Ufda my dog is a lunatic!

Today was not the best day in the history of Dana, but not a bad day either. I resigned from the head coaching position earlier this week. I told the girls this morning and it was so hard to do. I love and care about these girls and feel sad but know I made the best choice for myself. I am finally putting myself and my health first.

Now, with that said, I came home feeling at ease but still sad. Hoping that Bill and I could spend some time together. Bill called and let me know he would be late because he had to haul something somewhere. Ok, fine then. He gave me flowers earlier today, I can handle him being late. I will just relax with Gus and Sandy.

THEN GUS HAPPENED!
Ahhhhhhhhhhh my dog is a lunatic.

I know what you are thinking, "I would never put up with that from a dog." Well, I did not think I would either but I guess I love him.


Here is what he did today:

Gus is so naughty!

I am blessed...

with a toothless wonder of a dog.

Sandy had 7 teeth removed on Wednesday and is doing just fine. Seems like so many teeth for my little princess to miss!


with a dog who keeps me guessing.

Gus seems to have a knack for amazing me each day with a new scheme or disaster. I did manage to cook another turkey without him wrecking it. Turkey Score: Dana 2 Gus 3. I am catching up!


with an awesome job.

Even though some days my team and I say these kids are going to make us "poke our eyes out" we do care a great deal about them and are blessed to have the jobs we do.


with a great teacher team.

I am not sure why I got so blessed to teach with the people I do, but I sure am glad I did.


with a great family support system.

My parents, my brother's family, and my cousins are my life line. They keep me grounded and check in on me just when I need it.


with great friends.

My best buddy from junior high is expecting her first child any day now. She is not due for a couple of weeks but I think she is going to go early. She amazes me with a great phone call, visit or email just when I need it. Funny how God puts people into our lives and uses them at moments we need them most.
My other friends are wonderful as well. Each is unique in their own way, bringing more blessings into my life than I could mention.


with the joy of coaching and spending time with teenage girls. (I am pretty sure that is a blessing anyway;)

Sometimes it is hard having a job where everyone can, and does, judge every decision you make. The hard part is taking what people say, looking at what you are doing, and deciding what you feel is best for the team.


with fabulous nephews and future niece.

Brendan and Carter are a hoot and a half. They are fun to play with, cute to cuddle, and wonderful to grow with. Can't wait to meet their baby sister!

with the best husband in the world.

Bill rocks. He is sweet, kind, tough, strong, caring, loving, argumentative when I need it most, patient, and overall loving. I still do not know why he puts up with me! I can be a real pain in the butt.


with the ability to begin or end each day focused on the positives and all of the blessings I have been given.

God has a path for each of us.
“If God sends us on strong paths, we are provided strong shoes.”

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” 

Flood pics

Here are a few pics of the flood from "back home".

This is a road washed out just South of my mom and dad's farm.

This is our neighbor's, The Usatis Family,  farm to the East of the farm.

I thought this was interesting because 10 years ago, we did not have moss growing anywhere!

Another road closed to the South.

This used to be a field South of the farm. The Game and Fish Department decided to start putting fish in it last year. I guess we have a new lake! It is huge! I can not believe that a lake is located where a field used to be. This picture does not do it justice because it goes on for a few miles.

This absolutely kills me. This is the county road east of the farm. You can see a trailer parked their because there was a group of guys who jet skied out to a field and set up goose dummies! My favorite part was the jet ski usage. Totally hilarious and pretty intelligent;)

As you can guess there is only one road my parents can use to get out on and that is to the North. To get to school my mom goes two miles north, two miles east and hits highway 32 then heads to Valley. The problem isn't so much the water, it is the roads that USED to be there to drive on. It was sad to hear that one of our neighbors to the South is probably going to abandon the farmstead and move. 

Here is the last picture we took on the Sheldon road. We were going to venture down to the Stansbery farm, however we couldn't figure out a way to get there. All of the roads between Leonard and Sheldon, heading South, were closed. CRAZY! We feel so bad for our friends in Sheldon.

The Job of The Mayor

In a laughing and sometimes sarcastic tone, people ask what does the Mayor of Amenia do?
Now, make sure you realize I am not bragging because this is not a bragging position. This is just me documenting so that when I create my blog book, I can look back in fifteen years and say to myself "Oh yeah, I was the mayor once."

Here is a list of items I have done thus far in my mayorialship:

• Called people to pay their water bills
• Called Lawyer to find out how to make people pay their water bills
• Contacted law enforcement on: dogs at large, naughty teenagers doing naughty teenage things and how to enforce load restrictions
• Contacted dog owners because their dog is running at large (including myself)
• Met with Ottertail Power Company on how to better serve Amenia and about what measures have been taken on how to improve coverage for Amenia
• Created an enacted a Commercial Building Permit Fee Schedule for our town
• Ordered gravel for our roads
• Ordered snow removal
• Put flooding friends in contact with the sandbags
• Watch the Rush River rise and fall
• Watch the lagoon
• Learned how the Lift Station works, and monitor Lift Station (stinky!)
• Run monthly meetings
• Stay in close contact with Auditor on money matters
• Research new playground equipment for the park (expensive)
• Assign areas of concern to council members
• Still watching the lift station (still stinky)
• Discuss infrastructure of Amenia and make plans to revamp and improve
• Write building permits
• Get yelled at via voicemail messages left at midnight (that is really funny...it is even funnier when I see the people who yelled at me and they have no clue they left drunken messages:)
• Not sure what else I do yet, I have only been the mayor for nine months!
• Oh still watching the stupid stinky lift station: Did I mention Ralf S. Mouse lives in a little nest right next to it?!?!?! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I will have to add more if they pop up...I am somewhat enjoying this position. It is kind of fun helping people. I really have no clue what I am doing but I am not afraid to ask. What is the worst people can say? @#)(@*#$)#@(*$)@(#$@#$# You Dana! Is actually what they say, but for some reason it does not bother me!!

Medication is working GREAT!

Gus's medication is working so well! We are hoping when he goes back for blood work, they will say the dose is just right and we can continue with it.
Here are few pictures of Gus playing outside on April 6th. We were checking out the water and having a ton of fun playing in the melting snow!

Awesome sunrise this morning

Here are two pictures of the awesome sunrise this morning looking east from Amenia.