Heartland Stragegy

We learned a new game last night. Six of us got together for pizza and this game that seems is sweeping through town. (We're a bit behind I think) The board is octogon shaped and homemade. 4-6 players, a deck of cards and 5 colored pegs apiece. We played as two teams-men v. women. It was a game of strategy and some luck and pretty easy to learn. But I guess I rediscovered that I am just too competitive for my own good. I don't win or lose very graciously. I pout when things don't go my way. I gloat too much when I win. I found out, too that it's far better to just concentrate on helping your partners and not on destroying your opponents, or getting even as the case was for me. You can too easily forget about strategy by seeking revenge instead of the best way to just win by playing a good game.
I don't know, I think our friends will think twice about playing competitve games with us again! That was something learned early by friends in Prairie du Chien, and by our daughters in law who have asked that competitive games be banned during family gatherings. Bother.

A Spring Snow

So this time we couldn't dodge the bullet. Sunday was a snow day. BUT! We didn't get as much as the weatherman was predicting, thank heaven. It was only a very wet and heavy 4 inches of snow instead of 12 or 15. Despite the fact that no one but one unnamed friend wanted this stuff, here it is anyway. Just looking at it, without the spring thing in the back of your mind, it is actually quite pretty. Maybe that's the way we should head into everything that comes our way-just taking it for what it is knowing that 'this too shall pass'. (And as of this writing, 3 days after the storm, there's nothing left of the snow to speak of. The birds certainly don't seem to remember it! Hurry up Spring, I say.)

The Dress Barn

Now here's a place I don't head to too often.... the Dress Barn. But on Friday, I went voluntarily hunting for, well, a skirt. I surprised even myself. When I was a girl, we always went dress shopping about this time of year, and even after I got married I would perhaps yearly go find a new dress. As the years have gone by dresses and skirts have been less and less appealing to me. So the store, The Dress Barn, held a lot less appeal then say, Best Buy or Bed Bath and Beyond or something like that. Actually I had been in the Dress Barn a couple of times because I have a daughter in law who really likes the place and I just like hanging out with her...so at least I have experience!
Generally I tell people that if they see me in a skirt or a dress they can ask me, 'Who's funeral?' So what's with the exception now? I'm taking a big overseas trip next month with my daughter and I thought this might be one way to look a little less 'American.' (and I heard that to get into some of the cathedrals etc it's more cusomary to wear a skirt...)Probably all it will succeed in doing is to make me look a little less like me. You know, the jeans and t-shirt wearing girl. It probably won't get me to wear toenail polish with my sandals or much make up for that matter, but I'll play it by ear! I'd rather get that new wide angle tamron lense for my camera than a skirt but it's too late now. And the Dress Barn? Well, there were definitely lots of dresses and skirts. I kept saying, 'Are these really in style? Is this really what people are wearing?' Sheesh. I have to get out more.