Natalie and Softball

Natalie played softball this passed Thursday in Fosston. A team from Fertile didn't have enough players, so Natalie played on the Fertile team. Natalie was a Falcon for about an hour and fifteen minutes.

Later, when she played Fosston she even made a hit and made it home after a couple of plays. Maybe that made her feel even more Eagle like.

What a girl.

Jason loves this card

This is just funny. You know there are people like this.... ya you do.

Napolean Dynomite Bought Jason's Car

Jason sold two of ten of our - err - his car collection. Now, admittedly, all but three of those cars are parts cars. J.Bird sold a Caddy and the parts cars to Napoleon Dynamite.

It's funny to see some teenagers all excited to work on an old car. This is how Jason started years ago. He would drive by farmsteads and fall in love with pile of junk heaped up next to an old barn. Sometimes, he would stop and talk to the old farmer about how much he'd sell the ole dear, but most often, the farmer would not sell.

Let's just say I don't get it. I don't like to get dirty or burned from welding. I like to have nice air conditioning and easy parking. But, to see these young guys eyes' light up and see J. Bird's face all animated really takes the cake.

Next year, he will drive this black Cadillac to prom with some wide eyed girl who tanned too much at the video store. They will be the talk of the town when all the parents and spectators wait for the grand march.

They'll say; "Did ya see Napolean's new ride?"

"Ya.. ooof. Now, that was a lot of work."

Class of 2020

Allison's Class!!!

When Allison looks back at these pictures, she'll remember how much fun she had in kindergarten. She has such a cute little class. There's a mix of little brains, little athletes, little actresses, and little friends.

Mommy Porn

One of my good friends sent me a link to the blogger Penolope Trunk. She is fabulous. Maybe you all have read her, but this is the first time I've read her wonderful stuff.

The specific link my friend sent me was on Mommy Porn. This article talks about how disgusting it is that all of these celebrities make motherhood look so elegant. How annoying is that. These mom's never have a pimple or gain any weight. They probably don't have to drag a screaming six year old from their auntie's house. Yes six.

As most of you know, I'm not the most elegant mom. I'm a mom who has a six year old who screams because she doesn't want to leave their auntie's house. Yes my SIX year old. I'm the type of mom who has to ground her girls from chewing gum. I'm the type of mom who had two circle breast milk stains on her shirt for nine months after delivering ten pound babies.

I give my girls spit bathes when they have chocolate stains. I forget what I'm saying. I spend too much time at the pool instead of scrubbing floors at home. Sometimes, I spend all day reading Computer Blogs and checking my facebook account.

However, I do my best at being a mom. I take my girls to Sunday School. I take my kids camping. I make sure they drink milk everyday.

These girls will be just fine.

Bad Grammar

I found this youtube video and thought it went with one of my last blogs perfectly. Some of you might find it trashy, but frankly, that's because it is trashy.





Another site I found helpful and funny is this list of helpful grammar rules.


So there you are!

Strawberries

The girls and I picked Strawberries today. They were beautiful and juicy. But, most of all, yummy!!!

Eggs in a Nest

Last year, we found some eggs in our tomatoes. They were beautiful.

Grammar Girl

Here's a shout out for Grammar Girl. You can find her website by clicking here.

As a future English teacher, I'm sure I'll be checking her out. Some of my faithful readers may find her website a great resource in your everyday lives. I know we can do our best in our struggle for better grammar.

Me and my gang

A few years ago when Susan got married, she rented the old roller rink as her reception hall. It was the best wedding dance I ever went to. We danced, we laughed, and we rollerskated. As you can see, all of my friends are knockouts. These pictures are a few years old, but they are some of my favorite pictures of us ever!





In this picture, it looks like I had too much to drink! I get that way when I drink too much Diet Coke. But, there may have been a little wine involved.




Another lovely picture of our wonderful evening.






After fourteen years, we still keep in contact. We are as diverse now as we were then.






We had so much fun! I'll always remember the night we rollerskated our hearts out! Our dear friend Sara took all these pictures. :) So unfortunately, one can only see her in one of these pictures.

Grandma Tracy

This is a picture of J.Bird's grandma Tracy at J.Bird's little brother's wedding! Isn't this just an awesome picture?

Our Summer Days!

Everyday is the same routine for us... We bring Natalie to softball, we come home for lunch, and then we go to the pool. Allison took this lovely picture of me. I think it's funny. I look like I'm mourning something. Maybe my youth?
Here is a short video of Allison and her friend jumping off the diving board!

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.

- John Burroughs, essayist and naturalist

This reminds me of J.Bird. You know, the bees, the beer, the garden, the maple syrup. He just can't get enough. How great is it to spend a lifetime learning?

I'm sure you were worried you'd have to endure another blog about my detox of Diet Coke, but don't worry this exact blog isn't about Diet Coke it's about bees. We opened the hive with J.Bird's mom today and were treated to another science lesson from the one and only J. Bird. I was amazed at how much honey the bees have made already.

Here is a video of Jason checking out his bees. He's a little sad because they are not making their combs the way they should.

motivation

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing--that's why we recommend it daily.

- Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker


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And so, isn't this the perfect quote for a lady trying to strengthen her left hand err improve her health.

My Left Hand

This week, I feel I'm making headway with the my left hand (AKA my health) . Tomorrow, I start with only one cup of coffee and nothing else. J. Bird told me he thought the coffee would be better all around than the Diet Coke. For once, I'm going to take his advice. He has an uneasy feeling about the chemicals in Diet Coke. And yup, tomorrow is the day. I will relish that one cup of coffee.

Christel would be so proud of me doing all of my exercises. This week, I've done my exercises 5 out of the 7 days. I rollerbladed. I walked. I swam. Of course, my swimming was the highlight of my week. Ironically, it did me in.

As I swam my laps, I thought about how strong I felt. My arms were getting a fabulous workout. I was finishing up my last laps when I noticed some boys swimming laps beside me.

"Hey, Bobbi." They called after me.

"Yes?"

"Can we race you?"

I gave them a sideways grin and nodded. What's a lady to do?

The first time, all three of us pushed off. I won by half the pool. Thus, they asked if they could push off and me not.

"OK"

Still, they lacked speed. SORRY, but a lady who drives a mini-van in sensible shoes beat them.

And then, the next two days, my muscles ached.
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I lovingly took a break.

And so, today, I did my PT. And went for two walks. And ate sensibly. I feel great.

When we ate lunch at Pizza Hut, I only drank half my Diet Coke.

It's going to be just fine

Let's Make History

There are two kinds of man: the ones who make history and the ones who endure it.

- Camilo Jose Cela, Spanish novelist

Brand new key

Spending habits

Oh! Wagon

And so, I went to visit Christel. My physical therapist. My hero. And she gave me the go ahead to rollerblade! Hooray! She gave me some strengthening exercises as well as some suggestions for cardio:

1. Walk
2. Rollerblade
3. Swim- Crawl


I did get down to one Diet Coke and one cup of coffee each day. Although that one cup of coffee is super big. It could be considered a "Big Gulp." (That reminds me of my old college roommate whom I should write about sometime.)

Even though my caffeine consumption isn't so hot, it's better than it was. I'm not drinking a six cans of Diet Coke a day along with a half a pot of coffee.

Now, I have to decide. Will I let go of the Diet Coke? Or will I let go of the "Big Gulp" coffee. It's a big decision requiring lots of thought.

As most of you may know, I went back to school a year and a half ago. I finished out my Bachelors of Science in English Education. Now that I've taken care of my mind, I need to think of my body. Total Balance, right? That's what Christel says anyways. She's right.

I told her my life is like playing piano. I've figured out my melody - my right hand - my personal legend- my meaning to life- teaching. Now, I have to figure out my left- the harmony- my health.

Which one is natural? Which one is C-section?

Recently, I uploaded these pictures and sent them to a friend. Both of my girls were ten pounds or more when they were born. I told him to guess which one was born naturally and which one was born by c-section.

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.

- Irish Proverb

It's my birthday and I'll jump if I want to.

umm... yea, I'm 34 today. I thought it would be a bad day, and I'd be all depressed. Instead, I found myself to be happy and grateful for my family!
For the past, oh... forever, I've hated my birthday.

Well, I'd start out loving it. Yes. It was my birthday!
By the end of the day, I'd realize no one remembered.
I mean my mom hardly ever remembers.
That's just weird.

I'd get all sentimental and depressed.
THEN, I'd get embarrassed because no one remembered, and I was so
down about it.

This year, I was all up to hating
my birthday. I was ready to be all
down and depressed.

And suddenly, most people remembered.

I got tons of greetings via facebook and the like.

And, well, I felt happy it was my birthday.

Even if, my mom still hasn't remembered!

Oh. The Wagon.

And so, my struggle to health is a struggle. And so, I'm down to about two Diet Cokes a day and about a quarter pot of coffee. Friday, I'm going down to one can of Diet Coke and one cup of coffee.

As one of my seventh grade students said;

"Good luck with that one."

I got my walking up to two miles in the morning and two miles in the afternoon. It sort of petered out because of my brother-in-law's wedding. Tonight, I walked three miles.

I'm still on the wagon. I did not fall off.

Church Lady Lick the Bowl Salad/ AKA Popcorn Salad

The other day, I made a "salad' for a fundraiser for our voluntary ambulance and the senior meal site. The Presbyterian ladies make this fundraiser every year and various groups decorate a table with a fun theme and bring a "salad" Then, they sell the tickets for $10 a pop and raise money for a worthy cause. I was part of the Girl Scout table with my friends Stacy and Maureen.

I made this salad;

1 1/4 cup divided, shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 - 3/4 cup mayo (I used Miracle Whip; I don't like Mayo)
2 tablespoons fresh chives
10 slices of bacon
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 cup chopped celery
6 cups popcorn

Fry the bacon, drain and crumble. Add 1/2 cup of the bacon in a bowl add the mayo, 1 cup cheese, 1 cup celery, carrots, chives and mix. When you are ready to serve, and only when you are ready to serve, add the popcorn and mix. Use the extra bacon and cheese for garnish.

When the meal was done, I took my bowl and headed for home. Some of the church ladies stopped me.

"You made the popcorn salad?"

"Why, yes I did."

"Can we try it?"

"Of course."

Right there on the street, these dignified ladies took my spoon and helped themselves to the scraps off my bowl. They made noises when they were eating. If I hadn't been holding on to the bowl, they would have licked the sides.

I'm serious.

Sewing with Nancy part 3

After many months of obsessing over which embroidery machine to buy, I settled on a Janome from a mom and pop store in Fargo. They mailed it to me.

I set it up. My first project would be a sweatshirt for J. I put a corn cob in his armpit.

Oh well.

My next project I sewed a butterfly on a shirt for Natalie.


It was sewn together. She couldn' t even get it on.

At this same time, my sister moved into her new house. I was helping her move when I suddenly felt ill. I went into her basement, turned on the T.V. , and laid down on the couch.

There on the screen was a special Sewing with Nancy. Embroidery 101.

I begged my sister for a video tape.

Sewing with Nancy part 2

One of my best friends decided my sister and I should learn to sew. She gave us a notions list and sent us on our merry way to Joann Fabrics with the enthusiasm of a born-again Christian.

We went to her little house on the other side of town with our fabric and cut out patterns of our snowmen centerpieces and sewed to our hearts' content.

I was in love.

One night, I couldn't sleep and watched HSN- yes, the Home Shopping Network. They had an embroidery machine... I watched with wonder. How beautiful the products were.

I decided I would buy an embroidery machine.

Sewing with Nancy

When my Grandma Shirley was alive, her favorite show was Sewing with Nancy. Every Saturday, she had my sister or me tape the show whether grandma was on outings or even at home watching the program. Sometimes, when we'd come over she'd have us watch a segment with her.

Grandma knew all about Nancy's life. Nancy had a stroke and valiantly survived. Grandma was impressed with how Nancy could sew.

What would happen if one of us forgot to tape Sewing with Nancy? Well, Grandma wasn't so gracious. She'd hang up the phone with us and probably cuss us out under her breath.

https://www.nancysnotions.com

Also, Grandma would be pissed if we would call during Sewing with Nancy. Sewing with Nancy was her special time to visit with her buddy Mary.

She'd call Mary Jane "Did you see that?"

Mary Jane called grandma; "That Nancy sure knows how to sew."

This was their conversation.

(By the Way - Nancy has/had Bells Palsey - see my comments on this post)

Apple Blossom Dreams

Yesterday morning, I found myself under the big, pink apple blossom tree. It smelled like heaven. The bees were humming a familiar tune. I felt like I was a princess in a fairy tale.

Later that night, I grabbed Jason and lay under the tree and looked up. We could see the bees hopping from one flower to the next. The flowers were phenomenal.

Earlier that night, Jason ran into the house.

"Grab your camera."

He was waiting outside on his bike.

I hopped on mine.

We biked a half a mile down the rode only to see eight birds take off in flight.

"They're turkeys." he smiled.

"Turkeys are not that small." I countered. I'm an expert on Turkeys.

"They looked like turkeys on the ground. Turkeys can fly high, but I didn't know they could fly that high."

"But, they're too small to be turkeys."

"Do we have vultures in this area?"

How would I know. I'm only an expert on turkeys.

We biked home and ran to the bird book.

Turns out, they were Turkey Vultures.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_Vulture

On the Wagon

While student teaching, I fell off my fitness wagon. I went back to drinking too much Diet Coke, not getting enough sleep, and eating not so healthily. Also, I fell off the PT wagon. I didn't make time for my exercises. I spent most of my time planning my lessons and correcting papers.

According to my lovely physical therapist, Christel, caffeine can really tense up your muscles. And so, hmmph.. I really need to quit my Diet Coke habit. Also, sleep is so important to fitness. My body hasn't had the sleep it's needed in too long. This Sunday, I actually slept in until 10:30 A.M. I don't think that's the kind of sleep Christel was talking about, but maybe it'll help me on my road to healing.

Because I fell off the wagon, I'm jumping back on the wagon this Spring. I've started with my physical therapy, and then, I go for my walk. Afterwards, I come inside and do some more physical therapy.

The biking a tree climbing was too much too soon! HMMPH. It makes me sad. If I hadn't fallen off the wagon, maybe I'd be rollerblading by now.

For the past six years, I'd been exercising in pain. I thought it was just part of getting older. I thought I was just supposed to sort of limp once in a while. But then, my ObGyn recommended going to Pt.

"You think I won't have to limp forever?"

I guess if I stay on the fitness wagon, I may not have to limp forever.