Questions...

I've driven over ten hours in the past three days. Few radio stations transmit 100 miles north of Madison. My choices included ministry sermons, country music, and the farm report. I had lots of time to think about...

1) Women hate to see the first sign of wrinkles around their eyes. After 40, you realize how much you HATE your NECK. (Eyes are far more prettier than necks!) Plastic surgeons can't fix your neck without a full facelift! (Note to the youngsters: Use a moisturizer with sunscreen on your neck EVERY SINGLE day!)

2) Why does bread remain fresh a LOT longer now than it did five years ago? Really - do you remember when even Wonder Bread turned into a science project after 2 weeks... but now almost all bread lasts for 3-4 weeks in my pantry?

3) Why is the cold water in the bathroom so much colder than the water in the kitchen?

4) I wish I had worn a bikini more when I was younger. After 40, it's hard... and you mourn the body you had at 25 and 30. I wish I wore a bikini for the full five years between 25 and 30 (yes, even in the house during the winter).

5) Why do we have an interstate highway in Hawaii? What state does it connect to?

6) I watched interviews of West Virginia voters last week. People said they didn't vote for Barack Obama because (1) he was of a different race and that "worried" them; (2) he was a "muslim"; and (3) They had enough "of Hussein".. Senator Obama's middle name. I am amazed at the small mindedness of rural West Virginia voters. Kentucky voters yielded similar results... WOW, America is still very much a redneck country. (BTW, Obama is a CHRISTIAN, not that it should really matter.)

7) Who moved my CHEESE? (See motivational book of same name by Dr. Spencer Johnson). Bottom line: We all deal with change in different ways. The "cheese" is our desire... and how we find it differs in the way we tackle (or don't tackle) change.

8) What do people see in Bleu Cheese? It sucks.

Car + Me = Trouble

It's a bad week for automobiles. At least for automobiles and ME.

Sunday, I was a tool. I'll admit it. I was totally at fault and a tool. I was driving on "autopilot", and momentarily looked down to plug in my cell phone. BOOM! I hit the shoulder, over-corrected, and spun out BADLY. I ended up in the median of a 4-lane highway, putting large ruts in the grass. It's amazing I didn't roll over actually. Very, very, VERY lucky there wasn't a car in the left lane, or I would have been severely injured or dead.

Needless to say, I've been EXTREMELY careful with my driving ever since. Today, I drove to Eau Claire to see Cassie and meet one of my new employees. I was driving along, minding my own business when a county sheriff pulled me over. (BTW, I'm not a fan of Jackson County anymore..) Evidently, it's illegal to drive with only one license plate in Wisconsin. Now, we've had this truck for at least four years. And it's only ever had a rear plate. The auto dealer never installed the front plate. When asked in the past, my husband insisted that we only need a rear plate. Well, let me tell you... the Jackson County Sheriff Dept was adamant that both front and rear plates must be displayed on Wisconsin vehicles at all times. Drat. And, I was speeding... 73 in a 65 mph zone. Double Drat. The sheriff gave me a warning on both counts. Yea! I guess Jackson County isn't so bad after all....

Still a bad week for me and cars. Pray for me - I drive to Milwaukee tomorrow.

50 Miles in 3 Days - MS Challenge Walk

When the doctor told us last month that Ashley had MS, I vowed to complete the MS Challenge Walk in Door County, WI this October. Participants walk 50 miles in three days and pledge to raise a minimum of $1,500 in donations that help to find a cure for multiple sclerosis.

One of my friends and coworkers asked me today about the event. Mary keeps telling me that we have to "train" for this walk. Hmmmm.... what did I get myself into? Well, the MS web site lays out a specific 18 week training program for the Challenge Walk. I begin my training today!

I found another walker online today. Check out her blog with a link to a video of last year's Challenge Walk in Southern California. http://walkforms.wordpress.com/

1 day down... 125 more to go.

Old Movie

Dialog I recently heard on an old 1940's movie of two sisters talking:

"I don’t know what you expect from a man. You know there’s a limit to how entertaining they can be."

"Well, they ought to be able to talk a little. Simple sentences."

"You told me he was good looking and danced beautifully. That’s all a woman’s entitled to. You can always read a good book."

"Dear little sister, go wash your mind with soap."

Today's scripts just don't compare with those written for Ingrid Bergman!

Baseball pics

My son, Adam, is a junior on Wayland Academy's varsity baseball team, and normally plays second base. He hates it when I compliment him, but doesn't he look good?

Who will miss us when we're gone?

I'm feeling quite emotional this evening. I've been watching a movie, "Catch and Release", which is a manipulative "love story". A woman's fiance dies, and she learns more about him after his death than she knew beforehand. Who will care when we die? Will it be the love we left behind? The person we support financially? Or the friend who attempts suicide because they feel guilt about our passing?

If I die, I hope my kids still retain their relationships with Lee and their stepsisters. If Lee dies, I hope Cassie, Natalie, and Jeff still want a relationship with me and my kids. I know it would kill Lee or I to lose the closeness of our stepkids... we both love eachother's kids as if they were our own biological children.

I really believe our family is MUCH luckier than most. I believe we truly do love eachother, regardless of DNA. But, the rubber meets the road when people no longer feel an obligation. I pray we never need to deal with a loss before we are all too old to want anything but death.

One's measure in life is not their material accomplishments, but the impact they leave on other human beings in this world.

Stunning Beauties

Pics from Oregon's MicroBrew Festival.... Ashley and Natalie, two of our gorgeous daughters. In the first pic, Ashley was mimicing a standup comic, but I can't remember which one...