Always Get Up.

 We are very fortunate to have these three little fellows in our lives.  They are fun, wild, silly, smart little boys and we love them so much.

Ezekiel.  Baby Boucher.

Not growing up.

Little Sassafras.

At one point I directed Katie to lick me.  

I think that's when they lost it.

Caption this.

spontaneous kissing.

the best kind

Katie and I drove to Omaha on Wednesday and came home Thursday.

Everyone is busy but I wanted one last visit this winter.  

Won't be until Spring or Summer when we get to be together again.

Driving home was horrid.  It was dark.  Little flurries came down just enough to wet the roads.   My headlights are so dim they are a menace.  I said to Katie, if we crash and I die and you live, you must sue Honda for selling cars with these ridiculously dim lights.  Did you know there is not a standard?  Well.  There should be.  I could not see fifty feet in front of me with the brights on.  Anyone else notice this problem?  For two hours I felt like I was driving into a black hole.  A nightmare I tell you.  A nightmare.

I will not be driving at night any more.  

I came home all shaken up.... 

Serious anxiety over it all.

Tomorrow we are going to Chicago for lunch.  

Emma has a boyfriend and he is visiting her for the weekend.  We 

would just love to meet him, so we are going down to the city for a how-do-you-do lunch.

Patrick is coming and he will be driving.

My least favorite holiday is coming.

But this year I will be happy to say Goodbye to 2017.

Big challenges and tragedies,

Big disappointments and worries.

But forward I will look with hope in my heart and thankfulness on my lips.

I mean. Just look at those happy boys.

And as for 2018...

Rule #1

Love You.

Mean it.

Donna Elsie

Hey! Unto you a child is born. Again.

Christmas is for reflecting.  

Looking back at your own life and remembering special, warm, happy times.

Remembering.

It's for remembering the story of Jesus' birth.

What that means to you and your faith.

The story of baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph is important to me

because it is where my faith begins.  And when I get overwhelmed with this crazy world,

and theology and stuff  I think about that that little baby in the manger and I think about Mary and the Angel and I ask myself, 

is it true?   

And my heart calms and I know all will be well.

Because in my heart I know it is true.

 from The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson,

"But as far as I'm concerned, Mary is always going to look a lot like Imogene Herdman - sort of nervous and bewildered, but ready to clobber anyone who laid a hand on her baby. And the Wise Men are always going to be Leroy and his brothers, bearing ham. When we came out of the church that night it was cold and clear, with crunchy snow underfoot and bright, bright stars overhead. And I thought about the Angel of the Lord - Gladys, with her skinny legs and her dirty sneakers sticking out from under her robe, yelling at all of us everywhere:

                                                       'Hey! Unto you a child is born!'


Love you,
Donna

(Repost)

All I want for Christmas is....

What does it say about you when THIS bologna hors d'oeuvre

says Merry Christmas to you?

I think it says you are from the 50's or 60's.

Tell me about an unusual food tradition that you have in your family.

I wonder if Ree would like to borrow this one for her next cookbook.

hahahaha....

Cheers!

Join the culinary fun!

Comment!

Donna

p.s. not my picture. found on google.

Stuck on LOVE

I wrote this in 2009.  And I just reread it today.

Thought I'd repost it.

Last night I finished reading Anne Lamott's book Plan B. 

I found some of her stories engaging and some hilarious, some were so sad and some were irritating.
But they are her stories told with her remarkable way of putting words together. She is self-deprecating and honest.
She is all about the love, baby. It's important to her to love.

It's just that....she has a real hard time loving her mom. She loves her by taking care of her when she is sick and dying.
But she really resents her for being the person she is. For her flaws and weird ways and inability to be a more normal/better mom.

It made me wonder if my children would only see my stupid flaws and weird ways and focus on those when I die.

And I suppose they will. At first. Parents have a way of hurting us when they are not perfect.

My parents were not perfect. But time has rinsed the pain away. What is left is the love.
I let those bad memories fade. I let them go. Way far way...into the fog.
The good memories, I draw near. I embrace them. I cherish them.

I think we need to be gentle with those who have died. 
Not for them. But for us.

Learning to forgive people for being the broken people they were is a balm to our souls.
Learning to have mercy heals our hearts.

Time heals.
Forgiveness heals.
Mercy heals.

And then what is left? 
The good parts.

The good parts of them. The good parts of us.

The love remains.
Like the cat's water bowl with the hard caked on lime. That lime that will not come off, no matter how hard you scrub.

That's what you want to be stuck with. That kind of stuck on love.

It's what remains.


With Love
Donna

Wisconsin Insider.

When Rachel was going to marry Mike on Suits this is the dress she wore.

The wedding did not happen.  Mike went to jail instead.

I thought she looked so beautiful and loved the dress.

I searched for the dress and pinned it on Pinterest.

It is made by Ann Barge.

It has been altered to be more modest.  (Said Meghan in an article)

I like them both.

So, Rachel's (Meghan) finance on Suits is named Mike.

His real name is Patrick J Adams.

Patrick has a Twitter.  Here are his two tweets after the engagement announcement.

I thought they were terribly clever and funny and sweet.

Lovelovelove.

And then last night on Instagram came this clever ditty.

When Harry Met Meghan....

as children in Love, Actually.

Uncanny.

It's not really them if you haven't seen Love, Actually.

It's just a little boy in love with a little girl. 

That's all the news from Wisconsin.

Happy FriYAY!

Miz Boo

The Relatives Came

It was 60 degrees the day after Thanksgiving...so we went to the school playground.  I hauled out my stroller for Zeke for the walk home.  The stroller was purchased when Matthew was a baby.  Still a nice stroller.  I saw Princess Diana's stroller in a magazine....and bought one just like it.

I had Pierre Deux purses like Diana and Hunter Boots like Diana and red flats with bows just like Diana.  A little kooky, I know.

Imagine my excitement over the newly engaged Harry and Meghan.  

I have been a huge fan of Suits and Meghan for years! 

What a remarkable thing.  

It's like a Hallmark movie come to life...but with really, really nice sets and wardrobe and hair and makeup and the very best flowers and REAL ROYALTY!

I'm so excited and happy for them.

The boys baked cookies with Bunka.

These boys will carry on the tradition of rolling out the cookies and decorating....cause I don't know how to do this part!

I rocked it with the knock-knock joke.

Knock Knock

Who's there?

Boo

Boo Who?

Don't cry!

A wonderful smile from a shy guy.

Katie's new pose.  Gone are the jazz hands.  

Lovely girls without makeup.

This is Emma's new pup, Harold. He is the boss.  Ginny was very sweet to him and showed him how to be a calm doggie.  He is a good boy...most of the time.  He brought some poop to Melinda and Emma on the couch one evening and we screamed....with laughter.  A memory we will never forget.

Matthew and Emma.  Sweet shot.

Come back soon Asher!

And everybody else!

Hope you had a wonderful holiday.  Count down to Christmas now.

Love ya!

Donna

Matthew's fine.

This summer was, let's say, complicated.

My prayer list grew as the days went by.

I usually jotted prayer requests down on a scrap of paper after a conversation or phone call

One day as I on my big computer I thought I would type up a nice prayer list and tape it on the bathroom wall.  Then I would remember to pray numerous times a day.

And there the list sat for two months.

Until September when Patrick and Emma came home for a visit.

Emerging from the bathroom, Patrick says, 'Hey, what about Matthew?"

(He is chuckling and has taken a picture of my list and immediately sends it to Matthew.)

I'm confused and wonder what he is talking about.

"The prayer list.  You are praying for everyone but Matthew."

Apparently Matthew had a good summer and I didn't add him to the list.

But oddly, everyone was there BUT HIM.

Now.  I know in my heart I love Matthew as much as all the other people on the list...

it's just...he's fine.  I don't feel guilt about this.

But the kids will not let me forget it.  

Later that day, I went to the bathroom.

Emma just could not stand that Matthew was not on the list.

and so she added him.

Dear God,

Please watch over Patrick and Shelby and Melinda and Katie and Emma and Matthew.

And thank you that Matthew is doing just fine.

Amen

Hygge. Huh?

As winter approaches with it's long dark nights and grumblings....

I wanted to offer a different perspective,

a happier, Danish perspective.

Last year I started hearing about Hygge.

(It is pronounced HOO-GA.)

It is an attitude.

A cozy, warm, gently lit, friendly attitude.

I think of it as slowing down and making the best of the ordinary days.

To me it is saying to myself, "Oh good, it's so nice and dark out, it's perfect for lighting candles and visiting and sitting by this fire with this blanket on my lap...and some cake and a book or a Hallmark movie with my knitting needles."

It's looking for the beauty and grace in the moment instead of dreading it.

This little page says it all.

I hope you can read it.

You know I don't like to be redundant.

I am trying to set up a little spot of coziness.  

I kind of already have one....or two.

But I think I need a little table to put books and candles and a bowl of soup.

But just thinking about this makes me feel calm inside.

Makes me want to pull up a blanket and turn down the lights and look out the window at the stars.

The book is full of nice ideas and statistics about light and candles and how the Danes look at life.

And honestly, it makes me a wee bit proud to be Danish.

Encourage one another,

Donna

                  

New York. Memories

Just a few more pictures of New York....

Did I share the lobster story?

Nice light on the Staten Island Ferry.

******

Today is Ezekiel's third birthday.

That was a cold November day.  I think it was four degrees.

Zeekie got a bicycle for his birthday.  

He and his brothers will go around and round the driveway next Spring.

Happy Birthday Buddy!

Three Candles on your cake.

Three kisses when you wake!

Love

Always,

Yaya