The e Round Robin

How to type José with the accent mark on the "e"

2012-01-12T10:43:00.004-06:00

Hi all,

I found this explanation in the Blogger Help... The correct code for the é is ALT-130.

Note that the ALT-130 method may not work in other apps. For example, it doesn't work for me in MS Word, where I type CTRL+<'>+<e> instead (single quote).

Dan - You're not the only one that has used Hosea instead of José! Is it a "right brain" phenomenon??

There are two ways I know of. One would be to open your word processor, click insert symbol, and find the appropriate accented letter and copy it and paste it in. That is a bit cumbersome.

The other is to use the ALT +number pad. An example, hold down the ALT key and key in 164 on the number pad and you will get ñ--also useful in Spanish. I don't know all the ALT +# symbols by heart--only a few that I use often. I made myself a cheat sheet by trying all of them. I only have to refer to it to find the one I need. Here's a site with a chart of all of them. http://www.tedmontgomery.com/tutorial/altchrc.html It's the first one that came up in a Google search.

Christmas Day at the Carlsons

2012-01-11T22:11:00.000-06:00

It was a houseful!

The Roseau Clan was well represented (see left)

Ho ho ho. (See below)

The beautiful people (see Left)

And at the opposite extreme (see below) my favorite picture of all - Brother Paul, the scum of the earth. Apologies to Faith that she had to be in the picture. I tried to photoshop her out but failed.

Christmas Eve at the Lindstroms

2012-01-11T21:56:00.003-06:00

I hope others had a good Christmas too. Here's some proof that some of us gathered at the Lindstrom's house.

Glad to see Tim.

Notice the "artsy" photo with the twinkle in the foreground.

About the only "downer" was that José wasn't feeling too well. He tried his best to have fun, but they left early with José exhausted.

The tree.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-08T22:06:00.000-06:00

I know that this will not work for some, but anybody who has nothing better to do on Christmas Eve, is invited to The Lindstroms. Come whenever you like, but let us know if you are coming and plan to be getting the food ready around 5 p.m. and we'll eat at 5:30.

What's the meal theme? Good question.

We don't want to repeat Thanksgiving with turkey, etc.
Jean has already grabbed "Scandanavian" for Christmas Day.
Rumor has it that a certain someone with the initials Ralph Carlson has put the kabosh on hors dourves.
So we are suggesting "Pot Luck". Bring whatever you want. But e-mail and let us know your plans so we can keep others informed so we don't end up with a half-dozen variations on pickled herring.

I'll also send this via e-mail and facebook. But whether we see you or not, everybody please have the merriest Christmas you can.

Mac Donalds

2011-11-17T20:53:00.001-06:00

By the way, I'm really enjoying Paul's uploads of Mom and Dad's photos. Where does the time go?

This first photo of mine is from a walk Richard and Jo and I took down the Champs Elysees - one of the most expensive and exclusive shopping areas in the world.

Believe it or not this is what you first see when you walk into the McDonalds on the Champs Elysees.

But nobody was ordering anything from that first display of everything classically French. You walk further in and there are hordes of people crowded in to order the real thing. . .American fast food. The guide book said this is the most profitable McDonalds in the world.

Jo and I were constantly impressed with our eating experiences in France. Their attention to quality and detail is breathtaking. Fresh basil, authentic Swiss cheese, toothsome flavorful breads etc. etc.

But judging from this McDonalds it looks like we are slowly winning them over. I'm not sure what to think of this. I liked the French eating experience, but I also like McDonalds.

11-11-11

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-06:00

Have a onederful 11-11-11 today.

The Louvre

2011-11-03T21:28:00.000-05:00

Crown of St. Louis 1265 a.d.

The Louvre! You could spend a year in The Louvre and not begin to grasp all it holds. Richard and Jo went off to look at the art (e.g. The Mona Lisa) but I wandered in the direction of the antiquities. This is an extremely random sampling of what I saw starting with a crown of St. Louis, a king of France important to us if for no other reason than our county of Minnesota is St. Louis.

Charlemagnes' Arm 1165 a.d.

Gladiator's Helmet 80 a.d.

Amphora Reward Olympics 325 b.c.

From Darius the Persian 510 b.c.

An Assyrian Hero 710 b.c.

A Mesopotamian Prince 3000 b.c.

First Snow

2011-10-31T22:56:00.000-05:00

Sunday... and Monday We have about 3 inches now up here in Nikiski, Alaska. Pictures will be coming soon when i have time to post them. Leaving to go play hockey now. PS i really like those photos of Dad and Mom, Paul - You did a good job!

OK i added the photos to prove when we had the first approximately 1" of snow. Then on the 1st and 2nd of Nov. we had some huge winds that knocked trees on to power lines all over the peninsula. Look at the cottonwood tree in the bottom photo. The wind broke it off at the stump and it did not even scrape the bank. It just jumped about 5' into the driveway. Lois Ann did not have to go to school on the 2nd because the power was still off. Today is the 3rd and we now have 6-8" of new snow. Winter has arrived!!!

Jet Lag

2011-10-24T21:38:00.000-05:00

Mark says, "We want more" of the Paris trip.

That's a dangerous thing to say to someone fresh home from a vacation with hundreds of photos. But then again, why not? It don't cost nothing.

Day one was my first experience of jet lag. We arrived in Paris about the time I usually go to bed (midnight), but it was early morning.

The bus from the airport let us off at "Opera". I earlier said it was Hugo's Opera, but Victor Hugo did not write Phantom of the Opera.

We meandered two blocks south westerly and here's an edifice that looks like a roman temple (see first picture). It's the church of Madeline built by Napoleon to celebrate a military victory. That's my dear friend Dr. Richard Ralph Roach next to Jo.

Then we meandered two blocks further south and there's an obelisk. It's an Egyptian artifact from the time of the Israel captivity in Egypt. The obelisk is centered on the place where the guillotine once slaughtered thousands during The Revolution with hundreds of thousands crowded in to cheer and be entertained.

We head east toward the Louvre through a "garden" filled with statues. I wandered up towards one and find it is a Greek statue from the time of Plato.

Until this trip I had never been outside North America. This first day where I'm in a sleepless fog, even now, feels like a dream.

Inky Dinky Parleyvou

2011-10-07T22:23:00.000-05:00

Jo and I are back from France.

An amazing trip!

From the moment we arrived (at the Opera i.e. Victor Hugo's "The Phantom of the Opera" opera!) to the day we left we were breathless in awe of the things we were seeing.

From busts of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle to artifacts from Assyria circa the time of Isaiah.

A great trip, and Dr. Richard Ralph Roach was a great guide.

After a week in Paris we went to the rural Loire Valley, home of numerous historic castles.

Trip of a lifetime!

But I noticed that a month went by without anybody saying anything at this blog site. Not good.

Don't wait for the trip of a lifetime to post something. I really like to hear or see the simple and basic things we are all experiencing.

p.s. Peter is home and we were really glad to see him when we got back. Pray for a job for him in surveying - or close to it.

First Frost

2011-09-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

This was the first frost of this season. This photo was taken on 9/27/2011 at 10AM. We could make a little contest, since Dan wants more postings, and see who can be the first one to post photos of snow for this winter. Also if someone is creative they could set up a prediction grid or graph of when we will get the first 1" or 1/2" of snow. Just some ideas to get more traffic and readership and participation.

Jonathan

2011-08-23T23:50:00.000-05:00

You can follow Jonathan's postings about his adventure at http://chasingthesloth.wordpress.com/

At one place he mentions almost stepping on a caiman in a river. I looked up "caiman". Oh my!

Peter and Jonathan

2011-08-22T22:10:00.001-05:00

The alarm went of at 3 a.m. and we took Jonathan and another Gustavus junior to the airport. Jonathan is going to spend the fall semester in the rain forest jungles of Costa Rica studying the biology there. We won't be seeing him again until December.

At noon Sargent Sargent (no kidding) arrived at our house to pick up Peter and drive him to Fargo. There he will, in the morning, take a plane to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for 2 1/2 months of boot camp. He will remain there for another 2 months of specialized training in surveying and weather analysis. We don't know when we will see him next. His only contact with the outside world will be through the post office - once we are given an address. . .which may not be for a week or two.

It is suddenly very quiet at our house. Josie's passing has reminded us that each moment of life is a gift and nothing should be taken for granted. A prayer or two for the safety of our boys would be appreciated.

Jonathan is going to try and maintain a blog with photos of his adventure. We'll get you that site as soon as we get it. And Peter's address at boot camp too.

The World's Largest Jack Pine!

2011-08-14T21:05:00.007-05:00

I've lived in northwestern Minnesota over 30 years now, but it wasn't until just last year that I learned that we had the world's largest Jack Pine a mere 40 miles away. How could I have missed this important piece of information? Am I ignorant? Why isn't this a huge tourist attraction? I couldn't even find any photos on-line.

The large jack pine is located in Lake Bronson State Park. They don't even highlight it in their literature! What's up with that? I'm pretty sure I've been to the park at least 30 times over the years and I've never heard about it.

Well, as it turns out, it's not real easy to get to. One has to walk about 2 miles through the woods:

I walked about 3/4 mile when I realized I didn't have enough mosquito repellant on. I was going to have to turn around and miss this opportunity. Then, a small miracle happened. Right there in the middle of the trail was a can of Deep Woods Off! I drenched myself in it and continued on my way.

Well, I finally saw a sign pointing to the right that said something like "Large Pine". I was the only one there. I hadn't seen anyone on the trail during the whole walk. As it turns out I wouldn't see anyone on the way back either... I walked about 150 feet down the trail to a small opening. The opening isn't even large enough to capture the whole tree in the photo. Well, here it is:
Okay, it's a humble Jack Pine. It's not a Sequoia. This is what Jack Pines look like. It's approximately 56 feet tall and 116 inches around (although there's no plaque or monument at the site providing this information).

And no, it's not dead, JaNae. Here's a photo showing the needles near the top:As far as I can tell, these are the first pictures of this tree on the internet. (I suppose now the floodgates will open and tourists from all over the world will visit the park.)

Jocelyn Renee Brengman

2011-08-05T23:45:00.000-05:00

Roseau ALS 5K

2011-07-22T09:50:00.003-05:00

Here I am beginning the 5K in Roseau last Saturday. The main difference I can see between Holly and myself is that I look winded at the beginning of the race and Holly looks rested at the end.

I'm pretty sure it was the hottest, most humid morning of the year so far. I'm proud to say that I beat all the other old people in the race (everyone over 50). Don't misinterpret that for me being fast...

Mt. Marathon Race

2011-07-04T14:34:00.001-05:00

After many years of trying to get a spot in the ladies race Holly finally succeeded. She was number 444 which ironically was the winning time in the men's race. The top man finished in 44 minutes and 40 seconds!

Here she is waving from the second group. There were two waves of about 150 runners in each group. The second wave started 5 or 10 minutes after the first wave.

They are off and running.

Mt. Marathon in Seward is 3022' tall and it is only? a 3 mile race. The hardest part is running the 1/2 mile plus in the streets at the bottom of the mountain.

They hike up the left trail and run fast down the right side.

After the race Holly doesn't even look winded. She wants to do it again next year!

She finished in about the middle of the pack. They have to finish in less than 3 hours to get a spot next year. She wanted to do it in less than 2 hours and would have been real happy with 1:45. She did it in 1:37!

You might be able to blow this up if you want to read more.

Warning

2011-06-29T15:52:00.000-05:00

I'm cleaning out the garage. For some reason I have three boxes of old Stynsberg memorabilia - photos, letters, funeral notices, patent applications, stamps etc. Much of it is from before any of us were born.

I'm bringing them to Jose's party on Monday. You guys (i.e. Stynsbergs) can decide what's to be done with it all.

Who knows, maybe some of those stamps are valuable?

Jose's 4th on the 4th!

2011-06-21T23:25:00.003-05:00

You're invited to Jose's birthday party (and family get-together) on the 4th! Come at 2pm or whenever. Potluck at 5pm. We'll have the grill if you want to grill. We'll rent a tent if it looks like it will be wet. Horseshoes? Bocce ball? Croquette? Volleyball? Swing? Hike? Sit and talk? Fireworks? Bring a lawn chair and beverage. We have some lawn chairs and we'll have water and something... Please don't feel obligated to bring a gift for Jose. We'll probably do this every year for another 14 years!

A New Chapter for Jo

2011-06-13T22:59:00.000-05:00

This is Jo when she was a student teacher.

This is Jo when she first started teaching.

This is Jo in retirement. Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. A race well run. Sadder but wiser.

Number One!!!

2011-05-30T22:03:00.001-05:00

It's a good thing Mark is retired because when it snows he removes an overwhelming 800 feet of snow.

First step: He plows his own driveway which gives him 300 feet.

Then: he goes over to his "cabin" to add on another 325 feet.

And finally: just for the fun of it, he goes to Christopher's house for another 175 feet.

So in one sense Mark is the winner by a long shot. But (since I didn't win) I wonder if he isn't in fact the loser and Greg with his measly 37 feet is in truth the winner?

The distance between Mark and the rest of us lengthens even more when you consider that Minnesota averages 45 inches of snow a season and the Kenai averages 90. If we were to factor that in then in "Minnesota Feet" Mark moves 1600 feet of snow.

Ouch! Again. . . it's a good thing he's retired and congratulations to Mark. He is the manliest of men no matter what the method of removal is.

The Grass is Greener...

2011-05-28T16:26:00.006-05:00

I realize we haven't totally exhausted the subject of snow removal yet, but it's Memorial Day weekend... Perhaps we should begin talking about the green stuff that's beginning to ask for hours of our lives every week.

Faith says push lawn mowers have been perfectly adequate for the last 30 years and should continue to serve us for 30 more. Riding lawn mowers may be fine ... for 85-year-old great grandmothers with large yards! Heck, she shelled out plenty for this lawn mower 10 years ago... Recently, in a weak moment, she surprised me and said she might consider allowing us to save up for a pedal mower!

Number Two

2011-05-27T21:42:00.001-05:00

The reason Dan and Mark are still in the race is because they both do more than their own driveways.

Dan and Jo come in at number two with 450 feet. The road going into their driveway is not maintained by the city, so Dan does his driveway, then Hill Trail Court from Hill Trail North to the end of their property line and then just for the fun of it he does Al and Veronica's driveway.

Once in awhile neighbor George does the first half of Hill Trail Court with his ATV but not often and lets not complicate things - right?

Dan has not used a shovel on his driveway since Peter turned six.

Spring

2011-05-26T00:51:00.003-05:00

Here are a few spring photos taken in the past week or so.

Number Three

2011-05-24T21:53:00.000-05:00

If Dean and Kurt just shoveled to their doorway, Steve would have beat them easily, but no, they shovel all the way down the hill to the shed giving them an impressive 365 foot trail. They are, I believe, committed and dedicated shovelers through and through.

By the way a violent tornado went through the Twin Cities two days ago hitting North Minneapolis and the northwest suburbs. I'm thinking that one of these days one of us should check with the Carlsons to see if they're goners, buried under a pile of rubble, or not.

Number Four

2011-05-22T16:22:00.000-05:00

The three driveways done so far were all under a hundred feet. The last four are all going to be longer than football fields! Like that football field behind Paul and Faith's place.

When I started this I assumed Steve would be in first place, but unless I made a mistake in my calculations he's not even in the top three. Coming in at number four is Steve at 325 feet.

Steve's preferred method of snow removal is the snowblower. So if anyone has one to give him he'd be more than happy. But until then he's stuck with a lousy shovel.

By the way I know it looks like the road is 20 feet east of where I put it, but that cleared area is for the power line going into his house.

Number Five

2011-05-21T15:18:00.001-05:00

In fifth place at 75 feet are Jean and Ralph. I'm not sure who does the snow removal in this family or what the preferred method is. Perhaps we will be informed in a comment.

Notice that these first three are all standard urban driveways. The ordering is primarily determined based on how much of the driveway is double wide. The final four will prove to be more complicated.

Number Six

2011-05-19T22:02:00.000-05:00

Paul and Faith best Greg and Denise by 25 feet with 62 feet of space (meaning 62 feet long one lane wide). Paul is a shoveler and Faith applauds his choice.

By the way Google Maps didn't spend much time in Roseau judging a. by how blurry the photos are and b. the street designations missed the actual street locations by a good 20 feet - notice how they have 7th ave ne going right through Paul's neighbor's house.

Snow

2011-05-19T00:46:00.002-05:00

Since we are still writing about snow here are a few photos from winter that i was going to post somewhere, but kept putting it off...

Number Seven

2011-05-18T16:03:00.000-05:00

Regarding the issue of snowblower verses shovel, one needs to consider how much snow needs to be removed. Towards that end I checked everyone's yard with Google Sattelite and calculated the area of removal for everyone. Today I'll present the person in seventh place. But. . .

1. I measured each home with the zoom at 1 inch equals 100 feet.

2. I marked in yellow the areas that are one lane wide, and I marked in blue the areas that are two lanes wide.

3. I'm ignoring sidewalks

4. If you want to challenge my assumptions. . .have at it.

Okay. Drumroll. Number seven: Coming in at a scant 37 feet - Greg and Denise. Greg's usual mode of removal is the shovel.

YAY FOR THE HEIDI'S!

2011-05-08T19:43:00.000-05:00

They did it! Heidi B's experience sounds a lot like Jo's with Peter. A lot of concerned looks on the doctor and nurses and then all of a sudden she's being whisked away fast to the surgery room. Without modern medicine Jo and/or the baby would have died both times! Glad everything turned out.

God's hand was on me

2011-05-02T16:30:00.002-05:00

Thank you for your prayers for my surgery. I had the least invasive surgery that I could have had. I don't really know what the surgeon did as my head is still all wrapped up. I hope to have it removed on Wed. I had plastic surgery to repair the wound on my head. It was difficult to anticipate how involved it could have been; praise be to God for the outcome!

Ralph's mom seems to be "out of the woods". About 2 weeks ago we really didn't know if she would make it. We went to see her in Duluth while she was in ICU. She looked pretty bad. She is recovering quite well and is at what used to be Lake Haven Nursing home.

Heidi and Josh are still waiting for their baby. We call him baby "B" She is in "practice labor", that is what the dula calls it. Maybe he'll come soon, hopefully in the next day or so. She is already about a week and a half overdue.

Snow Removal System

2011-04-24T19:32:00.007-05:00

What's all the fuss about snowblowers! Faith says our snow removal system has been perfectly adequate for the last 30 years and should continue to serve us for 30 more. Heck, she shelled out plenty for this shovel 10 years ago... if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I guess I can't argue with that logic.

Me Too

2011-04-15T20:26:00.000-05:00

It was the dead of winter. A bad storm was coming. Our 25 year old snowblower was kaput. Jo was quick to say, "I guess we have to get a new snowblower" and I grimly and soberly and in a mature fashion nodded in agreement.

You can see from the picture that it was a tough decision for me. Afterwards I felt guilty and told Jo the snowblower would count as my birthday, anniversary and Christmas presents combined.

Leeland Hollis Quick

2011-04-13T19:35:00.003-05:00

Heidi and John had their baby about 2:15pm Tacoma time. He was a big boy at 9lbs. 4oz. and 21 inches long. He has big hands and way more hair than grandpa. I added another photo of the Quick family. John looks like he had a harder time than Heidi ; )

When do you think Heidi B. will have her baby? I guess 4/19 at 9:29am

email notifications

2011-04-13T15:04:00.002-05:00

OK. Here's my post for the month.
I got an email notification when Mark posted his post.
That never worked for me in the past.

Getting ready for robins

2011-04-13T10:44:00.000-05:00

I got a new snowblower a month ago and have only used it once before last tuesday. From early on tuesday morning we got 10 to 12 inches of wet snow, and look how far the snow is blowing! Lots of fun. The day following this snow the temperatures went up to 40 degrees and the 10+ inches melted down to 2 inches in one day! Now a week later I'm keeping my eyes open for the first robins.

This searching for robins has caused me to subconsciously check out the e-RR and nothing has been posted since the robins flew south. We need to revive the e-RR when the robins return this spring. During a belated birthday greeting to Dan we talked about asking everyone to post something once every month or two. Facebook works good as email with photos and it is easy to comment, but it is harder to go back and find historical events.

Next year i am going to go back to this blog post to see when the last snowstorm of 2011 happened. So do you fellow e-Round Robiners feel you can post something each month? And what kind of topics would you all like to read about?

Family reunion photos

2010-08-09T22:42:00.004-05:00

Below are some sort of good photos from the reunion:

In this photo everyone is sorted by the brightest on the right.

In this one the persons with the longest arms on the right.

Sorted by most light-headed on the left.

Sorted by cameras.

Finally the cousins sorted by height. Everyone smile!!

Party Time!

2010-07-07T11:50:00.009-05:00

A Time to Relax

And Smile

The Greatest Sport in the World

Girls!

A Thief Caught in the Act

We Walk it Off

catching up

2010-07-02T08:14:00.002-05:00

In order to keep some things from getting on the google worldwide I will use first names only. I read a couple of books recently that I have really enjoyed. "Making the Blue Plate Special" subtitled The Joy of Family Legacies by Florence Littauer, Marita Littauer, Lauren Littauer Briggs prompted me to get in touch with a couple of people that have touched my life and probably some of you guys as well. I wrote a letter to Dick and Bette and Les and Marlyn. Dick and Bette are still in their apartment in the downtown area of Duluth. I found Les and Marlyn in an apartment on Haines Rd. by looking in Dex Knows. Of course until they respond I won't know if they are all alive. I wrote to these folks by snail mail (what in the world is that?) first and will contact them by phone if they don't respond. One thing I wanted to know from Dick and Bette is if anyone has done any genealogy on Dad's side of the family. I wanted to thank both families for their impact on our young lives.

Anyone want to respond about their experiences, memories? I will let you know if any if them call or write back.

Jose's 3rd Birthday/Summer Get-together

2010-06-09T21:27:00.009-05:00

José is almost 3!

We're going to have another party! Please join us if you can make it. We'll do another BBQ /potluck. Start around 2pm. Eat at 5pm? (July 4th) It's on a Sunday this year.

See chickens and lambs. Play games. Go hiking. Sit around and talk. Sit around a fire? Sing? Fireworks?

I looked back at last year's post for José's 2nd birthday. It says: "He likes wearing caps. He's talking, but barely. He loves cars, trucks, and tractors."

He still loves cars, trucks, and tractors. Add to that, trains. (We'll have to take a train ride sometime.) He talks a blue streak! He's funny. He's good-natured. He's pretty good with his fine motor skills. He's in the middle of potty training. He'll be going to pre-school this fall!

Emery has moved

2010-05-07T12:10:00.004-05:00

Grandma painting Emery's toes.
Emery looks a little sad about moving.
Showing Christoffer her doll.
One of my favorite things was watching Emery peel a mandarin orange and then divide it into sections. She uses all her muscles in her tiny fingers and hands, and concentrates on the task at hand. Grandpa taught her how to do it.

If most of you have been checking out Facebook you know that John and Heidi have moved to Tacoma Washington. John is now a regional director for Samaritans Purse - Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. We are missing them and especially Emery. Hopefully we'll get down to see them often.

Picturephone

2010-01-20T01:34:00.002-06:00

The first Picturephone test system, built in 1956, was crude - it transmitted an image only once every two seconds. But by 1964 a complete experimental system, the "Mod 1," had been developed. To test it, the public was invited to place calls between special exhibits at Disneyland and the New York World's Fair. In both locations, visitors were carefully interviewed afterward by a market research agency.

People, it turned out, didn't like Picturephone. The equipment was too bulky, the controls too unfriendly, and the picture too small. But the Bell System was convinced that Picturephone was viable. Trials went on for six more years. In 1970, commercial Picturephone service debuted in downtown Pittsburgh and AT&T executives confidently predicted that a million Picturephone sets would be in use by 1980.

What happened? Despite its improvements, Picturephone was still big, expensive, and uncomfortably intrusive. It was only two decades later, with improvements in speed, resolution, miniaturization, and the incorporation of Picturephone into another piece of desktop equipment, the computer, that the promise of a personal video communication system was realized.

Why use skype when we already have the picturephone?

Skype

2010-01-17T17:23:00.002-06:00

I made the suggestion to Mark the other day that we should all get on Skype. To my surprise he didn't know what Skype was! Perhaps some of the rest of you don't either. Skype is a cheap way (free, actually) to make phone calls over the internet. As you can see from the screen shot above, both JaNae and us have it. The picture quality isn't perfect, but I can't complain. Conference calls can happen too - not video, just audio.

All you need is a cheap computer cam. JaNae got us one for Christmas. You should be able to get one for less than $25.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-13T16:10:00.004-06:00

As mentioned earlier people are invited to come here Christmas Eve. I'll call the local people to check on who can make it, but if you're coming just plan on bringing something yummy - anything from appetizers to desserts. The gathering time is nogotiable but for now let's aim for 5 p.m.

There will be a white elephant present opening. So bring something goofy. Something really unfortunate here is that one of our cats broke to smithereens the white elephant I got last year. It was priceless and now it's gone.

Here's are two modest rule proposals for the white elephant.

1. Nothing broken. The bell has to ring, the radio has to play, the water softener has to soften water.

2. If you participate, you have to bring it home with you! Nothing is to be left at our house or in our yard. And our our garbage can is considered part of our yard! And this includes all of our neighbor's houses and yards too!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-13T15:56:00.006-06:00

Things went well at the Lindstrom's on Thanksgiving. I had a little mishap with my pumpkin pie (see right). Since George is no longer around to clean up my messes, I chopped it up, put it in a bowl and fed it to Steve. Alas, as you can see below, Heidi won the pie baking contest and just may be in contention to give Denise a challenge.

And here's proof that when the cat's away the mice will play.

Laurie Berkner

2009-11-18T00:37:00.005-06:00

This is where we're at these days at our house! Enjoy!
If you like this, when you get to the end, you can choose other videos by Laurie.
I couldn't figure out how to add to the imeem play-list to the right, but I did figure out how to make a new one. If someone wants to move this play-list to the other one, be my guest.

Steve Front Page Above the Fold

2009-11-17T12:51:00.002-06:00

Just before Favre went to Lambeau the Duluth paper was drawing attention from the national media because of their close ties with Superior just across the border. The editor wanted to make the most of the attention so he asked Steve to come up with something for the front page.

Thanksgiving Christmas Invitations and Cheers

2009-11-08T21:40:00.002-06:00

Things were a little more complicated this year than most, but we finally know where we are "holiday-wize".

1. This is an open invitation to all the extended family to have Thanksgiving at our house. We won't be offended in the least if you want to do something else. We'd appreciate RSVPs but we won't kick you out if you don't. The only absolute is you can't come unless your bring something to eat that is utterly delicious - and I am the sole arbiter of whether you did it or not!!!!!

2. For us the unknown was Thanksgiving. We always assumed that people could come here Christmas Eve. We don't want to be greedy. If anyone else wants to host Christmas Eve that is fine with us. But for now we're assuming Christmas Eve at our house and anyone else who wishes is welcomed.

Cold, Muddy Waters

2009-11-07T17:09:00.002-06:00

I don't know if it's the brown seawater or the foam turning into ice that keeps this beach from becoming a sunbathing hot spot.
Pothole art.

Outward Bound

2009-11-04T22:38:00.008-06:00

Looks like we're still online!

After the baptism Jonathan and friends, for the first time, headed off into the wilderness all by themselves. I wasn't there but judging from the photos. . .

It seems to me that they were somewhat obsessed with blood and guts and urine and other

such things. Boys!!!

2009-11-01T22:12:00.002-06:00

It was fun to see both Mark and Daniel on Facebook this evening. Mark, that was a sweet video of you and Emery. So I think that makes four of us if including Greg. Wow, aren't we something, getting on Facebook. I guess we from the older generation are the latest generation to get involved in this newer phenomena.

I can write a new post but I'm unable to comment. And, I continue to forget to find out if there is something I can do about it. Any ideas, let us know.

Go Twins!

2009-10-03T21:28:00.003-05:00

It's Saturday night. I was busy and missed both games. Just checked the scores. Wow! Tomorrow is the last game of the season, the last game in the Metrodome and the whole season may be decided by 9 innings of play by the Twins and the Tigers. Go Twins!

Baptism

2009-10-02T23:10:00.004-05:00

In the summer of 1999 Peter said he wanted to be baptized. A small group of us gathered at our neighbor's lakefront home and did the deed.

This summer Jonathan said he wanted to be baptized. Peter was already off to Kansas and unable to attend, but Jonathan and his good friend Nathan (assembly of god) were baptized at the same place.

I said I thought it cool that so many people from so many different positions could celebrate the boy's intentions despite differences of opinion regarding the ongoing debate regarding meaning and significance that has split families and divided denominations.

We are not the greatest of photographers, and unfortunately this is the best visual document of the event in existence.

Keeping Touch

2009-09-30T22:28:00.003-05:00

Sorry, it's been awhile since I posted. It wasn't evident at the time but a lot has happened. Since I don't have the time to post it all now and also since we are woefully diminishing in posts, I choose to chronicle this dizzy summer in a number of posts and hopefully encourage others to do the same.

My last entries mentioned North High School Ultimate frisbee was 3rd in State, and Jonathan's graduation from high school.

This entry will chronicle an event many of you have experienced before me - one of our children left home perhaps forever. Peter, through the help of our friends Peg and Sid Burkey, got a surveying job in Hutchinson Kansas

I scoured our photos to find a good picture to chronicle this momentous event and could find nothing until 2008. This may be the last photo of our family intact.

some more empty nests?

2009-09-07T22:18:00.002-05:00

I decided to check in with our two families that may have new empty nests? How are you doing Dan and Jo and Paul and Faith? It sounds like Peter is getting established in Kansas and Jonathan at Gustavus Adolphus. I?Is Tyler working as a youth pastor or is he still in school? I imagine Alyssa and JaNae are also busy studying.

Then there are some of us that are again busier than we expected. I suppose Mark and Lois are enjoying Emery and will be doing some babysitting. Gwyndolyn starts kindergarten tomorrow. Rhiannyn will be home with me.

Ralph and I have been trying to get away together more this summer, alone. We have also had family with us for some camping trips. Ralph and I bought a new camper; pop up with some pull outs. We have enjoyed it so much. Ralph can't carry over his vacation so we decided to get away more before Gwyn started school. It's been good!

Happy end of summer break. Welcome fall, soon.

More Alaska News

2009-08-19T12:56:00.002-05:00

The biggest news for the summer was that Heidi, John, and Emery have moved up to Alaska. Here is a photo of Heidi and Emery at the Anchorage airport. Hidalgo the dog flew up also. They arrived on July 16.
Here is the moving van with their car that John and a friend drove up. He arrived on Sunday, July 19. I think they made record time after dropping off Heidi at the airport in Seattle.

They are working with Young Life up here on the Kenai Peninsula. For 3 weeks they stayed at Christoffers house while i worked on the bathroom etc. at the cabin to get it ready to live in.

Alaska news

2009-08-10T01:51:00.005-05:00

It's about time to communicate what has been going on this summer! Here are some photos instead of thousands of words. Hope to post some tonight and will add some more over the next days and weeks.

This first one is of the Yukon on the left and Alaska on the right. There is a line cut through the trees to show the border. (An easy way for Americans to get into Canada?) Lois Ann i drove by here on June 13th on our way to Washington.

June 14, Whirlpool rapids on Liard River. Not very good for canoeing.Some forest fires near the Liard Hot Springs.
There were some firefighters at the hot springs. Can you see some rock piles in the background? That is the hottest part of the pool, and we were trying to put some more rocks on the piles.Here is a train photo for Ralph. The trains were squeeling down here all night long it seemed. This is just north of Hope B.C. for you google earth fans. We drove the Subaru and tented most nights. The Alcan is very nice these days, not like 40 years ago. 6-17-09

Here i am trying to sleep with all the trains squeeking way below my feet.Heidi and John took us along as adult guests to Young Life Camp Malibu June 26-July 2. (Happy Birthday Paul.)
It is about 100 miles north of Vancouver. Notice a rapids caused by the tides.
Looking down the fjord we boated up on the way to Malibu.

Here is some real 'young life' at Malibu - Emmitt and Emery. I think he is trying to impress Emery.
Here are a couple of photos of Heidi, Holly, and Emery at the Anacortes 4th of July parade.
Hope she can control that flag!!!
We saw some friends in Spokane and Idaho and then headed north again. Here we are at Lake Louise on my birthday 7/7. A little cooler than we had gotten used to.On July 10th some buffalo north of the Hot Springs.
This is for Dan and Steve. The bridge at Johnson's Crossing. This is a new restaurant building and new owners, but many of the same recipies from the canoe trip days: pasties, and fruit turnovers. 7-10

Switched At Birth

2009-07-23T22:29:00.004-05:00

Note: The Imeem box referred to in this post has been removed.

This blogger is great dealing with words and images. It has a ways to go dealing with sounds. There are things I would like you to listen to that I don't know how to post. Here's an attempt to post something Jo and I heard that is unforgettable.

Jo and I listened to a fascinating radio show on Minnesota Public Radio. The show is This American Life where they tell fascinating stories based on themes like "summer camp" or "bad money decisions".

This was a week they devoted to one story - two women who were switched at birth and didn't know about this until they were middle aged. It's utterly fascinating. It brings up issues of what it means to be family - especially when the definition moves beyond blood (as with us),

It also deals with complex issues regarding communication and what we want to say and what we end up saying and what people actually hear and what people think they heard. Both families were committed Christians.

If you are tempted, look to the column at right for a section entitled "switched at birth". Do not click the arrow "play" button. You will only hear a 30 second sample. Look below the title to a highlighted label that begins "#360". Click that and you can hear the show in its entirety.

Cool

2009-07-15T21:34:00.001-05:00

So this is what I found this morning. Apparently he wants to mitigate the "creepy" with something a little more "cool".

Creepy

2009-07-08T23:16:00.005-05:00

Peter got a surveying job in Kansas and is gone. Jonathan is still at home for a few months.

Jonathan has, for years. edited and controlled the "wallpaper" and "screensaver" on our computer. This morning I found myself staring at this creepy photo.

I'd like to think I'm adept with manipulating photos, but I have no idea how he did this. . .and the more astonishing thing is that he has the inner confidence to let everyone see this!

Happy Birthday, Sailor!

2009-07-05T18:45:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday, Mark. I thought you'd enjoy this picture from a couple years ago...

Alyssa took this picture in front of her house in Northeast Minneapolis (!) recently.

Happy happy belated birthday, Paul

2009-06-28T21:31:00.002-05:00

I discovered it had been about a month and a half since I had checked this out. Sorry Paul, as usual I remember birthdays but sometimes I don't act on that. I realized it as we were preparing for a parade. Our church has had opportunity to march for several years in the Columbia Heights Parade. We pass out candy, fliers about our church and have a float with the praise team on it. It's a lot of fun.

I suppose you Roseau Stynsbergers haven't had much grass growing under your feet, either. Wish we could have been there for JaNae. Congratulations again. Had a great time with Jonathan and family celebrating with him at his Open House, yesterday. Those tacos were great.

Ralph and I took a vacation. On our way down to Branson, MO we picked up a new tent camper in IL. We camped on the way down and had a great time taking in a couple of shows. One was called Pierce Arrow a group of male vocalists that sang country and gospel. They have one bass singer that has the record for singing the lowest notes in the world. He is in the Guinness Book of Records.

Hope you had a great birthday, Paul. Are you looking forward to an empty nest or are you getting lonely already? It doesn't always stay empty!

Jose is almost 2!

2009-06-20T23:43:00.031-05:00

It's been so long since I've posted! José is almost 2! He likes wearing caps. He's talking, but barely. He loves cars, trucks, and tractors.

We're going to have another party! Please join us if you can make it. We'll do another BBQ potluck. Start around 2pm. Eat at 5pm? (July 4th)

Chickens.
Lambs!
Pigs?
Games.
Hiking.
Fire?
Singing?

If anyone can tell me why there is so much white space between this line and the table, let me know...

The Northern Light

2009-06-15T21:03:00.005-05:00

My cousin, Gary Lindman, just sent me a note saying he found the enclosed pamphlet in the Soldotna Bible Chapel Library and he thought I might find it interesting. And suddenly I am whisked away to a long lost era. The Counter Culture was relevent. The Jesus Freaks were in the news. Mark and I were heavily involved in "the movement" As it unfolded in Alaska.

We were the creators of an underground newspaper in Alaska chronicling the counter culture Jesus movement. What Gary sent me was a long lost volume from that paper.

The front page was drawn by a long lost friend Captain Lee Johnson. The back page was written by me and illustrated by Mark. Wow!

And if any young whippersnapper is thinking the production values are pathetic - I'd like to remind you that we did this long before the age of computers and photocopying machines. We really used typewriters and tried to correct our mistakes with "whiteout" as best we could.

Typical Alaska photos

2009-06-11T17:26:00.003-05:00

The volcano was steaming pretty good on this clear day.Some newborn twins walked through the yard.
Emery is pretty excited about dandelions. Way more excited than me.

Regina Spektor

2009-06-09T20:37:00.006-05:00

A friend from church handed me an issue of the Smithsonian magazine entitled "37 of America's Young Innovators in the Arts and Sciences". She gave it to me because one of the 37 was Sufjan Stevens who I mentioned earlier. Well lo and behold but another of the entries was for another of my favorite new voices - Regina Spektor.

Sufjan wove biblical images and aspects of his faith pilgrimage into his songs. Regina doesn't do anything like that. I just like her melodic voice and the playful way she unfolds the lyric. You can sample her songs in the Imeem box or click the following link for one of my favorite songs. (Ignore the video - shut your eyes and just listen) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGTDRztaCCw

By the way before this I had left Ingrid Michaelson's music there for a few weeks. The main reason I did it was because Amy had included some of Ingrid's songs in her wedding video.

Jonathan Graduates

2009-06-09T20:19:00.002-05:00

Jonathan is done and it was a great ending. His track team won the conference championship for the fourth year in a row. Their Ultimate Frizbee team finished third in state. Now he needs to find a job for the summer so he can help pay for his education at Gustavus this fall.

Other than that not much new here. Peter is still looking for a job. A few surveying possibilities emerged but they may not pan out.

Hey Mark, what are the job prospects in Alaska? Either boy, but especially Peter might be willing to take anything that paid a decent wage - given the current economic conditions.

Grandaughter visiting

2009-06-06T17:09:00.003-05:00

Emery, Heidi and John came up to Alaska for a visit.
Lois Ann, Christoffer, and Emery
Emery dreams about going to the beach.
Grandpa giving crawling lessons.
Reading time.

Happy Birthday, Dean & Jean!

2009-05-10T20:55:00.003-05:00

The Monopod

2009-05-06T20:34:00.005-05:00

The Mount Redoubt cataclysm seems to be kind of a fizzle. Like the swine flu pandemic. I'm glad about the flu but since the volcano didn't affect me I was hoping for something more spectacular.

I once lived and worked closer to Redoubt than brother Mark, on an oil platform in Cook Inlet, The Monopod.

I was a "bullcook" which means my boss was the cook and my job was to be a janitor/dishwasher.

I spent a lot of time keeping the hallways clean. Especially the ones coming directly from outside where the roughnecks would plod in with their oil soaked boots.

One day the mail delivered new hi-tech mats from 3M to be placed in front of the entryways and to soak up all the oil. It did such a good job that I found I had many hours less work to do and began to worry if my job might be terminated.

And then a depressing thought came to me. Here I was a promising young man with a bachelors degree in philosophy and I was anxious because my job might be lost to a door mat!

Party Time!

2009-05-01T21:59:00.002-05:00

Jonathan is graduating. There's going to be an open house party to celebrate on Saturday, June 27th from noon to about 4 p.m. Come one come all.

It was a long time coming but we finally know what's happening next. He's going to Gustavus down in St. Peters Minnesota.

We are very proud of him.

George: 1998-2009

2009-04-27T21:09:00.002-05:00

A lot of tears are being shed around here today. George has gone to meet his maker.

Graduation!

2009-04-24T20:19:00.004-05:00

We had a great time in Otterburne, Manitoba last weekend. Tyler graduated from Providence. He was honored by the faculty and fellow students with the title of Valedictorian!

Perhaps we can post the video of his speech on this blog sometime...

When your roommate is the best photographer in Canada you end up in a lot of college promotional materials:

Is everyone busy?

2009-04-19T22:15:00.002-05:00

Dear family,

I'm missing your input on our blog sight. Spring has sprung in MN. and we're loving it. We're starting on some outside work. Ralph and I started filling in the cracks on our court. The children want to play and ride bikes but in later years the weeds have taken over. It will take time but eventually we will coat it and hopefully put on a few games like four-square and hop-scotch. We want to keep the kids busy in a healthy way.

We have had a fantastic winter health wise. Just today, Ralph and I have come down with some kind of a viral infection..it seems to have hit all over the body. We had not been sick all winter. Praise be to God!

We continue to try to make some order around here with shelving units, bins, etc. Those of you that are close by, do you remember Mom and Dads green buffet? It was in the dining room on Halsey St. under the picture window. Mom and Dad cut the legs shorter to fit it under the window. Anyway, we need to move it out and it is an antique. Does anyone remember where it came from? We had a built in buffet on 1711 and another built in at 4613. For awhile the Magnuson's used it in their home but when Ralph and I moved, they gave it to us. We don't have room for it in our dining room. Steve and Dan, did you have it in your home on Mineral St?

Let us know if anyone is interested in it. Hopefully you haven't forgotten about this blog site.

Mt Redoubt erupts!

2009-03-23T14:40:00.002-05:00

Last night Redoubt blasted off as we were sleeping 5 times! There is a link in the title to the official AVO website. Here is a link to the Anchorage Daily News article. Also here is a link to the weather service so we know which way the ash is being carried by the winds.

Here is a photo taken on the 15th from the end of our driveway; you can see a small steam/gas plume.

Here is another photo taken from beach at Captain Cook Park. Holly and i were walking around there on the 19th. You can see a plume coming off the right side of the mountain. We did not feel anything when it erupted last night. I remember thunder and lightning from the 89/90 eruptions.

Spring break visit

2009-03-21T14:34:00.003-05:00

Emery and me. Holly, Heidi, and Emery came up for Lois' spring break.
Life is full of choices. This photo is sort of an optical illusion; Emery looks like she is standing.
Getting ready for a photo shoot of new hats.
Emery found her feet.
I like all the mirrors in the hotel room.

Holly, Heidi, and Emery

2009-03-20T03:00:00.003-05:00

Look who earned her wings and flew up to Alaska to visit Grandma on spring break and Grandpa!!
Some matching hats.
Some special bibs for the girls. Emery is just learning to talk, sounds like she is saying "blah, blah, blah, blah" - typical girl talk...

The Perfect Bowl of Cereal

2009-03-20T02:10:00.003-05:00

I figure that we can get some feedback on what makes a perfect bowl of cereal. Just remember that you saw it here first, even before being submitted to COOK'S Illustrated magazine. This is how to make the best bowl of cereal:

1. Add the following berries (frozen in winter or fresh in summer) blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, peaches... Pour in some milk and cream.
2. Smash up the blueberries and raspberries and slice up the strawberries. Next add some bananas and some pecans and cashews.
3. Crush up some frosted shredded wheat and on top of that add Quakers natural granola with raisins. Get it all wet with milk and eat all of it with a large spoon. You may have to add cereal to use up the milk; then you might have to add some milk to use up the cereal; and so on.

1986 or Later? (Part 3: Heidi S)

2009-03-16T16:13:00.005-05:00

You know the routine. Mystery Heidi sure looks a lot older than Heidi 86. And the hair cut and style are very different. For some reason I don't have any other photos of Heidi from the early 90's, but I'll bet they'll look more like Mystery Heidi.

Cartoons

2009-03-15T15:15:00.004-05:00

Are you all aware Steve's cartoons are back on the Duluth News Tribune web-site? This one from a few weeks ago is wonderful:

1986 or later? (Part 3: Christopher)

2009-03-08T22:09:00.006-05:00

Look at Christopher in the mystery year then compare him to Chrisotpher 86.

Christopher 86 is way too young. Besides. . .he hasn't yet perfected the classic "Christopher smirk". Compare, for example, the next sample I have, Christopher 92. Now there's the smirk we all know and love.

The mystery year has to be later than 1986. If there's any doubt look at the picture below from Christmas 1986. Look at the height of Christopher compared to his dad. He's only half his height. Now look again at the Myster Year. He's nearly full grown!

1986 OR LATER? (Part 2: Holly)

2009-03-03T18:40:00.007-06:00

Starting with Mark's family. . .it would helpful if Mark could remember when they came down from the late 80's to the early 90's. I have photo proof they were here the summer of '85, Christmas of '86 and summer of '88. If they weren't here the summer of '86 then the mystery year could not be '86. I have a vague recollection that only Mark was able to attend the funeral and that is why the whole family showed up that Christmas.

But on to the kids. Holly is first up. Holly 86 has a different hair style, she's wearing glasses, and I think the shape of her head is more child like, more oval in shape. Did she get contacts at a certain age? If so when?

To my mind Holly 88 looks more like Mystery Holly - no glasses, a more mature head shape. But in '88 her hair style was decidedly "spikey". When was the next time Mark and family came down after '88? I'd like to see a photo of Holly from that trip!

Regarding that spikey- do, would it have looked that way all the time or would it depend upon the day and how much time she spent on it? Maybe she could have flattened it out when she went to Duluth so as not to shock Grandma Ruth.

Not 1986: The Evidence (part 1)

2009-03-02T13:17:00.014-06:00

If Mom's note on the back is right then the photos were taken in 1986 when Steve turned 40. Both Jo and Jean are ok with that, but I'm still very skeptical. The kids look too old.

I don't want to sound obsessive about this getting the date right, but I've been looking for evidence to corraborate the 1986 theory and the more I look the more I think they were taken later. . .as many as four or five years later in 1990 or 1991. I have nothing conclusive but I'll present the evidence over a number of posts. (We could use more posts!) But first the facts:

1. These are photos found in Mom's stuff. They are not mine.

2. There are 10 photos that appear to be taken near the same time showing two gatherings in the back yard. On the back of one Mom wrote "Steve is 40!"

3. In June of 1986 John died and in August Steve turned 40.

4. Six photos are of a summer party with Carlson's and Steve (see previous post) and it is a party. Notice the water balloons. Also Mom wrote on the back that it was a party when Steve turned 40. Also notice the Carlson's canoe is parked by the house. I'm guessing they're on their way up to or back from The Boundary Waters.

5. Four photos are of a picnic in the backyard with Mark, Lois Ann and kids. Mom's friend Agnes was there too. It looks to me like Mom is serving salmon Mark and Lois Ann probably brought down with them.

5. Why do I say these ten are a batch? First: They were on facing pages of the album book. Second the photo paper is all the same with the same "AGFA" print on the back. Third: Seven of the ten have the identical serial number on the back "1111 N N N+ 1L-1" including photos of Steve's party and Mark and Lois Ann's picnic.

6. What about the other three photos that had a different number on the back? Two were of Heidi Carlson obviously at the same party for Steve. (wearing the same clothes, tossing the same balloons, with the same canoe in the background standing next to the same dad wearing the same T shirt etc.) One was of Heidi Stynsberg obviously at the same salmon feast. (sitting at the same outdoor table with the same table cloth and the same lemon slices on a plate and the same salmon on a tray etc.)

Another Guess-The-Date

2009-02-27T20:40:00.009-06:00

I'm getting close to the end of my scanning of old photos, and I've saved the worst for last - the photos where I'm not at all sure what year they were photographed. Here's a batch I'm hoping someone can help me with.

Judging by the ages of the kids I was guessing these photos were taken the summer of 1989 to 1990

But on the back of one of the photos mom wrote "Steve is 40!" That would mean August of 1986.

Here are photos that I am pretty sure are of Heidi and Ryan in 1986. So I'm thinking the photos can't be from 1986 right?

Alone in the Wilderness

2009-02-17T20:16:00.004-06:00

By the way, Mt. Redoubt is only 38 miles from the cabin of Richard Proenneke made famous in the book One Man's Wilderness and the PBS show Alone in the Wilderness.

If you don't know what I'm talking about don't feel bad cuz I didn't know either until this summer. Mark and Lois Ann sent us his book as a thanks for lodging at our house. When I read it and liked it and tried to recommend it to others everybody seemed to have heard of it except me.

I thought Steve would enjoy the book, but he casually says, "Oh yeah that's one of my all time favorites." You can read about it here .

Blues

2009-02-09T21:06:00.002-06:00

JaNae's (Roseau's) one act play was awarded first place last Saturday at sections in Stephen MN. This means they go to State - they'll be performing at the College of St Catherine in St Paul this coming Friday morning - more specifically, at the O'Shaughnessy.

The play they'll be performing is called Blues. It's an incredibly relevant play dealing with homelessness and poverty. Yeah, it's pretty depressing, but they do depressing well. If any of you would like to join us on Friday, please call or email and we'll give you all the details.

Bigger, Better

2009-02-03T19:08:00.004-06:00

JaNae is hoping to fly to Greece in June with 9 classmates from her English class. It's going to cost a few bucks. I'm trying to help her...

Did you hear about that guy a couple years ago who started with one red paper clip and after 14 trades was a proud owner of a house? We'll I'm trying to do something similar. I started with a book...

Now, after just a couple days, I've been able to trade up to a Johan Santana Bobblehead!

Let's see how far we can go with this. Come on over to Plato's Republic and let's see if we can make a deal.

Mount Redoubt Ready to Blow!

2009-01-30T09:14:00.003-06:00

According to AOL Mt.Redoubt is getting ready to blow its top. According to Google Earth Mount Redoubt is 53 miles south west of Mark and Lois Ann's house. According to me, I would suggest to Mark and Lois Ann, "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

Twins

2009-01-28T22:52:00.004-06:00

Collecting the various school photos sent to us, I was reminded of a photo of Christoffer that I really enjoyed. He seemed to me to be the spitting image of a famous TV character.

Picasa Collage

2009-01-26T15:17:00.004-06:00

For some reason I downloaded Picasa and thought it would be fun to make a collage. When I click the "scramble" button it rearranges them so pictures in back might come to the fore.

O Brother Where Art Thou?

2009-01-18T20:48:00.005-06:00

I'm getting a little tired of Kate Rusby. Anybody wants to change to play something you like feel free to do so, or check with me on how to do it. It's not that hard. But in the meantime I'm swithching to something I am surprised to find out. . .that Peter and Jonathan love the movie O Brother Where Art Thou including the music. I am surprised because they are almost certain to hate anything I like. Enjoy.

Christmas Day

2009-01-18T19:22:00.015-06:00

I've been holding off publishing these pictures - it only seemed right that Christmas Eve pictures should be published first. I can wait no longer. Here are the pictures from Christmas Day.

Jenna and Rhiannyn.

Kurt and Jose

JaNae was the first president. Steve was the first scum. It's too bad about Steve's hand.

Two scum hard at work.

Paul apparently had a little too much to drink...

Cousins.

Jo eventually became president.

In the end, the tables had turned. Steve was the president - JaNae, the scum.

We stopped in Alexandria on the way home to return Al and Dorothy's car.

The whole family was there.

Somebody Missing Something?

2009-01-09T22:04:00.006-06:00

I said before, I'm scanning old photos. In a box of Mom and Dad's old photos I came across what appears to be brother Mark's Social Security Card. So I was wondering if Mark noticed anything missing? According to the card, your current address is 1711 East 5th. The directions on the card say this is to be placed in a safe deposit with all your other valuables. It looks to me like there is the card you're supposed to keep on your person at all times and there is this card that is to be carefully secured. Hmmmmm I wonder where my card is?

Any PREDICTIONS for the New Year???

2008-12-31T21:33:00.004-06:00

Here is one from the Wall Street Journal front page. It is for 2010. The following is copied from the beginning of the article, with a link at the end to read the whole news item:

MOSCOW -- For a decade, Russian academic Igor Panarin has been predicting the U.S. will fall apart in 2010. For most of that time, he admits, few took his argument -- that an economic and moral collapse will trigger a civil war and the eventual breakup of the U.S. -- very seriously. Now he's found an eager audience: Russian state media.

Igor Panarin

In recent weeks, he's been interviewed as much as twice a day about his predictions. "It's a record," says Prof. Panarin. "But I think the attention is going to grow even stronger."

Prof. Panarin, 50 years old, is not a fringe figure. A former KGB analyst, he is dean of the Russian Foreign Ministry's academy for future diplomats. He is invited to Kremlin receptions, lectures students, publishes books, and appears in the media as an expert on U.S.-Russia relations.

But it's his bleak forecast for the U.S. that is music to the ears of the Kremlin, which in recent years has blamed Washington for everything from instability in the Middle East to the global financial crisis. Mr. Panarin's views also fit neatly with the Kremlin's narrative that Russia is returning to its rightful place on the world stage after the weakness of the 1990s, when many feared that the country would go economically and politically bankrupt and break into separate territories.

A polite and cheerful man with a buzz cut, Mr. Panarin insists he does not dislike Americans. But he warns that the outlook for them is dire.

"There's a 55-45% chance right now that disintegration will occur," he says.....

To see more of the article click here. Anyway i thought this might inspire some comments.
My own personal prediction that i borrowed is: The next 20 years will be different than the last 20 years.

Christmas Letter 2008

2008-12-19T19:53:00.002-06:00

Christmas Eve

2008-12-07T19:52:00.003-06:00

You may have your own plans for Christmas Eve and given how certain clans are expanding and getting more complex that would be understandable, but for those who are willing and free consider yourself invited to Christmas Eve at the Lindstrom's. The only requirement is to think of something to bring to eat. More info to come.

First Trip to Alaska

2008-11-30T22:25:00.001-06:00

The tired travelers arrive at Anchorages' Ted Stevens Airport. They came up for about a week during Thanksgiving.Emery's first time in the snow.Christoffer with his puppy Chompers, and Heidi holding Emery.

Babies change a lot, even in a few days Emery has gotten bigger and stronger it seems.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T20:47:00.003-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. We'll be missing the extended family this year. We did not hear from you Stephen. We will be having Ericka and the girls and Heidi and Josh tomorrow. Sunday we will celebrate with all our children and maybe some people from church. We had hoped to see Dean, Kurt and Jose but they will be busy slaughtering their pigs and I suppose wrapping them for sale on Sunday.
Have a great day. We have much to thankful for, especially our great God and all the blessings He bestows.

Kate Rusby

2008-11-25T21:42:00.001-06:00

I think we've had enough of Sufjan's Christmas. I'm replacing it with some more of Kate Rusby. Enjoy!