Wee house tour on the spookiest day of the year.

If you come to our house you will meet Ginny.
(whoa boy...she is gonna be all worked up tonight)




You will be greeted by a very cute sign made by Katie.




You will get a Butterfinger.




And you will meet the cutest little witch in the world.



Happy Halloween!

With love,

Donna BOOshay

Dancing makes me so happy..and so does Holly Henry's voice.

I love this song.

I love this dance!! I love the choreography!

Enjoy and I dare you not to smile.





And then this group dance.  'What the fox says."

What great choreography.
This song is a viral hit.  It's really dumb.
But this dance was too good not to share.
I predict this is the new party 'thriller' dance.

It scored three 10's.


***

And since I have a blog I get to share my opinion on the Voice and someone will read it.

Holly Henry was eliminated.

Here is my beef.  Holly has a unique and quiet voice.  Like James Taylor she does not sing big loud shrill ballads.  Unfortunately that is the kind of voice The Voice wants.

Her voice my not be super loud and forceful...but it is beautiful and lyrical and soulful.

Perhaps they need to change the name of the show to The Loudest Voice.  The fellow who beat her was gooney and I didn't like his voice or his style at all.  I have read that the judges did not know when they filmed this portion that Holly would be the definite front runner in itunes sales....which she is.

Like I said.  There are different kinds of voices and I liked hers the best.




So there.

Not watching the show anymore.


****

Now go be happy and watch those dances!


Lots of love....and opinions.
Donna Elsie

We are not dog people. Really.

We are not dog people. Really.

Not like some of my dear friends.  Not only do they love dogs but they know how to live with dogs.  Dogs are a part of the family.  It is not unusual for them to plan for and deal with the daily doggie goings on.

Here is what I mean.  We are all kind of shocked and put off a little when we travel or even just leave the house.  We are like...oh no....what about the dog.

I think people who have had dogs their whole lives are not really shocked about what to do with the dog....because having a dog has become a part of their psyche.

Or something like that.

My friend Cheryl has four dogs.  Those dogs are a handful.
But somehow she just goes with it and I never hear her complain about 'what am I going to do with the dogs'. She's got it figured out.

We on the other hand...are just learning.

It was natural for me to have a baby. I knew that I would have this baby with me ALL the time.

Somehow... this comes as a surprise to us with our Ginny.

I blame the cat.

We can leave the cat for a week in the house with food and water clean litter and she is fine.
That must have been what we were thinking.


Our Ginny is not quite two.  Her birthday is Halloween.  She has come a LONG way since last winter when I was about to put her on a plane to Arizona to live with my dog loving sister Janet.  Janet is a dog person.  To the max.  It is very natural for her to fit a doggie or two or three into her life.

The big news on the Ginny front today is that when Katie and I left the house at 7:30...we forgot to put her in her kennel.  Katie thought I did it.  I thought Katie did it.
We don't quite trust Ginny to be in the house by herself.
I pulled in the garage at 8:30 and opened the door to the house and who was standing at the door so happy to see me?
Ginny girl.

She was happy and a bit sheepish and very sweet.

I looked in the bathroom to see if she had gotten anything out of the garbage and then I looked in the living room to see if she had done anything naughty in there.  But she hadn't done anything naughty.

She was being a very good girl while I was away.  I know she knew that something was not right.
She's smart like that.

But I am very proud of her.  She is growing up so nicely.

When I get up in the morning the first thing I do is feed Ginny.  I always think of Cheryl when she wakes up (I really do).  She calls out "Hello Friends" to her crew.  I think....if she can do it with four...I can do it with one.

So you see, it just doesn't come naturally to me.

But with Ginny dear, I'm learning.
I love her very much.



Katie too.



“In a dog's life, some plaster would fall, some cushions would open, some rugs would shred. Like any relationship, this one had its costs. They were costs we came to accept and balance against the joy and amusement and protection and companionship he gave us.” 
~marley and me
~john grogan


Lots of love,
Donna

Indian Summer, The Trib, Terrific Teens.

Just as the Chicago Tribune did....I will post this every October.

We are not getting an Indian Summer this year.  We have gone from Summer to very chilly fall this year.  For the last three weeks we have been at least 10 degrees below normal every day.
It's fabulous for sleeping but terrible for photo shoots with small children.


***

CBS Sunday morning was a big sob fest for me yesterday....







I sure like seeing these stories featuring ordinary teens being extraordinary.
It's a good thing.


Encourage one another,
Donna

p.s. I hope your videos don't show as choppy as mine did.

Faces.

He had a face like a blessing.
~Cervantes



Funny faces. Pretty faces.

I want to kiss them right now.


 XOXO
Donna

ordinary day

Katie looking like Esther Jean wearing one of her cousins sweatshirts at our Target Starbucks where she will order a tall hot chocolate.





The big pumpkin is for people who are going to go trick or treating and stay out really long.  Katie can never eat all the candy she gets anyway.  While she thought it was funny and cute...she does NOT want to carry it around.  thankyouverymuch.





I watched The Chew last week.  Daphne Oz made this Pad Thai.  I thought it sounded simple enough.
I tell you, I used every pan and pot and bowl and spoon in my house.
sheesh.

The steps are mixed up on the recipe too.

The recipe, which I followed, forgot to tell you to make the sauce before sauteing the veggies and chicken and eggs.  I sauteed.  The the paper said, now add sauce.  Which had not been made yet.

While I do think the recipe is written incorrectly and I want to be mad at Daphne....

One of the first rules of cooking is to read the whole recipe first.

harrumph.

I liked the Pad Thai.  Katie said she liked it but ate very little.
I still like the Pad Thai my friend Lynn made for me and the blog about five years ago best.



Mr. Safety and Lynn make Pad Thai.


By the way.  I am a terrible chopper.  Look how big my cilantro is?
Any tips?

Plus.

I spent the rest of the day doing dishes.  It was like a clown car...they just kept coming...those dishes.


Enjoy your Friday!  I don't know what Katie and I will do today...
perhaps a little tire shopping.

I will be remembering sweet Sue as it is her birthday today.

But that's about it.

Hugs and Kisses.
Mean it.

Donna

my backyard

“If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with.”
~the wizard of oz


In which Dorothy speaks like a real Midwestern girl....ending that sentence with a preposition.  


***

Emma shared this with me today.  





"I'm doing the best I can."




Encourage one another,
Donna

A very sweet surprise.

Once upon a time Ree and donnaboucher crossed paths on The Well Trained Mind message boards.
Ree became The Pioneer Woman when she started her blog and the girls on TWTM message boards crowned me Miz Booshay.  Ree shortened that to Miz Boo.  She has always only called me Miz Boo.  Never Donna.  I have always liked being Boo for three reasons, Yogi's friend Boo Boo "Attaway BooBoo",  my baby nickname was Booba and "Hey Boo" from To Kill a Mockingbird.
Now Boo means 'girlfriend or boyfriend' as in My Boo.  That's sweet too.  So I like that nickname.  Can you blame me?

So when Ree mentioned on TWTM that she was starting a 'little blog'  I went over to visit and say 'hi'.
It was a little blog then.  But right from the start I was in love with her photos.  I asked about her camera and soon thereafter I got one for myself. Apparently Ree stopped by my blog a time or two and liked my pictures and when she redesigned her blog to add a photography section she surprised me with the request that I write for her.  I was delighted and said yes.  (I even get paid!)
Since then the girls and I went to the Ranch and met Ree and her family and Cyndi in person.
The photography section has run it's course and now I write for the Entertainment section when I can get it together.

Anyway, I thought I would tell you all of that because that is a question I get asked more than any other ...how did you meet The Pioneer Woman?


So each time Ree writes a new cookbook I get a friendly letter from an editor or secretary to see if I would like a copy.  Signed.  Unsigned.


This year I had a fun idea.  I would ask Ree to sign a book for my sister Cindy.  Cindy happily cooks many of Ree's recipes and does not have a signed book.  She also lives in northern Wisconsin and Ree just can't seem to get here.  (The lure of the country's best cheese and beer has not worked yet.)  So while I was in Omaha Patrick texted me that a book came in the mail.
When I got home I realized it was "A Year of Holidays"!





I was so excited!!  I took a picture and sent Cindy a picture of her special copy.  (I could not wait to surprise her in person.)  She was delighted!  Later on that same day, another book arrived at my house....I opened it up to see this:





Ree noticed that I was asking for something for my sister...and she wanted me to have a copy too.

I think she is the sweet one.

Thank you ReeRee.
I'm glad we're friends and can't wait to start cooking.



So there you have it.
The rest of the story.
Or something like that.


Happy Hump Day.
No school tomorrow and Friday.

We can't wait to stay in our jammies!

Encourage one another,
Donna

One day

In the last two weeks many, and I mean many, of the friends I have made due to this blog have been going through some very hard times; death, operations, cancer treatments, broken hearts.

It makes me feel guilty to post happy pictures about happy times.

But I also know that those happy times are the times that give us courage and hope.
That reminiscing about the past is often our way to connect with our dearly departed.  And sunshine and smiling babies and beauty really do make life better...even when we are so very sad.


I may be superficial :oP...but I feel your pain and I want to make things better...even tho most times I am not the one meant to do that....but I wish I could anyway.














One day.  Life will not hurt so much as it does today.

That is my prayer for my fellow travelers on this little blue ball...
this beautiful world....that holds so much beauty and love and pain and sadness.


with love
donna

Family

Spending time with Matthew and Melinda and Asher and Malachi was so wonderful.  I tried my best to follow their routines....which ended up being the easy part.  Asher is an independent little guy and Malachi is one happy dude.  It was the nipple on the bottle and the can opener and the tv and the nighty wrap that had me bumbling along.  Thank goodness Asher is patient.....and sweet.

Do you remember the episode of Andy Griffith when Aunt Bea can't seem to do anything right?  She can't fish and she can't play catch and Opie takes pity on her and thinks she needs to stay with them so they can take care of her.

Well.  That was me.  I am officially Aunt Bea.







Asher was not into getting his picture taken this time.  But you know what?  We need to catch up on Malachi baby pictures anyway :o)





Asher was playing with his best friend and they collided...or something.  There was no real explanation given.  But the "I'm sorry" drama that followed was pretty sweet and hilarious.





How cute is this?









Okay.  That's all for today.

Thanks for all the fun and thoughtful comments while I was away!

Those beautiful smiles tell you everything about my time in Omaha.

Always love,
Donna
aka Aunt Bea

I like his unpopular songs.

When I was in college my favorite albums were Fleetwood Mac and Donna Summers and A Star is Born with Barbra and Kris and JT (James Taylor).  I have never been a big fan of James' popular songs.  I like his unpopular songs.

Here are two from the album JT.







This is my favorite kind of guitar playing.







And when he sings 'I don't know if I told you but you hold my heart in your hand.  And I found out something about you, baby without you, I'm a lonely man."  I melt at the beauty of it.



I am going to Omaha for the weekend.  I will be watching Asher and Malachi while Matthew and Melinda go somewhere to celebrate Melinda's 30th birthday.  I am so looking forward to spending lots of time with the boys: looking into their eyes and kissing them and getting to know them a little better.


Have a lovely October weekend!

Encourage one another,
Donna

Look at the light.

Oh!—fruit loved of boyhood!—the old days recalling,

When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling!
When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin,
Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!

The Pumpkin

~John Greenleaf Whittier

Katie wondered why the pumpkin was carved. It seems other gourds have been carved and lighted to be used as lanterns.  The carving of pumpkins for Halloween seems to come from Europe and is connected with All Saints Day.  Pumpkins in windows could ward away evil spirits which were particularly busy at this time of year. (There are many other ideas and theories...but I like this one.)

****

This was taken after a gloomy day.  The sun peeked out from behind the heavy clouds and was gorgeous for a moment or two.

Ginny being chased by an evil spirit.

******

I luff light.  It makes me feel glowy and happy.

My mom pointed out the birds to us.  "Children! The geese!"

I point out the light.  "Oh! Look at that light."

If that is how they remember me....I'll be fine with that.

Encourage one another,

Donna

Off Contemplating.

While I waited.
I made sure my camera still worked.



Cute logo on the door.  This would be a nice place to bring your children on a rainy day... or a below zero day.  




Yesterday's picture was instagram.  Today's is unedited with big camera.
I like the green light bokeh.

It's the little things.

I was at faith group this morning.  We are reading a book about contemplative prayer.

Now that I am thinking about it...I'm super superficial.

I'll have to contemplate that.

I'm more of a 'what should I do' to live out my faith?' and less of 'what's in my soul?' kind of girl.
It's interesting.

I wonder what's in there.
I'll let you know what I find.

Encourage one another,
Donna

Hullo

Hi! Sorry I'm late.  I was off trying to take pictures in a dark children's museum due to the rain.  We are going to try to get more photos on a sunnier day.  I'm happy about that.  My most important goal is to get pictures that make all of us happy.  It's just not possible for this natural light photographer to be happy with indoor lighting and cramped shooting.

Well. We tried.

Now I can rest with Ginny...watch a few hours of tv...and then go back to town to pick up Miss Daisy.

I bought fresh bagels and the Everything bagels made my car smell amazing when I got in after the photo shoot.  My car smelled just like the bagel factory.




Why wasn't my photo shoot yesterday?
Look how our tree has grown.  It is showing off.  As is little photo bomb expert Katie.



This is me and a calf waiting for the museum to open.
In the rain.
On a Tuesday.
Moo.


Time for a Dr. Pepper.

XOXO
Donna

Emma runs the Chicago Marathon.

We drove thru horrid rain and traffic to get to Chicago by 3:30 on Saturday.  Emma's new apartment is very nice and right next to a big park.  (She lives in Lincoln Square...which is NOT Lincoln Park.  It's farther away from the city and middle class.)  Soon after arriving we went to the dog park.  It is one of my favorite things to do...because it is Ginny's favorite thing to do.







This is our girls....in a nutshell.




A very nice picture.  Sadly out of focus.  But I like it anyway.






At mile eleven right outside an apartment building Emma lived in at Moody.
She was doing great at this point.
She said that she really felt quite good...





Until the last eight miles.
This is mile 24.  Emma was slowing down but perked right up when she saw us!!
She later told me that at this point all you can think of is "Why are we all doing this? Never again."
She said that her hands were tingling and her legs were numb.

Her time was 4:49:18

Her training was interrupted this last month due to illness and an injury so we are all so happy she tried it anyway and finished with a nice score!  The average woman's score is 4:51.

We are so proud of her and were so thrilled to be her support and encouragement along the way.  She says she saw many friends and was tickled by that!


We were impressed by the guys and girls who tear by and run the race in two hours.  It is unthinkable how they can run like that.
We were touched by the blind people running with guides and humored by the people in silly costumes.  Katie found Waldo and yelled to him, I found you!


Emma was happy to finish the race and feel so well.  We are glad she did not drop dead like that ancient dude.

It was a perfect day for a marathon and for making memories that will last a lifetime.


Encourage one another,
Donna