Just Hanging Around

As you know if you read my blog, I am an avid reader. I always have a book going and get nervous when I look up and there isn't a new one waiting on the "unread" stack in my bedroom.

I saw this idea in a magazine and had to make some. I had the girls act as if they were climbing up and snapped their picture. After printing the shots, I cut them out, backed them on a piece of manila folder, laminated therm and punched a hole on top. After adding the ribbon (wish I had real tassels, but couldn't find any), it looks as if they are climbing up the page. it makes me smile every time I open my book!

Some day they are going to say "NO" to one of my crazy ideas. I hope that day is a long way off!

Spaghetti Abbey

"No one is alone eating spaghetti, it requires so much attention."  She is a funny kid who makes even simple things (like eating spaghetti) a Golden Moment. Stop. Notice. Breathe. Smile.

Falling...

"Sometimes when things are falling apart, they are really just falling into place."
I admit, I stole this from a friend's page on Facebook. I have really felt like things have been falling apart lately ~ in all areas of my life. I am now waiting for the falling into place part to occur.
Let's hope it's soon.

Silver/Gold

Remember the old song from childhood, "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other is gold." Well, I have long said it is difficult to make friends later in life because it is too tiresome to catch them up on decades of your life and all its intricacies. We make, what I call, pocket friends. You tell them a few tidbits. You share a few stories from the past. You tell them about your life as it is right now. They get pockets of your life, but not the whole picture.Too long...too hard to tell.
I am here to say, I made a new friend. Our paths crossed in the most arbitrary way and could have easily never happened. But they did. I am convinced it is for a reason. We are close in age but, at first glance, very different. I have been married for decades with two children. She has been single most for her life with no children. She has been in the one field I have always said is definitely NOT for me ~ medical. She is from Chicago and a new transplant to CA. I am a CA gal for forever.
All these differences aside, there is something that I really like about this woman. I think she feels the same. Our chats cover a variety of topics and I find myself laughing at times and provoked to seeing things differently at other times. We both have scars from life's curve balls. We continue to pick ourselves up from the dirt, dust ourselves off and keep going.
We met each other for a reason. Can't wait to see what that reason is.
Keep going...one foot in front of the other...

Grandparent's Day

"A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz." ~Humphrey Bogart

Humphrey Bogart knew what he was talking about when he made that statement. I have been given gold. I have been given diamonds. I have been on five star vacations. Today, at the Tustin Western Little League ball field, I was treated like royalty. It was Grandparent's Day. They gave us presents (buy me some peanuts & Cracker Jack). They valeted us from our cars to the ball field in a golf cart. They fed us a great lunch prepared by all the moms. They took our picture with our little MVP.
Not sure about you, but to me, that sounds like just about a perfect day!! On top of all that, the Royals played GREAT!!! Thanks, Jack, for letting me be a part of your life.

7 Secrets

Not sure why, but this really spoke to me today. Simple things in our every day life that we don't even notice can be reminders to keep on putting one foot in front of the other...every day....no matter what seems to be standing on our way...

The Unexpected

"Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers."

When I found this photo of a flowering bed, I paused to marvel how beautiful it was. Wouldn't it be fun to have such an unexpected treasure in your garden? Some may think it's silly or out of place, but that is one of the reasons that I love it. Beds don't belong outside, let alone one that is lined with plants and flowers! I found the entire look enchanting.
While we may never run into such an unexpected item in any gardens we visit, it makes me realize how important it is to have a little hope and faith in the unexpected. Life can be a tough rode for most of us. The thought that something good or beautiful or unexpected can pop up at any time, gives us the fuel to continue on the rode. Not seen from where we are now, but just around the next bend, can be something wonderful...even a flower bed!!
Push on and keep your eyes open!!

Gratitude...Again!

"Gratitude consists of being more aware of what you have, than what you don't."
Gratitude was the word I chose this year to focus on more than ever. Actually, I have lost sight of this word more often than I care to admit in the last 3.5 months. It is just easier to worry, bitch and complain about what isn't, rather than acknowledge what is good in life. Rather than beating myself up for my lack of gratitude, I have decided to, once again, focus on the things for which I am grateful.
The one thing that has been ever present for me is my health. I have always been a very hearty person who has said, "I don't have time to be sick." This is partly my doing and partly just plain luck. I exercise and have never smoked. I try and keep my weight within a reasonable range. These things I can control. On the flip side, sometimes people with healthy habits become sick, either with small colds and flu or with big things like cancer. This is the luck part, I guess. I have never considered myself lucky, per se, as I rarely win a raffle prize or when I gamble in Las Vegas. However, I seem, so far, to have hit the health jackpot and for this I am very grateful. Most days I hardly acknowledge that all my body parts are working fine and I can go, go, go at the speed I choose.
Today, on this Monday in April, I am focused on the fact that I am blessed with health & I feel gratitude.

Full Disclosure

I am rarely, if ever, a quitter, but, in this case, I QUIT!!! See, I have naturally curly hair ~ very curly hair as you can see from this photo. This is me after simply drying my hair with a diffuser. It is , as I said, curly!!
I have painstakingly blown my hair straight to keep with the current trend. It does look nice when it is sleek and smooth, but I can never get it as perfect as it looks when I walk out of the salon (bless you, Nancy!) and it often comes out looking kind of frizzy and over processed on the ends.
I have decided to quit trying to mess with Mother Nature. I am going to let it be wild and curly for a little while. I am going to let it be a little natural and free. I am an aging hippie, I guess! I think I am going to find at least an extra half an hour per day that I would have spent carefully drying my hair with a round brush. What will I do with that time?? Maybe take the dog for an additional walk!! Now that's time well spent...and she couldn't care less how my hair looks!!

Imperfectly Perfect

This is a good depiction of him...kind of in the shadows but ever present. Often, he gruffly goes about his business of helping all of us in both big and small ways. He was probably tired this day from a week of work and yet he knew the bike ride would make me happy, so he went. He has always said that all he wants to do is make me happy....and it's no easy task!!! He is right.
I hope he never stops trying...

My Dog & Me

We went for a long bike ride at the beach yesterday, and I kept seeing people with these cute baskets on their bikes. I told Mark I wanted one and that I thought Callie Girl would love to ride with me. Mr. Practical, dream squisher, look to what bad can happen, said the dog would NEVER stay in the basket. I reluctantly agreed with him because, whenever we encounter another dog, person, bicycle or motorcycle on our neighborhood walks, she is, shall we say, less than gracious?!?! She starts barking, racing toward them, ready for a fight!! Someone has forgotten to inform her that she weighs 8 pounds, not 80!!
So, the dream went from a simple $20 basket to a bit more expensive. We found the Nantucket Bike Basket complete with the cage at REI. It is so darn cute and she looks adorable sitting in it. There was a 20% coupon going on AND hubby let me use his dividend money from last year. Now, that's love!!!

Olive You, Abbey

"A child has no trouble believing in the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. It's only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and over think and hesitate."
Olive you, Abbey!!