Aloha Friday #8

Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday.

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. The An Island Life blog has a tradition to take it easy with posting, too. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, as well. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

To answer Kailani's question...
I work Friday nights and after work we're heading to the lake for a weekend of camping and fishing!

My question for this week is:
I'm changing the question...Lindsey is pregnant and she is terribly nauseaus all the time!
What is your sure fire remedy to qwell morning sickness.

Who knew who you'd meet?

When I’m driving in my car from work to home or home to work I have a hundred of blog post ideas running around in my head…Then I sit down in front of the keyboard and cannot recall one of them!

Weird – I am too!

Okay, well one thing I do want to do is blog a bit about some really interesting, talented, very special and bright people, none of whom I know IRL (in real life) but I know they’re cool because I “met” them in bloggysphere!

One of my favorite blogs to read is written by Beth Fletcher, she’s an amazing photographer – I wish I had 1/2 the talent that she has in just her little finger. She has two super adorable children! You’ll have to check out her blog today and enter her giveaway, a $100 gift card from Land’s End!

Another that I read daily is authored by Stephanie, an extremely talented writer!!
She is a ‘babywearing’ mommy who simply adores her sons & her little baby girl. I really think you should check out her writings!

And then there is MckMama, yeah she’s amazing. The mother of 4 small children, the youngest one with a heart condition, you can read about Stellan on her blog! This family is pretty amazing, I kind of wish I had known her when I was raising my own 3 children all those years ago. I am, however, able to take some of the information from her blog now and apply it to my grandson’s who, as you know, are a HUGE part of my life!

I know, I know, I should make some bloggy friends my own age, but, I am truly fascinated by these young wives and mothers!

There are a few other blogs I follow also, mostly so I can help to lift these little ones up in prayer! Go share their stories Little April Rose, Jonah and Noah. I know God will continue to watch over them!

Okay, I guess that’s all I’ve got today!

Until next time.
Carol

Fishy Fishy Fishy

Memorial Weekend plans changed, we didn’t go camping, it was kind of rainy & cool, and Gabe had pink eye (and, Papa got it too – Gabe shared!), but we did go fishing.
We fished at Fox Lake, and caught nothing but Cayden found some dead minnows which were ‘fishy’ enough for him!

We fished at the Des Moines River (at Ashley Park), and Cayden ‘caught’ his first ever fish. A Bullhead…it was spotty dotty – and we threw him back into the river.

We fished at Loon Lake, and Cayden ‘caught’ his second fish. A Bullhead…it was pretty nice, we would have kept it, if we would have caught enough for a meal, but it was the only catch of the day – so we threw him back into the lake.

Better luck next time...but, for his first ‘fishing weekend’ Uncle Ty helped Cayden catch 2 fish!

And an amazing thing happened over the weekend.
I (with a LOT of help from Kevin) got the fish pond cleaned out.
We’re on the hunt for underwater lighting – anybody know where we can get our hands on some?? As soon as we get the lighting in place we can fill it up and go find some fish. I think we’ll try to find a Koi this year!

So, there you have it – all the fish stories!

Until next time…
Carol

Aloha Friday #7

Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday.

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. The An Island Life blog has a tradition to take it easy with posting, too. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, as well. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

To answer Kailani's question...First - congrats on the new baby girl!!
Favorite little girl name Savannah - yep, definately Savannah

My question for this week is:
In honor of Memorial weekend my question is about camping? Do you go camping? In a tent or camper?
I'm a tent camper all the way!! Big air mattress and lots of marshmellows!! I love camping!!! (even if it rains!)

Post Script

Okay...so, I'm not a professional - I DID smell something that to me smelled like smoke. Evidently when there are 90 mile per hour winds and the back door of the warehouse is open and the traffic through the front of the store is heavy things blow around in here. Maybe it wasn't smoke at all I smelled! It could have been corn dust, powder medicines (feed additives) or just plain something blowing in from somewhere else! So you'll all be happy to know that the building didn't burn down over night which is kind of sucky because I don't get a couple of days off to ride my Harley good!

I wanted to participate in the You Capture that is hosted by Beth at http://www.ishouldbefoldinglaundry.com/ today - the topic is "sweet"!! I just didn't get a picture of Gabriel eating a Smore which to him was "sweet" but the clean up for his mommy was not so "sweet"! He is so cute!!

And, that's all I've got.

Until next time...
Carol

I'm not a professional - but, something IS burning!

I went on a date today with my wonderful husband. Thank goodness we don’t have any groceries in the house, well, besides soup – & really, who eats soup when it’s 90 degrees outside?

Lunch at my favorite place in town, Bridget’s Bucksnorts Brew-Ha-Ha and Grill, was great. He had the fish sandwich, they got new fish – it was HUGE and hung way over the bun. I had the chislix with toast & chips. I took 4 bites of chislix, three chips and because I don’t eat bread - that’s what Kevin will have for dinner tonight (well, he'll finish the chislix also - I only had 4 bites)!

Shirley was our waitress, she didn’t drive her new-to-her Harley to work because of the wind. She was afraid it would get sandblasted – it’s super windy – excellent choice to leave it parked at home in the garage!

Kevin & I talked about our grandkid(s) (specifically the new one which will be here in January) and I got a new sweatshirt from Bridget – a new shipment came in today and she’s giving every employee one! Lunch went by very quickly, however, I got to hold my hand on Kevin’s knee the whole time we ate lunch – it was super nice!!

We’re going to forget that last night turned out like it did! Honey, I love you and I know we’re just fine – broken goose and all!

And, when our date was finished I had to come back to work for the afternoon. I’m not a professional but…there is something burning here at the office. I smelled it right away, I have a great nose for smelling stuff – it’s not always such an asset! I alerted M.R. the salesman, he smelled it also, but we cannot locate it’s origin. He alerted B.H. he too smells it but cannot figure out where it’s coming from!! Should we call the boss? Something ALWAYS goes wrong when he’s gone!! Hope the building doesn’t burn down tonight – that would be kind of cool then I could have a few days off to ride my Harley bad!!

Like I said, “I’m not a professional” and, trust me, it’s NOT a steamy, sultry, scorching hot, burning sizzling office romance either – something’s burning!

Just a post script from yesterday’s post – I didn’t get the pond drained and cleaned last night…I used the boys as an excuse – it was just that, an excuse!! I’ll get it done tonight. Promise!

If you haven't already make sure you send your "hoping in pink" photos to hopinginpink@gmail.com for Little April Rose! If you don't know April you can check out her mom's blog here!


Until next time…
Carol

What's going on in my head?

I've got a million things going on inside my head, interestingly enough, I didn't think my head could hold that much, but, anyway - I would like to put it out here and then it's out!

Item 1. I need a change.
I got to work this morning and I really just don't want to be here! It is the second beautiful day in a row and I think I should be out riding my Harley. I even went so far as to tell my boss that he and I both should play hookie, he simply said, "I have too mcuh work to do" - and didn't volunteer to just allow me to play hookie! The nerve!!
I know, as I've said before, I'm lucky in these 'economic times' to be employed, but, I really wish I were somewhere else.

Item 2. I haven't given up on my dream of living on Maui.
I think I could work at just about anything if I were in that setting! Sending resume's to every business in Maui hasn't panned out! If anybody has connections...hook a sister up!!
I have been buying a powerball ticket two times a week. I know, I should be saving that $8 each and put it in the "Maui jar", with the pennies that I mentioned in this post and I'd be closer to that goal!! Recall, I only need 32.5 million...
Maybe my luck will change!

Item 3. My pond is a mess.
I have to etch out some time - okay, I've decided tonight's the night! I'm going to get it done!

Item 4. Other people's blogs.
I follow 4 very closely and I love reading them, but, I can't compete. I had to figure out why I decided to blog myself. I don't blog for "the masses" (although if someone read it that would be okay too). I write for me. I am not terribly interesting, not well spoken (or written) as in the case of a blog. I am what and who I am and so I'll just continue to write for me. The number of people that visit may someday suprise me, but if it doesn't that's okay too. I can watch my new grandbaby grow with my new babystrology widget from my blog and I'm content with that!

Item 5. Relationships are hard.
I work at mine, relationships ARE hard, and I worry about my children's.

Item 6. Little boys.
Cayden and Gabriel - I adore them, sometimes I give in too much to them, but I TRULY can't help it. Is it turning them into little brats? There honestly is NOTHING they can do that I don't love. I have to try harder at sometimes saying 'no'. That too will be hard!

Okay, I think that's everything in my head.

Until next time...
Carol

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Well, it has been a week since my last theraputic Not Me Monday confession...so, settle in and read about what I haven't been up to this week!

I did not show Cayden my tattoo while he was coloring with his markers, most certainly giving him the idea to create his own tattoo. He makes the cutest airplanes (that look like little crosses) I didn’t encourage him to be creative and let him make leg, arm and tummy tattoos whereby annoying the crap out of Papa, because it drives him insane when the boys use the markers on paper (if it were up to him we would NEVER have bought the markers in the first place), leave alone when they use them to make (the cutest ever) tattoos!!

While I was at work (at my part time job) just a few minutes after the kitchen closed and the grill was turned off, one of my co-workers (from my full time job) came in and asked if he could order a burger. In the spirit of good customer service I told him “SURE”…well, I turned the grill on and threw on the burger and bacon on. After 10 minutes the burger wasn’t getting cooked…nor was the bacon – I realized that the pilot light on the grill wasn’t burning. Well, he’d waited a LONG time for his burger so, to comply with customer satisfaction I wouldn’t have dreamt to put the burger down in the deep fryer for a second or two to get it cooked, and then I wouldn’t dream of throwing it back onto the grill and put cheese on it and then deep fried the bacon & apply to the cheese to get it melty. I would never deep fry a bacon cheeseburger take such measures in the name of customer satisfaction!! (Disclaimer…if he would have hated the burger I wouldn’t have charged him for it – but he loved it…so maybe I’m on to something here?!)

I would never get caught up in a movie causing me to be awake until 5:00 in the morning, when I have to babysit the Cayden & Gabriel at 5:30. Thankfully they fell back to sleep and I was able to get a couple of hours of rest before our day began….I just know that I would never allow myself to stay awake half the night whereby requiring a nap in the afternoon with the boys!

I wouldn’t have gotten dressed in my long underwear, three shirts, all of my leather (chaps, coat & boots) putting on my bandana and tying up my hoodie to ride (on the back) of my bike and travel 40 miles to a church service and a blessing of the bikes in 45 degree frigid air – risking pneumonia for the sake of the bike blessing, man…it was super cold!!

None of that stuff happens in “real life” – for sure not to me…

Until next time...
Carol

Aloha Friday #6

Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday.

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. The An Island Life blog has a tradition to take it easy with posting, too. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, as well. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

To answer Kailani's question...
Common Sense Smart ... I didn't have the opportunity to go to college, and everything I've learned has been through the school of hard knocks.

My question for this week is:
When you're in a bad 'funk' what do you do to cheer yourself up??

Where have I been???

So, it has been a while since I’ve blogged and thought it was time for me to update.

The past few days / week have / has been a busy time blur.

Last Wednesday I got exactly what I needed wanted for Mother’s Day from Lindsey & the boys – my new hair dryer and curling iron. Thanks Lindsey, you’re the best!!!
The cards I got were just perfect too. The card I got from the boys was signed “Love, Cayden & Gabriel AND in really super small print – so small I didn’t notice it – at all… & “Baby #3”. Did I mention that the “The “Baby #3” was super small and I missed it because it was written super small & maybe because I wasn’t wearing my glasses…
Then after I opened the gifts & cards Lindsey bathed the boys. It was written super small and totally subtly….

So, when Gabriel came out of the tubby he was wearing a shirt that read, “I’m the big brother” – I simply asked Lindsey why Gabe was wearing Cayden’s shirt. She told me that it wasn’t Cayden’s shirt, rather they (she & Dave) had made that one for Gabriel earlier in the week!!!

DUH…Gabriel was going to be a BIG Brother….that’s how we found out she was expecting.

She then redirected my blind ass me to the card – to read ‘Baby #3’ noted in super small print there!!!

Check out the Babystrology Widget in my sidebar and keep track of “Baby #3”!!

We’re going to be grandparents again in January 2010!!


Next, Kevin & I departed on Saturday morning for a motorcycle trip to Oklahoma…yes, I said Oklahoma! We rode 688 (or so) miles on Saturday, arriving in Muskogee, Oklahoma to visit Tyler & Amanda for the weekend.

We spent Sunday at OK Castle Renaissance Festival having a super fun time. Eating everything we saw and had a couple of beers while enjoying the shows!

Tyler & Amanda got me a really cool leather beer mug for Mother’s Day, which I’ll treasure forever. I may not drink from it daily…because it’s HUGE. I’ll save it for our annual trips to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival – it will save me so (SO) many trips to buy beer!!

On Monday morning we ‘saddled up’ and rode back 688 (or so) miles. We arrived at my favorite ‘watering hole’ (Bridget’s Bucksnorts Brew-Ha-Ha and Grill) around 9:30pm to our own welcoming party – Kevin Kiehl & Stan & Shirley!! We had a few drinks before heading home for some MUCH needed sleep!

I know…that was a LONG ride just for the weekend!
People (I can’t tell you how many people) told us it was impossible to make that trip in 3 days and insane to attempt that many miles in one weekend and….on and on…..but, we made it!!!



I’m back to work now and remember why it sucks to take even just one day off – I’m backed up, behind and I don’t have the time I NEED I’d love to take catching up with other blogs I follow -- leave alone the time to focus on this one!!

I need some back up here in the office – or to find another way to earn an income working less hours and allowing more time for blogging!!

Until then…
Carol

Wild Turkeys Have Beards

Did you know that wild turkeys have beards?

Sometimes the small stuff pushes me to the edge.

Have you ever wanted something so badly, dreamed something so big & the truth of the matter is that you know in your heart of hearts that it will never come to be – and get really sad about the actuality of that?

I love my home, it is the house I grew up in, I’ve got the same phone number I’ve had my entire life, I love being close to my daughter who lives across the street, BUT I want to move to Maui, work & live in paradise and ride my motorcycle EVERY day!!

Have you ever been in the car running an errand and think to yourself that you should forget the errand and just drive. I mean just go, keep going, driving off to nowhere in particular - just disappearing? And, then do you wonder how the people around you – close to you - your children, your grandchildren, your spouse, your co-workers would react if you were just suddenly gone? Could they function without you…

I am employed, that is more than I can say for hundreds of thousands of people in these trying economic times who have become laid off because their company was downsized, etc. BUT I wish someone else here knew how to do what I do so I could take some time very necessary off!

I simply adore my grandchildren, I love to spend time with them, play with them, spoil them rotten BUT I don’t like the threat to have them taken to their father the sperm donor when I would like a weekend of babysitting off!

I don’t eat very healthily, drink to much, sleep too little, work too hard, love with my whole heart, swear a lot, don’t exercise enough, miss my mother and really believe the grass is greener…

I know, there are people with sick children, physical ailments, mortgage/financial problems – people in much more difficult situations than mine, BUT, this is my pity party so I’m going to pout if I want to!!

No, really, wild turkeys do have beards!

Until next time…
Carol

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Well, it's been a rather uneventful week at the Olsen ranch (okay, we don't have a ranch it's just a figure of speech) but, in the spirit of Not Me Monday I had to confess just a few things. It is kind of theraputic - so here goes:

I have not been following Stellan’s progress throughout his recent trip to Boston and I have not prayed every day for him to be healthy, Nope – not me!

I, being a lazy daisy Nana, wouldn’t think of letting Cayden & Gabriel have Easter Peeps, the little yellow marshmellowy chickens for their (first) breakfast on Sunday so I could lay on the sofa and rest a bit longer, No Way – Not Me!

I wouldn’t blow off doing the yard work so I could put just under one hundred miles on my Harley on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, Yep - Not Me!

I would never in a million years have my wonderful husband start a fire in our backyard fireplace, invite several of my motorcycle riding friends over for a beer or two and tell them (even the men) about my period – who talks to their friends (especially the men ones) about that!? DEFINITELY Not Me!!

I do not refresh my blog page about a hundred times a day to keep in touch with my ‘blogger friends’, mostly strangers that I’ve never actually met (but would love to one day), whose lives seem much more interesting than mine, ABSOLUTELY Not Me!!

Until next time….
Carol

Aloha Friday #5

Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday.

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. The An Island Life blog has a tradition to take it easy with posting, too. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, as well. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

To answer Kailani's question...
When I was a kid I wanted to be a truck driver! How funny....

My question for this week is:
Who is your hero and why?