Birthday Girl

 Three years ago today, we adopted Callie Girl. She demands at least two, if not three walks per day. If I am tired and unwilling, she will tug at my arm, cry, and not stop until I get her leash. She sits behind me on my office chair, barely leaving room for my rear end. She follows me from room to room. She is sometimes not friendly to new people. Much like a baby, she needs to be fed and have her poop cleaned up. All this sounds like work and, yet, I love her so much. Just petting her has a calming affect when I am upset. She makes me smile and often laugh out loud. The kids adore her and she puts up with them carting her around all the time. She is a part of our family now and I can't imagine her not being with us. The vet said he marks a dog's age in thirds. The first third of their life, the second third and the last third. He said Callie is in her middle third. I guess we can grow old together.

It bears the question....Who rescued who??
Happy Birthday, Callie! And many more...

Christmas Card

 Best part of Christmas for me is the sending and receiving of cards. I have been torturing kids for two generations with my hair brained ideas! This is the first year that the grandkids didn't want to cooperate!! When did they become so stubborn, opinionated and unbending?!?!? Oh, wait, that sounds a lot like me!!
The irony of it all is, after taking about two dozen photos to try and capture this one for the front, I ended up using the VERY FIRST ONE I took!!! That gave me a good laugh after all the struggle to get the shot.

Here's the inside. It was taken on our annual family camping trip to Convict Lake. It is a fun, family time that brings a smile to everyone's face. Good for capturing a photo of the kids! For full disclosure, I have to admit, Pa was fishing at the time this photo was taken of the kids and me. Through the magic of photo shop and a little editing, he is miraculously in the picture with all of us, even standing barefoot in the stream! HA!

I often wonder how many people turn my card over and check out the back. There is usually something extra to see. This year it is a shot of my three loves, again, looking happy. Their joy is catching. I highly recommend grandchildren. They are the best part of my card....AND of Christmas!!
P.S. Jack told me the tape tore off his moustache!! Who knew 8 year olds had a moustache!!
There's always a back story to my cards....and I love it!

P.S. to Oh, Christmas Tree

Well, I decided to buck tradition and do a table top tree. In fact, I did three, one live and the other two tiny ones on each side are fake. I like it. It is different. It looks nice against the mirrored wall. I was able to go and buy it myself and it fit in my car.
"Never worry about the size of your tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall."
Unless you're Abigail. She looked at it and proclaimed, "That's not a real tree. It's just too small, Grammie!"
Sorry, Abs. It will have to do this year.

Jack Claus

Not sure if he is channeling Santa or Si from Duck Dynasty. Either way, this photo just makes me smile. This kid is fun, spirited, kindhearted and funny as hell!! He always has a comeback line. He is the first to question, "Why?" and really listen to your answer. He knows the value of a good laugh. He thinks people and their feelings matter.
He is wise beyond his years.

Oh, Christmas Tree

 I am struggling this year about the Christmas tree. For 11 years, we had this huge, 10 foot fake tree that I loved. I could bend its branches any way I needed to accommodate the ornaments. It didn't have any bare spots or flaws. It was perfect. My family HATED it!! No smell, fake is dumb, it's TOO perfect!! My husband swore like a sailor every time he wrestled to put the thing together. When it finally died (area three just would not light up anymore!!), they rejoiced. I grumbled. We got a real tree last year and yes, it smelled and it was pretty but not that interesting, and certainly not 10 feet!
I had a creative brain storm that this year. I would buy a mix of small fake and real trees (2, 3 and 4 feet tall) and create my own little forest on top of a table. The gifts would go under the table. It would be different. It would be interesting. You would think I had announced I was going to walk naked down Irvine Blvd!!!! My family, loudly, let me know that was the dumbest, ugliest idea I have had in all of 2014!! So, as of today, we have NO tree in the house. It's usually up Thanksgiving weekend. I am still torn about what to do. Indecision IS a decision!
I like to read. Maybe I should make a tree of books like the one pictured above.

I like wine. Maybe I should create one like this. Now that would be a challenge...maybe!!

I always thought an upside down tree was fun and funny. Maybe I should make my husband wire one from the ceiling. Nah, never mind. He'd just start swearing like a sailor again.
We remain treeless! Sigh.

Bless Us, Oh Text

Is this what we have come to as a society?? Although funny, it is also a little sad because it is probably pretty close to the truth. We are a world moving forward with our heads down, gazing into our phones as if they hold all the answers of the universe. Well, I guess with Google or Suri they kind of do!
Is it too much to ask that we leave the phones away from the Thanksgiving table? Can the score, the text, the update, the post wait for the 20 minutes it will take us to consume the food that took four hours to make? Can we try and look at each other when we converse? Can we remember that all the technology in the world cannot make up for a kind word spoken, a hand held, a pat on the back or a hug?
Happy Thanksgiving...unplugged!
 

Oh, Jack

"To my grandson: I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am with I am with you. Keep being you."
This boy...hard to put into words how I feel about him. I love them all, no doubt, but this boy is such a special, kindhearted gift from above. He had just gobbled down and PB&J and had a little jelly on his face (look closely) in this photo. I was struck with how old he looked in the picture and told him so. He immediately hugged me and said it was okay!
When did the child lead the adult? How quickly the roles reverse! How lucky I am to learn from this beautiful soul.

What's on Your List?

I was just having a discussion with a friend this week about this very idea and then came across this sign. Oh, there's loads of things I want, most of which I really can just go and buy for myself, but when someone asks me, "What do you want for Christmas?", I am hard pressed to give them a good answer. Age has a way of diminishing "things" you desire. How do you wrap health? How do you wrap family harmony? How do you wrap less stress and more peace? How do you wrap living in the moment?
One of the best Christmases I ever had was the year I told everyone I wanted "nothing to dust". In other words, no more "things". I received wine. I received a gift certificate for a massage. I received gift cards to restaurants. I received movie passes. In other words, I received "experiences" instead of "things". As I get older, I realize the idea of creating memories is more fun than getting one more trinket for my already filled house. I realize that doing something with the people I love will leave me feeling happy and content longer than another pair of shoes (and I really like shoes!). I realize there is a finite amount of time left to store up as many of these beautiful memories as I can.
What did you get for Christmas last year? Might be tough to answer.
Remember how we laughed when we went skiing at Copper Mountain and somebody thought my husband was Mel Gibson in the elevator?!?! So easy to remember and smile one more time.
Yeah, nothing to dust is a pretty good idea.

Let Go

You know how, every once in awhile, you read something that feels like somebody smacked you on the forehead? Well, when I read this proverb this morning, it did just that for me. I am pretty sure each of us has  something in our life that we'd be better off if we'd just let it go.
Hard to do, but worth the effort.

TAG

If the shoe fits....okay, I think I'll own this today!!! Just call me TAG for short!!
Happy Monday!

A Story

 Once upon a time, there was a girl. She was not athletic. In fact, she hated sports. She was not popular. She was not pretty. She was smart. She knew the answers when the other kids didn’t. Something happened to the girl when she was in her fifth decade. She suddenly decided to try running. It made her lungs burn. It made her legs ache. She couldn’t get very far, but she kept at it. Sometimes she said to herself, “I hate running!” Sometimes she said it out loud, “I hate running!”  She still kept at it. She entered her first 5K and, although it was hard and she wasn’t that fast, she was hooked. She ran another and another and another. She tested her own limits and tried a 10K. She amazed herself that she finished and didn’t throw up!

After a year of running short races, the crazy notion of trying a half marathon crept into her brain. She tried to ignore it, but it wouldn’t go away. Could she make it? Could she finish? The questions nagged her and so she trained for it. She ran and she ran and she ran. She ran when it was cold outside. She ran when it was hot outside. She just kept running. Even if the run was hard, the way she felt when it was over was hard to describe. She felt happy and accomplished and at peace. These were not things that this girl usually felt.

The years went by and the races she ran added up to dozens. Sometimes she ran fast and sometimes she ran like a snail. It didn’t matter because the feeling at the end was always the same - wonderful. The rack in her workout room was full of medals she had received. Sometimes she looked them over and still marveled that a girl like her, smart, not athletic, had accomplished so much. Silly things, those medals, but for this girl, they may as well have been diamonds. They were precious to her.

Sometimes she got aches and pains. Sometimes there were injuries. These were the times, when she could not run, that she was reminded how much she loved to run, how much she needed it to stay grounded and sane in her crazy world. She always whispered a little prayer of thanksgiving for her ability to run, injury free and healthy. She meant every word.

Most stories that start with, “Once upon a time…” usually end with, “And she lived happily ever after.”

This story, however, must end with “to be continued…” God willing…

Everything?!

The land mines of marriage. Do you know how to safely navigate them? Take it from someone who has been married a loooooong time ~ full disclosure is overrated! 
Isn't that what girlfriends are for?!?!?!

Mini Donuts

 If you read my blog dated Oct 1st, you saw my wonderful recipe to make pumpkin spice muffins using only TWO ingredients (a box spice cake mix and 1 small can of pumpkin). The weather here has finally dropped a bit, no longer 98 degrees but in the low 80s, so I am in full fall mode. I decided to tweak the recipe a little and turn the muffins into mini donuts.

 I bought orange frosting (actually vanilla tasting, but a beautiful, dark orange color), mini tootsie rolls and a green Wilton sugar sheet. I have never worked with sugar sheets before and let me just use one word...EASY!! They are fully edible.

You probably guessed where this was going. Mini donuts become mini pumpkins by frosting them, using a tootsie roll for the stem poked in the middle and cutting out little leaves from the sugar sheet.
My official taste testers are due here from school any minute. We'll see what they have to say and how they rate them!
 

Ferris Wheel of Life

Life has its ups and downs. Enjoy the ride. Make sure to have people by your side that really love you, not just say they love you. It has always been, and it will always be true ~ actions speak louder than words. How do you know for sure, you ask? That little voice inside your head...that one that you sometimes ignore and then wish you'd listened to? Yeah, that's the one. Well, that little voice knows what's real...and so do you!

Inspire Someone

Although this sign is meant for runners, I really think it crosses over to all aspects of life. You never know who is listening, watching and being inspired by you. Maddy (granddaughter #1) was learning "in-" words last week and their definitions. Two of the words were "instruct" and "inspire". We had a discussion about the meaning of each and the difference from merely teaching someone something (instruct) and going beyond just showing and teaching to arousing or producing a feeling or thought in someone else by your actions or words (inspire).
What and who inspires us may vary at different stages of our lives. People who inspire us, challenge us to be better. People who inspire us, cause us to want more, for ourselves and the world around us. People who inspire us, leave us with thoughts and ideas that were not there before we met them.
The smallest action can be inspiring to us and that means, the smallest action on our part, can inspire someone else.
Heady stuff...not to be taken lightly.
Surround yourself with inspiring people. It rubs off.

Easy = Yummy

It's October 1st and even if we are about to have another heat wave of one hundred degree temps, I want to think about fall and making soups and baking yummy things. Trying new recipes and pulling out old favorites are all part of the fall season leading into the holidays. The house smells divine. The kids enjoy being my "official taste testers". I just love it!
People sometimes don't believe me when I give them this simple, two ingredient receipt for pumpkin muffins. All it takes is a box spice cake mix and a small can of pumpkin. THAT'S IT!!! No eggs, no oil, no water. I have been making these muffins for several years now and they are moist and yummy, I promise!! How? I don't really know, but who cares? The results are yummy and one you can even feel good about gifting to others. I like to put some in a basket and wrap them in a fall dish towel. Two gifts in one! Such a quick and easy way to brighten someone's day.
Life is hard. These muffins are easy!

Roomies

Well, this is a first! In almost three years since we rescued Callie, she has ALWAYS slept in our room, mostly, I admit, at the end of our bed. When I awoke this morning, she was nowhere to be found. After further investigation, I discovered her snuggled on the guest bed with Jack E. Boy! She had stayed there the entire night. I took her out for her morning pee, went to make coffee and noticed her bed in the entryway was empty. I found her, once again, back on the guest bed with "the boy". I just thought it was adorable that she wanted to hang with him.
Dogs are smart, intuitive creatures. They know good people with gentle souls. Who wouldn't want to snuggle up next to him???
This picture just makes me smile!

Where's My Law?

Last week, California passed a law that states a car must allow three feet of room for a bicyclist. On my run this morning, I couldn't help but wonder, what's the law to protect runners? This was brought to the forefront of my mind about mile four, when two young girls, in a silver Camry, came within about four inches of running me over. They were so busy, laughing, chatting and, what appeared to be, changing the radio station, they never saw me in the crosswalk. I, being me, yelled, "You almost hit me! You almost hit me!" which finally caused them to look up in horror. I am pretty sure they were both shaking for the next few miles of their drive. At least I hope so. Hey, girls, you came within four inches of making my husband a widower! It was, seriously, that close!!
My husband always admonishes me that I have to be the one who is always watching. He takes the "drive defensively" to the level of "run defensively". He says I need to assume that they are going to hit me. He says it's on me to be vigilantly watching at every corner, just in case they are not.
This takes my fun run and turns it into a job! Bah!
I know I have blogged about this before, but PLEASE be careful. Look BOTH ways when making any turn. Really STOP at every stop sign. Someone may be about to cross. That someone might be me.
My husband would make a lousy widower!

Enough

Although my life is FAR from perfect, today I am looking into a glass half full. Grateful for the small things that really are the big things. Enough to eat, enough to shelter me, enough people around who love me, enough things going on in my life to make me feel useful, enough awareness that I can and do help others regularly, enough to laugh about, enough health to keep me moving down the road.
ENOUGH!
And that is good enough for me!

The Countdown

Not to wreck your day or anything...but it really is 100 days til Christmas!!! Sorry, but I love the countdown. I love the anticipation. I love the looking forward to it. I love the season and the joy. I love telling people, "Merry Christmas" instead of "Have a nice day."
Not to wreck your day any further, but I've already started my shopping! In fact, I expect to see my friendly UPS man today with some goodies.
Ho! Ho! Ho!

What Are You Waiting For?

Limbo sucks. Love me. Hate me. Yes. No. Waiting is missing the whole point of life. Living in the present feels so much better than waiting for something to happen. We all wait for things...but the trick is to enjoy the now as much as the wait.
Enjoy this Tuesday while waiting for this Friday.
Enjoy the winter cold while waiting for the summer heat.
Enjoy life now (even with all its bumps & bruises) and you won't ever have to wait for happiness. It will be staring you in the face!