Trip to Vermont

Well, we went to Vermont and came back all in one piece. Well, some of my pieces were black and blue, but at least they were still attached. I stepped on a rotten board on my dad's deck and fell through. Gave myself a wicked bruise.

While there I showed David my old stomping grounds. Putney Central, BUHS, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, Eden Park, General Store, Kimball Hill, West Hill, Putney School, Father's Restaurant, where most of my relatives lived at one time. The cemetary (where most of them are now.... ) and the Sugar House. And of course.... DUNKIN' DONUTS!

We drove all over the place and Dad had to give David a running commentary of the wells he drilled and how many gallons of water he got, and how many deer he shot and how many points they had....

David helped Dad move some of his woodpile because Dad can't do it anymore. He paid the price with a few spider bites that were really itchy and swollen.

It rained a lot when we were there. Dad has a hole in his roof and the water runs through the LIGHT FIXTURE and drips out in a steady stream. He has to get that fixed but it's so hard for a man who cannot see to find a roofing person in the phone book.

We made it back home -- barely. We had a connection in Detroit and had only a couple of minutes to get there and as we arrived, they were literally getting ready to give our seats away. We were so blessed to have made it in time.

We didn't get to visit too many people but we did see Donna and Rick and Katy and Brandon. I saw Tracy Brewer and Debbie Fitzpatrick. Caught of glimpse of Brian as he was cooking at the restaurant but it was lunch time and he was too busy to come out. But he waved. I told David I used to date Brian and he said, "That OLD man?" LOL...

Not sure when I will get back there. But hopefully not too long.

Solar Eclipse Wed.

Despite my excitement to go, I still have a really strong and pervasive sense of gloom and doom about this trip to Vermont tomorrow. It's so weird. I have had a feeling for months that something bad is going to happen in the world when David and I are there.

So then I see that there is a solar eclipse on Wed. though we won't be able to see it here in the states... just those in India, China.... but supposedly it's a "sign" that there will be a terrorist attack, or a mini war will erupt or something.

Geeez I hope not. I just want a nice trip to see my dad and get his house cleaned up. I do NOT want to be stuck in VT.

I hope all goes well. Then I can say, "See, I had all this anxiety for NOTHING."

Ramblings....

I really have nothing to say at the moment. I'm hungry and need to go find some food.

This weekend is the Kramer Family Reunion and they had their Kramer Family Olympics yesterday. I am going to the dinner this afternoon. Have not seen everybody for years so it should be interesting.

It's in honor of Conrad and Kerstin's 50th wedding anniversary.

Well, I need to go. I am getting dizzy from not eating.

Heading to Vermont the day after tomorrow. Yay.

Hope I can stay awake!

The kids and I are heading to out to see the new Harry Potter movie tonight. I did not sleep but 2 hours tops last night, and I am TIRED. I am also having stomach problems. I hope I can make it through the movie. I am excited to go though!

UPDATE: I was extremely disappointed. But I am not sure if it's because I was not feeling well, or if the movie was really that bad. SPOILER ALERT: (don't read any farther if you don't want to know ANYTHING about the movie)

We saw this in a brand new digital deluxe theatre. Leather seats that rocked, tons of leg room, huge huge screen, really nice surroundings. We had perfect seats because we were at the front of the line.

Now, it's been awhile since I read the book and I remember at the time I dubbed it the "hormonal teen" saga. Well, that is what the movie seemed to focus on most was all the stupid crushes between the characters, which in my opinion, was NOT the main focus of the story.

They pretty much omitted a load of detail about the "good wizards" club and the "bad wizards" club.... this is the book where you learn for SURE that Snape is on the side of the Dark Lord, but they hardly touched upon it. The book had you wondering through the whole thing if he really is on the Dark side, or if he is torn between the good and the dark, and in the movie... they omit that. They did not explain what the deal was with Malfoy and why he was behaving the way he was which did nothing more than make you think "What the hell is up with him?" everytime you see him. For those who read the book, you know what is going on, but what I liked about the previous movies is that they could stand on their own and make sense to people who NEVER read the book.

In this case, if you had not read the book, or if you had forgotten the book (like I had) then you were totally LOST through the whole thing and had no clue what was going on.

In reading the book, the absolute part of the story that took my breath away was when , er... a main character bites the dust and how it happened and it was so undramatic in the movie that I didn't feel a thing. Nothing. Could have cared less. I was crying when I read the book, but I almost yawned in the movie.

And puhleeze..... after that character is dead and the students do a "flick your bic" moment... I had to bite my tongue NOT TO LAUGH OUT LOUD..... Some people were sniffling in the audience and I guess I just totally missed the boat on that because it did not hit my heart strings in the least. Again, maybe because I was not feeling well.

I was also disappointed that they barely touched on how events in the wizarding world were causing the tragedies in the muggle world. That parallel was really well written in the book, and you see death eaters causing a bridge collapse in the movie, but it's barely touched upon and not explained at all and there were so many more tragedies in the book that just showed how the veil between the wizard/muggle world was getting thinner and thinner because of all the goings on..... none of that made it in the movie.

The scene where a family's house is destroyed had no effect on me either because you just don't understand WHY it was happening. They really botched the whole freaking storyline of good vs evil that was the predominant part of this book.

Less Snogging and more wizardry! Come on people!

And my biggest pet peeve about this movie..... they were so many allusions to alcohol and drugs in it that I was really unhappy. These are kids, still, and yet they were drinking a LOT at parties, and at the pub, and taking potions (aka drugs) and getting loopy. As a parent, that pissed me off.

So yeah, I am not happy with it. At all.

I kinda feel like this today.

LOL!

If Today Was Your Last Day.....

I have been listening to a song by Nickelback called "If Today Was Your Last Day" and I just love it.

Yeah, it's a little bit of a fatalistic type song, but it is also a very optimistic song about living life.

If today was your last day what would you do? You think about that and it really makes you realize what is most important to YOU personally.

Song by Nickelback ----

Lyrics:

My best friend gave me the best advice

He said each day's a gift and not a given right

Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind

And try to take the path less traveled by

That first step you take is the longest stride.

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late

Could you say goodbye to yesterday?

Would you live each moment like your last

Leave old pictures in the past?

Donate every dime you had, if today was your last day?

What if, what if, if today was your last day?

Against the grain should be a way of life

What's worth the price is always worth the fight

Every second counts cause there's no second try

So live like you're never living twice

Don't take the free ride in your own life.

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late

Could you say goodbye to yesterday?

Would you live each moment like your last?

Leave old pictures in the past?

Donate every dime you had?

And would you call those friends you never see?

Reminisce old memories?

Would you forgive your enemies?

And would you find that one you're dreaming of?

Swear up and down to God above

that you'd finally fall in love if today was your last day?

If today was your last day

Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?

You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars

Regardless of who you are

So do whatever it takes

Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life

Let nothing stand in your way

Cause the hands of time are never on your side

I like this....

How to Love A Child:

Be There.

Say Yes as often as possible.

Let them bang on pots and pans if they're crabby.

Put them in water.

If they're unloveable, love yourself.

Realize how important it is to be a child.

Go to a movie theatre in your pajamas.

Read books out loud, with joy.

Invent pleasures together.

Remember how really small they are.

Giggle a lot.

Surprise them.

Say no when necessary.

Teach feelings.

Heal your own inner child.

Learn about parenting.

Hug trees together.

Make loving safe.

Bake a cake and eat it with no hands.

Go find elephants and kiss them.

Plan to build a rocketship.

Imagine yourself magic.

Make a lot of forts with blankets.

Let your angel fly.

Reveal your own dreams.

Search out the positive.

Keep the gleam in your eye.

Mail letters to God.

Encourage silly.

Plant licorice in your garden.

Open up.

STOP YELLING!

Express your love a lot.

Speak kindly.

Paint their tennis shoes.

Handle with caring.

Children are miraculous!!

(photo courtesy of my friend Riss who admits she makes adorably weird kids).