Many of you have asked where in the world I've been.

All I know is that after 7 plus years of blogging and a different lappy, which I don’t like, I seem to have lost my blogging fervor.

Someday, when you least expect it, I will post again.

For those of you still waiting I say thank you.

Meanwhile, I am rather prolific on twitter. Find me: @KeethaB
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The Eclectic Company - Waitin' on a New Adventure!!
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Monday, February 28, 2011

Extra, Extra, Read All About It!!!

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This just in from Carson, Cub Klondike Gal Reporter:


"The Powers That Be" (namely my mommy) left me free to roam while she showered today.

I believe I used my time wisely and profitably, what do you think????

(For those of you who wonder and don't know - - - Carson is my Great-Niece who lives with her mommy and daddy in Sitka, Alaska.)

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Sunday, February 27, 2011

Sunday Reruns - It's Nice to be Both Famous AND Original

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It's Sunday again, and you know what THAT means!?! It's time for Sunday Favorites!!!

Sunday Favorites are RERUNS, not current posts - - - if you want to participate, just repost something you previously posted "back in the day."

Thanks so much to Chari over at Happy to Design for hosting this meme, "Sunday Favorites." You may click on the link to find the rules and see more favorite posts.

I have been reposting favorites in order from the beginning of my blogging experience back in June of 2006 and moving toward "now." I have reached our Wisconsin vacation posts from the summer of 2008. Since we have just recently moved to Wisconsin I have decided to repost some of those posts that honor and highlight my beloved Badger State.

This is the FIFTH of those reposts. This post features a favorite restaurant.

There will be MORE Wisconsin reruns to follow in the next few weeks.



Famous AND Original
(First posted on July 22, 2008)


Perhaps you've heard of Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que, they have them all over the US now, but the ORIGINAL is here in Hayward. It is one of our favorite haunts. From the first time I went there, I was struck by the hodge podge (eclecticity) that is it's decor - - - - see what I mean:



This rough-hewn bear greets you at the front door, Fisherhubby optional.


High in the rafters you will see - - -


A Northwoods mural.


At the river-rock fireplace, complete with the quintessential log mantle, you will find fine china plates and lamps.


Hanging around the entire perimeter of the main dining area are - - - tin coffee pots and tin cups.

Now, step with me please, into the ladies' room. (It's ok guys - - - you can come for this tour too - - - )



I have never seen sinks like this anywhere else in the world - - - notice the gold fixtures!


The mirrors are framed with bows - - -


And the green tile walls are trimmed with gold. Quite "posh," I'd say!

Now, back out in the main dining room - - -


Each dining table is adorned with a paper towel holder like this!!!!! And you know, if you've been to one, that their signature "dinner" is served on an aluminum garbage can lid.

I'm telling you - - - it's like going to the prom wearing your oldest sneakers under your gown!!!!

What a fun place.

Oh - - - and the food is GREAT too, but THAT'S another post!

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Saturday, February 26, 2011

News Flash From the Wilds of Alaska

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This just in from Carson, Cub Klondike Gal reporter:


Wooooo Hooooo!!

And just how do you FEEL about that Miss Carson?



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Poker

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Kristin, I see YOUR kissers,



And RAISE you one!

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Friday, February 25, 2011

The American Birkebeiner

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Tomorrow is the Great American Birkebeiner which ends amidst the clanging of cow bells on Main Street in Hayward, Wisconsin. Hayward is where we spend the two weeks of our summer vacation.




Main Street is Ready.

I'm not even THERE and I'm excited!


Birkebeiner | Climate Wisconsin from ECB on Vimeo.


Fisherhubby and I plan to be there one year to ring our cow bells, but alas it won't be tomorrow because Fisherhubby has to work.

Next year in Hayward!!


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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Wherein Brunhilda and Borris - - -



Help Beauregarde Bearski find a new HOME.

(You may click the blue home to read all about it.)


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It All Came Out in the Wash

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It would appear I've stumbled upon my new career - - - money laundering.


Good! Finders keepers!

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Introducing Beauregarde Bearski

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Someone new has come to live with us! Meet Beauregarde Bearski.


Our friends, Jerry and Connie, just returned from Florida. While there Connie found Beauregarde in a little shop, thought he "looked just like Keetha," and brought him to me.

Why, thank you very much, Connie!!!















Yes, I believe I DO see the resemblance!!! (Do you???) All I need to be his TWIN is the scarf.


No new snow today, just a lot of "digging out."

I saw a black glove in the street a few days ago - - - and now it has surfaced on the TOP of the snow pile the plow kicked up onto our yard as it went by.



I'm loving the blue ski and shadows contrasted with the white snow palate.


Roofs are again piled high with snow, after just a few short days of reprieve.


And the shadow etchings of branches on the snow - - - just beautiful.


I wish my camera could capture the billions of diamonds sparkling across our lawn - - - this is the best I could do, and it's pretty pitiful.

Oh my - - - there's the black top of our patio light fixture which must have blown off in the storm and is now buried up PAST its neck. See if you can find it - - - it's like playing "Where's Waldo."

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Monday, February 21, 2011

Lest The Pictures in My Post of Yesterday Gave You An Erroneous Impression - - -

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It is still winter here, and will be, by the calendar, the rotation of the sun, and the tilt of Earth upon its axis until March 21.

Being a winter lover, I was very glad yesterday when we had this:


And more of this:


All day long - to the tune of 8+ new inches of fluffy white stuff to cover the old "getting very cruddy" snow.


Sometimes the weather folk on TV "blow" these winter storms all out of proportion. (Pun intended)


Sometimes, when a lot of snow is anticipated, they begin to use terms like "blizzard" and "blizzard conditions."


Now while we DID get a lot of snow, during the entire storm one could see AT LEAST a half a block away. There was never a true "white out" and thus, it was simply an ordinary winter storm and not a blizzard.


I did not have to tie a rope from my front door to the mailbox in order to check my mail without getting lost in the storm, so it was not a blizzard.

You read it here first.

And now - - - I have more lovely shoveling to do AND we may be able to break out our xc skis which we couldn't use during the two weeks of February Thaw we had sadly been experiencing until yesterday.

Vive la winter - - - until March 21st when I shall expect spring.

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Sunday, February 20, 2011

Sunday Reruns - Wisconsin Sunsets

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It's Sunday again, and you know what THAT means!?! It's time for Sunday Favorites!!!

Sunday Favorites are RERUNS, not current posts - - - if you want to participate, just repost something you previously posted "back in the day."

Thanks so much to Chari over at Happy to Design for hosting this meme, "Sunday Favorites." You may click on the link to find the rules and see more favorite posts.

I have been reposting favorites in order from the beginning of my blogging experience back in June of 2006 and moving toward "now." I have reached our Wisconsin vacation posts from the summer of 2008. Since we have just recently moved to Wisconsin I have decided to repost some of those posts that honor and highlight my beloved Badger State.

This is the FOURTH of those reposts.

There will be MORE Wisconsin reruns to follow in the next few weeks.



Sunsets on Gull Lake
Washburn County, Wisconsin
(First posted on July 21, 2008)


I know I've posted sunset pictures on here before - - - - but how many beautiful sunsets are too many? No further words necessary.











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Saturday, February 19, 2011

Forget-Me-Not Debut

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Last night we had friends over for dinner. I decided to set the table with Forget-Me-Nots.


A tablescaper I am not. I just don't see the purpose of useless fru-fru like chargers and what-nots. (I don't like to WASH dishes that much!) But I do like an attractive table.

I think less can be more.

So, I picked up six forget-me-not blue placemats at the "local watering hole." I used them to frame my Haviland Forget-Me-Not dinner plates and Boopie stemware.


I was pleased with the result. No need of a fancy smancy centerpiece - - -


Because the food took center stage!


Spaghetti casserole, salad and rolls


Our friends Connie, Jim and their lovely girls were our honored guests.

After dinner we played Catch Phrase for hours.

I believe that fun was had by all - - - especially when they could laugh at my level of game playing intensity.

Let's just say - - - I like to win.

On Saturday, 2/26/11 - - - linking this post to a BYOG (Bring Your Own Grub) party over at "Wit Behind the Ears."

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Friday, February 18, 2011

Orange You Glad?

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This here's huntin' country.

This fall Fisherhubby was amazed at the number of nurses in the ER who planned their days off around hunting trips, field dressed, and brought home a buck.

We giggled when we heard radio stations sponsoring "Show us Your Rack" contests - - - and though the pun WAS intended, they really were sponsoring a "biggest antlers" contest.

Well, today as I was going about my girlie business of getting my nails done, I heard THIS commercial on my car radio - - - TWICE!!! This is as close to verbatim as I can quote it:


Don't get SHOT in the woods
because your white toilet paper looks like a deer tail.
Get your ORANGE toilet paper here
And never look like a white tail deer again!



Really? Orange toilet paper?

I have to shake my head.

(Photo from strayoutdoors.com)

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

Limburger Legacy

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I like Limburger cheese on crackers. I like it a lot.

The stories that you've heard about the tell tale aroma which emanates from a hunk of Limburger cheese are all true. It will give you a nostril full. Rather reminiscent of a used baby diaper left too long in a closed up car in the middle of July.


Though Fisherhubby CLAIMS to be a cheese head, a fan of STINKY cheese he is NOT. He can't even tolerate the smell of Parmesan and blue causes him to "spew."

This next bit will seem like an unrelated fact - - - but hang on, it will all tie in.

I am NOT a fan of practical jokes. I don't like them pulled on me and I don't pull them on others. They seem to have more than a 90% chance of causing suffering. Since I don't volunteer to suffer, I try not to inflict it upon others.

OK - - - back to the Limburger saga.

The last time Fisherhubby and I went to the cheese factory, I purchased a nice block of Limburger cheese.

Fisherhubby SAW me buy it.


When we got home, I TOLD Fisherhubby that I was putting it in an empty dip container and CLEARLY marking the lid so he wouldn't accidentally open it.

Fisherhubby HEARD me say this - - - though I now have strong resason to suspect he did not LISTEN to me say this.


A few nights later when Fisherhubby returned from work at a little after midnight and I was already snoozing away peacefully in my little trundle bed, he went to the refrigerator to scrounge around for a snack.

Seeing a container of his FAVORITE chip dip - - -

Well, you know what's coming, don't you????

I was asleep in bed - - - I know not what effect that aroma had upon his sensitive little systems.

But I DO know, that totally unintended by me, I DID manage to give him just a little "get even-ness" for ALL the tricks he pulls on me.

And now, if you'll excuse me - - - I think I'll go have a lovely little lunch of limburger and Triscuits.

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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Wherein I Reveal My Most Secret Inner Workings

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I had an e-mail this morning from my kindred spirit friend, Betsy, asking me that all important question - - -


"Keetha, what are you doing with your time now that football season is over????"


Vital question since we ALL know that I spend copious amounts of time during football season doing a lot of this.


And as if just WATCHING football isn't enough, I've got that whole self-created, self-"commished" College Football Pick 'Em game that I orchestrate each week of the college season - as manifest by my "bookie book" beside my elbow.

Which does bring up ONE very important fact - - - for me it's all about COLLEGE football, so MY season has been over since January 10th when the National Title game was won by the Auburn Tigers, or are they War Eagles??? (If you can answer THAT question you are a sports genius.)

I was sooooo glad Betsy asked - - - as I was groveling around in the DIRT trying to come up with a blog post for today and her question INSPIRED ME!!!

So, without further ado, here's what KEETHA does without College football - - - - get a box of kleenex ready, it's pretty pitiful.

1) Well we WERE xc-skiing, but the shocking HEAT WAVE we've been experiencing (temperatures between 35 and 50) has knocked us out of that - - - can't ski on ice crystals from melting and refreezing snow - - - not to mention by the end of the week we shall PROBABLY be snowless.

2) So - - - I'm spending more time on my computer blogging and e-mailing.

3) I'm spending time in very constructive worry over the Birkebeiner which REQUIRES snow. It is SUPPOSED to take place next weekend in Hayward and THEY are even warmer and shall be even MORE snowless by then than we are here. And we all know HOW VERY PRODUCTIVE worry is - - -




4) I'm cooking and cleaning and "redding" up the kitchen. (Redd - - - that's a good Indiana word)

5) Laundry consumes at least a few hours each week.

6) I continue to teach my KIDD's class of 4th -6th graders at church on Wednesday evenings.



7) I watch sports shows on TV - - -where I saw some soccer "dude" (Can't think of his name right now, but it started with an "R" and I think it MIGHT have been Wayne Rooney) making a bicycle kick goal in the soccer "whatever" that is currently in progress. (If the World Cup is only once every four years, what in tarnation are they having NOW?)

And while this most certainly IS a picture of Wayne Rooney, it most certainly IS NOT of a bicycle kick, but just a plain old ordinary soccer kick.

8) Fishserhubby and I watch some taped crime solving shows in the evenings, because we have sooooo many crimes to solve in our real lives.

9) And last but CERTAINLY not least - - - I make up and blog about silly lists.

And oh my dear bloggy buddies - - - I WOULD watch and rewatch DVRed games of the Badgers beating the Buckeyes and the Wolverines - - - if only I HAD DVRed those games - - - but the games I DVRed were casualties of our recent move, so I am totally destitute and football cheerless.

And THAT is when you will find yourself needing those kleenex to wipe your leaking eyes.

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