Kirk blAug

I had told Jupiter that we needed to wait until it snows enough before we can make a snowman. He had been itching to build one since seeing Frosty The Snowman earlier this fall. Up until last night, we had not gotten a significant enough amount of snow to make a "Frosty", as he likes to call it, here in St. Louis. Well, either that or we got the wrong kind of snow or did not have time to make one for some other reason. This is strange to us after moving from Nebraska where there is ample opportunity to build snowmen throughout the season. Today the high is forecasted at 41° F, which meant we probably had just enough time to make a Frosty before the snow mostly melts down later today. It also meant that the snow would be good and soggy which is always best for packing snow in spheres. The next step was obvious. I put Tsunami in his swing near the big window looking out in front of the house. This allowed Jupiter and I set out to build the snowman while I could still keep an e

I am sure that most of my readers have at least heard something of Mardi Gras. Perhaps you might know of the celebration that takes place every year in the United States most popularly in New Orleans. But it is not exclusively celebrated in New Orleans. In fact, it was not even celebrated originally in New Orleans. In 1702, when French Catholic settlers founded the original capital of Louisiana which is now Mobile, Alabama , they began the first tradition of Mardi Gras in the United States a tradition that they brought over from Europe where it had been celebrated long before. Once the capital of Louisiana was moved to New Orleans in 1723, the major celebration was moved there and was then celebrated by most citizens of the city beyond the French Catholics. The celebration has been spread to many communities in the neighboring states of Alabama and Mississippi, as well as along the Mississippi river going as far as here in St. Louis. Soulard is historically a French neighborhood in St

One thing I like to do, for several reasons, is run. For the past couple months, because Chris started working overnights, I have found the treadmill to be more convenient. It works well because I can go running late at night after the children have gone to sleep and after she goes to work during her on week and, assuming I can actually get everyone napping at the same time, during everyone's naps during her off week. (She works seven ten hour days on then seven days off, taking naps on the off weeks in attempt to catch up on the lack of sleep during on weeks.) Even though I have chosen to take my running on the treadmill, there have been plenty of really good running opportunities outside during these relatively mild past couple of month. It was ideal for most runners. The type of weather that many runners could not pass up under any circumstances. For the past two months though, I did. Tuesday night I was itching for a run. I checked the weather to find that it was a brisk 34° F.