Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Friday, July 21, 2006
Awesome new CD.
So, I recently picked up the new Dixie Chicks CD . I had read and seen a few critics reports on it and they were highly praising it. Being a Dixie Chicks fan already, I thought I needed to get it. I can't say it enough...it is awesome. The CD was created as a response to the respone that the Chicks got after expressing some dislike for George W. at one of their concerts. It is pretty toned down, as far as the "country" portion of it goes which I am all for. The video is good too.
Hearing great music like this always inspires me to write songs but I never know where to start. I do feel like I have emotions within me that need to be expressed. I tend to be so critical of myself and it is difficult to be creative when you have a critical mind. Any suggestions?
So, I recently picked up the new Dixie Chicks CD . I had read and seen a few critics reports on it and they were highly praising it. Being a Dixie Chicks fan already, I thought I needed to get it. I can't say it enough...it is awesome. The CD was created as a response to the respone that the Chicks got after expressing some dislike for George W. at one of their concerts. It is pretty toned down, as far as the "country" portion of it goes which I am all for. The video is good too.
Hearing great music like this always inspires me to write songs but I never know where to start. I do feel like I have emotions within me that need to be expressed. I tend to be so critical of myself and it is difficult to be creative when you have a critical mind. Any suggestions?
Thursday, June 22, 2006
ANOTHER TAG...YOUR IT.
1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4.
Mine says "Clear a fax number or end a fax transmission and return"
2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What can you touch?
A table.
3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Last Comic Standing
4. Without looking, guess what time it is.
4:38pm
5. Now look at the clock. What is the actual time
4:53pm
6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
NPR on the radio.
7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
at 3:30, coming in the house with sleeping children from the car.
8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at?
My checkbook :(
9. What are you wearing?
Knit capris and a t-shirt
10. Did you dream last night?
No
11. When did you last laugh?
Last night while watching Last Comic Standing
12. What is on the walls of the room you are in? A calendar and 2 Ansel Adams pics.
13. Seen anything weird lately?
My daughter takes a small Barbie sized horse and places it in her crotch and rides it.
14. What do you think of this quiz?
It's long...
15. What is the last film or video you saw?
Cinderella Man.
16. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?
A dishwasher
17. Tell me something about you that I don’t know.
I don't know
18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
Make child birth painless.
19. Do you like to dance?
Yes. We (The children & I dance daily with scarves. Everyone dances better with a scarf or two in hand.)
20. Comment to George Bush:
No comment
21. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
Hannah
22. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
Jonas
23. Would you ever consider living abroad?
perhaps
24. What do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gate?
Job well done
25. 4 people who must also do this quiz on THEIR blog: Heather, Cristina, Kristin, & Donna
1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4.
Mine says "Clear a fax number or end a fax transmission and return"
2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What can you touch?
A table.
3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Last Comic Standing
4. Without looking, guess what time it is.
4:38pm
5. Now look at the clock. What is the actual time
4:53pm
6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
NPR on the radio.
7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
at 3:30, coming in the house with sleeping children from the car.
8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at?
My checkbook :(
9. What are you wearing?
Knit capris and a t-shirt
10. Did you dream last night?
No
11. When did you last laugh?
Last night while watching Last Comic Standing
12. What is on the walls of the room you are in? A calendar and 2 Ansel Adams pics.
13. Seen anything weird lately?
My daughter takes a small Barbie sized horse and places it in her crotch and rides it.
14. What do you think of this quiz?
It's long...
15. What is the last film or video you saw?
Cinderella Man.
16. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?
A dishwasher
17. Tell me something about you that I don’t know.
I don't know
18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
Make child birth painless.
19. Do you like to dance?
Yes. We (The children & I dance daily with scarves. Everyone dances better with a scarf or two in hand.)
20. Comment to George Bush:
No comment
21. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
Hannah
22. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
Jonas
23. Would you ever consider living abroad?
perhaps
24. What do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gate?
Job well done
25. 4 people who must also do this quiz on THEIR blog: Heather, Cristina, Kristin, & Donna
Sunday, June 18, 2006
PETER
My brother is coming home for the summer this Tuesday. He has been gone since August 7th of last summer after his diving accident where he broke his neck. He is amazing. Check out his site if you haven't visited it lately. It's www.caringbridge.com Go to "visit" and enter "petergrahn".
My brother is coming home for the summer this Tuesday. He has been gone since August 7th of last summer after his diving accident where he broke his neck. He is amazing. Check out his site if you haven't visited it lately. It's www.caringbridge.com Go to "visit" and enter "petergrahn".
Thursday, June 01, 2006
To-NOW
The children and I went on one of our many trips to my favorite store today...Target. We made our first pool purchase of the season. We got Jonas a little pool with an umbrella over it so the sun doesn't get him too much. Hannah got a larger pool with a slide on either side of it. The whole pool contraption is shaped like a dinosaur. I wish we had cool pools like that when we were little.
So, this afternoon David and I were getting the pool out and looking at what all has to be done to get it ready. Hannah was requesting to swim in the pool immediatly. David and I both tried our darnedest to explain that the water won't be ready until tomorrow. Hannah wasn't satisfied with that answered and said, "I don't want to wait till tomorrow. I want to swim to-now."
You gotta love the ingenuity of the to-now word. David and I held our giggles as best we could but sometimes you just can't help but laugh at the little ones.
The children and I went on one of our many trips to my favorite store today...Target. We made our first pool purchase of the season. We got Jonas a little pool with an umbrella over it so the sun doesn't get him too much. Hannah got a larger pool with a slide on either side of it. The whole pool contraption is shaped like a dinosaur. I wish we had cool pools like that when we were little.
So, this afternoon David and I were getting the pool out and looking at what all has to be done to get it ready. Hannah was requesting to swim in the pool immediatly. David and I both tried our darnedest to explain that the water won't be ready until tomorrow. Hannah wasn't satisfied with that answered and said, "I don't want to wait till tomorrow. I want to swim to-now."
You gotta love the ingenuity of the to-now word. David and I held our giggles as best we could but sometimes you just can't help but laugh at the little ones.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Choosing Death
So, I have sat down in front the computer a number of times to update my blog but have not had the energy to do so. The last month has been much of a blurr within a blurr of a year for that matter. My grandpa had a stoke last month and things just went down hill from there. He had lived on the farm that I grew up on up until that stroke so needless to say he was an everyday presense in my life and we were very close. He past away this week. He was 83.
Due to the stroke, Grandpa had a couple of bad falls. One that resulted in a fracture in his C-1 & C-2 vertibrae. Initially the dr.'s only thought C-2 was cracked but then after more testing they found a crack in C-1 also. The outlook for the healing of these bones was grim. He either had to wear a neck brace for an undetermined amount of time or he had to have surgery to place pins and harvested bone to repair the cracks. Neither of these options were great. He was not a fan of the neck brace and he had such bad arthritis that the healing would not happen quickly. So, after hearing these news of both vertibraes being cracked, Grandpa just shut down. And he no longer really responded to much stimulation.
I had been through the dying process with my other grandpa but this one was really tough. For the past week, most of the family was at a bedside vigil for him in the hospital. The family decided not to hook up any feeding tubes because they knew he would not have wanted that. It took a good week for his body to shut down. The last organ to shut down was his lungs, even though he had smoked for a good 60 years.
Through this whole process, I couldn't help but wonder if at some point he made the decision to die. Can we as human's just allow ourselves to die? Stop fighting? And if so, is this a form of suicide? Grandpa lived a wonderful life and he was 83 so it was probably his time but death is just so....is just so...weird.
So, we'll be having the funeral in 2 days and that will be extremely hard. I do always find beauty at funerals though. Beauty in the family.
On a side note, I am contemplating requiring all members of my family to wear a neck brace for the rest of their lives. I think 2 broken necks resulting in severe changes within a year is enough to require that...don't you think?
So, I have sat down in front the computer a number of times to update my blog but have not had the energy to do so. The last month has been much of a blurr within a blurr of a year for that matter. My grandpa had a stoke last month and things just went down hill from there. He had lived on the farm that I grew up on up until that stroke so needless to say he was an everyday presense in my life and we were very close. He past away this week. He was 83.
Due to the stroke, Grandpa had a couple of bad falls. One that resulted in a fracture in his C-1 & C-2 vertibrae. Initially the dr.'s only thought C-2 was cracked but then after more testing they found a crack in C-1 also. The outlook for the healing of these bones was grim. He either had to wear a neck brace for an undetermined amount of time or he had to have surgery to place pins and harvested bone to repair the cracks. Neither of these options were great. He was not a fan of the neck brace and he had such bad arthritis that the healing would not happen quickly. So, after hearing these news of both vertibraes being cracked, Grandpa just shut down. And he no longer really responded to much stimulation.
I had been through the dying process with my other grandpa but this one was really tough. For the past week, most of the family was at a bedside vigil for him in the hospital. The family decided not to hook up any feeding tubes because they knew he would not have wanted that. It took a good week for his body to shut down. The last organ to shut down was his lungs, even though he had smoked for a good 60 years.
Through this whole process, I couldn't help but wonder if at some point he made the decision to die. Can we as human's just allow ourselves to die? Stop fighting? And if so, is this a form of suicide? Grandpa lived a wonderful life and he was 83 so it was probably his time but death is just so....is just so...weird.
So, we'll be having the funeral in 2 days and that will be extremely hard. I do always find beauty at funerals though. Beauty in the family.
On a side note, I am contemplating requiring all members of my family to wear a neck brace for the rest of their lives. I think 2 broken necks resulting in severe changes within a year is enough to require that...don't you think?
Friday, April 07, 2006
Learning to Express Herself
Here are some excerpts from my 3-year-old daughter, Hannah's life.
1. As most 3-year-olds, she is very inquisitive and often wants more detail from me that what I've provided. So, you think she'd be asking "why" all the time, right? Well, not so much. She thinks "why" is "how" and "how" is "why". If someone were to eavesdrop into one of our many conversations through the day, I think they would think that I was crazy and just trying to frustrate my daughter because I was never actually answering her questions. However, I am answering her questions because as her mother I know when she asks, "Oh, how?", she's really asking, "Oh, why?". So I answer her question with the explanation she wants vs. the explanation she asking for. Do you think this will mess her up in the long run?
2. Whenever my husband and I come home from work or a meeting that only involved one of us to leave and come back, Hannah greets us at the door and asks, "How was work, Daddy?" or "How was your meeting at church, Momma?" This always makes me smile. She's so polite. Yesterday after her greeting she then opened the door for me and said, "Come in and join us." For some reason, that one creeped me out. Like she was inviting me into something that I didn't want to join and perhaps there was a very small part of me that didn't want to join the chaos of the house yet.
3. Hannah is quite the little entertainer. One of her favorite things to do is to give concerts. I wonder where she got that from :). For these concerts, she pulls up a stool and a music stand. Sets a piece of music on the stand, usually upside-down because she can't read it anyways. She places a Flupe (or a plastic flute to you unfamiliar with you language) in either my hand or Grandma's hand...depending on who's available. Then she declares the song that she will be blessing us with and gives the flupe player the count, which is anywhere between a 6 count to a 12 count. Pretty demanding rhythms. And off she is with one of her favorite versions of "Finkle, Finkle Little Star", "The ABCs" (She usually ends this song with the statement "now I wonder my ABCs..." which anyone in the audience would agree with), "Ibsy, Bitsy Bpider", and my favorite "The Bear Song". This is an original composition by Hannah. The lyrics are as follows: The Bear said ROAR. The Bear said ROAR. The Bear said ROOOOOAAARR. The flupe player needs to be on cue to give a special accent to the ROAR.) After her performance of each song she gives a very studious bow and expects a round of applause. It's all very amusing.
Here are some excerpts from my 3-year-old daughter, Hannah's life.
1. As most 3-year-olds, she is very inquisitive and often wants more detail from me that what I've provided. So, you think she'd be asking "why" all the time, right? Well, not so much. She thinks "why" is "how" and "how" is "why". If someone were to eavesdrop into one of our many conversations through the day, I think they would think that I was crazy and just trying to frustrate my daughter because I was never actually answering her questions. However, I am answering her questions because as her mother I know when she asks, "Oh, how?", she's really asking, "Oh, why?". So I answer her question with the explanation she wants vs. the explanation she asking for. Do you think this will mess her up in the long run?
2. Whenever my husband and I come home from work or a meeting that only involved one of us to leave and come back, Hannah greets us at the door and asks, "How was work, Daddy?" or "How was your meeting at church, Momma?" This always makes me smile. She's so polite. Yesterday after her greeting she then opened the door for me and said, "Come in and join us." For some reason, that one creeped me out. Like she was inviting me into something that I didn't want to join and perhaps there was a very small part of me that didn't want to join the chaos of the house yet.
3. Hannah is quite the little entertainer. One of her favorite things to do is to give concerts. I wonder where she got that from :). For these concerts, she pulls up a stool and a music stand. Sets a piece of music on the stand, usually upside-down because she can't read it anyways. She places a Flupe (or a plastic flute to you unfamiliar with you language) in either my hand or Grandma's hand...depending on who's available. Then she declares the song that she will be blessing us with and gives the flupe player the count, which is anywhere between a 6 count to a 12 count. Pretty demanding rhythms. And off she is with one of her favorite versions of "Finkle, Finkle Little Star", "The ABCs" (She usually ends this song with the statement "now I wonder my ABCs..." which anyone in the audience would agree with), "Ibsy, Bitsy Bpider", and my favorite "The Bear Song". This is an original composition by Hannah. The lyrics are as follows: The Bear said ROAR. The Bear said ROAR. The Bear said ROOOOOAAARR. The flupe player needs to be on cue to give a special accent to the ROAR.) After her performance of each song she gives a very studious bow and expects a round of applause. It's all very amusing.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Therapy for Life
I have been riding a major emotional rollercoaster the last few days. I go through the whole emotional wheel within a few hours. Why? I'm not sure but I can probably pin-point it to a few factors:
1. The season changing. It seems I always do this sort of thing this time of year.
2. My brother's situation just sucks. I often find myself pondering the past and future of his life and so many emotions build up that I feel like a I could throw-up.
3. And finally...yes...PMSing.
But I do have a few therapies that I have always used in my life that I did turn to today. I played piano for a good 45 minutes. This always make me feel better...whether I sounded good or not. Also, I cleaned out a bunch of closets and went through our clothes. Cleaning has always been a therapy for me...why? I don't have a clue. But there is satisfaction in looking at something that's all neat, clean, and orderly.
So, since it is officially Spring next week. Here's to all the Spring Cleaning!
I have been riding a major emotional rollercoaster the last few days. I go through the whole emotional wheel within a few hours. Why? I'm not sure but I can probably pin-point it to a few factors:
1. The season changing. It seems I always do this sort of thing this time of year.
2. My brother's situation just sucks. I often find myself pondering the past and future of his life and so many emotions build up that I feel like a I could throw-up.
3. And finally...yes...PMSing.
But I do have a few therapies that I have always used in my life that I did turn to today. I played piano for a good 45 minutes. This always make me feel better...whether I sounded good or not. Also, I cleaned out a bunch of closets and went through our clothes. Cleaning has always been a therapy for me...why? I don't have a clue. But there is satisfaction in looking at something that's all neat, clean, and orderly.
So, since it is officially Spring next week. Here's to all the Spring Cleaning!
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Get Down With Your Bad Self
So, I have a question for all of you that keep increasing the counter level on this blog. If you felt like "getting down with you bad self" what song would you use to do that? You see I am teaching a toddler music class and in each session I have a song that the parents and child can use to just dance around and have fun. So far I've used a variety of tunes; "Say I Am" by Tommy James and the Shondals, "Cecillia" by S&G, & "Fishin' in the Dark" by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. I've downloaded a few more for future classes such as "Everybody Dance Now" by C&C Music Factory, "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge, "Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic, "Dance to the Music" by Sly and the Family Stone, and "Sing, Sing, Sing" by the Benny Goodman Band. Do you have any suggestions? Preferrably something that the average person would know, be able to find the beat of and shake their botty. I look forward to your input!
So, I have a question for all of you that keep increasing the counter level on this blog. If you felt like "getting down with you bad self" what song would you use to do that? You see I am teaching a toddler music class and in each session I have a song that the parents and child can use to just dance around and have fun. So far I've used a variety of tunes; "Say I Am" by Tommy James and the Shondals, "Cecillia" by S&G, & "Fishin' in the Dark" by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. I've downloaded a few more for future classes such as "Everybody Dance Now" by C&C Music Factory, "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge, "Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic, "Dance to the Music" by Sly and the Family Stone, and "Sing, Sing, Sing" by the Benny Goodman Band. Do you have any suggestions? Preferrably something that the average person would know, be able to find the beat of and shake their botty. I look forward to your input!
Friday, January 20, 2006
Typing one handed
This trick is not as fun as riding a bike one handed on a suuny spring afternoon. Typing one handed means that I have a heavy 7-month old boy in my other hand/arm who refuses to sleep anywhere but on me. I know, some of you would love to cuddle up with a baby and relax. I do love it from time to time but not when it's for every nap. AHHHH. Jonas, my 7-month old has broncitis and an ear infection so my week has been lacking lots of sleep. I can safely say at least 1.5 nights have past without me sleeping. Oh, but it's all worth it. I knew this is what it was like and I still decided to go forth with having a 2nd child and I'll probably forget all the misery and decide to have number 3 and possibly 4.
This trick is not as fun as riding a bike one handed on a suuny spring afternoon. Typing one handed means that I have a heavy 7-month old boy in my other hand/arm who refuses to sleep anywhere but on me. I know, some of you would love to cuddle up with a baby and relax. I do love it from time to time but not when it's for every nap. AHHHH. Jonas, my 7-month old has broncitis and an ear infection so my week has been lacking lots of sleep. I can safely say at least 1.5 nights have past without me sleeping. Oh, but it's all worth it. I knew this is what it was like and I still decided to go forth with having a 2nd child and I'll probably forget all the misery and decide to have number 3 and possibly 4.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
So, I too have been tagged. The culpret was Donna. I have a tough time with listing these items for I tend to share everything about me with my friends and family, often more than they wish to know :)
Here goes:
1. My favorite time of day is bedtime. I often get so excited about cuddling up under the covers with no little ones hanging on me that I can't fall asleep.
2. I just started attempting to learn the guitar, for the second time, yesterday.
3. I have a love/hate relationship with jumping into the middle of a lake. I love to do it but then once I'm in I get scared that a large fish is going to bite my bottom side.
4. I'm addicted to my computer.
5. I'm addicted to reality TV.
Now,
Kristin...if you ever read this
Heather
Cristina
Bridget
Reba
Tag, your it. And for those of you that have already been tagged, sorry, I didn't know if there were tag-backs or not. Your the only people I know that are on blogs.
Here goes:
1. My favorite time of day is bedtime. I often get so excited about cuddling up under the covers with no little ones hanging on me that I can't fall asleep.
2. I just started attempting to learn the guitar, for the second time, yesterday.
3. I have a love/hate relationship with jumping into the middle of a lake. I love to do it but then once I'm in I get scared that a large fish is going to bite my bottom side.
4. I'm addicted to my computer.
5. I'm addicted to reality TV.
Now,
Kristin...if you ever read this
Heather
Cristina
Bridget
Reba
Tag, your it. And for those of you that have already been tagged, sorry, I didn't know if there were tag-backs or not. Your the only people I know that are on blogs.
Monday, January 09, 2006
So, you know your life is changed when you can't find any pictures of yourself or your husband to post but you have endless pictures of your children.
Life here is pretty good. I stay home with my kids and take care of my sisters 11 month old boy. I'm busy with duties at our small country church. My brother was in a bad accident in August and his recovery keeps my mind pretty occupied. You can learn more about that at www.caringbridge.com go to visit a site and enter petergrahn. I update this website regularly.
David is working for Bobcat in Litchfield, MN and he is enjoying that challenge.
Life is hard at times, which we've learn this past year but during difficult times it seems easier to notice the beauty of life and love.
Life here is pretty good. I stay home with my kids and take care of my sisters 11 month old boy. I'm busy with duties at our small country church. My brother was in a bad accident in August and his recovery keeps my mind pretty occupied. You can learn more about that at www.caringbridge.com go to visit a site and enter petergrahn. I update this website regularly.
David is working for Bobcat in Litchfield, MN and he is enjoying that challenge.
Life is hard at times, which we've learn this past year but during difficult times it seems easier to notice the beauty of life and love.
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