Focus...Focus...

 That is sometimes what Sofi says to the dogs when they are acting crazy and needing to calm down...
"Hey Guys....Focus!"     It's really cute that she's transferring things she hears at 4 yr old Kindergarten, and recycling these phrases.  Am sure the teacher tells the kids to 'Focus' fairly often.   They DO need to focus...and me too!  (and the dogs, too!)

It's esp. daunting right now as we're between Thanksgiving and Xmas...days are short...at 7pm it feels like at least 10pm, since it's already been dark for like 3 hours...so it's hard to think of staying here longer, yet paralyzing to think of getting ready to get on the road..

I should be doing Xmas cards, but I find myself doing crosswords...a new obsession...or maybe, just procrastination.  Then, there are several birthdays thrown in...mine (which followed my mother's by 2 days, & it's one less we celebrate, now that she's not with us...except to tip a glass in her honor), and mine we just now lump with Sofi's, which was the 14th...and we celebrated the day after.  I wanted to just lump Xmas right in there, & distribute gifts early...but held off, so she could have her day to herself.  And yet...too many things remain to be done in the limited time available....
And maybe my real problem is...I'm going to be going away...and MISSING MY FAMILY HERE!!!
   How do people do that?     (Steve says I just need to get to Mexico...then, I won't want to leave...
He has more of a problem coming back here!)

Here is Evie with her newly acquired lineup of Nutcrackers, which I 'willed' to her, in downsizing.  She is a huge 'Nutcracker' fan.  She  has already attended many showings of the Nutcracker, and also The Christmas Carol and knows dialog, characters, etc. from both, and songs.

Here's Gram with her newest little granddaughter, Olivia.  Never enough huggin' for gram.

It's fun to watch the little ones at their birthday parties, and how they share (or don't) with their invitees. 

There is nothing like a well prepared, birthday dinner with family.  Somehow I missed getting the cake & candle blowing.

The train...absolute hit, as Sofi is a total train nut.  Everyone has their specialty.

For Violet, happiness is a nice, bendable snake which can fit into a used box.

I did find a photo of the birthday girl & her cousin Evie, shared from a facebook post by Nat, w/ Rachel.
yay! for blowing out the birthday candles....they did mine too!

Well, I count my blessings to have a wonderful family... and, with what's in the news, I know we all want to spend every precious minute with our families.  We are so blessed.
----------------------------------------



Having choices just makes life more difficult sometimes.
It's hard to go away.
I'm not sure about being a
snowbird...
Focus...Focus...

 

...and Hocus, Pocus.
I guess it might happen.



I'll sort it all out somehow.
I want to get away, but I want to bring my family with me.....I'm going to work at that!

12-12-12

TWELVE NOTABLE TWELVES

12 months in a year.

12 hours on a clock face.

12 inches in a foot.

12 strikes to bowl a perfect game.

12 people have walked on the moon.

12 face cards in a deck.

12 days of Christmas.

12 apostles of Jesus.

12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

12 jurors in felony trials.

12 signs of the Zodiac.

12 pairs of ribs in most humans.

Source: The Cincinnati Enquirer

I guess  the WI  legislature also made it a special day for #12, Aaron Rodgers, Packers Quarterback.

And as for myself, born on this day...I just had a nice, simple, day including a swim at the local YMCA, 

water walking with a granddaughter in the Lazy River , and a nice book club meeting in the evening with friends. 

I've always thought my mother chose a good day for my birthday;  I've always loved the number twelve. Thanks, Mom.

Maya Doomsday Myth

Well, thinking about Dec 21st coming, which so many have built up into an event...
I was at one time thinking I'd want to be on Isla, and participate in...whatever...but, now I don't care so much. I won't quite make it by then, and that's okay.

Ironically, just tonight, on the Jian Ghomeshi show, Q, from CBC  he had a guest discuss the whole thing, and put it in the proper perspective.  I really appreciate shows like this.
Lately, most of my education comes from Public Radio...and Wisconsin Public Radio is a leader in that regard, and also NPR, IPR and now I'm appreciating what Canadian Public Radio has to offer also.

I'm referring to the first part of the podcast, 'Misreading the Mayans'  and if you just go down to click on the audio, wait for him to announce the other topics, he'll get to guest & Mayan expert, Robert Sitler who discusses the Maya Doomsday Myth.

• Sunday, December 9, 2012 11:00pm
  Misreading the Mayans, Author Caitlin Moran, Director John Glen 12/10/2012
  Latin-American scholar Robert Sitler on why the myth that December 21st marks the end of the world persists, despite being a complete misreading of the Mayans' intent. Journalist and author Caitlin Moran on her new collection of music and pop culture essays, "Moranthology." A look at the enduring appeal of James Bond, with ex-Bond director John Glen.
  • Audio

Hanukkah, Snow, Xmas...& all that...

'Tis the season...
I guess listening to 'A Prairie Home Companion' with Garrison Keillor is kind of getting me 'in the mood' for these things.  And turns out the broadcast of Dec 8, 2012 is/was Hanukkah...and he was live at the Town Hall in NYC...so, there were a lot of references to things we just saw recently saw and did there, which keeps the city alive for me...

     ( note...upon revisiting, & checking these links, they don't seem to open exactly to the piece indicated. Although, I'm working w/a slow computer, & maybe it's just me...but, ? a note of caution...)
 
shopping at Zabar's, taxis, subway, Brooklyn...     listen to:      I Walk Everywhere
I Walk Everywhere - Pat Donohue and Shoe Band

 and  then, this is really fun, timely, and just hits me right now, with some things we're dealing with...

Hanukah in Santa Monica

The whole PHC broadcast this week is fresh and fun, so if you can get it & listen, you will be rewarded.  There are more fun songs, skits and stories in his best tradition, with a modern twist.

here's a cute Xmas tree skit    Trees


in fact, you should listen to the whole darned show...darned good this week. I think he saves his good material for when he's in NYC   ;-)     the Minnesota and prairie stuff does get rehashed a lot....
            http://prairiehome.publicradio.org


and the fact it was Hanukkah...well, let me just say that while not Jewish, lately I'm having several connections there...I'm getting a membership at the Jewish Cmmty  Center, which has a nice ozone-filtered pool, for one son's family (who could pass for looking Jewish...and have names to go with it; the other son has told me most took him to be Jewish by his name...in fact, thinking we fled Germany with such a name... who would have thought?  the things we deal with!
Furthermore, we may be doing some real estate business with an Israeli connection...I won't say more.

Maybe in another future post I can say how we've been mistaken for other ethnic identities...in China, in Merida, and around...

Today, it is snowing...our first snow...it is beautiful and fresh.  I do love it.
Here are some pics of outdoors here, and then some snowflakes made by Sofi for school.
(they were a homework assignment...to make a snowflake out of a paper coffee filter...a skill not ever learned by her mother, adopted at age 13 from India...just one of the many cultural things she missed!


and here is a snowman Sofi made today!

and nice snowy pics from around the farm....

December already ?

I'll post some pics of post-Thanksgiving cookie making with the granddaughters....joy and life & love.  Learning & creativity. Good times.

Even though Thanksgiving was early, and we had more month left afterward, it seems December is

whizzing along...and I'm not ready!   It's just too stressful to think of everything that needs to get done...and frankly, I'm starting to feel like a grinch.  I'm just not into the happy holidays anymore...including the gift giving, the shopping, the wrapping, the 'festivities' or whatever... I can see why some people suffer depression at this time of year...it's hard to get up for all that! 

I guess I do like the natural things...the woods, food, making cookies, even making a wreath, which I used to do a lot, and still make fresh wreaths for graves, and doors. But, not as many as I used to...

The cold weather, the dark days with sunset coming now before 4:30...what's to like about that?
I'm dreaming of Isla...and I even blame Isla.   Isla has ruined me in so many ways... ruined me for any other water...for any other beach...for winter here....and not only me, but Mr. S even more so.
It's tough;  there is guilt.  Being a lapsed Catholic, I'm familiar with that. And now it just seems compounded...
well, there is the end of the Mayan calendar coming... OR...the 'fiscal cliff' --take your pick!

Fall in WIsconsin

So pretty
to see the fall colors...this is a Garden Tea Room in Shorewood and nieta Evie browsing the upstairs sitting area. I love how this comes together, with all the plantings, the vines, sculptures, and the greenhouse...I wonder if I could do something like this on my rooftop?  well, maybe in Mexico?  That would of course be more doable...though, those gorgeous fall colors...probably not gonna happen there...
why don't people do more with their roofs?  It's such good real estate! I think rooftop gardens are gaining ground, esp. in cities...

Here is Nat with the Davauer crew, pre-baby...not sure they could all fit in a lineup now...but, I guess they could with Olivia strapped on in a front carrier...


Evie and Violet on their sidewalk...

the leaves everywhere are were just the perfect colors in late October

Evie is dressed in her 'Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz' costume, complete with wig, and ruby slippers.
Ever the drama queen, she is singing one of her many show tunes...
 and quite well, I must say...
for someone who is only 4 yrs old!



(she was Pocohontas this year; the Dorothy outfit was from last year)


Fall in Wisconsin...
Even in the city, it's lovely.
In the country, it's great too.
Had more photos, but having a problem with the camera, so maybe I'll add them later...but, wanted to post something final for Nov...and cannot believe it is the last day of Nov...a normally dreary and cloudy month here.
The photos from October capture the brilliance of that month & it's still worth being in the North for.
Nov....  not so much... and we will just pretend Dec is not here yet...(because I'm still here!!!) 

Deer Hunting...

This is a tradition which is just growing stronger, not dying, with 33% more women and 30% more young people, signed up with licenses to hunt this year (acc'd to what I heard on the news, at least). 
So...there have been gunshots around...and today I saw 3 deer in the back of a truck, a sight which always repulses me.  It is enough to make one think of going vegetarian. 

But... at least there will be an end to the shooting I hear around, by tomorrow... thank heavens. 

Above is a display in a local supermarket...the beer section, of course...
turkeys, deer heads...and...more mounted heads featuring antlers...Of course, being Wisconsin, the requisite Packer stuff...

 












 The following photos are from a junk/antique? shop in Brooklyn, NY...from a recent foray there...Hunting stuff is always in fashion I guess...or at least, there must be a market for it....or is it that it has become so cliche and folksy that it is used for interpreting stereotypes?   From what I gather, one is raised in a hunting tradition....or not....