25 days to make a difference

A young lady out there in the blog-o-sphere began a project to honor her Grandfather called "25 days to make a difference". I just ran across it and was really impacted by her idea.
So, here is mine. I have been missing my Mom this Christmas. She was an amazing lady. So, I am going to do my 25 days starting January 1st. I am really good in Dec. about remembering other folks. But in January I focus on my taxes, my health, my next project. SO...I am focusing on others.
Here are a few ideas I am kicking around:
Volunteer a day at the shelter
Collect neghbor's (and my own) stuff for the food pantry (they always need it)
Go to school and give one of my old colleagues a break (not subbing just giving an extra hour of prep time)
shovel walks for neighbors (Lavonne is really good at this and I am usually inside working)
take an elderly neighbor out to lunch (someone who usually does not go)
go to the local nursing home and volunteer to read to a resident
Visit a local hospital and volunteer some time
Bake cookies and take them to the neighbors (especially those with kids)
Clean out my closet and donate clothes to the shelter
Write an encouraging letter to a friend or former student
Take some fresh fruit to a neighor

OK, so anyone who is in with me on this is welcome to post their own make a difference stories.

Snow Cold and Omaha

Nice Christmas photo from the summer in Alaska (warmer than Omaha probably right now). The last is the walking bridge in our most recent snow. Now the middle photo is a bit different. The middle one is of Sharon and Judy doing what we now know is tradition with the Piersons...demolition. Since we have no trees to fell or buildings to demolish on the property they decided to begin the refinishing of the dining room table by removing the old center venier right after the turkey platter was removed. I thought it a bit odd...but then lots of what they do is. However, it was a great way to work off the extra gravy and potatoes. I highly recommend it but not for any tables that do not already need this high tech treatment. The finished product will be posted too. They will be using tile on the middle so, that will involve some more construction. They have to finish it before we need it for card playing.

The Cat Rules the house!

Buffy the cat rules the house. She decides when I can work and when I have to be furniture. Mostly I am overstuffed furniture. I went to college for this.

Make your own slide shows and scrapbooks

Happy Haloween from the heartland

Things in Iowa are a bit odd this time of year.

What would Jesus Marcos do?

Wonderful visit with Aunt Betty, Tiffany, Robert, Jesus Marcos, Mark, Grant and the Northern CA Oller contingent (Rico was hunting). Robert came home from work and every time Jesus Marcos would squeal with delight. Both were partial to Tiffany who Jesus liked to keep in his line of sight. LAvonne taught the new little one some hand jive and Mark is considering a second job as a hand model.

More from Superior

I guess I did give up the camera for one photo and let the timer do the work. The first is just south of Split RIck Lighthouse and the second is an actual phot of what a card game with the Pierson's is like.

Lake Superior

We are up in the North Country. I took time to look for agates on two beaches and some driftwood. Agates are special to me because Mom Rickard loved them. There are so many shipwrecks here. I think the weather comes up fast and the waves get huge. The map has over 300 listed. Tonight it is listening to some Gordon Lightfoot and play some cards with the Pierson girls. The photo is the view from the rocks in front of the cabin. We have a nice fire going on the rock each evening. The pierson girls may not look bright but they know their card games. I am several games behind them. Today I will catch up!

Alaska

Lavonne and I took off over the tundra to see her Nephew and fish for salmon. I caught a big pink sockeye and we hooked/lost a red. We did see a moose on the way back. Lavonne tried to get me to get a better shot. He put his ears back and came prancing forward to say hi...how are you...this is my territory and say goodnight. I was trying to explain "Moose behavior" to Lavonne and trying to get her to move the rental car at a faster speed at the same time. Needless to say I have a new set of undies on and I found I can move pretty fast for an arthritic old lady.

The bear is from Sam and Mary Ann's (friends house), the speech was in Anchorage and the iceberg is in Prince Wm. Sound. We head home tonight and I will post some other photos then.

The last week was PACKED! I taught workshops for 125 folks in Indianola at Simpson College. The Balloon Festival was on at the same time so I did catch one night of great flights.

The balloons have these events where landing precisely is rewarded. So, they come in low over a corn or bean fields (and often phone wires too) and swoop over the heads of the locals (who have gathered on their lawns eating corn...it is IOWA...and drinking tea). These shots are from there.

My Mom, being the adventurer, would have talked her way onto one of the balloons and would have been flying. I will try to do that next year.

I think It would be a great idea to make a flushing sound and drop some water down on the gathered folks and say...excuse me...

I rode with a crazy DC driver to a local Welsley dining establishment. Cheryl, the driver, had general directions and after making several pedestrians turn their lives over to the Lord she got us to Blue Ginger. This restaurant is owned by Ming Tsai (yes the guy who has a line of asian fusion food at Target and the TV shows).

We dined on pepper garlic lobster (I wanted to move in) and desserts that would curl your toes. Then, as Ming moved out of the kitchen to work the crowd... Cheryl (a huge fan) began lusting after a rump roast that was not on the menu. When the roast turned his flank steaks around and came by to say hello she got this glassy eyed look (I haven't seen since the Beatle years). Ming used to cook in Santa Fe and he told me he left when boc choy got to be $6 where here is is 39 cents. Cheryl, could not speak so I just let her sit there and look goofy (what are friends for).

Dad and the "Ladies"

Sharon, Lavonne's sister visited Elmo while we were in Los Alamos. Dad, being his usual generous self took the ladies to lunch (all 6 of us). When the cafe owner a lovely Asian guy) came up to welcome Dad and ask where Mel was...he looked at me puzzled and asked who the guests were. I said, I am Elmo's daughter, Lavonne is his other daughter and Sharon, Lavonne's sister, chimed in...I am Monday and she isTuesday...etc.

I added that he is so hard to buy for...and Father's day was coming up soon.

The flustered guy did not stick around. I can't imagine why...but Dad's cache in Los Alamos as a ladies man just went up big time. I am known to the guys on the hill as the daughter who gives the most amazing and useful gifts. I put Sharon's cell number in the bathroom.

My two favorite guys!

For those of you who have been living under a rock and have not had to sit through my photos of Archer and Jesus I am posting photos of these two little gys from their blogs (they aren't blogging yet but they have blogging "staff" who do the work for them...OK Mom's who do that for them).

Now these are cute babies! If you think otherwise just keep your thought to yourself and remember that Lavonne and I are both licensed to carry concealed handguns.

Vancouver

We are in the Pacific Northwest. We toured Victoria and Vancouver and Sammich Island and generally relaxed. Lavonne loves the totems and sunsets. I was kind of fond of the shrimp scampi.

Cubby the cat is back in Steamboat and we miss his grey little mug. He has been chasing critters on the acreage and catching zip. This is a photo of him on the perch he selected after we had his niblits removed. He looks a bit calmer...no?

The watertower view is from the bunkhouse. The bunkhouse is done and needs a wall out front (done soon). Sharon has moved in and is taking care of mowing while we are out and about. We will break ground on the new garage this summer and the big house in the Spring. Gee, that sounds like a lot of work.

The elk were everywhere in Estes and in Aspen.

Another Summer on the Road!

We have finally returned home after the first workshop for the summer. We wish you all could have been with us to enjoy the mountains.