Mid-December Collage

My next youngest brother and I had children young. My eldest and his eldest are probably at least ten years older than the next niece. My parents had four boys and no girls. I have the utmost respect for my mother, as my Dad was a career soldier and served in Korea during the war. He was gone for 18 months.  I was 8 and my youngest brother was born while Dad was in the far east. Mothers out there, can you imagine? Dad got no purple heart -   fortunately, but Mom sure should have.

But my folks had about a dozen granddaughters. They never had a grandson until one brother adopted a boy from the former USSR. My dad alway used to say it took the fall of communism for him to get a grandson.

So we haven't seen much of the second oldest granddaughter, my niece Carey. She'd call once in awhile, but we haven't seen much of her. Well, now she lives not that far away and came for a visit with her beau Jeremy. Never met Jeremy before.

The rest are some nice photos of Barb I think, and an annual Christmas party we go to annually. Duh. 

Act 1, Scene 1. Niece Carey Ann.


You've always been something special to me.
Quite independent, always caring.


Hey Carrie Anne, what's your game now
can anybody play? ~The Hollies

Scene 2. Carey Ann shows Barbara Ann some photos from home and grand niece Haley. Ooo, says Barb.


You got me rockin' and a rollin' 
Rockin' and a reelin' Barbara Ann 
Ba ba ba ba Barbara Ann ~ The Beach Boys

Scene 3. Digital photography, aint it grand?

Scene 4. Makwa (Bear in Ojibwe) the Tom Cat, goes and has a visit with Carey and her left foot. I see washing instructions are printed on the bottom, how convenient. Makwa likes to be scratched behind his ears...so do I.

Scene 5. Jeremy and Carey pose, I suppose.

Scene 6. Boys, don't ya just hate that look. I don't know what it means, but I always tread lightly when i see it, and I've seen it over and over. I think it means, "you think I can't whip you?" "Try me". Makes my shutter shudder, brudder.

Scene 7. Whatever it was, it looks like he got by with it - for now.

Scene 8. Bye for now. A very nice visit, just the same, just like we saw each other recently rather than years. Barbara apparently Carey's apparel, is admiring. 

Scene #9, #9, #9.* It's always nice to say goodbye with a good laugh. Notice how no pix of me with the niece? I guess Barb only takes photos of landscapes and nature. Sigh.
*With apologies to John Lennon and the White Album

Act 2, Scene 1. Here Barbara apparently is oooing and ahhhing over a bowl she made for youngest daughter at a place called Glazed and Amused. An old friend owns the place name of Sandy.  Looks like Barb has a camera in her hand, guess she takes photos of bowls too, just not husbands. Oh well. Oh, that's our young friend Ashley painting a cup for one of her Grandmas.

Act 3, Scene 1. Here we are at an annual Christmas party hosted by our long time friend, Lorraine. That's her sitting with another long time friend Don.

Scene 2. The place is always so crowded, that some people have to stand, and some sit on the stairs eating cheesy potatoes, ham and turkey on dark or light buns. Here Barb is with Mike and Rita, and Rachelle. Barb at this point has about three weeks left on the city council, only the 4th woman to serve on the seven person body in 115 years. Rita was just elected as the 5th woman. Jeesh.

Scene 3. The HELM Coalition. (Former Campaign Consultants and Political Pundits) These guys were legends in politics - in our own minds - back in '96. They actually engineered the election of the guy with the long hair and a woman to the state senate and house respectively. Quite a feat as the former two office holders crashed and burned really baaaaaad. We were good, just ask any of us.  Left to right, Steve. Michael, David, Patrick, and David. 

Scene 4. That photo of these legends of the mind kind, bears repeating for sure. "Hold on", the photographer said, "let's do two, of this crew".

Scene 5. Four of the wives of the HELM Coalition, and someone sitting, er standing in for the 5th. Left to right Rachelle sitting in for Lori (Patrick), Sue (Steve), Lisa (David) Barbara (Michael), and Kristine (David). Now I can't remember which David belongs to which lovely lady, so I'll let you guess.

Act 4, Scene 1. Wondering why I'm calling these photos like a thespian? 'Cause I was in a Christmas play appropriately called A Christmas Carol, that I will blog about soon. I will also blog about Act 3, Scene 2 soon. So you won't have to look back, it is about the 4th and 5th woman Bemidji City Councilor. (Man, typing all these numbers...I never learned to do that very well in typing class.)



I take my card and I stand in line 
To make a buck I work overtime 
Dear Sir letters keep coming in the mail 
I work my back till it's racked with pain 
The boss can't even recall my name 
I show up late and I'm docked 
It never fails 
I feel like a number, feel like a number. ~Bob Seger

Scene 2. My attempt to get a little creative. Actually, the oval shade is probably hiding something. I took several shots of Barb for her facebook page, and I like them all, so here they are.

Scene 3.

Scene 4.

Scene 5. Hey, what the heck, close with another laugh.

Act 5, Scene 1 and Last. I don't know if I'm supposed to tell this or not, but this is the extent of our Christmas holiday decorations, pretty much. We had no children or relatives of any kind home for Christmas, actually had no company at all. 

We imposed on friends for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Eve - and it was the same family.  (Blogged about New Years already, so I'll do one or two more for Turkey and Christmas, eventually.) Hard to believe they could put up with us three times in six weeks, but they did, which makes them pretty special...and maybe us too?

ICE-urvived Brrrmidji's Polar Plunge

Yup, Ice-survived by not doing it. But 61 others did the plunge and survived including Barb, Tonya and Julie.

Mid-January brings among other things Brrrrmidji Polar Daze. And yup, just like "First City on the Mississippi", I dreamt up the name for this and was it's first chair about a dozen years ago when it was inaugurated. Yeah, I even decided how many "r's" are in Brrrmidji. Yes, and dreamt up all the puns and plays on words for events, most of which have been since dropped. I also came up with a sweat shirt that said "Ice-urvived Brrrmidji Polar Daze". But enough about me, I ain't done squat since that first year.

Now Barbara woke me about 11:30 AM on Saturday the 15th and said she and her absolutely nutty friend Tonya, were going to do the Polar Plunge at 1 PM. Well, it was about 15 degrees below zero with a wind chill. Talk about impulse. Course, it would have to be impulse because if you thought about it much you'd go back to bed.

It takes me awhile to wake up, but I did it because this needed to be documented. Barb been over a year now since breast cancer surgery, and just had her mammogram in the past month, and is clean. She changed in a few ways, some of which are more interesting than others. 

She has never taken photos in the thirty years I've known her, never owned a camera, now she's shooting very good photos of nature on her walks. She's never been a writer, but she's started a blog to showcase her photos and it's an enjoyable and thoughtful read. She went cross country skiing for the first time in her life in the last month with her friend Roger. And now she's gonna do the "plunge".

Now I have to say, that part of her madness is her hanging around with the likes of Tonya. They get pretty nutty when they are together, they laugh and do crazy things. They egg each other on, but Tonya is the younger and comes up with some doozies, but Barb goes right along. Keeps her young. So Tonya also tries to get two other women to come along, one who does...her sister-in-law Julie, and one who decided to do it vicariously and went back to bed. Two out of three ain't bad Tonya, especially with an hour and a half notice.

Oh, they paid 30 bucks to participate, and Barb even raised a few more bucks and got a t-shirt, the money went to the food shelf, a very good cause. Damn shame we have to have a food shelf in this country, don't get me going.

Here's the lay out. Two guys in the water and one up top to help you out. The water is warm, about 40 degrees, but they still won't stay in long. They say 61 crazies did the plunge.

Here comes Batty, Buggy, and Bonkers. Looks like they are getting some last minute instructions from someone dressed for the weather, perhaps she is asking them if they really want to do this silly thing.

Julie's clapping her hands like she's regressed to about age six, Tonya's slapped her head not quite enough times, while Barb is either getting in the zone or about to raise her fists to flatten the noses of her book end zanies and escape.

Julie and Tonya start to do the ice dance, while Barb is still clenching those fists.

Barb still seems to be crazed while her co-crazies seem relaxed visiting with other mad hatters, awaiting the pool to be emptied.

Barb finally must realize where she's at and what she's about to do and begins to laugh uncontrollably, or scream ACCCCCKKKKKKK, while friend Tonya steadies her so she don't fall over while singing:


Take me to the river, drop me in the water
Push me in the river, dip me in the water
Washing me down, washing me ~Talking Heads

Julie readies the start by jogging in place, Tonya says a happy prayer, and Barb considers whether she could actually leap over the pool to the other side and not get into the icy waters.

Clasping hands, the time has come. It's all come down to this. They can't quit now. Can they?

Here they come, walkin' 
Down the street.
They get the funniest looks from 
Ev'ry one they meet.
Hey, hey, they're the Monkees ~ Boyce and Hart (with apologies)

The trio walks on water for a split second before sinking up to their chests in some rather chilly waters. Lac de Faithe, no doubt? Oh yes, doubt or they wouldn't have sunk.

Well, they are smiling. Looks like a run for the ladder and looks like Barb beat 'em tuit, or maybe Tonya and Julie were being charitable.  Ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo. Let's go, c'mon, c'mon.

What do you suppose they are saying? Or perhaps noises they are making? To the warming house, quickly change into dry clothes and make room for the rest of the zanies.

Note on Tonya's hair, you can actually see icicles forming. When it's 15 degrees below zero it don't take long for ice to form. They actually say this is good for the heart, thus the popularity of saunas.


Popsicles, icicles, baseball and fancy clothes
These are a few of the things he loves ~David Gates (The Murmaids '63)

Some folks were even crazier.

Believe it or not, these two were from Hawaii. Boy, were they in for a surprise. Looks like they're dressed for Waikiki.

The Bemidji Fire Department in full regalia. 

We did it!

Friends Forever! Baptized in the cold, frozen forever connected...unitl they thaw.

But where's Julie?

There she is, must have gotten lost looking for her glasses.

There's the trippy Trio, appearing better dressed for the weather than they did a moment ago. Seem none the worse for the experience.

And another view. After standing that way awhile, they were able to separate as the warmth of their bodies melted the connective ice.

Frozen again, I wanted to help straighten them out, but they wouldn't listen to me.

Tonya greets husband and daughter.

Packed up and ready to go. Another adventure finished. What wild and crazy thing do they ponder as they leave the ice of Lake Bemidjigamaag? I'll keep ya posted.

On the Eve of 1/1/11

New Years Eve. An odd evening in a way. A way of measuring time which is immeasurable. It seems like the end of something and the beginning of something. For many years, for me it has been a time of reflection and introspection. Time and space. Infinity and eternity. Phew.

As a kid, I can remember my folks throwing parties in the basement. It was always a big mess in the morning, which somehow I found interesting. The first time I recall really celebrating I don't recall much. It was '62-'63, I was in the army in Hawaii. I can remember walking down Kalakaua Blvd. kissing all the girls, I was quite drunk and don't think I made it to midnight.

As a young man, I can remember partying with my brothers, we all married a little later in life. It was the 70's, I had quit drinking, but there were many other choices for mood enhancers. 

After marriage and Bemidji, things toned down a bit. Many years we did a movie and dinner with friends and parted ways afore midnight to spend watching the ball drop as a couple. We might have done a party or two. One time, '95-'96 we went to Isle where Dad lived. He'd had heart troubles, and was diagnosed with prostate cancer besides. Brother John was there. I can remember Dad commenting about why one celebrates such a thing, and he was teary eyed. He died seven months later to the day on July 31.

My brothers and I had a couple of traditions we shared with our folks. We called each other at midnight, and we passed it to our children. Another was jumping in a snow drift for some reason. I remember one time when we were still single, standing out in a farm yard of a mutual friend of us all, and we sang Auld Lang Syne at the top of our lungs holding hands looking at the stars, stoned on three or four different things.

I kinda dropped the snow drift thing years ago, but last year Brother Bear lived here, and Brother Barrister was here as well. We had a great time at the Turtle Lake, and yup...I did the snow drift. This year I didn't. And for the first time ever, rather than calls at midnight, we all texted each other, brothers and daughters. Didn't plan it, it just happened. I don't know if that is sad or not. I don't know what it means if anything. Is it worth thinking about? Maybe.

This year Brother Bear is in CA with Brother Knook. Brother Barrister is in Duluth with childhood friend Mrrrr. Daughters both working. We were invited to a small party at our Bixby Buddies. They are younger, have three and sometimes four kids still at home, but now their youngest is a teen, and the oldest is not. Not sure, but this may be the first time all their kids weren't home for New Years Eve. In fact only one was home, who had a friend over. We thought-and so did they-that we would have a meal, chat a bit, maybe play a short game, and be home by 10:30. Barb might even be in bed by midnight. It was not to be. 

We had a great time. Easily in the top three New Years fun times in the past two decades. I hope that you, all my relatives and friends who bother to read these words (only a relative or friend would have read this lengthy intro) had a great New Years Eve as well, whether it was a party of two or twenty. And I wish you all peace and love and good health for 2011. Barbara and I miss and love you all.

Let's party.

Barbara's friend and former seat mate on the City Council is also good friends with our Bixby Buddies. This is the first photo of the evening by Barb. Here Roger announces that it's time to party.

Our host Derrick.

Our hostess and grand chef, Rachelle.

Barbara "Curly" Ann. No gray hair, don't seem fair.

Rachelle made what she called Italian Meat Ball Soup, in her Grandma's good china. Yummy.

Bowling. We decided to play Wii, while Roger goes wheee. It's really fun, no? Oui.

Son Alex and friend Peter join us for awhile, here he challenges his mom to some kind of slicing game. He's quite quick.

A reasonable facsimile of the Höfner 500/1 bass. This violin-shaped model is commonly referred to as the "Beatle bass." This is a clue to what is to come.

Muppet Michael

Smilin' Roger

Okay, here we go. Xbox 360 The Beatles: Rock Band. Derrick is amused as I try to hit the high notes on Lucy in the Sky.


Picture yourself on a train in a station,
With plasticine porters with looking glass ties.
Suddenly someone is there at the turnstile,
The girl with kaleidoscope eyes.

I say high, you say low
You say why and I say I don't know, oh no
You say goodbye and I say hello

Roger and Rachelle do a duo.

You say you want a revolution 
Well, you know 
We all want to change the world 

Here come old flattop he come grooving up slowly 
He got joo-joo eyeball he one holy roller 
He got hair down to his knee 
Got to be a joker he just do what he please 

Derrick on bass, Alex on drums, and Peter on guitar while Louie Prima and Keely Smith sing Beatles.

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting 
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear 
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, 
and I say it's all right 
It's all right 

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes... 
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes... 

The Double R Duet. Roger and Rachelle. Here's a better shot of guitarist Peter. If you haven't seen this, it actually has the music for drums, guitar, bass and voice either solo or harmony. You decide either easy, medium, hard or expert and then it grades you at the end. If you're really bad it "tilts".

We would sing and dance around 
because we know we can't be found 
I'd like to be under the sea 
In an octopus' garden in the shade

Doin' it in harmony. That's Rachelle behind the mike and the Michael

Well, shake it up, baby, now, (shake it up, baby)
Twist and shout. (twist and shout)
Cmon cmon, cmon, cmon, baby, now, (come on baby)
Come on and work it on out. (work it on out)

I told that girl I can start right away
When she said listen babe I got something to say
I got no car and it's breaking my heart
But I've found a driver and that's a start


Baby you can drive my car
Yes I'm gonna be a star
Baby you can drive my car
And maybe I'll love you
Beep beep'm beep beep yeah

Barbara gives her impression of Ringo.

Something in the way she moves,
Attracts me like no other lover.
Something in the way she woos me.
I don't want to leave her now,
You know I believe and how.

I don't know why nobody told you 
how to unfold you love 
I don't know how someone controlled you 
they bought and sold you 


I look at the world and I notice it's turning 
While my guitar gently weeps 
With every mistake we must surely be learning 
Still my guitar gently weeps 

As Barbara leaves 2010 behind, her challenge, the city council she has been freed somehow. She started a blog, she writes, she takes gorgeous nature photographs, she plays games. Tryin' new things is Barb, don't think she'd have ever sang at a party, and here she takes over the drums. She scored well.

"Play Paul". Derrick does that "bass line". He "Scores"...in the high 90's.

Here comes the Sun King.
Ev’rybody’s laughing
ev’rybody’s happy.
Here comes the Sun King.

Ooh I need your love babe,
Guess you know it's true.
Hope you need my love babe,
Just like I need you,Ooo.


Hold me, love me, hold me, love me.
I ain't got nothin' but love babe,
Eight days a week.

Eight days a week

I love you.

Eight days a week

Is not enough to show I care.