Dogs are funny.

Rudy in some of her finest poses.

Goldens

Happy Birthday Caron... you are golden today, by tradition. I am sorry we could not make it to your place... traveling is great until you come home and realize you only have three outfits you can wear, and they are all dirty... this chore just among the many. I am with you in spirit, and hope you had the greatest birthday ever. By the way, Joyce sent me home with a bunch of your stuff, I'll keep it in the car, who knows when I might just "drop in!"
Hip Hip Hooray, Caron is 27! Love ya.

Good Holiday Reading

And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don't understand but in the dream it feels as if it had some enormous meaning--either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again.

-The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe.

gobble, gobble up your turkey (hah hah)

hello, my friends! i want to add my "happy thanksgiving" to cheryl's, caron's, and daphne's. you guys are pretty great. thank you for taking me into your sort of pre-existing community this year. i guess that's the whole idea of community, but i want you all to know that i think you do it especially well. it's the only reason i haven't gone crying back to arkansas. i like it here.

my sense of thanksgiving is heightened this year by the flock of wild turkeys that owns our neighborhood. it's their beat. their turkey beat. they do sweet things, like have showdowns with neighborhood cats in my back yard. like gang wars. cats vs. turkeys. (in case you are curious, cats seem to win. the next time i'm around you, if you want me to, i'll enact the whole scene for you.) but now because of avian bird flu, they have a sinister element to them. but they are still sort of cheery. in a slightly sinister way...haha.

anyway, God bless you all and your families too. Happy thanksgiving!

The great bird tradition.

Wanted to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving, too. You can wish me luck with my first roast turkey. I'm brining it in this picture in the only place I could think of. Kinda yuck looking, huh? Caron, I miss seeing you. I hope you are hangin' in there. Linus sings about your daughter a lot.

spanksgiving

happy thanksgiving, friends near & far. jason and i went to pottstown meat & deli today. we bought some cajun beef sticks and tried this yummy new delight, marula cream. it's a liquer made from marula fruit. in omaha, kansas, oklahoma, illinois, or iowa, try marula this thanksgiving.

i miss you guys.

happy thx-day

hope you all have a great day, no, let's make that WEEK of thanks. gratitude. isn't it a wonderful thing? 'getting' the concept of gratitude changed my life, i think. of course, i'm still trying to get it. just wanted to say that i'm thankful that you ladies are in my life--you are amazing women! i am in hillsboro, kansas celebrating with the mennonites. it's fab.

showers.

i was wondering if anyone knows of any good baby shower games or activities. my sister-in-law is having one this weekend, and caron and i are in charge of games... any ideas??

Over the Rhine, anyone?

Kate gets to see them in Chicago, but they're coming to Des Moines, too. Sunday, December 4. Let's go. C'mon.

thanks

this was one of those weeks: couldn't have done it without you. ali, for the sandwich & epsiode watching. cheryl, for spending some time with us. kate, for taking AB to the blue line. god bless your soul. julie, for the free medical advice. god: each time i get sick, i'm thankful that i get better. land o' lincoln, here we come. see ya'll on the flipside. (i'll have my phone, call me!)

i am my mother

how can something be so disgusting & so refreshing? just wait til it happens to you!

her?

the bluth family has been canned. get your laughs while you can, arrested fans. dang it!

Silly or a morning wonder?

What do you think about this? Usually I hate excessive kitchen gadgets (automatic can openers, etc.) But, ahh, I love poached eggs and toast in the morning. Order here.

15 Ways To Maintain A Healthy Level of Insanity

(I found this on a website and thought maybe someone else might also have a laugh)

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."

4. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone Has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch To Espresso.

5. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write "For Sexual Favors"

6. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy."

7. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

8. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."

9. Sing Along At The Opera.

10. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme.

11. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.

12. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won! I Won!"

13. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking Lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"

14. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."

And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity...
15. Send This E-mail To Someone To Make Them Smile. . . It's Called Therapy

all too brief

thanks for spending a little time together this weekend, caron, kate, ali, brittons, julie, annabelle, and vi. a little here, a little there. i feel richer than george bailey when i get to be with you.

on snow days

i couldn't be happier: it's snowing, just finished some christmas blend, the phone is off the hook, & jason's at home for the day. when it snows, he games! and so does she.

the first snow

lovely. hope you're all warm this morning.

Monday kick-start

This is a good read for when you sit down in your studio on a Monday morning feeling groggy and uninspired.

Vacation Omaha

What a dreamy weekend. Some very generous kid-less friends of ours took Linus overnight for us and a good portion of today and Kyle and I spent some much needed time alone. We went to eat at Jobber's Canyon in the Old Market. It is a new micro-brewery. The beer was good (don't tell anyone I had a sip), but the food was very, well, regular. Nothing spectacular. But we did hit Aromas and enjoyed the atmosphere quite a bit. Also an overnight at Courtyard Marriott. And, a day of shopping at Village Pointe where they have a new maternity section in their Gap. But no sales.

the arcade fire

i've been lying in bed with "rebellion (lies)" running through my head. there's this triumphant "wooh-oh-oh, woooh-oh-oh" that i was teaching annie and i kept hearing it in my dreams. finally i woke up and decided on some sudoku. and the fact that it's freaking friday!!!! my in-laws are coming to town!!! darby is coming to town!!! kate gets back this afternoon, done with her tests!!! i made a pumpkin pie last night!!! it's november & still 60 degrees!!! our new couch is coming on saturday!!! AND: it's FRIDAY!!! i love everybody.

christmas blend

it's back! i love it! i want it! my favorite coffee. and they have some cool mugs this year, too.

lucky charms

when i was taking irish literature, i started saying "blarney" a lot. try it.

brittney

Haven't y'all ever seen a pregnant lady wear a tablecloth to the video store? Jeez.

White Elephant Gifts

It is coming upon us once more, that season of awkward Christmas Parties for various groups in our lives that we spend a great deal or a great little time with on a daily basis. And along with those social occasions of merriment, comes the ever-so-popular 'White Elephant Gift Exchange'.

Here is my delima.

It has been our tradition in one annual exchange to recycle the truly unique gifts back into the mix the following year. Last year Nate & I received Action Figure Jesus. He is a pretty good White Elephant Gift in my opinion and therefore would qualify for recycling. The trouble however, is that I have grown attached. I failthfully regave the Kung-Fu Dancing Hampster last year, but Jesus is different. He watches over us with patience and quiet company as we work in our home office. He at one point adorned my previous office cubicle to the frustration of my boss (tee hee). He is one of us. I can't give him away... Yet there seems to be a hidden metaphore here for giving Christ away to others. Hmmm.

I accomplished a goal!

I wanted to teach myself how to make sushi. I attempted it tonight for dinner. I do parties, bar mitzvahs, weddings. Just kidding.

Just chillin'

Linus and Annabelle watching a DVD I picked up at the library. It was four Ezra Jack Keats stories made into movies. Peter's Chair, The Snowy Day.... bring back memories?

SHUTUP! ......WHAP!

okay. as many of you know, i nanny 2 days a week for a three year old, hannah, and a one year old, luke. i had this dream last night that hannah told me to, "SHUTUP MISS CORRIE!" at which i replied with a dash for the utensil drawer for the spanking spoon, and whap, whap... one sore child... well, this morning i told the mom about my dream. fast forward to 4:35 PM... i was on a walk with hannah and luke in a country gretna neighborhood. i have never seen anyone or met anyone outside before. there was a small child and his dog playing outside... we walked past and we were greeted... shortly after another child cam from another house... these two boys started talking about dogs, bloody noses, bikes, cars... all things i laughed at. hannahe just watched wide-eyed... until they started talking about throwing rocks at eachother, and worse... saying SHUTUP to eachother... my dream is slowly coming true, who knew i was a prophet. i do not believe hannah has ever heard that word before... here comes the spoon kiddo if you even consider it.

(sidenote: word has it that the biggest loser finale is on tonight... check it out)

two for tuesdays

couch is going back. it stinks. but i couldn't smell it in at the goodwill store. someone stole our paper this morning. i NEED sudoku!
darci: thanks for the gift card. will buy billy collins/coffee/treat.
alicia: gracias for the hat/scarf. sooo pretty.
ali: that 20Q game is at our bedside. my entire family wants one. and for the book!

anyone want to meet up at whole foods this week in the A.M. and have some coffee/muffin? cmon cheryl! cmon darci! cmon anyone who's free!!!

the trouble with poetry

this comes out wednesday. maybe you guys all knew that already, but i didn't. i heard it on npr. if you follow the link in the title, you can listen to the piece about it. he's the coolest. he has this great poem about the gutenburg bible. does anyone think he could be a believer? hm...

update on drinking a coke in a quiet basement

hey caron and corrie, first drink, i spilled all down the front of my blue t-shirt. just like you knew i would. go ahead. laugh.

life and death in a sub-sub-basement, with a picture of aphra behn

tonight my man and i have forsaken the world in favor of two side-by-side study carrels in the law library basement. we're under the earth's crust, i think, although i may just be feeling the cumulative effects of spending my work days in a simillar sub-sub-basement, in a beige cubicle, under a headset and some flourescent bulbs, nary a spark of natural light to be seen. i walked by a co-worker's desk today and saw a live plant, and my heart leapt. gotta get one. except i kill plants. see the three plants on the balcony for further information.
we're working tonight. he's working on torts. i'm working on my lectures for the coming weekend (17th and 18th century brit lit. the restoration and the romantics, all in one weekend. covering aphra behn's novella _oroonoko_, mary wollstonecraft's _vindication of the rights of woman_, s.t. coleridge's _rime of the ancient mariner_). really i'm blogging. but i'm here to work.
to facilitate work, i've purchased a can of coke for 65 cents. seemed really cheap to me. we pay a dollar for everything where i work, in the sub-sub-basement. anyway, its so quiet down here that i'm afraid to drink it because i will definitely need to belch, and there's absolutely no ambient noise to muffle me. also in the interest of facilitating work, i'm listening to some music from my college days, natalie merchant, "tigerlily." i love this cd. can i get an amen. here i go. sip of coke. we'll see what happens.

another b-day party pic

couch

i got a goodwill couch today. the cushions need new fabric covers and i was thinking of buying some new foam, too. anyone know where to get this? sue delsenno's going to sew the fabric portion. yahoo! i'll post a picture later.

Birthday Suprises

Caron was the star of the show last night... a suprise little bash down at Wheatfields to celebrate her Golden year of life (27 on the 27th). It came a few days early due to the fact that Caron will be in Illinois on her birthday this year, so Kate graciously shared her day of celebration. Happy Birthday Kate, it was a pleasure meeting you.

Dooce

i followed blog link after blog link...starting at caron's friend, something boltz and stumbled upon some great writing. follow the trail and you will go through some very nice ones. i stopped at this one because it is great. i'm thinking that caron and cheryl will particularly like it or maybe just identify. there's a hilarious post the writer makes to her daughter, who is at the tantrum stage. actually they're all funny.

Reeses

At twenty three years old, I never though I would east reeses peanut butter cups for breakfast. I have always liked reeses, but i have never wanted them for breakfast. At three o'clock in the morning, when I wake up with pee pains and hunger pains, I waddle to the bathroom (holding onto my belly), sit on the pot, and start thinking, "I can't wait until 5:46 when I really wake up, to go into the kitchen and get some reeses before I clean up for the day." Every morning this is my thought process... maybe this child within has a sweet tooth. All to say, If my butt looks huge after this pregnancy we will all know to curse the Reeses Peanut Butter cup.

fabulous dinner conversation

last night was kate's birthday celebration at the brass grille. but TODAY is her birthday - happy birthday kate! it was a lovely, celebratory time. kate was beautiful in red and that great smile of hers. she shared memories and highlights from the year. the 'weirdest' medical case she saw this year was a huge bezoar that filled the stomach and went into the small intestine. for the non-doctors out there -- oh, that's all of us -- a bezoar is human hairball. click the title link if you dare. i woke up early (on a saturday!) thinking about it. gulp.

german ... but he's good.

Don't know if much German music gets over that way ... or maybe this guy is German but living in the states and he's huge (wouldn't that be the case). Either way, this guy is more than worth checking out and he sings in English. If you click the link it will take you to his website (in German) but if you click on the album name at the bottom of the page (The Secular Proof) it will bring up the list album songs and you can listen to clips. My favorite is "Spring Inside."
This is one of few German things I'll be bringing back with me. Enjoy.

heat lets off

grandma margie & aunt eula say: HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATE!! let's party.

for medical people

this story looks pretty funny.

presents

this always happens. because my birthday is so close to christmas, i think about presents i want all year long & when we november comes, i forget all of my ideas. family is hounding. HELP ME! tell me some cool stuff you want for christmas or that you think i might want. please.

May I recommend...

We had spaghetti and meatballs last night for dinner. I bought the new multigrain Barilla pasta that is so good for you it is supposed to add years to your life or something. Anyway, I'd highly recommend it. It tasted really good. Worth the extra money. It also made me laugh that there is a page on their website entitled: The Dangers of Low-Carb diets. I happen to agree that they are unbalanced, but what else is a pasta company going to say??

Here we come, Billy.

We went to the open house at the new Holland Performing Arts Ctr. on Sunday and had a lovely time. Have you been there yet? They were running a special deal just for the afternoon (that we discovered 15 minutes before it closed) that tickets for a handful of performances were 20% off that day. So, we purchased our Billy Collins tix very early. Even without the discount they are very affordable-- especially if you get the nosebleed seats, which is what we did.

one more pic

ali, you were there with us in spirit.

ray mayhew's teachings

clink the link above to go to ray mayhew's website. he's my pastor at trinity, and due to a serious back injury cannot leave his house much...so he's made his teachings available online. he is a teacher extraordinaire. if you go to adam to armageddon page, there are in depth audio messages that go all the way from genesis to revelation (adam to armageddon, get it?). hundreds of hours of listening! there is also audio and articles on issues that ray has studied: the poor, same sex marriage, art and beauty, the temple/tabernacle...so much more. i think that's at 'the deep end'. plus lots of links to bible reference helps and such. it's a hugely extensive website. check it out!

i heart ritchie

richard simmons

we saw him last night at adam's show. just wait for the pictures. check adam's music here