Mindful Express

Winter Wear

2011-12-02T16:04:00.001-06:00

In cold, I'm happiest when found,
clothed in polar fleece and down.
My fashion sense is de rigueur
to keep away the winter brrrrrr.

All About Me

2011-10-29T10:20:00.001-05:00

All About Me by sbholm on polyvore.com

As a child, I adored paper dolls (Who am I kidding, I STILL love paper dolls!).

I remember my mother giving me old Simplicity pattern books she'd get for free from the fabric store. I'd cut out a whole family: mom, dad, big sister, little brother, baby sister. Then I would take the old Sears and Penney's catalogs and find furniture to make up their two-dimensional home. I could play with those pieces of paper for HOURS.

Fast forward many moons later. I recently came upon Polyvore, which is, in essence, an online version of my childhood play. To say I am addicted is an understatement. The Hub calls it crack for women. He may be right!

Rainy days and Mommy Bloggers always get me down

2011-10-07T13:36:00.000-05:00

"And did I mention I live in Paris, too?" It's true.

Maybe I should stop comparing my life to the uber-energetic, skinny & beautiful, everything handmade, aren't my kids the cutest, isn't my husband handsome & romantic & funny, isn't my home decorated perfectly, Mommy Bloggers. I'll never measure up. Or maybe I'm just jealous of how pretty their blogs look....

So sad.

2011-10-07T13:19:00.005-05:00

Sigh, how disappointing. A blog with nothing to say. Once upon a time I was a prolific blogger. Now, I just think about a possible blog post and, hand to forehead, it seems like too much work. FYI, my facebook page isn't faring much better.

"Blogging takes SO much out of one!"

The long, hot summer

2011-08-02T19:04:00.001-05:00

Would someone PLEASE bring me an ice-cold lemonade!

"August already?" I say to myself, but in truth, June seems like a long time away. June was when friends and family filled our home with much warmth, good conversation and laughter. July, we hunkered down and tried to keep cool--it was practically a full-time job! Thankfully, no one came a-visiting last month. The Hub and I went to three movies at our "under new management," newly refurbished, stadium seating, multiplex movie theatre. I managed to get away for a weekend to a friend's lake home and enjoyed an afternoon bobbing on the water in an inner tube.

Most often I have been languishing on the sofa like a pre-Civil War Southern Belle, longing for ices and tall, cool drinks and cold compresses--but there is no one but myself and the Hub to give in to my demands, and neither of us are very forthcoming. I have buried my nose in books and have watched with glee the many reality shows that are on during the summer. "Really??? You're going with that?!!" I tell a contestant who has just produced a hideous entree/bedroom/dress. "WHAT?" The Hub yells from the office. "I'm just talking to the TV!" I answer back. "Oh. Okay." It doesn't phase him anymore.

Thought of the day

2011-06-24T08:36:00.000-05:00

Thank the Lord for summer weekends, good friends, shared laughs and a bottle of wine or two!

The things I'll do for an iPad2

2011-05-19T08:21:00.000-05:00

Actually, not much--nothing illegal any how. But I WILL post that there is a contest to win one offered by MeridaHome at Design For Mankind! Posting this gets me 10 extra entries, and I am that greedy to win one. I wonder if it comes in a pretty color....

Latest Target finds

2011-05-05T16:08:00.000-05:00

Color! Color! Color! Office supplies! Office supplies! Office supplies! Can I even begin to tell you how much I love and adore them both? If you read this blog, I guess you have an inkling!

The little shapes scattered across the files are paper clips!

Watching wetland wildlife from work windows

2011-05-05T14:41:00.000-05:00

What used to be a cattail-filled marsh beside our office has turned into an open-water wetland this year, attracting much wildlife. Along with your standard mallards, egrets, Canadian geese and muskrat (all of which we had little or none of before), I've seen bufflehead and, yesterday, a shorebird I'm pretty sure is a pectoral sandpiper. Here's a photo of it I took from a coworker's office window:

I searched online to match up the photo. How do you think I did? Looks like we are right along its migratory route. I'll keep you posted on any more bird or beast sightings!

A bowl for mama bear

2011-04-22T17:37:00.000-05:00

When my mother visited us last year she wasn't happy with the size of my cereal bowls. "These are too big!" she exclaimed. I showed her a couple other, smaller bowls she could use. "Those are too small!" she admonished. So this year at the Empty Bowls event at our local community college (you buy ceramic bowls and get a bowl of soup in the deal--all proceeds go to charity) I bought TWO bowls I hope will make Mama Bear say they are "just right."

Hopefully the one in the middle will be "just right."

The Bug and Hub's excellent adventure

2011-04-17T12:38:00.000-05:00

This last winter I really got hooked on Pandora Online Radio. I tend to like to listen to pop-folksy woman singers like Sarah McLachlan, Ingrid Michaelson, Patty Griffin, etc. If you know Pandora, it will pull songs from artists it thinks you will like based on your preferences. Sara Bareilles songs kept popping up and I really liked them. Finally I bought her Little Voice album and listened to it ad-nauseum.

A couple weeks ago I was online, listening to Sara and thinking, hmmm, I wonder if she'll be performing in Minnesota any time soon? I check out her website, and, lo and behold, she was going to be at St. Scholastica in Duluth the following Saturday! And tickets were $15!!!! I yell to the Hub my findings and he yelled back "Let's go!"

It wasn't until I bought them that I found out that Sara's performance was part of a evening concert called Stockfest--formerly Stockfestpalooza. Right away I started to get a little uncomfortable, envisioning the Hub and I--the oldest people there by far--standing all night amidst a bunch of 19-year-olds. My feet hurt just thinking of it.

And that's almost exactly what happened--and we had fun!

The concert was in a gym at St. Scholastica. We WERE a couple of the oldest people there, but not the only ones over 40. We didn't get a place to sit in the bleachers but were able to prop ourselves against the wall. :).

There were three other acts along with Sara, who played last: Ximena Sariñana, Elizabeth and the Catapults and Trevor Hall.

Of these performers we liked Elizabeth and the Catapults the best.

The performance of Trevor Hall, the white Rastafarian, was probably the most entertaining of the three because of his groupies. They were dressed like some mishmash of African tribal dancers and anime characters. One had a tail, another one wings. They danced very, um, flowingly!

Finally Sara came on stage and she didn't disappoint at all. She is a consummate performer and her band was sensational. What I didn't expect is that she was that she liked to salt her banter with occasional swear words. She sang two covers, Cee Lo Green's "F*** You" and Mumford & Sons' "Little Lion Man." Both were great, though! The crowd loved it, except one mom who dragged her 10-year-old daughter out of the gym. Poor girl.

We actually got back to our hotel room by 11 p.m., so the night wasn't long at all and the kids were actually pretty sweet, squeaky clean and fun to watch. Stockfestpalooza is no Lollapalooza! I'm so glad we went because Sara usually performs HUGE venues with groups like Maroon 5 and Sugarland. You can see from the photo above that we were pretty close. When Sara came on stage I was just like the rest of the kids, hooting and hollering!

I have to give props to my homeboy, Hub, (did I really just write that???) for being such a good sport. He leaned against the wall in his Dockers and button-down shirt, his fleece jacket over his arm, looking like a tolerant dad who had chauffeured his 13-year-old daughter to the event, and not complaining once even though his feet had little feeling by the end of the evening!

The next day the Hub and I went over to the Duluth Radisson to have brunch at its top-floor restaurant. I didn't know it was a REVOLVING restaurant! It was pretty foggy but we there was still a nice view--at first. When we started our "revolution," it looked like this:

However, by the time we were finishing up our meals (I had a wonderful trout with scrambled eggs), THIS is the view we had:

We will HAVE to stay at the Radisson some time. I adored its mid-century modern decor. Here's the lobby:

Amococo--psychodelic sensation!

2011-03-20T11:25:00.001-05:00

I can hardly begin to describe the next place my mother found for the Niece and I to visit! It was Amococo, created by Architects of the Air, and it was on exhibit and the Mesa Arts Center. Here's a description I found online: "The Amococo is an inflatable building inspired by Islamic architecture. It has 4 large colored domes, linked together by separate walk-through areas." I also found an aerial view:

See what I mean about not being able to describe it? There are like 80 chambers. Now come inside:

They call it a luminaria and you can see why. It's lit from within. I felt like we were walking through the chambers of a heart or some other organ. It seemed to be a living, breathing thing. If Amococo comes to your town, make sure you see it!

A day with the animals

2011-03-20T11:05:00.000-05:00

My mother, who came up with the best itinerary for the Niece's and my Arizona trip, found the Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium for us to visit. The Sis came along too. It was a gorgeous, gorgeous day, and the animals and fishies were out in full force. The variety of animals was very impressive. Here's just a tiny microcosm of what they had:

I really enjoyed the aquarium. We actually ate lunch in a cafeteria that surrounded the shark tank!

The Niece and Sis fed the giraffes. Okay, that's them on the right watching someone feed the giraffe. But they did do it!

A day at the Musical Instrument Museum

2011-03-20T10:41:00.000-05:00

My mother found us the most fascinating place for us to visit when the Niece and I were in Arizona--the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Scottsdale.

First off, the building is huge and absolutely gorgeous.

There are instruments from every country you can think of and then some. The exhibit halls are categorized by continent. We only got through Africa and a tiny section of Europe.

They give you headphones and when you walk up to an exhibit, you hear the music from that country. Often it corresponds with a video display so you can see the instruments and performers in action.

We spent a very long time in the Experiential Hall, where you can actually play instruments. To say it was loud in there is an understatement. But it was awfully fun!

We bought the Nephew this little Thai musical frog. You take the stick out of the frog's mouth and rub it over the ridges on the back and it sounds like an honest-to-goodness frog! The Nephew loved it.

They had a cricket too, that sounded just like--wait for it--a cricket! I have to go back and get one. I really, really want to go back and see the rest of the exhibits. I mean, I missed ENTIRE continents! The Hub said he'll go with me.

"To the cloud!"

2011-03-04T14:20:00.000-06:00

At work we have been playing with Wordle to create word clouds. Our work word cloud really hit the nail on the head describing what was important to us with words like region, people, community and philanthropy.

It occurred to me perhaps I should create a word cloud of this blog to see where my head is at. The results sent me into near hysterics, it was so funny! And pitiful at the same time. (see below). It's not just the words Wordle picked out, but their random placement that really made me guffaw.

Wouldn't you know that "bad news" woud be the first thing to jump out at me. Although, in through bad and good are equally weighted.

The cloud and the Hub must be in cahoots, what with all the "Good Hub," "See still Hub," and "Keep now Hub." :D

I must write a lot about snow shoveling: "marathon snowpiles towering," "shovel training sucks," "driveway workouts."

Some of the chance phrases really pegged me: "mess supper" (I am a messy cook), "next washing dish Monday" (I don't like washing dishes and have been known to put it off) and apparently I am a devotee of "The salt-laden way." Others hit close to home: "friend wanted."

There was some hope: "KFC conquered," "narrower eating ability" and "steadily getting priceless," for example. And some good advice in the word cloud: "walk light" and "change dishwasher" (which could mean either giving the job back to the Hub, or buying a decent dishwasher).

As much as the cloud makes me chuckle, I do feel like trying to make changes in my life so that the good outweighs the bad. I wonder what Wordle will come up with a year from now if I do. Let's find out, shall we?

Winter Song

2011-02-25T16:38:00.000-06:00

"I still believe in summer days.
The seasons always change
And life will find a way...."

My first stained glass project

2011-02-15T08:54:00.000-06:00

How I spent my Monday evenings in February. What shall I do for my next project? My friend Donna already has about six ideas for gifts.

Winter workout

2011-02-13T18:40:00.001-06:00

Brisk walk into 20-mph headwinds: aerobics plus resistance training.

Widening driveway that's been getting steadily narrower due to towering snowpiles: weigh training.

Getting a workout by using the elements: priceless.

And now for the news....

2011-01-31T17:44:00.000-06:00

The good news is it's still light when I get home from work now. The bad news is I can see there's enough snow on the driveway to shovel.

The good news is, after marathon laundry sessions this weekend, that daunting mound of clothes the Hub has been diligently working on has been conquered. The bad news is, the Hub has started a new one.

The bad news is my dish washing can't keep up with my extraordinary ability to use every dish and utensil in the house (and our dishwasher sucks). The good news is the Hub wanted KFC for supper tonight, so NO dishes to mess up!

The bad news is I'm eating fat-, starch-, salt-laden KFC. The good news is ... I have to shovel the driveway.

Take me away

2011-01-26T08:35:00.001-06:00

Want. To. Be. Here.
Wherever here is. I'm not sure. But I definitely don't want to be here. And that is where I am.

My latest design: 25th anniversary logo

2011-01-13T14:10:00.000-06:00

I love how this turned out! The WCI color can be changed to another from our color palette. It looks very striking to lime green, too.

No, it's not Antarctica

2011-01-12T22:20:00.000-06:00

Sure, it looks like McMurdo Station (except for the telltale trees), but it was actually the view from my office window on a very blustery day last week.

Happy 2011, All!

2011-01-01T12:49:00.000-06:00

Elle est chic, n'est-ce pas?

An easier approach to those pesky New Year's resolutions

2010-12-28T13:08:00.000-06:00

I love the Heath brothers. They show how you can tackle complex issues (like how to change things when change is hard) by implementing a few key solutions. Here, they take on simple ways to achieve one's New Year's goals (they just might surprise you!):

Don't be ambitious. When change is hard, aim low. A friend of ours, the editor of a wellness magazine, has a "1-Song Workout" that she does on days when she doesn't feel like working out. She tells herself, "All I have to do is work out for one song," but of course she often gets in a groove and finishes a full workout. So don't set an ambitious New Year's resolution like "I'll work out four times a week." Instead, plan to do "1-Song Workouts" on Monday and Thursday. Leave yourself room to overachieve -- that feeling of "nailing it" is what will keep you hooked.
Watch for bright spots. If you're trying to eat healthier, for instance, don't obsess about all the times that you slip and eat an Oreo. Instead, keep a constant watch on what does work. If you ate healthy food all day yesterday, how did you get away with it? Was it because you had healthy "heat & eat" food that was easy to fix? Was it because you never let yourself get so hungry that you'd crave fatty foods? Did you avoid the office lunch at the Mexican place? If you can understand what allowed you to succeed, you can do more of it. That's bright-spots thinking. (Need a refresher on "bright spots"?
Make simple tweaks in your environment. If you're trying to increase your savings, pay with cash and leave your cards at home. If you're trying to diet, carry around a Ziploc of apple slices. If you're trying to jog, lay out your clothes the night before. If you're trying to stop oversleeping, set up a double (or triple?) alarm system. (Or buy a Clocky with your Xmas gift cards!) This stuff sounds insignificant, but it will make a big difference.
Rely on planning, not willpower. Your Resolution calls for a new way of behaving. And that's a challenge because you've been practicing the old way of behaving for a long time. The old way is well-paved and familiar and comfortable. So you can't just bet on willpower or good intentions to ensure your success. Use your planning skills. Get yourself on the hook for something! Don't plan to "learn Spanish." Register for a Spanish course at your local community college. Do it right now -- you're already online. Or don't "try hard" to go to the gym in the morning. Email your friend, right now, and tell 'em to come get you at 7am on January 3.
Publicize your resolution. We all know peer pressure works. So use it on yourself. Tell everybody you know what your resolution is. They'll bug you about it, and you won't want to disappoint them. Just knowing that they know will make you more likely to succeed. Hell, if you want, tell us. We won't bug you about it, but we'll silently root for you.

The long dark Sunday of the soul

2010-12-05T14:13:00.000-06:00

It is sad to have a long list of Sunday projects and no inclination to do anything. Well, I finished shoveling the driveway and washed the bedding. But I have groceries to buy and food to prepare for tomorrow's AAUW holiday tea, and a front door that needs its weatherstripping replaced, and a house to straighten and I even thought of going into the office for a while...and, oh, frack, I was going to get a couple AAUW projects completed.

Sundays can be difficult days for me. Long ago my brother and I coined the phrase "the long dark Sunday of the soul" to describe the feeling you get as your weekend seeps away--and along with it all your good intentions--and MONDAY looms in front of you in big, black capital letters. In the past, the LDSOTS has even started for me on Saturday nights. FYI: That's when you know it's time to change your job, folks, when you start to dread Monday on Saturday!

As an introvert, it's always been important for me to have some downtime and alone time in order to re-energize, but too much downtime causes the reverse and I turn into a giant puddle of inertia, which is exactly what has happened today. I guess the only thing to do is get up and put one foot in front of the other. The journey of a thousand-item to-do list starts with a single item. Wish me luck.

Happiness tinged with sadness

2010-10-31T11:13:00.000-05:00

It's been an interesting few days. I'm down in the Cities for a long weekend, which I had been planning for a few weeks. I attended a very good conference by the Minnesota Council of Foundations, and am taking Monday off so I can go trick-or-treating with the Niece and Nephew tonight without having to think of heading home to Fergus Falls this evening. Friday night I spend an enjoyable girls' evening out with Sis-in-law and good friend Susan. The Niece and I had a blast at the Minnesota History Center yesterday for its Dia de los Muertos celebration. Last night the family carved pumpkins. It's been a really fun weekend.

What I hadn't anticipated (who could?) was that my sister and brother-in-law from AZ would fly in right from a cruise because one of their best friends, Luke Bucklin, and three of his children crashed in the mountains of Wyoming. Sis and Bro-in-law came in last night and went right to the Bucklin home and were at the Bro's (where I am) just long enough to sleep, shower and change before heading back to the Bucklins. We hope to see them for trick-or-treating tonight, but we know that's not why they are here. We know all their energy has to be focused on providing comfort, strength and hope for the Bucklin family.

Needless to say, we are feeling especially thankful for our own family. We hold each other a little closer, find the time we spend together a little more special, offer up prayers and thanksgiving a little more often and a little more fervently. If you can offer up prayers for the Bucklins too, it would be greatly appreciated. You can even join a prayer list online at http://prayersforluke.com/.

And may you and yours stay happy and safe.

The process of elimination

2010-10-22T08:26:00.000-05:00

Several people have been curious to know how we are doing on our “everything-free” 20-day elimination diet. Well, we’re a little over the halfway point and I guess we’ve been successful as far as we’re only eating what is officially sanctioned. The first five days were the worst as we both detoxed from caffeine and sugar. I really didn’t think I drank THAT much coffee, and I only drink an occasional soda, but apparently a few cups of coffee a day hooks ya! I spent mornings in a fog and afternoons with a constant throb in my head. I’m much better now, but the food is boring me horribly, so I am kind of, well, taking advantage of what I actually CAN eat. For example, the other night the Hub was working late so I had homemade baked corn tortillas and salsa for supper. That’s it. The salsa is from a Mexican restaurant in Fargo and is so amazingly fresh tasting and flavorful, I nearly finished off the entire container. We should be eating a lot more fresh fruits and vegetables, but I’m afraid we are eating way too many starches like potatoes, corn and rice.

On the plus side, the Hub and I have both lost some weight and we are eating breakfast again—but can I just say that gluten-free, wheat-free cereal is VERY expensive! Yes, cream of rice is inexpensive, but have you eaten that stuff? It’s probably the flour-paste consistency that turns me off. That's why I don't care for oatmeal either.

So, a little more than a week to go. I’m a little nervous about what happens on day 21 of the 20-day elimination diet. I mean, why would we put ourselves through this and then just go back to what we were eating before? On the other hand, I don’t think I can sustain eating this way for a lifetime—parts of it, sure. Our aim all along is to make ourselves feel better physically and mentally and have the energy to take on a full-scale life improvement program. Right now I can’t say I’m there yet. Ask me in a week!

The just-about-everything-free diet

2010-10-11T17:45:00.001-05:00

The Hub and I have just started a wheat-free, dairy-free, salt-free, caffeine-free, egg-free, sugar-free, gluten-free 20-day elimination diet. The goal is to detox our bodies as a jumpstart to a healthy lifestyle. I've done this one and 1/4 times before. The first time all I could think of were the foods I would eat on day 21--even though I DID feel substantially better. The last time I tried I got to about, oh, day four, and mutinied. It was when I was sitting at lunch eating salt-free rice cakes, soy "cheese" and a cabbage and apple salad, as prescribed by "The 20-Day Elimination Diet" book. I went mentally ballistic and promptly went out to get something decent to eat.

This time around the Hub says I can come up with my own recipes from the approved food lists. I can do this. Saturday we went grocery shopping (photo above). Yesterday we had burgers, fries and shakes for our "Last Supper." Today is day one and I'm tired and a little headache-y from NO COFFEE and a little hungry, but okay. We shall persevere.

I want this office

2010-10-10T17:57:00.000-05:00

And I want it in the Hub's current office, which is his only sanctuary in this house.

Summer selection #3: filial love

2010-09-12T18:16:00.000-05:00

"Someday you two will really appreciate each other and be good friends," the Bro and I tell his children. It might not be any time soon....

Summer selection #2: Old 52 General Store, Sabin

2010-09-12T18:08:00.000-05:00

The Old 52 General Store in little Sabin has become one of our favorite places to bring visitors. We first went there to peruse their pop section: they have every soda pop imaginable! I was very excited to see they had Faygo Rock-n-Rye, which I remember from childhood visits to relatives in Michigan. They also have all the candies you remember from your youth! It wasn't until the second or third time there did I see the amazing collection of toys--the kind that we loved as kids, like Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys. I bought a couple tin race cars for the niece and nephew, and the Hub bought a gyro wheel for himself! When my folks and I visited, we bought ice cream cones from Old 52's soda fountain, and it was the biggest scoop of ice cream I've ever seen. So, I highly recommend making a stop. Take the Sabin-Downer exit off of I-94 as you head toward Moorhead.

Summer selection #1: Come on, dare me.

2010-09-12T17:44:00.000-05:00

Moseying along the Sheyenne

2010-09-06T13:38:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning we headed to the Sheyenne National Scenic Byway, that meanders down the Sheyenne River Valley. Our destination was Fort Ransom State Park. We drove and drove and almost missed the turn-off because all it is is a little gravel road along the Sheyenne River. But I must say, it is definitely a scenic drive. We meandered along the river and admired the pastoral setting. They had some nicely marked points of interest along the way, like a little church that also provided a "rest" area for ladies and gents!

At Fort Ransom State Park we finally had our hike through the prairie grasses on the top of a bluff. Beautiful views.

Later, we went to the cute town of Fort Ransom and had meatballs and gravy at the Ransom County Rodehouse. The meatballs were good, but I had an issue with them calling the place a "roadhouse" (however you spell that), because it was filled with girly antiques and they served soda and ice cream and no liquor. Sorry, ma'am, but that ain't no roadhouse!

Finally, we headed home, which was only two hours away. As we drove, we thought about our little excursion and what we learned:

No matter where you go you can find something beautiful and something interesting. We loved the prairie grasslands and the Sheyenne River Valley.
North Dakota (at least southeastern ND) needs to learn how to welcome visitors. Closing down on the weekends doesn't send a very good message. In fact, the message seemed to be "We really don't want you here."
You'd think an area known for its grasslands on which there are thousands of grazing cattle would have good steakhouses--or any steakhouses!
The Hub and I are very good traveling companions and nothing ever really bothered us much, not closed (or nonexistent) restaurants nor skeeter-infested woods. We were on an adventure!

Welcome to North Dakota! Sorry, we're closed.

2010-09-06T12:23:00.000-05:00

After we left Wahpeton we decided we'd head west in search of some little town with a little mom and pop diner for homemade fare like hot beef sandwiches and pie. We went through Wyndmere, Milnor and Gwinner with absolutely no luck. But we knew there would be a place or two in Lisbon--because we researched it online. We were pretty hungry by then. First we stopped at the Sheyenne National Grasslands office because we read online that we could buy a map there that showed us trailheads for hiking into the grasslands. They were closed. We went to a cool store called ho den attes (I don't know why it's called that) that served food--except they just changed over to an all-dessert menu, and they were about to close, and no, they wouldn't be open Sunday nor Labor Day. So we went across the street to the Cattlemen's Club--but were told they don't serve food, but that there's a bar and grill down the street that does. So, finally around 3 p.m. we ended up at The Island where the Hub had the Big Kahuna burger the size of his head, and I had a patty melt.

So, our big plan that day was to take a hike through the prairie grasses on the Sheyenne National Grasslands. We got directions how to get there, but couldn't find a trailhead. Nothing is marked particularly well, and, remember, we couldn't get a map. It was a lovely drive though.

Some folks in McLeod pointed us in the direction of Brown Ranch and the Nature Conservancy. We almost missed it because it was, of course, unmarked. But a nice young man from Tennessee who seemed like he hadn't seen a human in weeks gave us directions to a walking trail, Pidgeon Point. We were rather disappointed in the trail because it was through mosquito-infested woods and not through the grasslands. I wrapped my blouse around my head and neck to ward off skeeter attacks, but the Hub's neck was full of nasty welts. Poor guy!

We were happy to leave behind the mosquitoes and drove to Enderlin, where we got a nice, clean room at the Enderlin Inn. It was 7 p.m. on a Saturday and the town was already closed for the night.

We ended up at Friendly's Tavern, the only place open and serving food, which had been taken over that evening by a group of ND gangsta wannabees. I kid you not. We ate our fish and chips to the beat of rap music, then beat a hasty exit to our hotel. Peace out.

The "More than Fargo" North Dakota Tour-ND Exotique

2010-09-06T11:49:00.000-05:00

The Hub and I decided to explore southeast North Dakota for the weekend. We started out just 25 miles west of Fergus Falls in Wahpeton, on the Red River. We had heard of the Chahinkapa Zoo and wanted to explore it for ourselves. It's amazing the variety of animals you would never expect in a ND town of less than 8,000. In fact, the first thing we saw were Bengal Tigers. Some of the other exotic species were camels, yak, monkeys, snow leopard and kangaroo. They also had what might expect in a Midwest zoo, such as bison, cougar, bear and bald eagle.

Another amazing thing is how close you can get to the animals. But you tended to be more aware of the fence then, too. It's a great zoo to take small children, and I would have to say most of the kids we saw were less than five.

After the zoo, we went across the street to an indoor carousel. We really liked the paintings of local towns on it. One was picture of something that looked like a Medieval fortress in Wyndmere. After we left Wahpeton and headed west, we went into Wyndmere looking for a nice little cafe for lunch--doesn't exist, but we did find the "fortress." It surrounded a playground and picnic shelter. There were no plaques explaining the edifice, but we guessed it was a WPA project, don't you think?

More adventures to come....

Flexing my creative muscles

2010-08-27T11:16:00.002-05:00

Ridiculously pleased with how this ad that I created turned out.

Summer selections

2010-08-25T17:59:00.000-05:00

I've let the summer get away from me here at Mindful Express so I'm going to do a quick catch-up by providing little thoughtful tidbits and/or photos. So, hold on, gentle ME traveler, the Express is about to leave the station!

Storm in a teacup, or is that teacup in a storm ...

2010-07-14T07:13:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like sirens to get one out of bed early. After a few wild minutes, the wind and rain lessened, the Hub went back to bed, I decided to brew myself a cup of tea and greet the morning in a leisurely fashion.

I have a new book, "The Mistress of Modernism" about Peggy Guggenheim. I'm on a biography kick. I just finished "My Life in France" by Julia Child. MARVELOUS! She and her husband Paul knew how to seize the moment AND the Montrachet AND the Sole Meuniere. The woman truly was obsessed with French food and drink. But she lived a long, interesting life doing what she loves and that's something we all aspire to.

Looks like Peggy did what she loved too. She had a passion collecting modern art--and the men who created them, oolala! Don't know too much yet, I just started book.

Well, tea is gone. Time to start moving a little faster. Busy day in a busy week. I'm compiling my work's five-year strategic plan and it's coming together slowly but surely, like pieces of a puzzle. I'm busy hawking WCI's photo/video contest, which closes the end of Friday. Decent number of entries (but we can always use more, hint-hint, http://contest.wcif.org).

Hope you have a good day, y'all.

Prairie hurricane

2010-06-18T16:35:00.000-05:00

The wind is blowing something FIERCE. The trees are whipping around so much I'm amazed their leaves are staying on. The wind makes the tall grass undulate like waves. It's a full-blown prairie hurricane. Still, it's not as bad as yesterday's tornadoes. The eastern part of Otter Tail County, where I live (well, I'm on the western edge), really got tore up, and a life was lost.

The wind has blown in a mass of gray clouds, but at lunchtime the sky was blue, blue, blue and absolutely cloudness. I drove my car to a peaceful spot to read (my car seats are, hands down, the most comfortable seats for reading--back seat, front seat, take your pick). I opened the windows to let in the breeze--whoosh! It was a bit too much. I closed them up some and read for a little while but finally had to go back to the office. Not because of the strength of the wind, but because of its constant whine and moan. They call the wind Maria (I always thought it was "Mariah" but Google has proven me wrong!), the song goes, and she is a chatty thing. Unfortunately, she complains more than anything else!

My little garden of delights

2010-06-17T14:37:00.000-05:00

I have tomatoes! My first! I noticed them just as the light was fading. I had to show the Hub so I brought him outside and shined a flashlight on them. There are more than just these too! Oh my goodness, my yellow thumb just may be turning slightly chartreuse.

I have already harvested some produce for consumption. I picked basil and made pesto then tossed it in pasta. Mmmm, so fresh and flavorful!

I have mint too. Anyone know what to do with mint besides iced tea and Mojitos (yum)? I have strawberries in the fridge--maybe a little mint chiffonade....

That's it. Tomatoes, basil, mint. I'm starting small. I'm hoping to get some chives too.

NYC trip at a glance

2010-06-07T20:23:00.001-05:00

The Mom, the Sis and I spent this past week in New York City. It was the first time for all of us. We stayed at a very nice Courtyard Marriott that was a half block from Times Square (and yet it was VERY quiet) and a half block from Bryant Park, which I just have to say is a beautiful, charming park. We took the double decker tour bus all over Manhattan, rode the Staten Island Ferry and enjoyed a food and cultural walking tour of Greenwich Village (middle row, top: Murray's Cheese Shop; middle: Irving Washington house; bottom: cannolis from Rocco's Italian Bakery). We had FABULOUS, refreshing Mojitos at Centro Vinoteca. I got to fulfill a lifelong dream of going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I spent an entire afternoon there and hardly made a dent in it. The painting I saw that I enjoyed the most was Pieter Bruegel the Elder's "The Harvesters" (above: docent is pointing to it). But my favorite area was the American Wing, and in particular the American pottery (see below). Sigh. I jut adore pottery. On the way back to the hotel, I spent my last $20 on a little piece of original art from an artist selling his works outside the museum. I had to walk the 40 blocks back to the hotel. It was worth it!

My new red door

2010-05-30T23:55:00.003-05:00

Here's my red door. It is VERY red. It's growing on me. Except it's making the rest of the front of the house rather drab looking. Hmmmmm.

The Divine Miss D.V.

2010-05-30T23:54:00.000-05:00

I know exactly what the late Diana Vreeland (Harper's Bazaar fashion editor, Vogue editor) would say about my new red door: "...one didn't come in through a red front door" and what she would think of my horribly squeaky athletic shoes: "I can't stand the vulgarity of a woman who makes a noise when she walks" and about the Hub's scuffed-up shoes: "Unshined shoes are the end of civilization."

I know this because I read her "autobiography" D.V., which is a HOOT even though you're never quite sure what to believe. She says that she and her sister once stayed with Buffalo Bill Cody in Wyoming to escape an infantile paralysis epidemic; that Charles Lindbergh flew over her on his way to Paris as she sat out on the lawn playing with her son and talking to her husband's bootlegger; that she hung out at speakeasies with the likes of Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson; that she ran into Josephine Baker and her cheetah at a Paris movie house; that she just happened to be vacationing at one spot or another when some great event in history took place. I get the impression some of her tales are as long as the three-inch fake eyelashes she once wore to try to get a depressed Noel Coward to talk.

She also let you know in no uncertain terms what she liked and disliked. For example, about color:
"I loathe red with any orange in it--although, curiously enough, I also loathe orange without red in it." "Pale-pink salmon is the only color I cannot abide--although, naturally, I adore pink." Uh, thanks, D.V., that was crystal clear!

She absolutely loved, loved, loved armor. But she could not abide a liar--although, if one happened to lie to make a story more interesting, well, that was okay. Naturally.

Did you know you can thank Diana Vreeland for your quick-drying nail polish, or your thong sandals?

The book kept me endlessly amused, but I was rather exasperated by the end. I think she would have been very hard to work for. She once sent a photo crew to Tahiti with the instructions to shoot a white horse on the beach. Well, Tahiti hardly had any horses, let alone white ones. When they finally tracked one down, he ran off on them and they had to search for it for five days. Then they had to put hair extensions in its tail.

I guess I wouldn't have had to worry about working for her. The woman with the noisy walk that D.V. complained of? She fired her. She did suggest that maybe the woman had anger issues, hence the heavy tread. "You ought to pull up your instep, tense the leg, perhaps wear a little lower heel. Or else just take the trouble to walk a little more carefully. And if you can't do that, you have to go to Paris! As Napoleon said, 'Go to Paris and become a woman'." The woman apparently went to Paris.

Now, who was Napoleon talking to about Paris? His troops?

Office supplies finale (I hope)

2010-05-25T18:23:00.003-05:00

I bought these gorgeous page flags (like little Post-Its) a while ago but didn't blog about them because I was giving a package to my mom for Mother's Day and I didn't want her to see them yet. There are 375 flags and I've used about 3. I just gaze lovingly at them sitting there on my desk. I love how they all look together. I wish I could turn them into wall hangings.

I am hoping the purchase of these items concludes my descent into office supplies madness. I hardly use any of the things I have purchased. I just like how they look. Most women would understand this. It's like buying shoes....

Give me my daily bread

2010-05-25T18:22:00.000-05:00

Went home for lunch today and had tomato soup and slice after slice of oven-fresh, still-warm French bread spread with butter.

I know, I know. I'm so WICKED! Bread, made from WHITE FLOUR! Slathered with REAL BUTTER! Starlets throughout Hollywood are fainting from the very thought of it. The Biggest Losers are giving me the finger. Fitness and nutrition gurus are even now amassing in some undisclosed location to stage an intervention.

But what could I do? It was still warm....

Front door color poll--what to paint, what to paint

2010-05-23T19:25:00.003-05:00

I see that dark red is in the lead. Hmmmmm. I'm leaning toward a red with a little bit more punch! I will probably paint said door next weekend, so I will post a photo once it's painted. Decisions, decisions....

You know it's a good day when...

2010-05-23T19:25:00.000-05:00

Lemon Zest

... you have breakfast with the in-laws and send them happily on their way after a successful visit.
... you buy and pot flowers (bright pink and white geraniums with vinca vines, BEAUTIFUL yellow petunias called "Lemon Zest") and herbs (basil and mint, plus I bought a tomato plant!).
... you weed.
... you spend a couple of hours at work to get a start on the coming week.
... you mow the front lawn (and the hub mows much larger backyard--woohoo!).
... you grill amazingly juicy burgers and serve with oven fries for supper.
You haven't eaten all the ice cream in the freezer yet! :)

What color shall I paint my front door?

2010-05-17T21:52:00.000-05:00

I've been endeavoring to add some additional curb appeal to the front of our house. We purchased a bronze-colored storm door with a nickel handle, so I replaced the old brass porch lamp with a bronze and stained-glass light, and the brass numbers with modern-looking ones in nickel. I really want to paint the front door now. It's dark green. It's not bad, just not a color I would choose. I'm thinking red. I love red doors. Because the porch light is kind of Prairie School, I have considered a Frank Lloyd Wright red--very in-your-face orangey red. Or, maybe it should be a more sophisticated muted dark red.
But maybe a different shade of green would work best. It would keep the color palette more organic. I'm thinking of a soft, sage green or even a spring green.
What do you think? I posted a poll on the blog (http://mindfulexpress.blogspot.com) if you'd like to vote. If you have another suggestion, please comment on this post.

1. Frank Lloyd Wright red
2. Dark red
3. Spring green
4. Soft sage green

The news blues

2010-05-11T18:26:00.000-05:00

I use Google Alerts to notify me via email about the news that's happening around our region. I was tickled pink to find a way to get electronic info I can email to colleagues instead of clipping out articles from newspapers. What I didn't expect was the dearth of death, destruction and disturbing deeds that would fill my inbox. Day after day, the subject lines read "Car crash claims four lives," "Man charged with assault," "Woman drowns in lake," "Assistance for low income families/disabled cut," "Massive earthquake," "Massive oil spill," "Big celebrity's spouse unfaithful," "Little celebrity does supid things while whole world watches in fascinated horror."

It has occurred to me that this wave of bad news isn't doing anything for my mood or my mind. I'm starting to believe that the world IS going to hell in a handbasket, that people ARE innately bad, and stupid, and we make really, really lousy parents.

So I'm putting a few pleas out there, in the hopes of changing the news from black and blue to sunny yellow and grass green:

Please, drivers, don't drink and drive, put your cell phones away, pay attention to the road and wear your seatbelts.
Grown-ups, our children are our future, treat them well, love them unconditionally, make sure they get the best education and care possible, teach them respect and responsibility.
Legislators, there must be a way to care for those most in need, to help them achieve success and self-sufficiency, to not penalize lower income families for trying to rise out of poverty.
Celebrities big, small and wannabe: the whole world is watching you--don't ask me why--you don't want to be known all your life for your stupidity, your plastic surgery and/or your rudeness, do you? DO YOU?

Hold tight to each other, everyone.

Smelt fry road trip

2010-04-24T13:28:00.000-05:00

I can officially check off one more thing on the "I'm a Minnesotan" list. I ate smelt. Smelt, for those of you who don't know, is a little freshwater fish that "runs" in large schools every spring and people scoop them up with nets, bread or batter them and deep fry them whole (well, the ones we had were gutted and headless--thank God!).

There are smelt fries all over Minnesota in the spring. People actually travel from smelt fry to smelt fry. The Hub and I went to one at the Vining Palace, which is a purple-painted bar and grill in the little hamlet of Vining, about 25 minutes away from Fergus Falls. It looks like your normal dark, paneled worn-looking bar, except for the silver- and purple-flowered 70s wallpaper in the dining area. The line wound out the door as we waited for the smelt to be replenished at the buffet--it was all you can eat. My first look at the fish, well, I leaned over and whispered to the Hub, "Um, do you really want to do this?" He replied, "Well, we're kind of committed." Right.

So, we got our roll, our shredded cabbage with French dressing (sounds strange but it was oddly refreshing), our chips and cookie, then we helped ourselves to fried smelt. The Hub has had smelt before, so he piled it on (see photo).

We sat down and I picked up my first smelt by its tail and took a bite and ... liked it! It was delicate, slightly sweet and downright delicious. No wonder people were polishing off big platefuls, and traveling from town to town in a smelt run of their own.

So now I've had smelt and was pleasantly surprised. There's still lutefisk, which is served traditionally at Christmastime around here. But I'm guessing no amount of melted butter is going to make lutefisk "pleasant" for me!

Give me Liberty!

2010-04-01T13:37:00.000-05:00

Is anyone else absolutely gaga for the new Liberty prints at Target? I haven't bought anything yet, but I will, I will ... just not sure what it will be yet.

The curse of the office bauble

2010-03-30T17:35:00.000-05:00

Skulking around the aisles of stationery, pens, notebooks, organizers, doodads, geegaws and trinkets to feed my new insatiable hunger for all home and work office products pretty and quirky. It has officially become an obsession. Curses!

Thinking spring

2010-03-22T11:22:00.011-05:00

So here it is, officially spring. I'm so pleased the snow is gone, but, of course they are predicting some precipitation of the white variety this coming next weekend. In the meantime, I will enjoy milder weather and sun, and I'll look for the signs of spring wherever I can. Up in the hinterlands where I live, that's seeing the dogwood branches turn red and the willow branches yellow. Along sunny, wind-protected walls, some tulips are already pushing their leaves up through the ground--cheeky plants! They are awfully impatient. It will be several weeks before what the world calls "spring" will actually get here--when the grass is emerald and there's this haze of bright green over the trees as they start leafing. The forsythia will bloom first, and then the crocuses, followed by the jonquils, and hyacinth and tulips. Finally the apple trees will be covered in blossoms, and we Minnesotans will sigh with relief that Persephone is fully back with us again for a few month

Ever since I heard the story of Persephone, I figured she was actually a Minnesotan. According to the legend, she spends half the year on earth, and half the year underground. Minnesota gets about as close to half a year of winter as any place I know.

The only thing that I don't relish with all the melting snow is that it has revealed the wide expanse of my lawn once more. It is a pain to mow, and by the end of last summer, it was as much weed as grass. Under the snow, I can ignore all the care and feeding it requires. Exposed, it is a daily reminder that I need to learn a thing or two about lawn maintenance. I must admit, I daydream about taking a rototiller to about a third of it, but I'm no gardener either. Any thoughts, dear phantom reader, about what I can do to tame my lawn? I want to be a good neighbor, and that usually means stopping the weeds before they cross into the adjoining lawns. I also have to deal with a colony of ground-dwelling wasps that sent me squealing and swatting into the house on a few lawn-mowing occasions last summer. It must have been quite a sight for my neighbors seeing me suddenly start hopping from one foot to another, waving my arms wildly and making incomprehensible sounds. Hmmm, maybe that's why they keep their distance... :)

Oh, so THAT'S what it was!

2010-03-01T17:02:00.003-06:00

An AP writer called last night's "Viva Las Canada" extravaganza at the closing ceremonies of the Olympics a "tongue-in-cheek revue." I just called it ... bad.

My new haircut

2010-02-25T17:05:00.003-06:00

Well, I was admiring my new haircut in the mirror when it suddenly occurred to me I'd seen this style before. Remember Helen Crump, Andy Taylor's girlfriend on the Andy Griffith Show? I've got her hair! Mine's a little piecier--is that even a word?--and I have some highlights, but it's awfully similar. I'm either retro, or it's "every old is new again" or I'm reeeeaaaaallllyyyyy behind the times (or at least my hairstylist is).

It looks like Helen can't believe it either.

If I were a workaholic

2010-02-22T19:06:00.010-06:00

I told the Hub that once the wrestling season was over we either had to spend more quality time together or he had to become a multi-millionaire. He looked at me rather quizzically, and I explained that if he was going to work all the time any how, he should at least rake in the dough. Then, I could spend long weekends in Arizona with my family, take my niece and nephew on trips or renovate the house.

Or, I guess I could become a workaholic myself.

If I were a workaholic, I'd still be at the office right now writing that article due by the end of the week, or finishing up the quarterly newsletter, or going through the piles of paper on my desk. I wouldn't make more money but at least I'd come home with a sense of accomplishment.

If I were a workaholic, maybe I would become a freelance writer or graphic artist on the side, or enter writing competitions in the hopes of winning that $10,000 prize.

If I were a workaholic, maybe I would wake early every morning to write 1,000 words on my Great American Novel.

If I were a workaholic, maybe I would embrace that mentality at home and become a Whirling Dervish of household cleanliness.

If I were a workaholic, maybe that would include being a workoutaholic. I would run every morning (after writing my 1,000 words), lift weights every other evening, play racquetball every Thursday with my accountant, and spend each weekend in athletic pursuits, like kayaking, hiking or spelunking.

If I were a workaholic, I tell you what I wouldn't be doing: I would NOT be sitting at my dining room table wrapped in a quilt typing on the laptop in between spoonfuls of double chocolate fudge ice cream while keeping an eye on the Olympics on TV.

Sigh. Well, I may be a lazy person, but at least I'm a multi-tasking one.

I wonder if there's any more ice cream....

The once and future blog

2010-02-22T17:16:00.007-06:00

Dear readers, real (some) and imagined (most):

I know I haven't been doing a very good job blogging as of late. And the truth is, I think about blogging all the time, as in "Oh, that would make a great blog entry!"

But, of course, I don't blog. Very often.

I could blame it on Facebook and the ability to now state my thoughts and feelings in a concise little box of very few words ... but I'm not on Facebook much either. Well, I'm on it, but I'm reading what others have posted more than I post myself. I do bemoan the fact that a couple of my favorite bloggers aren't blogging anymore. They are prodigious Facebookers though. So, I probably know more about them than I did before, but not in that lovely, chatty way of blog posts.

I know, I know. Blogs are dead. Long live the tweet.

I have to admit that one of my most ardent blog readers is ... um ... me. I love looking back at entries from a year ago, two years ago, even three years ago now, and read what I was doing or thinking.

It's hard to do that in Facebook. Well, I suppose I could, and would find a pithy little bon mot like "Argghhhh!" or "Sigh" or "In need of massive chocolate infusion" that I posted on July 20-something, but what the heck did that mean at the time?

So, I want to try to get in the habit of blogging more, not less. If not for others, then at least for me. I suppose it's been for me all along, but I hope you have been amused occasionally too, phantom reader. I like to think of you reading my posts, sometimes chuckling, sometimes nodding your head in agreement, sometimes smiling at the silly things I say.

So, stay tuned....

Newest office buy

2010-02-22T15:44:00.004-06:00

I have a sneaking suspicion that in a week's time I'll just move the same piece of paper down the line from "Now" all the way to "Someday." Sigh and double sigh.

But I STILL had to have them!

Winter bouquet

2010-02-10T13:32:00.001-06:00

"View" from my office window

2010-02-08T09:40:00.002-06:00

The weekly soup

2010-02-06T13:21:00.005-06:00

Well, you know we must be in the thick of winter when I start posting soup photos. This is my ubiquitous homemade chicken soup that I make just about every week the day after we have roast chicken. I boil the carcass into submission along with onion and garlic. I strain the broth and add to it whatever veggies I have on hand and sometimes noodles or even quinoa or couscous. Today I used macaroni and threw in some salsa I had to add a little kick. After the veggies/pasta/whatever is cooked, I add any meat that's left over on the bones.

The soup is seldom exactly the same each week, but it's always delicious, and always comforting.

Bon appetit!

It's great in theory....

2010-01-22T14:38:00.004-06:00

Spending part of one's work day reading the newspaper sounds pretty idyllic, doesn't it? Well, here's what happens when I don't keep up on my reading during the week! I'm about halfway done here. Biggest news of the week? Well, the Haiti disaster is prominent in most papers, some bad snowmobile accidents, and, well, the rest of the news blurs together like the ink smudges on all my fingertips.

Old sentiments, new year

2010-01-08T12:57:00.004-06:00

Thought I'd follow last year's blog entry sentiments and post an old-fashioned New Year's greeting to all of you! Okay, it's a week late, but it's still a pretty darned new year!

listen-story-friend

2010-01-07T12:39:00.005-06:00

Chris Brogan and Beth Kanter, two social media gurus, have been using the concept of "three words" to set personal/professional goals. I decided to try it for myself.

Here's what Chris says about this: Pick three words that help you the way a lighthouse helps a ship in a storm. Give yourself a word that guides you towards a powerful new opportunity, and that keeps you focused on what comes of this year.

So here's what I came up with:

Listen: Huh. As I'm writing this I'm supposedly "listening" to a teleconference! LOL! I guess I have a long way to go. It's easy for me to get distracted, or mentally work on my answer before the person even stops talking. Very bad. I also want to take time to listen to what's out there in the world. What's going on in cyberspace? In my profession? In the foundation world? In west central Minnesota?

Story: I have always felt that storytelling is the best way to share information and inspiration. I'm surprised at how often I DON'T use that technique! Also, everyone has a story and I need to open myself up to them so I can work on word number three:

Friend: Three years in Fergus Falls and it's been a struggle to make friends. Well, not a struggle really, because I haven't tried very hard. I think I've been mourning all the good friends I left behind in the Cities. And I've been complaining how, although Fergus Falls people are friendly, they don't necessarily want to be your friend. That's probably how people view me. It hit me that I don't want to be here 10-plus years and STILL be saying, "I don't have any friends here." Truly, I would have no one to blame but myself. So 2010 will be "Year of the Friend(s)." I also want to express friendliness, openness and interest with those I interact with in my professional life.

It's not so bad

2010-01-04T13:38:00.015-06:00

If the sun is shining and the air is calm,
If you're wearing several layers of clothing--
Boots, tights, thick socks, bulky sweater, scarves, gloves,
Polar fleece jacket with wind-resistent shell--
Then the sub-zero weather isn't so bad.
And even when the sun sets,
You are warm enough to take a moment from your usual mad dash from building to car, car to building
To stare up at the inky sky
And notice how the stars look like diamond shards
And how the air resonates with the crack and crunch of compressed snow beneath your boots as you walk.

copyright 2010

Snow shoveling 101

2009-12-20T14:00:00.005-06:00

Dress appropriately. Snowpants are a gift from God.

Snow shoveling is GREAT exercise. Especially if you're 48 and out of shape. "48 and Out of Shape." Sounds like a slogan or school yell. I guess it's mine. Dang.

Invest in a good shovel or two. I have an ergonomically correct one and then a huge honking scoop. I prefer the huge honking one. How un-EC of me.

If you have a double-wide driveway like I do (see photo), Work out horizontally from the middle, first one side, then the other.

Sometimes a good outdoor broom works better than a shovel. Especially if the snow is light and it's 10 p.m. and you're finally getting around to clearing off the snow because you've been so lazy but then you realize that the sound of shovel scraping at that time of night might not be appreciated much (and have you noticed how much sound seems to be amplified at night?), especially since everybody on the block seems to go to bed by 10 and you really want to be looked upon as a good neighbor.

Pretty office things

2009-12-16T17:14:00.005-06:00

It's somewhat surprising that I'm so messy, considering how much I like pretty things. In an effort to make office organizing more aesthetically pleasing, I sometimes buy lovely little dohickeys, paper products and containers to inspire me. They work for a little while, and then it's disaster again. I'm particularly enamored with my latest purchase, the beautiful file folders seen above. Eight different designs! I get goosebumps just looking at them--or else it's the fact that the heating hasn't been working properly in my office for the past week....

What I learned from reality TV (In my dreams! ... no, really, in my dreams)

2009-11-25T10:40:00.011-06:00

I must be watching way too many reality shows.

Last night I dreamt that I was a contestant on HGTV's Design Star. I had to create a beautiful room in a furniture showroom and I had a whole shopping mall in which to choose items. Even with all that, I was at a loss for what to do. I was completely overwhelmed. Fortunately, I also had three bonafide designers, including David Bromstad, to help me. The designers rallied around me, lended a helping hand and encouraged me to continue. At first I was embarrassed to show the final product to the judges (Tom Collichio and Padma Lakshmi from Top Chef, crossing over to design, apparently), because I felt I hadn't done much. But as I pointed things out, I realized that, with the designers' help, it was a very lovely room.

A lot of my dreams make no sense, but I think I know why I dreamt this one. I've been fussing and worried about a couple projects at work. I believe the dream was telling me I need to ask for assistance from my wise and talented coworkers.

The funny part is that my subconscious put this lesson into the context of a reality show!

If you want friendly, go to Ulen

2009-11-24T14:30:00.007-06:00

Man, this made me laugh! I should note that the caption does say that this is an example of the type of banner Hawley might consider using, but at first glance....

Misty November morning

2009-11-20T13:05:00.000-06:00

October 30

2009-10-30T13:56:00.002-05:00

Wet, heavy snow is coming down, down. What a strange year: Long winter, spring floods, cool summer, spectacular September, wet-cold October. And snow. This is our third or fourth snowfall this month. I'm very leery about the upcoming winter. Better learn to love it ... or leave it. Might have to take a couple trips to family in AZ this winter!

Bittersweet

2009-10-30T13:50:00.001-05:00

"The Birds," Fergus Falls-style

2009-09-27T10:03:00.003-05:00

This really just happened. I heard a very urgent knocking at the front door. It was so staccato, though, that I realized after a moment that it must be some kind of woodpecker. I looked out the front door windows and saw a bunch of little birds--all different kinds of birds--flitting about. Suddenly a little Kingbird landed on the steps in front of me, cocked its head and gave me this evil eye while the little birds flew around the woefully empty bird feeder. I got the hint really fast. Luckily, I had some bird seed in the garage so I went outside and filled up both the frontyard and backyard feeders. The birds are gone, but I hope they come back. I feel really bad that I have been shirking my birdfeeding duties.

Isn't this the strangest story? But it's absolutely true! I got royally chewed out by birds! At least they weren't as forceful as Hitchcock's "Birds," but maybe I should watch my back for a while....

It's a good day when...

2009-09-03T21:17:00.000-05:00

... you pass a furniture truck, the Sis-in-law likes to say (the Bro says it's a Guinness truck. A furniture truck AND a Guinness truck is a banner day!). It's even a better day when the furniture van pulls up to YOUR house! I love my new furniture. I tell the Hub we have grown up furniture now!

Rainy evening's respite

2009-08-20T12:53:00.002-05:00

Rainy evening, enjoying a bowl of wild rice soup while watching "Inkheart." Contented sigh.

Clippings

2009-08-14T16:02:00.003-05:00

As many of you know, part of my job is to peruse the many newspapers from the nine counties my employer serves. Sometimes I clip out an article that I find personally interesting. Today I was cleaning off my desk and came across a handful of these clippings. Here's what I found:

Sabin General Store Launched Online Site
I've blogged about this store before. Every time I drive by the exit to little Sabin, I want to turn off and visit this store--and I always hope it's still there. That's why I was pleased to see they've prospered. I am especially interested in going there to try out some of their "nostalgic sodas." I grew up with Faygo's Rock-n-Rye and would love to taste it again!
Begin Planning for Future with Replacements for Ash Trees
My new home has three ash trees on the property. Two are HUGE. I read about the Emerald Ash Borer being found in Minnesota. My family experienced the Dutch Elm Disease epidemic in the 70s and lost 13 trees on our property. Ouch. I want to be prepared.
Hardy Shrub Roses for Minnesota
My mother loves roses but never had luck growing them in Minnesota (her Arizona roses do pretty well). I feel like it would be a sign I'm a real grown-up if I owned a rose bush.
Area Band Wins "Irish Idol"
An local band called Skilly & Duff won the "Irish Idol" competition at this year's Minnesota Irish Fair. I love Irish music and want to make sure I remember this group so I can go listen to them when they're playing in the region.

Pillow talk

2009-07-24T22:25:00.005-05:00

Here's the new white ultrasuede tufted headboard I bought. I love it, even though my room is turning into a set from a Doris Day movie. Now, if I could just find a powder blue princess phone....

A fair reaction

2009-07-24T19:26:00.002-05:00

The "city slicker" niece and nephew, as their dad called them, weren't so fond of animal barns (which the Bro and I LOVE!) at the county fair, as you can see by their reaction to the sights, sounds and, well, smells.

A grill girl is born

2009-07-24T19:17:00.004-05:00

The Bro and family gave us a grill for a housewarming present. Tonight I used it for the first time. I actually Googled "How to grill a hamburger." I received good instructions. The hamburgers turned out beautifully. Bro and Dad, you'll be pleased to hear that I grilled in the "time-tested" Booms tradition: I used a stopwatch to time the cooking on each side.

And yes, that's a very nice Samuel Adams Light you're looking at, as well!

Nancy's garden

2009-07-24T10:39:00.002-05:00

"Come see my garden," coworker Nancy told me. So I did. It's gorgeous, and a riot of color. Come take a turn in it, yourself.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

The visit

2009-07-21T09:46:00.006-05:00

The Bro and his brood visited for four days this past week. We had a blast. The kids made friends with the twin boys across the street and the Bro and Sis-in-law got to do things like sleep in and read mindless fiction. They reveled in it. The niece launched a very intense campaign for a guinea pig that included incessant talking about it, leaving notes for her parents to find around the house, and creating a floorplan of the small room she shares with her brother that showed how the furniture could be arranged to fit a guinea pig cage into the space--of course it meant moving out her brother. I discovered that a family of four, with two kids under 10, can go through amazing amounts of milk, bread and TP.

My favorite parts of the visit were little things, like going fishing at Maplewood State Park. All you had to do was barely stick a wormy hook into the water and the panfish swarmed. Of course, nothing was big enough to keep, but it kept the kids mightily entertained. The Hub and I just sat in the sun and communed with nature. On the way back from the park we stopped in Pelican Rapids and introduced the family to Pelican Pete. As you can see, the water was really high. In fact we had to take off our shoes and wade into a couple inches on the platform. It was fun, and c-c-c-cold!

Every day there was a Wii Golf competition, and playing ball in the big empty rec room in the basement, and more Sponge Bob Squarepants than I needed, thank you very much. A little Sponge Bob goes a long way in my book.

A small town Fourth

2009-07-07T15:45:00.001-05:00

My sister-in-law from the Twin Cities wanted to experience an old-fashioned Independence Day celebration. I had heard many good things about the town of Erhard's (pop. 150) annual Fourth of July parade. And I had been forewarned that a person should get there an hour ahead of time to find a place to sit, it was so popular. But we all slept in that morning. Hurriedly we packed a picnic breakfast and a blanket and headed north of Fergus Falls to Erhard. Sure enough, we had to park along the highway just outside of town. But we managed to find a nice little plot of land curbside--well, it would have been curbside if there were curbs in Erhard! We didn't wait long before the color guard marched by, followed by a drum corps, classic cars galore, every sort of rescue vehicle, floats on the backs of pickups and on trailers, the Pelican Rapids Community Band, horses and more. Oh, and the candy! It was flying everywhere and kids were stuffing them into plastic sacks and into their little cheeks like a squirrel preparing for winter. Although, one of my favorite moments was when the Service Foods (a Fergus Falls grocery store) horse-drawn buggy came by with folks handing out bananas. The kids around us went (pardon the pun) ape! "Bananas! Bananas!" they squealed, like it was, well, um, candy.

All in all, my sister-in-law was extremely pleased with the parade. And so was I. I hope to bring more relatives in coming years to experience this slice of homespun goodness. It really is nice to know something so sweet and simple and wholly enjoyable still exists in the world and right in our region.

Sea of Tranquility

2009-07-05T19:05:00.004-05:00

Here's my new serene blue and green bedroom. Wish I had a wide-angle lens, because the room is actually pretty big. I call this "budget boutique" because it looks like a boutique hotel room, but the only thing I bought was the paint color (Behr - "Delicate Mist") and the curtains, which were from Target. I'm waiting for a white, microfiber tufted headboard from Walmart, which will really kick up the room a notch, I think! The artwork and the storage unit I had, and both are from Ikea. The Hub hates going "cheap." But I'm proud of achieving a good look at an affordable price!

Home sweet home

2009-07-05T18:25:00.004-05:00

Well, here it is. My new home. Can't believe the Hub and I have been here a week and a half already. I can see that it will be my new, all-consuming hobby. I've waited so long for my own home (with an actual yard!) that I'm rather obsessed about getting things done around the house and yard. Like, I stayed up late two nights painting the master bedroom because I couldn't stand the brown it was painted one more day. It's now a serene pale blue. Today I bought flowers and filled the pots (seen in photo) and added some impatience to the flower bed at right--you can't see them in pic. I have already visited Home Depot and Target a million times getting just the right hardware, paint, bath accessories, tools, etc.--then taking back all the stuff that doesn't work. :) But I've been doing a good job ignoring the boxes piled everywhere. The kitchen is good, thanks to Mom-in-law, the living room is usable, the master bedroom is a clean, calm oasis amidst the mess, thank goodness, but I spend little time there. I'm too determined to work through my to-do list, which grows exponentially each day. Someone please tell me I don't have to do everything NOW. I can take my time. It's my home now.

The lazy person's guide to blogging

2009-05-31T08:28:00.003-05:00

Photos with captions. How easy is that? Here is a supper from last week: turkey chili with a Greek yogurt and sauteed green onion garnish. Delisio! The Hub now teases me mercilessly at mealtime. "Get the camera! Get the camera!" he says, even if it's hotdogs and beans.

If you haven't tried Greek yogurt yet, do. You won't mind eating plain. My dad is addicted to the honey-flavored kind though, and I admit it is fantastic. High in fat so a little dab'll do ya. We like the 2% at Trader Joe's.

Picture of Paradise?

2009-05-28T16:19:00.003-05:00

Doesn't this photo just scream summer fun to you?

Mrs. Clean

2009-05-16T17:00:00.003-05:00

For some reason this past week, I've become a neat freak. Actually, I've been inspired by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan's book "Apartment Therapy: The Eight-Step Home Cure" (Check out the Web site, too: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/). Even if you live in a house, this "therapy" will work for you, too.

Maxwell believes that the clutter in your home adversely affects you. In truth, the home probably reflects how you already feel inside. It's true for me. I've been feeling out of sorts and unmotivated and the piles of papers and clothes that I was too tired and uncaring to handle or hang up reflected my state of mental health. So, for a week I tackled the papers, the clothes and the things that never seem to have a home. I repaired a chair and a drawer, sewed a button and replaced a burned-out bulb (Maxwell says keep your things repaired!). Most importantly, I've been straightening up as I go to keep the place neat. It's done me a world of good. I love how our apartment looks. I get a lot of satisfaction from how pleasant it is. The Hub likes it too and is suitably impressed with how I actually clean up after myself now as I prepare meals instead of leaving him with a disastrous kitchen (I'm the chief cook, he's the bottlewasher).

Hopefully, I can keep up the good work and transfer it to the new home. There's nothing like moving to start afresh.

Some favorite things

2009-05-16T16:38:00.006-05:00

It's been cold and rainy and blustery the past week. I was in a foul mood to go with the foul weather. So, I went looking for things around the apartment that would make me smile. Here are some of them, from top left, clockwise:

A blue platter I bought at the Little Falls Art Fair many, many years ago. I had decided I wanted to collect pottery and this was one of my first pieces, and still my favorite.
The Hub gave me the iPod for a late Christmas/early Valentine's present a couple years ago (the Hub has a problem with timing). But the awesome 360-degree surround sound speaker actually came right on Christmas Day last year. I love both these presents, Hub.
My mom made this lap quilt for me many moons ago. It is well loved and well used.
The Tassimo hot beverage maker. You put in a disc of your favorite coffee, tea, hot chocolate, press a button, and voila!
My shower curtain. Yes, I love my shower curtain! We bought it at Scheel's Home and Hardware in Fargo. It's an awesome place. It's not the huge two-story Scheel's Sports by the mall. This one is east of Highway 29 on 13th Avenue (in case you were wondering).
A hand-painted cloth of many-colored giraffes. The piece is probably 5 feet long and has 7 giraffes and two palm trees. I hung it on my wall using a curtain rod. I purchased it on our 2008 Caribbean cruise, but it's from Tanzania.

Family reunion

2009-05-16T16:23:00.006-05:00

My mother is disappointed in me. I posted photos of the Dale Chihuly exhibit but not the reason the Hub and I went to Arizona in April: for a family reunion to celebrate my parents' 50th anniversary. That's a big faux pas! So here are some photos, clockwise: All of us at Brio, in Gilbert; Dinosaur Boy (aka, the Nephew); the happy couple; the Sis, the Niece, the Nephew; the Bro surveying the aftermath of lunch at Joe's BBQ ( a MUST GO place in Gilbert--we all adore it). We all had a wonderful time. We swam every day, we enjoyed the soft, warm Arizona evenings outside, we ate copious amounts of good food! The dinner at Brio was particularly enjoyable. The Niece taught me new math on the butcher block paper on the table. The nephew collected champagne corks. The conversation was easy and the laughter plentiful. Mom looked around the table and said to Dad, "We created this."

Good eggs

2009-05-12T18:54:00.004-05:00

I purchased a dozen eggs from Karen the Egg Lady today. Not only are these organic eggs tastier, they are so pretty, from brown speckled to blue-green. The photo doesn't do them justice. It's not surprising Martha Stewart gained inspiration from her hens' eggs for her line of paint.

The Hub and I are buying a house!

2009-05-11T10:54:00.004-05:00

The stars have aligned to make this the perfect time to purchase a home--and we found one! It's a pleasant 3-bedroom rambler on a really nice, quiet street with a huge yard, a big deck, a lovely, renovated kitchen and bath, and a wonderful layout. Closing isn't until June 24, so I'll post photos after that. The inspection went well this Saturday. Yay! It feels almost too good to be true. Please let it not be so!

May 3rd, 11 a.m.

2009-05-03T11:05:00.003-05:00

Sitting on the Bro's deck overlooking a little lake, drinking coffee and soaking in the rays on a calm, cloudless day. Does it get any better? Wahoo, wahoo, welcome warm, green Spring!

More Chihuly

2009-05-01T16:57:00.005-05:00

To boldly go....

2009-05-01T16:53:00.007-05:00

No, it's not a set from the original Star Trek series. It's an exhibit of Dale Chihuly at the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden. Totally wicked!

Signs of spring in Fergus Falls

2009-04-15T15:37:00.006-05:00

The post office across the street spread out the snow from a big mound in its parking lot so it would melt faster. It did. It's gone now. Yay!

My first iced coffee of the year. Mmmmmmm. Fancy, highfalutin McDonald's brand.

So, what are you up to this holiday weekend, Fargo-Moorhead?

2009-04-10T11:28:00.004-05:00

I was just at the Fargo Forum Web site and under the search toolbar it had a list of the top searches on the site: They were: movie times, prostitution, drunk driving, corwin, rothsay, egg hunt, oakes.

Frosty April morning

2009-04-03T08:37:00.003-05:00

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Beautiful morning outside of work. It's not spring-green grass, but we'll make due for now.

A breath of spring

2009-03-30T12:55:00.011-05:00

Whenever I need a little pick-me-up I like to peruse the Web pages of Etsy. There, I can find a whole host of beautiful, whimsical, handmade things that make me truly happy!

All resistance isn't futile

2009-03-26T19:04:00.009-05:00

So, this is what good, honest, hard labor feels like.

I thought my marshmallow existence might make it hard, if downright impossible, to schlepp a few hundred sandbags. But I was wrong. The body is capable of responding when it is needed. And it sure was needed this week.

Some colleagues and I drove to Moorhead yesterday to help with the massive sandbagging effort going on throughout the city. I wasn't going to go at first. I honestly felt I would not be strong enough. I was rather ashamed about that. But as I gathered information on the Web about the flood and the dire need for volunteers, and posted it on my work Web site, I knew I had to help out in some way.

And, like I said, the body responded. I learned to do my part in the "zipper line" and do it cheerfully. In fact, all the sandbaggers were relentlessly cheerful, even in the face of endless loads of sandbags, the rising water and reports that the area we were sandbagging was going to be evacuated soon (they sounded the "CodeRED" for evacuation just as we were leaving for the day).

The water crests tomorrow in the Fargo-Moorhead area, and it's expected to remain at its highest for a few days. Hopefully a week of shoring up the Red will mean most homes and businesses on the flood plain will be saved. God help and be with the Red River communities and families.

Go, Vikings!

2009-03-24T15:45:00.004-05:00

No, not the Purple People Eaters, but the Pelican Rapids Vikings boys' basketball team, which has advanced to the state tournament. My colleagues and I just happened to be driving through Pelican Rapids when we saw the whole elementary school empty out and line the street to cheer on their boys who were about to leave for the Cities. I made my boss, who was driving, pull over so I could quickly snap some shots.