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    Thorns and Roses

    Things that really annoyed me today, in no particular order: 1. Shorting myself on the amount of time I had to get ready for work, because I stayed up late last night and wanted to sleep a few extra minutes. 2. Someone who asked me how my weekend was, and then interrupted me just as I got started, to tell me about their weekend. 3. Hypochondria (not mine: I don’t suffer from it) 4. Roxie, getting stung by a bee at the farthest point possible from my house on our walk route. 5. Making my still-too-long to-do list. 6. People who complain constantly about certain things that are within their…

  • Blessings,  Childhood Memories,  My Kid Has Mad Skillz,  Reflections on Parenting

    Discussing The Duck Chick.

    Jim and I pride ourselves on having excellent relationships with our teenaged sons. We all talk together, a lot. Unfortunately, every now and then our younger son J can’t get his entire thought out because he gets interrupted by our older son D (okay, and sometimes Jim and I). It’s very, very frustrating for him (understandably), which is why I make sure to make the most out of any time I can get alone with him. I ask him lots of questions that require essay-like answers and really LISTEN to him. Like yesterday, for example. I had to take him to the doctor because his right eyelid was swollen up…

  • Random Thoughts

    Mayberry

    Recently I was given the rare opportunity to disconnect from many modern conveniences that most of us, myself included, often take for granted (more on this “opportunity” later). This got me thinking about the “simple times”, or what I have always perceived to be the Simple Times, the mid-20th century. “Simple” is relative, of course. I venture to say that those who lived in the 1950’s and early 1960’s would put up a pretty good argument with me about whether or not it was a simpler time (in fact, I doubt they thought so at the time–or even thought about it at all), but in explaining what I mean specifically,…

  • Random Thoughts

    Father-In-Law-Isms

    My in-laws just arrived yesterday for a five-day visit. We’ll be taking them to the city tomorrow, and to Milwaukee on Sunday, and just generally hanging out (with me hopefully getting some work done in between all the activities, of course). As much as I am still swimming in my multiple to-do lists, in many ways I’m grateful for the forced temporary slow-down while we spend some time with Jim’s parents. My father-in-law is, in his own way, a very philosophical person. Just this morning, in fact, he told me (borrowing a famous quote) that there are no stupid questions except the unasked ones. He often shares his thoughts in…

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    Yep, We Have Christmas Traditions Too!

    I know that hardly anyone is out there reading blogs today and tomorrow, but thought I’d take this opportunity to wish all of my friends who celebrate it a very Merry Christmas! Jim and I are taking the train to the city for the day to enjoy the last day of the Christkindlmarket (and have German food for lunch! Woot!), to see “Wicked” again (his 2nd time, my 4th!), and then to enjoy dinner before heading home. After that? Well, you know what me and the rest of my family will be doing… I hope you have as much fun as we plan to. ©2010 Suburban Scrawl

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    An Open Letter To the CEO of US Cellular

    Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing today from the comfort of the front passenger seat of my car as my family is on the way home from a long weekend visiting family, because on long car trips there is little more to do than think. Let me get to the point, since I have to do this in less than 1000 characters. I am wondering if your company, which I love (for the record), is ever going to make phone software that supports uploading photos directly to Facebook & Twitpic. All of the other carriers have it: why not you? This brings annoyance to me on a daily basis,…