tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61543134435485263682011-07-30T14:14:34.592-07:00Working mom. Lover of Food. Sometimes behind the times.Shannonnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3771100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-33232781572037136322010-10-29T09:36:00.001-07:002011-01-16T20:54:01.299-08:00

[caption id="attachment_928" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Grandma Marie at my wedding"][/caption]I've been noticeably absent from my other blog and this one. Two weeks ago, my grandma took a nasty spill down the stairs and ended up in the ICU. After talking to my aunt and some coaxing from my dad (this is not his mother, it's my mom's mother), I took an unexpected trip to Nebraska. I'm

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-65235663969015980902010-10-29T09:36:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:51.557-08:00

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-67014317182437842972010-10-02T01:44:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:54:01.266-08:00

I think we have the next Kotche in our living room.

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-43364678454328173232010-09-21T07:15:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:54:00.681-08:00

I've been asked to do a couple of reviews and giveaways and honestly, I only will do them if it is a good fit (something I like or use).  I just don't do them to get free stuff. If you know the tone of my other blog, you know that we're trying to cut down on clutter and go green gradually. With that, I'm announcing my love for Shutterfly.com and a giveaway.When I was attempting to learn graphic

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-9859447332582287402010-09-19T09:13:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:54:00.599-08:00

First time baking a galette (or slab pie) and using figs! Can't wait to take a bite!

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-18508790789210868532010-09-14T15:05:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:54:00.541-08:00

You bake a fresh apple pie with cheddar crust.

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-89145264283672684302010-09-08T11:45:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:54:00.392-08:00

[caption id="attachment_904" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Fish pond at High Desert Museum"][/caption]Lil B's pre-school (like many) takes a summer break in August. Instead of scrambling and trying to find childcare, I took the week off to spend some much needed mom and son time together. It also collided with our yearly trip to the Oregon coast which we take with some dear friends.The

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-77825493763922896122010-09-06T11:07:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:54:00.372-08:00

I am mastering building train tracks for Lil B. The simple tracks last longer as the can't break so easy.

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-82813664011161745532010-09-05T12:45:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:54:00.353-08:00

You are saying hi to the goats and picking up some fall bounty in Hood River.

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-81403095687647027522010-08-27T08:57:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:54:00.165-08:00

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Brian and Lil B walking the beach"][/caption]I was 22 years old before I laid eyes on my first ocean. It was spring break and my friends and I went to LA to visit my friend's sister. After my mom died, I felt I just needed to travel. When I discovered Oregon in 2000, I felt at home when visiting my friend. I enjoyed the fresh mountain air and

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-41793335733065634002010-08-23T09:30:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:54:00.097-08:00

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Little boy haircut"][/caption]When it comes to getting my little boy a haircut, I procrastinate. Getting Lil B's haircut is something I task his father with -- it's something they do together. I love it when they walk in the door after their haircuts. Lil B always looks so much more grown up after.

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-2831734328750946472010-08-22T11:13:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:59.996-08:00

Today I am reminded of how lucky I am that my child can grow up near the ocean.

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-29333907391980069252010-08-20T07:30:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:59.979-08:00

July and August are chaotic at work with events. For 6 weeks in a row, I'm off on Friday because I've worked so much before Thursday. Usually, I spend those Friday days  grocery shopping, cleaning, doing laundry because Lil B is at pre-school. Fun times!On the 6th Friday, I asked my Linda if she wanted to head for the mountains and go for a long hike we me. I love Linda because I learn so much

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-34292074655413356252010-08-18T09:30:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:59.530-08:00

[caption id="attachment_852" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The Mighty Ni"][/caption]Some of my fondest memories as a child were camping with my family in the summer. Each year, we'd take a float trip down the Niobrara River and camp for a few days. We'd spend the day canoeing along and then spend the evening trying to see who can find the most firewood, make dutch oven cobbler and tell

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-88966990013345594112010-08-16T03:00:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:59.451-08:00

[caption id="attachment_880" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Fun with sidewalk chalk"][/caption]The fact that my son loves and excels at coloring is not a surprise to me especially since my husband is very creative (graphic artist, videographer, musician, writer). I came home from my Sunday morning walk to Lil B and my husband playing with sidewalk chalk in the shade. All day, Lil B

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-41950865077986198122010-08-14T06:22:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:59.336-08:00

I told myself a few days ago that I would stay off twitter and Facebook and turn off the @wilcohq updates to my cell phone. Why? Well, the Solid Sounds Festival is happening right about now and well, I'm so mad my family is not there.I've been intentionally been looking past their twitter updates all week until I read this morning that you could dunk Jeff Tweedy as he'd be in a dunk tank and you

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-67636526612957626352010-08-02T09:27:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:59.301-08:00

"What? You have never been to a county or state fair? You're from Nebraska!"Yes, that is true, until Saturday, I have never been to a county or state fair. I have been to a carnival (SeptemberFest) and amusement parks (Peony Park, Adventure Land, Worlds of Fun). I have seen livestock shown by 4-H kids (River City Round-up which come to find out IS NOW the Douglas County Fair -- they merged a few

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-22254981530161691822010-08-01T08:03:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:59.230-08:00

I don't like coleslaw. I have tried it and can say that I have never met a coleslaw I like therefore, I gave up on trying to like coleslaw along time ago. A lot of it has to do with it being made with mayo which is another thing I will never like. (On the other hand, I do like potato salad which has mayo but more mustard than mayo ratio so it cancels out the mayo part). My mom made me eat too

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-40243717396675405282010-07-18T06:17:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:58.710-08:00

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="pickling cucumbers"][/caption]Last week I was sitting at a business meeting at a newly re-opened restaurant enjoying a veggie sandwich when I took a bite of what I thought was a dill pickle. My lunch companion noticed that I really didn't care for a bread and butter pickle cut up to look like a dill pickle."YUCK!" I said as I spit the pickle

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-49149601911108441032010-07-14T07:31:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:58.675-08:00

Where did the time go? My child turned 2 almost two months ago and I'm finally writing about it. Life has been hectic so give me the "bad mom of the year" award now. Just get it over with![caption id="attachment_820" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Someone really likes the Thomas the Train"][/caption]I put a lot of thought into what I wanted his party to be like. The little monkey is

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-44680965878139774642010-07-13T02:16:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:58.628-08:00

We hardly drive to Redmond, OR for fun because there are plenty of fun things to do in Bend so why drive to Redmond? Well, when we heard they had a cool fountain kids could stay cool from the hot sun we decided we had to drive up and see it. And it was WORTH THE DRIVE as you can see in this cute video.

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-51229419132199929292010-06-30T06:38:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:58.572-08:00

Has it really been since Mother's Day that I last posted? Sheesh. Bad blogger. I missed posting about Lil B's 2nd birthday, Lil B starting a new pre-school and Father's Day. Wow. I promise those posts are coming.Life has been hectic. I ran into some friends over frozen yogurt who commented they haven't seen me lately. The truth of the matter, my family has been my priority and well, my health. I

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-265314732951864292010-05-09T10:29:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:58.533-08:00

Last night, I was awoke at 1:30 a.m. to the crying of a toddler. This has been happening a lot lately and well, I know what to do, just let him cry but I can't let him cry. So, I bring him to bed and he falls asleep but then after an hour of kicking me and Brian, I got up and put him back in the crib which ignites WWIII.  Last resort, pull out the DVD player and put on Thomas. Within 10 mins he

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-31985236692234060342010-05-05T05:07:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:58.499-08:00

My first interaction with Kina was through blogging. She would often comment and then would start sending me emails with unsolicited advice on wedding planning, life, places to eat. Then we met in real life and became fast friends.Before she and her husband moved to Baker City to follow their dream to open a restaurant, we had plenty of adventures. Chauffeuring gorillas in the back of her Mustang

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-10487444305273687302010-05-03T22:31:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:58.451-08:00

After work last night, I collapsed on the couch watching Thomas the Train (for the millionth time) with my son. I knew I had to get a 5 miles walk in as part of my training for a 10k program. My mind was saying "go for it." My body "forget about it." When my husband got home from work, I grabbed my iPod and headed from my house to the trail. As soon as I got my groove, I knew that I wouldn't

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-34857869530514825222010-05-02T09:45:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:58.391-08:00

This month, to get back in the blogging spirit, I want to write about those who inspire me. I've had this idea for a while in my head and I think just getting it down on paper will help.[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="100" caption="Bread rising"][/caption]My husband bought me  a Kitchen Aid mixer for my birthday with the goal to start baking our own bread and stop buying from the grocery

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-35485431194966413672010-04-20T00:50:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:58.341-08:00

[caption id="attachment_755" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Dance party"][/caption]I really don't have to tell you that we're lovers of music in our household. My husband is a musician and I, well, you read this blog, you know I like music a lot. On Saturday night, I confided in my husband of the dirty little secret that Lil B and I partake in when my husband's out playing a gig -- we

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-45093064988762871292010-04-19T14:05:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:58.323-08:00

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-52765642995140124242010-04-19T06:16:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:58.272-08:00

It has now been 11 days since I had my LASIK surgery and I’m happy to report that I A) survived and B) I have 20/15 vision. WOO HOO.I was a whole lotta nervous for nothing. I took two .5 mg of Valium and they sat me down under this machine (obviously the laser) and just stared at it while it worked its magic. There was some pressure but only for a nano second and I had no idea when the laser was

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-8450284274438659702010-04-04T07:25:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:58.198-08:00

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="126" caption="Egg hunt"][/caption]... you come down with a stomach virus.  Lil B awoke me at 3 a.m. crying with a weird cough. As I rolled out of bed and walked into him room there was this stench of grossness. Poor little guy couldn't keep anything down. After a few hours, he just sorta snapped out of it and was up for the Old Mill Easter hunt.Lil B was a

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-86102474518531820422010-04-02T07:00:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:58.175-08:00

I did do a little playing when I went to SXSW Interactive. I was lucky to score a ticket to the Flaming Lips sold out show. Enjoy Wayne floating around in his bubble!

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-7684914342136726252010-04-02T06:57:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:58.156-08:00

Hmmm, it’s been a few weeks. My goal is to post at least twice a week but since being back from Austin from SXSW Interactive I’ve been faced with the following:• Re-sleep training my child• WORK WORK WORK• Volunteer stuff for the Family Access Network• Pre-school hunting• Getting the house painted• Being scared out of my wits about getting LASIK in less than a

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-53800218362676319122010-03-15T01:56:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:58.107-08:00

I've been getting educated in the ways of social media at SXSW (spring break for geeks). My brain is soaking it all in and I feel as if I'm with my own kind -- geeks from all over the world. In public, I would not walk around with my lanyard full of flair but when a famous blogger say "I like your flair" you can't help but feel proud and even more geeky.[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="222

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-35735323671303201892010-03-04T08:13:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:58.039-08:00

Even though my son is not two for 2.5 months, we have officially entered the "terrific twos" stage as I'm coining it (trying to be positive folks).  I'm pretty sure he's not getting the greatest nap at daycare anymore because he's just cranky butt tired when he gets home.  He's hungry but we've officially also entered "ALL I WANT TO EAT FOR DINNER IS CHICKEN NUGGETS" stage as well. Sigh. Lil B,

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-7303021930962520012010-02-23T05:25:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:57.906-08:00

A few years ago, I used give my friend Shawn a ton of crap for “using her baby as an excuse to flake.” She knew I was kidding just a little. To make matters more complicated, Shawn’s husband was relocated and they moved to Salem.  I’ve missed seeing Shawn (and even Sarah, now a toddler) so much lately. I am feeling horrible for even thinking/saying she used her baby as an excuse. Why? Oh, because

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-51622646336657389362010-02-21T10:08:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:57.888-08:00

It's amazing how fast Lil B is picking up on everything we do and say. For example, he mastered high-five, like last year but he's moved onto fist bump! The Republicans in our family will be SO proud!He also has mastered thank you, please, bath and choo choo. He says a ton of stuff but I usually can't understand it for a couple of days. Yay for milestones.

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-28986623262885137752010-02-21T07:14:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:57.870-08:00

You read that right. After two weeks of thinking about even mentioning it on my blog, I've decided to let my friend Ethan's words speak for me. Though I can not take credit for getting Ethan into Wilco, I can take credit for persuading him into seeing them live this summer when we went to Jacksonville. I think before that show, Ethan pretty much thought I was full of crap when it came to Wilco.

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-87555447917306069892010-02-14T07:52:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:57.851-08:00

When I was in the third grade, my dad brought me roses to school on Valentine's Day. I was walking across the street with my class, going to morning mass and he did it in front of my friends. At the time, I was really embarrassed but looking back, it was one of the sweetest moments as a child.I spent the morning watching the same episode of  "Thomas the Train" twice because that is what my son

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-54981971620584858392010-02-01T08:22:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:57.805-08:00

As I rule, I generally don't talk about my job but I got to be part of a really cool social media campaign we launched today encouraging Central Oregon to wear red and raise awareness of heart disease in women. I spent all day Friday shooting a video of our employees wearing red and dancing away. It was a lot of fun. My husband and I worked over the weekend to get the video perfect and then this

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-50945783929058756112010-01-31T09:06:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:57.706-08:00

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="280" caption="Look what I got for my birthday"][/caption]For my birthday, my husband got me a KitchenAid Mixer. This is something I have wanted for a really, really long time. I didn't register for it because it was so expensive. Instead, I registered for a cheaper mixer that quite wasn't doing the job in the mixing department. When I saw that Costco had

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-35029096609049621862010-01-29T10:01:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:57.687-08:00

Last spring, I participated in IgniteBend. I was scared, excited and thought I was downright nuts for signing up and presenting about my hopes of being a natural mother and completely failing. My goal was to be funny and make people laugh. I worked really really hard on my presentation and over practiced it. My husband was part of the first IgniteBend and performed a song about getting laid-off.

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-72078229075904358502010-01-26T14:20:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:57.616-08:00

Recently, a friend was intrigued by all this talk of a certain band and she asked "can you make me a CD of their songs?" Since this is my blog and I can talk about whatever, whomever I want I thought this would be a great time to try to figure out what songs I might pick out for someone. It was pretty nerve racking -- picking these 20 songs and I ended up wussing out and just burning Kicking

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-17338757618428134412010-01-24T06:16:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:57.569-08:00

At my week three weigh-in of the Biggest Loser at work, I came in two pounds under the last time I weighed in. I can not weigh-in daily because it's frustrating to see the scale NOT move. In talking with my doctor, you should lose more than one pound a week so I was happy with those results.A few weeks ago, I started having ankle pain in the ankle that I twisted over the summer. Turns out, I tore

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-17191515542332054622010-01-24T05:46:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:57.532-08:00

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-85900720360529734222010-01-14T05:30:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:57.466-08:00

I divorced Hamburger Helper in 1997. As a poor college student who lived on her own, I ate a lot of hamburger helper, ramen noodles and often crashed my grandmother’s house for dinner (she lived down the street from me). One evening, I ate some Hamburger Helper while studying and then got violently ill. I threw up all night and missed work and school the next day. Horribly dehydrated, my aunt

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-60362731826294830462010-01-10T14:02:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:57.399-08:00

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-58458431038120593952010-01-10T06:32:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:57.368-08:00

As you remember, I'm divorcing sodium to lower my blood pressure and lose some weight. This is something I can not fail at because if I do, I'll have to be chained to blood pressure meds and I really don't like spending my time in line at the Fred Meyer Pharmacy. Week one of logging my calories/sodium intake went well on Livestrong.com. My first day back at work after our vacation started with a

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-13792189699180260592010-01-08T05:08:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:57.207-08:00

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="180" caption="Lil B"][/caption]What happened to the kid that ate everything? One day, he loves Pasta Pick Ups. Then the next week, he won't eat a single one! It was the only way this kid would even touch a vegetable. He loves the Morningstar Farms Veggie Bites but now no one in Bend sells them. I've been to every stinkin' grocery store and have walked out

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-72997412400676674302010-01-05T14:09:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:57.149-08:00

Where did the time go? It seems like Christmas was ages ago but it was really only two weeks ago.  As you may recall, Lil B woke up with croup the day before Christmas Eve.  He laid around for two days and wasn't too interested in opening his presents so his dad helped him. I was afraid that maybe he just wasn't into it but it turns out that he just wasn't feeling well and we should have waited

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-58580672223495007292010-01-04T09:40:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:56.173-08:00

[caption id="attachment_600" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Nothing about Jeff Tweedy is sexy"][/caption]Photos courtesy of grtaylor2I have tried to sit down and write this post a number of times, only to scrap it all and start over. I’m not a music critic and well, I’m intimidated by what I’m reading out there. I’m just a fan. A fan that FLEW over 1300 miles to see one of the (my

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-24182065261603291432010-01-01T02:42:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:56.130-08:00

It's a new year. I think I've gained 10 lbs in the past week with all the out of control eating. I ate my final linzer cookie until next Christmas season. I've had an alcoholic beverage everyday since Christmas and I have not exercised. My husband and I were talking about goals last night for 2010. He is working on his freelance business since jobs are scarce at the moment. I NEED to cut down the

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-6237519433251376612009-12-31T06:59:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:56.094-08:00

I'm back with part two recap of shows I saw from 2005-2009. When I started to write this, I realized, crap, I'm not going to see many artists but I'm seeing the artists I really really like now. I mostly find out about bands through WOXY.com or friends.  When the Sasquatch Festival announced their 2005 line-up, it had many of the artists I had fell in love with on the line-up and it was my first

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-31006728395729999882009-12-29T05:12:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:55.820-08:00

Guess what I checked off my bucket list? I mean, did you even have to guess? Here are a few gems from the show ...Full post to come --It's more for me than you so you don't have to read it.

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-84481046052129080052009-12-24T03:32:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:55.715-08:00

When I go to concerts, it’s go big or go home. After thinking about it, I’ve hardly seen shows in either of the places I have lived – Bend or Omaha. I’ve been known to fly across country to see a band play (U2) or drive eight hours (Radiohead).  I just don’t spend my money on any band or artist. It’s a carefully thought out process. So here goes the great shows of the past decade … and no, you

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-82911504680159506722009-12-24T00:49:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:55.696-08:00

Would you know it ... my kid has been pretty healthy this fall and Tuesday I go to pick him up at daycare to find out he woke up from his long afternoon nap with a cough and a 102 degree fever. Sheesh. The last time Lil B had the croup was on his birthday. Poor little guy. What a great way to start your 19 month of life.[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Christmas Croup just

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-77593640747577735462009-12-20T13:51:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:55.670-08:00

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-18536812476442615602009-12-20T12:57:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:55.649-08:00

I toyed around with doing ten posts of each year this decade and then I started to outline the years and what happened and well, some was sorta on the depressing side so I scraped that idea and decided to focus on the most awesome moments of the 2000s in order to keep the post in a positive light. So, here goes with the life changes in this decade.Bought my first houseIn 2001, I bought my first

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-20970433732979514592009-12-18T01:49:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:55.465-08:00

When I was growing up, I always asked for practical items for gifts. Exercise equipment, new tires for my car, measuring cups for baking (a boyfriend was embarrassed to give me this, by the way – it wasn’t romantic but I didn’t make him a nice romantic cake).  I think my mom gave me a word processor the Christmas my freshman year of college because I didn’t like typing up my papers in the UNL’s

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-54414523516479372862009-12-16T01:03:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:55.230-08:00

As I have mentioned before, I’ve had some struggles with my blood pressure lately. After trying several medications, it turns out that I have anxiety issues and white coat hypertension. I’m anxious lately due to the lack of a second income in our family (this is not my husband’s fault, there just isn’t anything out there). Still, my blood pressure when I monitor it at home is showing

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-7186856721036369842009-12-13T14:32:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:55.208-08:00

[caption id="attachment_471" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Greatest jam band? Phish? Really?"][/caption]It's probably pretty obvious to my readers that I have bad taste in music. So it should not come to a surprise to you that at the turn of the century, I was really into Phish. I don't even know how the whole Phish thing got started but one day I was this normal college student in

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-35415152700779454682009-12-13T13:08:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:55.190-08:00

This is not my video but it's hilarious if you know the story about behind the rivalry between Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar.

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-55902072954982998572009-12-13T12:57:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:55.125-08:00

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-1738085584900518062009-12-13T12:29:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:55.103-08:00

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-45280115121758800012009-12-13T04:45:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:55.082-08:00

[caption id="attachment_450" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Pretzel turtles! YUM."][/caption]One of my favorite things to do as a child around Christmas time was bake cookies with my mom. We would make gum drop cookies, easy fudge, pecan sandies and spritz cookies. Before she died, my mom bought me a spritz cookie maker but I tried and tried and I couldn't make those darn cookies! One of

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-82254003017966315142009-12-11T06:49:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:55.065-08:00

The National Cyclocross championships are taking place in Bend right now. It's fun to watch but wow, the injuries. Almost as bad as roller derby

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-69184747251170061112009-12-10T13:02:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:54.961-08:00

I hate baby teeth. They keep my son up at night, crying with pain which means they are keeping me up at night and then tired at work the next day. Sure, it’s nice that my toddler has teeth so he can eat but he can’t eat when they have his mouth swollen and throbbing so he’s been eating a lot of yogurt, bananas and cold milk. When he’s hungry, he taken to whining by the frig and when I open it,

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-5642761858883113562009-12-06T15:10:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:54.944-08:00

My husband shot this video while we were front row June 30, 2009 at the Wilco show in Jacksonville, OR. He caught the best Tweedy monologue of the night on video.

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-67440787202693845582009-12-06T13:22:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:54.033-08:00

If there were three people you could meet … who would they be? Without any question, I would rattle off Bono, Jeff Tweedy and Thom Yorke. If you would ask my co-workers what gets me animated it would be stretched logos, LOST and Wilco. Wilco is not my favorite band. Wilco is my third favorite band. (By my “who would I like to meet” list, you can probably figure out who the two favorite bands

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-3826513662371166092009-11-30T14:03:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:54.017-08:00

Benjamin,[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Brobee and blankey"][/caption]Last week, you turned 18 months old. As I say each month -- where does the time go? It was just yesterday you were sleeping soundly in your swing clutching your blanket. Now you just carry that blanket around. You and blankey are pretty much attached at the hip. I think we might have to make it into a cap

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-29607099805214410972009-11-29T12:55:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:53.984-08:00

I grew up Catholic. I joke about it a lot - Catholic guilt, Catholic school - you know the drill.  I'm not going to knock Catholics or Catholic schools. I went to church up until I moved to Bend. After getting settled into Bend, I attended our only Catholic church and well, didn't go back. I didn't feel at home. I didn't get married in a Catholic Church. My son isn't baptized. I told my husband,

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-21732366116478684702009-11-29T12:35:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:53.925-08:00

We had a lot of traditions growing up. Coconut pies and Grandma's for Thanksgiving. At Christmas, my brother Christopher said he loved the way we opened our gifts (from youngest to oldest, one at a time). For some reason, I always had the most gifts (my mom said this was because the stuff I wanted was always cheap). After the gifts, we'd head to Grandma's for food, presents and sometimes Midnight

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-72561804523785455612009-11-28T05:49:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:53.725-08:00

I've become a little obsessed with taking my blood pressure. My little Omron machine has been attached at my hip for the past 8 days. I have to take the machine into my doctor next week who is looking to see how my pressure is doing. As I told my husband, that little machine is stressing me out -- so much that it's elevating my blood pressure even more. I take my blood pressure during the night.

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-42188215640513456782009-11-28T05:10:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:53.705-08:00

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-22206724959476417552009-11-28T05:07:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:53.684-08:00

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-8376200230280573222009-11-28T04:57:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:53.668-08:00

I went a little crazy with pumpkin-flavored recipes goods this year. Inspired to try cooking from scratch, I roasted two sugar pumpkins and ended up with 4 cups of pumpkin puree. From this I made a tradition pumpkin pie, pumpkin brownies , baked pasta shells with pumpkin puree and pumpkin crumble. I was a little sick of our little orange friend after that. I usually indulge in a few pumpkin

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-48463814203321892602009-11-24T12:55:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:53.589-08:00

Last night I got home from work, fed the kiddo, decompressed and then I picked myself off the couch and went to the gym. I always feel guilty going to the gym because I'm away from my kid all day and then I go somewhere for an hour and be away from him. My husband says I need this time but I still feel guilty. I don't know how I'll get over it but I must.When I was a kid, somehow my mom talked me

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-52047130062025310422009-11-22T10:18:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:53.562-08:00

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-18676421513993366752009-11-22T10:13:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:53.173-08:00

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="Manicotti, it ain't rocket science"][/caption]My mom was pretty good at making the classics. One of her specialties was manicotti. The recipe wasn't a secret -- she always made the recipe on the back of the noddle box (you're seeing a trend here). We would beg her to make this dish weekly but she'd put it off as long as she could. Manicotti

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-77263790582870938592009-11-21T03:47:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:53.153-08:00

(I'm doubling up on posts to catch up for the two days I didn't post this month. Bear with me)[caption id="attachment_336" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Mary Lu's Enchiladas"][/caption]As I mentioned before, my brother said his favorite meal my mother made was enchiladas. She found this recipe on the back of an Old El Paso Enchiladas sauce can (the red sauce). I looked in the store the

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-77662178337342260862009-11-21T03:31:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:53.006-08:00

I sent my brothers an email asking them what their favorite childhood memories are from when we were kids. I didn't hear anything back so I assumed they were consumed with other things and forgot about it -- that was until yesterday. My sister-in-law Kasha sent a card in the mail with answers (brief but helpful answers) to my questions. My brother Chris and I share the exact favorite memories ...

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-8402979815612819672009-11-20T04:35:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:52.901-08:00

You may recall I was interviewed by the Bulletin in October 2008 about being a new mother that had returned to work recently. In the article, I had told the reporter my mother was a single mom and I wondered as an adult – “how did she do it?” because I couldn’t ask her today since she died when I was 21 years old.I’m the bread-winner – not by choice. My husband was laid off in Cascade Healthcare

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-45387959965804174002009-11-17T13:56:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:52.490-08:00

It wasn't until I became a wife and  mother that I  understood the heartache my mom went through each night to put a hot meal on the table each night. She would usually prepare the meal the night before after we had gone to bed. Before leaving to take us to school and work, she would put the oven on a timer to have it turn on so dinner would be ready by 6 p.m. each night. One of my favorite meals

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-60399584832693900232009-11-16T14:36:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:52.418-08:00

It wasn't until I saw this photo that I believed that my son was starting to look like me:I was telling someone the other day how lucky their child was because they had a tea set growing up because I never had one. Well, I guess that was a lie because I found this photo and I indeed had a tea set. The funny thing, I totally remember playing house with my younger brother Christopher and using this

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-63919511205458655342009-11-16T12:10:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:52.354-08:00

There are a lot of things I want right now -- A brand new TV and Macbook so we can ditch cable and get content off the internet (I guess we can’t now since our tvs don’t have HDMI connections). A new digital camera and a Flip video thiny to capture life in our household. A newer car – our 12 year old Honda civic is old and not so pretty and sometimes I get embarrassed when I drive it. (In reality

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-76531215893209124032009-11-14T02:38:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:52.303-08:00

I didn't think 18 month olds could get so excited by such a thing but Lil B is definately into Brobee. Brobee what you say? We'll let about.com school you ...Known as the "little green one," Brobee is from Fall Tree Land. He is four years old (he turns four in the "Birthday" episode. Brobee is small and has a lot to learn. He tends to pout a little at times, but once DJ Lance and the gang help

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-21858512688904498552009-11-12T13:41:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:52.212-08:00

It’s been a rough week in our house. The toddler is teething – one canine have popped through with three more on the way. I think we’re only four teeth away from a full mouth of teeth and it can not come soon enough. It seems each night for the past week, I’ve been awoken (because Brian does not seem to hear Lil B) by crying at 1 a.m. when the ibuprofen has worn off. Lil B isn’t too sure about

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-25904988521959843222009-11-11T13:59:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:52.167-08:00

I was going to make this glorious Thanksgiving feast when my friend told me she's not too into Thanksgiving food - she's gonna make tacos instead of come over. TACOS? Really? The only time I didn't eat Turkey on Thanksgiving was when we went to Disney World in 2003 and we decided to get Chinese. That took our guests from seven back down to the three of us (which means two with Lil B). I was a

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-36061046343828390422009-11-10T13:20:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:52.131-08:00

I love visiting my friend Alissa. I have to admit, I don't see her enough but we are both working moms with busy lives. I told myself after I left that I need to just make time for my friends. So often, I get caught up in work, home, sleep that I don't take the time to really see how my friends are doing. In this digital age, I really rely on social media for that interaction. What did we do

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-67979325700345976182009-11-10T07:09:00.000-08:002009-11-10T14:10:58.209-08:00

Please update your links ... this blog has moved here. Thanks to the blogger team for FINALLY fixing my blog.

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-29189610008595790342009-11-09T10:35:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:52.100-08:00

There is nothing more joyous than your toddler discovering snow for the first time. Last year didn’t count as he was a little slug and wasn’t mobile enough to play in the snow. We heard reports that Mt Bachelor had received something like 19 inches of snow over the weekend so to tired out our little one, we drove up Cascade Lakes Highway to let him play in the snow for a bit. His first instinct

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-15130515951258633252009-11-08T14:36:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:52.072-08:00

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Mr. Blueberry eyes at 10 months"][/caption]When you're a new parent, you'll do just about anything to survive that first year. You'll let your baby sleep in the swing until he four months old. You'll fall asleep breast feeding with your baby in your bed just so you get more sleep because you're working full time.  You'll let him watch "Yo

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-90388198720740427652009-11-07T08:59:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:52.039-08:00

For months I have said how much I hate running but then I came down with this chest cold and it's killing me each day I'm not running. Someone smart (my mom) once told me that if I hate something, then I hate something. Does that makes sense? I ran today and felt like I was going to die afterwards. If I'm not better by Wednesday, it's back to Urgent Care I go. BLAH.When I was a child, my parents

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-54310871897477885502009-11-06T15:24:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:51.908-08:00

Today I was accused of being too young to have ever worn pantyhose. I cannot remember how we got on this topic but my answer was “yes, I have worn pantyhose. Still buy them in a shade of nude, but I avoid wearing them when possible.”  Pantyhose is not a word I like using. Can’t the company think of a better name? Spanx sound like a way of saying pantyhose. What about the word “tights” – I think

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-67638291152640027472009-11-05T13:53:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:51.892-08:00

Each year at work, we're asked to donate to the United Way.  Well, we get emails and a pledge card in our check and are asked to give and contribute towards a company-wide goal. Some hate being asked for money. Some are the first to turn in their pledge card. I help with our workplace  campaign because of something my mom said a long ago to me when I was 16 years old.In high school, I worked at

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-15368320416647791512009-11-04T13:42:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:51.875-08:00

With all the sickness and swine flu going around it got me thinking about when I was little and sick. I don’t remember being a sickly child but I did have my moments.One time in the 2nd grade, I had the flu. Instead of waking my mom up in the middle of the night, I threw up in the corner in my room.  The next morning, I still didn’t feel so good so I laid with my blanket in the hallway outside my

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-21560807084391140982009-11-03T14:03:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:51.839-08:00

One of the things I miss about Nebraska is our family cabin we spent many summers enjoying. Each spring, my brothers and I would anxiously wait for Memorial Day and hope that the weather was nice enough to enjoy our little cabin near the Platte River. Our cabin was modest – two rooms – a kitchen with living, fireplace and well water sink along with a bedroom with bunks. There was no running water

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-13104554280785608302009-11-02T22:33:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:51.819-08:00

I interrupt my posting about mom stories to show you a not-so-typical day at work. Each year, the company I work for has a Halloween contest and folks go all out. Since it was the day my department's new director was starting, I figured being a kitty cat was pretty safe and wouldn't scare her away. (Last year our dept went as our admin team -- the contest is that intense).  When I went to my 9

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-40615919795484871452009-11-01T23:02:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:51.802-08:00

My husband and I were sitting around talking about how we celebrated Halloween when we were kids.  You see, I wasn't going to buy candy because I really didn't feel like locking the dog up and dealing with the crazy barking but Brian insisted I get candy."When I was a kid, we went to every house," he said. "I don't want someone pulling a 'trick' on our house.""Well, isn't that the point of having

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-27611852613601335862009-11-01T03:58:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:53:51.781-08:00

This month I am participating in NaBloPoMo. All my posts will be related to my mom, Mary, who died of pancreatic cancer in 1996. I'm enlisting the help of family and friends to make this project a reality. Enjoy.My earliest memory involves Sunday Mass and Mickey Mouse pancakes. My mother was born and raised Catholic. My dad wasn't so he would stay home with my brother Chris and I while my mom and

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154313443548526368.post-65288632597530926432009-10-30T06:06:00.000-07:002011-01-16T20:53:51.762-08:00

I'm sad but Lil B wasn't too into his Halloween costume. Maybe he will understand next year? He didn't want to wear the tiger cat hat or the gloves and he didn't like the black whiskers he dad painted on so he could go get photos so we ditched the photos and took some at home.  You can view them online here.

Shannonnoreply@blogger.com0