Halloween Leftovers

Does anyone else have leftover goodies from Halloween? Notice there's never any leftover chocolate? I only have one official Trick-or-Treater now. This is Mimi the Diva. In other words she dressed as herself this year. It's all about me, me, me! It's hard being the baby of the family.
We had a little party at Randy and Kari's house. I loved the metallic bronze eyelashes that were discarded halfway through the night. I'm sure the reflected light had something to do with that. And, yes, they are as fun as they look.

We laughed and laughed and laughed. We laughed so hard our cheeks hurt, our sides hurt, our heads hurt, we were coughing, sputtering, hooting, howling, crying, snorting, breaking chairs, nearly wetting ourselves, and almost passing out from the lack of oxygen! Our kids were begging us to stop! And that, folks, is not an exaggeration. We were drunk on laughter. This is Ricky and Dianne.

This is me and my dear husband, Jared, smiling like the Cheshire Cat. I also dressed as myself this year. I already have next year's costumes planned.

The kids need leftover candy so we can steal it to give us energy for the Christmas shopping the next day. Did you hear they were trying to change Black Friday? (Linked up for my foreign friends that might not know what that is, since you totally miss out on Thanksgiving altogether.) I don't shop early on Black Friday. I don't like to see the ugly side of people. I think it's a taste of what it will be like when/if we have a world economic collapse.

So....coming up - my daughter Ali is performing in her high school musical - Opening Night Tuesday night, Nov 16th. She is Sandy in "Grease". It was meant to be her part - she was BORN in Australia, you know! She was speaking Australian up until she was three and a half. Seth spoke with an accent until he was about six. People would ask him how old he was and he would answer, "Fahv and a Hawf." I'll try to post some more in the next few days. Lots happening!

Getting Back to "Normal"

I'm waiting for my life to get back to normal. I've had another absence again, but with good reason. My dear step dad passed away on September 17th. Art has been my step dad for 25 years. Even when a person is considered elderly, even when their health is failing, I still don't think you are ready for it. He was "terrible good" until the end.

The Patriot Guard Riders escorted us to the cemetery on their motorcycles and saluted Art, an army veteran and a Harley Davidson rider when he could ride. They made a path to his final resting place, while his grandsons carried him in the casket he made himself.

There's a lot of deep thinking when someone close to you passes away. It's as if everything has paused for you but life is still running in fast motion for everyone else. You contemplate what is really important and realize there are many things that force you to lose focus on them - like work, school, and fatigue.

I've been thinking a lot about these things. Not the fatigue part but the work and school part. This posting has been so serious - not like me. I'm trying to get back to normal. These things help me:
This is Ali with her friend Rob before their Homecoming Dance.
This is me and Holly in the back, KyAnn, Jackie, Lisa and Shauna in the front. We had a Girls' Night Out and ate at an Italian restaurant and talked about blogging. It was nice to get out and laugh with some of the funniest and nicest "girls" on the planet.

Okay, now that I got you caught up, I can't leave you without a funny story. I was shopping in my second home, aka Wal-Mart, when an elderly lady asks me if I knew the store very well. I know the store better than I should and she asked me where the tampons and Kotex would be. I told her they were on the other side of the pharmacy on the right. She turns to her husband and says, "See Harold. I was close but no cigar." Don't worry, I didn't laugh out loud.

Bloggin' BFFs and a Bathroom Story

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet a good friend of mine. Yeah, she is my good friend but we had never actually met! We went to lunch had a great time eating salads, talking, laughing, laughing some more, and we even had cheesecake under peer pressure. You know, "I'll have a piece if you do," and "I'll have a piece if you don't tell anyone I ate the whole thing by myself and licked my plate in public."

This is Lisa from Blue and Shoe, KyAnn from Checketts-Myers Clan and this is a rare photo of me. You know how much I love to get my photo taken. Lisa and KyAnn, you may notice a little Photoshop enhancement, erasing of any food particles still left on our face, removal of double chins and I gave myself a breast augmentation. Eh hem. There's only so much you can do in Photoshop when you start with a picture from a cheap camera with bad restaurant lighting.

I missed the other "Blog Friends" get together that KyAnn got to go to because I go to school on Thursday nights. I'm considering changing my night to Monday night. It seems I am missing a lot of things on Thursdays. I cried on Sunday because I'm missing Mimi's "Back-to-School" Fashion Show with the church activity days for girls age 8-11.

On another note, we had an emergency here tonight. For friends on Facebook who watched the drama unfold, you know I can't pass up a good toilet story. I will spare you the photos for this one......and I actually spared myself. There are no photos. It was almost as bad as this time.

Ali came upstairs and complained that the toilet was clogged in the basement. Jared went down and checked it out. He then proceeded to yell at Seth who I guess didn't feel like doing anything about it. I was upstairs in my room listening to the yelling that went on for about ten minutes. I found it a little humorous that they were having such a huge fight over a clogged toilet. We all know, Dr. Phil, that it's not about the clogged toilet. It's about the owner of the "problem" that won't accept responsibility. It's about adding more fiber to some one's food.

Then Ali tells me it's been like that since Sunday. That is wrong on so many levels. But I thought it was kind of funny. So my husband had to run to the hardware store to buy a "power plunger." This was one stubborn obstruction. Jared said he was going to go back to the hardware store to buy a snake. Mimi thought she was going to get a new pet. I downloaded a video so you can learn to use a Plumber's Snake, not a Toilet Snake like I was calling it. The toilet snake may be part of the problem. I was hoping to see more action in this video. I'm thinking when Jared uses the toilet snake I better get it on video. Maybe I'll even have a go with this little beauty!

Anyway, you can call off the exorcism now. Satan has fallen out of someone's bottom.

Lessons From Drama

So, I told you about my sucky letter that I got on Saturday. I was a bit emotional about that on the weekend but I'm good now. Just had to get it out of my system. I'm still a little bitter. I could spew out some sarcasm, I'm sure.

Saturday, as I sat at my desk and cried, my wonderful 17 year old daughter Ali walked in and asked me what was wrong. I told her I didn't even get an interview for the position at her school that I really wanted. I had told her about it before and she thought it would be cool if I got a job at her school. I told her they probably had someone in mind for the job already.

My precious daughter put her arms around me and said, "It's okay, Mom. In theater we learn that sometimes people are already picked out for parts. And even when you do your best and you try out for a part and you don't get it, it doesn't mean you weren't good enough. It just means the part was already given to someone else. There's nothing you could have done to change it. You're still a good actor and there will be other parts."

Really? Is she mine? How did I get a daughter so wonderful? My 19 year old son, Seth, came in and hugged me and said, "I love you, Mom." Mimi just came in and hugged me. My husband of course, said everything right and encouraged me. The dog reminded me that there was still ball to play and sometimes it gets stuck under the couch and you need someone to get it for you. There's a deep analogy there for you. My true friends have dived under the couch for me this week.

I'm feeling the pressure of improving my skills so I am not at the bottom of the totem pole but schooling is really taking a big bite out of my time. I love studying graphic design but it sure is hard having much energy for anything much after that. So I'm trying to decide if I need to cut to one day a week of school or what. That was another reason I was looking forward to having summers off, so I could fill in some more time with school. Well, I'll keep reading my fortune cookies and see what life has in store for me. Any advice?

Cheesecake Happens

Last night I had a dream that my son graduated and he was wearing a cap and gown. The thing was - he was graduating with a bunch of delinquents. I have no idea what meaning that dream has.

I got together with my BFF on Friday night while my husband went on a medieval camp with Mimi. No, I did not want to go and when Mimi called to tell me goodnight, she happened to mention there was no toilet and she would have to potty in the woods, that was an affirmation of my decision.

Karen and I ate at Rubio's where I had a sip of water that tasted like it was fresh from the toilet. Really. It was that bad. Try putting out a flaming mouth with that.

Thursday, I came home from work and our conversation went something like this:

Mimi: Why are you wearing a shirt under that shirt?

Me: 'Cause everyone would see my boobs if I didn't.

Mimi: You mean your crack?

Me: Yeah. It's actually called cleavage.

Mimi: Your crack is called cleavage?

Me: Yes.

Mimi: Your cleavage crack?

It reminds me of a time we were sitting in church, Mimi was about 2 1/2 years old. She was sitting on my lap facing me and it was dead quiet during our meeting. Next thing you know she pulls my scoop-necked T-shirt out and puts her head in and says loudly, "Mommy! You have a bum on your neck!" I handed her to Jared and didn't look up to see who saw that one.

I can't wait to explain what an anal cleft is, AKA gluteal cleft. Makes it sound so intelligently special. "Cover up your gluteal cleft." I guess that's what the thong was made for.

Thursday night I had school and Mimi wanted invitations to her birthday party to hand out the next day, which was the last day of school. So when I was telling my friend at work about her turning 10 on the 10th of June of 2010......I started crying. I didn't cry when my kids went to kindergarten, I thought they were so ready. But my baby turning 10? AND my other daughter is going to be a senior in high school this next school year. She's hoping to get a singing/theater scholarship and she said friends are talking about scholarships being better out of state. I told her she's not allowed to go out of state. I would have to move out of state with her and be her roommate.

You may notice I've put on a few pounds since my profile photo from last year. It happens fast and it sucks. I'll blame my birthday when everyone gave me cheesecake. So tonight after a girl's night with Karen, I ended it with reading all the blogs I'm following and had some cheesecake to drown my sorrows (two girls growing up).

Bloggers Galore!

Gobs of Blogs

There's blogs about family,

celebrities and friends,

Blogs can be short

and some never end.

Some can have causes

Some make you laugh

Some offer recipes

That leave you with gas.

Some are about babies,

vomit and poo

What I learned at CBC

is to just be YOU.

Wasn't that tender? Did you expect anything other than tender? Yes, I went to the Casual Bloggers Conference and it was GREAT! I just seem to be one of the ones who procrastinated blogging about it. If Fifi can blog after trying to immigrate to Mexico, I can blog after having my lovely headache that spanned the weekend. But this is not a whiney blog, so I won't whine. Except about this one thing at CBC:

Do you know what that is? No! It is not my MRI! It is a Tootsie Pop that I was totally ripped off with. You know how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? Too darn many when there is no Tootsie Roll in the center. If this was my MRI I'd have you know I have a lot of chocolate goodness inside my head.

Me and Lisa getting into the spirit of the night. See what happens when you have too much red food dye in Swedish Fish? Lisa is an awesome dancer!
I stole this picture from Serene. DeNae, Tauna, Serene and Crash. I have no idea what Crash's real name is. I'm sorry. But you can visit thier super fantabulous sites.
This is Alexes at One Cluttered Brain and Linda at See Mom Smile. They were so much fun. We had fun eating out almost every meal with Linda. So much fun - you should have been there! Start planning for next year. I'm glad to have met so many new friends!

Once again, eh hem, let's start over. That sounds like it happens often. Glammy gave me an award! Yipee! Skipee! Woo Hoo! She's actually "Glamazon the Mormon Mom" who I stumbled across following another blog. But here's the thing, Glammy. I love you much better than the other person. But she doesn't know that, so don't go spreading rumors! Okay, you can. They'll all be jealous and mention me on their "What I meant to say..." or "Post its." I'll be black listed. She said she gave me this award because I have funny stories and on of her favorites was about Easter. I tried to find a favorite post of hers but I have resolved to not having a favorite one. I love everything she writes, funny or serious. I really love her Friday Confessionals and I nearly wet myself when I read them. I tried to play along once. I just can't be too consistent at this point in life. I just want to thank her again for not giving me "that other award" because I would have to be way too creative for it! But thanks Glammy, for thinking my blog brings you sunshine.

Now I'm passing it on to five others who bring sunshine in my life:

1. Kyann who is really funny. I love her observations in life.

2 Pearl because she is really funny, too! I try not to hate her because she has no booty.

3. Serene who is so much fun to read and once again - she is another funny lady! Are you seeing a pattern here? These are the women who inspire me!

4. Fiona who is my sister-in-law in Oz (Tasmania to be exact - and yes they speak English there) and hers is more of a family blog, but it still brings sunshine in my life.

5. FiFi who has been on vacation for the last month, but I think it's time for her to come back. One of my fave stories of hers is "Mother: Another Word for" and I think I like the "Avoiding an Affair Part 1 & Part 2." She touches on mid-life crisis. Maybe this award will inspire her to come back from vacation! Go and show her some bloggy love!

Brag Moment - Please Tolerate

Okay, okay. I realize other people "just aren't into my kids" as much as I am. You could care less about the fact that my beautiful daughter went to prom with her boyfriend and her bestie and her bestie's boyfriend last night.

From left to right, Caden, Ali, Alex and Jocelyn (aka Joey). And they wore my favorite two colors. Not pink and black - pink and pinker, of course!

They all looked super smashing!

Here are the two beauties posing without their dates. It's kind of a shame no matter what boys do, they just don't look as stunning as girls. They try - and they do clean up well. But there's just something about a girl in a princessy dress.

Here is my darling daughter with her cute boyfriend. I thought I would only torture you with only three pictures...... though I have many, many more. I haven't looked at the disk full that Joey's dad sent over, yet. One might just happen to slip in in another post. Thanks for tolerating my brag moment. I just love that girl! She has amazing friends, too.

Some Random Pink Stuff

Just another day in paradise.......you know, I wake up, eat my Shredded Wheat and Bran cereal with chocolate soymilk, have a headache, take Excedrin and a handful of vitamins, clean house in my pjs, and some one knocks on my door at the early hour of noon. I'm still in my pjs, braless and feel the need to fold my arms. The choice is to either tuck them under my arms or hold them up with my arms. I should have practiced in the mirror to see which looks better. It's probably dangerous to do housework without a bra on anyway. But I didn't want to get that all sweaty and stuff anyway since they cost like $50.

Mimi announces, "It's Katie!"

I said, "Tell her to come in. COME IN, KATIE!" She says, "I CAN'T." So I come to the door, half tucked in, half tucked out (can't hide 'em) and she points behind her. Down my three stairs is a BABY CARRIAGE with her new adopted baby girl! So I had to go outside and show the neighbors, that yes, I am a pink maniac with a beer gut that is actually boobs without support, but who cares? It was a cute little precious bundle of perfect girlishness! She was asleep and looking so sweet. Now I have an excuse to go out and buy a cute pink outfit which will happen next Saturday because this one was shot.

I sang happy songs as I cleaned my toilet (or maybe I swore to familiar tunes) and had a meeting at the high school with the "Productions Director" to counsel her on colors. Did I mention my Ali is playing Gertrude McFuzz in "Suessical the Musical"? So it looks like my Tuesday night will be spent painting or detailing or something.

Then I took Ali to try on prom dresses at my friend's house and she is going to wear a very princessy pink dress. Daughter's just shouldn't look that cute at 17, they should wait until they are closer to breeding age, like 25. Especially, when she has a friend that she's been dating for the last eight months and has only graduated to boyfriend status two weeks ago. And you know how long it takes boys to mature. He's a sweet boy, but can he really last that long? Maybe I'll go to prom with them. That will be the true test. He has passed other tests, like he actually sang karaoke with me. And when I blamed him for leaving Mimi's Littlest Pet Shop toys all over the living room he said he wasn't finished playing with them. So he's quick, too. Maybe I could adopt him and make it really awkward.

To end my day I read all my favorite blogs and left brilliant comments on each of them. This is my world and I think they were brilliant. If I didn't leave a brilliant comment on yours, then let me know and I will rectify that.

Which brings me to my next topic (don't fall asleep yet) is HOW THE HECK do some people have so many followers? I read one un-named blog (not on my sidebar) with a gazillion followers and it was all about how wonderful they were and calling the readers names, which won't be repeated. I don't get it. "'Cause I'm so great and all you %$#(# love my butt!" Basically. I kinda get sick of that and un-follow their cocky butts. 'Cause I consider myself a friend and not a fan of some puffed up ego. Maybe none of you have ever visited blogs like that before. One power outage and POOF! Your fans are gone but your friends are here to stay. So I hope you didn't mind me bragging about my droopy boobs earlier.

What a Wonderful World

Some of you have asked how do I do it all? Well, I am blessed with wonderful people in my life and I try to be a wonderful person back. Try being the key word. I've been working full-time for about a year and a half. I am surrounded by wonderful people there.

Before that I worked other little jobs and met many wonderful people and learned great things - even from the adorable kids I substituted for, or taught art to. And before that I was a full-time mom to three wonderful kids. And before that I was a wife to a wonderful man, who has become even more wonderful over the years.

Errrrrt! Now I'm a part-time mom, part-time wife, working full-time, going to school part-time and then there's that necessary fun on the weekend which makes me a part-time friend. People have said, "You might have to give up blogging." You know who said those kind of nasties? People who don't read my blog - or any blogs. They don't get it. They don't get the artistic outlet of blogging and how much your blog friends mean. Even though some of us haven't even met, I feel like you're my friend and I love reading about your families and funny thoughts, too. I may have to blog a little less, but heck! Blogging has led me to my new career path in graphic design.

So you may be wondering how I'm doing in my classes. I clept out of a basic computer knowledge class. I finished my next ten hour "module" in 7.5 hours and got a 92% on my test. I'm almost done with my second "module" of 30 hours in about 15 hours and will take that test this week. I wish I could learn faster because I want to do the fun stuff, like design and draw. I was really worried that I would have a hard time retaining information because I seriously can't remember what I had for dinner last night. But so far so good. I was a good student back in the day, but it's been 25 years. So wish me luck! My next class is Photoshop, so I'm so excited to get started on that! Maybe I'll post more pictures of myself when I learn how to erase a chin!

So the next part of my wonderful world is I went shopping yesterday at JC Penney and I got three pairs of pants and a shirt to wear to work, a hoodie, two shirts and some leggins for Mimi all for $42!!!! I also had a Tupperware Party that morning and made lunch for my friends and it turned out wonderful. Then we got together with some friends in the evening and watched "Nacho Libre." Now I have a wonderful headache! Anyway, have a wonderful day!

Deal Breakers - a Meme

SupahMommy posted this meme so here goes:



Five relationship deal breakers (friend, family, in-laws, etc.)



1. Reciprocate. That means if I invite you to my house for dinner, call you to chat or invite you to a Tupperware party and you can't make it - it's your turn. But don't not come to my Tupperware party and expect me to come to yours, 'cause that is so rude. And if I came to your Tupperware party and bought something and booked a party off of yours you are obliged to come to mine and help me get my freakin' free stuff. True friends help you get freakin' free stuff! I do not invest in one-sided friendships. Actually, what I really mean is you need to call me once in awhile and instigate activities.



2. You must not be offended by potty talk. I don't know why but I find gross things funny. Except spit. I don't like someone else's saliva touching me. Not purposely or accidently. If you spit when you talk - the deal is off. Or snot. I don't like that either. My brother had a friend when he was in 3rd grade that had a perma-booger. I've never forgotten him. His name is Bubba Rogers. More like Hubba Bubba cause he always had a lime green bubble in his nostril. But you must be able to talk about it and dry heave together. And you must think anatomy is funny, too. Butts and boobs. Funny stuff.



3. You cannot be offended by burps. If you are, then you won't like me. We all have our talents and once in awhile mine comes up. I have a philosophy: "Why fart and waste it when you can burp and taste it?" FYI, I never have flatulence. Some people think they are one and the same. They are not. One is air expelled from your stomach and the other is from your bowel. They are different and if you think they are not then I want to see you eat lunch with your bottom.



4. You must not be cuter than me. I don't usually find many people who can break this deal. You're safe.



5. You must think I am funny. You can be funnier than me, but you must think I am funny. Laughing with friends is the absolute best. Usually when I laugh, that is your cue to laugh. I know, it's pathetic that I laugh at my own jokes. It's more pathetic when I am the only one laughing at my own jokes. If you don't laugh - that's a deal breaker.



Well, that's it for my deal breakers. I could go on and on, but that's a good start. I don't want to ruin it for any potential friends. I'm really not that high maintenance. It's not like I expect you to remember my birthday (next month) or lavish me with gifts (I like pink & chocolate & hate knick knacks).

Here's a few pictures from our "Roman Ruins - How to Host A Murder" night. We had so much fun and had yummy food and wonderful company! I get to play the poor widow of the victim (Flabbius) and everyone at the dinner table were suspects. I was Mercedes and drove a four horsepowered chariot. Jared was Harangus Adnauseum, a senator.
Then there was Cleptopatra and Maximus played by our friends Gretchen and David.

Matt and Rebecca were Licentius and Rotunda. Licentius was a trend setter in Roman fashion.

Then there was Bogus the priest of the Cult of the Blue Oyster and Flotilla who had a hard time keeping her ships afloat. These were our neighbors Lance and Jodi.

We had a great spinach dip for appetizers (that Clepto stole off the Internet), I tried my hand a Souvlaki - (also from the Internet - glad to have friends to sample a new recipe - it was so good I may have to post it), pita bread (that I remembered half way through dinner), saffron rice, Greek Salad and a peach dessert.

Johnny is a Sociopath

When I was younger, not that long ago, I used to think you had to befriend everyone. I thought if you weren't friends with everyone, that made you judgemental. I don't think it was until I went to London and met some very strange characters that my eyes were opened.

I was very sad when I asked Ali (16) about one of her friends I'll call "Sue". She announced that they weren't friends anymore. "WHAT?" I love this girl! Ali then tells me, "She's making some bad decisions and I don't agree with her, so we're not friends anymore."

I'm seriously broken-hearted. This is the funnest, bubbliest, craziest girl ever. "What is she doing?"

"She's guaging her ears, drinking and making out with a new boy every weekend. I don't want people to think I'm like that," she said, confidently.

So here comes the judgement thought: "Sue needs a good friend like Ali now more than ever." Here comes the realistic thought: "A girl's gotta protect her reputation, and Sue knows better."

We had a family night and discussed an article in "The Friend", a children's magazine. I was reading it when all of those thoughts came to me. The story was about a boy who made friends with another boy who no one would play with in which I add as if part of the story (plus I was testing to see if anyone was listening) "because Johnny was a weirdo who grew up to be a pedophile." They were listening! My teens laughed. It went directly over my 8 year old's head.

"Does it say that?" Seth asks.

Of course, I'm cracking myself up hysterically. So sad, but I do laugh at my own jokes. But here's the point: You don't have to be friends with everyone. We have a little feeling inside that gives us alarms for certain people and there's a reason for that. You can be polite to everyone, but Johnny could be a sociopath, so don't go to the movies with him!

How To Out Party Your Teenager

1. Start out with a slumber party that you can crash. Preferably a friend's daughter. Arrive at the party with your daughter. She will be slightly embarrassed - the party has started.

2. Suggest a trip to Wal-mart. This could be tricky so I recommend splitting up from the girls, otherwise it will be a competition to see who can embarrass the others more. We moms do have a reputation in public of being mature. And we don't want to get kicked out of the store.

3. Let them load up on sugary treats and energy drinks. You can sneak some from them when they're not looking.

4. While they are talking about friends and boys (or texting other people - I don't get it) you go on the computer and look up hilarious blogs like this one. That will remind you of your own funny story and another and another. By this time one of the girls should fall asleep - which would be my daughter. Where did I go wrong? Now you are embarrassed of the lack of partying skills that obviously skipped a gene.

5. Laugh until you are delirious and then invite a fun friend over. By this time you have three people who are catalysts to each other from one demented thought to another. Time to steal treats.

6. Tell the girls you are going to leave. Then continue absurd conversation that eventually leads to talking about the bathroom and aging. This will cause the girls to retire because they are mortified.

7. At this point you will be in pain from laughing too much. Your cheeks will look slimmer and your abs should feel a slight burn. Try to leave by 3 AM because you know how cranky moms can be when they don't get enough sleep.

Happy Birthday, Karen!

Karen is one in a million. They say your friends reflect who you are. I think Karen would reflect me on my best day when I've been nice to everyone, no bad thoughts, energetic, patient, loving unconditionally, non-judgemental, inspirational, giving, classy, fun and beautiful. That would be a day when I slept in. It comes natural for her. I'm just plain lucky that someone with those qualities will hang with me.

This is her engagement picture from long ago and I see R.S. stategically erased himself. But thanks for getting this to me.

I remember meeting Karen for the first time. They were building a house in our last neighborhood about 11 years ago. They came to observe their freshly dug "hole." I walked over and introduced myself. You know the saying "People don't always remember what you say but they will always remember how you made them feel." I loved Karen & Rocket Scientist right away. Karen has the best laugh in the world!

I forget that I'm six years older than her. Except I have more aches and pains than her. I'm especially glad that she forgets I'm six years older, but that's probably because I'm really immature. JK! Six years may sound like nothing but to some people it would be a barrier because she is just now entering a stage that I've left. My youngest is a year older than her oldest - but the advantage of that is I have two kids that are old enough to babysit. Some people my age are turning into cranky ladies who don't like hanging out with littlies. I truly love her kids and could eat them right up! I love all the adorable stories she tells me about them and she humored me by listening to mine before she had her kids. And since I don't have as many funnies these days I end up talking about her kids!

My BFF has the strongest but softest shoulders. She not only listens to many people about their trials, but she comforts them with words of inspired wisdom, offers other insight and doesn't judge. She also carries others' problems (which is her only fault) and genuinely cares about people. It's just a dang good thing I NEVER have problems. Well, it's a dang good thing I haven't single-handedly worn her out. I never get tired of Karen and there's very few people I like to just chat with on the phone. I'm always amazed at how fast 90 minutes pass! Between the two of us we never run out of conversation.

She is definitely like a sister to me (but I get to be the boss!) JK! That was just a sisterly kind of thing to say. I think that may be one thing she might like about me - I don't have control issues. I don't need to try to control others (except my kids which are totally out of control - JK - kinda.) She steers clear of those kind of people. She has sisters whose names all begin with a "K" so I would fit right in. There's Kaylene, Kim, Kara and one brother, Mike. I realized the other day my two BFFs have the same initials of K.B.

So as Karen and I always say with our best drunken impersonation, "I love you, man!" I'm very glad to celebrate your birthday. Looking forward to many more!

Lucky Me!!!

I guess I'll start with the bad luck! I was complimented for my gag reflex when my family doctor stuck four needles in my throat. I was complimented again when the ENT stuck a soap carving hook down my throat. I get to be one of the few and unlucky (second patient in his 9 year career) who have reoccuring tonsil problems after you have your tonsils removed. Okay, so I didn't throw up when they stuck things in my throat, but when the ENT showed me a video - without warning me first - of a tonsillectomy, I really almost lost it. I could feel my stomach contracting and my mouth started watering. I won't describe what I saw, because it may just start me heaving again. He offered to do a minor surgery in his office that day, but lucky I had friends coming for dinner and I couldn't.

Okay - the good luck! I've been surrounded by great friends all this week! Family on Sunday evening, New Year's Eve, my BFF Karen and family for dinner last night, lunch with Princess Na'alie today.....it was nice seeing your royal hiney! Does life get any better? It stirred up memories of having a social life at one time - before I became the full-time working woman. When I was a lady of leisure, going to the country club, eating Bon bons, tennis with Sven, and watching Oprah. Reality check - that never happened! Bon bons are gross anyway.

So Princess Nat and I went out for Thai food. The funny part of that is the appetizers we had, which was Immodium. It was worth it though. Nat, you don't mind me talking about your diarrhea problem do you? Just Kidding! Royalty don't have those kind of problems, we have people for that. We always look forward to the fortune cookie and my fortune said, "You know what you want - get to work to make it materialize." I think I got the wrong fortune. Unless I'm getting that Audi.....and will be working for the rest of my life. Why did it have to say "get to work" and not "magic genie will deliver"?

HAPPY BOXING DAY!!!

Sorry....I got so busy the last couple of days I didn't even wish everyone a Merry Christmas like I planned (except everyone that got cards, form letters and talked to us.)



Ha! Ha! Ha! Merry Christmas!!!



On Christmas Eve, as I was backing out of the driveway, I noticed this strange wicker chair just in the alcove of our front doorway. I thought, What is that chair doing near the front door? So I called from my cell phone and asked the family if they knew anything about it. No one did. "JON AND ANNIE!!!" Nothing like catching us off guard at Christmas time for a nice practical joke. I will be returning the chair after I paint it bright pink. It will go well with the flamingos I left them last year! (Or was that the year I did Memorial Day wreaths?) What kind of nice Christmas décor can I pick up for 90% off?



We always get together with my step-family for Christmas Eve dinner for Italian food with recipes have been passed down from generation to generation. Most of my friends know I don't do pasta. It's not that I don't like it......it doesn't like me. There was fish and plenty of other food. Jared had to make my traditional "English toffee" this year due to my hand problem.



Christmas day:



Littlest Pet Shop kept Mimi occupied for the rest of the day! The rest of us were like zombies opening our gifts because it was almost 9:00 AM, afterall. We had a fun day that ended with my brother and his family and my mom and stepdad over for dinner. It was a very white Christmas with a blizzard that left the roads snow packed for shopping today!

Just for Fun!

My gorgeous friend, Janine, wrote a very nice blog about me and my husband. http://jamean.blogspot.com/2008/11/for-krista-jared-and-tommy.html It gave me an idea! I'm going to say some nice things about her and one other person and those people must do the same. Say something nice about the person who tagged you and tag someone else. Here goes:

Janine
I worked with Janine testing kids with English as a second language. She is fun and bubbly and we had soooo much fun together. She is a gorgeous, single mom, but recently engaged. She loves her kids and is such a good mom. She is beautiful and laughs at my jokes, which puts her high on my list. One word for her....PLANT!!! Okay, that's 32 words with fresh lip gloss!

My BFF, Karen
I cannot say enough about Karen. She is an angel here on earth. She is like a sister and we talk almost every day. She waited for quite a few years before her children came to her and the Rocket Scientist. They adopted four mischievious - I mean beautiful children and she has more patience in her little finger than I have in my whole body. I love her and her family and if you don't have her for a friend, I'm sorry. You're missing out. We have a "cheese and wine" relationship. When one of us whines, the other says, "Cheez." Thanks for never running out of cheese!

I wish I could go on and on about everyone, and if you really want me to, let me know and I'll do my next post on you!

Mourning the Loss of a Friend

Sorry, another deep thinking post. It's not like me, I know, but my funny bone is sprained at the moment. I'm mourning off and on about the loss of a friend. Not to death, but the end of a friendship. I don't lose friends very often and I tend to take it hard when I do.

I heard a speaker talk about friendships and it really changed my perspective. Certain people come into your life at certain times when you need that kind of friend. Sometimes, friends move on or you've outgrown the friendship or had a falling out. Instead of directing bad feelings towards them, be appreciative of the things you've learned from them or what they offered you at the time when you were friends. There is something to learn from everyone.

I want to include the lyrics of a song that I love from the musical "Wicked." I can dedicate this to everyone who has been in and out of my life:

FOR GOOD

I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn.
And we are led to those who help us most to grow, if we let them and we help them in return.
Well I don't know if I believe that's true
but I know I'm who I am today because I knew you......

Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes a sun, like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood.
Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you, I have been changed for good.

It well may be that we will never meet again in this lifetime, so let me say before we part
So much of me is made of what I learned from you, you'll be with me like a handprint on my heart.
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine by being my friend....

Like a ship blown from it's mooring by a wind off the sea. Like a seed dropped by a skybird in a distant wood.
Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you I have been changed for good.

And just to clear the air I ask forgiveness for the things I've done you blame me for.
But then, I guess we know there's blame to share and none of it seems to matter anymore.

I do believe I have been changed for the better, because I knew you, I have been changed for good.

Love Bursts

Last night, Mimi came out and sat right next to me so our BOBs (Big Ol' Butts) were touching. She still, at age 8, likes to sit as close as she can, since she's outgrown our laps. I noticed her nose and eyes were red, as if she was crying. I couldn't think of any reason why she would be crying, she didn't get in trouble or anything. She was just in her room cleaning it. I guess sometimes I cry when I have to clean, too.



I said as I touched her nose, "You have a red nose."



She looked at me and said, "That's because I've been crying."



I said, "Why have you been crying?"



"'Cause I was thinking about Lauren and what a good friend she is and how we'll always be best friends and it made me cry." She experienced her first "love burst."



Quite a few years ago, The Link Between Ape and Man - I mean Jared - and I would call each other up and say,"I was just thinking of you and I had this overwhelming burst of love for you." Then we started calling them "love bursts." I'm sure you have felt love bursts for others, too. They start in your toes and wrinkle your nose.....well, maybe for some people. But it's when you think about someone and you find yourself smiling. Then it makes you feel grateful that you have a friend or spouse like them. But it seems really weird to call up your friend and say, "I love you, man." They might think you swing the other way. It's kind of a shame we can't always express ourselves, but I can tell friends I had a love burst for them.



When children love each other as good friends, they hold hands as they run and play. Sometimes they invade other's spaces a little too much until the other child is crying, "Quit hugging me!" They eventually grow out of it. Except maybe Frankie.

So....how 'bout telling your BFF how much they're appreciated next time you have a love burst. Jared and I still call each other or text "love burst!"