Not Exactly True

It's more like they're wrong 85% of the time. They also say global warming is responsible for all the catastrophic natural disasters ... despite that it's a proven fact that the Earth's weather is cyclical, and the Earth is in a cooling cycle. 

Meterorologists can claim whatever they want, but that doesn't mean it's true.

Goodbye, Glenn Frey ... You Will Be Missed

Glenn Frey, 2008

I woke up this morning to the news that Glenn Frey died yesterday. As soon as I heard the news, I called Superman, a huge Eagles fan. He had already heard the news, but my daughter overheard the conversation and asked me who died. I told her Glenn Frey, and she looked at me like Penny looks at Sheldon when he's explaining physics.

"Of the Eagles," I added.

"Oh", she said, then turned over to sleep a little longer.

She didn't know who Glenn Frey was, but she did know the Eagles (even though his death didn't seem to affect her much!). All of my kids know the Eagles music and all the words to most of their songs. They should ... they listened to it throughout their childhood because I listened to it. Anyone who grew up listening to the Eagles never quit listening to the Eagles.

I don't remember the Beatles breaking up, but I do remember the Eagles breaking up. Their music had filled our lives through all of our formative years. It seemed such a shame that this talented group of musicians, that had made such amazing music together, would no longer be serenading us everywhere we went.

They got back together again in 1994 and began a reunion tour ... and their fans rejoiced. In 2007, they released their first new album in 28 years ... Long Road Out of Eden. Superman and I saw them in concert in October of 2010, and it was the best concert I have ever been to. Some of the band members looks a little worse for wear and tear, but their musical talent and their voices were still sharp and clear.

Music touches the soul in a way that no other art can. It can transport us back in time. For those of us who grew up listening to the Eagles, when hear Hotel California, or One of These Nights, or Tequila Sunrise, we're not middle-aged people raising kids and struggling through life ... we're sixteen again. We're riding through the night with the car windows down and the warm, summer breeze blowing across our faces. Our biggest problems are whether the boy we have a crush on likes us and how far we can push our midnight curfew without getting grounded. We're young and innocent again, full of joyful expectations of our journey towards adulthood.

Fans all over the world are mourning the death of Glenn Frey, and those who kept intending to go to one of their concerts are kicking themselves for missing out on the opportunity to see one of the greatest legends of rock and roll. I am so glad I got to see them. The tickets were expensive, but they were worth every penny.

Glenn Frey did what we all dream of doing ... he created a legacy that will live on long after he's gone. His name will be echoed in halls by people not yet born.

Thank you, Glenn Frey (and the Eagles), for providing the soundtrack to my youth.

Eagles in 2008 (left to right):
Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy Schmit

Today is Winnie the Pooh Day

Except in Tuszyn, Poland!
If you happen to be in Tuszyn, Poland today ... don't bring up Pooh!

Uncle Wiggily

I saw this book at the library the other day. Since Uncle Wiggily is somewhat of a legend in my family, I had to snap a picture. 

When I was growing up, "us four little kids" were all born within five years of each other. Since little kids don't understand birthdays and why only one kid gets a present, my mom always bought us all something on each other's birthday. Sometimes we all got the same thing (like the year we all got giant Fuzzy Wuzzy bears), and sometimes we all got something different ... like the year I got an Uncle Wiggily game (which is what I'd been asking ... begging ... for).

I never knew what presents my mom bought, either for the birthday girl or the others, but one year I told one of my little sisters that I'd tell her what she was getting if she told me what I was getting. I knew she wouldn't tell me and ruin my birthday, so it didn't matter that I didn't have a clue as to what she was getting. 

She immediately blurted out, "You're getting an Uncle Wiggily game!"

And I immediately burst into tears.

Since then, it's became a joke in our family ... when anyone asks what they're getting, the answer is always, "You're getting an Uncle Wiggily game!"

Guess Who Loves His Grandma

This little guy is in constant motion, so getting a picture of him that wasn't blurry was a time-consuming endeavor! I can't wait until he's big enough to run to me, throw his little arms around me and say "I love you, Grandma!".

$1.699 for Gas ... Wow!

My gas light came on last night when I was on my way home, but I waited until this morning to stop for gas. I don't think I've ever paid this little for a tank of gas since I bought my van ten years ago. I know really cheap gas isn't good for the world's economy, but it sure feels good to my economy!

National Dress Up Your Pet Day

At Thing 1's house, it's always Dress Up Your Pet Day!

Daughter's Who Borrow Your Clothes

My best friend once commented that it must be nice to be the same size as my daughters and be able to wear each other's clothes.

I can see why she'd think that ... but, no ... it's not nice!

Thing 1 doesn't live with me anymore, so her clothes are too far away to be of any benefit to me. I have been known to raid Thing 2's closet on occasion, but a lot of her clothes are a little too "young" for me to wear with any confidence.

Thing 2, however, often enjoys the benefits of raiding my closet. I wouldn't mind, except it's hard to get them back. Sometimes she brings them back without my asking, but it usually requires nagging or raiding her floor in order to retrieve them.

She borrowed my favorite black sweater about a month ago. I just got it back ... dirty, of course ... so I washed it. I put it on this morning and noticed a big hole on the sleeve! Had the hole been on the elbow I could have dismissed it as wear and tear, but it's just below the elbow ... on the top side. Something she was carrying obviously snagged it, and now I have a hole ... and now have to go buy a new favorite black sweater.

If you ask my daughters if it's nice to be able to wear each other's clothes, the answer would be "Yes, very much so!", but if you ask me, the answer is a resounding, "NO!".

Guess Who Got to Spend a Whole Day with Little W?!

W's mommy wasn't feeling good yesterday, so she asked me if I'd mind watching him. Mind? Heck, no I don't mind!! He was a perfect little gentleman for me. He's "talking" and smiling now, so we had long conversations in between his naps. This sweet little angel is the perfect baby ... he's loves to cuddle, he's easy to comfort, and he's about as cute as cute can be! I must say, little W has set the grandkid bar pretty high for his future cousins!

I Need a Better Camera

My jaw dropped when I looked outside my window this morning. The entire sky was a vivid, bright, red/pink. My camera didn't even come close to capturing the beauty of this sunrise. It was gorgeous!

And, obviously, I was wrong about the snow melting away yesterday. Even though the ground is still warm, the temperature was frigid, so I guess that kept the snow in place. What melted on the roads yesterday only froze solid overnight, so schools are closed today. My sister and brother-in-law in Minnesota are probably rolling their eyes at us! But that's okay ... I don't mind being laughed at if it means a snow day from work!