Ice Bucket Challenge

Oliver was challenged by a friend to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge...  his brother was more than happy to help him out!  Whatever would we have done had this challenge began in the winter months, right?  As it worked out, the sun was shining and Oliver only shivered slightly.

While Oliver doesn't have a Facebook account to share his video, he apparently did so through his Instagram account.

A former coworker of mine, Ken, was recently diagnosed with ALS.  He's been on my mind and in my prayers since this total "awareness and donation" campaign began this summer.  I've told the boys about the disease and also sat down as a family to watch Pete Frates story so they understood where the ice bucket challenge started.  Such a horrible disease, but it can be managed as I've seen a few friends who have family members with it -- who has lived 17 years after diagnosis and is still thriving - so much so that his family helped HIM do the ice bucket challenge.  It brought goosebumps to my arms and a tear to my eye.  Bless all of you who are living with or caring for someone who has ALS.

Don't ever doubt the power of social media!

Grab a bucket and challenge a friend today!

Keep up the challenges and donations!  

it's a scary world out there



The Scream

No, I don't mean Scream, scary movies, or Halloween, because it is October after all.  I'm talking about raising youth today.  Being a child in this age of internet has made it even more difficult for our children to be who they are without being judged, picked on, finding ways to compare themselves, or even find positive role models (not Miley or the Biebs).  Let's just say that I am soooooo very thankful I'm raising boys, but that doesn't mean it's any easier. 

I read an article last Sunday that scared the wits out of me. It should scare anyone out there raising children today, because if you're not aware or think it cannot happen to your child...  think again.

But in combating cyberbullying, which experts say has become the most prevalent form of bullying, law enforcement and school officials face an ever-changing challenge: The cruel messages and pictures Ivy received arrived on websites like Ask.fm, Snapchat, Instagram and Kik — relatively new sites that have been linked nationally to teen suicides but remain foreign to many adults.

We had a discussion about this topic while standing in line to eat dinner at church last night; it got quite interesting as it went along.  It began as almost any other in our house...  "did you see the story about..." and "are you using this app?  do you have a user-name or account?  what is it?"  You see, while my boys may think it's nagging or intrusive that I'm always inquiring for their passwords and watching their online activity, I call it thoughtful, thorough and aware parenting.  I will be there to monitor their use, step in when I see a need, or otherwise caution them where I see a friend who may be abusing cyberspace.  

Oliver then told me he was asked to wear orange to school today.  There's extra credit involved, of course, but he would have done it anyway.  The kids in middle school were also given bracelets for the anti-bullying message the school district is pushing through the ranks.  You see, in addition to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it's now also National Bullying Prevention Month.  There doesn't seem to be enough months in a year to keep up with all of the causes, does there?  I know there are many who may think that this is just one more cause being shoved in our face, but for me, it's one more opportunity to make a difference.  Especially in the lives of ma boys!

My employer is also on board with the message this month.  Raise a Giant. Sponsored by the Jolly Green, of course.  Who better to stand up to bullying, right?  We were handed this sticker to wear as we walked into work today.

I penned {okay, typed on the computer} a letter to my boys earlier last month before this campaign was launched.  Here's my words to My Son, all three of them.  I created a letter from the heart, my heart, and hope that someday these words will echo in their ears and ring true to the young men they will have become.  My boys are all on the cusp of a birthday this winter...  they will be 13, 15 and 21.  Each stage of these ages are ripe with facing challenges, making choices, and forming their minds and hearts. As I see it, the best birthday gift I can give them is my wisdom, love and support.

 

Will you write a letter to your child?  A niece/nephew?  Grandchild?  You can do it here.  Add your voice to the crowd of loved ones who wish only the best for future generations.

did you hear?

An American woman won the Miss America 2014 crown last night.  Period.  I participated and watched Twitter as the evening went along.  I had my favorites (Go Miss #ArmyStrong Kansas, and Miss Minnesota made it to the Top 5).  I even joked a little when the talent was showcased, trying to do so in a nice way, as some were either very nervous or clearly not trained in voice.   

And then....

Miss New York is crowned.

Twits started twittering about ethnicity.  Name-calling, blaming a culture, getting down-right ugly and rude.  Quite frankly, I no longer wanted to be a part of the social media that wasn't seeing the beautiful woman before us who was just crowned. 

Deserving.

Gorgeous.

Talented.

American.

On the Today show website this afternoon, they're also trying to address aforementioned subject.  So very sad, what people will do and say in this day and age.  Haven't we overcome these barriers?  Will we ever see one another through love's eyes?

"I have to rise above that," she said, according to the AP. "I always viewed myself as first and foremost American."

 

Congratulations, Nina, Miss America 2014!  You are very desrving of the title. You represent American women.  I know you will use your ""celebrating diversity through cultural competency" platform to educate so many who will obviously need educating during your reign.

Kudos.  Blessings.  You've earned it!

football funnies

A bad case of lip reading for sure, just had to share. Couldn't stop laughing...  enjoy!    

glued.

Are you as mesmerized by the Olympics this year as I am?  I cannot wait to finish dinner and park my tush on the sofa to watch the days' events unfold on the big screen.  Soon, my DVR won't be able to hold any more coverage, especially next week when a couple of the family is off to the BWCA and I am off at a work event.

If I've been successful in ignoring social media and news reports during the day, it's as if I am watching it LIVE ~ holding my breath, biting my nails, and cheering on Team USA, along with the parents of these young athletes.

How about that Fab 5 group of young ladies...  amazing talent, perseverance and poise!

simply incredible.

And did you catch the short clip of Aly's parents?  Priceless.  I also liked the article written here about the coverage of this event.

the winningest Olympian.  ever.

There's the women's beach volleyball, sculling, swimming and springboard synchronized diving... my head is going to explode...  so much excitement and talent to cheer on...  whatever will we do when it's over?!   Oh right, go back to life as we know it, and get ready for school to start in five short weeks. {meh}

Now, back to the Olympics...

WordFULL Wednesday

Share. 
Spread the word. 
Future generations are counting on us.
#stopkony

Who loves Elmo!? I do, I do!

Wonder if I'll be able to keep still if a familiar song comes on the big screen tonight?

Wanna bet the average audience member is 40-something?

Going to see Becoming Elmo with Nancy & Cheryl.  Soooooo excited.  What a great story to be told about a kid visionary who knew what he wanted to be when he grew up!

Will return back and update with my review tomorrow!




After the movie review:  Great documentary!  Short and sweet.  It was a heart-warming story of how Kevin Clash followed his dream, despite all teasing and odds against him.  The friendship he developed with Kermit Love (what a name?!) and Jim Henson are equally touching.  Seeing the story come full circle and watching Kevin sharing his passion with young kids, who are battling illness or who want to be puppeteers, was a testament to the LOVE both he and Elmo have for children everywhere.

Elmo made an impression in our house once upon a time!

Oliver's 2nd Birthday - with Grandpa

Chicken-Dance Elmo

ELMO LOVES YOU!

COLD for a Cause

It was a chilly, cold November morning, but I did it...  dropped Henry at school for Select Choir, and headed toward Target yesterday morning. 

The line started in the wee hours of the morning, but had only made it to the corner.

7:15 am, I had found my spot.

 With my Caribou mocha in hand.

We watched the sunrise and shivered together.

Strangers all lined up,
Minnesota nice,
creatures of this annual habit,

with a love of music.

 I was the pivot.
And convinced everyone behind me to
WRAP
and shift around the building to be out of the wind.

Did I mention it was cold?

12* "real feel" with the windchill.

And then it came.

Finally.

After listening to a conversation
in front of me about physics, and the probability of making a green light
and behind me, long-term care insurance and aging parents...

8:00 am
...we were let in through the channel of red & gray carts...

The coveted prize.

One of the Cities97 Sampler 23 CDs.

For my very own.

Fabulous music for a wonderful cause.

Sold out in a matter of hours.

If you missed it, or want to know what all the hullabaloo is about.

Click the link above.

Happy, happy girl am I.

Who's with me?

Although I'm not employed by a retail company, I agree wholeheartedly with this individual's attempt to SAVE the holiday.  There is no justifiable reason that companies need to infringe on quality time spent with family and friends.  Shopping can and should wait until at least the next morning - preferably at a decent hour!!

Change.org|Start an Online Petition »

Will you sign and help create change?!

Into the looking glass...

History.  My history.  The world's history.

I was never one who had a whole lot of interest in history, or war, for that matter.  Last night, however, I spent a few hours back in the early 1930's....   living through the images that I was scanning for my father, of his father in the Spanish Civil War.  I never met my grandfather.  He was born one-hundred years ago, March 15, 1911.  Veikko Olavi Lindfors died when my father was a teenager. They called him Ole {yes, like the Finnish Sven & Ole jokes told in Minnesota} back then.  The images of the war are amazing.  Yet it was not our war.  These men of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, of which my grandfather was a part of, fought together with other countries in the Spanish Civil War.  This was also known as the first "media war" and was covered by foreign correspondents, to include Ernest Hemingway.

Taken from Wiki:

Many non-Spanish people, often affiliated with radical, communist or socialist parties or groups, joined the International Brigades, believing that the Spanish Republic was the front line of the war against fascism. The troops of the International Brigades represented the largest foreign contingent of those fighting for the Republicans. Roughly 40,000 foreign nationals fought with the Brigades, although at any given time there were no more than 18,000; they came from a claimed 53 nations.^[121] Most of them were communists or trade unionists, and while organised by communists guided or controlled by Moscow, they were almost all individual volunteers.

The American volunteers fought in units such as the Abraham Lincoln Brigade and Canadians in the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion.^[122]

Comrades (Veikko, lower right)

Sepia-toned images that seem to STOP a moment in time and say look at me!  With a look, a smile, a building crumbling in the background, children who were left behind and not sent to an orphanage or a brigade of volunteers marching the street.  All of the images calling us to remember a moment in time.

Veikko Olavi Lindfors

The world...  falling apart and coming together.

Another war, not the first, nor the last.

But history.  Ours.  Mine.

Olavi = Oliver

Oliver was born
the day
his grandmother
Elsie died,
Veikko's wife.

Did you hear?

There's a fairytale wedding today!

I absolutely love this photo.

 

Ben Stansall / AFP - Getty Images

Yes, I am one who believes in happily ever-after and cannot wait to get home from work and watch the wedding this weekend.  Thankful, however, that it's on DVR so I can skip through 9 hours of taped television, most of which is carefully {not} chosen advertising.  Henry is excited to watch and ask questions too!  So nice that even though God blessed me with boys, at least on occasion one of them enjoys these fun girly things right along with me.   Shhhh, don't tell him I said that!

Sure, the media-hype, dress talk and pomp & circumstance are a bit over-the-top, but underneath it all, the little glimpses of coy smiles, stolen looks and unabashed love are adoringly beautiful in their purest form.  Isn't that what LOVE is all about?  And their prayer with one another...  how precious is that?!  

May God bless them and keep them safe!

*Photo Credit: All Mine

A new commercial airs on local television about my company's participation in the community.  So far I've seen it air during the 4 o'clock hour and have been able to catch it now a few times.  {yes, I tape Oprah}

The last image stuck in my craw as very familiar to me.  An image I would have taken.

Well, duh.  I did!!

My passion in photography has me bringing my camera along to most community events, especially those associated with my work events.  I eagerly share them with our Community Relations team and hadn't even realized that this still photo would be used in a business commercial.  I am very honored, even though I won't get any credit for it other than blathering on about it here.

I've been trying to break into the Communications/Public Relations side of the (any) business for years... I know that this is something I could be (am) INCREDIBLY good at, however, volunteering is the only way I have been able to make it happen so far. 

What a gratifying moment this morning to see something I am passionate about - something I did - show up in the venue it was meant to....   it more than achieves, it exceeds my expectations!

Go RED!

This is the month to remind yourself and all of the women in your life...  to be aware of the symptoms of a heart attack.  They are different than a man's symptoms.  Do you know what they are?

Visit the GO RED website and find out more information!

Friday, February 4th is also National Wear Red Day.

If you're local, there's a Hearts for Fashion show at the Mall of America on Saturday, sponsored by my employer.

Did you know that Heart Disease is the #1 killer of American Women?

Find out more!

Love yourself.  Love your heart. 

Cities 97 Sampler 22

I got mine! Second year in a row standing in line 15 minutes before the doors opened at Target - and I'm a happy girl! I even ran into a friend of mine and we had a cup of coffee before heading into work. Can't wait to upload the music to my phone, but first, I think I'll play it throughout the day while working at my desk (and drowning out the noise).

This year's Sampler has some great Studio C songs!  For those who are unfamiliar with this local phenomenon, all proceeds from the sale of this [artist donated time/music] CD go to a Minnesota charity.  It's a greatly anticipated event every year and I'm happy to do my part to send a few sheckles to a local charity!   It's a win-win!!

Life in a Day

What are you doing on Saturday, July 24th?  YouTube wants you to document your "life in a day" and submit for possible publication and premier at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2011!

Be a part of something global and capture your day on Saturday!  Details for submission can be found on the page linked above.

We will be going to Camp Wapo this weekend and camping as a family.  I will definitely bring my camera/video along and see what I can capture and submit.

All in the name of love.

Hi, my name is Julie, and I'm a contest junkie.

Psssst, friends & family: I need YOU to vote for my photo submission today! Go to the link and we are in Round 5. Search Public Name: J&J and you will see a photo of JP and I in NYC. You can vote once an hour for a 24 hour period, beginning at 10:00 am CDT.

Click here for contest:

Sweetheart Photo Contest

NOTE: You must be a registered user to vote. It asks for minimal information and you can unsub after the contest. Pretty please. I know you might be tempted to vote for someone else who was more creative in their submission, but I ask you to resist that urge and VOTE FOR ME!! <3 <3 You can vote once an hour... so come back as often as you can and help us advance to the next round on our way to win $1k.

Oh, and feel free to share my photo & link with your friends.
This is one viral message I wouldn't mind you sending along ~ LOVE!!

They say you have to buy a lottery ticket to win. I dont' buy them often enough. But I have been swept up in seemingly silly online contests lately. A few months ago I posted a link to win a bike (didn't win one). I've been registering daily to win the HGTV Dream home. And now this. But I need your help to win this one. Sure, it's a big thing asking you to take some time out of your day and register on a site you don't want to share your personal information with... but won't you give it a try?  Just this once.  Pretty please.
 
Thanks so much!

GO SAINTS

Don't tell my husband or boys I said that...  but I think it's a good thing that if the Vikings had to lose to anyone for a spot in the Superbowl that it was to the Saints.  They deserve a spot.

As much as everyone thought that Favre was our golden ticket, I think this explains it all:

Favre's last interception came as Minnesota drove for what could have been a game-winning score. The Vikings moved to the Saints' 33 with just under a minute left, but they inexplicably sat on the football, calling two runs that netted zero yards. And then Minnesota was whistled for having 12 men in the huddle on third and 10.

Yes, indeed.  He went out on his own terms.  .sigh.

The drama, cheers & tears were plentiful in our house.  The tears were soothed by a bowl of ice cream.  Hopefully there was a never-ending supply to go around many tables of tears last night. 

SKOL VIKINGS ~ it was a great season of keeping us on the edge of our seats!

Newsworthy?!

Brett Favre after his arrival in St. Paul Tuesday.
Brett Favre signed a contract today and a news conference is scheduled to introduce him.


A curious squirrel has made this photograph taken by Jackson Brandts of Minnesota a global sensation.


I much prefer the squirrel.

Guess what came in the mail this week? JP's AARP card - it's official - he's almost 50 years old! He's in denial, of course, and is right now out looking for a new truck to stay young, or something like that?! He can officially join the ranks of millions of other baby boomers, like Jamie Lee Curtis, and enjoy the senior discounts coming his way!



Okay, you know I jest! JP really doesn't act anywhere near 50, nor does he look a day over 40. It is a great year to turn 50... I hope you will join me in wishing him a very happy birthday!

Today was also his Mother's birthday... God bless you & keep you, Charlene!

Envy, Dreams & Goals

Have you watched The Bucket List yet? Two of my favorite actors are in it, Jack & Morgan, so of course I watched it! I like the concept. I'm not afraid of dying, but dying alone frightens me. I liked how they found one another in this movie and followed through on their list together. Friends & family, in the end, is what it's all about. It's all worth living only if we feel good about the journey we traveled to get to the end. Right?

So I just stumbled across this man's site, Ian Usher. Amazing. Simply amazing. And gutsy. He sold "his life" on eBay and is out to travel the world. Could you do it? It's somewhat similar to the Bucket List but Ian is starting out much younger in his quest for happiness in a new, life-changing journey. He has added in some philanthropy and will get many followers in the coming weeks and months. I'm a tad jealous. Of course, I have no idea how he got where he is today and wouldn't give up my life, lessons and journey for the world; but I envy his spunk and tenacity. Go Ian!

My motto has always been carpe diem ~ Seize the Day!
Don't wait until tomorrow...

live

for

today