Beautiful Joyous Birthday Girl!!!

It's all true.

Grandchildren really are the coolest.

My own daughters are still and always will be the greatest possible humans.

But this generation they have begun are remarkable.

Happy First Birthday, Ellie!

Happiness Beyond Compare

And last night I realized that they also make me strong.

I am overwhelmed by these individuals.

Gotta get Zootie here at the same time.

Thank you all!

I know how lucky I am to spend time with you.

Call me Grinny Grinnerson.

Joy Joy Joy Unmatchable (Is That A Word?)

Friday is laundry day for me at Elder House.

Having clean sweats and bath towels and all is very nice.

But the best of all has nothing to do with laundry.

Most Friday afternoons my glorious Middle Daughter (I've got to find a better pseudonym for her.  "Middle" has some inappropriate connotations that don't hint at how swell this young woman is.) and her equally glorious little girl stop by.

Yeah, I know, my pictures are always blurry.

This is an old one anyway.

Check out those chocolate filled Twinkies.

Believe it or not those were a BIG disappointment.

Her Mommy lets me share one cookie or saltine with Miss Ellie Bananas.

Fair enough, it is close to her dinner time.

Twice now I offered the classic:

She doesn't have the hang of nibbling the cookie while it remains like a ring on her finger.  But she's got the gusto already!

This time I was left slathered in shortbread mush on both shoulders and chest.

I LOVE THOSE GIRLS!

Now if I can get the rest of my precious offspring and their precious offspring to drop by also...

Meanwhile I am revelling in those Lucky Fridays and nice clean clothes.

So Very Nifty

Would've been really excellent.

But I'd have been guilty due to the cross country postal fee.

Thoughtful and kind in and of itself.

Quirky to be sure.

Cactus will take up space in the dark bowl.

The guitar shaped measures will be chomped on by Miss Ellie Bananas.

Use for the other items will be found.

Swanky, sparkly yarns.

Traditional tomato pin cushion (my first EVER).

Glittery rick rack, pastel figured ribbon and molded paper flowers.

Any one item would have been special and put to very good use.

All of them together, and a phone call, truly nifty galore!

Some Time Really Does Slow Down

Just took a peek at the next blog following mine and was presently surprised.  I haven't looked in many months because they were usually light Thai porn or political rants I did not comprehend.  But this one I rather liked.

Some of the post was in Japanese which, of course I couldn't read.  But it was so pretty.  Like calligraphy incomprehensible on another level.  And the photos were all miniatures the writer received as gifts.  Baskets, glass bottles, teeny little desks.  Quite lovely.  Check it out following mine.

Anyway last night I had dreams about Landon whose parents just married.  At the wedding he wore an adorable little boy tux and a gently pastel boutonniere.*  In most of the photos he looks very serious.  He also looked serious in my dreams.

This morning I thought, maybe Landon knows something I don't.  If you've ever attempted to make a baby smile for a picture you know it takes many efforts and much patience.  And time.  Serious (and adorable, don't get me wrong...) Landon clearly in charge of his picture taking; he obviously made the time spread quite awhile.

Smarty pants.  I bet he was enjoying himself and he made it last as long as he wanted.  I'd like to have that skill during the daytime too.  But having it in the dream time is pretty nice.

*This word looks incorrect to me.   According to Spell Check it is OK however.

Goody Goody Happy Day!



One year ago...

The beautiful bride...

A beautiful bridesmaid...

Beautiful baby boy.

Each are all better today!

Have a great wedding, Juice, Juice's boys, and the other Juice!

Happiness and contentment forever!

xoxo, db

Good Morning! Good Morning!

Another treat from the NASA website.  How sweet of the cosmos to line up to say good morning to my new grandson!  Talk about planning in advance.  Well done.

Yippee!!

To Welcome

Silas Cooper Smith

Work In Progress

I tried to paint on this photo of my daughter and some of her friends.  The paint part was all pink and squiggly.  Apparently it didn't work, or did not survive the copy and paste process.  Maybe the image is floating in the cyber ether someplace, wafting on the currents of the interwebs.

Never fear.  The important portion is there.

My beauteous Eldest Daughter "hugely pregnant" as she'd be the first to say.  I can't believe how gorgeous she is.  Well, actually I can.  I don't think she's ever taken a bad picture.  You know the kind.  One eye is squinted crookedly closed.  Or spinach flecks are clinging to front teeth.  Or, and I see these a lot lately, gang signs are inadvertently flashed with mouths open and tongues outstretched. Yuck.  But this girl has always photographed well.  Especially now.

In a few days she will deliver this new baby.  Her first child weighed over ten pounds.  This baby is also predicted to be big.  It is such a blessing that my Daughter will be spared the work of labor and delivery and the baby can join the world safely.  Sometimes technology is a beautiful thing.

I think it is so cool that babies can just join you, just fall into a family as it were, and they are instantly loved and cherished.  I can't wait to meet this new little person.

Depends Upon Your Point Of View

In the past few days I have been watching all the Star Wars episodes via YouTube clips.

Fun, because I can pick and choose scenes, "rewind" what I especially like and skip the interminable battle scenes.

Let's face it, if you've watched once you know who is going to live or not.  All the duelling seems phony baloney; those twisting jumps are snazzy but would a real dueller have time to think about snazziness?  And the flying battle scenes?  Yawn.  Bang, bang, zoom, zoom.  Where does all the sound come from in the vacuum of space, eh?

Nah.

I like the plot and I adore the characters.  Even the Bad Guys.  Maybe especially the Bad Guys.

And I relish the memories these films evoke for me.

I was a young married lady when the original Star Wars was released.

My brother Frankie got my husband and I balcony seats and, well... we were instantly enthralled.

Those majestic credits daringly rolling backwards and that triumphant John Williams score.

By the time Empire was released we had a baby daughter and you can bet we brought her; perched in her white bucket car seat turned toward the screen.

Her eyes became saucers as the rebels zipped by on the planet Hoth.  Good times.

So, I have been enjoying this blast from the past.

If you don't have the time or luxury I strongly recommend the following.

Splendid Day

Three of the best girls on the planet!

And the feta cheeseburger was great, too!

Paulina Poriskova, Edweard Muybridge, And AJS

Every year on my Darling Daughters' birthdays I try to write an appropriate post.

One that will let them know how special and treasured they are;

how their presence has enriched my life and

quite literally made the entire  planet a better place.

I believe this.

Today is this One's birthday.

Not my first born.

The first one I was allowed to keep and bring home however.

Always considered a great gift from whatever spiritual authority is in charge.

She was a challenging infant, toddler, child, and adolescent.

My Experimental Baby.

She ran away a few times.

This is her on her wedding day.

She was majestic that day and she is more remarkable now.

I think she has stopped running.

Happy Birthday, Beets!

Recently

I successfully transformed an ordinary shoe box into something magical.  Really!  I use it for time travel AND paper storage.

I created something lovely at the request of one of my Darling Daughters.  I added ribbon and considered glitter.  Now I am totally out of blue.

I visited with two incredible little people and their Moms.  Altogether a sweet couple of days! 

Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!

Some of my GIRLIES are coming for a visit!  They are bringing the GRANDCHILDREN!  I wish I had a  pony to give to each of them!

Or at the very least some home made cookies...

And, yes, I HAVE baked ALL these delightfully yummy concoctions at some time.

Just not today.

Okay, not recently.

Probably not in five years at least!

But I COULD and I WOULD for a chance to see most of my kids and their kids!

I even have batteries in my camera!

Today I am a LUCKY girl.

A Gift

Twenty nine years ago I was granted one of my most special wishes.

To bless my Daughter Megan today and always.

I love you.

I am so glad you got your wish.

xoxo,

Mommy

Retrograde Routine

Last week, for me, was about as frantic as it gets.  I move at such an incredibly slow pace these days I swear sometimes I can actually see the process of evolution.  Or maybe it's just decay.  Mine or the planet's.  I'm not entirely sure.

Anyway, a lot LOT happened last week. I did my best to adjust and rise to the occasions. Luckily I had a lot of help. Eldest Daughter went above and beyond the call of duty to make a luncheon sojourn convenient and comfortable for me. I was very grateful and touched by her effort. Dancing Daughter graciously performed wheelchair duty on my behalf. Her biceps are probably still screaming in pain.

Oh, and my Precious Middle Daughter was busy doing other much more important things.

                         
 Dream come true.  Luckily the sweet little gal snoozed and wasn't freaked out by the scary purple lady.

Happy Sleepy Daddy

All three home and well and doing fine.  Wish I could provide some nap time relief for the new Mommy.  She'll be fantastic at this new phase in her life.  She already is.

Now, for me.  I had doubled up on some meds in order to avoid embarrassment and unnecessary physical agony.  This was only mildly successful;  as there were several humiliating moments.  I did my best; but someday I know I'm going to have to have conversations about this and I am already scared.  Took several days to return to a more or less even keel.  Must remember that artificial sweeteners are no longer my friend.  Not a major adjustment; more of a not so gentle reminder.

Finally received my long awaited copies of Interiors magazine.  How can I cope with this level of disappointment?  I take reading very seriously and, frankly, I feel betrayed.  So sleek.  So sterile.  So "how can anybody possibly live in these buildings."  So supercilious.  I know it's just a design mag and the focus on modernism was always clear. But, Holy Cow!  Even the huge food photos made me wince.  Plates with almost invisible cubes of barely recognizable beef and bubbles.  Bubbles?!  No, no, no.  I can just imagine the pomposity of the prices.  Clearly I am not the target audience; I could never be quite this trendy or cutting edge.  I know how to push my envelope and Interiors magazine simply does not fit.

On a completely different note I saw one photo on fb (or Satan's Playground as I'm beginning to call it) and puked a little in my mouth.  I will stick to gazing with love at the faces of my children, their children, and the several others I hold dear.  Hopefully, y'all know who you are.  If not, I will try and do a better job in the future.



Oh Yeah

The day before was pretty swell, too.

Two entrancing luncheon companions.  I had almost forgotten how sweet it is to share a meal with such gracious and talented women.  Eldest Daughter went a WWWwwwwwaaaaaay Extra Mile and made sure the restaurant was accessible for her gimpy old ma. Big Love!  Big Thanks!

We mowed down this broiled smoky cheese thing.  Yum-A-Lish!  And the next day there was a sensational new baby.  All told a fan-damn-tastic couple days!