Carrie's birthday present -- stitched with love

CeCe strategically pinning the pattern to the fabric

At first she was frightened that she'd stitch her fingers to the pillowcase but I assured her I be able to free them with my seam ripper.

She wanted to personalize it for her mom

Ta Da! The finished project

Last weekend CeCe and I had a 'girl day' where no boys were allowed to disturb us. We spent a considerable amount of time in the fabric store picking out the perfect fabric for her mother's birthday present. She chose this gorgeous blue color with dragon flies as blue is her mom's favorite color and dragon flies are a girl's magical friend -- according to CeCe. She was so proud of her efforts and asked lots of questions about how long I've been sewing and how I learned. I told her that when I went to school the girls took Home Economics and the boys took Shop classes. Aunt Bessie tutored me with techniques she learned through the years but I still can't sew a button hole for the life of me. However, I did see that my friend from choir (Ellen Follmann) 'cheats' and uses alot of velcro . . . mmmm I can do that!

When I got my first tax return my father suggested that I purchase something practical so of course I bought a sewing machine! I still have that beauty but it's resting in the closet now that I got Gregg's mother's machine in a cabinet. Her's is a real work horse and it'll probably be awhile before it dies but then I'll be on the search for a cabinet for mine. There's something about being organized while you're being creative that resting a machine on the diningroom table just doesn't seem to complete.

We went sledding with the church youth group afterward. I convinced CeCe that the photographer is supposed to stay up at the top of the hill to take pictures and she didn't quite buy it; she continued to try and persuade me until one of the mothers came hobbling up the hill with a twisted knee. She went up and down 'Killer Hill' so many times that she was exhausted by the time we were ready to leave.

All in all it was a PERFECT girl day. I'm looking forward to the next one :-)

Musical Muse

Mom, Great Uncle Chester and Dad

Music has always been one of my joys -- perhaps it was from growing up in a musical family; Dad played the concertina and Mom had this heavenly voice with a perfect pitch and range. Dad always hoped that we would be one of these traveling families like the Osmonds but us kids just weren't as much into polka music as he and mom were. Even so, they instilled in us a love of great music. My musical interests varied over the years from the K-Tel hits of the 60's and 70's (remember those 45 rpm's?) and to hard rock during my rebellious years and country in my 'trying to figure it out years' to folk and world music now. I still like rockin' to Neil Young when in my funk moods but my radio is mainly tuned to the XM-folk station nowadays.

When I went through my clinical depression, music rescued me from the darkness and dispair. One song that got alot of airplay at that time was 'The Only Way' by Ellis Paul. It goes something like this:

I'm gonna love

I'm gonna believe

I'm gonna dream

I'm gonna roll up my sleeves

And give everything until I've nothing left to give

That's the only way that I know how to live

Whenever I heard that song I felt just a little bit stronger until finally the meds kicked in and the depression started to release me. Years later Ellis was performing in Madison and I convinced Gregg to take me. Realize that Gregg is no folk-fan and had NEVER been to a live musical performance before that day. Those that know my wonderful hubby know how difficult it is for him to step out of his comfort zone but he knew how important this was for me and acquiesed. He watched for a time when I could meet Ellis to tell him my story. Ellis looked at me with a tear in his eye (perhaps because he saw mine) and told me how pleased he was that his message helped me. Even if you're not a dyed-in-the-wool folk fan, try on some of Ellis' music! He writes from the heart and is just as much an accomplished musician and singer as composer. Oh, and he's also a huge Woody Guthrie fan but that's another blog.

Click on this link for an intro to his latest album (which I helped to sponsor): The Day After Everything Changed and let me know how you liked it.

Boys and their toys

Finally got Manny's attention away from his DS

Gregg's golf swing

Rock Star Manny

Manny the Monopoly King

It was game night tonight at the Volmer arcade . . . Manny kicked my butt in a game of Monopoly. The game just isn't the same as I the one grew up with -- instead of the multi-colored dollars we now use a debit card!! Guess the game manufacturers are just keeping up with the times but I think we're missing a strong link to the game and life studies . . . how is a kid to learn to give change if everything's being done electronically? However, Manny did do some quick Math when I passed go and landed on one of his properties with a hotel -- but slipping in my debit card just wasn't the same as counting up those Monopoly dollars of old :-(

They best not mess with CandyLand!

Manny found that the Tyco folk have released a new WebKin dragon that he just HAS to have. The previous dragon was pink so she married the frog WebKin and they had a couple of little WebKins. Now that the new dragon's on the block he's decided that the pink dragon (Helen) is going to divorce the frog so she can marry the new, cool dragon. Mmmmm, life studies??

Gregg finally pulled the Wii that I got him for Christmas out of the box. Manny showed him how to play the basic games (and beat his butt in bowling!) -- Gregg's officially hooked now. He even invited brother Jerry over for a bit of competition. Score: Jerry's still the bowling king while Gregg's the golf king. Don holds his own. It's been awhile since I've heard Don laughing and enjoying himself -- I'm feeling good about this purchase.


So, I'm now looking for the best price on a Wii Fitness for me . . .

Happy New Year!

We celebrated the last of our Christmas gatherings, the tree is out by the road, and Gregg's got all the Christmas storage tubs relabeled. So, I'm guessing it's officially done and I can concentrate on my New Year's goals (not necessarily in order of importance):

1. Spend more time with Gregg
2. Cook more often for Gregg and Don (Thanksgiving and Christmas don't count)
3. Get in touch with my creative self
4. Take more time to read
5. Take more time to write
6. Lose weight
7. Become more environmentally conscious at home and at work
8. Go back to school
9. Learn more about ADHD to help Manny and others understand him
10. Spend more one-on-one time with Manny and CeCe
11. Get more in touch with nature
12. Hone my photography skills
13. Guide my company to success
14. Figure out how to keep pace with Gregg on the golf course
15. Get in touch with my spiritual side

How's this for a start?

The Joy of Giving

Cigar Box Label

Design copywrited in 1907 by O Zarling, Milwaukee Wisconsin

I received a phone call the other day from a distant relative thanking me for his Christmas gift; I could feel the emotion in his voice as he recalled fond memories of his father from something as simple as a couple of cigar box labels that I found on Ebay. His father, Otto Zarling, made the Shackelford 9370 cigars on a rolltop desk in the upper floor of a barn on the south side of Milwaukee - I think it was 13th and Cherry or someplace where the neighborhood has dramatically changed. Ron Zarling told me that his brother has the desk and an invoice from Otto's business venture. As he told me these stories I could almost imagine Otto retreating to his makeshift office each day to create his craft and then load up his horse to deliver these fine cigars to the area stores. The label was copywrited so obviously he was pretty good at this.

I have many pieces of furniture from my family that also brings back warm memories from my Grandmother Miller's diningroom set to my father's confirmation certificate and Tauf-Schein (baptismal certificate), Great Uncle Walter Sachse's wicker rocking chairs, and the trunks that my Great Grandmother Lada used to store her meger belongings on her trip to the US from Poland with two young children. There are stories within these pieces that seem to spring to one's mind when they touch or view them. My Aunts told me that the only time they were allowed to eat at the diningroom table was when their mother was entertaining their schoolteacher. I remember, as a young girl, these pieces as being the most beautiful woodcarving I'd ever seen. I can't even begin to explain my joy when Uncle Raymond said that I could have 'those old pieces of junk' from his basement.

I have 'Rockfield' also saved as one of my Ebay favorites and last year a gorgeous bowl came across Ebay from the grocery store that was in the town where my father grew up. I gave it to Uncle Marvin when he had his hip replacement along with some fruit. Was he surprised when he got to the last piece of fruit and saw the label!! He too called with the fond memories; he remembered the store quite vividly and also remembered reading the local news over the fence (in German) to the German Prisoners of War at the Rockfield Cannery. My grandfather and great-grandfather were crew chiefs for these POW's that were detained to assist in the harvest during World War II. I wonder if they knew that they would one day be remembered by the important part they played for our nation.

What kind of stories will my girls and grandchildren tell their offspring about growing up with me? I sure hope they'll be good juicy ones :-)

Milwaukee Perks

This piece used shadows to turn the pieces that looked like coins. If you look closely you can see my shadow taking the picture. Yes, I know . . . you're not supposed to take pictures in the Art Museum but how could I miss such a perfect picture!
CeCe making art (the blobs on the floor changed each time she moved)

Manny, Gee & CeCe by an actual piece of the Titanic's hull
Manny preparing for battle

Elizabethan CeCe

One of the many benefits of living in Menomonee Falls is how close we are to Milwaukee. In less than 45 minutes we can be at one of the many venues in the theatre district, take in a museum, or take one of the wonderful walking tours that Historic Milwaukee conducts. I'm ashamed to say though that we don't take advantage of these cultural events enough. But I'm working on changing that . . . yesterday I gave Carrie & Ben some time of peace and quiet and took the kids to the Milwaukee Art Museum and today to the Milwaukee Public Museum.

The Art Museum has a wonderful exhibit, Act/React Interactive Art, where the kids could 'experience' art rather than just looking at it. Christie and Kent joined us and together we created art with sensory assistance. They've got this really neat way for kids to appreciate the art by wearing costumes through the galleries. Manny chose the armor (of course) and CeCe chose the Elizabethan collar. They were quite the sight (as usual). CeCe's favorite piece of art is a shaggy dog that morphs into a waterfall. Manny loved everything, Kent liked the Picasso, Christie liked the interactive art, and I found a Winslow Homer that I read about in National Geographic. Maybe someday we'll see Manny's art on the walls of this gorgeous place??

Today we spent the entire day at the Milwaukee Public Museum. CeCe's school offered group-rate tickets to see the Titanic Exhibit and the Ghosts of the Abyss Imax movie along with museum admission. We got there around 9:00 and didn't leave until around 5! The kids are finally at the age where they're getting something out of the museum, whew! The Titanic was OK but I enjoyed the one that Uncle David and I saw in Chicago a couple of years ago better. This one did have some authentic artifacts though that kept the kids' attention for quite some time. We were each given a boarding pass when we entered and then later found out if our person survived. CeCe got 'The Unsinkable Mollie Brown' and I got another woman who traveled in first class and lived. Manny's guy traveled in second class and unfortunately didn't make it. The movie was AWESOME and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to keep up with the Titanic saga. James Cameron produced this documentary after his blockbuster; he taped the trip of a couple of submersibles going down to the wreckage that guided two robotic cameras into the ship. They shot pictures of the stained glass windows from within the diningroom and other areas that could not be photographed because of the depth (12,000 feet) and tight quarters. It was neat to see the kids' reactions to this event in history.