VOTE!

I love election years. I love that we live in a country where we are free to choose what we believe is right and good. I love the debate between passionate people trying to do what they feel is best for that country. We get to make the choice. With all of that, I am always amazed by the number of people who do not take the opportunity to make their voice heard. People who don't vote. And by not voting are making the opposite voice heard louder.

My dad sent me this link http://www.catholicvote.com/. We are not Catholic, but the message in the video is so powerful and moving, I thought I should share it with others.

Whatever you do, take the time to learn about the issues and VOTE!

Sesame Street

Just sometimes, don't you just wish you could go back to a simpler time. A time when watching Sesame Street meant Bert and Ernie could still room together, Mr. Snuffalufagus was still unseen by everyone but Big Bird, and cookie monster ate cookies by the dozen with no thought or worry about childhood obesity.

I came across this picture and decided to check out the scanner my former roommate gave to me (Thanks Jenny!). It worked, evidently, and I was set to reminiscing. I was three when this picture was taken. Obviously I dressed myself that day, thanks mom for allowing me to have my own sense of style.:)

Catching a Stick

I was reminded this weekend of a funny antidote from my past. And thought it might get a chuckle or two.

I would not go so far as to claim that I am an “outdoorsy” person, quite the contrary on most days. I love my indoor plumbing and really enjoy a nice, comfortable bed in which to end my day. However, I do like to mosey about the great outdoors on occasion.

On just such an occasion, when I was about 25, my friend, Lisa, offered to take me on my first real fishing trip. I was excited, to say the least. Come on, a whole weekend where I could sit by the lake and read a good book, sleep in a tent (as close as I get to under the stars), and play with fire. Oh yeah, and fish.

We decided to go up to Big Lake in the White Mountains. What a beautiful, picturesque location. After staking our claim on a nice meadow and setting up camp, we hiked around a bit and ended up at the lake. The water lapped the shores quietly as we watched a couple of small boat drift about waiting for their catch. Our first chance to fish would be in the morning, first thing. Well, first thing after breakfast that is.

So, the next morning, we got to the lake and Lisa started to show me the key components of the fishing pole. Then she taught me how to cast my line. I wasn’t too bad for a beginner. We promptly fell into a routine. I would cast my line. She would cast hers. I would sit for a while then reel it in. I would get my hook caught on a rock. I would hold her pole while she untangled my line. I would cast my line in again. Repeat.

This went on for about an hour each time Lisa would patiently untangle my line and set me straight. On my third hook, in fifteen minutes, Lisa abandoned me (not that I blame her:). She went further around the side of the lake. This was a good plan because I am sure that I had scared all the fish away from where I was “fishing”.

I decided that I would cast my line out one last time and then I would give up for the day and get my book out. I flicked my wrist and released the button and watched as a stick sailed through the air. I was a little confused about this. At the time I was standing on the bank but the lake was rather low this year and so I was standing on rocks. There were no trees around me from which I could have caught a stick. But I figured that the stick would come untangled from my hook as I waited.

As I reeled the line back in I could see that the stick was still attached to my hook. When the stick was close enough I reached over to pick it up. That is when I found that it was indeed not a stick but the top half of my fishing pole. It had apparently detached as I flicked the line into the water. I, being a novice fisherman, did not even notice that my pole was now a good two feet shorter then when I started.

After relaying the story to peels of laughter around the campfire I decided that, although I still enjoy a good fishing trip, I might want to leave the actual fishing to somebody else. Someone who might be able to catch something better, or at least more edible, than the end of their own fishing pole.

Criminently

I say "criminently" all the time (works as well as "goodness" or "holy cow") and Carol Lee asked me where it orginated. Well, I thought that was as good a topic as any for my next post.

First of all "criminently", (which by the way, is spelled correctly according to all the sources I can find) is from one of my all time favorite Disney movies, good ol' Robin Hood. For whatever reason, Karen (my sister) and I watched this movie so often we could not only quote the whole thing but, we also knew all the lyrics as well. So, it is no surprise that I picked up on the phrase.

The mean Sheriff of Nottingham is scolding his deputy, Trigger, for pointing his crossbow in the Sheriff's face. He says, "Criminently, Tigger, point that peashooter the other way." Trigger responses with, "Don't you worry none Sheriff. The safety's on ol' Betsy." At this point the arrow takes off and bounces all over the place. I loved this scene. You can watch the whole scene on YouTube. It is labeled as Robin Hood (8 of 10).

I did read one site that said the word criminently actually is a "Midwest cultural perversion of the word criminy." But I think that the person writing this just never watched Robin Hood.

So there you have it. Ooo da lally, ooo da lally, golly what a day!

The First

OK! The madness has started. I was talking to David, my brother, last week and was telling him all about the new bedspread that I bought (I know, I don't think he really cared all that much about it either. But he is a good guy and was listening anyway). He wasn't really understanding what I was talking about, flourishes and such. So, he said, "If you had a blog you could just post it and then you wouldn't be having this trouble explaining."

Now, I think that I live a pretty simple, let's just say it, somewhat boring life. But, I did think, why not. I could share what I am doing with my family and friends a lot easier if I tried this. As with everything else I start, I am hoping that this will be easy enough and addictive enough to keep me going.

Time will tell.