Frogs, Old Friends and Family

On Thursday the 21st Jim and I headed off to Milwaukee, WI.  The main trip there was to see Jim's roommate from collage days.  I happened to take my card out of my camera and I had not put it back in so the picture of them and us is sealed on there until I see my multi-talented son and he will show me how to get it out of there.  Anyway, we arrived there Thur afternoon about 3 and we rested for a while and then went to dinner next door to the hotel.  Just outside the hotel there were some trees that were loaded with berries, I have no idea what kind, but me thinks that the berries were fermented as they were FULL of birds singing like a bunch of drunk sailors.  It was something to see and hear. 

After dinner we went for a little drive and wow... Milwaukee is NOT an easy town to get around in.  After getting on the wrong roads a couple of times we made it back to the hotel.  There is road construction all over; and I thought it was bad here.  But believe me the roads there are in need of it.  Such rough roads, I was actually sick to my stomach when we got back to the hotel.  I am not sure I can blame it all on the roads as Jim was listening to a book on CD on the way down.  It is one of his favorite authors, but shew,, a lot of violence in there and that kinda got to me too.  So that coupled with the bumpy roads.. well I was all to ready to hit the sack.  And folks..., it is true.  LaQuinta hotels have comfortable beds.  They are not 5 star hotels, but I have yet to stay in one that was dirty and had uncomfortable beds.  And you see with me,, travel is all about the comfortable beds!!!!

Friday morning after breakfast that the hotel furnished.  It was very good and satisfying, we took off for the Milwaukee Museum in the heart of downtown Milwaukee.  They had a frog exhibition there.  It was very interesting.  We of course parked our car where we thought we should park only to find we were a few blocks off.  But we walked there.  I didn't take my coat.  Dumb idea.  Even tho the sun was shining it was cool and the wind was blowing and I felt frozen before we got to the museum.  After we had gone through the frog exhibition, they hit us up for a picture of us with the frogs.  I am posting it here for all of your enjoyment (^_^) 

It was after this that we headed out to Jim's Friend's place.  We got there around 3:00.  Remember I was telling you how I was a bit nervous about conversation etc?  Well there was no need to worry about that.  There was never a lull in the conversation,  About 6 we went out to dinner at a nice place and then they asked us to come back to the house for some ice cream.  Well the baseball game between the Rangers and the Yankees was on so we had to stay and watch that.  We were all very happy that the Rangers won.  We left there about 10:30

Then Saturday morning we headed for Merrimac.  We got there around noon.  Will was there and he and I ran to Walmart to get a few things Tonja needed for Luke's birthday dinner.  My handsome young man turned 8 on Sunday.  In someways it seems like it was just last year and in other ways it seems like it was soooo long ago.   We watched some Wisconsin Badgers football in the afternoon. 

Tonja has several pets.  This cat is named Glen.  He is the most mellow cat I have ever seen.  And oh so soft.  He was laying on the dogs bed (which the dog refuses to lay on) and Luke went and laid with him and pretended he was sleeping too, so I snapped a picture.

Then there is Teddy.  He could not be left out of the picture.  For some reason, Teddy really likes me and stays pretty close to me when I am there.  He is a sweetheart too.

After the football game (which WI won in a barn burner) it was time for dinner, Luke's favorite.  Now get this.  Pork chops, macaroni and cheese and baked beans.  If it's what the kids wants,, why not?  It was all very good.  After dinner he opened his presents and then it was time for cake and ice cream. 

This is Ben.  He is a very clever cat.  Here Abbe had left a bit of milk in a glass he kept dipping his paw into the glass and licking it off.  It was so cute I had to snap a pic.

Couldn't let the weekend go without a picture of Abbe who is 10 already.  This was taken Sunday morning just before we left to go and have breakfast at "The Barn".  That is a neat place.  It had actually been a barn, and the walls and the ceiling look like a barn, but all cleaned up (^_^).  A fun good place to eat with good food.

And then it was time to head home.  So the obligatiory pictures had to be taken.  First Mamma, Gpa and the kids.  I see that on this pic Gpa has his eyes closed.  Either ethat or he is looking down to see that Luke is in the right place.   See the bluffs behind?  I think if the sun had been shining it would had been very pretty even tho it is past peak season for the leaves there too.  Notice I am wearing my Vikings shirt in Packer country.  But nobody threw anything at me or hissed at me even tho the Pack and Vikes played on Sunday night.  We lost.  Or should I say the ref's lost it for us.  Tis life I guess.

Then there is one of Tonja, Will and the 2 little ones.  Maurissa was in Milwaukee for the weekend, but we did not see her as she was there to spend the weekend with freinds.  Emma was home but she was working so much we saw her for all of an hour. 

So that is the story of our trip to WI. last weekend.



Another Picture Perfect Day in MN

It has been beautiful here today.  In the upper 60's and sunshine.  But I have been so lazy.  I did pay some bills and do the breakfast dishes after hubby made me a wonderful breakfast of bacon and eggs and toast. Then went out and started to cut down some of the garden foliage.  One almost feels like you should just let it be and I have left a lot of it, but it is the middle of October and in MN we can expect any kind of weather.  We could have snow next weekend.  So I cut down the peonies and some of the hostas.  Jim came and helped me and it sure went faster.  Then we came in and watched Gopher football.  Good bye Brewster.  I don't always think it is the coach but who else are they going to get rid of in collage??

 I read a little bit.  Anyone who knows me, knows I am not a reader.  Now I listen to books on CD on my commute every day.  It makes the commute go faster and I think it has taken my desire to watch TV as much.  Which is good, right?  Anyway, I have started reading Lauraine Snelling books.  Oh my, they are like reading about my relatives.  Most of the books take place at the turn of the century in North Dakota and Minnesota.  So much of it, like names and customs,  just take me back to my childhood.

I get these daily deals called Groupon.  They come in my email daily  Well a while back I purchased one for Grandma Ruby's Sweet Shop.  For $10 I get $25 worth of fudge or whatever in her shop.  Well I thought today was the day I would redeem it.  Well we got there and it was closed.  I will have to call and find out their hours.  

On the way home, we decided to bring the bags of garden waste to the recycle place.  Wow, it was a big line up waiting to get in to the place.  But we finally got there.  I don't like to have those bags stand around, they get nasty after a few days. 

When we got home, I changed the bedding on our bed and did some more laundry and now I put half a chicken in the oven to bake for dinner. I was looking out at the deck and my white petunia is absolutely so happy to still be living, I had to take a picture of it.

Then I had to go and take a picture of the little tree that Eric planted a little earlier this year.  He found it growing in a big pot beside the deck, so he planted it.  It is near a huge ash tree.  And with the ash bore moving west at an unstoppable pace it seems, we don't know if we will have it long.  We hope and pray it will be spared.  But this little tree is not planted far from it.  It looks like it is a hard maple.  I hope so.

Well that's it from Sandiville

Some Painting, Playing and Partying

Here she is my beautiful daughter in law, Kim who is so fantastically talented and did my birthday present painting.  She was finishing up the outlining of the word Vikings.   She said she didn't like this picture of her, and I have to admit that it is not the best picture of her, now if she were behind the camera, the picture would be great, as besides being a great atrist, she is a great photographer as well,  but she cant be in both places at the same time. 

It was a perfect day for raking leaves in Minnesota.  And the big ash tree in our back yard has totally shed all of its leaves.  So the kids went out and raked a big pile of leaves together and did the" jump in the pile thing".  They wanted me to take "action" shots of them and believe it or not, I actually got them.  (Patting self on back).  This first gal is a friend of Faith's.  She came along to help her celebrate Faith's birthday with us.  Her name is Jessica.

Then came my show boater Josiah.  Looks like he is looking for deep water.  But with all those leaves they land safely and with a big smile on their faces.

Then it was time for the birthday girl to launch herself.  Looks like she is flying and coming in for a landing.

Next came the "Lets cover ourselves" shot

And then the "Lets pretend we are sleeping: shot

When the playing was done it was time for the partying.  So in they came and we had birthday pie.  Yes indeed.  In our family I try to make whatever the birthday person would like for their birthday meal and cake.  Well Faith who turned 11, chose meatballs with mashed potatoes and gravy for the meal and for the cake she wanted an Oreo pie.  Well, Grandpa was the baker on this one.  Off to Bakers Square he went and got an Oreo pie and he picked up a triple berry too.  Soooo lots of goodies were had.

Then to the opening of presents.  Here she is showing an MP3 player with video that Mamma and Gpa got her for her birthday. 

All in all it was a VERY fun day!!

Happy Birthday Faith

The End To A Very Good Team

At the end of this month a very good team will be ending.  You see Carol is retiring.  The 5 of us have been together since 2003, that was when Sue joined us.  I have worked with the rest of these people since January 2001.   It is the best place to work, ever.  I have the best bosses.  I know if I looked high and low I could never find any bosses better to work for.  Carol has had the office next to mine since I started and I will REALLY miss her.   Who else is going to ask "Are  you tupid?" "What, did you find a maat (smart) bump?"  Or tell me she is an equal opportunity hater.  And who else will I be able to stand in her office while she is talking as sweet as pie to one of the tenants while she is giving the high sign.  Who will now come in my office and listen to me laugh, cry and just let off steam.. And who will help me when I am going crackers over budgets and reconciliations?   Carol.  I am going to miss you!!!! 

Ben (boss), me, Sue, Carol, Mark (boss)

I Felt Bad For Jim

Well friends, I felt bad that Jim didnt have his beloved Detroit Lions on the garage, so I arranged to have one put on his side of the garage.  I think it is very big of me.  Dont you think?  I feel like I did a very good thing. I am sure when you see this picture you will agree

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Yes,,, I am a Vikings fan

I had a birthday a couple of months ago, and I told my kids I wanted a Viking , the Minnesota Vikings logo painted on my garage.  I didn't think much of it, but on my birthday I opened a package to find 2 cans of paint. One purple and one gold, along with a google picture of our house and the Viking set in on the door.  If I had my druthers, the Viking and logo would take up the WHOLE door.  But noooo, I live with a man that was born in MI and lived there until he was 18 and now he is well,, over 50 years since he has lived there and still stuck on Michigan, so he didn't want that Viking on his side of the garage.   So Kim, my beautiful and VERY talented free-handed painted this on my side of the garage.  Every time I come home, and pull into my driveway, it makes me smile!!!  Thank you Kim... you are the best daughter in law anyone could ever have.. 

Some have suggested she paint a Detroit Lions logo on the other side of the door.  Well she can if she wants to, but I think she will be loyal to me... I think (^_^)  But if it does get painted on there, there might be some graffiti on that side...

Just HAD to share this;  It is not quite done yet as there will be yellow around all the purple Vikings word

I'm lovin it!!!!