The month of March 2010 is almost over, and I know I will be celebrating Easter with a full heart on Sunday April 4th. Now, I know I can’t blame the month of March for the experiences I have had, but in the last 24 hours, I learned my high school choir teacher passed away, was in a meeting in which a board member resigned their position, and felt like everyone was angry with everyone else, was told by an instructor that she had just been diagnosed with breast cancer, and minutes later was in a huge fight with a good friend. Later, got home, and received and e-mail that a family member had passed away. I am just feeling rather numb after the hours and hours I have been spending on a event that I am helping to coordinate for Monday.
In the middle of the month, I was helping with another big community event at the High School – the weekend of 3/13, I was at school from 6:30a-11:30p (and there the night before) then the very next weekend, was in Rancho Cuchamunga that weekend and was gone from 10a until 11pm after attending 2 different competitions with my daughter.
Was I gracious and grateful the whole month? Not even close. It is the season of "Lent" in the Catholic Church. For me, it has been the season of "Spent". I am exhausted. I think I failed the test of 40 days in the desert. This month I found myself apologizing too many times for losing my cool. One Sunday, I got into a fight with my daughter in the church!
There are angels and devils all around us. Halos and Horns. Why are we not able to be more patient and understanding? Why can’t we see into the hearts of men like God can? Why is it such a struggle?
Through all of this, there is love. I do feel it in my heart.
It is what gives the strength to ask for forgiveness, again.
Love. It is what gives me hope.
Love. It is what helps me to find the positive in very difficult situations.
Relationships will be strengthened, families will come together, tears will dry, anger will dissipate. The Phoenix rises from the ashes. The Lord will rise from the dead and we all will know, not of pain and heartache, but only of joy and love…one day.
My sisters B-day is coming up....I know she'd rather skip it. You see, she has always been that kinda "it's just another day" kinda gal, humble and unobtrusive. I wanted to write about some of the most wonderful 'days' in my memories about her, because the days she has given me have never been 'just another day'....
I wanted to learn Spanish because I was tired of listening to all my co-workers talking and wonder what they were saying. I called my sister and told her I needed to take a class at the college, but I was home with kids and couldn't register and the deadline was coming up fast. She told me, "don't worry...I'll take care of your registration." I have my Spanish Associate Degree today because my sister took the first step for me. Not 'just another day'. There was another time I remember...I had applied for a job that required a typing certificate. I was a horrible typ-er. My sis kept telling me - "you can do this - if I can get through chemo, you can do this!" Of course getting the certificate was a little shaky, and she went with me to pick it up and guess what, I got the job because she helped me do it!...not 'just another day'.
The photo is so perfect of my sister, smack in the middle of the runners for the 'Race for the Cure', my daughter will tell you just how loud of a cheerleader she is...she would shout: 'Come ON ! Let's move it!' You would think that the cancer patient would be the one NEEDING the cheerleading, but nooo, not my sister, she was the best cheerleader and coach for US! She even took my daughter on a Dr. Suess 'fun-run' one time, just the two of them, because I had to work. The day was saved by her...not, 'just another day'!
Diane has been through a bit of challenges, maybe that is why she is low-key. I am sure nothing in life would ever surprize her, or catch her 'off guard' because she has seen it ALL! I shared my room with Di when we were growing up. I was always glad for that because she was the oldest and had a job, we always had the nicest stuff in our room! Diane took me to a carnival for my 7th Birthday. I remember her trying all the midway games to win a toy for me. It was that same night our Pontiac got T-boned by a drunk driver...not 'just another day'. I remember her borrowing a friends car so she could get her hair done and the accelerator got stuck on the freeway - I saw evasive driving at its very best! Diane has always taken care of all of us, she has been the house-keeper, the cook, the keeper of secrets, the trail-blazer and definitely the SURVIVOR. I remember a moment at work, shortly after Randy died, she just broke down and balled. I felt so helpless. It was not 'just another day' I don't know how she survived, but she has. I'll never forget riding in the ambulance with her (I've never before done that) how she taught me everything about the lab and how she would 'just know' how to fix things, nor will I forget all the wonderful meals she made for us. My favorites are her LASAGNE, TACOS (two-fork method please) and of course, the now famous CHICKEN DIANE.
My dear sister, thanks for letting me be the little sister that you look out for still! Thanks for the honor of watching you not only survive, but WIN many many races, marathons, and other events (most recently all the Daliah prizes!). Thanks for helping me get this job. I can never repay you. Remember the day late in April when I came to work and I just started balling and cried "I don't want you to LEAVE!!?" I miss you so much...but I feel as close to you as ever. I wish you a wonderful birthday and if it's 'just another day'...well then, look out world, because you never know how wonderful and bright the day will be! All my love, big hugs and warmth to you on your birthday! Thank you for all the inspirational things that you continue to do everyday for our family!
If you add all the gifts of the carol "The 12 Days of Christmas" together, you end up with 364 gifts! I find that completely ironic...or is it? Is not every single day of the year, a gift to us? Add Christmas day to the total and you won't go without one day during the year without a gift of love.
I am looking forward to hearing all the other Christmas stories still to come this year! Alfred Shaddick Burt wrote Christmas Carols instead of Christmas cards - Check out his story! He gave those 'songs' to his family each year. Like his songs, these 12 blogs are happy reflections of Christmas for my family. I love and appreciate living in San Diego all year long and especially at Christmastime. Please have a magical 2009 Holiday Season and enjoy of my most favorite poems:
Christmas in Beautiful San Diego County as read By 'Captain' Mike Ambrose (RIP 9/2008) KGTV each Christmas Eve
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through our town,
No noses were frozen, no snow fluttered down.
No children in flannels were tucked into bed,
They all wore their shorty pajamas instead.
To find wreaths of holly was not very hard,
For holly trees sprouted right in the back yard
In front of the houses were daddys and moms,
Admiring the bushes and beautiful palms.
The slumbering kiddies were dreaming in glee,
And hoped they’d find water skis under the tree.
They all knew that Santa was well on his way
In a Mercedes-Benz: instead of a sleigh.
And soon he arrived and started to work;
He hadn’t a second to linger or shirk.
He whizzed o’er the highways and zoomed up the road
In a shiny new sports car delivering his load.
The tropical moon gave the city a glow
And lighted the way for Santa below.
As he jumped in the auto he gave a wee chuckle;
He was dressed in Bermudas with an Ivy League buckle.
There weren’t many chimneys - but that caused no gloom,
For Santa came in through the patio room.
He stopped at each house, staying only a minute,
And lightened his sack of the gifts that were in it.
Before he parted he treated himself
To a glass of orange juice left on the shelf
Then he turned with a jerk and bounced back to the car,
Remembering he still had to go very far.
He stepped on the gas and put it in gear
And drove throughout town singing with cheer.
And I heard him exclaim as he went on his way. “Merry Christmas San Diego County, I wish I could Stay!”
When I was in High School we sang a Christmas song called FRUITCAKE! Yes, we were dressed in the outfits above and 'acted out' parts of the song. My part was 'Cinnamon'. There were the flour guys (Basses) and then the nuts and so on...It was so much fun! Speaking of Fruitcake - I am so lucky because I have a hand-written recipe for Mary Farmer's Fruitcake. I was cooking recently, and noticed that I have used the same recipe cards over and over for so many years. I got most of them at my wedding shower. When I cook the recipe, I look at that handwriting- my grandmother's, my mom's, my sisters...and really enjoy the 'home made' component of a hand-written recipe. Anyway, in this day and age everything is on the computer - and a good thing too! I lose stuff. Once it is here, hopefully, I'll never lose it again....
Fruitcake:
1 lb of light raisins
1/2 lb pitted dates
1/2 lb walnut meats
1 lb unsalted pecans (on my paper it says unshelled? Hahahah)
1 tub of cherries and pineapple (candied and glazed)
1/4 c molasses
1/4 cup sherry wine
1 cup shortening, (Mom's note: use margarine)
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups flour
1/4 t soda
1/4 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t nutmeg
Mix fruits, nuts, wine and molasses. Cream butter (shortening/margarine) add sugar, beat in eggs, one at a time. (Mom's note: dice up the dates with a bit of flour to keep from sticking together.)
Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add fruit mixture and sift the dry ingredients in. (Mom's note: Mix the whole thing with your hands--it's too hard to use a spoon!) Transfer into 2 meatloaf pans. Bake at 275 degrees for 2 and 1/2 hours with a pan of water on the bottom rack in the oven. Prop open oven door when baking is completed with a wooden spoon and let cool. Once completely cooled, sprinkle with a bit more sherry and wrap in foil. Repeat sherry sprinkle 3 more times once a week. Mom's note: Save some red and green candied cherries to decorate the top of the loaf with!
I remember a story when I was young. I have searched for it through the years. It was about 2 poor children - brother and sister. Barely able to feed themselves, and even more rare, to have a morsel for a journey of several miles, still, the children were loving and humble. Their momma gave them a small loaf of bread to eat on their way to Midnight Mass. They were eager to go because their church had a great legend: The bells had stopped ringing years before and it was said that one Christmas they would ring again when a great gift was made at the nativity in honor of the child Jesus. The children knew a very wealthy king had come to town to attend the services there and they were anxious to see all of the majesty of his troupe. Dressed in rags and only sandals they made their way through the snow to the small village church. Once the procession began, the tradition of laying gifts at the manger would begin. Merchants would lay their finest wares on the straw, fine linens from the tailors, fine leather shoes from the cobbler and mighty weapons from the blacksmith. Each time a gift was presented everyone would pause and tip their head to listen to see if their gift might be the one. Finally at the end of the entrance procession was the royal king. As he approached his velvet robes rustled the floor. Even the organist and choir had gone silent. Surely his gift would be magnificent enough to break the silence of the bells. At the end of the aisle, the king knelt and bowed his head in prayer. After a long moment, he took from his head his very own crown. It was beautifully crafted; encrusted with dazzling gems and designed with an intricate crest of lions. The crown! It was ancient and priceless - Surely it would bring the music back to the chapel. The whole congregation held their breath and waited.
Silence came and nothing more.
Finally the pastor urged the king to take his place in the church and allow the service to proceed. It was a rather ordinary Christmas Mass with all the usual prayers, greetings and wishes. As it concluded everyone in the town was headed out the heavy wooden doors on their way back home when someone shouted - STOP! LISTEN! All the chatter died down and all the red nosed and rosy cheek towns people began to hear a beautiful sound...ding - ding--ding---Ding-Dong-Ding-DONG- DIN,DIN,DON,DON,DON and before long the whole valley was filled with a clamor and sweet chiming sound of those bells high up in the tower. Everyone was memorized for a few seconds listening when the pastor said "What sort of gift could have brought the bells to ring?" He could barely get inside of the warm church for all of the others pushing behind him including the king and all his servants. As they approached the nativity, their eyes wandered over all of the gifts, the shoes, the swords, linens, crown....but no one understood. Just then, the pastor saw and picked up a small loaf of bread and said, "Could this small gift of food, be the greatest of all the sacrifices made tonight?"
---
Well, that's sorta how I remember it! I hope you liked the story. I have many wonderful Christmas books filled with stories like this one. One of my favorite is "The Gift of the Magi" by O Henry
There are great legends associated with the 3 Wise Men, and with many others, like Good King Wenceslas and The Nutcracker. (I have collected nutcrakers each Christmas since 2004.)
This weekend is the first Sunday of Advent. Our church has entered into the season of waiting - filled with wonderful traditions. Simbang Gabi is a big one in our community as well as Posada Navidenas. I will be experiencing my first 'posada' this year in Mexico.
Maranatha is made of two Aramaic/Syrian words, maran'atah, meaning, "our Lord comes," or (treating the -a(h) ending as if for speed) "Lord, come quickly". ... December is almost here, and my 12 blog entries are almost finished - I hope you have enjoyed them!
In this photo, G'ma Linda is talking to Ben on Christmas Eve about the nativity. She likes to place it under the tree. We have lots of special family traditions. For many years, each Christmas Eve, we always read T'was the Night Before Christmas as the last thing before bed for the kids. Mostly G'pa read, but sometimes Greg would read it, and always, we enjoyed the 'settling down for the night' part of that tradition. Another tradition I learned about was Christmas Stockings with the Murray family. WOW! Christmas socks where always filled with really great things from perfume to jewelry and candy and could be opened before everyone else awoke! Trying to remember Christ in Christmas, each year, I hang a 'Happy Birthday' banner on my tree on Christmas morning....it makes people who see it stop and ask..."whose Birthday is it?" and I get to tell them about the tradition. One of our family's best traditions...Breakfast Casserole! I grew up with that one and now it's second generation strong. YUM! You make it the night before and pop it in the oven on Christmas morning and by the time it is ready, the whole house has a wonderful aroma! Here's the recipe - courtesy of my MOM:
1 pound of link sausage, cooked and cut in 3rds, 6 slices of white bread, cubed. 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese, 4 eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 t dry mustard and 2 cups milk. Layer, sausage, bread and cheese (end with a layer of cheese on top) in deep casserole. Mix wet ingredients and pour over top of the dry layers. Let stand overnight. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes.
About 2 years ago, I learned about the history of the Candy Cane. Did you know it was supposed to represent the shepherd's hook? When I was young, I remember my mom made the cooolest candy wreath! It was a plastic frame and it held 4 rows of christmas taffy. I think we ate the candy after the fourth year we had decorated with it. I wonder where that candy wreath 'frame' went? My mom used to put out the weirdest candy. I loved the peanut shaped hard candy with the peanut butter inside. Also in the dish were those layered licorice candy squares! Yum. It's so tough to watch calories at Christmas...eggnog is the best! My mother-in-law gave me the best recipe for the EASIEST Christmas bars. She calls them "Hello Dollies" Here it is:
In the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass dish melt 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick) and once melted, shaked over it 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs combined with 1/2 cup sugar and press it to the bottom of the dish. Then in layers, 1 bag of chocolate chips, and 1 bag of butterscotch chips and 1 bag of coconut flakes. Pour 1 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk over the whole thing and bake for 20-30 min on 325 degrees. Let rest and cut into 1 inch squares. I swear it is the easiest, richest, bar you will ever make! Try it!
I had a friend that celebrates 'Hannimas'. It was a made up holiday just for thier family. They didn't believe in Christmas but they loved the gifts and gatherings, so they decided to marry Hannukah with Christmas and celebrate the 12 days between Hannukah and Christmas by giving Hannimas presents to each other. Now, I liked the idea and I didn't. One 'Hannimas' I said (we were at my house) "We are celebrating Jesus' Birthday"!. I didn't know about thier Hannimas and I had just heard about the whole Birthday thing and I thought that was a fun way to look at our gatherings as more of a Birthday Party than a Holiday Party.
Well, I guess I offended them. She told me later. Hmmm. That reminds me of the time I was working in a restaurant and it was December something and I said to my clients, "So, how is your Christmas going?" They looked up at me and said, "We don't celebrate Christmas". Wow. I was stupid to think everyone was Christian and was in the same world that I was in. I was also so inexperienced and young to ask them, do you celebrate Hannukah or Kwannza...? Live and Learn. This year, Hannukah begins on December 12 and ends on December 19th (according to Dr. Barry Winn.) Each year at my work, we gather at 'the holidays' to share time and fun with each other, but NEVER, EVER do we call it a Christmas Party. It is always a 'Holiday Party'. We can't be politically incorrect or insensitive or anything! There is one girlfriend that I have that always lays it on the table by announcing she is Christian and Christmas is for Christ at work. While I respect her bravery and want to be more like her, I think this season when I declare my celebration purposes, I will also ask my colleagues to tell me what is in thier hearts and allow them to feel and share with me in the same excitement I always feel. I am not discounting my religion, but want to welcome all to see there's more to this whole 'Holiday Season' than just presents or religion....
It's my brother's Birthday tomorrow! I want to tell him Happy Birthday and I love you.
Steve has always been like Albert Einstein to me. He is smart! I know that he loves knowledge and loves family. I have so much respect for him. Here are some fun memories I have of Steve:
1. I once found a journal of Steve's in his room that read:"Yum! Yum! Chocolate Milk, I love Chocolate Milk!" (I wonder if he still loves chocolate milk so much?) [Yes, Of course I read it!]
2. I remember Steve taking apart his "See and Say" Film toy to see what was inside.
3. I remember sneaking into his room and "borrowing" his 'Peanuts' Cartoon books.
4. I remember Steve squishing our dogs face into his food and saying "EEEEAAAT IT"!
5. I remember playing football with Steve and asking him what I was supposed to do and he would say "Just get the guy with the ball".
6. I remember using clothes pins and rubber bands to shoot at the birds in the sky in Virginia.
7. I remember my brother giving me away at my wedding!
8. I remember him helping me learn about computers and telling me that 'Don't worry about the computer, you can't break it"! (That made a difference for my learning about PCs).
9. I remember Steve being so excited about his photographs and the bathroom was our 'darkroom' at home.
10. I remember taking his hair brushes at home because I could never find my own hair brush.
I love you my dear brother - you inspire me in so many ways!
Now the man to whom I'm going to introduce you was not a scrooge, he was a kind, decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family, upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn't believe all that incarnation stuff which the churches proclaim at Christmas Time. It just didn't make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn't swallow the Jesus Story, about God coming to Earth as a man. "I'm truly sorry to distress you," he told his wife, "but I'm not going with you to church this Christmas Eve." He said he'd feel like a hypocrite. That he'd much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. And so he stayed and they went to the midnight service.
Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound. Then another, and then another. Sort of a thump or a thud. At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They'd been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large landscape window.
Well, he couldn't let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it. Quickly he put on a coat, galoshes, tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them in. So he hurried back to the house, fetched bread crumbs, sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs, and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them waving his arms. Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn.
And then, he realized, that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me. That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Because any move he made tended to frighten them, confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him. "If only I could be a bird," he thought to himself, "and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to safety ... to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see, and hear and understand."
At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. And he stood there listening to the bells - Adeste Fidelis - listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. And he sank to his knees in the snow.
-- Author Unknown --(Shared by Paul Harvey on his radio show)
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“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God .... The Word became flesh and dwelt among us ....” (John 1:1, 14 KJV)
Pat's Personal Note: I sang with Jeff Jenkins' Church Choir (As did James Stanton) this Christmas Story in December of 1984. What a wonderful story I was introduced to. I hope you liked it.
Last December I went to visit my Junior High School Choir teacher. He is teaching at a different Middle School, but still working with young people as I remembered all those years back. I listened to him teach a guitar class. If you look very closely in this photo, you will see the chords to "Silent Night" on the whiteboard. Not only did he want them all to be able to play something for thier families during the school break, but he wanted them to know 'about' the song "Silent Night". He told them (us) about how the song was born from necesity--that a small village church in Austria needed a Christmas Hymn for the Mass, but the church organ had broken. In 1859 Joesf Mohr was asked to write a song that could be played on the guitar instead.
I watched as he taught his class the chords. Wonderful! What is even more amazing is that I have maintained my friendship with Jeff Jenkins since 1977. His daughter is fully grown and married now. I remember us singing a Christmas Carol called "Give me the Love of the 'Beth'lehem Child. That was always fun to sing, because we all smiled knowing he had just had a little baby daughter named Bethany. I got to sing my first solo with that group in "The Christmas Waltz".
Music is a big part of my favorite Holiday Memories - just last year we found mp3 recordings of organist Eddie Dunsteter online! Huge Music Memories there with his "Christmas Candy" album. Top Christmas albums for me:
1. A Charlie Brown Christmas (There is no other than the Vince Guaraldi Trio to top the chart!)
2. Nat King Cole 'The Christmas Song'
3. Eddie Dunsteter 'Christmas Candy' My absolute favorite Carols of all time are:
1. Ed Ames - The Ballad of the Christmas Donkey
2. Barbra Streisand - Jingle Bells
3. Nat King Cole 'The Christmas Song'
4. Good King Wenceslaus - Narada
5. The Carol of the Bells - instrumental
6. Do You Hear What I hear - Johnny Mathis
7. The Marvelous Toy - (A Carol we sang in Jr. High School - Thanks Mr. Jenkins)
8. Still, Still, Still
9. T'was the Birthday of a King
10. Blue Christmas - Elvis
About 10 years or so ago, my dear friend Louise gave me a Christmas card with the following words on the front: This Christmas...Mend a quarrel, Seek out a forgotten friend, Share some treasure, Give a soft answer, Encourage youth, Keep a promise, Find the time, Listen, Apologize if you were wrong, Be gentle, Laugh a little, Laugh a little more, Express your gratitude, Welcome a stranger, Gladden the heart of a child, Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth, Speak your love, Speak it again, Speak it still once more. ----
I have saved that card all these years. You could tell it wasn't the kind of card you buy in a pack of 25 at the Sav-Ons. It was a Hallmark card she picked just for me. I loved the saying so much that I have copied it and used it in my own greetings. Christmas Cards are fun...and stressful. I remember when I was a newlywed, the tradition of sending Holiday Greeting cards began. Ah, the Christmas Card list! I would tape the cards up on the wall and look at them as prizes! It was so cool when I could cover a large section of my apartment wall. I haven't hung up Christmas Cards on my wall in a long time. Now-a-days, they just get tossed in a box, then tossed at the end of the season (after checking for address corrections of course). Maybe this year I will read them more carefully and then hang them on the wall again, and enjoy them more than ever!
I remember my Mom's handmade ornaments when I was young. She had those old 'silk' balls. The kind you could press fancy pins with beads into on. They were beautiful...until they unraveled.
How come the sound of a glass ornament breaking or an outdoor Christmas string light bulb popping on the sidewalk as it breaks...are interesting sounds? How come I like to squeeze the corn starch box and imagine it is the snow under my boots as walk in the Virgina snow with my brother? I loved playing in the snow. We made lots of snowmen. I loved the absolute magic of watching snowflakes drift past my second story window and peacefully land on the frozen ground below. I love the silence of a snowfall.
I found this poem at Greg's grandma house after she passed away. She had it tucked away with her Christmas stationary. I think of it as a prayer she might have been saying as she was writing her cards.....
The door is on the latch tonight,
The hearth-fire is aglow
I seem to hear soft passing feet-
The Christchild in the snow.
My heart is open wide tonight For stranger, kith or kin;
I would not bar a single door Where love might enter in.
Some of my favorite holiday memories include watching Television specials when I was young. You know, the kind that came on only once a year? Yeah. No VHS or DVD then kids. We had a big 'stirring popcorn' popper with the glass dome that could be turned into a serving bowl. Yes! Popcorn! Yum. I remember once (after I moved out) stringing popcorn for my little rinky-dink apartment Christmas tree. I kept stabbing myself [OUCH] with the needle because of all the oil on my fingers and on the popcorn. Hmmm. Yeah, I figured out later that 'air-popped' and stale popcorn strings A LOT better!
A classic TV special is “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. This story is special to me, not just because of the message, but because of a couple of things unique to our family. The little girl whoo that wakes up while the grinch is stealing her tree? Cindy Lou, right? Well my dear sister is like the little Cindy Lou Whoo in so many ways. I always think of her when I see that part of the show, and of course the refrain...Da-hoo Forest, Da-Hoo Doris, Welcome Welcome Christmas Day...I love you MOM! Your famous! Enjoy my favorite part of the show:
…And the Grinch with his Grinch feet ice-cold in the snow, Stood puzzling and puzzling: “How could it be so?”
“It came without ribbons! It came without tags” “It came without packages, boxes or bags!”
And he puzzled for three hours till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!
“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, doesn't come from a store. “Maybe Christmas. . . perhaps.... means a little bit more!”
Welcome Christmas, bring your cheer. Cheer to All 'Whoos' far and near! Christmas Day is in our Grasp- So long as we have hands to clasp!
Christmas day will always be -
just as long as we have we.
Welcome Christmas while we stand
Heart to Heart and Hand in Hand.
Exerts taken from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by Ted Giezel a.ka Dr. Seuss
I have a friend at work that told me about their family putting up their Christmas tree this week. What gets me is the reason why...she's very sick and may not make it to Christmas. How awesome that the Christmas season is beautiful that one could dismiss even death from robbing the chance to feel the emotions, smell the smells, hear the sounds and feel the love of the Holiday Season!
The last week I have been cooking. Yes, it’s not too often that I cook full meals, after all, it’s only the three of us at home. One thing I cooked this weekend was some apples. They were good gala apples when I first bought them. Crisp, thin skin, fragrant. Well we ate quite a few of them but they had past their prime. I decided to just cut them up and put them into a sauce pan with lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon. Wow, our house smelled like the holidays! This morning, I cut up some cheep round roast and put it into the crock pot to simmer all day with some broth and tomato paste. When I got home, the whole house smelled like happiness and Greg was right there making a sauce from the drippings! Inspired! I definitely associate, pine, pumpkin and cinnamon with Christmas and I love the way those smells make me feel inside.
I was thinking about Christmas a lot this week. Have you ever heard of 'Kris Kringling'? We learned about it at Marriage Encounter. The idea is that you visit the houses of people you care about and leave them little gifts without telling them it’s from you. You get to become 'Kris Kringle'. Greg, the kids and I loved playing Kris Kringle. We would fill a gift bag with chocolate pretzels and a card with a Christmas Carol or scripture on it and drive by. Then in stealth mode we would send a kid up to the door with the gift. The idea was to ring the bell and run back to the car and drive away. (Most the time the kid wasn't even in the door and we would be driving away...hah haa!) Of course we would circle back and see if the gift had been received. How much heart-pounding fun that was! Even better, than that...we did it to a couple of houses in our neighborhood of people we didn't even know. For me, as a mother, doing that is the ultimate demonstration of unconditional love. I expect nothing in return (they can't return the favor) and I teach that to my kids and I hope their hearts are changed for it. We usually would spend part of our 'Kringling' night driving around a bit and looking at the lights on the houses in our part of town while listening to 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'. These memories are such treasures. I think I need to put on my Kris Kringle hat right now! Join me won't you?
The last 2 afternoons, right at dusk, I have enjoyed listening to the sweetest sound. It is a flock of tweedy birds just singing so beautifully I had to stop, listen and just enjoy the music of the night.
This afternoon there was another beautiful sunset, the sun was in the most gorgeous position as I was driving home; brilliant orange, a large lazy globe of light casting a lovely glow across the terrain. It made my drive home a bit mystical.
Here's some more things I am thankful for:
An understanding lab partner who is the 'yin' to my 'yang'.
Watching "Dancing with the Stars" with my family
Having a band tournament this weekend that is made possible because a lot of generous volunteers in our community that all love music
For the day-light savings time change (I'm an early riser)
For my cell phone
for rice and raisins "Indian Style"
For a family that is quick to forgive and forget
Have a wonderful 'dusk' and enjoy the harvest moon!
It's hard to believe that these are my college and High School kids
It's hard to believe that doctor's know how to open us up, fix things, and close us back up and we can live like nothing happened.
It's hard to believe that there are people in the world who could take the life of their children.
It's hard to believe my husband is mine.
It's hard to believe that tomorrow is Friday again.
It's hard to believe that we could endure such pain and shock and still function somewhat normally.
It's been a long week. Monday...well it set the tone for the week. It has been one of prayer and shock. I get sick to my stomach sometimes when I read the news. In the quiet 20 minute drive to work in the morning I have a chance to pray and sometimes - like this morning, my prayer is: Dear Lord, it's going to be a busy day. Stay with me and keep me from saying anything mean. Stay with me and help me to praise you in everything I do.
This Saturday - Poway Band Tournament - Go Sapphire Sound! (First one of the season!)
Sunday - football!! 'Nuf said. Have a great weekend everyone.
There's a couple of songs running through my mind. Ya know the Beatles tune "She's Leaving Home"? ...Wednesday Morning at 9 'oclock as the day begins...silently closing the bedroom door, leaving the note that she'd hope would say more...She's leaving home...bye-bye.
Also, earlier, the song "Leaving on a Jet Plane" ...All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go, I's standing here outside the door...
The actual 'taking of Ben to the dorm' was not hard. The weeks leading up to it and the coming home, was. I didn't cry. He gave me a kiss on the cheek goodbye (at Dad's prompting), I got to make his bed and helped move the boxes of stuff into the room. I got to meet his roomate. Everything was good. No tears.
It's when I got home and found his headphones that he was looking for, that is hard. I need to send them to him. Of course, I wanted to call right away and tell him I found them.
It's going into his empty room, that's hard. It's looking at what he decided not to take with him, that's hard. It's seeing his door 'open', that is hard.
I miss him so much already.
UCSC is a beautiful place. It will almost be like camping while going to school. It is in the middle of a redwood forest. There are huge trees everywhere. You cannot see the whole campus or any large part of it at once because of the trees and hills. I took some video of walking into his dorm. It shows artwork painted on the stairwells that really reflect the aclectic culture of the campus. It has a 'kick-back' camping-type of atmosphere. His roomate is from Ventura and is a Biology major. His name is John. There was supposed to be 3 in the room, but one guy bugged out. So, it might just be the 2 of them which is great because the room is small. Ben will have a bunch of meetings and orientations for 'Crown College - Gauss House' this weekend and his first class is on Thursday. His next 'holiday' will be Thanksgiving. The next free day he will have is 2 weeks beginning December 21st. The Resident Assistant (RA) Teji, is right across the hall.
The drive home wasn't so bad. We stopped in Gilroy, the garlic capitol, and bought some garlic! The drive gave me a chance to reconnect with Greg. We have been 'Mom and Dad' so much, that rarely do we enjoy being a 'husband and wife'.
I am looking forward to being home and being with my little girl. I still got ONE home, although she is a busy-busy person. The colorguard this year maybe going to OHIO and that will mean an extra $945 in fund-raising. Fund-raising isn't so bad, but here's my gentle rant: Why doesn't all the money I fund-raise go towards my daughter's bill? For example, we sold these discount cards for $20 each. $13 goes to the band and the other 6 to the company that makes them. Each kid was required to sell 2. After the first 2 card, $10 goes towards my kid and $3 to the band and $6 to the company. Like, I would rather just give my kid $20 towards her account, right? I dunno. Speaking of fund-raising, one is that I am allowed to 'go to work' at Qualcomm stadium selling food or beer and that money will go towards my daughter's band account. I did my first 'job' last weekend. I showed up at 1pm and worked until 10:30pm for about $50. Everyone that does this has to attend the 'Food Handlers' meetings to be certified to work with food. There are regular employees at the events too. At the last Qualcomm event, there was this employee guy that was working the 'grill'. He had this big long nastly looking beard. I mean it was curly hair sticking right out from his chin at least 2 inches long.
Did he wear a 'beard net'? NOOOOOO! Did I want to say something about it? YEEEEEEEES.
Did I? No. It just goes to show that Qualcomm cares little about who serves the food. I will probably not eat at the stadium ever again. I see how much care goes into the proper preparation and storage of the food. I guess I am really greatful that Qualcomm allows us to come in as volunteer to raise money, but several 'managers' came through our area and only said that everything was 'great'!
I know this is getting long but I haven't blogged in a while. The whole beard thing brings me to another thought. When do you draw the line between 'ANGST' and 'PASSION'? If I was bitchee about the beard guy, I could have said something to someone. What would have happened? They probably would have done nothing. I have run into many situations lately where my core values are challenged and I have stuffed them down for fear of being called 'cranky', or 'anxious', a 'worrier' etc. I don't know how to deal with that. I guess I am just getting old. I had a funny feeling about the president's speech to all the kids. I felt chastised for questioning the format the president chose to encourage our kids with. (Not necesarily the message itself.) Was that 'angst' or 'passion'? I pray about it and ask for wisdom - and mostly try to turn my thoughts to others. But here's my angsty question: am I only building apathy in my heart when I do that?
Darrell Murray once said to Greg when we first started dating: 'she's a diamond in the rough'. I have always remembered that. I think about it today and try to figure out whether or not I am still 'in the rough'.
Me thinks, yes.
I don't think I will ever be the beautifully faceted, brilliant stone, that he thinks I should turn into. What makes me shine? It certainly is not a clean house, perfectly couffed hair and nails, nor fashionable clothing. That's just not my bag. It never will be.
What is important to me is to be loving, thoughtful, forgiving, humble and organized. Okay, the last one there doesn't really align with the others, but it is really important to me. I try not clutter up my fridge, my garage, my car, etc...it doesn't mean I am organized or totaly clean, but it is something that am constantly reaching for; it ranks high on my list of priorities.
Lastly, I was so blessed to hear my boy sing at church. He has done well. I pray that his guardian angel, (I call her Ariel) helps him get to Mass on Sundays. There is a beautiful mission church in Santa Cruz...Holy Cross.
May you all find your brilliance in everything you do and shine like the diamonds you are!
Well, I haven't made a blog entry in a while, but I thought I would share the sad news that the tomoto plants didn't make it. They just got eaten too much by the caterpillers. I had to dig them up. I'll try again next Spring and I will plant them in a space that will allow me a 360 degree view so that I can monitor all the leaves.
In other news, the little league world series was awesome - a big heros welcome is planned here in San Diego - so cool! We all sat around and were transfixed on the TV as the Chula Vista team finished up an amazing game!
I must tell you that I really do love football. I love hearing the sounds of the TV on Monday nights, the feeling of 'must relax and join the team' feeling I get - no matter who is playing on Sundays. It ushers in with it that certain Autimn smell in the air - fireplaces and crunchy leaves. Did you see those cute flag football photos of Samuel? What a tough guy!
The weather has GOT to cool down...it supposed to be Fall - well, tomorrow it is September, and after Labor Day, really, Summer 2009 will officially be over.
Veronica got her classes. They include, Video Production, Chemistry, Theater Technician, Color Guard, Algebra II...and I think an English Class. Sounds to Artsy to me! I thought they were cutting Visual and Performing Arts? She starts her sophomore year on Sept 8th.
Welcome September...I have had a wonderful Summer. I am ready for the beautiful, peaceful seasons coming next!
Imagine for a moment...close your eyes and quiet your mind. Imagine that you are everything you wanted to be, you were perfectly happy with your life, your body, your past, your future... and completely content with where you were in this very moment -having absolutely no wants, no regrets, no guilt. Imagine that feeling and dwell on it for a few moments. Feels good doesn't it?
To me, that is what it will feel like to be in the presence of God.
That is how God feels about us. He is not ashamed. He is not mad. He forgives us perfectly. To him, we are perfection. At times, I indulge myself in this feeling. To live with nothing to hide, nothing to prove, and nothing to lose, is the definition of life. It is real living. Death is unresolved guilt. Death is shame, is self-loathing, is the very denial of love and condems souls to death.
This weekend took me many places emotionally. I reunited with my teenage self. I reconnected with people. I understand better how much my heart desires approval and love. I felt love, I felt admiration, I felt approval. It was magical.
This next week our semester starts. Another 16 week cycle of busy-busy. I am always busy-busy, but I must say, education is the very core of our society. Most of our values and principles revolve around the educational ladder. How do I rank? Not that high I am afraid. I am okay with that.
Still, I seek to educate, even if it is just to grow my very own heart. My heart's on fire! I burn with a passion for truth, love...peace. What lights your fire? Sometimes it is called friendship, sometimes it is called survival. Keep refueling that flame of inspiration. Very often, it can be found in ordinary places. Gift yourself with personal acceptance, and the ordinary will empower you like never before.
Today I blew it! We had this workshop for staff, and like, I made lemonade because it was sorta during some of the peoples lunches. No one drank the lemonade, so instead of throwing it away (I spent all of $5) I thought it would be cool to walk around and deliver it to random people and offices. My lab partner and I took it around and everyone really seemed to be enjoying our visit, but I was running low on cups. I looked into one area and saw our vice president. I like him a lot and really wanted to give him some lemonade, but I was out of cups. That should have been my first queue to go back to work. But noooooooooo. I had to make him (my lab partner) wait for me while I ran all over tarnashion to grab a couple more cups. We made it back and handed out lots more cool, refreshing lemonade. Just, lemon juice, sugar, water and ice. So we finally run into the VP again and I shout - Hey, do you want some lemonade? He says, sorta quietly, 'no'. We kept walking and I asked again, you sure you don't want any? The VP is looking a little anxious at this point and says, Pat, let me introduce you to our "Food Inspector". UGHHH! So I say - 'I have a food handlers card, and then more confidently, 'I even have a food service managers card.' The guy says to me, ohh, I think you are on my list! No..I don't see your name. "You sure you don't want a cup?" The guy says, don't worry, I am not going to bust you! UGH!!! How embarassing! I was just trying to be nice...was I breaking any rules? I bet the VP just wanted to run and hide! -anywhoo, sorta a wierd day....Lemonade anyone?
In this photo: Veronica and her friends along with Stephen, at the 'head table' for Bunko. OK. It was a pretty busy weekend. It all started Friday afternoon with Darrell's Birthday dinner at Buca di Beppo. Then, Saturday I was off to the races for BUNKO fundraising. The event went okay, I am sure more money could have been raised by simply asking for donations, but I belong to a Women's Club and they wanted to see us try to fundraise, and they would help organize it. It was pretty cool seeing the diversity. One funny thing was watching the 'older' players plug thier ears when the 'younger players' scored BUNKO. The kids were just going crazy screaming and yelling. It was hilarious! I went home and summarized all of the dollar amount and then...I couldn't sleep. I was just going over and over it in my head. I thought maybe we had not turned off the stove. I finally had to take the night-time tylenol to get some sleep! Oh, for dinner? I had hotdogs. Then....Sunday. We slept in a little and went dashing off to Mass. Then off to Susies for a goodbye to Samantha. I was the lucky one, I got to swoop her away for a trip to the theater! For dinner? Hotdogs. At the play I really got caught up. I mean, we had been waiting for this musical for a while. We listen to the music every day! I spent a few dollars (Ha!) on a T-Shirt for Missy and Programs for both Sam and her. The show was just phenominal. We waited outside for autographs. We got 4 of the main characters to sign our Playbill. Sam got her autographs on the program. A very emotion-filled evening...still, I was pretty wound-up and didn't get to fall asleep until after midnight. Then... This morning was our annual welcome back day for faculty. The semester starts next week. We opened a new parking structure and I had to be on campus at 7am. Next week, I'll need to be there at 6:30a. I have to get my body clock turned back. I had to read some names of staff members in front of a big group today. I tried to make a joke about the photo they used of me...its my blog profile photo. Needless to say, my hair is NOT short and blonde. It is long and brown these days. No one laughed. Okaaaaaaaaaaaay . After that I just didn't care anymore. I was d-o-n-e. My busiest day is over. .
I still have a few things going on during the rest of the month, but the biggies are over. Now...I think Ben should start packing!
I just love Hallmark's "Hoops and Yoyo"! Those little cartoons are sooo cute. Yep - just a few days for me and the summer will officially be over. Lucky Ben doesn't have to face the school reality until September 24th? Who ever heard of staring a school year on a Thursday. What can I say? I had a good one anyways! Tonight I spent 3 hours learing how to be a beer wench at Qualcomm statium. It is a fund-raiser project for all the sorry parents out there considering getting a second job to support the kids extra-curricular activities at school! Outrageous! Veronica better appreciate it! HA! They have 'hell-week' next week! Band practice and marching for hours and hours mu-ha-hahahahhhhahhhaaa!! Payback! Gotta love it! Looking forward to the next Holiday....Labor Day!
This week was an up and down. The boss was back. I feel behind even though I also feel like I run out of things to do. The full moon occured Thursday. I just feel blue. I am nervous about all the events scheduled in the month of August.
Today was a big adventure-Ben and I drove to Long Beach for a concert. My nephew was playing in a 'Mosh' band called "Until Blood is Drawn". Veronica had a birthday party to go to and Greg needed to help her get there so it was just me and Ben and dozens of bands playing back to back. Stu's band was pretty good! I was more amazed by the 'moshing'. I have never seen that before. The kids wail thier arms around like they are going to fly away and then the do kicks and throw punches in the air and you better back up because they 'bump' into each other on purpose! OKAY...anyone know what the 'spike' earring is? Just fashion? Fascinating. I would like to design an earring that goes from one ear all the way around the back of the head to the other ear. I think that would look as cool as the spike - Huh?
There was a 'Stray Cats' band that played after Stu that had a Bass, you know, not like a guitar bass, but and orchestra bass. That kid could play! It was still Punk-Metal, but he could play. He climbed ontop of his bass at one point and still played. Then his lead electric guitar buddy climbed up and he played the bass through his buddy's legs.
Tomorrow is Rosarys forPeace...maybe I won't feel so blue once I pray...
Happy Birthday to my sister! Enjoy your special day - don't let any butterflies surprise you! Here are some of my most treasured memories and sentiments about Cindy:
We used to look in the Avon booklets and have an imaginary shopping spree. She would total up all the things I wanted just for fun - and we would laugh because it was usually some hundreds of dollars!
I got a snap bowling toy for my birthday once and I remember her playing it after setting it all up and instead of knocking the little pins down with the ball in the 'snap' she shook the whole blowing lane enough for the pins to all fall down. This incident made her laugh so hard she peed her pants and I'll never forget the wet footprints in the carpet going down the hall!
I remember we once cleaned up a bunch of trash that blew all over the High School grounds...just because.
She used to do a lot of cleaning and cooking for us, and was an expert at late night Christmas packaging.
I know she loves watermelon.
She loves to garden and can sew really good.
She has a wonderful way of telling 'stories' and there is no-one on Earth that can make accompanying sound effects the way she does.
Her grand-daughter calls her 'orange' !?
She has some funny ways to say 'necklace' and 'nightgown'.
She has some really cool kids and one of the biggest hearts in the world.
Friday! (Well, its the weekend now!) I am looking forward to lots of fun in the sun. Tomatoes anyone? I have a bunch and the plant is doing good. We might transplant another 'tree' out of the garden this weekend. Greg wants to move both palm trees to the front of the house. Yay! That means more garden and flowers for me! I haven't seen much of Ben lately....its called 'laptop computer'... He did get registered for all of his classes and we are now waiting for the roomate assignment. We haven't finished all of our loan paperwork...boy, I can't imagine how our credit score will look when Veronica goes to college. Speaking of Veronica, she has been such a busy girl. She can't go one day without having to socialize. Yesterday she hung out at the SD zoo, today its at a friend's poolparty and tomorrow....SURFING?? Yes, surfing. I guess one of her friends' Dads is gonna take them both to surf. Hopefully she will stay safe. As for me, I am up and ready to go exercise. I promised myself 2000 calories worth of exersice. With the Jazzersice class today, I will have hit my goal. I did hik up to the top of Cowles Mountain yesterday again! Today I have a Gratitute List to share: I am grateful for.....
Fresh tomatos to eat from a home grown plant
A job to go to that I enjoy
A daughter that makes me laugh
A husband that only laughs when I am really being silly
that I can be really silly sometimes...(handie sez....)
Ben's Wii console and the weather channel
Music from the show "Wicked the Musical"
Singing songs from "Wicked the Musical" with my daughter in the CVS parking lot.
This morning in the car on the way to work I was listening to a new music group I found"Music on the Mountain" by William Coulter and Barry Phillips. I must have been really lost in thought and the music. When I arrived at work, I unlocked the area I work in (I thought) and 5 minutes later the police were there because and alarm had been set off. I said 'it was only me' and they left. About 9am the police are there again as well as the electrical engineer to tell me that these 'false alarms' had better stop! (The problem is I never dis-armed the first alarm...) UGH - nothing like starting your week off like a total incompetant!
I see it is HOT-HOT-HOT in many parts of the country...WOW! Be safe. In SD it has been ok - just hard to want to go outside and exersice. This afternoon the whole fam got onto the scale and decided to loose 3 pounds in 2 weeks. We are using the Wii Fit. It is kinda cool because it records your weight, you can't cheat, and we are all going to do it together. We got some frozen dinners, again, everyone is going to do this. The goal is 2000 calories burned each week in physical activity and 1400 or less calories in food. 3 pounds should be EASY! Right.....?
Veronica is helping out with Vacation Bible School. She's got a pretty big part! She seems pretty excited and works pretty good with the little ones. That starts next week.
I got cyber-stoned this weekend. I mean, I just had had too much computer...so I just turned it off....shut down...completely...all weekend! It was okay. I was just over-loaded on web, e-mail, itunes...etc. It was nice - but I wouldn't last long. I am a geek.
Blessings for you tonight. May all your alarms be armed at the right time.
Today's photo is of Samuel and a handful of glowsticks he got when he stayed at our house. Samantha is back from Ohio, and today is her Birthday! Happy Happy Day Sammie!
Tonight is the SD Pops Concert and Veronica goes to Comic-Con today. Yeah, I did finish her costume. My sewing maching broke so I had to borrow her friend's sewing machine. How come everybody else stuff is always so much nicer that your own? Hahaha! Really, I want one like hers--it's really really quiet!
Busy day at work today. I am trying to stay peaceful in my heart and just enjoy today and all it's beauty!
My best friend gave me the best advice He said each day's a gift and not a given right Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind And try to take the path less traveled by That first step you take is the longest stride.
If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late Could you say goodbye to yesterday? Would you live each moment like your last? Leave old pictures in the past, donate every dime you have? If today was your last day If today was your last day Against the grain Should be a way of life What's worth the prize Is always worth the fight Every second counts 'cause there's no second try, So live like you'll Never live it twice Don't take the free rideIn your own life If today was your last day And tomorrow was too late Could you say goodbye to yesterday? Would you live each moment like your last? Leave old pictures in the past Donate every dime you have? Would you call old friends you never see? Reminisce of memories, would you forgive your enemies? Would you find that one you're dreamin' of Swear up and down to God above That you finally fall in love If today was your last day If today was your last day... Would you make your mark By mending a broken heart? You know it's never too late To shoot for the stars, Regardless of who you are So do whatever it takes'cause you can't rewind A moment in this life Let nothin' stand in your way'cause the hands of time Are never on your side If today was your last day And tomorrow was too late, Could you say goodbye to yesterday? Would you live each moment like your last? Leave old pictures in the past Donate every dime you have? Would you call old friends you never see? Reminisce of memories Would you forgive your enemies? Would you find that one you're dreamin' of Swear up and down to God above That you finally fall in love If today was your last day
I got a pail and an envelope of seeds for my birthday from my boss this year. I planted them the next week (April 30ish).
They are all now about 2.5 feet tall and all over the twine with vine in my small garden. All my sisters garden and they inspire me. My only saving grace here is that I have an auto irrigation system for my 6' patch of garden.
One of the cool things about sweet peas is that they are supposed to smell real good. I think they are also the flower for the April Birthdays - very cool. Another nice thing, a good omen, if you will, is that Sammie's Grandma Alice identified each of her grand-daughters with a flower and Sammie's is the Sweetpea. This past weekend Stephen and Samuel stayed at our house while Samantha went to Ohio to check out the univeristy. I heard Samantha's luggage got lost, and I see by her myspace status, she is now sick...but her flower is blooming at my house and I think that means she is really going to bloom while in college!
I have a special flower in my life too. My daughter. I nick-named her 'Blower'. When she was little we had a special night-time routine. I would 'plant' her into bed and let the sheets fall on top of her like the snow, and in the spring-time (when she awoke in the morning) she would be a beeooootiful flower -- or 'blower' (Beautiful+flower). It was so cute; she would pop one little hand out from the top of the sheet like one little leaf, and then another little leaf would pop out and then her whole face....What a kick. I call her wild-flower these days. She is a beauty in the 'rough'. Learning all the refinement to be a floral dazzler will come with time.
Today Ben and Greg went to a gun show with Grandpa D. Ben and Greg found these special sparing 'swords' made of bamboo. They have had loads of out door fun today (and Greg too!)
I got some epsom salts today and some plant food for my tomato plant with yellow leaves. All three of my sisters suggested plant food. (They can grow much better than I...) I also deep watered today. I used 2 tsp of espom salts in 4 gals of water, in addition to the organic plant food I bought. I cracked up because on the label it reads "contains liquified worm poop". Hahahahah - OKaaaaay! I was sold. I know that worm poop will keep the tomato plant happy. We'll see. I read another blog that I just love, it is called "Sobriety is Exhausting". I particularly enjoyed today's entry. One of the things the author does is just write a list of things related to her day. Here are a few random things from her blog: The love of a dog can not be explained. When you love life, there just aren't enough hours in the day.....These are 2 from her list of 18. I am going to give the list idea a whirl:
Crayons can make me smile.
Sometimes I get angry and don't know why.
Praising God is sometimes nothing more than hearing the words "THANK YOU God!!" in my head at night before I fall asleep.
The scent Peppermint reminds me of my daughter.
I admire the strength of my son's shoulders and the wisdom in his restraint.
I have trouble staying on task sometimes.
I think the show "I Love Lucy" is one of the best ever produced.
I think Alton Brown on "Good Eats" is sexy.
Getting sick is God's traffic signal on a yellow light.
When the car is clean, it runs better.
Have a peaceful night. May you praise God in your evening prayers tonight.
My niece just passed her certification for Vascular Tech! Congrats Tree! So many talented people in my family.
This week...hmmm, where to start...? Harry Potter midnight movies!! Tuesday... Sick in bed. Wednesday (No really, I am sick!) Work. Meeting at Pat and Oscars with work people. Greg off with the college advisor about Ben's financial aid. Thursday. Tomorrow? Samuel and Steven coming to our house for the weekend - YAY! The movie was awesome...you just can't fit everything from the book in 2 hours. They burned down the burrow, people!! (Whaaat?) That just didn't happen in the book!!
The photo today? That's the core youth team at thier end-of-year party. What an awesome group of young men and women. The seniors are wearing the candy necklaces. See Fr. Michael in the back? Just look for the little white square of his collar! HA!
It's been a good 15 years at least since I have hiked all the way to the summit of Cowles Mountain. It is 1.5 miles up, nearly 1600 ft. and is the highest point in the city of San Diego. I left work a little early yesterday afternoon to do this. I was excited because I had my IPOD! I got all set at the base and turned it on and....it had no battery charge. UGH!! But the hike was good as was the time to just let thoughts slip in and out of my mind during the hike. I had had a crummy day at work - I was yelled at by an instructor for cleaning up a classroom...long story. I did take m y camera and shot this photo. That is lake Murray in the pic.
As you know, we are facing a huge budget crisis here in the state of California. I was told this week, that I am not *really* a state employee and shouldn't worry too much. OK....well, I have colleagues 'released' here where I work. Last night I had the opportunity to dialog with one of the Board of Trustees and develop questions about what options there are to meet our 10 million dollar budget shortfall at our workplace...It was a good meeting.
It makes me think about the industries across the nation - for example, I wonder if my son will be employable when he graduates...If you think that your neighbor or friends are a little more stressed than usual, they probably are. Everyone is a little more on edge and maybe your friend's husband just lost his job - or maybe the cable bill increase, just got too high. Let's be patient with each other...Remember, were all in this together and I mean nationwide, not just here with the Governator in California.
If you could see me right now, I would look like Snoopy! I am doing the happy dance! I found my ipod! I lost that little sucker on Father's Day. I thought it went into the sand at the desert...but low and behold - it was right there...under the car mat...in the back seat of the car....wow, why didn't I look there first!! How did I find it you ask? Well...um...I was looking for something else I had lost.... OK, so I loose things. How about that?
Did you see any part of the Michael Jackson memorial today? OK -I admit it--I cried when Jermaine sang "Smile". I thought the memorial was pretty touching.
I am working on a fund-raiser for the youth that are planning on going to the National Catholic Youth Conference. My kids arn't going, and neither am I , but I thought it sounded fun when the Women's Club talked about a 'Family Game Night". So I learned how to play BUNKO last night. It was a kick and real easy! I hope we have at least 40 players. That will bring in $200 in donations.
Tomorrow - Hump Day! Next week my lab partner returns to work. It's been hard without him. I'm not busy, I think I just realized that I work better when there are other people around.
I heard that Sammie got accepted to Franciscan University of Steubenville. That is really great~I am excited for her - how nervous that will be for Susie! Sammie will be all the way in OHIO! I think she'll be leaving in August sometime. Wah!
I got her a ticket to go with me to see "Wicked" the musical Aug 16th. I am wondering if we'll need to reschedule that! If you don't know about Wicked, it is a cool musical about the witches of the story "Tne Wizard of Oz" loosely base on a novel by Gregory Maguire I love the music! I read the book. It is very different than the musical. The book is rated R, the musical is G.
This Saturday Veronica marched with the band and colorguard in our annual Mira Mesa parade. I love that parade and the community of my hometown. It is VERY hometown! Ha Ha! The boyscouts and the Knights of Columbus and such all walk down the boullivard. Ben didn't march... he's a graduate...even though the alumni are welcomed to march, few do. Ben says he wants to give the current class the chance to shine, but we all noticed there was only 4 trombones this year....ouch!
We watched the fireworks and our community was lucky - we didn't lose our fireworks show. We have always gone to a spot near the HS to watch the show along with a simucast from our local radio station KYXY. They synchronize inspriational and patriotic music to the fireworks explosions for a real nice show.
I am trying to sew a costume for Veronica. She will be going to the Comic Convention this month. (The tickets were for her Birthday.) Geez. These kids see a lot of shows, huh. I haven't seen much of Ben lately. He has been at a 'friend's house' a lot. Her name is Jennifer. Hmmmm
Wow - has it really been 10 years...yep, I guess so. 10 years ago on July 4th, we lost Randy. What a 4th of July that was. Diane stayed that night at my house and commented - 4th of July will never be the same for me. We watched the fireworks in my back yard. She tried to sleep on the couch...but I don't think she got any sleep. Cheers to you Randy - I remember your spirit, especially this year. I remember Teresa singing "In the Arms of an Angel". I remember it all...
Randy used to babysit for me often. He was the one that introduced my kids to the wonders of video games. I remember he would play this game called "Lemmings". I hated that game. I always felt sorry for the little guys that would jump/fall off the cliffs. That made Randy laugh at me all the more. He loved to taunt me with the 'game'.
He was always in trouble. He loved kids. He really seemed to enjoy playing with them and you will find him in most photos taken from 1994-1999 with one of his cousins playing with toys. This photo is of Ben at his 3rd Birthday at Chuck E. Cheeses. Randy is holding Ben on his lap and telling him to look at the camera...I can hear it now. Looks like the video game won his attention. I hope someday to see you again. I miss you Randy.
