Thursday, December 31, 2009

scenes from a year

Today is the day to reflect back on the days of 2009, and what it meant in

the Pohl household.

Charlie did a lot of growing up this year, some of it painful.  He survived

his first full week away at scout camp (mostly).  He left the comfort of

Horace Mann, to attend a new school with new faces and teachers.  He

went from begging to get out of dirt bike events, to absolutely loving the

sport and begging to get out and ride.  He moved on to a new bmx bike,

and then a new dirt bike, and spends his free time riding dirt bikes on his

Xbox, and watching Travis Pastrana perform impossible stunts. 

Remember Charlie, don't try this at home...


Mike did his fair share of riding as well, finishing up the year 3rd in his

class.  He also took a fair amount of photos, and is right now working

on this year's movie for his club.  He was even published in Cycle

magazine! (and may I say, gets better looking every year....)

He enjoyed some out of season riding down in Oklahoma and Arkansas, and

with ice tires installed is going to try some snow riding this winter. 

Speaking of winter, he and Charlie got in some skiing last year, most

notably during our spring break trip to Lutsen.  He will be chaperoning

when our school's ski club starts up in January.


The whole family rocked out with Springsteen, scoring our favorite

seats behind the stage.  Definitely a highlight!

Our store had it's share of ups and downs last year, ending with

disappointing results.  But it simply gives us a new challenge for the new

year, and having been down this road before, Mike and I are ready to

tackle it again.  On a  bright note, TLC filmed the MOA security guys

having a competition at our store last week, look for it to (hopefully)

be on an episode of Mall Cops: MOA, this spring.  Stay tuned!


I found a physical therapist to help me with my back, and for the first

time  in 3 years I am able to manage my pain, and even do some things

I haven't been able to do in a while.  Definitely the highlight of my year.

Well, that and finding the perfect haircut....(thanks Kim!)

My sweet sis moved in to her brand new home, lovingly built by my brother,

dad, and nephew.  She and her son Riley are on the brink of a wonderful

new year, and a new life.


My mom provided a home and place for my sister to be safe during the

nightmare of her divorce, and helped her paint her new home and get

settled in.  And brings over warm cookies.

My dad had a health scare in the spring, but he made it through and is

back  to making the world's best onion rings, and spending his days fishing

through a tiny hole on the frozen lake.  Save a blue racer for me!



The rest of our families are thankfully healthy and ready for 2010.  (Even

though we are lacking any new photos of them this year!)


Thank you to all of my blog readers, who have hung in there this year

through it all.  Who knows what 2010 will bring!  Rest assured, I stand

ready to document it all.



Wednesday, December 30, 2009

recipe box Wednesday

The holiday edition of Recipe Box Wednesday (unearthing treausures from

an old wooden recipe box I found at a yard sale this summer) finishes up

with this dandy, that would be wonderful to have as you ring in the new

year!


CANDIED POPCORN

2 c. brown sugar

1 c. butter

1/2 c. light corn syrup

pinch salt

Boil all ingredients for 5 minutes, add 1 tsp. baking soda (mixture will foam

a bit, so make sure you use a big enough saucepan). Pour over 5 quarts of

popped corn, add 1 cup of peanuts (optional).

Butter a cookie sheet, pour corn onto it.  Bake one hour at 250, stirring

twice.

I have used a similar recipe, and instead of popcorn have used Old Dutch

Puffcorn.  The recipe is right on the back of the bag, and if you have never

made it you MUST.  It is completely addictive, and the whole batch will be

gone before you know it.

Happy sweet crunching!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

holiday scrapbook

Christmas 2009 blew into town and covered us with a blanket of white.

Good thing we were already planning to stay home, as it would have been

tricky to travel up north in the storm.

Due to the storm, the Mall allowed each tenant to determine how late they

wanted to stay open for Christmas Eve.  Usually we head in to the store in

the afternoon, send our crew home, and manage the store until it closes at

six.  This year, we had the crew shut her down at three and we started our

Christmas Eve. celebration early!

Not knowing quite what to do with all of that time, we decided to play

holiday Monopoly.  Since we only had the Star Wars version, we made it

work.  If you landed on "Go to Jail", you got to open a gift!  It was a nice

balance of pain and pleasure.

We ate snacks happily, opened gifts merrily, and later took a moonlit snow

walk through the neighborhood.  It was great to watch families celebrating

through their brightly lit windows, all snug and cozy and happy. 


Charlie left cookies for Santa (even though he NO LONGER BELIEVES)

and Claude had started in on them by the time I got back downstairs to

stuff the stockings.  Here, he is innocently looking all cute and acting like

he doesn't want to chew on the ribbons.

And here, the topless tree that ate our living room.

It was a wonderful Christmas, (even with the wide angle lens making my

shoulders look like a linebacker).

Hope your holiday was a memory maker too!  (and the actual photo does

say Merry Christmas, not Merry Christ....)

Sunday, December 27, 2009

a few of my favorite things

There are certain movies that I cherish, that hold a special place in my

heart. And I can always count on one of my very favorites to be shown

during the holidays.



As I type this, Fraulein Maria has just berated Christopher Plummer

soundly, standing drenched from falling in the water, with the amazing

Alps in the background.  And now the children are singing to the

Baroness, and all I want to do is sing along.


Maria is one of my favorite characters - strong and outspoken, and she can

sew playclothes out of curtains, and put on an amazing puppet show, and

help the Captain find his heart.  And dump that annoying Baronness.

"Edelweiss" played at our wedding, while the guests were being seated.

And I walked down the aisle to the wedding march from this movie.

Cinema is a wonderful thing, don't you agree?

What movies touch your heart, no matter how many times you watch them?

Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas baby

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear

Heather, Happy Birthday to you!


I still remember that day in 1973, when I woke up early to peek in my

stocking and my aunt was sitting in our living room.  Not a normal

occurence for a Christmas morning, she smiled and told me my parents

were at the hospital.


Santa could not have brought a better present than dear, sweet Heather

Jo.  And if I could, I would post a baby picture here, as she was the

cutest baby girl ever.  She even won a baby contest at Pamida!

Enough said.


Sending hugs to wind their way up north to Bemidji on this snowy

Christmas Day. Happy Birthday Heather!


And a very Merry Christmas, to all of you (circa 2005).

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