Aunt Shan's Blog

2010-12-20T15:06:00.000-08:00

It has been a while and friends will know which event these photos represent.
Thanks to friends for all their support. We are blessed with a great group of friends.

NM fall

2010-11-20T09:14:00.000-08:00

OK, Tiffany reminded me that I promised to post some photos so here goes. There were so many good ones to choose from! I know I posted one scenic twice but I could not figure out how to take it out...so llive with it. I will post more that have humans in them later. The church is in southern Colorado and was just a shell. Still, we were drawn to it.

Dear Friends

2010-10-31T19:55:00.000-07:00

How often do we wonder what ever happened to someone we knew in high school. I know that is why there are High School reunions. But those come with so much hoopla. One friend I have known since I was pre-school, Luann, and I reconnected this year. Our Mom's were good friends. We took up where we left off. She is an amazing funny lady. Well, she and two other good friends and Lavonne and I got together this month in the Jemez mountains to reconnect and tell old stories that were funnier than I every remembered. Who knew a squirrel pelt meant so much to a foreign exchange student?
Ladies...the laughter was much needed and how wonderful that we all turned into interesting and happy people. We have to do this again!

Deer at Dad's

2010-10-30T14:47:00.000-07:00

These beautiful deer have been hanging around Dad's for all of 2010. Now, they are all grown.

update

2010-03-12T07:57:00.000-08:00

Radiation going well. I am a bit crispy on one side and that will go away in a few months. My hair is thin and dry but still on my head and I seem to be eating OK. So, all is going well.
Judy and Sharon are back from Maui and the winter icy grip has finally eased. Spring has to be on the way!

Cancer

2010-02-17T08:39:00.000-08:00

I have not posted since Fall...what's up with that?
It has been a tough fall but winter really kicked it into high gear. We have been in snow up to our keesters since early December. Right now we have more than 3 feet of snow on the ground. It has morphed out of snow and into a block of ice that will hold a truck. Our fair city did a really poor job of clearing the streets. We went from regular trucks to private contractor. Lavonne claims our snowplow was a Mini Cooper with a blade. It does look like that.
Now, with the nasty weather (7 major snows since Jan.) we had another challenge. I was diagnised with breast cancer in late Fall. I had the biopsy (fun) the full surgery (more fun) and now radiation. I will do Tamoxafin after the radiation. We caught it early and that is all good. So, I go through one radiation treatment each day now and get a little nauseous (maybe some weight loss?) and some exhaustion (I am a good napper). So far so good and we will get through this and count our blessings and kick any of our friends and loved onve who do not get a regular mamogram...be warned.

Fall and Los Alamos

2009-10-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

It is Fall in New Mexico and the colors have been beautiful. The large deer has been enjoying a snack in Dad's backyard a couple of times each week.

Big Spiders

2009-08-15T13:51:00.001-07:00

Fall in the midwest is always an interesting time. The large garden spiders start spinning these amazing webs and no matter how often someone tells me that these are beautiful creatures...they still creep me out a bit. I do not bug them..I do sometimes move them to a new location...which I am certain makes them angry because they just went to all the work of spinning a web overnight connecting the deck railing to my umbrella. In any case it is time for fall. That always makes me think of family times and the last picnics on the Pecos.

Poetry as a Gift

2009-03-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

I just packaged up a book of poems (to send out to family) that was put together by my cousin Deb for her Mom, Betty. Betty wrote the poems and I think used them to deal with grief and the pain of being so far away from family. Still, some of the poems are really funny.
In one she speaks of my Aunt Marge. I called her Gee Gee and she was a lifetime school teacher and a bit prickly on occasion.

Were you a flower (for Marge)
"Were you a flower
You might be
A tender yellow buttercup
With sunny petal holden up
Its face for bee to come and sup
But were reverse
The circumstance
And it should be your mettle
To be a weed I think
Perhaps you'd serve as stinging netle."
Betty Oller

My Aunt Betty cracked me up. In one short poem she summed up my dear Ant Gee Gee. we all loved her but she was a bit prickley.
Betty used to walk and memorize scripture and poems. The great Robert Frost recited his Poem "The Gift Outright" from memory at the innaguration of Kennedy when his notes containing the poem "Dedication"w were blown around.
Lavonne's Mom made kids memorize a few poems and many at her funeral would come up in small groups and start reminiscing and then a poem would break out. What a gift.
Betty knew who the poet Laureate each year and also knew a bit about some of their work.
I think there is wisdom there about the arts and how they help us work through. You can get mad but to relieve stress it helps to hammer out a creation...in wood, stone or words. Betty chose words.

Spring Finally

2009-03-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

Well, home again and it was so cold when we got off the plane that my shorts seemed to shout FOOL at me. I should have changed into jeans. We sifted through a mountain of mail and began to unpack the bags. The golf bag had some tears that even my skillful surgery will not repair so new one is on the list. We slept until we had to get up to eat or do some other body necessity but still looked like walking zombies. I think travel is great but the after trip recovery is taking longer as I age.
Today though the sun is shining and the birds are out and spring looks like it migh make an appearance. I know here in NE there could be 25 inches of snow tomorrow but I am going to remain hopeful.

Soothing my Spirit

2009-02-23T23:36:00.000-08:00

There is a pacific bump coming in creating 10 foot wave faces and the surfers are extatic. Watching their faces as they stand on the cliff above Hono Bay and watch their peers catch perfect faces makes me smile. There are lots of things in life that give me that feeling. I love finding old letters from my Mom or grandmother and discovering some new family story that I did not know. An afternoon nap after working hard, a beautiful sunset, calling a good friend, lunch at a favorite spot (my deck), a road trip with great music cranking on the radio, the middle of a good book (I hate for them to end). I used to get that feeling when it snowed and I knew Mark and I might get to go skiing. Now snow makes me wonder if the snowblower will start...but i still love to watch it fall. The thrill of something like skiing or surfing are not the things that make me tingle. I wish they still did. Getting older changes things (so does bad knees). But that which has replaced those active exciting things are good too. The peak of this what gives us pleasure is to return to being 2 or 3 and being like Jesus Marcos or Archer and have the same feeling they show us when they see a butterfly or for Archer Burt and Ernie. I do think I am starting to return to that "little things amaze" me part of life. That is a good place to be right now. Excuse me...I have to go watch a bird eat bread crumbs off the patio.

Tired of saying goodbye

2009-02-19T11:20:00.000-08:00

Well,
Just when you think things are going more smoothly life throws you a curve ball and we lose another really great lady. Teresa Oller passed today and left behind a family who can't help but miss the heck out of her. We all will not just because she was an amazing human but because she was the only woman I knew who could keep Boots in line.
She would show up at Betty's and talk a blue streak about anything and everything. Darn plucky in Oller country. She was amazing to my Mom ... helping teach her how to set up her plate so she could eat without her eyesight. Mom never forgot that act of kindness nor did I.
She does leave an amazing legacy. Kris is this amazing young woman who shaved her head when her Mom lost her hair. She is as smart and eclectic as her Mom and can talk about anything. She, like her Mom, gives people the idea that she does not need to be taken care of...but under that crunchy exterior is a marshmallow heart. Kris cares deeply and is frightfully smart... heck the whole family is. Andrew hardly spoke but when he did it was something worth listening to. Betty described him as able to do anything...fix anything...
Boots, her hubby is one of my favorite Ollers and my absolutely favorite pessamist. I do not know how to tell them how to get through the grief except to hope that all of us call them frequently for no reason other than to listen and grieve with them. The losses of Mom and Betty did make this Rickard family come together in ways I never thought we would. So, If you read this give one a call.

Precious People

2009-02-15T23:56:00.000-08:00

This has been a good time for me to reflect a bit. I think that we are so busy making a living that we miss a bit of life. Tiffany and Robert (my Neice and Nephew and great Nephew...JM) drove all the way to Nebraska to see us this winter. OK, Robert thought he would get to see a farm but he was happy with a frozen lake and a Cabellas. That was pretty special. I miss having family close enough to stop by for dinner or just to chill. I love friends too but family is really the ace. I have done a much better job with connecting with family...so has Lavonne. But for now my goal is to make sure Archer, Jesus Marcos, Tiff, Robert, Kelly, Cooper and Grant have an Aunt at least as memorable as those I had. Heck, I cannot top Aunt Betty, Gee Gee or Aunt Grace...but I can be memorable...and a bit crazy. So, here is to my year of refining my crazy aunt skills. I can't wait to see where this take me. If you have any crazy Aunt ideas...send them on to me.

Pacific Ocean Thoughts

2009-01-28T07:28:00.000-08:00

I was sitting on an airplane somewhere over the middle of the Pacific Ocean and I began to cry. Now this is not a good thing on a planeload of happy people heading over to Hawaii fueled up with drinks and tropical print shirts that no one really wears outside the islands.
It is odd not to have your Mom, who loves you unconditionally...or Aunt Betty, who loves everyone. They left a bit of a hole by their passing
What I realized is that I finally understood how big a change this is. I know, it is partly because I am older and change is not my favorite thing to do. I suspect I cried as an infant when they changed my diapers...not because that was so bad a change...just different. I am good at this resisting change thing.
So, over the ocean it hits me that my generation is now the glue that holds the Rickards, Cde Bacas, Ollers etc together. I know we will rise to the task but Mom and Betty did it so effortlessly. The crazy part is that I really believe Betty and Mom may be watching this whole cry thing and giggling that I have missed the point. Life is change and some changes are pretty uncomfortable...but they do force us to grow. This loss stuff is the fertilizer part of growth...I think I am ready now for some good gentle rain, who knows, I may join the crazy group by putting on a tropical shirt and downing one of those awful tropical drinks and seeing what the next bend in the road brings.

Christmas in Los Alamos

2008-12-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

We braved the friendly skies and are in Los Alamos for the holidays. The snow started falling gently on Tuesday and then began to rain down in white sheets by the middle of the day. We got the drive cleared by 3PM or so and headed out to put some food in Dad's interesting fridge. He had frozen french bread pizza singles, tamalies, some ancient ice cream and a few brontosaraus steaks from a hunt in the early prehistoric years. We bought pork chops, roasts, beans, canned goods, veggies, juice and a host of cheezes. It was a trip to the store that was a lifesaver.
Today, Ded is down in White Rock and Lavonne and I have celebrated a great Christmas morning by listening to Choir music, eating beans we made yesterday (which should provide hours of entertainment later), and counting our blessings.
We will head down to Phylis's house in an hour or so for dinner and some good visiting, and a good game of cards.
I wish Sharon, Judy,Mark and the kids were here along with Dot and a large crew to make the cards more interesting and share the feast. Merry Christmas!

Aunt Betty

2008-12-13T12:01:00.001-08:00

I miss my Mom like crazy but I always had Aunt Betty even after Mom passed. Now Betty has passed too and there seems to be a huge hole in the world. I know it will be filled with memories and family but when you lose someone like Betsy it is ceartinly a big loss. She was 88 years old and still sharp and funny. She was one of the most amazing learners, interested in everything. She cooked like Martha Stewart and looked like a million every morning. I called her and had a great long chat at least once a week. Now I will talk to her and Mom each morning and each evening in my dreams.
Everyone needs an Aunt Betty in their lives. Someone who by their faith and their sheer determination is solid as a rock. You always knew what to expect from her. Gracious and graceful she was the embodiment of dedicated Mom. She loved her children with a passion that defies description. I heard proud stories about each one and never ever heard her utter a word of dissapointment about any of them. She told funny stores about them but always with a sense of ..."aren't my kids funny and creative"?
My favorite recent story was when one of Tiffany's friends was saying she was giving Tiffany some advice, harshly. Tiff's friend said "I ripped her a new one". Betty asked me what that meant. I told her it meant that she chewed her out or verbally tore into her. At Breakfast Betty was listening to a story about some conflict between two folks and I asked her what on of the conflictees did. She raised her fist and said in a louder tone. "ripped her a new one". I laughed so hard I was incontinent. Lavonne still gets the church giggles when I mention any part of the story. Betty, looked at me after the laughter and said sternly..."that isn't anything dirty is it"? I told her no...but it was so out of character it made us laugh. I never heard her swear...ever.
So, here is to a gentle lady who had so many wonderful layers and never forgot how to have fun...who loved her kids...was loyal to her family and friends and taught us all how to live with more grace.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-03T08:23:00.000-08:00

Just back from a week in Steamboat Rock. We ate more than was sane and played cards until the wee hours. I stink at that card game but the snacks are great. We had a little snow. They predicted a half inch and we got 5 or 6. We did have fun but the cold weather was a wake up call for me to get out the warmner clothes. The photo is the view from the cabin deck.
A wonderful pair of students sent me a link through their blog to a site called Free Rice. You all should check it out.

New Mexico

2008-10-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

Folks, we are just back from a trip to NM to see Dad and for me to teach a workshop at Albuquerque (UNM). Lavonne and her broken hoof were troopers. We drive and photographed trees and scenes and ate lots of chile. I will post more photos this weekend.
Wish you all could have been with us.

Tribute to Cubby the Wonder Kitty

2008-10-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

Cubby, Our niblet-less grey kitty...the one with the expensive pins in his hip was hit by a car last week and did not make it. He came to live with us after surgery and we got a bit too attached. When we were running around the country for my work we left him with Lavonne's sister Sharon...and he jumped off a table and needed more surgery...plus...Sharon got really attached to the cuddly little grey furball. He stayed with Sharon and was our constant companion every time we were at Steamboat (his kingdom... which he rulled with an iron paw). He had the run of about 8 acres of garden and trees but he got too curious about the highway to the east and wandered out there. I am a dog person but this little guy was really special.

Lavonne Update

2008-10-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

Lavonne and I took a field trip to the Dr.'s office. We got there right at 8:25...appointment at 8:30 and the Dr. came in and said I looked at your x-rays and you will not need surgery. 9 out of 10 folks need surgery and Lavonne is the one out of 10 who is OK. The fracture does not involve the talus (another odd bone in the foot)...so her heel is in good position and no surgery. Good news.
Bad news...8 weeks off the foot. So, 8 weeks with the walker and the crutches. She already hates the crutches. They did put her in a cute little boot that looks line something from NASA. It will take some getting used to the boot but it is better than the wrap and 100 pounds of cotten they had on it before.
Lavonne had a huge list of things to do outside to get the house ready for winter and I can do some but there are a few that are beyond me (anything on the ladder is out...plumbing and electrical too). So, as a get well present I got her a handyman named Jason. He is great (great at plumbing and electrical too) and right now he is doing one of the things that was on my list (staining the deck). I may adopt him.
So, all is well and we are chugging along.

Lavonne's Foot

2008-09-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

What a week this has been. Lavonne climbed up a ladder to cut some tree branches from our tree away from the neighbor's house. Coming down she missed a rung and fell. She must have hit with all the force on her right heel because it broke. Now we are waiting to see a surgeon next week to see what we need to do to fix it. Sh has been a good patient so far but I think the restless nature of this working lady Lavonne will come out. I am thinking duct tape may work to keep her from getting too rambunctious.

Missing all of you

2008-09-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

Folks,
I had a call from the guys in Phoenix and a new post from Tiff...but know that I miss you all. Fall here in the heartland is georgeous.I was in Iowa City at a B and B on the best day of the year. I sat on the porch with a big friendly tabby ca and did my online work. Days like that make it worth living here.

Lake Superior

2008-09-11T09:52:00.001-07:00

We motored to Steamboat Rock to pick Sharon up for the trip to the Lake and there was a parade. Sharon's '69 Chevy was the convertable that was to carry the grand marshal (some guy named Gary and a lady named Babe or somethig like that. She was one tough lady who runs the ambulance in the county with an iron fist. Lavonne kept hitting the brake when she threw candy and it would catch the Grand Marshals off guard and pitch them forward. I thought it was a great ride but God help us if Lavonne needs an ambulance in the next 10 years. Next we headed up north of Duluth for the anual Pierson Sisters + one Latina pilgramage to Castle Danger. Great wave action on the Lake was fun to watch but kept the Kayaks on the roof of the van. The Sisters went biking about 10 miles a day and I went to the lodge about a mile away to teach my online class. We played "Pepper" in the evening (great card game I lost 75% of the time) and we had a wonderful campfire on the rocks by the water every night under starlit skies. There are a lot more satelites than I remember last year.
The highlight was our cups from Cooper,Kelly and Archer. I pulled them out the first night and we cracked up all week. These were the hit of the season. Lvonne won for the most creepy, I go the ones with the odd teeth and decided to make a dentist appt.
Sharon's nose looked almost the same...coincidence?
The last few days we has some wonderful needed rain and a double rainbow. Wish you all could have been there.

California Vistin'

2008-08-22T08:33:00.001-07:00

OK, we are back from CA but we had a great time. We got to see lots of family. Mark, Grant (on crutches), Cooper, Kelly and of course Archer. That little guy has got the scream part of life down...I think he will be a sports announcer for some team like the CUBS. Something where screaming happens infrequently. But, I even love the screaming!
His folks are adorable! Coop and Kelly are such amazing parents. Mark is settling into the Grandpa thing with such ease. He reminds me of Pop Rickard pretty often. OK, enough gush. The other photo is with Terry and Sue Todd. Those two are great frineds. Terry is my brother from another Mother. He and I share the same sick sense of humor, a love of diverse kinds of music and 25 years at TJ tormenting eachother with practical jokes. We saw them at their Palm Springs home. What a great trip.

Coast to Coast and in between

2008-08-02T23:04:00.000-07:00

The Girls are in Tacoma Washington. Just a bit ago we were in Williamsberg (garden photo) and the Outer Banks.
So, I offer you here a smattering of Lavonne and I at Williamsberg, Lucy's....working on the Garage drive (15 tons of gravel and the cabin) and Pikes Market in Seattle. The "wrong way" sign is specifically for Lavonne who tried to moon the bellcap. We may not be able to return to another Marriot property...or then maybe we will be asked to comeback again (not likely). Oh...and the orange thing is a glass show by Chahulli (spelling?) a crazy eyepatch wearing artist who works with glass.

Cat Video

2008-07-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

New York

2008-07-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

Well, the girls hit the big Apple and it was less Sex in the City"ish" and more Metamucil in Manhattan like. We had a good time and our room was a block from the site of the Twin Towers. We had a Hudson River view and a view of Ellis Island.More later...but thought you would like the photos. The first few are of us in North Carolina...the second stop on our tour of the East with Shannon working and Lavonne playing. She did notice a Merrill Lynch Bull statue and did a complete colorectal exam to see what was messing up the markets. She also found a sign that prohibited profanity. That was a very quiet place for her.

Big Wind

2008-07-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

I know, you saw the title, "big wind" and thought immediately that I had been eating beans. But, oh no, it is not me this time. The wind came in front of a storm while we were trying to land at Omaha. The plane circled for about an hour over Lincoln, NE and then landed in Omaha. The storm blew through with sustained winds of 100 to 115 mph. We lost power but no damage to our house. A few trees in our beautiful neighborhood lost limbs and we lost a few trees. Those who parked their cars under the trees lost them as well. We were blessed with no dammage. So, we did what all good Midwesterners do...we got out the chain saw and helped our neighbors. Then we took off and found a burger king open on the far south west part of the city and bought 25 burgers then brought them back to the neighbors ...as none of us could get into our refrigerators and we only had gas grills to cook on. The burgers were a hit.
We have power back and all is well.
Oh, I did throw in a photo of some of the trip to New Hampshire and Maine. Next up is New York City and Virginia Beach.

Floods

2008-06-18T20:34:00.001-07:00

I have been trying to write and not think of it as a "to do " list thing. But, the blog gets neglected when the schedule gets full.
We came home from a great visit with Dad in New Mexico and the rain had been coming down for days. There was 10 inches one week at Steamboat Rock Iowa. All the rivers on the east side of the state were swolen and as we drove up to Steamboat to check on Sharon each river crossing showed a river way out of its banks. Some were 10 or more feet above flood stage. The hotel I stay at in Iowa City is flooded and friends in Cedar Rapids and Cedar Falls are up to the second story in flood water.
That makes me think that the tiny irritations I suffer each day are so minor. It helps to put things in perspective. If you wake up breathing you have another day to get it right.

Angels Camp 2008

2008-06-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

Angels Camp in Spring is magical. It is made more so by Tiffany, Jesus Marcos and Aunt Betty. We ate more than we should, fed Aunt Betty junk food (always fun) and talked and laughed off at least a part of the injested calories. Ok only a fraction.
JM, the cutie is almost a year old and he is quite the charmer. He does not say much but Dada and "what a gem that Aunt Shan is". I tried to teach him to say Mama but he has a stubborn streak...I wonder wher he gets that?
Mark came up and we had a great time talking about politics and religion (I say this with amazememt as we are such polar opposites...he is such an Hillary fan (she says dripping with sarcasm) and I think Obama might be the man). Still we did have a great visit. Grant came by just in time to give us a hug before we headed out.
Robert, Tiff's hubby is a sweetie. He bought a new truck and had Father Alex bless it.I want him to come here and bless my water heater. Do they do that or is that just a little petty to ask for another year aout of the old beast installed during the Nixon years?

Spring

2008-03-31T14:05:00.000-07:00

We finally had a bit of rain in our corner of the world (that was not frozen when it hit the ground). It is clearing out some of the gunk and sand from winter. Maybe it will green things up. You cannot understand how important spring is to the psyche of a Midwesterner if you live in a place where it is green year round. We get crazy about the first green leaf that sprouts out of the ground. Sure a deer will come along before a day or so and eat the little sprout. But...it was green.
So, I sit here and dream of warmer days and have my winter clothes sitting in the front bedroom waiting to be put away and replaced by the tubs of shorts and t-shirts.
My Mom hated this time of year for other reasons (a divorce and car accident and loss of family members)...I do not hate it but I just keep waiting for the green time to come.

Friends in Paradise

2008-03-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

We are back in the midwest and not adjusting well to the cold and wed early spring late winter weather. But, we had a wonderful St. Pats day with frields in des Moines then spent a bit of time at a golf shop MOnday evening to try to omprove our game with new drivers. I think I should just use a shotgun to blow the ball down the fairway but they say that is not legal..so I will buy a new driver and try to make peace with it and my irons. I have one club that is held together with duct tape and it is my favorite. I am getting it fixed but I am really worried that removing the duct tape will alter the clubs accuracy. What's a golfer to do?
The photos are of our golf buddies and Lavonne and Sharon on the course in Maui.

Paradise

2008-02-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

OK, the sand is hot and the ocean is warm as a bath and the turtles and whales are playing and back home there is snow and ice and awful stuff. I think Febuary in someplac warm is a guilty pleasure. But lest you think this as been all sunny and relaxing let me tell you I am still doing the continuation f 25 days to make a difference and getting up at 4:30 AM to teach my class. I wake at 4:30 and make coffee as the computer boots. I check the class and answer any overnight e-mail then move to grade some submitted homework. By that time the coffee is ready. I pour a cup of Kona and sip and work as the sun rises in the east. The big picture window faces the sea and the west so it is a slow pastel palate from light grey to blue to vibrant pink. The clouds are covering the island to the north but to the south the green dots of Cook pines are just beginning to show up. The surf has been a bit high thanks to a good bump and probably some surfer prayers. Today I will head to town and find a special gift fot Tiffany's birthday and send it her way. Life is good and the learning continues.

25 days?

2008-01-26T16:58:00.000-08:00

OK, so I have been a bit busy and neglected the blog big time. But, I have been keeping to the 25 days to make a difference. But I want to extend it anoother 25 days so I can blog about the amazing experiences. We helped lots of folks with stalled cars, shoveled walks, sent letters to friends we had not talked to in ages, made tons of phone calls, got more active in the political process, more carefully selected our charities, gave an amazing carload of clothing to a young mother, and a hundred other little opportunites that came along every day. I used to just roll right past those signals.
So, another 25 days starts Feb. 1 and I promise to keep posting what is going on.
What a way to start a new year!

25 Days and New Mexico

2008-01-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

The 1st began the 25 days to make a difference. We were in New Mexico with Cooper and Kelly and Archer. These are 3 wonderful people. Muffin the wonder dog was there too. All in all a wonderful time. My first act of the 25 days was to help push a woman who had her car stuck in the icy slush of a parking lot at a local deli. She thanked Lavonne and I and then the manager of the store handed us a gift card for the Deli. I will give the gift card to a family at the shelter so that the kindness keeps going forward. My second is to get involved with the Nutrition for Life Foundation. They are working on World Hunger. So, I am off and running. I do think the biggest difference I can make in the world is to be a good gt. aunt to Archer and Jesus Marcos. I will keep working on that well beyond the 25 days.

25 days to make a difference

2007-12-14T07:34:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-07T13:55:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-11-15T18:10:00.000-08:00

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.

2007-10-31T10:53:00.001-07:00

Make your own slide shows and scrapbooks

Happy Haloween from the heartland

2007-10-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

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

What would Jesus Marcos do?

2007-10-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-15T10:53:00.001-07:00

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.

2007-08-05T20:23:00.001-07:00

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...

2007-07-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

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"

2007-07-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-07-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-07-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-07-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-07-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

The elk were everywhere in Estes and in Aspen.

Another Summer on the Road!

2007-07-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

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.