A funny thing happened on the way to Wal-Mart...

A couple of weeks ago, the girls and I made a quick trip to Wal-Mart after school. We had a busy schedule, and it was also bitterly cold with a nasty wind, so we were hurrying out to the car. I turned my head to look at Elizabeth and Alice to see what they were bickering about, and

WHAM! I walked right into a post. (The one pictured here isn't the same one, but is identical, except there was no car parked there. )

I saw stars. I had to set my two gallons of milk down before my knees buckled. A couple of deep breaths later I was able to walk to the car, but I had a nasty bump on my forehead--at least it was on the SIDE of my forehead. I still had to sit for a few minutes before being able to drive home.

The tender spot has finally gone away. And I had to wait a couple of weeks to be able to see the humor in it. Or be able to tell about it.

There's still snow...

A neighbor, over the past couple of weeks has been piling all his "driveway" snow in one pile, and then he dug a cave. With each new snowfall, the pile has grown, and so has the cave. Having snow isn't all bad.

A Valentine's Day Event

Elizabeth and Alice got to help entertain at Ravenwood Health Care Center on Valentine's Day (it was a teacher inservice day at school).

The residents were enjoying a special meal, and a select group of string players were asked to come and provide some nice music--from Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to Hungarian Dance #5. One grandma said she wanted to take the littlest cello player and just give him a hug.

Alice got to lead one of the pieces. She enjoys leading.

Wait, does she look happy here? Does anyone look happy?? I guess we'll just have to educate these young people about the joys of service.

Going to a rest home brings ambivalent feelings. It is nice to bring a change of pace--something new for the residents, but it is almost painful seeing the difficulties that come near the end of life. Almost all the residents were white-haired women, few men. Some were in wheel chairs. All were able to feed themselves, though not always easily. Many had hearing problems and couldn't carry on conversations with others at the table. I wondered at all the wisdom and life experiences that were gathered in that dining room, yet they were no longer "useful". It makes me sad...

Winter Musings

Top ten reasons I find winter “challenging”:
10. All the melting snow on the floor (at least we have tile!) when kids come in from sledding..

9. The dirty, slushy edges of the old snow is ugly.

8. All that dirty gray road muck sprayed on the sides of the car (don’t brush against it or you'll get your coat dirty!)

7. The dripping salty/water off the car flows across the garage floor, until it meets the cold air at the door. Then an ice dam forms, keeping all the rest of the road muck from flowing out.

6. Fresh produce can’t be left in the car—it has to be the last errand.

5. All that gear! Hat (or ear muffs), mittens or gloves, boots, heavy coat, scarf. More or less, each and every time you step outside.

4. All that wet, gray, road muck on the garage floor--we do try to kick off the extra snow from behind the tires out by the street, but there is always more.

3. The sidewalks are slippery and treacherous.

2. The static electrical kisses Elizabeth gives me when I give her a ride to school on cold mornings. She leans over the seat and kisses me goodbye on the cheek, and OUCH! A bit spark hits us both!

And the number 1 reason?
1. Cold hurts! Whether it is Alice’s red, chapped hands that itch and burn, or Kevin’s waxy white fingers in which the circulation has totally shut off (Reynaud’s Syndrome), or just the sting of an icy wind--cold hurts! Kevin’s condition began 2 years ago, and it is so unnerving to see his fingers like that—like the hands of someone lying in a casket! It has happened only three or four times this winter, but he takes a lot of precautions to keep it from happening. It makes me wonder about retiring to Idaho and its winters.

Some Reasons I like winter:
1. That fresh blanket of white, especially on evergreen trees.

2. The sparkling stars in the clear air

3. The crisp crunch of snow when it is really cold

4. The soft pinkish glow on an overcast winter’s evening

5. Playing in the snow (with proper gear of course)—snow angels, snow forts, sledding, etc. And falling doesn’t hurt so much with all that gear on.

6. Extra milk or things that won’t fit in the refrigerator (baked turkey!) can be left in the garage—it's like a 2nd, huge refrigerator!

7. Long winter evenings seem to beg for a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.

8. The family is more in a cocoon—fewer outside activities to tear us away from home.

(special thanks to Kevin who was the model used in these pictures. Of course, he was actually shoveling the snow. And it was a Sunday morning. The other ward (with the morning schedule) cancelled their meetings.)

And then there was one...

With a recent visit to the eye doctor, there is now only one person in our family who doesn't wear glasses--RYAN!

Elizabeth got a new pair (for when she isn't wearing her contacts).
And Alice now has to wear glasses as well. Over the past four years we've been monitoring her vision, because she doesn't always focus her eyes together. We've done all kinds of exercises with limited success. She just wasn't using her eyes as a team. She'd use one or the other--switching back and forth, and the eye not being used would wander. It wasn't too much of a worry as long as both eyes remained strong--meaning the brain was still using them both, but with this last check-up, her right eye had dropped to 20/60, meaning it was getting used less and less, while the left eye was becoming dominant. Without intervention, that course would likely continue to get worse.

And, she had no depth perception.
So, glasses.

But not just to correct the right eye's near-sightedness. They have prisms to help her eyes focus together. Suddenly, she is going, "wow! It is like things are jumping out at me!" as she sees things in a whole new way. The doctor explained that the prisms help her eyes relax and work together. It caused a lot of muscle strain for her to always try to force them together. They just weren't made to do that! So she wears her glasses all the time and really likes them. And after just a week or so of wearing them, she now says her eyes ache when she is NOT wearing them.

Thank heavens for cute styles!

The 2008 Presidential Election Has Begun

It is January, 2007, right? I didn't do a Rip Van Winkle and miss a year, did I? So, by my reckoning, it is almost two years before the Presidential election in Nov. 2008, and only 2 months since the political phone calls were mercifully stilled. But they're back...

A week ago, a phone call came from the organizing committee for Mitt Romney, asking if I wanted to attend a free luncheon and listen to the candidate. Ah, there are advantages to living in Iowa! (Since then, I've received a phone call from John McCain's campaign as well).

I've just returned from the lunch (a roll sandwich, potato chips and cookie--obviously they didn't want to sink too much money into the food). It was held at a sports grill. Several Church members also attended--I counted at least 15 there (from both wards), but I think the turnout far exceeded expectations. There had to be 200-300 people there. After eating the light lunch, we all crowded into the banquet room, and listened to a 20 minute speech and 20 minutes of questions/answers. I'm glad it wasn't longer, because it was standing-room-only, and I was standing. But it was something fun to do on a sunny January day!

While we were eating, two different reporters came at different times (one from ABC Radio, and the other from the AP) and asked us all sorts of questions. I guess I should say that I was with JoAnne Swindler and Sandra Wilson, with a 4th woman at our table that we didn't know. The reporters asked all kinds of questions, "Were we here to learn more about the candidate or were we committed to him?" "How did we feel about his position on abortion, considering some religious conservatives have called him a waffler on that topic?" "What qualities did we like about him?" "What issues were the most important to us?" And so on. One reporter had a notebook, and asked if he could quote me (taking my name and city of residence), and the other reporter had a microphone and recorder.

Did you know, it is so hard to think clearly once someone with a microphone in his hand asks you a question? But I think I did alright. At least they didn't laugh at my answers, and fortunately, I do know a few things about Mitt Romney and his positions. (Thanks, Aaron, for those articles!) All I know, I was GLAD when the reporters moved on to other people.

What did I think of Mitt Romney? He certainly looks presidential. It is hard to make a complete judgment based on this public function. He spoke well, his delivery included good jokes and he seemed personable. He touched briefly on illegal immigration (wants a fence, more opportunity for legal immigration, no amnesty--but a legal way to be guest workers), No Child Left Behind (doesn't like the feds in on education, but does like the testing); the challenge of jihadists (he didn't use the term "war on terror", but wouldn't let Iran have a nuclear weapon, and had other ideas); didn't touch on the Iraqi war; and so on. I guess you have to be a political junkie to enjoy this.

So, we'll see how this election cycle goes. May the best one win!

Family Home Evening and a hill of snow

Ah! No one else on the hill (especially no bullying teenage boys with their foul language). Of course, it was after dark, but, no problem! The city lights were reflecting between the cloud cover and the snow, so we could see just fine. We could even tell where Lily was. By the way, she does NOT like sledding down the hill.

And a view of the hill, looking up from the bottom, with our night-vision goggles... Those green lights are actually parking lot lights for the funeral home.
See that hump of snow? Someone made a jump for their snowboards, and Alice didn't see it in the dark. She flew over it and landed hard, but of course, she is putting on a great show of pain for the camera. Isn't sledding down a snow-packed hill ALL about pain of one kind or another, (sore tailbones, cold fingers, noses, cheeks, etc), but diminished by the rush you get?We're so lucky to be able to walk home afterwards--not because there were no injuries, but because we live right by the hill! The dog also had a great time, running up and down the hill, staying away from anyone trying to catch her and give her a ride.

As we walked home the snow was up past her belly, so she had to bound between our footprints. When we got in, she was so encased in snow (her curly poodle hair does not release snow!) that we had to run water over her fur. I don't think she'll be going out to the hill again with us!

(Wow! Our pine tree out by the bird bath isn't so small anymore.)

Sorry, Kevin, that you weren't here! We miss you and hope everything is going well in Mexico!

A 4th-grade Fieldtrip

Last Thursday, Alice's class got to go snow shoeing. Luckily, it snowed 5 inches just a couple of days before. As soon as I found out about this field trip, I signed up! I've never been snow shoeing before.

We had a perfect day--about 27 degrees (not too cold, and not too warm).

The snowshoes were "modern". I was a little disappointed they weren't made of wood and rawhide. But they were effective. Once we got the basics down, off we went. The basics? Just lift your knees like you are marching, so that the anti-skid gripper underneath doesn't catch on fallen tree branches, etc. and trip you.
By the end of an hour in the woods, everyone was hot. I pulled off my mittens and unzipped my coat. Some of the kids were getting a little tired. Not me! All that working out on the treadmill has served me well. No achy muscles, no fatigue. This was an easy workout. (I'm up to doing 2 and a half miles at 12-minute mile pace--not really fast, but I'm running about 25 out of 30 minutes! I still can't believe I am actually running--I always hated running!)

Well, it wasn't all just playtime...

Or maybe it was. (See that box, full of gifts, behind the chair? Christmas was great!)

We had Brian Rogers over for a roast beef dinner, and some good Phase 10 playing. He's doing well, and was here for Christmas, but his travel plans were made after his dad made travel plans for visiting his brother in Boise. So Brian was here by himself!

And...

My favorite memory was the singing! For our hymn before reading the scriptures, I was surprised by the 4-part harmony. I hadn't realized Aaron was such a good singer--able to sing the bass line a cappela. Wow! But the REALLY memorable singing was on Christmas day. Deborah started playing Christmas melodies on the piano, and soon everyone was gathered around: Aaron was doing his best "Aaron at the Met" impersonation, Kevin grabbed his clarinet, the rest of us mere mortals just sang.

Christmas Memories

Although Christmas was a few weeks ago, I didn't have the time then to post our happenings. I hope you don't mind!

On Christmas Eve, we got the costume box out and donned outfits to portray the Nativity story from the Bible, thinking that would be fun for Connor and Brenna. Actually, they didn't want to take part, only to watch. You missed great acting, as Aaron became "Joseph" and Alice was "Mary". Elizabeth, Deborah, and Kevin played ALL the other parts (inn keepers, angels, shepherds, Wise Men). I was the narrator. We're looking forward to future years with more family members present! Afterward, Brenna had to check out the cradle.

And of course, Christmas Eve dinner.

It was a very nice Christmas Eve, even though there was no snow. Later, we read "The Night Before Christmas" and outside, sleigh bells rang. Santa's sleighbells! Time for bed! Even though Alice knows about Santa, she still wants to believe. And that's alright with me.

About 50 years ago...
this pictures was taken. What a good looking family!

My first grade class at Lincoln Elementary School. I remember Mrs. Petersen as being really old. Now, she doesn't look so old at all. Can you find me?

I thought this was about in 3rd grade, but it must have been 1st grade, with Steve in the 5th grade and Kim in the 6th grade. We had to all be at the same school to have our picture taken together. All during my school years, it was the district's dress code that girls wear dresses. Even on cold winter days! And dresses were knee-length. So to keep our little legs from freezing, we often wore jeans under our dress while we walked to school, then removed them, much like wearing snow pants or bib overalls now. I don't think they had heard of "wind chill factor" then either, because we walked and had outdoor recess no matter how cold it got. I don't remember having any indoor recesses. Now, if the wind chill is below 0 degrees, they get to stay inside. Wimps!

The week in the rearview mirror...

Sunday, January 07, 2007

We are moving to the afternoon schedule for church and that is not a pleasant thought for me. I am a morning person and like to have major responsibilities or events accomplished early in the day. I also tend to have a period of low energy from about 1-3 pm—but maybe the anxiety about teaching YW at 3 pm will keep my energy flowing! I had not looked forward to being in nursery for the afternoon, with all the nap-missing toddlers, and now I don’t have to.

We had a nursery graduation last Sunday, with “Pomp & Circumstance” playing, and certificates, and parents attending (the last 5 minutes of class). I think these 3-year-olds will do well in Sunbeams. They are used to sitting on chairs for the lesson and they are a congenial group—no major personality conflicts.

I am enjoying this new calling, but I think it will be a struggle. First, I am a “do-it-now” type of person and find it very galling to have to wait for all the chattiness of girls. I was never a chatty girl, though I’m sure I had my share of flightiness. Second, I can see areas that need improvement, (communication with families being one of them), and am unsure how to approach this. I am a counselor, not the president, and I want to help and support, not offend. I think I will have to tread lightly for awhile until I get the feel of how this presidency works. The president has been on vacation since the day I was sustained back in mid-December, so the needs I have seen might just be because she was gone.

I was able to exercise FIVE times this week (I average 3-4), and yesterday, I burned over 47 carbs (average is 40-42). About a month ago, Kevin calibrated the treadmill for our respective weights. I suddenly went from burning 65 carbs to only 40! I guess the machine was gauging for a 185 lb person. I had figured it was over-counting, but it still was a hit. Now I can’t eat as much!

Deborah made it safely to Provo, with Jonathon Swindler traveling with her. Through Wyoming they had to deal with heavy snowfall—at times they could only see a few yards ahead. They drove slowly, watching the reflector posts at the side of the road to keep them on the right path. Still, they made the trip in 18 hours. We miss her a lot. There is always so much music happening when she is here. (And A&E are inspired to do more with their practicing!)

Christmas is over...

As we said goodbye to Deborah this morning, (on her way back to Provo), Alice, Elizabeth and I felt like moping. It's always so sad when the fun and goodtimes are over.

School began here yesterday; the Christmas decorations are coming down today; all the visitors are gone. Alice summed up the sadness, "Now there's nothing to look forward to!"

That is the hardest part of every major event--after looking forward to it for so long, it is over much too soon. We had some good times playing games, eating lots of good food, and ending up the holiday with a Star Wars marathon (we got the original 3 movies on DVD for Christmas). The last time we watched "Return of the Jedi" was during the stop-and-go traffic on Donner's Pass during The Trip To Justin's Wedding. (And when Brenna was born back in Wisconsin).

And, now that the calendar has turned to the new year, suddenly the trip to Guam in May is only 4 months away instead of "Next year". That's something to look forward to! And Deborah is planning on being home from college then, so she can be with A & E while Kevin and I go. (I think she was hoping to come too, though). If only we could find some 3-for-1 tickets! A&E would love to go as well.

Brenna Sullivan

This is Brenna Sullivan. She is Catherine's daughter, and we love her!!! These pictures were taken with our new digital camera, a Canon A540. It looks so cool!!! I love this picture.......

..........................and I love this one too!!!
All Dad had to say was," smile Brenna," and we got this great picture!!!! It was so fun having having Catherine and her family over for Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!

A "Notty" or Nice Tale...

Our Annual Christmas Letter:

The Bailey’s have had a quiet year--we have NOT moved, NOT changed jobs, did NOT go on a cruise (but we did go to Disneyworld), and I wish we could say we did NOT get any older. We did NOT have any new grandchildren (but two are due in the spring.).

Catherine & Aaron have NOT moved, which makes their home in Wisconsin our favorite haunt for long weekends—gotta see those grandkids! Connor is 4 and Brenna is 2.

Justin & Darcy are NOT students any longer. They graduated from BYU-I; Justin got a job in finance and they moved to the Phoenix area. Darcy works for a chiropractor. They do NOT miss the snow and cold!

Ryan & Jamie are NOT in Provo anymore—Ryan is working on his Master’s degree at the University of Guam—halfway around the world. He’s working on island hydrology/civil engineering. We’re grateful for the Internet to stay connected with them and 1-year-old Emma!

Deborah did NOT graduate—she opted for an additional year so she could stay and fiddle with the folk ensemble that accompanies the BYU folk dancers. She went to Europe with them this summer and will go again next summer. If you have BYU-TV, you can see see "Christmas Around the World" --watch for her!

Elizabeth, in 7th grade, is NOT being home-schooled, though I thought about it. She is NOT intimidated by the 8th or 9th graders and is loving Junior High. (Who would have thought it!) She recently had the milestone 12th birthday, so Young Women activities keep her busy as well. I can’t call her my little girl anymore, but she is NOT a teenager, yet (though she wishes she were).

Alice, in 4th grade, does NOT have the nicest teacher in school, but she is learning to be a good student and doing well. She is NOT far behind Elizabeth in height. Alice and Elizabeth have NOT given up viola or piano, and with homework, they stay busy.

Kevin has NOT retired from work, though that choice is almost possible. He is still in the stake presidency as well. He has NOT stopped his exercise program, and is as trim as he was when we were married.

Rosemary has NOT been released as nursery leader, and she’s glad! She also got to go to Girl’s Camp this summer. Gardening and the treadmill keep her healthy, but she is NOT as trim as when she was married. She is NOT totally computer-literate but is having fun with a blog—a good way to share thoughts and events with scattered family members. (See address below!)

We have NOT forgotten each of our friend and family who live far away and we love this time of year. We love to pull back and re-focus on them and on our Savior.
And that is NICE!

Merry Christmas!

P.S. Rosemary WAS released today as the nursery leader, and she's so sad! It will be a challenge but she'll rise to the challenge of being the 1st Counselor in Young Women. (It's been 21 years since last serving in YW!)

A day in Iowa

Now this is the kind of sunrise that makes me "rise and shine"! (photo by Elizabeth)

Then, a couple of weeks ago, we had a summer day--it was 70 degrees, rainy, humid. Then the clouds moved away, followed by blue sky. I've always been amazed at how it does this in Iowa--no gradual diminishing of clouds, just an abrupt changeover.

The United Nations in Iowa

We hosted a Christmas get-together for Kevin's engineer group from work on Friday evening. We have done this before--everyone brings their favorite hors d'oerves and we play some game like Guesstures or Balderdash--just a low-key fun time. I like it because I get to meet the people Kevin works with everyday, and I get a little more background of how things are going at work.

This time, things were a little different. Kevin's group is unusual--it is one of the most culturally diverse at the Product Engineering Center. In our gathering there was one woman from Nigeria, a man from Pakistan, a man & his wife here on a one-year assignment from Argentina (she struggled in speaking English), a man from Mexico, and a woman from Venezuela, not to mention one fellow from the Ozarks in Arkansas. Oh wait, that is in the U.S. And the engineer from India wasn't able to come. There were actually only two native Iowans here!

In planning this, Kevin and I were perplexed as to how to entertain our guests. Games were out because of the diverse language abilities of the group. Sing Christmas carols or talk about favorite Christmas memories? Not everyone was Christian.

So we just went around the circle and listened to the fascinating stories of the pathway each person followed from their homeland to work for John Deere in Cedar Falls, Iowa. One common thread that ran through their stories was that their families were well-educated--either medical doctors or professors in their home lands, and some were even educated in the United States. These were all good, decent people and it was fun to have them in our home.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the evening a great deal. No one left early, not even the part-time UNI student (I thought he'd leave early to go do something with his buddies, especially if this wasn't "fun".)

I guess I can say that the evening was a success!

This week in Iowa...

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

I just came in from driving Alice to school with a monsoon rain in progress. I had to sweep a number of nightcrawlers out of the garage so they wouldn’t get squished and stink. A damp smell is in the air—it is almost 60 degrees and feels like summer. That is supposed to change tomorrow with an “arctic blast” arriving to change the rain to snow. We are grateful the cold didn’t arrive earlier, or we would have had a foot of snow or more!

The Christmas decorating is in process—the tree is up, the outdoor lights are up, and the other room decorations are on the docket. Our street is lined with 6-ft white lighted trees, one for each yard. A couple of neighbors did all the work of purchasing and handing them out, (and collecting the money), and the street looks so nice. Most houses have clear lights on their houses or landscaping, with just a few colored lights to accent things. It looks really nice!

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Catherine and Aaron’s home. We drove up Wednesday morning and the kids were excited to see us. Brenna has changed so much since Labor Day. (It makes me sad for how much we are missing with Emma as she grows!) Brenna is no longer a baby but now a toddler, and speaks quite well, with some letters missing still (which is so endearing at that age). “Mommy” is “Bobby”, which I couldn’t figure out, until we were spent a lot of time looking for the mouse on each page of the book “Goodnight, Moon”, and she called it a “bouse”. (We went through that book many, many times!) She was a little leery of Kevin until he gave her airplane rides and she kept wanting another one, “please, gan-ka!” She could say “grandma” very well though. (Even with an “m” in it?!)


The Thanksgiving meal was delicious—my rolls were perfect, for once, and all the food was so tasty. Catherine’s turkey was scrumptious. It was good the weather was nice so we took a lot of walks, or took the kids to the nearby park (the playground is at the school, about a block away). With the hilly landscape, you always end up walking up a major hill no matter which direction you go in (and then you get to walk down again). That kept us from gaining any weight even though we’d feasted.

Over the River and Through the Woods...

...to Catherine's house we go! The weather is supposed to be nice (50's and maybe lots of sunshine). I'm taking books to read to Connor and Brenna. We're planning on dipping chocolates. We'll be making pies and other yummy things to eat. Then we'll go for long walks in the late autumn woods. All to be ended with putting up the Christmas tree! A great weekend!

I hope your Thanksgiving is wonderful as well.

Whew! It's Finished!

Yesterday was the deadline. I couldn't find the box of miniature candycanes in our Christmas stuff--another trip to Walmart (but I did it at the end of visiting teaching so it was "on the way"). Another batch of frosting (3rd or 4th--I lost count).
















I decided to go ahead and put the two parts together and finish with all the decorations. Good decision--it turned out well.
















Then Kevin held it in his lap as I drove (gently!) to the Music hall where everything is displayed.

I also waited until near the end of the time to submit them--I wanted the competition to already be displayed so I could see them.

















There were some pretty cute and imaginative displays!
Lots of good ideas if I ever feel the need to do this again. Who knows?!?

















There were TWO gingerbread trains, with gingersnap cookies for the wheels. And here I was "locked" into thinking they wanted gingerbread houses!

Maybe next time, I'll just donate money...?

Since I am such a novice at this, it seems like it has taken forever, this week, to get to this point.

Creating the pattern (Kevin helped here): 2 hours x 2 people= 4 hours
Mixing the dough, rolling it out, cutting and baking: 4 hours
Shopping for the candy (3 different stores): 2 hours
Making the practice house so I could remember how to do it: 3 hours










Decorating the real house: 5 hours (and it isn't totally done yet). I have to make a decision...
Go with the Tudor cottage (with yard decorations, of course!) Or,











go with the two-story English Shakespearean-era house?












The single-story cottage would be easier to transport...

I know one thing, the next one I do will go much faster! (IF I ever do another one.)

I made rectangular lollipops for the windows. The shutters are peppermint Andes Mints. The exposed timbers are ribbons of melted chocolate. I tried a number of things for the exposed timbers--sliced tootsie rolls, chocolate Twizzlers, or just leaving them bare. The chocolate ribbons make it look sooo delicious!

Gingerbread House???

Alice, Elizabeth and I have decided to enter a gingerbread house contest. What?!? Us???

Jamie made it look doable last Christmas, and the hospital charity just wants gingerbread houses it can auction off. (The contest part is just to make it fun--don't worry, we're not expecting to win.)

HELP! Our gingerbread house needs a theme, and the general theme of the Festival of Trees is "A Renaissance Christmas".

The display board can be no larger than 18" x 18", and the house delivered on Wed, Nov. 15. (So, time is short). Any gingerbread recipes? Or frosting recipes? Any decorating ideas? Jamie, if we attempted a castle, any pointers???

At least Alice and Elizabeth have two days out of school next week (parent-teacher conferences) and now I know what we'll be doing!

And this is ALL in the name of charity.

Neighborhood Flags

A number of homes like to show their colors.
They have flags flying in their yards--the American Flag is the most numerous.





The University of Northern Iowa Panthers flag is also seen a lot.










The Iowa Hawkeye flag flies in a number of yards, but this year it seems kind of lifeless.










There might be some Iowa State Cyclone fans around, but no flags!

Anyone care to trade?

For those of you living in balmy temperatures, it was 20 degrees this morning, and with a bright, sunny sky at 1:30 in the afternoon, it is up to 36 degrees. Did I mention the 20 mph wind? BRRRR....

And the winner is....

Brushfire!
(Brushfire, Brushfire, Brushfire, Brushfire...)

Deborah's group, "Brushfire" took first place in the large group division at the folk ensemble contest held in Provo last Saturday. Groups from all over Utah took place and in placing first, the group won $500. Although the crowd and the judges liked all their selections, the wild favorite was "Oh, Susannah! Around the World". Based on the old folk tune, the group arranged it to reflect different cultures, such as from Russia, China, Ireland, and Jamaica (reggae!). This grew out of the group's fatigue in playing "Oh, Susannah" this summer in Europe at every single venue with the Folk Dancers. During practice they began playing around with it so it became more fun to play.

Deborah also was part of a small group (3 people) at the folk music contest. They made it to the finals and eventually took 3rd place, which also had a monetary prize. So it was a very profitable day! (Not if you're worried about homework...)

On Nov. 10th, a Celtic folk group called FiddleSticks will release a new CD. This is a family group, and the daughter who is the fiddler on the CD is now on a mission. Our Deborah is the replacement fiddler and has been performing with FiddleSticks this fall. They will have a performance at the release of the CD at the Noni auditorium in Provo.

Is Deborah busy with music? Yes, and that's not all! Last Thursday, the 26th, she traveled with Mark Geslison and another guy to Roosevelt, Utah, and performed at an elementary school on an Indian reservation. Mark is the head of all the folk ensembles at BYU.

So, is that all? No, Deborah is part of one more group, but in this one she doesn't play the fiddle, she plays the guitar! "Not quite ready for public performance" could be one way to describe them, but they practice together a couple hours a week.

Is Deborah going to school??? We think so.