Obnoxious Navy Fans at the Texas Bowl

One of the really fun gifts Joe got for Christmas this year was a sack full of noise-making Navy Spirit wear from Bill the goat.  I have to admit that the cowbell is the loudest, most obnoxious tool in the chest.  I also really like it because I was not hoarse from yelling after the game because anytime I felt like yelling, I just clanked that cowbell long and loud.  A few people sitting near us moved to another section.  I think it was because they really don't like the Navy.  One man came up to me and asked if Bob was a former player, or if we had a son playing.  The implied question was, "Why are you guys so loud?"    

Before the game we went to the Alumni sponsored Brigade tailgate party.  Everyone filled up on brisket, smoked sausage, honey bbqued chicken, apple chipotle potato salad, cookies, brownies and soda.  This sure beats filling up on expensive, heartburn-inducing stadium food.  We were really glad that Jeff could meet us for the game. 

We found some removable Go Navy tatooes for Joe's Under-eyes.

John sat with the other Midshipmen while we took our loftier seats.  It was a really fun game, mainly because Navy won.

When we got back to the hotel after the game I saw a table of Missou fans lamenting the day's loss.  I had to start the conversation about how when Missou made the first touchdown in the first 23 seconds that I thought it would be a long game.  They brought up the point that their team seemed to go home after the first minute of play.  Then they brought out the point that they had a hard time coming up with insulting things to say about the USNA.  They couldn't even think of any good jokes about the navy.  I thanked them for being so patriotic to let Navy win.  I didn't bring up the point that they could look on youtube for Anti-Navy spirit spots put out by Army and Airforce who don't worry that they are being un-American for trying to defeat Navy.

Go Navy-Beat Army! 

White Christmas 2009

This hasn't happened since 1926!  I wish I could say I was really happy about this, but I lived in Alaska for 5 years and I have had enough snow for the rest of my life.  But what a beautiful sight.

Santa came early and replaced my computer that was failing.

Joe got a new watch thanks to a great deal Dad found on the internet.

We got Joe a few new shirts at Aeropostole.  He is at that age where these things are very important to him.  Fortunately, I found a sale where they were selling these forty dollar shirts for about five dollars.  Joe asked me if I thought he should keep the tags on his clothes so that people would think he spent a lot of money on them.  My answer is that I am posting what I paid for them on the world wide web.  Eleven year-olds are so funny. 

John in his new work out jacket, Bob in his Navy Jacket(thanks Megan and Chris) and Joe sporting his new watch.

Bob and Joe in matching Navy jackets.

Merry Christmas, Y'all!

Deep Inside the Ford Museum

While in Michigan we took another peak inside the Ford Museum.  Because it was winter we spent our entire time inside the Museum instead of the village.

I found a car that matched my coat!

Bob thought this little car would be fun to drive.

Joe picked this car as his favorite.

We found one of the earliest Harleys.

This is a replica of the coats that Captain Byrd wore while exploring the South Pole.  It weighed about 50 pounds.  Joe wanted to try it on too.

Cute Mittens!

The Ford Museum theme is all about American innovation and engineering. Joe was able to power up a bunch of lights by turning a crank.  I have heard about connecting a generator to a bicycle then hooking the generator to a tv.  Of course, the Muir's havn't incorporated this into our home yet.  Can you peddle a bike from a reclining position?

Poor Chris had to work while we headed to Dearborn.  It was really fun to spend extra time with Megan.

Joe was so tired he fell asleep on the way back. Megan covered him up with her cute pink coat and took his picture.  Aren't big sisters great?  It was a fun little trip up north.  We were glad to get back home to Texas where we were under the impression that it rarely snows.

Master Megan

On December 18th Bob, Joe and I went up to Michigan in preparation for Megan's graduation from Eastern Michigan University with a Master of Accountancy degree on Sunday, December 20th.

Congrats to Master Megan!

Once an Eagle, Always an Eagle!

 

Don We Now Our Gay Apparel

Last year during the Christmas season Megan, my daughter, posted pictures on her blog of a party she had with her friends.  They all went to Good Will or Salvation Army Thrift Stores and bought the most obnoxious Christmas sweaters they could find and took pictures of each other and posted them on her blog. 

This was the best they could do at Good Will.  Evidently, this is the new Christmas party theme for young adults.  There had been a run on Christmas sweaters at all of the thrift stores in Ann Arbor during December of 2008.  I have heard that Chris found something "new" at a thrift store this summer and paid a whole dollar for it.  I can't wait to see the 2009 Beatty Christmas picture.

As I was getting ready to go to the PTA Board Holiday party today I found my Christmas sweater and almost put it on until I remembered that they are out of style and a source of mocking by the twenty-something crowd.

Imagine that!  What could be more festive than faux snow around the collar and twin santas with fuzzy beards carrying trees with ornaments and presents flying in the air?  Perhaps, if your kids are really nice to me, they can borrow my sweater for their own Christmas Sweater Party.  I think this sweater may be as valuable as a baby blue polyester tux someday. 

 I decided to go a lot more subtle in my celebration attire.  I wore my white mock turtle neck which discreetly says JOY and a red jacket.  I looked Chritsmasy but not over-the-top.

So when I was at the Christmas party today I looked around to see who might still be wearing one of those ridiculous sweaters.  I was going to take a pictures and post them on my blog.  Not one person was so attired.  I wonder how many people were secretly laughing at me and taking my picture and putting it on their blogs last year.  I probably was the only one still wearing that kind of sweater and I just didn't notice that they had gone the way of the dinosaur.  I am so grateful that I have children.

Joe's Pushy Mom

We have a winner!  I forced Joe to write a poem this year for the Arts In Education Reflections program for PTA.  He did not want to do it, but I told him that I had promised my friend Debbie, the Arts In Education Chair, that he would be submitting a poem.  There were tears.  There were accusations that I was forcing him to do something he could not do.  There was a shouting match.  There was a brainstorming session.  There was instruction on how to make simple phrases sound pretty.  There was a tutorial on how to make a rhyming scheme.  There was another shouting match about how long the poem should be .  Four lines just wasn't going to cut it.  And then finally there was a poem!

Beauty Is... was the theme.  Joe decided that the most beautiful things he has ever seen, he has seen in nature.  He decided to think back on his camping trip to the Olympic National Park to come up with inspiration for the beautiful sights he saw in nature.  Here is his poem:

Beauty Is Natural

Beauty is found on a lake at night


Moonlight shimmers both soft and bright.



Beauty is found in a forest deep


Trees making homes that the animals keep.



Beauty is found on a mountain so high


Snowy caps reaching ever up to the sky.



Beauty is found in a flowering glade


Where blossoms find sunshine outside of  the shade.



Beauty is found in Nature so dear


Making life better and giving me cheer.


I am happy to announce that Joe's poem won Judge's Choice at the school and district level and will now be going to state!  But more important to me is that Joe now knows he can write poetry.  I have to admit I love poetry.  I think it is a powerful way to use words to bring feelings and thoughts to the surface.


I know that I will not be able to influence Joe to do all of the things I think are good for him for very much longer. My older kids have taught me that.  But for now, Congrats to Joe!

Love of Country

I have been doing some family history research lately and have traced another line back to the 1640's.  Don't you love it when you can find Quakers in your background?  They kept such good records.  And they came to America a long time ago!

This is the second line I have traced back that far.  The other line I can trace back to the Puritans.

And, of course, there is the line that holds my Native American Heritage.

These ancestors settled the New Land.  They fought in the Revolutionary War, The War of 1812, The Civil War, World War 1, World War 2, The Korean Conflict, The Vietnam War, and Jeff did his part in the Persian Gulf to support the war in Iraq.  They were on the front lines any time any new territory opened up.

I know that people whose ancestors have not been here forever love America too, but I can really feel it in my bones, as if it is part of my DNA.  Me and America, we have history.


   

New Friends From India

On Black Friday Eve, the day that the rest of Americans call Thanksgiving, I went out to Best Buy to wait in line so that I could get the electronics for the family for the next year.  I started out as number 11 in line,  Numbers 1-7 were a family from Arkansas who had been waiting in line for 2 days when I got there. They thought Texas was warmer than Arkansas for two days of camping in November.  I wonder what their kids will write about Thanksgiving?  We went to Texas and went camping in a parking lot at Best Buy.  It was really fun!  Numbers 8 and 9 were two bachelors from Mumbai, India who are computer consultants for American Airlines. They are here for a few years.  They were interested to hear what I thought were some must see spots in the USA.  Number 8's parents are working on finding a bride for him.  I guess the kids in India trust their parents a lot more than we do here because I can see the men my parents might choose for me and I would have to decline.  Number 10 was a pad to sit on.  I moved him to the back of the line after he had been AWOL for 3 hours.  He showed up an hour and a half after that and was disapointed that he had been moved but promptly left again.  There is a certain ettiquette about waiting in line.  The first rule is that you really have to be there.  You can leave for bathroom breaks and for food but don't expect to take off for hours.  As the new number 10, I had gained the alpha spot.  Whenever people left they checked in with me to tell me where they were going and what they would be doing and when they would be back.  I thought it was pretty funny that I had that much power.  Numbers 11 and 12 were a couple from India who had a two year old that they took turns watching in the car.    The line continued to grow, especially after the Cowboys game ended.  Things were going pretty well until number 50 got there.  I don't know what his problem was, but I think it might have been that he got there several hours after the people in the front of the line got there.  He started making trouble with a lot of people.  I guess he didn't get the memo that I was in charge.

I had set up a tent and had an air mattress and a sleeping bag.  I was pretty comfortable.  At about 1AM number 50 started to harrass number 11.  He was questioning why he kept going to his car and accusing him of not really being in line.  Number 11 grew tired of his harrassment so he told him he would not be speaking to him any more.  Number 50 started using really foul language and making gross threats.  I recognized this as a testosterone war.  What was number 11 to do?  He was a guy and he was being verbally threatened in front of over a hundred people.  Number 11 remained silent for about 45 seconds before he gave up on that resolve. I wondered if it would result in a fist fight.  Then he came out with the worst cussing he had ever come up with in his life, "Who in the hell do you think you are?  You go back to your own spot in line!"  Number 50 was urged to go back to his own spot by everyone else.   Later that morning I told number 11 that I was proud of him for not using horrid language and for not getting in a fight.  After all, it is shopping, and shopping should be fun.