when modern medicine is "on call"

Right now .... I'm thinking leeches.  Or maybe an exorcism is what we need.   The power of positive thinking sometimes does the trick. 
CERTAINLY, scratching one's head can NOT be the answer I'm looking for (?)  Make up something doc, invent a new disease to match the symptoms .... at least let me get all the way home, into the house, boot up my computer & launch GOOGLE, before I find out you  were on a mental vacation!  For the moment (well, 4 days worth of moments) I will let you have your fun with ANOTHER series of fasting blood tests .... even though EVERYONE agrees .... Pa does not have a decent vein left without calling in a team of people to help, & then lets do a cat sacn .... since he averages at least 7 xrays a year already ... just so you can write something different on the lab order for a change.  We get it.  And besides- we pay you the same amount whether you give us a diagnosis or not right?!  No rush .... he's only 88.   At least you didn't tell him to take an aspirin & call you in the morning.  (oh yeah ... that would mean you'd have to come in on the weekend.  I understand.  good one!

and unto you shall come .....

great heartache .... and so it was
great sadness ...... and so there was
great disappointment .... and indeed there was
great burdens .... and again, there was

and with these things came wisdom (still waiting on that one)

and then came great happiness & honor.

Proving that only through hardship do we truly recognize & appreciate the good things

so it is written, so it shall be!

things I can do without ....

don't get me started ...
okay, but since you have- you're gonna get an ear full! 
Snails .... squishy when you step on them, ewww, & they're MEAN to my orchids.  Although it's kinda groovey that the trail they leave sorta sparkles!  Beets ..... even the smell of them make me gag (a childhood nightmare was born out of this).  The worst is when you recently had cinnamon apples & mistake beets for the same.  Talk about a rude awakening!  June bugs..... I DON'T CARE what month it is .... I think it's creepy when a bug can latch onto your screen door & stare at you for hours!  Cobwebs .... I find it mildly disturbing that a web figures out EXACTLY how tall you are so it can catch you right across the face!  Buttermilk .... just the "hint" of chunkiness in a dairy beverage that doesn't have ice cream in it- is unsettling to me.  Add to that  .... it tastes like you're a week past the expiration date!  Spanx .... I mean, really, what's the point??  UNLESS it starts just under my chin & covers all the way to wrists & ankles ... it ain't gonna be a pretty picture.  Sure it holds things in .... but sooner or later .... it's gonna find somewhere to "pooch out".  (and perhaps poke somebody's eye out in the process).  A subscription to VOGUE.  There is nothing I can afford, identify with, wear, or appreciate in the entire publication .... the free handbag just isn't worth all the paper I'd be wasting!  Beer .... not sure who lost the bet that required them to invent a beverage that looks & smells much like the sample that I leave in the compartment at the lab.  It could never be cold enough to taste good, & I could never be thirsty enough to ask for one!  Another husband ..... I have the one that broke the mold and it took me 3 times to get it right .... why mess with perfection!
I could also do without the extra ___ lbs I'm carrying around .... but that discussion is for ANOTHER day!

there IS magic in this world (just watch out for Rumplestiltskin)

As a fan of the series "Once Upon a Time", an episode recently described how that when Rumple was sent into "the present", it was a world without the use of his previous magic.  In the "realm" of my thinking (?) .... when I hear the word "magic", I have a tendancy to think of it as a good thing, but in reality .... it's power is so much greater when it's used in evil ways. 

There is a certain magic in the air when the Captain & I are sitting on lounge chairs at KEAWAKAPU beach, with a sky full off stars above us.  There is magic in my heart when I hear the giggle of one of my grandchildren.  BUT these (and many more) instances of magic .... affect only us, or perhaps someone we share it with ... whereas casting an evil spell would certainly have a far greater reach.  Although I shall still prefer to keep a positive spin on MY connotation of magic ... I will keep in mind that (duh) not everyone is kind hearted or helpful.  Not everyone can be trusted. (duh, duh) and not everyone uses the "gifts" (magic or not) for good purposes.(super duh)  Life is not a fairytale .... but it feels like it  to me at times!  (very UN duh)

ending my association with the O

I have decided NOT to renew my subscription with (among others) the Oprah magazine. As much as I enjoy portions of the publication .... I find that I JUST DO NOT associate or identify with enough of it to enjoy weeding through the stuff I can't wrap my head around, to get to the few things that interest me!
I DO NOT care about what GAYLE "can't love without". I see little to cheer about to get 10% off of something nearly 500.00! I am NOT INTERESTED in where I can order a $16 cupcake. I have heard the last of how far she has come to become how much she is!
YES- she has done a LOT of good things with her money. YES, she could do a lot more for people in need that live within hundreds of miles VS thousands. I will continue to tune in occassionally for the amazing interviews she conducts .... but her magazine has run it's course for me. I have better uses for my time these days!
SOAPBOX closed.

the should, the cat, & the lovely

I sooooo should have been working thru some more music today and yet .... LIFE (once again) seemed to get in the way! Besides adding finesse to some of the items I am gathering for the chorus rummage sale, I was finishing up laundry, getting some thank you notes scribed, grocery shopping, and taking short stroll to get some backdrop pictures at the Captain's request. HOWEVER- being one to know & appreciate the fact that all work & no play makes the Princess a dull girl .... I did come a runnin' when the Capt claimed that "his cat" was initiating a KODAK moment. Add to that the lovely flowers that arrived in the company of my adorable hubby ... who has been out & about a lot lately with his own obligations. It makes for a full & fragrant Thursday for me!

in the cool of the night

It's long past sunset, without a leaf moving whisper of breeze on a day uncommonly warm here in beachville. In a locale shy of A/C for the most part ... sitting on the lanai in a sundress at this time of the evening is not the usual wardrobe. I see before me a parade of freeway lights that stretch as far south as the terrain will allow ... and since I've heard no evidence of emergency vehicles ... it's apparent the issue is further south yet. Meaning- the traffic back up is at least 10 miles or so in length. But ... that is neither here nor there for me, as it affects me not. I came out into the temperate air to water down plants that are wondering if they have been transplanted to Bakersfield and am now practicing the hands on of my sweet little purple mini laptop. It's arrival is quite timely given the recent infestation of vermin on my desktop ... and the antiquity of my bedroom laptop (which will soon become the "playstation" for the grandkids' visits). I have yet to do much with it, as I am not the comp wiz in the household and he is otherwise engaged with the aforementioned boo-bood box. But I can get to email & my blog- so. quite frankly WHAT ELSE is there of major importance huh? If machine #1 isnt in working order tomorrow, I will be downloading some very cool pics I took today. critters. TTFN

NEW FINDINGS; heart attack linked to tax procrastination ...

I don't get it. EVEN IF you know you are going to owe money & don't wanna pay it until the last minute .... wouldn't you wanna know how much so you can be prepared??! When I was single, I took steps to make sure I wouldn't be owing as of Uncles Sam's Give me your money day, & my A-type husband takes a look at things quarterly to break even (or start to plan what he's gonna spend the refund on). BUT, here we were , April 17th (that's 2 extra days folks) and people all around me were talking about those who were sitting somewhere having their taxes done that very moment (and, in some cases, NOT where they should have been if they had planned better). I love the explanations I hear! ie: 1. I've been working on them for weeks (uh, is your time not worth anything? IF YOU pay someone to do them & their done in a couple of days, doesn't that make more sense that taking weeeeeeeeks to do them?? AND- how many weeks? The year is practically 1/3 gone already. 2. EVERY year it seems like it takes me even longer to get all my info together to take to the accountant. hmmm, think there might be a better way to file your tax pertinent receipts, etc?? OH, AND MY FAVORITE 3. I've been arguing with the IRS since LAST year because they don't understand that my 3 (GROWN) adult children (and their significant others) are still living at home and are TOTALLY dependant on me .... that's why I claim them!!!! (before you ask, yes- she's blonde)
HONESTLY, I'm not pointing fingers here, I'm just scratching my head. I'm sure there are some perfectly good reasons for waiting to get a round "tuit" (sorry Jane, I had to put that in)- Unless you were in a Mexican jail, a coma, or sold into slave trade .... I'm just not sure I understand your procrastination!

OCD leads to GAC

The Captain almost ALWAYS makes our bed. This is not because I'm too lazy to do so. This is not because I don't know how. This IS BECAUSE he has "a system". (oh sigh) AND, as I found out this morning .... an alterior motive too! It turns out that because of the ... uh .... particular way he makes the bed ... he walks 3/4 around it 9-10 times during the process. He informed me today that this means he walks about a mile a month just from making the bed! Damn .... that's why he gets to eat that extra cookie without guilt!
**GAC= gets another cookie

as I gaze into your eyes ....

as I gaze into the eyes of my grandchildren (and I do so a LOT) ... I wonder .... HOW LONG will their childhood innocence last? How long before they have their first heartbreak? How long before the simplest of things no longer make them giggle? How long before they stop asking why? How long before grampa's answers stop impressing them? How long?

37 years and a dream ago ....

married right out of high school and living "happily ever after" .... it took less than 2 years before I was ready for #1 of what I'd thought would be 3-4 kids. It took near 2 more years before it came to be and BOY WAS I READY. I felt all along that it was going to be a blue swaddled, toe headed, bundle of joy and I was right. (thankfully, since I'd already decorated his nursery) Money was tight, but we (as youngins' ourselves) still thought we had it all .... we found used furniture, refinished it, painted the nursery, recovered the floor .... it was the largest & best looking room in the house at that point! And then, RIGHT ON TIME, Terry came into the world quietly and has kept a smile on my face or laughter in my heart, almost every day since. Although the "happily ever after" dream didn't quite pan out, and (quite frankly)there have been a few things in my life I would have done differently if given the chance -making the choice to have a child ... was one of the best & most rewarding decisions ever. I love you Terry, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

we ARE a pair of interlocutors !

The Captain and I were confabulating earlier today. For some reason- it made me ponder that perhaps, years ago, we were diffident during such times. I think over our years together we have developed (for the most part) a decorum between us. This is not to say that we haven't had an occassional brusque or malapert word spoken, and I'm sure that one or both of us has wondered how the other could have the audacity or been so unctuous in manner. But they are egregious. The Captain tends to be fulsome by nature, with desultory tendencies toward the urbane.
(this posting courtesy of the February issue of Reader's Digest ..... word power.)

BMX'in with ACE

We spent a good part of the day in Bako yesterday ... enjoying a new experience- watching ACE .... (Anthony Christoher Evens) FLYING HIGH .... in the first STATE race of his BMX career. Not quite 7, he has less than a year of riding under his belt and was recently asked to join a race team. He doesn't quite have the killer instinct (perhaps that's yet to come). It's pretty clear he has the athletic talent for the sport and he's having a great time. AND working on skills & sportsmanship, & meeting lots of other kids.... is a GREAT memory for his childhood. ** AND HE LOOKS GROOVEY TOO!** Mom & sis are just a couple (more) of his fans!!

DON'T STOP monkeying around

we were fortunate this past week .... to have a week of timeshare available right here in our neck of the woods. It brought over some family we don't get to spend as much time with as we would like. Last night, we added to it with dinner at our place with Sow (my sister Lindy). Being a kid at heart herself ... it didn't take much time for her & my grandaughter to start "monkeying around". Addy was laughing from the belly , which was infectious for all. Love ya Sow, hope you had a sa-weet vaca!

let's go surfin' now ... in 4-part BBShop

every barbershop girl needs a surfboard on her main transportation if she lives at the beach....

RIGHT ? ?

evening bliss

my life has moments, that are particularly picturesque .... and with my groovey new camera- it's easier to CATCH them as they are! We had a mini vaca away from home one night this week to stay "next door" to the ocean (when the big waves were still pounding!) I LOVED IT! **and the view was amazing**

Old McDonald had a thingy (?)

I suppose it could have something to do with the fact that she is RARELY doing only one thing at a time ... but I have found (heard) that Addy's version of a few old standards is not quite the same as I remember (???)

Being a Sweet Adeline myself .... I love the fact that she hums or sings during practically every task she performs. (and as I listen to my learning tracks ... she is learning them too) ... but I'm particularly entertained when she composes on the spot. Sometimes it's a familiar tune with new lyrics, sometimes a medley of childhood faves. And all the while .... her hands (and her mind) are busy, busy, busy. While waiting for "her" Captain to return with dinner the other night (we were vacationing for the eveing at the San Luis Bay Resort) .... she was perched on a chair watching the swimmers below & singing her little heart out .... & counting people in between verses! You go girl!

tiny hands ... big ideas

her mind moves a mile a minute .... just behind her feet. (chattering away most the while)

BUT - there are those times ... when she is busy creating, humming or clicking her tongue. She has the routine figured out- pulling boxes from closets and cupboards ..... knowing they are hers to rummage through and do with as she likes. She sets up a couple of "desks" (tv trays) ... surrounds herself with the necessary tools (stickers, markers & LOTS of tape & glue) and gets down to the business of being Addy. Sometimes, she requires some back up (snacks) or takes a break to ride her bike or seek the whereabouts of the Captain or the house felines .... but before long, she is at it again. TODAY- whether it was swimming, ordering pretend pizzas on her piano phone, taking a bubble bath, or even eating ... she was 100% Addy ..... wiggling & giggling. She knows (just as I do) that as soon as she sits still for more than a moment ..... zzzzzz. And aside her now, typing upon my laptop & admiring her ..... she IS 100% sweet & precious ...... as she sleeps ! Sweet dreams little one, tomorrow awaits.

making up for lost time

there are only 2 people I am aquainted with that have changed dramatically ... for the better. Usually, when someone changes for the better- it's something they struggle with, and fall back into old habits a few times before they succeed in turning their life around. But not always (thankfully) ONE such person is my daughter, Vanessa. The changes that have taken place over the past 10 years is something she should be proud of. I know I am. She and hubby Fernando (seen here walking along here with their niece- our grandaughter, Addy) spent this weekend in our neck of the woods. When the plans were first forming, I was happy for the Captain- as I know he loves our home & knows so much about the area .... he was excited to have an opportunity to share it with her. But as the time drew nearer, I found that I too, was looking forward to sharing space with her. I texted her a few minutes ago, checking in to see that they made it home safely and telling her, again- how great it was to have them here. (& already hoping the next trip doesn't take as long to get on the calendar). Although a lot of the "plans" for the weekend didn't quite pan out .... it may have been for the better, because it was more family time without so much scheduled to do.

So, I pulled this "postcard" view from todays camera shots .... because I think the weekend with her & Fernando waspretty perfect as well!! Thanks kids XO