I'm trying to get my desk cleaned off before the end of today, so I don't have time to write much! I am leaving Saturday morning at 9:15 for Hawaii!! Wahoo!! We are going to the big island with some friends who have a 2-bd timeshare near Kona. There is a bunch of us - another set of friends also have a 3-br condo there, and they are taking a group with them! 4 couples are flying out tomorrow morning, with 1 more and their kids later in the afternoon tomorrow. We have the condos for the whole week - right on a golf course and the ocean. I promise to try to have a good time!!!
We are going snorkeling, we will visit the Volcano, and the Volcano Winery, a coffee plantation and 3 of the guys (and hopefully me!) will play golf. Other than that we are just going to have to relax and read and relax!! Oh - did I say just relax?!! Tough, but I think we can handle the pressure!
So that is the end for today! I'll catch up with everyone when I get back! Aloha!!
Friday, July 21, 2006
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
A Fun Meme
Tammy, over at Kentucky Gal had a fun meme - so I thought I'd join the fun! Tag yourself and join in!
Accent--Suuuthern Californian
Bible book I like--I go back to Proverbs again and again - 31 chapters, perfect for 1 a day for the month!
Chore I don't care for--Vaccuming - thank goodness hubby doesn't mind!
Dog or cat--neither any more - but I do love dogs!
Essential electronics--not sure if this qualifies, but air conditioner and dishwasher!! I also spend a lot of time on the computer!
Favorite movie--recently Pirates of the Caribbean part 2 Dead Man's Chest...The new Superman movie too - this latest Superman is the sexiest yet!!!
Gold or silver--Wear mostly silver, but my wedding ring is gold
Handbag I carry most often--I'm not a real purse person - It has to hold my phone, wallet, mints, lipstick, have a few pockets to organize that stuff, and hang over my shoulder. What I really like is just using a fanny pack - but they just don't look that great!!
Insomnia--rarely - unless I get to thinking too much!
Job title--I've had several, yardage store clerk, bank teller, mortuary secretary/hair/makeup person, HR/Payroll/Benefits Administrator, and my favorites - - Mom and Wife!
Kids--2 grown sons, both married, one in Ohio with a 4-yr old daughter, one in San Diego, CA with a 1-yr old daughter
Living arrangements--Hubby and I live in a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment with a small deck and garage in a gated community. Looking forward to retireing to a wonderful large home we have purchased and are now renting out in a Northern State
Most memorable moment/time--lots - but a couple special ones - taking my (then)80-yr young parents on their first cruise to Alaska - this completed their goal of travel in all 50 states! And spending 3 weeks traveling in England with Morning Glory and husband.
Naughtiest childhood behavior--scratching the (hated)neighbor boy's name in another neighbor's car - my parents had to pay to have it repainted. (Still humiliating!!)
Overnight hospital stay--couple of surgeries, 2 children (no meds by the way - it was the age of "natural" childbirth!)
Phobias--small closed areas and heights - although it has gotten better over the years - sometimes you just have to suck it up and go there!
Quote--from my dad, "Mind over matter - if you don't(or decide not to) mind, then it doesn't matter".
Religion--Christian, saved and kept by grace and mercy by the Lord Jesus Christ!
Siblings--1 younger brother - lives in Sacramento area near his kids.
Time I wake up--Alarm goes off at 5:15 during the week - my preference, however, is 7!!
Unusual talent--throwing clay on a wheel - I can also touch my nose with my tongue! HA!!
Vegetable I refuse to eat--I ate turnup greens thinking it was spinach once - I will not make that mistake again!! I'll only eat okra if it is well hidden in gumbo!
Worst habit--Probably overeating things I love - like desserts and chips - I have a hard time stopping, then am frustrated with myself for my lack of control!
Xrays--yes...get those annual mammograms!
Yummy stuff I cook(or make)--lots of things - homemade chocolate malt ice cream, scallops/shrimp in garlic butter sauce, carrot cake (to die for!), Pork chops in shallot cream sauce - - I could go on - - !
Zoo animals I like most--almost anything but monkeys, they give me the creeps!!
Accent--Suuuthern Californian
Bible book I like--I go back to Proverbs again and again - 31 chapters, perfect for 1 a day for the month!
Chore I don't care for--Vaccuming - thank goodness hubby doesn't mind!
Dog or cat--neither any more - but I do love dogs!
Essential electronics--not sure if this qualifies, but air conditioner and dishwasher!! I also spend a lot of time on the computer!
Favorite movie--recently Pirates of the Caribbean part 2 Dead Man's Chest...The new Superman movie too - this latest Superman is the sexiest yet!!!
Gold or silver--Wear mostly silver, but my wedding ring is gold
Handbag I carry most often--I'm not a real purse person - It has to hold my phone, wallet, mints, lipstick, have a few pockets to organize that stuff, and hang over my shoulder. What I really like is just using a fanny pack - but they just don't look that great!!
Insomnia--rarely - unless I get to thinking too much!
Job title--I've had several, yardage store clerk, bank teller, mortuary secretary/hair/makeup person, HR/Payroll/Benefits Administrator, and my favorites - - Mom and Wife!
Kids--2 grown sons, both married, one in Ohio with a 4-yr old daughter, one in San Diego, CA with a 1-yr old daughter
Living arrangements--Hubby and I live in a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment with a small deck and garage in a gated community. Looking forward to retireing to a wonderful large home we have purchased and are now renting out in a Northern State
Most memorable moment/time--lots - but a couple special ones - taking my (then)80-yr young parents on their first cruise to Alaska - this completed their goal of travel in all 50 states! And spending 3 weeks traveling in England with Morning Glory and husband.
Naughtiest childhood behavior--scratching the (hated)neighbor boy's name in another neighbor's car - my parents had to pay to have it repainted. (Still humiliating!!)
Overnight hospital stay--couple of surgeries, 2 children (no meds by the way - it was the age of "natural" childbirth!)
Phobias--small closed areas and heights - although it has gotten better over the years - sometimes you just have to suck it up and go there!
Quote--from my dad, "Mind over matter - if you don't(or decide not to) mind, then it doesn't matter".
Religion--Christian, saved and kept by grace and mercy by the Lord Jesus Christ!
Siblings--1 younger brother - lives in Sacramento area near his kids.
Time I wake up--Alarm goes off at 5:15 during the week - my preference, however, is 7!!
Unusual talent--throwing clay on a wheel - I can also touch my nose with my tongue! HA!!
Vegetable I refuse to eat--I ate turnup greens thinking it was spinach once - I will not make that mistake again!! I'll only eat okra if it is well hidden in gumbo!
Worst habit--Probably overeating things I love - like desserts and chips - I have a hard time stopping, then am frustrated with myself for my lack of control!
Xrays--yes...get those annual mammograms!
Yummy stuff I cook(or make)--lots of things - homemade chocolate malt ice cream, scallops/shrimp in garlic butter sauce, carrot cake (to die for!), Pork chops in shallot cream sauce - - I could go on - - !
Zoo animals I like most--almost anything but monkeys, they give me the creeps!!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Too Cute!
Well, I'm happy! I got 3 pictures to load!! This is the little outfit I made Miss C a couple of weeks ago! I found the pattern at a Sewing & Craft show, and they had the fabric too. The print is a little "Easter-y", but it was just so darn cute I went with it anyway! The jacket is totally reversable with green buttons on the pink check side and 
pink buttons on the print side. It has roll up cuffs and the hood turns back to reveal the lining. The front is open under the 3 little buttons at the top. The pattern showed 2 pockets, but to cut back on the bulk, I just put one on each side - so the print side has a pink check pocket.
I also bought this super double-stick tape stuff that is supposed to hold up forever at the same show. I didn't want the stitching to show on the ribbon trim around the bottom, so I put it on both sides - with that. It looked sooo cute!
I bought a little denim skirt at "Targhea" and put a double row of matching ruffles on it and put the ribbon trim on the top ruffle too. The whole outfit was
so fun to make!! I can hardly wait to see her wear it!
pink buttons on the print side. It has roll up cuffs and the hood turns back to reveal the lining. The front is open under the 3 little buttons at the top. The pattern showed 2 pockets, but to cut back on the bulk, I just put one on each side - so the print side has a pink check pocket.I also bought this super double-stick tape stuff that is supposed to hold up forever at the same show. I didn't want the stitching to show on the ribbon trim around the bottom, so I put it on both sides - with that. It looked sooo cute!
I bought a little denim skirt at "Targhea" and put a double row of matching ruffles on it and put the ribbon trim on the top ruffle too. The whole outfit was
so fun to make!! I can hardly wait to see her wear it!
A New Blog Friend
Hi all - I have discovered another young mom who needs some blog-friends! She is Christina at Mind Wanderings and I have enjoyed reading her posts! She is dealing with some nursing insecurity right now and if some of you experienced folks could give her some encouragement it would be great! Check her out!
Friday, July 14, 2006
Friday Babblings 5
We saw "Beauty and the Beast" last night. It was a play put on by a group called "Centre Stage" that is headed by a friend of some friends of ours. Her name is Keely Milliken, and if you ever come across anything she is doing - it is first class! The folks in the play were voice, instrumental, and dance students of Centre Stage and my goodness! - what talent these young folks have!!
We have attended community theater and the professional stuff in Los Angeles, and her productions rank right up there with the pros! The staging, live orchestra, costumes and most of all the finished product were just wonderful. Not that kind of "wonderful" that you smile and wink about - but the kind that you would gladly pay a whole lot more for than the $20 per seat that we paid last night!!
The smallest folks were darling as some of the "enchanted items" but the main characters were at the least in their teens, with some a few older ones thrown in too. We were most amazed by "The Beast" in last night's show. He had a mature baritone voice, and in the end when the "spell" was lifted, we could see that he was younger than he sounded. Afterward we found out that he was in his mid teens!!! The kid was amazing! He was very tall, and his voice was that of an adult! I will look forward to seeing him in more of their productions. I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a professional one of these days!
At the urging of my son - Computer Guy - I signed up on MySpace this week. I have posted a couple of short things - but it doesn't have the same friendly feel as this bloggy-bunch does. I also can't figure out how most of it works! One of the fun things however, was being able to see if CG was on line - it has an instant messaging feature - it might be fun in the future! HA!!
I have a newly-realized appreciation for having my own washer and dryer! We don't have one in our apartment, and although the laundry room is close, there are only 6 washers and 6 dryers in our section of the complex. If I am home before 5pm I can usually get all my wash done in one fell swoop - however, since I get off work at 5 and have to drive 30 mins home - that has only happened 2 times! Everyone is really nice and takes their turn, and seem to be prompt about emptying their machine, but you still have wait and take your turn!!! I never appreciated the freedom of being able to toss a load in the washer or dryer and leave for dinner, or go to bed, and not take it out til the next morning!! My retirement house has a nice large laundry room - I can hardly wait!!
We are getting together with friends for a BBQ tonight - one of the couples lives in Texas, and is out visiting for a month. We haven't seen them too much because they have visited family out of the area. They are back in town, so we will have a chance to catch up tonight.
Another set of friends is having a 25th anniversary party tomorrow night. They started off planning a formal reception type affair, and realized early on that the formal just wasn't their style. It now has a beach party theme, with catered mexican food and a disc-jockey! They are our age (they just found each other a little later!), so all the music will be the stuff we know - and know how to dance to! It sounds like it will be a lot of fun! The place they are having the party is about 2 hours away, so several of us are staying overnight afterwards in a motel near there. That will make it more fun, since we don't have to face a looong drive home afterwards!
I had my teeth whitened last night! I have thought about it for a while - hubby had to have crowns on his 4 upper front teeth a while back, and his smile is now so pretty and white! In pictures I can really see the difference - my teeth are not nearly as white as his are now! So, I checked and it really wasn't that pricey - so I did it! They look a lot whiter - I love it! The hardest part is that I have to stay away from coffee, tea, cola and red wine for 2 weeks! Apparently the process makes the teeth a bit more porous for a bit and those things would tend to darken them again! I did have half a cup of coffee this morning, but I drank it through a straw and drank water right after!! The coffee will be the hardest - I love my morning coffee!!
Have a good weekend friends!
We have attended community theater and the professional stuff in Los Angeles, and her productions rank right up there with the pros! The staging, live orchestra, costumes and most of all the finished product were just wonderful. Not that kind of "wonderful" that you smile and wink about - but the kind that you would gladly pay a whole lot more for than the $20 per seat that we paid last night!!
The smallest folks were darling as some of the "enchanted items" but the main characters were at the least in their teens, with some a few older ones thrown in too. We were most amazed by "The Beast" in last night's show. He had a mature baritone voice, and in the end when the "spell" was lifted, we could see that he was younger than he sounded. Afterward we found out that he was in his mid teens!!! The kid was amazing! He was very tall, and his voice was that of an adult! I will look forward to seeing him in more of their productions. I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a professional one of these days!
At the urging of my son - Computer Guy - I signed up on MySpace this week. I have posted a couple of short things - but it doesn't have the same friendly feel as this bloggy-bunch does. I also can't figure out how most of it works! One of the fun things however, was being able to see if CG was on line - it has an instant messaging feature - it might be fun in the future! HA!!
I have a newly-realized appreciation for having my own washer and dryer! We don't have one in our apartment, and although the laundry room is close, there are only 6 washers and 6 dryers in our section of the complex. If I am home before 5pm I can usually get all my wash done in one fell swoop - however, since I get off work at 5 and have to drive 30 mins home - that has only happened 2 times! Everyone is really nice and takes their turn, and seem to be prompt about emptying their machine, but you still have wait and take your turn!!! I never appreciated the freedom of being able to toss a load in the washer or dryer and leave for dinner, or go to bed, and not take it out til the next morning!! My retirement house has a nice large laundry room - I can hardly wait!!
We are getting together with friends for a BBQ tonight - one of the couples lives in Texas, and is out visiting for a month. We haven't seen them too much because they have visited family out of the area. They are back in town, so we will have a chance to catch up tonight.
Another set of friends is having a 25th anniversary party tomorrow night. They started off planning a formal reception type affair, and realized early on that the formal just wasn't their style. It now has a beach party theme, with catered mexican food and a disc-jockey! They are our age (they just found each other a little later!), so all the music will be the stuff we know - and know how to dance to! It sounds like it will be a lot of fun! The place they are having the party is about 2 hours away, so several of us are staying overnight afterwards in a motel near there. That will make it more fun, since we don't have to face a looong drive home afterwards!
I had my teeth whitened last night! I have thought about it for a while - hubby had to have crowns on his 4 upper front teeth a while back, and his smile is now so pretty and white! In pictures I can really see the difference - my teeth are not nearly as white as his are now! So, I checked and it really wasn't that pricey - so I did it! They look a lot whiter - I love it! The hardest part is that I have to stay away from coffee, tea, cola and red wine for 2 weeks! Apparently the process makes the teeth a bit more porous for a bit and those things would tend to darken them again! I did have half a cup of coffee this morning, but I drank it through a straw and drank water right after!! The coffee will be the hardest - I love my morning coffee!!
Have a good weekend friends!
Thursday, July 13, 2006
I Am Curious
"It's never too late to be who you might have been." George Eliot (1819-1880)
This statement facinates me - and the fact that it is as relevant today as it probably was when George first penned it! As I am approaching retirement (early!!) I wonder what I will discover about me. I started working when I was 15, and worked til a month before my oldest son was born. I was fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom for 12 years, then only worked part time until he was in high school. I went back full time about 16 years ago and have another couple of years til I get to retire.
I am curious to see if any new talents or interests will emerge once I really have time to explore new things! I wonder who I will find in me in the next chapter of my life!
This statement facinates me - and the fact that it is as relevant today as it probably was when George first penned it! As I am approaching retirement (early!!) I wonder what I will discover about me. I started working when I was 15, and worked til a month before my oldest son was born. I was fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom for 12 years, then only worked part time until he was in high school. I went back full time about 16 years ago and have another couple of years til I get to retire.
I am curious to see if any new talents or interests will emerge once I really have time to explore new things! I wonder who I will find in me in the next chapter of my life!
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Momma Dove is Back
Well, Momma dove is back on her beam this morning! I asked a few questions as I was leaving home this morning, but she wasn't too chatty, so I'm not sure what her plan is! I'll have to watch and see if she starts gathering nesting material again!
Monday, July 10, 2006
Friday Babblings 4
Well, here it is Monday - and I totaly blew by Friday! With only a 3-day work week (yea!!) I just ran out of time!
I got a call from my mom's best friend on Thursday night. She wanted me to know that Dad was really miserable in the heat. Their home does not have air conditioning, and it has never been an issue. But with him stuck in the house and tethered to an oxygen machine these days, the extra heat last week was making it even harder for him to breathe. I did some fast research on window air conditioners on Friday morning and called Lowe's to see if they had the one I wanted in stock. They said they had 3 left, and I took right off to go to Lowe's! 30 minutes later, they had 1 left and I quickly bought it! It is a good sized one - but still able to plug into a regular outlet.
We went down Saturday morning to put it in for them. Thank goodness for instruction booklets!! It was pretty involved, but we did it!! We plugged it in and in 3 minutes it started pumping nice cool air. They have a large greatroom, but within about 5 minutes you could tell it was making a difference! It just hummed along, very quietly making that room very comfortable! Within about an hour we had to turn the fan down to low, because it was almost too cool!! YEA!! Hubby and I felt really good that we were able to do something that would make their lives a little better! They have always been such givers - it was fun to be able to give back!
Momma dove is gone! She sat up on that beam almost constantly for at least 2 weeks - and yesterday morning she was gone, and today too. I never could see a nest - so I don't know if she had eggs up there or not. The beam is clean - there is nothing there now.
Our renter moved in this weekend - it is weird to think of someone else living in our house! I hope she will love and take care of it during the time she is there! For now, she has a year lease - after that we will re-evaluate our moving time frame to see if we want her to stay longer or if we will move sooner!
Computer Guy and Darling Wife and Miss C came up to visit mom and dad this weekend. They spent the night with us on Saturday. It was so much fun to have them come up! They live about 100 miles south in San Diego, so the field trips just can't be nearly as frequent as we would wish! Miss C was totally adorable - so much so, that I completely forgot to take pictures!! Ah well - we have the memories and they are movies, not just snapshots!!
We were able to get together with cousins on Saturday night, and the babies were so cute together! Miss C is 14 months, Kenna is 10 months & Kaia is 6 months! Chris had made them little rompers all alike, so they got some pictures of them. It was so fun!!! (Forgot to take my camera there too!)
I made a darling jacket & skirt outfit for Miss C. I got it done in time to give it to her on Saturday. It is a pattern I got at a craft fair - not a published brand. It is totally reverseable with turn back cuffs and a hood. I bought a denim skirt at Target and added ruffles to it to make it match the jacket. I DID remember to take pictures of it, but since I forgot to bring the camera to work today, I'll post the picture of it later. It did turn out sooo cute though!! I think it is a little bit big for her right now - but she should be able to wear it real soon!! It was the first thing I have made on my wonderful new sewing maching - well, except for a couple of fun pillowcases for Morning Glory and the Dr - but the first thing that is "wearable"!!
I do love that sewing machine!! It sews really quiet and will stop with the needle either up or down automatically every time - whichever I choose! It will cut the thread with the push of a little button - I'm not waisting yards of thread any more! It also has a lever that I can push with my knee to lift the foot just a bit to pivot around curves - that is really neat! The nice large raised "table" that fits around it is really handy, and it also has space underneath to store the box with all the extra feet! It is wonderful! I can hardly wait for my next project!! I set up a 4-ft folding table in my guest/sewing room to cut and work at - and I could swing around in my chair around and use the table to spread things out on. It was great! I never had enough room in the sewing room at my house to do that. This apt bedroom is much larger and gives me a lot more usable space!
We saw the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie last night. There were a few places that I thought, "Ok - this is too long!", but overall I really enjoyed it!! Some of the special makeup effects are amazing! The face of Davey Jones is so real looking!! I definitely recommend it - maybe not for real young children - some of the effects are a little gruesome - and it is almost 3 hours long! Chris' 11-yr old grandson LOVED it!! The credits are long - there were hundreds of folks involved in the making of that movie! But you have to tough it out til the very end! Just like the first movie, there is a very short tag that you have to stay and watch!
Happy Monday friends!
I got a call from my mom's best friend on Thursday night. She wanted me to know that Dad was really miserable in the heat. Their home does not have air conditioning, and it has never been an issue. But with him stuck in the house and tethered to an oxygen machine these days, the extra heat last week was making it even harder for him to breathe. I did some fast research on window air conditioners on Friday morning and called Lowe's to see if they had the one I wanted in stock. They said they had 3 left, and I took right off to go to Lowe's! 30 minutes later, they had 1 left and I quickly bought it! It is a good sized one - but still able to plug into a regular outlet.
We went down Saturday morning to put it in for them. Thank goodness for instruction booklets!! It was pretty involved, but we did it!! We plugged it in and in 3 minutes it started pumping nice cool air. They have a large greatroom, but within about 5 minutes you could tell it was making a difference! It just hummed along, very quietly making that room very comfortable! Within about an hour we had to turn the fan down to low, because it was almost too cool!! YEA!! Hubby and I felt really good that we were able to do something that would make their lives a little better! They have always been such givers - it was fun to be able to give back!
Momma dove is gone! She sat up on that beam almost constantly for at least 2 weeks - and yesterday morning she was gone, and today too. I never could see a nest - so I don't know if she had eggs up there or not. The beam is clean - there is nothing there now.
Our renter moved in this weekend - it is weird to think of someone else living in our house! I hope she will love and take care of it during the time she is there! For now, she has a year lease - after that we will re-evaluate our moving time frame to see if we want her to stay longer or if we will move sooner!
Computer Guy and Darling Wife and Miss C came up to visit mom and dad this weekend. They spent the night with us on Saturday. It was so much fun to have them come up! They live about 100 miles south in San Diego, so the field trips just can't be nearly as frequent as we would wish! Miss C was totally adorable - so much so, that I completely forgot to take pictures!! Ah well - we have the memories and they are movies, not just snapshots!!
We were able to get together with cousins on Saturday night, and the babies were so cute together! Miss C is 14 months, Kenna is 10 months & Kaia is 6 months! Chris had made them little rompers all alike, so they got some pictures of them. It was so fun!!! (Forgot to take my camera there too!)
I made a darling jacket & skirt outfit for Miss C. I got it done in time to give it to her on Saturday. It is a pattern I got at a craft fair - not a published brand. It is totally reverseable with turn back cuffs and a hood. I bought a denim skirt at Target and added ruffles to it to make it match the jacket. I DID remember to take pictures of it, but since I forgot to bring the camera to work today, I'll post the picture of it later. It did turn out sooo cute though!! I think it is a little bit big for her right now - but she should be able to wear it real soon!! It was the first thing I have made on my wonderful new sewing maching - well, except for a couple of fun pillowcases for Morning Glory and the Dr - but the first thing that is "wearable"!!
I do love that sewing machine!! It sews really quiet and will stop with the needle either up or down automatically every time - whichever I choose! It will cut the thread with the push of a little button - I'm not waisting yards of thread any more! It also has a lever that I can push with my knee to lift the foot just a bit to pivot around curves - that is really neat! The nice large raised "table" that fits around it is really handy, and it also has space underneath to store the box with all the extra feet! It is wonderful! I can hardly wait for my next project!! I set up a 4-ft folding table in my guest/sewing room to cut and work at - and I could swing around in my chair around and use the table to spread things out on. It was great! I never had enough room in the sewing room at my house to do that. This apt bedroom is much larger and gives me a lot more usable space!
We saw the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie last night. There were a few places that I thought, "Ok - this is too long!", but overall I really enjoyed it!! Some of the special makeup effects are amazing! The face of Davey Jones is so real looking!! I definitely recommend it - maybe not for real young children - some of the effects are a little gruesome - and it is almost 3 hours long! Chris' 11-yr old grandson LOVED it!! The credits are long - there were hundreds of folks involved in the making of that movie! But you have to tough it out til the very end! Just like the first movie, there is a very short tag that you have to stay and watch!
Happy Monday friends!
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Mom's Party
Well, I told you last week, that my mom was torn between wanting to have her Independence Day party or cancelling it. One of her girlfriends advised her not to, because she didn't know how Dad would be doing that night. She called me and I told her that she should definitely have the party!! So she went ahead with the plans. They have a neighbor across the street that is one of their "adoptees" - Mike just loves them, and they, him! He has a beautiful antebellum home with a patio and back yard made for entertaining. He offered his patio for the party and the event was on!
Mom's parties are easy, and sort of do-it-yourself. She provides home-squeezed lemonade, coffee and dessert. Everyone brings an appetizer of some sort and a beverage if they choose. All the food is set out on a wonderful built-in serving counter out by the pool and the party is on! We took Ron and Chris (our hosts from our "homeless" days) with us and I imagine there were probably 40 - 50 people there! Dad came over for about 3 hours and really enjoyed himself. He coughs if he talks too much, but everyone understood and just carried the conversations with minimal verbiage on his part.
Mom gets everyone involved, and after the eating frenzy slowed a bit, Mike, being Irish and a bit of an extrovert obliged her request to bring us a poem! He has the ability to memorize long passages and delivers them with a flair that is mesmerizing!! Hubby sang a song, another friend brought her ukulele and we all sang with her. Ron and Chris and hubby and I sing in a group together - and since all 4 parts were represented, we sang a couple of gospel songs. Mike's renter plays the part of the Genie in Aladdin at Disneyland and had a wonderful voice and sang a couple of songs for us too! Mike entertained us with a few more recitations and we took a break for cake!
Dad was getting weary about that time, so hubby walked across the street with him and helped him transfer from his portable oxygen to the stationary one. He was tired, but breathing easily and had enjoyed himself thoroughly! Hubby came back over, and folks were starting to pack up what they had brought to start leaving for home. Mike wanted hubby and I & Ron and Chris to sing again, so we gathered around the fire pit and sang an arrangement of Jesus Loves Me that is acapella and really pretty - pretty soon we had about 10 of us standing around the pit singing anything we could come up with! Old standard hymns, Beach Boys songs, Kingston Trio (Sorry - you may not be old enough to remember some of these - but they were "our" songs!!), old camp songs, show tunes - - it went on for almost an hour!! We had sooo much fun!!
We finally ran out of songs and it was getting late, so we helped mom take the last of the stuff home and said bye to dad and headed for home. It was such a great evening!!
I talked to mom yesterday, and she thanked me again for talking her into having the party. It has given them a bright and happy thing to think about and talk about. They have been a bit isolated the last few weeks - and they are such "people people" - They needed it a lot more than they realized!
Dad is having steroid shots about every 3 or 4 days. They help him breathe, and Dr. M comes right to the house to give them to him - the man is just wonderful!! He has promised to be there for mom through this whole thing. He has given her so much more confidence - she doesn't feel like they are at the mercy of a distracted medical group - but he is someone she knows and trusts!! We don't know yet if The Pills are doing anything. Dad will go back to the oncologist later this month for more tests to find out if they are working.
Thanks for your continued prayers for them - they are depending on God for His strength!
Mom's parties are easy, and sort of do-it-yourself. She provides home-squeezed lemonade, coffee and dessert. Everyone brings an appetizer of some sort and a beverage if they choose. All the food is set out on a wonderful built-in serving counter out by the pool and the party is on! We took Ron and Chris (our hosts from our "homeless" days) with us and I imagine there were probably 40 - 50 people there! Dad came over for about 3 hours and really enjoyed himself. He coughs if he talks too much, but everyone understood and just carried the conversations with minimal verbiage on his part.
Mom gets everyone involved, and after the eating frenzy slowed a bit, Mike, being Irish and a bit of an extrovert obliged her request to bring us a poem! He has the ability to memorize long passages and delivers them with a flair that is mesmerizing!! Hubby sang a song, another friend brought her ukulele and we all sang with her. Ron and Chris and hubby and I sing in a group together - and since all 4 parts were represented, we sang a couple of gospel songs. Mike's renter plays the part of the Genie in Aladdin at Disneyland and had a wonderful voice and sang a couple of songs for us too! Mike entertained us with a few more recitations and we took a break for cake!
Dad was getting weary about that time, so hubby walked across the street with him and helped him transfer from his portable oxygen to the stationary one. He was tired, but breathing easily and had enjoyed himself thoroughly! Hubby came back over, and folks were starting to pack up what they had brought to start leaving for home. Mike wanted hubby and I & Ron and Chris to sing again, so we gathered around the fire pit and sang an arrangement of Jesus Loves Me that is acapella and really pretty - pretty soon we had about 10 of us standing around the pit singing anything we could come up with! Old standard hymns, Beach Boys songs, Kingston Trio (Sorry - you may not be old enough to remember some of these - but they were "our" songs!!), old camp songs, show tunes - - it went on for almost an hour!! We had sooo much fun!!
We finally ran out of songs and it was getting late, so we helped mom take the last of the stuff home and said bye to dad and headed for home. It was such a great evening!!
Mom's friend stopped me on the way out after the party and thanked me for pushing her to go ahead with the plans. She had advised her not to earlier in the week and said that her advice had been wrong - she realized that it was exactly what mom and dad both needed!
I talked to mom yesterday, and she thanked me again for talking her into having the party. It has given them a bright and happy thing to think about and talk about. They have been a bit isolated the last few weeks - and they are such "people people" - They needed it a lot more than they realized!
Dad is having steroid shots about every 3 or 4 days. They help him breathe, and Dr. M comes right to the house to give them to him - the man is just wonderful!! He has promised to be there for mom through this whole thing. He has given her so much more confidence - she doesn't feel like they are at the mercy of a distracted medical group - but he is someone she knows and trusts!! We don't know yet if The Pills are doing anything. Dad will go back to the oncologist later this month for more tests to find out if they are working.
Thanks for your continued prayers for them - they are depending on God for His strength!
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Coronado on the 4th
We had such fun in San Diego with the kids for the 4th!! After playing all day on the beach on Monday - is there anything more cuddly than a sleepy kidlett?!! Momma loaded her in her wagon and walked back to the hotel - she slept all the way and was raring to go again after that! We rode bikes to dinner, then across the island for ice cream. What a neat place - it is very "small town" feeling. Folks ride bikes and are friendly and casual everywhere you go!
(Our friend has a bike shop and loaned me a bike so I could ride with everyone, since my 30-yr old one was sold at our garage sale. It was a Trek and boy, was it nice!! He said it had a "comfort seat" on it, and although "comfortable bicycle seat" is a bit of an oxymoron - it wasn't tooo bad!! I think I'd like to go ahead and buy it. Hubby has a nice bike - and I think it would be fun if I had one too! Since when we move to NRS, we will only be a mile from Morning Glory - it would be fun to ride our bikes over for coffee on those long summer evenings!!)
We went to our hotel off the island Monday evening and came back first thing on Tuesday. We parked on the side of the island where we would end up for dinner and biked back to where the kids and all the gang had a spot to watch the parade.
We sat by the side of the road under a big canopy and Miss C had plenty of room to walk around and keep an eye on things! I think someone had a cookie and in this picture she was pretty focused on it!!
The parade was so fun - very small town with the Boy Scouts, the vintage car clubs and the High School band - one of the entries was the "Geriatric Surfing Club and Drill Team". They were a riot - all "grey haired" carrying surf boards and the drill team portion had put together some coordinated moves - it was great!
The island is almost half military base - so the Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard all had entries in the parade. It was moving to see everyone stand and applaud as each branch of the Armed Forces rolled or marched by. Boy - some of those beach craft and "trucks" are huge when they are only 10 ft away from you!!
Of course - granddaughter watching was the most fun of all! She is 14 months and is soooo cute! She is very busy and since she started walking 2 months ago, she wants to explore everything!! She is fearless in the swimming pool, and momma is teaching her to paddle to the side. She says "hel-lo" in the cutest little sing-song way! She comes out with what sounds like entire sentences - of course no one is exactly sure what she is saying at this point!! We are working on "I love you Grandi and Poppie"!! What a joy she is!! Momma and daddy are just wonderful with her! It is so neat to see your big grown son be such a loving husband and daddy!
We had such a fun day - after the parade we went back to the kid's hotel (Beautiful with a huge pool!) - we hung out by the pool most of the afternoon with all the gang. Late in the afternoon we cleaned up, packed up and took off on the bikes to the golf course on the other side of the island. On the 4th they close the course to golfers and invite the community to set up their canopies and BBQs and get ready for the fireworks show. The bigger kids were all playing soccer and baseball and just running for the joy of being there! The group has a lot of kids and several babies from 3 months to about 3 or so - they are all so cute together!! Because we live 100 miles north we left shortly after dinner - about 7:30 - so we wouldn't get into the bad traffic later after fireworks. The freeway was wonderfully clear, and we were back at our house in under 1 1/2 hours!! (Ok - I was driving a little fast - but not the fastest on the road!!) When we pulled up - a bunch of the folks from the apts were out on the front lawn - so we joined them and watched the fireworks display from the near-by high school! It was just a great weekend!!
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