I know that the cemeteries will be jammed with folks paying respects today and rightfully so. I like to go to the cemetery on quieter days so I’ll stay away today. My father served in the Korean War as proud Corporal in the United States Marine Corps and is buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis. I miss him everyday. Thank you, Dad, for serving this great nation…I love you. Give mom a squeeze for me!
My niece, Emily, recently turned 13. My sister, now, has another teenager in the house! YIKES! She and I have something in comon…Emily and I are both middle children. Famous for his Birth Order Book, Dr. Kevin Leman can guide you in why you are the way you are. Funny thing for me is that while I was the youngest and only girl for nearly 9 years my parents didn’t stop at 3 children…or even 4…I ended up the “youngest” of the first part of our family then the “oldest” of the 2nd half but chronologically…I ended up in the middle when Mike (the youngest and to this day refers to him self as “Mike, saved the best for last”), the 5th child, was born nearly 17 years after my oldest brother, Tim. Wheeeew…did I lose you? No matter..birth order (pecking order as some call it) is whatever you want to make of it. That said, I am happy to be safe & snug in the middle of my siblings and wouldn’t have it any other way.
So, back to Emily. As is customary, for many years, I have gifted my nieces and nephews with photo shoots for their birthdays which begins with a FABulous hair session. What started as a simple idea has grown to include (sometimes) hours of hair preparation and several outfit changes. This year, Emily kept it simple with a ton of new layers and a date with a flat iron! I love her energy and spunk. Here are a few of my faves…
Emily, I love you. Thanks for hangin’ with me and allowing me to capture your spirit.
Lisa Brenna of the Mintahoe Hospitality Group put on quite a program Wednesday night at the Minneapolis Central Library. While this, nearly, 5 year old venue bares a photo session all on it’s own with beauty and light at every turn, that evening it served as a backdrop for this month’s NACE event entitled “Exciting Twists on Beverages and Presentation”.
Oh sure, all the usual suspects were on hand which just makes attending these monthly programs a grand outing in themselves (even tho’ my raffle tickets yielded nothing this go ’round!).
Once everyone found their way to the 2nd floor we were all greeted with sumptuous libations and butler passed hors d’oeuvres hosted by Mintahoe and Jeffery Cook of Passport Beverage.
Then we moved to the presentation room where we were tempted with yet more delights for the senses!
If that weren’t enough…we adjourned to the lower level for deserts and dancing! Our DJ for the event was Jay Brian Kochendorfer, Director of Operations at DJSound!
The Minneapolis/St. Paul Chapter of NACE meets once a month at fabulous, local venues year ’round…excluding July, which is reserved for Nationals, where NACE members (nation wide) meet up for a National Conference to share industry trends. It’s been like home to me. To coin a phrase…membership has it’s advantages!
Translated…May 5th. I’m told, by some Hispanic friends, that this is mostly celebrated here in the States. Shocker that we would find aNOTHER reason to drink in this country! Click HERE for some facts on this historical date.
I, on a more personal level, will celebrate a victory of my own on this date. May 5th, 2010 will mark the 7th anniversary of the date that I finally quit smoking. That’s right, after many years of “trying”…it finally stuck. To this day, I gauge every challenge by the difficulty that came with becoming a non-smoker. Hooray for me! The climb was worth it! Contact me if you are even thinking about quitting and I’d be happy to be your “quit-partner”! You won’t believe the free time you will come away with not to mention the years that you will add to your, already, FABulous life! First, go to QUITNET.COM and gear up for a life changing, life extending, life enriching, life embracing experience.
Later today I will venture into Minneapolis to the Central Library and attend this month’s NACE event! Always a great time! I’ll post shots tomorrow!
P.S. Happy 3rd Birthday Wedding Wire!
I remember, as a child, growing up in Excelsior, Minnesota in a small neighborhood called “Acorn Ridge”. I lived there until the summer between the 5th and 6th grade. It was such a great neighborhood. Lots of kids my age to play with day and night. The kind of neighborhood where you could leave your doors unlocked and leave your bike laying in the yard without being stolen. We biked and walked everywhere. We played outside every day. Boys and girls, it made no difference. The 60′s were awesome, free and easy…like the streamers whipping off the ends of your bicycle handles. That’s right, I may not have had a basket or a banana seat or even a “sissy bar” but I had streamers! And I mastered a 2-wheeler from those very front steps!
ANYway…I just recall “May Day” as being a significant memory. In elementary school we would make “May Baskets”. Simple, colored paper cones with a handle. We would decorate them and the teacher would pass around her stapler so that we could fasten our handles to complete our baskets and then we would place things like dandelions or violets and candy (if you were lucky enough) inside. Then the idea was to sneak up to a friend’s house, place the basket on their door, ring the doorbell…and RUN! Run fast or run the risk of getting caught and be kissed! My friend’s mom, Mary Jane, caught me one year and she planted a big wet one on my cheek! I adore that memory. I still keep in touch with Mary Jane and I talk to her daughters, my old friends…on facebook to this very day. Of course, time marches forward and neither of us live in Acorn Ridge any longer but I think I may sneak a basket over to Mary Jane’s today for old time sake. (Their house was to the right. You can just see a piece of it)
