This is my last entry until we get back from vacation. Everything is ready to go except for those few things that have to be packed after my shower in the morning. We'll be up at 3:30 a.m. and out the door 30 minutes later so everything has to be organized tonight. I don't expect to sleep well but I'll catch up Saturday night when we are settled in our hotel in Vancouver.
Bye for now!
ô..ô
My Aunt Helen, 82, is recovering from 2 broken hips, as most of you know. When she went to the nursing home from the hosptial after the 2nd break, her Dr. thought her recovery would would take at least 12 weeks. Well, it's been 7 and she's being released on Monday! Yippeee! She's going into a Residental Care Facility instead of a bigger assisted care place. This is like a private home that cares for 6 to 8 clients (they aren't called patients there) in a home environment. She really liked this idea rather than the bigger, less personal place.
She has worked so hard to get well. She's done her therapy and followed Dr.'s orders (not always with a smile, I will admit). She had a bone density test and, unbelievably, there has been no change in her bones since her last test.
She's a tough old bird. She has her mother's tenacity and strong genetic make up. I'm proud of her!
Dennis and I went to the Angel game tonight. It was so nice outside! It was warm with a light breeze - perfect for a night at the stadium. It was one of the best games I've seen all season. The Angels beat the Boston Red Sox 4 - 3 in an action packed thriller. This will be my last game until after our vacation. Dennis is going Friday night when the Angels play the Yankees in the first game of a 3 game series. He's taking our Yankee loving friend, Bob. It's the night before we leave and I want to be home taking care of last minute things so it's better if he takes a friend - even IF he IS a Yankee fan. LOL
Tomorrow is Miss Kasey's groom day and then I have a hair cut appointment at 10:00. After that, I'm going to run a few errands and then come home and do some laundry and ironing. I'm trying to keep up so I don't have a lot to do on Friday.
I am getting so excited about this trip! We are flying out of Ontario, CA to Vancouver, B.C. the day before our ship sails. We wanted to get there a day ahead so we can see Vancouver and be more rested when we leave on Sunday.
We are sailing on Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas which is one of their newer ships. We have a room with a balcony on the 9th deck and our friends are next door. We booked our excursions months ago so we would be sure to get the ones we wanted. In Juneau, Dennis is going on a hike. I can't for the life of me understand why that is so appealing but he's excited. I'm going with Dianne to Mendenhall Glacier and to the glacier gardens. This also includes a site seeing tour of Juneau. Mickey is going on a fly-in fly fishing day trip. He's an avid fisherman so this was his 1st choice of an excursion.
In Skagway, Dennis and I are going to the Eagle Preserve while Mickey and Dianne take a train ride to the Yukon Pass along the gold rush trail. We did that the last time we went. It's so interesting to hear the history as you see the beautiful scenery.
In Ketchikan, Dennis and Mickey are going deep sea fishing for salmon. Dianne and I are getting into a little float plane and flying to Neets, Alaska to watch bears fish salmon out of a river. It'll be like watching the Discovery Channel LIVE. This is the one excursion I am most looking forward to.
It is going to be interesting, too, to see Mendenhall Glacier and Hubbard Glacier again. I'm wondering how much has changed in 5 years and if we will be able to see the difference.
I can't wait to share my pictures and adventures in my journal.
Until later....... ô..ô
This is a big birthday week! My grandson will be 5 on Thursday and AOL Journals has just turned 3! Wow!
Journaling is a great release for me. I enjoy writing and expressing myself so this is the perfect forum for both. When I first started, I was very protective and set up a private journal. It seemed like the wise thing to do until I could get a feel for the community and what was going on in here. I think I was afraid it was going to be like the chat scene and I didn't want to get another, "What are you wearing?" email as long as I live. LOL
What I did find was some very nice people who are kind, funny, giving, caring, and interesting. I've had a chance to learn about life in different parts of the country and in Britain. In fact, I think Jeannette at Jeannette's Jottings was first to send me an email asking to read my journal and she then asked if she could invite some friends to stop by and say hello. I added many new readers and I've benefited from reading their journals and comments they leave in mine.
It's has become one of the highlights of my day to log on and check in with each of the journals I visit regularly. You all mean something special to me.
Love, Kathy
~..~
What is the color of frazzled? I tried to find a font color that would represent that word but there was nothing neon enough. LOL You will notice, too, that frazzled isn't a choice in the list of Moods you can choose from the AOL list.
I should also say that I'm not negatively frazzled. I'm frazzled in a good way. Is there a difference? Of Course! Negative Frazzling saps you of energy and makes you feel defeated. Positive Frazzling makes you feel excited and full of energy - like you can accomplish anything.
This weekend I had my 7 yr. old Granddaughter, Megan and my 5 yr. old Grandson, Nathan stay over. I picked them up Saturday around 10 in the morning and we headed straight to the mall. Nathan's 5th birthday is actually on the 24th but because we are going on vacation we decided to have a separate celebration this weekend. Since I let Megan choose a few of her birthday gifts, it was only right that Nathan be allowed to do that too.
At the mall, he found the stand that sells "Heelies" and that was it for him. That's the thing he wanted most in the world. Heelies are tennis shoes that have a single wheel in the heel of the shoe that drops down so the kids can run and then coast on their heels (hence the name). When they are in school or in another situation where the wheels are not allowed, they pop back up into the shoe and become regular tennis shoes. He was so excited! He couldn't sit down to try them on fast enough. I had to stop the fitting to take him to a children's store to buy socks because he had gone in sandals and wasn't wearing any. When we got him fitted with the right size, he decided he wanted to wear them and put the sandals in the box to take home. That night at bedtime, he told me "I'm wearing these to bed." LOL I explained that since he was sharing a big bed with his sister it might be good to take them off because if he rolled over he might hurt her. I did tell him he could put them on the night stand so he could see them first thing in the morning.
I knew Megan wanted a pair as bad as Nathan did. They had both talked to me about them several times and had told me how they both wanted them. While Nathan was trying them on, Megan was so happy for him. She got down on the ground and helped him tie them tighter and told him how 'cool' they were. She never even looked at me to see if I would buy her a pair. When she wasn't paying attention, I asked the clerk if he would give me a good deal on 2 pair and he nodded, 'yes'. So I turned to Megan and asked if she would like to try on a pair. Her face lit up and she picked out a style she liked.
I told her I would buy them for her but she had to work for them this weekend. Since I already bought her birthday gifts this was an extra special thing that she would need to earn. She agreed whole heartedly. It was great to make 2 kids so happy.
From there we went to back to the kids store and picked out 3 t-shirts, a pair of cargo shorts, and some new p.j.'s for Nathan and then headed home so they could practice rolling on their Heelies outside.
To earn her Heelies, Megan set the table at dinner that night and at breakfast and dinner the next day. She helped clear the table at two meals and when we were out shopping she returned our carts both times. She dried some dishes AND she packed up her things and Nathan's to get ready to go home. I think that was a fair amount of helping to earn the prize. The wonderful thing about Megan is, she loved helping and never tried to get out of it. She's got such a kind little heart.
One funny thing I want to share about her: When my son, his wife and Andrew came on Sunday to get the kids and celebrate Nathan's birthday, I decided to give them a little fashion show of some of my new clothes. Of course, Megan HAD to help me. She was upstairs picking out what she wanted me to wear next. When it came time to put on my new jeans that I paid too much for, she asked, "Are those the $........ jeans?" (I had told her earlier that I'd spent that much.) I said yes as I put them on and explained, "They are tummy tuck jeans. They are supposed to make me look thinner." She stood back with a hand on herhip and gave me a look. "Well, gramma, they don't work." LOL I thought that was so funny. Aren't kids just the most honest and straight up little creatures? I cherish that about her.
Anyway, we had a nice afternoon and celebration for our grandson. He wanted hamburgers, French fries, and salad for dinner as long as I had Ranch dressing for the salad. He wanted a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and mint chocolate chip ice cream - so that is exactly what we had.
Now for today - Monday! I hit the ground running again this morning and I'm not done yet. I went to the mall to return a blouse and buy some fleece tops because I hear from Linda at http://journals.aol.com/lsfp1960/LindasWorld/ that it was pretty cold in Alaska when she was there just about a week ago. She said she just about froze a few times. I want to be prepared. It's nice to know someone who just went to give some wardrobe advise. I want to find those rubber gardeners boots, too. If it's raining and muddy I want to wear those on the excursions so I don't ruin my new walking shoes. I'm having trouble finding them. I will make some calls in the morning and see if I can locate a pair. All of my excursions are outside, so again, I want to be prepared.
I'm closing this entry for now. I have to pick up 2 pair of pants that were hemmed and I need to pick up 2 prescriptions at the drug store. I think that will be it for today.
Until later..................... ~..ô
I ended up spending the entire day in Rancho Santa Fe. I got down there around 10:00. The drive went very well. I stopped and had my car washed before taking off so the morning traffic had eased up before I got on the freeway. When I got to Nedda's we visited for about an hour and then headed to a very nice shopping mall about 4 miles from her home. There we found Coldwater Creek, our favorite store.
We all browsed, tried on clothes and ended up buying a few things. After that we had coffee and returned to Nedda's. Since it was getting toward the time when the afternoon rush would start, I decided to stay until after dinner to avoid the traffic. I am so glad I did! Nedda took us to the Rancho Santa Fe Country Club for dinner. What a beautiful place! We had dinner on the patio overlooking the golf course. The food was excellent and the service exceptional.
We had such a good time! Carol and I always have fun when we are together and having Nedda join us was special. She is an 80 year old artist, mostly water color paintings. She is deaf but is perfect at lip reading so she doesn't miss much of a conversation. She is intelligent, well traveled, well read, interesting, and funny. Because she is an artist, she has a very interesting way of looking at things. She sees details that a person normally would over look. She swims for 30 minutes every day and tries to work in 30 minutes on her exercise bike, too. I'm very impressed by her zest and energy at her age.
Nedda has quite a few cactus plants in her garden. I thought I would take pictures and post them. Don't know how many people outside of us 'desert' dwellers see much cactus. There are some beautiful varieties. I also included some pictures of the views from the back of their home. All of the homes in Rancho Santa Fe are on 2.5 acre or larger lots. Also, the picture of me, Carol and Nedda is a bit blurry but I can forgive that. We were looking for someone to take it and a very handsome young man offered. What a cutie!!! So what if he couldn't hold a camera still. LOL Hey, I'm old but I'm not dead!
Saturday morning I'm picking up Megan and Nathan. We will go shopping for Nathan's birthday presents. I started letting them pick out some of their own gifts last year and they really enjoy that. They will spend the night. Sunday, Megan and I will work on a scrap book page of our Zoo pictures while Dennis takes Nathan to the Angel game. It's Photo Day for season ticket holders so they will get to go down on the field to take pictures of some of the players. Nathan is very excited about this!
After the game, Bryan, Shannon and Andrew are coming over for dinner and we will all celebrate Nathan's birthday. He will be five on August 24th but since this is the week before we leave on our cruise and we are so busy, we decided to celebrate early. I'm sure he won't mind.
Until later............ ô..ô
My husband and I went to the Angel game tonight. They played Seattle and won. Yippee Skippy.... It was a lovely evening - no sweater required.
In the morning, I am going to get up and get going early. I will be driving to Rancho Santa Fe which is about 90 or so miles South of here. It's just north of San Diego and a bit inland from Del Mar for anyone who knows that area. It's like the Beverly Hills of San Diego County. The lowest price home probably goes for nearly $2,000,000. My sister is staying with her mother-in-law until August 20th while her father-in-law is in Sweden on a very serious family matter. Their granddaughters fiance has terminal cancer. He is just 26 years old, a last year med student, who found a lump in his left jaw around 8 or 9 months ago. It was found to be a malignant tumor. A specialist removed it and they thought at the time they had caught all of the cancer but in February he was not feeling well and they did a scan and found bone cancer throughout his entire body. It is uncertain how much time he has but my sister's FIL wanted to go to Sweden to spend some time with his granddaughter and to have a last visit with this young man. The MIL cannot spend that much time on an airplane due to serious back problems so she is at home and my sister is staying with her because she cannot drive.
Anyway, to get back to the reason I am going down there... Since Carol won't be visiting me during this visit to So. Cal. I am going to go down there and spend 1/2 a day with her and her MIL. I imagine we will have lunch at some very nice place because that's what you do in Rancho Santa Fe. You will not hear me do any complaining about this. Also on the agenda is a shopping trip to a nearby mall. I think there is a Coldwater Creek store there which means my checking account is in big trouble. Carol, her MIL, and I all LOVE that store so there is likely to be some major shopping done by the three of us.
I will let you know how it turns out. Until then.............ô..ô
I think the Lord speaks to us all the time. We just have to be listening and watching for the signs. Right? Well, this morning I went out to do my errands. I stopped by Sips to have a latte and to see Cari for a few minutes. After that I went into the grocery store to buy fruit and two birthday cards for my grandson, Nathan, who will be 5 on the 24th. We are celebrating his birthday this Sunday.
From there, I was going to the fabric store to buy thread to hem two pair of pants. When I got in my car, I noticed a little flyer under the windshield wiper. {Those things usually irritate the heck out of me because I have to get out and pluck it off the window before I drive off so not to litter the streets as I drive home.} To my surprise, it was a coupon from a little tailor shop offering a $2.00 discount on hemming a pair of pants. BLING!!! Bells and Whistles went off in my head - my eyes lit up like Christmas lights and I got a glow all over my body. Wow!!! I had never noticed the shop before and it is only two doors down from Sips!!! (Hence, the message from God reference LOL) I locked my car, crossed the parking lot and went inside. I asked how much to hem a pair of pants. $8.00 for regular and $12.00 if they have cuffs. I asked, "With the coupon that would be $6.00 off one?" She smiled and said, "I'll do all for $6.00 each." I could have hugged her! I would have paid at least $6.00 for the thread and spent at least 4 hours cutting, pressing, and sewing all four pair. They will do this by next Monday!!! I won't have the stress of messing up and I can do something else to get ready for the trip with those 4 hours. It's totally a win/win situation. The little lady probably thought I was nuts because I got so excited. I told her I felt blessed by the Lord and she just smiled and nodded. I hope she's not afraid of me when I go back. LOL
This is another example of how I've grown and changed this year. The old me would not have considered having someone else hem those pants. I would have done it and been stressed and pressed for time. I probably wouldn't have even read the coupon. The new me takes much bettercare of myself. I pamper myself when I can without being reckless about it and not going overboard. I would have thought spending $24 to have it done was just too much money on top of what I already spent on the pants. But when I consider how valuable time is, it's not expensive at all. I'm worth that much and I deserve to ask for the help in a situation like this.
Hope everyone reading this will do something really nice for themself soon and feel the glow of pampering yourself and taking care of your own needs. It's a blessing from the Lord for YOU.
I walked yesterday and I managed to do some sewing. I hemmed a skirt and a pair of pants. I fixed a top that was too big thru the shoulders and I mended a pair of shorts for my daughter's fiance. I also sewed, or re-sewed buttons on four items. Have you all noticed how the buttons fall off new garments so easily these days? I have to re-sew almost every button on every shirt and pant that I buy even if I spend a lot for it. It irritates me so much! I have to check each button before I wash something so I don't lose it in the the wash machine. I never had to do that before this year. It's all the things made in the Asian countries. They think three stitches in each button hole is going to secure it - it doesn't.
Today I'm going to do another 30 min. walk and go pick up some thread to hem two pair of pants. I don't have the right green or brown.
That's if for now. More later. ~..ô
I'm signing on for the 7 day challenge started by Linda at http://journals.aol.com/linnpooh/LindasThotfulSpot/ She is challenging any takers to exercise for 30 minutes a day for the next 7 days. I've been slacking on my exercise since Mika was here. I want to get back to a regular routine and I hope this gives me a kick start. So here it is in writing! It will help me feel better physically, emotionally and spiritually. I need a boost right now.
Prayers are needed and good thoughts requested. The people who bought my son's home have backed out on the deal. Of course, my son feels as if a huge rug has been pulled from under his feet and he has landed square on his ass. I can't blame him. We both cried on the phone the first time we talked this morning. He said his faith is being tested because a God that truly loved him could not possibly be letting all of these bad things keep happening to him. We could only talk for another minute because he was on a job site and needed to call his wife about cancelling the house they had just rented to get that huge deposit back. (They were able to get all their money back. YEAH!)
I talked to him an hour later and he was calmer but still very upset and feeling hopeless. I told him that perhaps the Lord was saving him FROM something rather than doing something terrible TO him. Maybe that rental house wasn't where God wanted them to be for some reason. Perhaps there are things that he can't see now that will work out for good because this deal fell through. He hadn't thought about it like that and thanked me for pointing that out. I know it doesn't soften the blow because he's so much like his father when it comes to worry and doom and gloom but planting a seed of hope can't hurt.
I talked to Shannon a little later and she said she is scared too but she is more hopeful. Bryan has more work right now than he's had in a long time which is a great blessing and there was another offer on the house that their agent is following up on. It wasn't nearly as good but at least there is a possibility still there.
Anyway, the Lord has everything under control. It's just hard because we can't see the end result right now and don't know just how rocky the path is going to be that will take them to it's conclusion.
We can surround them with love, support and prayer and we will.
I got the following Q & A from Jackie at:
1. Do you say Hi to people you don't know?
All the time! I'm very outgoing and friendly. I like to greet strangers and watch their reaction. I really like it when they say 'hi' back but if they start telling me about their last operation I always wish I'd kept my mouth shut. LOL
2. What is the name of the last person you kissed?
On the mouth, my husband Dennis. All over their cute faces: my three grandchildren!
3. Do you still talk to this person?
I talk to him most of the time - unless we've had a huge fight but that's not very often. ~..ô
4. Recite a line from a movie.
"Yo, Adrienne!!!"
5. What movie was that from? From Rocky 1 thru 75 LOL
6. Do you play by the rules? It depends on the situation. Most of the time I do but there are times when I might stretch the boundaries a little if I have to.
7. What are you doing this weekend? Saturday, I am picking up my granddaughter, Megan and grandson, Nathan in the early afternoon. They will spend the night then on Sunday, Nathan is going to the Angel game with his grandpa because it is Photo Day and he will be able to go out on the field and meet some of the players. Megan and I are going to work on a scrapbook page about our trip to the zoo and perhaps see a movie.
8. Do you complain a lot? No, I really don't. My motto is 'Attitude is Everything'. I really do try to have the best attitude about each day and every situation. I'm not perfect, of course, and I do complain some once in a while.
9. Have you ever been to Canada? Yes. I've been to Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia and I've been to Alberta when we went to Glacier National Park a few years ago. I'm going back to Vancouver the end of this month as the starting point for our cruise to Alaska.
10. Do you have a good personality? It's a difficult question for me to answer. I get positive feedback from others about my personality and sense of humor so I guess I would have to say, "Yes."
11. What size would you say your nose is?
Well, it's smaller than a sweet potato - LOL. Considering the size of some of the noses in my family, I am very lucky to have the one I do. I think it's kind of round and a little big.
12. What is someone's name that begins with the letter A?
Andrew Ryan - my 20 month old grandson.
13. Name someone whose plastic surgery turned out poorly.
Oh, there are so many to chose from. Joan Rivers, Meg Ryan (she used to be so cute and now she looks like the Joker), & Kenny Rogers to name a few.
14. Have you ever performed CPR on anyone? Yes, twice.
15. Name something that falls from the sky. I've heard that big chunks of sewer ice fall from airplanes (ewwwwie).
16 Are you polite? I am polite until someone is rude to me and then the polite turns to an assertive, less than polite stance that sometimes makes me appear somewhat mouthy.
17. Name a TV show or movie that impacted society. The Passion of the Christ.
18. Name a song that has the word 'baby' in it.
Oh, Baby, Baby by Smokie Robinson and the Miracles
19. Name your favorite Walt Disney movie. Peter Pan
20. Have you ever been scuba diving? Ah, no, that's a negative.
21. Name a profession you would NOT like to have. Any job where I would have to work outside in the heat and/or cold.
22. Name someone you know with red hair. My niece, Jolene
23. Name a popular DJ. Rick Dees - I saw him one day when I was having lunch at BJ's in Corona. He was on his way out and 2 ladies stopped him to ask for his autograph. He was so nice to them. I was very impressed with his kindness.
24. Name something white. My West Highland White Terrier, Kasey and my un-tanned legs (LOL). I went swimming with my grandkids the other day and my 7 year old granddaughter told me I had the whitest legs she'd ever seen. "Thanks, Meg."
25. Are you better at explaining things, or performing them?Performing them. I have a hard time explaining things.
26. Have you ever been to a boxing match?
No and I would never go to one. It'd disgusting.
27. Did you ever stutter, or have a hard time pronouncing?
I never stuttered but I used to say 'cumberque' for cucumber.
28. Do you eat out or buy groceries more often?
Buy groceries.
29. What month are many of your friends born in? March
30. If you could have been born a different ethnicity, which one would you have chosen? I honestly don't know - there are things I admire about so many different ethnic groups.
31. Name another way to say, "Perfect."
God, Jesus, Holy Spirit
32. Name something you think is disgusting.
Poor table manners (eating with your mouth open, talking with a mouth full of food), nasty body odor from not keeping clean, and chewing tobacco.
33. What is your favorite type of soup?
My Dad's cream of mushroom.
34. Name something that rhymes with the word, "sunny."
A funny bunny ate some honey.
35. Name a fattening food?
Chocolate caramel turtle brownies with pecans
36. Name something that you are just NOT good at. Golf
37. How many glasses of water, a day, do you drink on average?
I try to drink 6 to 8 8oz. glasses a day.
38. How do you usually say good-bye to people? Ahh, I say,
"Good bye". LOL I hug those I love and I'm close to, tell them that I love them and then say good bye.
39. Does your license plate say anything on it? It say's California and then three letters and three numbers. On the bottom it says 'Veteran' and before the letters there is the symbol for the American Veterans of the Viet Nam War. My husband is a Viet Nam Vet and I got him that license plate to honor his service.
40. Name a type of dance? Tango
41. Name a type of Martini? Dry?
42. Would you rather do dishes or laundry? Laundry
43. Did you have braces?No
44. Name someone you are really good friends with. Dianne
45. Name something purple. Eggplant
46. What is something good about getting older? I don't sweat the small stuff anymore.
47. And something negative? Things, like body parts, hurt that didn't used to.
48. Name a song you really enjoy. Smooth by Santana
49. Name someone with the same middle name as you.
I don't know anyone else with Diane as their middle name. My best friend's first name is Dianne. Does that count?
I learned a few new things about myself. Maybe someone reading this will learn something new about me, too.
I hit the ground running this morning. My neighbor, Barbara called a little after 8 to borrow some milk for her cereal. Her husband had left her about 3 drops of milk in the carton and she'd already sliced the banana before she found this out (LOL). After she left, I got busy and was out the door by 9. I went to the drug store, dry cleaners, and grocery store. Now I'm writing this before heading out again. I want to stop by Sips for my latte and then go to Nordstrom's to pick up my hemmed jeans. Then it's home and up to my sewing room. I have a lot of alterations to do for my friend Linda and a pair of shorts to fix for Sam plus two pair of jeans to shorten for myself. If I'm going to finish this week, I've got to get busy.
I went to the San Diego Zoo yesterday with my son's family. We had a great time. I hadn't been down there for years so it was a real adventure for me, too. They have made a lot of improvements and it is a beautiful place. The weather was PERFECT and it wasn't over crowded which was very nice, too. We took the guided bus tour first and then got out and walked most of it. We were able to see all of the major things on our list. The only thing we didn't see that I'm sorry about were the Pandas but I'm sure we will go again in a few years and will see them.
The kids loved seeing all the animals and birds. They even were interested in a lot of the plants that were blooming. I loved all of those things and watching them experience it. I've posted a few pictures from the day which highlight a few things we saw.
More later. ô..ô
I have a few things I want to get into my journal this morning before I hit the ground running. I have a lot to do today so I'm not going to spend a lot of time at my desk today. Yesterday was great fun. I spent most of the day with my three grandchildren. I was supposed to get down there around 9:00 but worked it out so I made it there by 8:30 so I could stop by the store to pick up flowers for Shannon, gum for my purse (I promised the kids to always have gum) and I even had time to grab an iced latte at the new It's A Grind coffee shop (they are expensive!).... The flowers were to just express, again, our joy about the new baby coming next April. Shannon and Bryan aren't getting any positive feedback from her side of the family at this point which has hurt her feelings terribly. I know they will come around, it's just unfortunate that they feel the need to say some of the things they do - those things are not forgotten. Shannon went for her Birthday day spa trip with her friend Lisa so I stayed with the kids until Bryan got home from work.
We had a great time. I made paper airplanes for the boys. It was the first time Andrew had flown a paper airplane and he was quite impressed with his Grandma for being able to make such a wonderful thing. LOL They took me outside and showed me how well they were riding bikes but it was quite hot so we weren't out there long before they were begging for Popsicles and we were back inside.
(At this point, I should interject - Bryan and Shannon sold their home!!! YES, praise the Lord!! They sold it and have to be out by Sept. 2nd. They got a full price offer which is another blessing in a very slow Southern California real estate market. Their saving grace was that their home is a show place. It looks like a model home. Shannon is a born decorator and she can pick up something for a dollar that looks like she spent hundreds on it. If the house had not had all the crown molding, 6" base boards, stone flooring, granite counters, etc, etc, it would still be sitting on the market along with the other 1,500 in their area homes that are selling for around the same price. Also, having sold the house, they are in a much better financial situation and the 4th baby isn't such a scary event for them.)
When Bryan got home from work, we ran errands, went to lunch and then he took me by the home they are moving into. It's a nice single story home very close to the kids' school, church and 2 of their closest friends' homes. I think they will enjoy living there until they decide to reinvest in another house. When we got back to the house, Bryan put Andrew down for a nap and I went swimming with Nathan and Megan. We had a great time splashing around in the pool. The loved me to throw them into the deep end and twirl them around. Since I'm as white as you can get, I can't stay in the sun very long so about 40 minutes was about it for me. When I was done, Bryan went in so they could continue to swim. I got dressed and headed home, exhausted but so happy to have had that time with them.
Praise God the new plot to bomb airliners was caught and stopped. I think we all know that the threat is NOT going to go away. The extremist Muslims are not going to give up because they believe that their god has ordained them to carry out these missions to kill all of the infidels. They won't be done until this is a Muslim world, Israel is no longer on the face of the earth, and they have complete control over everyone and everything. That's not going to happen so, like I said, it's never going to end. Even in the Bible it says that as long as there are men on this earth there will be wars and rumors of wars. It's a fact of life that we will always be dealing with some form of strife and tension. We have, so far, been blessed to have intelligence that has been at least a step a head of them (Praise the British Intelligence for the last one!). The ironic thing, and where it gets personal for me, is that it seems like when I plan a trip to Alaska the security goes from yellow to red. The first time we planned a cruise to Alaska, we were set to leave on Sept. 14, 2001. What happened on Sept. 11? That's right! When it came time for us to go, we could fly as far as Seattle, Washington but all flights beyond that were cancelled. We were supposed to sail out of Seward, Alaska so our trip was cancelled and we had to postpone for a year. To be honest, we were relieved when the cruise line told us we could postpone without penalty. We could not imagine being that far away from home during that miserable time and who could have fun with all of that pain and heart ache going on right then? Now, here we are five years later, planning another trip to Alaska and the security alert rises to the top of the scale again. I know it's a coincidence but it gives me the creeps. We aren't going to let it get in the way of a good time. We'll just follow all the new rules about what you can carry on so we don't have to throw away things are the security check point. Maybe by August 26, things will be more organized, too.
Tonight is dinner out with the girls for me. I'm having dinner with my good friends Sylvia, Virginia and Janet. I haven't seen Janet in years. She moved to Georgia and then to Florida about 8 years ago. She and husband, Roger, retired and are now back in California. Virginia and I have been friends for almost 30 years but I don't get to see her very often. I am really looking forward to having time with her. I see Sylvia all the time. She and I are very close friends. We were going to have dinner and then see a movie but we decided to go back to Sylvia's after dinner so we could talk and catch up. Can't talk during a movie!! LOL All of us, except Virginia, are BIG talkers. I'll have to make sure Virginia gets her turn. LOL
That's about it for now. There are other things to journal but I don't have time right now. I gotta get a move on. If I have time later, I'll do an add on.
Until later.................... ô..ô
According the news reports, British Intelligence prevented another huge airline disaster being planned by Muslim extremists to destroy airplanes flying from England to the U.S. Way To Go! We are grateful and so proud of the hard work that went into finding out about these plans and stopping them before innocent lives were lost.
We salute you!
Today after going to the gym for my water aerobics class, I stopped at Starbucks for my iced latte. The Starbuck's is in a relatively new shopping center so I decided to walk around and window shop while I sipped my coffee. One of the first stores I came to was a children's store. In the window was a beautiful wicker bassinet with a pink quilt set tucked inside. Next to it was hanging a little pink dress with tiny little rose buds down the front and tiny little pink tights in a newborn size. A young lady was leaving the store and locking it behind her. Our eyes met and she asked if I wanted to go inside and look around. "No, I'm just admiring the bassinet. It makes me wish I were going to have another grandbaby." She smiled at me and walked away. I lingered at the window for another minute looking at all the cute baby clothes, especially the clothes for baby girls, and left there thinking how fun it would be to have another granddaughter. As I walked back to my car, I thought about my 3 grandchildren and how much fun they are. I let the thought of another one go because at the time I knew it would be at least 5 or 6 years before Cari and Sam would be married and settled down long enough to have children.
Tonight, my son called to tell me that he and his wife are expecting their 4th child next April. They hadn't planned on having any more children but I guess God has other plans for their family. My first reaction was, to be honest, worry because Shannon's last pregancy was so high risk. She was in bed from the 17th week until Andrew was born at 36 weeks. He is an absolute miracle! I know that the chance of her having the same complications are not likely but I can't help but be concerned. Prenancy isn't easy for her under the best circumstances. They aren't in the best financial situation either but then when Dennis and I had Bryan we were poor as church mice and we survived. I know I just need to start praying about this and trust that God will take care of it like he has taken care of everything else. I hope God doesn't mind if I pray for a little girl this time. That's why I've typed this in pink - I hope it has some influence... LOL....
Jackie at HOPE FLOATS is asking all journalers to participate in AOL's 3 year Journaling Anniversary. You can go to her journal or you can go to any of the other links posted below for information about the big To Do:
http://journals.aol.com/siennastarr/Hopefloats/
Each link goes to a journal that will tell you more about what is happening and how you can get involved. If for some reason you don't understand something then email the owner of that journal.
I went shopping this morning for a few hours. I bought a pair of jeans last week and took them back to the store where I bought them to have them hemmed (for free, I might add with a smile). While there, I tried on another pair of pants, a dress, two tanks, and four tops but didn't buy a thing. They either weren't just right or were too expensive.
From there I wandered down the mall to another store were I went bra shopping. I H A T E shopping for bras. They never fit right so I have to settle for garmets that are just OK instead of fabulous. Luckily, they were on sale so I didn't feel as bad as I would have if I'd paid full price.
On my way out of the store, I spotted a cute skirt and sweater set. I tried it on, liked it a lot so I bought it. It's fun to buy skirts again after wearing only long pants for far too many years.
Now I need 1 formal outfit, 3 daytime casual outfits and a pair of casual, low-heeled shoes (not tennies) and I'll be set for the trip. I'm getting there.
Jackie at HOPE FLOATS directed me to the following site:
http://www.dcroe.com/2996/. You can go here to honor one of the victims of 9-11 on Sept. 11, 2006, the 5th Anniversary of this horrific tragedy. I signed up and was assigned to honor, Jerrold H. Paskins. I was stunned to find out he was a resident of Anaheim Hills which is just a 20 minute drive from my home. I have not done any research on Mr. Paskins yet but I am eager to learn as much about this man as I can so I will be able to post a fitting tribute to him on the 5th anniversary of his death.
If you are interested in paying tribute, please go to the website and sign up. There are still many names left to be assigned.
Jerrold H. Paskins, age 56.
Place killed: World Trade Center. Resident of Anaheim Hills, Calif. (USA).
Jerrold H. Paskins will be honored by Kathy at the blog A Little Left of Center and Yada Yada Yada. This was the 1410th blogger to sign up for the 2,996 Tribute project.
Life is returning to normal around here today. I took Mika to the Study Center at 6:15 this morning so she and the other 24 girls could board the bus that took them to LAX to catch their flight home. If things went as planned, their flight departed about 30 minutes ago.
It was an emotional morning. Many of the girls were very upset and tearful about separating from their Host Families. Isn't it amazing how you can get so attached in just 2 weeks? There were lots of hugs, promises to keep in touch, tears, girls waiting until the last second to get on the bus, and families standing together waving as the bus pulled away.
Mika separated from me right away. She joined a group of girls and became the clown of the group. She did not want to get emotional and did what she could to distance herself from those feelings. I understand and I was not hurt. I know she had a great time and that she liked us very much. She just wasn't able to handle the feelings.
Her reaction didn't keep me from shedding a few tears when saying good bye to the girls in my car pool. When they said good bye to me, all three cried and hugged me. That got to me. I can't see someone cry like that without tearing up myself.
What a wonderful 2 weeks! It flew by in a flurry of activity and fun. Our family is better for having experienced having Mika with us and I am thankful that I changed my mind and agreed to host. Am I glad it's over? YES! I am overjoyed about having my time back and getting this house back in shape. It looks like a whirlwind whipped thru here. But, hey, I can clean it up in a day or so. I would have missed out on something very special if I would have said 'no' to the experience.
Now some praise reports about other things: First, my Aunt Helen is doing GREAT! I am so happy to report that her 2nd broken hip has healed to the point where she can bear full weight on it during physical therapy. Also, she is totally OFF oxygen. She has had to wearan oxygen tube and have a tank of the stuff in her home for 3 1/2 years. She is doing so well, her Dr. took her off and said she can stay off as long as she continues to do this well. It's like a miracle!!! She has been so surrounded by prayer that she is being healed of many ailments. Thank you, Lord. She, her doctor, and her family are all so encouraged.
There is another praise report in the works. I won't write about it today because I do not want to jinx it. I am just continuing to pray and ask God to make something happen that will be such a good thing for our family.
My next project, after getting my house back in order, is to get ready for our vacation to Alaska at the end of the month. We leave on Aug. 26 for Vancouver, B.C. Our cruise begins on the 27th. I need clothes! I have been shopping and I'm having a hard time finding things I like. I'm in a new size which is wonderful and I have the money set aside to spend which is great BUT the clothes I'm seeing in the stores are not that attractive. I am meeting a friend on Tuesday for a day of shopping and I will go to my favorite store, Coldwater Creek later in the week if I don't finish on Tuesday. Wish me luck. I shopped from 11:00 - 2:30 the other day, tried on about 20 things and came home with a knit top and a pair of jeans.
Tomorrow I am going to spend some time catching up on reading journals. I've tried to stay current but tomorrow I am going to catch up.
Until later.................................. ô..ô
Mika is at Disneyland with her best friend's host family today. She was so excited this morning she could hardly sit still waiting for them to come get her. I hope she has the best day and gets to go on all the rides she wants to.
Last night, we took her to a baseball game at Anaheim Stadium. The Angels lost to the Oakland A's but we had a good time anyway. It was a perfect night for sitting outside. Cool and a light breeze. Dennis and I took our dinner - salads, as usual. I wanted Mika to have the traditional baseball dinner of a hot dog, soda and a treat of her choice. Oh, gosh, she was so cute. When we got back to our seats after getting the hot dog, Pepsi and Doritos, she opened up the hot dog which she had added ketchup to, and took a picture of it. She told me, "So I can show my friends and family." I guess they don't have hot dogs like that in Japan.
She explained that in Japan during a baseball game the fans sing and dance and during the 7th inning stretch they all have balloons. I didn't quite catch what the do with the balloons but I did hear her say it was ' very much fun'.
I'm going to work on a photo album I'm going to send home with Mika so I'll cut this short for today.
Until later.......................... ô..ô
