Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from July, 2008

Lending An Ear

While taking part in a neighborhood yard sale, which I mentioned here , I met many nice people. One in particular stands out. I didn't catch her name, but she shared, or OVER-shared, just about everything else. She was a lovely woman, probably around 79 or 80 years old. She was out for her daily walk wearing her protective visor and her "just came from the eye doctor" sunglasses. While looking through my offerings, for whatever reason, she decided to tell me the story of her great love. "Oh what a guy he was! Boy, he was a sharp dresser! Always wearing a suit and a hat... So charming! And boy was he good in the sack!" Um... what ? "***giggle giggle*** We could be on the bus going downtown, I'm all dressed up, he looks so handsome. The bus would go over a bump and I would look at him and say 'That really got me in the mood'. Next thing I know, he's pulling the line to stop the bus. He grabs my hand and off we go to a hotel !" U

The Day After

The party is over. It was a blast! Time to get back to normal, only slightly less stressed, with a stroll through the garden. Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Closing Night of G.N.O. 7/27

Oh I needed this. This is the longest Girls Night Out I've ever had! Are we all set? Get your beverage of choice. Regina from Margarita Bloom is making her famous, you guessed, margaritas! (Oh that sounds good!) Radiohead "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" (We can only tolerate this before the margaritas kick in!) Now, Regina has tagged me to list Six Quirky things. Now, I know I said on Friday that I'd rather be quirky than any thing else, but I don't know if I should announce 6 more things. Someone just might come and take me away in a tight fitting white jacket with lots of snazzy little buckles on it! So how about I pass this along to 6 like I was supposed to. Play along, or don't. No pressure. It's just a party game. Everyone play! And... after every quirk listed...you take a drink! Cheryl "The Daily Blonde" Ruth "and baby makes three" Jenn "Peacock's Nesting Place" Jen "Lipgloss &a

Virtual "G.N.O. !" Part II

Alright, it's night 2 for our Girls Night Out! While my daughter's are caught up with the Hannah Montana 3-D concert I'm going to continue on with music for the slightly older crowd. So, do we have our beverage of choice? I've heard that over at The Blarney Stone there is Sangria and a nice bottle of Merlot. And Jen at Cheaper Than Therapy is ready for us to grab a beer. Mary from Everyday Baby Steps needs rescuing from the Hannah Montana Mania as well, so her 'Mommies Juice Box' is chilled and ready to go! So let's get our evening going with our guest D.J. Jen from Baseball & Lipgloss. She is my music guru. I owe her so much. (She is keeping me from the "Oh, I don't understand what the kids are listening to these days' funk!!!) 22-20s "Such A Fool" Thank you Jen from Baseball & Lipgloss for the fantastic music! So, who is going to throw the party next weekend?! I don't want to impose. However, whe

HELP! I Need A Girls Night Out!

My children are trying to hurt me. I believe they are trying to crush me from the inside. They're breaking my heart!!!! **** Insert Elvis Costello's "Peace, Love & Understanding" **** I don't know how homeschooling mother's do it all year!?! (Is there some club full of libations for homeschooling moms? Something like Costco only with a full bar?) Tonight I feel that if I have to spend the rest of the summer with these little darlings I think I'm going to pull all of my expensive highlighted hair out of my head !!! Whew... Now, let's go in a different direction to put my heart, and spirit, in a better place. It's Friday Night so let's have a blog party!!!! (Pour the wine. Turn on my Playlist... NOW .) First let's play a game. "Six Things You Need To Know". This game is being generously thrown in my direction by a personal favorite Tiffany from The R Family Diaries . Six Quirky Things About Me :

Something Fun For Everyone!

Creative writing challenge time! Ann's blog roll story : At first glass I knew I needed something cheaper than therapy . I know everyone thinks that we’ve been living the glamorous life ; however this sassy Irish lassie , her husband, and baby makes three have been spending too much money on happy meals and happy hour . Friends say “You have to find the Zen in you . Stop spending your money on mindless junque .” I know. I know. They’re right. I have to stop acting like the daily blonde and take responsibility for my actions. Maybe just sit and observe the peacock’s nesting place to quiet my spirit and soul, and my spending. My husband says "Why don't you start writing in R family diaries ? Use your words instead of things to mark our place in time." I need to stop throwing money away at my favorite haunt, the blarney spot , and stay at home with the farmer’s wife . Learn to make things instead of buying them. There is a lot of pride in making your own butt

Gems

My girls and I had a little field trip today to our Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, a.k.a. OMSI . My mom joined us for this venture. Lots to do, so much fun. While having a much needed sit-down break, my mom and I tried to have a conversation. My mom is right in the middle of a story when she say's exhaustedly "Oh,...do I have to keep talking? Just imagine what I'm going to say and go from there." Geez I love my mom!!! I haven't laughed like that in a long time.

It's Beautiful! Fabulous! Day

I'm going to start sharing stories at Beautiful! Fabulous! It's a fun website put together by Krista Peck of Boutique Flair . My contributions will appear on Wednesdays. This is so cool! (I'm smiling right now BIG TIME !) My story is " A Simple Gesture ". It involves lip plumbing lipgloss and a handshake. 'Nuff said. I would love to know what you think. Please visit and let me know! I hope that you don't have a problem viewing the page.

Time To Vent

I'm just mad. My van didn't pass DEQ and I'm mad. My girls and I sit in the line for a half-hour and the stupid DEQ guy said that a little puff of smoke came out of the tail pipe, which qualifies for an automatic "Fail". My car is fine! Just take my money, give me my stupid tags and let me be on my way!!! This whole thing is a joke anyway. Just taxing us under the guise of Enviromental Quality. I've seen old clunkers go through without the blink of an eye! Aargh !!!! I need something to crunch. Maybe that family size bag of chips will do .

Did Someone Say "Broken Halo"?

I can't believe how worn out I am. I actually had an action-packed weekend. (And it didn't involve going to see "The Dark Knight", either. P-O-W ! W-H-A-M ! ) Friday night I gathered with fellow Frampton followers for a great show. He sounded sharp and everyone was in good spirits. Saturday was a family party and it was great because we had visiting family from San Diego. The last time I saw this cousin he looked just like John Schneider from "The Dukes of Hazard". This time around the height was there, but the hair was not. (And thank goodness neither were the bell-bottoms!) Then Sunday, helloooo! We had a neighborhood yard sale that turned into quite the party. It was a hot day and I thought I would just stick to water, or lemonade. But darn if my neighbor Bonnie didn't come over with a beautiful pint of Broken Halo from our hometown favorites, the Widmer Bros. This gesture got the ball rolling! (Let's just say that by the end of the d

Time To Dig Out My Lava Lamp

Well tonight I'm going to see Peter Frampton! So I better go feather my hair and find my prettiest silk shirt. (I believe this would go for my hubby too!)

Bloomin' Veggies!

As I stoll through the garden I see blooms on some of our vegetables. These are veggies that we haven't planted before and I'm so surprised at the beautiful blossoms! Can you name which veggie belongs to which blossom? (Yes, I know. One of them is a given.) Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com It's not your eyes! Two of the pics are a bit fuzzy. I also want to say a humongous " THANK YOU !" to Caroline at The Zen In You . She has decided to share an award with me that I accept with much gratitude. Characteristics for the Smile Award: 1. Must display a cheerful attitude. (not necessarily at all times--we are all human) 2. Must love one another 3. Must make mistakes 4. Must learn from others 5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world 6. Must love life 7. Must love kids or animals Here are the rules from the creator of the award The Babblings of Mere : 1. The recipient must link back to the award's creator (http://www.thebabblingsofmere.bl

Wordless Wednesday

I have a blog protester...

Tuesday Tunes

Throwback Suburbia "Circles". Local band from lil' ol' Portland. http://www.throwbacksuburbia.com/Home.html

The Dress

I bought this dress you see. It's just perfect for hot summer days. It's light weight, what you would call a 'Slip Dress'. Cute little roses patterned all over. Spaghetti straps and lace trim. I plan to wear the dress to a big party, a bar-b-que. Lot's of people and lots of activities for the children and the adults. I zip up and head to the party. It's a hot day. The kids are excited, we're excited. (And I have a cute dress on, yeah!) We park the car and, while the girls run to play, my husband and I take blankets and chairs out of the van. I reach for a chair and I suddenly feel a freedom. My left shoulder isn't as confined as it was a second ago. Hmmm. I stand up to carry the chairs and that's when I see my left strap dangling in front of me. CRAP! I look at my husband with fear in my eyes and try to figure out what to do! (MacGyver! Where are you?!?) My 10 year old comes over to see what is taking us so long and offers up a great ide

Whee!!!

Well this has been quite a weekend. Big parties aren't my thing any more, but I do like to do something special. So far I haven't ignored a birthday. And I've never really understood the people that don't even acknowledge their special day. It's a big deal! We've made it another year! With all the gloom and doom in the world we should at least party when we can! And let me tell ya' I did on Friday night. Elvis Costello opened for The Police. My Sting-a-ling-a-ding-dong sang for me on my day and I couldn't have been happier. The band sounded, and looked, great. And for those of us in the crowd, who had our lives ahead of us 25 years ago, we jumped as high and screamed as loud as our older bodies would allow. (Thank goodness for Ibuprofen!) Saturday night my sister, mother and I drank champagne while my husband made us delicious food. And served us as well! It was a great weekend. This one will get me through for a while. P.S. I honestly, truly

They Say It's My Birthday

Today begins a new year for me. I'm having a party this weekend and this is how I'm going to start it! Tonight I get to see a band that brings me such joy I just don't know WHAT to do with myself! Here are my old friends... The Police "Every Little Thing She Does It Magic". (Ultimate favorite song and video, thank you very much)

Dog Tired

My cousin has a dog just like ours, a chocolate lab, whose name is Chase. We thought it would be fun for the 'cousins' to play together and get some exercise. Well Chase is much older than our Benny and by the end of the day Chase was d-o-n-e but Benny was laughing it up and ready to go again! Ah, youth.

Tuesday Tunes

Matt Nathanson "Come On Get Higher" Now, I'm falling victim to my radio here. My favorite station has been playing this a lot and I can't get it out of my head! ***drives me crazy*** So maybe this will help me move on...

Is It Wrong Part IV

Time again to ask the question "Is it wrong...?" ... to want a vacation away from the family you just spent your vacation with? ... to not mind returning from your family vacation with a cold because that gives you some excuse to not play with your children? (You don't want mommy to get worse do you?) ...to be jealous of your husband because after the second day back from the family vacation he left to go to a conference for a week?! A week ! Not that I've thought any of these things, just wondering.

Back and Sun Burnt!

So hey! We're back from our vacation and I wish I was still there, only in better shape! We have access to a house that is at a resort, of sorts. There are mansions that people call "cabins". And the owners drive to their "cabins" in what they probably refer to as "jalopies" or, what I know them as, Hummers. Our family has had the joy of visiting Black Butte Ranch for the past 3 years. It really is a dream. I have been preparing for a summer trip by doing the usual; exercising, using self-tanning lotion, and making sure the family was stocked up on bathing suits ( me especially !) and flip-flops. So we get to the pool on our first day and I am struck by how the women look. I know that they are mother's because I see young children running to them pool side and calling them "mom". However, they don't look like they actually gave birth to any of these little children! I mean, where's the tummy ladies? Where's the child b

Dreaming Of Beckham

*****While out of town I'm posting a favorite story ***** So I'm in this gorgeous home over looking the ocean. Beautiful, plush white furniture with delicately decorated throw pillows. Beautiful lamps are next to vases filled with lush flowers. It's just gorgeous. My husband is there. We smile and each other. What a lovely morning. Then David and Victoria Beckham walk in. "Good Morning you two!" 'Good morning! How did you sleep?' "I slept really well" says David Beckham, rubbing his head. Victoria plops down beside me on the couch and says "Isn't this a beautiful home? What should we do today?" Rob and I look at each other and I say 'Let's see if Jean and Lionel have any plans' (Jean and Lionel being Dame Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer from my favorite BBC show "As Time Goes By".) "It's really nice that they let us stay here. Really." says my secret boyfriend David Beckham. I just love saying his

Fourth of July!!!

At the beginning of the ranch's Fourth of July parade they announced over the loudspeaker just a reminder of what this day is about. They also asked that any people in attendance who have served our country to come forth and stand by the flag. A wonderful few came forward, some slower moving than others, and we all applauded. We sang along to the Morman Tabernacle Choir singing "Star-Spangled Banner" while we looked upon our service men and Black Butte behind them. It was a wonderful beginning to a fun-filled day!

You Remind Me...

**** We are away for a few days so I am posting an old favorite **** Have you ever looked at someone but not really see them? My youngest has gone to school with the same little boy for 3 years. I've seen his parents at school events, meetings and the pick-up/drop-off shuffle. We always smile, or give the 'Hey' nod. Pleasant greetings for 3 years. Now here we are at a pool birthday party and while the children played, the father and I sat next to each other and starting talking. He was reminiscing about the pool and how its changed since he was little. He was talking about the change in the neighborhood which led to the question "Where did you grow up?" I said 'I grew up in the North part of town" and gave the general area. He just looked at me. I thought he didn't know what I was talking about so I gave him more details. He still just stared at me. I felt a little awkward so I gave him specific streets and he said "I grew up one block

Rear View

****While out of town for a couple of days I am re-posting this story. We're actually at a water park today! Wish me luck!**** O.K. Husband is out of town. We miss him very much. So I decide to take my girls someplace fun. I put together our swim bag and go to a huge swim park. They are so happy and I'm glad that I have the energy to do this. So we have a fine drive there. Get a great parking spot. Smile and hold hands skipping to our fun afternoon. We're in the changing room (we found a Family Changing Room. What luck!) and my oldest has everything all set and asks if she can met us by the pool. "Sure. Don't get in without me", etc. While my youngest is still trying to put herself together I'm looking in the mirror noticing that my exercises are starting to work. The thighs aren't so bad right now. Let's see the back-side. Oh...My...God! As in God Help Me!!! The back half of my swimming suit has been eaten away by chlorine of summers past. I'