12.07.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:44 pm by admin
For Christmas, Erwin would like calf-length white cotton socks. A dozen or more of the same so he can toss a bunch of worn ones.
Erwin has an Amazon Wishlist:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3OYX5Y2IG37QG I do not know how current it is, but I’m pretty sure he does not own anything currently on there.
Both boys would appreciate guitar picks and other guitar accessories. Apparently we’re starting a family band!
I created an Amazon Wishlist for the boys:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/IZB640JCGGFD There is little there that they asked for, the list was originally created as a list for my own reference.
Sweets and other edibles are of course always welcomed, but remember the CORN!
Andrew’s a bit hard to buy for right now …. He’s starting to enjoy reading, but I hate to totally overwhelm him with books. He has enough paint and glue and other crafting stuff. He likes it, but he gets himself into trouble with it. A sturdy but smallish table would be good. His craft stuff doesn’t get to live all together and his little folding Spider-Man table is getting pretty rickety.
Andrew’s into science right now, but he got a “Gross Science” kit and 2 science-related books for his birthday. I think he will be getting a microscope or a Cyclops magnifier, but if there’s something else science related, it would probably be welcomed.
Andrew’s also a bit of a history buff. He can quote interesting facts about the presidents. Many of these were learned from our Presidents placemats, but some of them just feel very random when he spouts one out! Non-challenging history aids would probably get his attention.
Nate will take almost any Wii games and claims that GameCube games will also play on the Wii, but this has not been tested in my presence. I was also looking at the other types of controllers for the Wii, but I suspect you only “need” those for specific games.
The only things Nate is asking for are video game-related. He wants an XBox, a DS and games for them and the Wii, along with pretty much every other console out there. These are all expensive, and we don’t want the whole living room taken up with consoles!
In our Plebian opinion, Nate has enough Star Wars stuff to last 3 lifetimes.
Nate IS still a book worm, but his inner teenager is starting to show through. He stubborny dislikes most books that I point out and say, “Hey, I think you’d like this one.”
Back to ME:
Long-sleeved slightly stretchy T-shirts. I prefer skinny wrists and single vivid colors, although pretty is also good.
Knitting needles. I really really like my 10 mm bamboo ones, but I’m ready for something smaller, I think. I was eyeing some circulars.
Last year I got a lot of fun yarn. Yarn is still welcome, though!! I like the slightly blobby yarns like homespun and bouclé. If I get smaller needles, I may need something smaller and smoother to try. (Of course, Erwin says “More yarn?! No way!”)
Dark chocolate. (Bonus: Packaged into small servings.)
A good old fashioned thermos bottle. Leak-proof and not huge. I’d love to be able to take hot tea to work with me without spilling it, letting it get cold, or sucking it all down in the first hour. 
For fun pretties, I love this site: http://www.boygirlparty.com
and this artist Templar Arizona and … and … and … 
I have an Amazon wish list, several, actually. They can be found here. http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2AXKH51ZPV10H Some of those books were added quite some time ago, but I do not own any of them.
You did a great job with last year’s list, Santa. I look forward to seeing what you pick this year!
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12.05.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:24 am by admin
For Christmas I would really like:
A bathtub pillow. Plastic, inflatable, probably has suction cups?
Long-sleeved slightly stretchy T-shirts. I prefer skinny wrists and single vivid colors.
White cotton socks, above the ankle. Maybe Hanes? Several of the same style would be lovely.
Bamboo knitting needles. They go down pretty small in Wal-Mart, but I’m probably only ready for the medium-to-large ones.
The largest crochet hook you can find. I think I saw one at Wal-Mart that was about 1/2 inch.
My Very Own Knifty Knitter. Darnit, that thing’s addictive.
Fun yarn: more interesting than Red Heart, but maybe less interesting than my fluffy booger yarn.
Narrow head bands with teeth.
Dark chocolate. (Bonus: Packaged into small servings.)
A regular lunch date with loved-ones.
I will try to put new ideas into this list as I get them, Santa, but this is a good start.
Love,
Monica
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06.20.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:53 am by admin
Since my father can’t resist a road trip, we’ve turned this trip to Ft. Laramie into an opportunity to see Devils’ Tower, Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, some caves, and many other sites. We’re also visiting my great-aunt Sis and my Grandpa H. At the moment, the ‘plan’ looks like this:
We leave our house at oh-dark-thirty on Thursday and meet up with Dad and Virginia in KC. (They’ll fly in to KC on Wednesday evening.) We will go from there to Omaha to see Aunt Sis. I haven’t seen her in decades, and the kids and E have never met her. We hope to take a couple hours out of her Thursday afternoon to catch up, reminisce, and ask some questions about the family tree, hoping she can get us past a little bump we’ve hit. Shortly before we’ve worn out our welcome there, we will head West to approximately Kearney and stay for the night. We landed on Kearney by just saying “let’s look for hotels on this particular stretch of highway” and Kearney seemed to be the only live spot in sight! This may change once we do a little more hotel research.
We will head to Scottsbluff on Friday, possibly meet up with other family, and see what sites we have time for in the afternoon. There may or may not be events related to the Naming on Friday evening, so we’ll really play Friday, Saturday, and Sunday by ear.
Sunday after all Naming-related events are over, we will head northward to Devil’s Tower and explore that area.
Depending on the timing, we will probably find a hotel somewhere between there and Mt. Rushmore, and head to Mt. Rushmore on Monday. I seem to remember having to be dragged away from Mt. Rushmore, so we’ve put in a nice big cushion of time for that area. (This cushion also helps to deal with the uncertainty of Sunday morning.)
After Mt. Rushmore, we’ll likely head toward the Badlands. Around this time, E will have to split to head home. He wants to be ready to get back to work on Wednesday, so will probably split his drive home over Monday evening and Tuesday all day. Until we’ve pored over the map a little more, we don’t know if he’ll accompany us to the Badlands or not. (probably not?)
Once we hit Iowa, we’ll probably visit the site of the last of the James Gang’s train robberies. You know how we love our infamous people! The real reason for visiting Iowa would be to celebrate Grandpa H’s 90th birthday on July 23. We’ll actually celebrate on Sunday July 22. This is a great excuse to catch up with that branch of the family, which I’ve neglected quite soundly for a decade. Bad, bad me. Fortunately, we do have a large book detailing that branch through the 1980′s, so the only tree research we’ll feel compelled to do there would be for “color.” All the little stories and reminiscences that make a family tree alive and interesting.
There are several days between E going his own way and us needing to be in Iowa. I know these will be filled with fun and interesting activities, but none of them have made it into the ‘plan.’
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05.15.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:33 am by Monica
I threw together this tree which focuses directly on Nathaniel. (The folks potentially attending the Naming.) Please let me know if you notice any typos or skipped people. I know this tree is a little confusing, but it will stay until I draw up something better. In my privacy paranoia, I have removed all the last names. If you want more complete info, I will email it to you.
Generation: 1 (Nathaniel and his brother)
Generation: 2 (Nathaniel’s parents)
- John G
- Monica F
Children:
Nathaniel F
Generation: 3 (Nathaniel’s grandparents)
- Trudell “Butch” G
- Linda G
Children:
John G
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Posted in Uncategorized at 8:47 am by Monica
Since we as a family seem to have insufficient communications skills and forget that just because one person heard it doesn’t mean we all automatically know it (maybe the Borg had something there?), I am going to start putting all the Naming information here. If you know something I don’t know, PLEASE drop me an email or comment here.
- Date: July 14, 2007
- Location: Ft. Laramie, WY
- Hotel: Holiday Inn, Scotts Bluff, NE
- Casual dress, a hat, sunblock: it is outside and it will be hot.
I don’t have any real details on the ceremony itself, because Butch didn’t want to ruin the magic of it. I also don’t know the name. There will be several people named on this day.
Grandpa Butch said Pendleton blankets would be very appreciated, money is always appropriate, but that any gift given with respect would be accepted as such. It was hard to hold a conversation, because his cell was breaking up.
Dad and Linda have deer skins.
TurtleMother2 (online acquaintance): Gifts of tobacco and pouches are very good as gifts for the man doing the Naming and for the dancers. She also encouraged me to just meditate on it and the proper gift would come to me. The tobacco/pouches and Linda’s towels [mentioned below] are known as ‘give-aways’ and are important. They are signs of respect and thanks.
Hopi Princess (online acquaintance): She encouraged me to wear a dress. Casual and comfortable but feminine. She also mentioned the give-aways and agreed that gifts given with the right attitude will be appreciated. She is (you may have guessed) not Lakota but gave some very general guidance since Hopi is closer to Lokota than European Mutt is.
Butch encouraged (video and still) cameras and a tripod. He said some people discourage them, but he strongly disagrees and it’s HIS grandson so he gets to say. 
I currently have email addresses and/or phone numbers for: Trudell/”Butch”, Ellen, Linda, John
My family who are planning to attend: Robert, Virginia, Me, Erwin, Andrew
Cheryl, Rhonda
Others who are probably unable to come: Marsha, Rack, Louise
This is an excerpt from an email reply from Linda about my dad:
What is appropriate dress?
-July in WY. Casual with sun block and a hat. Can always cool off at night. Last year John was really hot and burned.
What else does he need to know as the “other grandfather” of the Namee?
-Butch instructed me to get a doe or buck skin for the man doing the naming. John is to obtain some pipe stone. The families give gifts. Butch is having quilts made. As you know, I am buying many towel sets.
[Dad and Linda now have those skins]
Just to double-check: The date is July ??
-The actual ceremony is Sat. July 14. There will be some activity Friday night and Sunday, but the main event is Saturday.
John added:
We will spend the night in Scotts Bluff, Nebraska the night of the 13th. If your dad is driving he’ll need to head west on I-80 then north to Scott’s Bluff. If he’s flying he can fly into Denver or Cheyenne. [He also gave me phone numbers for Ellen.]
Linda and I spoke later:
There -will- be shade, but we still need to be prepared for heat and some sun. It was restated that the Friday and Sunday stuff is completely voluntary, but I do plan to ask Butch again, because I don’t want Nathaniel to miss anything he ‘should’ attend.
We have turned this into a big family trip beyond the naming, visiting my dad’s Aunt Sis and Virginia’s father. We plan to ask Aunt Sis a lot of questions about the family tree, and we’ll be celebrating Charles’ 90th brithday. I will post a separate entry with that itinerary on it.
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03.08.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 6:40 am by admin
This is my newest experiment with self-expression
or maybe self-flagellation.
Anyway, there is no plan of regularity, nor theme: you’ve been warned.
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