Fireside Story

The Aunts and Uncles gathered around the flaming bonfire. The heat felt good, battling against the crisp pine scented autumn air. The sound of fire crackling amongst the branches of wood, a soft muted roar behind the sound of voices raised in conversation. Children were drifting between the groups, running from place to place like darting moths. It was the end of a long day of family activities.

Bedtime was minutes away when Uncle Richard raised his voice, "gather round for 'The Cremation of Sam McGee.' " His gravely voice lowers as he begins to speak.

There are strange things done in the midnight sun

By the men who moil for gold;

The Arctic trails have their secret tales

That would make your blood run cold;

The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,

But the queserest they ever did see

Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge

I cremated Sam McGee

Now Sam McGee was from Tennessee, where the cotton blooms and blows

Why he left the South to roam 'round the Pole, God only knows.

He was always cold, but the land of gold seemed to hold him like a spell;

Though he'd often say in his homely way that he'd "sooner live in hell."

On a Christmas day we were mushing our way over the Dawson trail.

Talk of your cold! Through the parka's fold it stabbed like a driven nail.

If our eyes we'd close, then the lashes froze till sometimes we couldn't see.

It wasn't much fun, but the only one to whimper was Sam McGee.

And that very night, as we lay packed tight in our robes beneath the snow,

And the dogs were fed, and the stars o'erhead were dancing heel to toe,

He turned to me , and "Cap" says he, "I'll cash in this trip, I guess;

And if I do, I'm asking that you don't refuse my last request."

Well, he seemed so low that I couldn't say no; then he says with a sort of moan:

"It's the cursed cold, and it's got a right hold till I'm chilled clean through the bone.

Yet -'tain't being dead -- it's my awful dread of the icy grave that pains;

So, I want you to swear that foul or fair, you'll cremate my last remains."

A pal's last need is a thing to heed, so I swore I would not fail;

And we started on at the streak of dawn; but God! he looked ghastly pale.

He crouched on the sleigh, and he raved all day of his home in Tennessee;

And before nightfall a corpse was all that was left of Sam McGee.

There wasn't a breath in that land of death, and I hurried, horror-driven,

With a corpse half hid that I couldn't get rid, because of a promise given;

It was lashed to the sleigh, and it seemed to say: "You may tax your brawn and brains,

But you promised true, and it's up to you to cremate those last remains."

Now a promise made is a debt unpaid, and the trail has its own stern code.

In the days to come, though my lips were dumb, in my heart I cursed that load.

In the long, long night, by the lone firelight, while the huskies , round in a ring,

Howled out their woes to the homeless snows -- O God! how I loathed the thing.

And every day that quiet clay seemed to heavy and heavier grow;

And on I went, though the dogs were spent and the grub was getting low;

The trail was bad, and I felt half mad, but I swore I would not give in;

And I'd often sing to the hateful thing, and it hearkened with a grin.

Till I came to the marge of Lake Lebarge, and a derelict there lay;

It was jammed in the ice, and I saw in a trice it was called the "Alice May".

And I looked at it, and I thought a bit, and I looked at my frozen chum;

Then "Here" said I, with a sudden cry, "is my cre-ma-tor-eum."

Some planks I tore from the cabin floor, and I lit the boiler fire;

Some coal I found lying around, and I heaped the fuel higher;

The flames just soared, and the furnace roared -- such a blaze you seldom see;

And I burrowed a hole in that glowing coal, and I stuffed in Sam McGee.

Then I made a hike, for I didn't like to hear him sizzle so;

And the heavens scowled, and the huskies howled, and the wind began to blow.

It was icy cold, but the hot sweat rolled down my cheeks, and I don't know why;

And the greasy smoke in an inky cloak went streaking down the sky.

I don't know how long in the snow I wrestled with grisly fear;

But the stars came out and they danced ere again I ventured near;

I was sick with dread, but I bravely said: "I'll just take a peep inside.

I guess he's cooked, and it's time I looked"; . . . then the door I opened wide.

And there sat Sam, looking cool and calm, in the heart of the furnace roar;

And he wore a smile you could see a mile, and he said: "Please close that door.

It's fine in here, but I greatly fear you'll let in the cold and storm --

Since I left Plumtree, down in Tennessee, it's the first time I've been warm."

There are strange things done in the midnight sun

By the men that moil for gold;

The Arctic trails have their secret tales

That would make your blood run cold;

The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,

But the queerest they ever did see

Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge

I cremated Sam McGee

By Robert Service

The children all cuddled close to their parents as they shivered with the tantilizing taste of fear, knowing that they were safe in their parents' arms. The leaping firelight leant a aura of reality to a poem that made a young girl's arms pimple with goosebumps. Darkness, stars and the nip of the autumn chill left a haunting impression that still resonates down through the years.

The Denver Trip

So they left on Thursday morning and returned Sunday at 6:30 AM. Shawna was a walking zombie when I picked her up. They returned as happy 10th place competitors.

That sounds strange but true. Their rivals, Seward Color Guard, have become friends after a long time rivalry. Seward made it to finals and placed 5th. Not bad for a Nebraska Color Guard Team. So, although Bellevue didn't make it to finals, the girls were happy that Seward did and that they did so well. Seward and Bellevue have the same instructor so a win by one team is a win for their instructor and the other team as well.

While they were in Denver they spent hours practicing for their performance. But, all work and no play, makes Jill a dull girl. The teams visited Casa Bonita for a fine dinner and entertainment. Here's hoping I can get Shawna to sit down and write about her dining experience at Casa Bonita. They also made it to the mall for a 3 hour tour (giggle--thank goodness there wasn't a boat involved). Everyone made it home safely although VERY tired.

Seward Championship

We won! Saturday, the Bellevue East Winter Guard participated in their Championship Competition at Seward and they looked good! So good, as a matter of fact, that they took home first place. Here's a picture with some of the girls on the ride home, with their trophy.


The girls have worked hard over the past several months, preparing for their competitions. They have attended practice Monday nights, Thursday nights and one weekend day since before Christmas. Shawna and Shayla have been like two best buddies during this time. Here's a photo of the two of them just before their performance.



For each girl there is a mother (or parent) and the Seward competition was no exception. The competion was hosted by Seward and Bellevue East Winter Guards, this meant that we were there pitching in. We were selling hot dogs, raffle tickets, air grams, guiding the competitors, etc. Here's a couple pictures of the moms.



There is one final important person that needs mentioning. Our head Guard Mom, Michaela. Our organization and motivation is due in large part to this hard working mom. We all chip in with a little bit of elbow grease, some of us more than others (you know who you are and give yourself a pat on the back), however, Michaela keeps us informed, organizes the fund raisers (with help), and generally kicks us in the butt when we need an extra push. I would like to thank everyone for all that you do and a big Thank You to Michaela.



This week the girls head out for their final competition in Denver, CO. They leave on Thursday and will not be back until early Sunday morning. They will be competing with other Winter Guard and Drum line teams from across the country. Here's hoping they do well. Let's all wish them luck! For a look at their performance you can check out Bellevue East Color Guard

Puppies!

We have taken a huge step. After a year of no pets we have adopted 2 new puppies. This was a huge decision and it was greatly influenced by our daughter. She has been asking for a new pet since 3 months after the death of our previous loved ones. We finally said yes after lots of discussion and an understanding that she is responsible for their training, feeding and etc.

She has taken the responsibility very seriously. She spent her own money to purchase the food, bed, shampoo, toys, treats, collars, leashes, nail clippers, etc. and then spent quite a bit of time reading up on "how to train your puppy". She has been very firm explaining to us what she expects from us when we are dealing with our new family members. Things like when we are to feed them, how much, when they should be walked and what we are to say when they make an "accident". She has very specific plans about taking them with her when she finally leaves home and she doesn't want ill mannered animals. I'm just pleased that she is taking this responsibility to heart. Here she is taking a nap with Ringo and Pluto (I wanted to name him Mo Jo) after their first day.

Here's a close up with Shawna and Ringo. The puppies are a bundle of energy but when they sleep, they sleep hard.

Aren't they cute!

My Mr. Moon

It was just after the full moon. As we were driving I pointed to this magnificent orb glowing in the night sky. Shawna says "unh huh" totally lacking any enthusiasm. Shawna rolls her eye at me and comments, "Mom, you and I enjoy totally different things."

This reminded me of a car ride when I was a child.
As my mother and I were traveling from Huron to our current home on a farm in Wessington, I watched the full moon gliding through the dark night sky. It seemed to follow our every movement. When I asked my mother why was he following us. She replied, that "your Mr. Moon is following us home." From that point on he was always "My Mister Moon". Whenever I saw the moon I would point at it and say "There's My Mr. Moon."

I shared this story with my daughter as we were driving home the other night. It was the first time that I had ever shared that particular story. She was smiling and laughing at it. Here's hoping she understands the magic that My Mr. Moon stands for. The magic of youth, mystery, secrets, hope and home (just to name a few). If you've smiled at my story, I'll share "My Mr. Moon" with you too. Or, should I say, My Mrs. Moon?

The Geese are on the Move!

Every year I look and listen for the geese as they make their yearly migrations. It gives me a fair idea about the coming weather.

Last year they headed South rather early. I heard and saw flocks of them making their way to their wintering grounds during September. I knew that this winter was going to be cold!

The geese were right. We had an early winter and it was cold.

We had our first serious snowfall just before Thanksgiving, which in recent years, is early for the Nebraska area. We've had snow on the ground ever since, which again, is unusual.

Every year I listen to the people around me complain about "how cold it is", "this winter is worse than the last one", etc. I nod my head and agree. What's really going on inside of me is "you don't know what really bad weather is." When you have lived with snow on the ground for 6+ months out of the year and temperatures that range from -30 degrees to 20+ degrees as part of your normal winter weather, 32 or 40 degrees is a real treat.

I'm laughing on the inside because the people around me are used to winter weather that snows really hard one week and the next week it is all melted. I've noticed this trend in the area where I live. One week we'll have snow and freezing weather and then the next week it is 'normally' melted.

This year has been the first in 9 years that we've had winter weather consistently from November to February. That's still only 4 months compared to the 6 months that I grew up with. It's all relative. I've kind of got side tracked. Why am I talking about all this winter weather?

Oh yeah, the geese are returning. I've been watching large flocks of geese headed North for about two weeks now. What does this mean? Spring is on it's way! We will be having an early Spring.

The last three days have been absolutely beautiful! Yesterday, the temperatures were in the low 50's and almost all of the snow has melted. We may have one more snowfall, we usually do mid-March, but for all intents and purposes those Spring-time plans are now on the front burner.

This also means we will more than likely have a hot, long summer. O.K. everyone get your shades out and find the sun screen

Blog Tag--I'm 'IT', for now, heh, heh, heh

Mary, the owner of of one of my favorite blog sites, Momathon, tagged me. What is Blog Tag? It's the latest fad. As the tagged person I have to list 6 inconsequential things about myself and then list 6 more random blog sites. I've posted the rules below for those people that have been tagged.

The Rules:
Link to the person that tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

6 quirky things about me did take some thought. Let's see what the peanut gallery, a.k.a. the family, thinks. What a bummer, none of them wanted to go down in herstory as an important contributor to this segment of the blog. Non-important, is the key word, and that is the difficult part.

1. Rocks!
I'll bet you're all sitting there scratching your head and going, 'Huh?' Everyone has their likes and dislikes, and we can be pretty vocal about it. Well one thing that lots of people don't know or don't take seriously, is my love of rocks.

Now, I'm not talking about the polished rocks that you see in many stores, although those are nice too. I'm talking about unusual shaped (sometimes even ordinary, but a nice color certainly helps) rocks that you can find in most senic, country areas or sometimes the local rock quarry &/or garden center. Right now, on my front porch, I have a small jagged piece of Red, South Dakota Granite that was left over from a landscaping construction that occurred at a local business. It was left in the dirt at the construction site for months. It looked as if it had fallen off the truck as it was driving from the site storage area to the construction zone. I kept driving past it as I went to and from work and one day I stopped and picked it up. After all it was a piece of liter.

There have been a few people that I've spoken to concerning my desire for rocks but they must not understand or believe me. I've told them, "When you are traveling from Denver (or wherever) to home, would you stop and pick up a rock for me? It doesn't have to be anything special. Just a rock from the area." So far, to date, no one has brought me a rock from anywhere. What do you have to do to get people to understand? Beat them with a rock? ha... ha...

I was talking with a friend the other day. Looking around her house you can see rocks on ledges all over the place. She totally understood exactly what I was talking about and she has her friends trained to bring her a piece of earth from the very different places that they visit, hint, hint. So, if anyone comes to visit me, please feel free to bring a rock (it doesn't have to be huge) as a momento of your visit. Just don't throw it through the window.

2. Onions and Garlic
I love onions and garlic. When cooking there is nothing better than using these fragrant bulbs. What I like best about them is the way my hands smell after I've cut them up. I'll go around the house for the next several hours smelling my hands. Sometimes, it'll last for a day, especially if it was a large cooking project. Now, if that isn't quircky, I don't know what else would fall into that category. So, if you see me smelling my hands, you'll know that I must have just finished cooking something tasty for my family.

3. Dirty Dishes
I hate dirty dishes and if they've been sitting on the counter for several days, clean dishes. I don't mind washing them, that's not the problem. I don't like seeing them sitting around on the counters. Although, I would like some help getting them washed and put away, since everyone contributes to the mess, it would be appreciated if some people would help take care of the debris. My husband has helped and hurt the situation. He has trained all of us to rinse our dishes before we put them in the sink, this is a good thing. That helps by keeping any nasty odors down but this means the dishes pile up to a large degree before anyone washes them. That's a pain in the butt.

4. Garbage
It burns my britches that although we have been living in the same place for 9 years, everyone "forgets" to take out the garbage. The garbage gets picked up every Tuesday morning. This means that the garbage and recycles need to go out to the curb every Monday evening. Does anyone ever remember? Rarely!

5. I laugh like a "Hollywood" witch
My mother and I used to practice laughing like the 'evil' witch. We were making a Halloween tape in order to scare the trick or treaters. Off and on again for a number of years we would get a giggle by practicing Macbeth's witches' soliloquy. To this day, every once in a while, this mischievous, evil laugh will sneak out. Macbeth was always good for a giggle between the two of us.

6. Snow
There are few things that I enjoy more than a good snowfall. I love going outside in the middle of the night while the snow is falling. The ambient light causes the whole world to glow. The sound of the snow falling and hitting the ground creates a gentle hissing sound that sounds like singing. The cloud cover creates an impression that it is warmer than it really is. The snow will hit your eye lashes and coat them with a thin layer of moisture that can turn into ice or melt, depending on the cold. It's a great feeling.

When I've told people that I love to go for walks in the middle of a snow fall in the middle of the night, I always get these looks. What are you, nuts?

Now for the links to those people I've tagged

I'm including why I've tagged each site.

1. Sweetannee has some marvelous pictures of nature and birds, she should be included in this list of sites.

2. Martinha has a wonderful collection of postcards from around the world. You should check them out.

3. This is the last lunar eclipse until 2010, at least in my area of the world. Silk Creek Portal site has some great progression photographs plus a lot of other 'stuff', enjoy.

4. Jeff-In The Berkshires is a very pleasant place to visit. Observations about life, pictures, etc. are right up my alley.

5. Duffyville shows the joys of life and family.

6. Kelly Time has some great pictures and comments.

Finally, Mary, I want you to know that I took this game of tag seriously. I just couldn't post any little quirck. And, lets face it, there are probably a ton more (wish the family had contributed, I'm sure they would have come up with some good dirt). But, I don't think I want to go through this again, at least not for a while. I probably sound like a lunatic. Nope, sorry, that was last night, the complete lunar eclipse was 2/20/08, in Nebraska, USA. It was a sight to see?

Rush - Subdivisions/Take Off, Eh! 9-22-2007

My husband and I were talking about music this evening. We both came to the conclusion that the cleaned up version of "Live" music still does not compare to actually experiencing a concert. Although the music is a little bit distorted the effect is as if we were "really" there. Enjoy the Rush!

Peanut Butter, gotta love it?

Peanut Butter the staple of many a child's afternoon lunch. Creamy and Crunchy they taste great. I have made so many peanut butter cookies that I couldn't guess how many I've baked in my life-time. I used to make double batches of peanut butter cookies as snacks while I was going to college. I'd go home for the weekend and bake dozens of cookies and then take them back to college in order to treat my friends.

Now I smell peanut butter and I cringe. My favorite afternoon snack of peanut butter dipped carrots are on the list of NO-NO's. There is a little known fact that when you have children your metabolism changes. At least it wasn't known to me. With my first child I developed a sensitivity to peanut butter. With my second child I developed a full blown allergic reaction. Thank goodness, at this point it is not life threatening, which it can be for many people that are allergic to peanuts. It just feels like I'm having a heart attack.

Thank goodness that my daughter is not allergic to peanut butter or her life style as a vegetarian would be much more difficult. Although, I will confess, I'm jealous. I'd love to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, peanut butter cookies, or a Butterfinger candy bar. I guess there are some pleasures that we have to give up for our children but who knew it would be such a basic one. As I write this I am smelling the intoxicating scent of peanut butter cookies. Who knew that it would be my daughter's favorite cookie, kind of ironic.

I have to include the family favorite cookie recipe for those people who would like to make a batch.

Peanut Butter Cookies From The Michael Family Kitchen:
This is the peanut butter cookie recipe we used as kids in my Mom's kitchen. We still use it because it is so good.

Ingredients:
1 Cup shortening
1 Cup granulated sugar
1 Cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Cup peanut butter
3 Cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:
Thoroughly cream shortening, sugars, eggs, and vanilla.
Stir in peanut butter.
Sift dry ingredients into a separate bowl; stir flour mixture into creamed mixture.
Drop by rounded teaspoons onto un-greased cookie sheet.
Press with back of fork to make a crisscross (coat fork with granulated sugar to prevent
sticking).
Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) about 10 minutes.
Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Notes:
For richer cookies, use 2 cups flour.

It sooo, is not a silly movie

I noticed the other day that the movie, "The Sound of Music", was going to be showing on TV. I told my daughter about it and her response was, "It's a silly movie!" I immediately took umbrage because it is one of my favorite musicals.

I can picture your response as you read this blog, most of it is pretty negative if not down right abusive. It's not just the music that makes this a movie that I believe all people should watch at least once, it is also the political comment that this movie talks about.

Yes, it is a romanticized version of life in Austria during the beginning of World War II but it does demonstrate the split that families, friends and next door neighbors experienced. There are many stories out there that show oppression from a government body or person in power and yet it happens again, again and again. When will we, as intelligent beings, realize that we are hurting each other.

I watched the last 1/2 hour of the movie and even though I've seen the movie many times let alone heard the music many more, I still teared up when the camera panned across the mountains that they had to cross in order to leave Austria. And, just in case someone doesn't know, the movie is based on a true story. I know that liberties were made but the basic story is true.