Bits&Pieces

Would you have gone to the Sadie Hawkins Tolo with this boy?

Hi, I'm very tan and full of 9th grade testosterone, despite my lack of chest and facial hair.

I know. Adorable.

That Adam's Apple could take an eye out.

(In Everett, Wash., in 1984, the Sadie Hawkins Tolo was a dance where girls got to ask the boy of their choice to a go. I really have no idea why we called it a "Tolo." Of course, Dan and I were nowhere near one another in 1984, but still, I am fairly certain I would have at least put him on my candidate list.)

EDITED TO ADD: Well, who knew. Read this about the history of the word "tolo" as well as Sadie Hawkins.

People try to put us down

So thankful that every new musical phase in his life has much visual documentation. Nice fringe, Roger. Nice fringe.

You should see his Keith Moon sketch.

I bet you say that to all the girls

Oh Danny, you little cassanova you. You know what I always say: give me a boy who can write and I'll follow him anywhere.

I love that you put the year in quotations and the fact that it looks like you were dipped in self tanner just for the occasion. And I'd bet money your hair got that shiny from using "Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific."

Love, Mrs. Zielsk

p.s when were you planning to tell me about Sue?

Teen fashion. Documented.

 

Photo taking people of the universe, you really can never document too much. Because the number of shots I have featuring my 8th grade fashions could be counted on two hands. But oh, what fashionable hands they were.

There's creativity in them there genes

Every year, my father-in-law grows pumpkins, and as they're just starting to form, he carves the names of each of his grandchildren into the individual pumpkins. Some years they work brilliantly, and some years they don't. This year, Aidan and Cole's most definitely did.

When the kids were smaller, he would hide their pumpkins down on the farm where he and my mother-in-law live in Southern Minnesota. We'd bundle them up and send them out into the fields to choose a pumpkin to pick. It was pretty magical the first time, when they got out there only to find pumpkins with their names on it. 

 

{Aidan in the meadow at the farm, finding her first pumpkin, at age 2}

Speaking of things that have gone, and things that are here, I'm so happy that Papa still makes the pumpkins for my now 10- and 13-year-old kids.

I can guarantee you when they walk through the door after school the magic of seeing their names will still remind them not only of what an awesome and creative grandpa they have, but of how much they are loved.

And the shrunken head apple faces he made aren't too shabby either:

 

I'm posting a giveaway tomorrow, so check back! I wanted to wish all of you a safe and happy Halloween a bit early.

And thank YOU Papa, for such an enduring and endearing tradition.

Can't touch this.

(Note: if you are my Mother, you might want to SKIP reading the following post as it involves HAIR that is being CUT, and I know how that... upsets you... You have been warned, Shirley!)

My girl got a haircut the other day. Cut and color. She'd been wanting to chop the old locks off for a while now, and who am I—the global embassador of short hair—to stop her?

I mean, it's not like it's that short. It's still longer than mine, which means I still WIN! But she can do artsy-moody pretty well, so maybe I need to watch my back.

She also does the winsome, contemplative side-gaze fairly well.

Oh, who am I kidding? In the generationally transcendent words of MC Hammer: you can't touch this.

September's Here Again

Every September 1st, for the past some 20 odd years, I've listened to this song:

It seems to set a tone for fall, even if fall is truly still weeks away. The sound of David Sylvian's voice is nothing if not cooler weather, shorter days and distant memories of 20-something angst. Sigh. Those were the days.

In other news, I shared a photo last week from our Minnesota State-cation that looked something like this:

 

Every time we stopped to pose at a statue or an otherwise unnaturally large landmark, I begged the kids to do this pose. Why? I was recalling, in my mind, a shot taken from a 2002 road trip in front of an Iowa landmark of sorts, in which the kids were much smaller and doing a similar pose.

I finally dug out the shot I was remembering and was surprised that we really weren't quite re-creating it with much accuracy:

 

I guess the screaming of one child is close enough?

Still, look at how little those kids were back then.

 

Insert heavy, hormone-laden sigh here.

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Finally, thanks to all who responded to Day 1 of my campain for clean water with charity: water. Remember, $5 is all I'm asking for. And don't worry if it's not in the cards for you to donate this time. I realize the economy is tight. But for those who have donated, thank you so very much, and those who are considering it, remember: it's roughly the cost of a new package of scrapbook embellishments and a sheet or two of patterned paper. I'll be reminding blog readers over the course of the next three months, and drawing a name of those who donate to win a sweet box of scrapbooking goodness.

Cool? Cool. Scrapbookers do in fact rule.

Okay people…wrap it up and move along

As much as I'd like to milk the vacation wrap-up forever, it's time to git 'er movin' along. So today, I present the final installment of What I Did on My Summer Vacation aka The Recap Trifecta, if you will.

Above? Dan at the Mineview in the Sky, just outside of Eveleth. Did you know they mine up on the Iron Range? As in, dig in the earth mining? WHO KNEW?

And when they finish, sometimes the mine will fill in with water and look like this?

 

(At this point on our road trip, I said to Dan: "You know what makes road trips SO much easier? Living in the age of the iPod." To which he replied: "You know what else makes it easier? The fact that we didn't bring Bushwick Bill along for the ride.") Note: This is an extremely old inside road trip joke between me and Dan. No offense to Bill and the Geto Boys.

In Chisolm, we saw the Iron Man statue:

 

And then it was onto Grand Rapids, the childhood home of Judy Garland, where we saw the house she lived in until she was three years old.

 

We visited the Judy Garland Museum right next door and saw bits of memorabilia from her life, like this carriage which was the actual one they used in the Wizard of Oz when they rode into the city:

 

 

And Dan couldn't help himself at this stop's "Insert Head Here" opportunity, as he carefully channeled each of the character's key traits:

 

Then it was onto the Greyhound Bus Museum, in lovely Hibbing. Did you know Greyhound started in Minnesota? Well, now you do.

 

 

Aidan fell hard for a boy, but alas, road trip romance never lasts.

 

Then after a quick lunch at Zimmy's (a restaurant celebrating all things Bob Dylan, who also hails from Hibbing), we hit the road again.

We saw more big things on our way to Bemidji:

 

Even the biggest of 'em all: Paul and Babe.

 

Dan and I even had a chance to pose for a prom-like picture right between Paul's knees. Who wouldn't want this shot?

 

Then it was off to see the headwaters of the Mighty Mississippi River. Did you know it starts in Minnesota and that you can walk across it? Well, now you do.

 

 

As we turned our compass Southward, we found more statues:

 

(Note: her McCain shirt was in the laundry this day. FYI.)

 

(There's your big bird, babe.)

And I managed to capture some truly magical moments of sibling togetherness.

 

We worked our way back down to Nisswa, where Dan's grandmother's cabin was waiting to greet some energized and happy travelers. But not without a few more stops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our way home, we stopped in Garrison, on Lake Mille Lacs, and while we were about to leave, I saw a cute young couple with a baby, and the Dad was taking a picture of his lovely wife and child in front of another giant fish. I asked if he wanted me to take their picture. As I was framing the shot, I asked him: Do you want the whole fish or just the family? To which he gave me my favorite quote of the entire trip:

The family is more important than the fish.

Amen, brother. Amen.

And here's also to finding a magical vacation in your own backyard.

There's nothing more exciting than other people's travel photos

Welcome to What I Did on My Summer Vacation, Part One.

This year, we opted for an economical getaway and decided to vacation in our own backyard: to tour around the great state of Minnesota in search of history, kitschy photo opps, and general family bonding time.

Using the book Weird Minnesota as one of our travel guides, we planned a trip that would take us up Highway 61, through Duluth and beyond, then to head west through the Iron Range and back down to the Brainerd Lakes area where our family cabin is.

Along the way, we sought out stuff like this:

 

The Lindstrom Tea Kettle Water Tower, Lindstrom, Minn.

Our rule was if it was large, kitschy, made of fiberglass, or had holes where you had to put your head through, we stopped. Or, if they served booze.

 

In Rush City, we found a big fish:

 

In Pine City, we found a huge voyageur:

 

And in Mora we found a Dala Horse, which led to the catch phrase of the trip: "Where's your Dala Horse, babe?" spoken ala the guy from the Two A-Holes sketch from Saturday Night Live.

 

One of the other trip rules? No fast food. Sorry Mickey D's, but the Zielskes took a vow to eat in local cafes and off the path eateries, such as the lovely Sportsmen's Cafe in Mora:

Following lunch, we posed by more statues:

 

And filled up our tank at the Frank Lloyd Wright designed gas station in Cloquet:

 

Along the way, there was plenty of time for Cole-created sight gags:

 

 

Until we finally arrived in our first official stayover stop: the beautiful fresh water port city of Duluth, Minn.

 

 

We did a clever re-enactment of the famous lift bridge:

 

We walked around on the rocky shores:

 

We saw and toured a big boat (There's your big boat, babe.):

 

We took lots of pictures:

 

And we broke a few laws:

 

Duluth is a place I could SO live from June through August.

 

 

 

Throughout our first day we kept track of memorable quotes from assorted family members, and captured such gems as:

Aidan: "Why is Cole changing again?" Mom: "He doesn't like who he's become?"

Dan: "Do cowboys just call their hats 'hats'?"

Cole, informing us whether or not he would get out of the car at our stops throughout Day 1: "If there's a gift shop, I'm so there."

And so ends Day 1. Stay tuned for more Zielske Vacation Shenanigans, coming soon to this blog near you.

An amazingly super awesome blog post coming soon

I just have to wade through 1,000 or so snapshots, four feet of laundry, and a good three or four cups of super black coffee.

Deal? Deal.