Woolly Mutts

Happy Bithday, Karl.

One year I forgot the 'r' in birthday when I wrote it on Karl's birthday cake.  I remember it was chocolate frosting and the celebratory words were in blue.  I had no idea I had misspelled the most important word until I lit the candles and brought the cake to the table. It was a good laugh on a good day.  There have been so very many good days with this man.

It's been a big year for Karl, supporting his beautiful wife through her pregnancy and then the birth of their son.  I don't think I've ever been prouder of Karl than I am right now.  He is such  a sweet Daddy to his little mini-me son Callum.  (Seriously, the child is like his clone.) Diaper changer, comforter to the fussies....my heart kind of explodes when I watch them together. I walked into a room on Tuesday night where he and Santa had taken refuge to quiet Callum and the love of that little family was so precious to see.

Karl has an innate kindness inside him, a light that shines quietly from his heart.  Whenever I feel like my positive footprint on the world may be a small thing I remember my children and how profoundly good they are and I am uplifted.  Karl has a unique ability to take people exactly where they are and find the best in them.  I think just being with Karl makes people better.  It has certainly made me better.

Happy Birthday my beautiful son.  I hope the day treats you well and you find some time to celebrate.  Every day of your life has been a gift to me.♥

A brief diversion into controversy land.

When I was a small girl spending summers near my grandparents in Wisconsin my grandfather, who was almost 90 by this time, would pull his lawn chair into the yard, grab his shotgun and commence shooting at red squirrels.  I never knew what he had against them, and the fact that I considered each and every one of them to be personal friends created a.....shall we say....difference of opinion between grandpa and I.  Fact is, I hated his guts.  I begged him not to shoot them.  I cried and wailed and once even tried to knock his chair over.  I did not do that again, nor did I sit comfortably for a good long time.  My old grandfather and his horrible shotgun were my first experiences with guns. There have been a few others.

I am related to hunters.  Every year they head north with their guns and their beer and they have a good 'ol time killing innocent animals.  That first kill is a big deal and they hoot and holler like they won the lottery instead of ended a life.  (Over population? Don't go there with me. I know it exists.  I also know there are better ways to to deal with the problem. ) No matter how many ways you try to frame it, lying in wait to kill an animal that has done nothing whatsoever to harm you is not sport.  It's murder.

I dated a boy in high school who was a farmer.  Every now and again he had to go out and kill a coyote who threatened their flock and every time he killed one he cried. He cried and he begged the others to please eat the rats in the fields and to stay away from the flock.  I loved that about that boy.  I think, if it was possible, he hated guns even more than I do. 

In my adult years I have done my best to put as much distance as possible between a gun and myself.  I once mistakenly walked into the gun department at Cabelas and after a horrified moment I backed out of there in a great hurry. I had no idea, none whatsoever, there were so many different kinds of guns.  I've known people who owned guns and have been offered an opportunity to learn to shoot a gun (he was a police officer and a kind man trying to help...I think). Guns were created for one purpose and one purpose only, to kill.  It's as simple and complicated as that.  To. Kill. My life can have no connection to that.  None at all.

In response (better late then never?) to the rash of inconceivable school shootings over the last several years our esteemed President has outlined a plan to tighten gun control.  Among other things he wants to strengthen background checks, limit magazines to 10 rounds, improve mental health services and ban assault weapons.  After reading the entire document I can't see that he's proposing anything outrageous or even very limiting.  If you are a responsible gun owner, and if I'm being honest I'm not sure there is such a thing, but assuming there is, it should not affect you at all.  Nobody, unless you are military, needs an assault weapon.  Go ahead and try and convince me otherwise.  I dare you.

And yet, the cries of FOUL are loud and numerous and I'm more than a little stupefied.  There are plenty of what we consider to be 'rights' that are regulated. Certainly the right to own a killing machine ought to come with more than rudimentary strings attached.  Apparently, the assault weapon is a gateway gun, if you will.  The first opening in the door to remove all guns.  If you take away the gun that can blast it's way through an entire neighborhood, what's next?  What if I need to protect myself against an intruder, or use the butt end to knock some sense into my wife?  I might want to kill myself someday, or maybe my angst ridden teenagers who have no idea where I keep the guns and ammo (of course they do) might want to off themselves.  What about the zombie apocalypse? At what point did we begin viewing guns as a basic "right" and stop seeing them as objects of death that bring with them serious moral and ethical consequences?

In my perfect world there are no guns, but I don't live in that world, nor will I ever.  It is unreasonable to even consider the possibility of disarming the country, but taking some steps to try and make the citizens of this country a little more safe from those that would use fire arms in the worst possible way, that is a very, very good idea and one I support.  Good job, Mr. President.  Make it so.

Random Monday - meh edition

This has been the worst winter ever.  EVER, people.  Ever and ever.  Why won't it snow?  It's snowing in Minnesota. It's snowing out east.  Here in the ever warming midwest?  No snow.  It's cold enough, but no moisture.  I gotta tell you that it's bumming me out.  The earth needs the moisture and I need the magical, beautiful snow.  Sigh.

Randomness:

New TV:  This weekend we spent some time viewing a couple of new offerings in the tv department.

Ripper Street.

Gritty, intelligent, and very, very good.  Thank you BBC America for providing yet more awesome British tv.  I've had a crush on Matthew Macfayden since he was the incandescent Mr. Darcy.  He never dissapoints. 5 stars.

Continuum

Jury is still out on this one.  It has potential so we'll see where it goes.  If you have been a SyFy watcher for any length of time (Stargate, etc) there are many familiar faces.  Always enjoy seeing Master Bra'tac.

In the 'saying goodbye' department, Fringe breathed it's last on Friday night in a 2 hour, slightly tearful, and very unsatisfying finale.  Honestly, I stopped caring about 6 months ago, but I will admit that I'm going to miss Walter Bishop a great deal.  I have a fondness for dear, sweet, quirky men.

Ipsy.com:  I love a good beauty product.  You wouldn't know that by looking at me, but it is the shiny truth.  Ipsy is sort of a home-world for beauty products, videos, techniques, etc.  They also have a monthly glamour bag. $10 a month or $110 a year gets you 5 or 6 products a month to try for yourself, and these aren't tiny little samples.  One of my fav beauty gurus Kandee Johnson, has joined the ipsy team and that was all the motivation I needed to jump on board.  Regrettably, I jumped too late so I'm on the waitlist, but once I get my first bag I'll let you know what was in it and my reviews.  If you're new to Kandee, give her a look.  She is a celebrity make-up artist, mom of 4 and one of the sweetest, most positive people I've ever seen.  Any time I need a pick up, a little dose of Kandee will do it.  She is also a GENIOUS with makeup.

Big purse, or purse and tote?  I obsess about the most ridiculous stuff (trying to weed the word 'stupid' our of my vocabulary) and I'm a needing your help on this one.  When we go to Florida I will being taking lots of little day/several hour trips out of my room to the surrounding areas.  On these day trips I will need my sketch book, camera, knitting, sunscreen, phone...blah, blah...all the travel necessities.  SO, do I take my usual ginormous purse that can hold all those things, or a tiny purse and a big tote bag?  In your travel experiences, what have you done?  Gracious in advance.

Knitting: I've been in a sort of knitting slump.  The last several months have been filled with knitted grand baby things and now it's time to move up to something for me.  I want it to be semi-mindless, but still fun.  I think it's time to follow the seven thousand three hundred and forty eight Ravelry sheep and knit Color Affection.

I purchased the yarn almost a year ago when we went to DC, so I casted on last night.

Yarn is by a local to DC company call Neighborhood Fiber Co and all their colorways are named after DC neighborhoods.  Cool, right? It's the Studio Sock, 100% superwash merino.  First color (lightest one) is L'Enfant, second is Sheridan Circle, and third Easterwood.  So far, so good.

Hope warmth and health are a part of your Monday!

I love my husband's job.

Before I had met my Amazing Husband I had been to the outer regions of exactly nowhere.  Vacations were never priorities because frankly, we couldn't afford them, but also because for my entire life some parent or grandparent lived on the serenely perfect Dunham Lake and we were able to visit there frequently.  With a place as perfect as it was (I'm sure it still is) why go anywhere else?  I'll tell you why....because it's fun!

Enter Amazing Husband and all that changed.  We made several trips to California, Door County, Minnesota, Canada.  With each trip we learned that traveling together was a whole new dimension of joy for us.  Getting away from home, as much as we love home, creates all new memories and experiences.  Then, if that wasn't good enough, his job required some travel and I got to go along.

In 2009 we attended a conference in Nashville at the breathtaking Gaylord Opryland.

AH attended conference during the day and I discovered Nashville through Grayline tours who very kindly (bless their hearts) picked me up at the door and brought me right back at the end of the day.  Nashville might not have been my first choice of travel destinations, but I had a really fantastic time.  Beautiful country if you like hot and muggy cuz it was all kinds of hot and muggy.

Last year he had training in Red Bank, NJ and I got to go along.  Once again, New Jersey wasn't high on my list of places to visit, but I had a very nice time.

We stayed at the Oyster Point Hotel and our room had these incredible floor to ceiling windows with a killer view of the bay.  There was less to do in NJ than Nashville, but I kept myself busy during the day.  At the end of his training we were able to take a few days and drive to DC for a fast look around the capital at the peak of the cherry blossoms.  So cool.  Actually, it was hot there too....like in the 80's.  Maybe I bring it with me.

This April a work conference being hosted at the Loew's Portofino will take us to Orlando.

Again, Orlando wouldn't be a box I would tick on the "can't wait to go there" list, but I think I can force myself to lay by one of the 3 pools or perhaps spend some time at the spa while AH attends the conference.  In the evening we might take a water taxi to Universal and see the Harry Potter experience.  Maybe.  Did you know that a ticket for 1 day at Universal is $123? For one person! I'm not sure I want to see it that bad.  Time will tell.  I hear there are some discounts available if I search hard enough.  Any hot tips?  I'm already trying to decide what to pack! I might just have to buy a swimsuit! (ACK!)

 I find that I really enjoy making friends with the places where we are staying; finding the little out-of-the-way spaces, making the aquaintances of the room service and house keeping staffs.  I wish my Spanish was better!  I feel a little bit guilty that I am having fun while AH is essentially working, but not guilty enough to stay home.  :-)

Random Monday - Baby it's cold outside edition

Actually, now that I look at the temp, it's not really THAT cold.  Fifteen degrees is what winter is supposed to be offering up at this stage of the game.  Maybe some of the flu germs will freeze to death.

It's a lovely sunny day and the sky is the most extraordinary blue. It's a good, peaceful day here in Muttville.

Randoms:

*I got a chance to hold the beautiful Callum on Saturday.

We aren't prejudiced or anything, but he really is a pretty baby.  His features are finely sculptured and all reports are that he has amazing eyes, though I've never seen them open.  He slept like a little angel while I watched all the sweet faces that babies make.  He and Emerson are going to be grand buddies.

*Anybody watch the Golden Globes last night?  I thought the Fey/Poehler hosting team was brilliant.  They were hilarious and I wish we would have seen more of them.  This was my favorite dress:

So romantic and regal.  I'd pick this over the skin tight/boob exposing dresses every time.  I would also, most assuredly, be a repeat "fashion don't" offender.  I loved Lucy's braid, too.  Overall, I was pleased with most of the winners.  DD-L won for Lincoln, which was a no brainer, and I was really happy for Ben Affleck. I haven't even seen Argo, but it's good to see a nice guy get some accolades.

*Zero Dark Thirty

As humans, we have been immaculate in our ability to find ways to damage each other.  This film was gritty, intense, often difficult to watch.  It did not, however, in any way romanticize the murder of UBL.  During the scenes of the actual compound attack I found myself holding my breath, even though I knew the outcome.  Jessica Chastain was amazing in portraying this forthright, determined woman. I'm glad we saw it, but I left feeling a little disheartened about the world today. I wonder of anyone ever tells the the truth about anything anymore. I wonder is we even know what the truth is.

*In more light hearted viewing, I've started re-viewing the short but oh-so-sweet Firefly.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and tell you the shiny truth......Firefly is the best there is in sci-fi tv viewing.  That kind of quality, creative story telling isn't happening today, hasn't happened since. It's right up there with Doctor Who in my book, and that is saying something.  I need motivation on the treadmill and Firefly is providing that.  I bet I've watched it's one and only season six or seven times and I'm still thrilled to turn on these old friends and enjoy them over again.  Netflix has the season in the Watch Instantly category. 

Stay warm and have a happy Monday!! 

Another little angel joins our family.

Callum August Arvidson, born today 1/9/2013 at 1:34 pm.  7lbs, 9oz..length a mystery to this Nana who forgot to ask. He's a beautiful little peanut with lots of blond hair.  I can see both of his parents in him.  So grateful that he has arrived safe and healthy.  I don't think I've ever seen his mother look more beautiful.  We are a blessed family.

Today we are waiting.

Frank and Noli are waiting in a sunny patch on the bed.

Maddie is waiting on Cooper's bed.  He never makes her leave so he can lay there.

Cooper and Sam are waiting outside under a pine tree where a treed squirrel is giving them the what-for from high above.

I am good at a few things, but waiting is not one of them.  We are waiting for Callum.  Santa and Karl are at the hospital and things are progressing well.

I was there with Kysa and Josh and sweet Gracie Lou when Cambria was born.  We had Cambria with us when Emerson was born, but Josh kept us very up-to-date on the progress.  This time I must wait at home, getting information as Karl and Kysa text it to me. I think Kysa is more excited than I am and is keeping in very close contact with her brother.  I'm trying not to be a  pesty mom. I'm so excited and so proud and happy for them.  AH had to take the car to work so I can't go up there and wait in the lobby, but Kysa will pick me up and we'll go see him as soon as he is born.  Patience is a skill I need to work on.

Today we get a new family member!!!!

Will it go round in circles?

I was playing with Google Earth yesterday and decided to get a bird's eye view of our property.  I've done this before, but it appears that they have updated their photos because this one is pretty new.  It had to be last summer.  I have to admit that I think our spiral labyrinth looks kinda awesome. The spiral is the symbol of the oneness of the universe.

I can see that there are a few places that need some cleaning up, but I'm kinda of excited about how good it looks.  It must have been taken early in the summer because the grass is still almost green. Later in the summer it was so brown and crispy that I thought we might lose the whole thing to fire. Most years at mid-summer the prairie grasses that make up the spiral can be 3 or 4 feet tall.  We let it grow as it will.  There is one bush that is growing so tall and wide that we have cut a tunnel under the branches to walk through. At the end of the season last year my brother-in-law culled some of his prairie plants and we added them to the spiral.  We'll see what makes it come Spring.

Here's the whole property:

Click to embiggen.  This year I feel confident that the hole in the ground will become a pond  and we can spend cool summer evenings (who am I kidding? ) sitting on the back deck enjoying the dragonflies as they flit across the water.  It must have been mowing day since both cars (we've since downsized to one) are parked back in the driveway to make room for the mower. 

From this angle I can see that the fire pit is now too close to the tree line so some branches will have to be cut back.  Also, the veg garden is getting a lot of shade.  Will have to think on that one a bit. 

I don't generally have too much positive to say about our aging, in sad need of renovation house, but I do love the yard. Most of the trees running up the middle of the property, just right of the fire pit are pines. I dug them up from the woods in Northern Wisconsin when they were just seedlings and brought them home in coffee cans. They are family to me. Too bad they aren't covered in snow right now as they should be.

(I think this picture was taken 2 winters ago.)

Btw...if you're local and you would like to come and walk the labyrinth you are more than welcome to do so.  If we're home and the dogs are out you might have some company. They are seasoned spiral walkers and will just follow along.  Feel free to rap on the door and let us know you're there so we can keep the mutts out of your way.