Halloween straight thru to January

Halloween, really ??? Check the stores. It's Christmas !

They put the Halloween things out in September right after school starts. Then beginning October, all the Christmas stuff starts pushing the Halloween things off to the side.

Must be my age. I remember more days in between the days of Falls big events. Halloween seemed to be the big event and trying to figure out the costume you would wear and WHO you were going Trick or Treating with.

Thanksgiving my have 2 days in some places as holiday paydays, but it really is not well recognized.

Then the bustle for Christmas. .....................................alright, that's your breath to take before the season is upon you. I love the family time together and seeing the kids open presents. I love trying new recipes and enjoy the old standards. As I get older, the family togetherness remembering Christmases past and the people that went with them means more and more.

But I just wish it didn't have to go so fast.

My Children

My children continue to amaze me in all they do. As a young lady, my daughter was the defender of all the little guys out there being harassed and victimized. I admired her courage to stand up for them no matter the repercussions. I always said she would grow up to be a drill Sargent in the army, a cop , or the wife of a cop. I was right. She married a wonderful man, a policeman, and they have 3 gorgeous girls. She still defends her friends loyally and faithfully.



When I found out I was going to have my son, my daughter was the happiest girl on the planet.

She participated in the birthing classes with my husband and I ( we figured good birth control ). She was in the room when he was born. And, true to her nature, she fiercely defended her brother at all times. She had hopes and dreams for her brother, just like his parents did.



He has grown into an amazing young man. At 16, he does things that give me insight into the man he will be some day. I find myself staring in amazement at things he does. I think when I do this, it embarrasses him. But, its at those moments when my heart is ready to burst. For example, last week, he discovered a small kitten, appearing to be 6-7 mnths old. He walked around looking for its owner. When he could not, he brought it home asking what he should do. Now, I'm allergic to cats. I called the Humane Society, and they said to bring it out. So off my son went to deliver the sweet little guy. However , they were full and had no room for him. So, my son was out walking the neighborhood for an hour and was just about to give up. He said he was walking away from this house, when the light came on and a lady at the door was smiling. The little guy, Gary was his name, had been missing and she was searching for him. What a man my son is.



So, I have a wonderful daughter with a beautiful family. My son has an incredible brother in law and 3 gorgeous nieces who worship the ground he walks on. And, I have an amazing son with limitless potential.





LIFE IS GOOD !!!!!

Wow, Gotta love this time of year !!

It's that time of year again. Twins have been having a great year, a new ball field, and Thome is on a home-run streak. He has already passed Mark Maguire.



And, now tonight, GO VIKINGS !!!!!! They open the football season with a re-match of the game that decided Vikings-Saints in the Super Bowl.


If you love both teams, it is pure enjoyment and excitement.

Where has the summer gone ??!!

I have started school shopping, and have to reflect on the past few months. Where did the time go?? My son spent the first weeks of his vacation at his grandmas, then a week and half later, he went on a mission trip. Came home went on a church youth houseboat trip, an urban mission trip, was home 1 1/2 days and is currently on a Boy Scout canoeing trip. And, he turns 16 2 weeks from today !!! ( And where did THAT time go ? )

As a child I heard people over 40 ( you know OLD people) say the older you get, the faster time flies. They were right, and now, I'm the ( OLD ) person saying it.

My son got his 1st car, while it has problems, it is a nice car. He will take his driving test Aug 30. So, for all you locals - you HAVE been WARNED !!! Actually, he is a good driver.

And, just think, 4 1/2 months until 2011 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Mothers Day , Mom

I LOVE MY MOM, she helped make me who I am. She gave me the building blocks and then guided me until adulthood. Then she was always there cheering and still is.

My mom is not a big floral bouquet fan, but she does love her green plants. So, here is a Peace plant, just because it is green and white and so beautiful.

Concert with my son

My son Allen and I attended his 1st real concert. We saw the Newsboys. Allen likes contemporary Christian music, which warms my heart ! And these guys are among his favorites. So having a chance to see them so close to home was too amazing to pass up.

To say Allen LOVED the concert would be an understatement !! I was thrilled, amazed and blown away at the way my son watched and participated in the concert. I am not sure which I enjoyed more, watching the concert or watching my son enjoy the concert.

I think we will have to do this again, maybe with Dad next time if it all works out ( it did not this time). There is something so special when so many people gather to hear the word of God and enjoy music at the same time. Glad Allen and I got to be a part of something so special.

EARTH DAY

We do not inherit this planet from our parents, we are BORROWING it from our children !!

Everyone should do their part. I am distressed more each year at the litter I see thrown out on the highway when I go to and from work. I feel like the Indian in the commercials from the early seventies, looking at the pollution and turning towards the camera, has a tear running down his face.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7OHG7tHrNM&feature=related

Happy 8th Anniversary Lindy and Ty

Wow, Has it really been 8 years ??

Seems like just yesterday we were getting all the food lined up, had discovered some flowers were missing, the waist on your dads pants was broken and your mom was a basket of nerves. I remember Rick trying to joke with me, but I was to the point of NO return. LOL

Your wedding was beautiful !!

What a wonderful life you two have started, 3 girls and each other.

Hope your day is awesome !!!

Happy Easter

What a glorious day !!!! There was a light rain during the night and the air is crisp and fresh. Plans are in place for a joyful family get together and then, a nice Sunday nap.

My granddaughters will be here in new dresses and eager to get the baskets the Easter Bunny left here by " mistake".

Life is good. Life is something to be appreciated and never taken for granted. Jesus did that for us. He died for our sins.

I try to find 1 thing everyday to wonder and revel in. A flower, a bird, a beautiful landscape or my amazing children and grandchildren. I am blessed !!!

Easter is here

It is April Fools Day, April 1. Easter is only 3 days away. Today is Maunday Thursday. Tomorrow, Good Friday.

Where is the time going?

I will be spending Easter with my family, and doing the youth Easter breakfast. This is a wonderful activity that the youth have provided our congregation for quite awhile. Being a member of the Youth Board, I will be at the church helping the new Youth Director get his "feet wet".

I LOVE Easter.

EEEEeeekkkk !!!

I was on my way to work last night, around 10:00 pm. I noticed something running on the side of the road. Now mind you, I'm in the center of town, having just passed a gas station. At first I thought it was a huge rat. That thought gave me the instant willies. But, then I realized it was a snub nose, so it had to be a muskrat.
I drive 20 miles to my job out of town. I thought about that muskrat just about the entire drive. Wondering why was it there? But, it was close to a river and there is some marsh land along the train tracks. But wow, made me look twice !!

I Hear Spring Knocking !!

I can FEEL Spring in the air. The snow is melting, the days are warmer, and the days are longer. In fact you can SMELL Spring coming.

Next Sat, March 13 we get to "Spring Ahead" , so the sun will be out even longer !! I love spring, and the " In like a lion out like a lamb" concept.

This spring I am yearning for the butterflies and flowers they live for. I can't wait to feel blades of grass on my bare feet as I walk on the green lawn.

Spring is also the time we all remember Jesus and his thoughtful and selfless gift for us all. Spring is a rebirth after a long winter of simulated death. Jesus gives us the same, a chance at eternal life after death.

I LOVE SPRING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In Memorium

A friend of my daughters died a senseless death on Friday evening. From what I have heard, she was trying to stop a suicidal friend. Her life was taken instead. She leaves behind 3 children, almost the same age as my 3 granddaughters.

I have thought alot about my daughter since I heard the news. She will be affected by this. I think about the 3 small children who will never see their mother again. They will grow up missing the love only a mother can give. All a person can ask is why ??

You will be missed, Mandy !!!!

Thanks Mom !!

As a child, my siblings and I were involved in orchestra. We all played from grade school through our senior years in high school ( even though I begged to quit). I gained an appreciation for my cello ( my instrument) in my senior year in high school. In high school, we played a quartet at church, something my Jr High orchestra teacher said his own talented children were never able to do. All of us were also in choir at church as well as in school. Music was a HUGE part of our lives.
As an adult, I still love music. I hear all the string instruments in every song I hear. This love was passed on to my own children. My daughter played the cello. My son plays the piano, violin and has played the viola. Both were in choir, and continue to appreciate music.
I work with a gal who has little appreciation for music. I talked about different songs I hear and how beautiful they are, and she's never heard of them. I talk about my favorite radio station in my vehicle, and she says she prefers silence when she drives. I felt amazed that someone does not appreciate music as I do. Shocked is more like it. So, I did some asking around, inquiring with acquaintances and friends, and find some really do not like music.
After this discovery, I started recalling my journey into music. Up popped the vision of my mom receiving her stereo for a gift and a John Gary record ( yes, I know who John Gary is). Then, I remember doing inventory at the old Gibson's store ( the predecessor to Pamida). With the check I received, I bought my own AM/FM radio to listen to my favorite radio station. I remember my 1st stereo and Donny Osmond / Partridge Family LPs. My 1st concert when I saw Seals and Crofts on my 18th birthday. I recalled the founding of our church, and the celebration we held in the Jr High Auditorium. The Youth group sang on stage, and we still sing the same song in church.
So in all the recalling, one constant was and still is always their. My Mom !!! Thank You Mom for the wonderful gift you gave us kids and our kids. I never take it for granted.

Amazing Woman

I find myself taking after my mother more and more. She finds sayings that inspire her or just strike her fancy, and she puts them by her computer for inspiration. Once I was working on the computer and found just such a saying.

These words apply to many, but I found them most important when dealing with a child. How many children hear negative comments or teasing on a regular basis? Making a child feel special for a small point in time will echo through out their life. The negative moments become a big baggage of pain, but the positive moments twinkle like a star in heaven. I try to say positive comments more than negative, but some days that is SO hard. But then I sit at my computer, and there sits these words of wisdom.

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.
Mother Teresa

Words to try to live by !!!

Bryan Adams

WOW, is about all there is to say. It was a wonderfully intimate concert with a superstar, who played his acoustic guitar and had only a piano player to accompany him on a few select songs.

Over the years I have heard the songs, but forgotten who made them popular. Most of the songs were recognizable and easy to sing along with.

What amazed me was how long he stood without sitting and sang non-stop.

Date night with the hubby and doubling with the daughter and son-in-law team was SO much fun and what a memory ! Thinking we just might have to do it again !

2010 Olympics

The Olympics have begun. Bring on the figure skating, speed skating, luge, down hill skiing, cross country skiing, hockey and more.

To sit and watch the Olympics like a football game though is time consuming and impossible. However keeping up on the medal count and watching the events that " gets your heart pumpin " is doable. I enjoy seeing the best and the worst.

Although the word patriotic does not quite fit, it is how I feel watching the Olympics. Cheering for fellow country men and women !!

So, I am an armchair Olympian. Bring on my Gold Medal ( a toasted bagel with honey ) !!!

Happy Valentines Day

To all my friends and family, I wish you the love I hope you know I have for you all year long.

Roses are Red ( and adorable )

Roses are now in huge demand. My husband bought me some for our Anniversary in January.
The TV stations are full of ads for roses and Valentines Day presents and sweets for the upcoming holiday.

My mother has never been a "flowery" person. She prefers a living plant. However, I do think this year I'd like to give her at least 1 rose.




Happy Valentines Day to all those of you who prefer the living thing !

Winters Past and Present

Last night on TV they started talking about the coming winter weather, and that there was a Winter Travel Advisory. Those 3 words sent a chill of panic down my back. Do I call in and say I can't drive the 25 miles miles to work ? Or am I just being a big baby and letting panic get the best of me? I do have to ponder this sometimes.

As I grow older the weatherman becomes my enemy. As a child he was my friend. Bad weather coming meant NO SCHOOL !!! YEA !! As a young adult, bad weather was a calling to go out adventure driving. Then my children came. Needing to be more responsible, I had to keep an ear on the weather. But now as I get older, the fear of going in the ditch or getting into a car accident occupy my thoughts more.

So my question is, are the winters different or is the fact I'm getting older the bigger factor? Have we had a few easy winters in MN, so we are soft ? I'm thinking it's me and I need to quit listening to the weather so much and just enjoy what God and Mother Nature have to dish out.

Ground Hog Update !!!!!

At 7:25 AM EST on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 the world discovered that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow - predicting six more weeks of winter!

Feb 1, Already ??!!

Tomorrow is February 2nd. That means... Ground Hog Day. Will he see his shadow? Do we have 6 more weeks of winter?

I looked up the origin of Ground Hog Day and came up with this ...

The earliest American reference to Groundhog Day can be found at the Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall College:

February 4, 1841 - from Morgantown, Berks County (Pennsylvania) storekeeper James Morris' diary..."Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."

Here's hoping he DOES NOT see his shadow. Bring on SPRING !!!!!!

TA DA - Sophie

Here is Sophie -------------------------------

It's birhday time again !!!

Granddaughter #1 will be having a birthday on Thursday. Where has the time gone ??? I remember when her mom was pregnant with her. And, holding my first grandchild !!

She comes from a line of firsts. My daughter was a first child, I was a first child as was my mother and we were all girls. So, maybe someday granddaughter number one will also have a first child who's a girl.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE !!!!!!!!!

UGH, the Vikings lost and we have a BLIZZARD

What a bummer of a Monday. The Vikings played an exceptional game, but alas, lost it in overtime. They have nothing to hang their heads about.

And now, we have a Blizzard. Living in Minnesota can be trying at times. It's what makes us hearty !!!

Vikings vs Saints

MN VIKINGS vs NO SAINTS


Who will win, who will lose ? We will all know tonight.

One does not have to be a die hard fan to appreciate what this means to many. A chance for companionship, to party, to eat and most of all, a brief moment to forget about those cabin fever
blues and yell like your outside when its 75 degrees and sunny.

Being from MN myself, I'm cheering for the Vikings !!!!

Lily- the new Mom

Lily had her babies today. I watched and saw the 1st one arrive. I also had the volume on, so I also HEARD !!! What a miracle. !!!

Lily the Black Bear - catch the fever.

A couple of weeks ago, the Star Tribune, ran a web address of the North American Bear Center. On the site, is a link to click on to watch Lily a black bear. She is in a den near Ely, MN somewhere and they have set up a web cam. You can click on the site and watch AND wait for the cubs she is expected to be carrying.

I find my self checking the site frequently hoping just maybe, I'll be there for that magical moment. It will also be fun to watch the cubs grow. I know I am not alone in this endeavor, as they show how many others are watching at all times, and 1000 something is the smallest number I've seen.

So, I will continue to watch and wait. I've attached the web address if your interested. And FYI, Lily has her own site on Face Book too. You can become a fan, I am !!!


http://www.bear.org/website/

Sophies Big Day

For Christmas this past year, we planned to give our son a dog, or that was our plan ( just a dog from the Humane Society). After telling his older sister our plans, she found a cocker spaniel puppy on Craigslist. Well, after some discussion ( and after my hubby found out it was a Cocker Spainiel) we decided to get her. She came with the name Buffy ( ugh), but she now is a Sophie.

After the death of our Shadow in Nov. we all had a huge hole in our lives. I was getting more depressed all the time. So enter Sophie- she will be a 1 year Feb 5, 2010. She instantly took to the granddaughters and was introduced to our family the day we celebrated Christmas on Dec 23. The hole has been covered ( but never fully healed).
That's Sophies story, how she became a Nelson.

Well she has been very leery of the basement. Today I was doing laundry, and she stood at the top of the steps crying. SOOooo, I came up and picked her up then went back down. We listened to the washer running, then I put her down. She proceeded to check things out. When I was ready to go back upstairs, she was leery of going up the steps. So, I went down and got her, and let her run up the stairs in front of me. Sophie ran over to the other dogs all excited like she really accomplished something. She did. Her fear of the basement has lessened, and now she knows whats down there.

A note, Sophie arrived with the traditional Cocker Spaniel cut. However, I have no time to maintain it, so she will have a no mess no fuss cut after her next grooming, for those of you who may meet Sophie someday. Sophie is a sweetie and thanks to our daughter, a new member of the Nelson household.

Vikings Win !!!

When the 2009-2010 football season started, Favre was a novelty. A feather in Wilf's and Childresss' hat. They really expected 1 man to carry the team to the play offs. Well, could they be right ? Here we are on the road to the Super Bowl.

It's awfully hard not to get swept up in playoff fever. So, I'll sit back and enjoy the ride. Guess who I'll be cheering for Jan. 24 ??

Half the school year is gone ??

Jan 15, this Friday, is the last day of 2nd quarter (1st semester ) in my sons school. We just started didn't we ? Fergus Falls started a week early so they can be done a week early to allow for moving into the new secondary school. Unreal to think the school year is half over.
As a child I listened to older people comment on how the older you get, the faster time flies. I was in school at the time and thought, Ya right, no way !! But, grrrr , I have to admit, but yes it's true. I'm gonna need a seat belt soon, don't want to crash when time slows down.
Last night my son said he had 4 finals this week, Thur and Fri. I would have panicked , but not him. I asked " So are you going to study all night?"
And he said "No". Hope he does OK. He does real well in school, just wish he'd not be so over confident. We'll see when the report card comes.

PPPPSSSS- He got all A's !!!!!!!

Sunday, Sweet Sunday

Yesterday was Sunday, Jan 10. I was surprised when my daughter and granddaughters joined us for church. I was sitting with my son and father. Pastor Jon's sermon started with a question, What is precious in your life? My only thought was, I have 90% with me right now, ( Dave and Ty were absent). I enjoyed church immensely.

After church the girls came to my house and we had pizza for lunch and watched some football while the girls and Uncle Allen played games on his Nintendo DS.

After they left, the song from Flower Drum Song came to mind, Sunday, Sweet Sunday. I LOVE Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals. I have to watch one of them at least once every 6 mnths. So, I own them all and can watch them whenever I want.

The glow of a wonderful Sunday can carry a person throughout the week. Here's hoping your week "glows".

AHHhhhh

As I write this, the temp is 4, it was 2 when I got up 69 min ago, the forecast is for 25 degrees
( ABOVE ZERO ) !!! I can't take it !! Time to break out the shorts !!!

I plan on taking the dogs for a walk today to get them and ME out of the house . I can hardly wait !!!

BRRRRR

Now,, I've always been able to handle the cold and winters with no problems at all. But, since menopause, my system has changed. I'm ready to move to Arizona.

So, I'm gonna have to wait until summer, and remind myself when I complain about the heat how much I waited for it !! LOL

Anniversary Reflections

Jan 8, 1983 was 27 years ago.

I remember the day well. I woke to the phone ringing asking me if I was coming to get my hair done for my wedding. I thought my appt. was later in the day, they had me down earlier. Dave was nervous and really did not want the car decorated, so we hid my car at my dads and went to the wedding in Dave's old clunker. It was sleeting that day, and I watched as Dave fell flat on his back and bang his head on the pavement. But, the good ole Norwegian he is, not a drop of blood fell.

On this, the eve of that momentous day, I reflect on my constant insecurities before I got married. I thought no one would ever want to marry me, fat, flat and poor. That is how I envisioned myself in that order.

27 years later, I realize how wrong I was. I found someone who loved me for me, and did not try to change me. That means the world to me.