Tales of a Shoebox Princess

Today was apple-picking day. We have two apple trees in the back yard, one that grows regular sized apples, and one that is some kind of dwarf apple tree that grows smaller sized apples (but they are bigger than crapapples, which, in my estimation, are a total waste of tree. Crabapples are worthless as a fruit because they are too small to do anything with unless you use them to chuck at annoying neighborhood kids to try to get them to leave you alone).  Both trees are heavily laden this year. The apples have started to drop from the tree, and have become fodder for wasps and lady bugs. The wasps like both kinds of apples, but the lady bugs prefer the dwarf apples. I don't mind sharing a few apples with the insects of southern Minnesota, but just a few. They can have the ones on the ground. I get the ones in the tree, thankyouverymuch. Mine. So I had to pick them before the bugs moved upwards.  (Plus Mike wants my apples and I'm going out to SoDak on Sunday. Gotta have 'e

You know how kids have minds of their own? I wanted Katie to play clarinet, and she chose flute. I wanted OJ and Paul to play baseball--and they did for a while and were good at it, but eventually moved on to other things. I wanted Hayley to play clarinet too and try out for drama. She did play clarinet for a bit, but then the weirder bassoon called to her (and now she wants a mandolin or a ukelele or both) and dressing up appeals to her, but not the stage. I don't mind that the kids ended up doing different things than what I would have chosen for them. I wouldn't have minded if some of them didn't chose to join band (and one of them didn't). I like to see them doing what they enjoy. I learned to like cross country meets and track meets. I enjoyed seeing (and hearing) Katie excel at the flute. I had a good time with Hayley at Meta Con. OJ always has tales to tell of his discing or paintballing adventures. So Matt. I have encouraged track and field as an option for

1. A song sung by Petula Clark 2. which is included in a Reader's Digest songbook which belongs to my mother 3. which I learned to play on the piano 4. I even memorized it and can still play it 5. and it's a place where I ALWAYS get lost. Always. Even when I have the Tele-Nav app on my phone guiding me. I had to drive the kids to Meta-Con on the second day we went (on the first day, I convinced Jim that he had to drive us even though he wasn't attending. Jim is remarkably easy to convince to drive me anywhere). I know I tend to get lost downtown so I made sure I had the Tele-Nav on. Jim even pulled up the route on google maps and showed me where to go. When he drove, he went a different route so I couldn't use memory of Saturday's drive to help me (plus, I wasn't paying attention). I was doing just fine on the drive until I was 500 feet from the parking ramp. I could see it! The problem was I saw it too late and I missed the turn.  And got lost. Af

Meta Con. I neglected to write about it. Hayley and two of her friends wanted to go. Meta Con is a convention held in Minneapolis for people who are fanatics of anime, sci-fi, gaming, and who knows what else. The cool thing to do when going to a convention of this kind (and there are many around the US) is dress up. Hayley and her friends decided on "Steampunk" as their theme. There aren't really any characters associated with steampunk; it's more of a style of dress and a literary genre (think sci fi of the Victorian era). Hayley made her vest and her bloomers (I helped with both, but she did most of the sewing). She and her friends painted nerf guns to look more metallic and wood like (Hayley's "piece" is tiny and in a holster on her left leg). I went along to chaperone. Not that I didn't trust the kids, but it helps to have an adult around to corral and make suggestions. And to drive. Lovely face We found a room filled with board and