I succumbed to the khaki/utilitarian coat this year when my fall/early winter coat’s zipper broke. As a woman, I wanted something more feminine looking than my father’s beloved Carhartt coat. I ended up finding a very nice Uniqlo one that worked with layering up until this week.

I got a copy of the book earlier this month from the library and it’s worth reading. Kaiser Wilhelm and Tsarina Alexandra aren’t seen in the most flattering light. The author somewhat places the blame for the 1917 Revolution on the way in over her head Alexandra taking control of the Russian government. Kaiser…

I know that her case is a high profile one and an easier face to be the poster child for problem breeders, but Pennsylvania and most Midwestern states have their fair share of backyard breeders that don’t have any ethical standards. Probably the biggest offenders are the Amish whose breeding practices are more…

My parents got their Weimaraner from some very ethical breeders in Indiana. When we went to pick out our puppy, we were greeted by his brother from a previous litter whom the breeders had kept (and neutered) as a pet. The dog was a little over a year old and was over 80 lbs of demonstrative affection. That was a…

I lived in Michigan for several years, and had been following this story since it came out last year. IRRC, the coverage up until the last month emphasized his role with USA Gymnastics and his appointment at MSU was mentioned in passing. It’s really only been in the last couple weeks that the focus has come on MSU.

Trader Joe’s buys their kringle from O&H Bakery in Racine, WI, which has some of the best kringle in SE Wisconsin. It’s notable and so good that even Obama stopped at one of their locations when he was in Racine.

Another white woman who is baffled and confused on why anyone would vote for Moore. Even before the pedophilia accusations came out, he was unfit to be elected.

I didn’t think that Doug Jones would win, even with how awful a candidate Roy Moore was beyond being a creepy pedophile. It’s a nice feeling when the truly decent person wins.

Minnesota seems very similar to Wisconsin was in 2010 before the election - a Democratic governor not running for re-election, two Democratic Senators, with one a beloved progressive, Russ Feingold, two reliably blue urban areas (Madison & Milwaukee), a very red and conservative collar county (Waukesha county outside…

Minnesota isn’t as blue of a state as it seems. Outside of the Twin Cities and parts of northern Minnesota, it’s a Republican state. Don’t forget this is a state that sent Michelle Bachmann to Congress and elected Tim Pawlenty. Minnesota is where Wisconsin was around 2008/2010 before Walker was elected, and look…

I also prefer their cheeseburgers over the Big Macs. Granted, the only time I eat at McDonald’s is when I’m driving to my dad’s house on Friday night and I don’t want to deal with the traffic on the Chick-Fil-A exit or I know we won’t be eating until my sister arrives about 10 pm. I’ll also eat there on vacations we…

Queen Mary was a very serious tiara collector. If you read the Order of Splendor blog, most of the tiaras owned at one time by the British Royal Family or by her descendants were purchased by her. Some were inherited by George VI and the Duke of Windor’s siblings. She’s also responsible for the Faberge collection…

I would rather have a big budget long running series on Victoria & Albert’s kids and grandkids than something like The Crown, as good as it is. There’s a lot of good storylines - mismatched couples that somehow make it work (the playboy Edward VII and homebody Alexandra), etc. Queen Victoria’s daughters are…

Kaiser Wilhelm wasn’t the only one of Victoria’s grandkids to be unpredictable. The other one that gets overlooked is Albert Victor, aka Eddy, Edward VII and Alexandra’s oldest who died young. He was linked to the Cleveland Street scandal around an illegally operated gay brothel. He’s also been linked to the Jack…

I have family that hunts in Wisconsin and once the kids are old enough and have some interest in hunting, both boys and girls, they can go out but not carry a gun. This year, one of the girls was the first to get a buck, an 8 pointer, during youth season in October. It took her male cousins another 6 weeks to get…

Both Penn State and Michigan State could beat Wisconsin. Even a Michigan team with a healthy QB whose name isn’t John O’Korn could beat Wisconsin.

The other issue with interested parties expecting Saban-like success in the SEC, especially in the SEC West is that due to the strength of that division, 2 maybe 3 teams will win 10 games a year. Alabama is the dominant team in that division, but as this year has shown, that’s shouldn’t be taken for granted. The SEC…

My dad watches it every year and knows what parts he’s guilty of. There was a phase he went through when our house looked like the Griswold House until my mother told him to cut back because of the too high electric bill. He cracks up so hard during Aunt Bethany’s prayer because his mother and sister were like that.

My aunt consistently manages to screw up some aspect of the meal, whether it’s overcooking the turkey so it’s too dry, forgetting to put the frozen rolls in the oven, etc. Those are just from the last couple years.

Your spouse and you are wonderful parents for listening to your daughter’s wishes in regards to her grandparents. She’s 13 and that’s old enough to make up her mind about what relatives she wants to have contact with.