Oh Scrap

A Different Kind of Holiday Season

2011-12-03T20:15:00.001-07:00

My holiday invitations are starting to roll in. They aren't the kind I'm used to. I'm invited to a grieving mother's support group brunch. I'm invited to a candle lighting ceremony at Garden City Funeral Home. I plan to attend them both. But these aren't the festive gatherings I usually go to. We have a tree up, in fact we have two Alex's panda tree is so cute at 4 feet tall with colored lights and filling up with ornaments. Our family tree is a new 7.5 ft artificial tree. It looks very nice and was a snap to put up. It adds a bit of cheer to our house. I've put the Santa collection up too. I don't know if I'll do any more. I have my snowman colleciton and my nativities too. Not sure if I'll get around to putting them out. We'll just wait and see. As with every other day, I'm just taking things as they come. One day at a time.

Two months of the "new normal"

2011-10-10T08:25:00.000-06:00

I try to quiet my mind as much as possible. I want to stay in that place "above thought". Present, but not listening to the prattle of my mind. I miss him every minute of every day and I cry at the most inopportune moments, but if I can remain still and alert, I feel a peace and calmness wash over me. I'm gardening. Right outside his window is a planting area that's been left unattended for too long. I've cleared away most of the bindweed and planted a little sumac tree. I ordered a panda garden statue, on line, and he sits near the tree. I've put bulbs in for the spring and yesterday I planted a yellow cone flower that will come back next year. I want to put in clumping bamboo, ornamental grasses, oriental poppies, and a Japanese maple. I want it to be simple, easy and beautiful. It gives me something to think about and plan for and take care of. I hope I don't fail. I'm not a gardener, by any stretch of the imagination.

How could we know this would be the last one?

2011-09-15T17:38:00.002-06:00

Brittney, Allison, Sarah, Alex
July 2011

Allison, Sarah, Jennie, Brittney
July 2011

If someone had told me that this would be the last photo I'd take of my children (minus Katie) I would never have believed it. Sitting here today, one month after Alex's accident, I still can't believe it. He never wanted his picture taken and on this day I begged him to stand still for just one shot before he headed off into the farmers' market to play his guitar. I quickly shot two pictures and then he was gone, into the crowd to do his own thing. I'm not sure what made me insist on this day, but I'm so grateful that I did and that he tolerated it, for just a moment.

Alex's last song

2011-09-11T18:44:00.002-06:00

Alex, 2010

Miss You.

I'm really gonna miss you
Now I'm driving away
I hope that when I hold you
It'll be okay

On my way out of state
I'm counting the cars
Hoping to get my wish for you
Out of the stars

I hope you're having fun
And I hope you're laughing loud
No matter where you are
I can see hearts in the clouds

When you say 'hi'
I say 'hey cutie pie!'
My heart jumps in circles
Cuz I don't wanna say good-bye

When I hug you
It means I love you
When I leave
I'm gonna miss you

So hug me now
While you still can
And please don't stop
Till I'm an old, old man.

My son passed away in August 2011 and this is the last song he wrote and recorded. By clicking the link in the song title you can hear his last recording. We're blessed that he left notebooks full of song lyrics and several recordings of his music.

There are no words

2011-09-04T21:07:00.002-06:00

an excerpt from Alex's obituary:
"For 14 glorious years, Alex Pak lived and on Saturday, August 13^th 2011, Alex left us.

He was born on October 23, 1996 in Renton WA, into a loving family. He was the only boy in a house of four girls. He was called many things in his life, Little Man, Alex man, Panda man, The “Prince”, and the “Caboose”. But his real name had been chosen many years before he was born. Alex’s parents were still dating when a little old man approached them and said, “You are such a cute couple. If you ever have a boy, you should name him Alexander. It’s a good name and has served me well, all these many years.” Alex’s paternal grandmother bestowed the name Xie Hong long before Alex joined the family. With each pregnancy Alexander Xie Hong was always the boy’s name and his parents would scramble to name each new girl who came along. It was 12 years before Alex would claim his name.

In 1998 the family moved to Missoula where Alex would spend the rest of his life. He attended school at Chief Charlo Elementary and Meadow Hill Middle School. He was preparing to enter high school in a couple of weeks. He would have attended Sentinel with his many friends.

Alex was not a joiner, but a free spirit who liked to pursue his own passions. He loved to collect pandas, skateboard, ride his bike and mostly he loved to play his guitars. He was self taught and exceptionally talented. He would play those guitars until the rafters rattled and we begged him to turn down the amp. Alex spent this summer playing his guitar at the Farmer’s Market and Out-to-Lunch. Alex called his guitars his “kids”. He loved them and we fondly remember the very first time he saw his first guitar. His dad brought it home after work, late one night and Alex could not have been more excited. They sat on the couch together and his dad taught him some cords. From that moment on he would play, morning, noon and night.

It seemed that everything came quickly and easily for Alex. He learned to ride a unicycle in minutes; he could juggle without even thinking about it, if he heard a song he could pick out the notes and cords and play it. He was a wonder to us all. One day, at age 4, he asked his mom to teach him to ride his bike without training wheels. She did the standard “hold the seat and run along” bit. Alex instantly saw the flaw in this plan and asked his mom to go in the house for a minute. When she came out just 10 minutes later he was whizzing around in the street on two wheels. Before the day was over he had taught two other neighbor kids to ride their bikes. Alex knew his own mind and heart and was fiercely independent. He wasn’t afraid to go against the grain or make a wave. He spoke his own truth without a care for what was popular opinion. He had the wicked sense of humor and would use it at will.

Alex, we love you with every ounce of our being and will miss you forever. You brought us so much joy and happiness with your silly antics and wise cracks. There are not enough words to tell you how much we love you and miss you. Our hearts are shattered but we know that you are safe with those who left before you. We will see you again one day.

We want to express our sincerest thanks to all the people who tried so hard to bring Alex back to us. We are grateful for all the love and support that we have received from our friends, family and our community. We could not travel this road alone. We are humbled by all that we have received."

FINALLY! Obama Bags Osama

2011-05-02T15:49:00.001-06:00

Last night, as we sat watching TV, an announcement came in from the White House. President Obama confirmed that Osama Bin Laden was dead! After nearly 10 years of searching and tracking, the US military received the information they needed to go in and bag that son of a bitch. Now, how do I feel about a human being losing their life? Am I dancing in the street like some on TV last night? No, I'm not. But I'm reservedly relieved that this one chapter is over. The story isn't over, by any means. There will be retaliation, I'm sure. There is still a threat. But there was always a threat, wasn't there? We never know what will happen. We can't go around obsessing about this or that. We do what we can to be safe and then we live our lives.

"I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure" - Mark Twain

Hello Spring

2011-03-21T06:43:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the first day of spring. We spent it at the dog park with the Pug Club. As is typical for MT in spring, it was blustery and cold with the Hellgate wind funneling through the canyon and chilling us to the bone. The prize of the day, though, was seeing the bald eagle perched up on a telephone pole. Equally fun was watching the people as they realized what it was. They'd be walking along and suddenly notice someone else looking up or taking pictures and then they'd stop and look up and scan around to see what was so interesting. Then they'd see him and point and get all excited. Very neat.

So happy spring everyone. Can't wait for some sunshine and warmth.

Happy New Year! 2011

2011-01-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

It's a bitterly cold start to the New Year. But we're warm and cozy in our little house, and who could ask for more than that? I'm not big on resolutions, but I've started journaling again. I hope I'll be able to keep it up. It's not blog journaling. It's real paper to pen journaling. All my family history research has led me to see that I need to leave a hard copy of life in the 21st century behind for posterity. So I have begun.
Besides journaling this year I have one other new habit I'd like to foster. We have a family history center in town. I want to utilize it to its fullest in my research. So I'm searching the online catalog and printing out the necessary micro film numbers and next week, I'll make a trip down to the center to order films and see what new genealogical information I can dig up.

Happy New Year to all. May it be blessed with good fortune and overflowing with happiness.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours

2010-12-25T15:53:00.002-07:00

The tree that looks best in the dark

Stockings hung by the front door with care

Allison

Sarah

Brittney

Alex

Brittney and Victor

Christmas Time again

2010-12-09T15:42:00.000-07:00

Last year we had a houseful of little people to do all the fun Christmasy stuff with. This year its not quite so busy and frantic and a little bit subdued. It's all good. It is what it is. We have a Charlie Brown tree leaning askew in the living room, we've baked until we couldn't bake anymore and the gifts are slowly trickling into the hiding
places in and around the house. We are keeping it small this year. Saving our pennies and not going too far overboard. It'll be different and it'll be just fine. I've got a few crafty projects going and that always makes me feel good. Happy Christmas to all.

Labor Day 2010

2010-09-08T06:49:00.000-06:00

In typical MT fashion, we went from warm and sunny to cool and rainy to winter in the course of two days.

Dani came the cabin with Alex, Allison and me. Mom and Dad met us there and we had a lovely weekend of playing in the "river", hiking to the meadow, listening to the musical stylings of Alex on guitar and hunkering down against the cold.

Grace, Logan, Molly and Kevin came up for the day on Saturday. Kevin went hunting, until a freak hail storm rolled through. Grace and Dani had a wonderful time playing together.
Grace had trouble remembering Dani's name, so just called her "my friend" all day. They're so cute together.

It was quiet, restful and relaxing....well, as much as could be expected with a three year old and three pugs along.

Buddha enjoyed his first visit to the cabin and christened every tree and bush in sight. Chloe and Zoey snarffled around and had a wonderful time frolicking in the grass.

All in all a good time was had.

Genealogy

2010-08-20T09:28:00.003-06:00

My new passion. I've been working on my family genealogy for several weeks now. Have made lots of progress only to realize how much more there is to find. I've read as many books as I can get my hands on, to familiarize myself with HOW to find what I need to find. It's all seems a bit overwhelming, until you break it down into bite sized pieces. And may I just say, Ancestry.com is my new guilty pleasure. What a treasure trove of information with more and more added almost daily! Am currently wondering how/if I should develope a family history blog. I need another blog like I need a hole in my head. Will chew on that idea a while longer.

Lazy

2010-07-31T10:48:00.004-06:00

Can't understand why I haven't blogged in almost a year. What's been going on? Well, we finished up 2009 with Katie, David and the kids in Missoula for Christmas. Such a treat to have them around for a couple of weeks. Thommy, Alex and I went to Seattle/Oak Harbor for spring break. Had a nice overnight at Katie's house then hit the big city for some good food, the Muse concert and a bit of sightseeing. It was quick and super fun. Now it's summer time again and its flying by.

Sarah is in N.C. working for the Lost Colony Theater and having the summer of her life. Living right on the beach with a bunch of creative souls and just enjoying every minute.

Katie is getting ready to send David off to Afghanistan for the third time. Not enjoying the thought of that at all. Allison is packing to leave for Conrad for a month-long job with Erynn Flaherty's dad. She'll work and live with them and I think is pretty dang excited to go. Brittney is living at home again, working at Rosauer's and filling out college paperwork. Yeah! Alex is working with me every day and hanging out with friends or playing his guitar afternoons and evenings. I really want to do something fun with him, but working every day is cramping my style. We're planning to be at the cabin for Labor Day weekend. Can't wait for that.

Allison and I rode the Hiawatha again in June. Gorgeous day and super fun ride.

I've had some reenacting adventures over the past year and just finished up Daly Days last weekend. Super fun, again. I'm loving every minute of it.

Pug club is going gang busters. We have over 50 pugs in memebership. We've got Pet Fest and Homecoming parade on our events calendar. Should be lots of fun.

Mainly life is the same old same old with some fun and adventure thrown in the mix. My goal now is to blog at least a few times a year, if not more often. We'll see if that works out for me.

Goodbye Summer

2009-09-11T20:27:00.004-06:00

September. Actually September 11. 8 years since the attacks in NYC and WA DC. 8 years. Seems like yesterday. We were watching Disney channel. Alex was 4. Mom called and said turn on the news. And there I sat, in stunned disbelief watching the tape loop over and over again. Watching the second tower fall, then watching it all again and again and again. Alex said "why does that building keep falling down?" Time to turn it off and try to sort out all the emotions that were swirling around in my head. What the hell was happening? What next? Where? When? Katie, Sarah, Allison and Brittney were all at school. As far as I knew they were safe. Then the Pentagon, then the plane crash in Pennsylvania. It was all too much. It was all too scary. Then days passed and slowly and with time, life returned to some sort of normal. Now here we are 8 years later.

We've had a fairly good summer, all considered. Alex did break his collar bone right after school got out then he ran into a bar and cut his forehead requiring 13 stitches. But that was the extent of the drama for the summer. Not perfect, but not horrible either. Thom consented to TWO mini vacations. One weekend at the cabin and the other a weekend in Yellowstone. We camped in Mom and Dad's new 5th wheel and had a wonderful time. Allison, Sarah, Alex and I took a 15 mile bike ride on the Hiawatha trail and had a BLAST. Allison and I took a hike to Morrell Falls. 5 miles round trip. We've hosted Pug club nearly every Sunday this summer and count 13 pugs as members. So fun to see them all running around playing and having a great time. I've also enjoyed getting to know their owners. We hosted the 3rd annual neighborhood ice cream social and had some new neighbors to meet. Nice to catch up with everyone and have a laugh or two. So, all in all, a good summer. School is back in session, and the routine is in place. I miss the carefree days of summer but do like a nice routine.
Bittersweet.

Chloe and Buddha

2009-05-30T10:26:00.004-06:00

This is tiny Miss Chloe and huge Buddha on the deck, sunbathing.

We often find them like this. Sitting close together or lying on the deck chair right beside each other. It's so cute. We always thought Chloe was too big, and then we met Buddha.

Where does the time go?

2009-05-24T10:35:00.002-06:00

How can it be that my last post was in MARCH? It's now May.

We've been on several bike rides with Chloe in the basket. She does better and better each time. We're going to the dog park today for the second official PUG CLUB meetup. She'll ride along and make her royal entrance.

We've acquired a new pug. He came to us with the name King but is now Buddha. He is the most gigantic pug we've ever seen. He must be 40 pounds. He'll come to the pug club by car. No one is daft enough to try to cram him into a basket.

Spring has finally arrived. Just in time for summer. The weather this weekend is perfectly gorgeous and we had a light show and bit of rain last night. Couldn't ask for more.

Not much more news than that. Life is pretty simple and that's the way I like it.

Going for a Bike Ride

2009-03-21T13:50:00.001-06:00

A Visit with the babies

2009-03-03T06:11:00.003-07:00

They are here at last. They'll be here for about 10 days. The living room is cluttered with toys and diaper bags. We've had a sleep over already and have two more planned. There is a belated 2nd birthday party on Saturday and the great grandparents are coming. The rest of the relatives live here in town and all will be together for Dora the Explorer cake and ice cream. We cram a lot of fun into a small space of time. But we are so lucky to be able to get together several times a year for a visit. More pics and fun to follow. It's busy here and I have to do things in snatches for now.

Red Wave Marching Band

2009-02-13T21:29:00.001-07:00

25 Years and Grandma Nell's Birthday

2009-02-05T06:36:00.002-07:00

Wow, 25 years. One Quarter of a century. How does that happen? We've had so many different chapters in our married life. Lived in so many different places and met so many people along the way. We don't really talk in sentences anymore. A word or phrase and the messege is delivered and received. I think that right now we're spending too much time together. Everything is just a little annoying. A little too much. But all in all, its still good.

No big plans to commemorate this momentous marital event. No time for that. Maybe we'll go out to dinner on Sunday. Maybe we'll put on our pajamas at 7:30 and drink wine and watch TV. Don't know. It really doesn't matter. We've never really been big for the parties.

We got married on Grandma Nell's birthday. There was a scheduling glitch with the JP who married us and we had to push it back one day. But it was a good day, all the same.

Grandma would be 97 today. She passed in 2000. That also seems like it was just yesterday. I can still hear her voice. I can still smell the glade air freshener in her house. She's as alive to me today as she was the last time I sat and visited with her.

This is a rare photo of Grandma just relaxed and smiling. She usually would make some silly face at the camera and then gripe that she never took a good picture. I loved to snap shots of her when she wasn't aware I was doing it. I remember one time following her around with a video camera and she'd ask "is that thing on" to which I'd innocently say "NO".

I miss her. Everyday. Happy Birthday Nellie.

Cutie Patooties

2009-01-26T09:43:00.003-07:00

Just got new photos of the peanuts and had to share.

Ricky is getting so big and he's facial expressions have changed from just a couple of weeks ago.

Dani is too busy for her own good and bunged up her hand in a fall. But she'll be fine and life goes on. Can't wait to see them in a few weeks.

Snuggly, huggly babies

2009-01-02T10:58:00.003-07:00

This is as good as it gets. We had a safe trip there and back and I got to snuggle these two til they wouldn't let me snuggle them any more. There is no store bought gift that can replace this time together. Seeing them, hearing them, squeezing them and even clean up after them. This was a most Merry Post Christmas. Dani is a chunk. She's as solid as a rock and busier than the busiest bee. She loves to sit on your lap at the computer and look at photos of herself. She likes to push her baby doll around in the stroller or carry her by the leg. Note to self: work on those parenting skills. She doesn't always like to take a nap or go to bed and will amuse herself in her room for "hours" before finally falling asleep. She loves to hold her baby brother but will suddenly push him away when she's done. She's feisty and funny and a joy to behold.

Richard is just perfectly perfect. He sleeps and eats and is so relaxed and calm. He looks around with a quizzical expression but rarely cries or fusses. He's gaining and growing and doing everything he's supposed to be doing at the ripe old age of two weeks. I could just hold him for hours and hours.

I miss them already but they are planning to come out the end of Feb., so I'll hold that thought. In the mean time I need to finish Dani's second year book and start on Ricky's first. I think of the several hundred photos I took, I should find a "few" to work with.

Road Report

2009-01-01T08:27:00.002-07:00

Normally a caption stating where and when would be in order. Not so on this trip. This was the view most of the way there and back. The only difference would be that sometimes it was pitch dark.

So very glad to be home.

Snugs and Hugs

2008-12-28T11:04:00.001-07:00

No pics to post. Just a note to say, I'm snugging and hugging babies.
Be back in a day or two.

Post Holiday Hangover

2008-12-26T20:37:00.002-07:00

Day 26

Today was spent in traditional post Christmas stupor. We slept in, laid around, ate left overs, played with our new stuff and did nothing much of anything. I did make my way next door to visit the next door relatives. My aunt and uncle and their kids and grandkids were all in similar mode. At 3:30pm most of them were still in pjs and my aunt offered me lunch....at 3:30pm. We sat around the table and munched on goodies and chatted and caught up and had a generally pleasant time. I came home with treats that we don't need, but whatever. tis the season. Right?

Happy Holidays

2008-12-25T19:46:00.002-07:00

Day 25

...from our house to yours.....

We all reach a time in our childrens' lives where we just take what we can get. Today we are at just such a juncture. All four (current residents) in one place at one time and all looking in the same general direction. PRINT.

I think I would have better luck trying to wrangle cock roaches.

Merry Christmas

Twas The Night Before Christmas

2008-12-24T20:10:00.003-07:00

Day 24

and all through the house, all the Pak's were settled in to watch A Christmas Story at last. Our Christmas Eve tradition is to watch one viewing of A Christmas Story. You can tune in anytime during the next 24 hours to catch the show. It repeats, repeatedly until tomorrow night. This reminds me of a funny story. Every year we would start watching the movie and something would come up to interrupt us, but we'd just pick up on the next go-round. We usually go out driving to look at lights or we'd stop to eat dinner or someone would come over. But it was never a problem because we'd just watch it later. Well, last year was the first year we enjoyed the luxuray of DVR. We recorded the movie, went about our Christmas eve business and then all sat down to watch it in one sitting. Alex said something like "oh, this is the longest movie ever." I said, no, it's only an hour and a half and he complained that it couldn't possibly be that short. Well, we started it and an hour and a half later it was over and he said "is that it?" I laughed and said, how long did you think it was, to which he replied "I don't know, it usually is playing for two days." We all cracked up to think that he thought the marathon was the real length of the movie. Poor kid.

May each of you find your very own Red Ryder BB Gun under the tree.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night.

Hello Winter

2008-12-23T15:35:00.002-07:00

Day 23

Well, it took long enough, but I think its safe to say that winter has well and truly arrived in Montana. 10" as of 9:00 am this morning. More falling throughout the day. Now on the one hand, this throws me right into the holiday spirit. On the other hand, I'm not sure we'll get to take our little trip to meet the new grandbaby. I'm not thinking of that just yet. We could wake up on the 26th and decide that its ok to go. We could end up staying put. No firm plans as of right this minute.

But all that aside, the snow is really coming down. I've been out and about today and the road crews are working their fannies right off. .....Maybe I should look into that line of work. Lord knows my fanny could use some working off. But I digress. Snow, snow and lots of it.

Love This

2008-12-21T21:14:00.002-07:00

Day 22

Got this in the mail. This is what all those sleepless nights, all those car pools, all that homework help, all the concerts and class parties and school plays, all the sleepover and temper tantrums and money for braces and whiteknuckle driving lessons and all that stuff, was about. So I can sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor (pun intended). This is what it's all about.

The Last Sunday Of Advent

2008-12-21T10:04:00.004-07:00

Day 21

This has been our tradition for as long as I can remember. Each Sunday we light another candle on the advent wreath and read that week's passage from the Children's Bible. Each Sunday we get that much closer to Christmas. Tonight is the last Sunday. It seems like I was just digging the wreath and candles out of the bin. I pack it on the top of my Thanksgiving decorations. Not in my Christmas bin. This way, I can find it easily as the first Sunday usually falls right after Thanksgiving, as it did this year. So tonight we light all four candles and we ready the final installment of the story of the birth of Jesus. We may not be a church going family, but we've managed to keep the reason for the season at the forefront of our hearts and minds. Merry Christmas to all and Happy Birthday Baby Jesus.

Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It....

2008-12-20T14:50:00.004-07:00

Day 20

Post a holiday greeting on your blog or Facebook or wherever you hang out,

and link back here.

Happy Holidays...

ETA: I've been reminded that I've also heard Gay's voice. I thought about redoing this video to include that info and to rectify the gashawful still shot of myself...but it took too long to load and I just don't want to bother. So look away while it loads and we'll all feel better.

Pug In Booties

2008-12-19T05:00:00.005-07:00

Day 19

Cold is the only word for it. So cold that you don't want to even think about going outside. For some of us, that's ok. But for those of us who must do our business in the great out-of-doors, no so much. Poor Chloe would hold it forever, if she could. She goes out and then sits down and lifts all her feet off the ground. So, great, the feet are warmer but the butt is frozen. Just not a good situation. We tried to fashion doggie booties out of the fingers cut off a wool glove. They were too tight. We tried a few other ideas. None worked very well. The other day I was wandering the aisles of the Dollar store and saw "2 for $1" baby booties. I bought them and brought them home. A quick alteration of a drawstring around each "ankle" and we were cooking with gas. She doesn't love them, but she tolerates them long enough to do her business and get back inside. Plus its just funny to watch her prance around in them.

A Home For The Holidays

2008-12-18T06:18:00.002-07:00

Day 18

This is Franny. Francesca, to be exact. She and her siblings were found living under a van in a back alley. It took a very dedicated lady and several traps to catch them all. I think she was quite small when she was found. She's been living at a no kill shelter for several months and is a staff favorite.

They think that she's about 6 months old. She loves to be held like a baby. She will stay wherever you put her. I stuck her in this blanket on the family room couch and she stayed there until I moved her elsewhere. She's not the curious cat that Colby was when he came to live with us. He wandered all over the house and peeked into every nook and cranny and just moved himself right in. She will take a little more coaxing. She's not skittish or outwardly nervous. But she's most secure when she's being held or when she's bundled up in a blanket or towel. I'm hoping with love and care, she'll come out of her little shell and be a part of our family. I think the kids would like to change her name. It'll be fun to see what they come up with. Welcome home Franny....or whoever you are.

Snail Mail

2008-12-17T06:24:00.002-07:00

Day 17
Yesterday was post office day. Our post office is always busy. There is always a line. Usually I can use the self serve kiosk and be in and out quickly. Not so, yesterday. I knew it going in and I blocked off the afternoon for line standing/people watching. The line at the kiosk was as long as the line for the counter help. And most of the kiosk users don't know how to use it, so don't bother.
I wrestled three big boxes out of the car, slid the van door shut and then realized that it didn't close all the way. So, I freed one finger on my right hand to try to undo the latch and have another go. Ho Ho Ho. Thanks go out to the kindly lady who took pity on me and leant a hand.
Once inside, I assumed my place in line and immediately was flung into a one sided conversation with the lady in front of me who had lost both mailbox keys and wasn't quite sure what to do about it. Thanks go out to the kindly man behind me who started a chit chat and made me turn around from lost key lady. She quickly moved on to another victim. Everyone minded their manners and kept cool heads and the wait wasn't "forever" because we all made it home in time. The only dramtic moment was when lost key lady was told that it would cost her $40 for the guy to come out and replace the lock on her mailbox. I'm going to assume that she's now mastered the "put things back where they belong" lesson in the school of life.
I only have one more quick trip to make and I'll be done for another year.

All I wanted for Christmas

2008-12-16T06:29:00.003-07:00

Day 16

This was all that was on my list.

A plump and healthy baby. And here he is in all his hammy goodness. Richard was born on Dec. 15 at 10 something am. He weighs 7.09lb and is 20" long.

Mom and baby are doing fine.

Dad and sister are doing equally fine. Everyone is just fine and dandy.

If all goes well, weatherwise, we'll be headed out there right after Christmas. I can hardly wait to get my hands on Ricky and Dani too. I think I'll take a gingerbread house kit for the kids to make with Dani. She'd love that. Some of the candy may actually make it onto the house.

Welcome home, Little Ricky. We can't wait to meet you.

Snow Days

2008-12-15T06:49:00.004-07:00

Day 15

We don't get them. Bundle up kids, it's barely -30, time for school. I keep calling the school's hotline, hoping that someone, somewhere had some sense knocked into them and I won't have to go out and scrape my windshield and defrost my car. I'm not even sure I'll be able to get up our street. I know that in June, I'll be glad that we all bundled up today and got on with business, but right now I want to stay in my jammies and drink hot coffee. Stupid snow days.

I might actually blog something good later. Katie is at the hospital, preparing to deliver baby Richard. Stay tuned.

Peeking

2008-12-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

Pam's post about peeking sent me back in time. When I was in junior high, we moved to Lewistown. Mom and Dad bought a house that was well over 100 years old. The closets are all big, walk-in affairs. In Mom and Dad's closet there is a tiny door in the wall that leads to a little crawl space. Imagine how cool it was to find that little hidden space. Mom thought she was so clever to hide our Christmas gifts in there. We would sneak in and with only the light from the closet to work by, we'd carefully pull back the wrapping on one side to see what was in the package. I would always be dissapointed that I knew what some of my gifts were going to be. But I couldn't help myself from looking. She did catch onto us in time and would put our gifts in odd boxes. No child wants to think that their getting a vacuum for Christmas. I don't peek anymore. In fact I save my gifts to the very last. I guess that means I've grown up, finally.

I Dreamt of a White Christmas

2008-12-13T16:55:00.003-07:00

Day 13

This is the first time in recent memory that we have not had snow by Thanksgiving. It is Dec. 13 and we just got our first real snow. And ICE.

We are going nowhere today. We couldn't even if we wanted to. I am not one bit sad about this. It's a rare treat. So I've spent the day puttering around, wrapping gifts and doing laundry. The only downside to the whole thing is that I can not find Alex's snow pants anywhere. I've searched every nook, cranny and closet in this house. If you were snowpants, where would you be? He did manage to spend some time outside without getting frost bite. But he was pretty well chilled when he came in.

In other news, Colby the cat has moved to his new home. Brittney finally found an apartment and made the big move yesterday. I must say, it is a welcome relief for everyone. We miss Colby but I think he'll be coming back to visit. I saw an ad today for a pug. I put in the call and am waiting to hear back. I did really want a Westie but they are so hard to come by. Alex and Sarah both said we should get a new cat. We'll see what the next day or two bring. But there will be a new pet soon.

Lights! No Camera! Some Action!

2008-12-12T12:51:00.004-07:00

Day 12

There are now lights on the house. Riddle me this Batman. Why is it, when you carefully unwind every string and plug them in for a test run, they all work; but when you spend two hours hanging them from the roof and turn them on, only some of them work? Why? It never fails.
So I headed to Walmart this morning with my list in hand. Many items to purchase and lights were one of those items. Do you think I could find lights? No Sir and or Ma'am. I could not. I walked up and down each aisle spending approximatley $2.49 for every minute in the store. I crossed many things of my Christmas list but lights was not one of them. I'll have to go back. Maybe if I just take a $5 bill in with me, I'll get out without having to remortgage my home.

In other news, I have made a very concerted effort over the course of this year to not use plastic or paper shopping bags. I have the nice canvas bags from Walmart. $1. each and they are made from recycled plastic bags. Two birds, one stone. I have many and if I forget to bring one in, I buy another one as my penance. I place them on the belt in front of my items and without fail I'm asked "would you like your food items in a plastic bag?" NO, thank you...."would you like your magazine in a plastic bag." NO, thank you...."would you like....." NO thank you. I feel like I might be channeling Joan Crawford from the wire hanger scene. Persistance paid in the end and I came home completely plasticLESS

Lean Your Ear This Way

2008-12-11T06:23:00.006-07:00

Day 11

My Childhood memories of Santa are vivid. I would get so excited for Christmas that I would just shake and I still remember the physical ache of anticipation. I don't think I ever stopped believing. I never felt tricked or deceived by the stories. The thought of a benevolent old soul toiling all year to bring gifts the all the good boys and girls of the world just makes my heart glad. The sight of a Santa and child makes me misty eyed. Part of that may be hormones, but part of it has always been that way.

Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus

Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York's Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. "Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. "Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.' "Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?"VIRGINIA O'HANLON."115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Holiday Goodies

2008-12-10T17:06:00.002-07:00

Day 10

Had a nice surprise visit from an old friend today. He and his wife used to live here but they moved to Spokane several years ago and we only see them occasionally. He's with Best Buy and he sometimes comes this way on work. When he and his wife come together we all go hang out at the winery of another friend. How much fun is it to have full run of the tasting room?
Well he popped in today with his work crew and delivered baked goodies from his wife. Oh, I miss them so much. It was nice to sit and chat and catch up. We might pop in on them as we pass through on our way to Katie's after the holiday. That will be fun. Short, but fun. It always is. So I've eaten way too much fudge today. Thanks a lot Vicky. Not nice to send your fluffy friend chocolate. And the pumpkin bread is delightful. Why do I feel like there will be a recipe request coming from the Muse girls?

Call of The Wild

2008-12-09T19:40:00.004-07:00

Day 9

Nothing good can happen when you bring a tree into a house with animals.

That darn cat is determined to find a way up that tree. The beauty of this fir is that the branches are so close together, he just can't find a clear path. And yet he tries.

I took this funky shot early this morning with my nighttime setting on. I'm trying to capture that glowy look that I see in so many gorgeous photos. However, I am only able to achieve the look of rush hour on the I-5 in L.A. And the red glowing eyes are something else I'd like to be able to fix. I saw somewhere an "pet red eye" feature. But I can not, for the life of me, remember where. So Colby looks like a demon cat on the I-5 at rush hour.

Chloe is just her usual pitful self. She tip toes around the tree, sniffing and snorting and generally looking alarmed.

It's still standing

2008-12-08T20:45:00.003-07:00

Day 8

This morning I woke up and walked out to the livingroom, passing the tree on the way. I almost fell over as I caught sight of it out of the corner of my eye. You know that sensation you get when the car next to you in traffic starts to move slowly, but you actually think that its your car moving? Well, as I passed the tree I got the sensation of tipping over, only it was the tree that was leaning to the North East.

Thom and I took turns holding the tree and crawling around. Not at the same time. One would hold the tree while one crawled around...but you knew that. Anyway, we finally got it reseated in the stand and screwed down nice and tight. This tree has a rather beefy trunk. Not like last year's whisp of a tree with a trunk the size of my pinky finger. So readjusting this one was pretty easy. I locked the cat downstairs while I was at work and a good thing too, cuz later today Sarah saw him head under the branches and make a dash up the trunk. She fished him out and we haven't seen him try it again. But I think he'll spend the month of Dec. in the family room so while we are away the cat can't play. This tree is a 6 foot grand fir and it smells lovely.

PS you should be appropriately impressed that this is day 8 and I'm still blogging. Just saying.

Oh Christmas Tree

2008-12-07T14:45:00.002-07:00

Day 7

Went to the Lion's Club Christmas tree sale today. It's at the fairground in the Llama building. I'm telling you, it smells a lot better in there today than the last time I visited, on a hot summer's day during the fair. Full of llamas and their "gifts". I love the little old guys that run this booth. They have the trees all neatly separated according to size and variety. The first guy greeted us and said "would you like help or will you spend more money on your own?" Then as soon as I picked out my tree I had a nice young man ready to heft it up to the check out stand for me. Next was a sweet old guy with a chain saw to cut off the end. When I asked if it would be a horrible trouble for him to cut off the bottom row of branches, he said "yes it would." I asked if he do it anyway and he said "of course" with a wink and twinkle of the eye. Two more strong, young things got it up on top of the van and straped it down nice and tight and we were off. It's currently on the front porch having a drink of water, while I prepare to move a piece of furnature or two. Then the lights will go on and the kids will start to decorate. We used to have a real tree decorating event, but now I just leave the tub of decorations out and they slowly add one or two a day until it's done. We are just never all in the same place at the same time anymore. So, we adapt.
It might be a day or two before I can post a pic. But I will when I have a completed tree.

Christmas Babies

2008-12-06T10:32:00.005-07:00

Day 6

December is a busy month in our family. Many, many Christmas babies to honor.
Dec. 2....LaVonne (Uncle Jimmy's wife)
Dec. 3....Cousin Grace
Dec. 4...Brittney
Dec. 6...Thom (Happy Birthday Thom)
Dec. 17...Nephew Chris
Dec. 23...Aunt Julie
Dec. 25...Uncle Jimmy (who fell out of the Christmas Tree)
Dec. 27...Dad
Dec. 29 Cousin Noel
And sometime this month, we'll welcome Baby Richard (Katie and David's second)

I said the Dec. was a busy month, but I think it's more accurate to say that March is a busy month. LOL. You have to do gestational math for that one.
So, while we are all shopping for Christmas gifts, we are also trying to remember birthdays. My brain is old and full and sometimes its hard to remember.

In other news, I'm contemplating climbing the big ladder to hang lights. I'm not fully committed to it yet.

The Best Gift of all

2008-12-05T06:47:00.005-07:00

David is home, safe and sound. We weren't sure when, exactly, he would be home. There was worry that it might be after the baby was born. But it all worked out and he's back and the bun is still cooking away in the oven and all is right in that little corner of the world.

I am constantly reminded of how very lucky we are. We've had a tragedy strike awfully close to home. A friend of Alex's has died in a horrible accident. It is moments like this swiftly put life into perspective. There isn't very much in life that matters as much as we think it does. In the end the only thing that is really important is the health and well being of our loved ones. I sometimes forget that my "problems" are barely blips on the radar of the universe. They just don't matter that much and I sometimes make them bigger and more important than they really are. I have the task of guiding Alex through this traumatic time, but that task pales in comparison to what his friend's family is facing. I must remember to accept my circumstances and bless them for the gifts they offer. This time I've been offered the gift of clarity and gratitude for all I have in my life.

Season's Greetings

2008-12-04T14:16:00.006-07:00

Day 4

The winner of the 25th annual Pak Family Christmas card contest is, Laura C. from the U. Her lovely greeting was the first to arrive in ye aulde mail box. Thank you Laura. It's beautiful, though suspiciously unhandcrafted. Which makes me pause. Were you or were you not the hostESS of the Muse card making extravaganza? Well, perhaps I dreamt that part. In any case, I love it and thank you.

In other news of Dec. 4th. My son-in-law, David, is homeward bound. Early, no less. He's been cooling his heels in Germany after serving in Afghanistan since July. Katie is dilated and ready for him to be home. He should arrive around 2pm Pacific time. Welcome Home, Sailor, we missed you.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2008-12-03T06:49:00.005-07:00

Day 3
The real miracle of Christmas is that I was able to wrangle this wreath out of the Black Hole that is our garage. Holy Moley & *&^%$#@. But, its out and its up and I'm moving along...

Nativity scenes

I didn't realize I was collecting nativity scenes until I had a collection started. Each year I'd get one as a gift and I'd just add it to the others. Now I have several and they all live on the china hutch during the holiday season. I really would love to get a nice big elegant one like Laura has. Maybe someday.

It's Dec. 3 and there is no snow. There has been no snow all along. This isn't normal or right. The first snowfall puts me right into the holiday spirit. I'm waiting, and hoping. Not that I look forward to shoveling it, but it's sorta necessary to the whole Christmas vibe.

Decking The Halls

2008-12-03T06:30:00.003-07:00

Day 2

I came home from work today and got busy. I have a small furnace room that is very much like Fibber McGee's closet . Be careful what you touch in there. Somehow, and without mass destruction, I was able to wrestle my Christmas decorations out of that hell hole the other day. They sat neatly stacked until I had enough strength to deal with them. I began by piling all my everyday tchatzkies on top of my table. Then a massive dusting. Now comes the best part. The mindless puttering of putting it here, moving it there, back to here..Perfecto. All my Santas go on top of the entertainment center. All the snowmen on the hall ledge. That's as far as I got. I still have my nativities and other misc. and then the tree. The tree comes last. Dry climate prohibits early assembly of live trees. Maybe by the weekend. We'll see, cuz Thom's ironclad wallet also has tendency to prohibit purchase of live tree. Now I should add the warm and fuzzy part of this activity. All the memories that waft out of the box and swirl around as I place the items. Each has a story...who gave it, or made it and when. Love that part the best.

December Daily

2008-12-01T08:33:00.003-07:00

There's a project called December Daily at Ali Edwards Blog
The idea is to journal daily leading up to Christmas. Since I can barely bring myself to journal monthly, right now, I wonder if this is just a recipe for failure. But I'll give it the old college try. However, the fact that I didn't actually finish college does not bode well for this venture. Just saying....

Day 1

Monday. Oh, see we're already not looking too good. Ok, Monday Dec. 1st. Back to our regular routine after a very nice long break from work (for me) and school for everyone else. I put away the fall decorations and found the advent calendar and wreath on Sunday. That's a good thing. I pulled out the Christmas decoration boxes and stacked them neatly in one area. However, I didn't go any further than that. We can't have all the fun at once, now, can we? So, I've been knitting like a fool since the Olympics and have many scarves ready to gift. I've also been making rag quilts and have two done, two ready to sew and one ready to cut. A gift for Mom and Dad is bought and ready to ship. Things are actually looking good. A massive card making day over at the U has me all set to send greetings early, or at all, this year. So, day one is done. On to day two. What fun and joy will it present? We'll have to wait and see.

To Do List

2008-10-30T06:26:00.003-06:00

1. Send 10 rolls of toilet paper to school with Alex. What 12 year old boy doesn't want to carry 10 rolls of TP on the school bus? Why TP? Halloween party tomorrow and dressing your team mate as the Bride of Frankenstein.

2. Work. Which involves washing dishes, sweeping floors, serving food, scouring pots and pans. I went to college for this?

3. Finish Baby quilt. Sew, clip edges, wash, wash again, dry and admire

4. Buy Halloween candy. Can't buy any too soon and can't buy any that's any good. It would be long gone by now.

5. Trick or Eat. Lead group of middle schoolers all around the neighborhood after school, collecting non perishable food stuffs for the food bank.

Should be a fun and full day

Alex's 12th Birthday Party

2008-10-19T13:00:00.002-06:00

It looked iffy at first. Clouds and rain in the morning threatened our skateboarding plans. But just before the kids showed up, the skies cleared and we were gifted with an absolutely gorgeous fall day. Not too hot, not too cold. Just perfect. We headed over to the skatepark and everyone had a blast. We stayed for almost 4 hours. Then over to Bowen's house to jump on the tramp and pick up his gear. Then a stop by Kolton's to get Guitar Hero and finally home for pizza, cake, ice cream, video games and movies. They stayed up well past 3am. I did not. These are good kids. They just talked and watched TV and then passed out. Pancakes for breakfast and a little Mr. Bean while waiting for parents. It was a great party. I love listening to their squeaky tween voices. High pitched, then way low then back up again. They are silly, gross, and funny. A great age.

Seeley Lake 2008

2008-10-13T17:02:00.002-06:00

A weekend away. A lake, a comfortable house and friends. It doesn't get much better than that. We went up to the lake to scrapbook. Ha. We ate, shopped, drove around, slept and scrapped a little bit. At least I did. Just a little bit. Nature has always had the ability to soothe my soul; looking out at the water, watching the funny little birds eating the pinecone seeds, leaning against big old Gus the larch tree, listening to the wind in the trees, watching the tamaracks turn color with the turn of the seasons, and touring the devastation of the 2007 fires and seeing the rebirth of the forest right before my eyes.

I came home, rested and refreshed. The calm feelings followed me and they stayed around for a bit. In fact, I didn't even freak out when I found my paypal account had been hacked. 5 transactions for several hundred dollars each. Normally I would have had a stroke. Well, no stroke. Just did what needed doing and now everything is in the pending/investigation stage.

So, all in all a great weekend spent in the company of some great women who lift me up and push me forward....push, shove, whatever it takes.

Three days is just not long enough

2008-09-08T15:50:00.003-06:00

I go to scrap camp twice a year. I go on Friday morning and come home on Sunday late afternoon. But it's not long enough. I would like an extra day or two. After lugging everything up to camp, unloading, setting up and settling in, I'm usually not ready to just dive into the scrapping thing. So I putter around, talk to the gals, sift and sort and try to decide what to work on. Then its time for lunch. So I eat and clean up then I have to stroll around and look at what others are doing. New people arrive and need to be greeted and caught up with. Then I try to get going again, but now its almost time to get dinner ready, so I do that. Then its time to eat and maybe catch up some more and listen to stories and look at pictures. Finally, late into the evening, I get started on my own scrapping. But now I have a bit of a headache and I think I'd rather go to bed and enjoy some down time. When I wake up on the second day all I can think about it doing something fun; taking a hike or a bike ride or something like that. So away we go to have adventures and more fun. When we get back its time for lunch and after eating I might think about scrapping a bit. But I have to collect t-shirts to iron logos on and look at pictures taken on the field trip and tell everyone about what fun we had. Now I'm ready to scrap...right after dinner. No, now it's time for the gift exchange and then I can finally scrap. I stay up a bit later on the second night, but not too much. Not like some people who stay up until the wee hours of the morning. I'm in bed before midnight and loving every minute of it. Day three, I'm up early and ready to scrap, damn it. I've got until 3pm. That's it. Where has the time gone? What have I been doing with myself? Hurry up, get coffee, now sit and think. Paper, pictures, adhesive, embellish...hurry, hurry, it's almost time to eat lunch. Now we have to start cleaning up. Ack, only 30 minutes left. Here, let me lift my legs while you vacuum around me. No, don't take that box, I need that stuff. Wait, I just have to finish this last bit. Bye, see you next time. I got a whole 4 pages done. It's been fun. Can't wait to do it all again.

Keeping My Day Job

2008-08-28T08:51:00.001-06:00

I've decided that I would not make a very good private investigator.
Alex has been looking forward to riding his bike to his new school all summer. We drove the back route. The main way is too busy. We drove it twice to make sure he knew where to turn. Last night he starts asking, "so when I get to XXX street, I turn right?" "so, then I turn left at XXX street?" "please draw me a map." So this morning I suggest that I drive behind him just to make sure he remembered the way. He says he's good and not to worry. So like a good mother, as soon as he took off on his bike, I took off in the van. I parked in a church parking lot right before his last turn to the school. I positioned the van behind a tree and was peering through the branches when I saw him go by, then turn and head back the way he came. At that, I pulled out to the edge of the lot and saw him turn back again. As he passed me, I said, "go to the corner and turn right." He made some comment about following him and then I noticed the lady in the house across the street, standing in her front window with hands on hips watching me. I gave her a big smile and a thumbs up and headed for home.
As a PI, I kinda suck.

Bus Station Blatherings

2008-08-06T17:14:00.002-06:00

The bus was scheduled to leave at 7:40 am. We arrived well ahead of schedule to be told that the bus would be at least two hours late.

Bus Station attendant hereby referred to as BS says "They haven't called from the last stop to say that they've left yet. Or maybe they forgot."

Me: "could you call them in case they did forget?"

BS: "they are supposed to call me."

Me: "so the phone line only goes one way?"

BS: "well they're supposed to call me."

Nuff said, we came back home. We decided to call occasionally for updates.

Back at the station, the phone rang. BS answers.

person on phone talking

BS: "well, you can't buy a ticket from here to there."

person on phone talking

BS: "yes the bus stops there, but you can't buy a ticket to get there."

person on phone talking

BS: "you can get on the bus but you won't have a ticket."

person on phone talking

BS: "I can't help you."

Daly Days

2008-07-26T18:08:00.008-06:00

Today was Daly Day at the Daly Mansion. I played Lizzie the Nanny and was stationed in the nursery for the day. This was my first ever reenacting gig. I used to act in high school and college, but that was with scripts and blocking. This is completely different and so much fun. People came through the house on self guided tours and we (reenactors) would strike up conversations, answer questions and act as informal "experts". We also interacted with each other and gossiped, visited and I had to chase two rowdy boys through the house on more than one occasion. They would scurry past the nursery and I'd drop my knitting and scamper after them, down the hall, down the servants staircase, out the door and across the lawn. Several of the servants got "talking tos" from Mrs. Daly and more than one guest was found in the room of someone that they oughten have been visiting.

What a wonderfully fun day. I will definately be doing this again. You can see more photos in my flickr badge on the right.

Ravalli Republic

Daly Mansion

Montana Wildflowers

2008-07-23T08:03:00.002-06:00

It must have been a pretty wet spring at the cabin, because I've never seen the quantity or variety of wildflowers like I saw this year. They were everywhere and just glorious.

This is the one layout I completed at scrap night this week. I didn't do much, but wanted to record the gorgious flowers. The pic here is a bit lopsided as I just plunked it on a chair and snap a digi pic. Sorry about that.

I've added this page to my cabin album and have a couple more pages to do for this trip. We'll see if they actually get done. LOL

R & R

2008-07-21T09:05:00.004-06:00

My annual dose of R & R. No phones, TV, computer, doorbells, etc. Just the babbling of the creek, the chirping of the birds and the pitter patter of pack rat feet on the roof at night.

Allison and I drove over Friday. Mom, Alex, Molly and Grace met us for the day on Saturday and we drove home Sunday. Not quite long enough, but I got home before the lack of showering drove me nuts. Alex and Allison played in the creek. They build a damn and a raft every year. The raft never quite works out, but this time Alex actually got on it for a brief bit. But whatever, it keeps them busy and happy and that's all that matters. We read and played bunco and they did a puzzle and played with the old windup radio. I napped and read more and just sat and looked at the mountains and trees and all the wildflowers. Chloe rolled in horse poo and swam in the creek and snored at night. Doggie delight. It was wonderful and over all too fast. I must stow away the memories so that they hold me over for another year. You can see more photos by clicking my Flickr badge on the right.

Happy Independence Day USA

2008-07-04T08:34:00.002-06:00

This 4th of July has got my head all scrambled up.So grateful for our freedoms. So very humbled bythose who make that freedom possible. So tired and readyfor our young men and women to come home. So scared forthe ones who are waiting in the wings to head into that terrible fight. My son-in-law, David is in this group of young people who are currently packing their duffel bags and saying goodbye to their families. On July 11th he'll head off to Afghanastan for 3 months, then he'll be in Germany for 3 months. During that time my daughter, Katie will complete her second pregnancy, care for their little daughter Dani and deliver their 2nd baby while all alone. David may be able to watch the delivery by webcam, which is small comfort, but better than nothing. I try not to think of 'what ifs' but honestly, I've never sent a child off to a war zone before. And David might not like to hear it, but he's as much my child as any of the others, and I'm having a very hard time with this. I've stuffed him as full of egg rolls as is humanly possible, packed his care package and hugged the stuffing out of him. I think he was very glad to finally get away from me. LOL. If you have a prayer to spare, just remember those kids who are still fighting for our freedom. And make a special request that the powers that be can finally pull their heads out of 'you-know-where' and bring those kids home once and for all.

Hurry Home David!!!

Bubbly Personality

2008-06-26T20:08:00.003-06:00

Boy, if that isn't the truth. Miss Thang has been here for a visit and turned the whole bunch of us upside down. She's fast, wobbly, funny, cute, sweet, and priceless. She captivates everyone she comes into contact with. She's not talking in the spoken word much, but she signs like nobody's business. She definately lets you know what she wants. On this day we were out in the front yard playing with a battery operated bubble wand. She loved every minute of it.

Small Town Saturday Night

2008-06-22T21:02:00.003-06:00

We may be rednecks, but we sure know how to have fun.

In Other News...

2008-06-11T08:50:00.000-06:00

It's Snowing. Happy June

Some Scrappy Stuff

2008-06-11T08:42:00.010-06:00

"I Go"...and away she goes. Miss Independant. She's very busy these days and wants to do things herself. I keep reminding her mother that this is good and normal and to give thanks for it. Hollow words for the tired mom who just wants to get 'er done. The second layout is just for fun. Nothing important was happening here. No words of insight or wisdom to dispense. Just a cute slimy baby face and the perfectly colored paper to match. I played with a couple of digi techniques here. Don't know how successful I was on the blur thing in the first layout. Kinda like the big pic on the right side of the second layout. Still learning and trying new things.

The Wax Museum

2008-05-23T21:40:00.003-06:00

Every year the fifth graders at Alex's school do a wax museum. They research a famous person, write a report, make a poster, create a costume and design a scene. On museum day, they pose in their scene as if made of wax. Today was the day. To see the creativity and effort that these kids put into this project just warms the heart. They take it so seriously too. Although the last 15 minutes of the day were pretty fidgety. I helped this morning with whatever might need help. For instance John Denver dropped his guitar pick. As I strolled past I heard "psst, Alex's mom, could you hand me my pick?" Sacajawea's poster fell down and Diane Fossey's gorillas were slightly aslant. Nothing major, just stuff like that.

Alex chose a person that nobody has really hear of, but most everyone has heard. Trumpet player, Wayne Bergerone was his choice. We couldn't find much info on Mr. Bergerone, so we went to his website, found his email and shot him a message. Three hours later, he emailed back. Pretty cool.

Alex's email to Wayne:

Dear Mr. Bergeron, I'm in 5th grade and we are doing a wax museum. I've chosen you as my subject. I have to dress like you and stand or sit very still like a wax figure. I also have to write a report about you. I also play trumpet. I have a few questions so that I can finish my report. I hope you don't mind.
1. Where were you born?
2. When were you born?
3. Do you have a wife and kids?
4. Anything else you want to share that would help me write my report.
Thank you very much for reading my email.
Sincerely Alex

Wayne's reply:

Hi Alex,
What a wild project!
1. Where were you born? Hartford, Conn
2. When were you born? Jan. 16 1958
3. Do you have a wife and kids? Yes. I have been married to a trumpet player named Deborah for 19 years. We have a 31/2 year old daughter named Ella. I also have a 27 year old daughter from a previous marriage named Dorian.
4. Anything else you want to share that would help me write my report. • I live in Los Angeles, CA and work as a studio musician. There is a bunch of info on my website if you need. www.waynebergeron.com
Good luck with the project and drop me a line if you need any other specific information.
All the Best,
Wayne Bergeron

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACH.....

2008-05-03T13:39:00.002-06:00

It's Rachel's Birthday today.

You'll always be..............................................

Older than ME!!! Love ya

The Mojo is back

2008-04-16T09:41:00.003-06:00

Haven't scrapped in ... I don't know how long. Haven't even really thought about it. And it's not like I don't have fodder. How many hundreds of photos are sitting there on the hard drive just waiting for some embellishment? But the other day I got a bug. Not the tick that I picked up on my trip into the wasteland that is my garden. No not that kind of bug. A scrappy, crafty kind of bug. Three layouts in three days. I may swoon.

I'm almost caught up with Dani's second year of life book. The only "caught up" that I'll ever be.

Anyway, here's some fun stuff. All digi. All Dani.

Spring Fever

2008-04-12T08:37:00.003-06:00

Boy do I have it bad this year. We have had snow and ice on the ground almost continually since the big dump of November. That first 10 inches just never seemed to go away and then it was followed by a regular dumping of new stuff until this lovely weekend when the temps are predicted to hit 73 degrees. We had snow two days ago and now this heavenly reprieve. It's supposed to be cooler next week, but for right this minute, I'm going to enjoy it all I can. As a friend and I walked around the cul de sacs yesterday we noticed GREEN BUDS on a tree. GREEN. BUDS. Hugely, enormously uplifting. I may even find myself outside, clearing away the depris of winter. Not my most favorite thing, but if it gets me outside, it'll be OK.

Art Imitating Life

2008-03-31T16:28:00.004-06:00

I got this birthday card from Rachel. It's beyond perfect. In fact, if I didn't know better, I'd say she had it commissioned just for my special day. The story that goes with this is a bit long and has been told before. But it's so damn funny, I think it just needs to be shared again. Actually, I looked for the original story and couldn't find it. So, I'll attempt to retell it. Rachel and I were on our way to a Mom's Club meeting. I was driving. We were talking and laughing, as is always the case. I have a very hard time walking and chewing gum much less driving and talking/laughing. We approach an intersection and I breeze right through. Rachel comments that perhaps I should have stopped at the red light. This makes me laugh harder and reminds me of a joke. "Two old ladies are driving along. Let's call them Thelma and Louise. Thelma is driving. Louise notices that they are not slowing down for a red light. Thelma whizzes right through. Then it happens again and again. Louise finally asks Thelma why she isn't stopping for the red lights. Thelma screams "Holy Shit, I thought you were driving!". So I can see Rachel standing in front of the card display, then this little gem pops out at her. The laughter would ring through the store and of course, the rule is, if it makes you laugh out loud, you must buy it. Also, if it makes me laugh out loud I must blog it.

Thanks Rach. It's perfectly US.

What the heck?

2008-03-10T08:49:00.004-06:00

Me? At a loss for words? Totally. I've been on a quest. Reading an awesome book. Getting in touch with that thing we all want to get in touch with. It's left me speechless. It's also sucked most of the creative energy out of me and left me not quite knowing what's going on.

The book is "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle. It's way deep. Way Big. For me anyway. I'm actually on my second read through. I've joined a bookclub and am taking an online "class" to help to process it all. As a side effect of this whole thing, I don't have much to say. Remember how I've said that I talk to hear my own voice, therefore I must blog to read my own thoughts? I think I've been cured, or am at least in recovery from that disorder. This isn't to say I'm done blogging. I'm so not done blogging. This also isn't to say that this blog will turn into some kind of weird "follow me to the light" sort of thing. So not my style. This is just a sharing moment. That's all. If you are so inclined to read the book, it's worth it. If you are not so inclined, that's cool too. It's not for everyone. But man, when it hits you, it hits right between the eyes.

Scrappy Stuff

More sharing and some scary kinds scrappy fun. It's the beginning of a new circle journal round and I've been working on Lisa's CJ this month. So Lisa is one of those magical types. Sit down, swirl some stuff around and POOF, art. So her CJ theme is "Just have fun" or something to that effect. Wait! What? No rules? No guidelines? WTH? Now what am I supposed to do? So, I unpack the cutest little altered book you ever saw. Totally cute, totally Lisa. And I start turning pages and then it hits me. Like a ton of bricks. I have to put something in there. Something even remotely cool. Crap. I had made a deal with myself at the beginning of this round. No buying new stuff for the CJs. No shopping. Use what you have. So now I've got this deal that I really feel like pretending never happened. But before I head to the store, let's just go through the stuff that's gathering dust and see what comes of it. So I find a ton of Asian stuff that I've been collecting and saving and not using. Then I find more stuff to go with that stuff. I made a pile on the table and just kept adding to it. It's a little shameful how big that pile got and how much of it I still have left over. Anyway, I thought I could make something happen from that stuff. It was Feb. and the beginning of Chinese New Year and I was sort of in that frame of mind anyway. Cool. But what does it all mean and what does it have to do with me, the Irish girl from MT? Then I thought, "quit thinking". I almost pulled a muscle, but I was able to stop thinking for just a sec. So I started cutting and tearing and inking and rearranging and it just all sat there on my desk. Looking at me. It sat for days and days. Then one day I read a passage in a book about the dragons in our lives, ie; the fears and worries. Ah, there it is. That connecting thread. I was born under the sign of the dragon. I was on this quest...(see above). Using only the most minimum of cerebral effort, it all came together. Oh, and the Irish believe in dragons too. The knot in the end of the thread.

Midwinter Band Concert

2008-02-23T16:44:00.004-07:00

When the trumpets stand up you'll see Alex. When they are sitting, he's behind a music stand. Story of every concert I've ever gone to. LOL

Alex's basketball game

2008-02-08T21:09:00.002-07:00

24 Years Is A Really Long Time

2008-02-05T06:04:00.001-07:00

Where have all those years gone? On this day in 1984 I don't really think that anyone there thought this would ever work out. They all showed up and put on happy and supportive faces, but I bet in the back of many of their minds was a shrieking and screaming voice yelling, RUN FORREST, RUN!!

This day is/was also Grandma Nell's birthday. She would be 96 today. That's her in the black and white dress with slimming diagonal stripes. On the other side or my paternal grandparents, Eddie and Marie. Grandpa Eddie had always said he would dance at my wedding. And even though he was in failing health he managed a jig or two that day.

Brooks and Dunn sing a song called "Proud of the house we built". It really sums up our lives.

I dropped to my knees in that field on your daddy's farm. Asked you to marry me, all I had to give was my heart. While other kids went diving into swimming holes, You and me dove off into the great unknown. We were barely gettin' by, takin' care of each other Then I became a daddy; you became a mother. Was an uphill battle nearly every day, Lookin' back I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm proud of the house we built. It's stronger than sticks, stones, and steel. It's not a big place sittin' up high on some hill. A lot of things will come and go but love never will. Oh, I'm proud.I'm proud of the house we built.

This is the house that we built

Wedding Video Clip

2008-01-19T20:17:00.001-07:00

What a Trip

2008-01-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

I'm back from Key West, safe and sound and none the worse for wear. What a whirlwind it was. 11.5 hours to get there and the same coming back. I traveled down on Tuesday, landed shortly after 9pm and went immediately to the pool for beer, Captain Morgan and more laughs than you can shake a stick at. When I got there, I didn't know who was who from the bride's side, so I hugged all my own relatives and started making the rounds meeting and greeting Heather's family. I got to one really "happy" chap and shook his hand. I asked how he fit into the mix and he said, "I don't." He (John "Bakes") was from England, his wife Dollie is an American and they live in Mass. They were traveling with their Italian friends, Mario and Maria and just joined in the wedding festivities. We ended up getting kicked out of the pool area. I'll add that to my list of life firsts.

Wednesday morning, a bunch of us girls decided to rent bikes and peddle around the island. As I was toodling down the street a rather large bus passed me a little too close and I had a thought. There was no attendant on this ride to insure my safety. My life was in my own hands. We went all over and then my brother, sister, brother-in-law and I went out again that afternoon. Very much fun and a great way to see the sights. My BIL, Woody, wanted to take his ride off some sweet jumps but all we could find were speed bumps. My sister kept calling hers her hog. Too dorky. We had lunch at Margaritaville and toured the lighthouse and museum. We went to the Southernmost Point of the USA and down to Mallory Square. That night we all went to the Sunset Pier to watch the....sunset. Lots of drinks and fun there too. Then we went to Two Friends Restaurant for dinner. Heather and Carl had gifts for everyone and gave toasts too. Seemed slightly backward, but it made for some wonderful memories and a few tears. Then the kids went back to the motel with the grandparents and us younguns went bar hopping. We visited Captain Tony's and did a little bra shopping. Then we hit Sloppy Joe's, but no bartender meant we moved quickly onto Irish Kevin's and the live entertainment. He was funny and scary all at once. If you had to go potty, you had to go past him and he'd shine a spot light on you and make rude comments. I held it for as long as possible but in the end I made a dash. I thought that I'd surely fall under his radar. His rude comment to me....Run Forrest!! I told Ellen I didn't know if I should be insulted or relieved. Irish Kevin's motto is I came, I drank, I don't remember. Surprisingly, I do remember and I felt pretty chipper the next morning.

On Thursday we rented a golf cart to get around in and Dad took Mom and me down Duval Street to do some shopping. Then it was off to the wedding at the Hemingway House. Gorgeous and relaxed are the words that best describe the afternoon. Just so fun. When Carl and Heather were pronounced Husband and Wife the people on the house tour clapped along. So funny. Carl and Heather signed their marriage licence at Hemingway's desk in his studio. Very cool. We had cake and champagne and then took oodles of photos. After that we took the golf cart back to the motel, but poor Dad got turned around and we were well and truly lost for a little while. We had a very good tour of parts of town we might never have seen otherwise. We eventually ran into our street and found our way back and made it down to the pier in time to meet our group and get on the catamaran. There we enjoyed spectacular views of the sunset, free beer and champagne and more laughter and fun. After the harbor tour we went to have a bite to eat. I don't remember the name of the restaurant but we ordered some interesting things. A favorite of Carl's and mine since our St. Kitts trip is the conch fritters. I also tried Gator Bites (alligator). That's another first for me. The taste was not an issue, but the texture was too rubbery and gristly. I didn't hate them, but probably won't eat them again. I passed on the dolphin. That I can not do. After eating, the grandparents again took the kids and we strolled along Duval Street and hit some shops. We didn't drink any more and actually went to bed early.

Friday morning I was up and had breakfast by the pool then it was time to head to the airport for another 11.5 hours of travel time home. I made it in just after 9:30pm and was glad to tick another fun and safe adventure off my life list.

Life firsts for 2008
1. Getting kicked out of a public place
2. Ate Alligator
3. Climbed a lighthouse
4. Stood at the southernmost point of the USA
5. Saw a six toed cat
6. Got lost in a golf cart with my farmer dad driving and lived to tell the tale

The countdown has begun

2008-01-09T06:51:00.000-07:00

Here's the route courtesy of Map Quest. I'm so stinking excited I can't stand myself. No one else can stand me either. It's a constant barrage of "have I told you about my trip?" and the rolling glassy eyed stare of people who have heard it all ad nauseam. So, I'll say no more. But here's the route, in case you didn't know

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2008-01-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

It's an old Abby staple. But it still works. So here it is for the dawn of 2008.

JUST FOR TODAY, I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all my problems at once. I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.

JUST FOR TODAY, I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.

JUST FOR TODAY, I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things I can correct and accept those I cannot.

JUST FOR TODAY, I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.

JUST FOR TODAY, I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I'll not speak ill of others. I'll improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking. Just for today, I'll refrain from improving anybody but myself.

I Still Believe In Santa Claus

2007-12-26T08:04:00.001-07:00

I honestly do. This is me in 1967 having a chat with old St. Nick. I don't know what I was asking for. After listening to tales of my childhood, I was probably telling him a thing or two. I've always been a bit of a know-it-all. Santa has been a life long friend to me and just the thought of him can still move me to sappy tears. I can not help it and have given up trying.

Santa really came through this year. After filling the stockings of everyone in the house, he slipped a little something into mine. It must have been him because my husband is the biggest Scrooge of them all. In fact, I'm sure he was christened Bah Humbug. He would never knowingly and of his own free will do the thing that was done for me this holiday season. He must have been bewitched, bothered and awoken very bewildered by the whole thing. For in my flat and empty feeling red felt stocking, I found a ticket to Key West FL. Why Key West you ask? My brother will be getting married next month in FL and I had given up all hope of attending. It just couldn't happen, I'd been told. There was no discussion or negotiation about it. NOT HAPPENING. So, how is it that a plane ticket found its way to my stocking on Christmas morning and for the exact location and dates I had prayed for? It can only be the work of Santa. It can only prove what I've known in my child's heart all these years. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus! That is all the proof that I need. Here's hoping that all of you had a very happy and healthy holiday and that your stockings contained all your heart's desires.

Goodbye Old Friend

2007-12-12T16:03:00.001-07:00

Richy...
10/23/95
12/11/07

He was big and bossy and had way too much energy. He was nervous and excitable and tried so hard to be a good boy. He was a handful and a honey. We met him at the animal shelter when he was a mere 8 weeks old. He had kennal cough and they were planning to put him to sleep. We took him home and he took over our home. He was constantly getting out and running away. He grew like Clifford the big red dog. We didn't think he'd ever stop. For a guy who didn't stand a chance, he had a long and very healthy life, right up to the very end. He went quickly in his sleep.
After 12 years, its hard to believe that he's gone.

Rainbow Bridge
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... Author unknown...

The Flippin' List...aka Allison's Christmas Wish List

2007-12-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

1. That cute Sausage Baby.
2. "Harsher punishment for parole violators.Stan. And world peace."
3. http://www.drscholls.com/product.aspx?prodid=70
4. http://www.jugglingstore.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=243
5. http://www.jugglingstore.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=133

sent by email. #2 refers to a movie quote. Can anyone name that movie?

Gratitudes

2007-11-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

There are times in life when you just feel that enough is enough and why do I bother anyway. There is also the fleeting thought "can I run away and hide". Then you hear about something like

this and you are reminded of just how full and blessed your life is. Blessed with all the crap and hassle and headache, because if you didn't have it, you'd have not much of anything and you better be glad for it. So, while this was not the warm and fuzzy Thanksgiving that dreams are made of, it was one of health and a smattering of togetherness and baby belly laughs. This photo represents the only 20 minute window that my entire family has been together in over a year. The camera was set up and the timer was ticking away when they pulled in the driveway. This was a pitstop on the way to David's mom's house and it was now or never. Now is always better than never. It doesn't matter that everyone's hair was all over the place and the baby had a stinky diaper, though Chloe might disagree. It doesn't matter that some people weren't talking to other people. Sit as far away from each other as you can but stay in the frame and smile, damn it. None of that matters. It only matters that we had the opportunity. To deny that opportunity is to dance with fate and I don't have any rhythm.

I'll never be caught up

2007-11-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

I don't subscribe to the theory that I'm behind in my scrapping. I mean technically I am. I have boxes and boxes of photos not scrapped. But I also have albums and albums of photos and stories that I have scrapped. And since I'll probably take photos the day before I die, if not in the ambulance on the way to dying, I'll never be caught up, Right? So I've had this little gem of a photo sitting on my hard drive for almost a year. This event was not planned or prepared for and was so out of the blue as to be surreal. Sarah called from the University and said "guess what I'm doing?" I had no clue so she said "I'm in the costume shop altering Dierks Bentley's pants". Picking my jaw up off the floor..."How did that happen?" So she tells how friend Kenny (see pic) hired her to help him with this project of altering Dierks' wardrobe for the concert. The price tag on the Dolce and Gabbana pants was $1,000. Sarah had to take them apart and put them back together again and was sweating bullets the whole time. But she did a fabulous job and Dierks was very impressed because he couldn't even tell where she had done the work. He sat in the costume shop and chatted with her while she worked and then invited her to watch the concert from the wings. She was flying high and on cloud nine for days afterward. I asked if she got an autograph and was quickly informed that that sort of thing isn't done in professional circles. What do I know? Anyway, the digi layout here is inspired by the cover shot of the Nov. 2006 CK magazine. I made the digi template using that layout as a scraplift. The kit is by Eva Kipler at Digital Freebies. It is called Vanilla Chai. Love the colors in the kit and how they worked with this photo.

Field of Screams

2007-11-04T11:07:00.000-07:00

Ah to be 11 again. Such a great age. Old enough to do stuff like this and young enough to still be scared out of your drawers. This layout is from our trip to the Field of Screams. They ask you, at the entrance, "how scared would you like to be on a scale of 1-3?" The boys yelled 12. I requested 2. We approached the entrance and what did my big brave escorts do? They shoved me to the front and hid behind me the whole way. So what did I do? I proceeded to yell "Pansies, coming through!" all the way through the corn maze. I made the chainsaw maniac snort. I hate to say it, but there is nothing remotely scary about a snorting chainsaw maniac.

Would you like fries with your cake?

2007-10-26T10:54:00.000-06:00

Here's Alex's birthday cake. The burger layer is actually brownie. Disregard the messy crumbs on the edge. Those are gone now. Sarah had this same cake at about the same age, maybe a year or two older. It's pretty popular and easy to make. Those are real sesame seeds on top and the "condiments" are starburst and gumdrops, rolled thin and shaped to resemble lettuce, onion, pickle and cheese. Can you say SUGAR HIGH?

Happy Birthday,Dude!

2007-10-23T06:42:00.001-06:00

Happy 11th Birthday Alex. It's so hard to believe that he's that old. My baby is now almost as tall as me. I know that isn't saying much, but still. He looks me in the eye and wears the same shoe size and he's just all arms and legs anymore. He is patiently waiting for his birthday gift from me. He's getting a hamster. He has the cage all set up and we made letters on the cricut to spell "her" name out on the side. "Marki" is on order and should be joining the family any day now. He specifically ordered a female teddy bear hamster.
He spent several hours one night digging through storage to find the old hamster cage from Brittney's last pet, cleaned it all out and set it up in his room. He even sacrificed his big clunky stereo so that Marki could have pride of place on his book case. He has definitely shown a high level of responsibility and I think he's ready for it. And in other news, he's pretty sure he has a teeny tiny pimple forming on his chin. Not my baby anymore.

It's an odd year

2007-10-07T10:41:00.000-06:00

We have entered the odd year. Katie is 23, Sarah will soon be 21, Allison just turned 19, Brittney is almost 17 and this month Alex turns 11. July is the start of birthday season at our house. July, September, October, December and January. But a shift has occured. They don't need or want the big parties anymore. Katie just had cake and even that took four days to get to. We are just never all in the same place at the same time anymore. Allison didn't want anything fancy either, so she had a simple cake, a trip to the carousel and a couple of friends who all stood around the kitchen counter and ate aforementioned cake. Yippee!! Party!! Alex is still indulging me. I love to plan and throw fun kids' parties. He still lets me. I added them up the other day and came to the whopping number 86. That's 86 birthday parties for my own kids. Now that does NOT include the parties I did for others when Sally and I had our party planning business, Partypalooza. I would have to consult official records to get that number for you. 86 birthday parties with food and guests and activities and prizes and goodie bags. Now I'm down to a mere two or three per year. That number will dwindle as the girls move closer to adulthood and I'll be left with one per year for Alex until he decides that he's too cool for that sort of childish stuff. Then what will I do with my time? I really want to open my party planning business and design and decorate the party house. I journaled about it in my Encyclopedia of My Ordinary Life album and I did an entry about it in Pam's CJ a couple of rounds ago. It's my dream to have this business someday. It would be the ultimate for me.

But I still have time. I have a party to plan as we speak. Alex wants to go to the Corn Maize (Field of Screams) with a few of his buddies. Then a sleep over and he's chosen a "hamburger" cake for the party. It'll be fun and noisy and exciting and exhausting. I can't wait.

Its Very Serious Business

2007-10-02T09:02:00.000-06:00

Another Camp Scrappy has come and gone. It goes by too fast. We arrived early Friday morning and left late Sunday afternoon and it felt like only a few hours had passed. I love this group. I love the fun and laughter and sharing and just the whole thing. Every minute of it. I love that if you are in need of an item you have only to holler out "Does anyone have..." and three or four of them will shoot up into the air for you to select. Love that. I love the Chinese gift exchange and all the sneaky stealing. I love Trading Pages and the tears and laughter at the big reveal. I love the page contest and voting and seeing all the wonderful creations that everyone has worked all weekend to create and I love the big announcement of who won the contest and will be our free guest for the next year. I love all the help and support and that everyone pitches in to make, serve and clean up the meals and that they all stay late to help vacuum and sweep and move tables and load other people's belongings into the cars. Love it. Love it all. Love its guts. Can't wait for January and do it all again.

Much To Do About Something

2007-09-25T05:57:00.000-06:00

To Buy... DONE
Black ink
adhesive...LOTS
Qtips
Hersey's Kisses

To Do... DONE
Print logo transfers for t-shirst
Print journaling
Finish altering Frapee' bottles
Dump camera memory card

To Pack...
Iron
Cutting Mat
Frapee' bottles
gift for gift exchange
Huge zip top bags for page kits
camera
tripod

Week at a glance
Monday....work, home to work on Camp stuff, DeeDee's jewelry party
Tuesday...Walmart (bright and early), work, home to work on Camp stuff, clean house
Wednesday... work lunch, work dinner, die of exhaustion
Thursday...work lunch, home to do laundry, Camp shopping with Sally in evening, load suburban with camp stuff. Grey's Anatomy.
Friday...take Alex to school and hit the road.
Fri/Sat/Sun...CAMP SCRAPPY

Alas, it was not to be

2007-09-08T12:03:00.000-06:00

Elton John tickets sold out in about a half hour. Thousands of disgruntled fans were turned away empty handed. So, I will console myself with wine coolers at Camp Scrappy. All is well.

Click your heels together three times

2007-09-03T07:52:00.000-06:00

And Wish Me Here:

Yes, its the first night of Camp Scrappy. Yes I would have to drive back to town and then back to camp. Yes, I would have to leave my campers unattended for several hours. SO THE HELL WHAT? Its only 30 miles to town. They are all adults who only require that food be provided. They can heat it up for themselves. When the notice first came out that he was coming to town, I said "If the tickets are under $100, I want to go". Guess what? The tickets range from $67-$97. If that isn't a sign from above, I don't know what is. They have some screwy louie way of getting the tix though. On Tues, you line up to get a numbered wrist band. On Wed. you line up in numerical order to get your tix. BUT, you can also buy online or over the phone. Well the phone is out of the question, and I'm not lining up twice to see anyone in concert, but I'll attempt online purchasing. If I am able to get on the site, that'll be the last sign I need that I should be at that concert. I'm dying here. I love Elton and can't believe that he's coming. I can just hear him talking to his promoter...."Missoula what? I wasn't aware that my career was in the toilet." Nevermind, Elton, we love you. We are deserving and hardworking people. This little detour won't harm you in any way. Oh, and Elton, I'll feed you awesome Asian food. It's only a hop skip and jump over the river to my own personal restaurant.

Fire Update and other stuff

2007-08-25T13:10:00.000-06:00

A few cooler days and some wind and a bit of rain really helped to clear out the smoke. The cooler temps, increased humidity and that little bit of rain have also helped the fire crews out on the front lines. The fires still burn, but are a little more in hand now. We are not out of the woods yet, though. Hotter temps and still no "real" rain in the forecast mean we could be fighting the fires for some time to come.

Other stuff includes Katie and Dani moved in on Thursday and we are settling into baby mode at the P household. Katie is back on the RW rotation and she's been added to the chore chart. Who says you can't go home?

Tomorrow night is Sundaes in the Park (meet the neighbors/say good bye summer/ welcome home Val) I have 40 RSVPs so far. Pretty fun. Everyone is talking about it. I was stopped by a couple more neighbors at the mailboxes today. It doesn't take much to entertain this bunch, apparently.

Monday is the first day of classes for Sarah and Allison. They are both pretty excited. Did I mention they both made the Dean's list last semester? They did. Pretty proud of them for that.
Sarah has a payed position in the costume shop. She's very happy about that. She's still working for us and her costume job ends at 5pm every day. So happy happy, joy, joy.

Sept 4 is first day of school for Alex and Brittney. Gotta get the school shopping done next week and then we'll be set.

Sept. 28 is Camp Scrappy and I'm really stoked about that but then this morning I look at the newspaper and what do I see? Elton John is coming to town on Sept. 28. WTH? They announce this earthshattering news a mere month in advance? Who's in charge? I have issues. Would it be totally shitty of me to leave my campers on Friday night and go to the concert? I would only have a half hour drive. I'm seriously considering it. It will all depend on the cost of the tickets. If they are over $100 I won't even think about going. Why do I think they'll be over $100? Anyway, that's my life in the nuthouse.

I'm Not a Smoker

2007-08-16T17:23:00.000-06:00

But you'd never know it if you looked in my lungs lately.

Remember my gorgeous view?

<-----------------

Well, the latest fire in the area, the Black Cat, has the entire valley just socked in with smoke.

My view now looks like this .

<---------

Visibility is less than a half mile. What does this mean? Well, according to the Health Department, it means you should not be outdoors. You certainly shouldn't be exerting yourself outdoors. So you can bet that I'm not. Not outdoors and not exerting myself. Hey, the Health Department said so. The proof is right here.

Who doesn't love a good freebie?

2007-08-15T17:03:00.000-06:00

I'm totally hooked on free digi kits and templates. Have you tried the digi templates yet? OMG they are too fun. Now don't for one minute think that using a digi template is really that artistic. You do have to pick the papers and embellishements but other than that you just have to show up and click. I've been in a bit of a funk creative wise lately and this has been the answer to my scrappy woes. In fact last night I attempted to sit with friends and paper scrap and I almost couldn't do it. Almost...I did complete one page, but that was it. So today I sit down and knock out two. Hmmmm. Me thinks that I'll just do this until the paper fairy comes to visit again.

Anyway. Here are some that were done with free kits and templates.

Lovin' the Freebies this week.
Some of my favorite freebie sites are

Shabby Princess
Digital Freebies
Scrap Outside The Box
You can find loads of fun stuff at these sites.

Its a Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

2007-08-06T09:42:00.000-06:00

Dani's in the house. Of course so are her parents, but Dani's in the house. What bright little spot of sunshine she is. She currently likes to pull hair, bite the eyeballs of her stuffed frog, slobber and drool, kick and squirm, and delight us all with her sweet baby antics.

The aunties and uncle are in mad competition for her attention and sometimes she becomes a bit overwhelmed by it all resulting in a brief thunderstorm of tears followed almost immediately by sunny smiles and coos. Such a funny monkey.

That's about all for today, but did I mention that Dani's in the house?

Time Flies

2007-07-23T06:15:00.000-06:00

Well, I've just enjoyed my first weekend at home in a while. What did I do? Walked the dogs, mowed the yard, tidied up and SCRAPPED. Digital...but still.

A couple of these I did over the course of the week. I hadn't scrapped in way too long. I guess it helps to get out and do something and take some photos. It also helps to have cool new downloads to ...yes, download. It gets the juices flowing. Now that I've broken the ice that had frozen over my brain, I can start to think about Laura's, CJ. It's Truth or Dare and Madeline picked my Truth. I don't think I can post it, but lets say that it made me think really, really hard and that sorta hurt. But I figured out what I'm going to do. Now for the Dare...again, Brain Fart and some pain. I'll get it, I'm sure, but ouch. Anyway, I'm back in the saddle for a little bit and its pretty good.

2007-07-10T08:20:00.000-06:00

A Weekend In Paradise

Ok, my version of paradise and someone else's might not be exactly the same, but it was paradise none the less. My cabin. My happy place. Where I feel the most ME. Where I dream of being all year long. Where I would love to squirrel away all by myself for as long as I could stand to not have a decent shower. I've thought of buying or building a cabin of our very own much closer to home, but how could that ever be as good as this one? Would it be tucked way back in the woods away from everyone and everything else? Would it have that cabin feel? I don't think its possible. To me and my family this place is just magical. The history that swirls around it is palpable. We gave Gracie a bath in the same basin we've all had baths in. Her cabin baptism, if you please. To think that my mom got a bath in there, then me and Molly in her time and my kids and now Grace. I'm trying to scheme a way to get Dani up there during their time here. She needs a cabin bath too. Sarah, Allison and Alex came along this time. Molly and Grace followed in their car. Mom, Dad, and Molly's Dad and stepmom came up for Saturday. Sarah decided to go home with Mom and Dad and we met them on Monday to trade Sarah for Alex. So Alex is having his week with the grands. That left Allison and Alex to play and amuse themselves on Sunday. They spent the whole day down at the creek, building a "raft". Isn't it wonderful that in this day of technology two kids can entertain themselves for hours and hours on and in a creek? For some reason all thoughts of TV, computer, internet, telephone etc fly right out of our heads when we drive through that gate. We don't miss any of it at all. The only thing that I'd like to change at the cabin is the hot water situation. We must haul the water from the creek, sift out the organic matter, and heat it on the coleman stove (the wood stove is just too hot in summer). To do all this for a cuppa or in prep for dishwashing is the only thing I'd change. I don't even really want to have hot "running" water. Just a means of storing hot water. I need to look at those things that caterers use. I might need to buy one. Oh and a way to keep stuff cold longer than a day or two. Then it would be perfect. We experienced the great ice debacle of 2007. We had ample ice (if the temp is in the normal range). But the temp was not in the normal range and our ice supply dwindled too quickly. Thankfully the parents left their ice with us, but we still could have used more. We drove 6 miles to the next town to the north. No Ice...go south. We drove 12 miles to the next town to the south. No Ice for you....the owner died and we can't make the ice fast enough. WTH? we spent the rest of the weekend cracking ourselves up over how the death of Bob, of Bob's Bar and Grill, could have had any impact on their ability to produce ice. Did Bob have the recipe? Was Bob the official ice tray filler? Where they keeping Bob on ice for some reason? We laughed until we almost cried over Bob's untimely demise and the lack of ice. But now we're home and I have hot running water and coffee waiting for me when I wake up and and ice maker happily churing out ice on demand, and I've had two showers and will probably have one more before going to work today. It is good to be home, but I miss that place already.

IRL (In Real Life)

2007-06-26T05:46:00.000-06:00

For those who don't know; this is Laura, who I know from a very special board. Not long ago, Laura asked if she could come and visit me. Absolutely and without question; YES. Its a long drive. Over 10 hours, but she did it. We had the best time. We chatted like we'd always been together. We toured some interesting local attractions and scrapped a bit and just talked ourselves silly. My "by-the-rules" kid wasn't too sure about inviting an internet aquaintance to our house. She teased us pretty good about it. Afterall, we tell our kids not to talk to strangers online and don't give out too much personal info and all that. But Laura and I have been on the same board for so long that we just "knew" each other. She did tell the kids that she left the axe in the car. LOL This was such a fun time. Now we're talking about getting more of us together next summer for a weekend on the west coast. I can hardly stand to wait that long. I wonder if the others will bring their axes.

The Digi Learning Curve

2007-06-10T17:29:00.000-06:00

I just downloaded Jessica Sprague's free digital kit Strawberry Lemonade , then I received this photo of Dani at 4 months. They seemed made for each other. She's on an outing to the park with her mom and a play date. She just looks so rosy and pink in the photo. I played around with making my own corner rounder. The ones I wanted to download aren't compatible with my version of PS7, so I fiddled around and made my own. It's OK, but not perfect. I can't apply drop shadow to those areas because the little white corner shows up. But its OK for now, until I figure out a better way. I also learned to manipulate text and added it to the flowers in the pattern paper and also the flower sticker. This layout was certainly a learning experience for me today. The true test will be when I print it out.

Road Trips

2007-06-04T06:43:00.000-06:00

We went to see Sarah on Sunday. We'd wanted to go to the Museum of the Rockies for quite some time and this was the time. Sarah is starting her second week with Shakespeare in the Parks and was running low on food. We had some stuff packed up to send to her and then decided that we should just deliver it personally. It was a good day in the end. There was a major bump before we even got out the door but that was all settled and we were able to proceed on our way.

So the museum is pretty cool. Lots of dinosaur and native american stuff to see but this summer they also have the King Tut exhibit and some orignal Picasos on display. We thoroughly enjoyed every inch of the museum and the Living History Farm next to it. This big guy out front is "Big Mike". Pretty impressive huh? More photos and details later.

a little 2peas Meme

2007-05-25T09:43:00.000-06:00

a little 2peas Meme
From Sophia's 2 peas Meme challege by way of Laura http://scrappisms.typepad.com/a_scrappists_thoughts/:
Your home meme: Ranch, Rambler, 2 story, More: Ranch with full finished basement.

Siding: composit, supposed to look like wood.

Garage attached or detached: Attached

Number of Bedrooms: 5

Number of bathrooms: 3 full baths

Best extra in your home: bonus room that is now my craft room

Favorite room in your home: Above mentioned craft room, closely followed by my bedroom

Last room you purchased something for: my craft room again

Worst piece of furniture: the old chairs to the table in the family room. My mom had them when I was a kid. OLD CHAIRS

Style (Country, Old Word, Pottery Barn, Primitive, Traditional, Hand-me Downs): Traditional with a hint of hand me down

Clean and Organized, Cluttered and Chaotic, Clean but lived in: Clean but lived in with cluttered kids' rooms

How long have you lived there: 9 years this fall

Your dream home or a step along the way: Not my dream home, but I'd be happy if it were my last home.

Photo of your favorite room: Since my craft room isn't completely done, I'll post my bedroom.