Memorial Weekend in Grand Marais, MN

We spent the three day weekend in one of my favorite summer locations....Grand Marais, MN. Grand Marais is on the north shore of Lake Superior, about 20 miles south of the Canadian border. It is absolutely wonderful up there. The ice had just come off the lakes up there about a week ago, so there were absolutely no mosquitos!

We drove up late Friday night, and checked into our hotel. This year we didn't get to stay on the lake shore, instead we stayed a bit more inland, but we still had a nice view of Lake Superior. It was just a short walk to the East Bay and the Harbor where all the restaurants and shops are.

Saturday morning the boys woke up early and were ready to go. We headed to town for breakfast and some shopping. Some local artists were selling their crafts in a parking lot and a one man band was set up as well. I bought an amethyst rock that some guy mines up in Thunder Bay Canada. Then we stopped and listened to a one man band guy. He played guitar and wooden flute, and then he had pedals by his feet that he could make different instrument sounds. It was pretty neat.

After we were done meandering around town, Ken & the boys headed up to Devil's Track Lake where his parents have some land. They have built a garage on it, so now there is a place for storage and shelter. It's huge with lots of windows, so you could also build a space for living or relaxing.

The guys came back from the lake and we went swimming at our hotel. Sam had a great time swimming and I introduced the boys to the sauna. The sauna was a dry sauna, so you couldn't put water on the heated rocks. It took a while for it to warm up. The boys enjoyed feeling the warmth of it after getting out of the pool. It helped us dry off quicker too, so we weren't freezing and dripping wet back up the room.

After swimming we headed back up to Devil's Track Lake to do some fishing and have a campfire with Grandma, Grandpa, and the cousins. We did some fishing. Ken caught a small mouth bass, and he kept fishing and fishing. The sun was setting and he hadn't eaten dinner yet, so I walked down to the dock and told him to go eat. I practically had to force him to go as he was just really enjoying fishing, trying to catch just one more fish. Finally his dad came down and told him to go eat. I told Ken I'd fish for him while he ate dinner. About 15 minutes I yelled "I GOT ONE!" Ken came running down to help me get my fish off the hook and onto the stringer. He was pretty excited. I haven't caught a fish in about 3 years so I have to admit I was pretty excited too. Ken let me fish a little bit more and about 10 minutes later, I yelled again "I GOT ONE!" Ken came running back to see to help me get it off the hook and put it on the stringer. After he saw that I caught 2 fish in a row, he decided he needed to fish some more. I told him where they were biting. He cast a few times. He caught a big fish, and the fish bit at his hook 3 separate times. It finally got hooked and he reeled it in. We ended up staying up until 10:30 filleting the nice prizes.

Sunday morning we went to town to eat and shop again. The boys got their annual new Grand Marais t-shirts. I bought some huckleberry tea and huckleberry syrup. I wanted some huckleberry taffy, but didn't have enough for all 3. Choices, choices, choices. Ken & Sam went back to the hotel for a nap and Kevin and I stayed in town. We sat on the beach in the harbor and Kevin threw endless amount of rocks in. You could throw rocks in the lake all day and not make a dent in the shore. After his arm got tired, we went to Sydney's Frozen Treats and I got my frozen chocolate custard and Kevin got a bowl of strawberries and pineapples. Sydney's has THE BEST FROZEN CUSTARD EVER!! It doesn't taste like Culvers frozen custard. It is more like ice-cream. So so tasty.

We headed back up to Devil's Track Lake later in the afternoon with our filleted Small Mouth Bass. Ken's mom had caught a nice sized tasty Walleye Sunday before we got there. Ken's sister, husband, and kids showed up with hot dogs and brats. We had a FEAST! Fish fry and brats and dogs cooked over the campfire. Followed by S'mores. YUMMY!

After we said good bye to the family we went down to our hotel. Sam & Ken stayed at the motel and Kevin and I headed down to the Gunflint Tavern to hear Bump & the Boys. They are pretty good little band. Kevin really enjoyed listening to the music. I really enjoyed the super strong Tequila Sunrise I ordered. Holy smokes! One was all I needed. We called Ken to come get us and drive us back to the hotel, as we were tired of walking. Ken came and got us, brought us back to the hotel, then he went to the Gunflint Tavern to finish listening to band and have a drink.

Monday morning came around so fast! Time to leave one of our favorite MN destinations. Boo Hoo! We stopped and got donuts from the Best Donuts in the World. They truly are the best donuts in the world. So yummy. Then I went to Sydney's to get some more of the tasty frozen custard. They weren't quite open yet, but she opened the window anyway. Then she said...."I have a pint of frozen chocolate custard, but it's still pretty frozen, you'll have to let it thaw for about 10 minutes". HELLLLLOOOOO! New best friend...you ONLY have a PINT of the best desert in the world! Oh heck yeah...Bring on the pint! And I have no shame to say I ate 4 of the best donuts in the world and a pint of the best chocolate frozen custard in the world. Oink Oink! I felt like I needed to join Weight Watchers and Overeaters Annoymous that very day. My belly was happy & full!

Damn You Ice Cream Man!

Today we hit 93 degrees. Yesterday it was 90. Yesterday the ice cream truck came around the neighborhood and we missed it. So, today word had spread amongst the neighborhood kids that the ice cream man is making his rounds. And seeing the ice cream man means two things....1) it's officially summer and 2) school is almost over.

Kevin and Sam waited for the ice cream man to show up for 2 1/2 hours. They waited with the little boy who lives down the street, who kept telling the boys that the ice cream man comes at 7 pm any time it's over 80 degrees. Well....he didn't show up today. Not at 7 pm, not at 6 pm, and not at 5 pm. Even with the kids shouting for him and waiting patiently, he never showed. The kids who had lined up on the street corner with their handful of quarters all went home near sundown very disappointed children. No ice cream truck today.

It would have been nice, as I admit, I also walked down the block with a handful of quarters to buy a Jolly Rancher popsicle. ( Quite arguably one of the best popsicle creations on the planet.) Not today.

Damn you Ice Cream Man!

Just Another Manic Monday

Oh, Oh, Oh...Not my fun day....

Yes, my Monday has been crazy. Tonight I had planned on taking Kevin to Kumon Learning Center, working on EAA Kickball things to prepare for my Thursday night meeting, then watch the season finale of CSI Miami. But.....it didn't quite go that way.

I got home and Kevin told me he had another bad day. His heels were really hurting him and it hurt just to walk. I put his heels on ice and gave him some Motrin.

We made it to Kumon and he hobbled the entire time. He said when he was doing his work at Kumon he started to get shooting pain in his heels. Oh great. I figured, this must be something more than just growing pains, and perhaps we should see a doctor tonight.

After we finished at Kumon, we went to Urgent Care. The doctor checked him out and said "your problem is your shoes and you need to get new ones that offer better heel support." The pain in his heels started about the time he got new shoes. I'm glad it was something as simple as doctors orders to buy new shoes, than find out he has a fracture or something that we've let go for the past two weeks as we chalked it up to growing pains.

After the doctor, we stopped back at home to get the checkbook and grab a snack. Off we ran to shoe store. Famous Footwear has HORRIBLE customer service. There was one guy at the counter and one guy putting away shoes. Neither one of them asked if we needed help. They just kept on doing their own business and Kevin & I were the only ones in the store. We tried on several pairs of shoes to make sure we had the right fit and the most comfortable ones. Needless to say, I didn't put away any of the many boxes that he tried on. That will give Mr. Shoe Put Awayer something to do.

After the shoe store we were starving! Kevin wanted KFC and Sam wanted McDonalds. So they each got their own favorite fast food dinner as I was certainly not going to make anything.

We made it home in time for me to heat up some canned hotdish and catch the season finale of CSI Miami.

There was another good thing that came out Kevin getting new shoes....I also got a pair of new shoes. Kevin's old ones..... I told him not to put too much wear & tear into these new comfy shoes as I will be inheriting them as well when his feet grow another size!

Dandelions

I know most people hate these noxious weeds, but I LOVE dandelions. I have a yard full of them. Of course right now they are getting mowed down by my husband. Good thing they grow back.

My youngest caveman loves to pick me dandelion bouquets. Today, he picked me a whole handful and put them in water for me. What a nice gift.

A long time ago my mom and grandma had a friend who made all sorts of various jellies. One thing about visiting grandma is she always has something new and interesting when we visit. Their friend had made them dandelion jelly. It was so delicious!

Tough Day at School

Yesterday the oldest cave boy had such a rough end of his day. I asked him what was upsetting him and why his day was bad. Here was his reply:

Today after recess, our class went back outside to play Rainbow tag and it was lame cuz whoever was it just kept saying "rainbow", so we all had to run back and forth across the field forever. I didn't want to play anymore, so I just sat down on the side of the field and was done. Then I got told on by some stupid kid cuz I wasn't following the rules. I was tired of running and my heel was hurting me.

Then after that we had art. In art we had a substitute teacher. We had to do weaving and weaving is SO BORING. I hate weaving. It's dumb and boring, and I had to sit at a table with all girls. The teacher came over after a while and told me I wasn't weaving good enough so she made me take it all apart and start over. I don't even know why we have to weave in the first place. What's the point of it? It's SO BORING and lame!!!

I found out that Rainbow Tag is: All the kids stand on one end of the field. One person who is IT stands in the center of the field. IT calls out a color, and who ever is wearing that color must run to the opposite end of the field with out getting tagged. If IT calls out RAINBOW, then everybody runs.

I really had no words for him on the weaving. I couldn't honestly tell the lad to suck it up, he'd use this skill later in life someday. Cuz really...he won't. Weaving is boring, and no body weaves anymore do they? Don't they have machines or colonized religious people do that?

Woman of the Century

Today May 9, marks the 101 birthday of my grandma. To sum it up briefly...she rocks, she's my hero, and I totally want to be like her when I grow up.

Last year I wrote an article about her. I haven't submitted it for publication yet, as I'm not really sure where to submit it to. I've looked through the listing of magazines that accept articles from new freelance writers. So instead, I publish it here. I wasn't really writing it to seek payment, I wrote it because she is truly amazing, unique, and I feel inspiring.

So, here is my article on my grandmother.

WOMAN OF THE CENTURY

By Bonnie Bley

Everyone gathered around Gracie Carlson as she climbed off the back of a motorcycle after a twenty-minute ride. Cameras flashed while she took off her helmet and revealed her smiling face. Her smile showed the lines of time, one hundred years to be exact.

“How was the ride?” shouted an onlooker.

“It was fabulous!” she exclaimed grinning widely.

Every one was amazed she was celebrating her one-hundredth birthday.

Wyoming had only been a state for eighteen years when she was born and through out her life Gracie experienced many life-changing events. Band-Aids, Kool Aid, and X-rays were all invented when she was a child. A postman on a horse who traveled through town once or twice a week, less if the weather was bad delivered mail. Packages were delivered by stagecoach. These were the only forms of communications between towns.

The hospital was a half-day's travel by horse carriage. Gracie was born in her home, just like her older brother and sister. Giving birth in 1908 was not easy. Each birth was a life or death situation for both mother and child. Gracie’s birth was no different. Her mother received no medication for comfort. She did not have a medical staff on stand by in the event of any complication and there was no option for a C-section in case the baby could not be born normally. Gracie’s birth was a success as she and her mother both survived.

Gracie was about five years old when she learned to swim. Some of the older kids in town tried to teach her in the only place available. The Greybull River had a current strong enough to sweep her away. She was small and courageous, but tried her best. The river currents were too strong for her tiny frame. The event was much like teaching a house cat to swim. The river pulled her under and she swallowed a lot of the water. She dragged herself out soaking wet from head to toe, shook herself off, and decided that moment to never swim again.

Instead of attending school in a one-room country schoolhouse, Gracie and her siblings were sent to private Catholic boarding schools. Her mother couldn't help manage the ranch with three kids underfoot at home. Gracie was ten years old, when her parents put her on a train to join her sister at the boarding school where she would live with other girls and the nuns who ran it. Her brother did not attend the same school as his sister’s; he attended a boy’s school in another state that was run by priests.

Gracie had her tonsils removed during school at around age eleven. The procedure was done in a chair in the school infirmary. She did not receive any pain medicine or anesthesia. The doctor told her to open her mouth wide and hold very still. Doing as she was told, he stuck a long, cold, steel instrument with a wire loop down her throat and yanked out her tonsils. She received no sympathy, and was sent right back to class with instructions not to cry. The school placed her on a soup diet for one week.

Her school years were spent at boarding school, and she was allowed home during summer months to see her parents and reunite with her brother, cousins, and friends at the ranch. She continued this life style until she graduated in the 1926.

Gracie had three career choices; to become a teacher, a housewife, or a nun. Her career was chosen for her, and she was sent to college, which was called “Normal School” to become a teacher, but she wanted to go back to the ranch and be a housewife and be near her parents.

Gracie graduated from “Normal School” in 1928, and moved home to help tend to her father. Her mother passed away and her father needed Gracie’s help at the ranch. In 1930, she settled down, became a wife, and soon a mother. She was married the same year that Breck Shampoo and chocolate chips were invented. Her children were born during of the Great Depression. She and her husband ranched close to both their families to make it through the turbulent era.

When her children were grown Gracie broke the mold of the typical jobs a woman held and owned her own business. Her little business thrived along with other businesses that were owned by men. Later she dissolved her business and went to work as a check station game warden. Her duty was to make sure the hunters and fishermen obeyed the laws and counted their bounty. She was not afraid to give tickets to law-breakers, and was very good at her job.

Gracie has been a large voice in her community. To this day, she is still an active member of St. Therese Catholic Church. One of her greatest accomplishments was obtaining funding to open a museum in the late 1970s. The Lions Club, Economic Development Alliance, and Friends of the Library are just a few of the clubs she played a key role in. She has organized several group events ranging from cowboys to motorcyclists. The organized events over the decades have brought many new tourists to town. The motorcyclist group even named a shoot out after her.

Gracie’s life has been like no other. She is an inspiration to women of all ages and is admired and respected by all who meet her. One month before her one-hundreth birthday, her driver’s license was renewed. She still owns her own home and travels the states with her seventy-two old daughter. The mother-daughter duo plans at least one big trip a year, including visits to family from Oregon, California, and Minnesota.

“Live life to the fullest and enjoy chocolate,” Gracie Carlson says, “you just neverknow how long you will live in this world.”


Sidenote: She also has a cocktail almost every day at 5 pm. Cheers Grandma! I'll definitely be drinking a cocktail at 5:00 in your honor!
Hoping you have a great birthday and many more to come. Hoping you have some nice days to enjoy a motorcycle ride or two as well. Happy, Happy, Happy 101 birthday.

Busy Week Again

This past week we stayed pretty busy.

Tuesday evening I attended a two hour parent presentation for parents of kids who are going to Middle School /Jr. High next year. Kevin's school is HUGE!! The city has two Jr. High schools. Kevin will be going to the one near our house, and his class will have 390 students in it. I think there that many kids in my whole high school. We got to tour the school, and it is quite impressive. I felt lost on the tour, and the teachers said all the 6th graders get lost on their first day. The school has designated 8th graders that help the 6th graders get through the first week of school. The day before school officially starts, the 6th graders attend an orientation day. They get to find their way around the school, learn their class schedule, and ect..

Kevin is disappointed that a lot of his best friends in elementary school will be going to the other Jr. High, but I'm sure he'll make lots of new friends on top of the ones that will be in school with him. They split the Jr. High kids into two groups called "houses", and each group has their own side of the 6th grade school area. Within the "house" they have their class rooms. One house will have 200 kids in it and the other house will have 190. Each "house" stays with the same group of kids all year as they switch classes. So for example English teacher A will only see the same 200 kids all year, and English teacher B will see the other group of 190 kids.

All 390 kids will have lunch at the same time. That should be rather interesting. Also, their class schedule will change slightly from day to day as some of the classes are on alternating days. They call them Blue Days and Green Days. For the first part of the year, they will learn Spanish, and the second half of the year they'll learn French. All the kids have to take a Home Ec class, so they'll learn to cook, do laundry, and other household chores. So that is a good thing. They don't have a "shop" class, but instead its called Technological Art. That looked like a fun class to be taking. The current project we got to see was the kids had made rockets that they were going to launch later in the month. Kevin would really LOVE that project.

During the parent night orientation, they had 4 8th grade students each present a speech about the Middle School. It was quite comical. The one kid said the hardest part about Jr. High was learning a new locker combination each year. So I hope that is the worst of our Jr. High happenings, but I'm sure we'll have our growing pains through out as he grows up. It was weird to see the two boys who were speaking had deep voices and hairy legs. They go into Middle School as boys and come out as young men. Yikes, I'm not sure I'm ready for that!

Wed, I took Sam to the bank to cash his check he got for his birthday. He felt like a really big kid signing his name and making a full bank transaction all by himself. He can't wait to go shopping again.

Kevin got his braces readjusted. They did quite a bit of turning and twisting, so he was a bit sore when they were done. The orthodontist put a spring between two of his teeth to separate them some more to make room for the I-tooth that is coming in. Then he got to pick new color of bands. This time he went with Fire Red and Black.

After we were done with that, the boys helped me grocery shop. They sure were good helpers. Not like the old days where they each had to push a cart, run into people, put extra stuff in the cart that didn't belong, and then leave the store before the groceries were bagged...They were pretty good kids, so they each earned a couple dollars for being such good helpers. I think I found their new motivator. Money...hard cold cash...the good stuff.

Then we visited the pet store. This is a nice treat for them. Sam likes to talk to all the cats, memorize their names, and ask me if we can bring them all home with us. Kevin likes to go look at the snakes and lizards and remind me that I promised he could get one when he is 13.

Thursday evening was the first adult league kickball game. Spring season has officially started. We have quite a few new players, and they were pretty good for first timers. Definitely some keepers. We won our game 4-0. Go Kick Busters!! We rotated between 3 pitchers (me included) and we each had a 3 pitch inning during all 9 innings. That was a pretty great feeling. I like pitching much better than playing catcher, short stop, and I'm no good in the outfield. But I'm the captain, so I get to tell everyone where they play.

One guy who signed up for the team decided last night that he didn't want to play this season, so a new player on the team said he knows a guy that can come and play a few games with us. He couldn't make every game, but could make some. The even better news is this new guy was a field goal kicker for the University of Minnesota. Oh yeah...he can play on my team ANYTIME!!

Tomorrow I have a lunch date with the girls I went to Mexico with. I told my grandma we'd have a cocktail and a toast in her honor, since tomorrow is her 101 birthday. Definitely reason to celebrate even if I do live a thousand miles away.

Monday Ramblings

This morning started out with me paying my $10 to the office booky. I said to him "What the hell?" and shook my head. He laughed, took my $10, and said "muddy track, anybody's race, and it wasn't yours." No it wasn't. Dang, I could have won $120

Work was busy with the usual Monday happenings. I booked my flight out to North Carolina for software training at the end of June. Yes, I get to go to the beach...again. (Big huge smiley face). Two oceans in one month for me. Oh, I am loving life! The Pacific in June for my niece's wedding and the Atlantic a week later for software training.

The hubby came home early from work. He is still sick. He has a sinus infection. He hasn't had one in a very long time and he is feeling miserable. He said he was going to the doctor, but I don't know if he's actually done that yet or not. It's his face that feels yucky and he knows the way to the doctor, so I guess it's up to him. I sure hope he went though.

We are once again doing 5th grade math. UGH! I HATE 5th grade math. Last week he brought home the same kind of problems. I ended up calling a guy I work with who has his masters degree how to do it. He said "THAT'S 5TH GRADE MATH!!"...Welcome to my world. I had called a couple other highly educated people and they didn't know. I guess I know who to call when I need help with 5th grade math again!

Today was a gorgeous spring day! Gorgeous enough to have the spring grilled out dinner. We are having brats and dogs on the grill. Oh yummy, yummy...I love beer battered brats!!

Sidenote: Today I looked at my calendar. Even though May has just begun, it is almost over.

Random Saturday Things

Two things I hate about spring....allergies and dead worm smell. Especially when they are combined. My allergies have kicked into full gear and I haven't felt this lousy since before my reconstructive sinus surgery three years ago. It's either been windy or rainy and neither one of those things are conducive to my allergies. The rain makes all things I'm allergic to bloom and the wind blows the pollen all over the place. I have felt really cruddy since Thursday. It rained all day Thursday, which made things grow, and the rain also drives all the worms out of the ground to get run over and stink up all parking lots and drive-ways. Yucko!

Sam got a birthday card from his Aunt Patty in Montana. It had $10 in it. THANKS AUNT PATTY!! He was pretty excited and it went right into his wallet.

Today, on my third day of feeling cruddy with swollen sinuses, I got up and took a Prednisone that I bought in Mexico. It sure has helped. I can tell my sinuses aren't nearly as swollen as they were when I woke up, as most of the sinus pressure I was feeling the last few days has gone away. Plus, I actually had a small burst of energy. I'll take another one tomorrow and hopefully that should do the trick. Predinsone is an anti-inflammitory that you take for only two or three days. I'm glad I was able to bring some home from Mexico, as it saved me a trip to the doctor today.

Since I had a burst of energy, I decided to venture out to Goodwill. I was still trying to find a dress to wear to my niece's wedding in California. Something between a casual and dressy dress. The boys decided they wanted to come with me. Kevin didn't have any money, so Sam let him borrow $5 from him. I was shocked at that one. Sam has $50 in his wallet and he decided that he maybe wanted to spend some of it. So off we went. Kevin & Sam grabbed a cart and headed to the toys and games aisle. I headed straight to women's clothing.

Sam & Kevin both found some things they wanted to buy. "Hurry up, mom, we are done shopping and ready to go." Ha! Typical men...once they are done, they are done, and ready to leave. They didn't like waiting for me, but I made them. And I found a dress!! It's really pretty. It's a light blue color and is mid calf lenght. I just need to do sit ups for the next month so that I can tighten up my winter ice cream eating tummy. I also found a really cute top that if I find a cute skirt to go with would also be good for the wedding. Decisions, decisions, decisions. I guess I'll have to wait until I see how tuned up I get my tummy if I wear the blue dress for the wedding or not as the top and skirt combo would be a bit more conceiling to that. It sucks getting old!

I also found a very cute purse. It reminded me a lot of my grandma. She has a collection of elephants and every time I see elephants I think of her and her collection. Well, this purse has elephants all over it. So of course I had to get it. There are just some things a girl can't have enough of...shoes, purses, and clothes.

Since I was getting a new purse, Sam suddenly decided that he needed a purse to carry his wallet in. After all that's where I put my wallet, so it made perfect sense to him. He picked out a blue one. It took a bit of talking by both Kevin and I that boys DO NOT carry purses. Well, he really wanted one. He didn't want to just carry his wallet around with out something to put it in. We told him boys don't carry a purse, but lets see if we can find you a man bag. A more masculine looking bag to put his things in. I was so glad we found a blue one. It's a small Nike bag with a handle. It'll have to do until he gets a smaller wallet that will fit in his pocket.

I told the kids since they were ready to go, to take their wallets and their merchandise to the counter and pay for it. They did it all on their own. I was so proud of them. They learned how to be good consumers today. They really enjoyed it, and it made them feel good to pick out their own things, and pay with their own money.

When we got home, I watched the Kentucky Derby. Every year I get in on the Kentucky Derby office pool. I have never won. I end up drawing some horse for the race (there are 20 horses, you pay $10 and draw a name of one of the horses from a pot), that either gets scratched before the race, breaks a leg, or comes in somewhere close to last. This year I drew the favorite. I drew the horse that EVERYONE said was going to win. Ha! The stupid horse came in second to last. This year a horse with 50-1 odds won the race. It was the second biggest upset in Kentucky Derby history. What luck!

The boys have been busy with their new purchases since we got home, and I have been vegging out, blowing my nose, drinking hot tea, napping on and off, and wondering how the hell the horse I picked came in second to last place.