RDH Mom

Have You Missed Me??

2010-04-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

On a whim tonight I clicked on my blog took a walk down Memory Lane. I was shocked that it has been a year since my last blog post and I am sure that all my loyal readers have forgotten about me...all 2 of them!! No matter....I realized that I have missed this blog and I felt an incredible urge to write...so writing I am going to do.

This has been a year of ups and downs. The good news is that I am healthy and happy and so is my family. There has been many changes and many opportunities for personal growth in our house. I am happy to say that we have taken advantage of all our opportunities and have grown as individuals and as a family. Of course we have also experienced intense growing pains in this process.

Cassie started high school in the fall. I am happy to say that she is doing great now, but she struggled immensely in the beginning. I will save this for its own post.

Michael is in the 4th grade and doing well. He is beginning the Big Change I think, at least his attitude at times is telling me this. I think I am ready for it, but I will sure miss my little boy. He will still scrunch up into a ball and cuddle in my lap....this makes me very happy!!

Dave is great...we celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary today....it gets better every year. I can happily say that I love and like my husband. I feel very fortunate and blessed to be able to say that.

Life is good, growing pains and all.

Giving Back and Getting So Much More

2009-04-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

Our girl scout troop volunteered today at the Soup Kitchen in a nearby town. It was our first experience doing community service in this capacity. It was actually my first experience also and I must admit I was a bit nervous and I think the girls were too. The place is not in the best location, obviously, and when we pulled into the parking lot there was already a line forming. It is one of those places that I would never pull into or get out of my car.....but I am so glad I did today.

This particular soup kitchen is supported by all the local churches in all the denominations. It is very heartwarming to see all the many faiths working together to help the community. Our church works the 4th Sunday of every month and we provide all the food for that day. Meals are served daily, with different churches/organizations donating food and services. The menu today consisted of milk or coffee, a sandwich, soup, rolls, and a dessert. We also gave a "second sandwich" to go, which we wrapped for them.

We had an hour of prep time to prepare all the food. The meal was served for one hour and fifteen minutes and then the doors were closed for the day.

I was extremely impressed with the organization, the respect, the politeness, and the kindness. We served 216 meals today and I only had one person who was rude. There were homeless people, people with mental illnesses, black people, white people, Asian people, Hispanic people, older people, men, women, and children of all ages and colors. The children pulled at my heart strings, I knew they would. The young father who got milk for him and his toddler son and then poured both milks in his son's bottle pulled at my heart strings. The young couple with 3 young daughters who had the best manners pulled at my heart strings. The older gentleman with one tooth and a dirty, ripped jacket who told me I poured the best cup of coffee he had ever had pulled at my heart strings. The older lady who thanked me for giving her a meal today pulled at my heart strings. The teenagers who I would have avoided on the street, who called me Ma'am and said please and thank you pulled at my heart strings.

I was very proud of our girls today. They served all these people with love and kindness, gave them some dignity, looked them in the eye and realized they are just people. People who are not as fortunate as they are maybe, but people like them just the same. I think our girls grew a bit today, I know I did.

This Soup Kitchen served 5400 meals last month. The number is slowly rising as our economy worsens. They have a minimal budget and rely heavily on donations. If you have the means or the time I am sure you have a soup kitchen in your community that needs help. We will definitely be back.

A Glorious Day

2009-04-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

This is the covered bridge at Knights Ferry. It is about a 2 hour drive from us. We went there yesterday for a picnic. It was a glorious day which was made even better because of the company we were keeping.We spent a lovely day with Mamarazzi and her gorgeous daughter Jordan and wonderful husband. Mamarazzi and I had the pleasure to meet a few months ago and instantly clicked. We knew our daughters would get along and they became penpals. Yesterday was their first IRL visit and we were right, they did get along beautifully.

We picnicked along the Stanislaus River. It is gorgeous this time of year. The hills are green and the wildflowers are blooming. The weather was perfect, 85 degrees and blue skies.

The girls had a blast walking along a river and climbing rocks. Big Daddy went with them and took these pictures. Mamarazzi and I sat in the shade and talked and talked. I think we talked for the entire 5 hours we were there. It is funny how we never ran out of things to say!!

Aren't these girls gorgeous?? They are beautiful through and through!

Thanks for a wonderful time Mamarazzi, Big Daddy, and Jordan. It will definitely not be our last visit!!! I love how we have clicked and I feel very honored to call you Friend.

Spring has Sprung

2009-04-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung in my garden. Let me take you on a tour.

The apple tree is full of blossoms. It looks like we will a bumper crop this year.

I have many, many roses. This is the climber that is on the arbor over the gate that leads to our pool. It has the most wonderful aroma, the old fashioned rose scent, my favorite. This climber is near our bedroom....I love it when it wafts into our room.

Another view of the delicate pink roses with the wonderful scent.

This rose is near our front door. It makes a lovely greeter for our guests.

Another front yard rose...another welcoming site as you come to our front door. I think I have about 20 rose bushes in all colors and sizes spread throughout our yards. Not all of them are in bloom yet, but all of them are covered in buds.

Here are more apple blossoms. This is Michael's apple tree. This area was left free of plants, it just contained dirt. I called it Michael's area and he spent hours and hours digging in the dirt creating roads for his cars. The area was littered with Matchbox cars and Tonka trucks. Michael also planted many, many seeds from his apples over the course of a few years hoping to grow an apple tree in his area. A few years ago we bought a tree and planted it together. It has always been known as Michael's tree and he always gets to eat the first apple of the season.

This is Michael eating the very first apple harvested from the tree. This photo was taken 3 years ago. Look how little the apple is!!

Roses, Roses, Roses....nature's perfume.

I love the sunlight filtering through the vine.

Cherry blossoms. This tree is in our pool yard and it looks like we are going to have a huge crop this year. Last year the cherries never made it into the house. We would sit by the pool and pick and eat cherries right then. Our intent was to pick and bring in the house, but they were so good, they never made it inside!! We may have enough to share with our family friends this year, maybe!

Back to Nature

2009-04-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we began our day lazing around the house. It started out as a nice peaceful morning and at some point it started to change into a bickering session between the kids.

It was at this point that I made an executive decision to get out of the house and get back to nature. I figured the children needed an attitude adjustment and a hike was just the motivation they needed.

After much grumbling and groaning and "do I have to?" asked numerous times, we loaded up the van and drove to the beginning of the trail.

This handsome fellow was the only one of my children that was very excited about the idea and he willingly jumped in the van with a big smile on his face. Isn't that smile gorgeous??

The hike started slow with the age old questions - "how long is this going to take?" "how far are we going to go?" I just smiled at them and kept walking. I knew that nature would soon weave her magic on them and their attitudes would soon change.
Remember the wildflowers Dave and I collected last week? Like I promised, these are the seeds from that bouquet.
The kids had a blast distributing the seeds among the hills. I think Baron thought they were scrumptious dog treats, he was sorely disappointed!!

We found numerous animal tracks and were able to identify raccoon, deer, coyote, and mountain lion. We even found a set of tracks that looked like a coyote hunting a small deer and taking it down. This led to a very interesting discussion about the Circle of Life, prey/predator relationships and their impact on the environment. I love these conversations with my children, it warms my heart.

We also made a new friend. After a brief relationship, she flew away.

As I expected, nature cast her magic spell on my children and the attitudes miraculously changed. Soon they were running and laughing and having a wonderful time. A bit of fresh air, some exercise, some conversation, and a lot of laughter is definitely the best medicine.

Here are the children at the end of our hike. Look at their gorgeous smiles, the happiness on their faces warms my heart. The magic is definitely working here. An hour earlier they were bickering and arguing and definitely not smiling.

More magic. I also love watching the children and dog running together. It is a truly beautiful site.

Happy Easter

2009-04-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!!! Have a joyful and peaceful day!!

We will spend the day with our parents and have a wonderful Easter meal and Easter egg hunt for our kids....I am so glad they are not too old for the egg hunt...I know that day is coming.

Enjoy.

Urban Landscape

2009-04-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

As you know...I love nature. If I had my druthers, I would live on acres and acres and grow all my own food and have cows, goats, chickens, horses, etc. I find much beauty and solace in nature and peace and quiet. Bird song and insect song is beautiful music to my ears.

Of course, that is not my life. I live in suburbia, close to the big city and close to nature. It is actually a perfect place to live, I get the best of both worlds. I also try to see beauty everywhere. I have been known to pull over when driving when something pleases my eye.

I don't have a great camera, just a point and shoot device....someday I would LOVE a nice camera - are you listening Santa??

On our trip to the big City to see Wicked- the most wonderful musical - I decided to bring the camera and find beauty in our urban landscape. This is what we saw...some of the pictures were taken by me and some were taken by Cassie. Every one of these photos speaks to me in a different way.....Enjoy.

Beauty can be found everywhere....it is all a matter of perspective.

A Welcome and a Thank You

2009-04-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

There is a new blogger in our midst. Her name is Pam, we affectionately refer to her as Auntie Pammy in our house. I have had the pleasure of calling her a dear friend for many years now. Here is the link to her blog...head on over and say Hi and give her a big bloggy welcome!!

I also want to acknowledge a regular commenter on my blog. She comments under Anonymous but always signs her comments "Karen in SC". She is my son Michael's birth great aunt and a truly beautiful person. Her comments are wonderful, she gives the best advice and adds a dose of love in every word. She is a very wise woman and I feel totally blessed to have her in my life. Thanks Karen...I love you!!

Have a wonderful day everyone!!

Wicked

2009-04-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

Last summer, while on a vacation, I read Wicked. It is a wonderful book, I highly recommend it. I immediately made a mental wish that the musical would come to town because I missed it the last time it was here.

I came home from vacation and was checking my email when lo and behold....Wicked was coming to town and I had an invitation to purchase tickets before they went on sale to the general public!!

I could not get my credit card out fast enough!! Today was the much anticipated day and let me tell you....I was not disappointed and neither was Cassie. The show was FABULOUS!! Words alone cannot describe it. If you have a chance....go see it!!! You will not be disappointed...actually..you will...when it is over!! I almost cried when it ended. I did cry when Elphaba and Glinda sang this song:

Another favorite part was this song....The song itself is amazing, but the stage show is equally amazing for this song -

I think this is my new favorite musical!!

Healing after the Storm

2009-04-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Experience has taught me that growth is born from pain. There are no regrets, only lessons to be learn. Mistakes are made in order to educate myself in life. I know this, but it is so hard to remember when mired in the pain.

Last week/month has been difficult here, as you read on my post the other day. I knew there would be much growth both individually and as a family, but I also knew we had to go through the mire and pain to get there. I think we are there now, I know we are there now. Our family has grown and so have we individually.

Healing, for me, at times can be difficult. I know what my spirit needs to heal, but sometimes I am so mired in the muck that I resist my needs. I knew, this time, I had to fight through the muck or I would get so entrenched in it that I would not find my way out, for awhile.

Friday night both children were gone on sleepovers and Dave had plans with a friend. I knew that if I stayed home alone I would make myself very comfortable in the muck. Usually I love my alone time...but not this time. I knew it would be unhealthy for me.

I called my best friend, the one person who knows me better than anyone. We have been friends for over 30 years (can you believe we are that old T??) My friend who has a blog but won't give me the link to it!!!, but reads my blog daily!!! Anyway....we went out for Chinese food and then came to my house and made cookies and talked and laughed for hours. For Hours!! It was wonderful. Just what I needed...some Girlfriend Time. Thanks T....you are the bestest friend ever....(even if you won't link me to your blog).

Saturday Dave and I had the day to ourselves. The kids were not due home until mid afternoon. I suggested that we take the hike I took you on yesterday in my post. It was a glorious day and the hills were more colorful than they were last week. We walked for over 2 hours and talked and laughed and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Halfway through the walk I realized that Dave was not next to me. I turned around and saw him bent over picking a wildflower. There is nothing more endearing to me, or humbling, than to see the man I love picking a wildflower. It brought tears to my eyes. We lamented about picking a bouquet because our motto about nature has always been - "Leave only footprints and take only pictures and memories". We felt it would be wrong to pick a bouquet, but we really wanted to. So...we compromised. We picked a bouquet and promised the Wildflower Fairies that we would save the seeds and return them to the hills. We spent the next half of the walk picking the gorgeous bouquet you see in this post.

We weathered the storm. We have grown as a family and as individuals. Healing, for me, took place in the laughter, the friendship, the love, the flowers, the hills....nature. Another storm is brewing on the horizon. I do not know when it will get here, but know it will come. I have gained important knowledge through this storm. I know it will help me through the next one. Most importantly I know that through love and nature....I will flourish, I will grow, and I will heal.

Spring Hike

2009-04-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

I found this trail a couple of months ago quite by accident. I was walking my dog and saw an entrance to a fire road and decided to do a bit of exploring. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. The trail/fire road winds its way through the hills around town and goes on for miles. We have been walking it regularly. Baron can get some off leash time, which he LOVES, and I can enjoy the quiet of nature, which I LOVE. It is about a 2 mile walk from our house, up hills, to the beginning of the trail and then we will walk the trail for about a mile before going home. The other day I decided to go on a wildflower walk on the trail. We have had a lot of rain recently and the wildflowers are just beginning to bloom. I knew we would walk quite a distance, so we drove to the beginning of the trail, and I am glad we did. We ended up walking for almost 2 hours and it was pure heaven.

This is my favorite time of year. The hills are green and lush, the skies are blue, and the air is full of birdsong. Oak trees are one of my favorite trees, redwoods being the other. They are so majestic and strong. I love seeing an old oak tree in a sea of green grass. Baron has decided to have a rest in the shade of this beauty. Doesn't he look small and insignificant next to the tree?

We won't be able to hike this trail much longer. All this beautiful green grass will soon be a deadly carpet for Baron. Fox tails....thousands of them are just waiting to bloom. I have spent thousands of dollars at the vets due to these pesky little critters. I avoid them at all costs. Also, this area is rattlesnake heaven. These creatures will soon be out of hibernation and I do not want to encounter any of them. One of my childhood dogs was killed by a rattlesnake...it was horrible. We will enjoy the beauty now and pack it away in our mind until next spring.

Just gorgeous...more oak trees...more lush greenness. Soon all these hills will be golden brown in the hot days of summer. The greenness will be gone for another year.

Our first wildflowers. I don't know what these are called, but they reminded me of baby daffodils. I loved them.

Purple lupine and California poppies. California at its finest!! What a winning combination.

Lupine in the background and I am not sure what in the foreground, but it pleases my eye and soul. I think I need to do a quick tutorial on wildflowers!! I must educate myself.

The hills are definitely alive with color. This picture does not do it justice. The poppies, the lupine, the oaks, the sea of green...it does not get much better than this.

Baron and I enjoyed our wildflower hike. We will be back again, but not until next year. The fox tails are blooming and the rattlesnakes are waking up. We will be smart and safe and find a new walking trail. I also saw mountain lion tracks on the trail....it was very exciting!!

Difficult Times

2009-04-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

Today I have an emotional hang over. You know the feeling? I am drained, tired, anxious, and have zero energy. Yesterday, yesterday....how should I begin? It all started 14 years ago when we came up with the brilliant idea to adopt a baby!! No one told us that parenting would be so fucking hard! Why doesn't anyone warn you?

I have blogged about the difficulty with Michael the past few months in regards to his homework and such. Happily, I can say....it is much easier now. We found a solution that is working without too much tear, drama, and yelling. Thank.God.

Cassie...my sweet little girl Cassie. She is struggling right now and it is breaking my heart. She had an issue last month that was heartbreaking and very difficult, as a parent, to go through...but we did. As usual, with hard situations, we came out the other side stronger and learned some valuable lessons. I was just coming off this emotional roller coaster and thought (big mistake) that I was going to coast for awhile.

Yesterday, my phone rang at lunch...it was the school. It was her Spanish teacher asking me if I had seen/signed the test she sent home on Tuesday. I honestly could not remember (I sign so many papers from this nice Catholic school on a daily basis) and asked her what the grade was. 59%, she tells me and she said it is signed, but she did not recognize the signature. Do you see where this is going? Yes, you guessed right. I was hoping for the outcome that I really did sign it, but just didn't remember....nope, no chance.

Cassie's version - she forged it because she forgot to have me sign it and she did not want to get a deficiency and the reason she got caught is because it was the first time she had done it and she wasn't very good at it. At least she didn't add the word "yet" to the end of her tirade....little things to be grateful for!!

This rocked me to the core. It is not the fact that she failed the test, it is the dishonesty. I don't like the dishonesty. It scares me to see this in my child. I feel that I have failed somehow. There is something that I am not doing that I should be doing, or I have done something that I should not have done.

I was able to get down to the nitty gritty with her. I knew there was more to the story than this superficial stuff. Sure enough...more bullshit from her "oh so catholic" bitch classmates. Can you tell I am done with them. I swear this school just breed viciousness in its girls. I can do nothing about it either. Cassie does not fit into their mold (thank God!!) and she tries to, oh how she tries to, but unfortunately, it only makes the situation worse. The school is too damn small to escape the narrow mindedness....hence...she is singled out and teased mercilessly. One more month of this crap...just one more month.

I know that Cassie plays a vital role in all this drama and I am trying to teach her this. She comes home from school internally raging from her hurt and frustration and Michael gets the brunt of her unleashing. I told her that these girls are carrying around a bunch of shit that they don't know what to do with so they dump it on her and willingly carries it around until she comes home and it gets too heavy for her so she dumps it on Michael. I told her there was too much shit flying around and it was getting very stinky. How do you teach a 13/14 year old girl to not pick it up?

I wish she had more self confidence/esteem to ignore the comments/looks/whispers from her classmates. My heart breaks for her....it is horrible. I also know that she needs to learn how to do this or the pattern will just repeat itself in high school with a different group of kids. I told her this, I hope it helps her.

Last night as I was mired in this muck, ready to cry at the drop of hat, our doorbell rang. It was our next door neighbor with 2 tickets to the San Francisco Giants vs. Oakland A's game in the City. I did not want to go. I wanted to crawl in bed and cry. We went and I did cry, in the car, until we reached the Bay Bridge. Seeing the beautiful City and the bay calmed me. We had a good time, did not stay out too late, but it was just enough to get away, as adults. I truly believe God guided our neighbor to our house....Dave and I truly needed the little get away.

I am still a down today. I don't know what Cassie's punishment at school is going to be. I don't know how she will deal with the drama from her classmates. She has only 1 more month at this school....1 more month....I hope she makes it.

If you are still reading this...thanks...I needed the vent. I feel lighter.

A Special Visit

2009-04-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a very special visitor, Cassie's birthmother and little sister. We have been very fortunate to have a open adoption relationship with her and they live fairly close to us. We don't see them very often, but we thoroughly enjoy our visits when we have them.

Cassie's birthmother has another daughter now, she is 17 months old and is absolutely gorgeous. She does not physically resemble Cassie, but I see aspects of Cassie in her. Seeing this precious little angel takes me back to the days when Cassie was that little. It seems like it was just the other day, but, she will be 14 next month. I can't believe how fast time goes by. They have the same little hands and the same little feet. They have some of the same expressions and the same laid back personalities. Cassie's birthmother knows how to make her daughters, they may not look like her, but they have all her good qualities.

Seeing Cassie's birthmother (CM) reminds me of the love and gratitude I feel for her. Without her, I would not be a mom. To be perfectly honest, there are days when I question my desire to become a mom. When I think - "What the hell was I thinking? I signed up for this crap?" But, then again, there are days when I look at my children and cannot imagine what my life was like before I became a mom.

I love my role as a mother. I cherish it. I take it very seriously. I value it. I thank CM everyday for allowing me to take this journey. CM and I are very close. We may not see each other often, but when we do, it is like we just saw each other the day before. Our relationship is very easy going, casual, and comfortable. She walks in the house, kicks off her shoes, takes a seat, and we immediately begin our hours long chat fest. Literally, hours long. I am truly blessed to have this relationship with her. Cassie adores seeing her, and adores her little sister. She dotes on her, it warms my heart.

When Dave and I began our adoption journey 15 years ago, we were adamant about not having an open adoption. We decided we would sent a picture or two in the child's lifetime, but that was it. Somewhere along the way, we changed our minds, our perspectives. Thank God we did. I feel like we have a perfect balance. We have a precious daughter who is loved by our family and her birthfamily. We have a relationship with them that is not too intrusive on either side, but inclusive in love and respect. Cassie knows where she came from and where she is going.

CM gave us a gift 14 years ago, we are giving Cassie a gift in knowing her birthfamily, we are giving CM a gift in knowing her daughter. It is a definite win/win situation.

A Poet Among Us

2009-04-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

Jan emailed me today to let me know that she published a few of Cassie's poems on her blog for National Poetry Month. I was so excited and couldn't wait to tell Cassie. I felt like my daughter won the Pulitzer Prize!! Crazy, isn't it? Needless to say, Cassie was very excited and when writing a comment on Jan's post, she wrote another poem...just like that. I wish I had that talent!! Here is the post.

Thanks Jan...you made her day...and mine too!!!

The Next Journey

2009-03-03T19:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I registered my daughter for high school. I then came home and began to have a nervous breakdown, just a mini one.

I know she will be fine. I am looking forward to her starting this new chapter in her life. I am excited for her.

I am scared to death. I worry about her. I want to protect her. I don't want her to get hurt.

She has been at the same small private school for 9 years. She will be going to the local public high school where she will have 400 (more or less) children in her freshman class. She has been with the same 35 children for the past 9 years. This will be a huge change.

Intellectually I know she will be fine. I know that it will be a HUGE adjustment for her, but once she survives the first few months, she will be fine. She has a good head on her shoulders, has strong morals, likes herself, and respects herself.

Emotionally, as a mom, I want to protect her from all the mean people in the world. I don't want her to ever get her feelings hurt. I don't want her to get her heart broken. I want to put her in a plastic bubble and keep her innocence intact.

Realistically I know this is not possible. I know that she needs to hurt, in order to grow. She needs to experience life in order to live. Her hurts and broken hearts will help create the woman she is becoming. I know this, but I still don't like it.

She, on the other hand, is very excited about this new venture. Nervous? Yes, she will admit to that, but her excitement overrides her nervousness.

"I can't wait to meet new people and make a fresh start." This is what she told us at the dinner table tonight. The past 9 years has not been easy for her. She is ready for a new start and we are ready to watch her bloom and flourish, hurts and all.

One Mountain at a Time

2009-03-01T13:07:00.000-08:00

As I sit here listening to rain gently falling outside I find myself reflecting on the past month and the struggles and triumphs I have experienced. As I come down the other side of the mountain I remember the struggle going up the other side. Parenting. It is a journey of climbing mountains and coasting down the opposite side. I am almost afraid to say out loud that I have reached the summit and am teetering on the cusp of the mountain. I am afraid to jinx myself.

Michael. My sweet little son. My angel boy. The source of my struggle this past month. Every night became a battle over homework. He would become distraught, cry, whine, dig his heels in and refuse to do his homework. I would become distraught, yell, pull my hair out, and say things I am not proud of. I was at my wits end and tired of the nightly battle. One night I almost didn't come home from work, I could not fathom another night of the same. Night after night, nothing changed.

I prayed about it.

An answer came to me. Every time he started to have a meltdown, he was told to take a seat on the carpet and I put the timer on for 9 minutes (he is 9 years old). Every time he cried, whined, yelled, broke down - the timer was reset for 9 minutes. Sometimes he sat there for 30 minutes. I did not yell or scream. He would finally calm down, the timer would go off, and he would get up and complete his work.

This worked....for awhile. Unfortunately I would find myself putting the timer on over and over again in the evenings. I was at a loss again. Inspiration came to me yet again.

At the beginning of each week a list was started. Whenever we needed to discipline Michael we wrote it on the list. Whenever he did a kind act, was responsible, etc. he would cross an item off the list and write down the positive act. At the end of the week, if there were any items not crossed off, he lost privileges for that weekend (TV, computer time, dessert, etc). He has never lost a privilege and his list is getting shorter and shorter and his good deeds are multiplying.

This has been working for the past few weeks. We have noticed a marked improvement in his attitude and behaviour. I am not a screaming banshee in the evenings. Peace has been restored to our house, for the time being.

Boundaries, consequences, praise, rewards, patience, love and kindness, respect. Climbing the mountain is hard work. At times I can not see the summit and I despair of falling down. Perseverance fuels my ascension, add to that the love and commitment required to be a parent and I reach the summit. As I coast down this mountain I look ahead and see another mountain on the horizon. I can't tell how far away this mountain is, or how difficult it will be to conquer. Conquer it I will though. I will bring with me my perseverance, my love, my commitment, my patience, and my faith.

Parenting...one mountain at a time.

Fun Monday

2009-02-22T18:34:00.000-08:00

Our wonderful hostess this week is Ari who is going Beyond Her Slab with this assignment:

It's time for show and tell. What does your kitchen counter look like right now? (And no fair cleaning just for the picture!) Do you have any favorite or unusual items on your counter?

A typical kitchen will have a potted plant or possibly a flower like this orchid...

..and a bowl of fruit and possibly a banana stand....

...it is quite possible to have some trivets lovingly made by the children who reside in the house..

...maybe some artwork on the wall that gives a glimpse into the personality of the person who spends a lot of time in the kitchen.

Of course my kitchen has all of the above. I am very fortunate though. As you know I live with a 9 year old boy and he LOVES to play on the kitchen counter. I regularly find other interesting items on the counter. Usually these items are legos (either in pieces or formed into an interesting creation), books, cars, trains, etc. This is what I found on the counter today.

A car that crashed and rolled and landed upside down. I am not sure what was the cause of the accident, and I didn't ask.

A train complete with its tender.

R2D2 laying down, I hope he is just taking a nap and is not passed out, you just never know with these Star Trek characters. The yellow/green puff toy is an animal he made in art class. I am sure it has a name but I have forgotten it.

A silver truck that has mysteriously come apart. It may have been involved in the crash with the white car, I am not sure, sometimes it is better to not ask any questions.

The Awesome Book of Sharks! What household is complete without this book?

Now I know you all know what this is! What? You don't know? I am surprised at you! It is a wigwam, of course. This is a project for school. Michael made the framework out of pipe cleaners and paper maiche'd the covering. He then painted it brown.

And last, but definitely not least....what kitchen is complete without an ongoing science experiment. This container is growing triopes, a prehistoric creature that resembles a shrimp.

That concludes your tour of my kitchen...thanks for visiting. To tour more kitchens, feel free to visit all the other Fun Monday participants.

Just the Other Day

2009-02-21T19:06:00.000-08:00

Just the other day I took this picture of my daughter. It was on her First Communion Day. She looked like a little angel, so sweet and beautiful.

A few days after the above picture I took this picture of her. My sweet little angel girl, so precious and kind. She was always willing to help, never uttered an unkind word. She was so innocent and young.

Today I took this picture of her. How did this happen? Yesterday she was the girl in the previous pictures. How can she change so much overnight? She is still young and beautiful.

She is still kind and sweet and innocent.

The only difference now is that she has added a few new features to her personality. Coincidentally these features were added when she started adding new features to her physical presence.

The eye rolls, the groans, the tears, the drama....I don't think I signed up for this portion. What happened to the little girl of yesterday? At times I still glimpse her and I am sure she is still there somewhere. Hopefully she will return someday, a more mature version of her.

I do need to count my blessings though. Cassie is very innocent and sweet. She is still very helpful and she has a kind soul. She will go far in life, we just need to get through the next four years.

She is graduating 8th grade this year and will enter high school in the fall. Today we took graduation portraits and I snapped these pictures before we went to the studio. Her beauty brings tears to my eyes, both her inner and outer beauty.

Just the other day we were bringing her home from the hospital....what a journey it has been.

Night Happenings

2009-02-19T20:29:00.000-08:00

Last night was a very strange night in our household. As you know, I have been battling the plague this week and my sinuses are a wreck. It is OK when I am upright, but at night the breathing becomes very difficult. Apparently, this makes me a very loud sleeper and because my husband is a very light sleeper...well you get my point. At around 2:00 am this morning Dave had had enough and went to sleep on the couch. This is not strange by any means, but what happens next is very strange.

I woke up when he left our room and continued to doze off and on the rest of the night. At one point I "heard" him walking back to our room, but he wasn't. Later I heard the TV on very loudly for an instant before the volume was lowered. I didn't think much of these instances until I spoke with Dave today. Here is his version of last night.

He was laying on the couch but couldn't sleep so he had the TV on very low. He eventually fell asleep only to be woken up by the volume on the TV increasing. He woke up confused and turned the TV off. He then heard the door to the garage opening and closing. He said other strange noises and occurrences were happening all night.

After he told me what happened to him, I told him that I was sure I heard him walking in our room, but he wasn't. He was very troubled by this and thought that maybe someone was walking around our house last night. I assured him that is was not a "real" person because our dog would have barked or attacked or something. But, I do think "someone" was walking around our house last night. I think this spooked him more than a real person.

I wonder if he will sleep tonight??

Back to Reality

2009-02-19T10:23:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all your well wishes, your chicken soup, and your lovely comments. We are on the mend finally. The kids are back in school today and I am going into work at 1:30. I feel like we are entering the land of the living finally. It rained every day we were sick and today the sun is shining and the sky is blue. It is the perfect compliment to my mood.

For some reason I cannot send email, only receive it. I apologize in advance for not being able to reply individually to all your comments.

Oh..one more thing...we still don't have lice!!! Life is good!

Quarantine

2009-02-17T10:05:00.000-08:00

We have the plague in our house right now. Michael, Cassie, and myself are affected, or should I say infected. Dave was smart and left home to go to work today. Hopefully he will bypass the plague. Symptoms of the plague - vomiting, diarrhea, cough, sore throat, stuffy head, fever and body aches. So much fun!! I guess it could be worse...we could also have the lice problem that is going around the school!

I am off to cycle the laundry. Please send healing thoughts our way...and some chicken soup!!

Fun Monday

2009-02-15T19:53:00.001-08:00

Our wonderful hostess this week is the lovely Gattina, and here is her assignment:

Please show us what you wear on your feet inside your home ! Do you wear slippers, flip flops, shoes or nothing ? just take a picture and show us your feet !

Sounds simple enough! Here are my feet:

Ooops...sorry...those are my dog's toes....here are mine...

These are my winter feet, in the summer my toes are painted and my legs are hairless. I always go barefoot in the house unless it is really, really cold and then I put socks on. Up until last year I wore socks 24/7 year round, now I only wear socks when I put shoes on. I attribute that to the perimenopause phase I am entering!!

The Perfect Valentine

2009-02-14T18:30:00.000-08:00

Nine years ago at exactly 7:11 am we were given The Perfect Valentine. A seven pound, eleven ounce bundle of joy emerged from his warm cocoon into the arms of the beautiful woman who carried and nourished him for nine months. This selfless woman looked at him with love in her eyes and welcomed him into this world. She then looked at me with love in her eyes and said the following words as she placed him in my arms - "Here is your son".

Those four words said with love and sadness, hope and joy were music to my ears. That little bundle has grown into the handsome boy you see in the above picture. He makes us laugh, he pushes my every button, he has angered me beyond belief, he fills my heart to bursting with love. He gives the best hugs and will still fold himself into my lap for snuggles. His sweet little boy smell is more appealing to me than expensive perfumes. He is stubborn, strong willed, intelligent, funny, sweet, kind, lovable, meticulous, and handsome. His brilliant blue eyes have a sparkle in them that will light up a room.

He is my son, my Perfect Valentine. I am eternally grateful to Laura, his birth mother. Her selfless act, done with love and heaviness in her heart, fulfilled my dream of being a mother for the second time. I can never repay her, but I can raise him, our son, to the best of my ability. My hope for him is to grow up to be a responsible, kind, loving adult. That was her wish for him, that is how we will repay her.

Happy Birthday my Perfect Valentine.....Thank you Laura.

Still Here....

2009-01-19T18:07:00.000-08:00

I am still here, still alive and well, my family is well, there has not been any trauma or drama or catastrophes....my only excuse for being MIA for the past 2 weeks is LIFE. I have barely turned on my computer to check emails, I have not visited any blogs, I have not even thought about blogging.....I have been a very bad bloggy friend. I am sorry, truly sorry (hanging head in shame). Thank you my good bloggy friends for being concerned about me and sending me emails. It is so nice to know that I am loved.

This is the LIFE I mentioned above. Work, clean, cook, grocery shopping, walk dog, laundry, help with homework, drive children around, work, clean, cook, laundry, watch son play basketball, walk dog, watch daughter play volleyball, work, clean, cook, etc. Nothing exciting at all, except for the new hiking trail we found. We have been hiking it weekly and love it. The above picture was taken at the top of the hill. The bridge you see in the right hand upper corner is the Golden Gate Bridge. The weather here has been 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. It is very weird, I wish it would rain, but we have been enjoying the gorgeous views on our hike.

That is my story, nothing exciting, all is well. I am going to start visiting tonight so put the kettle on please!

Cassie and Michael resting at the top of the hill. The hike is about 2 miles straight uphill, very steep in areas. It is very difficult but the views are well worth it!

Clouds

2009-01-06T20:02:00.000-08:00

What do you see when you look at this cloud? My son saw an elephant. I can see that too. He is facing the left and his trunk is curled up. What do you see?

What about this one? Michael saw a bunny hopping. I couldn't really see it. I see Mickey Mouse with a really long nose. What do you see? I love looking at clouds, don't you?

Something very strange happened to me last night/this morning. I woke up out of a deep sleep and I was very, very nauseous. I was afraid to move I felt that sick. I laid there trying to calm down and figure out what the cause of this feeling was. I didn't feel sick, sick, just extremely nauseous. As I was laying there, I realized that I was in the middle of a dream before I awoke. In the dream I was flying a small biplane, making loop-di-loops, and basically not flying in a straight line. It dawned on my that I was suffering from motion sickness! That has never happened before.

Altered Book

2009-01-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of altered books? I hadn't either until Lisa asked if anyone was interested is starting a round robin with altered books. I did a bit of research online and decided to sign up.
I used to collect old books and have many that I obtained for no other reason than they interested me. I perused my inventory and selected a cookbook from 1942. It contains many pictures that I thought would be fun to incorporate in the altering process. Above is my altered front cover.
This is the front and back covers.

This is the front inside spread where the "alterers" will sign in when they leave their mark on the book. The whole process will take about a year as our books will travel the country being altered by the group. I am very excited about this new endeavor, it is just the creative outlet I need right now. I mailed my book today, the round robin has begun. I will keep you updated periodically throughout the year.

Fun Monday

2009-01-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

The first Fun Monday of 2009 is being hosted by the lovely Faye, from Summit Musings. Here is her assignment for us:

"What's on your mind as we close out 2008 and begin 2009? Large and small. What are often your first thoughts the minute you wake up? When you're alone and unguarded? Working? Stuck in traffic? Playing with the children? Walking the dogs? When you can't sleep?"

I thought this was going to be easy, but I was wrong. I tried to catch myself at these unguarded moments and remember what I was thinking about. I came to the conclusion pretty quickly that this was not a very good idea. My ideas and thoughts are very random and all over the place. I am afraid if I write them down, someone will think I am insane and have me committed. But, because we are all friends here, I am going to take my chances. If the men in the white coats knock on my door, I will know who called them.

*I wonder if my cat bite is getting infected.

*I wonder if I will lose my arm from the cat bite.

*I should make a hand held sign that says "HANDS FREE' and hold it up to people talking on their cell phones while driving.

*I wonder if I would be breaking the law if I held a hand held sign while driving.

*I wonder if I will make it up this hill without passing out.

*I never knew I could hear my pulse in my ear before, I wonder if that means this hill is too hard to walk up.

*I wonder what this place looked like 500 years ago.

*I wonder what my children will be like as adults.

*Do I have to work today? (first thought upon awakening)

*I wonder if I will ever lose the weight for good.

*I wonder if I will ever be debt free.

As you can see, my mind is pretty random. I am sure there are others, but thoughts go in and out of my mind constantly. This exercise has definitely heightened my awareness of my thoughts. The last two came up quite frequently, obviously they weigh heavy on my mind (no pun intended). This is the year I tackle both of them and hopefully as we ring in the year 2010 I will have made some positive changes in those areas.

A New Year Day Tradition

2009-01-02T15:38:00.000-08:00

Our tradition for New Year's Day is to go on a family hike. This year we challenged ourselves and went on our hardest hike to date. If you remember we found a new hiking trail in November and since we loved it so much we decided to hike it again. The first mile of the hike is uphill, some parts steeper than others, but it is a definite uphill grade.

We reached the ridge line and looked to the left and saw this trail snaking its way up another hill. The day was very foggy and the trail looked like it was going straight to heaven. We decided to keep going uphill, this is after a mile of uphill we just completed!

Up we went, into the fog, our lungs burning, our thighs burning...it was gorgeous.

The last portion felt like we were walking up steep stairs. I felt like I would have fallen backward if I stumbled at all. It was quite unnerving. Of course the dog and kids just ran up the hill like it was nothing while Dave and I were sucking air and dripping sweat.

At the top we looked back and our trail was swallowed up by the fog, a gorgeous site. I love foggy days and I love hiking on foggy days.

Foggy days are somewhat eerie and when we walked by a dead tree full of turkey vultures, the eerie factor was escalated.

I was able to capture a profile of these gorgeous scavengers. They may be eerie, but I think they are beautiful birds.
On the way down the hill the kids found this crater and decided to explore it. I think it is an earthquake fault line, but I didn't tell them that. I think Baron is trying to rescue them.

Speaking of Baron, isn't that a gorgeous face? He looks so happy. He loves nothing more than to run free in the hills, exploring the wilderness.

Speaking of gorgeous faces, this is definitely my new favorite picture. They look so healthy and happy.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T15:23:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all my bloggy friends. I have been blogging for just over a year now and I am still amazed at this whole blog world. I have met some incredible and talented people, I have learned so much about myself and the world, and I have even been lucky enough to meet 2 blog friends in real life!! It has been a wonderful year and I want to thank all of you for welcoming me into this virtual world with open arms. There were many times this year when your kind and thoughtful words helped me through hard times, many times when you laughed with me and at me, many times when you rejoiced with me over triumphs, many times when you helped me through tribulations. Thank you, my friends. Yes, blog friends are real friends.

We spent a quite evening at home last night and had our own cocktail party.

Cassie and I created quite a spread of appetizers that we had for dinner and munched on through the night.

We played games, watched movies, and stayed warm with a cozy fire.

We toasted in the New Year with our "cocktails" and enjoyed each others' company. It was a wonderful party, lots of laughter, lots of fun. I hope your night was peaceful and fun, and safe.

Take a Step Back in Time...

2008-12-30T18:13:00.000-08:00

If you woke up in the morning from these comfortable quarters and stepped outside your lavish accommodations to this view....

...and walked across these grounds to the baking room...

....and prepared the morning loaves of bread....

...to bake in this outside brick oven...

...and then walked across the grounds to the general store to pick up some necessities....

....and then walked next door to the candle maker to pick a new tallow...

...and then walked back across the compound......to the kitchen to check on lunch preparations...

...and then went to your office to...

...review the applications for the recent job posting you have been advertising for...

....and then went to the weaver's manufacturing plant to check on the special order blanket you are having made.........and then walked across the compound to visit the hardened criminal you have in your basement jail cell..

....you may just be John Sutter, and you may live at...

...Sutter's Fort in Downtown Sacramento. Of course when this was your typical day this was not Downtown Sacramento and you weren't also surrounded by high rises. We stepped back in time today as we toured this historic fort. The day was cold and foggy, a perfect day to step back in time.

As much as I was tempted to leave Michael in the basement jail cell, I showed mercy on his tender soul and allowed him to come home with us.
The best part of the day was finding this little gem tucked behind the fort. Unfortunately they did not allow picture taking inside. This is now my favorite museum. I loved it and highly recommend it. It was chock full of art, history, photos, jewelry, weapons, baskets....I could have spent hours in there. I will definitely be back, it is an incredible place.

Before and After...and other ramblings

2008-12-29T19:35:00.001-08:00

This is my sweet, darling daughter before she left the house this morning.

Here she is 2 hours later after she came home. What a difference!! She left the house a pimply, brace-faced kid and came home a gorgeous teenager....how does that happen? I think my life just got more complicated.

On another note...I hope everyone had a wonderful holidays. Ours was fantastic....and now they are over. Today I put away all the decorations and undecorated the tree and composted it. The Magic is over for another year. I always love getting ready for Christmas and when it is over, I love getting the house back together and normalizing everything.

Fortunately, I am still on vacation this week. I am thoroughly enjoying these days of leisure. Cassie and I saw Twilight last week. She loved it, I was ambivalent. I think the movie was poorly cast, although the girl who played Bella did a wonderful job. I loved the book though and I think the movie that plays in your head while reading a book never quite measures up to the movie that shows on the big screen.

Of course there are always exceptions and Marley and Me is just that exception. I loved the book, I laughed, I cried...I totally relived my dog raising years while reading the book. The movie was great, it was phenomenal. I was worried about Owen Wilson doing the movie justice...he did. I laughed, I cried, I relived my dog raising years while watching the movie. While I was sobbing at the end I looked over at Michael and he had tears coursing down his cheeks...it was very touching. I highly recommend the movie, but read the book first.

We are going on a field trip tomorrow....I will post about it when we get home.

Have a great day!!!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T18:45:00.000-08:00

I wish you a peaceful and joyful Christmas. I hope Santa brings you everything you asked for. I hope your day is free of family drama and angst. I wish for health and happiness for you and your families.

Merry Christmas my dear bloggy friends, I hope your day is filled with magic.

This is my absolute favorite Christmas song.....Enjoy.

Annual Train Trip

2008-12-23T18:20:00.000-08:00

Today we took our annual train ride to Old Sacramento. Our trip is the same every year, our children love tradition. If you are interested in seeing what we do every year, please refer to this post from last year. This year I decided to take you on tour of Old Sacramento and show you snippets of this beautiful, historic area that you might miss if you were visiting.

Sit back and enjoy your tour of Old Sacramento...

This frightened me a bit. Unfortunately, I don't think the general public's attitude has changed much.

This is for my good friend Slick. Is this how you say good bye to your lovely family when you go to work??

The Sacramento River.

I hope you enjoyed your tour...we definitely enjoyed our adventure!!

Another Good Laugh

2008-12-18T22:06:00.000-08:00

More items to bring a smile to your face. These were also sent via email from my Mother in Law...Enjoy!

Have a great day!!

Award and a Meme

2008-12-17T21:40:00.000-08:00

Weeks ago my dear friend Dysfunctional Mom gave me this adorable award. Can't you smell the puppy breath?? Thank you so much, you are very kind and sweet. If you have never visited Dysfunctional Mom do so now...you will not be disappointed.

Around the same time I was tagged by Storyteller....here it is:

"I’ve lost several friends through Breast Cancer. We can only hope that there will always be funds enough to keep the research going. Some illnesses can never be cured, but there’s been so much progress in Cancer Research that many people have been saved.One of the most important things is Early Detection. Read more about that here.

* One in eight women or 12.6% of all women will get breast cancer in her lifetime.
* Breast cancer risk increases with age and every woman is at risk.
* Every 13 minutes a woman dies of breast cancer.
* Seventy-seven percent of women with breast cancer are over 50.
* Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women between the ages of 15 and 54, and the second cause of cancer death in women 55 to 74.
* Risks for breast cancer include a family history, atypical hyperplasia, early menstruation (before age 12), late menopause (after age 55), current use or use in the last ten years of oral contraceptives, and daily consumption of alcohol.
* Early detection of breast cancer, through monthly breast self-exam and particularly yearly mammography after age 40, offers the best chance for survival."

Facts taken from Women’s Health

And now here is the tag and the rules:

1. Put the logo in your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who shared it with you.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4. Add your link to the list of participants below
5. Leave a message for your nominee on their blog.

PINK Sisterhood

I like this meme and I have no problem passing this on to my fellow blogger friends...

1- Fara 2- Massy 3- N.O.Y 4- Mariuca 5- A Great Pleasure 6- LadyJava 7- Kim 8- Pink Thoughts 9- Turn-u-Off 10- Roxiticus Desperate Housewives 11- STAY AT HOME MOM 12- Fida Abbott 13- Also Mommy 14- Janice Ng 15- Juliana’s Site 16- The Painted Veil 17- Heart of Rachel 18- Mga Muni-muni 19-Picture Clusters 20- Scraps of Mind 21- Antoinette 22 - Hootin' Anni 23 - storyteller 24- RDHmom

PINK SISTERHOOD!!

My apologies in being so late posting this award and meme.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

2008-12-16T21:30:00.000-08:00

Here are a few things to make you smile today. All of them came to me in an email from my Mother in Law. She is doing much better now, thankfully. Enjoy!!

Have a great day!!

Our Annual Christmas Tradition

2008-12-15T20:47:00.000-08:00

Today was the day....the Annual Get Our Christmas Tree Adventure. Our adventure is the same every year, see last year's adventure, yet it is different every year. We go to the same farm, traipse through the same forest, have lunch at the same place, ride the same hayride...yet every year it is different, and every year it is better.
This is the first tree that caught our eye today. All of our ornaments would clearly stand out with this tree. The only problem was that it was not quite green enough, so we moved on.

This tree really called to us. Micheal really liked this tree...he likes cute little things. Unfortunately we have way too many ornaments for a tree this size so we had to walk on by, again.

We finally located the perfect tree. Before we could cut it down, we had to perform our Family Ritual...dancing around the tree and singing the Christmas Tree Dance song. You are in luck this year....I videoed the dance. Oh Yeah......you can thank me later!!

We have been performing this ritual for many years...I think we even did it before we had children!! If you think that is bad....we sing this song every year on the drive up to the Christmas Tree Farm.

Just for you.....here is my family performing the above song last year on Christmas morning for their grandparents....again...you can thank me later!!

I never said we were normal!!!

We transported our carefully chosen and thoroughly christened tree home and decorated it. Our tree is beautiful, our house smells heavenly, and our family tradition has continued on for another year.

Merry Christmas!!! I hope I brought a smile to your face and a chuckle to your belly!!!

Fun Monday

2008-12-14T19:20:00.000-08:00

Our wonderful hostess with the mostess this week is Mommy Wizdom and here is her assignment:

Your job this week is to go out and perform a random act of kindness. Now, before you freak out, please read on. This is actually really easy!! This act may be for someone you know or for a perfect stranger. It can be big or small, it'll all up to you. Obviously, it should be something within your means. For instance, don't go out and buy your next door neighbor a car and then complain to me that you can't make your mortgage payment, ok?

Great assignment Mommy Wizdom, especially at this time of year!! I can't wait to read all the posts.

I did not buy my neighbor a car, but I did let them know of one for sale and they purchased it!! Seriously, I try to do Random Acts of Kindness on a regular basis. I am a Girl Scout Leader and our troop is constantly doing community service projects. Their latest one was adopting a family for Thanksgiving. We were able to deliver the food and gifts they purchased directly to the family, it was a very heartwarming day. The family was extremely appreciative and the girls loved it, especially playing with the children in the family.

We also do Random Acts of Kindness within our family. We regularly thank each other for cooking, cleaning up, etc. Dave and I are very polite to each other and our children model our behavior. Every night my family thanks me for cooking, it is the little things that mean so much and add up.

Today we crossed a bridge and paid a toll. We paid for the car behind us. Our children were very excited about this and couldn't wait for the car to pass us so they could wave to them. We routinely are polite to waitresses/waiters, shopkeepers, and other "strangers" we come in contact with.

You give a smile you get one in return....you give off negative vibes, they bounce right back to you.

Spread the love!!!

Happy Poop

2008-12-12T22:29:00.000-08:00

On the day before Thanksgiving, before I started my hours and hours of cooking...we went on a hike. It was wonderful. We found a new hiking trail near our house where the dog could run off leash and we could enjoy the beautiful views.

Our hike started out uphill and continued to climb, and climb, and climb. It must have been at least a mile straight uphill. My lungs were burning and the air was cold...it was very invigorating.Of course Michael not only ran up the hill, he did a few leaps along the way. Youth is wasted on the young. I could have used some of his energy. He wasn't even out of breath!!

When we reached the ridge line we were afforded some incredible views. We could see for miles. It was overcast and raining, but on a clear day we would have been able to see San Francisco. It was well worth the trek.

We hiked through cow grazing territory. We didn't have any close encounters with the cows, we were unsure how Baron would react to them. My wonderful husband found the following and recommended I take a picture of it. He said it would be good blog fodder. He was right.

Everyone guessed correctly...it is Happy Poop. We did not create the Happy Poop...a previous hiker did!! If you want a great laugh...read all the comments in the post below....they are hysterical. Marmite and Tea pointed out the weed that resembles a bow on her Happy Head...too funny...I had not noticed that.

Our hike was wonderful until we got back to the car and we realized that our shoes had 3 inches of mud on them, our clothes were soaking wet, the kids' pants were wet and muddy, and the dog was wet and muddy. Dave had the wonderful idea of all of us taking our shoes and pants off for the drive home. His thought process went a step further as he thought how funny it would be to be pulled over on the way home. The policeman would see a family of four without pants on! Needless to say, we left our pants on, but we did have the kids strip, much to their chagrin!! Did I mention it was raining that day? We were freezing...but happy....just like the Happy Poop Face.

A Little Game

2008-12-11T19:08:00.000-08:00

Let's have a little fun....who can tell me what this is a picture of??

Are you running around like a crazy person enjoying this season?? Good...I am also. I am also working 4 days a week right now which makes my life even crazier. Good news....starting on Wednesday the 18th I am on vacation until January 6th!!! Only 3 more work days and then I don't have to look at a dirty mouth for awhile!!

So....tell me what the picture is of....first one to guess gets brownie points.

(yes..Cassie did sleep in her room that night, see post below, she is a much braver woman than I am!!)

The Mystery of the Rat

2008-12-04T21:56:00.000-08:00

Twas the night before Wednesday and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a rat....A RAT????

"There's a mouse in the house!"

"A mouse! A mouse!"

"There's a mouse in my room!"

"A mouse! A mouse!"

I sat in front of my computer typing away, trying to ignore the histrionics happening on the other side of the house. The shrieking was getting louder and my son was jumping around like a wild banshee. I continued typing away, trying to ignore the chaos.

I was sure that the mouse, if it had any survival instinct at all, would flee for its life and vacate the premises. It was surrounded by a teen girl shrieking and an eight year old boy hopping through the room yelling "A mouse! A mouse!" I started feeling sorry for the poor little mouse and it was becoming harder and harder to ignore the bedlam.

My husband finally got out of bed to investigate. I settled back down to my computer. I was sure he could effectively deal with this crisis on his own. After all, he is the man who successfully captured the last mouse a few months ago at 2am, in his underwear, while his daughter and wife were huddled on the furniture pointing him in the right direction. He is a professional, in my estimation.

Unfortunately the chaos did not die down, it increased in intensity. It was becoming obvious that I was going to have to intervene. As I walked down the hall I quickly ascertained that the situation was much worse than I had anticipated. My son was in his underwear jumping around with a wild gleam in his eyes yelling "A mouse! A mouse!" my daughter was on the verge of hysteria, at least she was clothed. My husband, also clothed thankfully, was assessing the situation.

Apparently one of our cats brought a live mouse, a very large mouse, into my daughter's room. Unfortunately all the excitement that was given to this wondrous event spooked the cat and he dropped it and ran for his life. Now we had a live mouse, a very large live mouse, loose in my daughter's room and both cats were nowhere to be found.

Plan #1: Find cat. Put cat in room. Close door. Cat captures Very Large Mouse.

Sounds like the perfect plan, but there was one glitch. One of our cats is an excellent hunter, our other cat is missing a few very important brain cells. The hunter is easily spooked. All the excitement had sent him running for the hills. Our mentally challenged cat was still in the house trying to figure out what was going on. He was lovingly captured and set loose in the room with the door closed. We waited for him to catch the Very Large Mouse. Shockingly, he did so rather quickly. Sadly, he lost it just as quickly and couldn't find it again. When he curled up on my daughter's bed (the cat, not the Very Large Mouse) and started grooming himself (did I mention he is a gorgeous cat?), we gave up on Plan #1.

Plan #2: Systematically move all furniture and detritus on the floor. Search for Very Large Mouse. Kick cat out of room.

We were planning our attack, trying to decide where to begin (remember, this is a 13 year old girl's room, scary in its own right) when we had the distinct feeling that we were being watched. We slowly turned around and saw two beady little eyes watching us with his nose twitching. It was not a Very Large Mouse, it was a RAT!! I hate to admit this, but I shrieked. The rat scampered away. I left the room and closed the door and wished my husband and daughter luck. I became the Disaster Relief Coordinator (DRC) safely behind the closed door.

As I briefly mentioned earlier, a 13 year old girl's room is a very scary place without a rat running free in it....with a rat running free in it, it becomes a place you don't want to enter in bare feet, in the dark, by yourself. I was on the other side of the door performing my DRC functions, very competently I might add. I was beginning to become distraught by the sounds emanating from the room. I heard banging and crashing and loud voices and a few expletives. I increased my DRC duties as I increased the volume of my voice, just to be heard above the racket, of course. All this to no avail....the maelstrom continued. I again increased my DRC tactics only to be told to be quiet.

Suddenly the door opened and a chair was thrust into my arms. The door closed. Just as suddenly it opened again and I was given the beanbag chair. The door closed. Confused, I again tried my DRC maneuvers only to be told again to be quiet or do the job myself. Stunned I stood in the hall and watched my husband walk away and leave me with a beanbag chair in my hands, my daughter, her scary room, and the rat.

I dropped the chair, stepped into the room and noticed that my feet were bare. I almost ran, but I could not leave my daughter alone with the rat. I put my bare feet out of my mind and closed the door. I was now in the scary room with my daughter and the rat.

We started our own Rat Recovery Process. One by one we moved the furniture. Inch by inch we worked our way around the room. We found socks, pencils, necklaces, coins, books, barrettes, pens....piles and piles of treasures. No rat. We moved more furniture. We found dust bunnies...whole colonies of dust bunnies. No rat.

Finally we were at the last part of the room. The darkest, scariest place of all.....the closet. We slowly and gingerly emptied the closet item by item....shoe by shoe. No rat.

Eventually her room was clean...every inch inspected. Every pencil put away, every dust bunny eradicated. No rat.

It disappeared.

To this day...we have not found the rat. Did he wait for the perfect opportunity and escape? We don't know....it is a mystery.

No Words

2008-11-30T20:27:00.000-08:00

The thoughts are swirling around in my mind, colliding and exploding. So many ideas, so many words that need to get out. I can't find the process right now. Somehow the funnel from my brain to my fingers is clogged and the words aren't coming.

I want to talk about the woman I saw in the mirror this morning, but I can't.

I want to talk about the injustices in the world, the haves and the haves not, but the words are stuck.

I want to talk about the idea formulating in my mind for a short story, but thoughts are jumbled.

I want to talk about my 1st blog-aversary that came and went last week unnoticed, but I won't.

I need to write off line right and get my thoughts together so the funnel will unclog and the words will flow....

Be back later....

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T07:54:00.000-08:00

I hope you have a wonderful holiday...enjoy your family and friends....remember all the things you are grateful for....
I am busy baking and cooking up a storm. Last night we (Cassie and myself) made 2 pies, 2 loaves of bread, and prepared the stuffing. Yumm....I can't wait to eat dinner.

Enjoy your day, don't eat too much!!

Minutes from Our Meeting

2008-11-22T20:30:00.000-08:00

We had our family meeting today to decide the fate of this sweet monster currently residing in our house. It was a wonderfully productive meeting with full participation on everyone's part!

The general consensus was our love for Baron and wanting to keep him in our family. Great...I agreed with everyone and then asked the question..."What are you willing to do to help with his training and upkeep?"

That is when the silence became deafening.

We talked about the daily training he needs, the consistency he needs, we need to increase his exercise (one walk a day is not enough!!), etc, etc.....I made my point clear that we need to work as a team in order to have success. If we weren't able to do that, then it was not fair or healthy for Baron to remain in our house. We would be doing him and us a great disservice.

More silence but you could hear the brain cells clicking.

The ideas started flowing....Cassie agreed to walk him on occasion, Michael agreed to play ball in the backyard with him, Dave agreed to walk him and not play roughly with him, I have already started taking him to the dog park on my lunch break during days that I work.....this is all great. We also agreed that Michael could feed him in the afternoons. All of us agreed to spend 5-10 minutes a day doing basic obedience commands with him (sit, down, stay, come). These are all steps in the right direction!!

When Michael feeds him, he first puts him on a down/stay. He then puts the food in his bowl and releases him from his stay to eat. I am standing right there and I continue to pet him while he is eating. Michael is able to pet his hind end while he is eating now which is great progress. Baron has been wonderful and I can see the food aggression diminishing.

Baron is a very smart dog and has been easy to train, he learns the commands quickly. He is also very stubborn and strong willed. I firmly believe that he is testing his boundaries right now and we need to teach him that even the children are above him in the pecking order. I think we can get through this with lots of patience, love, consistency, and firmness. He is a great dog and has so many wonderful attributes.

At the end of our meeting we had a group hug and Baron wormed his way in the middle and looked up at us with a huge smile on his face. I think he knew he was just given a reprieve. It was a beautiful moment.

Thank you everyone for all your kind words and advice....I greatly appreciate it. I will definitely keep you posted on our progress. It is also reassuring to know that if we find out that we are not the right family for Baron, he has a safe, nurturing home to go to....but we are hoping he can stay in our family!!

Ramblings

2008-11-20T21:22:00.000-08:00

This post may or may not make sense tonight. I feel the need to write about my week, so much has happened....it may be very disjointed. Please bear with me here.

My mother in law has an infection in her knee. She had her knee replaced over 2 weeks ago and it is still infected. This is limiting the amount of physical therapy she is capable of doing and I am very worried about her and how this will affect the success of her knee. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Report cards came home on Monday. Cassie did very well, she has mostly A's, a couple of B's, a C in math (no surprise) and a D in Literature!! A 'D'!!! She had an A in that class the previous month. We were very shocked, to say the least. We told her to talk to the teacher and find out why she received that grade. The teacher told her that she was missing assignments, Cassie said that she turned them in....hmm...something seems a bit fishy here. I need to make an appointment with the teacher to find out exactly what the problem is. We also got the results of the standardized test she took in Sept. Her scores were very good. She is above average in everything but math...again no surprise. Her highest scores were in language and writing....no surprise again. Fortunately her math teacher, who we had a meeting with 2 weeks ago, has agreed to tutor Cassie every Monday after school for an hour. This is very kind and generous of her...any ideas on what we can do for her to show our appreciation??

Now on to Michael's report card......he does not get grades (A's, B's, etc), but he is doing well and has good marks in all his subjects. His test scores though....incredible....he scored in the 99th percentile in reading....98th percentile in science...his overall composite score was 95. That means that only 5 percent of 3rd graders in the nation that took this test did better than him. We were shocked. We had a meeting with his teacher today...and she said she was shocked when she saw his scores. He obviously is one smart little boy. Now we have a decision to make...do we leave him in the Catholic school, or do we put him in the public school and he can go into the GATE (gifted) program?? If he stays in the Catholic school, he can try for a scholarship for high school. If he goes to the public school he will have more opportunities and challenges. We asked his teacher today and she is leaning towards public but wants more information on the GATE program at the school he would go to. We need to gather information and schedule another meeting with his teacher. Maybe he is so difficult to parent because he is so smart?? I don't know but he sure is cute!!

You would think that would be enough for one week?? Nope, there is more....

Our sweet dog Baron is turning into a monster. All of a sudden his personality is changing and he is showing aggression towards the kids. He is now 18 months old and has always been a challenge to train, he is the hardest dog I have ever trained. This week he has snapped at both kids and is now showing food aggression. We have hired trainers this past year to help us with other issues, but my money tree is running out and right now I just can't afford it. Baron is not the first dog I have trained, but is definitely the hardest. I spoke with his breeder last night...who also happens to be a good friend, and she gave me some advice and helpful hints. She also said she would take him back if needed. We have to make a decision now whether to keep him or not....I hate this!! I wish I could really talk to Baron and tell him to stop this craziness. We are having a family meeting this weekend to talk about this. I think we can work together as a family in training him through these issues....I hope we can. Right now I am afraid to have my children's friends come over...Baron is too unpredictable. We have never had this problem....it is very hard.

What a week!! I can't believe next week is Thanksgiving and I am cooking for both sides of the family!!!

Thanks for listening.....

Meet Froggy and Fred

2008-11-16T18:35:00.000-08:00

Isn't this little guy adorable??

You can barely see this one, but he is equally cute.

These are our newest additions to our menagerie....Fred and Froggy. I am not sure who is who but I am sure my kids can tell you. They are Red Eyed Tree Frogs and they joined our family today. Michael has had a fascination with these creatures for awhile now. He has written two reports on them in school, one last year and one this year.

Last Friday Dave and I went to the East Bay Vivarium, one of our favorites places to visit, to get mice for our snake, and we saw these adorable babies in one of their tanks. Both of us became very excited and decided to come back with the kids to purchase a couple of them. Today we readied an empty tank and drove to the store. We were all very excited.

They are now home and getting acclimated to their new environment. They definitely are cute little buggers.

BTW...the Vivarium is a great place to people watch....you see all kinds in there...some are as frightening as the creatures behind the glass!!

Laughter, it is Good for Your Soul

2008-11-16T00:31:00.000-08:00

Laughter is definitely a soothing balm for your soul. It cleanses your heart and your mind. It begins deep in your abdomen and builds upon itself as it rises. It attaches itself to the darkness inside and draws it up as it rises. It erupts from you and spews forth all the impurities in your soul as you exhale and guffaw. Laughter, it is so underrated.

I spent hours tonight laughing. It was Girls Night Out. Five of us piled in my suburban MiniVan for an evening in San Francisco. Girlfriends and Laughter...what a winning combination.

We had dinner at a wonderful Italian restaurant in North Beach, my absolute favorite part of the City. Authentic Italian food where the pasta is made daily from scratch.....delicious...it melted in your mouth.

After dinner we saw Beach Blanket Babylon. If you have never seen this show, do yourself a favor and make plans to go. Fly out to San Francisco and see this show. You will not be disappointed...and we can meet for coffee....bonus!!! The show is HILARIOUS. I have not laughed that hard in months. The actors are incredibly talented, the costumes are gorgeous and funny and imaginative. I loved this show. If you live here, buy your tickets now...and why have we not met up for coffee yet?? No excuses.....you will not be disappointed, in the show or our coffee date.

I had a wonderful evenings...I have some pretty awesome girlfriends....I am very blessed...and my soul has been cleansed through laughter....it is the best medicine.

A Meeting of Two Bloggers

2008-11-13T21:11:00.000-08:00

Have you ever met someone and instantly clicked with them? You felt like you have known them forever? You feel like you will know them forever?

I had the distinct pleasure and honor of this experience today. I met Mamarazzi and her lovely husband for coffee today. We spent 2 hours chatting, laughing, and chatting some more. It was wonderful. She is an incredible woman. Her zest for life, her huge, caring heart....she has a beautiful soul and it shines through her eyes. I have never felt more comfortable with someone I have just met. I know her through her blog, but a face to face meeting can be a bit intimidating. Not so with her....what a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours.

Most people don't understand this whole blogging business. It is very hard to explain how easily we get to know each other through our blogs. Our writings, our posts, are mirrors into our souls and hearts at times. At times our posts are humorous, at times they are serious. We are able to express ourselves in writing much deeper than the oral word. In that sense we become connected to each other much faster and deeper than real life contact. We are also not distracted by physical deterrents....we rely on the written words and emotions expressed through words. Yes, we can be fooled and some people are not honest and hide behind the computer.

As far as I know, the bloggers I call my friends...the ones who visit and comment regularly and who I visit and comment regularly are REAL. I call you my friends...my bloggy friends. I hope to meet all of you IRL someday. I am sure if we do I will have the same wonderful experience I had today.

Mamarazzi...thank you for a wonderful couple of hours..thank you for the coffee....Big Daddy...thank you for a wonderful time today and for the coffee...you are a perfect gentleman and totally enjoyed our conversations. We definitely need to meet again soon and bring our daughters next time. They will mesh just like we did!!

The Path

2008-11-11T22:01:00.000-08:00

She arrived with dreams, aspirations. She was engaged to a Doctor. They were planning on starting their life together in a new country. He arrived first. He wanted to get established. He wanted to provide for them. He had plans. She had plans.

She arrived later. Her anticipation was immense. She had not seen him for months. She was hoping to surprise him. He did not know her date of arrival.

She was the one who was surprised. The ring he wore on his left hand was not placed there by her. His baby was not growing in her body.

She arrived too late. His life took a different direction. His look of pity enraged her.

She arrived just in time. Her strong will and zest for life showed her a different way. She made her own life. She was successful, she was happy, she was fulfilled.

His life was difficult. His family was needy. His life was draining. He was empty.

Their chance meeting was brief. They spoke volumes with their eye contact. Her look was direct and open and honest. His look was vague and downcast and remorseful.

She had forgiven him. He had not forgiven himself.

They parted again. Their chance meeting was poignant. They both wondered - "What if?"

They met again. Their lives had crested the hill and they were on the other side. Her successes she wore on her shoulders. Her experiences she wore in her soul. His loneliness was his scarlet letter. His children had their own lives, his wife was gone.

He asked for her forgiveness. She said it was not hers to give. Forgiveness comes from within.

Fun Monday

2008-11-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

Our wonderful hostess this week is Janis and here is her assignment:

Since Next Tuesday is Veterans Day, I thought it would be nice to salute our Veterans and show our appreciation. Photo requirement of something patriotic.

Perfect assignment for today...thanks Janis.

Last year on Veteran's Day my husband took our son and others boys in his cub scout troop to the local cemetery. They placed flags the graves of veterans. Dave said it was a powerful reminder of all the brave men and women who have served in the armed forces. Looking out over a field of red, white, and blue brought tears to his eyes.
Each flag was placed and they saluted the veteran. A show of respect and honor was freely given to the people who gave so much.

The following pictures were taken at our local 4th of July parade.

Uncle Sam was there!!

I wanted to post a poem today, but I couldn't find anything that fully expressed my feelings. I then had the brilliant idea of asking my resident poet to write a poem in honor of Veteran's Day. She sat down and wrote the following poem in about 30 minutes....I wish my brain worked like that!!

They

They care about us.

They fight for us.

They are amazing people.

They are veterans.

Veterans fight for our rights.

Veterans are celebrated

On this day and everyday.

We show them we are care.

We are proud of them.

By: Cassie

Ramblings and an Award

2008-11-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

This adorable award was given to me by my good friend Mamarazzi. Thank you so much...I love it....and I big red puffy heart you too. Hopefully, if the stars and the moon align up perfectly next Thursday I will have the distinct pleasure and honor of meeting Mamarazzi in person for coffee!! I am very excited about that.

I realize I have been remiss in my blogging as of late. I apologize for that and I appreciate the inquiries from my blogging friends. You make me feel so loved. I have been extremely busy with life lately. As you know my mother in law had her knee replaced and I have been busy helping her. She is doing well, although she may argue with me on that!! My father in law has been very spoiled in his lifetime, consequently he is a domestic nightmare. I think my mother in law's recovery time is going to be lengthened just because of him. Needless to say, my help has been greatly needed and greatly appreciated. I am also very happy to live close enough to be a source of support for them.

Our house has been busy also. Dave was on a business trip last week so I was a single mom for a few days. It was also girl scout week and the meeting is at our house. I went on a field trip with Michael's class to the zoo, that was fun. I had a meeting with Cassie's Math teacher and found out that she is getting a D in the class due to her careless mistakes and her laziness...that was fun to hear!! Michael also had his first basketball game....that is a post by itself!! We have let our housekeeper go in order to save money and I have forgotten how much time is taken in heavy cleaning. I think I need to call a family meeting and delegate some cleaning chores to my family members!!

Of course we also have the usual daily activities like working, walking the dog, cooking meals, schlepping kids here there and everywhere, and all the other mundane chores that make my life so interesting. Unfortunately blogging is last on the list and by the time I sit down to the computer at night my brain is so tired that I cannot think of anything coherent to say. On second thought maybe an incoherent post might be kind of fun....hmm...something to think about!!

So that is all my excuses why I have been MIA this week. I would like to say that next week will be better, but I don't want to jinx myself. I am participating in FM this week and I have some post ideas swimming around in my head....hopefully I will get some writing time this weekend. Don't give up on me just yet!!!

Your Constitutional Right

2008-11-04T11:22:00.000-08:00

I voted...did you? Did you get your "I voted" sticker? If you don't vote, you don't get "bitching privileges".

My children are very attuned to the election this year. I don't remember being that way at their age. I don't know if I was ignorant or selfish, or maybe a combination of both. Cassie and I have had some very interesting discussions regarding some of the Propositions. She has her opinions and they are strong and she can back them up. I am very proud of her. I hope she joins the debate team in high school.

Even Michael has his opinions this year. On the way to school this morning he said that if he could vote he would vote for McCain. Cassie gasped in the seat next to me and said, "Did you hear what he said Mommy?" I nodded my head, with a big smile on my face. "But", she said, "the rest of family is voting for Obama." She was flabbergasted and was about to give him a piece of her mind when I said to her, "That is the beauty of our society. Everyone is allowed to have their own opinion and allowed to vote for whomever they want." She got that and Michael was very proud of himself for being so independent.

Don't forget to vote today for whomever you want....exercise your right.

Fun Monday

2008-11-02T17:53:00.000-08:00

Our hostess with the mostess this week is Bee, the Dancer. Here is her assignment:

I'm relatively new to blogging, & I'm sure this has come up before, but I'd really like to know WHY you blog. Tell me how you got started or why you got started and why you keep it up. Plus there's a photo requirement: Post a picture of the one person/place/thing that most symbolizes the town or area where you live.

I don't know how I stumbled across my first blog, or even what blog it was. I do remember being fascinated and quickly found myself blog hopping for hours at a time. I decided to start a blog myself because it looked like fun and I thought it would be easier for family and friends to stay in tune with the daily happenings in our house. I routinely sent emails to family and friends with updates and pictures, I don't do that anymore, the blog is my voice now. My blog has become much more than I anticipated. I have met some wonderful people and I have even had the good fortune of meeting a fellow blogger IRL. Blogging has now become a part of my daily life, my routine, and it has become an addiction (I'll admit). At least it is healthy for me!!

The town I live in is a small suburb of San Francisco. I love its history and how we embrace it and honor it. I have lived in this town my entire life. We have many murals around town that depict the rich history, dating back to the Native Americans who first lived here.

There was a train station in the downtown area at one time. The trains just drive through town today. The station house was recently torn down, it was part of the ghost town area we used to haunt in high school, daring each other to enter.

The houses shown in the below mural are still standing today. The old station house is in the left of the mural. This is the main road in downtown and it used to be the highway before the interstate was built.

Our town sits on the San Francisco Bay and fishing was a major part of the economy. At one time the Bay was a wealth of sea life. Now, I wouldn't eat anything caught in the Bay...too much pollution. It is very sad.

This is one of the original mansions in the downtown area and it the most famous one. Yes, it is haunted and it is inhabited by humans, not just ethereal bodies. I went to high school with the children and the daughter now lives there with her family. I have heard many ghost stories about this house. I think it is beautiful!!

Of course, this is the most famous landmark of the area I live in....the Golden Gate Bridge. It is just a mere 30 minutes from my house. My in laws have a beautiful view of it from their front room.

That is end of my fun monday...head on over to Bee's to the others.

Award!!

2008-11-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

“This blog invests and believes in ‘proximity’ [meaning that blogging makes us 'close' - being close through proxy].”

This beautiful award was given to me by my sweet fairy friend Karisma. Thank you so much Karisma. The award is not only beautiful but the sentiment behind it is also. I feel very close to my blogging buddies even though I have not met most of them IRL. We share our thoughts, our families, our hopes and our dreams.

I am going to pass this award onto the following friends, I am supposed to pass it to 8 bloggers....let's see if I can follow the rules!!

Not too bad, just 2 more than I was supposed to choose!!!

Halloween Haunts and a Winner or Two

2008-10-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!!! What are your Tricks? Your Treats??

This is our family of Jack O Lanterns. Can you tell who carved whom? We think they resemble the personality of the carver. The far left was carved by Cassie, it is full of drama and teen angst, with a side of sweetness. The front middle was carved by me, it epitomizes my "doesn't anyone in this house listen to me" face. The back middle one was carved by Dave, it shows his goofy, fun loving side. The far right is carved by Michael, it shows his happy go lucky, not a care in the world, "I can't hear you" side.

The family in action...even Baron was involved, hoping for a handout. Is pumpkin poisonous to dogs? I guess we will find out later....

The Grim Reaper meets the Jelly Belly Factory employee. I don't think I have ever seen the Grim Reaper so happy!!

The famous "Bobbing for Donuts" game. This is most requested game I have ever done with any children. Cassie's class still talks about it. We did it for the first time with Michael's class last year and they requested it again this year. They have to eat the donut off the string without using their hands. They love it!!

And now for the moment you have all been waiting for. My special guest....a genuine Jelly Belly Factory worker....will randomly draw the 2 lucky winners of a bag of Belly Flops....

The lucky winners are....comment #4

chrisb said...
Just wanted to wish you good luck with the test and will be saying a prayer for your MIL.

and comment #7

storyteller said...
Ah … she’s sooooooo cute and the t-shirt message so appropriate … would you mind if I shared it too? I’d certainly give you credit with a link, but it’s okay to say no if you’d rather not. I’ll be praying for you and your MIL ;--)Hugs and blessings,

Congratulations ChrisB and Storyteller....email me at blessedfamm at comcast dot net with your address and I send your treats to you!!!

Good News and Blogger Business

2008-10-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

Good News!!! My mother in law's surgery went very well. Of course she is in great pain at the moment and her physical therapist is a sadist....but....she is up and walking and doing well. She had her knee replaced on Tuesday. Hopefully she will go home on Saturday and then I get to be the sadist making sure she is doing her exercises!

More Good News!!! I had an ultrasound on my left breast today rechecking the suspicious area they found 6 months ago. It has not changed and I am free for another 6 months. I need to schedule another ultrasound on the same day as my next mammogram to have it rechecked.

More Good News!!! I am the party mom for Michael's class and another mom stepped up to help me with the games!! Yea!! I have the craft activity and the main game all set up and she will do all the fillers and relay races..she is my new hero. The main game we are playing is "bobbing for donuts". We will hang donuts from a string above their heads and they have to eat the donut without using their hands. It works best with powdered donuts! We did it last year and the kids had a blast. I will post pictures tomorrow!!

Back to Blogger Business at Hand:

Tomorrow the winners will be drawn for my Give Away by a very special guest....tune in tomorrow...it is not to late to enter...enter as many times as you like.

I have been tagged by my good friend Jan.

Here are the rules:

1.) Go to your Pictures folder on your computer

2.) Go to your 4th folder

3.) Get your 4th picture

4.) Tag four people

Here it is....

What a boring picture!!! Let's try this again...I will go to my 4th folder and choose the 8th picture....here it is...

Now that is a bit better. This is the gecko magnet that was in the above envelope. It was sent to me by Nekked Lizard Adventures in April of this year. I still have it on my refrigerator, Michael tried to steal it, but somehow I have managed to keep it!!

I have been Boo'd by Marmite and Tea....isn't the graphic cute?

If you’re here because I boo’d you, you need to
1. Take picture, put on sidebar
2. Tell people they have been booed
3. Link back to who booed you

Happy Halloween, hope yours is spooky and ooky and kooky.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway and check back in tomorrow for the winners!!!

Weekend Recap

2008-10-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

My favorite time of the year is right now. I love the cool mornings and evenings, the crispness in the air and the colors. The oranges, the reds, the yellows....I love the fall colors. We don't see too much fall foliage here in California, but I appreciate every hue I see. Our annual pumpkin patch pictures are some of my favorites of the year. We took our annual trek to the pumpkin patch yesterday and we had an added bonus....our nephews came with us.

We don't see our nephews very often because of our family dynamics. It is very hard on our children who miss their cousins tremendously. My brother and his wife have pulled away from the family due to perceived and/or real transgressions...it is a long story for another day. Today we will focus on the positive! My parents arranged to have the boys for the weekend in order to spend some time with us. It was wonderful and the children thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

As you can see, it was a beautiful day to enjoy the pumpkin patch and each other. I miss those boys, maybe in time the divides will be conquered. Until then I will enjoy them whenever I see them, and my children will do the same.

Yesterday was a busy day. I also took my girl scout trip on a field trip to Guide Dogs for the Blind. It was a wonderful experience..how can you not love those sweet puppies who grow up to be such wonderful companions and workers for their people. It is a truly a beautiful relationship.

I had to take a picture of this sign. It was posted above a small grassy area. In case you were wondering how a blind person would read this sign....they have hundreds of volunteers who walk the numerous dogs regularly...the sign is for them. A working guide dog is trained to relieve themselves on command at certain times of the day. That is one of the many interesting facts I learned yesterday. I also learned that they have volunteers who are puppy raisers and breeder keepers. I think we will sign up for that, not now, but definitely later.

I have a very busy week coming up....don't forget to sign up for my give away...

Ramblings and a Give Away

2008-10-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

This was too cute not to share. My mother in law sent this to me in an email....isn't it great? Speaking of my mother in law...she is have her knee replaced on Tuesday, if you could keep her in your thoughts and prayers that would be wonderful!!

I have scheduled my follow up ultrasound for my breast recheck next Thursday. I will keep you posted on the outcome...think good thoughts!!

Cassie was gone all week at camp with her class from school. She came home today and I was so happy to see her! She changed alot this week, for the good. The camp is a team building experience and she said it was very positive for her class. She came home more confident and mature. She is growing up into a wonderful young lady, I am so proud of her!!

It is now time for another give away!! A couple of weeks ago we took our girl scout troop to the Jelly Belly Factory and I brought a few bags of Belly Flops to share with my blogger buddies!! All you have to do is comment on this post and I will choose 2 random commenters....did you hear that?....2 lucky friends will get their own bag of Belly Flops!!! I will choose the winners next week, probably on Friday...you can comment as often as you want, no limit!!

The Big 5-0 in Style

2008-10-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

As most of you know my dear, sweet, wonderful husband turned 50 last Friday. He requested a birthday party in Disneyland and we were very happy to comply. We arrived at the Happiest Place on Earth on Wednesday and partied hard for 3 days and nights. We dragged our tired butts home on Saturday afternoon after a wild birthday party on Friday.

Our first stop on Friday morning was the City Hall on Main Street. Dave was given a lovely pin to wear and he wore it all day. Everyone told him "Happy Birthday" all day long. It was wonderful, he loved all the attention and I loved him having it. He was having a ball!!

Look how happy he looks....what more could a 50 year old birthday boy want...two beautiful children, a wonderful wife and a birthday party in Disneyland!!
Of course a birthday kiss from Minnie was the icing on the cake!!
Aladdin even wished Dave happy blessings.
A birthday cupcake with one candle....just perfect for Dave. When you are 50 your lung power is greatly diminished!!
We went all out for Dave's birthday....we ordered the works and Disneyland did not disappoint. They put on a huge, gorgeous fireworks display just for Dave's 50th birthday!!The sky was alight with sparklers.

The celebration was spectacular. The party was unforgettable.

The kids had a wonderful time....they wanted to party all night. Unfortunately the birthday boy was up way past his bedtime (look at that huge yawn in the background!!)
We got back to our hotel around midnight that night. The party had started at 7 that morning. It was the best birthday party I have ever gone to!!!

CatchUp....it's not just for hamburgers....

2008-10-20T14:30:00.001-07:00

I need to do a little catch up here....sorry about not posting on Friday night. We didn't get back to our hotel until after midnight!! Dave had a wonderful birthday and I promise I will write a post on it soon. We got home late Saturday, after a 6 hour drive, and Sunday was spent unpacking, doing laundry, and packing Cassie up again. She left for camp this morning with her class and will be gone until Friday. I feel like I can finally sit down to the computer now!! I have not visited anyone for the past week...so sorry, I promise to visit tonight....put the kettle on!!

While we were gone I received the following awards from my friend Swampy.

I have been coveting this special award for months and I feel so honored to receive it. Swampy has dedicated this month to Breast Cancer Awareness, which is near and dear to my heart as you know. Please visit her and show your support. If your lives have been affected by breast cancer, let her know. She has a tribute post up for survivors and those who have lost their courageous battle.

Thank you Swampy....I will wear these awards proudly!!

This photo is just for you Swampy...we saw your alter ego at Disneyland...she was not as nice as you though!!

Finally...we have a winner for the following book...

Mamarazzi....you have been chosen by my own random integer chooser!! Congratulations!! I think I have your address but I think I would much rather deliver this book in person. Let's set a date to meet.....email me and we can set the particulars!!

That is all for my ketchup today...I will visit this evening and post a birthday post tomorrow, hopefully!!

I will also have another give away starting later on in the week!!

The Happiest Place on Earth...

2008-10-16T22:29:00.000-07:00

You guys are too smart!!! Actually Slick was right on the money....it sure feels like the Twilight Zone right now.

We arrived here on Wednesday afternoon and have been traversing the parks for hours....riding rides....eating.....drinking, and no one has thrown up once. Michael came pretty close after riding Space Mountain!!
We are in Disneyland, not world....sorry Cynthia...if we were there I would definitely give you a call!!
The Haunted Mansion is done up wonderfully for Halloween....we loved it!!
Here is 3 of my favorite people....Cassie, Pooh, and Michael.
The future Indiana Jones...

Face Painting was on the must do list today.

Here is the man of the hour with his new girlfriend. He is reason we are down here playing hooky from school and work. Dave is turning 50 on Friday....He wanted to spend his special day here....at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more adventures and photos...

I will pick the winner from my Give Away when we get home....stay tuned and it is not too late to enter....

I am not visiting while on vacation, just posting....I will swing by for a visit when we get home!!

Let's Play a Game

2008-10-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

My last few posts have been a bit on the "heavy" side so I think it is time to lighten things up a bit over here in my world. Let's play a game, shall we? It is called.....guess where Alison and her family are right now. Here are some clues.....

Have you figured it out yet?? Here is another one....

Hmm...that was a hard one.....how about this one??

Have you figured it out yet? This next one should give it away....
Where are we????

Life

2008-10-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

Today I took Cassie to her yearly cardiologist appointment. She was diagnosed with a right bundle branch block 18 months ago. Fortunately, her EKG has not changed in the past 18 months so no treatment is necessary. We just need to monitor it closely, make note of any clinical/physical changes, and have regular visits with her cardiologist.

Her cardiologist's office is about an hour from our home. Ironically, it is located at the hospital she was born. Consequently her birthmother lives very near the office and we usually meet with her for a visit. Unfortunately, her birthmother was sick today so we had to postpone our get together. Cassie was disappointed, but we will schedule a visit soon. Cassie has a baby sister who will be 1 this month, she was looking forward to seeing her again.

I always find myself reminiscing when we venture down to this area. I vividly remember the day she was born. I watched my daughter today having her tests done and I became overwhelmed with emotions. I felt intense gratitude that she is healthy. Her condition does not affect her quality of life, this is a blessing.

I also thought about the miracle our bodies are, and how fragile they can become. Our bodies are a finely tuned machine and one misfired neuron can affect the entire operation. It is a wonder and a miracle. I was reminded to cherish my body, not to harm it.

My mind wandered down other avenues also. I saw my daughter as a life that was created by two people that were strangers to me. One has become a part of our family, one is still a stranger. Cassie does not physically resemble her birthmother, she may or may not resemble her birthfather. We have never met him. Irregardless, she is our daughter, given to us in love by a woman/child who was too young to become a mother. But she did become a mother in birth. She chose life for her baby. What would have happened if she hadn't made that choice? Cassie would not be here, where would my life be?

The moment that baby girl was placed in my arms my life changed. Everything changed. I love being a mom and my world revolves around my children and my home. All the choices and decisions I make are made with my family in mind. I have become a better person because I am a Mom. I am more empathetic, patient, kind, loving, compassionate, and open minded because I am a Mom. Where would my life be without Cassie? I have no idea, but I am awfully glad I don't know or need to find out. I am glad life was chosen and we were chosen to parent this angel child.

Today was a day of reflections. Another reminder of how grateful I am to have the name Mom. How grateful I am to have 2 beautiful and healthy children. How grateful I am to appreciate this gift and cherish it. How grateful I am that 2 beautiful women chose life and chose us to parent their angels.

Just for the record I believe that all women need to able to make this choice for themselves, the government should not make it for them.

Don't forget to enter my Give Away.

The Power of Friendships

2008-10-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

Girlfriends. Female companionship. Laughter. Shared intimacies. Friendships. Comradeship.

I spent the past 24 hours with my girl scout troop and their Moms. Our troop has been together for 9 years and their bond is strong. All the girls are unique, yet they are all alike. They go to different schools, yet their education is the same. They are very close, their bonds are strong. Girl Scouts has brought them together. Ten girls who would not seek each other out in a social situation because of their differences. Brought together through a single purpose, kept together by the bonds they have formed.

Watching these young teens laughing and talking brings tears to my eyes. They don't see their differences, or maybe they do and learn from each other. Some are into boys, some are into music, some are into books, some are into makeup, some are into nature.....they come together and are into one thing....having fun. Pillow fights, laughter, jumping on the trampoline, long talks into the dead of night, sharing intimacies as their bodies are changing. Priceless moments helping these young girls become young women. Teaching them that girlfriends are important. Talking to each other will help them sort out problems they have yet to encounter, life's challenges they have yet to face.

These outing are just as important to us Moms. Our laughter regularly wakes up our daughters. Our intimacies shared helps us as we encounter our challenges. Through divorces, deaths, illnesses, new births, new jobs, we rely on each other for support. We laugh until we cry, when deep down we want to cry over our current challenges. Our laughter drowns out our need to cry. We forget for a moment and lose ourselves in our comradeship. Our souls are cleansed with our laughter, our smiles.

We are showing our daughters how truly powerful female friendship is, how necessary it is to keep our souls healthy.

Last night we had a sleepover. We celebrated my co-leader's birthday. We laughed and talked into the deep hours of the night. Outside, in the backyard, our daughters were laughing and talking into the deep hours of the night. The traditions are being passed on.

We spent the day today having fun. We toured the Jelly Belly Factory, the girls played laser tag. they raced miniature cars. We had a wonderful time. We ended our day with smiles on our faces and we hugged each other goodbye, until our next outing, our next meeting. Good healthy fun, so important at this age for our girls.

We celebrated being women today, and becoming women. We savored our friendships. Girl scouts has brought us together, our friendships and our bonds keep us together.

Don't forget to enter my give away....

The Winner and the Third and Final Book Give Away

2008-10-10T13:18:00.001-07:00

The winner of the above book.....chosen by my own personal Random Number Locator (my daughter).....is......Lisa!! The Chaotic one!! Congrats Lisa....please email your address to me and I will ship your prize to you. Hmm...I just thought of something.....maybe I will hold your prize hostage until you enter a photo to National Geographic!!! something to think about....

This is the third and final book in this series of give aways. In order to win it all you have to do is leave a comment. The winner will be chosen at random next Thursday. Good Luck!

Babbling Brook

2008-10-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

It is now 8:45 in the evening and I am just sitting down for the first time today!! This was one of those days that I thought would never end. I worked today and could not wait to finish my last patient. I really hate days like this because the time drags by so slowly. Usually I love my job, but sometimes days like today happen. After work I had just enough time to go home, change my clothes and load up the kids and the dog in order to take my daughter to tutoring.

Her tutoring is in Berkeley and I like to walk our dog during her hour session. Tonight I had the distinct pleasure of having Michael with me. It was so lovely to listen to his whining during the first half of the walk, it was muzak to my ears. Of course once we turned around and started back, the whining magically stopped, his side stopped hurting, his throat stopped hurting and I think world peace was accomplished! He even started leap frogging down the street....amazing isn't it!

I have showered and am relaxing now. I hope to get some visiting done tonight. If I don't get a chance to come to your place, don't worry. I am off work for the next 5 days so I am sure to get some visiting time in, I hope! I am going on a field trip tomorrow and I am taking my girl scout troop on an overnight on Friday.....please don't forget about me, I promise I won't forget about you!!

My second Give Away ends tomorrow...there is still time to sign up....

Fun Monday

2008-10-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

Our wonderful hostess with the mostess this week is Mommy Wizdom, and here is her assignment:

So, this is the assignment:

Themes to choose from:

A visit by your mother in law

Bedtime Stories

Raising a Teenager

The words: Ostrich, goosebumps, magazines, soup, cats, lethargic, noodles, tequila, doorknob, biscuit

Wild card words: prehistoric, Jedi Knight, cactus, periscope, humor

Your job is to write a story (true or made-up), poem, song, letter... whatever strikes you ABOUT one of the three themes. You must INCLUDE all 10 words. Wild cards words may be used in addition to or in place of the main 10 words.

Jose and My Mother In Law, a night to remember, or forget

It was a cold and stormy day. Our heater was broken and my body was covered in goosebumps. I decided to make chicken noodles soup in an attempt to warm myself. While the soup was simmering I put a batch of biscuits in the oven hoping the heat of the oven would warm the room a bit. After all that domestic work I was feeling a bit lethargic so sat on the couch and started reading magazines. I was still feeling a bit chilled and I had the wonderful idea that a shot of tequila would be an excellent idea. Fortunately the bottle and shot glass were on the table next to the couch so I didn't have to leave my cocoon of blankets. My cats jumped on my lap and were keeping my lap warm while the tequila was warming my insides. I am not quite sure how many shots I had when I saw the doorknob turn. In my befuddled state I envisioned Jedi Knight entering my domain for a shot of tequila. Much to my surprise it was not Jedi Knight but my Mother In Law. I immediately wanted to morph into an ostrich and bury my head in my mound of blankets. Unfortunately I was too late, she spotted me. She pointed her prehistoric looking finger at me and demanded to know what I was doing. I meekly waved my arm towards the kitchen where the soup was bubbling over and the biscuits were smoking from the oven. Just how many shots did I have?, I wondered. She was shaking with controlled mirth and immediately turned down the burner under the soup, put the burning biscuits in the sink, and waved a towel under the smoke alarm to stop its incessant bleating. She then joined me on the couch and together we entertained Jose Cuevo. It was an evening to remember, if only I could.

For more stories head on over to Mommy Wizdoms...

Don't forget to enter my Give Away....

Tag and Other Important Items

2008-10-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

I have been lovingly tagged by Heather. See the rules above.

I can only post 7 weird things so I will narrow it down:

1. I must have hand lotion at all times. I think this comes from wearing gloves at work and gardening at home. I have lotion all over the house and use it constantly.

2. I always look at people's teeth and I can tell if they need their teeth cleaned and I can tell if they have crowns or dentures.

3. My new favorite thing is Trader Joe's Kettle Corn. I will eat an entire bag in one sitting. I have to stop myself from buying it and I can't stop eating it when I do buy it.

4. I don't like to have dirty dishes in the sink. I won't leave the house in the morning until the sink is clean.

5. I am still deeply in love with my husband after 25 years together.

6. I don't watch much TV but I love watching Jon and Kate plus 8 and The Biggest Loser.

7. I use flannel sheets on my bed year round and I have a hard time sleeping in regular sheets. My husband has finally gotten used to this.

I guess I am a pretty boring person...but boring is good and just fine with me!!!

I am not going to tag anyone....but I insist on everyone visiting Swampy's place. She is honoring breast cancer survivors and those who lost their battle. Her event is called

Swampy's Stomp Through Blogville Against Breast Cancer

Please visit and show your support and feel free to leave a comment regarding a loved one who is celebrating her victory or you are mourning their loss.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month....think and pray Pink.

Don't forget to enter my Give Away.

The Winner and the next Give Away

2008-10-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

The lucky winner of the above book, chosen through my own personal Random Integer Selector (my son), is the one.....the only....Karisma, my very favorite Fairy Friend!!! Congratulations my friend. I think I lost your address so can you please email it to me and I will ship your book out to you this weekend!!

This week's Give Away will be the following book from the Chicken Soup for the Soul series:

To enter simply leave a comment and the winning commenter will be chosen next Thursday.

I am off to do some visiting now...put the kettle on please!!!

A Thank You and some Drivel

2008-09-30T12:57:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to thank everyone for participating in Fun Monday yesterday. Cassie had a great time hosting and visiting everyone.

Don't forget to enter my Give Away....the winner will be chosen on Thursday and the next Give Away will begin that day.

This is a picture of my baby Tucker....he is the feral cat we rescued at 2 weeks of age and bottle fed for months....isn't he gorgeous!! He is also pretty dumb...definitely missing some brain cells. He never would have made it as a feral cat. We are both lucky to have each other.

Fun Monday

2008-09-28T21:55:00.001-07:00

We are hosting Fun Monday this week....actually Cassie is hosting.....and here she is.....

My assignment this week was to see inside your closet, without your organizing it before the picture!! Here are some pictures of my closet.

I told you that yours could not be messier than mine.
That is just how teenagers are..messy rooms and messy closets.

Yep, I am the Queen of Messy Closets!! Now, let's see if any has a messier closet than me. Here are the other brave participants for this week:

1. Sandy

2. BS

3. Heather

4. Jan

5. Bermudabluez

6. Chris B

7. Angela

8. Cynthia

9. Hula Girl

10. Sayre

11. Bee Dancer

12. Narice - new to Fun Monday!!

13. Big Momma

14. Herb of Grace - new to Fun Monday!!

15. Faye

16. Olive

17. Jessie

18. Hootin' Anni

19. Lil Mouse

20. SwampAngel - unfortunately her camera died.....

21. Janet

22. Gattina

23. Mommy Wizdom - our host for next week!!

24. Grace

25. Sauntering Soul

26. iPost

27. Tiggerlane

28. Karisma

29. Tanya

30. Judy

31. Melanie

I hope I didn't forget anyone...please let me know if I did. Cassie will be by to visit everyone when she comes home from school!!

I am having a Give Away....see here!!

Garden Visitor

2008-09-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

I found this little guy last night in my garden. I was walking home from my neighbor's house when I happened to glance up at just the right moment to see him. He is gorgeous and his web is huge. I quickly called out to my family and we all admired him for a few moments. We stared at him while he stared back at us.

Have you ever watched a spider build his web? Many years ago Dave and I had the privilege of watching a web creation. It is truly a scientific marvel. I love spiders, as long as they are in my garden....I don't much like them in my house. I feel the same way about ants and mice.

Fun Monday sign ups are here.

Don't forget to enter my Give Away here.

Give Away....enter here...

2008-09-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

For Fun Monday sign ups go here.

Do you know what time it is?? It is time for another give away. I have the newest 3 Chicken Soup for the Soul books to give to 3 lucky bloggers. These books are brand new, hot off the press, ready to find a new home. I will be giving away a book a week. The give away begins today for the first book - Moms Know Best. All you have to do is leave me a comment and I will randomly pick a winner. See how easy it is??? The give away for this book will be open until next Thursday. At that time I will pick a winner and we will start the next book giveaway.

Here is an excerpt from a Chicken Soup for the Soul book:

Excerpt for Reprint
Title: Chicken Soup for the Soul: Moms Know Best
Editors: Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Amy Newmark
Publication date: Aug. 26, 2008
Price: $14.95
ISBN: 978-1-935096-08-5
Story Title: “In Mom We Trust”
Contributor Name: Rebecca Woolf

In Mom We Trust

The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.
~James A. Garfield

My mom embarrassed me. In fifth grade, she was the mom interrupting sex education with my birthday cupcakes.

In seventh grade, she picked up the phone and told me it was bedtime at 9:30 on a Friday night when I was on the phone with Eric, the cute boy in art class.

And after Sam stood me up on the night of winter formal, my mom stormed into his work
and made a scene, demanding he pay for my unused dress and shoes.

Although (I must admit) it would have been classic to see the look
on his face had I been there, I was furious with her for making matters
even more humiliating.

Mom was always there to serve and protect. She was like a superhero who just seemed to make everything worse.
During the middle years when every month brought changes
in bra size, boyfriends and hair color, my mom was as impossible to
hide from as puberty. She was like a supernatural force, a divine spirit
with psychic abilities. If I made any sort of mistake, she knew about
it before I walked through the front door. She had a sixth sense, and
it wasn’t fair. My friends could experiment and lie and be out past
curfew, and their parents would never in a thousand years catch on.
As for me, if I were to even sample a beer or inhale one drag of a cigarette,
my mom knew. As a result, by high school I had learned that it was best for me not to lie — after all, I knew better. I had a mom who
knew everything, anyway.

And then there was a night when I couldn’t be honest. All my
friends were making a journey down to Mexico for the evening. The
boy I especially liked invited me to come along. He was older and
had a car. I really, really wanted to go. I had resisted in the past,
but this time I found myself agreeing to the invitation. (My parents
thought I was spending the night with my best friend.) We went, and
it was fun and dangerous and stupid, and GREAT! Luckily, we made
it home safely that night, and I spent the night at a friend’s house.
His parents weren’t home, but if they had been, I have a feeling they
wouldn’t have cared that ten high-schoolers were gathered in their
living room after a night in Tijuana. They were the type of parents
who just didn’t seem to care all that much about anything, which at
the time I thought was pretty cool.

The morning after my little rebellious experience, my dad opened
the front door to greet me.
“Hi Bec,” he cheered. My mother put down her dishtowel and
kissed me on the cheek. I waited for her to notice something different
about me, something that might lead her to believe that I had been
up to no good.
“I’m gonna take a shower now,” I began.
She didn’t say anything. She just hugged me tightly and asked
me not to forget to clean my room. I spent twenty minutes in the
shower wondering what I should do. My mom would surely figure it
all out sooner or later. Should I tell her?

I decided to stay rigid. I was a good little actress. I could cover
for myself if I needed to. A lie (just this once) couldn’t hurt anyone.
When I came down for breakfast, I waited for the inquisition, but to
my surprise, it never came. Mom’s crystal ball must have been cloudy
that day, and for once, she didn’t suspect a thing. I was in luck. I was
relieved. I was shocked. I was guilty.

My conscience caught up with me after a few days. I couldn’t
stand it anymore and I told Mom everything, every detail. She cried,
of course, scared for my life, afraid of what could have happened to
me, and through her gentle tears she grounded me — for an entire
month! Why, might you ask, did I tell her? Trust me, I asked myself
that same question every day of that miserable month. I could have
gotten away with it. I know that for a fact — or do I?
Sooner or later she would have probably found out about everything.
And if that had happened, she would have not only grounded
me, but would have lost all of her trust in me, as well. You see, after
the Mexico incident, after I had confessed and then served my sentence,
I eventually earned back my parents’ trust. In return, I was
given a later curfew, not to mention more privileges.
I didn’t tell my parents everything after that. Instead, we had a
system. I told Mom and Dad where I was going, when I would be
back and the important things that were happening in my life. It
turned out that superpsychic mom was cooler than I had originally
thought. I liked that she cared about me and my life, and I really
liked being able to share with her.

Over the years, Mom’s embarrassment factor has dimmed like
an old night light, but she remains the raging superhero she always
was. Even though I’m living one hundred miles away, she brings me
soup if I’m sick, helps with my work when I’m swamped and makes
sure that boyfriends are treating me right. She still has her crystal
ball on hand and will often call me on a bad day to cheer me up even
before I tell her that I was just fired, dumped or just plain lonely. She
has grown to be my best friend, and even though I don’t live at home
anymore, I still confide in her and tell her everything. Well — almost.

~Rebecca Woolf
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul on Love & Friendship

The Fear Factor

2008-09-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Fun Monday Sign Ups are Here, or just scroll down....Cassie is hosting!!!

Every Wednesday evening Cassie has a tutoring session for an hour in Berkeley. I always bring our dog and go for a walk while she is learning Algebra. The tutoring center is near the University and I love walking in the area. There are some beautiful homes and gardens and sometimes I walk through the campus and people watch. If you have ever been to Berkeley, you know that it is a very interesting city that has a large homeless population.

Normally, I am not scared of a homeless person, but I am very aware of my surroundings at all times.

Tonight was a normal Wednesday night. Michael came with us and we dropped Cassie off and went on our walk. When Michael joins us we always cut our walk short by about 15 minutes so he can have some play time at the park nearby. We had a very nice walk and Michael was very excited to have his park time. He ran to the park and immediately began swinging on the swings. Next to the park are basketball courts and there is always a group of men/boys playing, usually more than one game is going on and tonight was no different.

We had just arrived at the park and I was just about to sit down when I noticed a man walking across the street. He was obviously a homeless man and he was looking at me and began to walk towards me very purposefully. I did not sit down, but remained standing and had my dog standing in front of me. As he came closer I realized that he was a very large man, over 6 ft. tall. He walked right up to me and we had the following conversation:

Homeless Man (HM): What are you afraid of?

Me: Excuse me?

HM: (getting agitated) What are you afraid of?

Me: Nothing. I am not afraid of anything.

HM: You are afraid of the dogs fighting. They were fighting yesterday weren't they?

Me: Yes they were.

HM: They didn't mean to, it was not on purpose.

Me: No, it was an accident.

HM: I thought so.

He then walked away to bother the basketball players. To set the record straight...I was very scared....bravado was what kept my knees from buckling. He had the most gorgeous eyes, in color, but his eyes were full of anger, confusion, and madness. He was definitely "not all there". He was definitely capable of violence, and I was definitely scared.

I called Michael to me and we left very quickly. I did not want to wait around to see what would transpire between Homeless Man and the basketball players.

Looks can be deceiving. Although I appeared nonchalant and maintained constant eye contact with Homeless Man, I was petrified and had massive amounts of adrenaline coursing through my body. I was not aware of what my dog was doing, or Michael, or anyone. I was completely concentrated on Homeless Man, waiting for him to attack. As I look back on this incident I can't believe my behavior. I am afraid of my own shadow. I don't like to walk at night, I don't like to be alone, I am a chicken. You never know how you are going to react until you are thrust into a situation. You may just surprise yourself.

This reminded me of the time my wallet was stolen....I will save that for another post.

Sign Up for Fun Monday Here!!!

2008-09-23T19:12:00.001-07:00

I think I may have to change the name of my blog...or let Cassie have her own!! She had a great idea for a Fun Monday, so she is hosting this week....I may help her out a bit!!

Calling all Bloggers!! I'm hosting the next Fun Monday and here is my assignment:

I want to see the inside of your closet!! I want to see if your closet is as messy as mine!!! You can't organize it before you take the picture!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think I have created a bloggy monster!!! She is very excited about hosting this week. Sign up in the comment section...I still can't figure out the Mister Linky thingy. BTW....her closet is a disaster!

The brave Players:

1. Sandy
2. BS
3. Heather
4. Jan
5. Bermudabluez
6. Chris B
7. Angela
8. Cynthia
9. Hula Girl
10. Sayre
11. Bee Dancer
12. Narice - new to Fun Monday!!
13. Big Momma
14. Herb of Grace - new to Fun Monday!!
15. Faye
16. Olive
17. Jessie
18. Hootin' Anni
19. Lil Mouse
20. SwampAngel
21. Janet
22.

Back by Popular Demand

2008-09-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

Back by popular demand....a guest blogger.....the one....the only.....Cassie!!!!

I'm back. I received another present in the mail today. It was from Jan. This is my present below.
When I ripped it open I saw two books. They are called "Paper Towns" and "Discovering Pig Magic". They sound very good.
Now to get a closer look at the covers.

This is the package after I opened it. Empty.

Thanks Jan!!! Now to talk about different things. Like you. I have a question for all of you. What is your favorite constellation? Mine is Cassiopeia. It is my favorite because it sort of has my name in it. She also is my favorite because she was a queen.

About my Young Authors, it is going great. I think my favorite poem I have written is called "The Sun".

Thanks for reading my second blog post. Bye!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Swampy....do you want me to send you the empty envelope???

Fun Monday

2008-09-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

Our wonderful hostess this week is my good blogging friend Heather and here is her assignment:

The topic: Sports. More specifically, the sports team that you are rabid about. Maybe you love the Dallas Cowboys. Maybe you never miss a Cincinnati Reds game. Perhaps you follow every goal of the Fighting Illini Water Polo team. Or maybe nobody can tear you away from a Manchester United game. I want to hear about whatever sports team(s) that make you cry tears of joy when they win and tears of sorrow when they lose.

I am not much of an American sports fan but I LOVE the real football...also known as English soccer. I can watch American soccer, but I prefer the English Premier League. My favorite team is Manchester United. I have been known to set my alarm clock in the wee morning hours to watch a live game. Most weekends I try and watch the game or I will catch a rerun of it during the week. My favorite player is Wayne Rooney, if fact our orange tabby cat is named Rooney after him!!

Don't forget to check out the post below to see what we did yesterday!!!

Happy Monday!!!!

Race For The Cure

2008-09-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

Today we walked for you, your wife, your mother, your sister, your friend, your daughter. Today we walked for women everywhere....for survivors, for their families, in their memory.

It was a beautiful day in San Francisco. Perfect weather for a 5K walk along the Embarcadero. We walked along the water with thousands of others. We saw women wearing pink shirts and scarves on their heads, their baldness not hidden, their fight not complete yet. Women pushing their infants in strollers while proudly wearing their pink shirts and scarves on their heads. We saw groups of families and friends with their loved ones imprinted on their shirts, their battles have ended, but the hope is still there for future generations.

We were a family today. We were a united front. We remembered our family that we lost, our friend that we lost, our family and friend that have survived, their battle won, for now.

The color of the day was pink.....the symbol of hope. Hope for my daughter, for your daughter and granddaughter. Hope that in their lifetime there will be a cure. Their battle will be easier than ours.

As we crossed the starting line in front of the Ferry Building I had tears in my eyes. The amount of people coming together from all walks of life for a united cause blew my mind. Cancer does not discriminate.

We walked down to AT&T park and back. The walk was easy, the mood was light. The views were incredible. I was struck by the joviality of the crowd. Cancer may have taken a part of them but it did not take their soul. The cancer did not win in the end, their essence of life remained. It remained in the people they left behind, the people who impacted their lives. Their souls were vibrantly alive in the survivors and the remainders. The cancer did not win.
My children had a wonderful experience today. They were a part of humankind at its best. The love in the air was palpable. The hope was tangible. We were making a difference.
After our walk we let the children choose the direction of our day. They chose the Rainforest Cafe for lunch.....
....and a drive down Lombard Street before we crossed the bridge to home.

I had a dream two nights ago that has affected me ever since. I dreamed I was having a mammogram and a doctor was doing it. He took film after film after film. He was taking different shots of the same lesion and was coming back into the room to tell me the results of the films....and I woke up. I don't know if I had this dream because of this walk or because of this. I am almost due for my 6 month recheck so I think I had better make an appointment.

My Presents

2008-09-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

I have a special guest blogger today....my daughter Cassie!!!!

Hi this is Cassie. Tonight I am writing my mom's blog. I am writing because my mom said I can. I received some presents in the mail today. They were from Karisma. She sent me them because she loves my poetry. I am writing more poetry every day. I hope you are enjoying them. For Young Authors this year I am doing a nature poetry book. It has poems about trees, the sun, clouds, and a whole bunch of nature. Below you can see some pictures of me getting my present in the mail.
When I opened the present, this is what I found. A book, a body wash, a card, earrings, bath foam, and a fairy booklet.
When I opened the card, which by the way was very cute, inside was a note telling me to keep writing poetry.
This is me with all my presents. Earrings in my mouth. Book, card, and fairy booklet in my left hand. My body wash and bath foam in my right.
This is me wearing my pretty earrings. I love the way they look. They are one of my favorite earrings now. I have alot of earrings!!

Thank you Karisma!!! I love all my gifts. Big fairy kisses to you!!

If you want to read more of my poetry tell my mommy to post more on her blog.
Thanks for reading my first blog post......it was fun!!

Fun Monday

2008-09-14T19:42:00.001-07:00

Our wonderful hostess this week is Rayne, who is on the crunchy side, and her assignment is the following:

Almost everyone I know keeps things that others would consider junk. Twist ties, used wrapping paper, etc. What thing or things do you hang on to, and why?

I cannot bear to throw away my children's school work. Cassie's shelf in her closet is filled with her old schoolwork, she has a box for each grade, including preschool. Michael's is getting just as bad, but it is not as organized as hers. Obviously this is not junk, but the reality of it is....it could be weeded through and some of it could be tossed....but I don't have the heart to do it yet. Maybe in a few years!!!

Now head on over to Rayne's crunchy place to see all the other hoarders....and don't forget to think of us on September 21st when we are walking a 5K for Breast Cancer!!!

Breast Cancer Walk

2008-09-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

Dave, Cassie, Michael, and I will be walking in the 5K walk on Sunday, Sept. 21 in the hopes of raising money to prevent and/or end this horrible disease. We will walking for our friend Kim who we lost last April, Dave's Aunt Mary who also succumbed to this disease, and for my aunt, and my friend Fiona who are survivors and for all women and all people whose lives have been affected by breast cancer.

Please support us in our walk with your thoughts and good wishes on September 21. If you would like to support the Race for the Cure monetarily here is the link:

Our pledges page

If your lives have been affected by Breast Cancer, please let me know so we can walk for you also.

Back to School

2008-09-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

School has started!!! We have been in full swing for the past 2 weeks now. Where did summer go? My alarm is set for "school time", I am making lunches, and we have started Homework Hell. What? You don't know what Homework Hell is? You have not lived until you have experienced Homework Hell....the tears, the anguish, the drama, the emotions, the threats, the insanity of it all. Why can't children just get their damn homework done and get over it? Why can't they realize that they will have play time after it is done and that the longer they whine and cry the less play time they get?? Ahh...School has started!!

Don't let that smiling face fool you...he is the king of Homework Hell!! But, in his defense, today he was awesome. All homework was done without any tears, whining, or threats. It was true Homework Heaven. It was so good that he was given back his beloved Pokeman cards that were taken away yesterday in Homework Hell. This little monster (whom I love dearly) is now in the 3rd grade. He has just signed up for the basketball team and is very excited about that. He also had his first cub scout meeting tonight and both him and his father (his den leader) are looking forward to a great scouting year.

This precious angel had her 9th and final "first day of school" at her current school. She is in 8th grade and will graduate this year. She has been attending this school since kindergarten....time flies!!! She just signed up for the volleyball team, is still doing karate (hoping to test for her next belt soon) and we had our first girl scout meeting last week. We are also looking forward to a great scouting year (I am her leader). The best part about her is that she is slowly weaning herself away from Homework Hell!!! We still have some setbacks but it is getting much better!! The end is in sight!!

Life is busy over here right now...but it is also good!!! You get an added bonus today...another poem from my budding 13 year old poet.....

My Parents

My parents are awesome.

They love me all the time.

They are so cool,

And tell me not to whine.

They help me with my homework.

They say I'm oh so smart.

They tuck me in at night,

And don't kill me with a dart.

They say not to be a bad person

They get mad at me when I lie.

I try to make it better

So I make them a pie.

They keep me safe from harm.

They always say they love me.

They tell me to do my best.

They are as nice as can be.

They always want a hug

I pay them back

With lots of

Love.

Written by Cassie

Ok...I have no idea about the dart thing....and a disclaimer....she picks the poems for me to publish, I don't pick them....but you must admit, this one has a good ring to it!!!

Fun Monday

2008-09-07T20:30:00.001-07:00

Our wonderful Hostess this week is WoodlandMama and her assignment is:

to write the 1st paragraph of an unusual love story. I admit it was hard, but I am look forward to seeing the results.

I am so sorry WoodlandMama but I must break the rules this week. All my creative juices are being sucked up by making school lunches and nightly homework battles with my son. Alas, I will not leave you empty handed....so....last week I had a number of people ask me the same question regarding my FM post. I thought I would answer your burning question this week...

What is in the aquariums in the corner??

As you can see by the picture we have 3 aquariums in the corner. One of them houses our fish, nothing fancy, just some goldfish. We tried raising fancy fish, but they always died so we have resorted to plain old goldfish!!

The next aquarium houses Sammy our corn snake. We acquired him last March and he is still a baby. He will probably grow to about 3-4 feet in length.

Isn't his coloring gorgeous?? I love his red eyes. He is very tame and likes to be held. He will wrap himself around your wrist and is very content there.

The last aquarium houses Leo our leopard gecko. He came to live with us a year ago last February. He is full grown now and is also very tame.

His favorite place to "ride" in on your head especially if you are wearing a hooded sweatshirt. He will crawl up there and just his head will be sticking out watching everything. I don't know if you can see that hole behind his eye but that is his ear. Because their brain sits in front of their ears you can see all the way through the hole and out the other side.

So there you have it....not quite a romantic love story...but a story nonetheless!!!

For more romance head on over to WoodlandMama's site....

The Front Fell Off

2008-09-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

This was too funny not to share. I recieved it in an email from my wonderful husband and we have been laughing about it ever since. It is not a real interview, it is an actual comic routine....Enjoy...

Awards!!!

2008-09-01T05:33:00.000-07:00

I think last week was my lucky week....maybe I should have purchased lottery tickets!! I received not one, not two, but three awards!!! How fortunate can a gal get???

My first award is from my wonderful friend Chrys. I love her blog. She has a wonderful family, gorgeous children and her life is full of love and laughter. She is also an extremely talented photographer, she amazes me with her artistic eye. Thank you so much Chrys!!!

This award is from my favorite blogger from Down Under, the one and only Karisma. I am sure we are twins separated at birth, we have so much in common it is scary. She shares a love of fairies and all things mystical. She is an incredible mother, she inspires me to be a better one. Thank you Karisma...fairy kisses and hugs to you!! I also received it from Coffee Bean, one of my original blogging buddies!! Her blog is candidly honest and I love that about her. I have laughed and cried many a time while reading her posts. She always sees the positives in every situation, I greatly admire that. Thanks Coffee Bean!!

This award is from a very special blogging buddy...someone I just had the pleasure of meeting IRL!! The one and only Marmite and Tea. She just had an incredible road trip..check out her place for beautiful photos and wonderful commentary. Alix is just as lovely in person and she is on her blog. Thank you so much....I am so glad I had the opportunity to meet you, it was a very special day for me.

I will pass these awards to the following blogging buddies:

ConverseMomma - if you have not read her blog, run now and do so, you will not be disappointed. Her talent is immense and her posts are always thought provoking.

Karisma - I can't help but give you these awards also....even though you gave me one of them!!

Deb - my favorites Angel's Momma...another insightful blog with thought provoking, beautifully written posts.

Three awards from three beautiful women and given to three beautiful women.

Fun Monday

2008-08-31T17:09:00.001-07:00

Our wonderful hostess this week is Gattina, who is suffering from writer's cramps!! Here is her assignment:

As I am a very curious person, I just want you to show us a picture of your blogging place ! Your room or bed or whatever space(s) or place(s) you have to write your posts.

Thank you for a nice, easy assignment on this holiday weekend!!!

Here is where I used to blog when I first started.....in our computer room. This was fine in the beginning, but once I became hooked on blogging I was spending more and more time here in this room.....but my family was....

...here, in this room, our family room. I would feel guilty being separated from them so I splurged and purchased a laptop. Now you can find me in this room, with my family....

...on this couch blogging away. Now I don't feel too guilty and I am very comfortable and I am in the same room as my family....

...and this is my view from my Blogging Couch!!
All is now well in my world!!

IRL meeting today!!

2008-08-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting a blogging buddy today!!! Marmite and Tea has been busy vacationing around our beautiful country, and blogging about it!! She is in San Francisco at the moment and since I live very near to the City, we met up today for a cup of coffee.

We had a wonderful visit, she is a lovely person. She is the first blogging buddy I have met IRL and I was very excited to meet her. It is odd though...I felt like I knew her, but I didn't know what she looked like!! Fortunately our meeting place was not crowded and I spotted her immediately.

We talked and laughed and had a wonderful time. Thanks for coming over the bay to meet me today Alix...it is wonderful to put a face to your name now!!! I thoroughly enjoyed our little visit!! I hope the rest of visit here is wonderful.

What is in a Name?

2008-08-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

I saw this over at ChrisB's site and just had to play!!!

What Alison Means

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.

You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.

Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.

You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.

You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong.

You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know.

You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do.

You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life.

You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you.

At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself.

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.

You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.

You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Old Cemetery, pondering Life

2008-08-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

I have always had a fascination with old graveyards. The mystery draws me in and I find myself stepping back in time while walking through the tombstones. I read each grave stone and imagine what their life was like. How did they die? Were they happy in their life? Did people mourn them?

My mind wanders in time and I try to place myself in their world. What kind of woman would I be in 1870? I am pretty outspoken and independent now, would I be then? Is my personality a part of me, or has it been molded through my environment?

I always think life was simpler in the past, before the electronic age and mass transportation. People lived off the land and families were tightly woven. But was it really simpler? The physical labor was intense. People worked from sun up to sun down. Simple conveniences that we take for granted were non existent. Life was hard....were people happy, or were they just too tired to care?

We found this cemetery in the town of Bodega last weekend. The same town The Birds was filmed in. Thankfully my husband knows of my fascination with old cemeteries and indulges my whims. Newer cemeteries don't hold the same power over me....I like the history.

Life Changes

2008-08-26T06:54:00.000-07:00

There comes a time in every parent's life when a corner is taken and change comes. The child you whose diaper you changed just the other day enters puberty and overnight you become dumber than dirt.

I find it completely amazing that I am 42 years old, a college graduate, a successful adult.....yet I can be dumber than dirt.

I remember when my daughter was a toddler. She was very independent. I found it very difficult to deal with her level of independence. On the one hand, she obviously needed help most of the time, but on the other hand, I didn't want to crush her spirit. I knew these traits would make her a strong person and a wonderful adult. I walked a fine line trying to balance everything.

Little did I know that we would be doing the same balancing act in the teen years. My daughter is very independent and she has wonderful qualities and traits that will help her become a strong woman. But sometimes....a little help from someone is wise to accept. Again, we are walking the tightrope between independence and dependence.

Fortunately, our trying times are few and far between. We have not fully entered the teen angst years yet. I am not dumber than dirt all the time. My advice and help is occasionally solicited. I am not the ultimate enemy at all times, thankfully.

I hope that day never comes, but I need to prepare myself in case it does. At this moment in time she still listens to me and does not fight me on everything. She does like to have the last word and she will walk off in a huff. I smile to myself during these times. I remember that these traits will make her a strong, independent woman.....after all....isn't that our goal as Mothers?

I remember my teenage years vividly. I was nothing like my daughter. I was the epitome of teenage angst and I paid dearly for those years, as did my parents. I hope Cassie never reaches the levels I did, but if she does, I hope she finds a trusted adult to talk to. Whether that adult is her parents, aunt, godmother, friend....it does not matter, as long as they love her and have her best interest at heart.

Now, for my son.....he is only 8 but we are already seeing changes and so far we like what we are seeing also!!!

Change is in the air and sometimes change is a good thing.

Fun Monday

2008-08-24T16:16:00.001-07:00

Our wonderful Hostesses with the Mostesses this week are the lovely Mama Dramas....and here is there assignment:

What funny trivial fact do you remember that you probably should have forgotten a long time ago?

I thought and thought about this all week and honestly I could not think of anything!!! I know...it is terrible!! So I am going to share with you useless, or useful, pieces of trivia that I just learned last weekend.

Did you know that you can use a snow sled to "sled" down a sand dune?

Did you know that your dog should not run next to you when sledding down the sand dune? (he was not hurt, don't worry...he is kind of a baby!!)

Did you know that 50 is not too old to sled down a sand dune? (he will actually turn 50 in October!!)

For more trivia head on over to the Mama Dramas!! Have a great Monday!!

Personality vs. Looks

2008-08-22T07:41:00.000-07:00

Conversation that happened in the car yesterday:

Cassie: We have a new kid in our class this year. He is a boy. I saw his name when I was at school last week for the student council meeting. Anna* (not her real name) said that she hopes he is cute.

Michael: Doesn't she know that personality is more important than looks?

I was speechless.....Michael is only 8 years old.

It is times like this that I think we are doing a pretty good job at parenting these children. It is times like this that make up for all the times I think we aren't.

Poetry

2008-08-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

Just for you, two more poems written by Cassie:

Prayer of the Duck

I live in a pond.

Where children swim

as I pray for

love from my family and friends

and to live to the end of the world.

Prayer of the Horse

I gallop in fields

where we rest all day,

I pray for protection

from mountain lions

while dandelions blow in the wind.

I promise to tell about our incredible weekend at the beach soon. I have more pictures and videos to share. I am still visiting Fun Monday posts....they are wonderful this week so it is taking me awhile.

Have a wonderful day!!