Posting from Sunny Idaho

Hi, everyone! I realize the Idaho contingent has been a little quiet lately, but we've had those houseguests... Hee hee. We had a really good visit with Grandma & Grandpa this past week and a half. Freya has come a long way, baby, in her socializing, so she sat in Grandma's lap and read stories a lot, and she laughed at Grandpa and his jokes.

We got all our gardening started. The beds are in and planted. We realized on Saturday that the little seedlings were getting too much sun, and Matt and I debated on the best method to create temporary shade structures until the little plants were better established. We hit on the very hip and trendy method of using LP jackets...yes, we're using album sleeves to shade our veggies. I really like The Who double album that shades the onions. That there is a space maximizer! Hopefully, we didn't use anything too collectible. We figured the Cocktail soundtrack was a pretty good one to get rid of, though seeing Tom Cruise smirking at me from the garden does turn my stomach a little.

Okay, back to work for me. Love to all!
Casey, Matt & Freya

it looks like the pictures didn't work? i'll try an email--god knows where they went......

okay--the pictures are the backyard with hottub, concrete slab and new pergola and privacy/sun shade.
and amongst all that work, we hired some folks to paint the house! a new gold, brown andcinnamon accents. we like it--our neighbors have mixed feelings--it is very differnet from beige on beige that it was. but it looks great both with the red brick and the back slab. YAY!

we are hoping to hit the road and come to wisconsin with the dogs--probably the week of july 4. so pencil that in on y9our calendars....and hopefully, that will coincide with K and L's trip back to the midwest.
are people goin gto be around?????

my first time

well here goes. i hope this works. this is michele, on a beautiful sunday. i talke dwith matt today and he got M and D off to milwuakee safe and sound. sound like they had a great visit.
we have gotten the back deck finished--and it is great. now i am waiting to plant all my planters--just can't do it yet cuz it is too iffy.
we got the camper out last weekend--and went down to a favorite spot near buena vista. where me and the dogs can hike and david can ride his dirt bike. there was still snow in the woods, and i wore gloves for most of the day, but it was so good to be out in the woods. we saw tons of elk and deer. unfortunately, we started the hot water heater on saturday morning, and it started on fire, which sent us home a little early. the verdict--cobwebs in the pipe. taught us a valuable lesson--to check everything after a winter of sitting before we hit the road.
i spent 3 days in albequerque for a meeting this week, and next weekend, we'll go up to steamboat springs to a state park with some of our neighbors for a camp out.
i saw my spine surgeon 2 weeks ago, and i go in on tuesday for some cordisone shots in my neck. they do them with a live xray--so it should be interesting. david will take me and then i have to take it easy for the rest of the day. hopefully, this will give me some relief from the numbness in my arms.
tim--my issue is in my neck at C5 and 6. surgery would be to grind the disks and bone spurs off, where they are rubbing against my spinal cord, and a titanium plate. the surgeon says it would give permanent relief--but we're trying the shots first.
i'm going to attempt to attach some pictures to this--we'll see.
david clipped the dogs last weekend, and they look great. he got some new high dollar clippers, which have several setting, so they aren't sheared to the nubbins. we were happy to see that ruby is still skinny under all that hair! link rturned 10 last week, and he's definately feeliing his hips. our hike in the woods last week was limited to about 2 1/2 hrs. cuz he wares out pretty quickly. but he still loves to be out, so we'll keep doing it!
take care everyone---love michele

Hi All-I am trying Maura's hint of porch blogging. So far, so good. I came outside about 6:30 with my coffee and the weeds started calling me. I am not dressed for outside work,so I made myself stop for awhile. Glad to hear of your exciting win, Magda. I can't imagine being out in that cold wind!

We are halfway into a really nice weekend here. Colin asked to come home for the last time before finals, so he played golf with us yesterday and will play again today with Bridget. She is busy with final preps for prom and we are trying to get enough done around the yard/house to keep from looking like we're not interested. This being gone from 7:15 to 5:30 every day takes up alot of my yard time. My immediate boss just announced that he is taking a new job in a different area of Aurora. He has been a buffer from the evil psychologist that I have to contend with, so he is trying to figure out how to position me when he leaves. Several different options have been tossed out, one of which is a big promotion, but I am not sure he thinks it is a good time politically for that . We shall see. I am not sure I want to turn my life over to Aurora, but I want to stay there for now.

We went out for dinner last night for Bridget's birthday. Tried to go to Popeye's but LG was filled with Prom goers and there was a line way out into the street. We went over to the Grand Geneva instead for Prime Rib buffet and rolled out of there. Even Colin felt sick from eating too much and he usually takes any opportunity to each alot of good food.

Sounds like Finn isn't playing soccer with as much heart as Bridget. We are telling her its a good thing her Prom dress is long and covers all her bruises. Did he eat all those cheeseburgers? I thought I was done with those interminable games, but here we are again.

Well, now I know I can do this outside, so maybe it will get easier to get something in here regularly. Great to hear from Kevin and Lyn. How was Ireland? Besides more expensive, I bet. I can just imagine how cool Declan is looking these days. All these family musicians are very impressive.

I better go pull a few more weeds before someone gets up and starts laughing at me. Hope everyone has a great week.

Sunday Morning NJ

Lyn and I woke up very early this morning, and we've been reading through the Times since 6, collecting rhubarb recipes and photos of cartop safari tents-probably very chic on a Subaru-and reading depressing articles about BlackwaterUSA, OSHA and this week's Bush antics.

I think that Magda is front, far left in Lyn's epic photograph of the MOHO V3 boat. Lyn blasted up to MA for the regatta, then turned around to get back here for the Bat Mitzvah of our friends David and Susan Pitman's daughter Jessica. We had a great evening with my train buddies from the NYC commuting years.

Declan is performing today-double bass-at a Jazz Vespers in a Methodist church in Montclair. Asked to dress nicely, he modeled a grey flannel suit, purple dress shirt, and a Takashi Kuge tie. (I painted several Kuge murals years ago) and a vintage Homburg which appeared magically in our house. Dec is also sporting a beard these days, which enhances the jazz musician vibe. His other band gigs sporadically, and actually has provided him with some decent paychecks!

Our congratulations to Domi! So it's Vassar?

Well, time to wake Declan for a bicycle ride...

NEWMAC Champs!

Well, this season has been a slightly depressing one for the crew team--especially my boat--but we managed to pull it together during the nor'easter that put us inside for a week. The Connecticut River experienced a 30ft increase(I think in width) and rose up to the middle of our parking lot by the boathouse. We were stuck at the gym all week...the week before a big qualifying race for us. The weather was gorgeous, compared to the weekend before...where we got hit with heavy rain, sleet and snow during our Sunday race. It was pretty unpleasant-not to mention painfully cold! Anyways, last weekend my mom came up for the early morning race and was quite possibly to good luck we needed. We placed first in our race--our first win of the spring season. Wellesly beat us by about 20 seconds the weekend before, and we shaved that time off beating them by .25 of a second. It was the most exciting races I have ever been in and it felt SO good to win. We surprised a lot of people, which also felt pretty good. Here is a picture of us in the beginning of the race( about 500 meters in out of 2000).



SO, because our boat won and the novice boat won as well we helped to place our team in First. The 1st and 2nd V boats placed 3rd. We beat Wellesly and Smith--both good teams to win over. We will be competing next weekend in Worcester again in the New England's Regatta, and are hoping to come out with another win!

Glad to see all is well, and hope Finn is enjoying those cheeseburgers!

love to all.

morning glory

Mornign Glory is an art festival in Milwaukee in August that is sort of second in pecking order to the lakefront festival. It is run by the Wisconsin Crrafts Council. Used to be on the grounds of the Charles Allis gallery- now at the PAC. Susan was is in about 10 years ago and recently tried to get back in. She is in a nice local show at a gallery/ communcity center building in Plymouth. The show was juried and judged by Peg Farrell. Sue got a nice merit award.

The back tyard is 'neked as a jay bird' without the big trees. Maura we could use you green thumbs over here. I took out some small arbor vitae last weekend that had not faired well in the late season heavy snows. Will eventually put a little deck sitting area out there for coffee and morning paper.

To encourage Finn at soccer practice this week to actually engage in the game while on the field I told him I'd buy him a cheeseburger for each goal he scored. 3 cheesburgers later I was regretting that little gaff. I didn't actually see the 3rd one but I did see him score a goal for the opposing squad by standing too deep in the net and letting the ball cross the line. I suspect he was counting that one also.

Not much else here. Hopefully some bike riding this weekend. more kitcehn stuff. check out this link- this is the kitcehn I am putting in- in a hugely rearranged configuration! http://www.canackitchens.com/style_groupings.jsp?design=coastal I didn't get the appliances or the cakes!!!

blogorhhea

Posting just becuase I can, w/0 any real content : Mark, see title for the correct term.

I am so disappointed to not learn which Osmond did awards.
Sounds like Branson was a hoot. I think the plant name thing is really just an aspect of my OCD. But, it beats washing my hands twenty times a day. Moved a few plants and trellisses, put together the tree ring seat we got years ago and got that around the ash, dragged all the branches that snapped under the heavy snow, read up on growing hops to try to determine why we never get any- (Could be we got a male-whoops). Lots of vine and lots of runners, no little hop fruits. We gave ourselves the weekend to work outside instead of billing/drafting motions. What a treat. I'm following Stephen's suggestion- wifi -ing from the porch swing. Got the porch cleaned and rearranged, prepped part of the yard for eventual kennel expansion, pruned some of the roses (and Mark, I most;ly know which ones are which, and what kind they are, and evne when/how/where and yikes, by whom, some were developed, the quck and dirty is "from China" where the plant form developed, just say from China and folks will think you are very smart. Its pretty useless information in the long run ), and got Tim out of the house for a long country drive today. It is a lovely day for the porch swing., and for cruising thru the bluffs. The dogs have spent much of the weekend out in the kennel, getting used to traffic and finally, not barking at the walkers and bikers! Didn't even bark at the firetrucks- just watched all the flashing lights go past. This is a BIG milestone, as all the north and east ambo and fire calls route the emergency vehicles up Ash to 33, right past the house. Ryder Will, Steve's buddy, just drove back to the station in one of the tankers. Young folks who stay/return here all seem to join fire and rescue.

There are lots of convertables and motorcycles out cruising, and lots of antique vehicles on 33 and Ash which becomes Old Lake Road on thew south side of town, and heads rihgt into the park. Our corner is frequntly part of rallys and group tours- perfect for front porch entertainment.


Spoke with Stephen today. As we feared, his student and staff colleagues have ties to V Tech, researched with some victims, worked and studied there, friends there now, just lots of connections. Academia is a small world. They had memorials with speakers with close ties, lots of reflection and meditation. As he's teaching abnormal psych now it has been part of the class material. Someday maybe this will help someone intervene. Brother of one friend was in the next building and heard all the gunfire.

There's a warm breeze , the bumblebees are out in the rhodadendrens right beside me, we'll have bluebells within thw week with tulips right behind and all looks peaceful here and I think I'm hooked on working from the porch swing. The previous owners were here for 25 years, no swing ever. Never used the porch, they told us. The swing hooks just bided the time and gathered rust. I think the house is content to have aswing out here again. We used to spend lolots of our O'C grandparent visits on their front porch swing. Brings back nice memories. Now, if I could only figure out how to import lightening bugs, I'd be in heaven. (Remember? I thought lighhtening bugs only existed in that big field down the street from the O'Connells' house) Maybe we just got to stay up late enuf for the bugs when we were there. My swing needs to develope a nice old squeak too, just like theirs.


M&D, besides the Coldwater outlet store, the new Aldo Leopold Foundation Visiter's Center opened this weekend, up near the Shack, off Levee Rd. Lets drive over there when you are at Mirror Lake.

Love and peace to all,

Maura

Taking Branson by Storm!

I got a hilarious voice-mail from Domino last night from Branson, MO--the Fort Show Choir were name GRAND CHAMPIONS of the competition! They won 15 awards in all! There was about five minutes worth of information packed breathlessly into a 30 second message, so I didn't catch much more than that.

No word on which Osmond Brother presented the awards.

names of flowers

I'm always so amused when I hear/read my family cataloguing the flowers and plants they have planted and growing in their yards and gardens, cause for me it's pretty much a case of, "I have some blue things coming up, and a pink thing, too." I don't know how the green thumb passed me by...

Maura, I love your train of consciousness posts. I am continually amazed that these guys in DC can lie and lie and lie til the cows come home, and never break character, never skip a beat, never crack. I told the kids the Bushies are all like a little kid who closes his eyes and believes no one can see him.

Susan I've been dealing with a personnel issue at work that reminds me of some of your stories. My passive-aggressive associate editor has mercifully taken another job at the company after we had a few disagreements about how flexible a person with only 2-3 months on the job can be with her hours. Unfortunately for her, while I was pretty patient with her glacial work pace, the editor she's going to work for runs her magazine like a Panzer division. I think she's in for some trouble.

All is good here. Cal and Domino are in Branson, MO, on a school band & choir trip, so Capri and I had a nice quiet night last night--rollerblading in our personal town park, sewing a hilarious little stuffed toy from "The Cute Book," this goofy Japanese toy pattern book I got her in LA, reading from a wonderful book, "Un Lun Dun," that I got her for her birthday. There should be more nights like that!

Busy weekend ahead, working on script stuff, which is always fun. Enjoy the sun, everyone!

Mark

Hey, I do not recall much of anything. I'm qualified for the White House, right? And I cannot find e-mails? I'm PERFECT for the White House. How did this guy get into any law school? How did this guy get into college? Any college? I can see why he and Dubya are friends-they are peers. Al makes Dubya feel smart.

Yikes.

Its been a horrible week for those of us who watch way too much newsTV. It is agonizing to hear of the victims, including the shooter, and the vilification of the staff/ police/mental health folks who "failed" to interecept/contain this kid while Sauk County is having a week long hearing on our young killer. His parents haven't raised him, are not welcome in the Courtroom and are watching a simocast from a emergency govt room, with a Deputy on guard. A Deputy who, unable to have children, became a foster parent, adopted a couple of the foster children, and then when those children were nearly grown, had two miracle birth children near his 20th wedding anniversary, watching parents and a step parent who had this child removed from their care, and watching this broken, damaged little boy Gramma raised. There ought to be a license for parenthood. This wonderful guy, who with his wife of 30+years, turned their pain into loving foster care for dozens of children, standing guard o0ver people who physically abused(daddy is convicted)/failed to protect from abuse, severely enuf to have the kid taken away (to be raised by a parent who raise one of these defective parents....). This poor little old gramma, to whom former Boss is sarcastic while Gramma is weeping on the witness stand, has been the best evening news sound bite ("That's not what I asked you....", dripping with sarcasm, is now widely quoted, with tone copied, by folks who don't know Patricia ).

How is the media getting the VA shooter's mental health records? For future reference, all the "he was kindof a loner, didn't talk much" folks should be weeded out of society and placed in a locked facility and the key thrown away. The public view of the mentally unhealthy is taking a giant step backwards. Watch for sterilization and lobotomies, coming soon to a remote, scarey county hospital near you. Like its a lifestyle choice. I spent several days lately with profoundly mentally ill folks and I am happy the Judges pick me for cases with these clients.

I speak this way too. Elipses. Parenthetic inserts within sentences. Incomplete sentences. Total disregard for grammar and spelling. I'm watching media spillage now on NBC's use of the killer's manifesto on air. Its a Brave New World. I wonder at what temperature a dvd/manefesto ignites? 33 in Virginia, over 150 in Iraq, no mention of Darfur statistics. Monday was a pretty bad day.

How new life, even in the form of spring flowers and leaflets, is theraputic in tragedy is amazing.My daffodils are opening, along with the crocus, scilla and bloodroot. These guys do not usually bloom at the same time. The roses are going to survive the freeze last week as are some of the tulips. Between the green stuff and the silly dogs, I take therapy in whatever form I can get it. Seamus is getting territorial with Glif's new cage, claims it whenever they are out together. Glif just submits. And runs upstairs to the bathtub. Heaven knows how the bathtub comforts him. G&J, are you ready for these grand dogs? There's one each....

I am turning off the news for the rest of the week.
What IS Morning Glory? At the PAC? When?

Love to all,

Maura

Dommie, we are thrilled to hear you made your choice. What tipped the balance?

Hi Everyone-Glad to hear everyone's news. Just got back from B's soccer game. Mom and Dad braved the cold wind to see her, and of course the game was late. She played alot of the Varsity game, which we saw the end of, and most of the JV game,so she came home and went to bed. I hope Dad's cold doesn't get worse.

Our trip was interesting-30-40MPH headwinds all the way, snowing when we arrived and on Easter. Monday was nice, sunny and we played golf. Michele has some real potential. Arvada has three nice city courses and Jay and I shot 87's(my personal best) and Bridget showed us up with an 85. The next day we headed up to Eldora to ski only to find that all the good trails and their respective lifts were closed due to wind. The only open trails were less lofty than Alpine Valley. We took a trip to Boulder and hung out on campus where they were having a World Conference on everything. Jay wished he could stay.

On Wed afternoon, Michele was off and we went shopping. By then, they were warning of a 12 in snowfall in Denver and the eastern plains, precisely where we were going. It was going to start Thursday night and go all day Friday. After watching the Weather Channel for hours, we decided to leave on Thursday instead of Friday. As we pulled out, it was snowing. We stayed ahead of the storm, but were in rain into Kearney. When we talked to Michele and David, they said the snow stopped right after we left and they never got any. The storm tracked to the south and blasted southern CO and Kansas. So, the trip was way shorter than we had hoped, but we had a great time. Love their house and nearby greenspace! Great accomodations for visitors. We all slept well and thoroughly relaxed. The new patio and hot tub are wonderful as well.

We got a round of golf in back in WI over the weekend as well as getting somewhat organized for the work week. We also saw Celtic Woman, a really wonderful talented group of women singers and a fiddler on Sunday night. Nice way to end the vacation. The PBS show America at the Crossroads is on in the background, and the Richard Perle section is on. What a wacko! Well, about time to finish up. Hope Freya escapes or has a mild case of Chicken Pox and that the Boise visit is great. Weather up there looks better! The Madison Art show doesn't have any taste. Where is Morning Glory? Sorry to hear about your tree! We lost some evergreen branches to the snow, but nothing serious. Glad also that Domi and Beth made it back from the East before this latest mess. Love, Susan

Travel prep and responses

Lots of info from around the horn since we were on the log last!

Pleased to note with satisfaction and/or understanding, sympathy!!!!

Domino's success and choice of VASSAR. A compliment to her whole family. Good to have had a chance to see all the children on Easter and spend some time with C & C.
Maura's ability to find time for comment amid her busy schedule and thoughts about gardening and having a good source for fresh veggies this year.
The safe return from the trip to Colorado for the O'C-Longs. Know that must have been a good time, the Sornells are great hosts. Can't help to have been a wonderful reunion!
Mark's positive and the not so positive ELEMENTS of his CAand TX trip. Guess we
were pretty close to the results of the late return to Milwaukee.
David's report on Susan's summer show prospects, Elllis's 13th birthday, the ash tree demise and Scout's antics.
E-mail word from Casey that Freya may have been exposed to Chicken Pox. Don't think we would be in any danger, but we hope that Freya isn't caught!
Thinking today about the South Orange folks--think Lyn and Declan may have had a flood/rain day. Do hope they did not have water in their basement.

We will be leaving the Focus at the Econolodge motel 6541 S. 13thSt. in Milwaukee while we are away. We will check in there on 4/18 and use their shuttle to the airport and not have to get up so early for a 6:50 departure on 4/19. Flights are:

NW 365 MKE to MSP arriving at 8:11 AM
NW 1278 MSP to Boise Lv 9:10 AM ar 11:14 AM
Sunday, 4/29
NW1276 BOI to MS P Lv 7:55 AM Ar 11:51 AM
NW 793 MSP to MKE Lv 3:16 PM Ar 4:21 PM

We'll be home overnight and then head for the Dells on Monday, 4/30 for our
Retired Educators convention at Chula Vista. Plan to take the RV and stay at
Mirror Lake. Home again the afternoon of 5/3. Will have some time on Tuesday afternoon/evening to spend in Baraboo.

Because of the snow last Wednesday we had to postpone Seniors until this Wednesday so a day we had planned to use to pack is somewhat zeroed out so
we must get at some of that today.

Mom did some yard work today. I have had a cold since early last week so I didn't join her, but did this and made some other trip preparations. Am much better today, so should be WELL by Thursday.

Love and prayers for all of you.

Grandma Jeanne and Grandpa Gene

what is...

Dave, what is Morning Glory?

Hey I had three teenagers for a while, too. Then one of them became an adult. It's not so bad :)

Mark

hi all

good morning everyone. look's like it's going ot be a nice day here today. got a bike ride in to Terry Andrae yesterday and there were people camping down there! Looks like a new laundry/ shower in the southern most lopp this year

We had our big ashes cut down last week and our back yard is as naked as a jay bird. I at least raked it out yesteday so it looks a little better. Scout has turned it into a lunar landscape. She has als learned how to jump the fence. she goes over to visit her friends Louie the mutt and Mojo the Boston Terrier. I think they talk about taking over the neighborhood.

Ellis became a teenager last night at midnight. 3 of them! we may go down to 4 Seasons SkatePark today to celebrate. Mom we don't remember getting a bond but will continue to look through the mail pile.

Susan found out in the last two weeks that she got into Morning Glory this summer at the PAC, which she has been trying to do for severla years unsuccessfully, but then found out yesterday that she wasn't accepted again to Madison which was a real blow- second year in a row after a string of 8 years in a row being there. She's very bummed out today

Well that's it for sheboygan news. Hope everyone has a good rest of the weekend.

cold and rainy!!!

This stinks... I was in LA this week, and I'm in Austin, TX, for the weekend, and it's been cold, grey and rainy both places all week! I packed exactly one long sleeved shirt, and it's saving me...

Great trip, though. I was at a cool alternative fuel vehicle show in Anaheim most of the week. I made some headway on persuading GM to let me be one of their hydrogen fuel cell car users, and hope to get some final decision from them soon. Also got to have a few Hollywood meetings, which is always fun. Last summer I had a very successful pitch at Disney, but the woman I've been developing the story with has left Disney, and the way things work out here she can take her projects with her, so now I'm dealing with her as an independent producer. So we had dinner in Venice the other night and she's got a grand plan to bring me back out to LA in a couple months to pitch the story to financiers and lead actors, starting with John Cusack. I think I'll enjoy that :)

I'm in Austin now, working with this independent producer-director who wants to make my Hurricane Katina script, "American Ice." We're getting it ready to submit to Robert Redford's Sundance Institute, but in reality Viviane has already done so much work getting this production going that she may be shooting before we even hear back from Sundance! She seriously wants to be in production by September, and she inspires a lot of confidence... In the meantime, she and her husband are wonderful hosts, and I'm loving Austin a lot (despite the fact that it has been sleeting off and on all day).

I'm very, very proud of Domino. She and her mom are going to NY tomorrow to check out both campuses, and I really wish I was going!!!!

Love to all,

Mark

!!!!!!!!

DOMI , what a spring break ! Can you go both schools? What a rough choice. Good luck (and ain't it sweet after dealing with the Young Republicans to kick butt with premo schools and fantastic offers)

Dad, I'd love to cooperate with BIG and BOLD but I still have trouble signing on and posting. I got on tonite without any prompting from Tim but he's still giving me grief, because he can. Quiet week here, just lots of driving, Vernon and Richland county trips. Beautiful buildings, everything greening up. A couple of yards nearby catch all day sun on their daffodils, mine are still timid little green spikes. I can see the blooming flowers from the porch but we folk on the side streets have to wait a couple of weeks for our own flowers. This cold snap froze lots of green but the roses look okay. Mom, thanks for talking about bluebonnets. I had a few survive on Naragansett, I'll have to try them again.

Found that Baraboo has Community Garden Share program again, after years of drought, found a nearby member farm that other folks from our last Share group like, so we joined. I'm finding less time to tend a vegetable garden or even get to the farmers market, so it will be good to have a steady weekly vegetable delivery. Nice folks, we fould we already know each other from farmers market contacts so this should be good. Like I said, quiet. Three big prison sentences this week. Hard to do, but interesting. Both guys who spoke did a good job making apology statements, nothing worse than watching the Judge add months or even years on to a sentence because the how the client (mis)behaves at the sentencing hearing. We are unofficially rated on "client control". Some are unreachable, they are criminal thinkers. I got to see a Judge subtract time based on one of the statements this week. Got two different Judges giving the same no resources, no options, apologetic speeches. Sad. So, I take what I can, client control sometimes is the only success. Sadly, election week had a bad result and I still have a defeated candidate sign out in the lawn. The legal world is a safer place for the West Bend banking community and businesses in which Her Hon. has large $ shares. 43 and on the bench for 10 years already. Yikes. A Tommy cronie appointment. But, in the most surreal moment of the political week ( other than Mon ica quitting the Justice Department before taking the 5th, Rove getting ruffled at a campus appearance [what were they THINKING] and those selfish Dems going on spring break instead of working on funding the troops as Dubya heads off to the ranch, again, McCain finding the Bagdad market safe, Mitt hunting all his life and Cheney insisting YESTERDAY that al quaeda was linked to Sadam, while the Pentagon Report today repeated what the rest of the world understands is reality, ah, no, that's not right) Tommy Thompson announced that , if elected, he'll put coalition presence to a vote of the Iraqi people and if they don't want us there we should GET OUT. Emphasis in original.

David, sorry the trees are going. We have the only ash visible from Ash street. Its a pretty tree but fragile and prone to disease. Replacing them? I'm really good at digging holes and dumping plants in 'em. Its theraputic (Really. Some science report this week, there's some feel good microbe in dirt: making mud pies, or digging in the dirt, really does make one happy) Dogs get it. Ever watch a dog get into digging?

Sounds like all the cousins are busy and having fun. Freya has some pretty cool teefies in that big smile. The better to munch thru Easter basket goodies with.... NO EASTER BASKETS this year. So, I get to eat all the candy and I don't have to wait til Easter morning and I don't have to hide/find anything, ican eat it rite outta the bag and I don't have to pick plastic grass off it! No fun at all. I especially will miss the plastic grass. Maybe I'll pick some up at the day after sales. Some pretty cool toesies pictures too. Have fun selecting from among the great photos.

I'm being replaced again at the DAs office. This one lasted a little over six months. It would be funny if it weren't so sad. She's going to another county where she will be appreciated, so she should be able to handle the abuse she's getting since she resigned.

////??font and bold? I have no idea how I lost 'em. Must be time to quit.
Happy Easter, everyone.

Love,



Maura

I can't beleive it!

I've tried this several times over the last weeks and have failed miserably. somehow I remembered the right sequence this time.

How is everyone doing?

Domino that is crazy cool news about school! What a great great thing. I can tell how happy you are but I bet your Dad is even happier.

Quiet night in sheboygan tonight. sue is teaching at the art center. coop and chaz have a gig at the paradigm coffee house alittle later on tonight. ellis wiped out on his skateboard this afternoon going down Northpoint hill. elbow hip and knee road rash supreme. he's in home-made traction on the couch in front of the TV. scout got haircut and looks like a geek. a cute geek but a geek none the less. Finn has a stummy ache and is also couch ridden. I'm doing pretty well on the kitchen. more this weekend. i'll try to attach some photos now that I've figured out how to get back on this blog thing. Matt and CAsey we were really sad to hear about Cody and understand how tough that must have been. I choked up when you talked about how you held on to him. I felt like I was right there with you.

Hoping for some terry andrae time this weekend if it gets abit warmer. What is everyone doing for easter?

Our big ashes on the back lot line are coming down this week. I'm in mourning. It kills me to cut down trees but they have some kind of a blight and have been dropping branches on the neighbors yards and I'm tired of apologizing.

holy clabunda

am i on?

What great news, Domi! I hope you end up exactly where you want to be. I'm sure either school will be wonderful. Bridget just got nominated for National Honor Society today and found out yesterday she aced both AP calc and physics, so she is pretty happy. Definitely got the math and science gene from the Long side. Glad Grandma and Grandpa are home safely. Those midwest storms have been pretty scary. We are waiting for the weather to change tonight and hoping it won't. Everything is looking so pretty outside. We do wish it would stop raining because our two sump pumps have been running non stop for the past six weeks and tonight we had water in the basement from some areas that only flood when the ground is really saturated. Kinda scary to leave for a week. We hope the elec doesn't go off. I have another early AM meeting tomorrow, so need to sign off. Happy
Easter everyone! Love, Susan

Hello again--

I feel like i have been out of circulaton for a month, and am now emerging from my coccoon to see that the rest of the world is still out there. it has been a good month and we saw many friends and relatives and saw lots of beautiful scenery, but unfortunately the flowers were not in bloom until we got to Texas on the way home, where the Bluebonnets were beginning to open and the flowering trees were in their glory. That made the trip more worthwhile. Arizona has been so dry, the main colors were khaki and dark green.

Dad mentioned my cousin Devera and her husband from California. Ann has kept in touch with her through the years - they were quite close together, age-wise, and Ann and Ed have visited them in CA. They joined A andE in Green Valley, and we got together in this little desert down of Patagonia which is one of our favorite stopping places no Trogans this year, thoough, althoough there was a sighting.EXcuse the typo errors - i am trying to beat the washing machine.Devera's husband is a retired attorney, and he and Dad and Ed hit it off very well. A nice afternoon.

Ann is i mpatient that she can't remember things as she should, but she needs to give it more time, and write things down, zs her therapist reminded her. I tell her I didn't have the stroke, and i don't remember too well, either. Say some prayers for her, please.

had one very stormy night in AZ and a very muddy hiking day, but Dad did wee a couple of things. We decided to go straight home when we learned that lois hogan had gone home to michigan. We stopped in kerrville to see the hockanson's in Texas, theb headed north into some windy weather and a tornado watch near St. louis but we rode it out and came home on a windy day.

multiple spelling errors--please forgive them, but i don't have time for corrections = must finish that laundry!!

Mom has gone to the laundry area and I will finish. Should have enlarged the type when she began along with asking for BOLD. Mom will really be pleased if everyone would use large type. Using her magnifying glass to read the screen can be chore. She will appreciate it if everyone can remember to use the LARGE and BOLD settings.

Glad for Domino's multiple good news! Had a call from Mark this
AM asking if we might assist with Calvin and Capri when Domino and Beth begin a trip to New York before Mark returns. Waiting for a call to set up
the arrangements.

Gave the Freya et al pictures a good look today. Know it will be tough to make choices. Know it would not be easy to make choices!

Boise garden plans sound OK. We have been doing 4'x4' gardening for about 10 years and it is easy to kneel on the outside and reach in for the weeks. We use our own soil and mulch mixture and try to change it each year. The last two years we have had a 5 gallon plastic pail with holes drilled in the sides placed in the middle of the square. Inside we put spangum moss and good sized rocks and put water in when we're short of rain. Better than sprinking; moisture goes more directly to the roots. We do well with 4 of these SQUARES. Good luck in that sunny back yard!

Best wishes to the Arvada vistors and hosts for the travel, visit and activities.
ET folks are probably quite sure that they will not be expected to take brush and roller in hand; probably all the painting will be completed.

Didn't expect to reach someone at every phone number when we called on Sunday evening to report the end of our journey--really lucked out.

Thanks to each of you who have contributed to the BLOG over the last month. We really feel in touch and will hope to learn some time why
Mom sounded like she was calling from a bar in Texas! Maybe it was the cell phone(?) as we did have some service hitches, but we used it a bunch and it was really a time saver--pay phones are very scarce!!!

Happy Easter and spring! Great rowing for Magdalena and better than
average spring performances for all our grandchildren whether it is in the classroom, concert venue, athletic field or elsewhere. Love and prayers,
Grandma and Grandpa.

i swear i didn't sleep with the financial aid fairy.....

but he seems to really, really like me nonetheless

i am in shock. the enormity of what just happened is very, very slowly sinking in. but i haven't quite grasped it yet.

vassar just offered me a full ride. from being my most expensive college, it has suddenly become my least expensive. i am currently trying to figure out if i can go visit both schools. i can;t believe that this is happening.