Just me and my kid day

I am so thankful to God for giving me the relationship I have with my son. Today, we both were up well before dawn and on the road to St. Louis....to go shopping, together, just the two of us. We started this tradition when he was in a stroller and being in Pennsylvania, and the only people I really knew worked for Walmart (get the picture there was NOBODY off that day to babysit), I would just drag him along with me. Today, he drove me, so I guess the tables have turned a little. One year, I left him with my mom so I could shop for him, I went by myself and I was miserable (not to mention I got a speeding ticket on my way that morning that I kept a secret for over a year)...Anyway, I treasure each year that he still wants to go along. We don't really Christmas shop, we just bargain shop and eat, and visit and enjoy each other. Today was no exception. He was asked Sunday if we were taking his girlfriend, his reply: "Nope, it's a Mom and me day". It was a wonderful day for me, and I think it was for him too. (and driving to St. Louis Mills wasn't nearly the white knuckle experience for us this time!)

And By the Way.......

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

We had a very quiet Thanksgiving at home, Robert went and got Mom and her dog, Mandy and brought them down for dinner (disclaimer: Mom is perfectly capable of driving but Robert seemed to think she would be better not driving at night if she didn't have to). We also had pineapple cheesecake for dessert for Andrew's birthday- he is allergic to eggs so no bake cheesecakes win out over cake when we celebrate his birthday and pineapple is his favorite.

Andrew of course, had to go to work, to get ready for the crowds in the morning. BTW, the Olney store shrinkwrapped their pallets with CLEAR shrinkwrap this year-if you have ever been to a blitz at Walmart, you know it is usually wrapped in black, so this year you get a little extra heads up on where the stuff is going to be. One day last week, I got in the jeep and there was a clipboard of where everything was going to be laid out but I was a good wife and left it alone.

Hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving!

Did You Watch the Parade?

It seems I realize I have many traditions, one of them is watching the parade on Thanksgiving morning. I thought today's parade was really great and saw something that really intrigued me--The Awesome Original Second Time Arounders Marching Band; yes, it is the complete name- awesome included and of course, it is the alumni band on steroids. It was founded on the premise that band members never quit dreaming of marching one more time---hmmm.. there are more crazy people like me out there...that may be a scary thing!

Another really cool thing was Idina Menzel sang a song from her new album, I have got to get this! She was the original Elphaba from Wicked and though I have never seen her in person, I have the soundtrack with her singing. I love Elphaba and have always been more of an Elphaba fan than a Galinda fan.

Happy Birthday Honey!!

I thought it would be fitting to put this picutre in as this was the first pictures of us taken together, on Thanksgiving, the day after his birthday 17 years ago. This would result in being our only "engagement pictures" as a week and a day later, we eloped. So, it is the 17th birthday I have shared with him and number 44 all together.

This was taken the morning we left for Orlando with the kids last year, and this one......
was taken last Thanksgiving, as we shared our meal with the other band families at our hotel.

2008 Bands of the Year

Check this out!!!!

This is off of the ilmarching.com website.

Congratulations to Marian Catholic, Morton, Eureka, and Newton!

2008 Bands of the Year
Filed under:
News— ilmarching @ 5:59 pm
Every year after the marching season ends (after Grand Nationals), we conduct voting to decide which bands to name “Bands of the Year.” This year’s voting consisted of 11 voters, both Illinois Marching Online staff members as well as State of Illinois band directors - the largest turnout to vote we’ve had to date. All of the bands listed below have achieved high quality compared to their peers, and are worth of special honor.
This year marks the debut of our caption awards. Caption awards were discussed between the members of the Illinois Marching Online staff (band directors had no input). We hope these caption awards recognize special parts of some particular bands that really made this season outstanding.
Without further ado, the 2008 Illinois Marching Online Bands of the Year!

2008 Illinois Marching Online Bands of the Year
Division I1. Marian Catholic (87 points, 10 first-place)
2. Lincoln-Way East (68 points, 1 first-place)
3. Prospect (60 points)
4. Lake Park (55 points)
5. Victor J. Andrew (28 points)
6. John Hersey (24 points)
7. Lincoln-Way Central (22 points)*
8. Naperville North (22 points)*
Wins Tiebreaker: more ballot mentions
Outstanding Percussion: Victor J. Andrew
Outstanding Auxillary: Marian Catholic
Outstanding Winds: Marian Catholic
Outstanding GE: Lincoln-Way East
Outstanding Drum Major: Prospect

Division II
1. Morton (77 points, 11 first-place)
2. Lincoln-Way North (57 points)
3. Bloomington (35 points)
4. Lemont (32 points)
5. Dunlap (26 points)
6. Geneseo (24 points)
7. Washington (18 points)
Outstanding Percussion: Morton
Outstanding Auxillary: Morton
Outstanding Winds: Morton
Outstanding GE: Lincoln-Way North
Outstanding Drum Major: Galesburg

Division III
1. Eureka (39 points, 9 first-place)
2. Macomb (26 points)
3. Prairie Central (11 points)
4. Normal University (10 points)
IVC (1 first-place)Richmond-Burton (1 first-place)

Outstanding Percussion: Normal University
Outstanding Auxillary: Eureka
Outstanding Winds: Normal University
Outstanding GE: Eureka
Outstanding Drum Major: Herscher

Division IV
1. Newton (27 points, 6 first-place)
2. Tri-Valley (13 points, 3 first-place)
3. Atwood-Hammond (11 points, 1 first-place)
Watseka (1 first-place)

Outstanding Percussion: Atwood-Hammond
Outstanding Auxillary: Newton
Outstanding Winds: Newton
Outstanding GE: Atwood-Hammond
Outstanding Drum Major: Atwood-Hammond

Way to go Robert!

As many of you know, Robert has struggled for years with "booklearning". He can tear an engine apart and put it back together in his sleep ( he tore Mom's lawnmower apart at age 5, and yes, when he got it back together, it ran). His weakness has always been getting through school. Of course, this year he FINALLY got to take a shop class- which he has an A in, of course. The thing is, everything else has clicked, especially this semester. He has B's in History, Health and ENGLISH- he has NEVER in his life, had anything higher than a D in English. He has one C right now and that is in Geometry, but he and the teacher both think it could be a B by the semester's end. I am so very proud of what he is doing, for the first time in his life, I feel he really cares about his grades. Keep it up, kiddo. You are doing FANTASTIC!!!

Isn't this a cool picture?

The Logan County Courthouse is reflected in the chrome bumper of a classic car parked on the square. The new Route 66 signage will have a chrome theme to the new roadside signs.

Of course, I posted a couple of weeks ago that my sister, Nila, was doing freelance work for the Lincoln Daily News. This is really taking off for her and she has done several stories already. I think this is so cool because honestly, writing is her first love (and she is really good at it!). She also takes her own pictures though, which is also a hobby for her. I just thought this was too cool especially when you read the caption and see how it all ties into the article she wrote. I told her I think the neatest thing about writing for the paper is to be out and about and hear people talking and hear, "Well, I read in the paper....." and know that your story was what they were reading!

Here they are, the parade that was a year to date ago. Last year, it was the day before Thanksgiving, and pardon the pun but everything seemed to be "magical". I think it is funny that Robert marched in the middle of the tubas last year, eventhough he played trumpet. He is now part of the lower brass section-must of been a precursor of things to come. I thought it was funny because I was a rover for all four years, I marched where there was a hole farther up toward the front of the band, I marched in the trumpet section many times, and if there wasn't any holes for that particular parade, I would march between two of the bass drums, that was interesting on narrow streets.

This has been a whale of a week, I am SO GLAD it is Friday, I feel like I've "made it" through something although I have a million different directions to go today too. I do love being busy and I love the fact that my job is so diverse I never know where it is going to lead me. This week, it led me a lot of places, and it felt like all at once. The nice thing is, at 4:00 this evening, I am going to have everything I planned to have finished done and everything everyone else had planned for me to accomplish done also. That actually makes for a great weekend!

Happy Friday!!!

Where were you a year ago today?

I know where I was, on a charter bus on our way to Florida with the band. Wow, hard to believe that was a year ago, and at the same time, I WANNA GO BACK!!! We had such a good time on that trip. I will post pictures in a couple of days to commemorate the parade. Right now, I am traveling again, just not quite as fun this year (still fun but it's work too). I spent the morning in Paris and now I am in Tuscola. I have an energy workshop tonight at 5:30 here, it's gonna be a LONG day!

Black Friday

If any of the rest of you are crazy like me and get up at the crack of dawn on Black Friday, I want to share this website.
http://www.theblackfriday.com

This has the ads that have been leaked so you can plan your shopping day accordingly. Of course, if you look closely, you will see some like Wal-mart's part says it will release it when the store does, because Walmart theatened to sue but there are a lot of places you can look at anyway.

Have Fun!!

It Bloomed!!!

This actually happened earlier this week, just now getting a chance to blog it. On top of everything else, I am now realizing there are two little babies growing off the side of it. I am sure there is an object lesson (or several) in this.......

Pops- The Pictures

Another Pops concert is in the books. If you missed it, you missed some wonderful entertainment. I have already said all there is to say in praise of these kids, so now, here's the pics.



This is the dance Josh, Nick, Danny, Jared, Landon and Robert did during "It's Raining Men". When Robert came home and said they were doing "It's Raining Men", I said, "when you come home wanting your trench coat, I am going to worry." They were having practice for the concert on the same night we were having a meeting about the band classic, I told Landon's mom that, I bet she got a kick out of it when he came home that night and told her because that was the same night Robert walked in and said he needed to take his trenchcoat, as well as his dad's to school.
This is Robert's friend Leah, who did a wonderful solo and accompanied herself on the piano. My friend Sharon said Leah reminded her of Alanis Morissette, she has a beautiful voice. There were several wonderful solos and groups. One of my favorites was "Life in a Northern Town".Good Job kids!
Of course, here are the kids, it's nice that they are both in band and chorus both, at least they get to see each other while they are so busy.

Everyone Save the Date: Thouroughly Modern Millie will be performed April 16-19th. Can't wait!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!!

My mom is turning 69 today! Happy Birthday Mom!

Absolutely Fabulous!!!

Anyone who is waiting until tonight to go to the Pops Concert- you will not be disappointed (Sarah, I think Jack will be mesmerized). Every year, those kids, and Mrs. Conour just simply amaze me. I brought my boss, Brenda and my friend Sharon from work. They were both quite impressed- this was Brenda's second year of coming, so she was excited from the get-go. Last year, one of my friends from work came and asked if these kids were really all from Jasper county. It IS hard to believe there is so much talent in one little community. I have pictures but thought I would save them until tomorrow plus I want to take a few more tonight.

Last year, Robert was part of the chorus and did little more than move the microphones in the dark. This year, he is one of the dancers in the second song and has a one line solo at the end. I wanted him to try out for a solo this year but he said that would be more his place next year, so I am going to hold him to it.

When you see these kids, remember that probably at least half of them are in band and we just came off of a big marching season with practices every Tuesday and Thursday night since the second week of August. The first Tuesday night that there wasn't band practice, they all went to school and worked on this concert (and have spent many more hours there since). I am amazed in a world where so many teens are into things they shouldn't be that we have so many brilliant young people who excel at the good things. I also am amazed at how tight knit they are. You can see this in their performances. There is just no way around it, in my eyes, our kids are AWESOME!!!

Remember, 7:00 tonight, five bucks will get you in, see you there!!!

Pops Concert

Tonight and tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m, you have the opportunity to see some of the county's brightest and best young people. If you have never been to a Pops concert, now is your chance. This is the same calibur of entertainment many people drive miles and miles to see. These kids are awesome and though I have only heard bits and pieces of what is going to be happening, This is not your typical chorus concert, this is truly entertainment. I can't wait. I get so enthused about their dedication, over half of them just came off of marching season and started in on extra practices for this. Hope to see you there!

My Sister, The Freelancer

I got an e-mail from my sister, Nila, yesterday, telling me to go to the Lincoln Daily News website and look at the Kenseth car picture, then at the Lincoln-Douglas debate story. When I saw the NASCAR name, I assumed I was looking because Richard would be in the picture, but I didn't know what the other would be about. So, I opened the page and sure enough, there was my brother-in-law looking at the Kenseth car, but at the bottom it said "Picture and Caption by Nila Smith". Then I turned over to the Lincoln-Douglas Debate story, which was a really nice big article and low and behold, it was by Nila also! When she was in high school, writing was her big thing, in fact she wrote several columns for the Newton Press called "The Bridge", which was created to "bridge the gap" between the community and the high school, basically telling the human interest side of High School. Now she has come full circle and is back to writing. I have to tell you it is really cool! Congratulations Sis!

Isn't It True???

My friend Ronda sent this out and though I had seen similiar ones, I just thought I would share for a good laugh. The very things that are listed on this post are many of the reasons I wanted to get as far away from Jasper county as I could. And how ironic, that once I got away, the very things that are listed were the same reasons I wanted to come home. Number 5 for me was more like "you got pulled over and your parents knew it before you got home", there was even one time, I didn't even get pulled over, a cop just called in my plates, I don't even know why, but it turned into a federal case really fast. Believe me though, it is still better to know everyone's business than to live in a duplex for a year and never be able to learn the people's name that basically lived under the same roof as you.

SMALL TOWNS
(If you did come from a background like this, you're gonna be going down Memory Lane for sure!)

Those who grew up in small towns will laugh when they read this. Those who didn't will be in disbelief and won't understand how true it is.
1) You can name everyone you graduated with.
2) You know what 4-H means.
3) You went to parties at a pasture, barn, gravel pit, or in the middle of a dirt road. On Monday you could always tell who was at the party because of the scratches on their legs from running through the woods when the party was busted. (See #6.)
4) You used to 'cruise' Main St.
5) You whispered the 'F' word and your parents knew within the hour.
6) You scheduled parties around the schedules of different police officers, because you knew which ones would bust you and which ones wouldn't.
7) You could never buy cigarettes because all the store clerks knew how old you were (and if you were old enough, they'd tell your parents anyhow). Besides, where would you get the money?
8) When you did find somebody old enough and brave enough to buy cigarettes, you still had to go out into the country and drive on back roads to smoke them.
9) You knew which section of the ditch you would find the beer your buyer dropped off.
10) It was cool to date somebody from the neighboring town.
11) The whole school went to the same party after graduation.
12) You didn't give directions by street names but rather by references. Turn by Nelson's house, go 2 blocks to Anderson 's, and it's four houses left of the track field.
13) The golf course had only 9 holes.
14) You couldn't help but date a friend's ex-boyfriend/girlfriend.
15) Your car stayed filthy because of the dirt roads, and you will never own a dark vehicle for this reason.
16) The town next to you was considered 'trashy' or 'snooty,' but was actually just like your town.
17) You referred to anyone with a house newer then 1955 as the 'rich' people.
18) The people in the 'big city' dressed funny, and then you picked up the trend 2 years later.
19) Anyone you wanted could be found at the local gas station or the “TasteeFreeze”.
20) You saw at least one friend a week driving a tractor through town or one of your friends driving a grain truck to school occasionally.
21) The gym teacher suggested you haul hay for the summer to get stronger.
22) Directions were given using THE stop light as a reference.
23) When you decided to walk somewhere for exercise, 5 people would pull over and ask if you wanted a ride.
24) Your teachers called you by your older siblings' names.
25) Your teachers remembered when they taught your parents.
26) You could charge at any local store or write checks without any ID.
27) There was no McDonalds.
28) The closest mall was over an hour away.
29) It was normal to see an old man riding through town on a riding lawn mower.
30) You've pee'd in a cornfield.
31) Most people went by a nickname.
32) You laughed reading this because you know it is true!

Happy Birthday Bob!!!

Today is my father-in-law's birthday, hope he has a great one! I can't believe that picture was taken almost a year ago! What fun we had in Disney with the band, I am still very thankful that you decided to meet us there. It is something we will all always treasure.
Happy Birthday!!

My Supermen

The kid got his license and since has made two trips to BP to get first himself a Polar Pop, then a couple hours later, his dad a Polar Pop, (yes, we have soda, go figure! at least it's only about 5 blocks). Not to mention the fact that we drove right by BP on our way home from getting his license, but we were in the van and he wanted to take the Jeep. Hopefully by Christmas, the El Camino will be fully up and running and legal, They finished fixing the exhaust and manifold, so now it "purrs", he has one highbeam, one lowbeam, and one taillight, and a busted windshield. This is all that stands in the way now. Seems pretty close.

Now they are busy at work on my van, replacing the water pump. The funny part is, they are having a ball. That's my guys.....

Little Tidbits of Information

To say a lot has happened this week would be an understatement. Anyone who doesn't realize how political my job is, doesn't know my job very well so of course, we watch the elections, down to the state senate elections with great interests (probably the main reason we are given the entire day off to vote, we can't watch any of this from work without violating grants). We had some proven friends of our cause elected back into office this week (both Democrat and Republican) along with some newcomers who have told us they believe in us. This is a good thing. Some things to watch for now is what happens at the higher levels. It has been rumored for many months that our IL HFS Deputy Director Charles Jackson might be on the list to go to Washington, this blows my mind, he sat beside me at lunch at our last LIHEAP conference, he is one of us, it's a little surreal to me (why didn't I take pictures?????). Then, this week, the list for replacement of the Senate seat came out, on the list is Cheryle Jackson, Charles' wife. Hmmm......
Watch and see, also on the list is Attoney General Lisa Madigan, who spoke at my FCD graduation, and who also, happen to sit at our table for dinner that night.

One other big thing happening in my life of having famous friends, if any of you watch Extreme Makeover Home Edititon, this weekend, the house is in St. Louis and a friend of mine Teresa Wellbaum went to help on this, she is the office manager for Head Start and works just down the hall from me. She said it was a very rewarding experience and encouraged us all, given the chance, to take it. She said she worked on the boys room, if you watch the show. I don't get an ABC station anymore, I really hate that.

Last but not least, we are leaving in a few hours to take the kid to get his license, he has been talking about this day since he was 6. I used to tell him it was a long way off, now I remember telling him that like it was yesterday, why has this went by so fast???

On a lighter note, the bloom is still on the cactus (that sounds like some kind of secret code, doesn't it??? LOL). Hopefully, it will open in a day or two.

My Crazy Cactus

Three years ago, yes, three YEARS ago, I brought this little cactus home from my grandmother-in-law's. On the way home, it got tipped over and the cactus came out of the pot. I pretty well wrote it off as dead but Grandma gave it to me so I brought it home, sat it in the windowsill in the kitchen and let it be. Every few months I would pick the cactus up to see if it had grown any roots, much to my dismay, nothing, always just this little teeny, tiny thumb sticking out of the pot.

Then.......we went on vacation in June of this year, the week of the flood actually. We had turned the air off in the house and apparently, it was "perfect" conditions for the cactus, because I came home to it being double its size. I was amazed. I took it outside and sat it in one of my geranium pots for the summer. A few weeks ago, I brought it in and stuck it in the bathroom, where it would get the most warm, moist air.

Today, I come home to find a "beak" sticking out of the cactus, it is going to bloom!!!! I can't believe it. Now I am babying it and now something will happen to the bloom, I have already warned everybody to not touch it....now watch, I will be the one to knock the bloom off.

Just thought I would share, if it makes it to actually bloom, there will be another post.

Bob, let me know if Grandma can see pictures on her cell, I will send her one!

A Perfect Day for Geocaching

Saturday was our first outing with the High School youth group. Our first night of AWANA, we had a planning meeting and one of the things they wanted to do was meet at Solid Grounds one morning, have coffee or smoothies and then go geocaching. The event had been planned since then. We had a couple who couldn't come but that is typical of our busy lives. We had one who came for coffee but didn't get to go geocaching. We

went to 6 sites and found 5 out of the 6 geocaches.

Obviously, one of them was hidden at the Mound

Cemetary. The second picture was taken out in the woods behind the Brooks cemetary. Tanner decided that one looked like the cover for an album, I agree. We had a great time. These kids are the greatest.

Can You Believe It????

She Won A Car!!! She Won a Trip!!!! I am simply over the moon that this happened for her. If someone came in to my office and said, "You have to pick one person in this building to give a new car and a vacation, who would you pick?" My first answer would have been Sharon!

What I find absolutely amazing though is that she kept it a secret. She and I went to Springfield together the first week of September, she was telling me all about her trip, her daughter and son-in-law live out there (here daughter Samara is an actress). Sharon and her daughter Simone went to visit. They got to visit the set of Days of Your Life too, and because Sharon's son-in-law has one of the actors from that show as a client, she and her family got a personal tour of that set along with seeing them rehearse. Samara was in a play that she got to see also. Sharon had told me about all of these things before she got around to telling me about the Price Is Right! Then she very calmly said, I was just getting settled when they said "Sharon Frame, come on down!" I was like, "You're kidding??" She said, "No, but I can't tell you anything more than that as to weather or not I even won anything". I couldn't imagine her really being able to keep it a secret if she won anything major, but it looks like she did.

We, of course, had a party yesterday morning while it was on, it was funny, we were all like the crowds they show on Survivor. When Sharon won, we were all just screaming!! She had went to watch with some family members yesterday morning and then came to work at noon. She had her book in hand for her car. She gets to pick the color, very neat!! She also has 18 months to take her trip. Sharon is a workaholic, there are many, many nights that she is the last one out of the building and it is well into the evening. I asked her yesterday how long it had been since she just took a vacation without going to see someone or go to a wedding or some specific function for family, she started counting and decided it had been at least 10 years.

I also took a picture of her at her desk yesterday afternoon, just to show fame hasn't changed her. I got such a kick out of her yesterday, we couldn't believe how close she came to winning the showcase, but she was telling how very happy she was it turned out the way it did because (quoting Sharon) "that boy was congratulating me during the break because I won a car, he didn't even have a car, so I was so excited he won." That is typical "Sharon".