Now, up to New York Mills...

Wow, you guys are PHENOMENAL in sending Halloween pictures!  Grandpa Mark sent this picture of Alyssa and Haley Korkowski (Nate & Edith Korkowski) as they showed what "pretty in pink" is really like! 

Alyssa & Haley Korkowski



In St. Michael.....

Grandma Faye sends the following pictures of the Zuidema girls (Nate & Andrea Magnuson Zuidema) as they celebrated earlier tonight....

Natalie & Courtney Zuidema

Looks like a Halloween float in St. Michael w/the Zuidema girls!

And, our first entries for Halloween are in....

Fresh off the press are our first entries in the Halloween costumes....first to arrive (but then, they are in the Eastern time zone!) are Ellie, Andrew and Joseph Majhess (Joe & Jen Korkowski Majhess) as they pose for the camera.....

Ellie, Andrew and Joseph Majhess

And, next to arrive in the inbox....the Inman kiddies...with the following note from Dawn (O'Donnell) & Doug Inman

Happy Halloween! Jackie is a Hawkeye cheerleader. She can't quite say happy Halloween so has been singing happy birthday to everyone! Logan is transformers bumblebee and Sean is G I Joe!

Dawn

In preparation for tonight....

Evidence of Halloween preparations has surfaced.....first, down in Cannon Falls at Paul & Sue Korkowski's house, the kids and friends carved pumpkins over the weekend as well as decorated the outside of the house.....

Alex on far left; Adam 2nd from right; and Anna on far right with the decorated pumpkins

One of the many creatures waiting for YOU outside Paul & Sue's house!

Then, up in Brandon, Gavin Nicholas and Brittany Korkowski show off a night's work

And, lastly, one of our relatives who partied over the weekend!  Any guesses???



HAPPY HALLOWEEN.....

and don't forget to send us pictures of your Halloween kiddies in their costumes for this year!

Two little pumpkins....

Nothing like a nice fall day to play outside in a big pile of leaves.....Gavin Nicholas (Bill & Megan Korkowski Nicholas) was all smiles as he eyed the pile of leaves that were just waiting for someone to jump into. 

Ah, mission accomplished....nothing but pure ecstasy for a little boy....

Well then, how about my little baby sister join me?  Sure, mom, she'll like it.....

Baby sister Morgan has no idea of what she's in for.....

Nope, Ms. Morgan was NOT impressed with that pile of leaves....maybe another year?



If you start now......

Your first reminder....

We all know that we haven't even had Halloween yet, but in only 50 days...and you how fast those 50 days will go....it's time for the annual tradition of the Korkowski family gathering to celebrate our 'roots' as well as eat, drink and be merry!  Sr. Cordy has supplied me with the following details.  Of course, we'll post another reminder closer to the actual date.  So, grab your pencil and mark your calendars!

Annual Korkowski Christmas Gathering

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Gather at 1 p.m., meal at 4 p.m.

Brandon Auditorium

We invite all of our families: brothers, sisters, in-laws (or out-laws), nieces, nephews, extended family and friends of family....pretty much anyone we'd recognize....to enjoy this pre-Christmas family gathering. Bring a dish to share, some goodies and your beverages of choice.

Jim, Judi and Sister Cordy will provide sandwiches, coffee and lemonade.

We have a REALLY BIG day!

We occasionally have a 3-person celebration day, but I think October 28 is our only 4-persons celebration of the whole year, so let's get going....we have two birthdays and two anniversaries today!

First, Tom Evenson (#47) is celebrating his birthday, as well as Sue Korkowski (Ron's wife) who has matching numbers, #44, to mark her day.

And, then we have two anniversaries....Ben & Deanna O'Donnell are celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary, while Nate & Andrea (Magnuson) Zuidema are celebrating #11. 

Tom Evenson

Sue Korkowski

Deanna & Ben O'Donnell

Andrea & Nate Zuidema

Happy birthday and happy anniversary to you special people!

And, today it's a health tip....

This health tip is especially beneficial to those of you who are self-employed and finding insurance doesn't cover much these days.....

A public service announcement....

Always trying to keep you all up-to-date with the latest in helpful tips, this one came thru my email re: how to husk the perfect cob of corn with NO silks left to get into your teeth while eating.  Has anyone ever tried this?  It may be too late for this year, but you can bet we're trying this at our house next corn season.  Click on the link to see how it's done!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnBF6bv4Oe4

Do we all remember the red eye????

Today is a very special day....it is the 25th....yes, the 25th!!!...anniversary for Tom and Caroline Korkowski.  Now, how can that be already?  I think everyone of us can remember the absolutely great time we all had in Linton ND on that day 25 years ago, when we were all introduced for the first time to 'red eye'.....yip, yip, yip!  We all survived but now we know how to behave when we drink that ND specialty.....happy anniversary, Tom & Caroline!  And, the 25th anniversary on the 25th of the month...that's extra special.

Birthday cake and ice cream for everyone....

Time for a piece of birthday cake and ice cream...today it'll be served for Deize Korkowski (#42) as she celebrates another birthday.  Happy birthday, Deize; hope you have a great birthday!



Okay, so what boring thing did you have for dinner tonight?

Sunday night dinners are never anything too exotic, but when I got an email from Mike Korkowski about his dinner while elk hunting out in Colorado, I must admit MY dinner was absolutely not even close to what they ate...elk liver, heart and onions!   Oh, my...think my dinner was in my throat there for a minute. :)  He did mention that whatever Kevin Costner did with the fresh buffalo heart in Dances With Wolves...he didn't do...so, refresh our memories.  Did he eat it raw?   Guess our black bean burgers were just the right touch of 'exotic' for us after all....thanks for the pictures and the hunting news, Mike!

Base camp out in Colorado

That does look like liver!

Mike and his elk

A light-hearted approach to heart health care...

Daughter-in-law Sue Korkowski sent me the following link for a YouTube video that Mayo Clinic did to promote better heart health care.  It's a funny, light-hearted approach to a subject we all need to make ourselves aware of....enjoy...and then make sure you've checked 'your numbers'...."blood pressure, lipids and BMI" (now sing along!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkps4XwvxK4

It was Grandparents' Day at St. Francis in Rochester

On Wednesday of this week, we traveled down to Rochester to participate again in their annual Grandparents' Day at St. Francis' School, a day that is always such fun and highly entertaining.  This year, Gary & Colleen Boesen joined us to surprise their godson Isaac, who adores his godparents (maybe because they spoil him just a bit??)  At any rate, we all visited the classrooms for Evan, 3rd grade; Isaac, 1st grade; and Abby in kindergarten. 

Evan Oxentenko

Isaac Oxentenko

Abby Oxentenko

Then it was off to the auditorium where every year the teachers and staff come up with an absolutely delightful hour-long review by each grade, K-8th.  The theme this year was an homage to the Minnesota Vikings' 50th anniversary, so of course, each skit or song had something to do with the Vikings.  When the 7th graders got on stage, their skit revolved around what their grandparents' job would be if they could be employed by the Vikings organization.  There were many who insisted their grandmothers should work in the concession stands because they made the best cookies, banana bread, etc.  Then there were several who said their grandfathers would make great coaches because they were always helping their grandchildren by giving them advice, and so it went.  And, I might add, most of the kids had a bit of a costume to go along with this.  So, I think everyone was wondering what was coming when a young boy came to the microphone wearing a Green Bay Packer jersey and a cheesehead.  When it was his turn to state what job his grandfather would have in the Vikings organization, he stated..."My grandfather would be unemployed...he's an avid Green Bay Packer fan!"   He brought down the house! 

Our birthday girl for today

It's time to celebrate another birthday, and today it's for Jackie (Korkowski) Hanson (#32) up there in 'spud' country.  Best wishes for a wonderful birthday, Jackie!

Jackie Hanson



And, special recognition today to Sr. Cordy as she celebrates her feast day patron, St. Cordelia.  Thanks for being such a good example to us all!

First come, first served....

Last evening, as the sun was sinking into the horizon, I spotted a huge bald eagle swooping towards one of the trees just outside the deck and right above the shoreline.  He landed in the tree so that if not seen flying into it, no one would have been the wiser.  As I yelled for Cliff to come and see, another huge eagle was starting to swoop in and descended just below the other, but this one landed on the ground, right on the shoreline itself.  We could see him occasionally lift his wings and move slightly forward and then....the one on the ground lifted off, and we could see a fish hanging from his mouth.  As he flew away, the one in the tree started shrieking loudly and took off after him, hoping he could snare the fish himself.  As they flew out of sight, all we could hear was the high-pitched shrieking.  And the fish...we have no idea!



No airfare required

We didn't need to buy a ticket or travel a long time by air to enjoy Octoberfest this year...it was as simple as driving down to Hastings MN and enjoying a fun evening at the local German restaurant known as the Bierstube.  It is a convenient, sort of halfway, meeting place for us to get together with Paul, Sue and the kids for a couple hours; and this particular night, the restaurant, which was overflowing with business, was in the midst of their Octoberfest, complete with the guy in his German knickers and felt hat, toting an accordian around.  He sat down at our table and proceeded to do a sing-along of some of the very songs we learned while in Germany last year.  The room was rockin'!  And, the kids...though maybe a bit embarrassed at their elders singing loudly...seemed to think he was pretty good and funny as well. 

Adam and Sue Korkowski waiting for the refrain

Paul and Anna Korkowski

Alex and Paul Korkowski thinking we did pretty darn good!

Double the fun today

Another double-dip for birthdays today...Staci Korkowski (Tom & Caroline) is celebrating her 23rd birthday, while Mark Korkowski is celebrating #54.  Happy birthday to you both!

Staci Korkowski

Mark Korkowski

A bit more about Halloween...

Here's more Halloween trivia for you (it may come in handy some day if you're playing Trivial Pursuit!!)  And, look at the local connection for Halloween, but then we already knew that as the city goes crazy for about 10 days each year.  It is a VERY big deal here!

In the United States, the first citywide celebration was in Anoka Minnesota in 1921.

• 36 million is the estimated number of potential trick-or-treaters in 2007— children 5 to 13 — across the United States, down 45,000 from 2005. Of course, many other children — older than 13, and younger than 5 — also go trick-or-treating.
• More than 93% of children, under the age of 12, will go out trick-or-treating
• Over $1.5 billion is spent on costumes each year and more than $2.5 billion on other Halloween paraphernalia
• About 50% of adults dress up for Halloween, while 67% take part in the activities, such as parties, decorating the house and trick-or-treating with their children
• 86% of Americans decorate their house for Halloween
• Over 10% of pet owners dress their pets in Halloween costumes
• The first Halloween card was made in the early 1920′s. These days, over 28 million Halloween cards are sent each year. U.S. consumers spend about $50 million on Halloween greetings
• Halloween candy sales average about $2 billion annually in the United States and it is the largest candy-purchasing holiday.
• 90% of parents admit to sneaking goodies from their kids’ Halloween trick-or-treat bags
• More than 35 million pounds of candy corn will be produced this year. That equates to nearly 9 billion pieces – enough to circle the moon nearly 4 times if laid end-to-end.

In anticipation of Halloween...

Halloween Holiday Trivia

• Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the Fall harvest and black is associated with darkness and death.
• Jack o’ Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.
• Pumpkins also come in white, blue and green. Great for unique monster carvings!
• Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance and tell fortunes.
• Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America.
• The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.
• Halloween candy sales average about 2 billion dollars annually in the United States.
• Chocolate candy bars top the list as the most popular candy for trick-or-treaters with Snickers #1.
• Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday, with Christmas being the first.
• Bobbing for apples is thought to have originated from the roman harvest festival that honors Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees.
• Black cats were once believed to be witch's familiars who protected their powers.

A day for herself

Birthday wishes today for Melissa (Korkowski) Murray (#35); here's wishing you the very best on your birthday...treat yourself to a nice lunch someplace!

Melissa and her new friend

It's their special day....

Happy anniversary today to Nate & Edith Korkowski, on this their 7th wedding anniversary.  Wishing you many, many more years of happiness....congratulations!

Edith and Nate Korkowski

And, the winner is....

my high school friend down in Texas, Lorlee Bartos!  Congrats to her on winning the $25 JCPenney card.  Thanks to all who entered...we'll try it again a year from now.

A firefighter in the making?

Can't help but wonder if this will be a case of "like father, like son" (and grandfather too!) as Andrew Majhess gets to try hanging onto the fire hose when firefighters recently visited school for a bit of community education.  Got to love that gleam in the eyes!

Last call today for the anniversary drawing...

Don't forget to leave your name in a comment section for any date during the last week...winner selected tomorrow morning!

Two for the price of one....

It's a double-header for today...two birthdays to celebrate!  First there's Sean Inman (Doug & Dawn O'Donnell Inman) who turns 8, and then there's Faye Magnuson (#66) who is almost certainly going to be out on a golf course someplace in the Villages today.  Happy birthday to you both!

Sean Inman

Faye Magnuson

A decade in the making....

How time flies when you're having fun.....today, Mike and Lisa (Krentz) Stark celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary...nothing but fun, right?  For a milestone like this, it deserves a special day of celebration, so happy anniversary to you both...and go someplace nice for dinner! 

Mike and Lisa Stark

An enterprising mind never quits....

Faced with ever-mounting piles of leaves on the yard, Dennis Korkowski decided to make the job a bit easier and came up with this super-duper contraption for raking or sucking up the leaves.  You have to admit that it looks like it does the job; do we see patent papers being drawn up?  And, with the size of that thing, the best advice to any human is to get out of the way!!  Hmmm...just a wicked idea for Halloween...drive this up and down the streets of Brandon and have human groans and moans coming out of the super-sized bag!

No stripes on this guy!

Many of you know, or have heard us talk about, our friends Jim & Jackie Neilson who live on the Rum River just outside of Anoka.  Well, last week, about 10 in the morning, this albino racoon showed up for a bite to eat, and Jackie quickly snapped his picture before he scampered away.  Guess he wasn't too interested in the mum plant!  A strange sight to see for sure.