The turkeys at my house

A Thanksgiving poem for you, inspired by my 7-year-old daughter's decorations....

The turkeys are everywhere, roosting near our dining table....





















The east windows, the south ones, wherever they are able....




















That's roosting, not roasting, much to my dismay....





















'Cause I'm really craving turkey, on this Thanksgiving day.



























As you gather for Thanksgiving with loved ones, remember to thank the farmers and ranchers of this country for all the bounty they provide each and every day.


We'll be back next week in a brand new show! Probably a Christmas show!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dawn

A thousand words

Even with a pounding headache that the migraine meds don't take away, it's all good!

Happy sunny days!

Dawn

Wasting energy at home

I had to giggle a little bit. A new North Dakota State University Extension Service publication helps you to determine energy waste at home. I giggled because I know EXACTLY what is the biggest waste of energy around my house. No, it's not dripping faucets or leaky windows.

It's me saying something, the first time. Let me illustrate:

"Get ready for bed......"







(White space signifies the next three to four minutes, when no movement has been made indicating I was heard.)

Me, now louder: "I said, get ready for bed!"

It's the same energy waste when I say, "Time to get up" in the morning, when I say, "Do your homework," and even when I say, "Come and eat." (Apparently what I cook is not as popular as I would like to believe.)

According to the Extension news release, "The Top Ten Home Energy Checklist (AE-1442)" enables homeowners to save money and energy by providing tips on energy-related topics.

Now, if someone could just provide me with some solid tips on how not to waste energy repeating myself, I'd be an incredibly happy camper.





I said, if someone....(Nah! Just kidding!)

And just in case you'd like to check out the REAL "Top Ten Home Energy Checklist" from NDSU Extension in a full-color PDF, click here.

Happy energy conservation!

Dawn

For the fun of it

How often do you laugh? I think we -- meaning the collective we, the we of the workday world -- probably take ourselves much too seriously too much of the time. We get so caught up in "stuff" that we don't remember to have a little fun while we're doing that "stuff."

That's why I was so intrigued by The Fun Theory website. Whether it was making the stairs play songs (you'll just have to watch it to see the impact) or recycling bottles using an arcade theme, it just goes to show that there's a kid in all of us that just wants to play sometimes. And making the mundane more fun seems like a good way to do it.

Hmmm! Sounds like an intereseting way to get my kids to help around the house a little more!

Happy fun day, everyday!

Dawn

Why is it?

When you take your vehicle to be serviced because it is shuddering horribly when you decelerate, it DOESN'T shudder when the service guy takes a ride with you so he can hear what you've been hearing?

The guys at the tire shop, who put the tires on and drove it, heard it.

Your husband heard it.

Your son also heard it as you were driving him home from an evening activity.

You heard it every time you decelerated on your way to the service station.

But when you take the service guy on a ride, it doesn't shudder. Not once.

You get a little perturbed and recite everyone else who heard it, just so he knows you aren't a fruitcake. He's very nice about it and doesn't roll his eyes once. Instead, he says, "I'll drive it until I feel the shudder."

When you get the call, you fully expect him to say, "I'm in Mexico and I STILL can't feel the shudder."

But they just say, "Your U-joint is going bad." (Bummer!) "Don't have the part today." (Bigger bummer!) "But we should get it in tomorrow and have it done by tomorrow afternoon." (You can live with that.)

Then, YOU shudder. It has been a long day, and it's not even noon yet!

Happy shudder-free days!

Dawn

Remember

My dad fought in Korea. My father-in-law did too. One rarely speaks of it, the other speaks freely about the things he experienced. And I respect them both immensely.

I just read a Rasmussen survey report on people's view of the U.S. military; and it showed that 81 percent view the U.S. military favorably.

When you think of the great personal sacrifice these men and women make for their country, you hope people will appreciate it.

It's nice to know that most of us do.

Remember.

Dawn

Those miracle houseplants

This one was news to me, so I'm sharing; houseplants can save lives. It's true! I just got a news release from NDSU Extension and I thought it was so interesting, I'm reprinting the entire thing:

Research by scientists has found that houseplants can reduce pollution levels dramatically by cleaning indoor air.

The World Health Organization reported in 2002 that harmful indoor pollutants represent a serious health problem that is responsible for some 1.6 million deaths every year.

"The indoor air quality is compromised by VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from furniture, carpeting, paint, adhesives and more, resulting in many illnesses that could be controlled or reduced with good plant selection in and around the home and workplace," says Ron Smith, North Dakota State University Extension Service horticulturist.

Professor Stanley Kays, lead researcher for the University of Georgia study, found that houseplants improve air quality and contribute to a person's well- being by reducing stress, increasing work performance and reducing the symptoms of ill health.

The research consisted of 28 common houseplants and their ability to remove five indoor pollutants (benzene, xylene, trichloroethylene, octane and formaldehyde).

"While all did the job to a certain extent, some 'superplants' were identified," Smith says. "The superplants were the asparagus fern (Asparagus densiflorus), wax plant (Hoya carnosa), English ivy (Hedera helix) and purple waffle plant (Hemigraphis alternata). The purple heart plant (spider lily) and wandering Jew were rated superior for being able to remove four of the five VOCs."

As well as the obvious health benefits, the increased use of indoor plants in both "green" and traditional buildings could have a tremendous positive impact on the ornamental plant industry by increasing customer demand and sales, according to the study.

I have one of those superplants in my living room! I also have a fake English ivy, but I'm guessing THAT'S not going to improve the air quality. Now, where can I get myself a purple waffle plant!

Happy superplanting!

Dawn

Week two, above average

This is so cool. Actually, I guess I should say warm. It's so warm. November came, and the temperature rose. And the sun shone. And the moon was like a beacon for the first week, so if you were up late or early, you were treated to some awesome moonshadows.

We didn't get to experience the colors of fall in nature, mostly because we lost all our leaves during the October cold and dreary snap -- a slow motion snap that lasted about the whole month -- but I get to experience them indoors, courtesy of our seven-year-old cherub. She has been decorating the house for Thanksgiving, so we have copious amounts of warm fall colors and construction-paper turkeys everywhere.

So life is good. The sun is shining for the second straight week, my house is filled with warmth and tonight I'm making some Rosemary Rolls that I got from The Pioneer Woman Cooks that look so darn good my mouth is watering already.

Happy Monday!

Dawn

A fowl by any other name

Turducken. By now, it's a household word, right? A chicken stuffed inside a duck, stuffed inside a turkey. It's quite a sight to behold and apparently it tastes pretty darn good too.

I'm not really a duck fan, so I'd probably prefer a turken (a chicken stuffed inside a turkey) instead, but I wouldn't turn it down if someone offered me a slice of turducken.

Even though I won't be making one any time soon, if you have an inkling and are handy with a knife, here is the Food Network's Paul Deen making a turducken for Thanksgiving.



Happy Thanksgiving preparation!

Dawn

Some days....

I think it would be nice to have a big brain like this guy.



(For all you non-Trekkies, this photo is from the original Star Trek pilot episode called The Cage.)

Happy big-brained thinking!

Dawn

Who me, organize?

Some people have it, some don't. I'm in the don't pile. Seriously in the pile. Probably at the bottom of the pile.

I am not, repeat, am not, an organized person. I do most things in "fly by the seat of your pants" mode.

Plan, after all, is a four-letter word.

I figure it's the inner "explorer" in me that just isn't brave enough to be an actual explorer. So I opt for "The best plan, is no plan" mentality, and figure that it will all come out in the wash.

Or maybe it's just that I don't have a head for details. I'd probably be a lousy witness, so I'm really hoping that I never AM a witness, except maybe witnessing that someone signed a paper or something. I could be at least THAT much of a witness.

So, here I am, at 7:45 p.m., writing this missive while by daughter draws a turkey picture, which I will share closer to Thanksgiving. If I can just get organized! : )

Happy organizing!

Dawn

The weather this week

Yesterday I wrote about the weather, or more specifically, my daughter's second-grade weather graphing. Today, I found out, via a press release, that this week is Severe Winter Weather Awareness Week.

Yep, November 2-6 is Severe Winter Weather Awareness Week.

Call it a cracked sense of humor, but I think it's a little funny that we're having some of the nicest weather we have had in a long time during Severe Winter Weather Awareness Week.

But that doesn't mean I don't take severe weather lightly. You just have to see the humor in stuff sometimes (like my hair dye job gone bad that made me look like a circus clown escapee; but that's another story for another time).

So even though the sun is shining and we could see temperatures in the 50s, I'm doing my part and sharing a couple of tips from the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.

Never rub skin that exhibits frostbite. It further damages the tissue.

Warming a person who has suffered hypothermia too quickly can cause dangerous heart problems. That is why it is best to wrap the person in blankets rather than placing him or her in warm water.

If you are stranded outside, do not eat snow. It will lower your body temperature. Melt it first.

Read a lot more, including the Governor's proclamation, on the severe winter weather pages of the NDDES website.

Happy winter weather learning!

Dawn

15 + 5 + 1 to 3

If my daughter's second-grade weather graph is any proof, October was a pretty gloomy month.

Her chart showed 15 cloudy days...

Five rainy days...

One snowy day...

And three sunny days.

I know. It doesn't add up to 31. But there were only 22 weekdays during the month.

I know again. 15 + 5+ 1 + 3 = 24, not 22. I'm guessing that, more than once, the rain and clouds happened on the same day. Seven-year-old weather charting probably is not as accurate as, say, the National Weather Service. But the point is, her cloudy day column got filled up before the end of the month and the sunny day column looked pretty pathetic right below it.

I'll be excited to see her November weather graph. In fact, I just might have to start making my own weather graph. It looks like fun, and according to the weather forecast for this week, anyway, I could at least start off the month with a bunch of sunny check marks.

Happy sunny days!

Dawn