And then life happened.

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I was planning on blogging, and then —

Work exhausted me. ‘Nuff said.

I prepped my usual staff meeting night chili and had Amigo add the noodles. I almost forgot to plug in the crock pot before I left for work.

I graded a megaton of final drafts. The student who submitted the wrong document (again) asked me to send it back to her because she’d accidentally deleted her draft – again. Nope.

My boss was followed, road rage style, on her way to school by someone with a vehicle that looked exactly like mine. (It’s okay. She knows it wasn’t me. I just happened to pull in the parking lot right behind her and wonder why the liaison officer was glaring at me.)

I still can’t find my zip-up Packer sweater.

I brought my laptop to the computer store for diagnosis and repair, and was told that it might take almost a full week to get parts shipped in and fix it. A week? My holiday shopping spreadsheet

And then my luck started turning around.

I arrived at school early this morning, Kwik Trip coffee and muffin and cranberry juice (never mind why the cranberry juice) in hand, turned on my Canadian Brass Christmas CD and graded papers like a machine.

I spent the afternoon on a field trip — a tour of Lambeau Field and the Packer Hall of Fame, ending with a “tour” of the Packer Pro Shop. I wore my “ugly” green and gold sweater, and all the families on the tour loved it.

Computer store called. My laptop did not need repair after all. We took off our cozy slippers and drove to the store immediately. We bought a spare power cord, just in case the current cord is wearing out but wouldn’t show it to the wonderful geeks who fix things. That totally happens, people. It’s like the kid recovering miraculously in the doctor’s office.

We received a package with a big tin of popcorn in it. I think I’ll eat some for breakfast.

I now have my holiday shopping spreadsheet again. No one will be forgotten for Christmas.

Life is good.

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Light! More light! Mason jar light!

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That was our college motto: Light! More light! These are lights we saw at a local vintage store. They’re made from canning jars, hanging on chains that are a nice shade of blue, much like my kitchen.

Jar lights

Jar lights

We looked at them closely and decided they would be better with a more original shaped bulb, but we could do that. Then we walked a little farther down the row and saw this one.

More light!

More light!

This one is more of a plain color scheme and has no chain. It would work in our dining room, though. Then Chuck had an idea.

“Let’s call the booth owner and see if we can contract him or her to make a set of hanging lights to replace the chandelier above the dining room table. Take a wagon wheel, for example, and hang four of these lights from it. That would look awesome.”

Well, the booth owner didn’t have anymore mason jar lights, and she wasn’t interested in doing custom work (party pooper). I do know someone who might, though. She makes and refinishes custom furniture. If she’s not interested in the electrical part of it, Chuck can do that.

Think. Think. Think. This has possibilities.

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Music soothes.

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Like the rest of the world, we had a hard time last week, listening to the news coming out of San Bernardino, California. Two circumstances brought it close to home: that the shooting was in a center that served adults with developmental disabilities, and that a school for the blind was directly across the street.

News folks talked to a leader at the center from the blind, announced that no one there was hurt, and they had in fact sheltered some who ran from the shooting site. We felt a small amount of relief.

Then we took a collective deep breath and went on with our lives. Amigo put on his costume for the Barbershop Bistro show, and we headed out of the house. Chuck and Amigo left their phones behind. I set mine on vibrate and tucked it deep in my purse. When we arrived, we set the sad world news aside for a little while.

The show had a 1940s theme. Here's Amigo.

The show had a 1940s theme. Here’s Amigo.

Just a few weeks earlier, we’d been at the local museum for the Festival of Trees. Can you find Amigo in the group? At first, neither could I. He fits in very well.

Jingle, Jingle, Jingle!

Jingle, Jingle, Jingle!

Music soothes. It can’t take away the violence, but it can take us out of the big bad world for a little while, lower our blood pressure, and celebrate being together with those we love.

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As Seen On TV

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I had to read this three times before I really believed it was on the air, in the crawl at the base of the screen on a local shall-remain-nameless evening news show.

The Wisconsin state assembly passed a bill doubling the limit on campaign contributions and allowing candidates to coordinate with shadowy special interest groups without debate.

I’m not sure which is worse: the obvious bias or the split-all-to-heck descriptor. No, I take that back. The worst part of this sentence is that it’s true. The state assembly passed, without debate, a bill raising the ceiling on campaign contributions, among other changes. Meanwhile, voters are still waiting for a response to Russ Feingold’s proposal, The Badger Pledge.

I guess I’ll just keep going to work, grading essays, teaching students how to coin a phrase better than our local news folk.

Grammar Police

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‘Tis the Wrapping Season again

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Ah, yes. It’s time to remind myself (as if I needed the reminder) of my personal rule: No New Wrapping Papers. I give in on ribbons, invisible tape, and a few other basics. But as for wrapping paper, I dig in my heels.

Wrapping paper is:

  • rarely recycled
  • even more rarely recyclable
  • not suitable for fireplaces
  • wasteful (as in it fills the garbage bin)
  • a waste of money

I am lenient on the  re-use of gift bags – key word, re-use. I stuff the aforementioned bags with reused and reusable tissue. Sometimes we even decorate a plain bag with small scraps of re-purposed wrapping paper.

Keep sending the old fashioned snail mail holiday cards! Besides enjoying them, we reuse many cards as gift tags. I cut circles out of cards to make decorative tops for canned goods (pickles and jams, especially).

My family still gives me a hard time when I carefully unwrap big packages in order to re-use portions of the paper. That doesn’t stop me from doing it.

I ran into a dilemma yesterday. What about buying wrapping paper at a thrift store? Well, that kind of purchase doesn’t waste as much money, and the purchase price often goes toward a good cause. However, gift wrap purchased elsewhere is still rarely recycled or recyclable, and still not suitable for fireplaces. It’ll still fill the garbage bin, too. I decided not to buy it.

Readers, can you help me expand on the environmentally sound wrapping wisdom? Comment if you can.

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‘Tis the Season for the Tunes

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Subtitle: The Tunes and the Stories – The Christmas music CDs and the stories they bring to mind.

I did some sorting today. Here’s the result – or most of the result. I think a few are missing. I have La Petite’s She and HIm. Maybe she has my Michael Buble. And where’s the Josh Groban?

It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas!

It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas!

I sorted through our Christmas music collection and organized it – as best I could. This brought conversations like the following.

John Denver goes after the Ray Charles, or maybe I should file this under M for Muppets. Does Charlie Brown Christmas belong under C for Charlie, B for Brown, or G  – for Vince Guaraldi? Mannheim Steamroller almost needs its own section.

Pentatonix, the Blenders, Rockapella – and then a random compilation of a capella performers. Sting, Taylor Swift, the Swingle Singers, Take 6. Oh, and after Mannheim Steamroller come the Nylons and Olivia Newton-John. Wait a minute. Newton-John comes before  Nylons.

Amigo enjoyed reminiscing, too. I ran into a Malt Shop Memories CD – lots of oldies, lots of fun. He remembered that Jan and Dean had a great Frosty the Snowman on that collection.

Chanticleer, Charlie Brown (for now), Burl Ives, Al Jarreau, Spike Jones. That one must be Amigo’s. It goes well with his Dr. Demento collection, which includes the adorable ear worm “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.” You’re welcome.

Chuck sorted through the collection many years ago looking for background music for something he was doing at work. In the process of sorting, he realized we had 10 covers of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Just for fun, we decided to burn a CD of all Rudolph. Before we could do that, we needed Burl Ives. We found him (he’s filed next to Al Jarreau, see above) and then found out we really needed Gene Autry. We found Gene Autry in an odd place for music – an office supply store. Years after creating the CD I call the Rudolph Compendium, we’ve found a few more. The Temptations? Really? Cool.

Ella Fitzgerald and Michael Franks fit in after Gloria Estefan – one of my favorites. Just think – Gloria came to the United States as a young refugee from Cuba.. She and her family were safe from persecution here, and she found her way into a career that brings joy to many. In fact, I think I’ll bring her “Christmas through your eyes” CD to school with me tomorrow.

It’s time to fill the cubicles with music.

Readers, do you have favorite songs around this time of year? Is there a story behind the song, or a story behind one special cover by one special performer? Please share.

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Refugees are welcome here, Governor and the rest.

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Dear Governor Walker;

I am concerned and rather embarrassed that the governor of my fair state has followed the Republican pack and denounced refugees that might seek a home in our state. Demonizing displaced Syrians is no way to lead.

Sincerely welcoming Syrians, Daisy

Dear Speaker Ryan;

Using your newly acquired soapbox to encourage prejudice and bigotry does not make you look strong; it makes you look uninformed and weak.

Seriously doubting the Speaker, Daisy

Dear #12 (Aaron Rodgers, if anyone needs a reminder);

In your position as award-winning NFL quarterback, you often have opportunities to speak to many. In denouncing the rude person who shouted anti-Muslim sentiments during the moment of silence, you used that opportunity to make a strong statement. The teacher in me loves that you used the phrase “prejudicial ideology” – the human in me loves that you took a stand.

Packer stockholder and lifelong fan, Daisy

Dear Senator (not for long if I can help it) Johnson;

I’m really getting tired of the misleading third-party commercials. If you can’t control them, you could at least show your disapproval by signing and honoring the Badger Pledge. Unless, of course, you approve of those negative ads – or enjoy their twisted support.

Decidedly Democrat, Daisy

Dear Russ (Feingold, that is);

I respect and appreciate your grass roots strategies. You are reaching out to everyday, ordinary people, and that’s where you’ll learn what Wisconsin citizens really need. That’s also how Wisconsin citizens will get to know you again and vote you back into the Senate where you belong.

Progressively Yours, Daisy

 

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Winter, We’re Ready.

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The rain barrels are emptied and turned upside down.

The cushions are inside.

Onion and garlic are planted; we’ll see if they come up in the spring or if the winter critters dig them up. I saved a few bulbs and cloves, just in case.

The lawn and the leaves got mowed into mulch one last time and dumped on the garden plots.

Lawnmower is in the shed, and snowblowers are in the garage.

Winter jackets are in the mudroom, and the windbreakers have been through the wash and put away.

Gloves and mittens sit in the back hallway where the baseball caps used to be.

I have pumpkin spice coffee in the coffeemaker.

I’m ready, Winter. Bring it on.

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