Why I Oughta...

Back on Earth Day this Spring, the kids and I went over to Benet Academy and picked up a free native tree seedling from their Environmental Club.  The tree was very small - a little trunk - and a lot of roots.  It was a Shagbark Hickory and I planted it in the backyard .  I then, promptly, forgot about the tree.  I figured it was dead.  Or never alive.  There were a couple of buds on the tree seedling, but I wasn't positive it had any life in it to begin with when I planted it in May. The tree has done nothing.  The buds didn't open.  The tree didn't leaf out at all.  Here is a look at the tree in the photo below: The photo isn't great because it is hard to get my phone to focus on the tiny, thin trunk.  Here's an annotated photo (below) with a red line showing the trunk and a few branches up top.  Again...no leaves at all on this tree. It is dead, right?  At least, that's what I assumed.  But, when I did the whole 'fingernail trick' on the trunk of the

This marks the 53rd tree that I've planted on our property since we planted our first one on Earth Day 2017.  This was a tiny, bareroot tree that we picked up from the Environmental Club from Benet Academy.  They were giving away tiny trees for their Earth Day project.  There were a couple of Oak trees to choose from (Burr and Pin) and this Shagbark Hickory.  You can see the little tree in the photo below that measures close to 36" tall including all the roots.  That's about 24" below the ground and about 12" above ground.   The roots were wrapped in newspaper and then in plastic.  I removed the packaging, straightened out some of the roots and planted in in the bed - not far from the fence - in amongst the hydrangeas on the south side of the backyard.   Here is the Shagbark Hickory as it stands now: I'm not getting too attached to this little tree, but I'll give it some water and a little bit of food and see what happens. As for the full list of trees, h

Recently, the five of us went over the Lisle and took in a Friday Night Lights Benet Game at Benedictine University.  This is shaping up to be a tradition as here's last year's ticket stub from a similar Benet Football game .  We also went to see a playoff game between Benet (Nat's Alma Mater) and Lincoln-Way East (*almost* my Alma Mater) a few years back , too.  She's clearly been working on all of us with this whole Benet thing.  Normally, they put together a solid squad.  But the game we saw?  They were dominated and utterly outclassed. 

Back in the fall, I posted a very similar photo of a Benet Academy ticket stub .  That one was for a fall football game that we went to as a family.  Both to watch the game, but also because one of the girls was dancing at halftime with the Avions (the dance group). The ticket you see above is from a recent basketball game that we attended to cheer on the Redwings .  And, once again, watch one of the girls dance at halftime with the Avions.  We had a lot of fun, despite it being a not-so-spectacular game.  First, Benet couldn't buy a bucket.  And neither could the other team.  I think the score at half was like 12 to 15 or something.  Also, it was a make-up game.  The game was originally scheduled to be in January, but because of a heavy snow storm on a Friday, they cancelled the game.  Because of that, the crowd turnout was pretty paltry.   I think there might have been something else going on at the school, so that might explain the not-so-great student turnout.  Also, I

That's the admission ticket from a Benet boys Varsity Football game that we recently went to as a family.  The Bird did a little cheerleading at halftime, Nat was able to do a little bit more immersing of the girls around Benet and I got to watch a high school football game.  Good fit all around, right?  Everyone gets a little something to like.   The game was fun to watch - and so was seeing my little girl out there cheerleading - but there was also this other interesting moment.  During the halftime show, the marching band came out like they do on Friday Night Lights all over the country.  I don't remember what they played, but I do remember who was playing.  Amongst the kids in band uniforms was this guy in his football uniform belting out his best saxophone.    See him next to the "B" at midfield? I watched him closely.  He nailed it.  Every step.  Every move.  Amazing, no?  Full time student athlete.  And member of the Marching Band?  Wow.