Cee’s blog

Sydney

Wow!  This is definitely on my TO-DO, Must-See list!  Someday, Kurt and I will holiday in Sydney and ring in the New Year.

Watch the Festivities

mamas new toy

Originally uploaded by frau cowtown

Have to post my new goodies over here too!

Whhheeee... boy, it's dusty in here....

Oh, but I have an interview tomorrow morning.  The local sports guy from the town paper is coming down to the studio to see us.... ahhhh.... Hope I can string together a few coherent sentences!

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

ueberraschung
Originally uploaded by frau cowtown.

So, turning 40 wont be so bad.....

Profile

Kurt's over here chatting....

Yes, I spent a majority of the afternoon wandering with my camera.... imagining I was a great photographer....  Hahaha, when in reality, I still don't remember where to find all the bells and whistles on this camera much less how to use them!   Most of the 134 pictures were blurry.... or blah. 

Ah well, it's fun to play while I learn to be a great photographer!

The new pics are over at Flickr!

centerpiece

I've been dreading this spring since May of 1990.  Driving home from work at Loyola Univ. Medical Center on a humid May evening.... with no air conditioning in my old, red, Ford Escort.... I kept the windows rolled up.  If I was driving fast enough I could roll them down a bit.... but still had great fear of the millions of locusts that were clouding the skies everywhere.... AAAck!   They dive bombed me in the car at stoplights.....

It's that time again.  17 years have passed.... Look what I found while researching the topic.....

The northern Illinois brood, which will emerge in late May 2007, has a reputation for the largest emergence of cicadas known anywhere. This is due to the size of the emergence and the research and subsequent reporting over the years by entomologists Monte Lloyd and Henry Dybas at the Field Museum in Chicago. During the 1956 emergence, they counted an average of 311 nymphal emergence holes per square yard of ground in a forested floodplain near Chicago. This translates to 1½ million cicadas per acre. In upland sites, they recorded 27 emergence holes per square yard, translating to about 133,000 per acre. This number is more typical of emergence numbers but is still a tremendous number of insects. For comparison, a city block contains about 3½ acres. When the cicadas start dying and dropping from the trees later in the spring, there are large numbers on the ground, and the odor from their rotting bodies is noticeable. In 1990, there were reports from people in Chicago having to use snow shovels to clear their sidewalks of the dead cicadas.

EEEEEWWWWWW!   Gross!  hahahah, and little Cee has no idea what's in store this spring!  She, like me is going to be so grossed out! 

GAH!!!

Having the flu for 5 days is good for getting done some reading.  Finished a great book from Kurt's recommend!

1632 (Assiti Shards (Paperback))

Eric Flint

Quite a fun little piece about a town in West Virginia that was completely uprooted and dropped into Northern Germany in 1632!  An alternate history, and great read!  Made me want to pull out my history books and read up more on the 30 years war, Tilly, Wallenstein, and the Swedish King Gustav Adolphus! 

Went to IKEA earlier in the week and picked up some Retro-Modern-looking  fabrics that I've been eyeing lately!  I have some ideas for projects I'd like to make out of these... found my embroidery threads that had been packed away for, oh, 10 years now... lots of colors there.... more ideas.  I've had a bright yellow/orange/red comforter cover in King size from IKEA.  Had not been using it since our bed works better with 2 twin blankets, 1 for me and 1 for Kurt.  Any claims of blanket-hogging are now a thing of the past.  So, I decided to take that cover and cut it!  I know, visionary... and made it into a twin sized duvet!  Took the red with white bunnies duvet cover that little K-W didn't like, and turned it into a doggie bed cover!  It's perfect.  The red matches our room, and the bunnies are drawn cartoon-like, looking over their shoulders anxiously... hahahah.   Fitting, since our girl enjoys a quick chase of the wildlife 'round here!

Spring break is coming to a close.  Great to catch up on sleep again, and the kids have finally reached an age where the constant, nonstop bickering amoungst them just doesn't happen as often.  Thank goodness.  But, they're starting to show their boredom this morning.... pick, pick, pick again... time to get back in school. 

I never finish books... I have, at any given time about a dozen books in mid-read.  Sigh....   Although, I did manage to knock off the 2nd of the trilogy books by Nora Roberts.  A vampire saga.... set in the 1100's Ireland.... fascinating!  So, I need to either check out book #3 from the library or go up to Borders and buy it.  Ohhh, this ongoing vampire story is excellent!  I'm leaning toward the library.... it's not a book I need in my library... wouldn't read it again... and I'm trying to keep clutter to a minimum.  I have too many books that I wouldn't re-read... so I think rent the book is the best option!  The kids could use a trip to the library as well.  Little Cee has a voracious appetite for books and has already plowed through the 4 she bought while on vacation!  She's daddy's girl alright!  I went along to the bookstore... but didn't find any to read.... having already purchased the first of the vampire trilogy at the poolside bookstore.  Kai bought 2 and read them that evening... Kurt and Cal bought 4 and finished them all while I still plugged along on book 1.  Ok, I read slowly... I enjoy my books!  ;)

I also read that "Jackie Chan Sourcebook" that Santa left under the tree for me!  And, Calli has reminded me that I need to finish that Witch Family book that she recommended I read!   The "Everything German" book is a bit too easy.  Although, I flipped open to a chapter near the end and found that's about where I am.... writing sentences in the future tense.... Ja... 2 verbs are a bit challenging for me!  Need the "ge--" to begin that 2nd verb... and put it in the infinitive at the end of the sentence.... sometimes.... I think.... sheesh.   Ok, I suppose it's a good read/study..... I'll just flip to the back of the book and get cracking!  June is coming up fast!!!  Will the Germans spoil me and speak in English?  Or will they grin and speak fast in cherman?!  hahahahah   Ahhh, but keep in mind, I can understand far better than I can speak it!!!   ;)   Watch what you say!  Ich verstehe!   Ahhhahahahahahha!   ;)

Now, where can a girl get a few more hours?  Ah, wouldn't that be nice?!  I know, I'd probably only spend those bonus hours sleeping anyways!  hahah