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Thursday, December 25, 2008

Christmas Pix




Saturday, December 20, 2008

Gotta run now!

Okay! We got a treadmill! Woohoo! I was a little torn initially. I don't mind running on a treadmill but it feels a little like cheating. But when we saw the ad in the local paper and went to check it out it was obviously such a good deal we'd have been idiots for passing it up, and I'd have to question my committment to this marathon too. And as it turned out it was perfect timing. The weekend after we got it home we had a snow storm. Not much by New England standards (my default setting) but a lot on an island with maybe one plow. THe roads were still more or less ice-packed yesterday, 6 days after the storm. People are driving around with chains on the tires! School was on delayed start every day this week! So, all that to say, no way was I going to risk my life running on the roads and so it was extra awesome to have the treadmill. And this mornign at 5:30 or so when I finally got up it was awesome to be able to go downstairs and pump out 7 miles before anyone else was even up (okay, the Bunny caught the last .25 mile).

Now I'm going to bundle up with the kids and go for a ice-covered pond tour. I figure that with sub-freezing temps all week we should be quite safe walking over the shallows. And maybe we'll take some more grub out to the geese. Ever since it got cold enough to freeze the pond I've been bringing them apples and pears and stale cereal. they love it and I love how they come honking and waddling over to me as soon as I walk out the door these days. They're still saucy but they need a little love too.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving and all that

Honestly right this minute I'm feeling a little less than festive. After trying to keep my mom and her fiance's issues at arms length and let them have their own Thanksgiving without interference it seems like their relationship has finally gone off the rails. I don't really want to know. I wish it were that easy. But as I laid awake in bed way too early this morning I found myself imagining my mom feeling totally crushed with disappointment that this latest in a series of doomed relationships has gone so bad. Why can't she find a nice, steady guy who doesn't pretend to be more than he is? Maybe because she's crazy and those guys don't appeal? Whatever the reason it's a bummer and this time I hope the economic fallout doesn't completely cripple her. So anyway, I got up to check the fares to visit her instead of going home this weekend. I don't know, it's too early to call her and see if she needs me at all and if so if she would welcome a visit this weekend or if she can wait another week or so.
So there's that. And then I also feel like there must be something I could do to wake my brother up to the fact that he's missing out on a relationship for himself and his family that could be really nice. I don't know when the last time he and my dad were speaking but it's been a while. And it just makes me feel sad, for my dad and for my brother. But I just don't know what the magic words are and I'm not even sure that I'm back on solid enough footing with my brother to make them stick if I can even figure out what they are.
So it's a modern holiday season right? Complete with family crises, odd step relatives and non-communication as well as the usual task of keeping Santa alive and arranging for cards, cookies and gifts to as many friends and relatives as humanly (and financially) possible.
Ahh.

But, enough angst, I'm on vacation and it's been a nice one. We've had just enough time to reconnect with some old friends in St. Louis and I had a great time meeting a dingo here in Wisconsin. We've known each other for a couple years now and I've been following her blog for about that long and finding her life and her balancing of family, work and farming fascinating and inspiring. Actually getting the real live tour of the barn, meeting the sheep, the emu, the chickens, patting Pumpkin Pie, checking out the somewhat creepy borrowed ram, that alone was well worth the drive through Wisconsin farmland. But the real treat was the instant comfy friendiness of meeting my friend in person for the first time. The whole encounter was just so enjoyable and so lacking any weird awkwardness that you might expect in a first-date type of situation. It can be hard and nearly embarrassing trying to describe the dingos to non-dingos but I am so grateful for my friends there and the quiet space of the dingo cafe in which we are able to have conversation about anything and everything without interruptions from children, spouses or anything else.

And for that, my awesome kids, my sweet smart husband, our happy home and stable extended family I am very grateful this Thanksgiving.