Marcia's Musings

You’re going to Name your Baby WHAT? Thoughts on Today’s Baby Names

2012-02-01T00:10:00.002-06:00

Photo by idiahoeditor (www.morguefile.com)

Every year our newspaper publishes a special section called “Bundles of Joy.” People pay to have a picture of their baby in the paper. I peruse the section, not so much for the pictures (even though they ARE cute), but for the names. I find it fascinating what people choose to name their offspring.

Here are my very unscientific observations based on this year’s “Bundles of Joy.” NOTE: Ideas on baby names are extremely subjective. I hesitated to write this article because I don’t want to offend anyone. If I pick on a name you have chosen, I apologize. This is only one person’s opinion.

There were a total of 134 babies featured this year (if I did my math right). I divided them into several categories and counted the total babies with names in that category. All examples are from this year’s “Bundles of Joy” section.

Classic Names – 9
These are the perenniel favorites, timeless names that will always serve a child well. They were common in my generation, but not as common today. I only noticed one girls’ name: Anne. Boys’ names included James, Mark, Thomas, William, Andrew, and Nathaniel.

Boys Names Used for Girls – 10
This is a pet peeve of mine. Perhaps parents are trying to give their daughter an advantage by giving her a masculine name. But probably they just like the sound of it. I don’t. And what’s worse – it ruins a perfectly good boy’s name. You probably know a man named Tracy, Stacey, Dana or even Lois. Those names used to be men’s names, but now the poor men have to suffer through life with a woman’s name. Here are some of the names listed this year: Parker, Maisyn (changing the spelling does NOT make it a girl’s name, thank you), Payten (ditto), Peytin (ditto), Avery, Riley, Emery (and that is (or rather WAS) such a great boy's name), Halyee, and Reece. (Okay, Okay, there is Reese Witherspoon, but it’s still a man’s name.) Please, people.

Old-Fashioned Names - 12
These are the names of our grandparents, names our classmates would have laughed at. But today they are appreciated as “retro.” I like most of these names. Examples: August, Levi (ok, I don’t like that one),Titus, Veronica, Oliver, Cecelia, Theodore, Cora, Naomi, Juliet (cool!), Ava, Ella.

Trendy but “Normal” Names - 48
These are names that were practically unheard of when I was growing up, but have become commonplace today. Most of these are now good, solid names that will serve a child well. Examples: Ethan, Karlie, Lily, Lauren, Alison, Justin, Zachary, Carter, Jackson, Katelyn, Landon.

Newbies but Goodies – 30
People are becoming more and more creative with their names – and that can be good. Some names are made up; others are uncommon or from a unique source. I really like some of the more unusual names. Here are some examples from this year:
Girls: Amirah, Kinley, Emilia, Vionna, Gemma, Norah, Arynn, Maya, Kinsley, Somara.
Boys: Easton (very nice), Zavian, Donovan, Kyler, Griffin (my daughter really likes this one – I have mixed feelings), Caiden, Cade, Hudson (I really like this one), Emerson.

Just Plain Odd – 25
OK, people, creative is good, but odd is, well . . . ODD! Here are some that made me shake my head in wonder.
Girls: Isla, Atleigh, Brylee, Brooks (I like Brooke, but Brooks?), Zariyah, Danica (“sounds like yogurt,” my daughter commented), Berkeley (a city in California?), Brinlee ( what???), Honor (honor is a good thing, but a name???), Alivia (Olivia is nice, but why change the first letter?), Alexiana (now you KNOW she’s probably going to be called Lex anyway, so why bother with a five-syllable name?), Harlow (really? A GIRL named Harlow? I’d put it in the boy’s names category, but it doesn’t even fit there.),
Boys’ names: Gunner (I’ve heard of the Swedish name Gunnar, but GunnEr???), Brenson, Enzo (Sounds like a laundry detergent), Cruz (this baby was Caucasian, BTW), Ryder, Marek, Brogan, Maddox, Holden, Ryker, Declan (how do you pronounce that, anyway?), Duran.

Recipe: Banana Spice Cake

2012-01-22T23:42:00.001-06:00

Here's an easy way to use up those bananas that are getting too ripe. Keep a box of spice cake mix on hand to use for this. (I try to buy cake mixes when they're on sale)

1 box spice cake mix
2-3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Empty cake mix into bowl. Add baking soda. Mix the cake according to package directions, except reduce the water by 1/4 cup. Add mashed bananas. Bake according to package directions. When cake is cool, frost with buttercream or cream cheese frosting. Makes a nice, moist cake.

Review of Destination: Love and Whales

2012-01-22T23:35:00.000-06:00

I bought this book because it's written by my friend Jeanne Kern, along with Bruce Held. It's a romance between two unlikely people from the same hometown who both end up on a whale watching trip. The other characters on the excursion are fun, and you may even learn something new about whales. It's a fun, quick read. (Note: It does have a couple of "adult" scenes.)

You can see the books I've read so far (starting in 2011) here.

How to Fix the Facebook Feed

2012-01-19T22:47:00.001-06:00

Facebook is fun, but not when it decides what I want tosee. I am not a fan of the “HighlightedStories.” How does Facebook know whatstories I want to see the most? Oftenthe ones I’m most interested in are not the ones I comment on.

The Facebook Powers that Be have made it better now that wecan click on “Sort” and choose “Recent Stories First.” But it still seems like I’m missing something. I’ve found I can control what I see onFacebook by using the List feature.

Here’s how to make a list that will show all the updates onFacebook:

Click on home.
On the left, you should see some lists that have alreadybeen created. (You may need to click on“More” to see it.)
To the right of where it says Lists, click on “More.”
At the top, click on “Create List”
Give it a name. For this list, call it “All Friends” or“Everyone.”
Click on “Create.”
Click on “Add Friends”
The next step is the time consuming one. Click on every single friend you have. Makesure they are checkmarked after you click on the name.
When you are done, click “Done.”
Now you will see everything that the group has posted. There is one more step. On the upper rightclick on “Manage List” and scroll down to “Choose Update Types.” You can choose what you want to see from thislist. If you want to see everything,that’s fine. But perhaps you don’t wantto see updates about games, so you can unclick that.
Now go back to home and look at your lists. Do you see your “All Friends” list? If not, click on “More.” Hover your mouse to the left of the name andyou will see a pencil icon. Click on that icon and click on “Add toFavorites.” This will move that list toyour Favorites list at the top, so you can find it more easily. Now, whenever you log into Facebook, click on“All Friends” and you will see all the updates without any Facebook censoring.

Whenever you make a new friend on Facebook, remember to addthem to the list. You can also go backunder “Manage List” and add the new friends from time to time.

Now that you know how to make a list, you may want to makeother lists. You can make another list of all friends, call it “Photos” andunder “Choose Update Types” choose only “Photos.” You may want to do the samewith status updates.

You can also make subgroups.You might want to make a list of people who you are most interested in (insteadof letting Facebook decide what you want to see.) Call it “News” or “Top Friends” or whateveryou want. Just go through all the steps listed above, but instead of clickingon all your friends, just click on your top friends. You can make lists forvarious aspects of your life, such as friends from school, church, work or anorganization, or simply “Old Friends.” Ialso made one for Fan pages. To do that,when you go to add friends, look at the upper left corner of the Friends Box,where it says “Friends.” Drop down and choose “Pages” instead, and you’ll seeall your fan pages. Choose all those,and you will have a list of fan pages.

You’ll find it much easier to keep up with everyone by usingthe lists feature.

Review of the Dovekeepers

2012-01-17T20:45:00.004-06:00

The Dovekeepers is a historical fiction book set in a unique place and time - the Jewish fortress called Masada, during the Jewish-Roman war of 70 AD. The story is told from the point of view of four women who work tending the doves, whose droppings fertilize the gardens in their fortress-village. Their lives intertwine in often surprising ways. It's a story of struggle and suffering told in beautiful language. The characters are intriguing, though their actions are not always entirely believable. But it's an interesting look at an event in history not often talked about.

You can see the books I've read so far (starting in 2011) here.

Grammar Tip #3: “Mary and I” or “Mary and me”?

2012-01-02T00:00:00.001-06:00

For some reason most people always use “Mary and I” (or “heand I” or “she and I,” etc.) in a sentence, no matter where the phraselies. So they end up saying somethinglike this: “Mary and I went for a walk. A cop gave Mary and I a ticket forjaywalking.”

The first sentence is correct, but the second sentence isincorrect. Why? In grammatical terms,the rule goes like this: Use “Mary and I” when the phrase is the subject of thesentence, and use “Mary and me” when the phrase is the object of a verb orpreposition. But that might as well be aforeign language to some people.

It is helpful to note that “Mary and I” often comes at thebeginning of a sentence, while “Mary and me” comes in the middle or at the endof a sentence. But that doesn't always work.

The best way I’ve found to determine which to use is simplyto take out the “Mary and.” Then readthe sentence and see what sounds better. Thus: “I went for a walk” sounds good, but “A cop gave I a ticket forjaywalking” sounds odd. It should be “Acop gave me a ticket for jaywalking.” Thus we should use, “A cop gave Mary and me a ticket for jaywalking.”

Here are some more examples:

He and I both like to eat sour apples.

It seems to her and me that we should turn left here.

On Friday, Sarah and I went to the movies.

Don’t tell Fred and me what to do.

Review of Fyodor Dostoevsky by Peter Leithart

2011-12-29T10:18:00.000-06:00

As a recent convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity, I wasinterested in learning more about Fyodor Dostoevsky, an Orthodox Christianwriter who lived in Russia from 1821-1881. I admit that I’ve never ready any ofDostoevsky’s works, but my daughters list his Crime and Punishment among theirfavorite books. I decided to read this biography to learn more about him.

As is true of many artists, Dostoevsky was a tortured soul,in more ways than one. He suffered from epilepsy and other ailments,experienced profound loneliness at times, and was unfaithful in marriage.Because of his political views, he was sent to a prison camp in frigid Siberia.It was there that his faith took root, and this faith became a central part ofhis novels. Though he achieved success as a novelist, he struggled financiallyall his life. The final chapter tells of a moment of victory he experiencedduring a speech he gave honoring the Russian poet Pushkin.

The author uses fiction techniques to tell the story ofDostoevsky in an interesting way. Thestory comes out in bits and pieces, through conversations, recollections andflashbacks. I found myself confused atpoints, and more than once I wished the author had told the story in achronological, linear format.

I found Dostoevsky a fascinating character, and I learned alot about a little-known period of Russian history. Perhaps it’s my turn toread Crime and Punishment.

NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of this book fromBooksneeze. The opinions expressed are my own.

You can see the books I've read so far (starting in 2011) here.

Major 2012 Sled Dog Races in Alaska - Mostly Mid-Distance and Long-Distance Dogsled Races

2011-12-16T21:14:00.001-06:00

The following are the major sled dog races in Alaska. Click on the name of each race to go to the website for the race. See my previous post for a handy chart in pdf form that you can print out.

Sheep Mountain 150 - Dec. 17, 2011

Alaska Excursions 120 - Dec. 17, 2011

Gin Gin 200 - Dec. 28, 2011

Knik 200 - Jan. 7, 2012

Copper Basin 300 - Jan. 14, 2012

Kuskokwim 300* - Jan. 20, 2012

Northern Lights 300 - Jan. 27, 2012

Don Bowers 200 - Jan. 27, 2012

Tustemena 200 - Jan. 28, 2012

Yukon Quest - Feb. 4, 2012

Fur Rendezvous - Feb. 24, 2012

Junior Iditarod - Feb. 25, 2012

Iditarod - Mar. 3, 2012

Percy DeWolfe - Mar. 22, 2012

Kobuk 440 - Apr. 12, 2012

*Includes Bogus Creek

2012 Sled Dog Races - A Chart for Following the Races

2011-12-15T22:41:00.000-06:00

It's almost time for Sled Dog Racing season! The first two races start this weekend. Following the races online adds so much excitement to the long winter days. I've made a chart for following the major races in Alaska. This is by no means an exhaustive list; but it includes most of the mid-distance races, the two distance races (Iditarod and Yukon Quest) and the Fur Rondy. Simply follow this link and print out the pdf. The chart includes the name of the race, the start date, the website (which you can click to follow) and another blank, which you may use how you wish. You may use the blank to fill in your favorite musher, the winner, or whatever you wish to remember about the race.

Click here for the chart.

Happy race season!

Velvet Shoes - "Let us walk in the white snow."

2011-12-03T21:34:00.001-06:00

We had our first snow today, and I went walking in the falling snow. It reminded me of the poem "Velvet Shoes," by Elinor Wylie. Some say this poem has symbolism of love and marriage. To me, it's just a good example of poetry. I use it in my poetry writing class to demonstrate excellent use the poetic elements of simile, metaphor, alliteration, repetition, unusual words together (i.e., white silence), and involving all the senses.

Because this poem was written in 1921, it is in the public domain. I have illustrated it with photos that I took during today's walk.

Velvet Shoes

Let us walk in the white snow
In a soundless space;
With footsteps quiet and slow,
At a tranquil pace,
Under veils of white lace.

I shall go shod in silk,

And you in wool,

White as white cow’s milk,
More beautiful
Than the breast of a gull.

We shall walk through the still town
In a windless peace;
We shall step upon white down,
Upon silver fleece,
Upon softer than these.

We shall walk in velvet shoes;
Wherever we go
Silence will fall like dews
On white silence below.
We shall walk in the snow.

Grammar Tip #2: Its vs. It’s

2011-11-24T12:12:00.001-06:00

This isanother one of my pet peeves. As more and more people rely on spell checkersinstead of editors, this type of mistake is becoming commonplace.

It can beconfusing, but it really is quite simple. Here is the basic rule:

Use it’s(with an apostrophe) when you mean it is or it has. In this case, the word it’s is a contraction, like isn’t or won’t.

Examples

It’s abeautiful day.

I like thismovie because it’s funny.
It's been a long winter.

Use its(without an apostrophe) when you mean belonging to it. In this case, the word its is a pronoun(possessive pronoun to be exact), like the word his or her.

Examples

The catlicked its fur.

Nebraska isknown for its friendly people.

Hard workhas its rewards.

If it helps,you can ask yourself this question: Can I substitute his or her for its in thesentence (even though it may not quite make sense).

Forinstance, although it doesn't totally make sense, you could say

The catlicked her fur.

Nebraska isknown for his friendly people.

Hard workhas her rewards.

But it wouldbe ridiculous to say:

His abeautiful day.

I like thismovie because her funny.
His been a long winter.

The usage of its can be especially confusing because if you were to use the noun instead ofits, you would use an apostrophe: “the cat’s fur,” “Nebraska’s friendly people,”“hard work’s rewards.” But think againof the words his and her, or other possessive pronouns: my, your, our, their.None of them use an apostrophe. Becauseits is a possessive pronoun, it does not have an apostrophe either.

Grammar Tip #1: Everyday vs. Every Day

2011-11-24T11:50:00.001-06:00

The incorrect use of everyday as one word has become one ofmy pet peeves. I see it in print all thetime. Because a spellchecker doesn’tknow how the word is used, it accepts everyday as one word all the time. This simple rule will help you determine whento use everyday as one word and when to use two words: every day.

Use one word when everyday is used an adjective, that is, whenit comes right before a noun and answers the question, “What kind?”

Examples

These are my everyday shoes.

Running into people I know is an everyday happening for me.

Let’s use the everyday tablecloth.

Use two words when every day is used as an adverb, that is,when it answers the question, “how often?” It often comes after the verb, butit can come at the beginning of a sentence too.

Examples

I walk to work every day.

Take this vitamin every day.

Every day we have this same conversation.

A Poem about November

2011-11-21T21:47:00.001-06:00

Few poets want to write about November. It’s just not the stuff of poetry. So I decided to write one myself. I’ve become a fan of blank verse lately, sothat is the style I chose. Its 14 lines will remind you of a sonnet as well.

November

November days are not the stuff of poems.

The chilling rain from dreary cloudy skies,

Too late for farmers to be glad it’s there,

Not cold enough to snow, so what’s the use?

The reds and yellows that we all admired

Have given way to brown and barren boughs

And endless piles of leaves to put in bags

And line the streets to wait for garbage trucks.

In recent years November has become

The month to write that novel long neglected.

Nothing else to do but stay inside

And wait for snow and coming Christmas joys.

The month seems like a comma or a dash

That serves no purpose but to slow us down.

Review of Eerie Erie by Robin S. Swope a.k.a. the Paranormal Pastor

2011-11-21T21:30:00.001-06:00

I had no idea that Erie, Pennsylvania, is the home of haunted places, UFO sightings, historical mysteries and strange creatures. Pastor Robin Swope has become an expert in all things paranormal, and has developed quite a following on his blog, The Paranormal Pastor. His book is well researched and well written. I was especially intrigued by the stories of the thunderbird, as I was not familiar with this legend. The first part of the book moves a little slowly, but be patient; it gets better. Unlike his first book,True Tales of the Unexplained, Eerie Erie has no typos or errors (that I noticed) and reads like a book, not a series of blog posts.

You can see the books I've read so far (starting in 2011) here.

Review of Hostage to the Devil by Malachi Martin

2011-11-05T18:48:00.000-05:00

This book relates the true stories of five exorcisms performed in the 70s. The stories are told in a fictional format with lots of detail. It's a fast read, but I had to stop halfway through and take a break, since the incidents were disturbing and a bit vulgar at times. In addition to detailing the history of the possessed and how they opened their hearts to the demonic, the book gives the history of each of the priests who did the exorcisms. It's chilling, but the good wins out in the end, though not without a struggle.

You can see the books I've read so far (starting in 2011) here.

Review of Atheist Delusions

2011-10-30T18:26:00.000-05:00

This book is written as a response to "The God Delusion" and some of the other books by the "new atheists." It focuses on the history of Christianity and takes on some of the typical arguments that atheists use. It's not easy reading, but I did learn a lot through this book.

You can see the books I've read so far (starting in 2011) here.

Two Favorite October Poems

2011-10-18T20:00:00.000-05:00

I love October. There's something about it that makes people want to write poetry. Two of my favorite poems are about October. I've combined these two autumn poems with some original photos, most of which were taken in my own neighborhood. (These poems are both old enough to be in the public domain, so there is no copyright infringement.)

A Vagabond Song
by Bliss Carman

There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood—
Touch of manner, hint of mood;
And my heart is like a rhyme,
With the yellow and the purple and the crimson keeping time.

The scarlet of the maples can shake me like a cry
Of bugles going by.
And my lonely spirit thrills
To see the frosty asters like a smoke upon the hills.

There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir;
We must rise and follow her,
When from every hill of flame
She calls and calls each vagabond by name.

October
by Robert Frost

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
To-morrow’s wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
To-morrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow,
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know;
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away;
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!
For the grapes’ sake, if they were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—
For the grapes’ sake along the wall.

The Sociology of Earbuds

2011-10-14T21:17:00.000-05:00

Earbuds (and the iPods/mp3 players attached to them) havechanged the world. I admit, I’m guilty myself. While walking my dog orcommuting on the bus, I get bored. I’m not much for music in my ear. (I preferto listen to music in the air, not through earbuds.) But I love podcasts. For me it’s mostly recordings from AncientFaith Radio and occasionally Mushing Magazine. (Yeah, I’m a bit odd.)

Here we are, crammed in a bus, but no one communicates. Isit next to someone, so close that we have to tense up to keep from touching,but yet neither one acknowledges the other; we both are in the world of ourrecordings. It’s just not right.

So sometimes I rebel. I’ve made friends with the morning busdriver. We’re usually the only ones talking on the bus. I’m not sure what theothers think of our chattering. But thedriver tells me she looks forward to picking me up each day.

But I still plug in on my evening commute. A couple of daysago I sat down and plugged in as usual. A young woman sat close to me. I smiledat her. I recognized her from somewhere. But I was already plugged in, so I didn’t say anything. Then the bus stopped and waited while a younggirl gathered her musical instrument and backpack and got off the bus. Wewatched her, our eyes showing our concern for the young girl riding the busalone.

When she had gotten off, I paused my podcast, looked at theyoung woman and said, “She seems kind of young to riding the bus by herself.”

That comment started a conversation. I asked the young woman where I knew herfrom, and she said it was just from the bus. (I still think I know her fromsomewhere else, perhaps the Table, where I eat lunch frequently, but she couldbe right.) We exchanged names, I asked her what she was studying, she askedabout my job, where I lived, what I was listening to. I made a new friend onthe bus, and I look forward to seeing her again.

What a concept: Making a new friend on the bus. It used tohappen all the time; but now it’s an oddity. And it makes me concerned for the future of our society.

Maybe I’ll unplug more often.

Review of Faith Reborn: A Personal Apologetics

2011-10-14T20:19:00.002-05:00

I love true stories. Telling a story - especially a true story or testimonial - is one of the best ways to communicate. This story of a man's recovery of faith is told from the heart. But it's more than a story. It's an explanation of some of the best reasons for the Christian faith. I recommend it for anyone who is struggling to believe.

You can see the books I've read so far (starting in 2011) here.

Review of Spiritual Anorexia: How Contemporary Worship Is Starving the Church

2011-10-14T20:15:00.000-05:00

I urge everyone to read this book. It will open your eyes to what is ailing today's church. This book is a welcome change from the modern "seeker friendly" philosophy that pervades our churches. If we worship a holy God, then our worship needs to reflect that. The modern church is missing out on a rich and beautiful tradition that dates back two thousand years to the time of Christ and the apostles. Reading this book will introduce you to that tradition and bring a fresh perspective on the meaning of worship.

You can see the books I've read so far (starting in 2011) here.

True Tales of the Unexplained Book Review

2011-10-14T20:09:00.001-05:00

True Tales of the Unexplained Book Review
A pastor writing about ghosts, UFOs, werewolves, demons and other paranormal manifestations? Sounds impossible? Not when the author is Robin Swope, the "paranormal pastor," whose blog has an avid following. This book is an easy--and interesting--read. It also suffers from the lack of editing so common in most self-published books, including some spots where it's obvious that the writing first appeared in a blog. But if you can look past those flaws, you'll find a fascinating book.

You can see the books I've read so far (starting in 2011) here.

That's One Determined Dog

2011-10-14T20:09:00.000-05:00

Another great dog video I found. We could all learn something from Gus's determination.

I invented the iPad in 1970

2011-08-13T12:14:00.000-05:00

Move over, Al Gore. You may have invented the internet, but I invented the iPad, the iPhone and the many other tablet devices that are coming out.

It really should be called the “Zhing Thing.”

I was in fifth grade. My school friends and I would soon be too old to play pretend, but I still wanted to hang on to that childhood joy. Plus, I hated sports. I still wanted to play pretend at recess, and I wanted my friends to join me. But at that age, I knew I needed to come up with something more interesting than house or pioneers.

So we were aliens from the planet Zhingm. A favorite hollowed out corner of the playground filled with weed trees (dubbed “The Hole”) became our spaceship. The rest of the grassy lot became the various planets we visited. We inhaled our food (called Chigamabobolu, with a soft ch pronounced like sh) and took in oxygen by osmosis instead of breathing. I called myself Chemey (soft ch again), and my friends followed suit with Chimey, Chomey, Chumey, etc.

Zhingm was new, sophisticated, and reminded everyone of Star Trek, which was current then. It was cool enough to draw most of the girls in my class away from sports, even if for a little while. And that made me happy.

Drawing from the Star Trek communicator idea, I came up with the “Zhing Thing.” The Zhing Thing was a multipurpose device we carried with us everywhere. I made mine out of a Good and Plenty candy box covered with paper. On it I drew all the different things that this amazing machine could do. Besides being a mobile phone (more of a walkie talkie type device, I think), it included a camera, tape recorder, TV, radio, record player, and possibly a weapon-type device. I don’t remember what else included, but it was pretty amazing.

I couldn’t even imagine videos at that time, much less a portable computer, and certainly not the internet. I couldn’t even imagine a portable calculator. But I did imagine carrying around a small device that could do multiple things. At that time, it seemed like the stuff of science fiction, something only aliens would be advanced enough to figure out. I never dreamed it would happen in my lifetime.

Now if only I could sue Apple for patent infringement.

Heady Waters Book Review

2011-08-10T23:18:00.000-05:00

Heady Waters has all the elements of a good murder mystery - a bizarre killing, quirky characters, intrigue, a bit of romance -- all while wondering "who done it?" The author's legal expertise brings authenticity to his first novel, and the Nebraska setting is a refreshing change. Sure, there are a few typos and grammar/usage problems, commonly seen in self-published pieces, and the Kindle version has some formatting glitches. But overall, it's a good, entertaining read.

You can see the books I've read so far (starting in 2011) here.

Murder on the Yukon Quest Book Review

2011-07-26T21:43:00.000-05:00

I don't read much fiction, but hey, this one's about mushing so I had to read it. I read her book Murder on the Iditarod Trail several years ago and enjoyed it, so I decided to pick this one up. It's a good old-fashioned murder mystery, but it's set during the Yukon Quest, a 1000 mile race from Whitehorse, Yukon, to Fairbanks, Alaska. The checkpoints and race info was accurate, but because it was a work of fiction, the mushers were all fictional, which was a bit unnerving. However, I took comfort that one of the dogs in the race was named Silver. That's the name of Brent Sass's lead dog. Brent has attained hero status for rescuing other mushers, and he gives all the credit to Silver.

You can see the books I've read so far (starting in 2011) here.

Heaven is For Real Book Review

2011-07-07T23:24:00.003-05:00

I just finished reading Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back. This readable and engaging book tells the true story of a little boy's near death experience during an appendectomy. Several months after his surgery, three-year-old Colton began telling his parents bits and pieces of what he saw in heaven. Many of the anecdotes defy explanation. For instance, Colton told his parents that he had a sister in heaven. His mother had had a miscarriage but hadn't told Colton. You can see the books I've read so far (starting in 2011) here.

Publishing Today: How E-books and Self-Publishing Have Changed the Writing World

2011-06-16T23:56:00.001-05:00

What a difference two years makes. Just two years ago I attended a panel discussion about "The Future of Publishing," which was part of the Nebraska Summer Writer's Conference. The panelists seemed to be stuck in the past. They talked about traditional publishing and didn't even bring up ebooks or self-publishing until someone in the audience dared mention it; and then it was "pooh-poohed" (for lack of a better term).

This year the panel focused on e-books, print-on-demand and how to use social media to promote your writing. The panelists included a couple of agents, three writers, a publicist, and an editor with a small publishing house. Here are a few tidbits of info that I gleaned from the panel:

Writers can use YouTube to promote your writing. Here's a link a clever book trailer. Because it's entertaining, it grabs your attention, and you don't realize it's a book trailer. It's very well done. (However, I still cringe when I see the pregnant woman drinking alcohol. I know it's fiction and all, but it really bothers me.)
What is success to you? Is success selling thousands of books? Or is it simply telling your story. The new world of e-books, blogging and self-publishing can help you reach your goal of telling your story.
It's hard to find an audience for self-published fiction. However, nonfiction seems to do well. (And I was VERY pleased to note that there was no ranting about nonfiction writers needing to have a "platform.")
Self-published books still need professional editing.
Find an agent you can work with. Not all personalities will be able to work well together.
Work on your craft. Make sure your writing is in the best shape it can be.
Write now.
Be open.
Trust your instincts.
Talk to others. (Critique groups are great. I share this from personal experience.)
Look at what you like to read and who publishes the books.
Write even if you don't feel like it.
Be ready to sell your book and sell yourself.
Tell the story. Only you can tell the story.
Get to know independent book publishers.
Have a book signing at a bar and give away a free glass of champagne if someone buys the book. (Split the cost with the bartender.)
Pen names are usually only to hide a bad sales record.
Don't put in changes in your book that you don't agree with.

I recently read "Christus Victor" by Gustaf Aulen

2011-06-16T23:31:00.003-05:00

I admit, this is not an easy read. It's quite deep, and I probably understood only about half of it. But it gave a good history of the three different views of the atonement: the Eastern church fathers, the western view, and the modern liberal view. It stretched my thinking, and I learned something, though personally I prefer books that are easier to understand.

You can see all the books I've read so far (starting in 2011) here.

I just finished reading "The Jesus Prayer" by Frederica Mathewes-Green

2011-06-16T23:24:00.004-05:00

This book is by my favorite podcaster on Ancient Faith Radio. The Jesus Prayer is an ancient prayer developed by the Desert Fathers. Quite simply, it's "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." It's a simple, but powerful prayer. This book, written in an easily readable style, talks about how to pray the Jesus Prayer and how it can change you.

You can see all the books I've read so far (starting in 2011) here.

Beneficial Insects for the Garden: A Natural Pest Control Method

2011-05-28T09:06:00.000-05:00

Not all bugs are bad for plants. Learn what makes some insects beneficial to your garden, some common beneficial bugs, and how to attract beneficial insects.

When you see a bug on your flowers, do you immediately grab the insecticide? Think again. Some insects kill common garden pests, help aerate and fertilize the soil, and pollinate your flowers. These beneficial insects are actually a form of do it yourself pest control.

Common Beneficial Insects

Lady Bugs
(or Lady Beetles) are easily recognized by their orange color and black spots. They eat aphids, which are frequent garden pests. Ladybug larvae, though not as easily recognized, eat as many as 40 aphids per day, making them tops in the beneficial category.

Praying Mantises
ambush and eat any kind of insect. Because they’re territorial, you aren’t likely to see a large concentration of praying mantises in any one garden. But the ones you do see are powerful predators that will benefit your garden.

Tachinid flies and parasitoid wasps (such as trichogramma wasps), though tiny, have a tremendous impact on the garden because they destroy many caterpillars, which feed on plants. They actually insert eggs inside the body of a caterpillar, and the larvae feed on the caterpillar host.

Bees spread pollen as they go from flower to flower. Pollination is important for ornamental flowers, but it’s also vital for many fruits and vegetables that depend on cross-pollination, such as squash, raspberries and fruit trees.
.

Lacewings have delicate transparent wings and green bodies. Both the larvae and the adult stages eat a variety of pests that you don’t want in your garden. The larvae actually latch onto insect eggs and soft bodied insects to suck them dry

Hover flies, also called syrphid flies are often seen hovering over flowers in the early spring and fall. The larval stage feeds on aphids, and the adult stage pollinates flowers.

Spiders, though not technically insects, are beneficial predators as well. Large orb weavers are commonly seen in the fall, but smaller spiders remain active all summer long. Not all spiders weave webs. Some prowl on the ground, searching for soft-bodied insects, while others create lairs to hide in while watching for prey.

Earthworms, which are also not technically insects, play an important role in aerating the soil, which is necessary for root and plant growth. They also help break down leaves into rich garden soil.

Pros and Cons of Using Beneficial Insects for Organic Pest Control

Many gardeners prefer to use beneficial insects rather than spraying their garden with unnatural and potentially harmful chemicals. However, relying on beneficial insects alone may mean you have to tolerate some damage to your plants. It’s a choice each gardener needs to make.

Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden

Plant a variety of flowers that will bloom all summer, including drought-resistant native wildflowers that will withstand potential rainless times in late summer. Many beneficial insects feed on nectar and pollen, so you may want to put out a small saucer of sugar water to supplement nectar, especially when rain is scarce. Make sure you change the water often to avoid stagnation.

Avoid using broad-range pesticides, which kill the good bugs along with the pests. Choose a less toxic product, such as insecticidal soap, and apply it in the evening, when the beneficial insects are less active. When possible, chose insecticides that target specific pests.

Buying Beneficial Insects

Biological supply houses sell beneficial insects of various types. You can purchase predators that feed on a wide variety of garden pests or choose insects and other organisms that target specific pests that might be a problem in your garden.

Relying on beneficial insects may take a little more patience, but it’s a satisfying way to garden without using chemicals and upsetting the balance of nature.

This article was originally published at Suite101 here.

Poor Dog

2011-05-09T00:24:00.002-05:00

Everyone who has a dog can probably relate to this video. It's become one of my favorites:

Blank Verse Poetry: Iditarod 2011

2011-04-11T08:49:00.000-05:00

I'm currently developing a poetry curriculum, and I decided to write a unit on blank verse. Blank verse (for those who don't know) is poetry that has meter (or rhythm) but no rhyme. The most common meter used for blank verse is the ubiquitous iambic pentameter. (If you don't know what that is, look it up or buy my curriculum when it comes out.)

Most of Shakespeare's plays were written in blank verse. I was pleased to discover that my favorite poet, Robert Frost, also wrote many of his poems in blank verse. I always thought they were in free verse, but that is not the case. A couple of my favorite poems--Mending Wall and Birches--are classic examples of blank verse. Some of the lines deviate from the meter a bit, but that is typical in blank verse. Whether the poet varied the lines on purpose to break up the monotony or just couldn't fit certain thoughts into the meter is still up for debate.

I decided to try writing some blank verse of my own. Of course, I wrote about my favorite subject--the Iditarod. Here's my first attempt at blank verse. (Just a word of clarification: the two mushers discussed are named Lance Mackey and John Baker. I used the first name or last name depending on which fit the meter.)

Iditarod 2011

This year it seemed that Lance would win again.
The four-time champ was spoken of by all.
And at the mushers’ start on Willow Lake,
The Mackey fans were confident and proud.

But as the race progressed through ice and snow,
His sixteen dogs soon dwindled down to nine.
The other dogs were taken in a plane,
To meet their master when the race was done.

And as the “ninesters” plodded down the trail,
The fans were hoping desperately still
That through some magic that the champ possessed
The team would win and make them proud again.

But in the end a native man named John,
A quiet musher, humble and serene,
Inupiaq by tribe from Kotzebue,
Would win the Last Great Race in record time.

The native dancers at the finish line,
The drumbeats pounding out the victory march,
The cheering fans that crowded round the chute
Brought tears to people all around the world.

What of the Mackey fans that were so sure
Their favorite would win the race this year?
The all agreed that seeing Baker win
Was just as satisfying after all.

Books about the Iditarod and Dogsledding

2011-03-20T17:37:00.000-05:00

Like many mushing fans, I love to read books about sled dog racing. My favorite shelf on my bookshelf is the one with my mushing books. Here are some more of my favorite Iditarod books:

Father of the Iditarod - The Joe Redington Story by Lew Freedman. To be a true fan, you need to know how the Great Race started. This is the story of Joe Redington, his move to Alaska, his mushing career, and his dream to start a race across Alaska. Learn the challenges he faced and what the early days of the race was like. And discover other adventures that Joe enjoyed, such as mushing up Mount McKinley.

Iditarod Classics and More Iditarod Classics, both by Lew Freedman. These two books give short snippets about individual mushers and the adventures they faced. If you’ve been a fan a long time, the books will bring back memories of past mushers. If you’re a new fan, they’ll introduce you to the fascinating history of the race.

Iditarod Dreams: A Year in the Life of Alaskan Sled Dog Racer DeeDee Jonroweby Lew Freedman and Dee Dee Jonrowe. Dee Dee Jonrowe is a perennial favorite. In this book, Dee Dee shares how she started racing and gives you a glimpse into a year of her life, including training, her participation in a European race called the Alpirod, and finishing with the 1994 Iditarod. This book is a bit outdated, but it still gives a fresh look into an inspiring woman.

Backstage Iditarodby June Price. This book is a must for all fans. If you’re planning on coming to the race start, it gives you a preview of what to expect. If you just wish you were coming to the race start, it gives you an opportunity to experience it vicariously. June Price is a die-hard fan herself, and she shares from her personal experience.

Iditarod Fact Book: A Complete Guide to the Last Great Race 2nd Editionedited by Tricia Brown. This book is more of a reference book, though die-hard fans will read it from cover to cover. It starts with a year-by-year history of the race through 2006, and proceeds to facts about the race today, the checkpoints, dogs and training, gear and mushing terms and unforgettable people. An excellent reference to keep next to your computer while following the race.

Cold Hands, Warm Heart: Alaskan Adventures of an Iditarod Championby Jeff King (with Joe Runyan). Although written in first person, this isn’t a biography per se. It’s a series of stand-alone chapters, little vignettes from the life of a musher. It’s well written and very enjoyable, even if you’re not a mushing fan. “Breath of Life” tells the story of a dog who was miraculously revived by a fellow musher during the Yukon Quest. “Chowhound” is about Peg, a dog with an amazing appetite who ate a highway flare. My favorite chapter, “The Colonel,” tells about a Halloween visit from Norm Vaughan.

Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way: Unconventional Sled Dog Secrets of an Alaskan Iditarod Champion, Vol. 1by Mitch Seavey. This is a training manual, of sorts, written for dog mushers. What makes this story appealing for fans is that we can hear Mitch’s voice in the writing. There’s no editor here. It’s purely Mitch, with his dry wit and blunt honesty. Parts may find you laughing out loud. And you’ll learn a lot about mushing too, which will make you a very savvy fan.

The Lance Mackey Storyby Lance Mackey (with Joe Runyan). No list of mushing books would be complete without the inspiring story of Lance Mackey, who overcame addiction, poverty and cancer to become one of the best mushers in the history of the race. It’s a very well-written read and one that you won’t be able to put down.

Graveyard of Dreams- Dashed Hopes and Shattered Aspirations Along Alaska's Iditarod Trail by Craig Medved. The Iditarod is not just about the winners or even the front runners. It’s about all the mushers who attempt this great adventure. Graveyard of Dreams tells the story of several back of the pack mushers in the 2010 Iditarod, including some who made it to Front Street and some who did not. Relive the tragic stories of those who had to scratch or were withdrawn, as well as those who managed to finish.

What about you? What are some of your favorite books about the Iditarod or mushing? Leave a comment and share your favorites.

Dawson Dolly Singing my Song

2011-02-11T22:26:00.001-06:00

Remember my song "16 dogs"? A couple years ago, the girls and I rewrote the lyrics to Tennessee Ernie Ford's classic song, "16 Tons." We changed it to "16 Dogs." The topic? The Iditarod, of course. You can read the original version and listen to the girls singing here.

A few months ago I shared the lyrics with "Dawson Dolly," an Alaskan entertainer I met on Facebook. I encouraged her to sing the song wherever she wanted. Together we made history. She's a good friend of musher Hugh Neff. When he left the Dawson City Checkpoint. Dolly sent him off with my song. (She changed the lyrics a bit to fit with the Yukon Quest.) It was an instant YouTube phenomenon. Here it is:

Do Lemmings Commit Suicide?

2011-01-28T21:17:00.002-06:00

True or False: Lemmings periodically commit suicide by throwing themselves into the sea.

That’s what I was taught as a child. In fact, that’s what it says in the 1967 edition of the World Book Encyclopedia, which graced the walls of my living room when I was a kid. And if the World Book said it, then it had to be correct.

But it’s not. In truth, lemmings do migrate occasionally, and during this mass migration, some may accidentally fall off cliffs. Others may swim across a lake, where they may accidentally drown. Perhaps that is where this weird idea started.

Lemming
Photo by photo.andersson.es
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anderssones/2824776654/

The myth was perpetuated by 1958 Disney film called White Wilderness, which showed footage of lemmings jumping off a cliff into the sea. In truth, the scene was faked. Filmmakers threw a few lemmings into the water to create the effect of hundreds of lemmings throwing themselves into the sea.

To the filmmakers credit, they did not actually state that the lemmings committed suicide, but rather that they thought the sea was a lake, and they set out to cross it, only to drown. However, the dramatic (albeit faked) movie scene simply reinforced the lemming suicide legend. I was shocked to discover that it was not true.

When I made this discovery, I shared it with my 16-year-old daughter. “What?” she replied. “You mean there really is such an animal as a lemming?” She only knew of lemmings as part of a computer game she used to play. (The game is still available in PC, PlayStation, or PSP format.)

The Telephone Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska: The Frank H. Woods Telephone Pioneer Museum

2011-01-15T11:29:00.003-06:00

A museum about the telephone? Actually, it's quite interesting. I recently toured the Frank H. Woods Telephone Pioneer Museum for an article I was writing. The museum gained popularity after it was featured in the Jim Carrey movie Yes Man.

In this world of digital everything, it's easy to forget that clunky switchboards like the ones in the photo were still in use until the 1960s. In fact, the earliest switchboards were often in the operator's home. An older friend remembers a childhood friend who often had to miss school because her mother was sick and couldn't work the switchboard. This little girl had to stay home and work the switch board or the entire town would be without phone service.

The dial demonstrator shows how switches operated when a phone was dialed. Wally Tubbs, one of the founders of the museum who often leads school tours, says that most kids are kind of stumped when they see this exhibit, because they don't know how to dial a phone. They've only used touch tone phones.

Wally explained that the switches took up almost an entire city block. He described the process of tracing a call. When the police or 911 dispatcher contacted the telephone company about a call that needed to be traced, an employee needed to run all over the huge building to determine where the switches had connected. It was difficult work, but it needed to be done correctly, because sometimes (as with a 911 call), someone's life was at stake. Things are a lot easier now with Caller ID.

If you are passing through Lincoln, Nebraska (remember, it's right off I-80), you may want to take some time to visit this free museum. But call ahead. It's only open to the public on Sunday afternoons, but you may arrange a tour by calling 402-436-4640.

You can read my article here:

Overlooked Lincoln: The Frank H. Woods Telephone Pioneer Museum

Handy Chart for Following the Major Sled Dog Races in Alaska

2010-12-16T22:38:00.003-06:00

Photo by Frank Kovlachek

It's not just about the Iditarod. Sled dog races occur nearly every weekend from December through early April in Alaska. I've created a chart to keep track of the major races. Feel free to print out the chart and use it to record the winners of the major races, such as the Kuskokwim 300, the Copper Basin 300, the Kobuk 440, the Yukon Quest, and of course, the Iditarod.

Click here for the chart.

For more about the races, read my article, Alaska Sled Dog Races: Sprint, Mid-Distance & Long-Distance Races.

Mishka the Talking Husky Says I Love You

2010-12-01T09:23:00.001-06:00

I can't get enough of Mishka, the talking husky. She's a husky; she says "I love you." What's not to like? Here's the video that started it all:

My First Impressions of the Kindle: Advantages and Disadvantages of a Kindle

2010-11-23T13:48:00.003-06:00

Well, I caved. I just got a Kindle (Actually my husband got it for me as an early Christmas gift.)

I said I'd never do it. I wanted the feel of a book in my hands. But my husband got one for himself (early Christmas present again), and after I kept stealing his, I asked him to get me one.

I'm still figuring things out, but I'll share my first impressions:

Advantages of a Kindle:

It's insanely convenient. You can carry five thousand books in your purse. It's great for traveling. (Of course, I never travel, but if I did . . . ) And even when I'm not traveling, it's nice to always have a book (or a thousand books) handy when I'm waiting in line or stuck in traffic. (Well, the latter doesn't happen much where we live, but it's a thought.)
You can get an amazing number of books for free. This surprised me the most. There are tons of classic books available for free from the Kindle Store, and recent books are often free for a limited time. You can also get free books from the Gutenberg Project and save them in Kindle format, then drag and drop them onto your Kindle . If something isn't available in Kindle format, you can send it as an attachment to a special e-mail address, and it will deliver it automatically to your Kindle .
Recent books are a little cheaper in Kindle format than print.
You can also surf the web (clumsy but it works), listen to mp3 recordings (music or podcasts), and play games.
You can increase the font size. (That would have come in handy when I had my eye infection. Plus, I'm trying to avoid bifocals.)
You can search for a certain word in a book.
The built-in dictionary is amazing. Simply place your cursor in front of the word, and the definition pops up.
You save a lot of trees.

Disadvantages of a Kindle

Yeah, it's not a book. For the most part this isn't a problem, but you can't "thumb through" a Kindle, and in some ways it's harder to do research. (Although the search feature can make it easier in some ways.)
You can't read it in the tub. (Well, I suppose you could, but you'd need to be careful not to drop it.)
Photos are only black and white at this stage. (I don't think I'll be buying The Meaning of Icons for Kindle.
It's harder to lend books to people. They are developing a feature where you can give a copy to someone for two weeks, while that book is absent from your Kindle . I guess that has the advantage of getting the book back after you lend it out, but it's still not the same. And it's especially a problem for a family. It's a lot easier to just keep a book on the shelf and everyone can read it when they want instead of wondering whose Kindle has the book now.

Still interested? You can order a Kindle below:

I also recommend a cover, to protect your Kindle:

Early Summer is Mulberry Season

2010-06-12T23:08:00.002-05:00

Eating mulberries is one of my favorite summer memories. My brother and I knew where all the mulberry trees were in our neighborhood, and every June we’d make the rounds, collecting the sweet, juicy fruits. I’m not sure what we did with the berries we collected. I do remember putting them on ice cream. Perhaps that’s because most of them ended up in our mouths instead of in the bowl.

I’ve passed on the love of mulberries to our children. While most people “diss” mulberry trees because they don’t like the purple stains from the berries, we actually planted a tree in our yard. Eating the first mulberry is the sign of summer in our house.

We still eat many of the berries straight off the tree, but we also manage to save some for future use. Mulberries freeze easily in little baggies and add a sweet taste and appealing color to fruit smoothies (simply mix nonfat yogurt and fruit in the blender to make a smoothie).

We also love the taste of freezer jam made with mulberries. Freezer jam is easy to make and preserves the freshly-picked flavor much better than canning. Just buy a box of pectin, lots of sugar, and follow the enclosed directions for raspberry freezer jam .

I love mulberries so much that I even wrote a couple of articles about them. You can see them here:

Collecting, Preserving, Using, Planting and Growing Mulberries

Mulberry Recipes for Jam, Syrup, Fruit Smoothie & Whip

What about you? Do you love or disdain mulberries? What are your favorite mulberry memories? Feel free to leave a comment.

Controlled Burns on Grassland and Prairie

2010-05-01T18:51:00.022-05:00

This year I got to watch two controlled burns: one as a participant and one as an observer. The Plains Indians burned the prairie regularly. The black absorbed the sun, which made the grass grow faster, attracting bison.

Controlled burns (at least in Nebraska) are typically performed in grassy areas to reduce the thatch and/or get rid of unwanted weed trees. The soil and underlying seeds and roots aren’t affected. In fact, the ash covers over the seeds, making a better bed for the new growth.

The first burn I participated in was at an acreage west of town. The owners (friends of mine) wanted to rid their fields of the little Eastern red cedar trees (common weed trees in our area). The second burn happened at the University of Nebraska East Campus, where a one-acre plot has been left to its natural state, allowing a mini tall-grass prairie of native plants to spring up. (Quite a wonderful place in the middle of the city.) Every spring the range management class participates in the burn as part of their studies, and occasionally we come and watch the process. The photos are from this burn.

The tools for a controlled burn include a drip torch to start the fire, fire swatters and/or fire brooms, coupled with water hoses, to control the fire. When I helped, we used a hose attached to a large water tank. The tank was mounted to the back of a pick-up, which slowly encircled the field, as I followed behind and sprayed the perimeter with water. (I also got to take a short stint at operating the torch – fun for a pyromaniac.) The east campus burn was easier to control, because the tall grass differed from the vegetation that surrounded it, so students carried backpack water pumps to use if the fire got out of hand.

Controlled burns require a permit, and the local fire department must be notified. In our area, regulations state that all burns must be completed by May 1st. A burn should not be attempted on a windy day.

Fields burn quickly, and it’s amazing to watch, especially a tall-grass prairie, where the flames leap high and the air around becomes very hot. Little mammals scamper away in fright. On east campus, the professor directing the burn made sure to leave escape routes for the mammals.

After a burn, the field seems silent, almost eerie, with smoke rising from the blackened field. But soon enough the green grasses sprout up, and the field becomes healthier than it was before the burn.

Just two weeks after the burn:

Removing the Burled Arch from the Iditarod Finish Line in Nome, Alaska

2010-04-01T19:16:00.002-05:00

It's a sad day for Iditarod fans when the Burled Arch in Nome, Alaska, comes down. It signals the end of a race for nearly another year. Through the wonders of the internet, we can watch this process. In spite of our sorrow, it's interesting watching the huge machines remove the snow and cart away the famous Burled Arch that marks the finish of "The Last Great Race on Earth."

This year, I captured a series of shots on the Nome Cam and asked my husband to record some sad music to go with it. I present a montage of Front Street in Nome Alaska starting the day after the Iditarod finish:

Poem: Those Darn Pink Shingles (Dedicated to the Nome Cam)

2010-04-01T19:09:00.004-05:00

This year, through the wonders of the internet, Iditarod fans were able to access a camera on Front Street in Nome, Alaska, to watch the finishers of the race. Not only could we access it, but we could actually steer it. This caused much frustration at times, especially because if we steered it too far, all we saw were pink shingles on a building in Nome.

When a favorite musher was due to finish, the fans would gather in a chatroom to fellowship while we waited. But while we chatted and snacked, often we'd end up yelling at the computer because some incompetent camera operator (who sometimes was yours truly) would turn the camera to face "those darn pink shingles."

So in honor of those shingles, I wrote a poem:

Those Darn Pink Shingles

We’ve got the Nome cam, the gang’s all here,
With plenty of cookies, brownies and beer,
Tea and lemonade, pretzels and Pringles,
But all we can see are those darn pink shingles.

How can I see all the users in chat?
Just click the little man, can you see that?
I don’t have a man, does that mean I’m single?
Oh, no! Now the cam’s on those darn pink shingles.

Look under the arch, see the big mob.
Now gee the camera, that’s a good job.
A musher is coming, I’m starting to tingle.
Aargh! Move the cam off those darn pink shingles.

Look down the street. Is the dog team in sight?
I think I see them. All right! All right!
I can hear the dogs panting, can hear the tags jingle.
But now all I see are those darn pink shingles.

Who’s that leaning against the burled arch?
Is that Lance or Libby or Paul Gebhardt?
Look at the mushers and fans, how they mingle
But now all we see are those darn pink shingles.

A Poem for Pat Moon

2010-03-12T00:17:00.003-06:00

Pat Moon has encouraged many people with his story. After riding as an Iditarider in 2006, he decided he would like to race in the Iditarod someday. This goal proved more difficult for Pat, since he had ulcerative colitis, and then was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a type of cancer. Still he pressed on, and this year he stood on Fourth Avenue in Anchorage, this time as a musher. Unfortunately, he had to scratch after running into a tree in the infamous Dalzell Gorge.

I always feel a sense of loss when a musher has to scratch, but I was especially sad when I heard about Pat's scratch. So I wrote a poem in his honor:

The Dream
by Marcia Claesson
Dedicated to Pat Moon

A dream took flight on a chilly day
For a young man crouched in a sled
That he would return as a musher one day
With a lead dog at the head.

The dream soared high in the next few years,
But the challenges did too.
Still the man pushed on through his doubts and fears
Till he stood on Fourth Avenue.

The dream that he kept through sickness and pain
Ended far too soon
In a tree-lined gorge with a rough terrain
‘Neath the cold Alaska moon.

But the dream lives on in the young man’s heart
Even with a different tune.
Though he may not stand ‘neath the burled arch,
He’s one tough Chicago Moon.

Student Poems for the 2010 Iditarod

2010-03-10T23:31:00.002-06:00

I’m teaching a unit on the Iditarod for a small group of homeschooled kids (grades 4 through 8) in our city. One of the assignments was to write a free-verse poem about the Iditarod using at least three of the following poetic elements: simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia, repetition, unusual words together, and using the five senses. While not all the students included three elements, I thought they did an awesome job on their poems. Here they are:

Alaska’s Big Race
By Jeremiah
Alaska is cold
The mushers are starving
The dogs are barking and ready to go
The first one to Nome gets the titanic truck
They don’t care what the color is
They just want the cheers

The Starting Line
By Jessica
Trembling, I step into the light, the cheerful sun welcoming me.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
My boots tread on the awakening snow.
Time ticks with the beating of my anticipating heart.
I am caught in the chorus of chaos as the countdown begins.
Five . . . hearing the chirping of songwriters singing to the Creator . . .
Four . . . feeling the tingling thrill of mushing through mayhem . . .
Three . . . seeing the sun rise after riding in dreary darkness . . .
Two . . . the aromatic smell of pine trees, their branches waving me on as I rush past them . . .
One . . . the joy of crossing the finish line . . . Go!
I awaken from my dream as my dogs mush on to be swept into a veil of needles and snowflakes.
Will I win?
I cannot think about that now.
I only hope to soon see the welcoming sign to congratulate my long journey.

Snow Shadows
By Alexa
The trees brush their arms against the snow.
Images dance around, then disappear.
Murmurs sound wherever you go.
As stops come and go
You fall into the deep shadows of snow.
Snow sparkles wherever you go.
Don’t slow
Let’s go, go, go.

All About Lance
By Simon
Lance is in Takotna
There’s thirteen stops to go
Until he reaches the Safety
Of the finish line in Nome.
He’s not wearing 13 like the three years before now.
He’s wearing 49, a way off from three years ago.

Iditarod Race
By Nathan
I am an Iditarod racer.
I duck and dodge obstacles that don’t exist.
I yell to others who disappear into thin air.
The finish is coming, the finish is coming,
I know it, I know it, I know it.
Whoosh-my panting pals run faster.
I see the amazing aurora borealis.
I see a looming figure, it looks like safety.
I start again. My dogs see the finish line. They bark joyously.
I finish the Iditarod race.

The Iditarod Race
By Kaitlyn
The snow is cold.
Dogs run fast.
My hands burn and are as red as a raspberry.
I’m scared as I see this hill upon me.
I speak “Lord, be with me as I face this hill of burning cold snow.”
My dogs, my faithful friends.
I trust them when they speak to me with their eyes.
I whoosh as I go over this hill.
Crunch, crunch, crunch goes the sound of my dogs and sled as they run through the snow.
My darling dogs with their pulling paws.
Cheers, cheers, cheers, I hear them call from city to city.
I catch them all.
We cross the finish line.
Hurray ! Hurray! We did it!
Hurray!

Mushing in the Iditarod
By Emma
Mackey won last year,
The year and the year before.
There are lots racing,
Young and old,
Veterans and rookies,
Girls and boys.
All in hope of covering
The finish line together
With their beloved dogs.

Iditarod Poem - The Dogs - A Parody on The Bells by Edgar Allen Poe

2010-02-22T19:55:00.004-06:00

It's almost time for the Iditarod, and that means I suddenly get inspired to write epic poems about my obsession. Yesterday, after a friend wrote a parody of "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe, I got inspired to do a parody of Poe's "The Bells." So I present my first full-length Iditarod poem of 2010:

The Dogs
See the start gate with the dogs,
Eager dogs,
With the fans decked out in parkas from their Lands End catalogs.
See the waiting sled dogs jump
And their wagging tails thump
On the icy Willow Lake.
You can tell they’re really pumped,
As their harnesses they shake.
How they tug, tug, tug,
While the musher gives a hug
To each friend and family member
With advice and dialogs.
Oh the dogs, dogs, dogs, dogs,
Dogs, dogs, dogs,
Oh, the barking and the yipping of the dogs.

See the happy, running dogs,
Racing dogs,
Bounding over ice and tundra,
Through the blizzards and the fogs,
And the cold Alaska night.
How they bark out their delight.
Oh, the lovely howling sound,
All in tune,
While the wind blows all around
To the moon,
And the rippling Northern Lights,
A breathtaking Arctic sight,
As they run, run, run,
You can tell they’re having fun,
While the musher poles and jogs.
Oh, the dogs, dogs, dogs, dogs,
Dogs, dogs, dogs,
Oh the running and the pulling of the dogs

See the fans who follow dogs,
Husky dogs,
While they doublecheck the tracker
And the many mushing blogs,
As they click, click, click,
Checking out their top ten picks,
And their eyelids start to droop
After chatting with the group.
There’s the Anchorage Daily News
And the awesome Mushing Loon,
Sled Dog Central and the Nome cam and Backstage Iditarod,
Iditarod Insider and of course Iditablog.
But the BSSD Forum is the best website of all.
Oh the dogs, dogs, dogs, dogs,
Dogs, dogs, dogs,
Oh the rooting and the cheering for the dogs.

See Nome city with the dogs,
Winning dogs,
As they start to run down Front Street while the musher gees and haws.
Ah, the cheering of the crowd
Makes the winning musher proud.
Hear them bark, bark, bark
Underneath the burled arch.
Panting tongues and icy noses.
They just ran across Alaska.
No one did it any faster.
So the happy musher poses,
As they wear the wreath of roses,
Giving love and fond affection to their dogs.
Oh, the dogs, dogs, dogs, dogs,
Dogs, dogs, dogs,
So amazing, so inspiring,
Oh the dogs.

How to Play the Party Game "Mennonite Manners"

2009-12-03T20:16:00.001-06:00

This crazy game is fun for all ages and is sure to be a hit at your next party.

Like many folk games passed from friend to friend, Mennonite Manners goes by different names. Some call it “Mennonite Madness,” or even “Midnight Madness” (probably because of confusion about the original name). Whatever you call it, this party game will keep you laughing, moving and shouting. Be careful that you don’t disturb the neighbors when you play this game!

Any number can play, but the game works best for 4-12 players. It’s really quite simple. All you need is an 8 ½ by 11-inch sheet of paper for each player, one pencil and one die (that’s singular for dice). Sit or stand around a table and place the pencil in the middle of the table. Clear the space, because it’s going to get crazy.

Everyone takes turns rolling the die. When someone rolls a 6—let’s say it’s John—he grabs the pencil and begins writing numbers from 1 to 100 on his sheet of paper. At the same time, everyone else continues to roll the die as fast as they can, because now the pressure is on.

If Sarah rolls a 6 next, she grabs the pencil from John and begins writing numbers from 1 to 100 on her sheet of paper. But watch out! She may only write one or two numbers before someone else rolls a 6 and grabs the pencil from her. Everyone (except the person with the pencil) keeps trying to roll a 6 and grab the pencil. When John finally gets the pencil back, he picks up writing numbers where he left off, trying desperately to be the first one to get to 100.

By now it’s turning into a frenzy, as fingers are flying and stress builds. John is tempted to just scrawl his letters, but that won’t work. Numbers must be legible for a winner to be declared.

One wonders why this game is called “Mennonite Manners,” since there is nothing mannerly about it, and many Mennonites don’t play games with dice. Perhaps “Midnight Madness” is a better name, because it’s a great game to play late at night, and it often resembles madness, especially when the shouting begins.

But the competition is all in good fun, and though you may feel like enemies while playing, evenings around a game table are the stuff of lifetime memories.

Four Easy and Delicious Ways to Cook Vegetables

2009-12-03T12:41:00.003-06:00

Enjoy a variety of vegetables every day with these simple tips.

Everyone knows vegetables are packed with vitamins and fiber. Nutritionists tell us we should eat a variety of different colors and types of veggies to make sure we get appropriate nutrients and disease-fighting benefits, but it can be a challenge to find easy and yet tasty ways to fix them. Here are some simple ways to include veggies in your meal.

Vegetable Stir Fry
Choose fresh, raw veggies such as onions (green, white or yellow), peppers, celery, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, and eggplant. Wash and chop finely. Heat three or four tablespoons of canola oil in wok or large frying pan on high. Test the temperature by dropping a small piece of onion into the oil. When it sizzles, the oil is ready. Drop the vegetables into the oil all at once and stir constantly with a long-handled wooden spoon until tender crisp, about five minutes. Add a few shakes of stir fry sauce. A variety of sauces are available in the Asian food section of the grocery store or in an Asian food store. Stir fry makes a great side dish, or you can combine it with meat and serve with rice for a complete meal.

Oven Roasted Vegetables
Root vegetables, such as turnips, carrots, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, are commonly used for this delicious dish, but you can also use other veggies you commonly keep on hand, such as onions, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Cut veggies into fairly large pieces and place into a large bowl with a lid. In a separate bowl, mix about a half a cup of olive oil and two tablespoons of mixed seasonings. Several spice mixes are available, and you may wish you keep several jars on hand for variety. Drizzle the oil and seasonings over the vegetables, cover bowl, and shake well. Spread the vegetables on a large jelly roll pan or cake pan and bake at 425 degrees F for about 20 minutes.

Vegetable Soup
This is a great way to use up all kinds of vegetables in your fridge. Start this in the morning and let it cook all day, or fix it on the stove in about an hour. Empty one 46-ounce can of tomato or vegetable juice into large cooking pot or crock pot. Fill the can with water and add to the juice. Add a variety of chopped raw veggies, such as potatoes, celery, onions, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, okra, peas, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, or green beans. If you wish, add one-half cup raw barley. If using a stove, bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer for an hour. If using a crock pot, simmer on low for eight hours or high for four hours. NOTE: If frozen vegetables are used, cut cooking time in half and use quick-cooking barley.

Salad
Say the word salad, and most people think of iceberg lettuce, grated carrots and chopped tomatoes drenched in dressing. For a healthier alternative, start with Romaine or green leaf lettuce and add a variety of chopped raw vegetables, such as carrots, green onions, celery, green pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, cabbage, spinach, and peas. To further increase your nutritional variety and enhance the taste, add fruit such as apples, raisins, berries, or mandarin oranges, and garnish with nuts or cheese. For a healthy dressing high in Omega-3’s, mix together two parts olive oil with one part lemon juice.

What Do Squirrels Eat? A fun experiment that teaches kids observation and the scientific method

2009-12-03T11:33:00.008-06:00

Observing what squirrels eat is a fun way to teach even the youngest kids principles of scientific observation; plus, the experiment is perfect for homeschoolers or a school science fair project.

If you’re like many people, you consider squirrels pests and would rather they not take up residence in your yard. Why not take advantage of these backyard residents by creating a fun science experiment for your kids?

For this experiment, kids will answer the question: What kind of food do the squirrels in my yard like the best? Kids learn the basic principles of observing and recording data, and you may discover the best way to keep these furry creatures out of your birdfeeder.

Step One: Research Squirrels’ Eating Habits
Check out books from the library about squirrels and use the internet to research what squirrels like to eat. Make notes from your research in a notebook. List several foods you want to test. Some foods to choose from include peanuts, corn, apples, bread, sunflower seeds, millet, or other grains or fruit. (Note: do not use nuts in the shell, because squirrels will steal these for their cache; use shelled nuts only.) What do squirrels NOT like to eat? Brainstorm some foods that squirrels typically do not eat, such as safflower seed or pure suet.

Step Two: Construct a Hypothesis about Squirrels’ Eating Habits
What do you think the squirrels will like to eat the best? Choose five that you would like to test, and have your child list the foods in order of preference. Then choose one food that squirrels do not like to eat, as a control for your experiment. In your notebook, make a list of the foods in order of what you think the squirrels will prefer, starting with the one you think the squirrels like best and ending with the control.

Step Three: Set up your Squirrel Food Experiment
Fill six identical containers with the foods you want to test and place them outside where squirrels can easily get to them and you can observe clearly from a window. In your notebook, make a chart listing the foods you are testing and leave plenty of space for tally marks.

Step Four: Observe and Record Your Data
For several days, spend about an hour each day by the window. Watch at different times of the day. Whenever you see squirrel, watch to see what it eats and mark a tally mark on your chart. If it eats corn first, then sunflower seeds, and then corn again, you would put two marks by corn and one mark by sunflower seeds.

Step Five: Compile Your Data and Make Conclusions
List the totals in your notebook. You might want to make a bar chart showing your results. Did the results match your hypothesis? Why or why not? Write your conclusions in your notebook. Write down any questions in your notebook. If you repeated the experiment, what would you do differently? What are some other foods you can test? What else would you like to learn about squirrels? Can you think of more experiments about squirrels?

Now that you’ve learned about the scientific method, you can use these principles to create other experiments and discover exciting things about the world around you.

Now That's Singing: Our Local Homeschool Choir

2009-12-02T19:23:00.002-06:00

These videos will amaze you. Our local homeschool choir sounds more like a college choir. The music they perform is complex and challenging. No pop songs here. My daughter is in the high school choir and performed three awesome songs at a recent concert. Take a few minutes to enjoy good music.

Be Thou My Vision, my favorite hymn (really my favorite song), an old Irish folk melody with meaningful words, arranged by John Ritter:

Gloria Patri, a reverent Renaissance piece, sung in Latin:

Holy Ghost With Light Divine, a beautiful modern classical piece:

To see the entire playlist, including all three choirs, click here.

Our Family Thanksgiving

2009-12-02T18:48:00.002-06:00

We spent Thanksgiving at my sister's house. I love the way our family all gets together. In addition to her family and our mother, we had my mother-in-law, my sister's parents-in-law and brother-in-law. The afternoon included traditional Thanksgiving food, a walk through a surprisingly "wild" area in the middle of the city, a rousing game of Taboo, and viewing the space station and shuttle passing overhead.

For pictures, click here.

From Kooser to Buser: Famous People I've Met

2009-12-02T16:26:00.001-06:00

Throughout the past year, I've met several famous people - famous to me, at least. It occurred to me that the first person I met was named Kooser and the last one I met was named Buser. Hopefully the fact that the two names rhyme is NOT a sign that my "streak" is over.

Click here to see the photos.

Logic Puzzle: Missionaries and Cannibals

2009-10-28T20:51:00.001-05:00

This is a great logic puzzle. I keep figuring it out and then forgetting how I did it. But I've been successful several times, so I guess that's a good sign. Have fun:

Click here for the puzzle.

Irish Hard Shoe Dance at Church

2009-09-02T23:22:00.004-05:00

Our girls recently participated in a special church service. The entire service celebrated Psalm 150. The story of redemption was told through the arts, including pottery, modern dance, music, and a very moving visual display in which a beautiful picture was covered in black paint to depict our sin. Later the paint was washed away to symbolize the forgiveness we have in Christ. At the end of the program, the worship team played an instrumental version of "Praise Him with the Dance." Our girls were part of a group of Irish hard shoe dancers who praised God with dancing throughout the song. Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFNahD5xo3M

Comments are back

2009-08-15T21:27:00.002-05:00

I'm happy to report that the comments are back! My computer nerd husband figured out the problem. Now that you can read the comments, you can see the answers to the riddles (and the incorrect guesses too). And I guess that means I can post riddles again. That means I'll need to find some new riddles. I'd basically depleted my storehouse of riddles and was reaching the bottom of the barrel when the comments mysteriously disappeared. No promises, but I'll consider it.

Psalms Coffeehouse

2009-08-12T22:48:00.003-05:00

Recently a local church put on a coffeehouse where they encouraged people to sing original songs based on a psalm. Our girls used their talents in a unique way. Carmen composed a piano piece based on Psalm 42. She took the emotions of the psalm and expressed it through music. Here's a video of it:

Monica choreographed a modern dance to the song "Oh God You are My God" by Fernando Ortega. The song's lyrics are taken directly from Psalm 63. The dance expresses the emotions of the psalm. Here it is:

Johan's Visit

2009-07-28T19:54:00.002-05:00

My husband's nephew from Sweden came to visit us. We'd never met him before, so it was a special treat to get to know him and show him the sights. We hit the Farmer's Market, Runza, the state capitol, saline wetlands, Sunken Gardens, East Campus, Nine Mile Prairie, a random farm and the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo. We also fixed him some good old Nebraska barbecue, complete with corn on the cob that we bought from the back of a truck, we took him to church, and we met some friends for dinner at Skeeter Barnes, followed by dessert at their house, with group games and much laughter. Although Johan's English was excellent, he didn't understand our idioms, which made some of the games even more interesting.

Here are some pictures from his visit:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109299&id=629661480&l=19dc003492

The Garden Behind Our House

2009-07-18T22:35:00.000-05:00

I love walking in the garden behind our house. It's an experimental garden, where the University of Nebraska tests different kinds of plants to see how well they grow in our climate. Take a look at some of my favorites:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=107035&id=629661480&l=506c0e2162

Barns, llamas and kitties

2009-07-17T18:15:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, an unusually cool July day, I went for a photo jaunt with my daughter. We drove north of town to take photos of old barns, but got a bit distracted by the animals. Along the way we met some nice farm families. Take a look at our photos:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=106680&id=629661480&l=32484986a1

2009-06-29T12:06:00.003-05:00

After meeting in a school for nearly four years, our church is ready to build. We found some land in north Lincoln, right where we wanted to be, and we will be sharing a parking lot with a business complex. On a pleasant June afternoon, we held a ceremonial ground breaking. I took some pictures and my husband took some video and combined it with original music to make this montage:

No comments! No riddle!

2009-06-14T23:54:00.003-05:00

For some reason my blog won't let people comment. I'm still trying to figure out what caused this change. Until I get the problem figured out, I will not be able to post riddles.

My writing blog

2009-06-14T23:53:00.002-05:00

I have created a blog to showcase my writing. You can find it at: http://marciaswritingsonline.blogspot.com/

Less Spam, and now I know why

2009-06-12T01:22:00.004-05:00

Have you noticed that you've been getting less spam e-mail lately? I noticed it and it had me worried. What happened to the spam? If I'm not getting spam, does that mean I'm also not getting some important e-mails? Are my e-mails getting lost in some black hole? As a writer, I depend on e-mail to communicate with editors and clients and I can't afford to miss any e-mails.

A little googling turned up the following article: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=network_security&articleId=9134147&taxonomyId=142&intsrc=kc_top
It appears there was a takedown of a couple of big name botnets,which has drastically reduced spam.

Now why was this news buried where I had to search for it? This should be big news: to set our minds at ease, if nothing else. Or am I the only one who got worried when I stopped receiving Viagra ads and requests for mystery shoppers?

Videos of Martin Buser's Lecture

2009-05-21T23:18:00.003-05:00

If you want to see videos of Martin Buser's lecture, click here.

The videos are divided into 10-minute segments, and there are 11 in all. Martin is a very engaging and entertaining speaker, even if you're not into sled dog racing. And after listening to his presentation, I guarantee you WILL be a sled dog fan. Enjoy.

Meeting Martin Buser

2009-04-29T23:54:00.008-05:00

Everyone should have the experience once in their lifetime of meeting someone famous they admire. For some it’s a rock star or politician. For me it’s Martin Buser, four time Iditarod-champion who holds the record for the fastest Iditarod at 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes and 2 seconds (but who’s counting?) I never dreamed that I’d ever get to meet him in person, even for a few minutes. After all, Alaska is a long ways away. But this week some other fans and I got to spend an entire evening with him in—of all places—Des Moines, Iowa.

Martin was in Des Moines as the keynote speaker for the Public Works Association Snow Removal Conference, and he needed to borrow some huskies to make a grand entrance. One of the Iditabuddies from the bssd forum let him use her huskies, and she also arranged a special fan gathering for the night before. My favorite Idita-hero only three hours away from me! That was a no-brainer. Although I’m not much of a traveler, this was an opportunity I wouldn’t miss for the world.

Part of the fun of a gathering like this is meeting other fans. The Idita-buddies are the best bunch of fans in the world. Right before the meeting I meet three other fans for supper: Cindy, fellow Martin Buser fanatic Diana, and Diana’s husband, Philip. We told the waitress we’d never met each other before, which must have seemed strange to her, since we were talking a mile a minute.

Finally the time we had been waiting for arrived. We walked into the small auditorium and saw Martin Buser “in the flesh.” He noticed our matching Buser Booster T-shirts right away (the best $20 I ever spent), and that got us talking. I thought I’d be starstruck, but he has a way of making everyone feel at home. He spoke for nearly two hours, but it seemed like a few minutes. Afterwards he stayed around and shot the breeze with us fans for a long time, tirelessly signing autographs and posing for pictures. The die-hards stayed until the end. We talked about Switzerland, writing, his family, and of course sled dog racing. His sense of humor was priceless. By the end of the evening, he felt like an old friend.

Truly an unforgettable experience! For more pics, see this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=91109&id=629661480&l=8717040f6e
And if that wasn’t enough, my picture was even posted on Martin Buser’s blog: http://www.buserdog.com/2009_04_01_archive.html

Click here to return to the main blog page.

No riddle this week

2009-04-26T23:36:00.003-05:00

Sorry, no riddle this week. I'm too busy getting ready to be a fan girl. Expect a complete report when I get back. (For those of you who don't know, I'm keeping you in suspense.)

Riddle #49: what word?

2009-04-20T00:03:00.006-05:00

This riddle is a bit different, but it's fun (besides, I'm running out of the lateral thinking puzzles that I prefer). Here goes:

What word contains all five vowels: a, e, i, o, u -- but only has 7 letters total?

It's not a trick question or anything. There really is such a word -- and it's one I'm pretty sure you know.

NOTE: The correct answer has been guessed. To read it, see the comments section.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

Our Church's Tea and Fashion Show

2009-04-18T23:11:00.005-05:00

Our church had a new tradition: a spring tea for the ladies. This year we added a fashion show. I hosted a table, pictured here. I used the china I inherited from my grandparents and decorated it with pottery my girls had made.

Believe it or not, I also modeled for the fashion show. The first category was "Fashion Favorites." My favorite outfit? Of course, it's my cap from Martin Buser's Happy Trails Kennels, my jacket that says "Nome, Alaska" on it (complete with an embroidered sled dog team), and my Buser Booster T-shirt, with a picture of Martin Buser and his dog team.

The next category was "Fashion Frugal." I'm all about frugal. I modeled an outfit that came about by accident. My daughter needed a 1920s dress for a melodrama, so we found a sleeveless dress at the Salvation Army, which I was planning on redoing into a dress that fit Monica. But after purchasing it, we decided on a different dress, which left me with a dress that I couldn't return, but one that I didn't feel comfortable wearing alone. About the same time, I was shopping at another one of my favorite stores, Goodwill, when I found a suit consisting of a jacket and slacks. The slacks were too big and needed to be altered, but the jacket fit perfectly. Then I discovered that the jacket matched the dress. I wore the outfit to a production at the performing arts center, where I ended up having dinner with the mayor at a special gathering beforehand. I was glad I had put together this professional outfit just in time for the event.

To see more photos of the event, click here.

Click here to return to the main blog page.

A Parody: Hey There You Nav Girls

2009-04-13T22:48:00.002-05:00

I'm a big fan of parody poetry and songs. (If you look around my blog, you can find a few parodies I've written.) There's something pleasing about taking a familiar poem or song and tweaking the words a bit. I stumbled on this parody to "Hey there, Delilah," which was performed at a gathering of the Navigators, a Christian college group, which is often called "Nav" for short. Here's a link to the words and a video:

http://jaledwith.com/2009/02/15/hey-there-you-nav-girls/

Lord of the Dance

2009-04-07T09:02:00.001-05:00

Here's a video of a dance that my daughter Monica choreographed and performed with some children at my friend's church. It combines elements of modern and Irish dancing.

Riddle #48 The Graffiti

2009-04-05T23:57:00.005-05:00

A teacher found some graffiti written on the wall of her classroom. No one owned up to doing it. How did the teacher find out which student wrote the graffiti?

NOTE: The correct answer has been guessed. To read it, see the comments section.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

Audio of Iditarod Finishers Banquet

2009-03-30T23:19:00.005-05:00

The power of the fans! It looked like there was no place to listen to the Iditarod finishers banquet this year, but one of my "Idita-buddies" named Sam, who lives in Unalakleet, Alaska, recorded the banquet from the radio, mailed me the tape, and my hubby made an mp3 recording and put it on-line. You can listen to it by left-clicking on the links. You can download it by right-clicking on the links and clicking on "Save Target as" or "Save Link as." Enjoy:

http://www.oakviewresources.com/misc/IditarodBanquetPart1.mp3
http://www.oakviewresources.com/misc/IditarodBanquetPart2.mp3

NOTE: If you use Explorer, it may take a while for the audio to load. Firefox usually loads faster.

Click here to return to the main blog page.

Riddle #47: Shoe Shops

2009-03-30T00:03:00.006-05:00

Here's the latest riddle:

In a small town there are four shoe shops of about the same size, each carrying pretty much the same line in shoes. Each shop is open the same hours. Each shop displays only one of each kind of shoe (not pairs) and keeps all the pairs of shoes in the back room. Yet one shop loses three times as many shoes to theft as each of the other shops. Why?

NOTE: The correct answer has been guessed. To read it, see the comments section.

Click here to return to the main blog page.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

No riddle this week

2009-03-23T10:20:00.003-05:00

Sorry, the riddle is on vacation this week. I was too busy last night vicariously attending the Nome finishers banquet in a chat room and frantically typing what I read. (It's hard work being a fan.) Visit this forum thread to read a transcript: http://mushing.bssd.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=994

Sixteen Dogs

2009-03-18T15:47:00.011-05:00

This year I didn't get inspired to write many poems or songs for the Iditarod. But I did write one song: "Sixteen Dogs," a parody on Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Sixteen Tons." We even made a family recording, featuring the two girls on vocals and myself on piano. Then my husband added bass guitar and percussion tracks, using the Cakewalk recording studio. Click on the link below to hear the song. If it doesn't work in Explorer, you may need to use Firefox. NOTE: It may talk a while to download the link. (You may also download the mp3, if you wish, by right clicking on the link and clicking on "Save target as" or "save link as.")

http://www.oakviewresources.com/misc/16Dogs.mp3

Here are the lyrics:

Sixteen DogsSome people say a dog is man’s best friend
Well, a husky is made to race to the end
Race to the end and relish the cold.
A back that’s strong and a heart of gold.

CHORUS: You run 16 dogs and what do you get?
A journey through paradise you’ll never forget.
St. Peter don’t you call me, I don’t want to go home.
Till I get to the arch on Front Street in Nome.

He was born one morning when the sun didn’t rise
And the Northern Lights shone high in the skies
He gathered the team and hitched up the sled
And into the darkness together they sped

He was born one morning, it was blizzarding snow
With ice on his lashes and a frostbitten toe
He was raised in the wilderness, far off the grid
He was mushing as a baby with a pint-sized sled.

So if you see ‘em coming you’d really better go‘
Cause a husky knows “hike” but he doesn’t know “whoa.”
The front paws are lightning and the back paws are steel,
And they’ll never stop running till the end of the trail.

Click here to return to the main blog page.

Spring!

2009-03-18T10:07:00.002-05:00

It's always encouraging when we see the first signs of spring. Yesterday the temps got up to 70 degrees, so I headed to the nearby arboretum. Here are snowdrops, usually the first sign of spring.

These tiny yellow crocuses are cool.

These purple crocuses are in my yard. I didn't even know they were there until I looked.

I also saw several robins. Now I'm just waiting for the screech owls.

Riddle #46: The Bragger

2009-03-15T23:31:00.006-05:00

Here's the next riddle. I predict that this one will be easy:

You're at a party, and you hear a man bragging about his recent trip to Africa. He was hunting rhinos, he said. He described in detail several wild animals he saw while exploring Africa, including hippos, tigers, elephants and giraffes. He talked about drinking camel's milk and picking coconuts. He also described how he finally got his rhino. "Well, that man is obviously lying," you tell your friend. How do you know?

NOTE: The correct answer has been guessed. To read it, see the comments section.
Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

Weird/Fame/Most/Child

2009-03-13T10:39:00.002-05:00

This is really fun! I made it up, so please pass it on and see if it becomes “viral” and spreads all over the internet. Plus I’d love to read your answers.

Copy this into the comment section and change my answers to yours. It will be fun to read what everyone says. Then send it out to all your friends. Enjoy!

WEIRD:
What is the weirdest thing in your purse or backpack? – Toe warmers, left over from my trip to Duluth.

What is the weirdest thing in your medicine cabinet? A tranquilizer prescribed to “Sally/feline” Yep, our dear late Sally turned into a monster at the vet, so we were supposed to give her this tranquilizer before the vet visit, but it didn’t help.

What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? – Steak tar tar. Yep, that’s raw steak, and it had a raw egg on top. I didn’t realize what I was ordering and when it came, I was too embarrassed to admit that I thought I’d be getting cooked steak, so I ate it. I don’t know if it’s even legal to serve the stuff anymore.

What is the weirdest thing on your mp3 player (or what is the weirdest recording you have)? – A recording of a thunderstorm. I listen to it to relax.

What is the weirdest thing about you? – Everything, but probably that I like sled dog racing.

FAME:
Who is your most famous Facebook/MySpace or e-mail friend? – I guess it depends on who you are. If you’re a Nebraskan, then it’s probably Tom Osborne. If you’re an American Idol fan, then it’s probably either Andrew Cook (David Cook’s brother) or Chris Sligh. If you’re a sled dog fan, take your pick. I’ve got lots.

Who is the most famous person’s autograph that you have? -- Three famous sled dog mushers: Martin Buser, Jeff King, and Mitch Seavey. Now I just need Lance Mackey’s.

Who is the most famous person you have ever met? -- Stephen Lawhead, a writer. I actually was in his home when he lived in Lincoln and we talked about writing.

What is your most famous moment (your “15 minutes of fame”)? -- Our family made a radio drama, and the girls and I were interviewed on Focus on the Family weekend, a national radio program. (They also played part of the drama.)

MOST:
What is the most homeschool-y thing you’ve done (even if you’re not a homeschooler)? -- Rang a stranger’s doorbell and asked him what kind of trees he had in his yard. It turned out he worked at a nursery. The trees? Oakleaf mountainash and tricolor beech – very unusual trees indeed.

What is the most dangerous thing you’ve ever done? White water rafting – I fell out of the raft and actually thought I was going to die.

CHILD
What is your earliest memory? I remember my mother rocking me to sleep, but I couldn’t sleep, so I just pretended to sleep, not to hurt her feelings. She put me to bed and I got out of bed right away, and she was surprised. I also remember playing with a paper circle and making it bounce up and down along the wall. Then it went behind the baseboard and I couldn’t get it out and I felt such a great sense of loss.

What was your favorite toy as a child? I remember something called “Silly Sand” where you could make castles and such out of this wet sand that was in some sort of machine. When I was a little older I loved my microscope.

Riddle #45: The new addition

2009-03-08T23:49:00.005-05:00

Here's the latest riddle. I'm thinking it may be a bit more difficult, but I may be wrong. Here goes:

A woman spends thousands of dollars to have an addition built onto her house. Yet after she addition is built, she never goes into it. Why?

NOTE: The correct answer has been guessed. To read it, see the comments section.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

Post Modern Toilet Paper Deconstruction

2009-03-08T23:42:00.002-05:00

As if it wasn't already hard enough to keep my house clean . . .

Riddle #44: The dead body

2009-03-01T23:46:00.005-06:00

This riddle is a classic. I realized that I've never posted it. Here goes:

You come across a dead body--a man lying face-down with a backpack on his back. Immediately you know how he died. How did the man die?

NOTE: The correct answer has been guessed. To read it, see the comments section.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

Riddle #43: Closer to Home

2009-02-22T23:58:00.005-06:00

Yes, the riddle took a break last week, but it's back now. Here it is:

A company in a large city had 60 employees. The company was fairly centrally located, and the employees lived in all different directions: north, south, east and west. Their homes were located all over the city, and some even lived in the surrounding small towns.

The CEO decided to relocate all 60 employees to another single new corporate headquarters location. After the move, all of the employees were closer to home. How could this be?

NOTE: The correct answer has been guessed. To read it, see the comments section.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

Beargrease Part 5: Cold Weather Tips

2009-02-21T22:52:00.003-06:00

The race we attended was the second coldest Beargrease race ever. The low the night before was 17 below; the high was 3. Then there were the windchills. Cold is bearable IF you're prepared. Here are some cold weather tips I learned from my experience:

Dress in layers. You'll need more layers than you think. I had a snowmobile suit, and under that I wore long johns, fleece pants, a turtleneck, pullover sweater and fleece jacket. Fleece is my friend. On my feet I had two pairs of wool socks, chemical foot warmers and good waterproof boots. On my hands I had wool glove liners, plus Thinsulate mittens and chemical hand warmers. Some people like the mittens that you can flip open when you want to use your camera. On my head I had a ski mask, neck warmer, scarf, fleece lined cap and ear muffs. Even so I got cold from time to time and had to step into the warming tent or get close to the fire.

Stay hydrated. You don't think about drinking water when you're cold, but it's just as important, if not more important, to stay hydrated in the cold as it is in the heat. Keep a water bottle with you. At the race, they gave away free coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.

Protect your skin. The first day I put on a moisturizer with sunscreen. It wasn't enough. The second day I put on regular sunscreen and Aquaphor, a petroleum based product similar to Vaseline. It felt weird putting something that greasy on my face, but I needed it.

Expect problems with your camera. Digital cameras do not operate well in the cold. Take extra batteries and keep them with a chemical hand warmer or in a pocket close to your skin. Keep your camera in an inside pocket close to your skin and/or with a chemical hand warmer, and only get your camera out when you need to use it. My lens cap kept getting stuck closed, and I'd have to warm it up with a hand warmer, take a few shots, and then put it back in my pocket. Some of my videos have dark shadows where the lens didn't come open all the way. You may want to bring along a disposable camera or team up with a friend, to make sure you don't miss any good shots.

Click here to see more Beargrease photos.

Click here to go to the main blog page.

Beargrease Part 4: The Race!

2009-02-21T19:49:00.012-06:00

We could hear the dogs barking from blocks away. They knew what was to come, and they were eager to get started. It was fun to watch them tug at their lines, wanting to GO!!

If you've never seen a dogsled race, there's no way to describe it. The sights, the sounds, the chill in the air, the excitement. It's amazing to imagine what the team is about to do.

The first racers were the mid-distance mushers, with eight-dog teams. Here are some videos I took of the mid-distance racers:

Montage of several racers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PukdRzkj14k
Tom Benson start: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbOJUek4v4U
Rhonda Hendry O'Hearn start: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDK6p3tPmzQ

After the mid-distance came the marathoners, with their 14-dog teams. An amazing amount of power in those dogs. Above is Jason Barron's team. (Jason won the race.)

It took at least a dozen people to hold the dogs back. Here's a picture of the team moving to the start line. Here's a video of the same thing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m-FjiUFIKo

After watching most of the start, we headed north of Duluth to a spot where the dog teams crossed the road. Pete had invited us to come join his family, friends, and the race officials.

It was a great way to experience the race: shivering in the birch forest, waiting for a team to emerge from around the bend, almost silent, except for an occasional "ching ching ching" from the gangline and the musher's "on by" to keep the dogs from stopping to taste our chili. We stood close enough to talk to the mushers as they sped by. Some would ask how close they were to the next checkpoint or comment on how good our food smelled or thank us for our support. We'd call out encouraging words, knowing that for some of them it was their first race. It was great to be away from the crowds and the hype, seeing what it really was like for the racers.

Here is a video clip of the teams at the road crossing:

Click here to see more Beargrease photos.

Click here to go to the main blog page.

Beargrease, Part 3: Opening Ceremonies

2009-02-21T18:52:00.007-06:00

Another great time to be a fan is at the Opening Ceremonies and mushers' banquet and bib draw. This was held at Grandmother's Sports Garden, the same place as the mushers' registration.

First we enjoyed some traditional Native American music. The race is named for John Beargrease, a Native American who delivered mail between Two Harbors and Grand Marais, Minnesota, in the 1800s. In the winter he often used a dogsled, and today's mushers use the same trail for part of the race.

You can hear the music on my YouTube page here.

It was another great opportunity to be a fan girl. I was able to get autographs of several mushers. Here are Harmony and Jason Barron signing my program. Harmony has raced the Iditarod three times, and the first time my daughters and I followed the race, we particularly followed Harmony because we liked her name. So it was a special treat to meet her.

After the meal and entertainment, each musher went forward and drew their bib number, which determines their start position. Here, Cindy Gallea looks over her race instructions.

Click here to see more Beargrease photos.

Click here to return to the main blog page.

Beargrease Part 2: Being a Fan Girl

2009-02-14T00:55:00.014-06:00

The day before a sled dog race is a great time to be a fan. Marcy and I woke up early, put on as many layers as we could, and headed out to vet checks. We were earlier than most of the mushers, and it didn't take us long in the sub-zero air to realize we needed more layers, so we headed to Minnesota Surplus Outfitters to buy more stuff. Armed with new ski masks and mittens, we headed back to the vet checks.

It was then my long-time dream of meeting an Iditarod musher was finally fulfilled four times over. The first Iditarod musher I met was Cindy Gallea. She gladly posed for a picture with me.

The second Iditarod musher I met was Jason Barron. He's quite famous, and I really wanted to meet him. When I saw his truck with lots of handlers milling around, I asked one of the guys which one was Jason. "I am," he replied. I'd seen him on TV, but somehow he didn't look the same in person. "Can I help you with something?" he asked. "Oh, I'm just a fan," I replied. "Of me, or of the race?" "The race--oh, and you too." I'm surprised he still talked to me after that, but he was very sweet and posed for a photo with me.

Most of the dogs that race are Alaskan huskies, another name for a high-tech mutt bred for racing. Most people comment that they are smaller and skinnier than they expected. I guess they are kind of like marathon runners--lean and made for running.

Inside the bar, where the mushers registered before vet check, I got to meet two more Iditarod mushers: Blake and Jen Freking. I recognized them right away. I even confessed to Blake that up until the week before the race, I thought they were from the country of Finland. (They're actually from a town in Minnesota called Finland.) The word "sauna" appropriately appears behind our photo. (Saunas originated in Finland--the country--and the Frekings like saunas too.)

The Frekings race Siberian huskies--beautiful dogs that are what most people think of when they think of sled dogs.

To see my video of vet checks, click here.

To see more Beargrease photos, click here.

Click here to return to the main blog page.

Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon - Part 1: Getting There

2009-02-10T23:00:00.009-06:00

As you might imagine, I have a dream of attending the Iditarod. But a trip like that is just not in the budget. Plus I have this strange fear of traveling. No, it's not a fear of flying. It's just a fear of being away from home and being out of control.

But when I heard about the Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, I thought, "That I can afford. And if I can handle traveling there, and if my budget allows, maybe I CAN go to the Iditarod in the future." My friend Jackie and her two sons (who are all big Iditarod fans) agreed to go with me, and the plans were set. I booked a hotel room on-line for myself. It so happened that the only non-smoking room available had two beds, and somehow I managed to make nonrefundable reservations (still getting used to doing things on-line), but I was set.

Then a few days before we were to leave, Jackie's plans changed and she was unable to go. Now I was experiencing my pre-trip stress out, so if those motel reservations had been refundable, I would have cancelled the reservations with a sigh of relief. But they were nonrefundable, so I found another friend to go with me. Miraculously, my friend Marcy was able to clear her schedule at the last minute, and we made plans to go. Now, I was glad I had those nonrefundable reservations, AND that the room had two beds.

Highlights of our trip out there: Staying with Marcy's friends in Austin, Minnesota, and seeing the pens that her friend made out of cast off wood.

Having lunch with my old friend Barb in Minneapolis

Having pizza with an Idita-buddy from the forum named Pete and his daughter, Faith, on Friday evening.

Click here to see more photos from the trip. (Click on the first photo to make it larger, then you can click "next" to see each photo.)

Click here to return to the main blog page.

Riddle #42: over thirty foreign countries

2009-02-09T00:12:00.004-06:00

Here's the next riddle:

An ordinary American citizen, with no passport, visits over thirty foreign countries in one day. He is welcomed in each country and leaves each one of his own accord.

The correct answer has been guessed. To read it, see the comments section.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

Riddle #41: Two Pigs

2009-02-02T00:05:00.003-06:00

This is something that really happened: A man had two pigs that were identical twins from the same litter. However, when he sold them, he got 100 times more for one pig than the other one. Why?

The correct answer to this riddle has been guessed. To read it, see the comments section.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

Riddle #40: The stories

2009-01-19T01:40:00.003-06:00

Here's another riddle from Carmen:

We are the stories that everyone creates but few remember. What are we?

The correct answer has been guessed. To read it, see the comments section.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

Riddle #39: What am I?

2009-01-12T00:03:00.005-06:00

This riddle was written by my daughter Carmen. It's a little different from the lateral thinking type riddles I usually post. Here it is:

When I am born, I create destruction for my parent and everyone I meet. I die when everyone I have met believes that I don't exist. What am I?

The correct answer has been guessed. To read it, see the comments section.
Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

Making Dog Booties

2009-01-07T10:33:00.009-06:00

I've joined the "Bootie Brigade." Sled dogs wear booties to protect their feet. But the booties wear out quickly, and a musher might use up to 2500 booties for the Iditarod. The Bootie Brigade is a group of volunteers who sews dog booties and donates them to specific mushers, who sign up in advance. My booties will be going to Kim Darst and Ramey Smyth. It's a labor of love--a way for fans to be involved. It's pretty cool to think that my booties will be going on the trail. A lot of friends have wondered just what these booties are like and how we make them. Here is a step-by-step report.

First we cut the Velcro and Velstretch and put them together. It really helps to have all your supplies at hand before you start sewing.

The booties are made out of Cordura, a special fabric I purchased from http://www.dogbooties.com/ Another volunteer sent me the pattern. I used a pinking shears for the top to keep the bootie from fraying (although it's not much of a concern, because the bootie will wear out before it frays).

Then I sew down the right side of the bootie.

Then I sew on the Velcro and Velstretch.

Last, I sew the left side of the bootie, always making sure the seam allowances are correct.

This is a completed bootie. The Velstretch (the white strip) wraps around the dog's leg and hooks on to the Velcro (The blue strip). The letter "M" stands for Medium.

I made 65 booties in all -- that's enough for one dog team, plus one.

Riddle #38: The murderer

2009-01-05T00:02:00.004-06:00

A woman was found guilty of murdering her sister's husband. The judge stated, "This is the strangest case I've ever had. The woman is guilty of murder, yet I cannot give her the death sentence, and I cannot even put her in jail. The only punishment I can give is a fine." Why?

The correct answer has been guessed. To read it, see the comments section.
Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

Dance With Jesus

2008-12-29T17:32:00.002-06:00

Here's a link to a dance that Monica choreographed and performed in church on Sunday. The song is "Untitled Hymn: Come to Jesus" by Chris Rice. It's very moving:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKB6SOLDwFU

Riddle #37: Shoe Shopping

2008-12-29T13:23:00.003-06:00

Here's the latest riddle:

A man places a classified ad in the newspaper. As a result, he goes shoe shopping with a total stranger on a regular basis. Why?

The correct answer has been guessed. To see it, please see the comments section.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

Riddle #36: Tail lights

2008-12-21T23:47:00.005-06:00

Here's the latest riddle. I think this one will be easy. My kids got it right away.

A teenage boy picks up a tire wrench and breaks the tail lights in a car that doesn't belong to him. But when the police find out, they do not give him a ticket. Instead, they arrest the owner of the car. Why?

The correct answer has been guessed. To read it, see the comments.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

Riddle #35: The cabin

2008-12-15T09:15:00.005-06:00

Here's the latest riddle (sorry I'm late putting it up):

You are hiking in the mountains. You discover a cabin with two dead people in it. Immediately you know the cause of death. Although there is no food in the cabin, they did not die of hunger. Although it is cold in the cabin, they did not die of hypothermia or exposure. What was the cause of death?

The correct answer has been guessed. To read it, see the comments section.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

A fiction story I wrote

2008-12-14T17:45:00.001-06:00

I'm pleased to say that my fiction story, "Stuck in the Snow," has been published in the December issue of Pockets magazine, and they chose my story for their webpage. You can read it at: http://www.upperroom.org/pockets/story.asp?act=view_story&StoryID=629476

Evert's New Model Railroading Blog

2008-12-14T17:38:00.001-06:00

My husband has started a new blog about model railroading. Check it out here:

http://thebigemodelrr.blogspot.com/

Riddle #34: From Australia

2008-12-07T23:13:00.005-06:00

A truckers convention hosted truckers from all over North America and also Australia. As people were mingling around and talking, one of the truckers said to the other one: "Oh, I see the Australian truckers are over there. I'm going to go and talk with them." He had not heard the Australian truckers talking, and they did not have nametags or any specific clothing that distinguished them as Australian. How did he know they were Australian?

The correct answer to the riddle has been guessed. To read it, see the comments section.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.