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| From Summer 2010 |
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| From Summer 2010 |
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| From Summer 2010 |
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| From Summer 2010 |
Thursday, July 1, 2010
What Summer time things we've been up to...
Cruisin'
Lookin' Handsome
Playin' in our favorite waterin' hole
Eatin' Berries
Sunday, June 20, 2010
100 things about my dad
First, I was worried this would be hard-it wasn't. Second, I know there's a lot that my sister and my step-mom would add that's not on there. I wish I could read their list too, anyone else's for that matter.
I really enjoyed this and I'd like to do it for my mom, while she can enjoy it!
100 things about my dad
1. He had trouble staying awake while driving
2. He had trouble keeping both hands on the wheel while driving
3. He called me Beck
4. He had been known to jump out of his seat in excitement
5. The first joke I remember him telling was when I was 21, we were playing Sequence
6. But he was very funny
7. He would be-bop to rock music
8. He called Beethoven long-haired music
9. He read the Funnies to us on Sundays, he read the actions too not just the words
10. He did a hundred sit-ups each night when I was a kid, and I’d sit on his feet to keep his legs down while he did them
11. He always acted startled when I would jump out of the closet after his evening shower or hold my mouse puppet outside the bathroom door
12. We played shark around his big king-sized bed when we were little
13. He loved to fish
14. He rarely caught fish
15. He had little patience for fishing and laziness and bad manners-I inherited this from him.
16. He watched Gunsmoke whenever he could
17. He loved learning about German history
18. He would have liked to have bought and sold real-estate like Donald Trump (I only learned this in the last months of his life)
19. He watched 60 Minutes when he could
20. He liked boxing but had no interest in watching any other sport
21. He encouraged me to play sports
22. He read Time magazine and National Geographic
23. He speed read lots of books by skipping sections (I’m learning to do this)
24. He was in the Army; he lied about his age to get in
25. He served in Germany most of his time
26. He only smoked for a short period of his life because he thought some girl in a car passing him thought it wasn’t cool (at least that’s the story I’ve heard)
27. He worked in a train yard for a while but didn’t like it because it was so dirty
28. He smelled like oil or Aqua Velva
29. He worked on the IDS building when it was being built
30. He loved dogs
31. He liked going hunting
32. He loved his family
33. He played tricks on his younger brother
34. He grew up in a tough home
36. He was married to Jean for almost 22 years
37. He looked for a long time for his extended family on his dad’s side until he found them!
38. He didn’t spend money easily
39. He made a lot of money while in the Army because other guys would spend theirs and he would loan them money at a good interest rate
40. He worked in Algeria in 1982, I can’t imagine what that must have been like (I wish I could ask him about that now)
41. He was writing a book
42. He thought his best parenting strategy was earning a good wage for us girls
43. He always knew we were going to college
44. He always knew better than we did what job we should have
45. He made tea with cream and sugar and when we were little and we were up super early when he was getting ready for work we could sit on his lap and have a sip
46. He let us put his belt through his belt loops as he was getting dressed
47. He made me uneven parallel bars
48. Had a gun collection
49. He threw away my plastic ride on sheep because I had an accident while riding it
50. He wasn’t there when I learned to ride a bike
51. He wasn’t there a lot
52. When he called it was often early in the morning (probably on his drive to work or waiting for other people to get to work too); he must have been really lonely sometimes
53. He sometimes forgot my birthday or how old I was
54. But we were never far from his heart
55. He was a diesel mechanic
56. Most of him is in the bottom of Hill Lake
57. He always wanted us to have nice clean shoes, that often included shopping in the men’s/boys sections
58. He wore a lot of Wrangler clothes (for work)
59. I loved sitting on his lap and unsnapping his Wrangler shirts in one giant pull
60. He played with Sand Puppy with me
61. He tucked me in TIGHT
62. He gave us whisker rubs
63. We played HORSE or PIG a lot
64. It bothered him when I would get dirty “Don’t rub against the car!”
65. It bothered him when I wasn’t willing to get dirty
66. He once said to me “Well she’s done this well on her own so far, what can I say.” That was one of the finest compliments he could give me.
67. He was shocked and surprised when he saw my tattoo
68. When he wanted to talk he’d take me for a drive, or he’d say, “Put a finger in your ear so what I’m telling doesn’t go out the other side.”
69. He’d go snooping around in an abandoned building if the chance arose
70. He didn’t like people who were jelly fish, except when it came to challenging him
71. He never caught a muskie
72. He used giant fishing lures
73. He had large grand ideas, so do I.
74. He was a world class traveler and could keep up with the fanciest of people but he was so humble too
75. He loved deep sea fishing in Mexico
76. He worked in Australia
77. He liked “lay-man’s” terms
78. He could cut you off before you could cut him off, in life
79. He called it like he saw it even if he wasn’t always right, but he wasn’t always wrong
80. He could fix ‘most anything but there’d be parts left over
81. He had an adenocarcinoma in stage 3 when they found it of his parotid gland
82. He had his tonsils removed when he was six, they grew back
83. He was born in California
84. He wanted to climb to the top of Manchu Pichu; I hope I get there someday
85. He talked with his hands
86. Everything was The Best, e.g. That’s the best car they make.
87. He made a mess of water in the bathroom sink or shower
88. He’d do the dishes when it was right
89. He loved his bride. . .Jean they kissed and held hands a lot
90. Their marriage was work
91. He grew up a lot from being married to my mom to being married to Jean-he was a jerk to my mom too much of the time
92. He tried several experimental chemotherapies
93. He always wanted to be a better dad to us than he thought he was, he always wanted to make up for not being there
94. His first mechanics rig was Brownie, then Jimmy, then the big yellow one
95. Half of his right index finger was gone; he had to see more than one doctor before he found one that would cut it off after it healed crooked from a bad break.
96. He often ordered steak and eggs for breakfast, this always seemed strange to me.
97. He was afraid of not having nice clothes
98. He would go tubing or water skiing even the summer he was 61
99. He put a lot of pepper on his food
100. He loved roasts and would use bread to sop up the juice
101. He spilled every thing he drank and ate
102. He’s proud of both us girls and our educations
103. He thought we married perfect men for ourselves
104. He'd make animal or letter or funny shape pancakes-it's a skill, believe me.
I really enjoyed this and I'd like to do it for my mom, while she can enjoy it!
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| From Dad |
1. He had trouble staying awake while driving
2. He had trouble keeping both hands on the wheel while driving
3. He called me Beck
4. He had been known to jump out of his seat in excitement
5. The first joke I remember him telling was when I was 21, we were playing Sequence
6. But he was very funny
7. He would be-bop to rock music
8. He called Beethoven long-haired music
9. He read the Funnies to us on Sundays, he read the actions too not just the words
10. He did a hundred sit-ups each night when I was a kid, and I’d sit on his feet to keep his legs down while he did them
11. He always acted startled when I would jump out of the closet after his evening shower or hold my mouse puppet outside the bathroom door
12. We played shark around his big king-sized bed when we were little
13. He loved to fish
14. He rarely caught fish
15. He had little patience for fishing and laziness and bad manners-I inherited this from him.
16. He watched Gunsmoke whenever he could
17. He loved learning about German history
18. He would have liked to have bought and sold real-estate like Donald Trump (I only learned this in the last months of his life)
19. He watched 60 Minutes when he could
20. He liked boxing but had no interest in watching any other sport
21. He encouraged me to play sports
22. He read Time magazine and National Geographic
23. He speed read lots of books by skipping sections (I’m learning to do this)
24. He was in the Army; he lied about his age to get in
25. He served in Germany most of his time
26. He only smoked for a short period of his life because he thought some girl in a car passing him thought it wasn’t cool (at least that’s the story I’ve heard)
27. He worked in a train yard for a while but didn’t like it because it was so dirty
28. He smelled like oil or Aqua Velva
29. He worked on the IDS building when it was being built
30. He loved dogs
31. He liked going hunting
32. He loved his family
33. He played tricks on his younger brother
34. He grew up in a tough home
36. He was married to Jean for almost 22 years
37. He looked for a long time for his extended family on his dad’s side until he found them!
38. He didn’t spend money easily
39. He made a lot of money while in the Army because other guys would spend theirs and he would loan them money at a good interest rate
40. He worked in Algeria in 1982, I can’t imagine what that must have been like (I wish I could ask him about that now)
41. He was writing a book
42. He thought his best parenting strategy was earning a good wage for us girls
43. He always knew we were going to college
44. He always knew better than we did what job we should have
45. He made tea with cream and sugar and when we were little and we were up super early when he was getting ready for work we could sit on his lap and have a sip
46. He let us put his belt through his belt loops as he was getting dressed
47. He made me uneven parallel bars
48. Had a gun collection
49. He threw away my plastic ride on sheep because I had an accident while riding it
50. He wasn’t there when I learned to ride a bike
51. He wasn’t there a lot
52. When he called it was often early in the morning (probably on his drive to work or waiting for other people to get to work too); he must have been really lonely sometimes
53. He sometimes forgot my birthday or how old I was
54. But we were never far from his heart
55. He was a diesel mechanic
56. Most of him is in the bottom of Hill Lake
57. He always wanted us to have nice clean shoes, that often included shopping in the men’s/boys sections
58. He wore a lot of Wrangler clothes (for work)
59. I loved sitting on his lap and unsnapping his Wrangler shirts in one giant pull
60. He played with Sand Puppy with me
61. He tucked me in TIGHT
62. He gave us whisker rubs
63. We played HORSE or PIG a lot
64. It bothered him when I would get dirty “Don’t rub against the car!”
65. It bothered him when I wasn’t willing to get dirty
66. He once said to me “Well she’s done this well on her own so far, what can I say.” That was one of the finest compliments he could give me.
67. He was shocked and surprised when he saw my tattoo
68. When he wanted to talk he’d take me for a drive, or he’d say, “Put a finger in your ear so what I’m telling doesn’t go out the other side.”
69. He’d go snooping around in an abandoned building if the chance arose
70. He didn’t like people who were jelly fish, except when it came to challenging him
71. He never caught a muskie
72. He used giant fishing lures
73. He had large grand ideas, so do I.
74. He was a world class traveler and could keep up with the fanciest of people but he was so humble too
75. He loved deep sea fishing in Mexico
76. He worked in Australia
77. He liked “lay-man’s” terms
78. He could cut you off before you could cut him off, in life
79. He called it like he saw it even if he wasn’t always right, but he wasn’t always wrong
80. He could fix ‘most anything but there’d be parts left over
81. He had an adenocarcinoma in stage 3 when they found it of his parotid gland
82. He had his tonsils removed when he was six, they grew back
83. He was born in California
84. He wanted to climb to the top of Manchu Pichu; I hope I get there someday
85. He talked with his hands
86. Everything was The Best, e.g. That’s the best car they make.
87. He made a mess of water in the bathroom sink or shower
88. He’d do the dishes when it was right
89. He loved his bride. . .Jean they kissed and held hands a lot
90. Their marriage was work
91. He grew up a lot from being married to my mom to being married to Jean-he was a jerk to my mom too much of the time
92. He tried several experimental chemotherapies
93. He always wanted to be a better dad to us than he thought he was, he always wanted to make up for not being there
94. His first mechanics rig was Brownie, then Jimmy, then the big yellow one
95. Half of his right index finger was gone; he had to see more than one doctor before he found one that would cut it off after it healed crooked from a bad break.
96. He often ordered steak and eggs for breakfast, this always seemed strange to me.
97. He was afraid of not having nice clothes
98. He would go tubing or water skiing even the summer he was 61
99. He put a lot of pepper on his food
100. He loved roasts and would use bread to sop up the juice
101. He spilled every thing he drank and ate
102. He’s proud of both us girls and our educations
103. He thought we married perfect men for ourselves
104. He'd make animal or letter or funny shape pancakes-it's a skill, believe me.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Photo of the Day in the Republica Eagle
http://www.republican-eagle.com/
Here's my man and his papa riding his two-wheeler! He still only knows how to stop by crashing and that's beginning to turn him off riding, but I have faith he'll get there soon!
Here's my man and his papa riding his two-wheeler! He still only knows how to stop by crashing and that's beginning to turn him off riding, but I have faith he'll get there soon!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Morning Delight
The tinkle of a bowl being set on the counter gently woke me out of a deep and much needed slumber. Realizing that it must be the hands of a four year I drifted between waiting for the crash of the bowl or the sound of spilling food. Before I knew it a bowl full of plain yogurt was approaching the bed. Before I can find the perfect balance of words that say, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH A GIANT BOWL FULL OF YOGURT IN MY BED?" and "What, hunny, are you doing with a giant bowl full of yogurt in my bed?" He says, with grade pride, "Here momma, breakfast in bed." A bowl of plain yogurt has never tasted so sweet.
He then said, "You look thirsty." And proceeded to serve me a glass of ice water from his water pitcher. I hope I never forget this morning.
He then said, "You look thirsty." And proceeded to serve me a glass of ice water from his water pitcher. I hope I never forget this morning.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Mother's Day-Just The Highlights
OK, so it didn't start off too well when Brad had to tend to Landlord duties first thing this morning. Our basement, you know the one we just finished and just had carpet installed like two weeks ago, flooded last night. About a third of the carpet-soaked! So off he ran back to sop up more water, rent a giant fan. King and I picked up and washed three loads of towels . . . but finally he felt all that could be done was done.
By then I was done moping around feeling frustrated. I'd decided, life is what you make it, and well I could make it miserable or make the most of it. King and I started some gardening projects: Planted my starts outdoors. Moved stuff out of the pond, just enjoyed the sunshine.
And here's what I was rewarded with. . . by later afternoon, a seat in my chair next to the pond and a great view of some local visitors stopping by. Family and friend birders, please let me know if I've gotten any wrong.
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-rumped warbler (breeding male)
Ovenbird ?
Black and white warbler
Brown-headed cowbird (female)?
Chipping sparrow (breeding)
American Goldfinches
Crazy Kid Bird
Fellow Photo Bug
My birding spot
Last one
By then I was done moping around feeling frustrated. I'd decided, life is what you make it, and well I could make it miserable or make the most of it. King and I started some gardening projects: Planted my starts outdoors. Moved stuff out of the pond, just enjoyed the sunshine.
And here's what I was rewarded with. . . by later afternoon, a seat in my chair next to the pond and a great view of some local visitors stopping by. Family and friend birders, please let me know if I've gotten any wrong.
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
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| From Spring Birds 2010 |
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| From Spring Birds 2010 |
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| From Spring Birds 2010 |
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| From Spring Birds 2010 |
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| From Spring Birds 2010 |
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| From Spring Birds 2010 |
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| From Spring Birds 2010 |
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| From Spring Birds 2010 |
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| From Spring Birds 2010 |
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| From Spring Birds 2010 |
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| From Spring Birds 2010 |
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| From Spring Birds 2010 |
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| From Spring Birds 2010 |
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| From Spring Birds 2010 |
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| From Spring Birds 2010 |
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Pink Think
I've been thinking and reading about pink. And I came here now to say, I embrace the pink. Let him have his pink. Let him embrace the color and stop calling it a girl color. Afterall, I have asked, "It's a color how can it have a gender?" But then, just as I begin to type one more thought comes into my head. . . he's four, is it fair for me to send him out to fight this battle for taking pink back for the guys. He doesn't have a clue what he's getting into. Then another thought. . . perhaps that's exactly why I should let him have his pink room with flowers on it because he's the perfect unwitting little pink soldier.
OK, maybe the real thing is I should stop psycho analyzing his color choice and paint his stinkin' room what ever color he wants it. If he loves it great. If he gets teased we deal with that, when and if it happens. If he gets tired of it, or changes his mind, or plain old doesn't like it before I have the time or money to paint it again he'll have to accept that. Isn't that what parenting is all about? So pink or what ever color. . . that's what it'll be. I can't wait to see what he picks out. Embrace the free spirit; Lord knows I need to WAY more often then I do.
His room might end up all pink and flowers, but his head screams, chocolate chip maker, fossil hunter, and submarine owner . . . And it's not that I'm OK with these choices because they're boy choices (and that gives me/him balance) it's because they're just great choices that are his means to learning right now!
PS. Thanks Auntie T-bone for sending me some Pink Think.
OK, maybe the real thing is I should stop psycho analyzing his color choice and paint his stinkin' room what ever color he wants it. If he loves it great. If he gets teased we deal with that, when and if it happens. If he gets tired of it, or changes his mind, or plain old doesn't like it before I have the time or money to paint it again he'll have to accept that. Isn't that what parenting is all about? So pink or what ever color. . . that's what it'll be. I can't wait to see what he picks out. Embrace the free spirit; Lord knows I need to WAY more often then I do.
His room might end up all pink and flowers, but his head screams, chocolate chip maker, fossil hunter, and submarine owner . . . And it's not that I'm OK with these choices because they're boy choices (and that gives me/him balance) it's because they're just great choices that are his means to learning right now!
PS. Thanks Auntie T-bone for sending me some Pink Think.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Pink . . . really
I hate gender casting my son, though I know I do it, often. I try not to when I can. We moved, you know. He/we want to paint his room and I want to let him pick his colors, after all it's only paint. He wants pink and green/turquoise. Do I let him? Will this be an expression of self or something he will be teased about then we will need to repaint it. Will he have the confidence that should teasing ensue he can fend it off? I'm so torn. I really don't want to say he can't but I also don't want to spend all the time doing something and then him turning around after seeing it and hating it and having to re-do it. . . Any thoughts?
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