Horse Manure Park

I grew up near Wadena, Minnesota (in fact, I was actually born at Wesley Hospital in Wadena... and I was married in Wadena), so the decision made by the Wadena city council this past week grabbed my attention and it's been the talk of this region ever since. It isn't the first time this city of about 4,200 people made the state and national news. Five years ago, an EF-4 tornado ripped through Wadena, destroying homes, businesses and the public school. Amazingly, there was no loss of life. Many said God was watching out for the city. Which brings me to the city council's decision on Tuesday of this week. The Christmas nativity scene at the Burlington Northern Park in Wadena, which has been a traditional display for many years, will no longer be featured in the city park. A concerned citizen, Tyler Rud, questioned the constitutionality of the city funding and maintaining a symbol of Christianity. He went to the "big guns," so to speak, the Freedom From Religio...

It is the eve of Christmas Eve. We are preparing for the big day here, running around the house, frolicking and laughing, telling tales of Christmas, baking cookies and writing letters to that Jolly Old Elf.  In the evening, we sip steaming mugs of hot chocolate and sing Christmas carols around the tree. Yeah, right. Sorry, but our life isn't this Facebook idyllic.  It's not even frickin' close. In the 1600's, people used to paint a black cross the doors of dwellings occupied by those infected with the Black Plague.  For the past couple of weeks, that black cross has been on our door. We just can't get healthy around here. The Boy and The Girl have each taken turns with respiratory infections, trips to the doctor, negative tests, stomach flu (and all the involuntary spillages that go with it).  The Boy contracted Fifth disease.  The Speaker of the House has had a persistent cough since before Thanksgiving.  I've had a persistent so...

When I glanced at the calendar this morning, I realized that Christmas Day is just 18 days away. In fact, we are already a week into December and I hadn't even noticed.  I guess I should start paying attention to stuff like months and days.  It all just seems to mush together in one big, sloppy mish-mash of time. I should have known that Father Time was getting ahead of me when I ended up at the Boy's very first Christmas program on Friday.  Could it really be that time of year already? Anyway, it was an enjoyable show.  The Boy is easy to pick out of the crowd.  He's a head taller than his classmates and he looks like his old man. Case in point: at the concert, I ran into a old co-worker who I hadn't seen in over five years, who said, "There is no doubt whose boy that is.  He's practically a clone!" Singing "Away in a Manger." The Boy with a pair of drumsticks in his hands.  Seems perfectly natural if you ask me. Yours tr...

Christmas Morning, 2013. The Boy and the Girl were up at the ass crack of dawn this morning.  Santa had stopped last night.  It's kind of a big deal. The Girl took great interest in tracking St. Nick yesterday.  It was fun watching him make stops around the world and it actually turned into a humbling geography lesson for yours truly. Dad!  Santa is going to Bamako next!  Where is that? Ummm....  let's watch and see. The Girl pointing out Casablanca to the Boy.  Santa stopped there, you know. This was all great!  The Girl was learning about new places while having fun tracking Santa.  But as the day wore on, and Santa had made stops throughout Australia, Japan, China, India, the Middle East, Russia, Africa, Europe and started journeying toward Iceland... I realized North America was next. This could get a wee bit dicey as the reindeer and sleigh inched towards the Land of 10,000 Lakes.  Maybe it was time to stop watchin...

Our troupe's goal was to make yesterday a perfect day. And we were almost successful. Keyword: almost. The first item on our list was to pay a visit to Santa Claus.  As I mentioned on Facebook earlier, Santa and Mrs. Claus stopped at the Shante (a cozy little coffee shop) in Pillager as a part of their 2013 pre-Christmas World Tour (St. Nick must love to travel). It is amazing what a difference a year can make.  Last year Santa scared the hell out of the Boy.  Not that I really blamed him for being horrified.  He was asked to sit on the lap of this strange, white-bearded, brilliant red suit-wearing fat man. It kinda reeks of creepiness when you really think about it. But this year, the Boy couldn't wait to see Santa.  When we got to the Shante he immediately began his quest to find the man with the bag.  Once in his crosshairs, the Boy made a beeline for the jolly ol' elf, budging in front of all the other good little girls and boys, and cli...

It was stupid cold this morning.   When I took the Girl to school, I did the ol' nares test and it came back positive.*  That's never a good sign. The temperature this morning on my trusty Springfield PreciseTemp was something like -15* F, although it hardly matters.  Once it is below zero, anything more is just a number to make it even more stupid than it already is. ~ So the Girl had her second grade Christmas program last evening, called "Hurray for Christmas!"  A cute 30 minute production.  She is very animated when she performs and she seems to love the stage.  Let's just say she's very enthusiastic when it comes to music. I cannot imagine where she gets that from. All dolled up and somewhere to go.  Think she's excited?  Second grade Christmas program, 12-5-13. With my little troupe there is always a story.   And last night was no exception. We (the Wife, the Boy and myself) settled into our seats in the gymnasium for...

My daughter found "elf tracks" in our back yard. How exciting!! Christmas can't be too far away.

In what is becoming more and more a bi-monthly update to my blog, I guess I will get up to snuff here for anyone left out there who actually reads this... We spent Christmas weekend in Bismarck, hosted by the Baumann's.  Lots of good food, good drink and good conversation.  The weather was ridiculously warm.  There was not a flake of snow on the ground between our place and their place.  The keywords were Brown and Drab .  You always worry about driving conditions in mid-December in this neck of the woods, but not this year.  It couldn't have been more perfect - even if it was a little strange. And so it remains.  We are 72 hours away from the New Year and we don't have a single, solitary whiff of snow.  What very little that has fallen has quickly melted because the temperatures have been above freezing.  I just looked at the 15 day forecast through the first part of January and the majority of forecasted highs are in the mid-to-upper 3...

Ava had her first official school Christmas program last night.  She sang loud and proud and knew the choreography by heart.  She thought that singing in front of an audience was "Awesome!" Afterwards, we made gingerbread houses (made out of graham crackers).  A good time was had by all! Singing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" Me and my girl making her ginger bread house Construction zone... The finished product, rewarded with a well-earned glass of punch. Not sure why the gingerbread man is standing on the roof... but I like the chocolate chip "garden" around the house.

Since it is the first of December, I'm trying to get into the Christmas spirit.  Of course, I have to do it in my own special way.  Usually putting up the Christmas tree is kind of a chore;  let's be honest, we do it for the kids. But here are a couple of trees I would only be too happy to help, er, "assemble." Take your pick: Grolsch or Heineken.  Both are fine by me!

A few photos of December 2010.  Staying home for New Year's Eve - having a little party with the kiddies.  Any excuse to wear a party hat is a good one! My little boy is getting big... I just wish he'd start speaking English, because I can't understand his Swahili. Ava putting the angel on top of the tree - with a little help. Christmas morning! A new Barbie car!  (Christmas morning) Oooooh..... toys! (Christmas morning) Who doesn't love to sled? More sledding and smiling...

I'd like to wish all of my blog readers a very Merry Christmas!  I've had over 14,000 visitors since I started blogging in October 2008 and because you keep coming back, I keep writing. Stay tuned for more LP covers... coming soon!

As we near the Christmas holiday, it is time to visit some holiday LP covers from the past that just aren't quite right... Something tells me this would never make it past the "idea" stage these days. Apparently Santa's middle name is "pedophile." Hmmm.... do you suppose parents had to explain this one to the children? Skinny Santa = Creepy Santa Speaking of a Creepy Claus... this looks like a mug shot for a serial killer. I Rove Chlistmas! In the days long before the internet, Norad tracked Santa with nuclear warheads at the ready (in case he was a racist commie rat bastard, ya know) and you got to hear the same "Santa news reports and holiday music selections" year after year after year! Look at the pure, wholesome names on this album: Pat Boone; Lawrence Welk; The Lennon Sisters.  I guess EVERYONE has a wild side!   'Tis the season, indeed... "Hello, Johnny.  Is that a pair of jingle bells you've got there...