I heard a doctor recently interviewed about heart disease say that your heart will be much healthier if every single day, you laugh uncontrollably.  So, friends, I’m helping you out.  This video which my husband discovered on youtube, may singlehandedly save your heart.  It nearly sent me into early labor.  My co-anchor, Todd Wallace, was unable to speak for about 5 minutes after viewing this masterpiece.  A word of warning – do not stop after the first 30 seconds. It only gets more stunning as it goes on. 

  So here it is – the “neutron bomb of bad music videos.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

GIRLS’ NIGHT TO CUT LOOSE

      Between life in the newsroom, mothering two busy kids, and growing a new baby, I can get just a little run down.  Last weekend I treated myself to a little girls’ night out with my theatre buddy, Jill.  We’ve performed together at Beef and Boards in the past, but this was a night to hang out in the audience instead of on stage.   Between the girl talk, the yummy food, and the talented performers, it was the perfect escape night.  “Footloose” brought us right back to the ’80’s, big hair, tight jeans and all.  The group dances were awesome – I wanted to jump right up there and dance with them.  Only at this point in my pregnancy I might have crashed right through the stage.   Probably better that I was sitting at the table sipping iced tea while they danced their feet off.

SNOWBLOWER BLUES

      If anyone knows of a steep cliff or a dangerously high bridge from which I can toss my snowblower, please pass it along.  After getting the old dinosaur repaired, and even giving it a warm place to sleep in the house on cold nights to make sure it’s not too frozen when we need it, I am sad to say it is stubbornly refusing to start.   A good samaritan friend managed to get the thing going once for us, but today it is officially on strike.   Ian tried and tried, but it wasn’t even THINKING about giving us a break.  I am done cursing at the thing…don’t want this baby to pick up any more ugly vocabulary.   So a cliff seems like a reasonable option.  Between my big belly and Ian’s bad back (a disc that ruptured TWICE last year) shoveling isn’t going to happen.  So….we just drive over the mess until it’s good and packed down, and continue to say COME ON SUNSHINE!!!   This has to end soon.

Have a great week – thanks for reading.

Trisha

It’s been a busy week around here as we get ready for the Colts’ Superbowl victory on Sunday!  (is that bad luck?  I guess I mean to say Superbowl appearance.)

Todd, Dave, Brad and Renee are in Miami handling our coverage, and while seeing them in short sleeves under palm trees is making me quite jealous, I know my growing belly and I are much more useful holding down the fort here in Indy. 

Speaking of that…. I am making my best effort to wear blue the rest of this week BUT – my current size makes that quite a challenge.  I only have so many maternity clothes, or normal clothes that will stretch over this 25-week bump.  When you limit it to blue, my choices get even slimmer. 

So yesterday I got creative.  I found my favorite blue blouse, managed to get the top two buttons closed, and covered the rest of it with a long black maternity jacket.  (My husband got a pretty big kick out of my classy look when I got home and took the jacket off revealing the protruding belly button.)  Wish I could just show up in an oversized jersey, but I don’t think that would quite look right on the anchor desk.   

BABY UPDATE

   SHE (yep – it’s a girl) is growing well and doing great.  A 3-D ultrasound gave us this pretty remarkable look at her little face and hands. This kiddo loves to kick and squirm during the newscasts, and seems especially awake when she hears Dave Furst’s booming voice in the chair next to me.  Everything’s looking great, and we’re looking forward to her May arrival.

KARATE KIDS

   I now have not one but TWO karate kids.  After watching Calvin for the past year, 4-year-old Clara decided she really, really REALLY wanted to give it a try.  Tonight was her first lesson – Cal helped her tie on the white belt.  Daddy says she did great!  This little girl packs a very powerful punch, and looks like a very promising and dutiful student.  One friend has warned me about the possibility of a mutiny now that we have TWO kids learning serious marial arts skills.  I hope this doesn’t backfire.

SEE YOU SUNDAY

    I hope you’re enjoying the Miami coverage so far, and that you’ll switch over to RTV6 AFTER the game Sunday!  We have tons of great live coverage planned, and would love to share it with our loyal viewers.

Have a great week – GO COLTS.

Trisha

       Applause for Carmel Brownie Troop #2661!  They were out today collecting money to send a box of cookies to all 150 members of a unit in Iraq, one of whom is the father of 8-year-old scout Kiersten Veler.    

     Their leader sent in this photo. She tells me they collected enough today for 115 boxes!  Just picturing those soldiers ripping into a box of delicious cookies is making me smile tonight.

BLOG CHANGES

   Heads up for those of you who read regularly… we are in the process of creating a new blog I’ll be writing that focuses on parenting.  I’m excited for the chance to share more thoughts, personal stories, news articles, etc. about the  most consuming topic in my life!   I may even talk myself into sharing the 3D ultrasound pics of my growing peanut at 23 weeks - her face is pretty amazing!  Stay tuned…

BLUE WEEKEND

     It was fun to be in Lucas Oil Stadium for the Colts rally yesterday – I can only imagine how loud and crazy it will be in there Sunday!  My family and I will be wearing our Colts gear, glued to the TV.  My 1st grader, Calvin, has become quite a fan this year.  At school he wrote a story about his favorite players, “Patin Manig” and “Dalis Clrk”.

  Cal’s prediction: A Colts victory of 115-0.   Wouldn’t THAT be a story for our sports team!?

Have a wonderful weekend-Go Colts!!!

Trisha

So I thought I’d lighten things up and pass the time by sharing a few of the funnier moments I stumbled upon during this snowy day.

IS YOGA SUPPOSED TO BE FUNNY?

       I started the day ridiculously proud of myself.  With the snow falling and kids off to school, I got into my maternity sweats, savored a healthy breakfast of yogurt, granola, and berries, grabbed a tall glass of ice water (and okay just a TEENY bit of real caffeinated coffee) and popped in a Pregnancy Yoga DVD.   Could I be any closer to the ideal picture of healthy pregnancy???  With the relaxing music and the snowflakes falling outside the window, it all seemed so serene, so peaceful… 

  Until my husband began his drum practice in the basement.

Determined to give this baby and myself the full relaxing yoga experience (which I’ve never been patient enough to do) I forced myself to ignore the drums and focus on the stretching…the breathing… the movement.  I was doing okay, until the very-British hostess started teaching pelvic floor exercises.  Something about the way she overpronounced female anatomy words so sincerely straight into the camera, without a hint of irony, absolutely cracked me up.  Then they started the pregnant belly dance, and it was all over.

I gave up, and popped in a cool childbirth documentary, which was MUCH less hysterical and more interesting.

FROZEN PINE

     It was my turn to pick up Clara from preschool at lunchtime today.  The drive home in the still-falling snow took about twice as long as usual.  She noticed a line of pine trees out the window, pointing out the “Christmas trees with snow on them!”  I explained to her the difference between pines and other kinds of trees, and told her how much I  loved their smell. 

    So OF COURSE, the little scientist wanted to smell for herself.    I pulled over on our street, and we waded through the snow to smell a neighbor’s huge pine tree.  To her dismay, it was too frozen to be fragrant.   Bummer.  I wonder what that neighbor would have thought if she looked out the window at the two of us sticking our noses up to the icy needles??

MY HERO, GEORGE

     I don’t know George’s last name, but he’s my new hero.  He’s the guy at a repair shop who gave me some good news today: the dinosaur of a snowblower that’s been rotting in our garage for years, is not just fixable – it’s FIXED! 

   George was very vivid in his description of the odor that emerged when he soaked and cleaned the carburetor.  ” I don’t mean to be crude ma’am but if you’ve ever been in a field of sheep, there’s nothing worse than the smell of sheep sh*#, and that’s exactly what it smelled like!”  As a “Shepherd,” I suppose this is an odor I should discover some day.  Or maybe I’ll just take George’s word for it.

FINDING JESUS

     Baby Jesus showed up under our front yard tree this week.  I’m not sure whose manger scene he came from, or who decided he needed to visit our home, but there he is.  He’s got a little crack on the back of his left elbow, but is otherwise looking pretty good for an abandoned baby.  I hope we figure out what to do with him soon.  Somewhere out there I am sure a ceramic Mary and Joseph are searching desperately for their Holy Infant. 

I hope your week is going well, and that you’ve found some time to smile at life’s little absurdities. Time to get back to work on that late late newscast. Thanks for watching us and for reading!

Trisha

It looks like the boys in the Shepherd family are outnumbered.   The sonogram predicts we will be welcoming a GIRL in mid-May! 

     Clara is thrilled to be getting a sister.  Calvin was remarkably tolerant of the news that he’ll now have not one, but two little sisters tagging along with him.  I’m looking forward to breaking back open the bins of little ruffly sundresses, and Ian can’t wait to once again hear the sound of Clara’s tiny adorable flowered shoes with built-in squeakers in the soles.

    COUNTDOWN

   Does anyone else fear their children will explode with the anticipation of Christmas?  Mine are about to levitate off the ground this week.  The most useful thing I’ve discovered is that when either of them starts to have a snarky moment, all I have to do is start singing softly, “Oh, you better watch out, you better not cry….etc.”  and amazingly, the snarkiness is erased by enormous, forced grins on their faces.  Oh, the power of that dreaded Naughty List!!

VIP’S AT A CHRISTMAS CAROL

      My run as the Ghost of Christmas Past at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre just ended, and it was a wonderful experience!   I never got tired of singing the beautiful hymn at the finale, wishing the audience “Peace on earth, goodwill to men”, as Scrooge and Tiny Tim stood side by side. 

   A huge highlight for me was being able to welcome Iraq war Veteran Bruce Lauderman and his wife, Angie, to the show, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor who learned of Bruce’s struggle with cancer on this blog and got them tickets.   I know the Laudermans been through an awful lot lately, and they seemed very happy to get a night away to be immersed in Christmas spirit.  Thanks to them for coming to the show, and to the secret benefactor who arranged their visit!

CHRISTMAS WISHES…    

 I’m looking forward to a low-key Christmas at home with the family, and wishing for a peaceful, relaxing holiday.    May you all travel safely, and have a delightful holiday season!  Thanks as always for your support of our team here at RTV6.

Trisha

      Our Toy Drive coordinator-extraordinaire, Terri Cope, tells me the biggest need is for toys for a 10-12 year old, and for 0-1 year olds.  (There are some more guidelines that might be helpful on  http://abcrtv6.com/toydrive/ - such as no choking hazards for the babies, and no DVDs or CDs in case the child doesn’t have access to a CD or DVD player, etc.)

       You can bring them to any AAA or FedEx location in the area.  I’ll be out at the Carmel AAA next Weds around lunchtime, and a 6news crew will be there 10-6.  Stop by and drop off a new, unwrapped toy for the kiddos!

   In the meantime any time if you’re out and about and discover a super-sale on a nice toy, consider picking one up for someone who’s not on your list.  I love having my own kids choose something that’s for GIVING, not receiving – a very important lesson.

Happy holidays to you!

Trish

I’m one of those who likes to get the tree up IMMEDIATELY after putting the Thanksgiving turkey leftovers in the fridge.  My radio has been set on the all-Christmas stations for weeks.  And I’m humming the tunes constantly.

But this year Christmas is kicked up a notch or two in our household.  I’m moonlighting as the “Ghost of Christmas Past” in the Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre production of “A Christmas Carol” which opens Saturday.   (If that show can’t put you in the Christmas spirit, then you’re Scroogier than Ebenezer himself and should probably book a cruise for the entire month next December!)  I love all the pretty traditional carols in the show – some of them give me chills!  Eddie Curry (right) makes a fabulous Scrooge, and has been great to work with. 

     Day one of rehearsal was last Saturday, and that night I brought my kiddos BACK to the theatre to see their other Christmas production – a mainstage song and dance holiday show.   (They were pretty well-behaved through the buffet dinner since they knew the big guy in red was in the house – great ammo if you need it.) 

    Calvin’s favorite parts were the Grinch and Alvin and the Chipmunks. Clara flipped out for the Frosty number with not one but TWO dancing snowmen on stage.  “Mom, there’s TWO!!! TWINS!!” she shouted so loud that I’m sure the dueling Frosties were chuckling under their big round heads.  

    My favorite part –  I was amazed by how many gorgeous glittery dresses were in the show, and how many darned costume changes they must have had.  I’d kill for one-tenth of their wardrobe!

   Of course, Santa really made the show – SO jolly and funny, that the kids decided he MUST be the real deal Santa, not just one of those “helpers” that you find out and about this time of year. Although, they told me, the Circle of Lights Santa seemed pretty real too… and he gave them candy canes, so he gets major points for that.

  Tonight I’m going to go home and sit in the darkened living room and stare into the lights on the tree, something my mom and I liked to do when I was little.  I can’t be in a bad mood when looking at Christmas lights in my living room. Simply impossible.  

  I’ll probably be humming a carol too.

      Happy Holidays to you!

Trish

a family I adore

a baby on the way

a great job I enjoy

a roof over our heads and food on the table

wonderful friends and neighbors

      This Thanksgiving weekend will be a busy one for me – working on Turkey Day, hosting the Circle of Lights Friday, and beginning rehearsals Saturday for “A Christmas Carol” at Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre.  (I’m the Ghost of Christmas Past!)   Between all that I’m hoping to squeeze in some kind of Thanksgiving meal and get the Christmas decorations up – I’m a total cheeseball when it comes to holiday stuff! 

   I hope you have a safe and festive Thanksgiving – and if you’re working like I am, at least we can be thankful for our jobs!  Enjoy this weekend-

Trisha

     I first met Iraq War veteran Bruce Lauderman from Lebanon in the waiting room of a surgery center, where he was waiting for his daughter and I was waiting for my husband.   It was one of those chance meetings that made a big impression, and we stayed in touch.  I had no idea when I met him that this big, strong, healthy-looking veteran was battling very serious lung cancer.

    Bruce sends updates often, and the most recent says he’s dealing with quite a bit of pain that’s landed him in the hospital.   I’m sure it couldn’t hurt to have a few more positive thoughts and prayers flowing his way.  I’d be happy to foward him any messages you leave on this blog, and I’m sure he, his wife, and two kids, would appreciate it.

    Hang in there, Bruce!!!  We’re on your side!

Trisha

Perhaps by now my unbuttoned jackets have raised your suspicions…

Yes, I am doing my best to redefine “expanded” news coverage.

My family is growing. Baby Shepherd #3 should be arriving in mid-May and my husband Ian, Clara, Calvin and I are thrilled!

I feel pretty darned lucky to be surrounded by family, friends, and co-workers who are so supportive and so sincerely happy about our news. 

   I’m not expecting my juggling act to get any simpler, but I know I’ve become pretty good at making it all work somehow,  and  it will be well worth it when we meet this bundle of joy!

Have a great week-

Trish