Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Every year our friend Candise has a girls weekend at her cabin. Here are the pictures I took before I could get some real incriminating ones.

Sharon was so proud of her kindling for the fire.

The 3 JCPenny Friends

Judy's Story Time (I think you can actually see Karen blushing from Judy's story!)

Krista "Hanging Out"

Back row (L-R): Mom, Judy, Sharon
Middle (L-R): Me, Ann Marie, Karen, Candise, Krista
Front (L-R): Sis, Angie

Pre-Wine Picture

David & I have been picking raspberries from our property with the goal of making wine. He does a great job at washing and freezing them individually before bagging. We have to accumulate enough to make a 6 gallon batch so a few more pickings and we should be ready! As you can see, there are a few blueberries that have made their way into the batch as well. Our field behind the house is loaded w/ blueberries!

Twilight

I just finished the book Twilight by Stephanie Meyers. It is labeled as a "children's" book, but it is very well written for all ages. I just appreciated the clean & appropriate language the writer used in her writings. Twilight is simple, yet beautifully written. It is a look at the other side of vampires intertwined with romance. I borrowed the movie from my sis-in-law, and hope to watch it this week. It is a series of 4 books. The worst part of it is that in this book, the last 2 chapters are the first two to the next book, New Moon. Of course the writer leaves you in a cliff hanger and I cannot get the next book until my other sis-in-law finishes it. I read it in 2 days, unable to put it down. I will not go into details...you'll have to read it yourself!

A Grace Disguised

I just finished a book Kari lent me, A Grace Disguised-How the Soul Grows Through Loss. It is a wonderfully written book by a man who lost his mother, wife, & daughter in one car accident. He goes through the different areas of grief felt when losing a loved one. He explains the humanistic feelings, that they are real and natural. He also comes about it from a Christian's perspective. He does well at reminding the reader that there is an afterlife and that we'll meet again soon.
In the book, he quotes other authors. Peter Kreeft wrote, "Galaxies revolve and dinosaurs breed and rain falls and people fall in love and uncles smoke cheap cigars and people lose their jobs and we all die -- all for our good, the finished product, God's work of art, the kingdom of heaven. There's nothing outside heaven except hell. Earth is not outside heaven; it is heaven's workshop, heaven's womb." Isn't that a beautiful description?
I had quoted Jerry Sittser before when he talks about our lives being movies until the person dies. Then they become a snapshot in our memory bank, never again to be videoed. He says that it's ok to have regrets, all relationships are flawed. It's ok to be angry and to blame. It's ok to feel that amputation of self, when the people who are in your lives make you who you are, are now gone. (i.e. he reports still feeling a husband, even though his wife is gone.) But you cannot continue to feel like that. You have to go through those feeling and then recover from them. And this includes all kinds of loss.
One quote I personally liked was, since the passing of my love one, life is a little less sweet, but death is a little less bitter. You do not get "over" or "recover" from the loss of a loved on, but you grow and change. Hence "A Grace Disguised." I highly recommend this book.
ISBN #: 0310219310

It's Like Riding a Bike...well sorta

I haven't been on my bicycle in about 3 years. Last time I went, Dave and I went biking all around Winona when he was still wooing me. Last night, we both get home from work, eat dinner at 4:00 (hey, we get up at 5!), and decide to go for a bike ride. David had already aired up the tires (he probably has every year for all I know) so we were ready to go. We were having so much fun that we went just kept going and going. Finally when we got to a "T" in the road, we decided to head back. Now, when we were on our first leg of the journey, the wind & sun were at our backs. By the time the barking dog laying in the yard saw us we were already past his house. And we had that childish thinking, I could do this forever.
Then we had to turn around and go back home. This time, the strong wind was in our faces, the sun hid behind some black, heavy-with-rain clouds, the "security" dogs were waiting for us for when we came back again, and being a little older and out of practice, our legs were straining. We still had fun and will be doing it more often, but ... "it's like riding a bike" ... my foot. I could ride all day as a kid. I could also run and not grow weary too.
Summary: We had fun, but we'll probably work up to the longer distances next time. :)
Epilogue: So I am checking my email this morning and I have an email that is entitled "A Special Message from Your Bike". I thought it was going to say, "Don't ever do that again!" (It was a promotion for the MS Society's bike-a-thon.) lol

Potty Paper

http://www.origami-resource-center.com/toilet-paper-origami.html
I need new topics.

Story

So I was at the store today and with my wallet open and my "grocery" money envelope inside. I asked the cashier for my receipt after he gave me my change. The man behind me in line asked me, "Are you on the Dave Ramsey Plan?" I laughed, said that I was, and asked him how he was doing. "Better than I deserve," we both answered at the same time (the answer Dave Ramsey always gives when asked how he is). The man asked me how long I had been on the plan and I told him since December, when Dad gave us "The Total Money Makeover" book. He told me that he had just paid off his truck with the debt snowball and was now working on his student loans. I told him that we only had our mortgage left and were working hard at getting rid of it. We found that we both listen to his daily pod cast, wished each other the best of luck, and went our separate ways. What a weird but cool encounter. For anyone in debt, I highly recommend Dave Ramsey's plan. See his website and change your way of budgeting and living your life: https://www.daveramsey.com

Cosmetics

Have you ever wondered how safe your cosmetics are? I found a web page where you put in whatever brand you use and look up the "hazard score" of it. Is there mercury in your mascara? Lead in your Grecian? How about placenta in your hair repair. Find out here:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php?nothanks=1

Riddle Me This, Riddle Me That...

The man who invented it doesn't want it. The man who bought it doesn't need it. The man who needs it doesn't know it. What is it?

Needs No Title:

Freeze Before Composting

My sister-in-law suggested to freeze your composting items before throwing them into the compost pile. This helps to keep the fruit flies and ants away as well as start the decomposing process earlier. Good idea!

Where have all the words gone?

Have you ever heard that words are added & removed from the dictionary? Recently removed were:

• Agrestic - Rural. Apodeictic - Unquestionably true by virtue of demonstration. Caducity - Perishableness. Caliginosity - Dimness. Compossible - Possible in coexistence with something else. Embrangle - To confuse. Exuviate - To shed. Fatidical - Prophetic. Fubsy - Squat. Griseous - Somewhat grey. Malison - A curse. Mansuetude - Gentleness. Muliebrity - The condition of being a woman. Niddering - Cowardly. Nitid - Bright. Olid - Foul-smelling. Oppugnant - Combative. Periapt - An amulet. Recrement - Refuse. Roborant - Tending to fortify. Skirr - A whirring sound, as of the wings of birds in flight Vilipend - To treat with contempt.

Now I'll be the first to admit I don't use these words in my daily vocabulary. Yahoo's website, offer an explanation: Because languages are "living things" (metaphorically speaking), changes occur and need to be acknowledged. So, every ten years or so, the word smiths work on an updated edition.

That's all fine and dandy. There are new words coming out all the time...like "blog". I like words as much as the next person, but some just don't belong in the dictionary. A lot of the new words seem slang to me. They are words that I do not use on a daily basis and would not use at work or in a professional setting. Words such as: brain freeze, bling, empty suit, bikini wax, chick flick, civil union, hazmat, bodyboard, phat, grrrl, mini-me, and soul patch. Look these words up, they're ridiculous.

What about the one that erks me the most: ginormous. Apparently this is a word from gigantic + enormous. As if gigantic, enormous, or humongous are not big enough words that someone had to make up ginormous. My spell check doesn't even recognize a majority of these words.

As long as they leave my favorite word in the dictionary, onomatopoeia, I'll be fine. Just please don't use "ginormous" around me. I can't and won't stand it.

July 5th...

Picture of Dad helping us put up the frame on our garage 09/13/2008.

July 5th today. Two months since my Dad went to be with our heavenly Father on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009. How many times have I thought, "Gee, Dad would like this email. Wish I could send it to him." or "Gosh, I should take more pictures of Dad." Then realize, I can't. My heart aches as much now as it did 61 days ago. The lump in my throat remains. I am currently reading, "A Grace Disguised" by Jerry Sittser. In there he states that our lives are like motion pictures. When someone dies, that motion picture of the person ceases and becomes a snap shot.
Please don't misunderstand me. I am not dragging on in everyday life, moping and refusing to live. It's just that some days are harder than others. I am happy that Dad's pain is gone. I am blessed to have shared the precious moments we had together, slow dancing to a song on the radio while the Christmas ham cooked in the oven. He and my Mom gave us kids a healthy, happy home in which to live and raised us to love and cherish one another. It's just so hard to let go.
I was a child when my great Grandma Kisor died (Mom's grandmother). But I remember when we were walking back to the car after the cemetery ceremony, my Mom leaned into Dad's arms and said something I will never forget, "I feel like a chapter in my life has ended." Now I know what she meant.
So email your loved ones. Call even though you think they may be too busy to talk to you. Have BBQs. Drive 3 hours to see your parents. Tell those you love that you love them. Make memories & take pictures even if they hate having their picture taken.

Random Thoughts...Hugs

As a child, did your elders ever seem so big and tall to you. Like they could pick you up and just squeeze the life out of you when they would give you a hug? I loved those hugs. I miss those hugs. And then there is a point in your adult life that you go to hug one of your elders and they seem so fragile and delicate that you squeeze them gently to let them know you love them, but softly enough in order to avoid breaking them.
I have always wondered: When is it that you and your parents meet in the middle, that delicate balance when your hugs are equal? Equal strengths. Equal length. Equal height. What happens when you have your own children, and when do you "meet in the middle"? What about spouses? They are usually the same age and physical fitness level as you. So what's the perfect hug?
I figure, a hug us the shortest distance between two friends...and,
"A hug is a perfect gift. It's one-size fits all and no one minds if you exchange it."
Like I said...random thoughts. Go give someone a hug today. (Not at work, that's "objectionable behavior" if it's unwanted, lol.)

Look Who Popped Open Last Night..

"Good Morning Lilly!"
Click on picture to make bigger.
Aren't God's creations amazing?!

Spinach-Pasta Toss

Prep Time: 5 min; Total Time: 25 min

Ingredients:
1 can (14.5 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked

1 cup water

1 pkg. (9 oz.) baby spinach leaves

1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Italian* Three Cheese Blend

BRING tomatoes, pasta and water to boil in large saucepan; stir. Cover; simmer on medium-low heat 10 min. or just until pasta is tender.
ADD 1/2 of spinach; simmer, covered, 2 min. or until wilted. Stir. Repeat with remaining spinach.
SERVE topped with cheese.

(I used Emery's asparagus and mozzarella cheese. We used it as a side dish with Italian-seasoned chicken breasts, but you can also cut the meat up and throw in with the pasta. Mmm-mmm good & fast!)

Words of Wisdom (or just experience)?

"The key to being a good manager is keeping the people who hate me away from those who are still undecided." - Casey Stengel

I love Saturdays.

I love Saturdays. I sleep in until 6:30, make a pot of extra-strength coffee, catch up on blogging & emails, and stay in my pjs until 9. We only have 6 television channels, so the Saturday morning shows stink. On the other hand, I get my do-to list prepared for the rest of the day/wkend/week and spend time in the quiet, listening to the birdies instead of telephones and knocks on my door. I just thought I'd share my not-so-deep thought with you. Have a happy weekend. : )

"Honey, Whatcha Doing?"

Do you ever wonder what your husband does outdoors when you're not watching? If he's anything like mine, he's probably building, cleaning, cutting, or moving something. Last year we had sand delivered, and since we didn't use it all, David built an 8' x 8' sand box. You can see how big it is. He did an excellent job @ reinforcing the frame & I think the hardest part was shoveling the 20 truck loads of sand and moving it from point A to point B (see pics L-R). He did it over the weekend of June 6th, but now it's not sitting in the yard anymore. Good job, Hon!

Ahhh! How sweet!

I'm playing catch-up journaling:
During the last week in May, I come to work & unlock my office door. The first thing I notice, even before turning on the light, is this wonderful fragrance in my office. I look over at my desk and there are these beautiful hydrangeas there with a card. I read the card, once, twice, three times and it finally sinks in that they are from my oldest brother Derik (he did sign the card, but it took me by such surprise). In the card, he was congratulating me on my new job I took back in April, saying how proud he was of me. My heart just melted. What an awesome way to start your day. Thank you Derik for being so thoughtful. The ladies at work were there when he dropped them off the night before and were telling me, "...what a nice brother you have", "and handsome too."

Grow Baby Grow

Planted our garden 06/14/2009. Radishes and kohlrabi already poking through. Still have to get the peas & beans in yet (they're soaking in the house for early sprouts). From memory: We have pumpkins, zucchini squash, broccoli, cukes, radishes, yellow onions, green onions, peppers, lettuce, spinach, beans, peas, rutgers tomatoes, carrots, cherry tomatoes, & kohlrabi planted. We stick with what we like and always try something new.

Fun Pics of J&J's Wedding

Introducing Mr & Mrs Parks

David's baby sister got engaged July 4, 2008 & became Mrs Verne Parks on Saturday, May 23rd, 2009. Jen & Jr planned the wedding to perfection. (Red, white, & blue seems fitting since Jr is in the National Guards & considering the date he proposed!) Here are a few pics I would like to share. Click on images to make larger.

Movie

We rented The Curious Case of Benjamin Button last night. I highly recommend it. Slightly predictable, but still heart warming and finally a 'different' story. It was originally a 1921 short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Here's a quote I stole from the movie that I liked:
"You can be mad as a mad dog at the way things went. You could swear, curse the Fates. But when it comes to the end, you have to let go."

Christi the Movie Critic?

So David & I rented a couple of films recently. Here's what I thought: The Grudge 3 = lame. It was like a watered down version of The Grudge meets The Shining. The ending was creative. If you watch how the directors and producers made the movie, the end becomes even more interesting. However it seems to take a long time to get to it.

Underworld 2 (#3 just came out, but we're catching up): highly recommend. If you like Vampire/Ware wolf movies or just action flicks, you'll like this one. My sis-in-law, Jackie, went to #3 and recommended that one as well.
It was scary-movie type of night.

A Picture's Worth...

We miss you, Dad. Love, DeDee Mickey Maki Tiny Little Mouse

Dad's Roses

These are the roses that were sent to Dad's service from his work. Nearly two weeks later, they're still opening up.

Ruby Wren & William Lonny 5/10/2009

"Who can be sad with a baby around?" (Pictures taken @ Dad's after the service. These are the two cousins getting reacquainted.)

Blah-g

It has been one week since my dear Dad's funeral. 10 days since his unexpected passing. We have been blessed with many phone calls and touching sympathy cards. It's really nice knowing how many people Dad effected. I apologize for not posting anything interesting or fun, but I am not interesting or fun at this point in my life. I feel just, oh I don't know, I guess "exhausted" is the best word to describe it. Numb. Empty.

Here, I'll post something to give you a smile:

First celebrity to die of the Swine Flu. (And we all know who the carrier is!)

I wonder if Dad's in Heaven, bugging Jim Hansen to do the Kermet-the-Frog voice. I guess we'll never know, not in this lifetime at least.

Lon J. Maki

Lon J. Maki
April 28, 1947 …#8221; May 5, 2009
Published: Thursday, May 7, 2009 6:09 AM CDT
Lon J. Maki, 62, of Goodland, passed away Tuesday, May 5, 2009, at the Fairview University Medical Center-Mesabi in Hibbing.Lonny was born on April 28, 1947, in Grand Rapids to Imo and Delores (Post) Maki. He grew up in Hibbing and moved to Goodland in his senior year graduating from Nashwauk High School. Following graduation, he entered the Air Force, was stationed in Taiwan and received an honorable discharge after his service.
When he returned home Lonny started to work for Minntac as an electrician apprentice and gained his journeyman status. Lon also worked at Butler Taconite & retired from National Steel in 2003.
He is survived by three children: Derik (Kelly) Schaefer, Troy (Heather) Maki, & Christi (David) Brooks. Two grandchildren Ruby Wren and William Lonny. Mother of his children: Sharon Konen. Brother: Lynn Maki. Niece Elizabeth Combs. Nephew: Eric Maki.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Imo & Delores (Post) Maki and stepfather, Roy Carlson.
Services: Held 2 pm Saturday, May9th 2009 at Goodland Community Center. The Rev. Roger Waid will officiate.

Thank you to everyone who called, emailed, and sent cards.

Prayers Needed

I have a loved one, someone very close to my heart, who is very ill. Please say a prayer for him that he will be blessed with healing and the anointing touch of God. Thank you in advance.