View from the Prairie Box

Thinking: How did I get to be this old? Wasn’t I a high schooler just yesterday?

Also thinking: High school feels like a lifetime ago.

The Nebraska State Capitol is not normally red. (See Keith’s fantastic photo series for proof.)

But it was last night. So, of course Jeremy and I had to drive by for a few photos. Fortunately, my curiosity wasn’t tested for long and I read the reason behind the change in light color in this morning’s paper. It’s all part of an American Heart Association campaign to put the spotlight (pun intended) on women and heart health in state of Nebraska.

It’s a worthy cause. Read more about it on the Journal Star website.

The things you learn while shopping for flatware…!

“Stainless steel is available in two qualities: 18/0 or 18/10 (there is also 18/8 but this is similar in properties to 18/10) The ’18’ refers to 18% chromium which is added to the steel mix to give it stainless properties. The ’10’ refers to nickel which adds to those properties and also gives a silvery sheen. 18/0 is much less expensive than 18/10 and most cutlery sold today is made from this material. 18/10 gives greater protection against corrosion and has a softer shine: most contemporary patterns are made from this top grade stainless steel. 18/0 and 18/10 are both fully dishwasher-safe.”

Oscar nominations are out! I’ve only seen one of the films, and was impressed by it. Some years I’m able to see all five; this, I think, is not that kind of year simply because a movie night for Jeremy and me is not such a frequent thing anymore. Still, I would like to catch a few more of the Best Picture nominees prior to March 5th.

Commentary on the nominations, anyone?

By 9:47am, I have learned that…

1. Contrary to what I previously believed, the kitchen is not child-proof. In fact, Livia discovered, in the very lowest drawer, two boxed sets of knives and a mean-lookin’ cheese grater. (Way to go, mom!)
2. When one hears a repetitive “click click. click click. click click.” for 10 minutes straight while the toddler is extremely quiet, it probably means she’s involved in illicit activities. Like turning the heater in her room on and off. on and off. on and off. When questioned with “Livia!???”, all I hear back is “NO-NO!” Yes indeed, NO-NO.

Beautiful, crazy, strange January weather.

A newscaster recently said he imagined we may not have to scoop snow again this winter in Lincoln… And I shook my head at such a preliminary guess. We live in Nebraska, the state where the sun can shine through snowshowers and where the weather can change in mere minutes.

Anyhow, I love me a good April snowstorm. There’s nothing quite like building a snowman next to a bed of daffodils.

We were *this* close to signing up for a digital phone system with a local business when we discovered there are much cheaper options for doing so. The hook was that we already use high speed internet (a job necessity for Jeremy, a major perk for me) and have a cable hookup, therefore the digital phone system, at $59.95 with tax, seemed decent since it includes free long distance and little things like caller ID and call waiting.

Then a coworker told Jeremy about digital phone service via businesses like Vonage, where the fees are in the $25 range. Not too shabby…

But then, I couldn’t get into my husband’s office yesterday and I got kind of annoyed with that. I end up standing outside the office (in rain, sleet or snow, with baby on hip) until someone buzzes me in. This problem, and many others, could be easily solved with a cell phone. But if we go cellular, we can’t afford a land line any longer.

So, people. Help me out here. Tell me what you use, what you like and dislike, and pretty please with sugar on top, tell me approximately how many George Washingtons you spill for the service.

Mucho gusto.

To my shame, I admit I am quite ignorant of most copyright laws. Does anyone (Renae?) know how to correctly share the following column? Thanks, Karma, for passing this on to me.

American Life in Poetry: Column 033
By Ted Kooser, U.S. Poet Laureate

Katy Giebenhain, an American living in Berlin, Germany, depicts a ritual that many diabetics undergo several times per day: testing one’s blood sugar. The poet shows us new ways of looking at what can be an uncomfortable chore by comparing it to other things: tapping trees for syrup, checking oil levels in a car, milking a cow.

Glucose Self-Monitoring

A stabbing in miniature, it is,
a tiny crime,
my own blood parceled
drop by drop and set
on the flickering tongue
of this machine.
It is the spout-punching of trees
for syrup new and smooth
and sweeter
than nature ever intended.
It is Sleeping Beauty’s curse
and fascination.
It is the dipstick measuring of oil
from the Buick’s throat,
the necessary maintenance.
It is every vampire movie ever made.
Hand, my martyr without lips,
my quiet cow.
I’ll milk your fingertips
for all they’re worth.
For what they’re worth.
Something like a harvest, it is,
a tiny crime.

Katy Giebenhain, Best of Prairie Schooner: Fiction and Poetry

Yup, that’s what our favorite 20 month old wordsmith has been calling me the past two days.

Between referring to me by my first name and her crazy mood shifts, I think she’s hitting the teen years a little early.