The Waiting Game - Two Feet?

A weekend and week of snow blowing and shoveling, and now waiting, waiting for the “other shoe to drop”. Duluthians and the Northland are waiting to see what is going to happen in the next two days here.

No snow today. It has given everyone a chance to dig out, in preparation for our next big storm that they say we are getting for sure. This afternoon, Bob got all the snow off the dormers and roof. It all then lands on our deck that runs the length of our house on the back. Poor Rob, he gets to then shovel all the snow off the deck that came down from the roof (in addition to what was already on the deck). I’d like to say he does it from the kindness of his heart, but it’s more because we tell him its part of his living here…ha ha. Thank you, Rob. (He really is a good guy!)

There is a blizzard warning in effect from now through Friday. It was reported on the news that the city is prepared, they have made sure that all 18 graders and 19 snowplows are in good condition and ready to go when the storm hits.

We have so many scenarios of what weather we are going to get, we don’t know what to expect for sure. First, the snow was to start by 6 pm tonight, now it’s been changed to starting after midnight, another station says after 9 pm, and varying amounts of snow are reported for tomorrow, tomorrow afternoon and night. They are saying 50 mi. per hr. winds to come with it, and up to 2 feet of snow by the time Friday morning comes, or maybe Friday will be worse than Thursday, who knows…I don’t think the weather-men know. We do know the snow IS coming … it is in twin cities now, heading this way.

Will we get a snow day from work tomorrow, or maybe not till Friday, or maybe not at all? We are all dreading the drive if we do have to go to work. There are 8 in the office I work in. All but three of the staff have lap top computers. I'm one that does not have one. They all took their lap tops home tonight, saying they will work from home tomorrow, so you know they won't try to drive in, then the part time gal doesn't work tomorrow or Friday, so that only leaves two of us to have to try to get to the office on bad roads. We don't have the "work from home with the laptop" option! Too bad, our computer sits on our desk!

So…we know we will get SNOW, we know it will come with high winds… but when it hits, and exactly how much, guess you readers, like us, will have to stay tuned.

I Can't Believe This - postponed!

Oh no! After preparing myself for months, and especially this past weekend AND most of today for a scheduled surgery for noon tomorrow, I get a call from the surgeons office. There was one piece of equipment that he told me last Tuesday, he has requested for my surgery. He said if it didn't come in, he would have to postpone it until he gets it because he will not do my surgery without it. It has been on order a long time so he was pretty sure it would get in, but told me that would be the only reason for a postponement! So... the office called this afternoon to tell me they did not get the piece yet, so she rescheduled for two weeks out, hoping that it would surely be in by then. She did tell me though, that if it comes in before, she would call and move it up.

I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I am. I really just want to get this surgery over with and get back to feeling normal and eating normal. Not to mention, all I did at the job to prepare for a medical leave. Now, back to work tomorrow, and having to be patient longer, maybe two more weeks, I do hope it will be sooner. I am really "bummed" out !

Snowblowing Day

Snow Storm Hits Duluth -Looks Like Winter at Last
Everyone is digging out today, snowblowing, taking snow off dormers and roofs, digging out cars!

We received over a foot of snow in Duluth this past weekend. We always get more over the hill in Woodland, where we live, we figure he have at least
15-18 inches up here. It took my husband and son an hour and a half just to

clean what the plow left in front of our driveway and two neighbors drives that they did. Yesterday they went out twice and blew snow and this afternoon Bob was out there again blowing and cleaning up. It has continued to snow lightly all day, so we are probably picking up another few inches today. We are thankful for snow blowers (see the article below), but this snow was very wet and heavy and it's hard on the blowers and hard work. My husband is very tired, and hopes we don't get any more snow this week. More is predicted though. I heard this morning that this was the 3rd largest snow storm in Duluth's history for the month of February.

Well, my plans for not having to navigate on snowy roads this week went down the tubes. It appears I will be on the road tomorrow morning driving on the snowy streets to my place of employment! See my post above for details!

Photos from Duluth News Tribune

Thank you Mr. Beckwith!

Chuck Frederick, columnist for the Duluth News Tribune wrote an article on Feb. 24th about a man from Duluth who pioneered snow removal in 1927. He created what may have been the world's first auger-style snow-blower, the same technology used in today's push-behind models. He never got credit for it, he didn't know about patents back then. He put it in front of a four wheel drive St. Louis County truck, as he worked for the St. Louis Co. Hwy. Dept. His name was Ralph Beckwith. His son, Glenn Beckwith told the story of his Dad's invention. His contraption gained the attention of some men from Dubuque, Iowa, who traveled to Duluth to see it. They drew plans based on it so they could build their own. Read more about this on my Duluth News Tribune web site, and look up Chuck's column on Feb. 24 titled "Snowblowing Trailblazer". The above picture was taken in 1927 and contibuted by the Beckwith family.

Top Movies

In honor of the Academy Awards tonight. On the post below I have posted pictures of some of my favorite movies...notice most of them are oldies.

Here is the list of the top 15 movies ever made (and the year) according to the American Film Institute:

1. CITIZEN KANE (1941) 2. CASABLANCA (1942) 3. THE GODFATHER (1972)
4. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) 5. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
6. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) 7. THE GRADUATE (1967)
8. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954) 9. SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)
10. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952) 11. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
12. SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950) 13. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)
14. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) 15. STAR WARS (1977)

Note that most of the top 15 are not newer movies! To see the entire top 100 go to www.imdb.com

Movie Classics

They Don't Make Movies Like They Used To

It has stopped snowing a bit ago. They say we got 10-11 inches, up here in the snow-belt we got over a foot. The guys are back outside doing more snow-blowing. I guess I am lucky that Rob is here too, or I would be out there with Bob. The two of them have it pretty well under control, don’t think they need me. It’s 5 pm, and the snow plow has still not come by our street. Our neighbors left on Friday to Arizona for a get-a-way. Bob is over at their driveway blowing their snow right now. They were going to leave today, but wisely left on Friday instead. They sure picked the right time to leave.

I didn’t watch “My Fair Lady” this afternoon that I had taped. Instead I spent the whole afternoon watching “Gone with the Wind”. I told you the yesterday how much I like to study and read about the civil war, so you won’t be surprised to know how much I love the movie “Gone With the Wind”, which is about the “old south” before, during and after the civil war, and about a head strong southern girl named Scarlett. The movie came out before I was born. It is almost 70 years old, and yet it is a classic that we can still enjoy, after all these years. I read the book when I was in high school. I didn’t see the movie until after I was married, when it was re-released in the early 70’s. Since then, it has been on TV many times, I’ve watched it many times, and I also own the video and the DVD.

This evening the Academy Award show is on. This past month Turner Classic Network has had “31 days of Oscar”, showing many award winning movies. Last weekend we watched “Ben Hur”, another favorite movie of mine. That came out when I was in high school and we got extra credit in English class if we went to see the movie. Since my parents didn’t take us to movies, one of my friends begged her parents to take me along with their family to see it, so that I could get the extra credit. I loved that movie so much, and was so impressed with the story, that I came home that night and sat up late with my Mother telling her all about the story. I think I relived it all when I told her about it. It’s another one that Bob and I watch every time it’s on TV. Ben Hur and Spartacus, are shown around Easter time and we always watch them.

The American Film Institute made a list of the best 100 films made, and Gone with the Wind is # 4, Casablanca is # 3 (and that is playing on the station right now) and I don’t remember what # 2 was, but # one is “Citizen Kane”. Now, I have to say, I’m not really in love with “Citizen Kane”, and still don’t understand how it made the # 1 spot, but I guess it was a well made film. 1939 was a big year, where many top films were made. I don’t believe there are films made today that equal the films that have been made in the past like Ben Hur, 10 Commandments, and Gone With the Wind. And the music that went with those films! Do you remember how most classic films had “Overture” and “Exit” music?!! The song from Casablanca is playing right now "As Time Goes By". Bob has cable TV for the sports stations, I have it for the TMC Station!

"My Fair Lady"

I noticed that the Academy Award Winning movie “My Fair Lady” was on Turner Classic Movies station and I taped it to watch this afternoon. I haven’t seen this movie for many years. It brings back a lot of memories, because you see, I watched this movie, along with my high school class, on the big screen theater in the city of New York. Our class went there for our senior trip to the N Y World’s Fair and that evening we saw the movie. It was a big deal for us to see a movie there, especially this movie.

The bus dropped us off in front of the theater, it’s the only time I’ve seen the city, and with us going by bus, can’t say we really saw much of it. Sometime I would like to go to New York and see the sights. I especially want to go to the Statue of Liberty and to Ellis Island. Bob’s Grandparents came through Ellis Island, how exciting if I could find their names. I want to see Central Park and maybe one of the TV shows (there was an article in this morning’s newspaper about them). Maybe, maybe some day, but, at least, I’ve seen a classic in the city’s theater, and I was at the NY World’s Fair (twice!). The only World’s Fair I will probably ever see.

I just looked at my e mail and discovered an e message saying that church services were canceled for this morning, not a surprise.

Now I need to get back to cooking. I’m making a big farm breakfast for the two guys in my life who are outside working hard on clearing the snow. The worst part is taking all the snow off the roof and our dormers. They are working hard, and they will be very hungry and tired when they come back inside. Bob is so thankful he has Rob to help him! This morning is one of the reasons he talks all the time about selling the house and moving into a town house! (I’m not ready though).

Happy Birthday Jerry - We Miss You!

Feb. 25 – In Memory of Gerald Michael Ebersole - Son, Brother, Father
Happy Birthday Jerry - We Miss You!

Today is our second oldest sibling’s birthday. We lost Jerry to lung cancer a few years ago. He passed away 3 weeks after my Mother in Law, it was a tough month. He was 52 years old. The five of us siblings were so fortunate that we could be at his bedside to say goodbye to him and let him know how much we loved him. It's the first time I was with someone when they passed, and it was a real honor.

Jerry was the oldest son, named Gerald, after my Dad, but we always called him Jerry. Jerry was so kindhearted, and sweet. He had a heart of gold. He was easy going and kind and thoughtful to all whose lives he touched. Unfortunately, life was not as easy on him, as he was on others. He got a lot of tough breaks, and because he was easy going, it was hard for him to get over the hurdles that life sent him.

We know that Mom and Dad have now joined you. Jerry, you are in our hearts forever, we love you and we miss you terribly. -- Your family

**The photo was taken Feb. 1961, Dad and Jerry shoveling out the lane of snow. At the top of the lane on the right hand side is where our sister Julie's house now sits. The baby I'm holding is our brother Tim. (Mom and I brought Daddy some coffee for a break)

S - N - O - W

Sunday morning: For my out of state readers - we awoke this morning to at least 6 maybe 8 inches of snow, and at 10:30 am it is still coming down. The wind is blowing and there is a storm warning through 6 pm tonight, with more snow coming, and travel is not being advised. My husband and son are out snow-blowing now, so that it won’t be as hard to do when the snow finishes. Stay tuned, I’ll let you know later how much of the white we end up with.

American History

Monday was President’s Day, there was an article on the front page of the Duluth News Tribune (see my link and look at it on Feb. 19th), about one of the history teachers at East High School here in Duluth, Ken Jensen. All three of our children were lucky enough to have him as a teacher when they were at East. They all liked him so much. I remember my daughter telling me how he made history be alive, and that she had never liked history until she had him for a teacher. One of the reasons he is such a good teacher is that he has a passion for American History, especially about the Presidents of our country. He tells his students interesting stories about each president, he inspires his students with his stories.

I knew what my children meant when they talked about him. History was brought alive to me because I had 3 wonderful history teachers that had passion, so much passion for their subject that us students couldn’t help but get interested and as passionate about the things they taught. My first history teacher that gave me passion for Egyptian history, the Nile, the pyramids and Egyptian mythology was Mrs. McMullen in 7th grade. (World History). In 8th grade and in 11th grade, we studied American History. Both of these teachers were excellent, and they both focused a lot of time teaching about the Civil War. 8th grade was Mr. Smarsh, and 11th grade was Mr. Kennedy. They knew everything about the Civil War, all the battles, and especially the Battle of Gettysburg. Guess what their summer jobs were? They were tour guides for the park service at the Gettysburg Battlefield. Now, I grew up very close to Gettysburg, however I never saw the battlefield until Mr. Smarsh took us there for a field trip. In 11th grade, Mr. Kennedy also took us there, and both teachers were determined that we would learn EVERYTHING there was to know about the Battle of Gettysburg! I loved studying about the civil war and the Battle of Gettysburg, but even those students who didn’t really get into the war, loved both of these teachers because of the passion and interest they had for their subject, and because they inspired their students.

This is from the News Tribune story: “Jensen cares about his students with equal enthusiasm. To drive home the importance of history, Jensen wrote letters to former presidents, senators and journalists asking them to write letters back to his students explaining why it’s important for them to sit through his class. Several responded, including Tim Russert from “Meet the Press,” Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford and Barbara Bush.

“It’s like I tell my students about the stories they hear over and over again from crazy Uncle Louie or Aunt Helen,” Jensen said. “They might get sick of hearing them, but they are important because they are the stories of their family. The presidents are part of American history, and that is the story of our nation. It’s the glue that holds us together.”

The photo above (photo by Amanda Odeski/News Tribune) is from Mr. Jensen’s classroom, he has cardboard figures of US Presidents and all kinds of interesting US History items and photos. Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Smarsh’s history classrooms were the same way, all about the American Civil War.

The stories that Mr. Smarsh and Mr. Kennedy told us about the generals, and the battles of the Civil War will never be forgotten. Any graduates that enjoy history, can thank these two teachers. At one time I thought I would study to be a teacher, if I would have, I would have become a HISTORY teacher! To this day, I love history, especially American History. I'm thankful that my children had a history teacher like my good history teachers. Thank you Mrs. McMullen, Mr. Smarsh and Mr. Kennedy, and Mr. Gifford (10th grade World History teacher).
(Bermudian Springs Jr./Sr. High School, York Springs, PA)

PS...will never forget where our class was the day President Kennedy was shot, we were in Mr. Kennedy's history class. He stopped his storytelling, and we all sat there for the remainder of the class in silence and grief.

Peace & Justice

I forgot to write about the part I did this week for “Peace and Justice”. On Wednesday I spent my lunch hour at the office of our Congressman, Representative Jim Oberstar. It was a listening session that I signed up for along with two other friends. He was scheduled to be there with us; however, he had pressing business concerning his Transportation Committee that he heads. So, we met with one of his staff, who will pass on our thoughts and comments to Rep. Oberstar. Rep. Oberstar was interested in listening to his constituents. We were there as Hope UMC members, and as his constituents. There were 5 other women there, 3 from another organization, one came up from Chisago, and two from Grand Rapids. We three were impressed with the preparedness, knowledge and passion of the other women. We felt like they knew so much more about the politics of war and what is going on in Iraq than we did. It was an experience for us, and it gave us the opportunity to let him know how we felt. We all agreed that we are so happy that we live in a country where we are able to "safely" express our opinions and concerns to our elected officials.
God Bless America!

The White Stuff is Here!

I didn’t get up the hill tonight until 6:30, and it was snowing lightly. I stopped at the grocery store near our house, and was only in there about 20 minutes. I couldn’t believe when I came out how much snow was on the car and ground. The wind had whipped up too. Now, an hour and a half later I see that it has stopped snowing. They say it will stop a while then start up again after midnight, and snow off and on tomorrow and Sunday. Anyhow, the ground is now white and I must say it looks nice.

I worked late tonight, I had to be sure that I had everything caught up and in order to be gone from my place of employment for 3 – 4 weeks. It has been a hectic week. Today was especially stressful. I figured it would be, it's the reason I decided to take a day of vacation on Monday, so that I have a day to relax before going to the hospital. I’ve scrambled for the last two weeks, especially, to be sure that I thought of everything, since there will not be anyone filling in for me while I’m gone. I have lined up some wonderful volunteers that will come in for a few hours several times each week, to do things for the community coordinators that I help. Between my supervisor, and myself, I think that we have thought of everything. I sure do hope so. I made sure there is enough postage, paper, toner, office supplies, financial supplies, in addition to having has much done ahead as possible for the girls to handle the upcoming “Daffodil Days”, that will have them all going crazy in the next two weeks. I’m sorry that I won’t be there to help them through Daffodil Days, but with 8 years of Daffodil Days under my belt, I must also admit that it will be nice to have a break this year. I just had to take this first date that the surgeon had for me, because I want to get back to normal and to feeling better, as soon as possible.

Now, starting tomorrow, (my head is still swimming with work thoughts tonight) I am going to try not to think of my job at ACS, but think of getting myself healthy. I know I’ve done everything possible to leave the office in good shape, so now I have to put work out of my mind.
It won't be easy, but I will try. After Tuesday, it will be easier. I had planned to work through Monday, but decided a few days ago that maybe it would be good to have Monday off. After the hectic day today, I'm sure glad I made that decision (thank you friends for suggesting that I do that).

I'll catch up on house work and home things this weekend, no place I have to go, it will be nice.

Snow Coming

This week has been so much warmer, a bit warmer each day. Snow is finally in our forecast. The white stuff is predicted to start after midnight tomorrow (Friday). It is to be snowy on Saturday and Sunday, and the weatherman is predicting 6 – 8 inches for us. It has been strange to see no snow on the ground here in January and February. The snow will brighten things up and make things look nice. We really need snow, not just for our economy here in the Northland, but also for the crops and gardens in the summer. Without the moisture we get in the winter, it will make for a dry summer. Our water level on Lake Superior is down by a foot and a half. We need the moisture. Maybe the water company employees will get a break from fixing broken water pipes and water mains. With the frost going so deep, there have been so many problems with that. No snow for insulation of the pipes.

Did I tell you that the John Beargrease Dog sled race was cancelled, due to no snow, and not even enough up north, (very unusual).

Anyhow, I think after a practically snow-less winter, most everyone in Duluth will be welcoming the snow. Personally, I’m glad its coming on a weekend, no worries about having to travel in it, we can stay home if it gets bad. Bob is going to the grocery store tomorrow. I warned him that he and hundred more will be in the store tomorrow (when snow is forecast around here, that’s what happens, people “stock up” in case of a blizzard).

In fact, it can snow for the next three weeks, and I won’t care – I will be home recuperating. So, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Surgery Coming Soon

In December, I wrote a post about my diagnosis of Achalasia, which is a motility disorder of the esophagus. You can read about it by clicking on December 2006 on the left and click on the post titled "Finally a Diagnosis". That date was when I was finally diagnosed with a condition I've apparently had for many years and didn't know I had. For 10 years or more I have been doctoring for "acid reflux". I found out that the reflux was food, not acid, and the pain wasn't from acid, it was from my esophagus muscles spasming. This mis-diagnosis is not uncommon, according to what doctors now tell me and my research. This condition is usually not pin pointed until the symptoms progressively worsen to the symptoms I had these last 8 months.

There are two treatments that are tried before surgery. During the emergency endoscopy I had the end of October, they did both of those procedures, without any success. So, surgery was recommended. The surgery is done by a Cardiothoracic Surgeon. I saw him on January 3. I didn’t write anything about that appointment, because I was waiting to write when I knew my surgery date.

Previous to the early 90’s this surgery was done by opening up the chest, very major, very long recovery. In the early 90’s a doctor came up with a way to do it through a laparoscope. The surgery is called Laparoscopic Heller Myotomy. The recovery time is about 3 week’s total, and it has become the treatment of choice, and offers long-term relief. Up until 7 months ago, I would have had to go to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester to have this surgery. 7 months ago, a new Cardiothoracic Surgeon came to Duluth's St. Luke’s Clinics and Hospital. This surgeon trained in the large medical center in Seattle, WA. He has done over a dozen of these surgeries in his young career (he appears to be a young doctor) in Seattle, AND he trained under the surgeon that came up with the laparoscopic myotomy! I firmly believe that the reason it has taken years for the doctors to diagnose my disorder was because there was not a surgeon in Duluth that could do this procedure.

When I saw him on January 3, I was impressed with his knowledge of achalasia, his manner of explaining it to me, and explaining exactly what the surgery would do to treat it. I was very disappointed, after he told me all of this, that his schedule was so full he would not be able to schedule me until the end of February, beginning of March. But, after consulting with him, I knew I would wait, I had to wait. (hey, I lost more weight during my “wait”) The time passed fairly quickly in some ways, not quick enough, in other ways. Now, Feb. 27, is only a week away. I saw him again this afternoon for pre-op exam and last minute questions, etc. I’ve had blood work, an EKG, all the necessary stuff. I came away feeling that I completely trust him, I’ve heard that going into surgery, the important thing is to believe and trust in your surgeon. I started getting nervous the last few days, and must say I had a hard time focusing at work today. But, after meeting with him today, I think I can stay calm, quit being nervous and not worry now. I only have a week to go toward feeling better and being able to eat healthier and normally! (NO more SOUP!) I am going to focus on remaining CALM!

Dinner with Friends

What fun last evening! This is the second Sunday in a row that I cooked a big meal. Since Bob has been retired, he has taken up a lot of the daily cooking while I am working during the day, and on weekends, since I can’t eat a whole lot, I haven’t felt much like cooking. I got myself back in practice the last two Sundays. Last Sunday we had our youngest son for dinner. Our friends, who are spending the winter in Florida, took her Mother with them when they went down after Christmas. On Thursday, Bill brought his Mother in Law back home, they flew into town. His wife stayed in Florida. I invited him to come yesterday and made dinner for him. As I was mashing the potatoes, I happened to think of my friend Sharon, who was working all afternoon, and her husband coming home from Ely, without a supper waiting for him. So, I called and invited them to join us. We had a good evening, a nice visit, and it was good to know that even when you out of practice, one can still put together a good meal for friends. I really need to do it more often. It’s much easier too, now that I have a remodeled kitchen, with even a dishwasher, after 32 years of working in an outdated kitchen it really is great.

Bill is the friend whose Florida home we will be visiting in April. They have wanted us to come down and visit them, and after he was down there, he kept calling Bob and asking if we had out tickets yet! So, we will be going the last week of April. We’ve never been to Florida. He is already trying to sell us on getting a place down there for our retirement winters. I think it will be a hard sell for me. Florida and Arizona are the two states that so many of our Duluthian retirees flock to in the winter months. I guess we’ll see what we think of Florida when we visit them in April. Bob has a cousin who lives in Arizona, next winter we hope to visit them and see what Arizona is like. I would tend to want to go to PA in the winter, since their winters are milder, and I’d like to be with family. However, the last few years, their winters seem to be more like ours, because ours are getting milder.

Last week I wouldn’t have wanted to be in PA. They had a couple of days of nothing but ice, sleet and more ice over their snow fall. Icy roads, my sister didn’t go to work one day due to the ice, and on Thursday when I talked to her, their driveway was still a sheet of ice. They had a rough week, a lot rougher than ours!

God's Eyes

Sunday’s message at Hope UMC was about looking at the world through God’s Eyes.
Pastor Michelle encouraged us to think differently when we look at situations, and people and our world in general. We should look as we imagine God might look at us. As she was talking, it reminded me of a favorite song of mine, sung by Bette Midler “From a Distance”. Then I realized that she had the words to the song on our mediation sheet, and she referred to it in her message. I’ve always liked the words to this song, so here they are. Also below, are some questions from the pastor that you might want to think about and meditate on.

From a Distance
From a distance the world looks blue and green,
and the snow-capped mountains white.From a distance the ocean meets the stream,/and the eagle takes to flight.From a distance, there is harmony,/and it echoes through the land.It's the voice of hope, it's the voice of peace,/it's the voice of every man.From a distance we all have enough,/and no one is in need.And there are no guns, no bombs, and no disease,/no hungry mouths to feed.From a distance we are instruments/marching in a common band.Playing songs of hope, playing songs of peace./They're the songs of every man.God is watching us. God is watching us./God is watching us from a distance.From a distance you look like my friend,/even though we are at war.From a distance I just cannot comprehend/what all this fighting is for.From a distance there is harmony, and it echoes through the land.And it's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves,/it's the heart of every man.It's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves./This is the song of every man.And God is watching us, God is watching us,
God is watching us from a distance.Oh, God is watching us, God is watching.
God is watching us from a distance.
-- “From a Distance” by Julie Gold

Questions:
When have you had the sense that you were seeing something from God’s perspective instead of your own?
What helped you see it this way? What was different about that view than what you normally see?

How did I escape?

This morning I am off to an 8:40 am appointment to get my blood drawn for lab work. I was at my doctor's yesterday and he happened to notice that I didn't have blood work done since spring of '05, and my cholestrol was high at that time. He asked me "How did you escape getting that re-checked in all this time?" Ha... I just looked at him and smiled. I guess I was caught. So, off I go this morning.

Valentine's Day '07

(Wrote this last evening, but wasn't able to post it till this morning, have been having problems posting ever since blogger moved me to the google site.)

Valentine’s Day today. Last evening when I came home, I went into the kitchen and puttered around in there for awhile, before I noticed: A beautiful bouquet of flowers in a vase on the counter. In front of it was a large Valentine’s Day card, from my loving husband of course. It was a beautiful card, and it had a great message in it. It meant a lot to me. I was surprised, he wanted me to be surprised. It’s why he gave it to me early. He figured I would look for it on Valentine’s Day, but not be looking for anything on the evening of Feb. 13th! I then scrambled to get his card that fortunately, I had purchased early. It wasn’t as big, but it was lovely and also had a good message that I wrote myself. I also gave him a bag of peanut M & M’s, which he loves.

I hope the flowers were “fair trade” (read below), but I’m not saying anything to him about that. Us wives have to be careful, when our husbands do nice things, we can’t push our luck.

We usually don’t go out to eat on Valentine’s night (we do it a Friday or Saturday before or after) because we don’t want to fight the crowds. Scott, our son, called us this evening and invited us to join him out at a restaurant at 8:15 (after his evening job). Why will he be with his parents instead of his sweetheart you ask? Yes, they are still together. However, Sarah is in the Caribbean where it’s 80 degrees or more, this week, they left on Saturday. Her Dad won a trip there from his employer and her Mom didn’t want to go, so Sarah went with him. Good week to be gone, weather wise, but she’s missing Valentine’s Day. He did break the bank though, and sent flowers to her at the resort where they are staying, so she knows that he’s thinking of her (and so he wouldn’t be in the “dog house”!) It will be nice to spend some time with Scott. The second time this week, we are so lucky! Sunday I asked him to come up for supper and he came and actually stayed for awhile! It was great.

Hope you each have a Beautiful Valentine’s Day.

Fair Trade Products

Have you heard about Fair Trade Products? Did you know that some products we buy may have been made by those in third world counties that use child labor, indentured servitude, etc.? Have you considered whether your purchases contribute to injustice, oppression or outright slavery? Today is Valentine's Day. Some of the chocolate we purchase is from the cocoa fields where there are injustices, child labor, slavery. I know you've heard about this when it comes to diamonds, and possibly you've heard about coffee, but did you know this can include chocolate and flowers too, which is the main purchase for Valentine's Day, I didn't.When we shop, we should ask for Fair Trade products. Read your labels. Fair Trade labels mean that the product has been produced under ethical and humane conditions.

Our church's Hospitality Committee, Hope UMC, has switched our coffee purchases to a product that has been certified Fair Trade. Until I heard the committee members talk about Fair Trade I really wasn't aware of the issue. I think many of us aren't aware of it, which is why I'm writing this post.Read more about this in Kevin Walsh's article in the morning's Duluth News Tribune titled The sweets you buy might hide a bitter reality. Click on my link to the left for the News Tribune, the article is on the editorial pages. Kevin is a member of the Sustainability Committee of First United Methodist Church here in Duluth.

Thank you Kevin, for bringing up this issue and making people more aware of it.

February 12th

Last night the blogger would not let me post. I wanted to post on the 12th because Feb. 12th was my Mother's Birthday. She passed away in 2005. She would have been 83 yesterday on the 12th.

Mother, you are in our thoughts almost daily and you are especially remembered on your birthday. Happy Birthday Mom, we love you!
Love, Linda, Steve, Tim, Mark and Julie and their families.

Aunt Grace

Aunt Grace
This afternoon my Dad's side of my family in Pennsylvania are all attending a birthday party. I wish I could be there with them. I am thinking of them though, and thinking of my Aunt Grace whose birthday they are celebrating. She is celebrating her 80th Birthday today! She is the third oldest of seven. My Dad was the oldest, Aunt Sylvia, who will be 83 in October of this year, and then Aunt Grace, 80 today. The ages go down from there, with the youngest, Aunt Jane, being 10 years older than me. We lost Uncle Bill to cancer a few years ago. Aunt Jane lost her husband, Uncle Stan, to cancer also, so Aunt Grace and Aunt Jane spend a lot of time together. Her children asked that we share memories or a favorite story of her, as our gift to her. Since I couldn't be there, I sent this to my cousin Susan to share about her Mother. Aunt Grace and Uncle Bill had two children, Susan and Steven. Both cousins grew up to be very lovely people and successful in their careers. Susan is three years younger than me, we spent a lot of time together when we were growing up, so I have memories of visits to their home. Here is what I wrote:

With Love to my Aunt Grace:
I have great memories of my Aunt Grace. Aunt Grace was one of my Dad’s sisters. I was the first Grandchild on my Dad’s side of the family, so I was given a lot of attention from his side of the family. I was especially given attention by my aunts. Aunt Grace was a good Aunt to me. She and Uncle Bill, Susan and Steve would often come up to our farm to visit when I was growing up, so I was able to get to know them well. Uncle Bill and Aunt Grace would often invite me to go home with them for visits because they knew that Susan and I liked to spend time together. Such good memories of those many visits! Aunt Grace gave me opportunities that I would not have had living on the farm. She let Susan and I go on the bus to downtown York, quite an experience for a farm girl. We went to the park nearby their house to play. I often went with their family to the Schimdt & Auldt company party at Williams Grove. One time when I was at their house, I got sick and Aunt Grace took such good care of me. I have a beautiful wedding photo album, thanks to Aunt Grace encouraging my Mother to hire the photographer that did Susan’s wedding. She told her not to take a chance on random photos for a wedding that you go to a lot of work to plan, that the money spent on a photographer is well worth it, and she was right!

Aunt Grace took Susan and I to my very first movie, and guess what that movie was? Cecil DeMilles “The Ten Commandments”. What an awesome experience that was for me. To this day, when I see the movie on TV, I remember Aunt Grace taking us to see it, and her explaining to me ahead of time about the movie theater.

One of my earliest memories of Aunt Grace is when I was very little. It’s the first time I remember being in the city, and it was night and Daddy was driving and looking for a street address on a dark, rainy night. We were going to Aunt Grace & Uncle Bill’s house for a Christmas Party. They lived in an apartment, and I remember the door had an oval shaped window on it. I remember her coming to the door and welcoming us in. She got everyone to sing Christmas Carols and she led us in the singing, and it’s the first time I ever heard the song “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”. She has always been good at getting the family together. She was a good cook and provided good food to our family gatherings. I remember one time when my Mother had a get together when I came home, and she brought a whole ham, all sliced and fixed on a tray! (Note to my blog readers - Aunt Grace taught school for over 30 years, she was a Home Economics teacher, so you can imagine what a good cook she was, and an efficient homemaker).

Family has always been very important to Aunt Grace, and she has always been a good influence on me and is one of the reasons that family is so important to me. I know she was a good sister to my Dad. I know how much she and his sisters meant to him. She was a good Sister in Law to my Mother. She was very good to Grandma. I remember all the kind things she did for Grandma and how compassionate she always was. Yes, Aunt Grace you are a good daughter, sister, wife, Mother, Grandmother, and a good Aunt to each of your nieces and nephews.

Aunt Grace, I sure wish I were there with you to celebrate your 80th. You are in our thoughts today and the next time I come home I will give you 2 great big hugs instead of one! -- Much Love from your niece in Minnesota and all my family here.

(When I get a photo scanned, I will post it)

Above Zero

Above Zero
Above Zero today! 12 above as I write this. Wind chill was -12 below this morning, and it’s now -3 below wind chill. What a difference from the low temperatures and wind chill we had
all week. It was sure a cold two weeks that we had. I must say I am really getting very sick of the cold weather!

We have been hearing about the snow that upper New York has been getting, oh my gosh! They must be getting all of our snow! Old timers here are saying that 40-50 years ago, that was the kind of snow falls Duluth used to have. Not anymore! Thankfully!

A Little Bit Warmer

Linda's Thoughts from Duluth
The temps are moving upward. This morning it is -6 below zero, and the wind chill is -33 below. The high today is to be 10 above. Each day is a bit warmer and by the end of the weekend we may reach 20.

Yesterday my brother from PA called me and asked “how in the heck do you navigate out there in that sub zero weather?” He said he couldn’t imagine it being that cold. They are having colder than normal temperatures also, but if they get in the teens in the early am they think that’s cold. He asked me about our cars, if they start in the mornings. I told him that Bob goes out in the middle of the night and starts them. He laughed. He said he was glad that he’s not in Duluth. He went to the farm on Saturday to cut wood, and he said it was just too cold to be out. Speaking of wood, my other brother who has the farm house now, put in one of those new “wood burning” furnaces that is in a building outside of the home, last summer. This is the first winter run for them using it, and I asked him how it was working. He said it heats the whole house real well, but in this cold weather it really uses the wood up fast! I think here in Minnesota some have purchased them and they burn corn in them.

Today I am going to Second Harvest Food Bank to volunteer. I will be helping to pack the monthly food boxes that they distribute to young families and Senior Citizens that are in need, their "MAC & NAPS" program. (See my Sept. 29th post for information on the program). My employer allows me volunteer during work hours, which is really nice. I’m wondering how warm the large warehouse that we pack in will be this morning, think I will dress warmly.

February Freeze

February Freeze
It isn’t any warmer today. It was colder this morning than yesterday. On the drive home from work tonight it was minus 3 below zero with minus 23 below zero wind chill. I didn’t warm the car up before leaving, so then never felt warm in the car the whole trip home. I came in and immediately ate a bowl of potato soup. I still feel chilled. I think I’ll make a cup of tea, when I’m done writing. It must have been colder in our office today too, because I am always feeling hot, while everyone else is chilly, and today I was chilly all day! It’s to be extremely cold again tonight. Well, all I can say is I’m glad it waited till February for this sub zero stuff. When we get it in December, it’s much more depressing. In February, we know it will probably be the last of the sub temps. Our schools were all closed today due to the cold. My husband said when he was in school, they NEVER closed for cold weather, and in those days a lot of kids WALKED to school, more than walk now!

"GREASE" Returns!

GREASE Returns

I try not to get tied into “reality shows” on TV, however, by accident one Sunday evening I was drawn into the “GREASE – You’re the One That I Want” show because of the music, and ended up watching the whole thing. Tonight I spent the last two hours enjoying good music and good performances from 7 girls and 7 guys auditioning for the cast of Grease’s two main characters, Sandy and Danny. Apparently the premise of the show is that we watch the performances and call in or vote on line who our favorite is, and that the audiences votes are considered as well as the those votes from the judges. I am not going to vote, because quite honestly, I don’t know how I could narrow it down further than the top 3 for each. All 14 are so good. I enjoyed all their performances, and some have their strengths in their voices and some in their dance. One of the girls is from Minnesota, and she played Sandy in a regional production. She has a great voice and did a good performance. She would be a dark haired Sandy, not blonde, but I could see her as Sandy. As I said, I think I could pick 3 Danny’s and 3 Sandy’s out of them, but don’t know how I’d choose between those three! I guess I’ll have to tune in to next Sunday’s show now.

Being a child of the 50’s, a teen of the 60’s, and a Mother of a daughter who watched Grease when it was made into a movie in the 70's, I absolutely love GREASE! I love its energy, and especially its music. The music and choreography is so much fun! Our Duluth Playhouse did a production of it a year or so ago, and I went with a friend who graduated in the 50’s. She had never seen the show before or the movie, she thoroughly enjoyed it, and I enjoyed sharing it with her. The show is coming back to Broadway this summer, with the Danny and Sandy that will be chosen from this TV show. Clever idea, whoever came up with it. It makes for good entertainment for us that love Grease! I’ve never seen a show on Broadway. Boy, would it be fun to go see this one!

"Grease is the word, is the word, is the word. . ."

The Super Bowl

Super Bowl
So, how many of you watched the Super Bowl. Many of you are probably watching it now, as I am writing this. I would much rather write. The game is on in the next room, the two men in the house are, of course, watching it. I have to hear the noise. I must say though, that I did watch Billy Joe do the National Anthem. (He did well). I'm so uninterested in it, that I had to ask my husband this afternoon which two teams were playing! I have never been able to get into football, especially to watch it on TV. I've been to games in my younger day, tried to understand it, but it's just not something that I could pick up easily, and after my high school days, quit trying to understand it, and decided I just "didn't care". Luckily, neither of my boys played football, then I guess I would have had to learn the game, as I had to learn the games of baseball and hockey.

Bob saved some of his Utz's Potato Chips I got him from PA for his birthday, for the game. He's munching away on them, and I dearly wish I could eat some too. No, I don't want to get sick, so I won't. I can't wait till after my surgery, so I can eat normally! I am glad though, that the homemade potato soup I made this afternoon, went down real well, with no
problem. Looking forward to having the soup tomorrow for both lunch and supper.

Soups

Soups
Speaking of soups (see post below) - when I was first married I tried to duplicate a lot of my Mother's soups. My husband would never even taste the homemade soups I made, let alone eat them. When Dawn came along, because Daddy wouldn't eat the soup, neither did she. By the time the boys came along, I gave up trying to make soup. Why go to all that time and trouble, only to have your family reject it. So, I only make two homemade soups now, and they are strictly to satisfy my need to have them, that's Mom's Potato Soup, and Split Pea and Ham soup. I love both of them, and have nurtured our one boy Rob to like them too, so at least when I make them, he will eat them, and I sometimes share with friends. I also take it along for work lunches. Sometimes I will take a large can of Campbells Beef soup, add browned ground beef to it, and a can of corn, and have modified "homemade Vegetable Soup" (learned that trick from Mom, she said it was an easy way, if you didn't want to mess with the beef bones, etc). I'm about the only that that eats that, but it lasts me for a few days, and I enjoy it.

Apparently, Bob's Mother never made homemade soup. Don't Italian households eat soup? He says they did not. I thought that Minestrone was Italian. I have an Italian cookbook or two that have soup receipes. Apparently, maybe it was just his Italian Mother, maybe she didn't like soup. In our house growing up, we had soup at least once a week, if not twice. He said they never had soup. That explained why if I ever did serve soup for a meal, he would say "soup" isn't a meal. He must not have trusted that I could make homemade soup either, he never gave me a chance. Funny, though that if he goes to a diner for lunch, he will eat their soup! And, he eats Minestrone Soup at "The Olive Garden". Funny...

Comfort Food

Comfort Food for sub zero temps
As you probably know, I'm getting my share of soup these days with my digestive problems. I keep thinking I should make homemade soup, but really haven't had the energy to do so, until this weekend. The cold temperature has made me hungry for some of my homemade Potato Soup. That is the soup I think of when I think of cold weather and also when I am sick or have a bad cold...my Mother's Potato Soup. She was the best soup maker. Her soups were good. She always made us potato soup when we had a bad cold. We liked it better than Chicken Soup, although her chicken soups were good too. Her potato soup is the only soup that I can make from stratch that tastes likes hers. My son thinks its the best soup, and he thinks I have some big secret about it. I hate to say it, but it's one of the simpliest things to make, the worst part is peeling the potatoes and dicing up the celery and onion. I do insist on using fresh parsley in it, like my Mother did, and I think that may be one of the secrets, it must be fresh, and then I add more fresh parsley when I serve it, to keep the bright green color. Rob is eating it now, and said I should write down the receipe for him so he can make it someday. When I write it down, it will seem so "simplistic". But, then, maybe the best comfort foods are the simplistic kind!

Thoughtful Dad

Thoughtful Dad
What a nice Dad our son Rob has! Today while Rob was at work, Bob got his car jumped, then took it to get a new battery installed for him. Bob left here before 1:30 and didn’t get back home until after 4:00! There were quite a few people there getting new batteries installed, with this cold weather! He had quite the wait! I told Rob that he owes his Dad BIG!!! He said he doesn’t know how to repay his Dad for all that he does to help him with his car problems. I told him he’ll think of a way! (Truthfully, all Mom and Dad’s really want in repayment is knowing that they are appreciated for their help).

23 Below Zero and -44 Wind Chill

23 Below and minus 44 Wind Chill
I was awake earlier than usual this morning. My husband had two of our three household cars running at 6 am. Rob's wouldn't start again. Colder this morning than yesterday, 23 below zero and wind chill is -44. They have extended the advisory from tonight through noon tomorrow.

Sometimes I think my husband is nuts. When it is this cold, why would you go somewhere that you didn't have to go? Wouldn't the normal person stay inside when it's this cold, and not risk being on the road? Not him, he is already at the fitness center to do his daily exercise regiem. Nothing, and I mean nothing sways him from his daily routines, especially the exercise routine. He is obsessed! Sometimes I wish I had his drive and need for routine, but then on days like yesterday and today, well, I must say I'm glad that I don't!

Cold Weather and Cars

Cold Weather and Cars
Our January weather came back a few days ago, and got colder each day. Yesterday morning it was minus 10 below with 25 below zero wind chill. The prediction was for it to get colder and have a very cold weekend. There is a wind chill advisory through Sunday. This morning it was -18 below zero and the wind chill was -40 below.

Cold weather is especially hard for those in poverty. Transportation is one issue,just to name one issue of many. I think today, of those that can't afford newer cars. Three cars in our household, two of them have done well all week. Rob, on the other hand, has an old car and his car needed a jump the last two days. And his luck, he works this weekend. He is lucky that he still lives at home, or he'd have to really figure how to manuver the bus schedule, which isn't real great from here to his work. Yesterday and today we gave him Bob's car, and Bob is nursing Rob's old one. This is not the time of the year that you want to have an old car. They just don't cooperate with the sub zero degrees.

Bob and I are so thankful to have two good cars. We remember the days when we only had one car and it was always an old one. It's nice to finally be able to afford at least one newer car (our second one is a '98, but it's a Toyota). We remember the winters where we struggled all the time with keeping the car running. Even when we got to where we could afford two cars, they were always two old ones. When the cold comes, if anything is close to breaking down in your old car, it will break down when the cold weather hits. Two old cars and winter, we always seemed to be dealing with keeping them running and car repair costs. To make matters worse, back in those days, when our car broke down, it was always between paydays when we didn't have money or credit cards. Oh, so glad those days are behind us. At least these days we have credit cards! We can also afford an AAA membership.

Old Enough to Know Better!

Old Enough to Know Better
Last night we got a call from our youngest son, Scott. He called us after returning from a trip to urgent care. He was at the hockey rink skating with the kids on the Community Club ice rink. He got hit by a puck and had to get 12 stitches on and by his lip. He said it was good that I didn't see how terrible he looked. Of course, after making sure his teeth were all still there and that he didn't hurt his head, I really scolded him as a Mother can scold about not wearing a hockey helmet or mouthpiece. I can't believe that he was foolish enough not to wear a helmet and mouthpiece, let alone the thought that at age 25 he is an "adult" that should be a role model to the kids on the rink (who by the rules, are not permitted to be on the ice without helmet and mouthpieces)! I was upset! I thought by age 25 some of those teenage actions would be gone. I found my self saying something everyone hears their parents say at least once in life "You are old enough to know better!" He could have lost teeth, (and no dental insurance) he could have been seriously hurt more than a split mouth! Tonight I called him to see how his day went. It's still very swollen. I asked him what they said at his work. He said that his boss gave him the dickens, too about not wearing a helmet. He said he didn't get much sympathy. "Good," I said! I was glad that his Dad and I weren't the only ones to give him grief. I don't think he'll live this down for awhile, and I'll bet he'll be sporting a fat lip, bruising and maybe even scars for a time, that he maybe won't forget. I asked him why he broke the rules on the rink and he told me that over age 18, it is not a rule to wear a helmet. Now that's pretty stupid! Does the city think over 18 is too old to have rules?

I also kept thinking about how ALL the years he played hockey, from age 4 or 5 through high school, how fortunate we always felt that he never got hurt, in all those years! We always worried about his safety. Hockey can be rough. Of course, during those years he WAS always wearing helmet, mouthguard and proper equipment!