You made that ornament out of what?

Now I've seen everything...

BLOOMINGTON-Staffers make decorations out of droppings from the zoo's two reindeer, Ealu and Rika. The droppings are dried, then clear-coated and either painted or rolled in glitter.
Zoo marketing director Susie Ohley has named the products "magical reindeer gem ornaments," and each comes with a label of authenticity. They cost $5 at the zoo gift shop.
Some folks are surprised at the size of the "gems," which are only about as big as marbles. "Reindeer are so big," zoo maintenance worker Sheldon Williams said. But the droppings are "just a big pile of small."

Don't let the farm kids see this...who knows what you'll have hanging off your Christmas tree...

Thanksgiving 2008

Cindy & John, Lori & Mark...Thanksgiving Day 2008!

Lori Mark Thanksgiving

Thought Kathy might be able to use some of the pics on the Kell Blog? Hugs to all, Lois

Lori Lois Stan Cin Thanksgiving

Wanted to share a pic taken on Thanksgiving Day...more to follow, hopefully!

Hall out the holly

And so starts the Christmas Season...

I've already heard of one stampeding death at a Long Island Walmart.

Personally, I won't be doing any shopping today. I'll leave that to you normal people. From here on out, my Christmas shopping will be on-line, except for my pilgrimage to M/town to the candy store for boxed chocolates. Talking about food, my BMI shot up 10 points yesterday after turkey at Steve's moms house at lunch (you think our family is loony) and then begging chili off of mom last night.

Tonight is GCs Festival of Lights. I will have a Gingerbread House display in a Main Street business for the kiddies. As my mortaring skills have yet to be perfected, I thought I better take a picture before hand. This is in my living room:

Who Won the Furcula Challenge?

The Furcula, otherwise known as the wishbone, is formed by the fusion of two collarbones at the sternum. The wishbone challenge I speak of is an annual Thanksgiving Day event or superstition that says whoever breaks off the bigger side of the turkey wishbone (its a two person challenge) gets a wish come true.

As lessor known fact is that the T. rex had a wishbone. Another bit of evidence for the evolutionary theory that the modern bird descended from the dinosaur. Now we know what the cavemen did after their Thanksgiving Day feast.

After winning for 2 Thanksgivings in a row at the annual Prehistoric wishbone challenge, Chug ends his celebratory speech with, "so easy even a caveman can do it."

Future Heisman Running Back

Future Heisman Running Back

Dylan entertaining at the Tree Festival

 

Lizard People Run for Senate

This is one of those hotly challenged ballots up in Minnesota in the Senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken. You can see why the confusion...this voter seems to want both Al Franken and the 'Lizard People' for US Senator. I am surprised in a state with 10,000 lakes, you have to write in a 'Lizard Person.' Of course, maybe Al Franken IS a 'Lizard Person.' More questionable ballots (but not as exciting) at this website:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2008/11/19_challenged_ballots/

NBC Peacock Mistaken as Turkey

I was searching for a dessert to make for Thanksgiving when I came upon this on a 'cupcake' site. I thought it was really cute and decided to try to make it when I realized, "this ain't no turkey...it's a peacock!" Colorful even though it looks like someone snitched a cupcake before the deep blue wingthing (that word didn't pass spellcheck) on the left got frosted.

Kell Well Pic

The pic of us with the flowers and pumpkins was taken at Lori and Mark's! Doesn't look like Florida, for sure!
We have been experiencing temps. in the 30s & 40s for the past week or so in the a.m. hours. SO...we feel like we are up north! Yikes...we are very spoiled with our 70s & 80s most of the year!
Lori arrived Fri., and Mark will be here Mon. afternoon. We will take more pics then so should be sharing some photos for your blog. By the way, you do a GREAT job with it!
Stay warm! Love, Lois


Note: trouble uploading this pic. I'll post when I receive or Lois may try again and in that case, I'll delete this post. Kathy

Another use for your hardhat

Ah, the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade...an American tradition...

but bring your 'space junk' hardhat with you here, for balloons and other parade things are always falling, dropping, getting wrapped around, swinging through windows and you name it. Here are just a few recent examples:

In 1986, there were two incidents: a 61-year-old bagpiper had a fatal heart attack while marching in the parade, and a spectator fell out the fourth story window he was watching from and landed on someone below.

In 2006, two sisters were attacked by M&Ms. The ropes of the 515-pound balloon promoting the tasty chocolate morsels got caught up on – yes – a lamppost. Neither of the girls were hurt too badly – just some minor scrapes and bruises. In exchange for their ordeal, they received V.I.P. seats in the grandstand and a lifetime supply of M&Ms (that’s 384 packets every year, in case you’re curious).

I guess the good thing is if you get flattened by the Miss Piggy balloon you may get free pork chops for life. The bad thing...it's hard to eat without a digestive system. For more parade incidents: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/20362#more-20362

Kells meet at Beaman Tap

Jay Kell, Joyce Kell Hughes, Bonnie Kell Mock, Betty Kell Hansen, Sam Kell

Get Yourself a Hardhat

Astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper 'liberated' a tool bag after a grease gun inside it exploded outside the international space station. The briefcase-size bag, containing two grease guns, a putty knife and cloth mitts, was one of the largest items ever to be lost by a spacewalker.

This is just one of the thousands of items floating in space tonight.

We refer to these floaters as 'Space Junk' and can be anything from nuts and bolts to a lost spacewalkers glove to satellites gone bad.

They may orbit Earth for weeks or centuries but someday they will fall.

Because the Earth is three quarters covered by water, the chances the junk will fall on your head are minimal...kind of like the chances that a black guy can become President. I think it would only be fitting if a piece of junk fell on one if not all three of the corporate jets that landed in D.C. carrying the Big 3 auto company CEOs (with the CEOs on them) to the congressional bailout hearings. That's a whole other story....

Anyway, secure your hardhat cause this is a picture of all the junk floating around in space:

Obama is a Reincarnate?

From http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=147964

SAN FRANCISCO-based Dr Walter Semkiw, a practising physician, claims that Barack Obama is the reincarnation of Lyman Trumbull, an Illinois Democratic senator and the principal author of the Thirteenth Amendment, which put an end to slavery in US. About his research on Trumbull, Semkiw says that he found many similarities between him and Obama. After finishing law school, Trumbull moved to Illinois in the 1830s, where he set up a practice. He represented African-American slaves many times against slave-owners. In addition, says Semkiw, Trumbull was a great orator - one who could move people with his words, a quality that Obama also possesses. "If we accept the case of Trumbull having reincarnated as Obama, it also sends out an important message that individuals can change race from one incarnation to another," says Semkiw. "Imagine how much more peaceful the world would be if we all realised that identification with one’s particular race, nationality, sect or religion is just a temporary one and that it can change from lifetime to lifetime.” Below is a picture of Trumbull.

I thought maybe they'd at least have the same ears...It is said that you live with the same group of spirits lifetime after lifetime you just switch roles. For instance, your father in this life might have been a friend or your child in a previous life. With this in mind, which FOX channel commentator do you think John Wilkes Booth is now?

UFOs, the President, and a new Advisor

Not all presidents are briefed equally on the UFO issue. Carter, Bush Sr. and Reagan are listed as being the most informed. Clinton was rumored to have said "I know it's real…they won't tell me a damn thing." I don't know about W but the head of Obama's transition team, John Podesta, went public in 2002, calling for the government to end UFO secrecy. More about these statements at: http://www.coasttocoastam.com/shows/2008/11/16.html#recap

As for Obama's personal interest, I think he has his hands full here on Earth as illustrated during a debate when Tim Russert asked Sen. Obama about his belief in the existence of life beyond Earth:
"I don't presume to know. What I know is there is life here on Earth, and — and that we're not attending to life here on Earth."

If the time comes, however, that Obama needs a UFO advisor and taking into account his "team of rivals" approach, I have a suggestion he start vetting Dennis Kucinich who

according to (Shirley) MacLaine, saw a UFO in the 1980s while visiting the actress at her home in Washington state.

I didn't know Dennis hung out with Shirley but I do know he received the Gandhi Peace Award-2002 and what other qualifications do you need to meet E.T.s?

Unless living with one counts...

One day urine, the next day urout

The prior Endeavor Space Shuttle article I posted omitted to report the $250 million gizmo on board to be used during a featured experiment.

This gizmo converts waste liquid into drinking water:

"We did blind taste tests of the water. Nobody had any strong objections. Other than a faint taste of iodine, it is just as refreshing as any other kind of water," NASA's lead urinary engineer Bob Bagdigian told the Daily Telegraph
But the current aim is for 92% of all the water drunk on board to be produced by the crew's urinary tracts and the moisture in the air- some of which might be created, one supposes, by sweating crew members.

Don't get queasy-I think the same process is used for bottled and tap water.

Betty Crocker Rolls Over in Grave

What do all these things have in common?

All are cakes that can be eaten without any part of it left. No plastics or any other artificial stuff is being used - everything is eatable. All this cakes by Zhanna from St. Petersburg.

that's Russia

from www.mentalfloss.com

Turkey Onboard Endeavour

Riding a brilliant tower of flame into the night sky, the space shuttle Endeavour left Earth on Friday, carrying seven astronauts and a turkey on a 15-day mission to the international space station.

The 15-day flight's primary goal is to update the international space station so it can house six crew members at a time comfortably, instead of the current three. Watch the space shuttle Endeavour's liftoff »
Additions to the station's living space include more places to sleep, another bathroom, a better water system, new exercise equipment and a bigger refrigerator.
The shuttle is also bringing Thanksgiving dinner, with irradiated turkey, candied yams, stuffing and dessert, because it won't be returning to Earth until November 29.

Shouldn't we all be eating irradiated turkey?

Don't tell me we eat RADIATED turkey....

2 weeks to fatten your turkey

Americans raise over 256 million turkeys. The biggest producer of turkeys is Minnesota, followed by North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, Missouri and California.
Americans raise 649 million pounds of cranberries, 1.6 billion pounds of sweet potatoes, and 998 million pounds of pumpkin.

In addition to domestically grown and raised Thanksgiving food, the U.S. also imports $5.2 million worth of live turkeys from Canada, $2.2 million worth of cranberries (also from Canada), and $2.3 million dollars worth of sweet potatoes -- from the Dominican Republic.

More turkey tidbits at:

http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/didyouknow.htm

Where Will All the Yardsigns Go?

Mom informed me that it was a Federal Offense to leave a campaign yardsign up more than seven days after an election.
Can anyone verify this before I turn in the neighbors...I don't want to look like a fool.
I didn't want to take any chances--I don't need the Feds knocking on my front door--I took mine down.
I have a grandmother who will probably be braiding used yardsigns into dark blue shiny rugs, knitting shiny handbags and shiny vests fearing another depression. Me, on the other hand, might need to use them around the windows to tame down the drafts(not in the house...in my pickup).
Although my neighbors' HUGE Hillary sign worked as a good snow fence last winter, I heard the small plastic signs take 500 years to decompose (if Gore would have ran, his signs would have had multiple uses following the election).

Lois and Stan Rubbing It In

I think the message that accompanied this photo from Lois and Stan was
something like, "Stay up North and be fools (cold fools). We are
completely content, if not a little sweaty, here in sunny Florida." My
reply, "When global ice melt consumes your golf course, North will look a
little better. Until that time...you win."

Is this outside Lori's house?

Remember Our Veterans

This years official Veteran's Day Poster:And factoid for today:

The VA maintains more than 2.8 million gravesites at 125 national cemeteries in 39 states and Puerto Rico, as well as in 33 soldiers’ lots and monument sites. Occupied gravesites may hold the remains of more than one family member.

Steve's uncle, Samuel, was killed in Italy in WWII. His youngest son is named in his memory.

Financial Advice

Psychic Boom

While the financial crisis has seen downturns throughout the economy, one sector has been flourishing: online psychics. Internet prognosticators say that their business is booming as worried Americans turn to them for fiscal forecasts. More on the story at Wired.

As a matter of fact, I think I'll get out the Tarot cards right now...

Chocolate Superheroes

This weekend is the annual New York Chocolate Show, complete with a 'chocolate fashion show' featuring Superheroes. This is Cat Women with chocolate bodice, boots, gloves, eye mask and wings. Don't recall seeing anything like this at Hersey Park...

Get out the winter coats

Less then a WEEK ago, I posted a picture of my beautiful autumn trees.
Here's that same tree TODAY.
Yes, that's SNOW!
where's that full service gas station?

Full Service Gas Stations

On the subject of gas...

Why can't you pump your own in Oregon and New Jersey?

In plain English: New Jersey and Oregon don’t trust people to not blow themselves up while pumping gas, and would rather leave the job to professionals (gas station
attendants), who undergo rigorous training where they learn that it’s bad to smoke while pumping gas, bad to leave the car running, and bad to put gas anywhere except a car’s fuel tank or other approved containers.

These laws were passed in 1949 and 51 and although a little outdated...would be nice on a cold wintry day (or rainy) to sit back and let someone else endure the weather.

http://www.mentalfloss.com/

don't forget to tip!

Not Just Another Graph

No, this is not a Poll Graph for McCain's campaign since Super Tuesday.

It is average Iowa Gas Prices since Super Tuesday.

Today I saw my first sign for:

$1.99 unleaded

The bad thing is that it is not so much a sign of cheaper gas in the future as it is a sign of a poor global economy.

Fill er Up!

from www.gasbuddy.com

Election Eve

No matter what your political affiliation, this is a cute picture. Featuring Ralph Nader as Mayor of Munchkin City

KELL WELL PHOTO

Cindy relaxes on her day off and is “all smiles” as both the Florida Gators and Tampa Bay Bucs won their football games this weekend!

Oh yeah!

 

Autumn Leaves

The first picture is from Parkersburg just last week. It is one of the only stripped trees left (they were all cut down) and it has sprouted some life back as has some of the town itself (you can also see some new houses in the background). Upon first viewing the trees in Parkersburg 5 months ago, you were filled with a sense of loss that can not be explained. It didn't appear that these trees had endured wind-it was more of damage done by explosion-the bark, leaves just stripped. The other two pictures are a couple of my maples planted in 95ish. The cell phone just can't capture the incredible beauty (of course I might be a little biased).