Ann Again...and again

Returning from a lovely time with a dear friend this is what greeted me when I opened the door. Boo! Needless to say, I did not have endearing words come from my mouth.  (I don't like being scared!)  Have you been spooked this season?

I can relate. I'm happy to have today's Tuesday Truth provided by Diane Christiansen: When I was younger, I knew what I wanted out of life:   four kids, a dog, and possibly the gift of sleeping in every other Saturday morning.  Well, I got the dog and one great boy, my son, Jackie.  I’m still waiting for the sleep.  One of my strongest memories early on is sitting at the park with my son as he played in the sandbox.  He had to be five or six.  The neighborhood park was his favorite haunt back then.  I could hear a siren coming from a mile away and I reacted immediately, jumping from the bench, racing to the sandbox where he stood with a shovel gripped in his fist, pain and confusion in those blue eyes.   As the fire truck raced by, he lost it.  He was running and screaming and flapping his arms, trampling over the other two boys standing by the slide in the wood chips.  The other mothers looked at me and I could read it all over their faces.  How could I possib

Starting The Week Off... With a giggle This happened Saturday morning.  I turned to the coffee container and GAH!   Well, it wasn't so terrible - a new coffee shop opened up on our corner a few weeks ago  ;->

Booga Booga Booga!  It's almost Halloween, are you ready?  For The Harrison household let's go down the list: Costumes?    Check Decorations?   Check Silly and or Scary Movie viewing?  Check Candy?   Candy? Um, hello.   Candy? No!  I haven't bought any candy yet.  I've learned my lesson from years past not to store bags of Halloween candy in our cupboards, even though the price was low and it would be more expensive the closer to October 31st.  You know why?  We always end up just wanting one, or two (or more) little bars of candy late at night, finish the bags then buy more candy later. Packing on the pounds because those darn 100 Grand bars are too hard to resist!  I'm going to distract myself from going to the store right now and immerse myself in our Friday night party, the original Virtual Girls Night Out!  Join me! To participate In The Virtual GNO:   Enjoy this post!  ;->  For our weekly Friday night blog party all you need to make this

Today's writing prompt:   Your Pet's Least Likable Character Trait. Who's a good kitty?  Who's a pretty kitty?  Who's a sweetie-sweetie little pretty kitty? After a long night, filled with the music stylings of our cat Maddy singing her opera of meows?  Not my kitty!  That's for sure! I don't know why this has happened but our dear old cat Maddy has changed her personality and has become loud and difficult at night.  She gets plenty of attention - plenty from our 12 year old Lily - but she still has something to complain about and it's usually around 3 or 4 in the morning. Does she have food?  Yes, later in her life she is taken with wet cat food so we make sure to feed her before we go to bed so her serving will last until morning.  Does she have water?  Yes, as a matter of fact she has a large container of water that she just loves to bellow above before drinking - this "singing" usually starts around 3 a.m.  Toys, cozy blan

You know how time can pass - days, months, years - and yet it can seem like nothing has changed at all?   Logically when a situation is removed by time you have physically moved on.  However, the mind, the heart holds onto... well, it holds on.  Memories can be vicious traps that won't allow you to move forward. 3 years ago this month my dad's wife passed away on the operating table.  She was having a procedure on her heart and something happened and... she went away.  He waited for the doctor to come out to say the operation was a success, instead he heard the words no waiting spouse wants to hear, she died.  It's been 3 years and when I look in his eyes you can see those words running through his mind over and over. His health took a horrible turn months later and he had to have a similar operation to the one that took his wife's life.  Can you imagine?!  What must have gone through his mind, trying to figure out what in the hell is going on in his world?  You

Starting The Week Off... with a laugh I like to plan ahead.  You too? ;-> 

The big move is happening tomorrow for my dad.   3 years after his wife's passing (more story here: " This Should Be Interesting " ) my sister has organized it all - she's amazing -   and tomorrow is the day we drive up and move him closer to us in Oregon.  Moving!  Lots of driving! Yay!  (You hear the sarcasm, right?)  The end result is good but the process is a pain.    How about a happy distraction with our Virtual Girls Night Out?!  :-> To participate In The Virtual GNO:   Enjoy this post! ;->  For our weekly Friday night blog party all you need to make this party complete is a beverage of your choice (cocktail recipe below for inspiration) and your fuzzy slippers! If you choose to leave your blog link for guests to visit you please do! I started this blog party in 2008 and bloggers have been virtually partying ever since.   Visit your fellow party guests - say "Happy VGNO!!!"  Share the blog game/meme/question on your site to play along.

Since my 12 year old found a selection of nail polishes from her favorite store Justice, she has been obsessed with painting her nails a different color combo just about every day.  When the smell of the polish wafts through the house I wonder what design we'll see.  Today's style:   stripes.

I'm Starting The Week Off... With a laugh I just might present this for dessert tonight ;->

Is it really Friday already?  I'm not sure why but this week flew by.  How was it for you?  My sister and I are heading up to Federal Way, WA to get my dad's house packed up and get him ready to move closer to his family in Dundee, OR.  He'll only be a 50 minute drive from us now :->  (Little more of the story here: " This Should Be Interesting ".)  We're also getting into Halloween gear here at the Harrison house.  We're looking for some scary movies to watch; some for the kids, some for the adults.  Have any suggestions?  Any favorites? Please leave in the comments below.  And let's get our Virtual Girls Night Out going! :-> For our weekly Friday night blog party all you need to make this party complete is a beverage of your choice (cocktail recipe below for inspiration) and your fuzzy slippers! If you choose to leave your link to participate in a blog hop please do! I started this blog party in 2008 and bloggers have been virtually par

If it's Thursday it's time to participate in Mama Kat's (pretty much world famous) Writer's Workshop . This weeks writing prompt:  Hand your child a camera and share life captured from their perspective. This prompt is perfect timing.  Just yesterday I was looking through the massive amounts of photos and videos that are on my computer.  (I really need to put these photos in a book, or something.  Ideas?).  I came across some short videos that our girls created when my husband Rob and I ran errands.  Oh, to be a cat that is loved so much! This film is brought to you by the back of a remote.  What?   I remember coming home and seeing Maddy covered in a Christmas themed dish towel and a little container of pretzels near her - no salt was left on these pretzel sticks.  Now, when we have pretzels, Maddy's right there, waiting for her serving.   Has your child(ren) feed something unusual to your pet?  What was it?  And, hopefully, the outcome was good.  O

Maddy is dreaming of jumping into that basket with the pumpkins, I just know it.   When it comes to Maddy and her dear sister Phoebe (who left us last October - RIP Phoebe) they seem to be most cozy when they're "in" something.  Examples: Maddy felt very comfortable in a glass fish bowl Once the fishbowl got too small she moved to my purse She could always find a sack that was just the right size One of my favorites.  Returned home from work and couldn't find our kittens any where then... poof! There they were, in a self proclaimed kitty bunk bed a.k.a. shoe rack If you've lived with a cat you must have experienced finding them in close, cozy spaces.  What's a funny place you've found your cat? 

Have you had one of those weekends where just about every event that could happen in your town happens all on the same weekend? That's what happened to us last weekend! First, my sister Kathi has been working so hard on finding a perfect place for our Dad to relocate after the passing of his wife (not our mother - part of the story here: " This Should Be Interesting " ) and this Saturday was the day to sign the papers on his new apartment in Dundee, OR.  Does it happen to be in the heart of our delicious wine country?  Why yes, yes it does :-> We thought we'd take him around his "new to him" neighborhood.  I put those words in quotes because he grew up in Newberg/Dundee, OR and it has changed massively.  What a gem! Kathi, Mom and Dad at Lange Winery.  Mt Hood in the background. Dad will now be closer to his brother, his niece and only a 50 minute car ride from us as opposed to 3 hours when he was living in Federal Way, WA.  It'

I love Portland in the Fall but why, or why, does most of the great stuff happen on the same weekend?!  Is it because once the weather clears and the sun shines we scurry outside to grab as many rays as we can?  Yes, I'm sure that's it.  This weekend we have a small family gathering, The Greek Festival, The Portland Marathon (runs right by my front door) and a visit to The Pumpkin Patch.  How about your plans for the weekend? Let's get this weekend off to a great start with our Friday night party, the original Virtual Girls Night Out!  (Est. 2008 - Add your blog link in the comments below so we know you've stopped by and others will visit with a 'Happy Virtual GNO!' )  ) Time For Some Tunes! Pearl Jam " Sirens " Pearl Jam has a place in my heart.  In part because their tunes are on the soundtrack of my life, in part because they are my Pacific Northwest neighbors and, the biggest part, I love their music! Time For A Cocktail! Ever