Pictures from Christmas Eve

This is the picture everyone will want copies of...

The stars of the show:

Big brother protects his camera:

Oh my, what's this?

Yes, he did dust his present off:

The dollar toy was the hit of the night...

A pretty tree it was...

Funke, Cornelia - Inkspell

I devoured book two of the series this weekend as well. It was hard to put it down even for short breaks.
In this book the characters from the "real" world get to visit the book's world and see how the story has progressed 10 years after the book was finished. The author goes too and is astonished that his story has gotten off track. His characters have grown and changed and some have even died. Another "good versus evil" battle ensues and we are left knowing the third book will decide the fate of Inkworld's future.

Funke, Cornelia - Inkheart

In book one of The Inkheart Trilogy, one of the main themes is how reading books makes them come alive in our minds. Two of the main characters bring people from a story into the "real" world and this first book is about struggling to get the bad guy back into his own story.

I love the way Funke describes reading. It is exactly how I feel when I read a well written story. It comes alive and I can imagine myself within it so easily. This is definitely a great young adult fiction read.

to blog or not to blog

I suggested to both my mother and my sister that I stop blogging now. The blog has fulfilled its original purpose - to teach me how to use a blog so that I could show mother how to use hers better, so there is really no reason to continue. However, they both assured me that they want me to go on. Mother likes the pictures and recipes and Holly likes the book reviews and pictures as well. Plus she likes to keep tabs on me. Hmm...maybe that's a good reason to shut it down. Crazy, stalker-family members.

In the interest of keeping everyone updated on my ever-so-exciting life, here's what's new:

I am reading "A Short History of the Twentieth Century" for my book club at work. It's actually quite a good book...though a lot to digest, so I'm only reading 20-30 minutes at a time. Non-fiction reading is quite different from fiction reading. With fiction I get absorbed in the story and have been known to skip entire paragraphs to continue with the story's thread. With non-fiction I read carefully to absorb all of the details.

The non-fiction book I started yesterday is "Inkspell". Another young adult fiction book. This one is more fantasy than romance (like the Twilight series was). I only just began it last night, but I'm already quite caught up in the story, so I'm sure I'll continue on through to the conclusion of the trilogy.

Christmas is just three days away, and, in my family, we open presents on Christmas Eve afternoon, so I have even less time to finish things up. Happily, I am mostly done. I have made five of the six Christmas Goodies (there's a post below with details on family favorites). Tonight Kevin and I will make the Rosettes. I have just a few more presents to wrap. And one more trip to the grocery store to buy buns and butter and clementines...which I am bring to the Wednesday feast (along with the goodies, of course).

Tomorrow I have a follow-up appointment with the doctor who removed the mole by my eye. I am hoping that he will tell me I no longer have to wear the little bandage. It has been a long month of trying to keep that part of my face from getting wet. Plus, I haven't been able to wear mascara. Oh, the horror!

I work today, tomorrow and half of Wednesday. Also of note, I have my annual work review tomorrow...so I'll need to finish up that paper work today. I always have to come up with goals for the coming year. Every year I try to get something like "come to work every day and not kill any co-workers" on there...but, apparently, they expect that of everyone, so it can't be a goal. Sigh.

Personal goals for next year are also bumbling around in my head. I'll post more on those closer to the new year. Last year I set a goal to learn to make sushi. And indeed I do now make a wonderful batch of vegetarian sushi.

rj

Morris, Gilbert - When the Cat's Away

I finished this book on Saturday morning. It is a Christian fiction book. I liked the story, though I didn't remember enough from book two to connect all of the details. Perhaps I should have re-read book two before this one...but then I'd probably have needed to read book one as well. Anyway, it finished like there might be more in the series, so I'll have to be on the lookout for that...maybe then I'll re-read them all.
rj

Meyers, Stephanie - Breaking Dawn

I finished the last book in the Meyers' series this weekend.
A lovely ending to the story. I've read a lot of reviews...both good and bad about the storyline and the author's writing skills. I thought the story flowed very well and I didn't notice any problems in the writing. Maybe that's just me though. I got into the story and stayed there until the end...

rj

The Christmas Play

Jordan was in a church play this weekend. He was a wonderful shepherd. It was difficult to get good pictures...the lighting was slightly off for my camera. Here are a couple that turned out okay...

After the play, I tried to snap a picture of Jordan and Henry together. In one picture I have one of them looking at the camera...and in the other it's the other one looking. Sigh. Cute though.

Two more...just because they are so adorable...

Meyers, Stephanie - Eclipse

I read book three of the Twilight series this weekend.

I really liked it. And I liked the ending. I hope book 4 doesn't mess it up. At the end of book three all is set up for happily ever after. Hmmm...why do I get the feeling book four is going to take some of that away.

Ah well, I won't know until I read it. I have it on order and it should arrive on Wednesday. Good thing too as I have a few things that need taking care of in the next couple of evenings. So, no time to read anyway.

Robb, J.D. - Salvation in Death

I do so love J.D. Robb books. Lt. Eve Dallas is such a great, strong character. And Roarke is hot. A dream guy that she is perfect for. A little mystery thrown in and a girl couldn't ask for much more.

on a week of routine

A very routine week it has been. Nothing particularly new to post.
The area by my eye where the mole was removed is healing well.
Winter has come and snow is on the ground.
I have been in a pain flare all week.
I have not slept well.
Coffee is still delicious. No caffeine after noon though.
I've found a new game that I like to play on MSN. ScrabbleBlast! My high score is now 1840. Beat that!
Work is normal. No big projects this week.
The cats are clingy.
I read. I eat. I sleep. I knit. I watch t.v. (I bought seasons 4, 5 and 6 of Monk.) I work. And I try to distract myself from the pain flare.
Ah, whiny me.

rj

Meyers, Stephanie - New Moon

I read book two this weekend. My only wish is that there had been more time with Bella and Edward...there was a big chunk of the book devoted to another storyline. I didn't like it. But maybe it proves important in book three.
My friend told me that books 1-3 are very good and that I won't like book 4. We shall see. We shall see.

Patterson, James - Cross Country

I was a little disappointed with this book. Alex Cross is one of my favorite characters, but this book read more like a commentary on the political upheaval in Nigeria than a mystery. There wasn't really any plot. Just a chase.

I actually almost stopped reading it half way through so that I could move on to the second book in the Twilight series, but I stuck it out...and now it is done.

If he writes more of them, I hope they are better.

Meyers, Stephanie - Twilight

A lovely romance. A light teen read. I can see why it has such a following.

I will see the movie tomorrow.

I'm on a waiting list for books 2-4 to borrow them from a co-worker.

Poor Man's Turtles

Poor Man's Turtles
1 (1.7 oz.) Package Rolo Candy
8 Mini Pretzels
8 Pecan Halves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place pretzels on a foil lined cookie sheet. Place 1 Rolo on top of each pretzel. Bake for approx. 4 minutes or until chocolate gets shiny. Remove from oven and gently press 1 pecan half into each treat. Cool for 10 minutes, then place sheet in the fridge to set. (I microwave the pretzels and rolos for 45 seconds and then press the pecan half on top...then refrigerate.)

Serves: 8 Per Serving: 42 Calories; 2g Fat (52.5% calories from fat); trace Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; WWP: 1

Rosettes

Rosettes

2 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine eggs, sugar, and salt; beat well. Add remaining ingredients; beat until smooth. Heat rosette iron in deep, hot oil (350 to 375 F) for two minutes. Drain excess oil from iron; dip in batter to 1/4 inch from top of iron, then immediately into hot oil. Fry rosette until golden, 10 to 30 seconds. Lift out; tip upside down to drain. With fork, push rosette off iron onto rack placed over paper towels. Reheat iron 1 minute; make next rosette. If you have two rosette irons, reheat one while using the other. Stir batter from time to time as you will get some oil in it. Sprinkle rosettes with confectioner's sugar.

Fantasy Fudge

Fantasy Fudge

3 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
2/3 c. (5 1/3 fl. oz. can) Carnation evaporated milk
1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate pieces
2 c. Kraft marshmallow creme
1 c. chopped nuts
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, butter and milk in heavy 2 1/2 quart saucepan; bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate pieces until melted. Add marshmallow creme, nuts and vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour into greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Cool at room temperature; cut into squares. Makes approximately 3 pounds.
Double recipe: Use this full 13 ounce jar of Kraft marshmallow creme, doubling all ingredients. Prepare fudge as directed, using 5-quart Dutch oven. Pour fudge into 2 greased 13 x 9 inch pans. Makes approximately 6 pounds.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut Butter Blossoms

1 c. sugar
1 c. butter
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 (10 oz. pkg.) Hershey Kisses
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. milk
3 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda

Mix all ingredients above except Kisses. Shape in medium size balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, place 1 kiss on each blossom.

Chocolate Brittle Surprise

Chocolate Brittle Surprise

35 unsalted soda crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Cover cookie sheet with foil. Spray foil with cooking oil spray.
2 Place crackers on foil in 5 x 7 inch rows.
3 Microwave butter on high for 2 minutes. Add brown sugar and stir. Microwave on high for 2 more minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.
4 Pour over crackers. Bake 17 - 20 minutes (should bubble but not burn).
5 Sprinkle chocolate chips over hot crackers. Spread after 2 minutes (chips have softened). Sprinkle nuts on top.
6 Refrigerate 1 hour. Break into pieces. Can be frozen. Makes 2 dozen ( 12 servings)

Mexican Wedding Cakes/Russian Tea Cakes

Mexican Wedding Cakes/Russian Tea Cakes

1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2 In a medium bowl, cream butter and vanilla until smooth. Combine the 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and flour; stir into the butter mixture until just blended. Mix in the chopped walnuts. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.3 Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When cool, roll in remaining confectioners' sugar. I also like to roll mine in the sugar a second time.
Prep Time: approx. 20 Minutes. Cook Time: approx. 12 Minutes. Ready in: approx. 35 Minutes. Makes 3 dozen (36 servings).

Christmas Goodies to Bake

Ah, it is almost time to start baking again. In years past, I've allowed each family member to pick a favorite item for me to make. This has worked fairly well, until they started picking the same thing and just asking for double-batches...so, in order to get some variety, this year I will simply choose the favorites to bake.
Of course, my years of experience will allow me to pick the ones I know will be loved by all in the family...

Fudge, Peanut Blossoms, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Brittle Nut Surprise, Poor Man's Turtles, and Rosettes come to mind...

Would someone like to argue the case for some other treat as well?

Lyrica lives on...

Looks like I'll have to stay on the Lyrica a little while longer...at least until I get more Cymbalta in my system.
Last night I had to get back up and take the night dose of Lyrica. The aching pain was too strong. After it had 20 minutes to settle into my body, the pain receded and I slept fairly well.
Figuring out the right amounts is not an exact science. I guess I'll have to let my body guide me.

sigh.

I am very ache-y this morning as well. I did take an Aleve and that seems to be helping.

Pain, pain...go away...come back again...never.

Vicodin works

So, in my never-ending quest to find the right balance of medications that work for me, I removed another Lyrica from the daily medications. I have been weaning off of it for several weeks now. I am now just taking the 1 Lyrica in the morning. Which is to say that I did not take 1 Lyrica last night before I went to bed.

In place of Lyrica, I am now taking Cymbalta. I am at 90 Mg of that, and I am taking it all at night. So, I figured, if I was going to do away with one of the Lyrica, the night dose would be the best one to do away with. The Cymbalta has been helping with the fibromyalgia pain and anxiety, and I have already weaned off of the Celexa (which I was taking for anxiety).

What I did not figure on was that the Cymbalta was working in concert with the Lyrica. So, removing that one Lyrica made for a very rough night.

Happily, I am also currently taking small bits of Vicodin for the pain related to my eye. And, since my eye was also throbbing in the middle of the night (as was my right arm), I decided to take 1/2 of a Vicodin at 12:30 a.m. And, it worked. Both the eye pain and the arm pain, and well, all pain in my body, went way...for a blissful few hours.

However, Vicodin is a narcotic, so I refuse to take that as an ongoing medication.

Next week I will move 30 Mg of the Cymbalta to the morning, add 30 Mg to it, and stop the Lyrica all together.

SO, I will have 60 Cymbalta at night and 60 Cymbalta in the morning...oh and the Tegretol for that partial petit-mal seizures. My hope in life is that this will work...and the fibromyalgia pain will get under control and the anxiety will stay under control and all will be well with my body.

back to work

The surgery on Tuesday went very well. In the morning I saw the dermotologist who specializes in these sorts of things (the Mohs procedure). He was able to get the cancer out in one attempt, so that was good news. Gave Holly and I some time to go to Michael's craft store between the two appointments. We even had brunch at Perkins.

The second appointment was to get it sewn up. That went well too. A bit of a delay as the doctor ran late in his clinic, but all-in-all a quick and easy procedure.

Yesterday I spent most of the day at home on small dosage of vicodin. Today I am off of the vicodin and back at the office. I look worse today...all puffy and purple-eyed. But I feel much better!

So, yippee!

on days away from work...

Tomorrow I have my Mohs surgery. I made the mistake of reading the brochure and looking at the pictures.
Now I am experiencing anxiety.
But I tell myself these are experts who know what they are doing.
All will be well.
My big sister, Holly, will come and spend the day with me. I'm sure she will protect me from any harm...that's what big sisters do, right?

rj

Paolini, Christopher - Brisingr

I finished Brisignr yesterday evening. It was a cold, gray day yesterday so I stayed inside. I did a little cleaning and a lot of reading.
I had thought that The Inheritance was a three book trilogy. I was very saddened to come near the end of Brisignr and realize that there is another book coming. I was happy too. It means I get to spend more time with the characters who I've grown so very fond of...however, now I have to wait for Paolini to finish book four. Grr.

rj

HTC Touch Pro

I got a new cell phone last week. The HTC Touch Pro. It is a beauty. It can do all sorts of wonderful things...like play music and t.v. and internet, and gps tracking, and picture taking, and weather, and e-mail, and oh...take phone calls.

Here are some pictures it captured...

Kevin

Henry

Maggie

Cozy

Now all I have to do is figure out how to do all of those fancy things...

Paolini, Christopher - Eldest

I finished book two of The Inheritance last night. I started book three this morning. I actually purchased book three for my kindle as it was less expensive (only $9.99) to do it that way.

In book one the whole story is about Eragon. Book two adds his cousin Roran as a main character. It was difficult for me to get interested in Roran's story as I was still so involved in Eragon's. I found that during the first few "encounters" with Roran I raced through the text to get back to Eragon. Anyway, Paolini tied them both together very well and the end of Eldest has them wandering off on an adventure together...book Three - Brisingr.

the cold is leaving

Not the weather cold...which is actually coming, but the sickness cold. It settled in last Wednesday and stayed a good five days before it decided to go. Now I am in the goopy after-a-cold stage. Still a little muddle-headed, but better every hour. I napped a lot yesterday and read several hundred pages of Eldest (book two of the Paolini series).
Today I work. So far; so good.

Paolini, Christopher - Eragon

I finished Eragon yesterday afternoon. I read it once before, but it was quite some time ago, so I didn't remember all of the details. I am still amazed that the author was only 16 when he wrote it. There is so much depth of emotion and great character development...not what I normally think of for 16 year old teens.

Anyway, I'm already 100 pages into book two...

Peach Dump

Perhaps I'll make this for dessert on Saturday night. James is having some of us over for a chili feast. I agreed to bring a dessert...this one is delicious and easy. (Though I am still thinking pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting would be good too...but for that I need to find mom's recipe.)

Peach Dump
1 can large peaches
1 yellow cake
1 stick of butter

Pour peaches and juice into the bottom of cake pan. Cut up the peaches into ¾ inch chunks. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over the top. Cut up butter into ½ tsp chunks. Sprinkle on top of cake mix. Bake 350 for 30-40 minutes.

I have voted

It took 30 minutes...after waiting 15 for the doors to open. I'm in the G-L line. Always the longest.
Anyway, it is done.
If you haven't voted, you should.
Vote early, vote often. Oh wait, um, vote once.

~If you don't vote, you can't complain later...

teeheehee.

The pirate and his wench...

Jordan got 92 pieces of candy while trick-or-treating at my building. I ate two almond joys, and Tia ate 2 tootsie rolls. When he was finished counting, he had 88. We didn't correct him...So, if you ask him how many he got at Auntie Chelle's, the answer is 88...

Kellerman, Jonathan - Bones

I finished the new Kellerman book this weekend. A wonderful, quick read. I do so love Alex and Milo. They work well together and the mystery was complex enough to keep me interested, but easy enough that it didn't distract from the wonderful chemistry and story between the characters.
Definitely worth the read!

Hard-Boiled Eggs

Holly and Jordan visited last night for swimming. I offered some hard-boiled eggs for a snack before swimming. Jordan was in awe of the very thought of them...looked at them like he'd never seen one before. It turned out that those ones were a bit old (made early last week) and had a funny smell, so we had to throw them away...however, it did bring to mind the need (?) to give Holly the recipe so they can make them at home...

Maybe we'll have these for dinner on Friday when you (Holly and Jordan) come over for trick or treating...hard-boiled eggs, toast, and sausages. Yum.

Hard-Boiled Eggs

Eggs
Water
Pot with tight fitting lid

Place the (whole) eggs in the bottom of the pot. Fill the pot with cool water to cover the eggs (don't need much more than that). Put the pot on high on the stove. Once the eggs come to a boil let them boil for 3 minutes. Then put the lid on, shut off the stove and let them sit for 20-25 minutes.
When they are done, pour as much hot water out as you can without the eggs falling out and add cold water to the pan. Let them sit in the cold water for 3-5 minutes. Then take them out and peel and eat. They can stay in the fridge for about 7 days.

And it was a good thing I went in...

I met with the dermatologist at my clinic a month or so ago. The bump next to my left eye was too big and too close to my eye for her to take off. So she sent me to a plastic surgeon with the instructions to do a biopsy on it. There was a small, very small chance it was cancerous, so she wanted it looked at "just to make sure." Last week I met with the plastic surgeon. He took a sample to send off for a pathology test. He didn't remove it...since it would need to be removed in a special way if it is cancerous. So, he called today...turns out the bump has a bit of cancer in it. Basel Cell Carcinoma. Most common. Most curable. Doesn't spread.

Here's what wikipedia says about it:
"Basal cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer. It is the most common and least lethal form of all cancers. It is a malignant epithelial cell tumor that begins as a papule (a small, circumscribed, solid elevation of the skin) and enlarges peripherally, developing into a crater that erodes, crusts and bleeds. Metastasis is rare, but local invasion destroys underlying and adjacent tissue. In 90 percent of all cases, the lesion is seen between the hairline and the upper lip. It can be destructive and disfiguring. The risk of skin cancer is related to the amount of sun exposure and pigmentation in the skin. The longer the exposure to the sun and the lighter the skin, the greater the risk of skin cancer. There are three types of BCC: The most common type of basal cell carcinoma is nodular basal cell carcinoma, a flesh-colored (cream to pink), round or oval translucent nodule with overlying small blood vessels and a pearly-appearing rolled border."
This is the method/treatment:
Mohs surgery: Mohs surgery (or Mohs micrographic surgery) is an outpatient procedure in which the tumor is surgically excised and then immediately examined under a microscope. The base and edges are microscopically examined to verify sufficient margins before the surgical repair of the site. If the margins are insufficient, more is removed from the patient until the margins are sufficient.

So, no big deal...but freaking me out a bit just the same.
rj

agreements one makes with oneself

So, it was Sunday afternoon and my nap for the day was done. I had sorted all of the coupons and watched the last episode of season 2 of Northern Exposure. I sat on the couch to snuggle up with the big pile of magazines (15 or so of them) that have been collecting for the past couple of months while I read The Belgariad and The Tamuli.

While I was sorting through the magazines, I decided that I would finish reading (or skimming) them all before I start another book. This proved to be a great idea for Sunday afternoon. While I have plenty of books to start, none of them really appeal to me right now. So, I spent a few hours reading magazines. A lovely time learning bits and pieces about culture.

Yesterday (Monday) when I got home from work I stopped by the building office to see if I received any packages. I ordered the new Jonathan Kellerman book last week and it was shipped on Friday. It really shouldn't have arrived until later this week, which would have given me plenty of time to finish up that magazine pile.

Alas, it was there. In the office. Waiting for me to take it home. And so I did.

I even debated with myself for a while before I cracked the book open. "Should I start it? Should I wait? Should I at least finish the Reader's Digest that I'm half way through?" To give myself some credit, I did read one more article in the Reader's Digest before I gave in. But then the book called my name.

And so I have begun the new Kellerman book "Bones."

I'm sure I'll be done by Wednesday and back to that big pile of magazines. Of course the new J.D. Robb book comes out next Tuesday...

rj

The last weekend of fall 2008

Curt, James, Rick and I drove south this past Saturday. We went 30 miles past Winona to the Great River Bluffs. We started out the morning with some homemade breakfast by James...pancakes, sausages, and eggs. Yum, Yum. Also of note, the soup he put in the crockpot for dinner was delicious as well.
On Sunday I stayed home and took several naps. The weather was cold and rainy, and we got our first snowflakes of the season. This is probably because Curt had us listening to Christmas music on our Saturday drive.

Below are some of my favorite pictures from Saturday.

Henry plays ball...

Henry was playing a little kick ball with Al. I caught these great shots of him "on the field."

weekends without friends

The weekend went well. A lot of activity. My mother came to stay for the week (though she jokes that she may stay all winter). Holly, Jordan, and I went to pick her up on Saturday morning. Then we went out to lunch at one of Holly's favorite restaurants - The Big Bowl. Then we went back to my place, sent Holly and Jordan on their way home, got mom settled and took our separate naps.
Yesterday, Holly, Jordan and Shayne came over to swim and visit. Jordan enjoyed the extra visit time with Grandma and took extra joy out of emptying the entire Black Box where he keeps his treasures at my house (mostly my tools and other such things).

Lots of activity for my cats. They keep staring at me like, "why? Why are all of these people here?" I think they have adjusted to "Grandma" though. She walks slow and doesn't move from one spot to another too often. So, they have learned to just leave her alone. Though I did hear Grandma and Cozy arguing in the hall while Grandma was on her way to the bathroom. Cozy was hissing and Grandma was threatening to take drastic measures if she didn't make it to the bathroom on time. I just stayed in my bed and silently chuckled. I figured they'd work it out.

Anyway, back to work today. It's just me in the IT department. I hope there are no crisis I can't handle. I wonder what the plural of crisis is...and how it is spelled. Hmm.

rj

Eddings, David - The Hidden City

Ah, I have finished the last book in the Tamuli series. A very good story. And a happy ending. But that made it all the better.
When I read a well-written book, the characters come alive and I somehow become part of the story. So, it is kind of sad for me to finish the series. I want to know what's next...

Well, back to my list of books to read. The new Kellerman one comes out tomorrow. I have it on order. I did find The Last Jihad in my bedroom, so maybe I'll finish that up while I wait for Bones to arrive.

on thursdays...

Yesterday I got a new work computer. It looks pretty much the same as the old one, but the inside is much faster and bigger. The only downside is re-installing all of my software (done) and setting up all of my short-cuts and other preferences...turns out I have a lot of them. Every time I open a new program or file, I'm finding that something ever-so-small needs to be changed.

I wonder when I became so fussy about such things.

Well, it will keep me out of trouble...and help me avoid the big database project for a little while longer. I mean, really, who wants to look through 3500 records to make sure there are no duplicates. Sounds like a yawner to me.

rj

On Saturday - MN Arboretum

On Saturday, James, Curt, Rick, Karin and I went to the MN Arboretum. It was packed with others also looking for that last bit of fall...here are my favorite pictures from there.

On Friday - Wood-Rill

Curt, Rick and I went to Wood-Rill out in Orono, MN on Friday. It was incredibly beautiful. I took 200+ pictures. Below are some of my favorites. I took them as high-res images, so I'll be able to make some bigger prints and frame them for home.
rj