The Saddest Day

Today, June 24, is one of the saddest days of my life.  It was four years ago today that my friend Betzi lost her brave battle with breast cancer.  She left behind her husband and her daughter Addie.  I was absolutely devastated when I heard the news, because I always thought that Betzi was going to beat the cancer.  Now she’s become one of the angles that I know is watching over me.  Sometimes I can even feel her presence.  I was thinking about how I could celebrate her life today, and it turns out that I didn’t have to do anything.  Betzi let me know that she was thinking of me.

Like the rainbow showing up over the Kennedy Center after the Tim Russert memorial, where the final song that was played during the memorial was “Somewhere over the Rainbow.”  Betzi sent me a sign to let me know that she was thinking of me and that she approves of the role that I am playing in Addie’s life.  Earlier this summer I bought a rose bush and several small purple flowers.  I bought a huge round planter and a rectangular planter that goes over the deck.  I put the rose bush in the big round planter with special potting soil, and I put the purple flowers in the other planter.  I wasn’t sure if the rose bush was going to grow this season.  But sure enough the branches began to sprout green leaves and the branches themselves began to turn red (which led me to believe that the roses were going to come soon.) 

I’ve been checking on my rose bush every single day for a couple of months, and even through the rain that came today, my first flower appeared.  It was my sign from Betzi, who was a wonderful gardener and loved planting flowers and different kinds of gardens.  As soon as I saw the red bloom and my first rose, I began to cry , because I know that my angel is watching over me and she’s reminding me that I really am doing a good job being in Addie’s life!  I love you Betzi and miss you!

The “seven dirty words”

Growing up in Milwaukee, and having the pseudo Aunts and Uncles that I had (lawyers, politicians, professors, you know those educated kind of people who had stuffy day jobs, but really knew how to party on the weekends.  Just to clarify, nothing illegal ever happened.  My parents and their friends were great role models!  )  Growing up  knowing that George Carlin (who just died) was arrested at Summerfest in Milwaukee in the early 1970’s for “disturbing the peace” when he said the “seven dirty words that you can’t say on television.”  Now this infamous arrest was widely talked about in later years with quite amusement, but I have to say that I never really asked what the seven dirty words were.  Until today, when the news programs reminded me of Carlin’s arrest in Milwaukee and the “words.”  So I googled George Carlin, and “seven dirty words you can’t say on television.”  and wouldn’t you know that Wikipedia actually lists the words.  I’m not going to post them here, nor am I going to post a link, but I have just told you how to find the words.  I thought carefully about this and because I teach my Sunday School kids the 10 Commandments, and the kids decided years ago that the commandment that says “You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God” (NRSV) also means in today’s times that we should not swear.  I am not going to swear, so find the dirty words yourself, and George Carlin rest in peace and thanks for the laughs!

Celtics visit Fenway

I’ve already posted that I’m not a huge basketball fan.  I love the other professional sports: baseball, football, soccer, ice hockey, just not basketball.  Oh and golf.  I hate golf.  Watching professional golf on tv is worse than waiting for a cake to bake, and let’s get real, we all know how much I hate to cook!  But technically I should love basketball, because I played it for like, four years in junior high and high school.  Wait maybe that’s why I hated it.  Once I found that throwing myself into band and drama was really my passion, I was a lot happier.  Yep, that’s it.  I hated, absolutely hated, playing basketball.  Ok Ms Hedlund let’s get back on track.  Back to the Celtics.

Well, the Boston Celtics won the basketball championships in 6 games against the LA Lakers.  I couldn’t stay up that late to watch the final game (although if it were hockey or baseball, I’d be up watching!)  So they had the rolling rally in Boston, like they have every time one of the teams wins a championship.  Only I’m used to seeing the rallies in the midst of winter (the Red Sox ones have been in November and the Patriots in January.)  So to see the duck boats (a boat with wheels that can drive on land and then go into the water and float like a boat-pretty cool!)  with the Celtics on them.  It was also a little weird seeing all the green-the Celtics color, when we’re used to the red, white and blue of the Sox and the Patriots.

So tonight, through the rain, the Celtics are being honored before the Red Sox-St. Louis Cardinals baseball game.  They came out in the duck boats and drove around the outfield of Fenway Park, before Paul Pierce will throw the starting pitch before the game.  If only the rain will stop.  I think I’m more bummed that the Sox game is being postponed, than I am that we won’t get to see the Celtics on the infield (because it’s wet!)  Oh well.  At least the Sox are wearing their green jerseys today.  It’s the second time in two years that they’ve worn them.  Red Sox wearing green.  Pretty interesting.

 

I am officially “cool”

I have never in my life been called cool.  I was and probably always will be considered a nerd or a geek, so when I was reading the blog of a friend of mine (Loki) and he called me ” someone really cool” I think I spit out the juice I was drinking at the time, because I began laughing really hard.  Loki was referring to the post about The Brick Testament Bible post of mine, where I reference the fact that someone did the Bible out of LEGO people.  ( I do want to give credit where credit is due.  So many thanks to my friend Faye for discovering this site in the first place and then sharing it with me, so that I can get the coolness award!)  Well, I’ve got to go think of more ways to display this new found coolness of mine.  I’ll let you know how I do! :0

Happy Day Dad!

Father’s Day was not always celebrated at our house when we were growing up, because my dad’s birthday usually falls around it.  This year was no different.  With me at my home still feeling sick, Dave in Taiwan (but moving to Talahassee, Florida and Florida State this fall to get his Ph.d) and Dad at his home, Dave and I phoned in/e-mailed our Father’s Day and Birthday wishes.  But I’ll post it here officially.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY DAD!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

love your daughter, karen marie

Craigslist

I needed to buy a pack and play because of all of my friends who have infants that are now getting to the age where they are beginning to crawl and take naps and are growing out of their carriers.  I totally didn’t have the money for a new one and I haven’t been able to find one at the used goods store (Salvation Army, etc.)  So after the recommendation of several friends, I decided to look on Craigslist.com to see if anyone out there were getting rid of pack and plays for a reasonable price.  So for the past week, I’ve been e-mailing several people and this afternoon I went to pick up a brand new Graco Pack and Play that came with a bassinet and a mobile.  The woman that I bought the playpen from was really nice.  She had gotten the pack and play when her youngest was born, but they already had one from their oldest.  We set up and took down the pack and play several times to be sure it worked.  I was totally unsure how this whole thing was going to go, but I couldn’t have been happier.  I recommend caution on the Internet as always, but I would do Craigslist again!

The Bible in a whole different light

I’ve been trying to read my Bible everyday, and some days I want to try different translations even.  Luckily, I have a huge collection of Bibles that I’ve received from various family members so if I want to read the old English, I’ll pull out my King James version.  But all of this aside, I’ve been spending a lot of time on the computer and finding different ways to access the Bible from the internet.  I can download audio podcasts, read the bible online, or my favorite, see the Bible through pictures.

Yes pictures, but not just any pictures.  The Bible verses are portrayed through LEGO people and lego sets.  It is one of the most hysterically funny sites I’ve seen lately.  (When a battle is portrayed, there are clear red little lego squares put on the ground to represent blood.  Very Creative.)  They use a lot of the old Star Trek kits and people, so it’s fun to guess what sets are in use.  But they really do capture the spiritual message of the Bible in a very entertaining mans The Brick Testament.  ner.  The site is called The Brick Testament.  And here is the website you can click on to go directly to it: The Brick Testament.

Watching tv at my parents kitchen table

I’ve been ruminating on the death of journalist Tim Russert.  He died on Friday at the Washington D.C. studios of NBC at the age of 58 of a heart attack.  It was so weird when I heard the news.  I was at my parents home, watching the news at my parents kitchen table.  When I got back to my own home, I thought about all of the news that I had watched in my parents kitchen.  I watched plane 2 hit the World trade Center and then I watched the Trade Center Towers collapse on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.  I watched the 2004 election when Al Gore became the president that never was.  I watched countless Boston Red Sox baseball games at that kitchen table. (Baseball games that have led to 2 World Series troophies in the past couple of years, I’d like to add.)  I guess I never thought about how I associate places with memories before.

The Godfather movies

Since it’s been so hot and humid lately, I’ve been staying inside to conserve my breathing.  So I’ve decided to watch the trilogy of Godfather movies.  I’ve never seen the first one straight through.  I loved the second one.  But the third one (which I’m watching right now,) is putting me to sleep frankly.  As much as I love Andy Garcia, this movie is just dragging on and on.  I know I don’t have to watch it, but I’m committed to watching all three.

InTurn 3 over :(

Well, my favorite reality show of the Spring came to an end this evening, InTurn 3.  It’s the web based show about finding an actor for a 13-week contract role on As The World Turns.  My favorite actress, Nell, won the contract, so I’m pretty excited to see what kind of role the show will develop for her.  I think that As The World Turns has some really good story lines going on right now so I’ll definitely keep watching.  I know pretty pathetic when I get excited over a soap opera story line!