Happy New Year!

An Ault Christmas in Tennessee

This Christmas Jeremy and I went down to Tennessee to spend the holiday with his parents, grandma and triplet brothers. I expected to have a good time, however nothing could have prepared me for the giggle-fest which ensued! On Friday, after everyone had arrived, Jeremy's parents decide to give Jeremy and his brothers their main present. With the boys stilling out the couch, out came three identical bags and Jeremy's dad ran to get the video camera. What was so special about these gifts that they did not want to wait two days until Christmas day? All three of them reached into their gift bag at the same time and pulled out a large, black CD case. With confusion on their faces they unzipped their CD cases and instantly a huge grin spread across each triplet's face and a laugh escaped. Inside were DVDs of home videos, not just from their childhood, but also their parents. Needless to say, the entire four days in Tennessee were spent watching these videos, laughing together, and remembering the good times they have had together. Occasionally they would get a call from their younger brother, who was unable to make it but was also watching his own set of home videos. These are the moments that make the holiday season special, and I would like to wish all out family and friends and Merry Christmas, where ever you may be!

Rustic Cabin Weekend

Nothing says Wisconsin better than renting a rustic cabin for the weekend. This past weekend Jeremy, me and a few friends from Jeremy's graduate program pulled out our long-johns and sleeping bags and loaded up our cars with as much food, games and beverages as possible and headed an hour and a half north for a weekend of rustic cabin fun.

Rustic meaning no running water, no electricity and no heat except a wood burning stove which we kept burning all weekend. We cooked over a fire, sang songs, played games and hiked. The weather was beautiful and we even got a few snow flakes to make the weekend even more Wisconsin-esk.

There was only one thing that put a damper on the atmosphere - the boy scouts. Normally I have nothing against boy scouts: they learn survival skills, build fires and cook outside, and do good things in there communities (I was a girl scout myself when I was younger), however these scouts rented the cabin next to use and the scout leaders brought a gas powered generator with them. Yes, you read correctly, the boy scouts brought a generator on a weekend trip to a rustic cabin. So for 2.5 days we listened to a generator humming away, didn't see any smoke coming from their cabin's chimney and not one boy scout playing outside.

holiday marketbasket

45 Degrees and Sunny

It's mid December but you would never know simply by looking outside: No snow,maybe some morning frost and little critters still out and about. Yesterday Jeremy and I decided we would go for a walk since it was so nice outside. Nice meaning 45 degrees and sunny...there weren't many of those days in Western PA, or Policka...two weeks before Christmas that is. Anyway, we're walking down the sidewalk next to campus (but on the other side of campus where there are never many people) and what do we see? Robins. 9 of them. They must have been migrating a little late and happened to fly into Milwaukee just in time for this lovely day. Sadly they flew only the fringe of a college campus and found french fries instead of worms. Needless to say that was a nice little surprise for two bird lovers who went from backyard bird paradise to a busy street and volleyball court.

Yay! Fresh Fruit and Veggies!

It's been two weeks since my last market basket...

Roll call:

carrots, broccoli, potatoes, onions, collard greens, zucchini, pears, apples, bananas.