First Thing

Every morning without fail the desperate urge to pee wakes me.  Yeah, I know.  Not such an appetizing thought but that's what happens when you get old, have given birth to three ginormous babies (and one medium sized one), and have been denied access to your required bladder medication.  But ranting about the suckage of medical care for the poor is for another post.

Today I also had this ever so pressing question on what's left of my mind:  Did Jada Pinkett ever divorce what's his name?

And, yes. I think of her by her maiden name.  That antiquated, patriarchal means of referring to a woman's birth surname. (Another rant for another post I suppose.  No, I promise.)  And, yes, I truly couldn't immediately recalled her spouse's name.  It occurred to me later, but that doesn't really matter.

Being the 21st century girl I pretend to be I immediately looked it up in the ever so trusty Wikipedia.  HHHhhhhaaaaa.  The closest we have to accurate information in a pinch.  No.  The couple have not divorced.  But I found this horrifying photo:

From an attractive but probably over exercised and underweight lady Ms. Pinkett has become a scary looking visage.  I figure it is a result from plastic surgery gone dreadfully awry.  But even that isn't what caused me to read the attached article.

Rather it was a lambasting by Ms. Pinkett of the media for attacking her daughter's "buzz cut" hairdo.  Hurrah!  For the mom defending her child's decision, but she went further to (dare I say?) rant about how a woman's beauty is not related to outer appearance and that judging one by features is just plain wrong.

Then what is going on with her artificially sculpted face?!  If it came about another way then I will happily shut up.  But at the very least isn't Willow's mommy setting a mixed message?  Or maybe it's not the same to alter hair as opposed to bone structures?  I don't get it and I'm glad it's not my problem.

But I still had to pee.  Now there's a problem I'd like to trade for a new jaw line.  Does that makes sense?

The Day Silas Was Born

                                Astronomy Picture of the Day, NASA

Snow Last Night

Chemex coffee carafe.  I wish I had mine back again.  This is an item I literally saved pennies to purchase.  (Embarrassed to admit that I first saw it on "Friends" long, long ago.)  It worked like a charm and I felt ever so sophisticated every time I used it.  I think I know where it is and if it is I will never see it again.  Alas.  For many reasons.

However recently I found some white plastic boxes in the trunk of Ancient Vehicle.  I have not removed them yet because planning how to get them out of the boot (always wanted to use that British vernacular...), into the rolling basket, up the ramp, through the ass killing entry door, and completely down the hallway without severe tears and injury... well, more than I can muster.  What I need are Old Testament slaves.

Anyway, there is a very, very slim chance my carafe is in one of those boxes.  I doubt it.  But if it is I will apologise on this spot.  And make an exquisite pot of coffee for myself and anyone interested.

And it really DID snow last night.  My photos suck as usual.  But the lilac leaves crumbled and the newly trimmed trees glowed.  The best part of the evening for me was Miss Ellie Bananas and her Mommy stopping by.  Ellie chomped on a cinnamon graham cracker and covered me with mushy crumbles.  I wouldn't accept that from almost everyone.  From that one, though, I relished it.

Maybe there is hope for October.

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

6:26 PM

Two perfect days here in the Midwest.

Both days had glorious special breezes (required for swell weather).  Leaf breezes.  Grass breezes.  Sifting evergreen into the windows breezes.  Even the ridiculous squirrels were stopping and popping on the sidewalk breezes.

The sky on both days were worth writing home about.  But, less admit it, sky blue in and of itself isn't something special.  There are a jillions blue shades that I prefer.  Cobalt.  Turquoise.  Cerulean.  Beany Malone bed room walls.  My grandchildren's eyes.
But when the sky has the cloudy condiments in the usual blue it is damn well acceptable.

Yesterday was a sweet shopping day.  Found each item:  wooden clothes pins, the blue toilet tank bowl freshener, hot Oke Doke cheese popcorn, votive candles, key lime yoghurt, and the giant coral cactus I've been scouting for two months.  Such a happy girl.

AND... I got to drive myself home in my precious Ancient Vehicle with two new tires!

Today I replanted plants.  Met the PT chap.  Spoke to five (FIVE!) of my favorite peoples.  Watched the Children Parade which I've missed this summer.  Made an almost perfect tuna sandwich.  Realized how lucky I am to have the daughters, friends and grandchildren that I have.  Especially today I am grateful

Oh, it got dark at 6:26 pm.  If it stayed a bit lighter a bit longer....oh, yeah... I'm focusing on gratitude.

Indian Summer

Are we allowed to use Indian Summer as the title for this current season?  I hope so because today was absolutely glorious.

If a Top Month Contest was taking place, I think September would be way out in front thus far.  My ballot would include:

1 to 3.  Days with Baby Sister
4.  Shower at home
5. Tried to read
6. Library Guy
7. Did my own laundry!
8.Enjoyed aroma of burning leaves outside my window
9. Emails to friends and instructors
10. Check in on new blog lists
11. Broccoli quiche'
12. This date open
13. Ancient Vehicle has been repaired
14. Household plants
15. Send cards and thank you
16. Carnation shopping
17. Sister's birthday!
18,  Company
19. Doctor appointments
20. Another
21. Glitter letters
22. Therapy progress
23. Daughters
24. Company
25. Grandchildren
26. Ex-husband's birthday
27. Library Guy
28 to 30th Eldest Younger Brother!!!

Ready to go.  Hopeful and flexible.

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.

End O The Week O

Blessings this week:

A really cool call from my best friend whom I never see informing me about an opportunity to obtain some much needed medical aid.  She's such a sweetie for thinking of me.

Really good news for Darling Eldest Daughter and her boys.  Wagons Ho!

The potential for really good things to happen soon for Sister and Son.  I'm always baffled when I hear that "siblings" begrudge her any good fortune.  Some of this family "just ain't right."

Really weird failure at making dark chocolate peanut butter fudge.  Let's call it a learning experience.  Tastes great but ugly.

Lots of really good books from Library Guy and a special order magazine that came in its own sealed delivery pouch.

Finding the really magnificent "little red rock" I've been searching for.  Take THAT, Big Box.  The item was discovered in Tennessee.

And, could it be?  Here at Elder House the distinct aroma of a pot smoking geezer.   Summer has officially begun I guess.

Recycle/Upcycle

Dancing Daughter emailed this photo to me last week.

Little beauties in some of her old recital costumes.

They don't quite have the cleavage; but I spy a  Hollywood smile in there.

Shake It Up Baby Now

April does have the best holidays but so far, May has had the best weather,  The sunlit colors outside are simply delectable and the fragrance from those lilacs is a gift.  Everyday.  Absolutely free.  My view isn't much, no great architecture, no celebrities passing by, no magical music.  I love it so.

The parking lot across the street is like a theatre in the round.  WAS that a drug deal?  And so much activity on the weekend.  I've watched enough to discern which folks are here to visit their resident relative and are coming with joy and love; from the ones who are here out of duty and obligation.  And I always marvel at how quickly people can walk.

School day afternoons include the Children Parade.  Some cut through the parking lot.  I know I would.  The blocks are huge and using the lot as a shortcut would save hundreds of steps.  I guess that doesn't matter too much to a middle schooler.  These kids seem to actually frolic.  No fighting.  The ones who have shopped at the corner convenience store inevitably share.  Flaming Hot Cheetos and huge neon colored drinks in paper cups with round, clear tops are favorites.  The kids use each others straws without any concern.  I imagine all the mothers hollering about ruined dinner appetites or non-healthy snacks.

One Weeble shaped boy has started smoking.  He holds his cigarette like Colonel Klink.  I want to shake this chap to get him to stop.  He actually shrieked out, "Oh, sweet baby Jesus!" the other day when he dropped his smoke in a puddle.  I immediately empathised.

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!

Greenery

Can you see them?

Way up there at the tippy top?

Two brand new variegated ficus leaves!

Not only are they actually alive, but no leaves have shrivelled up and dropped off from the bottom either.

First time I ever had a ficus survive!

And here I proudly present the return of the gentian.

This delicate little lovely was gifted to me here at Elder House.

I had my doubts about its survival.

The Nazi Nun used to grow them on window sills and she had a demented system.  I was assigned to watering detail.  If they perished it was due to "that stupid girl over watering" and I was to blame.  If they thrived it was due to her strict supervision of "that stupid girl".  Me again; but she took the credit.

Ah Catholics...

Anyway, I placed my gift too close to the stove and scorched most of the leaves the second day.

Stupid girl indeed.

Google search (my trusted buddy) advised whacking off the dead stuff, watering a smidge and waiting for the plant to magically regenerate.

It's working!

Take that you crazy Nazi!

And finally...

This is what happens when a gimpy old lady forgets one of her canes.

Plant was saved.  Pot was destroyed.

A minor heart breaker: purchased pot with a weird outer space flower in it during a very happy excursion with two darling daughters and equally darling grandson several summers ago.

I could still almost walk and I got to throw paint sample cards on the floor with the little guy.

Fun

Social Actioning With All Kinds of Style

April 28, 2012

Building 7

College of Lake County

If you weren't there you missed a group of  extremely motivated community minded individuals setting (Dare I say it?) ridiculous world records for an excellent cause.

The Social Action Club raised  more than $1,600.00 (which amount in and of itself was yet another world record by an outside group) for the Zacharias Center in Gurnee.

The Z Center is one of Lake County's premier organizations for absolutely free treatment, counseling, and support for survivors of sexual abuse or domestic violence.

The club members and their families spent the day smacking tennis balls with hand sanitizer, filling their pockets with ice cubes, shooting baskets with stuffed animals, singing "Twinkle Twinkle" while munching jumbo marshmallows, and bouncing on a pogo stick while naming African countries after swallowing two (TWO!) jalapeno peppers to name just a few record shattering attempts.

All world records must be verified by the Recordsetter organization of course.

Kudos to all!

Especially the young Cullen brothers, Eli and Xavy, who raised almost $600.00 in pledges on their own.  And who behaved in such an exemplary manner for over five hours!  No whining or arguing and no video games.  Kids at their best!

There were also yummy baked goods, peanut butter free puppy chow, and a big assortment of the kind of candy forbidden by parents everywhere.  I highly recommend the almond bear claw.  My understanding is that another bake sale with freshly made treats, is to be held on campus this coming Thursday.  Definitely, check it out!

Oh!  The raffle will also continue, but that glitter lava lamp is going to be mine! (Seriously!  I never gamble,but I put my money down on a chance for that sparkly thang!)

So, my Persons of the Week Award goes to the members of the CLC Social Action Club, all their remarkable family members, and their fearless leader Professor Mick Cullen.

Mark your calendars for next year's event!

And consider smashing or setting some records of your own!

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.

She's Been Here A Whole Month!!!

Sleepin' Like An Angel

Scary Dream

Darling Eldest Daughter in a violet print mini-dress and knee high, lace up fur boots is walking in a park with Angry Sister.  They are both carrying flowers and champagne and they don't know I am watching.  They sit on a wooden bench and I see that their faces are smudged with mascara tears all down their cheeks.  But I know they are not sad.

Then I'm like Ben in the Graduate where he is at the church pounding on the big glass windows.  I want them to see me.  I want them to stop.

Then the scene switches and I'm in a house I don't recognise.  A girl I don't know holds up a platter of cupcakes.  They are arranged as a wreath and there is a spun sugar gold bow tied at one side.  The cupcakes are shaped like Hostess Snowballs but they are coconut and smoothly covered in white fondant. They are very precious and one entire side of the wreath has been crushed, like somebody sat on it.  I am accused of destroying them.

I look up and peer into the faces smirking at me.  "I didn't do it,"  I say, "I've never seen these before.  I didn't do it."  But nobody listens and they don't believe me.  Angry Sister puts her arm around my Eldest Daughter's shoulder and escorts her from the room. Eldest Daughter glances back at me for a moment.  Then they are gone.