Do what you love...

I will admit I am a woman of MANY interests!
I have worked in radio.  Back when it was still fun!
I have coached football. The best 10 years of my life. I made some life long friends. Whom I get to cheer for now as they climb the coaching ladder.
I have worked with bands one of which had a top 10 single while I was with them. It is one of the most amazing feelings in the world hearing "your" band on the radio. Or standing side stage to watch a show!
I am currently playing with old furniture.  I have always been a creative person. So, fixing and painting old furniture was just a natural fit for me.
I love not having to set an alarm.
I love working from home.
I love being able to do what I want when I want. I love that I get to do something I REALLY enjoy and get paid for it.
Life is too short to be in a job you hate.
Happiness is so much more important than money.
It took me a long time to realize that.

The Holidays!

My favorite part of Christmas is my dad's tree! 

(see below)

Every year my MN family does a huge ginormous tree. I LOVE IT! This picture doe NOT do it justice! 

It is about 15 - 18 feet tall. The lights are always on. I love to sleep on the couch when I stay during Christmas vacation just so I can sleep with all the Christmas lights.

It is the perfect tree! It has all sorts of old ornaments from when I was little and when my little brothers were little. There are ornaments with old dogs' names on them. Old pictures. Their tree just holds a super special spot in my heart.

Dad, Pat (mom2), and the siblings are going on a cruise this year (thanks to Pat's mom taking all her kids and grand-kids) I was invited but have opted out. 

Well, since they have to fly to Miami on Christmas day my parents are NOT doing a tree.

They are NOT doing any decorations. In fact tonight I was told there will be no presents or stockings. 

I am crushed! I don't need any presents- I don't have any issues with the gift thing.

But the fact that they aren't doing a tree I am seriously depressed.

I know it sounds stupid. :'(

Back in 2004 I had a really rough November my house was broken into and all my Christmas presents were stolen. Then December my grandpas passed away. I was not in a Christmas mood. I was sad and didn't feel like celebrating anything. I went to visit my dad like I do every year at Christmas and the tree was what put me back in the Christmas mood. I slept on the couch every night that visit so I could soak up the Christmas lights.

I know I will make it thru Christmas without the tree but I know it will feel like something is missing! 

Maybe I will pick up a little Charlie Brown Christmas tree so the house doesn't seem soo empty! 

Happy Holidays! 

Kate 

My feelings on the music industry!

This is a blog/ReTweet of Courtney Allen:

RT @MissCourtneyA Such a crazy industry..two of my three mentors have been out of a job this year..I'm talking major music row people..instead we have unqualified people with the jobs that matter! It's no wonder we have horrible artists who don't have a chance at a lasting career...stop trying to calculate the industry & get passionate About the music!!! It's not about the money or the glamour..it's about making people have an emotional experience from the music. And if you're not passionate..get out of the industry and make way for people who want to share amazing music with the world!

This needs to be the what music row is working towards!!

Friends

The older I get the smaller my circle of friends gets.

I lost a friend  few weeks ago. He was 40 years old, married to wonderful woman and they had 2 precious boys ages 8 and 5.  It seems so unfair to me that someone who was so wonderful should be taken away so young.
It made me want to call all my friends and tell them I love them.

I got to see a friend this weekend that I have known for 15 years. That is a fairly long time in friend world.
People grow apart and lose touch all the time.
A true friend is one that you pick up right where you left off no matter how much time has passed.

Don't be afraid to tell your friends how you feel.
Hug them a little tighter when you say good bye.
No one is guaranteed a tomorrow.
Life is crazy busy but it should never be to busy to forget a great friend.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Kate

Sammiedrew!

This is my little brother Sam.
I call him Samdrew or Sammiedrew!
He is almost 18! Where those 18 years went I will never know.
Seems like yesterday I was at the hospital holding him and he was teeny tiny!!
Or he was 3 years old and I was teaching him how to tackle. It was hilarious watching a 3 year old tackle my other brother Matt who was 8 years old! It was a fundamentally perfect tackle.
Sam jumped up triumphantly and Matt stood up crying! Sorry Matt, it was a perfect tackle!
One of the proudest moments of my football coaching career!

Samdrew is a great kid. Smart, sweet, funny, sensitive, polite, genuine and all around fantastic!!
He is going thru some MAJOR "stuff" right now.
Can not wait to get to Minnesota to take care of him and the rest of my family.
He needs all the extra prayers he can get right now. Feel free to send them his way! :)

xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Kate

Life is CRAZY!

Life is CRAZY right now.
So, much up in the air... So, stressful. So, exciting. So, BROKE!
I knew when I walked away from a "traditional" job the money would be an issue.
But, this week I am struggling. Hate that struggling feeling.

I have 2 people who have asked me to do 2 different jobs. BUT I seem to be in a holding pattern.
It at one point in time looked like it was all going to fall perfectly into place.
The one job would start. The furniture store would close. The second job would be done on a daily basis since it was a work from home opportunity.

I have some little side jobs lined up. Painting this here. Painting that there. BUT those are on the books but haven't come thru yet.

I know it will all work out!
I KNOW IT WILL ALL WORK OUT!

Until then I wish a random $100 or $300 would show up! :)
Wishful thinking!

Im off to try to round up some extra cash!
Let me know if any of y'all need help with ANYTHING!

Have a GREAT week!

Pearson's field goal gives Stillwater the win!

This is on line today in The Minneapolis Star Tribune in High School Football!

SO PROUD of my little brother!!

Thanks to my dad I watched it all via SKYPE! :)

Pearson's field goal gives Stillwater the win

09/09/2011, 10:09am (CDT)

By Justin Magill, MN Football Hub correspondent

Ponies get a big road win over White Bear Lake as time expires.

With the game knotted at 14 apiece, all Sam Pearson had to do was hit a 27-yard field goal and Stillwater would leave White Bear Lake with a victory and a 2-0 record in the Suburban East Conference (SEC).

After Ponies running back Nick Anderson squeezed out three yards on a rush up the middle and centered the ball for Pearson, the senior kicker trotted out with 3 seconds left in the fourth quarter and was about to send his teammates off with a three-point win.

Timeout.

Before Stillwater could get the snap off, the Bears called a timeout to try and ice Pearson.

“I actually love it,” Pearson said. “It gives me time to relax, catch my breath, lower my heart rate and get ready. As much time as I can get, I will take it.”

He did just that as Pearson was able to get the ball well over the outstretched arms of Bears defenders and sneak the ball inside the left post for a 17-14 victory as time expired.

“Amazing,” Pearson said. “This is what you prepare for. I do this for two hours a day, but I am not alone. It was a perfect snap, perfect hold and I was able to get a clean look at it.

“There isn’t words to describe the feeling of having your long time friends coming at you, screaming your name. Honestly, it's unexplainable.”

For more than a month now, Pearson has been preparing himself for a chance like he had against White Bear Lake, to win the game in the closing seconds.

“I mentally visualize and put myself in a game situation while I am at practice,” he said. “That is all it is. Trying to get used to the pressure. I put myself under my own kind of mental pressure almost kind of matchup and compensate for the game.”

However, no matter how much time he puts in or how much pressure, nothing compares to what happens in the game.

Under the lights on a warm Friday night and the stands were full on the opposition’s side.

“It’s always different, no matter how much practice,” he said. “It’s always different when it comes down to it.”

On the final drive, Stillwater started from its own 39 and was able to get down to the Bears 10 on 11 plays, all on the ground.

Getting inside the red zone was important for Ponies coach Beau LaBore making the call to send out the kicking unit.

“Anything inside 35 yards I feel comfortable with,” he said. “I didn’t want to have to use him, he has been a little shaky, but he knows that he is going to get some opportunities, make a break situations and I am proud of him because he stepped up and made it through with no problem.

“He was very confident when they froze him and he just made it through nice and easy.”

Ricci adapting quickly to leadership role

For the second straight week, quarterback Nate Ricci was a force for the Ponies offense.

On top of having the ability to tuck the ball and run, Ricci has shown that he can air it out for Stillwater as well.

After the Ponies were stuck deep in their own zone after a poor kickoff return to start the game, Ricci was able to lead Stillwater to a touchdown which was capped off by a 23-yard strike to Charlie Register.

“He is a great athlete,” LaBore said. “For the first time, he is in a leadership role and he has handled it all really well.”

In the third quarter with Stillwater down 14-7, Ricci used his legs to roll out to his right and find Joshua Weess for a 15-yard touchdown.

It ended a 70-yard scoring drive that took only four plays and more importantly, it was right after White Bear Lake took a seven point lead.

 “Those drives were critical,” LaBore said. “The defense picked up the offense several times, but the offense really picked up the defense there and it was a great balance.

“There were plenty of times that the home team had some momentum going for them, but we were able to handle it well because of our balance.”

It has been a while

 It has now been seven years since White Bear Lake beat Stillwater. 

In 2004 the Bears beat the Ponies 24-14 and will now have to wait until at least the postseason to beat them again.

This was the first time the Bears had a decent shot of beating Stillwater since 2006, when White Bear Lake came within six points.

“It was a shame someone had to lose,” Bears coach Bob Jackson said. “We lost, we will bounce back and we will find the true character of this team.

“It was just a great high school football game and it’s tough someone had to lose, more so us.”

After an impressive 28-13 road win to open the season at Roseville, White Bear Lake put together a solid offensive performance, but two costly fumbles ended possible scoring drives, the second was deep in the Ponies zone and an opportunity to go up two scores.

“Those hurt us a bit,” Jackson said. “We did that from time to time and it ended up being a difference in the game.”

White Bear Lake will have to get back up quickly after the tough loss to Stillwater.

A glance at its schedule, it misses Cretin-Derham Hall, but still on it is Mounds View, Woodbury and what many SEC coaches have said, an up and coming Forest Lake team.

“Problem is I think it’s going to be like this every week,” Jackson said. “Teams are pretty good and well balanced, so it will not get any easier.”

Game Recap

 Stillwater opened the game with an impressive nine play scoring drive that accumulated 91 yards and concluded with a Charlie Register touchdown catch from 23-yards out.

Later in the first quarter, Ridge Sackman tied the score for the Bears when he plunged in from the five.

It remained a 7-7 game at halftime, but White Bear Lake took the lead right away in the third quarter when quarterback Eric Gebeke kept the ball on an option and ran in for another five-yard score.

However, Stillwater answered right back when Nate Ricci recorded his second touchdown pass of the game, connecting with Joshua Weess from 15 yards out to tie the game.

That tying drive was highlighted by a 40-yard run by Zach Krenz, which was the previous play before Ricci hit Weess for the score.

With 4 minutes, 45 seconds left in the game, Stillwater had the ball on its own 39 yard line.

It used 11 plays and nearly the rest of the clock to set up Sam Pearson with a chance to send the Ponies home with a game-winning field goal.

From 27-yards out, Pearson nailed it as time expired and the Ponies improved to 2-0 (2-0 SEC).

It will play Cretin-Derham Hall Friday, Sept. 16 at Pony Stadium.

White Bear Lake falls to 1-1 (1-1 SEC) and will host Forest Lake on Friday, Sept. 16.

Three Stars

 1. Sam Pearson, Stillwater

With all the pressure that a high school kicker could handle, Pearson drilled home a 27-yard field goal for the win. White Bear Lake called a timeout, but Pearson used the time to collect himself and get settled for the game-winning kick.

2. Nate Ricci, Stillwater

He is only a junior, but he has shown he can use his legs and arm to lead the Ponies offense. He tossed two more touchdown passes against the Bears and was a force when he tucked and ran. He will need to do more of that next week against Cretin-Derham Hall.

3. Eric Gebeke, White Bear Lake

Gebeke did what Bears quarterbacks are supposed to do in their offensive system. He ran the ball, using his speed as a great asset. On top of scoring a touchdown from five-yards out, he picked up several first downs with his legs and was able to show confidence throwing the ball, even though he didn't connect with a lot of them. That at least took some pressure off of the running game.