Baby Pinecone or Wooden Rose?

Headed to the water park with Cat and the family today!!

Taking the camera of course. Hopefully I'll come back with some fun shots!

The Return........

Phatty's back! I forgot I had a few more pics of him. I won't be selfish. I'll share.

I have this problem, I don't know how much I should say here but hey, its my blog and my feelings. Why should I have to hide my feelings?

I am dealing with something that has me totally out of my element and I am at a loss as how to deal with it. I have a wide array of life experiences and all sorts of different types of people have come and gone over the years. Right now I am dealing with the type of person I have never dealt with before. Self centered, self absorbed and selfish. The kind of person who throws fits that would put my neighbors 2 year old to shame. Someone who takes, takes, takes without a second thought and acts like it is a huge favor if they give the smallest thing back. Some one who doesn't see the people around them for more than an annoyance or someone to get something from.

I just don't know how to handle this type of thing and it isn't someone I can cut out of my life.

Any advice readers? I have even considered going back to see my therapist and asking him for advice. I am so out of my element and sinking fast. Help!

Like A Rock

I am so tired. Wah wah.

We have been working at my dad's house all week and I am burned out.

My body hurts and I am ready to be done with it.

We are under a winter storm warning today.

That should be fun. Yep.

The thing about time

There comes a time in every adults lifetime when you start to think about your own mortality. For a few different reasons this week I have been thinking about this subject.

This past week my small high school class lost another classmate. This seems so wrong to me. We are all 33-34 and have lost 4 classmates. By far to young to lose so many whether it be at their own hands or from illness.

I keep thinking somehow I wish I could go back and hug them one last time and tell them they won't see age 17 or 30 or 31 or 35 that they must live while they have time but none of us know how much time we have. We could be hanging out with friends tonight and gone to live with the angels by tomorrow morning.

In some ways our class was close knit. Most of us went to school together from kindergarten on. In a lot of other ways our class was just like any other, cliquish and segregated. We all knew each other though. That is the good thing about life in a small town. Everyone knows everyone.

Death just seems to be all around lately. Every night there is some souls family to pray for. Last week our seemingly healthy mayor died of lung and brain cancer. He campaigned wholeheartedly all summer and fall. He won election and presided at one town council meeting before he was diagnosed with lung cancer and a very short amount of time later brain cancer.

Life is short. Far to short. The THS class of '93 was reminded of that this week. Joanna's soul has flown to heaven where I can only hope a small class reunion is under way. A reunion without all the awkwardness of a class reunion. I hope Joanna, James, Jeff and Michael are looking fondly down on the rest of us, sending us the message to make the most of the time we have left down here.

Witches Fingers

Click to Enlarge

I have something I want to talk about today but as always I don't have the time to sit down and talk about it. I hope to have some time this afternoon.

Bad Babies!

I have written about my love for the hard shelled reptiles quite a few times in this blog.

Mostly I have written about my first turtle love "Blade" and haven't mentioned these two very much.

Turts was ordered from a pet store and came to live with me that way. Fate's story is much more interesting, she was saved from being ran over and caused a traffic jam.

Since Turts was hatched in captivity he has a whole different idea about life than the little girl who was born wild.

Turts is an on the go dude. He swims and eats and acts like a crazy baby. Fate wants no part of his insanity and her instinct to hibernate is in full swing right now. Mostly all she does is lie around on her rock and let Turts do his thing. And do his thing he does. He is on top of this poor girl all the time. Thank goodness their tank isn't set up for egg lying or we would have hundreds of little baby eggs waiting to hatch. On the other hand I would love more babies.

I can't get enough of these two and spend hours every week sitting in front of their tank observing what they do. I can't wait until it warms up and they can spend a few hours a day out in the pond soaking up the sun. Maybe then I could teach them some of the cool tricks I taught Blade.

Bad Lands

The Badlands in South Dakota. Taken from a moving car.

Winter Formal

You all get a bonus post today!!
Actually it is easiest for me to post these here so that those who want to see them can. My Mom, siblings, Cat, My December girls, etc.
Ed went to his first formal dance tonight. I think they all look lovely!!

Ed and his date whose name I cannot remember.

The cowboy hat pic is for Grandma.

Awww! Aren't they cute?

My son is Heff in the making!

Super Sport

I am seriously running out of pictures to post. ::sigh::
This one was taken last summer at a car show. Super shiny car!! I remember how incredibly hot it was that day. The pavement was so hot it was burning my feet through my flip flops. Man I miss summer. I did notice yesterday though that one of my plants is starting to grow. I just planted it last summer so I didn't realize how hardy it was! Also I saw a dandelion in my flower bed right up against the house. I have never been happier to see one of those dirty whores! (Yes that's what I call them.)

We have a few inches of new snow on the ground so I plan on bringing my camera along with me today on the drive down to a poker tournament. Wish me luck. I don't play much any more. I played last Sunday night and didn't make it much past the third blind raise. I need to remember not to just piss my chips away today.
Hopefully tomorrow I'll have snow pics and good poker stories.

The Keepers

I am taking my sorry self to the doctor today. I am all about rock hard abs but coughing them into shape isn't working for me anymore. The way I am going I will look like a runway model. I can't eat because I cough so hard everything comes up. Soon I will be super skinny with 6 pack abs.

I have a minute or two so I will give you the quick run down of our visit from the bees.

Watching them come in was amazing. They came flying in between the neighbors house and ours and landed on our tree. Shawn and I were working in the garden at the time and the buzz was deafening. He thought they were gnats. I knew better and quickly ushered all of the kids and their friends out of the back yard. Ran inside and grabbed my camera and the phone. I called the neighbors over to look and took some pictures.

The neighbor guy has a friend who is a bee keeper. He said they should be gone in 48 hours because there hive was destroyed and they would move on. They did not move on.

I tried to mow the lawn about a week after they moved in, they got pissed and swarmed. Very scary to be caught in the middle of that.

Eventually I called around town and found a bee keeper who came out and removed the majority of them. He however didn't get the queen so we still had a few remaining bees living in the tree for a few months until they died off.

At some point someone suggested we have them sprayed and killed. I was appalled. I guess most people don't get that honey bees are disappearing at an alarming rate which effects every aspect of our human life. They were fun to have around but I was more than happy to see them leave.

Old Barn

I am obsessed with old barns. I like to imagine all of the history that has gone on behind the walls. Love affairs, injuries, hard work and heartache. This area of Minnesota is filled with them and they are especially beautiful in the winter and fall.

Turbulent

I am so flippin' busy with my Dad's house and the kids plus I ended up with Hannah's chest cold. Let me tell you, there is nothing quite as gross as throwing up cherry Nyquil. It looks like blood. Yuck!

Hopefully stuff will right itself soon and I will be able to write something more than a drive-by "hi".

Super Busy

The Bees Knees

Click to see the bees knees

This summer we had a swarm of bees take up residence in our maple tree. They refused to leave and we ended up having to have bee keepers come and remove them.

Evil Fondue

Click to Enlarge...You have to see the colors in this one. It looks like a robins egg in reverse.

The picture on the top was taken a few days ago when I went out on my own for a few hours. I didn't take anything that really turned out very well. I need spring!

This bottom picture was taken last spring. I don't tweak my pictures but this one I have tried to mess with. I just cannot get that bright flash out of the side. So, another picture that got away.

I have to tell you all about how fondue is the devil.

Shawn decided to be a super sweet husband and make me fondue for Valentines Day. He shredded the cheese and added all the ingredients to the melting pot. Pre heated the oil to cook the meat and sharpened the knife to cut the meat. Then I hear "holy shit! That's deep" I turn around and look and there is blood running down his hand. I have to tell you all I don't do blood at all. I get squeamish and close to outright passing out. I holler down the stairs "Ed, Dad needs stitches come look at this". Ed runs up the stairs and looks, his response was "let's super glue it". He is 17. I suck it up and take a look. Shawn and I debate over whether or not stitches are actually needed. Meanwhile blood is seeping through the dish towel I have wrapped around his hand. I declare we are indeed going but first want to have my friend Janeen the nurse look it at. She isn't home but I describe the cut over the phone. She says go. We go.

There is something to be said for a small town hospital. They are quick. We walked in the door and were immediately surrounded by a doctor and 3 nurses who whisk him into a room while I answer questions and fill out paper work. Twenty minutes after arriving the doctor is suturing and telling stories. Super nice guy. Cat, he was the guy who did my heel a few summers back.

We were out the door and on the way home an hour after the incident.

I was the one who had the displeasure of making fondue. I will never again pull a random recipe of the internet. The cheese tasted like ass. The chocolate was good though and my kids polished off a pint of strawberries, a pint of raspberries and 6 bananas. Not bad.

That was my first and probably only shot at making fondue. Next time I will just grill the ribeye's and dip them in steak sauce.

Happy Heart Day!!

Happy over commercialized valentines day everyone!!

PS It was a deer hiding in the woods. We were out driving around when I spotted him lying under a tree. I told Shawn to back up. The deer was running through the woods by then. That was the only shot I got of him. Sucky!

What the Hell?

This is one of those shots that lives inside my head. The one that got away. As you can clearly tell the shot I was going for did not turn out. Can you tell though what's hiding in the woods?
Cat you aren't allowed to guess since you already know!!
I would like to apologize to all of you for being such a shitty blog reader this week. I have been busy working on my etsy site and Hannah has been home sick 3 days this week. I have spent a lot of time being Nurse Mommy. I hope to catch up with all of you next week!
PS. I got a text from my Mom last night. She didn't heed my warning to close out my blog and return tomorrow!

Stay off the ice!

If you are the woman who gave birth to me close the window and come back tomorrow. If I don't call you Mom, read on.

click to enlarge so you can see all the houses out there.
See the private property sign? I should have listened.

Ever have one of those days you aren't sure you will live through? Yesterday was that day. Obviously I lived but I may need to go to a cardiologist now as I'm sure my heart may never be the same.

Yesterday morning Shawn announced he was going to go out and pull his ice house off the lake. Me being slow and blond and altogether not very bright asked if I could tag along. I don't know how many times he asked if I was sure. He knew, he had that intuition that told him his wife was totally going to freak the fuck out and would probably never be the same. He had visions of me lying naked, fetal position style in a padded room rocking back and forth while drooling on myself and incoherently mumbling something about water and cracks and dying.

I should have listened to the doubt in his voice. I didn't. The second I saw the lake I started begging to be left on shore. Shawn tried to reason with me. It was cold, windy, I would be standing in the elements for a long time. I didn't care I argued. That ice looked scary. His reasoning won out and I stayed in the car. I rolled down the windows and unsnapped my seat belt preparing myself for an eventual sinking and swimming event. That 5 minute ride seemed to last 5 hours. I begged God to watch over us, please keep us safe. It became a mantra. Please God keep us safe, please God keep us safe. Over and over and over again.

Shawn tried speaking to me thinking his voice would sooth me. All I heard him saying was "the ice is cracking, we are going down, we're all going to die", what he was really saying was "we wouldn't go down the way you think we would, the front wheels would sink in and you would have time to jump out onto solid ice". Finally we make it to the house. He tells to come in and check it out. Fuck that noise buddy. That thing is surrounded by water and appears to be floating on the surface. Hook that bitch up, I'll stand waaaaay over here so that when you, the house and the truck go down I will be far enough away to not get sucked down with you. Mercifully he got the thing hooked up in a speedy fashion and I jump in afraid to even close the door this time. Now we have the added weight of the ice house. The five hour drive to the house turned into a 10 hour drive back off the ice. I had my head stuck out the window staring down at the ice trying to visually measure the thickness. If I dared look up and out the windshield everything ahead looked ominously thin and ready to swallow me whole. I continued on with the mantra begging God to just keep me safe.

Finally when we made it onto shore and stopped to secure the ice house I realized I was violently shaking. I couldn't hold anything, control my movements. I was in the midst of a full on panic attack. Oh hell.

It took me at least 5 minutes to calm myself before I could get back out of the truck to snap these pictures. I figured I would need the proof for all of you that Minnesotans are really fucking serious about this ice fishing shit. I'll save my urge to fish until August. Thank you very much.

On the news last night was a story about a guy who went through the ice. He didn't go down wheels first, his whole truck just sunk. I will never willingly go on the ice ever again. That shit will kill you.

Spring?

Trying to get this shot here.....
Ended up like this........

Never trust walking on snow that is frozen solid. Murphy's Law says it has to get soft at some point and you will end up nearly ass deep in the snow.

In weather news from Minnesota....It has been in the 40's here for days which has resulted in our snow pack almost completely melting. Low lying areas are flooded. Nearly everything is dirty and nasty looking but there is a silver lining. The grass is green! Having an insulating blanket of snow covering our lawns since mid November has protected it from the bitter cold temperatures. It almost feels springy. Almost!

Ugh! It annoys me how my pictures look goofy when I resize them for blogger. Click to enlarge. Please.

Pastel Sunset

Click to enlarge

Coming home from the grocery store a few nights ago I looked up and saw this. I told Shawn to pull over quickly. This is what I came up with. That huge white cloud at the top just looks weird to me.
Thanks to everyone for stopping by my Etsy shop. Please stop back and check out the deal of the day!

The Grand Unveiling

Click to Enlarge

I have been very secretive with all of you the past week or so. First there was the "Unfolding" post, then there was the "Touch of Autumn" post. Finally the veil is being lifted and you get to see whats under that veil of secrecy.

Because of all of you and your wonderful comments and emails. I realized maybe I could take this hobby of mine and share it with a broader audience. Sooooo.........

I present to you my new little spot in cyber land. Please stop by and tell me what you think.

I need to give some serious props to Mia, she has been awesome to work with and if any of you ever need custom graphics done I highly recommend her. Go ahead! Get yourself a pretty new blog banner. I dare ya! ;)

Oh yeah about the photo. I almost forgot. I took this on my walk about last week. The walk about that included me sinking ass deep into a snow bank.

This thing was waaaay up in the tree and Shawn and I initially thought it was some sort of odd birds nest. I snapped a ton of different photos of it. It wasn't until I got home and took a closer look that I realized it was a bee or wasp nest. They are crafty little insects those winged bugs. I love how it looks almost stuccoed.

Randomly I Randomize

I have a ton of pictures on my computer that are good but don't really merit their own post. Today I give you a bunch of random things!

Lilly and Linus

She ran away one day. I was crushed, the kids were crushed but Linus was lost without the love of his life. The lovely lady who slammed him so hard into the kitchen table leg when he was a bitty baby that his brain swelled and he lost vision in one eye. He forgave her obviously.

This horsie picture was taken a couple of days ago. This bad boy was going nuts. Running around bucking, head butting other horses. It would have been a great photo had I not cut off horsies head.

Cat and I trying to see if we could get arrested. It wasn't Halloween. We dress like that every day. I swear! Actually it was Halloween, but the cop was a real one.

Jills.

One ring is real and one ring is fake.

You decide.

A Winters Traveler

“If on a winter’s day a traveler…”*

On winter walks, the boy always thought he would be caught by the branches.

On winter walks, the man fretted the distance he would fall.

Together, they joined hands and leapt.

The fall was not so great, the water not so cold, after all.

They had each other.

The above was written by the talented Irish Gumbo. Wordy that guy is!

The pictures I took a few weeks ago. They were taken in the same spot, of the same thing, just with the focus on different spots and the camera held at different angles. Its amazing to me the difference it makes in the final product.

The Forest For the Trees

I am in super crazed stressed mode right now. I will fill everyone in when I catch my breath. For now I will leave you with this photo and let you all know the brilliant Irish Gumbo will be here again tomorrow!

A Touch of Autumn

This poor little leaf needs your help. I am working on a project right now and have considered using this photo. Shawn doesn't think I should use it. I am on the fence. Can you all help me decide? What do you think of this photo? Be brutally honest please. If you think it sucks let me know!!

Also, I was all psyched up to go on a nature hike today. A few days ago they were forecasting nearly 40. This morning they are saying 33. That isn't warm enough for me. Boo!

Rocky Shoreline

Click to Enlarge

Doesn't this make you want to dip your toe in?

Tomorrow it is supposed to reach 40 degrees here in the frozen tundra. 40 degrees sounds like a hundred degrees right about now. Hopefully the weather jerks aren't yanking my chain and I will be able to get out and take a photo hike tomorrow. Although I am really enjoying digging through old files to come up with warm weather pictures. With every photo I open I stop and ponder the memory behind it. Very good for the soul! This one I was standing on the deck boat, camera in hand as usual. Wisconsin rocks!

Goofy Goobers

I obviously didn't take this photo but I just found it on my sisters myspace page and had to share it here.
What's funny about this picture is my brother is the President of the local fire department and my sister just quit the fire department. So my brother the fireman is carrying my sister the firewoman in the fireman's hold. Ha!
Plus my brother isn't often very playful so when he is I mark it on my calendar and tell the entire world about it. It is that big a deal!
Oh yeah, picture was taken at Jen's wedding. She also left a message for/about all of you here.

Unfolding

This week its all unfolding. Very cryptic eh.

The Babies of the World Better Watch Themselves

I am so mad I could punch a baby. Okay not really but I am pissed.

This started yesterday afternoon. We were given a sleep number bed by our friends whose renter left it behind when he moved out. We got the bed yesterday, sat it all up which took like forever. Plugged in the pump and nothing. I called our local store. Turns out we are missing the wireless remote. Not biggie, just call tomorrow and order one from the company.
This morning I called and waited on hold forever only to find out they don't make remotes compatible with our pump anymore so we have to order a new pump and remote at the cost of $450. I don't fucking think so. Now, I have to decided if it is worth it to continue to look around and see if I can find a cheaper pump. I already checked Craig's List and EBay.

Friday the plumber called to discuss the work they did at my Dad's house last week and to let me know they had one more day of work to go. They would be there today. I told him that would be perfect since the electrician comes tomorrow and he needed to be done and out of the plumbers way. I stopped this morning to unlock the door so they could get in. Shawn and I ran over a bit ago to check on the progress. Nothing. No one had been there yet. Fuckers.
I called the plumber. We can't get there today. The earliest opening we have is Wednesday. Huh? Okay buddy you will have to wait to get paid then because the electrician starts tomorrow and doesn't want you under foot. I'll call you when he is done.

Checked the mail for the remaining W-2's I need to file our taxes. One is there, one is missing. No biggie, I'll call the company and get their federal ID and State ID numbers. No dice. They can't give them to me. Huh? I have always received them from other companies when I have needed them. This jack ass will not budge. I just spent the last hour trying to get a live person at the IRS to ask how I can get the number and to let them know this jack ass company hasn't sent the forms out yet. Once again. No dice. Trying to get a live person at the IRS is a herculean task. Same goes for every Minnesota state IRS office. No one provides live support. Fuck. So I planned on just putting in what I could off the one W-2 I received today and plug in my stock information. The world is conspiring against me today. Turbo Tax online is down. Lord have mercy.

I had planned to check my bank account and see if my child support is in there. It is due today and all but I would hate to have to call the sperm donor and freak out on him for not paying it so I won't even bother to check.

Have a drink on me if you made it to the end. It's only noon people.

* Disclaimer*
Hold the hate mail. I would never actually punch a baby. I might bite it's toes off and come dangerously close to nibbling an ear clean off but I would never punch one.

Standing Tall

I am really scraping the bottom of the barrel trying to come up with pictures to post here. Minnesota is really beautiful in the winter but how many pictures of hybernating things can I share with you all before you run for the hills? I should have started this 100 picture challenge on May 1st when everything is greening up and interesting to look at. No, I had to go and choose January. Yuck! I need some inspiration! Maybe I can talk Shawn into taking me to Jamaica? No, probably not.

Saturday saw a high around 48 degress. All that did was give me a serious case of spring fever. Maybe I will pull out the portable hard drive this week and share some shots from last summer. Maybe that way I can pretend today's high isn't all of 11 degrees. Yep.

In other news. Shawn shook his head at yesterday's post and spent the whole day complaining about his aching back. Point proven. My sister ended up spending her wedding night in the ER. From what I can gather, a friend of Jessi's ran across the dance floor, jumped up and threw his legs around Jessi's waist, throwing her off balance and down she went. She ended up blowing out her ACL. She goes to the doctor tomorrow. Hopefully no surgery is needed.

There ya have it. All the news that's fit to print.

You Look Like A Monkey....And You Smell Like One Too!

Yesterday was Shawn's 36th Birthday. He is getting his post a day late because I dedicated yesterday's post to my sister. I figure if you are lucky you get tons of birthdays and if you are even luckier you only have one wedding day!
Look at those faces. Could they be any more serious? We are missing a kid in that photo because he is a teenager and his parents don't rank very high on the people he wants to hang out with scale.

I was seriously concerned that with all those candles we could possibly start a fire. I was even more concerned that his little cake would be visible from space and we would end up with little green people knocking on our door begging for a cupcake.

Because of that I had to take the batteries out of the smoke detectors. I am surprised at the very least the neighbors didn't see all the smoke rolling out the windows and call the fire department. But alas, they remembered it was his birthday and knew that although our house appeared to be on fire it really wasn't.

The lovely Cat took our three younger kiddos for the night so we could imbibe in this and have some sexy time. Thanks Cat!

Happy Birthday hunny. Like I said, You are only as old as you feel. Would you like me to bring you your walker so you can get to the refrigerator?