the R-E-A-L birthday greeting !!

I know, I KNOW .... I did the "he's turning 30" thing on yesterday's blog but today is REALLY Chris' birthday so I am going to reminisce .... hopefully not at his expense! (LOL)
He was late the day he was born (he usually is) but only by 2 hours & 22 minutes ..... and since I didn't even begin labor til after 10 pm, I can never use the old "long labor" story to get sympathy from him! It was an easy birth (considering the anatomy of it all) & even though he was nearly 9lbs, he was the next to the smallest in the nursery that day .... & all the others were girls. He was a healthy little boy. Soon to be crawling, his chubby little thighs rubbing together. His big brother doted on him & was always kissing & hugging him. He walked early to catch up with his brother & talked late because of him. Barely able to walk, he was the mascot (so to speak) for his brother's AYSO teams til he was old enough to play himself. He insisted on warm ups to match the team and his granny made them up more than once. He contracted a New York accent in the 2nd grade (as did I) and was a hit with the teachers (and girls) with his big green eyes. He was a champion for the underdog (both friend & foe) and did well in every sport he attempted .... although he opted to devote mostly to soccer & baseball and as a result .... MANY people recognized him as "Terry's little brother". As on the day he was born .... he was often surrounded by girls, ever Mr Social Butterfly. He would walk into the middle of a group of strangers (kids) and suddenly be part of a team. He loved to take things apart and put them back together (and sometimes they still worked) When he wanted extra money ... he found a way to earn it. We've got some great entrepeneur (?) stories!! He was at my bedside the day he turned 15+1/2 raring to take a driving test and had his first job a couple days after turning 16. And he has continued to excel and make some really good choices with his life. There are stories that should be on Ellen or Oprah for inspiration or warm fuzzies. He married a strong, independent, smart & beautiful young gal 6 years+ ago & they have my adorable grand daughter & grandson to round out the family. He is a very honorable young man and I am proud of him. He's done some silly things, made a decision or two I would not have agreed with, and even taken some unwarrented risks- but ... he has ALWAYS been respectful & loving and has never forgotten to call me on Mother's Day! I love you Chris. Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

my BABY turns 30 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can. I REALLY can remember it as if it were yesterday. My little long haired, down-backed, baby girl that TURNED OUT to be a boy. No- this was before ultrasound was routine. I didn't go to a gypsy woman or a voodoo lady. There was no psychic or needle on a string forecast thingy going on. BUT, with my first pregnancy I (coincidentally wore blue 99% of the time) SOOOO, when my 2nd pregnancy (nearly 4 years later) developed along so differently, I made sure that all I was wearing was pink. Even at the instant he was delivered the Dr. said "you have a girl, I mean a boy".

BUT ..... I have never regreted a millisecond. He was an easy baby, toddler, adolescent, & young adult. ONLY when he started whining about turning 30 did he become a pain in the ___. (just kidding) SO- my tribute to July 31st is that a VERY special baby, boy, man was born on it !! I luv ya with all my heart. You've changed just a little! Happy BIG 30 my "baby"

We are (almost) the Nelson Family

if I am lucky (& you are old enough) .... you'll recognize the Nelson family as Ozzie & Harriett.
There was a time when the "perf" family image was measured by these people and I TOTALLY support the idea BUT- in all reality, it's more of a fantasy family today (sadly). And why, if YOU KNOW the family I come from, am I even comparing us to the Nelsons at all? Because I watched Rachel Getting Married last night. Talk about issues!!?! I know I joke about everything being about "me" in my world (the key word being JOKE), but this was a family with a lot of "me's" -but NOT joking! Fortunately, after all the yelling & disruption ... there was some resolution but not without an ample amount of chaos, hurt & drama. And since the entire movie was depicting ONLY about a 48 hours segment of these people's lives ... THANKFULLY there was not a "happily ever after" ending because it kept the movie more real for me. I have seen or experienced families like this one. And today .... I feel so Ozzie & Harriett'ish !!
and ..... I am thinking we are in for an animated or fluff movie tonight, since we have had a string of seriousness or noise for the last few. ALL GOOD MOVIES, but I need an emotional & mental rest for the next one!
And to my siblings David, Ricky, Wally & the Beaver I just want to say ...... I love you(always), I forgive you(for whatever), I support you(loyaly), I applaud you(constantly) & I miss you all VERY MUCH(every, EVERY day)!

NEW experiences can be TIME soooo CONSUMING

in a good way that is.... (?)

The layout below is my FIRST attempt at a layout ENTIRELY from PSE. I can now see how my sister Cindy makes some of her AWESOME productions !! She is comissioned by people to put together the most amazing creations! (check them out- designsfromthehrt.blogspot.com) It takes a lot of time & patience & MAJOR perserverence !!!!!!!!!!!! My game plan is to create a layout for each holiday or big event that we celebrate during the year.

I guess this is "officially" my first one.

Mary O .... where are ya when I need ya?

of course on some level (mostly $$), I am kidding.
If you have Sirius or XM radio, you probably know who I am talking about. Otherwise ....
Whatever the subject was, somehow at dinner last night I ended up asking dad if Mom comes to visit him. He said yes. And if I am to believe in such things, I doooo believe Dad would be the one she would visit first & foremost- afterall 65 married years together is not chicken feed. But I so thought I would feel her around me. I want to believe because I want to know she is near, but I am losing my faith in it. I come to tears or choke up at the least with just the mention of her still and I miss her today as much as I did 2 years ago. How can she not know that I need her? Or ... does she (as usual) know more than I- even now?! So .... whether I wonder what Mary O would say about this whole thing, or just continue to sort it out on my own .... I do know one thing for sure and that is IT'S TIME to leave for work. Here we go again! (didn't I just do this a week ago??????) Happy Trails one & all.

what would I remember?

Just saw a tidbit of the topics being presented on Oprah this week and one of them was about a woman who claims that on any specific date (for any time since she was born or ?) she can tell you what happened on that date without fail. Just the other day a co-worker & I were talking about how some people remember things from childhood, while others don't seem to. My son Terry will bring up things from when he was 2 years old- recalling them vividly as if they were a month ago (VS 30+ years ago!!) I can remember some small things as a toddler (as well as a VIVID memory of something that took place when my mom was pregnant with me) BUT- then I have a huge gap of time where I have no recollections at all!!
Rather than dwell on why, what, when or where ... I am consciously making the decision to (simply) remember to:
set up my coffee each night for the following day
keep toilet paper in stock at all times
take Zantac EVERY morning
make time (even if slight) for myself
:o)

who's the bird brain anyway?

With the addition of bird feeders, comes extra maintenance (and shopping)!

Being the spoiled cat owner that I am .... it is but second nature to look for ways to amuse them. The best way is to enable them to sit at a window to watch nature. Throughout our house there are numerous outlets for them to do so BUT, since I spend a significant amount of time in my craft room (not enough in my opinion- but only because work & sleep interfere) there are cat "seats" at the two windows which are opened at least partially nearly 365 days a year. BOTH of our felines hang out with me when I am there. Well, as if comfort and opportunity are not enough .... I felt they needed more to see than the occassional butterfly or squirrel, so we hung a bird feeder. It wasn't big enough so we hung a larger one. It needed a "little something more" so we added a small hanging bath. now .... WORD HAS GOTTEN OUT that we are the place to hang out if you like birdseed! Mind you, they scatter when I get near the window with my camera, so what you see below is ONLY a smattering of what is here at any given time on a sunny day. But I find they too are getting used to me, so it's just a matter of time before I get some better shots. I may set up my tripod at the window eventually & use the remote now & again just to see what I get! Of course the Captain pointed out that this means we will be hosing down the fence now & again because of the "deposits" left !

Monkey will sit & watch- facinated, for hours!!!
sometimes, there are squirrels amongst

the birds eating seeds that have fallen to the ground below!!
the blue jays are the noisiest. The dish the feeder sits in catches a lot of seeds that fall from the container- sometimes the tiny birds are IN the dish & you can only see the tips of their heads bob up while they are chewing!
As usual, the most popular eateries have waiting lines!!

evening's grace

With my nursing duties retired for the night, I spent a couple of hours at my scrap table and found myself building, expressing, & creating some nice pages. Ahhhh ... what a blessing to have the opportunity to spend this time with myself. During the day I will often have some funky music playing or a movie I am listening to but not watching. (usually a few decimals louder than norm) But in the later hours of the evening when there is sleeping going on .... I move a little slower, processing more methodically- in the serenity that quiet times such as this brings me. And eventually (about now) ... I begin the cerebral wind down that will move me to tidy up (just a little) and head off to bed. My Captain will not scoff or complain when I slide between the sheets at this late hour. He will simply tell me he loves me in his husky, sleepy voice and I will fall to sleep myself with a smile on my face, knowing he means it.

REAL MEN take pain medication

or risk looking like a sissy at some point!!
I know someone who had a minor surgery yesterday. MIND YOU, using the word "minor" simply means it was an outpatient procedure done at a surgery center vs a hospital. An O.R. by any other name, still smells of the same anticeptic and more importantly, still brings pain & discomfort. (except to your insurance carrier). but I digress .......
"I feel great" (yeah, just wait)
"The Dr said I can get up & move around as I want" (uh huh)
"It isn't near as bad as they described it would be" (you'll eat those words tomorrow pardner)
"no, Tylenol will be enough" (you wish)
as these words are being muttered .... he may as well have been puffing out his chest & beating it with his fists! While I did hope he was right, I suggested resting & TAKING THE PAIN MEDS routinely for a day or two (more than once) And in the middle of the night reality set in (big time) This REAL man is NOW on the meds (happily) ahhhhh .... the peace & quiet of slumber.

back in the saddle again (I hope)

bummer dude .... it is such a drag that I live with a guy that eats pretty much any thing (and often LOTS of it) and it doesn't "attach itself" to him in the form of cellulite, ripples, or rolls. Admittedly, he has a wee bit of a muffin top that didn't use to exist, but he's active & physically fit & has waaaaay too much energy! (and he's a cutie pie too) Top that with 85 yr old Pa- who eats whatever, whenever and - let's face it ..... at this stage of his life .... he has earned the right to do so and not worry about where it is going to land (providing he gets enough nutrition!!!) So the Captain has his cookie(s) each day, some ice cream 2-3 times a week, twice the normal serving size for most things, nothing marked fat free & rarely even low fat (cept for his 1/2 gal a day milk habit) ..... and Pops with a brownie at breakfast and a few snicker mini bars each day. WHAT's a fluffy girl to do under these circumstances???!!
Well, in this case, I am hiking myself back into that saddle of a few months ago that will result in a wk or so of feeling hungry and like I am craving all those "bad" things 10 times a day! THEN it gets easier. I am not a waif- never have been. Never will be. Don't even wanna be. Just want to be less self conscious (and live longer & healthier) So, raise a liter of water and wish me luck.

it's NOT ALWAYS about me (it just seems that way)

the "it's not about you" thing has been a long running joke around our household and It's MOSTLY true. I have to say that it quite often is about me, because that is my Captain's way- but it IS ALSO about him sometimes too! Enter ..... the big-boy toy box!!
The captain asks my opinion about many things but sometimes I ALREADY know that what he is really doing is getting me ready for something I probably would not have chosen. Our spending philosophies as different, as are the way we save or budget BUT the most important thing is that we DO HAVE financial harmony when it comes to the bottom line. We take our responsibilities seriously and we plan for the future. SO, while I may not agree that he needs a bigger "this" or a 2nd "that"- I can't really complain considering that he doesn't say anything about the boxes or envelopes that arrive from Two Peas or Scrap Jazz ..... Here I post about just a few of the Captain's favorite toys. (and my 2 cents worth of course)
OK, the vehicle is almost a necessity, but the surf board?
THIS ONE would (confessingly so) be my favorite toy he bought!
the Capt says he "needs" this toy. (but I think it goes too fast
to be considered a toy on any level!!)
one of the Capt's newest toys .... surrounded by a few others
(rule of thumb .... if you don't use it more than once a week - it's a toy!!)

THESE ARE ONLY the tip of the iceberg mind you, but representative of his mindset. His "toybox" also includes many a wireless gadget & cordless widget. I believe he has a doo-hickey in 4 sizes and every color that a thing-ma-jig comes in. If something comes out that is faster, shinier, or has more horsepower- he probably has it (or it's on his current wish list) BUT, in all fairness, I should mention that I am probably his favorite toy! (get your mind out of the gutter ladies)

I LOVE MY "real" life

I think it is LHJ magazine (or REDBOOK?!) that in the very first page or two has a celebrity wearing a Tshirt printed with their descriptive word for what it is they love most about their life. EVERY month when I turn to this page .... I see my "quoted" word as being r-e-a-l.
SURE .... I have my share of complaints. I have some tough days, I get under the weather emotionally or physically at times. I worry, I cry, I disagree. I get frustrated, ticked off, taken advantage of. I get exhausted, overwelmed, in over-my-head. BUT .... lay it all out on the table for all to see and ALL these things do not compare to the amount of time I am totally, completely, all emcompassingly happy with my life. I know luck plays a part. I know learning from my own mistakes plays a bigger part yet. I know that I am a good person and that sometimes bad things happen to good people so ..... I try to appreciate every good thing I can from every day because- there are too many people that do not have anything good in any day. SO, although I also feel that I deserve the happy life I live- I am also thankful for it.
I DESIGNED MY NEW BANNER today in celebration of some of my mostest(estest) happy days. Pictures that bring me the same feeling right now, that they did at the time they were taken. Snipits of time in the real life I live (and love) !!

what dreams may come

a few years back I was chatting with some co-workers and someone mentioned a wierd dream they had the night before. I reiterated an article that I had read once about how you can't take them literally, but rather they symbolize things or events or emotions that you are experiencing- sometimes not even consciously. She described her dream and I proceeded (teasingly) to interpret it. Since, for the most part it's just a matter of common sense (well that and maybe an open & creative mind)- turns out it actually opened up her fears on some things she was going thru at the time. As the weeks passed, I often found myself spending most of the lunch time break interpretting dreams for others as well and it got to be a regular thing. Mostly in fun, sometimes a little more serious. But- even though I have odd dreams at timesmyself - I don't usually give them much thought. But- for lack of anything else (of note) going on that might be blog-a-liscious .... I thought I might just do so here.
All I really recall is that it is raining A LOT, and the house I am in is on a hill (you know how in a dream there are things it doesn't "show" but you just know) anyway- it rains & rains and continues and pretty soon there is muddy water rising. I am turning the furniture up at angles to keep the moisture from the soft cushions, and taking silly things out of lower cabinets to keep them from getting muddy. The thick, dark squishy stuff keeps rising and entering from different areas (although slowly) and I am moving & gathering things- but not actually doing anything to keep the muddy stuff from coming in or shoveling it out or ? I don't seem to be panicking or worried (only a little annoyed) Before anything is resolved, I wake up. My dreams never "finish" to my knowledge ... I just wake up. So what have we got here?
I would say I have some issues I should be dealing with that perhaps are not clearly defined. My life is pretty darn comfortable. There ARE some things I juggle about in my thoughts but don't actually address directly. There are things that I work on, but never give my full attention to and therefore they never completely go away. It might be that I am so easy going, I get around things that are bugging me well enough- to just nibble at changing them, instead of getting to the root of the problem. And I can think of several things that I feel this way about. Kinda like don't sweat the small stuff and yes, everything is small?! So there you go- something to ponder about if you please. Just try not to take yourself (or your dreams) too seriously. Let them enlighten or release you instead.

how do I love thee ... let me count the ways

the ways, the reasons, the times, the moments .... countless! (and priceless as well)

And here is JUST another example(s) of why I love my home & MOST of all my Captain.

my "typical" Sunday morning routine

has me hanging around in my PJ's catching up on magazines or the

newspaper & the DVR and the Captain bringing me breakfast!! This

weekend it included a peach-osa (Andre's passion peach with sunny-D)!

and this ........................................
was the view from my bedroom window

this morning about 4am. The full moon on the water. MAGNIFICENT!

the celebration of JULY

There are many ways to show patriotism. Different strokes for different folks. While it always "looks" red, white, & blue - we each have our own fashion when it comes to showing our respect & honor for living in the great US of A. We (it) have our faults- but would you want to live anywhere else? (if so, perhaps this is NOT the blog for you). You may not agree with all that goes on ... but do honor those who have made it possible for you to disagree openly, without being shot or beheaded!! And consider yourself VERY lucky to have the rights & priviledges that you do as a result of those who's lives have been lost fighting for YOU to keep them. God bless them all. I am proud to be an American (everyday!!).

the lost week

or rather ..... the week of loss.
This past weekend was not a typical one in any way. But the main reasons were centered around the loss of my sister's father-in-law & my sons" grandmother. My sister will agree that her father-in-law was "gone" a while back, as he became ill & not able to cope with what the cancer brought with it. My mother-in-law was lost (with regard to a relationship) shortly after I was divorced by her son. But in their real passing, comes the sorrow of what could have been. It does bring up some funny times, some sweet moments shared between all and most of all .... relief to those who have cared for the two of them in the final weeks of their lives- when it is the most difficult of responsibilities. There is no shame in that relief. Both Van & Lee were in a great deal of pain. These deaths, coupled up against those of 2 iconic celebrities also got me thinking (surprised?) ... what will be left behind when I go? The Captain and I recently made most of our "post-life" arrangements a few weeks ago. Our discussions/preferences started long ago but we decided to get real at this point, so no one would have to take care of such details while under duress. Once we really got down to details about what we wanted (or in my case- mostly what I didn't want) .... it got to the point of wondering if our decisions should be based on what WE wanted or what those left behind would want??! I don't "want" a funeral or memorial or such .... but would my loved ones want or need one on my behalf? something to think about (more)
and since I have put such cheer into this posting ..... I guess there is no harm in going to work !! And tomorrow ... well that is an opportunity to start all over.