Election Day!!

I voted this afternoon, and it took me a couple of minutes after I filled out my ballot, before I could place it in the machine, not because there was a line, but because I wanted to take the time to breathe and realize the history of this vote.  (There were police there making sure no riots broke out in this little town I live in that has 2 stop lights, so I didn’t want to take a picture of my ballot and get arrested!)  So I just stood there looking at my ballot and thinking about how I would remember this moment and this day. 

I’m now watching the news to see who is going to become our next President.  I am so hopeful that Barack Obama is going to win.  I’m also so proud of all of the kids that I’ve had the privilege of mentoring, babysitting, being their teacher, etc.  that are now able to vote, that registered and then VOTED.  This makes me so proud!! 

It has also been really neat to hear the stories of the people who worked in the civil rights movement in the 60’s, who are both white and people of color, who are so excited that this time in America’s history has come.   Not because we could have a man of color as our president, but because the issue of race in America is something that America is finally tackling.  We’re making progress, slowly, but progress.  Next, I hope we can begin the conversation on the equality for women!

Swedish version of “Green Eggs and Ham”

One of my favorite books as a child was “Green Eggs and Ham.”  In fact, I think I can still recite most of it by memory still today, so when I came across this Swedish parody of it, I had to put it here for all of you to enjoy!   (And with Christmas coming up, there is absolutely NO way I’m going to eat any Lutefisk, and if anyone thinks they’re going to make me, remember that it takes a MONTH for your house to get rid of the stinky smell of the fish- if you can even call it fish, MOM!!!)

Lutefisk and Yams

by Ulf Gunnarsson

Hark and ware, oh Warrior!, Weird of Sven now hear you.
How good Lars he harried, pestered him with questions.

Late at meadhall light burned; Lars did strive to largen
belly with a bowl of boiled fish his mission.

And some chunks of chicken, cheese and bread and peasoup,
finally pounds of pancakes paired with lingon berries.

Smallish snack he snuck while woozy wife lay snoozing.
When inside there wandered forth a fellow northman.

Lars did greet him greatly for he knew the gruesome
tales of host who hasten travellers forth from doorstep.

Lars did ask his name then. “I am Sven,” he mentioned.
“Sven I am,” he stated. “Do you like lutefisk and yams?”

“Nay.” said Lars, “though largely like I food most goodly, but
I do not like lutefisk and yams, I do not like them Sven I am.”

“Ah,” said Sven most sagely. “Would you eat them on a trip?
Would you eat them on your ship?”

“Nay,” said Lars, “though largely like I food most goodly, but
I would not eat them on a trip.
I would not eat them on my ship.
I do not like lutefisk and yams,
I do not like them, Sven I am.”
“Ah,” said Sven. “Then maybe might you eat them on a raid?
Might you eat them with a maid?”

“Nay,” said Lars most strongly. “Like I food most goodly, but
I would not eat them on a raid,
I would not eat them with a maid,
I would not eat them on a trip,
I would not eat them on my ship.
I do not like lutefisk and yams.
I do not like them, Sven I am.”

“Hmmm,” said Sven, “Good fellow,
would you eat them on the field?
Would you eat them off your shield?”

“Nay!” cried Lars most wrothly,
“Like I food most goodly, but
I would not eat them on the field,
I would not eat them off my shield,
I would not eat them on a raid,
I would not eat them with a maid,
I would not eat them on a trip,
I would not eat them on my ship.
I do not like lutefisk and yams.
I do not like them, Sven I am.”

Sven then looked most crafty. He then slyly stated:
“Would you eat them served up cold?
Would you eat them if I paid you gold?”

“Well,” said Lars, “since largely, Like I food most goodly…
I might like lutefisk and yams. I might like them, Sven I am.”

Sven produced this Swedish yam and lutefisk sample.
Lars did test this tasty treat then longly pondered.

Stoutly Lars then stated:
“I despise lutefisk and yams.
I despise them, Sven I am.
I will not eat them served up cold,
I will not eat them if you pay me gold.
I will not eat them on the field,
I will not eat them off my shield,
I will not eat them on a raid,
I will not eat them with a maid,
I will not eat them on a trip,
And I will NOT eat them on MY ship!
I do not like lutefisk and yams,
I do not like them, Sven I am.”
And he slew Sven.

October, 1982, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Do you know where you were in October 26 years ago?  I know where I was.  I was at the old County Stadium in the great city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin cheering on the Milwaukee Brewers the last time they were in the playoffs (and the World Series against St. Louis.)  My family had tickets to the playoffs and the World Series, which was absolutely unbelievable!!!  My dad grew up a die hard Boston Red Sox fan (at that time, the Sox hadn’t won the World Series since 1918) and loved baseball.  And my dad taught my brother and me to love baseball too.  When I was growing up, the Milwaukee Brewers had a great program for families, where for a really low price, you could buy something like 6 or 8 tickets a year for children under 13 and the parents would get a reduced price as well.  So going to the baseball games was the big entertainment for our family.  We didn’t take vacations, with my dad working full time and my mom being a full time student getting her Ph.d, and them both doing full time parenting, so being together at Brewer games is really what I remember most.  And then as a teenager, my friends and I would go to a couple of games together.  (Q. and I had some crushes on players as I remember ?!?!)

Back to 1982.  Because my dad had lived his entire life watching the Red Sox lose, when the Brewers made it to the playoffs, my dad told my mom and I quote “if we have to mortgage the house to get tickets, we’ll do it.”  Wow!  Well, they didn’t have to do any refinancing, because when mom went down to County Stadium to see if tickets were available, they had just released the tickets that other baseball clubs didn’t want, so we had tickets for both series BEHIND HOME PLATE.  It really was a dream for all of us (except for the Brewers losing the World Series to St. Louis.)  I think my photos from that time are at my folks, so I’ll post them when I find them.

I was back in M’waukee a year and a half ago and stocked up on Brewer gear for my family (they changed the logo a couple of years ago.)  So I’m set to watch the Brewers.

And my beloved Red Sox made it as the wild card in the American league, so they’ll be playing too.  I don’t know what I’m going to do, with all of this baseball going on!  Luckily I have enough Brewer and Red Sox gear to be able to go a couple of days without doing laundry, I’ll just switch hats and shirts (and even socks!) when I need to!  Thank goodness hockey season doesn’t start until later in the month, otherwise, I’d be really confused!

Free Disney Admission (and I’m NOT kidding)

I discovered today that Disney World in Florida and Disney Land in California are letting people get free admission for one day- if you go on your Birthday.  This is pretty cool.  All you have to do is show some ID proving it’s your birthday- this works for kids of ALL ages.  If you want more information, straight from Disney, click here.

Happy Birthday Grandma

Today would have been my Grandmother’s birthday.  She died a couple of years ago of the complications that result from Alzheimer’s.  Every now and then it hits me… the enormity of it all.  Helping to be her care giver for over six years, watching her fade away slowly day after day.   She was an incredible woman and along with my grandfather, made a huge impact on every life that they touched.  Many people said that my grandmother was the woman behind the man.  But with my grandmother’s help, my grandfather worked on desegregating the Omaha, Nebraska schools, trying to bring equal education to everyone.  And in 1992 the Omaha school district named a high school after my grandfather.  My grandmother was so proud on that day!

Happy Anniversary

And a big HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to the following important people in my life (these are the August Anniversaries):

Sarah and Todd Lafrentz:  Happy 5th Anniversary

My cousins The Pirate Kent and Miz Gail Swanson: Happy 36th Anniversary

Mom and Dad: Happy 44th Anniversary

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.

 

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

I’m actually getting excited…Bring it on!

All day today I’ve been channel surfing (and calling my dad- the biggest influence in my political ideas and my love of all things political) because within 15 minutes from now, Senator Barack Obama is going to be the official Democratic nominee to be President of the United States of America.  I’m getting goose bumps just thinking about it. 

I’ll admit that I’ve been a Hillary fan for many years, but due to to an e-mail to the Obama campaign that ran amock and didn’t quite turn out the way I had hoped, I got on the daily Obama e-mail list and it’s actually been really cool hearing about Obama’s ideas as he campaigned state to state.  (Plus there were always links to videos to his speeches, which was really great to watch and see when I wanted to see them.) 

I also just read an article between Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama, and let me tell you, Ms. Obama is such a strong woman and a positive role model, she’ll be an a** kicker in whatever role she decides to play in the White House.  As for Senator Hillary Clinton.  I really do hope that she becomes the Vice President.  I really rooted for her universal health care plan of the 90’s, which unfortunately failed.  (But now Massachusetts, is trying the very same thing.  As of Jan. 1st of this year, everyone in Massachusetts is required to have health care.)  An Obama/Clinton ticket would balance out ideologically, geographically, ethnically, etc.  It really would be the dream ticket.  I think the only ticket from the Republicans that could beat an Obama/Clinton would be a John McCain/Gen. Colin Powell ticket.  I don’t think there’s anyone else out there at this time who could get 100,000 at a rally other than Powell, but an Obama/Clinton could!

The only problem I see is President Bill Clinton.  It’s the same story as when he was President.   He never knew when to keep his mouth shut.  I think the best thing to do is to keep sending President George HW Bush (41) and President Bill Clinton off to try and raise money for disasters, or maybe they could go to Israel and the Holy Lands and try and broker (with President Jimmy Carter) a Middle East Peace.  Let them go off and make their legacies be what they’ve done after being president.

CNN—9PM CNN projected Barack Obama earns enough delegates to win the Democratic Nomination!!!!

Staying on the sofa

Well, I’ve decided never to leave my comfy sofa ever again, because when I do, bad things happen.  Like getting an allergic reaction to something (have NO idea what!!!), and having my face blow up like the Pillsbury Dough-boy (you couldn’t even see my ears, and my chin extended all the way down to my chest.)  After a stay at my local hospital (again…) I’m back at home resting, and I’m never, ever going to leave this room.  (OK, I’m lying, but really, to have an allergic reaction so bad to admit you to the hospital is really scary.)

Here’s the e-mail I sent to family and friends today:

Hi All

Sorry to send out a mass e-mail, but that’s about all I can do right now.  As many of you know I was in the hospital for almost a week for pneumonia, the first week of April.  Well, I was put in the hospital again over this past weekend weekend because I began to go into anaphylactic shock, where my throat began to close up and I couldn’t breathe.  Luckily I had an Epipen, so I shot myself up and called 911 to take me to the hospital.  I had two more episodes of not being able to breathe in the ER, so they decided to admit me.  After some tests, the doctors think that I had an allergic reaction to something, unfortunately we couldn’t pinpoint exactly what triggered the attack.  After careful monitoring, oxygen and drugs, they released me and I’m back at home, although I’m so swollen in my face, hands and feet, it’s really uncomfortable really even to move. 

 So right now, I’m just resting at home, taking my meds and trying to get better.  Nothing too stressful.  (Unfortunately, I missed two parties over the weekend.  Addie turned 8.  I can’t believe she’s that old.  Wow!  And a friend of mine, Loretta, graduated from Rhode Island College, and I missed her graduation party.  Again, I’ve known Loretta since she was about 11, and to see her now is amazing!)

But I just wanted to thank all of you for your prayers and concern during this stressful time.  I really appreciate it!  (Oh and they did discover that the pneumonia has cleared, so that at least is good news.)