http://www.annebrandt.com/ Contemporary essays, fiction, and opinion offered regularly by author Anne Brandt. Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:05:02 CDT Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:05:02 CDT en-us http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-840.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-840.php Earl often shakes his head when we talk about cars. Hes not a super car buff, but he can tell a Lexus from a Toyota from a Saturn. Me? I can hardly tell my own car from another blue one in the supermarket parking lot Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-839.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-839.php Happy April Fools. Since its late in the day, I promise not to make silly jokes, offer imaginary stories, or tell you theres a spider in your hair when there really isnt. Instead, I muse on my own feelings about the day Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-838.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-838.php Almost ten days ago, the server that hosts my web site went down . . . again! This is the second time in recent memory; hopefully, it will be the last. I have switched servers and am assured that the new provider can handle things better Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-837.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-837.php Truth is Im a slacker where St. Patricks Day is concerned. The Everymans model for celebrating the day belonged to my Mother, who was one hundred percent Irish and one thousand percent proud of it.As a child, I remember how Mother always made the day special Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-836.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-836.php Im celebrating St. Patricks Day tomorrow in two ways. Im fixing corned beef and Im meeting with our accountant regarding our 2007 taxes. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to determine which project Im putting more into this weekend Sun, 16 Mar 2008 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-835.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-835.php Over the past few months, Ive been working on a photo organization project partly as a respite from the ever present political scene. Its been slow going since I end up stopping to reminisce over every other photo Sat, 15 Mar 2008 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-834.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-834.php Just when you think things cant get crazier, they do. Its only Tuesday, but already this week presidential hopefuls Clinton and Obama are feuding about second spot on the national ticket and who should have it Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-833.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-833.php I received a disturbing email that claims to have been written by one Colonel Harry Riley, USA, retired, to the thirty-three Senators who voted against making English the official language of our country Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-832.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-832.php I usually empty my Spam filter a couple times a day because I dont like the idea of unsolicited messages lurking in my in-box. But yesterday I decided not to delete the spam just to see what would happen Fri, 07 Mar 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-831.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-831.php Much has been made about Senator Hillary Clintons efforts to find her voice in the current campaign to be her partys presidential candidate. First, there was the sentimental Hillary who teared up in New Hampshire Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-830.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-830.php Today is Primary Day in Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, and Vermont. And what Ive noticed lately is that the media has become a third party to the campaigning. I dont mean in the regular sense that reporters have been sharing information through various news channels about what is going on Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-829.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-829.php There is a hilarious article in the current issue (dated March 7) of The Chronicle of Higher Education. It asks readers to sketch their ideas for the forthcoming George W. Bush Presidential Library. All modern presidents have one, and evidently Bushs will be at Southern Methodist University Mon, 03 Mar 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-828.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-828.php Earl has a certain fascination with Ukrainian eggs. In fact, one such egg was among the very first gifts he gave me. We bought it together in an old ethnic neighborhood on Chicagos west side. I returned the favor one year by bringing him a Ukrainian egg from New York City Sun, 02 Mar 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-827.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-827.php I have been in bed these past four days with a bronchial infection which has left me listless and grey. To pass the time, Ive watched a lot of television, probably more than Ive watched in the past twelve months; and I notice that daytime TV runs a certain cycle Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-826.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-826.php Several months ago I happened upon a web site called Arts & Letter Daily, www.aldaily.com for short. It isnt so much a web site in its own right as it is a portal to other sites that offer provocative criticism and review of contemporary philosophy, literature, culture, history, music, and almost any other topic you can imagine Sat, 23 Feb 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-825.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-825.php I watched last nights debate between Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and then I watched the analysis that followed. I did like that the debate didnt really take any truly nasty turns Fri, 22 Feb 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-824.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-824.php Im a writer. So its only logical that I support the notion that words count, that they mean something. And when political candidates make statements about staying in Iraq for one hundred years or withdrawing troops in sixty days or feeling proud for the first time as an adult, I think these words should be challenged Thu, 21 Feb 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-823.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-823.php Recently, I decided to put up a bird feeder outside my office window, partly to feed the hungry birds and partly to amuse myself with their comings and goings. Now, ten days into the mission, Ive determined several rules for feeding hungry birds in winter Sun, 17 Feb 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-822.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-822.php According to Smith -- an online storytelling community that encouraged reading, writing, and sharing -- legend has it that Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? For sale: baby shoes, never worn Thu, 14 Feb 2008 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-821.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-821.php Last night some friends, Earl, and I went to see the touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar, a rock musical from the 1970s that revolves around the last few days of Christs life. We all know how the story ends, but that isnt the real reason I came away dissatisfied Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-820.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-820.php No this isnt about politics. Its about one of radios most well-known commentators.Today, February 8, Paul Harvey started one of his radio segments by saying it \"isn\'t funny, but it is memorable.\" He then proceeded to tell of a Realtor in England who was showing a home, and the prospective buyer asked if there was ample closet space Fri, 08 Feb 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-819.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-819.php Mitt Romney has quit the race; in doing so, he changes the entire game. Now the Republicans will begin getting in line behind their presumed presidential nominee, Senator John McCain of Arizona, while the Democrats continue to jockey for delegates Thu, 07 Feb 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-818.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-818.php I normally dont let the outside world into my bedroom early in the morning, but today was an exception. I didnt stay up last night to see every states results in the massive primary event, and I was interested in the final tally Wed, 06 Feb 2008 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-817.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-817.php Super Tuesday is moving in, and my world will become political again. But for now, Im basking in little things. Like studying snowflakes and savoring the taste of vodka and truly hearing the sound of silence (Not the song, the actual sound of the lack of sound) Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-816.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-816.php In the past couple days, Republican Rudy Giuliani and Democrat John Edwards have dropped from the race for president. Giuliani now endorses John McCain, while -- as of this writing -- Edwards has not declared his preference between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-815.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-815.php This has been a challenging couple weeks in terms of my web site, our homes security system, our sump pumps, and snow. The old adage about when it rains it pours can be more succinctly put as: When one thing goes wrong, theres a snowball effect Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-814.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-814.php Todays is Nevadas turn in the caucus spotlight. Its three in the afternoon, and I cant take it any more. Ive watched Fox and CNN for the past hour, and most of what Im hearing falls into two categories Sat, 19 Jan 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-813.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-813.php The next primaries arent until this Saturday, January 19, so Ive entertained myself with watching the premier of the new season of American Idol. A couple moments even brought soft tears to my eyes, which is more than I can say for the political rhetoric Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-812.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-812.php Today is the Michigan State Primary, but from what I can see its a non-event. The Democratic National Committee put the state committee on notice that it will not recognize any Democratic delegates from Michigan at the summer convention in Denver because the state committee pushed its primary ahead of other states and scheduled it for today Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-811.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-811.php Our road is still pretty much under water; in fact, the local authorities have put a sign up that the road is closed except for local traffic.But that hasnt stopped the gawkers from driving by. I know theyre gawkers because Im familiar with most of the families who live on our road and I recognize most of their automobiles Fri, 11 Jan 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-810.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-810.php We live on the St. Joe River. Usually its a benign presence about thirty feet from our back door. But in the last couple days its become a threat, if not to life as we know it then at least to everything we have stored in our lower level Thu, 10 Jan 2008 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-809.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-809.php The second state to weigh in held its primary yesterday. Judging from the results, its going to be a long spring. Anybody who is interested has probably already learned the results, so I have other observations to ponder Wed, 09 Jan 2008 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-808.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-808.php Earl was cleaning out some boxes recently and came across three postcards Id sent him a decade ago. Id gone to France to visit some long-time friends and kept him apprised of our activities from time to time Mon, 07 Jan 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-807.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-807.php A lengthy article in todays local newspaper used the term conservative Christian several times. One interviewee, for example, said, If conservative Christians get excited about a candidate and come out and vote Sun, 06 Jan 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-806.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-806.php The presidential candidates are on to New Hampshire for a blitz between now and Tuesday evenings voting. In honor of that state, Ive decided to clean out our two freezers over the next few days. These two things might seem unrelated; but its a symbolic gesture Sat, 05 Jan 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-805.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-805.php Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee won in Iowa last night, although I cant say theirs were decisive victories. I know they want to think that, and maybe the media promotes it; but lets put the Democratic and Republican caucuses in perspective Fri, 04 Jan 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-804.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-804.php Nobody can call me politically astute; in fact, Ive spent most of 2007 trying to avoid any discussions, debates, or debacles that reek of politics. But, with the Iowa caucus being held tomorrow, its time to become an educated voter Wed, 02 Jan 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-803.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-803.php This is my first blog for 2008. Earl and I spent New Years Eve with old friends. (Im talking how long Ive know them here; not their ages.) Weve ushered in the New Year with them before, so there was reminiscing not only about what we did this past year, but also what we did in years past Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-802.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-802.php I visited my local jeweler today because the stone in the ring hed created recently seemed loose. He agreed that it was. In addition, he offered to clean all the rings Id worn into his shop, a service he does each time I visit him Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-801.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-801.php Three years ago (October 27, 2004) I wrote an essay titled Life, According to Sweatshirts which reviewed some of the sayings that can be found on sweatshirts and proposed the idea that we can learn something about life in general by studying them, as well as learn something about the convictions of the people wearing those shirts Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-800.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-800.php Earl and I arrived home Saturday night, having experienced eighty-five degree weather at 8 AM that morning and a blizzard at 8 PM that night. But that wasnt the only adjustment we made this past weekend Mon, 17 Dec 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-799.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-799.php I recently read an essay by Cristina Nehring about how the American essay as a writing form has declined in recent years. She argues that essays used to be vibrant, showing the true opinion of the author Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-798.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-798.php I do most of my holiday shopping via catalog and the telephone; and it seems to work well. Theres just one thing I find annoying about the process, and thats getting an email confirmation of my order Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-797.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-797.php Today I spent the better part of the afternoon trimming our Christmas tree, and it always makes me sentimental. Some of my ornaments are ages old and come from my former lives; putting them on the tree provides for recollections Sat, 01 Dec 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-796.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-796.php Although I resisted for years, I have become a convert. I now embrace the benefits of starting the Christmas season early. Prior to this conversion, I waited until the last possible moment and then ran around crazed, hoping some unscheduled happening (like the flu) didnt force me to press on when I felt puny Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-795.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-795.php Its the last day of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and Im somewhat surly. Its not because I didnt get my fill of turkey or because I didnt have a wonderful time on my annual visit to see close relatives in Denver, Colorado Sun, 25 Nov 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-794.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-794.php Some of the things Im thankful for this year are (in random train-of-thought order): Bush cannot be re-elected. My aunt and uncle are doing well and continue to invite us to share the holiday with them Thu, 22 Nov 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-793.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-793.php Whenever I tell someone were going to Colorado for Thanksgiving, its assumed were going to ski. That must be a testament to all the dollars the various resorts in the Rockies pour into advertising. Theres Vail and Aspen and Keystone; theres Steamboat and Snowmass and Breckenridge Wed, 21 Nov 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-792.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-792.php I consider myself a pretty good traveler. I bring only carry-on luggage regardless of the length of the trip. I can find my way around in strange cities. And Im not deterred if I dont speak the native language when I get there Tue, 20 Nov 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-791.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-791.php I couldnt resist. A couple days ago I took some photographs of our back yard as autumn waned and the chill of winter arrived. The chill always precedes the actuality.This shot, taken in early morning mist, reminds me why I live here Mon, 19 Nov 2007 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-790.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-790.php As the Fighting Irish played the Duke Blue Devils, a constant drizzle of rain made for a long afternoon at the University of Notre Dame yesterday. It didnt soak approximately eighty thousand spectators to the bone as much as it seeped into their collective mood Sun, 18 Nov 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-789.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-789.php Earl and I are off to the University of Notre Dame to watch the Fighting Irish take on Dukes Blue Devils. I had vowed I wouldnt go to another ND game this year, but circumstances changed my mind. Two of my Chicago friends are going to be there; so Im willing to suffer four hours in the cold stadium to have dinner with them in a warm restaurant afterwards Sat, 17 Nov 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-788.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-788.php Years ago -- about twenty-five, I believe -- I embarked on the study of Yoga. It was a time in my life fraught with children of all ages, and I needed something relaxing for myself two nights a week. So off I went to the local high school and spent a wonderful hour each time with Mrs Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-787.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-787.php Today is the official start of firearm deer hunting season in the State of Michigan. Having lived in big cities most of my life, I wasnt aware of this propitious event until we moved to St. Joseph. However, we learned quickly that life as we know it on a day-to-day basis stops temporarily on November 15 Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-786.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-786.php If ever you want to see your own community through fresh eyes, invite a couple friends who dont live there to spend the day. Youll come away with a renewed appreciation of what your locale offers. Thats what happened to Earl and me today Mon, 12 Nov 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-785.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-785.php A couple blogs ago I quoted English poet John Keats who said, A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Let me add, it can also be a profound irritant.Case in point: For Earls seventieth birthday I commissioned a woodworker to build a beautiful clock, one that would hang on our wall and chime every fifteen minutes as well as on the hour Sun, 11 Nov 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-784.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-784.php Im always tearing interesting things from newspapers and magazines as I read them, and here is a sampling of what last nights foraging found.A small magazine that reviews new books had an even smaller ad on page seventeen for Fresh Yarn: The online salon for personal essays Sat, 10 Nov 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-783.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-783.php I took this photo a couple weeks ago as summer waned and autumn arrived. The geraniums still bloomed but with less zest than in the heat of the high season. The leaves on the trees were losing their ability to product chlorophyll, which keeps them green in summer Fri, 09 Nov 2007 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-782.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-782.php I think Bill OReilly is one of the most arrogant men on television today, and this saddens me. I saw him in person a year or two ago at a local Economics Club function and was impressed with his humility and knowledge Tue, 06 Nov 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-781.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-781.php Ive taken piano five and a half years now, and every day theres a revelation. Sometimes it comes in the form of listening to a piece of music and realizing I can decipher the rhythm pattern. Sometimes it comes because my fingers know what to do, and my brain isnt working so hard telling them Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-780.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-780.php Had you asked me a year ago if I would be willing to pay about twelve dollars a month to listen to my car radio without commercial interruptions, I probably would have said no. Its not that I like commercials, but at the time I only listened to one station whenever I was driving Thu, 01 Nov 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-779.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-779.php As Halloweens go, this one was a bust. I just turned off our porch lights, as the official time for Trick or Treating in our community is over. We had a grand total of three children come by.Its true we dont live in a neighborhood where there are a lot of children, and we also dont live where parents from other neighborhoods take their offspring because of rumors of generous candy-givers Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-778.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-778.php The local golf club offers ten dollar entrees on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday; which means the dining room is crowded and you need a reservation, unless you get there before five fifteen. We rarely do Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-777.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-777.php On my return yesterday from visiting my friend Carol in Bloomington, Indiana, I detoured to attend the service and funeral of my next-door-neighbors granddaughter in Indianapolis. It wasnt really out of my way -- just off one of the main highways that I traversed -- so I would have felt badly not to have made the effort Sun, 28 Oct 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-776.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-776.php About ten years ago, I wrote an essay about my childhood friend Carol, whom Ive known since sixth grade. She was eleven and I was ten when we met. I just spent the last three days with her and feel an update is in order Sat, 27 Oct 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-774.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-774.php Halloween is about a week away, and I cant wait for it to be over. It makes me gain weight.We dont have a lot of Trick or Treaters in our neighborhood, so I bought only a couple bags of individually wrapped candies to pass out Wed, 24 Oct 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-775.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-775.php Last Friday, I visited La Belle Chique, a local spa, with the intention of obtaining information about skin care. My skin, especially on my face, approximates that of an alligators that I then cover with make-up Tue, 23 Oct 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-773.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-773.php Here is my new car, a Toyota Scion, which was originally created to appeal to the youth market. Well, maybe the creators should reconsider and appeal to the boomer market that still thinks its the youth market Mon, 22 Oct 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-772.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-772.php I am old dog, but I learned a couple new tricks this past week, some of them unexpectedly.The most memorable experience happened a couple days ago when I attempted to cook spaghetti squash in my microwave Sun, 21 Oct 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-771.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-771.php Earl and I just returned from a church supper, the kind where the ladies of the congregation do all the cooking and everyone else does all the eating. We were guests of someone who works with Earl, and it was a novel experience for us Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-770.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-770.php Last weekend we spent some time in a Fairfield Inn, a motel chain which seems to be owned by Marriott Corporation. Now Im not picking on Marriott; its just that our recent experience reminded me of my attitude toward hotel/motel chains in general Tue, 16 Oct 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-769.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-769.php This past weekend Earl and I visited Springfield, Illinois. Most Midwesterners probably know that Springfield is the state capital and that it is home to a collection of historic sites related to Abraham Lincoln who lived there for twenty-five years prior to becoming President of the United States Mon, 15 Oct 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-768.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-768.php Ive been home from New York for forty-eight hours. My bag is unpacked, my mail is read, Im back in my own groove; but the memories of the fun I had linger. Keith, Chris and I managed to squeeze a trip to the MOMA, a stroll down Park Avenue, drinks at Grand Central Station, a Broadway show, and three excellent dinners into our time together Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-767.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-767.php I head for New York City tomorrow morning, early. Ive been heading for NYC early the past ten years, mostly to work. But this time its all about play. Im visiting my son, Keith, and his partner, Chris; and fredflare Thu, 04 Oct 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-766.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-766.php Accidentally -- I hope -- I received an email from AOL about re-gifting, the act of giving a gift to someone that youve received as a gift from someone else. Ive also seen a television program about this subject recently, and Im not sure what the hoopla is all about Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-765.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-765.php I have never been a devotee of the microwave, even though I took cooking lessons when I purchased my first one years ago. I went to this free class and watched the presenter prepare an entire meal from scratch Mon, 01 Oct 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-764.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-764.php In our family and beyond, Earl is known for his funeral potatoes, a dish guaranteed to hasten a heart attack but also guaranteed to be the first to disappear. Who can resist cheddar cheese, diced potatoes, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup all baked together until golden?But now Earl has a new dish Sun, 30 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-763.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-763.php I recently heard a commercial that encouraged senior citizens to log onto to a website and take a test that would determine their driving skills for their age. I think it is a good idea, although Im not sure how many seniors today are computer-literate and can reach the website Sat, 29 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-762.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-762.php This is how the entrance to our home looks in the bright sun of early September. I took this photo, because I plan to take a companion shot when autumn is in full regalia. The colors are breathtaking Thu, 27 Sep 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-761.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-761.php Its an annual ritual. Every autumn I comment on the number of catalogs that clog our mailbox. I know its due to the upcoming holidays and retailers wanting to claim whatever we plan to spend on gifts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-760.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-760.php Fifty years ago today nine black students entered Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, for the first time -- in defiance of then Governor Orval Faubus but with the support of the U.S. Army and the national government Tue, 25 Sep 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-759.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-759.php Earl informed me this morning that there are only three months left until Christmas Eve. I wasnt even out of bed when he made this observation, but I felt exhausted. Theres a lot of work to Christmas Mon, 24 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-758.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-758.php I went to my appointment at the local car dealers armed with facts, figures, tactics, and trepidation. Earl had provided me with copious information from the Internet; and, after studying all of it, I felt certain buying a new car was akin to being flogged by pirates Sat, 22 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-757.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-757.php Due to pressing engagements -- working out, piano lesson, appointment at Starbucks to purchase a latte, cocktails with a friend -- I moved my test driving of a possible new car to tomorrow. In the meantime, Ive decided I will never pay more for a car than I did for my piano Thu, 20 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-756.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-756.php Tomorrow Im test driving three cars, all five speeds, to see which one handles the best under my hand. Theyre all Toyotas, so its not a competition among brands. Rather its among models.Ive been online searching for insurance quotes on my potential new car, searching for what my current car gets in the open market, and also searching for the safety rating of the three models Im considering Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-755.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-755.php Every now and then I hear a snippet of Bill OReillys radio show, and today was one of those snippety times. I admit I am not an OReilly fan, and I try to take my bias into consideration when criticizing him Tue, 18 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-754.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-754.php This was the weekend I usually only dream about. After visiting Blake at the local car dealership to consider whether I want to buy a new car or hang on to my current one, Earl and I returned home; he watched both college and professional football while I read and played piano and read and played piano without a commitment in sight Sun, 16 Sep 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-753.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-753.php Im thinking maybe Ill buy a new car. Not that theres anything wrong with my current car, a stick-shift no-frills Dodge Neon that Ive kept in pristine condition. I suppose purists would point out that its almost six years old, probably depreciated considerably, and hardly in the running anymore for Car of the Year Sat, 15 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-752.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-752.php It all started when I programmed my new Sirius to specific stations ranging from fifties rock n roll to classical to talk. Now I am not a devotee of talk radio at all, but I am getting ready to become more informed about the presidential candidates Thu, 13 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-751.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-751.php Ive been blogging since May of 2004. Back then, I thought Id never run out of material. Today, I wonder. Because in the ensuing three years, Ive pretty much said what Ive had to say about the changing of the seasons, various human quirks, even our president Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-750.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-750.php Six years ago today, the twin towers of the World Trade Center crashed and burned. As a nation, we are still trying to recover; and I have deep sympathy for us all.However, this national tragedy isnt what I remember most on this day Tue, 11 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-749.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-749.php Okay, so it wasnt a good weekend for the University of Notre Dames football team. It wasnt a good weekend for the second weekend in a row either. And next weekend doesnt look too promising.But lets remember that the Fighting Irish are not the Cubs Mon, 10 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-748.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-748.php I once lived in the same house for nine years, a real milestone for me. Usually my staying power disappears after two or three years. Then Im off to find some other place, whether it is across town or across the country Sun, 09 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-747.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-747.php I subscribe to a service that emails me the Word of the Day. Oh, I know others wait for their joke of the day or their milestone of the day, but Im into words. And even when I already am familiar with the word of a particular day, I always learn something about it that I didnt know Sat, 08 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-746.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-746.php I have an aversion to cellphones; and maybe its hereditary because both my sons seem to have the same affliction. We prefer to sit and concentrate when were talking on the phone. We prefer not to ruin a stroll in the park with a technological interruption Thu, 06 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-745.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-745.php Monday was Labor Day. In a way, its an oxymoron that one should simply relax on Labor Day, but Im willing to let grammatical issues slide to go with the flow. What strikes me most, however, is that Labor Day is the real end of summer, even though it actually extends to September 21 Wed, 05 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-744.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-744.php This past weekend Earl and I were in attendance when Georgia Tech trounced the University of Notre Dames football team. The Yellow Jackets showed little remorse as they stung and stung again, while the ND quarterback -- regardless of which one of the three possible successors to Brady Quinn was on the field -- simply couldnt do anything but swat at air Tue, 04 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-743.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-743.php Earl and I visited a natural history museum on a recent vacation. We paid our admission and entered the first gallery, which contained a diorama of stampeding bison being chased by Indians to set the mood for what else we would see in the gallery Mon, 03 Sep 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-742.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-742.php Ive gone back on my word not to visit Starbucks. Id kissed the coffee chain good-bye a while back when I stood in line over fifteen minutes to get my specially made latte and wondered if any coffee was worth that waste of time Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-741.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-741.php One week ago today I began my quest for The Grand Slam by donning six layers of clothing that made me look like a pudgy polar bear in rain gear and waddle like a penguin. I climbed aboard one of those float planes for a ride to a remote wilderness destination where Blackee, our guide for the week, assured Earl and me we would find two of the four species of fish that comprise The Grand Slam Thu, 30 Aug 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-740.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-740.php Writers and fisher people really have a lot in common. If you love to write or you love to fish, you need to make time from the daily grind to do so, as neither is an integral part of a usual routine Wed, 29 Aug 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-739.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-739.php NOTE: I\'m starting a new column here called \"Curmudgeon Monday.\" It\'s my one chance each week to gripe about something that bugs me.Have you seen my ex lately? writer Lisa Best asked as the lead sentence to an article about Canadian bodybuilder Todd Payette Mon, 27 Aug 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-737.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-737.php Back August 27, 2007. Fri, 17 Aug 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-736.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-736.php Paul English is my new hero. He is the software engineer who founded www.gethuman.com, which has now been trademarked as the gethuman movement. Originally, English created his site to publicize how to reach a human on the telephone at many of the countrys largest businesses Wed, 15 Aug 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-735.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-735.php Ive always tried to avoid the aquacisers, that group of older people who do their aerobic and strength training in the swimming pool five days a week at the health club. In fact, I usually time my own workout to be entering the womens locker room as they are leaving, all showered and squeaky clean Tue, 14 Aug 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-734.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-734.php With this summers drought, weeds havent been a big problem. But since southwestern Michigan has received several inches of rain in the past week or so, theyve begun to rear their ugly, unwanted leaves Sun, 12 Aug 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-733.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-733.php I pulled into the South Shore Health and Racquet Club this morning, intent on getting my daily dose of exercise out of the way as quickly as possible. As I climbed from my car, a cheery voice said, Hi Sat, 11 Aug 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-732.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-732.php Rummaging in our office supplies closet yesterday, I came across a simple white mug with the outline of a woman cradling a baby drawn on one side and the inscription Liga de la Lactancia Materna de Honduras on the other Fri, 10 Aug 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-731.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-731.php Theres a daily column in the local newspaper called Today in History, which lists things that happened on todays date in other years. For instance, on August 4, 1944, Anne Frank and her family were discovered, after hiding in a garret for over two years Wed, 08 Aug 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-730.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-730.php \"The Simpsons\" is one of the summer\'s hot movies, not only from a ticket sales perspective but also from all the collateral marketing in fast food restaurants, on web sites, and in toy stores. My knowledge of the phenomenon, however, is minimal Mon, 06 Aug 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-727.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-727.php On July 11, I wrote harsh words about commercial free Sirius radio and determined to return my equipment and cancel my subscription for a service that never worked. I ranted and raved not only on line but also in private Sun, 05 Aug 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-726.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-726.php Earl received a check from our bank today for $9.25. It looked legit, but I decided to read the literature that came with it. Here is what I learned.It is indeed an honest-to-goodness check, no doubt about it Fri, 03 Aug 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-725.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-725.php I never listen to Tracy Chapman without thinking of Rachel, my stepdaughter in another life. It was she who introduced me to Tracy when we were all young. I hadnt thought of Tracy in years actually, but I found an old CD of hers and transferred it to my iPod, the better to become reacquainted Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-724.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-724.php Ive written about Earls penchant for gadgets before; how our kitchen is stocked with almost every imaginable tool to help in meal preparation. The thing is, however, that gadget companies are always coming up with new ideas Thu, 26 Jul 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-723.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-723.php My friend Judi and I try to read a book a month together and then discuss it. By default, were currently plowing through the 500+ pages of Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre, first published in 1847, a mere 160 years ago Wed, 25 Jul 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-722.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-722.php Last night Earl and I saw Senator John McCain speak at the local college. He was clearly running for president.Weeks ago, I made up my mind that I will not become involved in the jockeying for presidential position that is currently sweeping both major parties Tue, 24 Jul 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-721.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-721.php My son Kevin left for his home in Fargo today, but not before we had our usual conversation about the decline in the use of the English language. It was great. But if you hated diagramming sentences in grade school -- or if you never diagrammed in the first place -- the rest of this essay will be boring Sat, 21 Jul 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-720.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-720.php Today I return to piano lessons. Ive taken a five week hiatus, the first ever since I started with teacher Julia Oberheu going-on six years ago. Its been strange.I took the break because I could see that there would be no time to practice during the five weeks in question Thu, 19 Jul 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-719.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-719.php This afternoon I spent a couple hours ironing and reacquainting myself with Tom Paxton, a folk singer from the sixties. Ive ironed a gazillion times since then, but only listened to Paxton occasionally Wed, 18 Jul 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-718.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-718.php When my sons visited two weeks ago I served Pepperidge Farms Chocolate Decadence for dessert. Its a rich chocolate layer cake with equally rich chocolate frosting between the layers and gobs of shaved chocolate on top Tue, 17 Jul 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-717.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-717.php My nails grow like grass, needing to be cut each week. Or last least filed and shaped. It makes me wonder if other peoples nails are the same way. It also makes me wonder if nails and hair are related, since my hair seems to grow inordinately fast too Mon, 16 Jul 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-716.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-716.php Its an old family habit I learned at my Mothers knee. Whenever we went out for breakfast, she would always, always ask for buttered toast. It was the criterion on which a restaurant was judged.One time years ago we went to Mammys Pancake House on Rush Street in Chicago Sun, 15 Jul 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-715.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-715.php Ive had it! Up to here! (Picture me raising my right hand to my neck in a slashing motion.) I am tired of technology that doesnt work followed by personal service that doesnt work either.Last Christmas Earl bought me a Sirius radio Plug and Play for my car so that I could listen to music without commercial interruption Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-714.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-714.php Aging begins at the moment of birth, but it doesnt really take solid hold for another fifty or sixty years. By then, one has experienced childhood, the teen years, young adulthood, and middle age. These phases erode the sense of invincibility that young people have and replace it with a certain fatalism Tue, 10 Jul 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-713.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-713.php My sons -- Kevin, Chris, and Keith -- have spent the previous week with us, and weve partyied hardy. Beer, cookouts, more beer, bonfires, more beer, trips around town, yes -- more beer, communing with Earls side of the family Mon, 09 Jul 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-712.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-712.php My office is the only room in our house that doesnt have a view of the St. Joe River. When we moved in I had intended that this room would be Earls office, while I would have one where I could watch the river flow by Sun, 08 Jul 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-711.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-711.php When I was a child, I often visited my Aunt Alice and my Uncle Dick during the summer. One thing I remember from those golden days is that Uncle Dick worked long hours, leaving in the morning before I rose and returning in the evening just in time for dinner Thu, 05 Jul 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-710.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-710.php Its a tricky thing, being a gardener or a farmer in southwestern Michigan. On the plus side, the soil is right for the crops that are grown here; on the minus side, the weather is unpredictable. Which means that you can plant on time and weed as required; but if the rain doesnt come and the sun doesnt shine in certain proportions, all you are assured of is a crop of disappointment Fri, 29 Jun 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-709.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-709.php Id seen the advertisements on posters and the sides of busses all over New York. Nathans famous hotdogs were described as all beef and bigger-than-the-bun. I began to want one, although I wasnt sure when Id find time to track down a Nathans concession Thu, 28 Jun 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-708.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-708.php I had thought Id write about Nathans Hotdogs tonight as my parting memory from my recent visit to New York City. But just as I was sitting down to blog, Earl noted that there was a special on PBS acknowledging Paul Simons contribution to American music Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-706.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-706.php I just arrived at my home-away-from-home for the next week, The Maritime Hotel in the Chelsea district of Manhattan. Ive done this trip many times before, so I came prepared. The city that bills itself as the Big Apple greets singles with wide open arms and outstretched hands Tue, 19 Jun 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-705.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-705.php Ive never been a devotee of exercise. In fact, Ive been known to brag that I went through sixteen years of schooling without ever attending a gym class. But Im reconsidering my position.When Earl and I gutted our bathrooms about a year and a half ago, we needed a place to shower so that we could maintain our position in local society Mon, 18 Jun 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-704.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-704.php My ex-husband, Jeff, died two days ago and is being buried tomorrow. We would have been divorced fifteen years this coming August; and, truthfully, I havent spent much of the intervening time thinking about him Sun, 17 Jun 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-703.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-703.php Youll never have to iron them, the salesperson on the other end of the phone told Earl when he ordered some dress shirts recently. Theyre a special fabric, Earl reported back to me. But I was skeptical Sat, 16 Jun 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-702.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-702.php Ten years ago I moved into an industrial loft in Chicago\'s Fulton Market District. My unit faced north, and I spent many evenings on my balcony admiring the sunset to my west. That area was an industrial corridor unobstructed by high rises; so the sun fell onto railroad tracks and warehouses and falling-down buildings, bathing them in gold in its wake Thu, 14 Jun 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-701.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-701.php Today I let my administrative assistant go, and it was more difficult that Donald Trump makes it look. But then, maybe I\'m less callous than he.I liked her, I liked her a lot. But the bottom line was that her skill set and what I needed didn\'t match well; and I spent more time than I wanted trying to explain things, simplifying them, and generally not adding too much to her workload as she acclimated to the job Wed, 13 Jun 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-700.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-700.php As a child, I often heard older people say how time flies. Yet, as I waited for school to be out on Friday afternoon, it seemed as if time passed incredibly slowly. Monday creeped into Tuesday, while Tuesday crawled into Wednesday and on to the end of the week Tue, 12 Jun 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-699.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-699.php Last year Earl and wandered into Zeke\'s, a tavern/restaurant in Dowagiac, a town about twenty or so miles further down the road. We had been exploring backroads and wanted something to drink. Zeke\'s, which has two hundred beers on tap and in bottles, fit the bill; and we spent an enjoyable hour at the bar Sun, 03 Jun 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-698.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-698.php Maybe you\'ve seen the Staples office supply store\'s commercials about how easy it is when you use that company for your office supply needs. Maybe you\'ve even visited the official Staples web site to order things and learned how easy it was Thu, 31 May 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-697.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-697.php We\'re thinking of moving once again. It\'s as if we\'re rolling stones and the moss is beginning to accumulate and we need to shake it loose. This time, we\'ve purchased a condo; and, even though it\'s slated to be ready for occupancy almost a year from now, I find myself spending imaginary shopping sprees in search of furniture, paint, and window coverings Wed, 30 May 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-696.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-696.php My next door neighbor says she doesn\'t think her house is clean unless her windows sparkle. Me? I settle for lower standards. I think my house is clean when everything is in its proper place and the bed is made Mon, 21 May 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-695.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-695.php Earl and I attended an outdoors show at a local arena a few weeks back. It\'s one of those shows where boats and fishing are the featured attractions, but other vendors with peripheral interests to the outdoors set up booths Sun, 20 May 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-694.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-694.php My oldest friend, meaning the friend I\'ve known the longest and not necessarily the most aged, just spent two days here. We wined and dined and even shopped a little. But what we did most was talk. We have over five decades of friendship to recall; in fact, next year we will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of our graduation from eighth grade Fri, 18 May 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-693.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-693.php We have a variety of bird feeders that hang from tree limbs and dot the perimeter of our home, and we are in constant warfare with the squirrels who think we set this food out for them. For the record, we do not Tue, 15 May 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-692.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-692.php I\'m often the first to complain about AT&T and its customer service. I whine that it takes forever to wend one\'s way through the automated telephone system, when a telephone company is supposed to be all about communication Sun, 13 May 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-691.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-691.php My life is becoming dominated with user names and passwords, security questions and secret clues. It\'s making me grumpy.Just in the past two days I\'ve redeemed airline miles, signed up for commercial-free radio, and bought some items online Fri, 11 May 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-690.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-690.php Today I heard a commercial on the radio for a restaurant that billed itself as \"casually elegant.\" It struck a wrong note.I mean, either you are a casual restaurant or an elegant restaurant; but I do not believe you can be a casually elegant restaurant Thu, 10 May 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-689.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-689.php Early yesterday morning Earl and a couple buddies went fishing in Lake Michigan. He arrived home mid-afternoon with three fish as the result of his efforts, so of course we had one for dinner.It reminded me of the time a couple years ago that we ordered fresh lobsters from Maine Wed, 09 May 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-688.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-688.php I have never enjoyed photography, either the taking of pictures or the posing for them. But Earl received a fancy-dancy digital camera as a birthday gift, and I have been trying to learn how to use it Fri, 04 May 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-687.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-687.php Today I\'m spreading mulch, twelve cubic yards of deep red mulch, around the base of the trees on our property. That\'s the equivalent of two truck loads. It\'s an annual spring ritual for which some of my friends have declared me crazy behind my back Thu, 03 May 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-686.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-686.php Earl has the same eating habits as Elvis Presley had: a penchant for anything laden with sauce or butter. This includes Southern-style food like ribs, comfort food like macaroni and cheese, and soul food like greens cooked in bacon grease Wed, 02 May 2007 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-685.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-685.php When I returned to blogging this past January I started with an essay titled \"Maybe I\'m Back.\" It was meant to provide wiggle room in case I found blogging wasn\'t interesting any more. But with the technical difficulties that have haunted my web site the past three weeks, I\'ve changed my tune Tue, 01 May 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-683.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-683.php Starting May 1, I will be back to blogging on a regular basis. The technical difficulties are fixed and life is good. Until then, you can scroll to the bottom and see what were my favorite blogs of 2006 Sun, 29 Apr 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-680.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-680.php Every Friday Earl and I go out to dinner. Sometimes it\'s a casual place like Pauly\'s in Benton Harbor; other times it\'s more upscale like the Bistro at the Boulevard or Tosi\'s. But wherever we land, we have a grand time Fri, 13 Apr 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-679.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-679.php In March 2006, three members of the Duke University lacrosse team were arrested and accused of kidnapping and raping an exotic dancer. The three -- Reade Seligman, Collin Finerty, and David Evans -- steadfastly maintained their innocence through a storm of public media scrutiny, university chastisement, and community isolation Thu, 12 Apr 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-678.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-678.php Anna Nicole Smith and Don Imus have both had their fifteen minutes of fame, maybe even more. They haven\'t done much except lead trashy lives or believe than anyone else is fair game for insulting comments Wed, 11 Apr 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-677.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-677.php I started writing a blog to keep my mind and my fingers nimble, to maintain a facility with words I\'d gained as a freelance writer of long standing. That was almost three years ago, when I quit the freelance world but still wanted to hold on to my skills Mon, 09 Apr 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-676.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-676.php Neither my ex-husband Jack nor my good friend Libby has a device to answer their home phones when they\'re out. It\'s not that I have great occasion to call my ex, but I do like to check in with Libby every now and then Sun, 08 Apr 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-675.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-675.php Two months from today is my birthday. I\'m quirky about that. I notice every month how far it is in days to the next birthday or how far it was from the last. Maybe it\'s because birthdays are special in my life Sat, 07 Apr 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-674.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-674.php Today is Good Friday. In another time and place I would be spending the evening in church. That was when I attended St. Louis Cathedral Catholic School in St. Louis, Missouri, about fifty years ago.Back then, I went to a Catholic grade school and religious participation was a cornerstone of my education Fri, 06 Apr 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-673.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-673.php I\'m home in my own Michigan world; but fond memories of last weekend\'s visit to Fargo, ND, persist. One night, Kevin and I saw Eric Clapton live at the Fargodome, a venue better suited to basketball games but still adequate for the aging guitarist whose nickname is \"Slowhand Wed, 04 Apr 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-672.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-672.php Kevin and I eat at Sarello\'s every time I visit Fargo. It\'s a four star restaurant in a two star town. Two star trying to grow into something more stellar. I can\'t remember the number of times we\'ve been to Sarello\'s, but they have been enough that the owner, Tony, welcomes me with true open arms and wants to make sure I\'m well served Sat, 31 Mar 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-671.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-671.php I\'m sitting in my son Kevin\'s living room in Fargo, North Dakota, waiting for the sun to come out, even though it\'s hopeless. The sun doesn\'t come out in Fargo very often this time of year. Rather, the days stretch gloomy and endless, each one running into the other, separated only by shades of grey to black Fri, 30 Mar 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-670.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-670.php Today is the first day this year I\'ve been outside without a coat or a jacket or a sweatshirt. It\'s almost eighty degrees, both outside and in the house. I took advantage of the weather to wash my car and walk around my yard looking for any early blooming flowers Mon, 26 Mar 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-669.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-669.php You can\'t take anything for granted in music; that\'s what I\'ve really learned after five years of piano lessons.Case in point: I started working on a new piece today, a simple piece that takes only one page in my lesson book Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-668.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-668.php We\'re one day into Official Spring, and I\'m struck with how isolated I\'ve been all winter. I\'ve hardly read a newspaper or listened to a broadcast. I know we\'re still in Iraq, that some Democrats and Republicans are already running for the presidency, and that American Idol is back Thu, 22 Mar 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-667.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-667.php It\'s that time of year when I chastise myself for keeping incomplete records, because it\'s also that time of year when I need to give my accountant complete records. Because of my laxity, I\'m spending the week catching up on ledgering and preparing for my meeting with our accountant on Friday Tue, 20 Mar 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-666.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-666.php What better way to celebrate St. Patrick\'s Day than to attend the sixty-second annual ULTIMATE Sport and RV Show? Well, there probably are better ways; but this is how Earl and I spent the day.It was clear and crisp when we pulled out of our driveway at 8 AM this morning to drive the eighty some-odd miles to DeVos Place, the exhibition center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the Ultimate was being held Sat, 17 Mar 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-665.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-665.php For Christmas, I received \"The Out of Office Countdown 2007 Calendar.\" It\'s not only a calendar but also a compendium of unintentionally witty statements our president has made during his years in office Fri, 16 Mar 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-664.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-664.php Country music artists have a lock on hilarious lyrics sung with straight faces. Collectively, they also hold the record for the greatest number of songs about unrequited love that involve a church and a wedding Mon, 12 Mar 2007 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-663.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-663.php Last night Earl and I went to one of our favorite local restaurants, The Millennium Steak House in Niles, Michigan. I\'d had a hunger for the rack of lamb, and we hadn\'t been there in a long time.Too long it seems, for in our absence the owners made some noticeable changes not only to the menu but to the one characteristic that set The Millennium apart from other dining establishments around here Sat, 10 Mar 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-662.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-662.php I recently ran across a website that publishes words used in general conversation but which have not attained dictionary status yet. It\'s a great example of the fluidity of our language. I offer some of the more appealing words here in the hope of encouraging others to pay attention to how language is expanded through splicing and dicing, through trial and error, and through new connections Wed, 07 Mar 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-661.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-661.php Shortly after Earl and I moved into our house in Michigan my friend Judi came to visit. She brought her camera and went around the house taking pictures, even though we were hardly settled in. A while later, a beautiful album arrived at our home Tue, 06 Mar 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-660.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-660.php I\'m not sure of all the details. What I do know is that the ACE Hardware store down the road about three miles from our house closed shop last year and built a new facility much farther away. The former building remained empty until True Value decided to open a store there Mon, 05 Mar 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-659.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-659.php This past week Earl and I, along with his daughter and son-in-law, went to the Saugatuck Brewing Company -- about an hour from our house -- to redeem Earl\'s birthday gift certificate. Now maybe you\'re thinking we went to drink beer, but the reality is we went to make our own microbrew Sun, 04 Mar 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-658.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-658.php I\'ve been visiting hair salons for years, but I still don\'t communicate well with the person who cuts my hair. It doesn\'t matter if he or she is called a hairdresser, a stylist, or just a plain old barber Thu, 01 Mar 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-657.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-657.php Earl reminded me this morning that Christmas is just ten months away. Not that I needed or wanted reminding, but he enjoys the holiday so much that the countdown for next year always begins on December 26 Sun, 25 Feb 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-656.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-656.php I am clear that talk shows have great appeal, but I am equally unclear regarding their intellectual value. I\'m not sure what is gained by hours and hours of opinion thrown at the public in the guise of informed conversation Wed, 21 Feb 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-655.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-655.php Last week the junior senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, became the latest candidate to announce he\'s running for president. It drove me crazy. Not because he\'s unqualified. That remains to be seen Tue, 20 Feb 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-654.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-654.php Remember the hue and cry over New Year\'s Eve 1999, when government and corporations went to great lengths to make sure their computers could make the switch from 1999 to 2000 without crashing and burning? People everywhere spent hours and dollars backing up their systems in case of the Great Berserk-ness Sat, 17 Feb 2007 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-653.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-653.php The man was heavy in the middle, with a girth I couldn\'t possibly have put my arms around. Not that I intended to. Earl and I were waiting by the hostess desk for our table at Papa Vino\'s earlier this evening when the man, who had a neatly tied ponytail, strode from the restaurant through the doors to the outside Fri, 16 Feb 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-652.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-652.php And I ate a taxicab too. For Christmas, I received a wonderful box of Eleni\'s cookies. Eleni\'s bakery is located in Chelsea Market, NYC, and whenever I go to town I try to get there and admire the artistry of the various theme cookies Thu, 15 Feb 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-651.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-651.php There\'s a commercial that features Abraham Lincoln in his familiar stovepipe hat waiting in the kitchen with some sort of furry rodent-like animal. It might be a beaver or a groundhog -- it doesn\'t really matter Tue, 13 Feb 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-650.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-650.php Molly Ivins, the syndicated liberal columnist who heralded from the same state as our current President, died about ten days ago after a lengthy battle with breast cancer. She was my age, sixty-two.It was a surprise, not only because of the age similarity but also because the photo that usually accompanied her column in the local newspaper revealed a smiling woman with curly hair who seemed to be in the prime of her life Mon, 12 Feb 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-649.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-649.php A week ago today the Chicago Bears lost the Super Bowl to the Indianapolis Colts. There was great angst in the losing city and great euphoria in the winning one. Yesterday, the Pro Bowl -- which I think is like other sports\' all-star games -- was played in Hawaii Sun, 11 Feb 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-648.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-648.php I\'m busying watching the Super Bowl, so will offer only a brief thought for today:The quickest renewable energy source is a smile. Sun, 04 Feb 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-647.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-647.php This is the eve of Super Bowl XLI. For those of you who don\'t remember Roman numerals, that\'s Super Bowl 41. Roman numerals are often used when one -- in this instance, probably football professionals -- wants to add status and drama to an event Sat, 03 Feb 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-646.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-646.php In case you haven\'t heard, we\'re due for an early spring. I write this as I dig out from over two feet of snow that has stranded me in my own home.Nevertheless, it\'s true. Today is Ground Hog Day; and the one and only official groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, came out of his burrow early this morning Fri, 02 Feb 2007 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-645.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-645.php I\'m back to cooking, although most of my meals are relatively simple in nature. I prefer to serve healthy food at home, since we eat out regularly and indulge ourselves on those occasions. Tonight, for instance, I prepared baked salmon, steamed broccoli, and Spanish rice Wed, 31 Jan 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-644.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-644.php It started two days ago as snow began falling in the early morning hours. Radio reports said to expect a foot or more. Weather forecasters are usually less than one hundred percent accurate, but they were deadly precise in this case Tue, 30 Jan 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-643.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-643.php Years ago television ads promoted the taking of pictures to preserve memories. As the Kodak Company made its pitch, singer Paul Anka provided the musical background by crooning that the photos captured \"the times of our lives Thu, 25 Jan 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-642.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-642.php Four weeks ago yesterday we celebrated Christmas with the usual family festivities: lots of food, lots of gifts, and lots of merriment. Then Earl and I left on our annual January vacation, which consists of finding warmer weather for a couple weeks so that Earl can endure the balance of our local weather regardless of whether the groundhog sees its shadow Tue, 23 Jan 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-641.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-641.php One of my New Year\'s resolutions is to read more, since I hardly read half a dozen books in 2006. Oh, I salved my conscience with magazines and newspapers and catalogs, but that is hardly what I\'d call quality reading Sat, 20 Jan 2007 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-640.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-640.php We have been home about 36 hours from our recent vacation, but I am still in low gear. I\'ve slept in, read various magazines, and finally gotten around to emptying my suitcase of Tahiti\'s sand. I only did this because Earl was eager to do laundry, and I never want to discourage someone else\'s productivity Thu, 18 Jan 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-639.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-639.php Early this morning, Earl and I returned from our annual January search for warm weather and sun. After all, we live in the upper Midwest. This year\'s pilgrimage led us to Tahiti in French Polynesia, where we were pampered for two weeks Wed, 17 Jan 2007 10:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-638.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-638.php I\'ve decided to stop writing my blog for a while. It\'s not that I\'ve run out of things to say; rather, I\'ve run out of enthusiasm. And one must be eager to write what one must.When I started my blog in May, 2004, I made a personal commitment that I would not write anything for public purview that I wouldnt shout from the corners of State and Madison Streets in the heart of downtown Chicago Mon, 21 Aug 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-637.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-637.php I have a new hair stylist, and it reminds me of a tentative dance with a possible beau. We\'re getting to know each other, trying to be in sync, hoping that it will last. I don\'t believe in love at first sight where hairdressers are concerned Thu, 17 Aug 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-636.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-636.php Today\'s efforts to track down bargains rely on a deck of cards. However, it\'s not the standard 52-card deck that you play canasta or gin or bridge with. Rather it\'s an eclectic sort of credit cards that various merchants offer to entice you to return to their stores Wed, 16 Aug 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-635.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-635.php My definition of jet lag is: That period of time where your body shows up first and your mind arrives some time later. It isn\'t necessarily about airplanes. Earl and I returned home yesterday afternoon from our recent road trip, and I unpacked right away Mon, 14 Aug 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-634.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-634.php We arrived home from our road trip earlier this evening, having driven 770 miles over the past week. As road trips go, this wasn\'t a grueling pace. Regardless, I learned some things about road trips that will be useful in the future Sun, 13 Aug 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-633.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-633.php Raggedy clouds hid part of the full moon, but the lights inside Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, more than made up for it. All the corps had performed, and now each was marching onto the field in formation to await the scores, scores that would determine who placed where among the final twelve competing groups Sat, 12 Aug 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-632.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-632.php Living in motel rooms for a week detaches you from time. Not the kind you check on your wristwatch, but the kind that pervades your home. Think about this: Your microwave tells time so that it can be programmed for an easy minute or popcorn\'s required limit Fri, 11 Aug 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-631.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-631.php It\'s not Jefferson\'s family estate; it\'s the other Monticello. A small town in southern Wisconsin on a bicycle trail going from here to there to nowhere in particular and to everywhere Americana. Earl and I always feel pleased when we find spots like this Thu, 10 Aug 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-630.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-630.php Over morning coffee in our hotel room, Earl read our horoscopes, which were printed in the local newspaper, compliments of astrologist Bernice Bede Osoi. Earl is a Leo and I am a Gemini.Earl\'s forecast said: \"Be prepared for partnership arrangements to be a bit more complicated than you thought, even if things look good on the surface Wed, 09 Aug 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-629.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-629.php I have discovered a culinary secret, one that I\'ll share with those who struggle to get family members to eat their vegetables. The secret is camouflage.Case in point: Tonight we ate at a restaurant named Fried Green Tomatoes Tue, 08 Aug 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-628.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-628.php On the road again, on the road again . . . I\'m reminded of a Willy Nelson lyric as Earl and I driver across Indiana and part of Illinois to revisit the historic town of Galena, home of Ulysses S. Grant, Civil War general and President of the United States Mon, 07 Aug 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-627.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-627.php Today is Hiroshima Day, the sixty-first anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb in the world\'s history. The United States holds the dubious distinction of having been the country that dropped it Sun, 06 Aug 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-626.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-626.php Yesterday marked the anniversary of the day the young teenage girl was found. She\'d been missing for over two years, although not many people noticed. It was a time of upheaval and families everywhere struggled Sat, 05 Aug 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-625.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-625.php I normally purchase greeting cards at a charming little shop in Stevensville, because its cards are the best around. But that little shop went out of business a month or two ago, so I\'ve had to make other arrangements Fri, 04 Aug 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-624.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-624.php Yesterday\'s appointment with my doctor made both of us happy. My blood pressure is great, my cholesterol is great, my liver is great. While I was surprised at all this, having gone to the appointment with low expectations, my doctor was most complimentary on the changes I\'ve made recently in my lifestyle and their accompanying results Wed, 02 Aug 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-623.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-623.php I have a new email program -- new to me, at least -- that filters what it believes is junk. The so-called junk is sent to a file, which I can review later, after I\'ve read and responded to my legitimate emails Tue, 01 Aug 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-622.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-622.php Every now and then I get an email from a faithful reader with a suggestion for a blog topic. WD-40 is an example. Ken W. alerted me to the fact that this famous degreaser/oiler/cleanser/sparkler turned fifty this year; and, while I hadn\'t heard any hoopla for the occasion in the Big Press, I decided it was worth a mention in my little online publication Mon, 31 Jul 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-621.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-621.php Earl and I just returned from an excursion to Hammond, Indiana, where we had Sunday dinner at Phil Schmidt and Son. I realize it\'s a long way from St. Joseph to go for a meal, but we happened to be in the neighborhood for another reason and decided to revisit the restaurant that made a name for itself with its recipe for frogs\' legs Sun, 30 Jul 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-620.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-620.php There are two types of people in our country. And, no, they aren\'t the Republicans and the Democrats or the red and blue states or even Northerners and Southerners. All those designations are potentially far too political; besides they dont really cut to the heart of the matter Sat, 29 Jul 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-618.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-618.php For the past few weeks the families who live on my road probably felt like pioneers when they ventured out in their automobiles. I know I did, and it was because the only road leading to where we live was torn up and removed, leaving only uneven paths of gravel and dirt behind Thu, 27 Jul 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-617.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-617.php I usually shun classes that meet at the same time every week and require a lot of equipment, even when the equipment is provided. It\'s too regimented for me. But this afternoon I went to a step class at the local health club at the urging of an acquaintance who attends regularly Wed, 26 Jul 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-616.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-616.php I just finished Anita Shreve\\\'s latest novel, A Wedding in December, and have decided that many authors are at their best before they are discovered and required to write a book a year. Shreve\'s latest is formulaic, reminiscent of others\' works, and disappointing; and I wonder if she has some sort of big contract to provide book after book to her publisher Mon, 24 Jul 2006 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-615.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-615.php Last night Earl and I attended a Silverhawks baseball game in South Bend. We\'d been there before and found the venue charming. It\'s not expensive to see a ballgame, the hot dogs are decent, there is beer everywhere, and the team members play their hearts out Sun, 23 Jul 2006 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-614.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-614.php Funny, furry animals wearing insignia clothing of various sport teams and cavorting during half-times or inning stretches or time outs has never appealed to me. But I must be in the minority, because there is even a Mascot Hall of Fame for these -- dare I call them? -- performers Sat, 22 Jul 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-613.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-613.php Three days ago I spoke to Loralee Mendez\'s college class, the one she teaches on creative writing. She asked me to come because she had used one of my published essays -- the one about meeting my father for the first time when I was forty-eight years old -- as part of her course curriculum; and, since I live in the area, she thought her students might be interested in meeting a real live essayist Thu, 20 Jul 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-612.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-612.php Neighbors of ours -- I\'ll call them Mike and Dave -- have a stupendous backyard garden; and it seems we\'ll be the recipients of their overflow veggies from now through the first frost. It\'s exciting because we get to sample fresh-from-the-earth food without doing any of the work Wed, 19 Jul 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-611.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-611.php While our television and Internet connections were kaput for five days, Earl and I had a lot of time on our hands. Time that people spent doing other things before the dawn of 200 television channels and instant messaging Tue, 18 Jul 2006 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-610.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-610.php It may seem that my assessment of our local cable company is harsh, but I don\'t think so. I\'ve heard others echo the same sentiment, usually followed by a verbal \"But what are you gonna do?\" and a resigned shrug Mon, 17 Jul 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-609.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-609.php At approximately 3:30 PM on Wednesday, July 12, Earl and I lost both our Internet connection for the computers and our cable connection to the televisions in our home. At the time, it seemed like a momentary thing, some hiccup in the system that would self-cure if we were patient Sun, 16 Jul 2006 10:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-608.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-608.php I have three friends who write wonderful thank you notes, the pen-to-paper kind that come in the mail. The kind most of us dreaded writing as children because we didn\'t know how to get past \"Dear Aunt Jane, Thank you for the sweater Tue, 11 Jul 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-607.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-607.php This morning seventy-six prospective jurors gathered at the Berrien County Trial Court in downtown St. Joseph, Michigan. Although they didn\'t know it at the time, they were summoned to participate in a criminal sexual molestation trial of a middle aged man accused of having inappropriate intercourse with an eighteen-year-old mentally challenged woman Mon, 10 Jul 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-606.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-606.php Our company has left and our house is quiet again. To reclaim our usual weekend routine, Earl and I went out to breakfast. This time we decided to try McDonald\'s.I remember Egg McMuffin from its early days when my son Kevin, his father, and I used to visit a different McDonald\'s in a different community for the newly created English muffin sandwich that extended the fast food chain\'s hold on lunch and supper into the breakfast realm Sun, 09 Jul 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-605.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-605.php This is Fourth of July Weekend, with the actual Fourth occurring on Tuesday. This leaves plenty of time for travelers to get where they\'re going, although they\'ll have to cut their holiday celebration short to return in time for work on Wednesday Sun, 02 Jul 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-604.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-604.php Loralee Mendez contacted me out of the blue today, thanks to the power of the Internet. She teaches at a local branch of Southwestern Michigan College and had found the book I wrote a few years back, The Square Root of Someone, hiding in her public library Fri, 30 Jun 2006 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-603.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-603.php It\'s EOM; that\'s end of the month for the uninitiated. In addition it\'s one half of the EOY, end of the year. Which means I am scurrying around trying to tie loose ends so that our half-year budget and profit and loss statements are as accurate as possible Fri, 30 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-602.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-602.php I\'ve begun to bike along our road, which extends roughly 3.2 miles from one end to the other. In the middle, the road is bisected by Bacon School Road, but I never venture on it. It\'s merely the escape route for those of us who live on the river Thu, 29 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-601.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-601.php One of my early blogs was about those annoying inserts in magazines, the ones that are either stapled in and have to be torn out and the ones that simply fall out on their own accord. Both are called bingo cards in the trade, and I have made a solemn vow never to purchase something or subscribe to something that is advertised on one of them Wed, 28 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-600.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-600.php The radio announcer said there was a thirty percent chance of rain for today and a fifty percent chance of rain for tomorrow. Now I know she was merely reading information she\'d been given, but it made me wonder who is in charge of these statistics? And how exactly is the chance of rain calculated? And what makes that chance thirty percent instead of twenty-seven percent? Or fifty instead of forty-three and a half percent?None of these statistics means that rain is imminent; in fact, it\'s just as correct to say there is a seventy percent chance that it won\'t rain today Tue, 27 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-599.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-599.php Jeannine and I met at Good Fortune for lunch today; and I must say it was my good fortune that we did. I\'d not been happy with the Chinese restaurants we\'ve eaten at in St. Joseph and was about to write the community off as lacking in egg roll or chop suey cuisine Mon, 26 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-598.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-598.php It\'s probably something few of us have noticed, but the price of limes is escalating. There was a time when I could purchase five limes for a dollar and then for two dollars, but that time has disappeared the way of the Brontosaurus Sun, 25 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-597.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-597.php On June 24, 1979 I married Jeff Wolf, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, etc. It wasn\'t done capriciously, because at the time I thought it was a good decision. However, time proved me wrong; the good decision lay in a divorce thirteen years further down the road Sat, 24 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-596.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-596.php \"I have to work eleven to six two nights next week,\" Earl said, as we were having dinner at the Mark III last night. I knew he meant as a Sheriff\'s deputy, given that these shifts were in the dead of night and nobody looks at real estate -- one of Earl\'s other interests -- at two in the morning Fri, 23 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-595.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-595.php My mother would have been eighty-eight today, had she lived. Instead, I\'m celebrating her birthday in memorial; as this is the tenth anniversary of her death.I honestly can\'t imagine my Mother being alive today Wed, 21 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-594.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-594.php Earl fixed dinner a couple nights ago; well, he fixed the entre while I fixed the salad. But the whole routine holds promise, and here\'s why.Earl likes to eat around four in the afternoon, while I like to eat around eight at night Tue, 20 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-593.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-593.php It goes without saying, but I\'ll say it anyway. Angelina Jolie is an eccentric. An eccentric is defined as anyone or anything that \"deviates from the customary,\" someone who is \"erratic, peculiar, or odd Mon, 19 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-592.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-592.php This past weekend, we revisited the Berrien Hills Golf Course, known in a former life as the Berrien Hills Country Club. I wrote about the Club on March 14 as it faced financial demise and decided to cancel its 2006 summer season Sat, 17 Jun 2006 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-591.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-591.php At five feet tall, I\'m short. I guess I\'ve always been short; but since both my legs reach the ground it\'s something I\'ve never really paid attention to.That is, until Earl came home a couple days ago, having been to Walgreen\'s to get some photographs developed Fri, 16 Jun 2006 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-590.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-590.php My friend Judi and I are reading Younger by the Day by Victoria Moran.) It\'s a compendium of 365 daily suggestions to make one feel youthful, regardless of one\'s age. Yesterday\'s suggestion was about the power of scent and how it can take us back to times past, people remembered, situations that were special Fri, 16 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-589.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-589.php I was introduced to Buffalo wings about fifteen years ago, when they arrived -- unheralded -- in Mundelein, Illinois. It was a tiny, A-frame shack that offered them, six to a serving, noting they were direct from Buffalo,NY Thu, 15 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-588.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-588.php This is Flag Day, when Americans celebrate and show respect for our flag, its designers, and makers over the past two hundred plus years. So on this day I want to honor three men I don\'t really know, but whose graves I visited in the past few days Wed, 14 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-587.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-587.php One of the main purposes of our recent trip back East was to visit all the relatives buried in various cemeteries across the North Country of New York State. My mother and stepfather are buried there Tue, 13 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-586.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-586.php I\'ve been gone from the blogging scene over a week. In fact, I\'ve been gone from contemporary society equally as long, as Earl and I drove to upstate New York to visit the area where my early relatives settled, created their large families, worked the land, and remembered the Ireland of their birth Mon, 12 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-585.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-585.php Anne will not be blogging until the week of June 11, as she is out of Internet range, believe it or not. Please consider reading some of her other Ten Minute essays. Tue, 06 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-584.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-584.php My next door neighbor, Clara, is eighty-years-old and she has big sexy hair. Only it\'s Big Sexy Hair. The capital letters make a big difference, since I\'m talking about a product by that name that Clara swears by Sat, 03 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-583.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-583.php It started when I called the New York State Insurance Fund, that guardian of worker\'s comp and disability insurances in the State of New York, to get help filling out two required forms. The forms themselves were a stumbling block; otherwise, I would never have had to spend two hours on the telephone getting the necessary information in the first place Thu, 01 Jun 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-582.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-582.php The good news is our yard looks wonderful, thanks to the proper amount of rain this past spring. The bad news is the mosquitoes think so too.It\'s always a good news/bad news thing; since what seems to be good for lawns seems to be bad for their owners Wed, 31 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-581.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-581.php As I lay in bed this morning, my brain was doing push-ups while my body hadn\'t even arrived at the gym. \"Hey,\" said Brain, \"what\'s the difference between gravy and sauce? How do airplanes stay up? I wonder when Earl will bring Body some coffee Tue, 30 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-580.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-580.php There was an editorial in the local newspaper that noted only one in four Americans really knew why we celebrate Memorial Day. Some thought it was just the start of the summer season. Others thought it was to honor our military Mon, 29 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-579.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-579.php The condition of my pastry brush attests that I\'m not much of a cook. In fact, I didn\'t have much of a pastry brush either. Until today.I needed a pastry brush about a year ago for some kitchen task Sun, 28 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-578.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-578.php I love the scent of lilacs in bloom, and this spring I\'ve loved them close at hand. When we first moved into this house, we planted some unassuming lilac bushes that struggled a while but have now come into their own Fri, 26 May 2006 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-577.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-577.php I am in my fifth year of piano lessons. It isn\'t that I\'m a slow learner; rather, my piano teacher says I\'ve been a musical cripple most of my life. Ever since that nun in charge of the grade school choir told me to only mouth the words and not actually sing Fri, 26 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-576.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-576.php The phrase \"formal attire\" must mean different things in different social circles, and those of us who are not in the know often wonder why people wear what they wear for special events. For instance, why do Hollywood stars attending the Oscars go for high priced fashions with low plunging necklines? And I\'m not just talking the women here Thu, 25 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-575.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-575.php My friend, Judi, visited me over the past weekend; and, as is usual with most of our guests here at River House, we hung out in the kitchen. Our kitchen is huge, inspires cooking efforts, and has a clear view of the family room if guests want to lounge there instead of stirring pots on the stove Tue, 23 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-574.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-574.php Tomorrow night is country music\'s time to shine. It\'s the 39th annual Country Music Awards Show live from New York City, even though much of country music is produced in Nashville, TN. I haven\'t kept track of how many annual shows I\'ve seen, but I\'d bet it\'s at least half of them Mon, 22 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-573.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-573.php I don\'t know why, but changing hair dressers is a tricky business. I\'ve known more than one woman who complained about the haircut she got or the perm she just paid for and yet returned four weeks later for a trim Sun, 21 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-572.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-572.php There must be some axiom somewhere that says \"If it\'s simple, then tamper with it until it\'s complicated.\" Maybe Ben Franklin went out kite-flying under this principle and discovered electricity. Maybe Bill Gates did the same thing with the lowly typewriter, and look where it\'s taken us Fri, 19 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-571.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-571.php If you want to know about a certain product and its credibility, you can check it out at ConsumersGuide.com. Or, if you\'re an addict for printed material, you can subscribe to the magazine by the same name without the dot com Thu, 18 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-570.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-570.php One week ago today I arrived in New York for my semi-annual visit to that city. As usual, my son, his partner, and I met for dinner at Grand Central Terminal\'s Oyster Bar. It\'s become a tradition every time I -- a confirmed seafood lover -- come to town, but you don\'t have to like flaky fish or shellfish to appreciate this restaurant Wed, 17 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-569.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-569.php Last week I spent a few days in New York, checking in with my bosses at fredflare.com. I love New York, but every trip there makes me an even firmer believer in the adage that it\'s a great place to visit but not such a great place to live Tue, 16 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-568.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-568.php Maybe I have my head in the sand when it comes to the topic of illegal immigration. I understand the problem is complex and so, by default, must be the solution. What I don\'t understand is how some politicians -- including the President -- and some talk show hosts are saying illegal immigration is the Number One concern of the \"American people Mon, 15 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-567.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-567.php I\'ve always been confused about Mother\'s Day and who we are acknowledging. I understand the guests of honor are mothers, but just who qualifies? I\'m a mother, so I supposed my children could do something special for me Sun, 14 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-566.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-566.php What is it about clocks that intrigues us? Especially the large, landmark variety? I ponder this as I look forward to meeting my son tomorrow evening under the four sided brass clock in the middle of Manhattan\'s Grand Central Terminal Tue, 09 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-565.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-565.php One month from today I turn sixty-two. Uncle Sam has already contacted me about my Social Security Administration benefits, but so far I\'ve ignored him. It\'s not that I\'m afraid to turn sixty-two; it\'s just that I\'m still in the work force and need to determine how that fact impacts financially what I do with Uncle Sun, 07 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-564.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-564.php Recently I\'ve become a fan of \"American Idol,\" that weekly talent show with the dysfunctional family of judges. I started watching when there were seven contestants left, and now they\'re down to four Sat, 06 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-563.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-563.php I met him late in life, both my life and his. Yet, that didnt diminish what he offered or the way he offered it. He was verbally clever, financially savvy, and approachable. That\'s why I tuned in to Louis Rukeyser every Friday night on television for about five years Fri, 05 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-562.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-562.php I like email as much as the next person; in fact, my program is set up to send me a little pop-up whenever I receive a message, so I\'m never too far behind. At the same time, I like the telephone; and it is becoming more and more difficult to reach a human being by using that instrument these days Thu, 04 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-561.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-561.php I\'ve lived with the red mulch Earl wanted to use around our trees and shrubs for almost seventy-two hours; and I must admit it\'s not as bad as it was during Hour One. Whether I really like it or am just growing accustomed to it as a defense mechanism doesnt really matter Wed, 03 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-560.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-560.php There are times I want to discontinue my blog, shut down my web site, and regain anonymity. During these times, I chafe under the daily grind of writing in a public venue such as the Internet. Why bother, I wonder Mon, 01 May 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-559.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-559.php Earl and I have had a crash course in mulch these past four days. First we went to a local lawn supply company to learn the pros and cons of each type. This wasn\'t out of some passionate desire to become mulch experts; rather, it was because Earl wanted red mulch and I wanted dark brown Sun, 30 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-558.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-558.php Whoever said, \"If you own more than one clock, you\'ll never know what time it is,\" spoke the frustrating truth. We have clocks everywhere in our house -- five in the kitchen alone -- and I never know which one to follow Thu, 27 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-557.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-557.php I\'m not the first person to note that air travel isn\'t what it used to be. I\'m just the most recent. I\'ve been on three planes in the last two days, and two of the flights had their share of problems Wed, 26 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-556.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-556.php I am addicted to Chapstick. Actually I am addicted to lip balm, one of the most recognizable brands being Chapstick. That said, I offer practical advice to anyone else who shares my affliction.First, Chapstick is pricey, but not the most pricey Tue, 25 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-555.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-555.php I am now well into my fifth year of piano lessons; and, if talent rules, then logic suggests I should quit. I will never be a good, much less great, pianist. At the same time, the humbling experience of a weekly piano lesson has done much for me Mon, 24 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-554.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-554.php Last night Earl and I attended the Trinity Irish Dance Company\'s performance at our local auditorium. We\'d seen this troupe before and had enjoyed it immensely. Last night was no exception.To me, Irish step dancing is an unusual art form Sun, 23 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-553.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-553.php From time to time I listen to the traffic reports in Chicago and smile because I no longer have to cope with them. It was during one of these forty-second spots that a reporter referred to the Reagan Expressway and I marveled that an entire expressway had been built and named since Earl and I moved away four years ago Sat, 22 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-552.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-552.php The baseball season is in full swing (no pun intended), and dedicated statisticians are already looking for new facts, new records, and new heroes. I have a head start on baseball\'s stats this year, as someone (I have conveniently forgotten who Fri, 21 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-551.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-551.php I frequently wear short sleeved knit shirts, both in winter and in summer; so I have a variety of colors: lavender, coral, pink, green, blue, white, etc.It doesn\'t matter what color I\'m wearing on any given day, invariably I spill ketchup or mustard or some other gooey condiment on the front of it Wed, 19 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-550.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-550.php Last week, Katie Couric made the announcement that she is leaving behind fifteen years on the Today Show to become the primary news anchor on a competing station. Eyebrows shot up. The media rushed to cover the story, giving it more space than Bush\'s woes Tue, 18 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-549.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-549.php Yesterday was Easter Sunday and maybe it was Passover too; I\'m not sure anymore. Time was when I spent not only Easter Sunday but also much of the previous week in church. But that time is as long gone as Latin is in the Catholic mass Mon, 17 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-547.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-547.php Spring has sprung. I noticed it for the first time a couple days ago as I roamed my property without a jacket, saw weeds taunting me, and smiled at the growth on my rose bushes. I\'m always grateful in the fall when the last mow is mowed, the patio furniture is stored, and the hoses are folded away Sat, 15 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-546.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-546.php One hundred forty-one years ago today, Abraham Lincoln, then President of the United States of America, succumbed to an assassin\'s bullet. There is nobody alive now who remembers that ignominious event Thu, 13 Apr 2006 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-545.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-545.php This morning I was driving home from purchasing a much-needed Starbucks, that oh-so-necessary-coffee-break as the business world pummels you, when I heard an interesting thing on the radio. It seems that birds which are migrating north from their winter habitats become confused around the Chicago metropolitan area Thu, 13 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-544.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-544.php We received a bill from FedEx a couple days ago for an envelope we sent recently to a Realtor in Chicago. The envelope contained a set of four keys and nothing else. It was a standard FedEx issue envelope too, usually reserved for items of half a pound or less Wed, 12 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-543.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-543.php The title for this essay simulates the sound of primal frustration, that feeling that occurs when one absolutely throws up one\'s hands in exasperation at a given situation. When one runs out of reasons or excuses or possible explanations Tue, 11 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-542.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-542.php We stopped at the gas station on our way to breakfast yesterday morning to buy the Sunday Chicago Tribune. Sun, 09 Apr 2006 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-541.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-541.php Today my next-door neighbor Clara turns eighty, and her family is holding a special party in her honor at Tosi\\\'s, a local fancy restaurant. Like barnacles, there are memories attached here, since it\'s the same restaurant where Clara and her deceased husband, Harold, held their fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration several years ago Fri, 07 Apr 2006 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-540.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-540.php I never know who reads my blog unless a person contacts me one way or another to express an opinion or offer an insight. It\'s like casting bread upon the waters.However, over the past months, I\'ve heard regularly from one reader about my various essays Thu, 06 Apr 2006 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-539.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-539.php I know I\'m exhausted because the littlest thing sets me off. An innocuous telephone call, an email from my son that sounds as if he\'s chastising me, the FedEx man arriving at my door with more paperwork Thu, 06 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-538.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-538.php I recently read an article by Jonathan Turley, Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, which makes complete sense to me. It offers a logical solution for ending the same-sex marriage debate between conservatives and liberals Tue, 04 Apr 2006 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-537.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-537.php I was rooting around in Earl\'s car\'s glove compartment looking for a particular map, and it struck me that the contents of the compartment provided a history of our road trips together. I smiled in remembrance Tue, 04 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-536.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-536.php I like good Mexican restaurants, ones where the salsa is freshly made and the guacamole is too. Where the atmosphere is cozy and maybe a little dark. There was a restaurant near Spring City, Tennessee that used to fit that bill; and for a while it was the only one around that also served Margaritas and other alcoholic libations Mon, 03 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-535.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-535.php As the crow flies, it\'s almost six hundred miles between our home in Michigan and Spring City, Tennessee, where Earl\'s parents lived and where -- up the road -- they are now buried together. As the road winds, it\'s probably not much farther, but those who travel by car have it harder than any crow Sun, 02 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-534.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-534.php Forty-eight hours ago, I stood in the shower coaxing too much shampoo from my hair when Earl came into the bathroom.\"The nursing home just called,\" he said. \"My mother passed away a few minutes ago Sat, 01 Apr 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-533.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-533.php This blog will return on April 1. AB Sun, 19 Mar 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-532.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-532.php I never met a deadline I didn\'t like. Oh, I\'ve chafed at a few, even cursed one or two; but for getting into gear there is nothing like a pressing deadline.In school, I might have waited until the last minute to begin writing a term paper, but I always finished it in time Wed, 15 Mar 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-531.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-531.php The news is grim. Berrien Hills Country Club, which has served local communities and residents for over eighty years, is in trouble. Financial trouble. In fact, the club has voted not to open this year and to entertain offers to purchase some of the real estate involved in the eighteen-hole golf course and clubhouse Tue, 14 Mar 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-530.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-530.php I am frequently bombarded with offers from various corners of the world all trying to make me think they\\\'re giving me something for free. My current favorite is the invitation for a free credit report which can be obtained online, provided I sign up for eleven more monthly reports for a fee Sun, 12 Mar 2006 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-529.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-529.php John Denver once sang a song about country roads taking him home to West Virginia. I wasn\'t born anywhere near West Virginia, but I\'ve always had an affinity for that song\'s lyrics and the sentiment they express Sun, 12 Mar 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-528.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-528.php New York Yankees catcher and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra has moved on to other endeavors, but his one liners of yesterday still crack everybody up. Even if you didn\'t know at the time who said it, you\'ve probably heard such hilarious comments as \"Always go to other people\'s funerals, otherwise they won\'t come to yours\" and \"Half the lies they tell about me aren\'t true Fri, 10 Mar 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-527.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-527.php I love pantries, those giant-sized cupboards where you stock up on everything from soup to nuts. Where you take advantage of the two-for-one sales on canned goods and pastas and beans. Where you squirrel away chocolate chips for cookies and walnuts for brownies Wed, 08 Mar 2006 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-526.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-526.php Note: Wireless Internet is a good thing, when it works. I posted the following blog in Las Vegas, but learned later it never made it out of my computer. This is the last one of my travelog series. ABWe\'ve been here 72 hours and we are on overload Mon, 06 Mar 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-525.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-525.php Note: Wireless Internet is a good thing, when it works. I posted the following blog in Las Vegas, but learned later it never made it out of my computer. ABWhile we came to visit the glitz that is Las Vegas, we also came to visit the governmental project known as Hoover Dam, a monumental engineering project of the early twentieth century that brought electricity and irrigation to seven western states Sat, 04 Mar 2006 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-524.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-524.php Note: Wireless Internet is a good thing, when it works. I posted the following blog in Las Vegas, but learned later it never made it out of my computer. ABThemes are big here in Las Vegas: the Orient, the Occident, magic, pirates, Jimmy Buffet Sat, 04 Mar 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-523.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-523.php Before homo sapiens became somewhat civilized, he and she must have been more comfortable as part of a herd, rather like other animals still in the wild. Vestiges of this herd behavior still show up where large numbers of people are on the move Thu, 02 Mar 2006 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-522.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-522.php Earl and I are visiting Las Vegas this coming weekend; he for an update, me for the first time. Im not sure what to expect. Everyone I\'ve talked to has a different opinion, but all agree you must see it for yourself Thu, 02 Mar 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-521.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-521.php Today is Rosemary Balest Bryant\'s birthday, and I wish her the best.Rosemary and I were great friends in high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, during the time then-Governor Orville Faubus stood in the doorway of Central High School and defied federal troops on the issue of integration Wed, 01 Mar 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-520.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-520.php A few days ago I wrote about my stack of unfinished books, attributing my inability to completing them to Readers Block. Then I became inspired, maybe because I called myself out in public.What I mean by inspired is that since then Ive finished one novel and one non-fiction book Tue, 28 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-519.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-519.php Sometimes Im caught off guard when I read the local obituaries. Its not the words that puzzle me; its the photo that often accompanies them.Case in point: A woman, eighty-eight years old, passed away recently; but the photograph that accompanied the synopsis of her life revealed a beautiful young woman Mon, 27 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-518.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-518.php Its one of Benton Harbors best kept secrets; judging from its storefront appearance, maybe the owners want to keep it that way. But this weekend, El Rodeo took the gold medal for dining at a Mexican restaurant Sun, 26 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-517.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-517.php For the past two weeks weve watched the Olympics in Turino, Italy; and its all been about performing or not performing -- for a medal. Last night, the champions of figure skatings various events put on an exhibition of what they do when theyre on their own ice time Sat, 25 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-516.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-516.php At heart I\\\'m a romantic. Brilliant sunsets and well-performed piano concertos and mushy Valentine\\\'s Day cards and unexpected kisses unravel me. I become toast.At the same time, I\\\'m prone to the hokey saying for inspiration in my everyday life Thu, 23 Feb 2006 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-515.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-515.php I\'m confused.For the past five years President Bush has said, time and again, that our national security is of the utmost importance. He has pledged troops to battle on that account; he has limited some of our freedoms too Thu, 23 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-514.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-514.php They are stacked in their own neat little corner, almost like children who have been given a time out. And what these ten books have in common is that I\'ve read approximately two/thirds of each and then set the work aside Wed, 22 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-513.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-513.php Stonehenge, that massive pile of carefully laid stones in the downlands of England, has been a source of speculation and admiration for generations. I remember first learning about it in some elementary school social studies class where the teacher hinted that the monument was originally built by druids Tue, 21 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-512.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-512.php The primary job of headlines in a newspaper is to entice the reader to read the entire article and to sum its contents in several words, in case the reader passes on. Good headlines usually include some double meaning or some relationship to a bigger picture than the story at stake Mon, 20 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-511.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-511.php We\'ve all been saying what a mild winter this has been. My son in Fargo, where it\'s usually below zero for weeks at a time, said there\'d been no subzero yet this year. My son in New York found it more difficult to get to work during the transit strike than because of Mother Nature\'s whims Sun, 19 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-510.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-510.php The airline industry announced yesterday that approximately 10,000 pieces of luggage go missing every day. And while this isn\'t on the same scale as 10,000 people missing in some natural disaster, it makes me wonder what\'s going on in the friendly skies Sat, 18 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-509.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-509.php As a child I took lessons of all kinds: swimming, dancing, cooking, gymnastics, tennis, horseback riding, and crafts. But the thing is I never pursued any of these activities long enough to become proficient at them Fri, 17 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-508.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-508.php Last night\'s news broadcasts reported that Vice President Richard Cheney finally assumed personal responsibility for his negligence last week regarding the hunting incident where his friend was injured Thu, 16 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-507.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-507.php Vice President Cheney has been silent so far about his accidentally spraying his friend, attorney Harry Whittington, with buckshot during an afternoon while the two buddies were hunting.If I were Whittington, I\'m not sure I would still call Cheney my friend Wed, 15 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-506.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-506.php Today is Valentine\'s Day, and Earl and I spent most of it bonding with Con Ed. No, I don\'t mean the electric company; I mean continuing education, an annual requirement for those of us who wish to keep their real estate licenses active Tue, 14 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-505.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-505.php When I bump shoulders with friends who still have children at home, I am often struck with how busy their lives are. And how scheduled their children\'s lives are. There\'s school, of course; but then there\'s piano lessons on Monday, gymnastics on Tuesday, soccer on Wednesday and Friday with games on the weekend, and ballet on Thursday Mon, 13 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-504.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-504.php Michelle Kwan is a class act. As news of her decision to withdraw from Olympic competition became common knowledge, Kwan admitted that it was one of the most difficult decisions she\'d ever made. While her recurring groin injury was certainly a major factor, her commitment to the United States fielding the best skating team possible was equally important Sun, 12 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-503.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-503.php Last night I commandeered our big TV to watch the opening ceremonies of the XX Winter Olympics, brought to us this time around by NBC. I imagine that network paid big bucks for the honor, but what I saw made me think it wasn\'t up to the challenge Sat, 11 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-502.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-502.php Last night\'s network news seemed fraught with problems for President Bush. He went on television to describe, in much more detail than is usual for him, about how our security teams in the United States foiled an attack on the tallest building on the West Coast Fri, 10 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-501.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-501.php I had been out of town and returned to find an email from a faithful reader of my blog. \"Did you get food poisoning from your recipe article or are you just getting lazy?\" it read. It addressed a dilemma I have regularly Thu, 09 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-500.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-500.php I have issues. Issues with recipes, especially recipes that are printed in a local newspaper or circulated on the Internet. More often than not, they are incorrect, which means the cook must be part sleuth as well as part gourmand Mon, 06 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-499.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-499.php The 2006 Super Bowl is history. And, no, XL doesn\'t stand for extra large, although some may think the television coverage was over the top these past couple weeks. XL stands for forty, which stands for the number of Super Bowls that have gone down in history to date Sun, 05 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-498.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-498.php I\'d seen it advertised earlier in the week and it seemed like a win-win situation. I would get to see the best commercials of the past forty Super Bowls without having to watch a single minute of playing time Sat, 04 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-496.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-496.php I learned recently that a house about three-quarters of a mile up the road from mine was subject to a break-in about a week ago. From my perspective, that\'s really close to home. And it\'s made me rethink my security measures Fri, 03 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-495.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-495.php There are a myriad of literary contests out there, trying to lure applicants with modest submission fees and boastful promises of publication. I\'ve succumbed to more than one, usually to be disappointed Thu, 02 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-494.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-494.php Both Earl and my spellchecker shake their respective heads when I purchase broccoflower at the supermarket. Earl winces because he can\'t imagine a vegetable that combines the tastes of broccoli and cauliflower when he abhors both Wed, 01 Feb 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-493.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-493.php You can tell a lot about the inhabitants by studying the offices they dwell in. Are they organized? High class? Casual in approach? I was reminded of this when some friends came for cocktails last weekend; and, since this was their first visit, we gave them a tour of our home Tue, 31 Jan 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-492.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-492.php Yesterday I received a call from Gertrude McDonald, who is my first cousin once removed on my mother\'s side. It had probably been three or four years since we\'d talked; but, as with most of the McDonalds, you can pick it up where you laid it down Mon, 30 Jan 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-491.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-491.php Before there was digital photography, there were paper photographs, the kind you brought to a drug store for one hour processing. And before there was one hour processing, you waited in anticipation for a few days to see how your pictures turned out Sun, 29 Jan 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-490.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-490.php It must be the mood I\'m in, that I need to devote two blogs in a row to my annual physical. Or maybe it\'s the book I\'m reading that suggests writers need to find inspiration everywhere and be sensitive to details Sat, 28 Jan 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-489.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-489.php This morning I arrived early and eager at my doctor\\\'s office for my annual physical. Early because that\\\'s the best way of guaranteeing the doctor will be on time; for, as the day wears on, my experience has been that any doctor tends to get behind Thu, 26 Jan 2006 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-488.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-488.php I must remember that when you buy a new computer or any other new electronic device these days there is a learning curve. You simply can\'t assume that the new item is a replica of the old, only in a sleeker chassis Thu, 26 Jan 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-487.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-487.php My evening cocktail of choice is vodka on the rocks.It wasn\'t always this way. When I first became legal and could order a drink with my ID as collateral, I chose Pink Ladies. They were syrupy and smooth and pink; and I\'m not sure anyone knows how to make them nowadays Wed, 25 Jan 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-486.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-486.php I\'ve probably never given a health club a chance before now. Even when I belonged to the exclusive East Bank Club in Chicago, it was all about the massages and the manicures and meeting friends for dinner Tue, 24 Jan 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-484.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-484.php We are finally unpacked from our recent trip, and Earl has caught up on our laundry. Stacks of slacks and shorts and summer shirts wait on the seven-foot pew in our family room. But they\'re hardly waiting for Sunday service to begin Sun, 22 Jan 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-483.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-483.php Earl and I are back on terra firma after spending ten days on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, visiting various ports of call and basking in the warm, friendly sun and eighty-degree weather Fri, 20 Jan 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-482.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-482.php Every year about now I spend time making a list of goals that I want to achieve in the coming months. I have personal goals, financial goals, spiritual goals, you name it. I pour over this list for a week or two, massaging it and committing to put it into place Wed, 04 Jan 2006 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-481.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-481.php The Sago Mine saga continues to unfold, as mining families begin to bury their loved ones and the sole survivor struggles for life. In the weeks to come, there will be recriminations all around.For now, here is what I think Wed, 04 Jan 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-480.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-480.php At the beginning of December, the Chicago Tribune Magazine devoted its entire issue to todays ever-increasing and always-changing technology. Im just now getting around to reading it, which is an indication not only of how behind I am in my reading but also how slow I am to glom onto technology in the first place Tue, 03 Jan 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-479.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-479.php Ive spent the better part of the day on various web sites, trying to get answers to questions about the new technology I received for Christmas. (New technology always requires a learning curve!) I got a Z22 PALM and a new Dell 1300 laptop, as well as a couple gift cards Mon, 02 Jan 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-478.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-478.php As the first day of the New Year waned, I read the local Sunday newspaper and found a most interesting article about words that should be banned in 2006. No, theyre not the four-letter sort, although theyre just as uncreative Sun, 01 Jan 2006 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-477.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-477.php This is my final blog for 2005. I started writing Ten Minutes to Write, Less Time to Read in May, 2004 and have logged hundreds of blogs and thousands of words since. I think Ive reached beyond my family and friends too Sat, 31 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-476.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-476.php Its the eve of New Years Eve, but life is already winding down. Perhaps its because its also a Friday, and most employers are sending employees home at the usual five oclock hour with no expectation to see them again before Tuesday, January 3 Fri, 30 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-475.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-475.php A recent headline on the front page of the local Herald Palladium noted that experts do not understand why college graduates are more illiterate than ever. The article didnt say what the experts were expert at studying, but it doesnt take a rocket scientist to come up with a list of reasons why students are becoming more and more illiterate Thu, 29 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-474.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-474.php The world is a less formal place than it was when I was growing up. And, before you dismiss my complaint as that of some curmudgeon, let me add its not necessarily a bad thing. Just different.Take thank you notes Wed, 28 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-473.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-473.php Its the Eve of Christmas Eve; and, judging from various emails and personal contacts, my friends and family are involved in an eclectic assortment of preparations, not all of them geared to the holiday Fri, 23 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-472.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-472.php Bill OReilly is still haranguing merchants and others who choose to say Happy Holidays over Merry Christmas. He believes that substituting the former for the latter is a slap in the face for Christians everywhere Wed, 21 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-471.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-471.php I am proud to announce that our bathroom project is one hundred percent finished, completed, finally over. I say this because yesterday I folded our new towels and put them in their proper places. I also hung the rest of the artwork in the master bathroom and admired the towel hooks that took forever to get here but were worth the wait Tue, 20 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-470.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-470.php I subscribe to Charles Dickens view of the world: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. He was writing about the French Revolution, and Im writing about 2005. But the basic principles apply; each time is both joyous and disheartening Sun, 18 Dec 2005 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-469.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-469.php Around this time of year pundits, politicians, and pop artists release their Best Of lists. My sons company, fredflare.com, issues its best too. I mention this because it is the only list Ive ever garnered enough votes to be included on Sat, 17 Dec 2005 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-468.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-468.php Dear Starbucks,I have had a long, passionate and faithful affair with you, starting about ten years ago when I fell in love with your lattes. You fueled my caffeine desire and lit my beverage life. I was willing to endure anything to accept one of your offerings Fri, 16 Dec 2005 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-467.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-467.php I chose a word in midair to come up with a topic for todays ten minutes. Joy leaped into my mind without hesitation, so I decided it would be my topic.What is joy? I could check a dictionary, but I prefer to wing it Fri, 16 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-466.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-466.php Ive been thinking, Earls daughter, Adaire, said. Thinking about your blog.As I listened, I hoped she was being provoked by some of my entries and possibly amused by others. She is a faithful reader, and I always appreciate her input Thu, 15 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-465.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-465.php It seems to me that this Christmas the gifts are smaller than usual. I dont mean fewer; I mean physically smaller. And I think this is because the giving of gift certificates better known in the retail industry as gift cards has become more acceptable and prevalent Tue, 13 Dec 2005 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-464.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-464.php Whenever Earl or I purchase an item or a service, we usually charge it. We put any tip involved on the credit card too. However, over the past few years Ive learned to ask the waiter or waitress or hairdresser or manicurist or whoever it is what the policy of the establishment is regarding these tips Tue, 13 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-463.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-463.php I have the feeling Im in for a bumpy ride the next few months. And its all because my beloved, Earl, is eagerly planning our summer 06 vacation.Earl has said on more than one occasion that when I plan our vacations all he has to do is show up Sun, 11 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-462.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-462.php Ive always thought that being bilingual was a tremendous asset, one that most people in our country do not appreciate. We live in a land so vast that one can go for miles and find people who still speak the same language Sat, 10 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-461.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-461.php Four weeks from today Earl and I head south; and I mean really south, as in the Caribbean and Venezuela. Were taking our annual get-away-from-winter-for-ten-days cruise. So today we started our tanning regimen Fri, 09 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-460.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-460.php Weve lived in this house without owning toilet paper holders for over five years. Every once in a while its bothered us, but for the most part weve lived with the toilet paper roll sitting on the back of the commode or on the vanity top Wed, 07 Dec 2005 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-459.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-459.php Its the first snow of the year; and, at the rate the little flakes are coming down, were almost guaranteed a white Christmas even though were eighteen days away. Ive shoveled our front walk three times in the last six hours, and if this keeps up I wont be able to back my little Neon out of the garage in the morning Wed, 07 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-458.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-458.php Last night Earl and I began decorating our Christmas tree. I wasnt in the mood at all this year; in fact, I was willing to forego the whole thing. But Earl loves Christmas and he wouldnt accept such a lack of holiday spirit Mon, 05 Dec 2005 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-457.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-457.php Earl and I are on the Atkins Diet, the one where you can eat anything you want as long as it isnt milk, bread, pasta, potatoes, fruit, or desserts. Weve done this before to more or less success; and, although I think this particular diet isnt healthy at all, were on it until December 23 Sun, 04 Dec 2005 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-456.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-456.php As of today, our household is back to normal; normal being what it looked like before our remodeling projects began two months ago. Ive found all my clothes and they are neatly arranged in our new closet Sun, 04 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-455.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-455.php For years, I tried to be politically correct and theologically sensitive around this time of year. In the waning days that I sent cards, they were holiday greetings. When I was in charge of the companys annual party, the word Christmas was struck from the invitation Sat, 03 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-454.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-454.php I think bears have the right idea. They hibernate through the winter, living off the fat of their bodies while they sleep away. Im not saying I want to sleep for months on end, but right now I do want to withdraw from the world at large Fri, 02 Dec 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-453.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-453.php Enrollment in the new Medicare prescription drug coverage plan began over two weeks ago, and Im dragging my feet in studying it on Earls behalf. The President I hesitate to say Our President claims \"this is the greatest advance for seniors in health care in forty years Wed, 30 Nov 2005 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-452.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-452.php The mail really stacked up while we were in Colorado; and, as I sift through it, Im struck with the variety of catalogs, brochures, bills, and miscellany with either Earls or my name attached. Of course the holiday catalogs come with the season, but I also got a notice from Uncle Sam about how to order my tax forms for 2005 Wed, 30 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-451.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-451.php Were home from our Thanksgiving travels, and plunked down into the reality of our remodeling and our discombobulated efforts on various fronts. In one sense, Im glad to be here; in another, ouch!There are four weeks minus one day until Christmas, and Ive made it my personal mantra to have our house completely finished, completely decorated, and completely guest-friendly by December 23 Mon, 28 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-450.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-450.php Were heading home. Back through Denver International Airport. Then to Midway International Airport in Chicago. Then to our car and a one hundred mile trip down the road to our house on Derfla Drive Sun, 27 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-449.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-449.php Its become a new tradition (I suppose this is an oxymoron, but traditions have to start somewhere.) that my aunt and I trim her Christmas tree during our annual Thanksgiving visit. And I have my friend, Noreen, to thank for this Sat, 26 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-448.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-448.php I have four first cousins, the children of my Aunt Alice and Uncle Dick. Aunt Alice is my mothers younger sister, and she and I have an affinity that defies description. I leave it at that.Even though were the same generation, my cousins and I are still getting acquainted Fri, 25 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-447.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-447.php Originally, Thanksgiving honored the friendship between the early settlers and the indigenous Indians who helped them survive those first harsh winters in America. It was a time to break bread together and give thanks for food and friends Thu, 24 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-446.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-446.php Today claims the record as the busiest day of the year for travelers; its the day before the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend and everyone is on the move. Earl and I are right there.I debated about whether to travel today or tomorrow, when things are somewhat calmer; but price determined my final decision Wed, 23 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-445.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-445.php Last night I attended a jewelry party, hosted by my friend Jeannine in her home. Not ever having attended one before, I didnt know quite what to expect.Was I walking into something like a Tupperware party, where the guests play games, answer silly questions, and win clever prizes? I once won a gadget that peels an orange, and Ive bought more than my share of plastic containers that you burp to seal Tue, 22 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-444.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-444.php The bathroom countdown continues . . . and continues . . . and continues. Will it ever be done?Of course, certain phases are done. Demolition has long been over; upgrading the plumbing and the electric has come and gone; and the major reconstruction is all but complete Mon, 21 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-443.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-443.php I had not heard of Pennsylvanias Representative John Murtha until he openly criticized the Bush Administrations current handling of the war in Iraq this week. Murtha, who was first elected to Congress in 1974, is the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee Sat, 19 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-442.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-442.php President Bush is somewhere in Asia getting ready to meet with the head of China. My lack of precise details shows how uninterested I really am. At the same time, Ive heard smatterings of Bushs remarks about the behavior of other countries; and I shake my head Thu, 17 Nov 2005 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-441.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-441.php Last year, on November 21, I wrote about the barrage of gift catalogs that had found its way to my door. Well, theyre back again.Todays mailbox yielded about half a dozen harbingers of the holiday season, each one enticing the reader to buy Thu, 17 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-440.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-440.php I find Im exhausted today, even though nothing particularly challenging or unexpected happened to sap my energy. Rather, I think reality just arrived on the doorstep.Weve had a glorious fall, weather-wise, but today a forerunner of winter blew into town Wed, 16 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-439.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-439.php Tonight the CMA Awards take center stage; for the uninitiated, it is the Country Music Associations big night, equal to the Oscars in film, the Emmys in television, and the Tonys in live theatre.Im an awards show junkie, so Ill be watching and taking notes Tue, 15 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-438.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-438.php Yesterday afternoon Earl all but dragged me to a book signing at The Box Factory, a local artists hangout. He wanted to hear author Judith Pearson speak about her recent book, The Wolves at the Door, which chronicles the life of Virginia Hall, an American female spy during World War II Sun, 13 Nov 2005 23:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-437.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-437.php Im now back from NYC two days, enough time for my mind and my body to show up in the same place. And what are the two of them doing?Well, theyre missing all the people in New York who comprise the fredflare Sun, 13 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-436.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-436.php I wrote earlier in the week that visiting New York City was like going home. And I meant it. But it needs clarification . . . Visiting New York City is like returning to the home of my childhood, my first recollection of a protective place where people cared about me Fri, 11 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-435.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-435.php Every time I visit New York City I see an old friend. Sometimes its just to linger over drinks; sometimes its for a leisurely dinner. Either way, its great to be back in Grand Central, the grande dame of refurbished railroad stations Thu, 10 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-434.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-434.php There is no place in our country like New York City. I havent been to all the major metropolises of the world, so I hesitate to say New York is the top of the tops; but I wager its a contender.As someone whos spent part of her childhood in New York and much of her adult life in and around Chicago, I feel qualified to make comparisons Wed, 09 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-433.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-433.php Yesterday, while I was packing and planning for my New York trip, I began to think the end of our remodeling project was in sight. Not in grasp, you understand, but definitely showing signs of visible progress Tue, 08 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-432.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-432.php So tomorrow I fly to New York City, and its like coming home. Sure, I get to see my son Keith and his partner Chris. Ill visit their company headquarters and meet the staff too. In fact, thats the primary reason for my visit Mon, 07 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-431.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-431.php This morning we ate breakfast with Earls daughter and son-in-law at a charming restaurant in Douglas, Michigan. As a rule, I prefer to skip the first meal of the day, but Everyday People (an unusual name for an eatery, although theres probably a reason behind the choice) almost changes my opinion Sun, 06 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-430.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-430.php I lost count of the number of magazines Earl subscribes to long before I gave up trying to read them all. Now, as they pour into our house, I merely glance at the covers and draw some quick conclusions Fri, 04 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-429.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-429.php An unforeseen benefit to ripping out our bathrooms is that Ive taken to exercising regularly, regularly being defined as five to six times a week, at the health club. I figured that, as long as I had to go there anyway, I might as well make use of the facility to do more than my usual walking Thu, 03 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-428.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-428.php Im still sitting in dust listening to drills drone and hammers pound, still waiting for our bathroom project to finish. This is Week Five, and Earl and I have had to make an adjustment in our time schedule Wed, 02 Nov 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-427.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-427.php Tonight is Halloween, that night when ghosts and goblins reign. Or at least, youngsters dressed as ghosts and goblins. Most years of late, Ive tried to be away from home on this night, preferring to leave my porch light off and salving my conscience with the thought that, for years, I held court on Halloween when my own children were costume and candy age Mon, 31 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-426.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-426.php Carving the annual Halloween pumpkin ranks high among my fondest childhood memories. Perhaps it is because there was no other holiday baggage attached. Mostly I remember when we lived in Syracuse, NY Sun, 30 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-425.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-425.php Baseballs October frenzy, also known as the World Series, is over. Chicagos White Sox won. And more than one media interview said it was a team effort. I believe it.In fact, it was such a team effort that Earl and I watched all the post-season games together Sat, 29 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-424.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-424.php Yesterday the media announced that Harriet Miers had written a letter to President Bush requesting that he withdraw her name from nomination as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Reluctantly, he did so Fri, 28 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-423.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-423.php They did it! The White Sox won the World Series in four straight games to become Chicagos newest heroes. In fact, I heard one enthusiastic supporter say this achievement rivaled the entire six championships the Bulls won with Michael Jordan Wed, 26 Oct 2005 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-422.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-422.php Theyre ahead, theres no doubt. The Chicago White Sox have lost only one of the last thirteen games. Theyve made the World Series. And they play in Houston, Texas, tonight with two games up on the Houston Astros Tue, 25 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-421.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-421.php Its fall here in southwestern Michigan and its magical. Temperatures have dropped, colors on the trees have risen. Orange, red, umber, yellow, magenta its not quite a rainbow but close.The leaf peepers are out and about too Mon, 24 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-420.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-420.php Every day has its own ritual, and Sunday is no exception. For starters, Earl and I dont program our clock radio to wake us at 6:30 AM; instead we get up when we feel like it. So far weve managed to feel like it before noon Sun, 23 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-419.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-419.php I am as excited as the next Chicago person that the south side White Sox are in the World Series. I hope they win. I even hope they win in four games. But I take issue with the name of the championship the team is seeking Sat, 22 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-418.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-418.php Limbo is a state of suspended animation; youre neither here nor there. And thats what Chicagos White Sox have been in all week, waiting to see whom they will play in the World Series (a truly misnomered championship, but thats another essay!)Last night they, and their hoards of fans, learned that the Houston Astros will be the White Sox opponents Fri, 21 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-417.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-417.php By definition, trivia is trivial. Its those small details that stick in the mind like flies on flypaper. Yet, there are some things Ive learned in our bathroom remodeling project that are small details, but which are anything but trivial Wed, 19 Oct 2005 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-416.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-416.php According to Mr. Gay Hendricks, author of A Year of Living Consciously your passion is something you do that makes you lose track of time. It is so fulfilling that it never feels like work. Since reading Hendricks theory, Ive thought about what my passions might be Wed, 19 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-415.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-415.php Ten days ago, give or take, I wrote about our going to the South Shore Club each morning to shower while our own showers are inoperable. In so many words, I said that the SSC would never really compete with a health club Earl and I belonged to during our Chicago days Tue, 18 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-414.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-414.php Im tired tonight. Tired of the whole remodeling project going on in my house, tired of other people traipsing through it, and tired of their using the one remaining half bath or pounding away while I try to work Mon, 17 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-413.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-413.php Theres been a parade of tradesmen through my house lately as we remodel our bathrooms; and, even though they have different jobs to do, they all act pretty much alike.For the most part, they arrive around eight in the morning, forming a ring of trucks in our driveway Sun, 16 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-412.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-412.php While deconstruction and reconstruction pushed on around me, I needed a break from the dust and dirt of my present lifestyle. So I started reading The Ha-Ha, a first novel by Dave King. The title itself was enough to draw me in; and, no, it isnt about some funny joke Fri, 14 Oct 2005 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-411.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-411.php Our new routine is to get up each morning and go to the health club before dawn. Around here dawn comes late, so Im pulling out of my garage about seven. As I turn the corner onto Bacon School Road I see three students huddling together in the dark, waiting for the school bus Thu, 13 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-410.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-410.php Im confused about Harriet. As in Harriet Miers. She is President Bushs nominee to the Supreme Court to replace outgoing Justice Sandra Day OConnor. By many accounts, she is a fine lawyer; by equally many accounts there is little record of how she would side on important issues Wed, 12 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-409.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-409.php My remodeling project is about to swallow the rest of my life, which is why I write about something totally unrelated to drywall, plumbing, or the thickness of plywood. Travel has always been one of my pastimes, having been part of my life forever Tue, 11 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-408.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-408.php Theres book learning and theres on-the-job (OJT) training. Our remodeling project falls into the latter category; and here are some things Ive learned in the past week:When you have the plumber, the electrician, the ceramic tile man, and the drywall man on the job at the same time, each has his own agenda Mon, 10 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-407.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-407.php The Chicago White Sox are resting a couple days while they find out if they play the New York Yankees or the Los Angeles Angels for their league championship. The next series begins this Tuesday, and Earl and I will be there Sun, 09 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-406.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-406.php Every night after Mike and Dave -- our demolition team -- leave, Earl sneaks into the bathrooms to make his contribution to our remodeling effort. As I write this, he is using a crowbar to knock out old ceramic tile off the walls Sat, 08 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-405.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-405.php Yesterday, Earl and I started showering at the South Shore Racquet Club, since we have no showering facilities in our home at the moment. Afterward, we stopped for donuts at Dales, and Earl asked: How did you like the club?Truthfully, its just a temporary place to shower Fri, 07 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-404.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-404.php Its four days now, or in terms of the pictures on my demolition calendar its three smiley faces and one face sticking out its tongue. Really, things are fine; but our house has plaster walls and taking them down to the studs in two rooms has begun to have an effect that ressembles snow indoors Thu, 06 Oct 2005 9:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-403.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-403.php Last weekend, Earl and I saw Miss Saigon, the blockbuster that played its way into the third longest running musical in Broadway history. (For the record, Cats is first.) I liked it better than Earl did Tue, 04 Oct 2005 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-402.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-402.php We are 36 hours into the mission of remodeling two of our three bathrooms, and so far things have gone well. Really well. Earl and I are still on talking terms.This week its all about demolition. We have a huge, ugly dumpster holding court on our driveway; and, believe me, this is not an attractive addition to the landscaping Mon, 03 Oct 2005 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-401.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-401.php Both Earl and I are only children; its one of the many things we have in common. We also share two syllable names, a commitment to being on time, a relentlessness about balancing our checkbooks, a dedication to personal honesty, a love of good food, an interest in having more money than month, and an appreciation of hard work Sun, 02 Oct 2005 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-400.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-400.php Yesterday, I shopped, as in spent the entire afternoon going from store to store trying on clothing and buying additions to my fall wardrobe. You might not think this is a big deal, but for someone who hasnt taken an afternoon off to shop in probably five years, it was quite an experience Sat, 01 Oct 2005 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-398.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-398.php Bob Evans at eight in the morning is a bustling place, especially on Saturdays during college football season. I know this firsthand, because Earl and I went there today. Three waitresses wore University of Michigan T-shirts, which elicited various responses from customers who were probably just laying down a base in their stomachs for the tailgate parties to come Fri, 30 Sep 2005 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-399.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-399.php It may be a derogatory term in this age of political correctness, but Im in favor of old white guys. Im not talking about my personal life here. Old white guys are well-known rockers who still hog the spotlight Thu, 29 Sep 2005 8:58:34 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-397.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-397.php I feel acutely sensitive to fall this year. I had thought this summer would be spectacular, and I was ready; but the drought that took hold of southwestern Michigan these past few months assured the demise of springs promise Wed, 28 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-396.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-396.php I need thirty-hour days to get everything done and still enjoy life, and I think maybe its a function of my age.Time was when I could work long hours on a given project and still have enough energy left at night to read half a book or watch a couple television shows or even clean my kitchen Tue, 27 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-395.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-395.php I received a letter in the mail last week from Lake Forest College, where I obtained my masters degree almost a decade ago. It informed me that Art Zilversmit had died, and I silently wept.Art Zilversmit was the first director of the Master of Liberal Studies program at Lake Forest Mon, 26 Sep 2005 9:59:46 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-394.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-394.php Egads, which is probably a word nobody says anymore. But it provides the right amount of shock and surprise for todays ten minutes, without resorting to the more traditional, yet overused, four-letter words Sun, 25 Sep 2005 21:28:44 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-393.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-393.php A couple nights ago I caught a snippet of an interview between former talk show host Phil Donahue and current Fox News host Bill OReilly. The latter runs the Bill OReilly Show. Then last night, I saw the same OReilly after all, its his show interview former general Wesley Clark Sat, 24 Sep 2005 12:22:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-392.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-392.php I have become enamoured of televisions Weather Channel ever since the twins, Katrina and Rita, showed up on the scene. Until then, I was only mildly interested in what the temperature was in my neighborhood and didnt particularly care at all about storm fronts or cold fronts elsewhere Fri, 23 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-391.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-391.php I last saw her a couple years ago, when she was approaching eighty and I was approaching sixty. Its hard to imagine, since we were in each others lives on a daily basis when I was just over thirty. The adage about time flying is certainly true Wed, 21 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-390.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-390.php I drive a no-frills, stick shift Neon; and I love it. This is because cars have never provided status for me. At the same time, my partner Earl thinks my vehicle is less than a car. He calls it a coat with four wheels that you wear Tue, 20 Sep 2005 12:20:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-389.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-389.php There are crackpots and there are crockpots. This essay is about the latter. I decided about a week ago to see if I could revitalize my interest in cooking by using crockpot recipes. In the past, Ive always thought crockpot cooking all tasted the same Mon, 19 Sep 2005 17:46:40 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-388.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-388.php I spent three hours weeding today; and it was a rather satisfying, although humbling, experience. It made me realize that, no matter how organized the gardener is, she cannot depend on weather.I started the spring growing season high with expectations Sun, 18 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-387.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-387.php Its late, almost midnight; Im tired, but wired. So what to do? Like the late night news, Ill recap the days activities for those who are also still awake.Today I went to my first football game since I was in high school Sat, 17 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-386.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-386.php For the fun of it, Im offering my opinion on some current issues. In fact, Ive divided my comments into three categories: over the top, just right, and dont bother with an extra tip for coping along the way Fri, 16 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-385.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-385.php Every day I read a page of inspiration from a book titled A Year of Living Consciously. This is the second year in a row that Ive tried to incorporate this book into my daily routine. I think I could do it for another ten years and not glean everything there is to glean from this little gem Thu, 15 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-384.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-384.php Tonight Earl and I heard former Attorney General John Ashcroft speak at a local Economic Club Meeting. I went in the belief that I should hear the opposition first hand, rather than read his remarks through the filtered lenses of the media Tue, 13 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-383.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-383.php Ive gone on public record as liking Monday for a variety of reasons. But this particular Monday didnt measure up in any way at all. Usually I take Monday to ease into things, knowing the rest of the week is there for back up Mon, 12 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-381.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-381.php Today two people who are very important to me celebrate their respective birthdays; and, for the past four years, its saddened me that they will always have to share their holiday with one of our nations tragedies Sun, 11 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-380.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-380.php I understand there is a discussion raging about whether to rebuild New Orleans on its current site, which is considerably below sea level, or whether to rebuild at another location, presumably more favorable to hurricanes Sat, 10 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-379.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-379.php There are thousands of former residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Are they refugees or evacuees? At first glance, what does it matter? After all, whats most important in the here and now is to help them Fri, 09 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-378.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-378.php There is a statement attributed to former First Lady Barbara Bush that is circling the airwaves. I quote it as it arrived in my email box. I have tried to ascertain its accuracy, but so far the only barometer I have is that other people whom Ive emailed have also heard this comment from various independent sources Thu, 08 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-377.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-377.php The battle for New Orleans continues, only now its shifted from stemming the flow of water through the broken levees to final searches for residents who are still in their flooded homes and not able to communicate with the outside world Wed, 07 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-376.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-376.php Early in the summer season Earl and I affixed a hummingbird feeder to the awning outside my office window. My office is the only room in our house that does not have a view of the St. Joe River, so we try other diversions to make me one with nature Tue, 06 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-375.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-375.php A quick Google revealed that Labor Day evolved from parades held in the 1880s in New York City by the Knights of Columbus to honor the working class. These parades were held on the first Monday in September; and, from this beginning, over a hundred years ago, the national holiday we celebrate was born Mon, 05 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-374.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-374.php Earl claims that September and October are his favorite months, although Im not sure why he feels that way. Ive never asked.For me, each month has its qualities, so I just take them as they come. In September, I look forward to cooler evenings after the summers scorch and to less yardwork after the growing seasons flurry Fri, 02 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-373.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-373.php Im still mesmerized by the film footage from New Orleans and points east. Its water with rooftops dotting it. Water with people slogging through it, knee deep. Water with debris of all kinds floating by Thu, 01 Sep 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-372.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-372.php I live in the upper Midwest, while Hurricane Katrina and her aftermath rages in the southern states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. We couldnt be farther apart. At least geographically.But before this is over, I believer that, regardless of where Americans live, we will all feel an aftershock from the ruin and devastation that has hit our country Wed, 31 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-371.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-371.php Professor Harold Hill of The Music Man fame and I have a lot in common. We both believe in the think method of music. Of course, there is one difference between us: my method works, at least for me, and his was a scam artists dream Tue, 30 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-369.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-369.php All day Earl and I have watched the television, glued to the weather station and news of Hurricane Katrina as it wends its way inland through Louisiana and Mississippi.Its funny about associations. I once had a student named Katrina who was a forceful and direct as the current storm Mon, 29 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-368.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-368.php Today is Sunday; and, as is my pattern, I watched the morning program called Sunday Morning. I like it and its moderator, Charles Osgood, because they remind me of the kind of television show Ive always liked best: the variety hour Sun, 28 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-367.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-367.php The hardest thing I do every morning is shake myself out of bed. In terms of challenge, the rest of the day is downhill from there. Its even harder in winter, when we rise before the sun (which makes me think she has the same problem I do) Fri, 26 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-366.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-366.php There are rumors about colonoscopy that suggest the procedure is akin to medieval torture. That surviving the procedure is tantamount to sainthood. Im here to debunk those rumors.I underwent my third colonoscopy in ten years this afternoon; and, while I cant say the experience rivals a birthday celebration or a cruise in the Caribbean, it was certainly manageable Thu, 25 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-365.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-365.php Last night Earl and I went to dinner at one of my favorite local restaurants, Grande Mere Inn. I must say it has a lot of things going against it; but, in the end, I still like the place. Why? Because I love the bread Wed, 24 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-364.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-364.php I used to think closers referred only to those late inning baseball pitchers who are sent in when it looks like the game might slip away. But recently, I have had two experiences where closers were brought in when I wanted to cancel my telephone service and my satellite service for other providers Tue, 23 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-363.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-363.php Recently the thought for the week on my web site asked, Does anybody remember how to do long division without a calculator? Nobody actually responded to this question, so Im drawing my own conclusions Sun, 21 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-362.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-362.php I remember the first time someone said, Have a good one to me. It was 1986, and I worked in the public relations department at Condell Memorial Hospital in Libertyville. His name was Tom; he was a printing broker; and I had just given him an order Wed, 17 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-361.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-361.php The thing about blogging is that its a good news, bad news thing. The good news is that blogging potentially exposes the blogger to many more readers than he or she could ever reach under traditional means Tue, 16 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-360.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-360.php Oops, I forgot your toast, the server said, as she laid the rest of our breakfast on the table. Sorry about that.Hey, our head chef didnt come in to work today, and nobody else knows how to make poached eggs, another server at another restaurant on another day said Sun, 14 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-359.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-359.php Im struck with how many animals inhabit our property and how I see them only at their best. This is not to say they dont annoy me with their antics. Rather, it means I never see sick or dying animals on my lawn or deck Fri, 12 Aug 2005 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-358.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-358.php This summer will probably go down as one of the driest in years in southwestern Michigan. Its certainly the driest since Earl and I arrived here five years ago. I even wonder why we need flood insurance, since the river is so low Thu, 11 Aug 2005 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-357.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-357.php I want to take an elevator to our next home, Earl told me yesterday. Its an ongoing joke between us, but the circumstances of the past week have made us realize how convenient condo living can be.You dont have to worry when your sprinkler system is on the fritz Wed, 10 Aug 2005 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-356.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-356.php The day got away from me, which accounts for my doing my morning walk at eight oclock tonight. I almost didnt go at all, but I knew tomorrow would get away from me too; so I forced myself out the door and down the road along the river Tue, 09 Aug 2005 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-355.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-355.php Today is Earls seventieth birthday; and, if youre a regular reader, you know my gift to him is an office makeover, a la reality TV. I hired strong men to help me move things around. I purchased a new monitor and a new TV Sun, 07 Aug 2005 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-353.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-353.php As a child I never liked Sunday because there wasnt enough action going on to meet my interests. Stores were closed, restaurants had shorter hours, and nobody ever called to make plans. It was truly a day of rest, just as serious as if it were the original seventh day where God himself rested Sat, 06 Aug 2005 23:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-351.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-351.php Maybe its my Irish heritage, but I never met a potato I didnt like. And I search all the time. In super markets and restaurants and fast food stopovers.I love baked potatoes, plain and twice-baked, sweet or Idaho Sat, 06 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-350.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-350.php Blogging has its advantages and disadvantages, actually, theyre just two sides of the same coin. Knowing that anyone and everyone might read what I write makes me careful not to say anything I wouldnt stand on a street corner and shout Fri, 05 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-349.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-349.php Next Monday is Earls birthday; and, for a special gift, Im giving him an office makeover. Its inspired by the plethora of reality TV shows Ive tried to avoid this past season. You know the type: extreme makeover of body parts, extreme makeover of a room in your house, extreme makeover of wannabes to American Idols Wed, 03 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-348.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-348.php Earl and I recently attended the local Parade of Homes sponsored by various developers and builders in our community. Its an annual opportunity to visit approximately fifteen newly constructed homes and learn about the latest trends in building and decorating Tue, 02 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-347.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-347.php Forty years ago this week I moved to Indianapolis, Indiana. I remembered this as Earl and I drove home from our weekend visit to that city. Forty years is a long time, and both the city and I have changed in the interim Mon, 01 Aug 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-346.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-346.php Were in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the weekend even though the festivities of the Indy 500 arent anywhere to be seen. Rather, were here for The Cavaliers, Earls old drum corps, who are competing for the midwest regional championship along with twenty-two other drum corps Sat, 30 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-345.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-345.php Earl is a landlord, and most times the job runs smoothly. But when it hits a snag, it hits a big one. Case in point: a tenant in one of Earls apartments who has overstayed not only his welcome but also his security deposit Fri, 29 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-344.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-344.php As I get older, I love my two sons more. I dont know if other mothers feel this way or its idiosyncratic to me, but what Ive discovered is that I take greater pleasure in their accomplishments and progress than I did when they were little Thu, 28 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-343.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-343.php What time of the year would you like to visit Ireland, Earl asked. It wasnt a question out of the blue, since Ireland is on our list of places to visit together.Summer, I answered. Ive done March and it wasnt particular pleasant weather-wise Wed, 27 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-342.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-342.php Ive heard or read that the devil is in the details. Ive also heard that God resides there too. I guess a project Im currently involved in will reveal the truth.That project is a total remodeling of the two full bathrooms in our house Tue, 26 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-341.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-341.php When I was the age that a new car turned my head, the Detroit automotive manufacturers were into animal names. There was the Mustang, the Cougar, the Impala, and the Colt. There was the Jaguar too, but that was a car of a different breed altogether Sun, 24 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-340.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-340.php I had occasion today to call my credit card company and complain about an item on my recent bill. And I found the experience akin to visiting the dentist and having a tooth removed without novocaine. In other words, painful Sat, 23 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-339.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-339.php If you read yesterdays blog, you know that I went to Arlington Park Racecourse as part of a group of realtors from a local Michigan real estate office. We traveled by luxury charter bus; and I must say it was a wonderful experience Fri, 22 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-338.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-338.php Today the real estate office where Earl is an associate holds its first annual (Is that an oxymoron?) Day at the Races. Weve chartered a bus and are going to Arlington Park Racecourse for the day. Therell be eating and drinking and betting and laughter and probably a sad loser or two Thu, 21 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-337.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-337.php I went to Google to put substance behind some of the comments Id heard about Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. While I didnt research his background (That will come.), what I did do was research some interesting facts about the Supreme Court; and, in doing so, I understood better what impact Roberts might have Wed, 20 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-336.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-336.php Its out in the open. President George Bushs nominee for the upcoming vacancy on the Supreme Court is Judge John Roberts. I must admit that I wish he had chosen a female, even though Ive been told that Bush considered Roberts the most qualified among the candidates he considered Tue, 19 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-335.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-335.php Im one third through the year on my exercise routine, and so far I havent lost any of the promised ten pounds. Maybe it all comes off at once at the end.However, Im not discouraged. Instead, Im pleased that Ive stuck with an exercise regimen this long, as I usually burn out about the sixth week Mon, 18 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-334.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-334.php Ive taken piano lessons for almost three and a half years, and in effort and time -- it has been an education comparable to the years I spent in college. In the latter situation, however, I graduated after a four-year stint Sun, 17 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-333.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-333.php It was my first experience caulking anything, and it probably wouldnt have happened at all if Earls son, Rich, hadnt pointed out the flaws in our shower.You might want to put some caulk here, he said, pointing to never-before-noticed places where there were gaps between the tiles Sat, 16 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-332.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-332.php Last weekend the City of St. Joseph held its annual art festival on the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. And, to my knowledge, it was the first year where the festival committee made a conscious, serious, and public decision not to allow dogs to attend Thu, 14 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-331.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-331.php I need a little timer, I said to Earl, not explaining why in full detail. Something cute too.Im on it, he said a couple days ago as he went off on his errands. Sure enough, when he returned he had a timer for me Tue, 12 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-330.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-330.php I ran across a favorite saying of mine this morning: Living well is the best revenge. And the person who quoted it was asking, The best revenge for what?Dictionary definitions of revenge revolve around inflicting punishment of some sort on another Mon, 11 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-329.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-329.php Ive known Judi since 1971, when I moved to Arlington Heights, Illinois, where she and her husband, Hugh, had already settled. We were members of a babysitters club back then, as our children were pre-schoolers and we, mothers all, needed fleeting time away on any given afternoon Sun, 10 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-328.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-328.php I just took my son and his partner to the Kalamazoo Airport for the first leg of their journey back to New York City where they live and work. Theyd been here at River House for eight days, the longest theyve ever stayed at one stretch Sat, 09 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-327.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-327.php I have never liked rain much. Its wet. Its inconvenient. It takes the curl out of my hair.But Ive learned how important those droplets of water are, because we havent had many this summer. In fact, the newspaper reports were in a drought condition Thu, 07 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-326.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-326.php Music can do things politicians and promises and platforms dont seem able to do. They can move people to come together and, in doing so, make the world a better place.For todays younger generations this was probably most evident during the recent Live 8 around-the-world concert that happened this past weekend just prior to the Group of Eight summit meeting in Scotland Wed, 06 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-325.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-325.php For the past few days while we celebrated the Fourth of July, Ive been out of the loop regarding current events, stock market closings, and Iraqi insurgents. Its been great; and I can only assume that current events continued at an even pace, the stock market either plummeted or rose, and the Iraqi problem is still with us Tue, 05 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-324.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-324.php Today is the two hundred twenty-ninth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Thats pretty amazing, and its gotten me to thinking how wonderful this holiday really is. Not only is ours one of the oldest democracies in the world (and maybe the oldest; Im not sure), but also the signers of the Declaration of Independence had the foresight to convene in July rather than October or January or March Mon, 04 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-323.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-323.php Its almost the Fourth of July, but our family always celebrates on the Third of July. We gather together, usually at Mark and Adaires cottage, not necessarily to honor the pending anniversary of our countrys independence but rather to acknowledge more than one recent birthday and Fathers Day and if weve been particularly remiss even Mothers Day Sun, 03 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-322.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-322.php For the second Friday in a row, Earl and I have dined at the local country club. Or, I should say, one of the local country clubs. Its been an interesting experience.Long before Earl and I arrived in St Fri, 01 Jul 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-321.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-321.php Tiger Wood and Lance Armstrong and Venus Williams and other record holders have nothing on me. While their accomplishments are more in the public eye than mine, I am proud to say that today I crossed the finish line in one of my latest projects Thu, 30 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-320.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-320.php According to local weather sources, Southwestern Michigan is in an official drought. I checked Google to see what the actual definition of drought is and learned that one way to describe it is A time when rainfall and runoff are much less than average Wed, 29 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-319.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-319.php I-9 has entered my life. No, it isnt the newest interstate highway or the final number on a winning bingo card. Its a lot more complicated than that.I-9 is shorthand for a form currently issued by our governments Department of Homeland Security to verify that employees who work for any company in America are eligible to work there Tue, 28 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-318.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-318.php The hot days and sticky nights that Earl dreams about in the cold of January have arrived with a vengeance. Yesterday, the thermometer hit the mid-nineties, and today is equally warm. I hesitate to check in with the local weatherman regarding tomorrow Mon, 27 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-317.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-317.php Theyre Gods flashlights or Tinkerbells dearest friends. So why do children capture them and put them in jars? On the face of it, it seems cruel.But I think its because lightning bugs also known as June bugs because they appear most prolifically in June are ephemeral and fleeting Sun, 26 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-316.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-316.php My cousin Kathy and her husband Gary visited us last week. It was both a wonderful and revealing experience. By that I mean, I learned so much about them and in the process also learned about our extended family dynamics Wed, 22 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-315.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-315.php Today is the longest day of the year, even though it has the same twenty-four hours as every other day. But today is the day with the most hours of sunlight, which really accounts for its claiming to be longer than any other day Tue, 21 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-314.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-314.php These past few days Ive been to Lincolns country. Thats Abraham Lincoln and the country is the city of Springfield, Illinois. Its an amazing place. Springfield puts Lincoln in an entirely different context from what you read in history books Mon, 20 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-313.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-313.php Why is the longest day of summer the first day of the official summer season? I mean, summer has really just arrived, but the days are already getting shorter.What is the value of 24/7 news radio and television stations? There isnt enough news that happens every twenty-fours hours, so the broadcasters repeat the same thing every twenty minutes or so Fri, 17 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-312.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-312.php Yesterday morning, I visited my local congressmans office to purchase a new flag. I pulled out a twenty-dollar bill, since the cost of the flag was eighteen dollars.Oh, we dont take cash, the office administrator said Thu, 16 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-311.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-311.php All right. His fifteen minutes are up. Will Michael Jackson please leave the stage?Im glad the trial is finally over; and, while my opinion probably wont sit well with the majority, I believed he would be vindicated all along Wed, 15 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-310.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-310.php Almost like clockwork, my nemesis a respiratory infection returned last week. And, as usual, I tried to ignore it. After all it is summer and nobody should be ill.But this morning I succumbed and called the doctor Tue, 14 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-309.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-309.php Theres always a big argument going on in my head about whether Gods favorite color is blue or green. Think about it.The vast sky appears blue; water often appears blue too, particularly when the sun shines on it Mon, 13 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-308.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-308.php Earl and I are considering gutting our bathrooms and updating them; however, given the configuration of our house, there is no way we can ever achieve the current look in bathrooms, regardless of our desire or our pocketbooks Sun, 12 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-307.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-307.php There is some unsavory character Jack Nicholson comes to mind whose reappearance is preceded by the ominous phrase, Hes baaaaaaaaack! Whether its Jack or not, Im borrowing the introduction to announce that I, too, am back Sat, 11 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-306.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-306.php This past week, the media have had a field day revealing the true identity of "Deep Throat." And now that we know it is Mark Felt, what does this add to the story?I think it complicates it even more. Felt seems to be a dual personality Sat, 04 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-305.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-305.php "When are you going to stop writing about your book project and move on to other subjects?" Earl asked me this morning. "You're an intelligent woman, and I want to read your opinions on other issues of the day Thu, 02 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-304.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-304.php There are things I neglected during my novel writing month. Some of them may continue to be neglected, but I plan to welcome others like old friends. First the friends I missed. I missed playing piano with abandon Wed, 01 Jun 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-303.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-303.php For the past month I had to write approximately 1,667 words a day to stay on target for writing a 50,000 word novel in one month. It took a while to get the rhythm of it, to figure out what one could say in 1,667 words, and to allot the hour to two hours it took, depending on whether my creative muse was cooperative or not Tue, 31 May 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-302.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-302.php Tonight my sons and I held a conference call to celebrate our mutual achievement of writing a novel in a month. I don't mean one novel that we wrote together; rather, I mean three novels that we each wrote individually while supporting our collective effort Sun, 29 May 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-301.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-301.php At promptly 4:07 PM this afternoon, I did it. Crossed the finish line in my month-long project titled "No Plot, No Problem." Immediately rang up my younger son to gloat, since I believe I was the first of the three of us to cross the finish line Fri, 27 May 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-295.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-295.php Keith and I have decided to start our month-long writing project tomorrow, April 29, instead of May 1. It was his idea and it works for me, so were beginning at 7 PM tomorrow night with a long distance cocktail before we get down to business Thu, 28 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-294.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-294.php The lottery ticket falls into my wastebasket. It never came through on its promise of over 200 million dollars, at least for Earl and me. But it did make me wonder about the phenomenon of the lottery Wed, 27 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-293.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-293.php It was merely coincidence this afternoon that I entered the local supermarket just as the high school, which is exactly across the street from the store, let out for the day. By the time I gathered the couple items Id come for, the entire supermarket was awash with youngsters who hardly looked old enough to be shopping without parents Mon, 25 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-292.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-292.php One week from today my son Keith and I embark on the Great American Novel Experiment. What this means is that both he and I plan to write separate novels, at least fifty thousand words apiece, in the space called May Sun, 24 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-291.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-291.php Were dismantling our kitchen in anticipation of new granite countertops and a new sink and new window treatments. Its all under the guise of making our kitchen look more up-to-date.But it means we need to empty cabinets and drawers, because some of the cupboards are going to be reconstructed; and all of them will endure a week of carpenters dust Sat, 23 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-290.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-290.php Just recently, I found myself settling into a pattern of daily existence. Its been a long time in coming, since I am prone to making daily To Do lists but then flagrantly ignoring them.My pattern includes an hour of piano practice, an exercise regime, a writing regime, and an hour or more of reading in the evening Fri, 22 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-289.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-289.php Last night Earl and I saw documentary filmmaker Ken Burns give a presentation to the local Economic Club, of which we are ardent members. He was the fifth of six speakers in this years program; and, in my opinion, he was not only the best weve heard this season but also the best speaker Ive heard in my several years of attendance Thu, 21 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-288.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-288.php It happened again. I called a company this morning to request a refund and spent considerable time justifying why I wanted one in the first place. Its because I havent received the service I was promised, so I want a credit on my charge card, I explained when asked Wed, 20 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-287.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-287.php Earl and I have several bird feeders set up in our back yard, and we watch with great interest who frequents them. We dont know one bird from the next, but we still like watching their habits. We also like making predictions about their behavior Tue, 19 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-286.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-286.php Im almost finished with the photo album of our trip through the Panama Canal, which took place this past January.For most trips, I merely put the photos in an album and considered the project done. But last year I added commentary to our Alaskan trip and set a precedent for future travel memories Mon, 18 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-285.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-285.php I was driving on Niles Avenue when the sign struck me in the face, figuratively speaking. It read: Pre-owned cars. Ive seen similar signs before and they always catch me off guard. I mean, just what is a pre-owned car? Or, for that matter, a pre-driven car?I sought my dictionary for guidance, and learned that pre is a prefix put in front of many words to mean prior to or in advance of Sun, 17 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-284.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-284.php Earls favorite restaurant for breakfast closed unceremoniously about a week ago, which left him at temporary loose ends for his usual daily ritual. And which is also why we found ourselves trying Bob Evans Restaurant before eight this morning Sat, 16 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-283.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-283.php Terri Schiavos death was pushed from the front page almost two weeks ago by the death of Pope John Paul II. By the time he was buried, Prince Charles was marrying Camilla . . . and so it went.But in the grand scheme of things, the Schiavo story holds the most significance for Americans, left and right Thu, 14 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-282.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-282.php Exactly one month ago today I started my Walk a Mile Every Day for a Year Campaign. Id read somewhere that if you did this for a year, and didnt change anything else about your diet or your exercise regimen, that you could lose ten easy pounds Wed, 13 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-281.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-281.php I never was one to carry around pictures of my children when they were little. And I didnt search for opportunities to describe how great their accomplishments were as the years rolled by. Even today, when both my sons are in their thirties, I dont think Im a particular braggart Tue, 12 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-280.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-280.php Last night Earl and I attended a touring production of Fiddler on the Roof at the local auditorium. The original, starring Zero Mostel, debuted on Broadway over forty years ago and defied the current musical wisdom by addressing such issues as persecution, poverty, and change Mon, 11 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-279.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-279.php Last night Clara, Earl, and I went to dinner at a local restaurant whose name will be Anonymous. Not because the food was bad or the service lacked. But because our server was new, and I dont want to cite anything that might give her away Sun, 10 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-278.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-278.php The last I heard, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles were finally tying the knot today. Maybe they already have, since England is several hours ahead of St. Joseph, Michigan. Anybody who has followed Charles and Camillas romance, knows its been an on-again, off-again sort of thing for years Sat, 09 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-277.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-277.php Several famous people have died in the last seven days: Terri Schiavo, Pope John Paul II, Johnny Cochran, Prince Ranier, Saul Bellow. They came from different walks of life and their public personas impacted us in different ways Fri, 08 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-275.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-275.php My favorite movie in the whole world, Casablanca, airs tonight for the umpteenth time. And, for at least half that many times, Ive watched it. The lead actors and actresses are all dead, since the movie premiered in 1942, but there on the little screen they are as alive and passionate as ever Thu, 07 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-274.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-274.php Heres a question. How much do you spend on a pair of socks?Until a couple years ago, I spent as little as possible, buying my hosiery at discount stores where they packaged several pair in a big plastic bag Wed, 06 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-273.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-273.php My assistant, Kyle, and I have worked together over five years. During this time, I believe both of us have grown from our business relationship. Ive learned about computers and programs and how to change with the times Tue, 05 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-272.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-272.php This afternoon I went to Burger King for lunch. I hadnt been in a fast food restaurant in a while, not since my kids left home, because all those burgers and fries just dont appeal to me any more. But when I did frequent Burger King, the franchise had a chicken sandwich that was pretty tasty Mon, 04 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-271.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-271.php My Mother died nine years ago today; and, while Im not one to be emotional about her passing, I always remember the day. It began with a call in the night, since I had left her home three days earlier to return to work in Chicago Sun, 03 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-270.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-270.php The medias recent preoccupation with death and dying and living wills has spurred me to consider my own situation, even though most acquaintances and close friends would say that I am far from deaths door, that I have all my faculties, and that I know what Im doing Sat, 02 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-269.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-269.php Its Friday; and, like many Fridays, Earl and I are planning where to go out to dinner. Its become an end-of-the-work-week tradition.Around here many restaurants serve up a batch of perch on Fridays, and weve been to more than one establishment searching for that perfect piece of perch Fri, 01 Apr 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-268.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-268.php Some days are fat with it; others are lean. Im talking about news, real news and not a rehash of yesterdays events. Today, in my opinion, was a fat day with several stories competing for the front page Thu, 31 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-267.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-267.php I just offloaded Earls and my taxes to our accountants shoulders, and it feels really good. Id spent the past couple months plowing through receipts of all sizes, retrieving tidbits of information, waiting for 1099s to come in Wed, 30 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-266.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-266.php Sometimes Im really slow in making connections. For instance, I took yoga for the first time about twenty years ago. Two nights a week I schlepped to the local high school gym to sit on my mat, twist my then more supple body into pretzel positions, and relax by exhaling Tue, 29 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-265.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-265.php My son, Keith, and I are each going to write a novel of at least 50,000 words in thirty-one days, starting May 1. Its all the result of a book called No Plot No Problem by Chris Baty, founder of National Novel Writing Month Mon, 28 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-264.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-264.php Its Easter Sunday; and, when I was a child, the day evoked a variety of emotions. Since I attended Catholic school, there was great emphasis on the religious importance of the day. In fact, we were taught that it was the most important day in the liturgical calendar, even when we as children preferred Christmas Sun, 27 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-263.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-263.php My piano teacher, Julia, is a genius. For the past few weeks Ive suffered from piano malaise, a malady that afflicts piano students and makes them want to ignore their studies. At best, it blows over in a week or two; at worst, it becomes chronic to the point that the student quits altogether Sat, 26 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-262.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-262.php All the sayings in the lower left corner of my web site are of my own creation, and the one that holds the place of honor currently made me smile. Id written it several months ago, before I moved from business associate category to friend category with a certain woman in St Fri, 25 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-261.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-261.php By the time I finish writing this, my opinion could be obsolete because one woman in Jeb Bushs Florida might have already died. That woman, Terri Schiavo, has been the focal point of news bulletins and legal briefs as various parties argue about whether to remove her feeding tube, the very thing that has kept the severely brain damaged woman alive for fifteen years Thu, 24 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-260.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-260.php Only is a tricky word. Basically it means without others; alone; solely; exclusively, as in This document is for your eyes only. (I get my credibility from Websters Unabridged Dictionary.) In this instance, the meaning is very clear Wed, 23 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-259.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-259.php I read recently that if a person walked one mile a day at a brisk pace and did nothing else differently over the course of a year, he or she would lose ten pounds just like that.It was the just like that that hooked me Tue, 22 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-257.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-257.php Hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips are all harbingers of spring; but in my yard tulips reign.A couple years ago, my handyman with the green thumb and I planted approximately 400 tulip bulbs. This means they should have multiplied by now and this Spring they will be as spectacular a display as ever bloomed on our property Mon, 21 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-258.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-258.php My visit to Fargo is over, and Im sitting in the local airport waiting for a plane to take me to Minneapolis where another, smaller plane will take me to South Bend, Indiana, where Earl will pick me up in his car and drive me home Sun, 20 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-256.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-256.php Fargo, North Dakota, was never on my list of places to visit. I went there only because my son, Kevin, accepted a job and moved there a couple years ago. But the place grows on you.Now, Im thinking Earl and I could do a loop of the Great Plains, starting in Fargo to see Kevin but then taking in such better-known sights (or is it sites?) as Mount Rushmore, Wounded Knee, Little Big Horn, Yosemite, and possibly the place where I was born: Boise, Idaho Sat, 19 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-255.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-255.php Its become an annual pilgrimage, this trip that my younger son and I make to spend time with my older son wherever he is. Weve visited him in Illinois, Arizona, and North Dakota. And, considering we usually schedule this get-together for March, Arizona definitely holds the record for the best weather Fri, 18 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-254.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-254.php Its St. Patricks Day, and Im celebrating with my two sons in Fargo, North Dakota. I dont know how many Irish men and women inhabit Fargo, but today there are a couple more than usual.Im half-Irish, which means my sons are one-quarter Irish Thu, 17 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-253.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-253.php Earl and I had a heart-to-heart about our dinner issues, and I am really surprised with the outcome. Surprised and pleased.I love sitting down to dinner with you, Earl said, when I poured out my bucket of woes Wed, 16 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-252.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-252.php At our house, dinner time is often a disaster. And it isnt because we have crazy schedules or busy teenagers or even overtime at the office to consider. In fact, Im not even sure what it is that makes dinner such a hassle Tue, 15 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-251.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-251.php My interest in piano and piano lessons continues to wane. This past week I managed to practice even less than the week before, accounting for an all time record low. Its as if the piano is invisible in my living room Mon, 14 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-250.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-250.php When I was young, my mother often implemented the Principle of Finishing What You Start. At the dinner table, that meant cleaning my plate. At the library, it meant not returning a half-read book. If I tried out for some extracurricular activity, I had to see it through to the end, even when I learned in the first week that it wasnt for me Sun, 13 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-249.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-249.php Once upon a time a clever marketer Ill call Marty came up with the idea that credit cards could offer free points or free airline miles or money back as a way of enticing people like you and me to apply for his particular card Sat, 12 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-248.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-248.php On February 16, I wrote a mini-essay about the values of stretching. Id rediscovered a book entitled simply Stretching by Bob Anderson, and Id begun to follow his advice. Its now three weeks down the road, and heres what Ive learned Fri, 11 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-247.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-247.php Every now and then, particularly when Im driving, my mind wanders. It sees something or hears something that triggers memories from the past or launches a daydream about tomorrow. I bet your mind does the same thing Wed, 09 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-246.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-246.php My main squeeze, Earl, has owned a variety of rental properties through the years. And hes learned a thing or two about managing them. So if there is anybody out there thinking of becoming a landlord, listen up!It seems to be the nature of the beast that if something will go wrong it will go wrong on a Saturday night or a holiday weekend just as Earl and I are stepping out to some dinner party or family gathering Tue, 08 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-245.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-245.php Three days ago, Martha Stewart was released from the womens prison in Alderson, West Virginia, after having served five months. She has another five to go in at-home surveillance, which means she wears an electronic anklet monitor that records where she goes and what she does Mon, 07 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-244.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-244.php Im in a slump regarding my interest in piano. Its been three years since I began to take weekly lessons. Its been two years since I bought my own Kawai grand piano; which cost more than the car I drive Sun, 06 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-243.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-243.php Youve seen the ugly swan become a gorgeous contestant on TV. Youve seen similar miracles with single rooms and whole houses too. Its enough to make one believe in Cinderella and her fairy godmother.This week I started my own version of a makeover, although it will never turn into a television program Sat, 05 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-242.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-242.php Every time I write about the pending emergence of Spring, it goes underground. Case in point: a few weeks back I wrote about the subtle nuances I saw during a lull in early February, a lull where geese flourished and flowers began to emerge Fri, 04 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-241.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-241.php In recent days, Ive stumbled across a couple commentaries by other writers and they have given me food for growth.One short essay suggested that we close our eyes for a couple minutes and imagine that we are one with the universe Thu, 03 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-240.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-240.php Years ago there was a movie called Chinatown which featured Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. On the surface, it was a murder mystery; but underneath it was about power and who exerts it. Water and its uses formed the basis for the story Wed, 02 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-239.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-239.php Earl and I spent a long half-hour in the supermarket recently looking for Kitchen Bouquet. A new recipe he wanted to try prompted this All Points Bulletin Search.Id heard of the product but had no idea whether it was a liquid, a powder, or solid Tue, 01 Mar 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-238.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-238.php I love gemstones; more specifically, I love gemstones as they relate to rings. And I must have a couple dozen unusual rings to prove the point.When I was young and foolish I made a list of rings I wanted to acquire as time and money passed my way Mon, 28 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-237.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-237.php After reading my recent mini-essays about tonights Academy Awards, my son said, So what would you say if you won a Oscar?Well, Im not about to spend the afternoon creating a well-honed speech that has no chance of ever being given Sun, 27 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-236.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-236.php I just finished reading The Devil in the White City by Eric Larsen. Its an amazing study of the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair, more commonly known as the Columbian Exposition.Created to honor the four hundredth anniversary of Christopher Columbuss discovery of America, the fair was just as equally amazing a feat as the discovery of the New World Sat, 26 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-235.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-235.php The news is all around us, both subtle and blatant. Our country is in a crisis; no, in fact, our country is in several crises. I know, because I read and hear about them everywhere.Theres the war on terror crisis, the economic crisis, the educational crisis, the Medicare crisis, the moral values crisis, the oil crisis, the national debt crisis, and quite possibly an overpopulation of dogs crisis Fri, 25 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-234.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-234.php The magazines Writers Digest, Modern Maturity, and Wired have all incurred my wrath. Well, maybe wrath is too strong a word and maybe displeasure, which could amount to letting my subscription lapse, is a more appropriate one Thu, 24 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-233.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-233.php My mini-essay yesterday about the Oscars has fueled further thought about award shows in general. For some reason, I'm addicted to watching them, even when I am not a devotee of the medium being honored Wed, 23 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-232.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-232.php I just learned that the Oscars are being telecast this coming Sunday, and it makes me wonder where Ive been these past few weeks. I dont even know who is nominated.In years past, Ive followed the movie critics as they published their December Top Ten lists, a good guide to what might be Oscar material Tue, 22 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-231.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-231.php Its late in the afternoon and Ive yet to write my mini-essay. As I decide what to focus on, Im struck with how many incidents, big and small, satisfying and sad, occurred on this Presidents Day.For some strange reason, I took myself out to lunch, hoping to read and relax for half an hour or so over a sandwich Mon, 21 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-230.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-230.php From a distance I wasnt sure if it was a dirty mound of snow or something else. Even with binoculars, it was hard to tell; so I pressed Earl into service. After all, being a former Chicago policeman gives him the credentials to investigate potentially unsettling situations, while I prefer a more Pollyanna view of the world Sun, 20 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-229.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-229.php Playwright Arthur Miller died several days ago; and, since then, Ive been reading what others more famous than I had to say about his work. The general consensus is that what Miller wrote mattered; it mattered not only as good theater but also as a cultural reflection of the last half of the twentieth century in America Sat, 19 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-228.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-228.php I am spending most of today sitting in a windowless classroom listening to a monotonous speaker update me on the changes in my profession that have occurred since I sat here last year. On top of that, the profession I mention is not really the one that is true to my heart Fri, 18 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-227.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-227.php In a concerted effort to avoid starting on Earls and my taxes, my assistant Kyle and I went to lunch. Weve gone to lunch more frequently lately, and you can draw your own conclusions. For Kyle, lunch was a Chicago style hot dog, although we didnt go all the way to the Windy City to get one Thu, 17 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-226.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-226.php This morning I rediscovered a book Id bought about twenty years ago. Titled simply Stretching, it came out at the beginning of the fitness craze. I was younger then, but no more or less fit than I am now; and I remember buying the book in the hope that I would enjoy stretching where I didnt enjoy actual exercise Wed, 16 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-225.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-225.php Last Sunday the Chicago Tribune Magazines lead story was titled Is Grammar Dead and Does It Really Matter? I snatched the magazine from the rest of the paper and settled down to learn the answer.The magazines cover looked ominous Tue, 15 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-224.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-224.php Some people consider Valentines Day another of those Hallmark cards holidays, the kind designed primarily to promote the sale of greeting cards, flowers, and chocolates. While I have a long list of holidays that fit that criterion, Valentines Day is not one of them Mon, 14 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-223.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-223.php Theres something about Sunday brunch that is special, even though breakfast itself has never been my favorite meal. But move the concept uptown, do it on a big scale, make it later in the morning; and Im there Sun, 13 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-222.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-222.php Its early, but I find myself thinking about Springs pending arrival. And Im beginning to see hopeful signs despite the fact that by the groundhog and calendar methods, the official start to the season isnt until March 21 Sat, 12 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-221.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-221.php When I go on vacation, I mentally check out from the daily barrage of newspapers, magazines, radio programs, and television tell-alls. In fact, the world could come to an end while Im basking in the sun somewhere, and I would be the last person to know Fri, 11 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-220.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-220.php The Panama Canal and its locks are so big that, without renting a helicopter for the day, its impossible to get a view of the entire project. Even if you taped all your photos end to end, they wouldnt do it justice Thu, 10 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-219.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-219.php Earl picked up the photos from our recent vacation yesterday, and we spent a pleasant hour over cocktails reliving the highlights as they exist in 4 by 6 frames. Overall, I was struck with how few people shots we had and how many Panama Canal shots we had Wed, 09 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-218.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-218.php The problem with vacations is that they require a return to reality; and I, for one, return slowly. This is why I want to be sleeping in my own bed for at least one night and have one day to myself before returning to work Tue, 08 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-217.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-217.php Earl and I returned from our trip to the Panama Canal last night. Early this morning he headed to the drug store with his rolls of film in hand, eager to get them developed so that we could relive a wonderful trip Mon, 07 Feb 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-216.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-216.php Tomorrow Earl and I leave on our annual winter rendezvous with the sun, eleven days of glorious shorts and swimsuits and lightweight coveralls. Once we reach Ft. Lauderdale, there wont be a flake of snow in sight Tue, 25 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-215.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-215.php Its official. The Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots are going to the 2005 Super Bowl, scheduled for broadcast two weeks from today. This means the countdown to the most over-hyped sporting event of the year begins immediately Mon, 24 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-214.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-214.php How big is too big?I pondered this question as Earl and I made our Sunday morning visit to Meijer. It wasnt our weekly stocking up either, just a quick grab of snacks for afternoon football games and Desperate Housewives Sun, 23 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-213.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-213.php This weekend gifted us with the biggest snowfall of the year, and now that the snowplows have tried to rearrange it our road looks like a huge meringue. The temperature isnt any too friendly either, but so far Earl and I are toasty in our heavy sweaters, rag socks, and afghans Sat, 22 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-212.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-212.php Children provide great inspiration, especially if you capture it in the moment. When they say something funny or do something cute, the parent who puts in on paper has extra memories down the road.Recently, I found some scribblings Id written when my two sons were little and the world held much to learn Fri, 21 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-211.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-211.php In Washington, George W. Bush takes the oath of office for the second time today. There will be the swearing in, the parade, and the parties. Our senators and representatives will be there. So will the justices of the Supreme Court Thu, 20 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-210.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-210.php Its the dead of winter; George the plowman is finding creative places to put the snow hes removed from the driveway; he waves as I watch from my window. Its stark outside this morning.But beautiful.The piles of snow are mini-mountains that the squirrels will probably find challenging in their search for food Wed, 19 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-209.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-209.php Bracelets are once again a political statement, thanks to some entrepreneurs who are selling red rubber ones and blue rubber ones so that people can proclaim their political preference on their wrists Mon, 17 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-208.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-208.php To date, where we live has had three times the normal amount of precipitation for the first two weeks of January. Precipitation is a weather persons fancy word for rain and snow. That, coupled with unusually high temperatures followed by unusually low ones, made the ground squishy at first, then semi-frozen Sun, 16 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-207.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-207.php If you are born and raised in Southwestern Michigan, theres more than a fifty-fifty chance that you love the outdoors. And, if you love the outdoors, there are even better odds that you have been to Lunkers in Edwardsburg Sat, 15 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-206.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-206.php My son, Keith, has heard me moan more than once that I will never be a great fiction writer because Im unable to develop and sustain a plot. Without it, theres no structure on which to hang the tale.Enter, center stage, a little book Keith gave me this past Christmas Fri, 14 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-190.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-190.php The relentless downpour of pre-holiday catalogs has slowed to a trickle. And, since Im not in purchasing mode right now, most of them come in and go out unread. But one from The Vermont Country Store found its way into my office Thu, 13 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-191.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-191.php Today is one of those days where I feel like the human equivalent of a hibernating bear. Im in my household cave; its gray and wet outside; and I have no intention of sallying forth. There are no Must Dos on my calendar either, not even so much as a reminder to wish a friend Happy Birthday or check with the yarn shop about my special order Wed, 12 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-192.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-192.php Youve probably heard that old saying, the one where a man or woman notes, I read the obituaries first thing every morning to see if I should get out of bed. I think the way you respond to this quaintness indicates where you are in life Tue, 11 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-193.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-193.php I hate it when machines are smarter than I am, said Earl. And, today, most of them are.I have to admit he is right. As he and I age, we are no longer on the cutting edge of life, much less technology Mon, 10 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-194.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-194.php Earl and I do not like the same things for dinner, so that meal holds its share of challenges. He likes to eat early; I prefer late. He doesnt like vegetables; I could make a meal of them. He slathers everything with mustard or ketchup or butter or salad dressing; I go for the natural flavor Sun, 09 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-195.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-195.php Over the years, the tension in my everyday life has manifested itself in various parts of my body. I assume Im not unique in this regard, as everyone has tensions and needs to relieve themselves of them Sat, 08 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-1.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-1.php As the new year settles in, Im inclined to hibernate, not because of Januarys arrival but because of the cold temperatures, snowy conditions, and gloomy skies that accompany it. The good news is that it makes for a lot more reading time in the evenings Fri, 07 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-2.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-2.php I have long since put away my lawn furniture; it rests snug and dry in the garage, waiting for my spring tulips to beckon. I have no need for it with four inches of Michigans finest snow covering everything Thu, 06 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-3.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-3.php Tomorrow is Hugh Thompsons birthday; and while Im not even sure how old he will be or what he plans to do to celebrate, he has been on my mind today. No particular reason, except perhaps that among my friends and acquaintances, his birthday is the first to greet every new year Wed, 05 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-157.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-157.php Ever notice how a glitch in one part of your life spills over to many other parts? For instance, banking. Its no longer just a matter of going into the bank and closing an account by writing a check for the balance Tue, 04 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-4.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-4.php This afternoon I had a massage for the first time in a couple years. And, after only a few minutes under the masseuses skilled hands, I wondered why I waited so long between appointments. Ive been a devotee of massage for approximately twenty years, having had my first experience when I still had children at home and more reasons than you could imagine to have someone work the kinks from my body Mon, 03 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-5.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-5.php Its time to take down all the Christmas decorations, the tree, and the lights and squirrel them away for another year. Were not ones to leave things up long into the new year, so this morning Earl and I dragged the ornament boxes, containers for the lights, and packaging for the train set from the basement, just as we had done in November Sun, 02 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-6.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-6.php New Years Day is the equivalent of an odometer on an automobile. Slowly the last number changes, and occasionally more than the last number, as we track the years and check the tread on our lives. This New Years Day falls on Saturday, so the world has two days off before returning to the road Sat, 01 Jan 2005 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-7.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-7.php This column will return on January 1, 2005. In the meantime, Anne hopes you have a wonderful holiday, regardless of which religious traditions are celebrated in your home. Wed, 22 Dec 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-8.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-8.php At the end of October, I wrote a mini-essay about the value of the sayings displayed on sweatshirts today. In that essay, I provided a list of sweatshirt graffiti I liked, but didnt own.But, as I packed for my recent trip to NYC and was deciding what sweatshirts to bring along, I realized that the ones I actually own make a statement about me Wed, 15 Dec 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-9.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-9.php Ive worked at Fred Flare, Inc. for two days now; and, believe me, Santa and his elves have some stiff competition. I dont know how large a workshop Santa has or how many full time elves punch the clock each morning, but Ive got to believe he has a sophisticated operation in a state-of-the-art warehouse at the North Pole Tue, 14 Dec 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-10.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-10.php Just as some well-known singer was raised on country sunshine, I was raised on Christmas Carols. I learned them, one word at a time, in the various Catholic schools I attended; and I demonstrated my knowledge of them in more than one Christmas pageant Mon, 13 Dec 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-11.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-11.php Arrived in the Big Apple this afternoon, although I always hesitate to call New York City that since I dont know where the expression came from. Nevertheless, Im here to work three days at Fred Flare, the company my son and his partner own and operate Sun, 12 Dec 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-12.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-12.php A couple days ago, my favorite aunt read my mini-essay about old friends who visit at the holiday and it recalled her own special friend. She emailed me to add The Little Match Girl to my list.Ah, Hans Christian Andersens little match girl, a story guaranteed to make the reader cry Sat, 11 Dec 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-13.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-13.php Ive been under the weather. It doesnt matter whether it is the flu, or a chest cold, or a sinus infection the result is the same. I do not feel like myself, although Im not sure who I feel like instead Fri, 10 Dec 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-158.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-158.php The party Earls friends, Don and Sue, throw each year is a study in logistics, space, and attendees. Even though I gave it ten minutes yesterday, I didnt even scratch the surface. So all you party planners out there, listen up!When we arrive at the house, either Don or Sue is there at the front door to greet us Thu, 09 Dec 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-159.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-159.php Earls friends, Sue and Don, throw what I call the Grand Finale of Holiday Parties each year. Theyve been at it a long time and have it down to a science.First the computer-generated invitation arrives before Thanksgiving, announcing the date and time Wed, 08 Dec 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-14.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-14.php Ten years ago today my stepfather, Ollie, died in his sleep while my Mother was taking houseguests to the airport. It was early in the morning and she left him in bed, with a kiss no doubt, whispering that she would be back soon to fix his breakfast Tue, 07 Dec 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-160.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-160.php Tis the season for that annual event, the holiday blank party. For the word blank you can substitute office, block, neighborhood, cookie exchange, tree trimming, or a bevy of other words that provide a roadmap of who is coming and what the theme is Mon, 06 Dec 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-15.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-15.php It started with the story of Frosty, which I read years ago. The original story of Frosty, that is. I think it was in a Readers Digest, but I cant quite remember for sure. All I know is that long before Frosty made the holiday music hit parade, or Jackie Vernon provided the melancholy voice for the animated television version, or the sequel arrived on the scene, I loved snowmen Sun, 05 Dec 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-16.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-16.php The Christmas season is peopled with many visitors who make an annual appearance and warm the heart.Jim and Della, from O. Henrys short story The Gift of the Magi, never fail to make me remember the selflessness of real love Sat, 04 Dec 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-17.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-17.php Breakfast is Earls favorite meal; and, in the time weve lived in St. Joseph, he has scouted the restaurants, cafes, diners, and fast food chains for the best eggs in town. Of course, he has his requirements Fri, 03 Dec 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-18.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-18.php I havent written anything creative in two days, which is something of a record. It felt strange, not as if something were missing but as if I had a lot more time on my hands to pursue other things.I finished decorating our house for the holidays and cleaned the mess made by exploding beer bottles in our beverage refrigerator Wed, 01 Dec 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-19.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-19.php Colorado has been a thread in the fabric of my life forever. I first came here when I was less than a teen, attending a summer camp in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. I spent six weeks learning to ride a horse and make a lanyard and swim in cold mountain waters Sun, 28 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-20.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-20.php I miss my piano. Im not the best student of the art, but when I go away I realize how much my weekly piano lesson and my piano mean to me. They are childhood companions, not in the sense that I knew them when I was young Sat, 27 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-21.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-21.php Chinos are the offspring of blue jeans. They were born somewhere in the twentieth century and grew to adulthood in the late 1900s. I know this because I recently received a catalog from Lands Ends that uses Chinos as a marketing theme like I have never seen Fri, 26 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-22.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-22.php I have a lot to be thankful for. My joys are not the same as those hardy first Pilgrims, but they are as equally life affirming.As I remember the story, Indians helped their new neighbors survive the harsh, November weather by showing them the local agriculture, by participating in a celebration of the harvest Thu, 25 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-23.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-23.php Its the day before Thanksgiving, often noted as the most busily trafficked day of the year. Im jetting from Michigan to Colorado, by way of Chicagos OHare Airport. Its an imposing sight. People running, luggage tagging along Wed, 24 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-24.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-24.php The December holidays have their own familiar themes, ones that seem incongruous at other times of the year. It doesnt matter if you celebrate Hanukkah or Christmas or Kwaanza; you expect to see certain symbols in the marketplace, on television, and in your local newspaper Tue, 23 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-25.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-25.php Forty-one years ago today John Fitzgerald Kennedy, then President of the United States, was shot to death in Dallas, TX. Anybody who was a teenager or older at the time remembers exactly where he or she was when the news broke Mon, 22 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-26.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-26.php I had hoped this holiday season, which is just now really kicking into high gear, would find fewer catalogs showing up on our doorstep. This hope was based on the fact that I signed both Earl and me up with Direct Marketing Association, Inc Sun, 21 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-27.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-27.php Im looking at a photo in our local newspaper of a young girl with a ponytail and the sweetest smile on her face. Her name is Amanda, and the article recounts her love of basketball, volleyball, a good book, and pizza Sat, 20 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-28.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-28.php I often wonder why I blog. In the beginning it was to write ten minutes a day, as my distant mentor Natalie Goldberg recommended, so as to improve my skills and hone my creativity. Ive done that for years Fri, 19 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-29.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-29.php Martha Stewart has been in the Big House for a few weeks now, if memory serves correctly. And, as we bear down on the holiday season, Im wondering how Martha is faring. I have read she is writing a book about her experiences, but it wont be available for several months Thu, 18 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-30.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-30.php There is a wonderful web site out there for Democrats in withdrawal. Its called www.sorryeverybody.com. Basically, it is a collection of photographs sent in by people like you and me, and each photo shows an apology to the rest of the world for our countrys having elected President Bush to a second term Wed, 17 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-31.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-31.php Im not one of those people who stick to the same hairstyle year after year. Instead, I change once every two or three months. Since this time last November, Ive had long hair, straight hair, permed hair, colored hair, shoulder length hair, a bob, and now what I can only describe as a white girls Hallie Berry Tue, 16 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-32.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-32.php It started three years ago when my friend, Noreen, and her husband, George, showed up on our doorstep not unexpectedly to help us decorate our Christmas tree. Until then, this task was relegated to me alone; and it had become something of a chore Mon, 15 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-33.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-33.php George Bush and his moral majority won the election. Mostly by mobilizing white, Christian, midwestern and southern voters, Bush succeeded in racking up a lead in those states that was insurmountable, even given the numbers of voters in the states on the east and west coasts Sat, 13 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-34.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-34.php We have an appointment this afternoon with a real estate agent. No, were not selling. Rather, the agent has a client who claims to be willing to pay ten thousand dollars a month for a home on water for June, July, and August of 2005 Fri, 12 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-35.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-35.php The morning found me puttering around the living room, moving an easy chair to make way for the annual Christmas tree, and pushing the couch this way and that. It probably doesnt have the status of hobby, but I enjoy changing furniture around Thu, 11 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-161.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-161.php If this title makes you think I have reneged on my word not to discuss the recent election in public, never fear. Instead, read on.I had a sad experience yesterday when my friend, Carol, and I visited the Tippecanoe Battlefield just outside Lafayette, Indiana Wed, 10 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-162.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-162.php When I was in grade school, Spam was bone fide mystery meat my Mother served regularly. It came packaged in a rectangular tin, which she opened at both ends with a can opener. She then pushed out the contents and baked it, who knows for how long Tue, 09 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-36.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-36.php Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty is as beauty does. Beauty is only skin-deep. A thing of beauty is a joy forever. There are so many clichs about beauty that the concept is almost a clich in itself Mon, 08 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-37.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-37.php The John vs. George Show absorbed a couple hours of my time each day. Now that its over, Im following my own recent advice to talk show hosts and am looking around for new topics to write about. Im also planning on filling those two hours with activities that went by the wayside to make room for conventions and campaigns Sun, 07 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-38.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-38.php Maybe Im just a sore loser, but Ive grown weary of talk show hosts who have used the recent election as grist for their conversation mills. Granted, during the spring primaries, the summer conventions, and the fall race to the finish, the topic was relevant Sat, 06 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-39.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-39.php The hardest thing I do every day is sit down and begin. And since this activity occurs several times throughout the day, it is always a challenge.Sit down and begin means to focus on the task at hand and move all other issues to the side Fri, 05 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-40.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-40.php I spent part of the morning practicing Christmas carols on the piano. Given that some department stores around here have their holiday decorations in place, it wasnt rushing the season. In fact, I probably need as much lead time as those shops to get everything in place, since piano is a relatively new interest of mine Thu, 04 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-41.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-41.php The election is finally over, and about the only thing I am really happy about is that Ohio didnt become another Florida. We knew inside 24 hours who the next President of the United States would be, and there will be no contesting the outcome Wed, 03 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-42.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-42.php I voted today, along with most of the other three thousand registered voters in my precinct. I stood in a line that trailed outside the door in weather that was less than inviting. Once inside the polling place, I waited some more as my signature and address were verified and a ballot was handed to me Tue, 02 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-43.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-43.php Tonight is Election Eve, where everyone in our country will go to sleep under the current administration and wake up tomorrow ready to vote. Even the undecideds must climb down from the fence. Tomorrow nights sleep may not be as restful, regardless of which candidate one voted for Mon, 01 Nov 2004 0:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-44.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-44.php Yesterday we ran away to Shipshewana for one last look at trees in fall bloom and fields where horses roam. It isnt even two hours away by road, but it is a lifetime away in culture. Shipshewana, Indiana, is the third largest Amish community in the United States, and it has become a tourist destination for people like us who are curious about this particular way of life Sun, 31 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-45.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-45.php There is a charter captain who comes up the river past our house every morning at 6:30 a.m., rain or shine, summer or winter. We could set a clock by him. In the dark of winter, its eerie to see nothing but two boat lights, one white and the other green, glide steadily past our bedroom window Sat, 30 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-163.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-163.php It started as a simple task: to wrap the three fish Earl caught yesterday and freeze them. First, we cleared the counter and washed our hands. Obvious precautions. Next we cut the fish into serving portions and planned to wrap each one individually for easier thawing later Fri, 29 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-153.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-153.php This morning I rose before 5 a.m., when the sun was probably just advancing over the Atlantic Ocean and still miles away from southwestern Michigan. I donned scrubby clothes, warm boots, and an extra jacket Thu, 28 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-164.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-164.php I once had an all-black sweatshirt that had the following saying scripted in white across its front: What if the hokey-pokey really is what its all about?Whenever I wore that sweatshirt in public, it elicited stares first and then reactions ranging from mere smiles to outright laughter Wed, 27 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-152.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-152.php The press announced yesterday that Chief Justice of the Supreme Court William Renquist has cancer, the third of nine justices to meet this fate in recent years. The news seemed good, in that his cancer was caught in time and that the eighty-year-old judge would be ready for the next session of the Supreme Court, which begins its work next week Tue, 26 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-151.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-151.php Youre printing a ten-page document and your printer runs out of ink on page six. You have no spare cartridge. You visit a scenic park for the day and record the outing with your camera. Only you forget to remove the lens cover Mon, 25 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-150.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-150.php Last night Earl and I saw the Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company perform at the local auditorium. Until then, the only thing I really knew about the Ukraine was that it had once been part of the now dismantled Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Sun, 24 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-149.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-149.php Im pretty liberal about most things, but I take a conservative view of whats happening to the English language as it is spoken and written in the United States today. Frankly I am surprised at how many people do not speak correctly, and it isnt necessarily those who come from other countries or who have little schooling Sat, 23 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-148.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-148.php I am confused by a phrase I hear a lot in the media, from candidates, and from people sitting around picnic tables. In fact, I googled the phrase, family values, in the hope of clearing my confusion, only to learn there are currently almost seven and a half million references to it on line Fri, 22 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-165.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-165.php I have had numerous services to clean my various homes over the past 25 years. Some were women who were independents; others were sent by agencies. And once, a man showed up, so I guess the title cleaning lady could soon be as out of date as stewardess or handyman Thu, 21 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-147.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-147.php I cannot bring myself to say that apathy is a good thing, but I have come to understand it. And I think sometimes that good people, decent people, appear apathetic because they are not up to the fight Wed, 20 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-166.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-166.php So . . . this ten minutes is about whimsy as the presidential candidates swagger and bluff. For me, Alan Alexander Milne exemplifies whimsy in the shape of Winnie the Pooh. I dont mean the Disney travesty; rather I mean the original text and the original wispy illustrations by Ernest Shepard Tue, 19 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-146.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-146.php Things get complicated really fast in todays world. I work part-time for my son and his partner who own a business in New York City. They are considering changing banks because they think they might get better service from a different provider Mon, 18 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-145.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-145.php No ten minutes today; I'm taking a day off. Sun, 17 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-144.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-144.php Im staring out the window watching leaves swirl in the wind. On our property, there is an indentation across the front lawn, and many leaves huddle there; perhaps its because the wind affects them less Sat, 16 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-143.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-143.php With all the angst in the world today, Im choosing to focus on gentle things, those people or things or ideas that calm our souls and give us temporary pause in the craziness of our existence.But first a disclaimer: Gentle things are probably different for each of us Fri, 15 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-142.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-142.php Well, theyre over. The debates, I mean. They reminded me of homework that we all had to do to be ready for the big exam on November 2.I was at an Oktoberfest event last night, and almost everyone I talked with was going home to watch some part of the debate, after filling their stomachs with bratwurst and sauerkraut Thu, 14 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-141.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-141.php Advertising is becoming as inevitable as taxes and death. The only time I havent felt subjected to it lately was during the various presidential and vice-presidential debates where, for ninety minutes, burger hawkers, car vendors, and purple pill providers didnt interrupt Wed, 13 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-140.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-140.php The regular baseball season is over, and the playoffs have begun. I dont follow this religiously; but I do know that, in the beginning of the playoffs, eight teams are left and they are systematically eliminated until two remain Tue, 12 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-167.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-167.php I looked forward hungrily to meeting Lew and Enid, our friends from New York City, at Carmichaels Steakhouse in Chicago last night. We hadnt seen each other since May; and Carmichaels seemed like the perfect place to catch up on each others lives Mon, 11 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-139.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-139.php By now, the media has dissected Friday nights presidential debate and there really isnt much more to say. Yet, I feel compelled to comment on a couple things.First, I liked this format the town hall approach better than the You must stay behind the lectern at all times approach Sun, 10 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-168.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-168.php Earl brings me coffee in bed every morning, because I hold the worlds record for taking the longest time to wake up. It doesnt matter what time I went to bed the night before or what time it is in the morning, I hate waking up Sat, 09 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-138.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-138.php Chicago Cubs rightfielder Sammy Sosa was fined a days work for his behavior on the last day of the season, because he came late and left early without ever participating in the game. Oh, by the way, a days pay for Sammy is $87,000 and some change, which is probably more than most Americans make in a year Fri, 08 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-137.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-137.php Earl and I drove to Grand Rapids, Michigan, yesterday to have dinner with his grandson and the grandsons wife. We came back a couple hours ago, having had a wonderful meal and even more wonderful conversation Thu, 07 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-136.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-136.php Theres a sense of panic in the autumn air. Leaves, which should be gradually turning their various colors, fall to the ground unchanged. Flowers bloom one day and wilt the next. Squirrels fight with each other over the walnuts that our trees have graciously dropped for their examination Wed, 06 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-135.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-135.php Ive reviewed my notes regarding the recent political debate between incumbent Bush and challenger Kerry. Ive also listened to a variety of talking heads regarding who was the winner on that evening. And tonight, as I fill the time between dinner and the start of the vice-presidential candidates debate, Im going on record as noting that both presidential candidates have barnacles attached to their messages Tue, 05 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-169.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-169.php When I was fourteen I went to Europe with my grandmother for seven weeks and returned home fifteen pounds heavier than when Id left. That was cause for my first introduction to dieting. Back then, calories were the way one approached losing weight Mon, 04 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-134.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-134.php Its a funny thing about grammar. Most people think its a set of rules cast in stone that they learned in grade school and then were forced to follow forevermore. Its as if they could write only sentences and paragraphs and essays that fit a precut template Sun, 03 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-133.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-133.php There was a report on the news this morning that hackers have figured out a way to bypass the Caller ID function, but not by punching in the familiar *67 and having the little screen in ones telephone blink Unavailable Sat, 02 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-132.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-132.php The John and George Show premiered last night; and, while I havent heard any statistics on viewer interest, I doubt The Apprentice or The Sopranos need worry about ratings. Besides, the J and G Show is only a mini-series with no chance of becoming a prime time weekly program Fri, 01 Oct 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-131.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-131.php A barnacle is a person or thing that clings tenaciously, according to Websters Unabridged Dictionary. And a variety of barnacles are creeping into the English language. They are as unwelcome as their watery cousins, the alewives, since both tend to pollute that which they inhabit Thu, 30 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-130.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-130.php So, I said to Earl over our usual morning coffee, what would you think of creating some ground rules for watching the first debate tomorrow night? I mean, in the same room?He looked dubious. After all, we are rooting for different presidential candidates and, at times, have been very vocal about the others obviously ridiculous choice Wed, 29 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-129.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-129.php Five weeks that is, thirty-five days -- from today is the national election to determine who will be the President of the United States of America. While I am eager to learn the outcome, (and definitely have a preference regarding the candidates) I am even more eager for this election is over Tue, 28 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-128.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-128.php When I worked at La Leche League International as the Director of International Relations and Marketing, I often used the phrase Ill sleep on it with my staff. It didnt mean that I would actually go home, lay down, and spend eight hours in bed Mon, 27 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-127.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-127.php Bill OReilly was one of the guests on tonights 60 Minutes, having achieved fame for himself for the No Spin Zone he hosts on Fox TV five nights a week. I found him to be somewhat argumentative with the 60 Minutes interviewer, as if he wanted to moderate the interview with himself, himself Sun, 26 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-126.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-126.php Its an early autumn weekend, golden and glorious. Being the organized person I am, Im not only thinking about battening down the garden hatches for this season but Im also thinking about Christmas, which is three months from today Sat, 25 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-125.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-125.php Its the little things that take the most getting used to. For instance, the new headset I bought a couple days ago, so that I could talk on the telephone with my hands free, is very different from my previous one Fri, 24 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-124.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-124.php A few days ago, I wrote about Robert Louis Stevenson. Through his writings, he was my childhood friend. Through mine, I hope he would consider me a fellow writer. But with only ten minutes to share something about him, I never got to what I like most Thu, 23 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-170.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-170.php It is every writers disappointment: to enter a contest or send a manuscript to a publisher with high hopes, only to have them crushed by rejection.I have played this game long enough at least fifteen years to know the chances of having ones work accepted are close to slim and none Wed, 22 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-123.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-123.php Traditionally, today is the first day of autumn, although I imagine the constellations dont always fall into line every year. Regardless, this is the day I celebrate the disappearance of summer and the arrival of fall Tue, 21 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-122.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-122.php I own five or six hundred books at most, since Im not as interested in owning as reading them. Im prone to recycling with friends, giving to the Salvation Army, and generally keeping books I might have to move to a manageable level Mon, 20 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-121.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-121.php Breakfast has become complicated if you want to eat it in a restaurant. If you are like me, which means you are not a morning person, there are too many decisions to make before one is even half awake Sun, 19 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-120.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-120.php Spring City, Tennessee, made the national news yesterday, when it was cited by the media as an example of the damage Hurricane Ivan has done to the southeast. A city official was quoted as saying the main roads through the one stoplight town were underwater and that a Coca Cola machine had been seen hurtling around town on its own accord Sat, 18 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-119.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-119.php I went to my local Walgreens yesterday to obtain the two photos required by our government to have ones passport renewed. Sure enough, in the photo department a woman waited with a Polaroid camera and a pull-down screen that provided the obligatory white backdrop Fri, 17 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-118.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-118.php Yesterday Earl and I went to the Allegan County Fair to see prizewinning pigs and cows, as well as prizewinning pies and jams. We sampled a local sausage and quenched our thirst with authentic lemonade Thu, 16 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-117.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-117.php Nothing is simple, even when you hire a professional. Take the case of the new awnings we recently ordered for the front of our house. Id chosen a color, which I thought would go well with the brick, the landscaping, and the blacktopped driveway Wed, 15 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-116.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-116.php Monday is everybodys whipping boy. Most people have nothing positive to say about the second day of the week, since it is -- for many -- the first day of the workweek; and weve all been doing for two days what wed rather be doing full time Mon, 13 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-115.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-115.php Your opinion of Fargo, North Dakota, was probably formed from the movie named Fargo, created by the Coen Brothers several years back. Until I visited there, my impression was formed the same way.But now that my son, the world literature professor at a local state university, lives there, Ive come to know and love Fargo firsthand Sun, 12 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-114.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-114.php My older son, Kevin, was born on September 11 long before it became synonymous with terrorists and the destruction of the World Trade Center, long before the world knew of American military power and the Patriot Act Sat, 11 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-113.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-113.php Three days ago, the death toll of American soldiers in Iraq passed the one thousand mark, and it makes me sad. It also makes me fearful. About two months ago I read an editorial written by a retired Army general regarding the death toll in our most current war Fri, 10 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-112.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-112.php My current form of exercise is an hour of weeding every day. While this may not sound strenuous, Ive already lost a pound this past week; and my body feels more stretched and limber than before. My yard looks better in the deal too Thu, 09 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-111.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-111.php My friend, Judi, works in the corporate world, but even if she didnt she would dress the same. She loves Eileen Fisher, who I think is a womens clothing designer. (You can see how much I know about womens clothing by my hesitation Wed, 08 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-110.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-110.php The pen and paper approach to writing letters is on the endangered species list of social graces, because snail mail simply hasnt evolved as much as its cousin, the email.However, there is a certain pleasure in opening ones physical mailbox and finding more than a bevy of bills or a collection of catalogs inside; and the rare handwritten letter that finds its way to my door makes me feel special Tue, 07 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-109.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-109.php My friend, Peg, visited overnight. We had a grand time going to the supermarket and then cooking dinner together, something weve done before. I had thought wed get into semi-serious political debates with Earl, who shares an opposite point of view from ours, but we didnt Mon, 06 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-108.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-108.php Its probably just coincidence that the real football season, as opposed to the preseason games, and the real campaign for the United States presidency, as opposed to the pre- convention catcalling, kick off on the same weekend Sun, 05 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-107.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-107.php They dont call me Twolimes for nothing. In fact, that is one of my current email addresses on AOL, a name Im about to shed.It began when I accidentally started drinking Absolut at a cocktail party about thirteen years ago Sat, 04 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-106.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-106.php As September and Labor Day roll around, I always remember the phrase . . . never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.Ernest Hemingway took part of that phrase for the title of his famous novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls; but the original phrase came from John Donne, who lived in England from 1572 to 1631 Fri, 03 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-105.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-105.php I went to the local hospital yesterday afternoon to have a phlebotomist take a blood sample. My annual physical is next week, and my doctor wanted empirical data based on blood samples about my well being Thu, 02 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-104.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-104.php My friend Peg comes this Labor Day Weekend to hang out at River House. I cant wait, since she is a card carrying Democrat and by then Ill need reinforcements. The Republican National Convention will be over, but the images will linger Wed, 01 Sep 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-103.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-103.php Maybe youve had the annoying experience of starting a letter in Microsoft Word and having that little paperclip icon show up to announce hes ready to help you. Whether you want his help or not! I find this most annoying, since I pride myself on being able to compose and format a letter in acceptable style Tue, 31 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-102.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-102.php The Republican National Convention begins today, and I promised myself I would give it as much attention as I gave the DNC. It will be hard, but I can do it. In fact, I need to do it, since Earl will surely be watching and taking notes Mon, 30 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-101.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-101.php Cliches about change abound: Change is the only constant; the more things change the more they stay the same, its time to change your tune, change hands, change will do you good; change for the better, dont be short-changed, unless youre the lead dog the view never changes Sun, 29 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-171.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-171.php I drove home from Chicago to Michigan yesterday afternoon, tuned to Chicagos radio news stations for most of the drive. Commercials were a constant counterpoint to the music.First, there was the Mercedes Benz commercial, claiming to be Number One in sales in Chicago Sat, 28 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-172.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-172.php It's probably something only the cook notices, but blended families make mealtime a real challenge. The members of a blended family have usually lived with other spouses, parents, or siblings before coming together Fri, 27 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-173.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-173.php The passport you received is good for ten years, unless you are leaving the country within six months prior to its expiration. In that case, you need to renew it before you depart. You wont find this notice from the U Thu, 26 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-100.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-100.php When the Olympic Games opened a little over a week ago in Athens, Greece, I was pleased not only that Greece, the country, had pulled it off but also that I would have a chance to watch some of my favorite spectator sports as August droned down Wed, 25 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-99.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-99.php Night is a strange time; and, as we move to that part of the year when it's darker longer, I've noticed how different sounds prick the ear under the darkness. When we sleep with our windows closed, there is the intermittent hum of the air conditioning Tue, 24 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-98.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-98.php Here are some tips Ive learned hanging out with Earl the Realtor that are really useful when you go to buy that great home.1. Everyone thinks he or she knows how to buy a home, because everyone lives in one Mon, 23 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-97.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-97.php If you think this essay is going to be about football, then dont read any further. Youll be wasting your time.Sacking 101 is a course Id like to see supermarkets offer their employees, especially those who stand at the ends of the checkout lines and put the groceries into paper bags or plastic sacks Sun, 22 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-174.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-174.php I have a decorating trademark, one that Ive never seen described in Martha Stewarts world, although I admit I dont frequent that world very often. My trademark is this: wherever I live, the space above my kitchen cabinets makes a statement Sat, 21 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-175.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-175.php At the beginning of August, my Ten Minutes A Day was on my first grade teacher, Mrs. Carey. Actually, it was how I couldnt remember anything about her, except her name. So I asked for readers help in fleshing out the character of their first grade teachers Fri, 20 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-176.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-176.php Okay, so I succumbed to one of the teases that AOL regularly throws at you when you log on to read your email. This one was a link to the Baby Name of the Day.I am way past considering having more babies, but I did wonder what the name was Thu, 19 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-96.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-96.php A few days ago I wrote about the shortening daylight as we inch toward the end of summer. I assume its pretty much the same each summer, with days becoming shorter more or less at the same rate every year Wed, 18 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-95.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-95.php For a long time now Ive felt that Brittany Spears needs to climb off the stage, cover her navel, and go home. Instead Im regaled via AOL and magazine racks at the grocery check-out about how shes learning to be a step-mom to her fiancs two daughters, one of whom is only five weeks old Tue, 17 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-177.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-177.php I spent part of the morning trying to change my long distance calling plan, inquiring about the recycling services of our trash disposal company, and following up on a couple health insurance questions Mon, 16 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-94.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-94.php Earl and I spent last evening organizing photographs of the various trips and events weve enjoyed so far this year. We put Costa Rica in one album and Alaska in another. As I slipped the pictures into little their plastic sleeves, I was reminded of how we do things Sun, 15 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-93.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-93.php Sometimes people ask how I come up with my topic for the Ten Minutes A Day column on my web site. They seem to think that it would be hard to find something to write every day.The truth is that its hard to keep it to the proscribed ten minutes, since inspiration is everywhere Sat, 14 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-92.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-92.php The days are beginning to shorten. If I believe the weatherperson weve lost a minute and a half between morning and evening every day since June 21, when the sun was at its apex. A minute and a half times 53 days is a lot of sunlight, but there is even more than that to disappear before December 21, when we begin the reverse process Fri, 13 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-178.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-178.php Id seen the commercials of busy women trying to eat right while carting children, loading groceries, or running errands. Id heard the announcer swear that Campbells Soup at Hand Soup was better than fast food while still being fast to prepare Thu, 12 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-91.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-91.php I've traveled to Colorado and back in the past five days. As only the latest in a long line of trips we've taken this year, I've observed much in our nation's airports. First, there is no consistency in the security process, even though there is supposed to be a national organization handling this issue Wed, 11 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-90.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-90.php The English language has a certain chicken-or-the-egg factor about it. Only its called the-noun-or-the-verb. And its all about words that begin life in one category but end up being used in the other Tue, 10 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-89.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-89.php I have a running dialogue with Kyle, my computer assistant who provides the technical know-how to keep my web site running so that I can concentrate on content. This conversation repeats itself almost every time my printer runs out of ink and one of us has to change the cartridge Mon, 09 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-88.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-88.php Pickles are an interesting phenomenon. While I havent done an exhaustive study on their origin, I believe they all come from cucumbers searching for some spice in their lives. To this end, there is a plethora of pickle tastes, shapes, and sizes at any reputable supermarket Sun, 08 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-87.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-87.php I am thrilled that women have discovered color for their wardrobes this summer, because I am a color person. For example, the walls in every room in my house are a different color, from eggplant purple to sea green to purply pink Sat, 07 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-86.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-86.php Halfway through sixth grade, I moved with my Mother from Syracuse, NY, to St. Louis, MO; and, in the process, I changed my name.Originally I was christened Elizabeth Anne, but everyone called me by my middle name in the early years Fri, 06 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-85.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-85.php Every last Friday of the month, the women on my road gather at noon for lunch at a local restaurant. We do this every last Friday, rain or shine.It started when Phyllis, who lives two doors down, had the idea that we should know each other better Thu, 05 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-84.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-84.php I hate rain. Its like an uninvited guest who shows up on the doorstep just when youre sitting down to dinner or a favorite TV show.This probably says more about me than it does about rain itself, because all my friends know to call first before dropping in Wed, 04 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-83.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-83.php A couple weeks ago I wrote about what I perceived as unnecessary things in the world. (See July 17, 2004) Included on my list were mosquitoes, neckties, and cellphones in coordinated colors. Well, I have more nominees in case you are making a list of your own Tue, 03 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-82.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-82.php There are those who think the ability to identify a caller before answering the phone is a wonderful invention. The phone rings, you look at it, the telephone number from where the call is placed flashes on a little electronic screen, and you decide whether to pick up or not Mon, 02 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-81.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-81.php As a writer, Im always interested in ways to hone my skills; so, from time to time, I do practice exercises. Recently I came across one that set me thinking. The assignment was to spend ten minutes writing down everything you remember about your first grade teacher as a way of developing characters for stories Sun, 01 Aug 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-80.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-80.php Im not a strict vegetarian, but I do limit the amount of red meat I consume. Its because my mother, my grandfather, and my great grandfather all died of cancer in various parts of their digestive systems Sat, 31 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-79.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-79.php Summers flying! Its almost the end of July, and I am reading only my second book of the season. It reminds me of when I was between eighth grade and high school, and the local library sponsored reading clubs during June, July, and August Thu, 29 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-78.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-78.php Getting divorced is a lot like getting burned. I mean physically burned. Even after the incident is over, the person hurts and can't really be touched for awhile.I recently had dinner with a friend who was officially divorced just the week before we met Tue, 27 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-77.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-77.php The Arts Section of yesterdays Sunday Chicago Tribune features an article about four aging female singer/artists who have all released albums in what some would call the sunset of their recording careers Mon, 26 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-179.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-179.php Collectibles have come into their own. I have a friend who collects penguins and another who likes unusual mugs. The penguin lady has hundreds of them, from greeting cards and room deodorizers. The mug lady has a dining room wall covered with hooks to hold her mugs Sun, 25 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-76.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-76.php There are many courtesies extended in small town life, and when you move from the Big City to a smaller burg they catch you off guard at first.For instance, people actually come to a full stop rather than the rolling variety at four-way-stop-sign intersections Sat, 24 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-180.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-180.php Two days ago, I went with my friend Carol to see "Fahrenheit 911." She had seen it before; and, being a left wing liberal, she wanted to make sure that I, one of her oldest confidantes, saw it too.Of course, I wasn't dragged kicking and shoving, since I am somewhat of a left wing liberal myself Fri, 23 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-75.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-75.php There must be something in the chemical solutions for permanent waves or hair coloring that makes beauty salon owners want to give their businesses off-center names. A look in the local telephone directory confirms this Thu, 22 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-74.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-74.php My assistant, Kyle, hasnt emptied his trash for ten years. Not that kind of trash; I mean the trash folder on his computer. I was surprised when he revealed this as we worked on my web site last week Wed, 21 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-73.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-73.php This year over Spring break my family and I went to Disney World in Florida, and it made a believer of me. I believe in Tinker Bell and in Snow White's castle and that Peter Pan never grew up and in Mickey and Minnie and that people can work together Tue, 20 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-72.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-72.php It isnt our possessions that are problematic when Earl and I finally do the downsizing thing. With the exception of my piano, neither of us is so attached to most of our furniture that we couldnt live without it Mon, 19 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-71.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-71.php Its Sunday. Earl is a real estate agent, so you can imagine what we do for fun on Sunday afternoons. Whenever he isnt holding an open house himself, we often go looking at model homes.Its not that were in the market, because we have a beautiful home which we plan to inhabit for some years to come Sun, 18 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-70.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-70.php We are plagued with a particularly heavy and resistant mosquito population this summer, and it keeps me inside at a time when our yard is at its loveliest. As I sit in the family room and stare out the window, I am making a list of things that seem unnecessary Sat, 17 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-69.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-69.php Why are most sunsets described from the sun's point of view? We say the sun dipped, fell, dropped, slipped, and oozed. Sometimes it does these things into water or behind trees. At other times, it sets behind buildings or into the edge of the horizon Fri, 16 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-68.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-68.php My mother was a pragmatist when it came to stocking her kitchen with gadgets. She saw absolutely no reason to have a particular tool for one specific reason if she could figure out a way to get the job done by using something she already owned Thu, 15 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-67.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-67.php Today is Bastille Day in France; and, given the state of Franco-American relations, I doubt Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings, or Dan Rather will mention it on their broadcasts. Historically, however, Bastille Day symbolizes the French Revolution and the overthrow of the French monarchy, just as the Fourth of July symbolizes our own revolution and the overthrow of the English monarchy Wed, 14 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-66.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-66.php I have declared open warfare on the squirrels that populate our backyard, and I have done this in the interest of the birds that also live there. It goes like this:We have bird feeders that hang from various shepherds hooks and are strategically placed around the yard so that we can enjoy watching our feathered friends feast at the birdfood buffet we provide Tue, 13 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-65.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-65.php I have this creepy feeling that the upcoming National Conventions, both Democratic and Republican, are completely unnecessary even though the first is less than three weeks away.In earlier years, these conventions brought various factions together to weave a fabric of unity for the given party Mon, 12 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-64.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-64.php Noreen and I were nothing if not enterprising in finding ways to challenge ourselves when our children were young and we were college-educated-women who stayed home to tend the hearth in the late nineteen-sixties Sun, 11 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-181.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-181.php My long-time friend, Noreen, was about to throw out a back issue of Martha Stewart's Living magazine, when a teaser for one of the articles caught her eye. It was about candles.I don't mean the kind you buy in kitchy gift shops or Hallmark stores, or the ones you use to decorate a festive table Sat, 10 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-182.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-182.php There is a buzz of activity on our road today. Bob the Tree Man is at Clara's, my next door neighbor, getting ready to cut down a large tree that fell from her neighbor's lot on the other side onto a small grove of trees in Clara's yard Fri, 09 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-63.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-63.php Carl Sandburg once wrote a poem about the power of grass to erase bitter memories of war and death. It isn't explicit in the poem, but the scene is a cemetery where crosses grow. Newly dug graves with shiny markers remind the visitor of the horrors that occurred either on the very land or nearby Thu, 08 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-62.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-62.php I never understood the concept of writer's block, although I've read that it can be very debilitating. I suppose frustration and fretting become steady companions if your next novel is due at the publisher's or your next play is already optioned by some producer and you are unable to complete the assignment Wed, 07 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-61.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-61.php Today is Independence Day in a presidential year, and I have a modest suggestion for celebrating it.With coast-to-coast parades and picnics, there are many opportunities for politicians to promote, promise, and preach Sun, 04 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-60.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-60.php While we were in Alaska's Denali National Park, we attended a presentation about the brave (crazy) mountaineers whose passion was to scale the summit of Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America Sat, 03 Jul 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-59.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-59.php I leave for Alaska, the last American frontier, early in the morning. Most likely I will not be writing the next two weeks, since where we are going is rather primitive by computer standards. Rather I will be basking in nature's beauty and serenity, only to return home filled with words and wit and wonderment Tue, 15 Jun 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-58.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-58.php Some of the photos from my birthday bash are arriving via email. One friend, in particular, took 65 pictures of the event; which is probably more photos than I've personally taken in a lifetime. Nevertheless, the photos are a wonderful record of a wonderful day Mon, 14 Jun 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-57.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-57.php Earl and I leave for Alaska in less than 72 hours. We've both said many times how it will be the trip of a lifetime, how we separately and together have talked about going to the last American frontier for years Sun, 13 Jun 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-56.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-56.php Direct mail catalogs are the rabbits of the advertising world. It only takes one, two at most, showing up in your mailbox before they begin to proliferate exponentially. They are also as difficult to get rid of as the real thing, and I am constantly looking for ways to reduce both animals from my home Sat, 12 Jun 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-55.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-55.php Hey, Natalie Goldberg, you are responsible for this blog; you and your book, Writing Down the Bones, which I read years ago. I'm still trying to practice your directive to sit somewhere and write without editing for ten minutes a day Fri, 11 Jun 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-183.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-183.php I don't quite understand all the hoopla surrounding former President Ronald Reagan's death. I do understand that, as a former chief executive of our country, he is eligible for a state funeral; but does that entitle him to wall-to-wall coverage on television when he left the office over 15 years ago?Two thoughts bother me most Thu, 10 Jun 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-54.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-54.php It's Wednesday morning. The last two guests from the weekend birthday bash left about an hour ago, and the house seems eerily quiet. In a few minutes, I'll start stripping beds and washing towels, picking up things that have moved from their usual places, and slowly resume my normal routine Wed, 09 Jun 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-53.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-53.php Things I've learned in the past 24 hours:1. That our own houseguests can fend for themselves while I throw a picnic at our real estate office.2. That mosquitoes are relentless, especially when you are entertaining company Tue, 08 Jun 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-52.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-52.php Today my three long-time friends -- Carol, Noreen, and Judi -- met each other for the first time. Together the years I've known these women totals 120; yet, because each friend lives in a different part of the Midwest, this was their first meeting Sun, 06 Jun 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-184.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-184.php It is Friday, June 4, 2004, and we are heading into the weekend. But not just any weekend; it is my birthday weekend. Mine and the birthday of the invasion of Normandy, which occurred on June 6, 1944, within hours of my birth in the early morning hours of June 7 Fri, 04 Jun 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-51.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-51.php Advance press releases on the Internet report that President Bush gives the commencement address at the U. S. Air Force Academy this afternoon. In his speech, he plans to compare the War on Terrorism in the Middle East to World War II in Europe Wed, 02 Jun 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-185.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-185.php Plot eludes me, which is why I may end up being relegated to the role of a personal memoirist for the rest of my life. I write effectively and even emotionally, but I cannot string a story together. What should one do when one wants to write a best seller? Hire a ghost writer? Take seminars on writing novels? Work harder on one's own? I don't know, except to say that I have, at least, discovered the problem Tue, 01 Jun 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-186.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-186.php Willie Mc Cord was a private from Arkansas who fought for the North in the Civil War. Somehow, when the war was over, he ended up in Michigan. Maybe he met someone and fell in love; perhaps he wanted a more northern climate; or possibly work led him here Mon, 31 May 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-187.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-187.php Today, for the first Sunday in many weeks, I read the Herald Palladium from front to back, with the exception of the classifieds and the advertising inserts. Neither Earl nor I ventured forth from the house to buy the Chicago Tribune, our usual Sunday fare; so I settled for what passes as news in southwestern Michigan Sun, 30 May 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-50.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-50.php I am becoming obsessed with the deck that covers the entire back of our house. I was told it is the equivalent of 900 square feet, which is larger than the apartment we had when I was first married. But its size isn't what controls me Sat, 29 May 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-188.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-188.php Today Earl and I went for a walk along the Lake Michigan beachfront in St. Joe. As we parked our car on the sidestreet and walked over the bridge that spans the railroad tracks, we heard the roar of waves racing to shore Fri, 28 May 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-49.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-49.php These past few days have shown the power of electricity versus the power of trees, and the trees did not win. A terrible storm roared through St. Joseph and Benton Harbor last Friday, ripping trees from the ground as if they had already been made into toothpicks and matchsticks Wed, 26 May 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-48.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-48.php Voices are like barometers. They indicate if everything is normal, if pressure is mounting, or if decline has settled in.I just called my son in New York City and Chris answered the telephone: "Hello, Fred Flare" came the usual greeting at their place of business Thu, 20 May 2004 0:00:00 CDT http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-684.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-684.php Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-707.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-707.php Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-738.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-738.php Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-548.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-548.php Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:59:59 CST http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-619.php http://www.annebrandt.com/newssingle-619.php Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:59:59 CST