A Dog, a Toddler, and a Long, Cold Night

"Family dog kept watch over missing 2-year-old overnight"
WIS News 10 (April 1, 2011, updated April 2, 2011)

"A missing 2-year-old boy in Elgin was found Saturday morning after Kershaw County deputies say the family dog kept him warm and safe all night.

"Sheriff Jim Matthews said 22-month-old Tyler Jacobson was reunited with his family after he was found across the street behind a neighbor's home when someone reported hearing crying in the area.

"Tyler was reported missing around 8:00pm Friday from a residence on Ashley Creek Drive. Matthews said the boy's mother, 25-year-old Jacklyn Marie Jacobson, and her boyfriend Jose Gloria told investigators Tyler went to get some juice and didn't come back.

"Kershaw County deputies used a bloodhound tracking team and a SLED helicopter with infrared capabilities, but called the search off around 12:30am Saturday. The search resumed around 7:45am, and the boy was found shortly thereafter. 'Just thinking that a dog would watch a baby over the night, it's kind of like a movie instead of real life,' said Emily DuBose, who lives in the house outside which the baby was found...."

Overnight temperatures were in the 40s, Fahrenheit: so besides a measure of security, the unnamed dog (unnamed in the article, that is) provided young Tyler with warmth.

As for the situation being "kind of like a movie instead of real life," the Lemming agrees that it's a bit like a premise for the old Lassie show.

On the other hand, dogs are proverbially loyal critters - some more than others, of course.

The Lemming's just glad Tyler had a guardian that night.

Sort-of-related posts:

• "Japan: Sort-of-Good News, the Emperor, and a Dog Story"
  (April 2, 2011)
• "Chaser and 1,022 Toys: The Dog Knows What Each One's Called"
  (December 25, 2010)
• "A Good Dog: Not Bright, But a Good Dog"
  (December 3, 2010)
• "One Cat, One Puppy, 30 Seconds of Cute"
  (June 22, 2010)
• "A Puppy, a Transmission, and a Happy Ending"
  (June 4, 2010)

"It was Only a Small Fire" - The Lemming Gets Personal

" 'It was Only a Small Fire' "
Through One Dad's Eye (April 2, 2011)

"First, the good news: Nobody got hurt.

"My son-in-law had gone into the garage to get some chicken feed out of their Buick. Since the car hadn't been driven in a while, and he & #2 daughter were planning to use it later in the evening, he tried starting the engine.

"He heard a 'POP,' and saw smoke coming out from under the hood. It's a wood frame garage, attached to their house - with a propane tank on the other side of one of the walls...."



The Lemming's son-in-law and #2 daughter kept their heads - and had a logging chain handy. They're okay, so is the house: so the Lemming is a happy camper.

Blizzard, Cold, and Walking in to Fetch the Tractor

"Blizzard, Ice Storm, Nasty Cold All Aiming for Midwest"
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com (January 31, 2011)

"Both a major blizzard and an ice storm will hit a large portion of the Midwest just ahead of Groundhog Day. Arctic air will charge in during the storm in some areas and after the storm in others, leading to additional concerns.

"For some locations, the storm may be a two-day event or much longer than a typical winter storm.

"An area of snow streaking eastward from the northern Plains and spotty ice breaking out over the middle Mississippi Valley Monday is just the start of the storm that will grow much worse with time...."

The Lemming lives in central Minnesota, north of most of the excitement this time. Even so, quite a few area schools were opening two hours late - and changed that to 'closed for the day' a little later. Sauk Centre, Minnesota, schools didn't - and that's another topic.

On a personal note, the Lemming's daughter, a brother-in-law and son-in-law made it all the way to my daughter & son-in-law's place this afternoon. Then they got stuck in the driveway. No crisis. The last I heard, the young men were walking in to get the tractor/plow. The Lemming's daughter called to talk with my wife - Information Age communications is wonderful.

And that's another topic.

Ivona Talks, When You Can't

say.expressivo.com

One of the Lemming's family lost her voice: probably due to the intersection of a cold and a major family get-together over the weekend.

She's been communicating with us by typing into a text document - with the font size cranked 'way up. Or, when we're not facing the screen, she'll key what she has to say into say.expressivo.com, and let Ivona to the talking for her.

There's a selection of voices, for U.S.-dialect English, Romanian, and Polish.

It's not as good as having your own voice - but under the circumstances, it'll do.

Lemming Tracks: New Computer!

My son-in-law got my wife a climbing wall for Christmas - and a new computer for me.

Whee! My wife's in the basement right now - from the sounds of it, probably skittering across the wall. There's a lot of laughter coming up the stairs.

Climbing wall? Basement?? With seven-foot ceilings, it's more of a horizontal than a vertical climb.

The new computer is - a whole lot better than what I was working with. Which was a custom-made job, and quite powerful. Five years ago. When it comes to information technology, a whole lot happens in five years.

The big deal, at the moment, is that the old computer is awaiting a new assignment: and the new one is now on speaking terms with my webcam.

The video feed of which is displayed at Small Town America: Minnesota, "Sauk Centre, Minnesota: near the corner of Ash Street and South 9th."

If you follow that link and don't find live video: remember, I'm in the Central time zone, near the middle of the North American continent. And it's winter.

Under normal conditions, I have the webcam offline for a few hours each evening.

Right now, with a new computer, it's not 'normal conditions,' so I may have run into another, ah, situation.

Storm Baby in Michigan: Born in a Car

"Baby born in car during storm"
Alex Piazza, Brian McGillivary, Traverse City Record-Eagle (December 14, 2010)

"Bradley Porter will have quite a story to tell his friends about the first major snowstorm of the winter.

"First, though, he'll have to learn how to talk.

"Jessica Porter went into labor with newborn son Bradley early Sunday morning, just as the weekend blizzard was picking up steam. Her husband, Greg, packed up their belongings, and the couple started the treacherous trek from their home in East Jordan to Munson Medical Center in Traverse City....

"...The Porters pulled to the side of the road in Elk Rapids because of slick road conditions and called authorities. Village police arrived, and Officer Michael Courson helped deliver Bradley in the Porter's vehicle. The baby and mother finished their long, snowy trip to Munson in the back of a North Flight ambulance....

"...'This is the best birthday present,' he[Greg Porter] said of his 8-pound baby boy with a full head of hair. 'It's a good story for the whole family.'

"The Porters' trip took them into the teeth of the fierce winter storm, which hit Grand Traverse and Wexford counties the hardest, the National Weather Service reported...."

The Lemming checked: East Jordan, Michigan, is roughly 40 miles northeast of Traverse City.


View Larger Map

Driving would be longer, since Grand Traverse Bay is in the way.

The Lemming is glad to hear that everybody involved is okay.

Related post:

• "Midwest Blizzard: Dome's Down; Next Stop, East Coast"
  (December 12, 2010)

Lemming Tracks: Thanksgiving Weekend

The Lemming's taken the day off. And intends to continue doing so.

It's Friday of America's Thanksgiving weekend, and the Lemming has been distracted by family: "and loving it!" As Maxwell Smart used to say.

Lemming Tracks: Where the Lemming Was

The Lemming plans to be back with something tomorrow.

No, really!

There's an explanation for the post dearth: "About 100 Miles of Errands," Through One Dad's Eye (November 23, 2010).

The Fake Chinese Vase was No Fake

"Treasure in the attic fetches family $86 million"
Christine Kellett, The Sydney Morning Herald (November 15, 2010) (It's tomorrow there by now)

"It's being called the 'antiques story of the 21st century'.

"A British mother and son who found a rare Chinese vase while clearing out the attic of a dead relative hit the jackpot when it sold for $86 million.

"The small, family-owned auction house that underestimated its value by 40 times is now laying claim to selling the most expensive piece of Chinese porcelain ever, trumping the likes of Christie's and Sotheby's.

"Art historians across the country are scrambling to solve the riddle of how a Qing dynasty masterpiece ended up gathering dust in the roof space of a modest north-west London bungalow.

"And, in a new twist, claims have now emerged that the owner of the vase was told it was a fake after taking it for evaluation by experts on an Antiques Roadshow-style television program...."


(The Sydney Morning Herald, used w/o permission)

Which is a pretty good example of why it's a good idea to get a second opinion.

The vase is about 16 inches tall, and was bought at the auction by an "anonymous Chinese businessman," the article says.

For $86,000,000.

There's more detail in the article - including a brief look at what's been happening in China lately, that apparently let an individual have $86,000,000 to spend on a piece of pottery. Or porcelain. Or china. Or something like that.

The Horror! Monster Comics that Scared Congress

"Horror! Book Digs Up Lurid 'Pre-Code' Monster Comics"
Underwire, Wired (October 31, 2010)

"During the golden age of comic-book gore, ghoulish stories about zombies, werewolves, skeletons and gorgons arrived in drugstore magazine racks on a monthly basis. Honoring America's midcentury infatuation with all things macabre, new book The Horror! The Horror! surveys 'pre-Code' comic titles from the early 1950s that specialized in outlandishly violent supernatural fantasies.

"Written by Jim Trombetta (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), the 305-page soft-cover chronicles the period's rich stew of graphic insanity. Often produced by uncredited illustrators, the comic books eventually attracted congressional attention.

"In 1954, Senate hearings concluded that pulp fiction posed a threat to the mental health of youthful readers...."

And so, for whatever reason, the American Congress leaned on the comics industry, which came up with the Comics Code Authority. From what I've read, the Code was an alternative to federal censorship. Under the circumstances, it was probably the best response by the comics publishers. That was the middle of the 1950s, after all.

Over a half-century later, the feds aren't likely to come up with quite the same reasons for grabbing control of what 'the masses' read. We've got a new set of phrases to rev up emotions, like "hate speech." The idea that Congress is throwing its weight around to 'save the children' hasn't changed all that much, though.

Looking at the nine covers featured in this Wired article, I'd say that "lurid," like the headline says, is a pretty accurate description.

For what it's worth, the Lemming isn't a huge fan of that sort of comic. On the other hand, I don't think very highly of our 'betters' in Congress deciding what we are and aren't allowed to see.

As for 'protecting the children?' Okay: so maybe those comics weren't particularly wholesome for small children and adults with personality disorders. Adults with screws loose - well, that's another topic. ("Original Sin, Free Will, ADD, and There Goes the Air Conditioner," A Catholic Citizen in America (October 15, 2010))

This may sound counter-cultural: but the Lemming figures that parents might be more interested - and motivated - in keeping tabs on their kids. And, in my opinion, in a better position to decide what's acceptable and what's not.

Related posts:

• "Soldier Zero, Starborn and The Traveler at Comic-Con"
  (July 23, 2010)
• "Emotions, the Frontal Cortex, The War on Terror, Anarchists, and the Illuminati"
  Another War-on-Terror Blog (December 23, 2008)
  • The connection is that emotions and reason don't play well together
• "Odd Allies: Opposition to Waterboarding and Web Censorship"
  Another War-on-Terror Blog (March 9, 2008)
  Particularly
  • My discussion of the Christian Coalition and the Feminist Majority: united against freedom of speech
• "Be Careful About What You Ask For: a 'FoxTrot' St. Patrick's Day Comic"
  (March 16, 2008)
• "News, Comics, Games: and Family-Friendly"
  (December 26, 2007)

The Lemming, on censorship: You could click on "censorship" in the

• Label cloud
  • Or, not

"Mommy Brain" Research by a Mother

"Mommy Brain: It's Not What You Think"
Emily Sohn, Human News, Discovery News (October 22, 2010)

"New moms may feel their brain cells dying with every cumulative hour of sleep loss. But a new study offers hope.

"In the first months after giving birth, the study found, parts of a mother's brain may actually grow. Even better news, doting mamas who gushed the most about how special and perfect their babies were showed the most growth.

"The parts of the brain that grew are involved in motivation, reward behavior and emotion regulation. That suggests that, by reshaping itself, the post-partum brain motivates a mother to take care of her baby, and then feel happy and rewarded when she does.

"The findings may eventually help women who feel disconnected from their babies or even hostile toward them in the early months, said lead author Pilyoung Kim, a developmental psychologist, now at the National Institutes of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md...."

Some of the regions that grow are the hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex and amygdala. The prefrontal cortex is where we do a lot of what we think of as 'thinking:' "mediating conflicting thoughts, making choices between right and wrong or good and bad, predicting future events, and governing social control." ("What Is the Prefrontal Cortex," wiseGEEK)

Back to the article:

"...During pregnancy and the post-partum period, women often feel their brains turning to mush. New moms report that they have trouble remembering things that they used to remember easily. It's such a common phenomenon that women often call it 'Mommy Brain.' Some research has even shown that women's brains shrink slightly during pregnancy...."

"...As for the complete loss of memories for names, trivia and other ordinary things that come with giving birth, the brains of new moms may simply have new priorities.

" 'We are clearly showing that mothers have better memories about things related to their infants,' said Kim, who has a four-month old of her own. 'There are a lot of things going on, and mothers might feel forgetful about things that are not related to their infants. It's just dependent on what is really important for us to remember at the time.' "

Offhand, the Lemming thinks that storing "trivia" in a person's head is a convenient ability - and one which can be duplicated with a pocket organizer. We don't have carry-along gadgets that can:

• Mediate conflicting thoughts
• Make choices between right and wrong, good and bad
• Pedict future events
• Govern a person's social behavior

From the Lemming's point of view, "mommy brain" is a step up. But then, I've always been a bit in awe of how my wife manages the household.

And that's another topic.

'I was Dead, But I'm Better Now'

There's a bit of dialog from a drama that goes something like this:

"I thought you were dead."

"I was, but I'm better now."

That's fiction. This is fact - or news, at any rate.

In France, a woman died - officially. Doctors said so.

Her sons, mere laymen, wouldn't let the doctors unplug the woman's life support system.

An example of ignorance and sentiment overruling the superior minds of Science and Medicine?

Maybe.

It's a good thing for the woman that her sons kept her plugged in, though. She woke up later.

Here's the story:

---

"'Clinically Dead' Woman Alive and Well"
Human News, Discovery News (October 20, 2010)

"A woman pronounced 'very certainly clinically dead' at a French hospital woke up hours later after her sons refused to turn off her life-support system, medics and the woman said.

"Doctors were preparing cancer patient Lydie Paillard, 60, for a chemotherapy session when she passed out, the director of the Bordeaux Rive Droite private hospital Yves Noel told AFP on Wednesday.

"A doctor managed to resuscitate her and put her on a ventilator but then, having consulted other doctors, called Paillard's sons to break the news that their mother was 'very certainly clinically dead.'

"But her sons would not turn off the respirator and she was then transferred to the university hospital of the southwestern French city where a scan revealed that she was in fact not brain dead, Noel said...."

Not to be morbid, or macabre: but this is one reason why I haven't checked off that 'organ donor' option on my driver's license. My wife knows that I'm quite willing to have parts harvested: but I don't want to wake up on a dissecting table after some hotshot medico decided I was dead.

The Lemming can understand how the medical types made that little mistake. The woman's 60 - and old folks die all the time, right? Besides, an unconscious person doesn't look all that different from a dead person: particularly if breathing is on the shallow side.

The Discovery News article doesn't give enough detail to suggest just why doctors were so eager to write Paillard off.

More, about medical ethics (it shouldn't be an oxymoron), organ transplant, research, and my take on the subjects, is in another blog. I'll admit to a bias: I think life is precious, even if a person isn't young, good-looking, and in perfect health.

• "Stem Cell Research: Backed by the Vatican, No Kidding"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (April 28, 2010)
• "Organ Transplants, a Boy's Life, and Japanese Laws and Customs: This Catholic's View"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (June 14, 2009)
• "Medical Ethics and Human Experimentation: Why I Take it Personally"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (February 3, 2009)

Promising the Kids They Could Chose Their Decor: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

"Kid-smart design Part 1: A room for all ages"
Washington Examiner (October 11, 2010)

"Like clothes, kids can grow out of their rooms quickly. She may like Sponge Bob today, but want a Barbie bedroom tomorrow.

"So when it comes to decorating a child's bedroom, the best advice is: Keep it classic.

" 'If you're going to spend the money to decorate, choose classic, not cartoon-y type fabrics,' said Page Palmer of Page Palmer Interior Design. 'Choose classic fabrics if you want the room to stay. Keep the fabrics more solid and the lines clean.'

"But that doesn't mean your child can't have style. A solid yellow wall and a pale pink bedspread could be accented by a Sponge Bob throw pillow or a Barbie beanbag chair...."

The Lemming's household hasn't had to worry about interior decoration on this scale: but this sort of thing is a real issue for some folks.

The article's mostly common sense observations, which the Lemming would suggest taking with a pinch of salt.

For example:

"...[Palmer Interior Design's Page] Palmer seconded the sentiment. 'Your child may want to have lavender or purple or even brown or black walls. I would let them express themselves. It's important to let them have input and work with what they choose.'..."

P. Palmer has a point. Particularly if a parent started out by giving the kid carte blanche about how the room would look.

On consideration, though, what the designer described was - interesting: a room with black walls, trimmed in gold, with silver fabrics and "lots of white." "Cosy" might not be the first word that comes to mind: but it sure would be distinctive.

Woman 'Cut in Half:' Journalistic Hyperbole, Remarkable Account

"Miracle mom: Mayo surgeons cut her in half, cleared out her cancer"
Carol Sanders, Winnipeg Free Press (September 22, 2010) (Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 18, 2010)

"Manitoban Janis Ollson and family are in magazine ads for the esteemed Mayo Clinic for a very good reason: she's the first person surgeons cut in half, removed much of a cancerous midsection, then put back together with a happy ending.

"On Friday, the Balmoral, Man., woman was at her daughter's school to talk to students about Sunday's Terry Fox Run, and how funds raised for cancer research are keeping people like her alive.

"Three years ago, the 31-year-old was pregnant with her second child and had been suffering years of horrible back pain when Canadian doctors diagnosed her with bone cancer, chondrosarcoma...."

Leiland, Janis Ollson's son, is okay: he was delivered by C-section.

Janis Ollson is okay too, for the time being: although Doctors at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota, removed her lower spine, the left half of her pelvis, and her left leg.

"...Ollson became the first person to receive a 'pogo stick' rebuild, with her one good leg fused to her body with the reshaped bone from the amputated leg...."

The Winnipeg Free Press article doesn't say so, but my guess is that tap dancing is out for Jannis Ollson. Apart from that, though, she's doing pretty well:

"...Three years later, she is alive and kickin' -- snowmobiling and grocery shopping -- with her husband and two kids on their half acre in Balmoral.

" 'Where we live, we use ATVs and snowmobiles. I use my ATV to take my daughter to school... There really isn't a whole lot that stops me,' she said...."

As for being "cut in half?" Well, sort of. In a way. Separating a leg, removing quite a bit of the lower torso, and reattaching the leg using parts from the other leg - maybe "cut in half" isn't entirely journalistic hyperbole.

Glensheen Mansion, the Congdon Estate: Duluth, Minnesota

"Glensheen: the Historic Congdon Estate"
University of Minnesota Duluth

"A hallmark of extraordinary design. A businessman’s enduring legacy. A showcase of diverse interior styles. But at its very heart, a family home. Welcome to Glensheen, the historic Congdon estate. Along the shore of Lake Superior, a 7.6-acre expanse of wooded land enfolds the 39-room Jacobean Revival mansion that is Minnesota’s premier historic house museum. The interiors of the mansion have endured, boasting nearly all of the same furnishings and décor that graced the rooms when estate was completed in 1908...."

The University of Minnesota Duluth's website gives a decent introduction to the Glensheen mansion, along with information you'll need if you plan to visit the place. Which the Lemming recommends, by the way: I've been there, on one of their guided tours, and was impressed by the house and its history.

The U. of M. Duluth also points out that their Glensheen mansion and site hosts private parties, corporate events and weddings.


(from steffofsd, Flickr, used w/o permission)
Glensheen Estate, Duluth MN, August 15, 2006. Photo by steffofsd/Stephanie, on Flickr)

---

"History of Glensheen Mansion, Chester Congdon, and the Murder of Elisabeth Congdon"
Curtis Carper, Associated Content (September 20, 2007)

"At the start of his professional career Mr. Chester Adgate Congdon was a school teacher in Chippewa Falls Wisconsin. In 1892 Chester and his family moved to Duluth Minnesota, entering a law practice in partnership with William Billson...."

The style is a trifle on the dry side: but this piece is a fairly short read - split into two pages - and does a good job of telling the basics of the Congdon/Glensheen story. And yes: there was a murder at the mansion, of the youngest of Congdon's daughters.

Neither of these resources mentions one of the features of Glensheen that impressed me. Duluth winters are not particularly mild, and the Congdons had children. C. A. Congdon had a sort of enclosed gallery built on a lower level of the house, running the length of the south side. Its purpose was to provide a space where the kids could play - and run - during winter months without freezing.

For Sale: Siegel Mansion; Some Assembly Required

"$75M mansion near Orlando selling 'as is' "
The Associated Press (June 22, 2010)

"Listed as a 'monument to unparalleled success,' the largest home for sale in the United States comes with plenty of space but no carpet, tiles or interior walls. It's up to the future buyer to finish it.

"The mansion started by timeshare tycoon David Siegel boasts plenty of big numbers: 90,000 square feet. Twenty-three bathrooms. Thirteen bedrooms. Ten kitchens. A 20-car garage, with additional space for two limos. Three pools. A bowling alley. Indoor roller rink. Two-story movie theater. Video arcade. Fitness center. Baseball field and two tennis courts...."

And few if any interior walls.

The place isn't finished.

There's a pretty good reason for that - although you'll have to read through quite a bit of the AP article to get to it.

"...'He figured it would be for his family. They'd never have to leave, because they would have everything they needed here,' [Coldwell Banker real estate agent Lorraine] Barrett said during a recent tour of the mansion. 'Nothing broke his heart more.'

"She said Siegel, who has 12 children, could have easily moved forward with construction but wanted to avoid cutbacks at his company, Westgate Resorts...."

I wouldn't mind working for someone who'd rather let his family's dream home go unfinished, rather than do "cutbacks." Which generally means somebody getting a pink slip.

If you've got $100,000,000, you can buy the Siegel mansion complete, instead of in kit form.

The AP article has several photos - and quite a bit more detail about this lavish pile.

Stone Mansion's on the Market: There's a Story Behind That

"Extravagant $68 Million NJ Mansion Hits The Market"
WCBSTV (June 4, 2010)

"On Friday, one of the most expensive homes in America officially went on the market – for $68 million.

"It's taken more than two years to build, and it's just eight miles outside of Manhattan, in Alpine, New Jersey.

"It's called the Stone Mansion – 30,000 square feet of home sitting on two acres of land. Richard Kurtz is the owner, and he started building the home for just himself and his wife – but the plans kept getting bigger and bigger.

" 'I have six grandchildren – well, you want a room for each grandchild, that kind of thing,' Kurtz said. 'I have one grandchild who is a superstar with basketball, so of course we have to put a basketball court in.'..."

The basketball court's inside the house.

I appreciated the way this article tells about Mr. Kurtz, why he built that magnificent pile, and - sort of - why he's put it on the market.

"...The mansion is five stories tall, with 12 bedrooms and 19 bathrooms with showers and views you won't believe. The home also has four kitchens, an 11-car garage with mahogany doors, nine fireplaces, and more than 20 flat screen televisions.

Then there's the wine cellar, which fits more than 3,000 bottles and uses thumbprint security to get in. However, it's the massive women's closet that will blow people away. Behind every mirror is hanging space, and the closet has plenty of shelves for shoes, and tons of drawers.

"Kurtz is now a real estate investor, but he started out in the pizza business in Flatbush, and that's where he started dreaming.

"'I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and as a kid my parents always spoke about beautiful hoems,' Kurtz said."I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and as a kid my parents always spoke about beautiful hoems,' Kurtz said.

"When the Alpine home kept growing, his real estate agent convinced him to sell when potential buyers started calling before it was even on the market.When the Alpine home kept growing, his real estate agent convinced him to sell when potential buyers started calling before it was even on the market...."

The article has a slide show of pictures of the Stone Mansion - which is an impressive place. Its best feature, from my point of view, is that I don't have to be concerned abut maintaining the place.

The Perils of Letting Your Kids Read Your Books

"Chapter 10, Page 17 Language hazard"
Mary Quite Contrary (May 7, 2010)


(from Mary Quite Contrary, used with permission)

"Well, Dad certainly does have good lungs.

"Yiddish is a very, ah, colorful language."

A bit of transparency may be in order. The Lemming is this cartoonist's father. My oldest daughter has been creating the Mary Quite Contrary series as a way of giving folks a (slightly fictionalized) look at this family's life. I think she's doing a great job - but I'm a little biased.

Enjoy.

Why aren't Farmers Planting Farina?

"What is Farina?"
WiseGeek

"Farina is a milled cereal grain, usually made from wheat germ and the inner parts of wheat kernels called the endosperm. Sometimes rice or potatoes can be milled and called farina too, but typically it’s considered wheat cereal. It has a very bland taste, which makes it adaptable to numerous toppings when it is prepared as a hot cereal, the typical preparation. Since it is so finely ground, it cooks quickly, and remains one of the more popular hot cereal choices.

"Many may be familiar with farina when sold as Cream of Wheat® or Malt-o-Meal®, which comes in quick cook and even instant varieties...."

So the answer to this post's title is that Farina is the product of a particular milling process, not a plant.

Farina is also the name of a township in North Dakota, and a family name: the 6704^th most common family name in America, as of May, 1995. (U. S. Census Bureau)

Snow Angels: Now That's a Snow Fort!

"Snow Angels"

anoasisproduction, YouTube (March 16, 2010)
video, 8:37

"North Dakotan Kids build a giant snow fort from a 8ft. snow drift."

I think I'd have enjoyed watching this video, even if my son-in-law hadn't been holding the camera.

It's a sort of home movie, but with better editing and focused on the idea that kids can have fun in their own back yard - or any (safe) outdoor area they can get to.

Sure, not many folks have back yards a half-mile deep with eight-foot snow drifts. Including this set. That's a field in the Red River Valley of the North. The drift built up on the leeward side of a shelter belt.

(Doesn't look much like a valley, right? Land around the Red River of the North is about as flat as any you'll find on Earth: why it's called a "valley" I don't know.)

If "Oasis Productions" sounds familiar, you've probably been following this blog and have a pretty good memory. I wrote about a to-be-released-this-summer video by that company a few weeks ago. ("Art of Serenity" is still in production and on schedule.)

About Oasis Productions: It's a company with two divisions: for-profit, making video presentations for businesses and civic organizations; non-profit, "To provide network-quality programming with a Catholic worldview to entertain and educate committed Catholics....". (More on their About Oasis Productions page) I think they're pretty good: but my son-in-law is involved with the company, so I'm biased.

Related post:

• ""Art of Serenity...." - a Trailer"
  (February 24, 2010)
• "Leftover Chocolate, Microwave Ovens, and the Speed of Light"
  (February 16, 2010)
• "Plumpiemousie - an Endearing Home Page"
  (September 8, 2009)
• "What Kids in the Car Shouldn't Have"
  (August 24, 2009)
• "Surviving an Amusement Park With Kids"
  (July 29, 2009)