I was surprised yesterday by the best early birthday present in the world: Tickets to see Bruce Springsteen in concert last night. It was awesome. To get an idea, here's a video of "Radio Nowhere" off his new CD:
After 40 some years of music, Bruce is still the boss. And the rest of us oldies can still rock, too.
Thanks to my three boys for a great gift and a great time.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Organic Food
Today, I received the annual newsletter from the organic farmers from whom I buy eggs, our Thanksgiving turkey, roasting chickens, and vegetables (in season). I am pleased to see that they now have a website, www.thatguysfamilyfarm.com. I have added them to my Daily Blog Check list at left. Check them out. If you don't live in this area, read their website to become inspired to find some local, organic farmers of your very own. The work they do is vital to the health of our beloved planet, not to mention the quality and taste of their fresh products exceeds anything available in the grocery store. As Barbara Kingsolver says in her great book, Animal Vegetable, Miracle, we should be skeptical of produce that had "a misspent youth in the back of a refrigerator truck."
It is a great feeling to look in my fridge and know where the food came from and know how the animals spent their lives. And to know that I am supporting my neighbors in their livelihood and their effort to keep our neighborhood clean of mystery chemicals in the ground and water.
Try it. You'll be surprised how rewarding it is. Carlena, if you read this, especially check on their website the dates they are at farmer's markets. They are in your area fairly often.
It is a great feeling to look in my fridge and know where the food came from and know how the animals spent their lives. And to know that I am supporting my neighbors in their livelihood and their effort to keep our neighborhood clean of mystery chemicals in the ground and water.
Try it. You'll be surprised how rewarding it is. Carlena, if you read this, especially check on their website the dates they are at farmer's markets. They are in your area fairly often.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Update
More photos and an update of what's going on here.
In a new endeavor for our family, we planted vegetable seeds (mostly saved from last years veggies, even!). We saved boxes to use for flats and planted our seeds in used yogurt cups. Logan handled the dirty work.
Logan's always up for the dirty work. He planted them several weeks ago and most have sprouted. They're just sitting in front of a south-facing window. Amazing they sprouted; there has been very little sun here, lots of clouds and rain.
Next update:
I spent a second weekend in Florida, this time with my brother Mike.
He had a blast riding four-wheelers on the beach.
And fishing. This is on the inland waterway, also known as the Halifax River (although it is saltwater). I just hung around the pier taking pics and enjoying the sunshine. Especially since they were suffering through a blizzard (14 inches of snow!) at home.
A highlight was spending some time with my great friend Cynthia.
Next item:
We spent a wonderful weekend watching Luke play Schroeder in the high school play, "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown."
Here's Lucy singing while Schroeder plays the piano. She's trying to talk him into marrying her.
Luke singing "Beethoven Day" in celebration of his hero's birthday.
Schroeder at the ball game.
It was awesome.
Joanie: You're the winner of this month's Special Treat! For reading my blog, you receive a free round trip ticket to come home around Saturday, June 7th, for Luke's graduation party! All expenses paid! (Mike and I took a bump coming home from Florida; he's got a ticket burning a hole in his pocket; I've got a ticket so you can be here and help me with the party! Lucky you!)
In a new endeavor for our family, we planted vegetable seeds (mostly saved from last years veggies, even!). We saved boxes to use for flats and planted our seeds in used yogurt cups. Logan handled the dirty work.
Logan's always up for the dirty work. He planted them several weeks ago and most have sprouted. They're just sitting in front of a south-facing window. Amazing they sprouted; there has been very little sun here, lots of clouds and rain.
Next update:
I spent a second weekend in Florida, this time with my brother Mike.
He had a blast riding four-wheelers on the beach.
And fishing. This is on the inland waterway, also known as the Halifax River (although it is saltwater). I just hung around the pier taking pics and enjoying the sunshine. Especially since they were suffering through a blizzard (14 inches of snow!) at home.
A highlight was spending some time with my great friend Cynthia.
Next item:
We spent a wonderful weekend watching Luke play Schroeder in the high school play, "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown."
Here's Lucy singing while Schroeder plays the piano. She's trying to talk him into marrying her.
Luke singing "Beethoven Day" in celebration of his hero's birthday.
Schroeder at the ball game.
It was awesome.
Joanie: You're the winner of this month's Special Treat! For reading my blog, you receive a free round trip ticket to come home around Saturday, June 7th, for Luke's graduation party! All expenses paid! (Mike and I took a bump coming home from Florida; he's got a ticket burning a hole in his pocket; I've got a ticket so you can be here and help me with the party! Lucky you!)
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Trip to Florida
My blog is suffering because so much good stuff is going on here. But I did want to post these photos of our recent trip to Daytona Beach. Mom and Poppy go there for the winter so we went down for a long weekend to visit them. I got to check a thing off my Life Must-Do list: we swam with dolphins (for the shortest half hour ever) at the Dolphin Conservation Center just south of St. Augustine Florida. It was wonderful (but way too short). And yes, just like Flipper, dolphins really are the Black Labs of the sea.
That pink spot on his bottom lip is very kissable.
Twenty-six miles of beach and the only folks in the water are Ohio tidy-whities.
From mom's computer, Luke posted this to his Facebook and received really nasty messages from his friends in school in Ohio.
Logan starring in his own little Coke commercial. (Can you see him? The chair is good camouflage.)
Luke and Tim during our requisite game of mini-golf.
We had a great time.
Luke, Tim, Logan, Mom, and me basking in the Florida sunshine.
That pink spot on his bottom lip is very kissable.
Twenty-six miles of beach and the only folks in the water are Ohio tidy-whities.
From mom's computer, Luke posted this to his Facebook and received really nasty messages from his friends in school in Ohio.
Logan starring in his own little Coke commercial. (Can you see him? The chair is good camouflage.)
Luke and Tim during our requisite game of mini-golf.
We had a great time.
Luke, Tim, Logan, Mom, and me basking in the Florida sunshine.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Christmas Parade
Our town held its first ever Christmas parade last weekend.
Here's photos of me and the rest of the lead singers and dancers from the Christmas show as we are getting ready for the parade to begin.
(That's me second from left.)
(I'm all the way on the left in this photo.)
The entire time we were on the float we sang and danced one of our numbers from the Christmas show. The song had kind of a western flair about going on a sleigh ride. Ten people dancing on a hay wagon was challenging; not a lot of room to be swung by your partner. I'm not complaining though. The dancing kept our toes from completely freezing off our feet.
Tim pulled our float with his truck; Logan was his co-pilot. Luke marched in the parade with the high school marching band.
It was great fun and I feel lucky to have been part of it.
Here's photos of me and the rest of the lead singers and dancers from the Christmas show as we are getting ready for the parade to begin.
(That's me second from left.)
(I'm all the way on the left in this photo.)
The entire time we were on the float we sang and danced one of our numbers from the Christmas show. The song had kind of a western flair about going on a sleigh ride. Ten people dancing on a hay wagon was challenging; not a lot of room to be swung by your partner. I'm not complaining though. The dancing kept our toes from completely freezing off our feet.
Tim pulled our float with his truck; Logan was his co-pilot. Luke marched in the parade with the high school marching band.
It was great fun and I feel lucky to have been part of it.
Friday, September 28, 2007
A man and his tractor
Strange things happen to a man when a tractor comes into his life. It begins innocently enough. A simple thought: Hey, let's cover up the place where the foundation shows by building a flower bed along the side of the house.
A call to our landscaping friend causes a load of rocks to be dropped off. Building commences. Our great nephew, Cory, is visiting and he thinks riding with Tim on the tractor hauling real live rocks is as good as life gets.
A wall takes shape.
Logan is a good worker and a good guy to little kids.
You have a tractor, therefore the work is not unbearable; so even while this wall is being built your eye begins to wander. You think, we could finally tear out those ugly bushes in front and do something about that perpetual bare spot by the red maple. Besides, there are always enough rocks left over from one wall to get you started on the next wall; before you use the last rock you place another call to your landscaper friend and say, hey, when you get over this way, and several days later there are more rocks and you finish one area but have enough rocks left over to make you think you can do another area and just before you use the last rock you make another call...
The next thing you know you've used your tractor to pull out those ugly bushes at the front of the house and you've found the coolest ever stepping stones for a front walkway...
And your tractor hauls in the sand which makes the stepping stones lay perfectly.
Miracle of miracles, you exhaust the manure pile filling up the new beds. Then piles of mulch appear in the driveway and a week's worth of evenings are spent in the hauling of mulch...
...and the spreading of mulch with Trixie for quiet and pleasant company.
Bushes and flowers get planted one bed at a time. Things grow and bloom; the flit and buzz and flutter of bees, hummingbirds and butterflies are hearty accolades for this thing you have wrought.
The cat lolls in splendor and thinks: All this for me / As well it should be.
You hose down your sweaty tractor and tuck it into the barn for a rest. Yourself gets propped up on the deck from whence you can survey your work, drink your ice water, and make plans for next summer.
I smile a wifely smile to myself and think, I should have bought you a tractor a long time ago.
A call to our landscaping friend causes a load of rocks to be dropped off. Building commences. Our great nephew, Cory, is visiting and he thinks riding with Tim on the tractor hauling real live rocks is as good as life gets.
A wall takes shape.
Logan is a good worker and a good guy to little kids.
You have a tractor, therefore the work is not unbearable; so even while this wall is being built your eye begins to wander. You think, we could finally tear out those ugly bushes in front and do something about that perpetual bare spot by the red maple. Besides, there are always enough rocks left over from one wall to get you started on the next wall; before you use the last rock you place another call to your landscaper friend and say, hey, when you get over this way, and several days later there are more rocks and you finish one area but have enough rocks left over to make you think you can do another area and just before you use the last rock you make another call...
The next thing you know you've used your tractor to pull out those ugly bushes at the front of the house and you've found the coolest ever stepping stones for a front walkway...
And your tractor hauls in the sand which makes the stepping stones lay perfectly.
Miracle of miracles, you exhaust the manure pile filling up the new beds. Then piles of mulch appear in the driveway and a week's worth of evenings are spent in the hauling of mulch...
...and the spreading of mulch with Trixie for quiet and pleasant company.
Bushes and flowers get planted one bed at a time. Things grow and bloom; the flit and buzz and flutter of bees, hummingbirds and butterflies are hearty accolades for this thing you have wrought.
The cat lolls in splendor and thinks: All this for me / As well it should be.
You hose down your sweaty tractor and tuck it into the barn for a rest. Yourself gets propped up on the deck from whence you can survey your work, drink your ice water, and make plans for next summer.
I smile a wifely smile to myself and think, I should have bought you a tractor a long time ago.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Eventful week
School started Wednesday so herein are posted the obligatory First Day of School photos:
Luke, now a senior
The Snoginator begins eighth grade.
No parents needed; Luke's driving to school now.
Also last week, Luke and three friends sang the National Anthem at a Dayton Dragons game.
Grandma Rose and Poppy were in the ball park, of course.
The Dragon's mascot, Heater, joined the singers for a photo.
On Friday, Luke came home from school bearing a packet from the National Merit Scholar folks that notified him he was a National Merit Scholar semi-finalist. Very exciting. Then Friday evening was the first high school football game so Luke and the marching band had their first performance.
All in all, it was an eventful, fun week.
Luke, now a senior
The Snoginator begins eighth grade.
No parents needed; Luke's driving to school now.
Also last week, Luke and three friends sang the National Anthem at a Dayton Dragons game.
Grandma Rose and Poppy were in the ball park, of course.
The Dragon's mascot, Heater, joined the singers for a photo.
On Friday, Luke came home from school bearing a packet from the National Merit Scholar folks that notified him he was a National Merit Scholar semi-finalist. Very exciting. Then Friday evening was the first high school football game so Luke and the marching band had their first performance.
All in all, it was an eventful, fun week.
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