Here is a picture of the beautiful fingerless mitts that my niece knit for me.  The perfect colors too!  I haven't posted in over half a year and I'm having trouble figuring out how to post this.   Where is my background?  Why is this continuing to underline when I've tried to turn it off?   I think I'll publish this and see what it looks like.  

Happy Mother's Day

Now blogger has gone and changed its layout, just like FB.  Argg....  Let's see if I can figure this out.  Anyways, if I could take 2 days and let them never end, I would choose these past 2 days.  Bob is gone fishing, Hans is working and I have spend two glorious days doing what I want.  The weather has hovered around 72 degrees, sunny skies, LOVELY!!  I have heard from my children with phone calls, cards and flowers.

I have called my mother, so my Mother's Day is complete.  Yesterday I ran errands without a timetable ticking in my ear, and the same today as I wandered in a couple greenhouses as I began my annual flower buying spree.  I ate when I was hungry, walked the dog during the afternoon, sat outside, pulled weeds, washed everything, including bedding, bathroom rugs and dog beds and hung them on the lines outside to dry.  This is all it takes to make me happy.  Now I hope I can figure out a new background, instead of the April rain, cut out the Sunday coupons, and settle in with some knitting to watch the Survivor Finale!  Paradise!

WeAreAllOne (Borrowing title from my sister)

Last week I encountered one of the most heartbreaking sights I've ever seen.  At an intersection that gets busy with morning traffic, I noticed at least a dozen wild turkeys, some in full plumage, standing as sentinels all along the curb on my left.  They were watching two toms in the road who were standing over a large feathered breast of a hen as far as I could tell. 

I thought to myself that that was a sorrowful sight, but it was made even more so when a head lifted slowly up from the supposed dead bird.  One of the toms immediately spread his wings around her and beat them as to either comfort, protect, or try to guide her off the concrete.  By this time my left turn signal went green and I had to go.  I could barely speak and I definitely could not stop the tears.  These large wild birds suffered a loss to their own kind and I felt it keenly in my own breast.

P.S.  After that emotional morning, I have seen the turkeys almost daily.  Many times they are simply standing on the grass, but just as often they are in the road.  At 6:30 a.m. the traffic is light and most cars slow down and go around.  I've tried honking but it does nothing.  I'm afraid that will not be the last wild turkey death in the neighborhood.

Spring Break 2012

The end of a wonderful week is drawing nigh.   I used half of my days to go visiting.  I stopped Friday night in Black River Fall and stayed overnight.  Ramie was the only one home at Eric's and she had marinated steaks for us and fixed a couple salads.  Then we watched "The Help", which I had read but not seen.  Saturday morning I headed for Cambridge and stayed until Tuesday.  While there, Heidi had us over to have a latte from the machine they had recently got.  Well I should have known with her baking prowess that there would be a dessert to go along with it.  Here's a picture I got from the internet.

I don't know why I didn't take a picture of the real one, but this gives you a good idea.  I have looked at these recipes and wanted to give them a try, so now I may sometime.  Of course it was delicious!  Thursday I went to lunch with my niece Jessica and then Hans and I went to "The Hunger Games".  It was really good, but so hard to get all the book in a 2 hour movie.  These next 2 days are unhurried cleaning, laundry, sorting through a closet or 2 and some cooking.  80 degrees tomorrow, so I may poke around the gardens and see what's coming up and start my lists.  Truly, spring is my favorite season.

Nascar

Last Sunday I attended my first Nascar race.  If I had to describe it to you, the first word would be LOUD.  So happy we thought of bringing ear plugs.  I couldn't have sat there without them.  Next word, LOUD!.  Oops, said that already, so maybe it would be DIRTY.  So much invisible dust from tires in the air.  Whenever we applied some more sunscreen, we had streaks of dirt on our skin.  Even my fingernails were dirty.

A lot of people love Nascar though.  I really think I prefer it on TV IF I watch it.  You can't hear a thing.  Not even the person next to you.  So even though you see all these people, it's a very isolated "sport".  At least at a basketball or football game you can engage in conversation.

Also the cars go a lot faster than it seems on TV.  The aqua car in about 8th position is Matt Kenseth from my hometown.   Our 2 kids in Vegas and their significant others came with to enjoy the day.  We parked a few hours before race time and had some fun tailgating.

So I don't really get this "planking" but it was the object of quite a few pics.  We had great weather and soaked in the kids' spool(spa/pool)daily.  Except for a flight delay on our way home, we had fun!

Fleeting February

Tomorrow is February 18 and I can hardly believe it.  I am 2 weeks into using Efudex on my head.  Bob is using a Q-tip to apply the POISON to my head and so far it's not too bad.  I have discovered a couple new ways to wear my hair.  If I put my hair up immediately after getting out of the shower, I can twist it and clip on one of those lobster claw type barrettes and the ends of my hair sweep over the top of my head and stay there all day hiding the "spot".  I have gotten a few compliments on this style.  I can also put it in a high bun and sort of twist the hair on the top, use a couple bobby pins, and you can't see any of the bald spot either.  It's a nice break from scarves. 

Two weeks ago we went to Westby to attend the Snowflake Ski Jump.  The weather was perfect, the ski hill made snow, and we were able to spend most of the weekend outside.  Here is a picture of Bob and I and the Snowflake princess.  I'm not sure how she got in the picture, but I guess it's OK :)

There were ski jumpers from all around the world.  I wanted to get this picture so I could send it to Stein and tell him the jumpers from Norway were there.  It's amazing to watch the skiers jump, flatten their bodies over their skis and then manage to land without getting hurt.

We stayed at Bob's cousins place out in the 'coolies' near Coon Valley.  They built a log house out of all recycled materials they've been collecting for years.  Lots of people wouldn't care for their style, but I love it.  They love having people there too and we always have a good time with them.  Here's a couple pictures of all of us and their house.

Scarfing It

 Here are a few shots of my new style.  The stitches are on the top and back of my head, so I have to bobby pin the scarves to stay in place.  I did get a couple wide stretch headbands, but they don't work because of the location of the spot I need to cover.  They just pop right off.  If you look close and aren't squeamish, you can see the end of the stitch row on the lower right pic.  Anyways, thanks Grandma O. for all the scarves.  Who knew?

With cold weather comes increased knitting time at night and here are some hats that I've knit.  I saw one on Etsy and had to try a few.  I'm still making and giving away chunky cowls, because they're something you don't have to think about.

I didn't have any babies to try them on, but I think they're pretty cute! 
So.......a few food pictures before I go.  Here is a pic of the last of the Christmas leftovers, taken weeks ago I assure you!

The corn and sweet potatoes are just that, but the baby pearl onions which are very tedious to peel, are requested and usually devoured immediately, so I was surprised to find leftovers.  Probably because we were missing Nels this year. 

This last picture is of vegetarian chili and wild rice soup.  I usually make soup/chili every week, but the week after Christmas I made both.  Betsy and Leah were here, so we had lots of help eating it.  The wild rice soup is a favorite of everyone.  It's made with Minnesota staples; wild rice, cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup.  Both'em. 
Stitches out on Monday.  Decision on how and what to do to get rid of the "babies".  I'll let you know.

Bandages.....

If you could see me now, Jacob Marley would come to mind.  I have a bandage running around the top of my head anchored with a chin strap bandage.  I am also "wearing" a pkg. of frozen peas on top at the moment.  Needless to say, I took another day off of school.  I should have some time today to figure out how and what I'm going to be wearing for a few weeks/months.  My SCC was invasive, which means it had gone deeper into the skin layers.  It is gone, but it did produce a few "babies" that we'll deal with later.  The surgery is done in a circle, which they then stitch up.  When you bring 2 sides of a circle together, you have to pull a little skin and it could be possible that I've also undergone a very tiny eyelift!  So my fears of a large quarter size bald spot have been somewhat calmed, but hair/scarf styling will be a challenge.  Sunscreen, people!!!!!