Me, Myself
and Song Min too

My company has a vacation property located about four hours from the Twin Cities. There are three cabins, a large lake, a swimming pool, tennis courts, a couple of boats, and a private nine hole golf course. It's a very nice property.

Anyhow, this past year, my name was chosen for the cabin. The cabin we were in had a maximum sleeping capacity of fifteen people, but we opted to go alone this time. So, we packed up the Friday before Christmas and spent the weekend there (returning on Monday afternoon). I had heard that the cabin was nice, but for some reason I thought that the people who had been there were exaggerating. So, we were pleasantly surprised when we found that the place was not only spotless clean, but also just plain gorgeous.



In the basement, there were all sorts of fun activities: a pool table, ping pong table, foos ball, Nintendo Gamecube, air hockey, and darts. There were also five new sets of cross country skis (which I did use, but refuse to post the video that Song Min took of me...NOT at all flattering).

We spent most of the time cooking and watching movies. A good deal of our time was spent trying to get the fire going. Since all of the wood was wet, it was a major ordeal. Song Min stayed at it for...well a long time, and finally got it going on its own. When we got home, all of our clothes smelled like smoke.



There were a few things that were negatives there. 1) We were so secluded, that I kept freaking out that we would be the perfect victims of a break in and murder (yes, I know...I've watched too many scary movies). 2) The water smelled like sulfur, so doing the dishes, washing hands, etc. all smelled like eggs...yuck! 3) They had the creepiest coffee table of the land. SERIOUSLY! It was like an aquarium of stuffed fish...with teeth and other little fish out of the big ones' mouths. CREEPY!



The time away together was really nice. I was so happy to be able to spend some quality time alone with my husband. I hope that we'll be able to go up there again sometime soon.

Back in November, Song Min and I went down to Chicago for a long weekend with my friend Lisa. We actually had planned to go with a couple of our friends, but one bailed out at the last minute, so the three of us just ended up going together.

We spent quite a bit of time eating at Korean restaurants. We went to two Korean barbeques (where they bring out the raw meat and you grill it yourself at the table). We also went to this little soup restaurant one afternoon, which was absolutely delicious.

Upon recommendation, we went to a little hot dog joint near our hotel called Gene & Jude's. The line wrapped around the entire place and circled a couple of times in the middle. It was crazy. But, once we started eating (in the car, because there's no place to sit inside), we found that it was worth the wait...yummy!





My big favorite in Chicago is the Museum of Science and Industry. I can remember going to the museum with my family as a kid. Song Min had never been, so I was really excited to wander through with him.





Later, we met up with one of Song Min's friends and hit a noraebang (noraebang is basically karaoke in private rooms). We stayed until the place closed at four in the morning!



It was a fun weekend. We were pretty busy the whole time, so it seemed like a whirlwind trip. Hopefully, we can go again in 2009.

The exact date in December fails me, but a couple of weeks ago, I volunteered with my coworker to stand and ring the ever so familiar holiday Salvation Army bell. I thought that ringing the bell would be a good opportunity to serve in the community. Plus, it might make up for all of the times in years past when I would go in the exit door at the grocery to avoid the bell ringers at the entrance.

I've lived here in Minnesota for almost my entire life. You'd think that I'd be prepared to stand outside in single digit weather for two hours. I'm here to let you know, that thought is wrong. I had to make a trip to Target late the night previous to buy mittens and a winter hat because all I had were leather gloves and a fashion hat (that didn't cover my ears).

Tina (my co-worker) and I stood outside of our local grocery store, in front of a mini-forest of wreaths, garland, and tree tops. We took turns ringing that little bell and trying desperately to make eye contact with as many people as possible (cause that's how you get them!). We wished everyone happy holidays and did our best to let our smiles show through our voices (because our mouths were covered by our scarves).



All in all, I think that we did all right. Most people who walked by popped in a buck or so, and a good handful of people stuffed higher bills into the kettle. It was nice to see the generosity.

Caught this on a friend's facebook page...

2008

JANUARY

1) Who kissed you on New Year's? My husband...duh

2) Did you have a New Year's Resolution? No soda (and for the most part I did it).

3) Have you ever been to Times Square to watch the ball drop? Been to Times Square, but not on New Years. The product that I sell will be in the ball this year...thousands of LED lights with Sil-Pad insulating it so that it doesn't turn into the New Year's fire ball.


FEBRUARY

1) Who was your Valentine? Once again, Song Min...of course!

2) Do you care if the groundhog sees its shadow or not? Nope, I know better than to trust a fat overgrown rat!

3) What did you receive for Valentine's Day? A bag o' goodies...earrings, candy, etc. And my husband had a dozen white tulips delivered to my office!

MARCH

1) Are you Irish? The mirror says no, my grandma says yes!

2) Do you like corned beef and cabbage? I dig both, but haven't actually had them together.

3) Are you happy when winter is pretty much over? I am come out of hibernation every year about May.

APRIL

1) Do you like the rain? In Minnesota, April 75% of rain is still snow. NO!

2) Did you play an April fool's joke on anyone this year? I think that I did, but can't remember.

3) Do you get tons of candy for Easter? I swipe some jelly beans from the bowl at my parent's house.

MAY

1) What is your favorite flower? Tulips

2) Finish the phrase "April showers…"? Still early for flowers.

3) Do you celebrate May 16Th: National Piercing Day? Um, no.

4) Is May anything special to you? Sure, I blew into town in May of 1976. My dad's birthday is in May. Memorial Day. I think there's also some gig for my mom in May too!


JUNE

1)What year did/ will you graduate from high school? 1994

2) Did you do anything fun during this month? Celebrated my first wedding anniversary! Went up North and stayed in a gorgeous rental home on Lake Superior. Not fun, but I think that I got my gall bladder yanked in June or July.

3) Have a favorite baseball team? Not a baseball person. Went to a game with Song Min and Robert though. I guess the Twins, if I HAVE to pick a team.


JULY

1) What did you do on the 4Th of July? Went to my sister-in-law's place for bbq with the family. We also saw a movie, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it was.

2) Did you go to the fireworks? Nope, but we drove by some kids lighting firecrackers on the sidewalk.

3) Did you blast the A/C all day? A/C was on 24/7 from May-August.


AUGUST

1) What was your favorite summer memory of '08? Fishing with Song Min...even though I don't like catching fish.

2) Did you have a sunburn? No, I think I worked when it was sunny.

3) Did you go to the pool a lot? I didn't feel well for most of the summer. Ugh...no.


SEPTEMBER

1) Do you like fall better than summer? Fall and summer are always a toss up for me. Love them both.

2) What happened this month? Gosh, I don't remember anything in September.

OCTOBER

1) What was your last Halloween costume? I didn't have a costume. We had fun putting on costumes at Target though.

2) What is your favorite candy? Starbursts (strawberry, to be specific)

3) What was your favorite thing(s) about this month? The cooler weather.

NOVEMBER

1) Whose house do you go to for Thanksgiving? My parent's place.

2) What are you thankful for? My husband, my family, a good job, a nice place to live, my friends, my sense of humor, that the election is over.

3) Do you love stuffing? My mom's stuffing rules!

4) Anything special in this month? I went to Chicago. My birthday was the 19Th. And I got to see my sister and her family.

DECEMBER

1) Do you celebrate Christmas? I started celebrating in October.

2) What do you want this year? I inherited a love of jewelry from my mother...so there's that. I'd like an easel, sewing machine, a down alternative comforter...I could really go on and on.

3) What do you love most about December? Aside from Christmas, in general? Time off from work...hello cabin, can you hear me?

So, I don't have a good excuse for my lack of blog entries. However, I have come up with several excuses that would be good excuses:

1) I've been in the South Pacific for the past month, working on my tan, sipping coconut water directly from the coconut, and wearing exotic flowers behind my ear instead of earrings.

2) Some kid left a trail of Reese's Pieces in their backyard. I ended up being captured and held at the house for nearly a month. Finally, I was able to construct a gadget out of a saw blade, a Speak and Spell, and some other household items so that I could phone home.

3) My little finger on my right hand was accidentally severed off while I was rescuing a chihuahua from a storm drain. I've spent the last month adjusting to my new life with only nine fingers.

Unfortunately, I have no excuse for my lack of blogging. Sorry!

Picture of my niece, Kaitlin LAST year. I just wanted to pick her up and squeeze her!

So, I couldn't help it...I had to try on the bee costume today while shopping at Target.

Typically, I am a fairly nice person. However, behind the wheel, my blood starts to boil, my heart starts to beat wildly, and my grip on the steering wheel becomes tighter and tighter. I admit, I get a little road rage at times.

So, Song Min tends to be the driver in our relationship. There really are very few instances when he says..."wanna drive?".

The problem with this whole scenario is that I also don't tend to be a very good passenger when Song Min is driving. I'm not a back seat driver or anything, but I do sometimes forget just how much concentration one should devote while driving.


I tend to make faces at him, pretend to run at hyper speed while sitting in my seat, and of course...take pictures of him...and take pictures of myself.



If you're wondering who took this picture...it wasn't Song Min. I was taking my picture because I wanted to see how I looked from Song Min's point of view.



So, if you're ever driving by our Mazda or Mitsubishi, beware...the driver could very well be trying to escape the passenger seat paparazzi.

So, a while back, I got this idea in my head to go apple picking and then bake apple pies. My grandma was always a master pie baker (apple was great, but banana cream pie...TO DIE FOR!).

Anyhow, two weeks or so ago, Song Min, his parents, and I loaded up in the SUV and drove out to Apple Jack Orchard. There were all sorts of charming orchard events going on...hay rides, folk singers, petting zoo, etc. We grabbed a couple bags and made our way to the trees.

The apples were pretty scarce. Seemed like there were others who had the same plan as this Molly (ha ha...yeah right!).

We managed to fill our bags, along with our stomachs. On our way back to the car, Song Min's parents walked slowly through the raspberry bush area. They picked and ate their weight in raspberries. Smiles on their faces!

Once we returned home, Song Min and I researched recipes. I knew the basics of Grandma's perfectly flaky crust. But, I wanted to jazz things up and make it my own.

Tomorrow, we will present our pies to the official judges (my parents, Grandma, and Robert). I won't say which pie is which, but here are some pictures...

Pie A



Pie B



Here is a cute picture of Song Min watching his pie bake!



And yes mom, I did make sure to clean the kitchen after we finished baking!

We tasted our pies about an hour ago. Both were very yummy...if I do say so myself!

I guess we're going to have to wait to see which pie reigns supreme!

Stay tuned for the results!

While at my parent's house, I discovered something curious in the cabinet. My dad had apparently picked up some soup at the grocery store. He's such a goofball!



SERIOUSLY DAD?!?!

I'll be honest with you all, Song Min is probably going to go ahead and ban me from using the computer from this point on. But, I had talked about it for so long...I just couldn't resist. We actually decided not to purchase the costume (Song Min is working Halloween weekend, so it would have been a bit of a waste). As a surprise, he had one of his buddies take a picture of him in the bee costume for me. Let me just say to you all, the pictures were both a surprise and a delight!

My fuzzy bumblebee...

Pictures from yearbookyourself.com

www.yearbookyourself.com - where you can upload your photo and see what you'd look like in different years.

Examples:

1990



1960



www.joshhosler.biz/NumberOneInHistory/SelectMonth.htm - where you can input your birth date and find out the number one song that day.

Mine: November 19, 1975

"That's the Way (I Like It)" K.C. and the Sunshine Band

SWEET!

Things I do to make Song Min laugh:

1) My one person parade while I'm preparing to go out with Song Min in the evenings. I call it the "gettin' ready march". Yeah, I actually march around and say out loud "gettin' ready march...gettin' ready march".

2) When the Verizon commercials are on tv and there's tuba playing in the music - I like to put my hands up like I'm playing the tuba and rock back and forth and pretend to play along with the music. I'm pretty great at the air tuba (if I do have to say so myself!)

3) Running ahead of Song Min randomly and exclaiming in a crazy silly voice "chase me!" This is almost always followed with a shriek and then me screaming "no, don't don't don't!"

4) When I mess something up or don't get my way...I like to stomp to the couch, sit down, fold my arms and put my head down looking away from Song Min. He thinks it is so funny...which can make it a little frustrating if I really AM pouting.

5) I like to lay on the couch or on the bed and strike a martial arts pose that I could never in my life do standing up - like I'm flying through the air doing a "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" move.

6) Almost daily, I like to tell Song Min that I love him just a little more than he loves me. I usually hold my hand up and show him just how much "extra" I love him. I don't exaggerate...it's just a pinch more. But, he usually just laughs at me and says "that's impossible".

7) When Song Min makes a hard stop or a tight turn when driving in the car. I like to pull on the seat belt to make it lock, throw my arms, legs, and head forward...like a crash test dummy.

A quick, but not so nutritious breakfast that I seem to eat day after day after day...

My favorite for the moment:



Quaker Cinnamon Streusel Mini Delights (90 calorie pack)

They should be called Max Delights...because they simply are!

Mmmmm

An hour and a half before the alarm goes off...

Rachel: I just had a weird dream about bees.

Song Min: Uh...

Rachel: I discovered that people were turning into bees. When they sting, they're just angry little people.

Song Min: It's just because you want me to be a bee for Halloween.

Rachel: You'd be a cute angry bee.

Song Min: I'd be a wasp!

Rachel: No, you'll be a fuzzy bumblebee!

Song Min: A wasp!

Rachel: No, you'll be a fuzzy bumblebee!!

Song Min: Uhh...

Rachel: Good night.

I don't understand people who enjoy camping. I've got friends who love it. They plan it out and look forward to it. To me, it's simply playing "homeless" unnecessarily. Given the choices of sleeping in a tent for a week, or sleeping in a motel without my own bedding to block me from who knows what disease lurks on the "never-wash" comforter...I think I'd probably go with the queen sized petri dish.

That said, I've discovered the show Man vs. Wild.



Bear Grylls (above), is the star of the show...and a true nutcase.

He puts himself in situations that are completely unnecessary. Not only does this man enjoy eating things like live frogs and larvae, but also will make a meal of snakes or spiders.

So, I'm watching the show tonight, expecting to see the normal eating of bugs and sleeping in the rain without protection. Oh no, tonight Bear goes for the gold and traps and eats a skunk. A little later in the same episode, he gets stung on the face by bees...face swells up to the point that if I encountered him at the local mall, I would literally have to say to myself "oh my gosh, don't stare!" The ultimate crazy of this episode was that Bear urinated into the skin of the rattlesnake that he had recently called dinner and then later...drank it. Yeah...drank it. I'm thinking to myself, this should be rated R for unnecessary gross stuff!

There are times that I complain about my job. There are times that I'd like to throw in the towel...like when my computer slows down to a stop or when my representative in Spain asks me the same question that he's asked eighty million times before. Today, is one of those days that I am quite thankful for the job that I have.

Friday night, Robert, Song Min, and I loaded up in my parent's van and made our way down to the Metrodome for a MN Twins baseball game. Like football, I'm not much of a baseball fan. I'm not thrilled when the home team has loaded bases and no outs. My thoughts during a baseball game, even during the most exciting game for the mild sports fan, are 1) if I go to the bathroom now, will there be a lot of women in line? 2) should I get the hot dog or nachos?

So, we're sitting up in the cheap seats, where the players are tiny and the actual ball is nonexistent. These are the seats that are so far away that people all make the same comment..."Well, I can see the whole field from here." Yeah, duh.

Even though baseball isn't my sport, and the smell of Corn Nuts kept wafting my way from the lady's bag of contra ban snacks next to me, the night wasn't a total bust. I got to spend the night next to my guys, who were having a great time together. Not a bad night at all.

I thought that I would give the Geico version of an update on my life...tried to get Mrs. Butterworth, but she was booked solid until next year!

Here's my attempt at making my own somewhat boring life, a little more interesting sounding (thanks to my good friends wit and humor).

Career-wise, there's not much new going on. I'm still working for the Bergquist Company as an Inside Sales Representative. It seems like every other week, one of the two people that I back up is out of the office. I can't complain too much, because I certainly take my share of days off too. However, I tend to be fly by the seat of my pants - taking a day here, half a day there, etc. My coworkers are the kind of people who save up their vacation for week long getaways to Fiji...so their territories all get the mass email letting them know that they need to contact me for the week. What can I say...let's hear it for the planners.

On most days, by the time 4:00 rolls around, I'm spinning like a Globe Trotter basketball. I'll be the first to say, I'm no ballerina, so I don't do that fancy focus on one spot thing...I fall down with a pretty hefty kaboom.

Luckily, I've got my Song Min. He's like pure oxygen for me (which by the way, when can I be old enough to start carting around one of those tanks on wheels?!). So, I get this big reviving breath of fresh air when I get home and I'm good to go for another six hours or so.

On most days, Song Min and I share our evenings with Mr. Jack McCoy and the whole gang from Law and Order. I don't know what it is, but they get us every time! Anyhow, lately, Song Min and I have been a little more productive.

We have recently started our own business, International Direct LLC. Yeah, I'm totally a CEO now...you don't need to kiss my ring or anything (I'm Korean so bowing would be more appropriate). I really don't know what I'm supposed to do yet. Do you think that they make the book "CEO's for Dummies"?

Even stranger, our business is a garment business. Scary! I'm sitting here typing with my khakis rolled up a little too short, shoes that make me look like Pinocchio, and a horizontally striped shirt (which makes a person like me...pretty much look the size of a bus). I'm no fashion queen here people. Luckily, the end of the business that we are running is more about getting clothing retailers the same quality that they already have..at a lower price.

So, we're at the very start of this business. Our company name has been registered with the Secretary of State. We're working on all of the informational stuff now...next move will be reaching out to our potential customers. Thank you years of sale's skills...you'll hopefully, come in handy! So, if I start writing about exotic trips to the Galapagos Islands or my weekend getaways to the South of France...you'll know that we've had major success. Until that point, I'll be showing up a little after 7 every week day morning, to my desk with a great view of the hallway.

I also have been working on the Membership and Events Committee for a non-profit organization called AdopSource. We just wrapped up a book signing event. I have decided to proceed with planning a big fundraiser on November 15th...pretty much by myself. I've gotten the organization President's approval and so I'm running with it. Should be interesting when I show up to my next committee meeting with a full blown fund raising event planned.

Aside from work...let's see...hmmmm. I can't really think of much happening. Song Min and I are planning on attending a Red Cross fundraising gala at the new W Hotel in Minneapolis. Some of our favorite restaurants are being featured, so I'm totally bringing an empty stomach and a bottle of Tums for the car ride home! Though the Red Cross is an amazing draw in itself...we're going mostly because Tom Colicchio from Top Chef is going to be there. I'm totally excited!

Well, that's the haps right now. Lots of stuff going on, but trying to have fun and keep a good sense of humor as I roll along life...dragging Song Min with me!

Behold...

Song Min's 2008 Halloween costume!



I'm going as a flower...not as much fun, but it was the only way I could get Song Min to go as a bee.

Maybe next year there will be a ladybug costume. He'd make the cutest ladybug!

Jessica was just here visiting with her kids from Texas. While she here, we were all able to hang out and carry out our own little Keck family reunion. Make no mistake, however, Jessica's main purpose in visiting Minnesota was not hanging out with family. Oh no. She was here for Scrapfest 2008. This is when the Mall of America calls out to all of the little scrapbooking maniacs like the mothership calling home it's people from around the world...seriously, the whole world.

Anyhow, Jess arrived as the lone parent, but called in the calvary a few days later. Nathan was having lower gastro-intestinal issues (if you know what I mean) and Kaitlin, well she's just a two year old who requires two year old sort of attention. With Nathan a little fearful of Grandma (much to my mother's horror), it put a damper on Jessica's Scrapfest excitement. So, Thursday evening, Travis rode in upon gleaming white airplane to rally the troops and rescue the princess.

I had the opportunity to spend a little time with the kids, Kaitlin and Nathan. Nathan was so cute. I felt like one of those crummy aunts that no kids want because I kept pinching his little round cheeks. Lucky for me, Nathan (like others) apparently thinks Asian people all look alike, and seemed to mistake me for his mother. Pheww!



Kaitlin and I got along famously. My take on this quick friendship is the fact that Kaitlin is such a bright little girl. Seriously, don't people attract like people?! I would say that my sister, mother, father...well, the rest of the free world, might argue that I, on the other hand, have the mind and behavior of a two year old. To those people, I say...yeah, you're probably right.



All in all, the visit from the Faddis family was a good one. It was fun to see them and sad to see them go. Fortunately, Travis is wanting to take his beloved new minivan out on the open road...so, they'll be back at Thanksgiving.

Here are some random pictures that I found in my "trunk o' pictures":

A couple of fun old pictures:







This was a picture taken on New Years Eve 2005. My friends and I had rented a limo. This is a picture of me and Jen Lane. What a fun night!



A picture of me and another friend Jen. The guy in the middle was someone we thought looked a little like Gene Simmons from KISS. He doesn't look like him, but he found it highly flattering and gave us the green light to have our picture taken with him. The best part about this whole thing was that Jen and I were debating about whether his hair was a wig or just dyed. Jen believed it was a wig. I thought it was dyed. So, wanting to prove her wrong (and to win a dare), I walked across the room and went to touch his hair...ended up tripping and slathered my hand down the back of his head while yelling out "it's REAL!".



Trisha and I took the BEST vacation together to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico the spring of 2006. Nothing but laying by the pool and eating. It was delightful! Could we have been more tan?!




A picture of me and my roommates my freshman year of college at Ricks. This was taken before the MORP dance. Why we chose to all wear denim tuxedos??? Not exactly sure!



Just a goofy picture of my roommates the second year at Ricks College.



Oh Steve-O Fransen! I met Steve my freshman year at Ricks College. Met up with him again at B.Y.U. We had so much fun together! Steve-O used to take cheese and run it through the wire of his braces. It was so funny...and very odd! He was a fun guy though.



This is of me and my good friend Garrett...and our long lost friend Matt.


This picture was taken at a party. I remember having lots of pictures taken. And I remember Trish (the one in the blue) and I having a watermelon eating contest out on the patio. Trisha started laughing the second it started, and I followed with a combination of laughing and choking. Crazy fun.



The picture below is from a trip that I took with my friends Marla, Joseph, Jason, and Marla's friend Jill. We all went up to Duluth together. This is a picture of me and Marla.



This is a picture of Marla's sister Reva. I've known both girls for the longest time. Anyhow, Reva and I went up to this gigantic cabin with our friend Joseph. We just sat around and ate steak...it was a good time!

I've been going through files and shoe boxes full of paperwork and pictures since moving. Let me just say...I keep WAY too many random things.

Anyhow, while going through a file, I found a couple of letters. One from my Grandma Keck, and one from my Grandma Daniels.

I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to have known and spent time with both sets of grandparents.

Here's the letter from my Grandma Keck:



I remember, as a kid, my brother, sister, and I would fight over who got to lick the whipped cream spoon, or the cake batter spoon, or the cookie dough spoon. Well, my Grandma Keck offered the Miracle Whip spoon. It was the first time that no one cried over NOT getting the spoon.



Here's a letter from my Grandma Daniels:



One of the memories that I will always have of my Grandma Daniels is when my family all went up to the head waters of the Mississippi River in Central Minnesota. We stayed the night in a hotel. My parents were in one room with my brother. I shared a room with Grandma. In the middle of the night, I awoke to a strange sound. I looked over and could see Grandma's silhouette while sitting on the edge of the bed in front of the window. The strange sound...it was Grandma opening a can of soda and unwrapping a Milky Way candy bar. I just laughed to myself and went back to sleep. I will never forget that night. She's my funny Grandma!



Both of these letters were sent to me when I was around twelve years old. Here's a lovely picture of me at my sixth grade graduation...about twelve years old.

Maggie, Oh Maggie,
Four footed friend of mine...
You watched our house
You greened our grass
And warmed the house feline.

Your dark brown coat matched neatly
With your eyes, your nails, and tail.
Your choice of scent was funky
And would make us all turn pale.

I'm thinking now "hey, dogs can't read"
This is a stupid blog...
All I want to really say is
Maggie was a real good dog!

Dumb stuff that I do when no one is looking...

1) Pull up on the sides of my face to see if I could use a face lift.

2) Sit unlady-like while at my desk (mom, it's okay...no one can see!).

3) Call my cell phone and listen to the first voicemail that Song Min left for me after we met.

4) Learn dance moves by watching On Demand MTV.

5) Look at robots online...yeah, it's geeky, but I do.

6) Put White Out on stuff that I shouldn't while talking on the phone...like the back of my calculator or the side of my stapler.

7) Leave prank messages on different friends' voice mails.

8) Try to desensitize myself from things that scare me (e.g. looking at pictures of chickens and spiders). No, it hasn't really helped...yet.

Hurray!!! Today is my grandma's eighty-third birthday (I can remember this easily, as she is fifty years older than me!). Today, I thought that I would write about my mom's side of the family, in honor of my grandma's birthday (don't worry Mom...I will write about you and Dad separately).

First of all, I have to say, I am proud to be a Keck. My dad's side of the family is really great. However, practically the moment I breezed into the United States, I had a magical relationship with my mom's side of the family...the Daniels.



When I was very young, my grandparents lived in a little house on Fairview Avenue in Decatur, Illinois. I have many fond memories of the house and the city of Decatur alone. I remember all of the little pictures of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy my grandma had taped up against the bedroom wall where Jessica and I slept. I remember Jessica and I laying in that bedroom tucked in under our Snoopy blankets playing flashlight tag on the ceiling with our yellow Popeye flashlights...and reading Archie comics. I remember the yellow smiley towel that Grandma had in her bathroom, along with the frog soap holder and the 70's flower anti-slip stickers on the floor of the bathtub.

My grandparents had a little table for Jessica and me, where we would play kitchen. There was a special drawer (I believe it was the lower right hand drawer) in the center island of the kitchen, where we could find any number of play pots, pans, and dishes.

Speaking of toys, Grandma always had presents waiting for us when we'd visit sitting on the orange and brown floral sofa and on the little round table. I remember specifically the time we came through the door and Jessica and I found stuffed animal Care Bears for each of us. There was also a special treat located in the secret drawer of the round table (one of my favorites...Pick Up Sticks).

We would play for hours in the backyard, looking for creatures and pretending to swing from the long branches of the weeping willow tree. Grandma would often puncture holes in the top of an Oleo container (I think that I probably learned the word "Oleo" from my Grandma!) so that the little crickets and fireflies that I would capture could breathe until I let them go.

Blowing bubbles on the porch of the house was always a good time. Grandma would also always give us a half cup (Grandma had the thinnest plastic cups known to man) of 7-Up or apple juice. I loved taking trips to Tolley's and riding the mechanical horse (I LOVED that horse!).

The pets there were always fun too. Katya the spaniel and Mabel the beagle were always fun to play with. At dinner time, Jessica and I sat on chairs with wooden slats that would pinch the back of my thighs when I wore shorts. Mabel would often be sitting the doorway of the dining room barking her signature beagle bark...RORK! All the while, Katya would be under the table going down the line of legs and pawing at each person's shins (which was quite painful!). Grandma and Grandpa also had a cat named Mr. Keke. I don't remember a lot about him...except that he was always either going outside, coming back in, or sitting in the window.

I remember visiting my Aunt Nancy (a.k.a. Aunt Bubbles because she liked bubble baths) at the yarn store she worked in...and eating popcorn balls with her (mmmm...popcorn balls). My aunt had a little house nearby. I remember playing with the western style doors that went from the living room to the kitchen. She also had two cats, Tinkerbell and Peter Pan who would run for their lives when they'd see me coming. No worries, I'd always find them hiding under my aunt's seemingly tall bed "dit-do", though my aunt would tell me over and over again that her cats would scratch and bite. I also remember Aunt Nancy's guitar and thinking how amazing it was that she could play Puff the Magic Dragon (much to her delight...I don't know where the beautiful picture of she and her guitar is or I would paste that baby on here!).



I remember sitting at the piano with my Aunt Ruthie and learning to push one key at a time on the piano instead of banging all at the same time. I remember watching her also play the flute! I remember Aunt Ruthie's hair. I remember it being long. I remember it short. I remember it being straight. I remember it being curly too...and watching her put hot curlers in her hair (seemed like a very cool thing to do!).





I remember Grandpa and Grandmas' recliners with the table between them...and the air machine that sat on it. I can remember Grandpa sitting in that recliner napping or watching tv on their big wooden console television with the TWO dials (fancy!). I remember Grandpa sitting on the porch sipping his extra big cup of iced tea (with the neat long rows of ice cubes from the ice maker). I remember Grandpa's voice, his suspenders, his clunky looking brown tie shoes and button up shirts (NEVER v-neck shirts and very VERY rarely a tie).



Grandma always showered us with presents, hugs, and kisses. She went along with all of our games, as well as our many many silly performances and art shows. Grandma had the coolest things, such as the Mickey Mouse banks that she kept change in and required a butter knife and a steady hand to retrieve the coins. She also had neat purses that she let Jessica and I play with as children at her house. I remember thinking how neat they were with the twist clasp. And oh how I remember Grandma's banana cream pie...my favorite (Grandpa would secretly let me pull off the peaks of the meringue and eat them before the pie was served...mmmm!).

Leaving Grandma and Grandpa's house...all I remember was my mom crying. Soon though, my mom wouldn't have to cry about leaving them again.

By the time I was in second grade, Grandma and Grandpa moved up to Minnesota to our house. Until their basement apartment was finished, they stayed up in our playroom. I will never forget the night that Grandma screamed because she discovered that our plastic finger puppet of a caterpillar glowed in the dark! Upon completion of the apartment, Jessica and I camped out downstairs in the basement. I remember Grandma giving us each a glass (more like a goblet) of grape juice and my mom pretty much threatening our lives if we spilled on the new carpet.



Throughout my childhood, Grandma specifically kept us kids busy. She would play any game (real or imaginary). I remember her teaching me 1, 2, 3 O'Leary, with our playground ball (she would even kick her leg over the ball!). We would play Old Maid with Grandma...and cheat to ALWAYS make Grandma the Old Maid! Grandma often played cowboy with Robert on their imaginary horses, Gus and Gow. We'd play hide and seek. Grandma would always just throw a blanket over herself (and sometimes Robert too) and sit in the corner until we found her. Grandma was a wonderful playmate.



As an adult, I have a lot of appreciation for my wonderful Grandma. She's interesting to converse with about any topic from back in the day she was a child (which I used to refer to as the days of the pyramids), to things she just doesn't understand (because, as she puts it "she's elderly"). My grandma has always been there in my life and I am truly grateful for the opportunity that I've had to know her and be loved by her.



Happy birthday Grandma....I hope that you've enjoyed my rendition of "A Trip Down Memory Lane".