Hope and Fun all in One Day!

Is this a hopeful color?  LOL  I was looking at all the colors looking for one that looked hopeful and this is the one that I chose.  When I think about it, this color really fits the topic I'm writing about because it's close to my skin tone.  I'll connect this in a second. 

I went to my water aerobics class today.  There wasn't as many women there today because the 4th of July is next week.  I guess some lucky people are taking the Friday and the Monday off and making it a real vacation.  After class, I talked to the instructor for a few minutes and asked her what I could expect as far as toning and firming up.  I explained that I had lost a lot of weight and I thought I might have to have surgery to get the results I wanted.  She told me to do the class 2 to 3 days a week for a year before deciding whether or not to have surgery.  She said I might really be surprised how much good the exercise would do and I may not need to do anything that hurts.  LOL Now wouldn't that be wonderful?  I would be so pleased and so would my savings account.  LOL  So you see, this color is skin color and we were talking about skin toning.... oh, well, it was a stretch, I know... forgive my silliness.

This is Megan's favorite color.  Her bedroom is painted two different colors of purple with a border of fairies separating the two.  Tonight we are going to dinner to celebrate her birthday and then going back to their house to watch the kids perform their new swimming tricks.  Every moment spent with them is a joy for me.  I can't wait! 

An update on my Aunt Helen.  Since she was transferred to a nursing home/rehab center she is getting physical therapy every day.  She still does not have much strength because she is hampered by the hip replacement.  She still needs help turning in bed, sitting up and she cannot get out of bed without the aid of the therapist.  Her spirits go from very good to in the pits which is understandable.  She is frustrated, scared, and feeling uncertain about what the future holds.  My Mom and her youngest sister, Ruth, drive to Denver from Laramie, Wyoming (about 2 1/2 hours north of Denver) every 10 days or so to see her and they call when they know my cousin, Vicki will be in the room to help with the telephone.  This is going to be a long road back and prayers are appreciated.

That's it for the moment so until later...............  ô..ô

 

 

 

Happy 7th Birthday, Megan!

Today is Meg's 7th birthday!  I called her this morning and wished her a happy day.  Dennis, Cari and I are going over tomorrow night for an early dinner and then we will go back to their house for cake, ice cream and a swim.  The kids want to show us all of their new swimming tricks and I'm sure it will still be warm enough for us to get into the pool with them.  Yesterday, it was 104 degrees at 2:30 in the afternoon.  So hot that I had to bring their Bulldog, Chopper inside.  Bulldogs don't tolerate the heat well.  Once he settled down, he just laid on the cool tile with his tongue hanging out and his eyes rolled back..  I'm sure I heard him moan, "Ahhhhhh........"  LOL

I went out early to run some errands but I forgot to take my bank card so I have to go back to make a deposit.  Darn!!!  I didn't want to go back out in this heat.  Oh, well, serves me right for not being prepared.  I did get to Sips for a iced latte, got gas, and went to get decals made for Dennis so it wasn't a totally wasted trip.

An agent is showing Bryan and Shannon's house today between 1 and 3 p.m.  We're saying prayers that this will be the right buyer.  The house has been on the market for almost 2 months and they would really like to be moved before school starts.  Prayers please!  It's a beautiful home with a lot of custom upgrades.  Hopefully someone will see the beauty and unique qualities in it and just HAVE to buy it.

I guess I should get to the bank before it gets any later.  Luckily, I can go to an automated teller close by to make a quick deposit. 

Until later.........................ô..ô

Fun Day

I had such a nice day with the grandkids.  They were on their best behavior so we really had fun.  I took a new book and read it to Meg and Nathan after Andrew went down for his nap.  It's called Owen and Mzee, a true story about a baby hippo who's mom was killed in the tsunami.  He was rescued and taken to a refuge where he was put into an enclosure with a 130 year old tortoise, Mzee.  It's an amazing story of how Owen bonded to Mzee and how Mzee, a loner, got close to him.  They became best friends and surprised all the caretakers. 

When my son got home from work, Megan and I went to the mall.  We went to Build-a-Bear and she got a new bear, Jessie, and a new doll, Rachel.  She had so much fun picking out clothes and accessories.  When I see her again on Friday I will try to get pictures of the new additions to her 'family'.  We went to a department store and she picked out a new purse, a fancy beaded t-shirt and a 3 piece pajama set.  The girl can shop!!!  LOL  She was delighted with her selections and I was happy because I know she got exactly what she wanted.

I'll write more in the morning.  I'm too pooped to write more tonight.  Until then................ô..ô

 

Making Plans

I'm not going to have time to journal on Wednesday so I thought I'd write this down before I forget to put it in here.  I made reservations for our one night hotel stay in Vancouver, B.C. on August 26th.  We decided to fly into Vancouver the day before our Cruise starts so we can be rested and have a little time to explore the city.  We were in Vancouver at the end of our last Cruise and just loved it.  It's a beautiful city!  I have two cousins living there.  Michelle is an executive chef and Derek is an architect.  I won't have time to see either of them during our short stop which is unfortunate.  (Interesting Family Fact:  We have 3 architects in our family. My husband, Dennis, Derek, and Karen.)   This time the exchange rate isn't nearly as good.  It's .89 U.S.  to 1.00 Canadian today.  Last time it was a bigger difference in our favor. 

I need to get rested.  I have the little monsters tomorrow.  LOL  My grandchildren and I are spending the day together.  I will get there around 10:00 and stay most of the day.  I may even have dinner there.  We'll see.  Dennis is going to the Angel game with one of his friends so there is no rush for me to get home.  Shannon will be at school until 9:00 that night so I may pick up something on the way back from the mall after my shopping trip with Megan.  That way I can have some time with Bryan after the kids go to bed.  I really miss one on one time with my son.  When he was still at home, I used to sit in a big over stuffed chair in his room when he was either waking up or going to sleep and we would have some of the best talks.  He's my talker.  He expresses himself so well.  He calls a lot and shares stories about the kids.  He's so open about his life and how he feels about things.  I feel so lucky because I have a lot of friends with sons who say just the opposite - especially after they get married. 

That's it for now.  I'm sure I'll have some tales to share on Thursday.    Until then.................   ô..ô

 

 

A Productive Morning

I had a productive morning.  I just love it when that happens.  LOL  I got up and got right to work getting things done.  Two loads of laundry and a shopping trip out of the way before 1:00 p.m.  Not bad for this old slug.

The mall opens at 10 in the morning so I got there at 10:15 in order to get a good parking spot.  They are building a new section and have closed off at least 1/4 of the parking spaces so it's difficult to find a good spot if you wait too late in the day.  I was on a mission to find an outfit for Megan's 7th birthday gift.  I went into two girl's shops and looked around.  The clothes looked like they were made for tiny little hookers.  I can't believe some of the things they sell to young girls.  My daughter-in-law would never allow Megan to dress like that, thank God!  Since there was nothing appropriate in those 2 stores, I went to Penneys.  They have a lot of the same mini-hooker items but they also have a lot of more conservative and very cute clothes.  I found a pair of blue cropped pants with a sparkly belt, a little white eyelet blouse with a white cammie under it, and a white cap sleeved T-shirt with a jeweled butterfly on the front.  All of it cute, modest and total Megan. 

Tomorrow I am going to spend the day with the grandkids.  Shannon has a CPR class so I will be taking care of them while she is in school.  Bryan will be home from work around 2 or 3:00 p.m.  After he gets home, Megan and I will go the mall down there so she can choose an outfit and an outfit for her Build-a-Bear.  I just learned about Build-a-Bear a few months ago.  It's a store where kids can go in and pick out the body of an animal - bear, dog, whatever - have it stuffed and then choose from many different outfits to make it unique to their taste.  She has a bear and a white poodle and says she needs more clothes for them so I told her she could pick something out and I would buy it for her birthday.  (See picture above.)

Not much else to report at this time so I think I'll head out to the kitchen and put a salad together for lunch.  Until later.........  ô..ô

 

It's such a nasty hot and humid day.  It's in the mid 90's and the air is heavy, sticky and gray.  In late summer, we sometimes get the tail end of tropical storms that swirl up from Mexico and Baja California that give us hot, damp air like this.  It just seems to early in the season for it.  Last night around 11:00, there were large lightning strikes over the foothills.  It was too far away for us to hear the thunder but the light flashes were awesome to see against the black sky.  Nature's own fireworks show.

I went to my first water aerobics class this morning .  Talk about a work out!!  Wow!  It's an hour of non-stop moving.  It's a lot of fun and I think I'm really going to enjoy it.  It was fun to see Felicia.  There's no time for talking though.  The instructor is a slave driver.   LOL  After the class, I sat in the jacuzzi for a few minutes to relax.  That felt great!  I showered all the chlorine off my hair, swimsuit and skin and then went into the locker room to change.  It's a beautiful facility.  They have everything you could want in a gym.  I may use the treadmill and some of the other equipment as I get stronger.

I'll add to this later.  Right now, I'm going to have some lunch and take a rest.

Oh, No!! LOL

Got an email from Dianne this afternoon, she said, "It feels like earthquake weather."   YIKES....  we're both feeling it.  I'm just making a note of it in here just in case.  LOL  Wooooooooo.

Steaming Hot Sunday

It's going to be well over 100 degrees today.  ICKKKKY....  The summer heat is setting in and I'm not happy to see it come.  Usually it's here until October.  There are some breaks here and there but it is between 90 and 110 during the summer months.  This time of year, I wonder why we didn't buy a house closer to the beach. 

Today, Dennis and I are taking Bernice to lunch.  It will be the first time we've seen her since Dad's funeral.  We talk to her on the phone often but she has been so busy taking care of business and being pampered by friends that we haven't been able to schedule a time to get together.   She sounds so good when we talk.  She is adjusting well and is handling all the little things that have to be done easily.  We are so pleased to see her able to move through the adjustment process so smoothly.  She gave SO much the past few years, especially the last 18 months.  It took a lot out of her and she sacrificed a great deal.  She took such good care of Dad and when he was in the nursing home, she made sure he had everything he needed.  She was there everyday at lunch and dinner because if he was going to eat, he would eat for her.  Bless her heart..  We love her so much for her love and devotion to him. 

I start my water aerobics class in the morning.  I'm really looking forward to it.  I wish the gym was closer because morning traffic is a concern but I will not let that be a deterrent. I'm keeping my Curves membership, too.  I'll do one 2 days a week, the other 3.  I haven't decided how to divide it up.  I'll just see how it goes.  I'm ready to kick it in gear again and to get busy losing the last of my weight.  I'd like to reach my goal by the end of the year and I can do it if I do a few extra things:  exercise, drink more water, and exercise.  LOL   My food is good.  I'm eating exactly what I need to eat and I'm still going down but very slowly.  I haven't exercised in about 4 weeks due to a shoulder injury and all the hoopla around here (Dad's death, my parent's visit, etc.).  Now, I have no excuses.  LOL  I'm back at it.

There is a lot of tension in the air right now.  I can't figure out if it's just me or if there is something bigger going on.  I have had the sense of impending doom for about 7 days.  The last time I had this feeling for this long, the Northridge Earthquake hit.  I really don't like the idea of THAT!  LOL  Now, that was a strange story.  One night, Dennis, Cari, Bryan and I were talking about how none of us had been sleeping for 3 nights in a row.  I said, "You, know, we're probably going to have a big earthquake and we can sense the tension building."  That next morning, the Northridge Quake hit.  Do you hear the music from Twilight Zone playing?   When we were all together the next morning, I said, "Hey, didn't I just say?"   None of them wanted to talk about it.  It gave them the creeps that I had 'predicted' it.  It was just a huge coincidence.  I'm not psychic.   Well, if we have another BIG one, you guys will all know that I've had the feeling for 7 days now.  LOL

Until later............here's looking at you    ô..ô

Friends Move Away

I have a friend that is moving away from me.  It seems like this happens in stages.  I'll go for a long time with my circle of friends staying very stable and then in a short period of time, there is a shake up due to one circumstance or another.  When I was younger, it used to bother me and sometimes hurt me deeply when this happened.  But now, I realize that this is just part of life. 

My friend, Anne, is moving.  There is a garage sale going on to clear out the stuff they don't want to pack and take with them to their new home.  Lucky for me it's no more than an hours drive.  Another lucky thing is our grandchildren attend the same school so there is a good chance I will see her at least twice a year at their school programs.  We never miss watching our grandchildren perform.  Anne has lived two houses away for nearly 14 years.  I used to watch her son, Brian, when he was out of school on breaks.  He and I became very close and I love him to pieces.  He's now 21 years old and has moved away but I see him when he visits his parents.  Anne and I have never been the type of friends to talk every day but we have shared the big things and when she's needed help, I'm the one she calls and visa versa.  She suffers from migraine headaches and when her husband has been out of town on business, I'm the one who has driven her to the ER for treatment.  She donated a kidney to her brother and she and I sat on her patio many afternoons during her recovery talking about the miracle of recovery and how amazing our bodies were to mend from something like that.  I'm going to miss seeing her at the mail box when I go down to fetch our daily stack of junk mail and bills.  She is one of those people who has touched my life in a positive way and has left an impact on my heart that I'll always treasure.

 

It's the end of the week and I'm tired tonight.  I had a good day.  It started off with a trip into Orange County (about 25 miles from here) to pick up blue print paper for Dennis.  Talk about lucky!  I hit the traffic just right.  There was no traffic going in.  On the way home, it started slowing about 7 miles before my exit.  There was a repair crew and a Highway Patrol car stopping traffic to get something out of the traffic lanes.  Lucky for me, I was only about 50 cars back so when they got out of the way we got up to speed very quickly.  Had I stopped for coffee like I thought about doing it would have taken me a lot longer to get home.

I went to the mall and the art supply store before going home to take care of a few errands.  While at the mall I saw a pretty red suit that had a  ruffled skirt.  I'd always wanted to wear something like that so I took it in the dressing room and tried it on.  The red did nothing for me but the style was flattering.  If it had come in a shade of blue I may have had to buy it.  I want to get something like that to take on the Cruise to Alaska for one of the more formal dinner nights.  I'll just keep looking until I find the right thing.  On my way back to the car, I went through Nordstrom's.  They have beautiful black silk blouses with Oriental designs that look hand painted on the fabric.  Absolutely beautiful!  The price:   $265.00   Cough, sputter, cough!!  I would love to have one but I don't think I will be spending that much money on just one blouse.  Too bad I'm not independently wealthy. 

I've joined another fitness club.   I'm going to start on Monday doing the water aerobics class at 9:00 in the morning.  I'm excited!  I guess it is really fun.  My friend, Felicia is taking the class so it will be nice to know someone.  I'm going to do the water class 2 or 3 days a week and the other gym 2 or 3 days a week so I'm working out 5 days a week.  Since all of the company and Dad's death, I haven't been to the gym in over 3 weeks.  I miss it and can really feel the difference in my energy level.  My weight loss has really slowed down, too.  I want to getgoing again.  I'm pretty close to my goal and I don't want to stop now. 

   I haven't written about this before because I'm really not sure if I'm going to go through with it or not.  I am going to see a cosmetic surgeon about having a few things nipped and tucked.  My skin isn't as resilient as it was in my younger years and after loosing so much weight, I have a lot of........hmmm, how do I put this delicately?..........flab...LOL.  I guess I have to come right out and say it.  Anyway, I have my husband's blessing to go in for an estimate on the body work - LOL.  Sounds like a dented up old car going into the shop, doesn't it?  I have a wish list so I'm going to get prices on everything and then decide what to do.  My sister and best friend are going to go, too.  My sister wants to get a bit of a face and neck lift.  Dianne wants a face lift.  And I want so much done, my belly  button will be in the middle of my forehead.  LOL  I'm kidding, really.  I'll tell you more after I see the doctor.  I'm nervous and yet excited at the prospects.  We shall see.

   I have had this strange feeling inside all week.  This impending dread kind of feeling.  It's unpleasant and I wish it would go away.  I have nothing to dread.  Everything seems to be fine right now.  My friend, Dianne, said it could be a delayed stress reaction to everything that happened when Dad died.  Could be, I guess.  I don't need to know why.  I just want it to go away.

   Tomorrow is Saturday.  I'm feeding my friend's dogs in the morning.  Her twin grandson's are having their 1st birthday party tomorrow so she and her husband are flying up to San Jose for the big bash.  The boys, Jaxon and Brody are fraternal twins.  One is fair with blue eyes; the other olive skin and brown eyes.  They are both adorable.  They have an older sister, Jayla who will be 5 this summer.  She has the olive skin and brown eyes.  Beautiful children! I love her dogs, too.  Lacy is an Australian Shepherd and Lily is a long haired Chihuahua.  What a pair!   I love holding Lily as she only weighs about 5 pounds.  She curls up in my arms and goes to sleep like a baby while Lacy sits with her back to me between my feet.  When I go home, Kasey goes crazy!  I get the 'sniff-sniff-sniff' treatment because I've been with other dogs!

  I guess that is enough of this yada yada yada......  LOL 

Until later................see ya!   ô..ô

Shopping Therapy Success

I'm in a much better mood. The shopping trip did me so much good.  It was even better because my daughter went with me.  We went to Sips (the cafe where she works) first for coffee and then we were off to the mall.  I found the sandals I was looking for just not in the color I had hoped to find.  I wanted brown leather but ended up with black suede.  They are very nice and comfortable!!  We went up to the girl's department to see if we could find an outfit for Megan's birthday gift.  We were disappointed in the selection so we decided to leave.  On the way out, I noticed their swimwear was 50% off so I tried on 3 bathing suits and found 2 that I actually liked.  I bought both of them.  Next week, I will start the water aerobics class.  Hope I love it as much as my friends do.  It sure sounds fun.

From the mall, we went to an art supply store.  Cari bought mats and frames for two water color paintings she bought in Italy.  She's eager to get them framed and hung in her room.  When they are up, I'll try to take a picture and post  it if it comes out.  We went to the grocery store for a few items and then came home.  I'm relaxed and stress free.  It feels great.

 

I met my good friend, Sylvia for lunch yesterday.  I hadn't seen her for nearly a month.  We went shopping for an hour after we ate and she talked me into trying on a pair of cropped pants.  Oh, my gosh!   I don't think so!!  I look like a cube.  She thought I was too critical of myself and wanted me to buy them but I put them right back on the rack.  She bought them in five different colors.  She's a very tall 5' 10" and has curves so she looks great in them.  I'm 5' 4" and pretty much straight up and down so I don't.  I had a good laugh anyway.  I enjoy trying on things that I would have never dreamed of wearing when I was heavier.  Somethings, like skirts, do look nice and I've added a few to my wardrobe.  

One of my favorite stores is having a big sale so I'm headed there this morning to buy some sandals.  My sister has a pair of Clark's that I love but they are from last summer.  I want to see if they have something close to them this year.  I'm so picky....too picky sometimes.

I have an issue with someone close to me that is causing some stress and resentment.  I am trying to deal with it in a way that is loving and yet assertive and taking care of myself at the same time.   My cousin, Vicki, Helen's daughter, is calling every day to whine, bitch and complain about her over burdened life.  How hard it is on her to take care of everything having to do with her mom's illness, selling her mom's home, going to see her mom, having to deal with the staff at the nursing home, on and on and on.  Having just gone through a lot of this with Dennis' Dad, I understand the stress involved and I know how hard it is.  I know that Vicki's brother and sister have been very little help to her and I understand her anger about that.  BUT a lot of what is going on with her is her own negative attitude in general.  She sees most of life in a very negative way.  She is a complainer.  If things were perfect she would find something to bitch about so when she is in a bad situation, her outlook on things makes it 50 times worse than it actually is.

I have thanked the good Lord 40 times this past ten days for Caller ID.  Luckily, I can choose when to pick up the phone to talk with her and when to just let the answering machine do the job for me.  I don't feel a bit guilty about it either.  I have grown up emotionally to the point where I can determine, without guilt, when I want to deal with someone and when I don't.  I know that I have to give someone permission to take advantage of me and I don't give anyone that permission anymore.

This morning when the phone rang, I happened to be near the only phone in the house that doesn't have Caller ID.  LOL   I will admit I prayed, "Please, God, don't let it be........."  and it was.    "Good morning!"  I said.  "Is it?"  she replied.  "It is here!"  I beamed back with a happy voice.  "Well, lucky you."  She moaned sarcastically.  And off she went for 20 minutes about how awful her life was and how Helen's transfer to a nursing home was just the worst experience of HER life, and on and on.  And I listened without too much input and very little questions.  "Did you get my Email yesterday?" she demanded to know.  "Yes, late last night."  I replied.  "Well, I only heard back from your sister........."   I explained that since it was late I had planned on answer my Email this morning.  All of which was true.  I don't lie to her about anything.

We had a conversation one afternoon early this week and in order to change the subject from HER I told her about donating one of Dad's wheelchairs to a poor family with an 87 year old grandmother who had to be carried everywhere because they could not afford a chair.  I told her how thrilled we were that we could help and how happy Dad would be if he knew that his chair was given to help someone like that.  Her response, "Well, I guess I better go and start dinner."   LOL   I guess if we're not talking about HER then we aren't going to talk.  Quite telling, don't you think?  Said volumes to me.

Ahhh........I needed to vent.    Now I'm going to go shopping and not give this another thought.

This morning I am thanking God for all the blessings in my life and for filling my heart with positive, happy, loving energy.  Thanking Him that I have a good attitude toward life and the peoplein my life.  Thanking Him that I see the good and awesome things that He has created every day.  I'm also praying that He softens Vicki's heart and gives her some peace.  Amen

 

Ahh, what to write?  I guess I'll start with the weather report.  It's hot (92 degrees) and windy with low humidity.  I had a nice day.  I met my good friend, Dianne, for lunch.  Lucky for me, traffic moved smoothly going and returning.

My grandson, Nathan, met with the principal at the school he will attend in the fall.  The principal wanted to assess his social skills and maturity level to make sure he would be ready for Kindergarten.  He won't be 5 until a week after school starts. During earlier assessment testing, he had trouble identifying letters.  He knew everything else that a kid starting Kindergarten should know which is great.  After meeting Nathan, Mr. P was quite sure that Nathan would do just fine as long as he worked on his letters before school starts on August 15.

Now his sister Megan, who will be 7 on the 29th of June, has taken on the job of teaching Nathan his letters.  I talked to my son this afternoon and he said Megan has flash cards, paper and pencils, and a game that teaches letters all set up in the loft.  I can just imagine the scene.  Megan loves being the boss and getting all 'official'.  She even gets that 'official' tone in her voice.  Nathan is so easy going that he goes along with the program and lets her teach him.  He'll take it for just so long and then she will get a little too bossy and that will be the end of that....until the next time.  LOL

I'm going to close for now.  I can't think of another thing to write.    See y'all later.........   ô..ô

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June Gloom Is Back

It's cloudy and overcast this morning which means it will probably be around 85 again today.  I feel a sense of relief when I look outside and see gray skies because I know it's not going to be super hot.  The summers here are hard on me.  I do not like day after day of 95 - 105 degrees.  It wears me down and makes me want to stay home and do nothing.  At least it's cool inside the house so I can get busy with a quilting project or something fun during the hot months.

Father's Day was great fun.  My son and his family arrived around 2:00.  My DIL's dad is visiting from Arizona.  We hadn't seen him in a few years so it was nice to have him here, too.  Cari's fiance, Sam was able to join us for dinner.  His family celebrated Father's Day at a nice brunch after church.  His Dad had to get up for work at 3:00 this morning so he went to bed early and Sam could get away.

We had a nice dinner but the best part was being together and enjoying the kids.  I helped Megan and Nathan make Father's Day cards for their daddy on the computer.  I have a Create-a-Card program and almost every time they come over they want to make a card for someone.  It's a fun time for us to do something together.  I spent time with Nathan listening to everything he has done since the last time I saw him.  He loves to talk!!!  He was wearing a new shirt that has a glow-in-the-dark picture on the front so we had to go into the bathroom, close the door, turn off the light so I could see it glow.  LOL  Wow!  It is really COOL... Megan is my Super Helper.  This little girl loves to help out.  She finished setting the table and after dinner, she was right there helping to rinse and dry dishes.  She has a heart for helping and serving others.  She and I planned her Birthday Shopping Trip.  I take her shopping for one outfit and a toy then I buy her a surprise outfit and something else that she gets when we all celebrate her birthday.  I do the same with Nathan and will with Andrew when he gets a little older.  It gives me time with them and they love the individual attention and choosing their own gifts. 

Well, then there is Andrew.  This 19 month old little boy never, and I do mean never stops moving.  He is always on the go and yet does not get into anything.  He knows where his toys are and he goes into the cupboard and drags them all out but he doesn't go places he shouldn't go.  He is so cute, I could just hug and kiss him all day but he won't stand for it.  I get a quick hug and kiss when he first comes in and when they leave he will come and give me a kiss and hug good bye but 'stand back, gramma, don't mess with me  because I've got things to do' is his motto.  LOL  He brings me a toy so I can talk to him about it and then he takes it back and off he goes.  I have to get my time with him when he comes to me.  I look forward to the time he will bring me a book and want me to read to him.

My daughter-in-law has gone back to college part time.  I have to give her credit.  She is the hardest worker I know.  Her home is spotless, her kids are always well groomed and well taken care of, she helps her friends and family when they need her and now she's going back to school, too.  I told her that I will go down a morning or two a week and get the kids out of the house for a few hours so she can study if she needs me to.  Bryan is working his schedule so he gets home earlier because her classes are at night.  He's there to eat an early dinner, clean up the kitchen and take care of the kids while she's at school.  I give him a lot of credit, too.  He works so hard and then comes home to take over the house duties and the kids.  They have made this commitment together to get Shannon through school so when Andrew is about 6, Shannon can go back to work the hours the kids are in school.  I'm proud of both of them.

I hope Shannon will take me up on my offer.  I love having time with the kids and I don't mind driving down there to take care of them.  Really, the most important thing to me is supporting her going back to school.  She's never had much support from her Mom about anything.  Her Dad left when she was 10 and just came back into her life since she married Bryan 9 years ago.  I know I'm not her Mom but I always try to be a positive, supportive person in her life.  I encourage her and stand up for her like a Mom would.  The other thing is,  I personally never got any support from my parents about going to college when I was getting out of high school.  I wanted to study English with an emphasis on writing.  I always dreamed about being a writer in some capacity and then later I wanted to study psychology.  I will never forget telling my dad I wanted to go to college and him saying, "Well, I don't know how you're going to get there."   That was the end of that discussion.  I went to work making a huge sum of $327 a MONTH and that lead to another low paying job that lead to another, and so on and so on.  I did end up in a great job later where I had a lot of responsibility and where I made a good salary.  I left that job after Dennis established his business and was headed back to college when BINGO I got pregnant with Cari.  Would I change anything today?  NO!  But if I can help Shannon shape her future, will I?  YES!!!

One of the funniest things we did yesterday was Sam went online on his Laptop to choose some ring tones for his new cell phone.  He has Nextel and they must have 1,000,000 different ring tones.  I am such a dummy about these things, I didn't know you could assign a ring tone to an incoming phone number.  When Cari's friend, Stephanie, calls her the phone plays the theme from The Little Mermaid because that was Stephanie's favorite when she was a kid. We heard 1 tone that sounds like a donkey so we told Shannon to assign that one to her phone for when Bryan calls her.  I found one of an Irish man saying, "Aw, quit yer whinnin' and pick up yer phone."  I want that to ring with Dennis calls me.  LOL  There was one of a woman screaming like someone was coming after her with a knife.  We thought that might cause a problem if it went off in a darkened movie theater.  LOL  We all had a good laugh.  When he found tones that played music, Andrew would get his groove going and dance.   It was so much fun...

I could journal all day but this isn't getting the laundry done or the errands run.  I better close out for now.

Until later.........  Here's looking at you:   ô..ô

Happy News Story

I rarely find a news story that I want to share but today is an exception.  I think this is one of the sweetest stories not only about a little girl with a big imagination but about a community that came together to make her dream come true.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Love,  Kathy

 

 

Idaho Girl Becomes Superhero for a Day

 

 

BOISE, Idaho (June 18) - Most days, 6-year-old Aubrey Matthews spends her energy fighting a brain tumor growing behind her eyes. But the first-grader managed to foil crimes and chase an arch-nemesis through Boise on Friday, serving the city as the superhero "Star" with assistance from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Idaho, The Idaho Statesman reported.

When she donned her blue and metallic superhero costume, Star took on the super-powers of X-ray vision, superhuman strength, speed and blowing power -- and a mission: To capture the villain who had stolen a golden star from the Idaho Historical Museum.

After Star was alerted by authorities, she hopped on a Life Flight helicopter to reach the crime scene, where she found a clue linking the crime to a known evildoer.

The chase was on, with plenty of opportunities for Star to use her superpowers along the way.

Before catching the bad guy, she rescued people from a "smoke"-filled building, saved a citizen from drowning in ParkCenter Pond, and vindicated ferrets at Zoo Boise who had been framed for stealing the golden star.

It was a busy day for Aubrey, a little girl with an incredible imagination whose biggest foe is the inoperable optic glioma tumor growing in the center of her brain. The tumor was diagnosed when Aubrey was 6 months old.

"I try to enjoy every day with her," said her mother, Elisa Matthews. "Life is just precious, and you can't blow it away. You have to take it for what it is, no matter what it is."

The tumor is inoperable because of its location and the way it grew into her optic nerve and against her hypothalamus, said her father, Dave Matthews.

Aubrey began chemotherapy when she was 15 months old. The tumor was stabilized for three and a half years but started to grow again last summer. A second round of chemotherapy began in August and was completed in January, her father said.

So far the news is good -- the tumor has shrunk some, and Aubrey isn't as ill as doctors expected her to be after the chemotherapy. She has not lost her hair and her white blood cell count is stable, representing a small victory over the toxic chemotherapy drugs.

Most kids making a wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Idaho wish to go someplace, to meet someone or to have something special.

Aubrey's request -- to "be" something -- is the rarest kind of wish, said executive director Marcia Karakas. It's the first time in at least 10 years that a "be" wish has been received in the Idaho office, which serves the state's lower 35 counties.

Windermere Real Estate's 150 employees took part in scripted superhero scenes, and the caper was filmed by Area 02, a local production company, for a special premiere this fall.

"I'm overwhelmed with all the time that people have put into this," Dave Matthews said. "The whole day is centered around her, and it's just awesome. This is truly a dream come true for her."

Aubrey came up with other superhero characters to help her fight crime -- Lion Lady, Frog Lady, Dog Man, House Lifter, Sky Girl, Martian Manhunter and Tree Girl -- all played by volunteers. She also helped design the costumes.

"I think she's brought out the child in all of us," said Jessie Gillingham, volunteer coordinator for the foundation.

By noon on Friday, Star had rescued a hostage from the villain's grip and tied the miscreant to the replica Liberty Bell in front of the Statehouse, cheered by hundreds of fans.

"I'd like to thank you for your extreme bravery," Mayor David Bieter said when the bad guy was in custody. He swore Aubrey in as an honorary police officer and proclaimed June 15 as Make-A-Wish Day and Star Day.

"You have shown extraordinary crime-fighting skills," Boise Police Mike Masterson said before presenting her with an Aubrey-sized police uniform.

For the little girl whose strength helps her fight cancer, it was all in a day's work.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Happy Graduation Day

Today was Ryan's graduation party.  It was a lot of fun.  The weather cooperated, too.  It was around 88 degrees with a nice breeze when the party got started so it was very comfortable.  Everything was set up outside on the Morales' beautiful patio/pool area that overlooks a lovely golf course. 

If you missed my entry about the Smell-O-Gram this might not make any sense.  LOL   When Ryan opened the gift bag and saw that stuffed sock with the band around it reading, "Smell-O-Gram for Ryan Morales", he doubled over laughing.  "How did you remember that?" he wanted to know.  "I can't believe you remembered that!"  He gave me a big hug and we both laughed about that day again.  We had a good time talking about a lot of the funny things he and the other kids did going to and from school all those years.  I never thought I would say this but I do miss driving car pool and spending time with the kids.  They've grown up way to fast.  I've known Ryan since he was a baby.  It's been a joy to watch him grow up and to become such a fine young man.

The only disappointment - I had my camera set on black and white! I cannot believe I did that.  Oh well.  It's not the end of the world. 

Our Purpose In Life Explained

Thanks to my friend, Christy, for this one!

It's 102 degrees now.  I was SO happy to walk into an air conditioned house after picking up my new glasses.  What a relief!  The good news:  The wind has died down significantly.  It's breezy but not howling.

Our family will be celebrating Father's Day here on Sunday.  We will barbeque halibut and chicken.  I bought some beautiful fresh asparagus when I was out today which I will steam and serve with a big tossed salad, herbed rice and fresh pineapple. When I go shopping in the morning, I'll pick up fresh dinner rolls, too.  My daughter-in-law is bringing the dessert.  My DIL's dad is visiting from Arizona so he will be joining us for dinner, too.  I hope it has cooled down a bit by Sunday.

I have nothing else to report right now so I think I'll close this out, read a few journals and then take a nice little nap.

See y'all later.

 

 

 

Tattoo Of The Year

A friend sent me this picture of "The Tattoo of The Year".  I thought it was great!  An honest guy with a great sense of humor.  I don't know if I could keep my composure if I were sitting behind him in church.  LOL

 

In the "Sad But True" column this morning, I got the following from my friend Barbara:

Two patients limp into two different American Medical clinics with the same complaint. Both have trouble walking and appear to require a hip replacement.

The first patient is examined within the hour, is x-rayed the same day and has a time booked for surgery the following week.
 

The second sees the family doctor after waiting a week for an
appointment, then waits eighteen weeks to see a specialist, then gets an x-ray, which isn't reviewed for another month and finally has his surgery scheduled for 6 months from then.

Why the different treatment for the two patients?

The first is a Golden Retriever.....
 

The second is a Senior Citizen.

 

It is 10:30 a.m. and already a H O T   92 degrees outside.  We are having a Santa Ana Wind condition today which means the cool coastal air pulls the hot desert air across the basin at a high rate of speed.  The basin goes from Palm Springs to the ocean. Wind gusts of up to 50 mph and up are not uncommon.  North of us about 20 miles, there is a highway interchange that often closes because the wind gusts are known to topple big rig trucks.  I haven't listened to the news this morning so I'm not sure if the roads are closed up there but I'm sure there is a wind alert for high profile vehicles (trucks, motorhomes, etc.). The other scary thing about the Santa Ana Winds is they bring out the Arson Nut Cases and there are usually brush fires.  Since we live in an area surrounded by hills covered with dry brush, it is always a concern.  Only once in 18 years have we faced a fire and luckily it was contained to about 16 acres.  Two teenage boys were playing with illegal firework and started it about three blocks from our house.  Within minutes, the fire had flashed up the hill at the end of our street.  With quick response from local fire departments and air support from a helicopter that can pick up water from a nearby lake and an airplane that drops fire retardant  chemicals, it was contained quickly and no homes were damaged.  I'm not worried about a fire up here but I am aware that it can happen and our family is prepared if it does. 

I'm off to pick up my new glasses.  It will be so nice to see again.  LOL  I lost my reading glasses over a month ago so I've been using glasses that correct my vision when I'm on the computer for everything.  They aren't as strong as the glasses I need for reading so there has been a lot of squinting going on around here.  I hope I haven't developed any permanent squint lines on my forehead and around my eyes.  <giggle>

More soon.  Ta-ta for now.

 

 

Sunny Thursday

It's a beautiful day today.  It's sunny and breezy - not too warm - the air conditioner hasn't come on yet.  That's always good news as our electricity bill goes sky high during the summer months.  Cari's birthday was a big success.  She had a great day and enjoyed herself very much.

Today, I have been catching up on some letter writing and thank you notes that need to be sent out.  I am a stickler for sending Thank You cards in a timely fashion.  It's something I don't procrastinate about.  I get my fetish about that from my mother and I hope I've passed it on to my children.  There is a joke in our family every Christmas morning, our children would find Thank You cards tucked inside their Christmas Stockings so there was never any excuse for them not writing notes to everyone who had remembered them with a gift.  I still give them each a package of Thank You cards because I'm sure they would be disappointed if I forgot.  If they would ask, "Do I HAVE to?????"  I would say, "No, of course, not, I'll just tell Auntie not to buy you another gift.  If she can take the time to work for the money, plan what to buy, get in her car, go to the store, buy a gift, come home, wrap it,....................."  by that time, they would be rolling their eyes and heading to their room to write the note.  LOL  I was such a mean mommy.

I started a new public journal for posting entries to scavenger hunts, photo essays, word games, etc.  It's called A Little Left of Center and the link is on the left.  I've posted 3 entries so far.  It's kind of fun to participate in something with a different slant.

I'm off to get a load of clothes out of the dryer, put one in and start another in the wash cycle.  How fun is that?  My life is so exciting isn't it?  I'm not really complaining.  It's nice to have things back to a slower paced version of normal around here.

More soon!

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Carianne Elizabeth

Today is my baby's 22nd birthday.  She's going to breakfast with her two best friends, Stephanie and Naomi, then I guess the girls are going to see a movie.  We are going to an early dinner with Sam and his parents then Cari and Sam will leave to go to the Angel Game tonight.  What a fun way to spend the day!

Dennis and I were talking about the day she was born this morning and we both felt as if we were transported back in time to that exact morning.  Isn't it funny how we can recall in such detail moments of wonderful emotional intensity?  I can still recall that moment when Bryan was born, too.

After Bryan was born, Dennis and I really didn't want any more children. Dennis was a grad student and I was working full time when Bry was little. It was too hard on me to leave that little guy each day.  Not only did I not want to leave more than one child in day care, I couldn't see how I could manage another child with working full time and having a husband who was working nearly full time and going to school 3/4 time.  Our life was so busy that it took all of our energy to make sure Bryan was getting his needs met. 

When Dennis finally got his advanced degree, Bryan was starting Kindergarten or first grade.  Once we were more settled financially, we decided it would be nice to add at least one more child to our family.  After a two years with no luck, I saw a specialist and was told that without fertility drugs I had little or no chance of having another child.  Dennis and I discussed it and having had friends who had twins by using the drugs they recommended for me, we decided that having one very healthy little boy was just fine and that were were very lucky to have HIM.

We went on about our lives.  Dennis' business got underway, I was able to leave my job and be a stay at home Mom and go back to college part time to finish my degree in psychology.  At this time, Bryan is about 9 years old, Dennis is 38 and I'm 34 years old.  We are happy and fulfilled.

In late September of 1983, my sister-in-law (we were speaking then, LOL) had gone to see a psychic.  She was amazed with her reading and encouraged me to go.  I don't really believe in that stuff but thought I would go out of curiosity and to prove to "L" that this woman was probably a con artist more than anything else.  I arrived at Dr. Maria's home and when she called me in for my appointment, I had to walk up stairs to her office.  As I went up the stairs, she greeted me by saying, "Oh, I see you're part of the baby boom."    "What?"  I asked.  "I see you're pregnant and you're going to have a little girl."  I was stunned.  I stopped short of the top step and looked her in the eye.  "I'm not pregnant!"  She nodded and laughed,  "Yes you are.  I see you with a little girl and it's your baby."   It pissed me off!  How could she say that to me!  I sat down for the reading and totally dismissed what she was saying to me because 80 percent of it had to do with the little blond baby girl who was coming into my life.  She was going to be very bright and very aloof.  Things would just go over her head and she would make it seem like nothing was sinking in.  (That is my Cari to a TEE!)  I was really ticked off when I had to pay her $75 to hear all that nonsense.

When I got home, Dennis asked how it went.  "We're going to have a baby girl."  I informed him sarcastically.  I went in the house and that was the last I spoke of the reading to him.  Friends that knew I was going called and when I told them they would not know what to say to me.  My closest friends know how much I had wanted another child and I know they were afraid her words were hurting me.

Now remember, the reading was around the third weekend in October.  It wasn't unusual for me not to have a cycle.  That's why I couldn't conceive.  I never had a cycle.  So when I went months without one I had no reason to check it out because I knew what the doctors had told me and I wasn't going to have a pregnancy test each time I was 2 months late.   On the second Sunday in December, Dennis and I were watching the Rams/Eagles football game.  During a break there was a commercial for chewing tobacco.  Just the thought of someone putting that stuff in their mouth made me so sick that I had to go into the bathroom and I got sick.  It was at that moment, I knew something was going on.  I did not usually throw up over chewing tobacco commercials.  When I came out of the bathroom, Dennis asked if I was OK.  I told him, "I'm either pregnant or I'm crazy."

The next day, Monday, I went into a clinic and had a free pregnancy test.  The nurse  came out,  "It's positive."  I almost fell over.   "You're sure?"  I gasped.  "Yep.  I did it twice."   I dashed home and called my doctor.  His nurse told me to come in the next day which I did.  They did an ultrasound and found this little vibrating kidney bean inside of me that they identified as an 11 week old fetus with a healthy heart beat and attached at a perfect place.   Oh, My God!  We could not believe it.  Thinking back to my appointment with Dr. Maria the psychic, I was probably 3 weeks pregnant when I saw her.  No way did I know and there was no way she could have known except to have picked it up the way psychic people pick things up.  Woooooo, very strange....   

On June 14th, 1984, my 7 lb. 1 oz. blond, hazel eyed baby girl made her entrance into the world.  It's funny because when some people find out my kids are 10 1/2 years apart they want to know if they are from 2 different marriages.  We just tell people "That's just how God worked it out".  I'm so glad that's how it happened.  We've had the pleasure of having children in our home for more than 30 years now.  It's what has kept us young at heart and given us such a positive outlook on life.  We're the only one our age who still have a college age kid at home and when our friends kid us about it, we just say, "And aren't we lucky?"

She has been a joy and very much worth all the years we waited for her to come to us.

Happy Birthday, Carianne.  I love you!   (((((((HUGS)))))))))

 

Work To Do, Places To Go, People To See

My Mood:  Energetic  (I wish we could fill in that box ourselves instead of picking something from AOL's list.)

I have about 50 construction notes to type for Dennis this morning, a few bills to write, 2 loads of laundry to do, and an errand or two to run to be ready for Cari's birthday tomorrow.  Believe it or not, it feels good to be back in the swing of things and to have a busy day of regular things to do.  I am energized and ready to go. 

The 'bug man' came and sprayed the yard this morning so I had to lock Miss Kasey inside for an hour while the spray settled.  She went from window to window and watched Mr. Bug Man do his job.  She did whine a little but she doesn't bark at him.  He's quiet as he goes about his job unlike the gardener who has those noisy machines that drive her wild.

After finishing the birthday shopping, I have a dreadful errand to run today.  I have to go out and buy a bathing suit.  Oh, My Gosh!!!  That is the last thing I want to do--to put this  body in a bathing suit, eek!  I want to join a water aerobics class with my friend, Felicia and if I'm going to do that I have to wear one of those things.  I don't think they'll let me in the pool in jeans and a t-shirt.  LOL  It could be worse.  I could be 70 pounds heavier like I was last summer.  Wish me luck.  I'm hoping there won't be a lot of crying, sobbing, moaning, screaming and other dreadful noises coming from the dressing room that could alert security.  LOL  I'll try to be brave and deal with this like an adult, I promise!

Tomorrow my baby girl will be 22 years old!  We are taking Cari and her fiance, Sam along with his parents to dinner at a restaurant called Islands for dinner.  From there, Cari and Sam are going to the Angel baseball game.  On Sunday, when we celebrate Father's Day with our son and his family, we will also celebrate her birthday with them.  She likes to spread it out over days and days (just like her mom does).

Well, my work isn't getting done while I'm typing in my journal.  I will close for now.  If I can bring myself to share the details, I will let you know how the bathing suit shopping goes.  LOL.....   

 

 

Evening Update

I got an email from my Mom tonight.  Helen is being moved into a room in the orthopedic section of the hospital tomorrow so her rehab from the hip surgery can get underway.  Not bad for someone who was at death's door a day or so ago, huh?  We are thanking the Lord and continuing to pray for those little victories that will eventually lead her to a good recovery and return to her new apartment.  It's going to be a long road for her.  She has some difficult challenges ahead but she is a tough gal and we all will be cheering her along and surrounding her with love. 

Thanks to all of you who have offered support and prayers. It means a lot!  ((((((((((((More Hugs!!!)))))))))))))))

Questionnaire

I don't know what to write about today. I was reading some journals and came across a questionnaire that looked fun to answer so it's my entry for now. 

I got this from Jackie at http://journals.aol.com/siennastarr/Waitingtoexhale/

who got it from:

Okay... on with the questionnaire!  I got this from Linda over at Sangria Times!

 

 

1 - Accent:  I'm from California!  Californian's don't have accents.  We are the only people in the world without them.

2 - Booze:   I don't drink.  I'm diabetic so I just say no.  LOL

3 - Chore I hate:  I R O N I N G

4 - Dogs/cats:  I am owned by a 7 yr. old, female West Highland White Terrier named Kasey.  She's my snuggle bug and constant companion. 

5 - Essential electronics:  My computer!             

6 - Favorite perfume/cologne:  Opium

7 - Gold/silver:   Gold

8 - Hometown: Whittier, California.  I was born in Laramie, Wyoming but moved to California at age 6.  Raised in Whittier.

9 - Insomnia:  Not in a long time, thank God

10 - Job title:  Chief Cook and Domestic Goddess (as Roseanne used to say).
11 - Kids:     2  Son, Bryan (32) and Daughter, Carianne (22)

 

12 - Living arrangements:  I live in Riverside, CA with my husband of 35 years, Dennis.  Our Daughter still lives at home fro now.  She may move closer to college in the Fall. 

13 - Most admired trait:  Honesty and Sense of Humor

14 - Number of sexual partners:  My Husband is my one and only and I am very proud of that.

15 - Overnight hospital stays:   4

 

16 - Phobia:   I have claustrophobia

17 -Quote:  "Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream." —LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000

                    "I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family." —Greater Nashua, N.H., Jan. 27, 2000

                    "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." —Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004     All three quotes can be credited to President 

George W. Bush.  What a guy, huh?  

                    

18 - Religion:      Christian

19 - Siblings:  1 Sister, Carol who is 2-1/2 years younger and my best friend.  1 Brother who is 9 years younger & who I don't have much of a relationship with at all (not by my choice).

 

20.  Time I usually Wake Up:  Between 6:30 and 9:00 depending on the day and what time I went to bed the night before.

 

21 - Unusual talent:  I can hold a pencil between my big toe and the next one and write my name with it.  Oh, that's come in handy at parties.  LOL

22 - Vegetable I refuse to eat:  Cooked peas, okra, most squash, and parsnips.  ICK.  I love most others and have veggies everyday.

23 - Worst habit:  Procrastination

24 - X-rays:  I'm not sure exactly but not many.

 

25 - Yummy foods I make:   Since I've been on my weight loss program I am cooking healthy foods that are good for our family without the fat and sugar. We have grilled lean meats, lots of salads, steamed veggies.  No white stuff; sugar, flour, rice, potatoes, or noodles.  I don't bake goodies or buy them either.

If you want a snack at my house I'll peel an apple for you.  LOL

 

26 - Zodiac sign:  Aquarius!  My birthday is February 17th so I'm almost a Pisces.  It's been a long time since someone has asked me, "What's your sign?" 

 

Google Me, Baby

I read Barbara's journal at:

http://journals.aol.com/mastersblynn/ConfessionsOfAnAngelWaitress/

She had a fun idea that was passed on to her by another journaler.  She went into google.com and typed in her name and the word 'has' into the search box and found many interesting things that women with her name had done.  So I tried it with my name.  I typed in:  Kathleen has and this is what I found out:

Kathleen has had a change of heart sometime between now and July 2003.....

Kathleen has the unique ability to teach virtually anyone that no matter what.... 

Kathleen has been painting in watercolor for many years now....

Kathleen has extensive experience litigating employment disputes of all types...

Kathleen has also been a proponent of genomic research in space, and bio-infonano fusion in conjunction with NASA (you didn't know I was so smart, did you?)...

Kathleen has been reading the Tarot for 20 years professionally..

Kathleen has been an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church since 1983....

and the saddest of all:

Kathleen has lost 50% of her hair in the past week.    (Oh, woe is me.)

That was fun and I do feel much better about myself since I see all of my accomplishments.  I am, however, concerned about the Tarot thing and of course my hair loss is going to give me nightmares.  LOL  Also, I hope anyone reading this list understands the first paragraph before coming to any conclusions about me using this forum to brag about myself.  (GRIN)....

 

Cautiously Optimistic

My cousin called about 20 minutes ago.  Helen is off the ventilator and breathing on her own.  Her doctor is optimistic and our family is relieved.  It was, to say the least, a stressful night and morning.  I guess her doctor told her, "Helen, you look good.  You might feel like hell, but you're lookin' good."   I guess the ICU waiting room was full with 7 or 8 family members.  They have each taken turns going in to see her for very short visits. 

She is no way out of the woods yet.  She is still in quite serious condition.  We are praying for little victories each day until she can get out of ICU and into a regular room.  We won't think about her recovery from the hip surgery until she passes this crisis completely.

All prayers and good thoughts are sincerely appreciated!  Thank you for those already given.    ((((((((HUGS))))))))

And So It Goes

I hesitate writing this entry.  I have wanted to keep my journal upbeat since Dad's death because I want to move forward and get my life back on track.  I am, by nature, a positive thinker and I see the bright side of things most often, but I am also very honest about life's circumstances and know that I must deal with what comes my way. 

We have another family crisis, this time involving my Mom's oldest sister, Helen.  Helen is 82 years old and has had some pretty serious health issues in the past few years.  She was in the hospital with pneumonia less than two weeks ago and at that time, it was decided that she could no longer live at home alone.  Her daughters arranged for her to move into a nice Assisted Living apartment and when she was released from the hospital she moved directly there.  It was traumatic for Helen on many levels.  She has lived in her home for more than 30 years.  She has emotional problems that make her reclusive and sometimes result in panic attacks.  She is extremely private and wants complete control over every aspect of who comes into her life by phone, mail, or in person.  It was easy for us (her family) to understand why moving into Assisted Care was so difficult and we were very proud of her for agreeing and doing her best to accept the situation without much kicking and moaning.

On her 5th or 6th night alone in the apartment, she got up around 5 in the morning to go to the bathroom.  She said she was in a hurry, lost her footing and fell.  In the fall, she broke her hip.  She lay on the floor until nearly 8 in the morning before someone heard her calling out for help.  She was taken to the hospital and evaluated.  Of course, her doctors were very concerned because she has congestive heart disease and kidney problems.  They did tests and determined that she was fit enough for hip replacement surgery.  Last Thursday night (7:00 p.m Denver time) she had the surgery.  Everything seemed to go well.  The operation took an hour.  The surgeon was pleased.  In recovery, though, her breathing became labored.  They increased her oxygen but that did not help.  Finally, when it became critical, she was put on a ventilator and taken to ICU.  Over the past few days, they have tried to wean her off the ventilator but her lungs still will notkick in and take over the job of breathing.  Today, they are letting her rest and in the morning they will try again.  When I spoke with my cousin this morning, she told me that the decision was made that if Helen's lungs do not respond in the morning, they will not re-ventilate her.  My cousins made that decision after talking to the nurse in charge of Helen's care in the ICU this morning.

My mother and  her youngest sister, Ruth both live about 3 hours south of Denver.  They and their husbands are on their way to Denver now.  Both sisters want an opportunity to see Helen and to be there tomorrow for whatever happens.  My Mom is a retired RN and Ruth is a retired hospital pharmacist so both have years of experience in the ICU and hospital setting.  I feel so much better knowing they are going to be there because I know they will know the proper questions to ask and they will make sure that both of my cousins (Helen's daughters) have every piece of information they need to make the right decision about whether or not cease the ventilator.  My Mother also told me this morning that if Helen is conscious and capable, she should have a say in the matter, too and I totally agree with that. 

I'm doing well with all of this.  I'm not upset or overly emotional.  I try to deal with things as they unfold and with what I know for sure.  I am trying not to jump ahead and think the worst.  I'm going on with my day and saying little prayers for my family in Denver.  I thought it would be good to write about it, get it in my journal and out of my head.  It's a healthy way to deal with these things.

Now that I've accomplished this, I'm going to finish folding a load of clothes and get some grocery shopping done.  Peace be with all who read this.  God bless you!

 

 

Another Day In Paradise

I'm using the color Sea Blue this morning since I'm listening to The Living Sea soundtrack by Sting.  I love this CD especially when I have to drive any distance. It puts me in a peaceful mood and relaxes me.  It takes me longer to type my journal entry because every once in a while I jump up and spontaneously begin to dance.  LOL

Yummy!  My daughter just got home from work.  She brought me a Venti, non-fat, sugar-free vanilla latte with 2 shots of espresso.  My treat for the day with enough caffeine to rev me up to finish 4 loads of laundry and get the dusting done.  Cari works in a very nice coffee shop called Sips.  It's comparable to a Starbuck's but Sip's coffee doesn't taste burnt like Starbuck's does.  It's very good.  She loves working there.  The owners are great, the other coffee servers are fun to work with and many of the customers who go in to buy are regulars so she gets to know them.  I stop in when I have to get gas in one of the cars because it's on the way to the gas station.

My Mom and Dad got home safe and sound last night.  It was funny......at 5:00 p.m. I had not heard from them so I thought that they had probably made it all the way home.  I decided to try to call them.  My Mom picked up the phone on the fourth ring and started laughing when she heard my voice,  "We just walked in the door 5 minut ago!"  I laughed, too.  Somehow my radar was working and I knew.

Last night about 8:00 a wave of sleepiness hit me.  I was online answering some Email when I just started nodding off.  I finished my business, turned off the computer, shut off the lights in my office and announced to my family, "I'm going to bed."   Dennis, Cari and Sam all gave me shocked looks because I am usually a night owl.  "You ARE kidding!"  Cari laughed.   I assured them I was very serious, blew them kisses and went up to bed.  I think I was asleep by 8:45.  I must have needed the extra sleep because I slept straight through until 6:30 this morning.  I woke up feeling great.  Rested and ready to take on the day.  The events of the past two weeks just hit me last night around 8:00.  Athletes call it 'hitting the wall', I call it Emotional Overload.  All my circuits were fried and I needed sleep to recharge them. 

I need to go to a craft store and buy a couple bags of stuffing; the kind you would use to stuff a teddy bear.  I'm making a special joke gift for Ryan's graduation gift.  I hope he remembers the incident because if he doesn't, the joke will be lost.  When Ryan was about 7 years old, we were on our way home after school.  I was, of course, driving the carpool, so my car was full of kids.  Ryan was behind my seat, Robert was next to him, and I think Chad was sitting behind the front passenger seat.  Cari and Kristin were in the 3rd row of seats behind the boys where they were safe from the boys' teasing.  I couldn't have any of the kids in front because of the air bag deployment danger.  Anyway, getting back to Ryan........ I was driving along and I feel this little tap, tap, tap on the side of my face.  I look over and there is this smelly little dirty white socked foot tapping my face.   I startle a bit and then hear Ryan call from the back seat,  "Smell-a-gram!"   Oh, my gosh!  The kids all erupted in laughter and I could not help but join them.  How does a 7 year old kid come up with smell-a-gram?  He had the most mature sense of humor and I swear, everyday he would say or do something that would have all of us in a fit of laughter.  He had asthma very bad as a little boy and his voice was quite deep and raspy and I think that is part of why some of the things he said where so funny.  His voice was bigger than his little body.  Anyway, I'm going to stuff an old (but clean) white sock with batting and give him a smell-a-gram for his graduation.  He's going to go to Michigan State University and major in Mechanical Engineering but I still think he should have his own comedy show on TV.

 

Gramma's Just Wanna Have Fun!

I was listening to CNN but they went to the White House for a Press Briefing and I had to change the station.  I tend not to believe much of the stuff that comes out of the White House I'm sorry to say.  The truth is probably in there somewhere but I don't like filtering through the political and manipulative bullstuffing (you thought I was going to say something else....LOL)  to get there.  Ahhh,  enough about that. 

Enough of the orange, too.  I like oranges and orange flowers but not orange font.  Like I said in my morning title, I need some F U N.  I'm in the mood to spend some time with my grandchildren.  There is a cute movie out called Cars that I know Nathan would love and Megan would enjoy.  If Megan has a 1/2 day next week I'm going to go down and kidnap the two of them and take them to see it.  I'll go early so I can have time with Andrew before we go.  That little guy is turning out to be such a character!  His personality is really starting to blossom and he delights me to no end! 

Oh, a funny story about Megan.  When she was here the last time, she was at my desk and noticed that Cari's birthday was noted on my calendar.  She looked down to the 29th and noticed HER birthday was not written in the block.  Into the kitchen she came, "Grandma, how come Cari's birthday is on your calendar but mine is  not?"   I explained that Cari had written her name on the calendar herself.  "Oh, can I write my name on the calendar?"  She asked with eyes sparkling.  I told her, "Of course!!"   I got busy and didn't check the calendar until after they left.  There on the 29th of June is a fully decorated square.  It has a red background with her name in black. She also went upstairs and got a rose sticker out of my scrap booking stash (which is OK) and added it.  I laughed because that is so Megan!  She is my little drama queen, princess, self-assured, almost 7 year old girl.  I won't forget her birthday with that to remind me!

Lots of fun things are coming up.  The Angels are coming back to town.  Den and I are going Friday night. The good news:  They are doing better and are winning more than they are losing right now.   Next weekend we have two graduation parties on Saturday.  One in the afternoon for our friend's son.  We've know Ryan since he was a baby and now he's graduating from high school.  { Oh, gosh, I should write an entire blog on my car pooling days when I used to pick up Cari, Ryan and his brother, Robert, and Chad and Kristin (a brother/sister from up the street) from school every day for 13 years!!!  The kids went to a private school about 7 miles from here so we parents had to provide transportation.  The things those kids would say and do kept me laughing for 13 years and made car pooling more of a fun thing than a chore.}  Sorry, I got side tracked.  There's another graduation party across the street that celebrates a college graduation, a high school graduation and a middle school graduation.  Wow and 3 for 1 offer....  I just wanted to write about positive things that are going on and put the focus on moving forward.  I haven't lost my sense of humor and I still stop and smell the roses and hope a bee doesn't fly up my nose.

This is the day the Lord has made.  Be glad and rejoice in it.  

 

Busy Day

My house was freakisly quiet today.    LOL After having company for nearly 2 weeks things have returned to normal. My Dad and Mom left this morning for their drive back to Wyoming.  They reached Beaver, Utah late this afternoon where they will rest for tonight.  I like that they call each time they stop for the night to let me know where they are and that they made it safely. 

 

I had errands to take care of early in the day and then I finally ordered my new glasses.  It'll be 2 weeks before I get them but, hey, I saw the doctor for my new prescription on May 5 so what's another 2 weeks?  I went to Costco and found ink for my printer at a pretty good price: 2 black and 1 color for $42...  not bad.  I also lucked out and found an Auto Adapter for Cari's    I-Pod which is something on  her

Birthday Wish List.  The set includes an adapter and a UBC cable to connect the I-POD to her laptop so I guess that's a good thing.  Right?  I know NOTHING about I-Pods so I'm just hoping this stuff will make her happy.  I am going to get her a wireless card for her laptop, too.  I got wireless connection while she was in Italy so we can both be on the internet at the same time.  Sam comes over and connects.  He says it works great.  Cari will be 22 on June 14 - Flag Day.  When she was little we used to tell her all the flags were out in honor of her birthday.  She doesn't buy that story any longer. 

 

I want to say a few things about Dad's funeral yesterday.  We were met by a full color guard carrying the U.S. flag and the Marine Corps. flag.  The Marine Corp. hymn was played on the bugle by a volunteer from the Veterns of Foreign Wars.  When we were seated, 7 VFW members gave a 21 gun salute and then Taps was played.  After that, members of the color guard did the flag folding ceremony and the flag was presented to Dad's wife, Bernice.  It was so moving and I know Dad would have been so proud of the tribute.  The pastor's service was a celebration of Dad's life and captured his quiet, kind, reserved personality.  Following the service, we hosted a luncheon here.  Dennis made a poster board with pictures of his dad from the age of 4 years to the present.  Everyone enjoyed seeing those.  The day ended around 2:30 in the afternoon.  It was just the perfect send off for a gentleman like Dad.

 

Now we are moving on and getting back into our normal routines.  We'll always have him with us in our memories and we know he took the love we had for him with him when he went to heaven.

 

Death Is Nothing At All

Death Is Nothing At All  by Henry Scott Holland 1847- 1918

Death is nothing at all.

I have only slipped away into the next room.

I am I, and you are you.

Whatever we were to each other, that we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name, speak to me in the easy way you used to.

Put no difference in your tone, wear no false air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.

Let my name be ever the household name it ever was, let it be spoken without effect,    without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant.  It is the same as it ever was; there is not unbroken continuity.

Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?

I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner.

"All is well."

 

Thank you to Rob at  http://journals.aol.com/akasamdodsworth/LordIWasBornaRamblinSam/  who sent this poem to me after my father-in-law died.  I thought it was so appropriate and lovely for today.  I hope it blesses everyone that reads it like it blessed me and my family.  I'll be taking all of your warm wishes and good thoughts with me today.  Thank you so much!

 

Just a Quickie

Just a quick entry today.  It has cooled WAY down today and I am praying that it will be like this tomorrow.  It was overcast until noon so it's only reached 81 degrees today.  The weather is so nice some of our guests might enjoy having lunch on the patio tomorrow.  It would be wonderful to have the house opened up with people moving from inside to out.   I'll have to have Dennis clear the yard of land mines (Kasey droppings, LOL) early in the morning if there is a chance we might have some guests outside.  I suppose I could have gone all day without writing that last bit but I'm open about those things and, after all, this is my journal and where I let it all hang out, so........

Mom and I have started preparing the food.  I bought a flat of the most beautiful strawberries I've seen all season.  Big, bright red, perfect, juicy and sweet.  We are keeping 1/2 whole and we sliced 1/2 to put over pound cake with whipped cream for dessert.  Yummy.  I will be admiring each dessert from a distance while enjoying a few whole berries as a special treat.  I got fresh pineapple, lovely green grapes, the strawberries and two huge cantaloupes for the fruit tray.  I was lucky to get a pre-made vegetable platter so that job is done.  We will fix a meat tray and cheese platter and serve rolls and rye bread for sandwiches along with 2 salads.  I think it will be a simple, yet nice luncheon for about 24 people.  I also bought 3 different types of cookies to set out in case someone wants dessert but not strawberry short cake.  I could have gone on and on.  It's like me to over do it but my Mom kept me in line, bless her heart. 

Good news!  My sister is stopping off on her way back to Central California tomorrow.  She and her husband won't be at the service but they will be at the house when we get back.  She will be here to greet early arrival's and to set up the food.  What would I do without her?  She is an angel and my best friend.  Sometime, I'll have to devote an entire entry to her.  She is a very special person.

Again, thanks to all J-Landers who have posted such kind, supportive commentsthis past week.  You've kept my spirits up and I appreciate it very much.  I know my family and I will be fine tomorrow.  We want to pay tribute to my father-in-law and to say good bye together as a family.  It will be very special to all of us.