3/4/2021

Yesterday was so lovely that Anna and her best buddy went for a walk.  Almost all the snow is gone!

 Here I am on the treadmill that now can function without blowing a circuit!  The irony of the wonderful weather did not escape me.  I didn't walk much on the treadmill, just made sure it worked!  But it is for the future and so Ken can walk after work, when it is dark and when he can also watch the Hawkeyes play basketball etc.  It is hard to take a treadmill selfie!

My God-daughter Erin told me last weekend when we saw each other that Kullen, her hubby, wasn't too hip on bringing their dog on Spring Break to visit my niece Emily.  My brother's whole family is going, including Hugo, whom they want to sleep in the car!  It is a long drive to Knoxville TN!!  I offered to watch sweet Margarita for them.  The timing is perfect with the kids being home on Spring break. Plus she is a dog and not a puppy and house trained and just lovely.  (With true-foster dogs, these traits are not all there.)  Yesterday they took me up on my offer.  Rita will come to stay next Wednesday!!  Here she is, a mid-sized dog.  (she looks bigger in the photo)  I am sure we will take many photos with Rita next week!

3/3/21

Today my Dad is getting his 2nd vaccine!!!  Thanks to my sister who came from Kansas City to take him 2 hours away to get the jab and then stay with him in case he doesn't feel well.

and I am getting a functioning treadmill (thanks to some new electrical equipment in the house) and new smoke & carbon monoxide detectors and a new circuit breaker for our microwave.

It is 56 degrees and sunny.  It feels like the middle of the spring...so lovely!

 it is the simple things!!!  

3/2/20

 Dolly Parton is joining the crowd of the vaccinated!  (She also helped fund one million dollars of vaccine research)  She has done so many great things for our country through her philanthropy.  I love when famous people shout to the world "this vaccine is safe and I am doing it!"  It might help some of the skeptics.

She changed her song "Jolene" to "Vaccine"...so cute! 

2/27/2021 BABY HUGO....finally

 My great nephew was born on March 3rd in German, but returned to Iowa a few weeks later and I still hadn't seen him.  This wasn't because they lived far, they live only a half an hour away in Urbandale!  Darn Covid!  Anyway, I am fully vaccinated and unfortunately Hugo already had Covid, so I could visit!!!

Here is his mother, Liz....Don't they look alike?

Note Rita the dog, who is absolutely loving the presence on a 1 year old eater in his life.  (Rita is my other niece, Erin's dog.)

What a great pleasure to see family again!  I have barely seen anyone (my dad twice and my brother and his wife once...outside in his driveway) since last March....ugh!

2/27/2021 Recording Day

It was so sweet of Lois Lowry to send an address to the kids doing the show choir show based on her book the Giver.  (this is just a screen-shot)

Last weekend the Linn Mar choir did some recording and this weekend Spectrum recorded a couple of the songs.  I think they hope to finish the recording on Thursday and Friday.  They were just dancing here, because you can only sing for 30 minutes before you have to clear the room of the air (or something of the sort).  So because the kids are all masked up (and therefore no need to lip-sync) they are recording the singing separately.  Crazy.  They also are recording in the gym so they can be appropriately spaced.  Glad they are being safe, but it is such a reverse from last weekend when we occasionally got a glimpse of State Wrestling on the TV.  How can you possibly be safe when you are actually wrestling your unmasked opponent over and over on the ground?  Anyway, glad my kid isn't a wrestler.  We were able to see a 30 second snippet of the recording of the Giver.  I am really chomping at the bit since normally we would have seen 10 performances by now (because they let parents watch even dress rehearsals and show choir season is almost over and we have seen nothing!!!)  We usually even get videos of the summer camp and we had none of that this year (since camp was totally cancelled).

Anna's group, called Ignition, also recorded yesterday, but nothing was posted for me to find!!!  I have to wait until the Thursday before Spring break when the kids will get together to see their recording.  They too did singing and dancing separately.  Ignition barely had any time to prepare given Covid precautions.  They started late, had reduced number of practices that were shortened in duration.  They had 2 of their weekend practices canceled (once for the weather and once when all middle school extra-curriculars were cancelled), etc. etc.  At the end of the day, they shortened their show to 2 songs.  Still, can't wait to see them!

Eagle Court of Honor 2/21/21

Joel became an Eagle Scout in February 2020.  The troop asked if they could honor the 5 Eagle Scout, who haven't been able to have an Eagle Court of Honor due to the pandemic, during their normal Court of Honor (in a big warehouse) and Joel was game.

These 3 boys and one other boy went through Cub scouts and Boy Scouts together.  (The 4th boy got his Eagle in 8th grade.)  I think Joel and the boy to his immediate right were in scouts since 1st grade together, the other boy joined in 4th or 5th grade.  He and Joel also were science fair partners in 7th grade!)

I made this board 2 years ago after Joel finished his Eagle Project, thinking it would be needed soon for an Eagle Court of Honor :0)

I need to stop making picture boards that don't make it to a celebration!  (although I will keep this around until Joel graduates....after I add an Eagle picture or 2)

 

2/15/2021

I am blessed to have a job with a lot of PTO (paid time off).  Plus, because I work part time, I rarely have to use much PTO when I take a day off here and there because I am contracted for 20 hours a week.  I only need to use a few hours when I take a full day off.  So when the school calendar comes out, I take off most of the school kid's vacation days.

In the fall we went on hikes for each of the days and I had great plans for Cross country skiing for winter days off. 

HAHA

If only we didn't risk hypothermia today (and MLK day)  It is minus 3 as I write this post.

Wind Chill Warning in Central Iowa

Active for next 20 hours · 

National Weather Service

This alert has been updated.

Posted 5 hours ago

...Life-Threatening Cold Wind Chills to Persist into Tuesday...

.Bitterly cold temperatures continue across Iowa this morning and
will persist through the rest of today into Tuesday morning.
These temperatures combined with north winds will produce life-
threatening wind chills and precautions should be taken to
minimize outdoor exposure.

...WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CST TUESDAY...

* WHAT...Life-threatening wind chills expected. Wind chills from
30 below zero to as low as 40 below zero can be expected this
morning and again tonight into Tuesday morning.

* WHERE...All of central Iowa.

* WHEN...Until 10 AM CST Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...The dangerously cold wind chills could cause
frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.

So we are staying home today.  

The kids were busy bees helping me this morning clean the house, so I treated them to take-out.  (Joel is willing to go out in the weather for food to be sure and definitely for 5 Guys, which is what he picked today.)  I don't like the place, which was a bonus for me!  (I had left-over turkey burger!!)

Joel also was willing to pose for a picture because I was doing a review for NorthFace for a chance to win a $100 gift card.  I had bought Joel this coat in late 2020 when NorthFace gave healthcare workers 50% off any one item.  Joel was the big winner, since he was the only one in need of a new coat.  I think he hopes to score a sweat-shirt or something if I win the drawing.