Ooooooh!

This was right outside my front door last FALL!!!! God is great!

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leafs a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Baby it's cold outside!!

Okay, give us two beautiful, above freezing days, then sock us back with negative temperatures and you'd think we'd died and gone to h---! Here's where I WANT to be right now. But, since that ain't gonna happen, I guess I'll just snuggle down with a good book, a good glass of wine, a roaring fire and my hunny-bud. Oh yeah, I gotta work until 3. Dang it! Well, that's what's on tap for tonight. Now, you want to see cold in Minnesota, check out this guys website-photo-gallery. Wow! http://www.northernimages.com/ He is incredible! I get chills just looking at some of his work. He's got some amazing picture of Lake Superior and the North Shore throughout the year. Take a peek!
Stay Gold.

Well, that didn't last long. Okay, I got busy. I've got a cold coming on. And I've got a computer that's older than dirt, so the easiest place to blog is before and after work or durning breaks and I was pulled in three different directions there this week.

Fred and I had a wonderful Valentine's Day. He'd sent me a dozen roses on the 13th, which is much cooler. We made steak and salad for dinner and shared some really good wine. The girls are having a tougher time. Lacy's not sure that she'll stay with her current boyfriend and Anne doesn't have a boyfriend. Man, Valentine's Day sucks as a holiday. There's so much expected if you have a partner and it's soooo depressing if you don't.
I did have an absolutely wonderful experience when, this week the trade magazine came out and I was featured with a former student who contacted me last fall to thank me for "getting him through the toughest years of his life" during high school. How cool is that?!?! So, that's us at lunch a few weeks ago. What a sweetie. That'll take care of my ego for the rest of my life! I made a difference!! WooHoo!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

God's Wheel by Shel Silverstein

GOD says to me with a kind
of smile, "Hey how would you like
to be God awhile And steer the world?"
"Okay," says I, "I'll give it a try.

Where do I set?
How much do I get?
What time is lunch?
When can I quit?"

"Gimme back that wheel," says GOD.
"I don't think you're quite ready YET."

“Ability is what you're capable of doing.
Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it.”
Lou Holtz
That's all for today! :)

Things I want to do...Pictures I want to take

This may end up being kind of a "bucket list". No, I haven't seen the movie, but I like the idea. So, the plan is to edit this on a fairly regular basis to see how far I get and what ideas I get. I'm hoping that other people will see it and give me ideas as well. Here goes:

001 All 50 States
002 Build a snowman
003 Call someone I haven't talked to in more than five years
004 Dance in the rain
005 Do a charity walk/run
006 Finish College
007 Give a gift and expect nothing in return
008 Go all-out for Christmas….cookies, decorations, lights, windows, presents, traditions
009 Kiss in the rain
010 Learn how to ballroom dance
011 Learn one favorite song on the piano
012 Learn Tai Chi
013 Learn to change the oil on my car
014 Make a fantastic five-course dinner
015 Make a list of my 5 most annoying habits and work on them
016 Make a meal for someone who doesn't live at my house
017 Make a scrapbook about me
018 Make homemade salad dressing
019 Make pizza from scratch
020 Make something on a pottery wheel
021 Meet an old friend for coffee
022 Put together a large puzzle, glue it, frame it
023 Read by the fireplace
024 Re-Learn to speak a foreign language (french)
025 Sit in front of the fire on a snowy day
026 Soak in a zen bubble bath…candles, music, oils
027 Start and finish another painting
028 Stay outside for an entire day
029 Write a book
030 Write a letter now to my future grandkids
031 Write a letter to a friend
032 See the Northern Lights in Alaska
033 Visit Cooper's Landing
034 Grand Canyon sunrise/sunset
035 Skydive
036 Ride in a Hot Air Balloon
037 Spend at least three days at a dude ranch
038 Send a message in a bottle
039 Tour a vineyard and sample a good wine
040 Explore the routes of America's Underground Railroad
041 Hike part of the Appalachian Trail
042 Swim with the dolphins
043 Epcot/Disney/Cirque
044 Margaritaville
045 Key Largo
046 Hawaii
047 Shower in a waterfall
048 See a volcano
049 Go to a Luau
050 Mississippi Delta
051 Go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras
052 Sled down a massive hill
053 Canoe
054 Spend a night on an island in the BWCA
055 Sail a sailboat
056 Spend the night in a quaint bed-and-breakfast
057 Wake up to the sounds of the forest
058 Drive the Gunflint Trail
059 Mississippi Headwaters
060 Jump into a swimming hole
061 Rake a giant pile of leaves and jump in them!
062 Tell ghost stories around a campfire and make s'mores
063 Hang up a hammock…and USE IT!
064 Sleep under the stars
065 Take a sleigh ride
066 Eat at a fancy restaurant and order anything from the menu
067 Winter woods
068 Blindly pick a place on a map and visit it
069 Visit Minnesota "monuments" (World's Largest…)
070 Las Vegas Strip
071 Spend the night in a lighthouse
072 Fall in New England
073 Visit New York City at Christmas and go ice-skating
074 Visit Radio City Music Hall
075 Walk Broadway at night
076 Go to a Broadway show
077 Go dancing all night
078 Run through a sunflower field
079 Mount Rushmore
080 Badlands
081 Passion Play
082 Padre Island
083 Crystal Cathedral
084 Swim in the Great Salt Lake
085 Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC
086 Washington DC
087 Gettysburg
088 Grand Tetons
089 Redwoods
090 Old Faithful
091 Sequoias
092 Yellowstone
093 Drive a sports car/convertible with the top down and music blaring
094 Throw a surprise party
095 Wear a flower in my hair
096 Throw a HUGE party and invite EVERYONE
097 Climb a mountain
098 Go horseback riding on the beach
099 Drive Route 66
100 Mediate by a river's edge, on top of a mountain or by the ocean
101 Go all-out for an elegant cocktail party
102 Befriend someone who I didn't immediately like
103 Run a 5K
104 Walk through a field of daisies
105 Publish something
106 African safari
107 Visit the pyramids
108 Spend New Year's Eve in an exotic location
109 Canada
110 Quebec
111 Visit the Great Wall of China
112 Paris, Again
113 Louire valley castles
114 Tours, Again
115 Normandy
116 Cote d'Azur
117 Go to Greece
118 Go into and eat in an Authentic Irish Pub
119 Converse in Italian at a Tuscany market
120 Visit Rome
121 Ride a gondola in Venice
122 Go to the "boot heel"
123 Drink traditional tea in an outside café in London
124 Ride on the top of a double-decker bus in London
125 Baha
126 Mexico
127 See the sun rise on all 7 continents
128 Practice random acts of kindness
129 Forgive
130 Find a spiritual path
131 Make amends
132 Encourage my children
133 Accept myself
134 Find my passions and follow them

Got through yesterday and realized that my little girl is much smarter than I am. As we were driving home from school I asked how her day went and she replied that everything was cool and she'd pretty much forgotten about the incident the day before. I asked how she could just forget about it and she said, "Mom, I'm a black belt. We're trained in NON-violence. So, she hit me. It wasn't that bad, the pain is gone and she's the one that opened the door. If she ever tries it again, I'll kick her a**!" That's my GIRL!

Not much to say. Crazy at home with both girls living there again. Lacy tried one semester at St. Kates and did wonderful, but didn't feel like she fit in so she's home again and attending Inver Hills until next fall. She's already been accepted at St. Cloud and Mankato and has to decide where she wants to live.
Anne is a freshman in high school and likes school and her teachers, but hates the day-to-day drama!! No kidding?!?!?! She comes home yesterday in a BAD mood and won't tell us why. Later last night she mentions almost getting in a fight at school. I said, "What?!?!" And she proceeds to tell me that someone came up to her out of the crowds, punches her in the gut, and walks away! A bunch of her friends kept her from retailating and I said, "WHY?!" She was worried about being expelled to which her dad and I said, "We didn't spend all that money for you to earn your black belt so that you wouldn't use it when you needed to defend yourself!"
Well, the discussion went round-and-round about fighting versus suspension, etc. and that we would back her up no matter what if she didn't throw the first punch. And Fred is up at the high school right now "chatting" with the principal, dean, behavior liason, and police liason basically saying, "If you can't keep our daughter safe in the halls of your building, we have given her permission to defend herself, WITHOUT REPERCUSSION from any of you." And if they can't handle that, then we'll have to get some lawyers involved and see how they like that. Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself, but really. Are they nuts?! They have video in every hallway, personnel walking the various hallways and TEACHERS who are supposed to be monitering the halls during passing time and they can't keep one student from taking a cheap-shot at another?!
Okay, I gotta calm down. Fred will take care of it and everything will get back to half-a**-normal.
Gotta Go. Stay Gold!

I watched the Super Bowl yesterday and never got around to logging on. Oh well, some things are more important, like my man, Eli winnin' a ring!!!! Nothing against the Pats, and I would have loved to see a team go 19-0, but I had Eli as my quarterback all season in fantasy and I really wanted him to go all the way. (especially since he sucked so much of the year as MY quarterback) I won a crab dinner when they got into the Super Bowl. Yesterday I actually lost a breakfast at Cracker Barrel 'cuz Fred wanted Brady to lose and I allowed him to take the Giants. (ain't I a sweet gal???) I was really rooting for my guy the whole time anyway. What's a breakfast cost compared to a crab dinner and sweet Eli winning?!?!?!

Went to the Young Americans show at CMS today. I took Anne and her friend Marissa. I thought it was wonderful. They were only slightly bored. Teenagers. They recognized most of the songs, so I had to give them a little crap for that. They were singing along with some, so I had to give them a lot of crap for that! They like to think they're "oh-so-cool" (in fact I'm sure that's not even the word for it anymore) when in fact they're still little kids trying to grow up and be accepted. God, I love 'em.

Now I'm working downstairs, on the computer.....duh, making a cd of some of the inspirational songs I've collected. We all need some inspiration sometimes and there's some really good stuff out there. For Good, That's What Friends Are For, My Wish, I Will Remember You, Stand, Lean On Me, Life Is Good, I Hope You Dance, Mountains, Wind Beneath My Wings, Burn, Dare To Dream, Life Is A Highway, Wonderful World. I'm also very active in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life so I've spent a lot of time coordinating music for various laps through the night.

Anyway, it's good to listen to the words and reflect, so that's what I'm doing. Fred just got home from work, Lacy's off at work, Anne's with a friend, LIFE IS GOOD!!!

FOR GOOD

A really fantastic group called the Young Americans were at school today and had a boatload of the kids, who'd signed up in advance, learning some routines for a performance tomorrow. One of the songs that they played to is from Wicked. I first heard this song at the dance studio last year when it was picked for the Mother-Daughter piece. Many tears ensued. It's such a beautiful example of words that touch the soul. Think about your mom, best friend, brother, neighbor, receptionist, anyone who has "changed" you and made you a better person.

Wicked "For Good"
by Stephen Schwartz
Sung on the Wicked cast album by Idina Menzel (Elphaba) and Kristin Chenoweth (Glinda)
ELPHABA
You're the only friend I've ever had.
GLINDA
And I've had so many friends. But only one-- that mattered.
(sings)
I'VE HEARD IT SAID
THAT PEOPLE COME INTO OUR LIVES FOR A REASON
BRINGING SOMETHING WE MUST LEARN
AND WE ARE LED
TO THOSE WHO HELP US MOST TO GROW
IF WE LET THEM
AND WE HELP THEM IN RETURN
WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF I BELIEVE THAT'S TRUE
BUT I KNOW I'M WHO I AM TODAY
BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...
LIKE A COMET PULLED FROM ORBIT
AS IT PASSES A SUN
LIKE A STREAM THAT MEETS A BOULDER
HALFWAY THROUGH THE WOOD
WHO CAN SAY IF I'VE BEEN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER?
BUT BECAUSE I KNEW YOU
I HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR GOOD …

ELPHABA
IT WELL MAY BE
THAT WE WILL NEVER MEET AGAIN
IN THIS LIFETIME
SO LET ME SAY BEFORE WE PART
SO MUCH OF ME
IS MADE OF WHAT I LEARNED FROM YOU
YOU'LL BE WITH ME
LIKE A HANDPRINT ON MY HEART
AND NOW WHATEVER WAY OUR STORIES END
I KNOW YOU HAVE RE-WRITTEN MINE
BY BEING MY FRIEND...
LIKE A SHIP BLOWN FROM ITS MOORING
BY A WIND OFF THE SEA
LIKE A SEED DROPPED BY A SKYBIRD
IN A DISTANT WOOD
WHO CAN SAY IF I'VE BEEN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER?
BUT BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...

GLINDA
BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...

BOTH
BECAUSE I KNEW YOU
I HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR GOOD...

ELPHABA
AND JUST TO CLEAR THE AIR
I ASK FORGIVENESS
FOR THE THINGS I'VE DONE YOU BLAME ME FOR

GLINDA
BUT THEN, I GUESS WE KNOW
THERE'S BLAME TO SHARE

BOTH
AND NONE OF IT SEEMS TO MATTER ANYMORE

[They sing simultaneously]

GLINDA
LIKE A COMET PULLED FROM
ORBIT/AS IT PASSES A SUN/
LIKE A STREAM THAT MEETS A
BOULDER/ HALF-WAY
THROUGH THE WOOD

ELPHABA
LIKE A SHIP BLOWN OFF ITS
MOORING/BY A WIND OFF THE
SEA/ LIKE A SEED DROPPED BY A
BIRD IN
THE WOOD

BOTH
WHO CAN SAY IF I'VE BEEN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER?
I DO BELIEVE I HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER

GLINDA
AND BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...

ELPHABA
BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...

BOTH
BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...
I HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR GOOD.