few great friends and even a couple surprise sources. :). Hang on people...together we ride...

I'LL NEVER GET TO FIRST BASE AGAIN...

Sometimes life pulls you in so many directions at the same time, that you feel like you're just going to tear into shreds.  How does one deal with it?  'Tis my struggle...

My Grandparent's house has been in our family for over 100 years.  Grandma's father and her brother built the house, first a small square of a home, and little additions as they could after that.  Eventually, it turned into a beautiful 2 story white farmhouse, with a brown roof, a covered porch in the front and back, and 4 separate "wings" upstairs and just as many bedrooms.  I always loved the "slanted" ceilings when I was a kid...my love for them has only grown over the years.  I can't tell you how many Christmas trees I have been entranced with and how many times Grampa has trapped me for tickles and kisses under the mistletoe.  Or how many birthdays or Easters or just plain dinners have been spent there.  Playing in the front yard all summer, climbing the maple tree, all of us kids eventually carving our names somewhere within the bark.  Catching minnows in the creek.  Eating watermelon on a hot summer night.  Listening to Grampa yell at the tv during Brewer games.  Always finding an endless array of the most fabulous baked goods that my Gramma had constructed.  Her pies, could never be matched....I could stand side-by-side with her, and do exactly what she did, and STILL....it never turned out like hers.  I've tried a zillion times since then, and although I've gotten closer, I still haven't quite figured out what kind of magic that woman puts in her pies...

It's more than just the pies...it's that HOUSE...it holds SO many memories...so many sentimental moments in time...historic moments in time.  And now....it might be gone...in a heartbeat.

Speaking of heartbeat....mine beats a little faster these days.  It's been awhile since it has fluttered the way it does right now...it's exhilarating....and terrifying all at the same time. 

Mom and Dad are "re-landscaping".  I use that term loosely...they are pulling the old bushes out and replanting new ones in their places.  When we were kids, my little brother and I played kickball almost every summer night (that our parents would allow) with the neighbor kids.  She was like my sister, and he was like my brother's brother.  One of those bushes was first base.  It was big enough that if we were charging toward first hard enough, we could crash into it, it's branches and foliage safely catching us like a soft pillow slipped beneath us.  I don't know who was more sad to see that bush go...me or my dad...I swear I saw him shed a tear or two when he started the chainsaw to cut it down.  I'll never get to first base again...

I miss my childhood a lot.  So many times I wish I could turn the clock back, and pick out the moments I wish I had appreciated a little more at the time.  Talk to those I've lost, apologize to those I've hurt, play with those I cherished, pet my kitty one more time....

All I can do now is sift through the photos of times gone by with a fondness that can never be matched.  Let the memories wash over me sometimes, and just block out everything else, almost like reliving them....enough to make things feel tangible again. 

Make it count.  Now. 

THE ASPEN HOLDS MY WORLD IN ITS...Errr..RADIATOR???

I remember it like it was yesterday. Pushing the passenger front seat forward so that I could slide in the back seat of that old Dodge Aspen. It was by far the coolest car to me. I never even minded going to church if I got to ride in that car with my dad. It was painted pumpkin orange.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Aspen
The time for the Aspen was cut short however, it was taken out by a black cow on a foggy morning. I think I cried harder about losing that car, than I did about not getting the Barbie corvette for Christmas that year! Who knew, that at such a young age a girl could become so attached to "a set of wheels".
Maybe that's still true to some extent today. I've always taken great pride in my ride, and since I haven't been able to drive for over 3 years, my ride has suffered considerably. I don't drive it anymore. I don't even feel like it's mine. Pat has inherited it. Just by default and since the Ford has completely tanked, it's just the obvious option.
I feel sad every time I get in that car..."The Grand Slam" the "GT 4 ANGI". No longer exists. I always held out hope that I would get my driving privileges back and that I would get my "baby" back too. But after 3 years and a handful of months, the bottom has sorta dropped out of said hope.
Then when GM axed Pontiac from production, I swear a part of my heart got axed too. Pontiac was my vehicle of choice since my first new vehicle in 1999. What kind of car would I like now? The Chevy (which, per GM you are not to use as phrase anymore, it's "Chevrolet, NOT "Chevy...so unless you wanna put money in a cuss jar, Chevrolet it is...) Has not one vehicle I'm interested in. I fell into a tizzy of despair. How freakish is that?
But it's okay...this story has a happy ending...I saw the light...or rather, the 2011 Ford Mustang commercial. It was love at first sight! Lucky for me, Patrick has always been a Ford man, so there's no twisting his arm to make this happen!
All we have to do, is wait for the good Lord to bestow upon us a financial windfall. The powerball would be great...we're not greedy...we don't need to win those 300 million pots...just a measly 1 million will do! And ya know what the worst part is? We are not the greedy type, so if ever we DID become so blessed to win such a huge pot, there would be so many winners besides ourselves...every member of our immediate family would be cared for for life...our nephews would go on to a college of their choice and they would never want for anything. My Grandmother would live out her remaining days in a fabulous mansion with the best caretaker and personal chef. My parents would own log home on large piece of property as would Patrick's parents. And I would start more than one no-kill animal shelters and rescue organizations with people whom I KNOW care more about the mammals well-being than their own. Like me, who pays pet's vet bills before my own doctor bills. Plus I'd live on a large piece of land with my husband/best friend and we'd have a large pond and his friend George would have a huge guest house to live in and take care of our property and to be our chef and friend. Funny, he and Pat already discussed that!
As for me, it would all be about dreams fulfilled. Traveling the world, getting more education. Owning my own businesses, take care of those I love. I know others say those things, but I would sign a contract right now as the only piece of solid proof I could offer!
So cross your fingers tonight...it's not just me that has something to lose, it's my whole world!

DAYS GONE BY...

Well, I guess my "I'll update in 48 hours" plan fell through the floor.  Things got crazy, including but not limited to, my internet connection.  It seems with this new air card that I need to be either in the living room, or at Pat's house.  Pat's house is stellar, because, I have a 3G connection there. It's beyond ridiculous how much faster the connection is there compared to here (home).

SPRING TURKEY SEASON:

Shawnee and I were super stoked to have the same week for turkey season.  Shawn had everything all planned out, including how were going to get "a double". (2 turkeys, same time)   A very hard feat to pull off.  Our season started April 14 and ran until April 18.  I was all set to go out opening morning with him, and sit in the blind.  The area looked very promising, as there were turkeys there every day!  Unfortunately, a trip to the ER for me, destroyed our opening morning plans.  I did get out that afternoon for the night hunt.  We sat in the blind, and we had hens only 10 feet away from us.  They never had a CLUE we were there!  It was amazing to be that close!  Then the toms stepped out of the woods....oh, the blood started to boil then!  Shawn wanted to get one with the bow, so he was already for that.  The toms stayed about 60-70 yards out, which is waaaaaay too far away for a bow shot.  So we went home that night happy to have been so close to the birds without them knowing or frightening them off.

Day 2 we went out in the afternoon again.  We moved the tent to the back of the corn field (Ryan's east end of property) and we put it right inside the wood line off the corn field.  Every tom we saw, was back there at one point.  I figured we couldn't go wrong.  So we sat in the tent again, and Shawn was getting antsy.  He kept calling and calling and calling.  I told him to settle down and just be quiet for awhile but he was calling again in 2 seconds.  As we were in there, a small line of showers moved through, which brought about a 5 minute down pour. We were laughing because we really thought it was funny.  Not good for the turkey movement though.  Day 2 was in the books.

Day 3, Friday, night hunt.  Shawn and I decided to split up.  He took the north fenceline in the hopes he could cut the birds off if they came down the trail by the ponds.  I stayed in the blind knowing that if we were patient enough, those birds would come out of the NE corner, and either one of us could get a shot.  It was really windy and cold that day.  Shawn texted me several times that there was no movement where he was.  I had the same situation.  There may have been some very distant gobbles, but that was it.  We were getting really cold now.  I physically had to hold the tent down so it wouldn't blow over.  Shawn was texting me asking if we could quit.  I asked him to hold out til at least 6:00.  So it was quiet until then.  So he texted me again saying he was cold and I texted him back, can you hold out until 6:30? If you don't want to stay then walk over to the tent by me.  No sooner than he got that text and he was flying out of that wood line. LOL  He came to the tent, we put all the gear where it needed to be, and we exited.  As we were walking across the filed, Pat pulled up to pick us up.  We didn't see him motioning for us to "get down" because we were too busy talking strategy and how freaking cold it was.  Then we saw him and OH CRAP, the toms were strutting right down that trail where Shawn wanted to cut them off.  By the time we saw Pat and figured out what was happening, it was too late, they high tailed it out of there.  After that disappointment, Day 3 waas in the books.

Day 4, Saturday, Shawn went out in the morning with Scott.  I wasn't there to witness it, but he nailed his tom!!  Scott said it was an awesome shot (with the shotgun) and he stopped the bird in his tracks.

 So that afternoon, I went to check it out, after we decided to take the night off and go out to eat with Keith and Felicia to the Texas Roadhouse. It was a good time, but it was raining pretty much the whole time, so we just decided to head home after that.  Pat and I went home and snuggled in bed and were asleep by 8:00. It felt good.
Day 5, Sunday...the FINAL day I had to score a bird.  Pat and I went out early, around 3:00.  It was a long sit until 5:30...about the time the action usually starts.  It wasn't until about 6:00 when the birds showed up.  One hen at a time, from the NE corner of the field, which was directly to our right.  I remember seeing the toms work that edge more than once, so I was SURE they would do it again.  I was counting each hen, one by one...when finally, I looked, and yelled (in a whisper), "TURKEY ON THE FIELD! OH MY GOD! IT'S A TOM! HE'S COMING! HE'S COMING!!"  So, obviously, Pat was going to be the one with the level head in this situation...he said, "get your gun up"...so I did.  I was shaking SO BAD!  I had to laugh at myself because typically I don't get all worked up and shaky until AFTER the kill...this was a serious rush!  And to make matters worse...there were TWO toms coming!  Right down the wood line, just like I had predicted!  The turkeys were SO CLOSE, you could literally see their eye balls moving...turkeys have impecable eyesight, so I'm really not sure how we pulled this one off without them seeing us first and bugging out.  The toms were working their way toward us, I had the gun up, SHAKING MISERABLY, and the choke tube was actually sticking so far out the tent, I should have been able to tickle their beards! LOL  The first tom came by...I didn't take the shot because I wanted to see what "Number 2" looked like first...and then Number 2 showed up...he was beautiful...after flashbacks from my first turkey hunt, I told Pat to the back of my shoulder so I didn't flip over when I took the shot...  So with Pat whispering "SHOOT!" in my ear, I tried to steady myself and take a deep breath and "WAH-WHOOMP!" The shot was fired...I couldn't even see what happened after that, other than Pat bolting out of the blind...  When I regained my scruples, I saw him standing next to my bird...I dropped him where he stood...I was finally able to breathe again!  I came out of the tent and that is when the BEST part of the hunt happened....Pat smiled at me and said, "YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT!"  And he picked me up and hugged me and picked me up right off the ground! I never felt that he was so proud of me before!  After the adrenaline wore off, only a couple minutes later, that's when I started crying, then laughing, then crying...I'm a freaking basket case after I kill something.  Go figure.  I couldn't even dial my cell phone to give mom the news.  Pat had called him mom who I assumed asked if I was happy, and Pat replied, "she's in tears".  Ahhhhh...I delivered for the mafia and bagged an awesome bird too.  :)

Now the pressure was on for the rest of the boys!  Shawn and I had set the bar pretty high...a DOUBLE!  We didn't get it like we had planned, but we still did it!

MAY 1, 2010 TINA'S SURPRISE GOLDEN BIRTHDAY PARTY

Mom had planned to throw Tina a surprise golden birthday party at Kelly Lake.  Wonderful!  She had told me who she wanted to invite, and that Tina knew we planned to just do "dinner" that night.  So we set out to inviting her friends from work.  Only, she, herself, had invited a few herself! So she pretty much knew everyone coming.  LOL  Little shit...our plans were foiled!  We managed to round up a few more couples, and told her Alice and Clarence weren't coming due to a casino trip they were going on.  Her chin hit the floor when she heard that! Hahahaha!  Take that little sister!  I took it upon myself to get things in place for her cake.  I called Sheryl, the woman who had done Tina and Ry's wedding cake, as well as a birthday cake for Alice and Clarence and just last year, one for my dad's 60th birthday party.  They were always so yummy, that I had no doubt that's where I would go.  I arranged for Tanya and I to pick it up the Friday night before the party. No problem. Tanya and I were going on a secret mission!  When we got there, the cake wasn't at all how we had discussed, but it was still cute. Instead of the purple flowers and gold leaves, Sheryl made it look like two presents stacked on top of one another...which was cool.  And it had a big gold fondant bow on top. Previously, I had ordered a balloon bouquet from the Flower Shoppe and also arranged for Tanya to pick that up.  (I owe this girl big time).  Tanya texted me and told me she had gotten the bouquet, but when she stopped by her parents afterward, the balloon that was the centerpiece of the whole bouquet, a giant purple butterfly, had popped...NOOOO!!!  So after panicking and assuring Tanya it wasn't her fault...I called the Flower Shoppe in Gillett (as the one in OF was already closed).  The man there was SO nice.  He drove all the way to OF to see if there was another butterfly balloon.  And while there was not, he said there was a purple dragonfly.  So I took that.  He brought it back to Gillett where Alice and Clarence agreed to pick it up and bring it right to the party. WHEW.  Crisis averted---almost.

TO BE CONTINUED....

OOPSY

WILL UPDATE WITHIN 48 HOURS...that's my promise to YOU!

GOLD, SILVER, BRONZE....

Where has the month of February gone???  First the Super Bowl, which was a total letdown, and then the Daytona 500 which proved to be a good race, and now we are in the final stretch of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada.
I am a huge fan of the Snow Cross, Half Pipe, Ski Cross, Aerials, Moguls, Hockey, Speed Skating and all the down hill skiing events,
My favorite Olympians are: Louie Vito, Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn, Julia Mancuso, Apolo Ohno, and Bode Miller. Just to name a few. :)
I'm grateful for these Olympic games as they have made the month fly by...just one more month of "winter" and we'll be marching into spring!
I cannot wait to get in the garden this year! I've got plans to make it even bigger and better than last year, which is hard to believe considering what we've achieved so far.  I'm anxious to see which of my perennials return, and hopefully this year, we don't have a killing frost in June, which completely desomated my peonies last year.
I'll be adding a special "Annual Bed" this year, which will contain bulbs that need to be extracted every fall and then replanted in spring.  Those varieties include: Gladiolas and Cana.  And as always, I will have my special "seeded flowers" area, where zinnias, cornflower, annual poppies and Bells of Ireland can flourish all summer long.
We'll be expanding our potato section this year as well.  Two varieties of sweet potato: Bearegard and Georgia Jet and two varieties of regular potatoes: Russet and Baby Reds.
I've also learned about onions and the importance between, Day Neutral, Long Day and Short Day.  Which explains why our onions turned soft as quickly as they did after harvesting last year.
This year, will be the second year the strawberries have been in the garden.  After planting them last spring, they spread quickly and were throwing runners everywhere! So this year, we should have our first good harvest.  I cannot wait for that!
With Pat going back to work this past Monday, the scheduling will be a little different, as he won't be home until 2pm every day.  So there will be a lot of hot afternoons in the garden in my future. :o)  But I can think of much worse things...like, winter extending into June....err...no, forget I ever even said that.
Gram remains in the nursing home, much to her dislike.  I haven't been to see her in awhile so I'm thinking that if dad doesn't bring her home this weekend, I'll have to drop by.  It's still really difficult seeing her there. I know she hates it, being packed in a tiny room with a complete stranger that she can't even hold a conversation with.  It's saddening to see her that way.
February 18 marked the 5 year anniversary of my choleycystectomy (an uber fancy word for the "ripping out of one's gall bladder), and also the 9 year anniversary of Dale Earnhardt's untimely death at the Daytona 500.  Both are dates I'd rather not recall.
My seizures seem to be settling down a bit, "knock on wood", although I haven't felt good for the greater portion of the month.  But if there is a "good" month to not feel well, I'd have to say February is the one since it's plagued with the coldest weather of the year and snow storms galore.  What better time to be laid up?? Right??
Well, I'm looking forward to spending some time with my besties in the near future and for the arrival of spring.  Soon I'll be making my famous bunny cake for Easter...it seems like just yesterday when I flubbed one up, hard core at that.  This year my first try will work, no doubt! Never make the same mistakes twice!
PS Good luck to the US Men's Hockey team...GO FOR THE GOLD!! WOOHOO!

JANUARY IN REVIEW...

It's been a really long month. I'm eternally grateful that it's over. Between monster migraines and seizures and anonymous phone calls, I'm glad to be moving into a brand new month!
Last night was the sportsman banquet at Romy's. I got to see Bruce who greeted me with a big hug and a plea to come visit him on league night. I also ran into Lonn Demuth. Talk about a funny reunion! He too offered a "Lonn-sized" hug and words of astonishment over how much I've changed since he last saw me. (FYI: it has been about 12 years...LOL). Our group in attendance was Pat, Dad, Keith, Felicia, Kraig, Mark, Tom, Mary Jo, Scott and myself. Also in attendance was Chad "the psychotic cop". The little weasel was boring holes into my head all night. I tried not to look at him but the few times our eyes locked, there was nothing but sheer rage emanating from mine...the only issue was, he was returning the favor. However, I wasn't frightened. I was surrounded with a halo of friends and family. He couldn't have infiltrated that circle if he wanted to. Even though that banquet hall put at least 50 feet between us, it still felt as though there were only an inch separating us at times. Much to my amusement, Karleen got fat and she looks like pure hell. If only she had heeded my warnings...sucks to be her.
Even though no one in our group won anything, we still pigged out and laughed all night. The "Pabst Smeer" (Pabst Mirrors) was born and I left feeling overall content.
I'm bummed the Vikings didn't make the Superbowl. I even wore a Favre jersey on two occasions. I would have worn it with pride on Superbowl Sunday too, but that wasn't in the cards. Maybe next year...
Can't wait to see all that February holds for me.

NEW BEGINNING...

I can't believe it's already January...let alone, 2010.  I can honestly say this is not where I thought I would "be" at this point in my life.  I had a solid plan.  I was on track for SO LONG.  And I was SO CLOSE to having it "all".  And in just a SECOND it was torn away from me.  But I realize now that I have to fight to get it all back.  And I will.  It's my life.  Nobody can take that away from me.
Christmas was a huge disappointment...not the gifts though!!! Christmas Eve started out great.  Although the weather was, as they say, "FRIGHTFUL", Aunt Alice and Uncle Clarence were still wiling to make the drive and Tina and Ry were coming as well.  The REAL bummer of the holidays? Gramma was not home, nor could we safely GET her home because of the treacherous weather conditions.  I was furious about it.  No one should be alone on Christmas, and she WAS.  God, that just tears me up inside.  But I digress...
We all came together on the Eve of Christmas to celebrate like we always do.  The tree was lit, the gifts were wrapped with giant bows and festive paper...the food was making the house smell awesome and it was "TIME".  Tina and I exchanged our gifts first.  I really didn't share with ANYONE what I was getting everyone else...so this was a funny deal...I opened mine first.  VS jammies with matching slippers.  I could only LAUGH!  Because little did Tina (or anyone else) know that I had bought her the EXACT SAME THING!!!  WTF?!?! Do sisters mind's think alike or WHAT!??!  It was at that point that I started to feel "iffy".  To make a long story short, I spent the majority of the evening laying on my bedroom floor crying in pain.  No way was I going to the ER on Christmas...been there, done that...I was gonna power through this! And I did...but unfortunately, it was too late.  Auntie and Uncle had left for the evening feeling that I needed to rest.  Augh.   In the end, I finally made it to the couch around 9:00 or so and opened gifts with my parental units, Pat and Tina and Ry.  It wasn't the same without us all eating dinner together and playing games all night and searching for the "Christmas Pickle" hidden in the tree.  I felt robbed.  And yet, so blessed.  After the gift opening Tina and Ry also departed as the weather conditions were worsening.  So it was an early night.  Christmas Day was no better....the weather was indeed, horrible yet and we still couldn't make it to see Gram.  In the early evening while organizing all the gifts under the tree, I just burst into tears.  Pat asked me what was wrong and I couldn't even answer him.  Finally he said, "it's just everything, isn't it?"  I nodded.  He knows Christmas is my time to "shine."  This year that didn't happen. I was snuffed out like a friggin' candle.  So I just crawled into bed and decided it wasn't worth the fight.  So I slept.
The week between Christmas and New Year's was no picnic.  So many small things happened.  Like my BlackBerry crapped out on me and Cellcom was making it utterly impossible for me to keep my professional demeanor while dealing with them.  It all ended with me stomping out of the place with a new plan in place.  And low and behold, it worked.  For the hours of struggling I did with the (alleged) "customer service" department in DePere, all it took was a short explanation and 20 minutes for one other Cellcom dealer to have me fully hooked up with an UPGRADED BlackBerry and all the accessories.  I mean, I just don't undestand how two separate establishments, who essentially, work for the same goal, can be complete polar opposites when it comes to the way they handle their customers.  All I can say is "bye bye Depere" and "hello P-town!" Granted that was a really vague explanation of the events that occurred, but trust me when I say, it was a helluva day!
New Year's Eve was originally planned to be spent at a hotel near home in a jacuzzi suite.  But due to my desire to buy the new BlackBerry instead, we cancelled those plans and decided to stay home with mom and have dinner with her, since Daddy was working all night.  I mean, why should she be alone on New Year's Eve?  So instead, I planned to make a scrumptious steak dinner, for mom, Pat and myself.  It worked out well...daddy went off to work around 4:00 and then I began.  Oven roasted potatoes, tenderloin steaks and sauteed 'shrooms and onions.  Around 6:30 we sat down to dinner and it was AWESOME! YAY ME!  I love being all "chef-ee" as anyone who knows me at all will tell you.  I ate way too much and then decided to work it off by playing my new Wii games.  Pat and I did the Sport Resort archery for an hour or so, and then we moved on to Mario Galaxy, which, really takes a lot of strategy...I mean, between the two of us, we had a hard time getting out of some of those worlds.  It's nothing like the classic Nintendo version that came out in the early 90's.  No no...this is all 3-dimensional and just INSANE!!!!  At first Pat thought the game was "childish" but let me tell ya...he's the one who eventually was in control when he killed off our last life.  So now we have to start allllllllllllll over again! BUMMER!  Anyway, he hit the hay early because he had been bobcat hunting all day with my bro, and mom fell asleep early as well, since she had a Tom Collins earlier...so I was left all alone to watch the mighty ball drop in NYC at midnight.  I had put in a movie that would conveniently end about 15 minutes before the ball drop.  It all went down and really...nothing felt any different.  I was just TIRED.  So I went to bed.
Of course I'm omitting a couple things here...after all the pain and suffering on Christmas Eve...I had a seizure...and also about an hour and a half into New Year's Day (per Pat's recollections) I had another one.  I don't remember ANYTHING.  It's odd.  I always "know" when I've had one when I wake up the next day.  Everything is really "foggy"...like if I TRY to remember it's just hazy and there are just flashes of memories.  And then there's the pain....good grief the pain of feeling like I've been hit by a Mack truck.  And an overwhelming feeling of weakness.  But I came around pretty quickly New Year's Day.  I got up and watched the Rose Bowl parade, and I even started to undecorate the family tree in the living room.   Of course those two small events wore me out and that was about all I achieved that day. 
Since then, everything has been fairly quiet.  Which is good.  I enjoy "quiet".  I don't enjoy the cold weather or the loads of "white dirt" the keep getting dumped on us, but we only have a few more months of this and then spring is upon us.  Since I'm pretty much cooped up for that time, I plan to do A LOT of baking.  Experimental bread making and some pretty fantastic cakes as well.  I will definitely post pics of the stuff that turns out GOOD.  If you don't see any pics or posts of my creations, well...then you know things did NOT go well and it's probably going to be a touchy subject with me at best.
With that, I will say this...I believe in my heart that 2010 (twenty-ten) will be a MUCH better year than 2009.  IT HAS TO BE.  There is no other option.  I have a sense of renewal and my ambition to get to my goals in life have never been higher.  I have been working on a list of things I want to accomplish in 2010 and I will post that in a future entry...I even asked for suggestions from my friends via my Facebook page.  Although some of them were fairly goofy, it was a fun thing to do.  And one of my major goals? To keep up with this blog a lot better...I will MAKE time for this just as you have to make time for everything else that is important in your life.  Priorities, priorities, priorities...and my motto (as my friend once told me) "work first, then play."  Those words ring out in my mind alllllllllllllllllllll the time.  So, thanks my friend...you know who you are!
Happy New Year everyone!  Cheers to 2010 and a decade full of promise, hope, happiness and love!

CHRISTMAS HUSTLE!

Well, Pat and I went out to get a Christmas tree on December 2, 2009.  We went to Whispering Pines to the NE of here.  I've ALWAYS wanted to go there, but for whatever reason, we always just stuck to the Christmas tree farms around home....but this year I finally talked Pat into making the big trip!  We had pretty good luck.  I found this "OOMPAH-LOOMPAH" tree first...

After this, we headed for our intended target, the Balsam Fir lots.  The trees were not as deep and dark green as I wanted.  So I scampered over to the next lot which held the Frasier Firs.  The Frasiers had MUCH better color, but the branches were shorter and weaker as a whole...but then...just as I was about to give up, I saw THIS:

Yes, I'm pretty sure I heard a choir of angels singing when I found this tree.  It was a great color, had a great shape and we wouldn't have to cut half of it off for it to fit in the house.  So we definitely had a winner!

As you can see I take my Christmas tree hunting very seriously!  My darling hubby cut that monster down for me, while I was supposed to be holding it and pushing it away from him so it wouldn't fall on him.  So you can see my "please don't fall on Pat!" face above, as well as my final hug to our tree for fulfilling it's Christmas destiny and letting me cut it down to bring it home.  LOL  Not to worry...I have beautified it very much.  I have a pic from when I put the lights on....

Love this tree with all my heart! It's now decorated with ornaments from many years and a grapevine/berry star and a bright red bow!  There was a tree I got a couple years ago, that actually tipped over a couple times before Christmas...I wanted to throw that tree out and get a new one, but no one would let me!

December 9, our first snow storm.  "Allison".  She left 17" of snow in her wake.  We went from having no snow at all, to a complete white out!

Here's the view from my bedroom window during the storm...

December 11, MN Amy came out to visit me for the day!  We had shopping and a trip to the Botanical Gardens light display on our minds, as well as meeting up with Ali at Olive Garden for dinner later on.  So we headed out into the cold with her mighty Sport Track, and braved the below zero wind chills.  Here are some pics from the Botanical Gardens...

These are the awesome purple daisies and sunflowers you see when you first walk in the gardens...

                                     

This was the Caterpillar vortex you walk through...SO COOL! All LED lights!

One of the many butterflies...

This is my favorite place in the garden.  A gazebo with stars cut out of the copper dome on the top!  It doesn't show up well in the picture, but it's there, believe me!

This is Amy and I in front of the gazebo!

Back into the heart of the caterpillar!

One last pic of Amy and I before leaving the gardens! 

Now my days are filled with Christmas tree set up, deocorating, and bow making.  Christms card writing and Christmas shopping.  Thank God for online shopping (and BING!)!  Can't wait til all the gifts are in the house and I can begin wrapping them!  Woot!  I hope everyone has a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a wonderful New Year!

FA-LA-LA-LA...??? AUGH.

So Thanksgiving has come and gone.  Another successful holiday where I stuff myself until I'm insanely full and pledge to "never eat again"....but then I get a craving and that all goes out the window! My deep dish pies were awesome!  Which was a relief since I really thought my pumpkin pies were not "up to snuff".  I don't know what happened to them...the crust turned dark and the filling just wasn't "right".  But no one died after eating them, so I guess all was good!
Sad part is, no one went to see Gram that day...so Sunday, dad brought Gram home and Scott made a beef roast and a ham with all the trimmings...it was like Thanksgiving again without the turkey.  But everything was soooo good!  I helped Gram write out almost all of her Christmas cards and it seemed to brighten her spirits a little.  Which is good, because she was feeling really sad.  I'm sure just "knowing" she had to "GO BACK THERE" was enough to make the experience bittersweet.  But once she started talking and telling stories she was in a good mood.  She even sat and watched the Viking game with us for awhile! Dad finally took her back around 6. 
I'm hoping we will bring her home Christmas Day as well.  She belongs at home for those days.  This past Saturday, was her Christmas party at SC, but I had a seizure (broke my 7 week, 2 day streak) so I couldn't go. Mom, Tina and Alice went.  The meal was to be served at 11:30am.  But mom and the gang got there at 11:15 and Gram was in her room and was already finished eating...WTF? Ok.... She was all dressed up in her Christmas sweater and she was saying..."I thought there was a party? Where's the party?"  So after a few hours mom and the gang left and all they saw was a long line to the dining room.  The next day I talked to a friend who also went to the party and apparently there was more stuff going on later in the afternoon.  There was musical entertainment so I really hope Gram got out to see that!  I also wish I would have gone....even if I was tired...I could have laid on her bed, pretty much the same way I did here at home...the only difference would have to have been that Pat would have had to wake me up sooner...he woke me up after 11 and asked if I was hungry...hell, I was barely COHERENT, let alone HUNGRY...but I did get up and he carried my pillows and blanket to the couch while I stumbled behind him...and he made a pizza and served it to me couch-side with a glass of soda...he even got me a refill :0) 
So today, mom and I put the Christmas decorations up outside.  It's been so hard for me to find my Christmas spirit this year...I haven't bought ONE Christmas gift yet, I have to wait until I get my check which isn't until December 23.  Nothing like waiting til the last minute, but really, I have no choice at this point.  But I made an executive decision that this week, every day, I will do something Christmas-themed.  Much like putting up the outside decor today (which was a bummer to find out all my trees were broken, so we are down to the lighted juniper bush, a lighted snowman, and 6 lighted candy canes...clearance sales in January, here I come!), each day will involve something to do with Christmas.  Tomorrow I plan to put the tree up in the house...the fine specimen of a Balsam/Frasier Fir that Pat and I hunted down last Monday at Whispering Pines.  VERY nice place! Will definitely go there again!  But, Pat had to give the tree stand to Kyle tonight to fix, as the stud in the bottom broke off, so Kyle is going to weld on a new one...crap...I should have had him weld the legs on too...it's a pain that they fall out every time you pull the tree out of the corner to water it...*sigh*...maybe I can still get that done.  MENTAL NOTE: LEGS FOR XMAS TREE.
Ok. 
The only other "set:" event for the week so far is Friday, when MN Amy comes to visit!  I cannot wait!  She was messaging me pictures from the Holidazzle Parade in MN tonight! I LOVE TECHNOLOGY!  Although I most likely will have to wait until next year to witness that for myself, we have plans to shop, walk through the GB Botanical Gardens light display (this will be my first time!) and finally meeting up with Tina and Ali at night for dinner at the Olive Garden....a spectacular day we have planned and I cannot wait for it to get here!
I still have to get going on my Weetabix Christmas Card exchange...All I can really do is get the "get to know you" forms printed for inside the cards, as the ones I have ordered haven't come yet...but I called and checked and they will be on their way shortly! I got my Lang Christmas Cards which are gorgeous, no doubt!  I can't wait to start sending!  But first I have to track down a few more addresses before I can make that happen.  That sounds like a good Monday night/Tuesday event. 
Tuesday night will be excellent...A Charlie Brown Christmas will be on, only after being pre-empted by the Pres and his speech last week.  After ACBC comes the new holiday series, Disney's Prep &  Landing...it looks REALLY GOOD! I can't wait to see it! I'm a huge fan of holiday cartoons and I think this will be going onto my favorite list as well.
Well, It's 11:56pm and my laptop battery is dead...I must go for now...pics added later.
Angi...out.

DADDY HAMMERED A SPORK!

Ahhhh....so opening day of rifle season has come and gone.....
In the last 5 days, I have seen one "body" in the brush and POSSIBLY a tail in the brush...I've not seen a WHOLE DEER yet....WTF!??!  And the Wisconny DNR wants a 16 day season next year?? WTF!??!?! (again, yes.)  So I'm left very disgruntled about the season so far.  I DO realize there is a standing corn field just to the north of my stand...and I DO realize it has been unseasonably warm.  All of which could be halting the movement.  Tomorrow morning we have a chance of snow...it could be THE DAY!   However, it's also Thanksgiving tomorrow and I will have to see if I have the ambition to get out of bed at 3:30 again...that is ONE EARLY DAY!
In other news, The Uncle and Cousin from MS are home for the holiday.  They've not seen much either...a couple of does and fawns.  Neither of which we shoot.  That's OUR definition of "herd management!"  I DID have my eye on a nice 8 pointer which I got some great video footage of...but rumor has it, that opening morning, when Marky and I were waiting anxiously in my stand for the "SHH-SHH-SHH" of little deer hoofies in the leaves....instead we heard the unmistakeable sound of a rifle...followed by "commotion" and a "crash" in the brush....apparently that was the neighbor...shooting MY BUCK!  And to add insult to injury I actually HEARD IT GO DOWN.....augh.
Dad was so funny, Marky and I came out of the woods one night, I THINK Monday, and there dad stood, with Scott nearby and Uncle D in the middle of the field...Daddy had hammered a buck! So me and Marky took the quad to pull it in.  Somehow Dad talked Marky into doing the dirty work and gutting it for him...he played the "I'm an old man" card...touche...
So he got himself a 3 pointer...funny cuz Ry got a spike.  So that night at dinner, Marky, mom, dad and I were talking about the deer and Mom said, "Ry got a spike" and dad said, "Ha I got one more point than Ry!" and I laughed and said, "Ya, dad got a spike AND a fork!" and Dad said, "I GOT A SPORK!" OMG! SOOOO FUNNY!  So the joke of the season is definitely how "daddy hammered a spork!"
On a MUCH lighter note, Friday night (November 20) was stellar! I spent the afternoon with Marky, Felicia, Keith and Mike at the opening day of NEW MOON! OH. MY. GOD!!!! LOVE IT!! Can't wait to see it again!! Any takers???? :o)
That night, I also made the hike to see Gram, as I knew I wouldn't see her much once season opened.  And then made the trip even farther north to meet up with an old classmate and to "trade meat".  YES. I SAID TRADE MEAT!  Excellent! Can't wait to try it...I'm waiting for Pat to get home tonight for that!
Other extra curriculars for the week were, hitting Chili's for lunch, scoring my copy of Twilight back from Marky, a hysterical day in the stand with Marky doing impressions from "Escanaba in Da Moonlight" and the "BOMB" yesterday.  Craziness...thought someone blew the farm up!  Thankfully, that was NOT the case!
Today was filled with pie baking and a trip to see Gram soon.  Sad we cannot spend the holiday together but I guess I have to understand it anyway.
HAHA Deer Camp episode on That 70's Show.  FUNNNNNNNNNY SHIT! :o)
Well I must go now and maybe put together another pie before I leave...perhaps blueberry now and I'm hoping for a blackberry pie to appear tonight as well!
Happy Thanksgiving! GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE!