Naomi Uri is kickin' some ass somewhere, or quietly playing bridge.
She left us the other night after a long battle with breast cancer. She and her partner, Janet, have shown many how to fight, live, love, and maintain true to yourself, during this battle. Janet's words to announce that Naomi passed started with "the first day of a new life" How true, now it begins, this new way for Janet and their two girls.
This brings up old feelings and memories of Karen, a friend who lost her fight a little over two years ago. It also hits close to home as my Dad has been given a second helping of cancer on his plate. I really don't want to think about it.
But, the sun is shining high in the sky and I can feel the change of the season is upon us. It can take a few months for the season to change, but yesterday and today you can start to see it out there. Nothing better to celebrate life than with the birth of spring. Maybe it is time to start some seedlings?
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
President's Day Weekend
Do you see who that is on the ski lift?
It is Zane.
Zane Danger Winchester.
Yes, he has taken the big chair lift at the local ski place by the lake house.
It is Minnesota, so you Californians will balk at our "mountains" - but still, this kid was making NO PROGRESS for a few sessions and then this weekend CLICK. He took a lesson early in the morning and then spent the ENTIRE day working the bunny slope. I didn't get skii's as I was hanging with friends Janette & Ginni in the lodge (of course!). So, when it looked like Slade was itching to get on the slopes himself I figured out we should put him in lessons again.
It was a break through, as the woman in charge of the ski school gave him his lesson. I signed him up and asked if she could pick him up on the bunny slope, instead of us meeting her at the "ski lesson meeting tree." She said, "oh i know who he is, i've seen zane out there today." So, it was obvious he was in good hands. She and her husband were on either side of him to get on and off the lift and they both "brought him down" the mountain. He was in hog heaven. She said they would do it one more time (they were already 10 min past the lesson time). He begged her for two more times and she said "Your brother or Dad could do it next." So he asked Cody and Slade to take them up again and is ready to come back to and do more.
Here are the nine kids and six adults from the weekend:
href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_pV5rMl0QNuI/R7u1cYTj4xI/AAAAAAAAAtw/XDcpWpx1wdE/s1600-h/Pres_day%2520022.jpg">
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
New Orleans is booked!
We booked our tickets for New Orleans.
Cody & I will go for five days, three of which we can volunteer.
I am looking forward to also driving by the house my family lived in when I was born. It was only home for me for two weeks.
Cody & I will go for five days, three of which we can volunteer.
I am looking forward to also driving by the house my family lived in when I was born. It was only home for me for two weeks.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
New Orleans/New York
I got an email from lowernine.org last week that they have their needs met for the time frame of Cody's spring break. Spring Break is a time where there are LOTS of volunteers down there. It makes me think of Thanksgiving and all the soup kitchens that are overflowing with helpers on that ONE day.
So, that has got me thinking that we might spend our airfare and time better to go down in the summer - and convince others to joins us.
We have also started to have a conflict with going during Cody's spring break. We are taking in an exchange student from Mexico. He will be with us for three months and will attend school with Graham.
Our exchange student will arrive on 3/16 - which is the same day that Cody and I were going down to New Orleans. Luckily I haven't booked the tickets yet as we will use mileage.
At this point I'm waiting to hear back from my contact about what would be a better time for us to go.
This is the group that we will end up volunteering with:
onsiterelief.com
Look at their blog stuff, there are some amazing videos from homeowner's. And one amazing video of driving around the ninth ward.
It might also be nice to go down for a 3-day work time with Cody and then go back again in the summer with a larger group for a longer period of time. Who knows. I'm sure I'll be posting soon about what shapes up.
Slade and I just spent a few days in New York - he working and me doing my best to act like a good banker's wife. I had a martini with my lunch most days, got my hair colored and cut, did some shopping, was able to meet friends that have moved there in the last few years, and had a great time walking everywhere I could. I was thankful more days for my ability to walk so much without having any MS issues. I also went to the NY Giant's ticker tape parade - it was an unbelievable sight. I took some video and if I'm smart enough I will be able to put a link here, but right now I'm not sure how to do that.
(I tried to upload a video - it said error)
The noise from the crowd, the folks from all those building windows, paper flowing - you felt like you were in a big snow globe. I called Slade after I left letting him know that I was still alive. There was a few mosh pits I had to get thru.
The parade was quite the NY experience. I have to admit it must of been a tough day for those cops - and they came off as soooo much nicer than the Chicago cops that I've talked to (except for Mr. Sweet Steve The Nicest Chicago Cop there is).
Here is the sidewalk after the parade, there were tons of sanitation trucks lined up on back streets to do the clean up.
Going down to ground zero was amazing. The size of the site really grabs you. Here is the only pic I took from the site - it was during the parade and I couldn't really walk around it all.
Enlarge the pic to see the secret receipe written on the plywood. Why is it taking the construction so long with nothing off the ground level? This is going to be the most reinforced foundation ever seen to the human race.
I saw this guy on the way to the parade - painted on shirt! It was the warmest day of the week, but still not warm enough to be wearing a coat & scarf. He was on his own, like many I noticed. A lot of people were on their cell phones calling one another trying to figure out how to meet up.
I saw this walking back to the hotel from the parade - actually first I saw a large group looking at it and also taking photos.
So, that has got me thinking that we might spend our airfare and time better to go down in the summer - and convince others to joins us.
We have also started to have a conflict with going during Cody's spring break. We are taking in an exchange student from Mexico. He will be with us for three months and will attend school with Graham.
Our exchange student will arrive on 3/16 - which is the same day that Cody and I were going down to New Orleans. Luckily I haven't booked the tickets yet as we will use mileage.
At this point I'm waiting to hear back from my contact about what would be a better time for us to go.
This is the group that we will end up volunteering with:
onsiterelief.com
Look at their blog stuff, there are some amazing videos from homeowner's. And one amazing video of driving around the ninth ward.
It might also be nice to go down for a 3-day work time with Cody and then go back again in the summer with a larger group for a longer period of time. Who knows. I'm sure I'll be posting soon about what shapes up.
Slade and I just spent a few days in New York - he working and me doing my best to act like a good banker's wife. I had a martini with my lunch most days, got my hair colored and cut, did some shopping, was able to meet friends that have moved there in the last few years, and had a great time walking everywhere I could. I was thankful more days for my ability to walk so much without having any MS issues. I also went to the NY Giant's ticker tape parade - it was an unbelievable sight. I took some video and if I'm smart enough I will be able to put a link here, but right now I'm not sure how to do that.
(I tried to upload a video - it said error)
The noise from the crowd, the folks from all those building windows, paper flowing - you felt like you were in a big snow globe. I called Slade after I left letting him know that I was still alive. There was a few mosh pits I had to get thru.
The parade was quite the NY experience. I have to admit it must of been a tough day for those cops - and they came off as soooo much nicer than the Chicago cops that I've talked to (except for Mr. Sweet Steve The Nicest Chicago Cop there is).
Here is the sidewalk after the parade, there were tons of sanitation trucks lined up on back streets to do the clean up.
Going down to ground zero was amazing. The size of the site really grabs you. Here is the only pic I took from the site - it was during the parade and I couldn't really walk around it all.
Enlarge the pic to see the secret receipe written on the plywood. Why is it taking the construction so long with nothing off the ground level? This is going to be the most reinforced foundation ever seen to the human race.
I saw this guy on the way to the parade - painted on shirt! It was the warmest day of the week, but still not warm enough to be wearing a coat & scarf. He was on his own, like many I noticed. A lot of people were on their cell phones calling one another trying to figure out how to meet up.
I saw this walking back to the hotel from the parade - actually first I saw a large group looking at it and also taking photos.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Super Tuesday!
I'm all a twitter for this big day. I know it might not tell us what direction the democratic party will take, but I'm hopeful that it might! Slade and I are actually in New York today, but I faxed in our requests for our Minnesota caucus. It would of been fun to be there to see just what a caucus is all about. It is very different than a primary. I'm wearing my Obama pin and have been making my calls to get folks out to vote. Kind of cool, I was able to make calls in MN for our local folks to go to the caucus, and then today I've been making calls to get NY voters to go out to their primary. The Obama website has a phone bank system that you can do all online and from your home (or hotel in my case).
On another note, I heard back from the group Cody and I hoped to do some volunteer work with during his spring break. They are all booked up with large groups and don't have room for us. We will see if I can figure something out.
On another note, I heard back from the group Cody and I hoped to do some volunteer work with during his spring break. They are all booked up with large groups and don't have room for us. We will see if I can figure something out.
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