Winter. I hate it. Most of the time I hate Winter in Minnesota from Jan 1 –> start of April. Except for the times I embrace it.
Embracing Winter is difficult to do when it’s wind chillin’ below zero. But when you get “used” to zero, 25 seems balmy enough to embrace. Embracing Winter involves forcing yourself out of hibernation to do the things you can really only do in Winter. It’s about doing things like skating, sledding, skiing, snowball fighting, snowman making, snowfort building, snow-shoeing, and even the dreaded shoveling.
One of the more interesting and unusual Embracing Winter activities we’ve found here is the Art Shanty Projects on Medicine Lake. Picture the ice-fishing shacks you see dotting the lake filled with modern art of a sort. Actually many of the shanties had a very improvisational theater vibe as the artists acted out their parts for the visitors. One of the coolest ideas was there was the Art Swap Shanty in which you could bring any piece of “art” and trade for another on display. Check out the highlight reel below featuring a visit with The Gundersons (spies or not, you decide) and the Dance Shanty among others.
Next year we may even go if it’s only 20 degrees outside instead of 25.
It was almost like a Staycation.
Voice of Culture Drum and Dance of the Diaspora performed for Pablo’s school on Parent Involvement Day. They got everyone moving with djembe drumming, traditional West African dance and singing.
Before you watch this video remember Pablo needs sponsors for his read-a-thon. Won’t you consider donating a few dollars to a quality public school that brings in performances like these? Please let me know if Pablo can count on you for at least 5 bucks. Thanks.
Mama, Doodles, and I also visited Pablo’s classroom and helped make “Guess How Much I Love You” art work based on the story book. Doodles fits right in and acts like one of the class.
A. written/directed by Harold Ramis
B. it stars Bill Murray
C. and his goal is to get to the day February 3rd, my birthday.
How can I not love a movie in which Bill Murray does whatever it takes to get to 2/3?
Even with Andie MacDowell (Hudson Hawk, Muppets from Space), it’s still a classic romantic comedy.
As for the real Groundhog Day – Here are some “facts” or is this case maybe factoid (loate the word) is more apropos (from Wiki page):
Groundhog Day proponents state that the rodents’ forecasts are accurate 75% to 90%. A Canadian study for 13 cities in the past 30 to 40 years puts success rate level at 37%. Also, the National Climatic Data Center reportedly has stated that the overall predictions accuracy rate is around 39%.
WKBW-TV meteorologist Mike Randall put it a different way: since there are always six more weeks of winter after Groundhog Day, and the concept of early spring in the astronomical sense simply does not exist, then whenever the groundhog sees its shadow and predicts six more weeks of winter, the groundhog is always right, but whenever it predicts an early spring, it is always wrong. The results have an approximate 80% rate of accuracy, the average percentage of times a groundhog sees its shadow.
And Happy Birthday to Amber of My Delicate Slip of Sunshine (on my blogroll). She just couldn’t wait to be born and had to share her day with a big weasel.
But whatever happens today, know that tomorrow will be better. At least I’ll be supposedly wiser.
On Friday, September 26, 2009, I heard a piece on MPR about better health and possible cancer prevention. Recently I found the scrap of paper with notes I made on the story.
The few bullet points I had sounded like a good enough New Year’s resolution for me, too.
Formerly it was usually something along the lines of “all things in moderation”. I didn’t really take too much stock in my 2009, but did seem to have an overall good year. Maybe better than most, so I can’t and won’t complain. This winter on the other hand has been pretty rough, but again, in the big picture, I’m blessed. Or as Mama says, Luckymetimes3.
2010 explodes from my speakers with Dessa, Hot Chip, Los Campesinos!, jj, and Corinne Bailey Rae to name a few highlights. These songs represent what I listened to the most in January, at least those I still like enough to share. If you download the mixtape, please leave a comment when you’ve had a chance to listen.
Please support the artists you like. For sampling purposes only. Music: it’s what’s for dinner.
I loved Little League, but I hated going door to door to sell fundraising candy bars. I see many of you use the interwebs to hawk your Girl Scout wares, so why not try this for my son?
Pablo is trying to raise money for his school, Burroughs, by attempting to read 20 minutes a day in February. Would you be interested in pldeging two cents a minute to this new reader’s (5 yr old) cause? If Pablo reads 20 minutes a day X 28 days, you’d be pledging $11.20 total. Or you could donate maybe a flat $5 or $10?
Last year Burroughs students read for 1.5 million minutes and raised $90K. This year they are going for 1.6 million minutes. The Principal always does a big stunt if they make their goal. This year he may be eating a Stone Soup concoction which may include leftovers from the cafeteria and kids’ plates.
Enjoy a clip from today’s “Where the Wild Things Read Burroughs Read-a-Thon 2010” pep rally. It may remind you of The Royal Tenenbaums.
Please let me know if you’d like to pledge. You wouldn’t want poor Pablo to have to go out in the cold and talk to strangers, would you?
From the House of Gryffindor comes either a professor of potions, Sherlock Holmes or a barber - comments on my birthday attire #booksandbars8 hours ago
Come to "Books & Bars: Ray of the Star" Tuesday, February 23 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. We'll Skype-drink-chat with... http://bit.ly/dbM7F78 hours ago
