Toast to the Posts
Posted at 6:00 AM on December 28, 2009
by Dale Connelly
(19 Comments)
Good morning Heartlanders!
We're in that limbo-like week between Christmas and New Year's, when time seems to slow down and few of the normal routines apply.
If you have the week off, enjoy it!
If you're stuck doing what you always do this week, enjoy it!
I am taking a few days to visit my parents in Illinois. With help from JASPER and Mike Pengra, I will be your automated disc jockey for the week. Sorry I can't participate in Trial Balloon discussions or respond to requests with immediacy. Also, I will be more clueless than usual about the news and the weather, since everything you will hear me say for the next 5 days has already been recorded. I will be back in the studio bright and early on Monday, January 4th.
In the blog this week, I'll take a look at the archives for a feature I'm calling "Toast to the Posts". Trial Balloon launched in mid-December last year.
This is entry number 340.
We've logged over 7700 comments (or "posts") from readers.
That's phenomenal.
The pleasure of reading your comments leads me to recall a few moments from the past year or so - you are fine writers who are generous with your thoughts, memories and experiences. I'm not interested in ranking entries or compiling a "best of" list, but in this final week of 2009 it's nice to look back and raise a glass to one another for things shared that caused a laugh or a light to shine.
Here's one I remember from an extended discussion of uncles.
Farming, uncles... This ain't crazy, but it was sure different for the 1970s. I had a great-uncle who farmed in northeastern PA. We hardly ever saw that part of the family and my mom once told me that he wore a tie every day no matter what he was doing. One day we finally went out to see my great-aunt and great-uncle and so help me as we walked into my aunt's house, there was my uncle coming round the bend on a big tractor in a fedora, a button down shirt and a tie. He never came into the house to visit while we were there, never said a word to us.Posted by Ellie from PA | March 12, 2009 9:21 AM
You can see the Trial Balloon Master Archive here. Feel free to point to a discussion or a particular comment that you found delightful or illuminating.
Any nominees for "Toast to the Posts"?
Comments (19)
I actually remember the "uncles" discussion... someone talked about their uncle who had written a book called "Fugitive Wife". I got it from the library and enjoyed it quite a bit. Not the first recommended book from this group, by the way.
Today is the first day in 10 that I had to set the alarm to get up and go to work. Blah. But I hope everybody has a great start to the inbetween week!
this will be fun - but today i do an even more fun thing - drive down to mpls to get my friend (the snot rocket Queen - - recovering from bone surgery) for a stay up here. we will sit, knit, and talk, talk, talk. takes the pressure off Steve :-)
i look forward to this week's discussions and looking at the archives (but friend sleeps in the computer room and is not an early riser).
happy day, everyone
Good Morning to All
My memory isn't so good,but I guess one many of us will remember as a post to toast is Donna's invention of Carlos. There must be one or more on goats from Barb that we should toast. Also That Guy In the Hat wrote some that we might want to toast.
WHAT Carlos was invented by Donna?? I'm confused....need a shower to clear my head and ponder
Okay, maybe that comment from Donna should be called "when Donna met Carlos".
Okay, maybe that comment from Donna should be called "when Donna met Carlos".
Good morning, all. I'm back in the fattening pen again after a week's vacation, and I'm on call! Hope everyone has a great week!
I don't know that I have a favorite post - though the exchange about Carlos was fun. I have also greatly enjoyed the ebb and flow of the Year in Goats; mating season, baby goats, the daily rhythm of milking, their goofy personalities and the descriptions that go with it all.
Y'all are a great group of people to wake up with!
Ditto Anna!
I am glad I do not have to clean the heavily-crusted piled-up frozen snow off the streets here.
If you are working right now either your job is very important or you are at the bottom of the power chain. I am the later.
As much as anything else I am eager to see how things deveop for everyone. Will TGITH reach his independence? Will I really be a groomsman at Donna and Carlos' wedding? Willl we each be healthy through the year? Will some new friends join up? Will Mike Pengra ever have time off?
I love the lightness of most posts, but I treasure the touches of reality and deep meaning. I will forvever have in my mind the image of flapping wings on an overloaded plane bringing military people back from Korea those many years ago.
I remember what I think of as phases to the fledgling blog. First there was the phase when I thought I had nothing to contribute, so I would just read. (Did others of you go through this too?) I joined in about April, and it seems that was about when Dale started to add notes from Cap'n Billy and Bubby, et al. Then in late summer he started having some of us do guest blogs, and finally added Dr. Heartlander toward the end of 2009. WHO KNOWS what will happen next? Whatever it is, it's good clean fun, and I look forward to more of it (and the MUSIC) in 2010!
Off to Iowa for a couple of days, Happy End of Year to you all.
Good morning all, I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays. I'd like to toast all of you for providing thought-provoking conversation to start the day, and also a toast to Dale, Mike, Jasper, those guys in the coveralls and all at MPR for providing great music and news.
Memorable posts or blogs for me - the opportunity to guest-blog for Dale and Dale's tribute to his brother Lee.
I'd also like to thank Tim (if I recall correctly), who mentioned in July the start of the "One & Other" proect by Anthony Gormley in London's Trafalgar square. It was very interesting to watch online.
Mike
Barbara--I watched/read for about 3 months before I commented. Partly out of shyness.
I too like the guest blogs. Dale's stuff is clever and familiar. It was what drew me in, finding all his characters still at it. But every so often seeing another point of view is fun; sort of like a guest sermon, which I do now and then. There is so much diversity of life experiences in the group, it's fun to savor that too.
This time of year when I bike indoors, I can listen before 8 a.m. Wish I could pick it up by radio the rest of the year on my bike rides, especially the morning ride. But I like the program John Birge has done as a replacement on the classical station.
How about that time when the lady posted about her turkey who attempted to make love to the white propane tank and her son said something like, "Tanks a lot."
Early on I remember Barb comparing her goats to the American people under our new president's direction and how with guidance and a firm touch, the greedy eaters eventually stop being such pigs and share the feed bucket with the weaker, less assertive types. The next day Dale made it his entry for discussion and I thought, "How in the world can I respond to this? I have no schema for goats!!" Thankfully, I got over that soon enough once I realized that all you have to do in that situation is post something that has nothing to do with the topic and with any luck someone else will chime in and before you know it, Dale's lost complete control. I learned that trick from Bubby.
Greetings! What a great year on RH and the TB blog. I remember quite a bit, including most of the ones mentioned above, but nothing stands out. Although I do think that guy in the Wintergreen ad could be Carlos -- I don't think we heard back from Donna as to his resemblance ...
I'm glad more folks are stepping up and contributing to the blog. I'm shy, too -- but writing on a blog is pretty easy. And in the beginning I felt such a need to connect with anything Morning Show.
While you may feel you have nothing to contribute -- don't let that stop you! Sure doesn't stop me ... Have a great day, everyone!
Joanne - I still have not seen the Wintergreen ad - darn!
I remember a post or two of yours about your dancing. You and I should have a dance-off because in my mind I'm good too. (Not as good as Carlos.)
Joanne and Donna:
Virutal dance-off.
1. You each pick a theme and music (must be part of RH regular list).
2. You each name two judges from regular bloggers.
3. You each identify your parnter.
4. You each describe 15 consecutive stesp/moves and a finale.
5. Winner gets bragging rights/rites.
A virtual dance-off!? Clyde, you're something -- I like the idea, but of course my sinewy moves, passionate creativity and electric presence won't come across in print. As long as my husband is NOT my partner -- he can't even keep a beat.
Donna, for the time being we will remain dancing legends in our own minds. Just so you know, I thrive on competition. Bring it, Baby!
A male description of the dance contest I gave. Duh!!
Revised Version
Virutal dance-off.
1. You each pick a theme and music (must be part of RH regular list).
2. You each name two judges from regular bloggers.
3. You each identify your partner.
4. You each describe what you are both wearing.
5. You each describe 15 consecutive stesp/moves and a finale.
6. Winner gets bragging rights/rites.
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