OOPS
I have wondered what happened to comments that I was so sure I had left. I just caught myself unconsciously ready to exit the comments section of a blog before publishing the thoughtful, astute, brilliant comment I had just composed and realized that "ah haw!!!@#~*&!" that must be where all those comments disappeared ! Oops! Sorry to everyone affected, but who knows who that is.
I will be more careful in the future.
Another discovery I recently made (less than an hour ago) was a website that was instrumental in me repairing three very expensive Waterman fountain pens. I meant to send them off to be repaired a long time ago. I was reminded of them as I visited beth's calligraphy blog and from there found the site that led me to repair my nibs. All three are working well now. One nib was completely broken off at the tip so I turned it into a calligraphy pen. I love fountain pens as well as smooth and creamy lined paper.
Have a happy new day!!!!!
Monday, June 04, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
Inducement or induction/
Balboa Naval Hospital, May 28,1971
Early morning.
It seems to me that the first attempt to induce me was some kind of pills under my tongue with no success.
Then the doctor broke my water, with no success.
Finally a petocin drip was started and I remember the success was fast and hard and strong. There was another mother in the same labor room with me who was having a hard time with her labor and was screaming loudly. I was focusing and breathing because of my self help Lamaze and was refusing any drugs. I was praised many times by the nurses and doctors. Soon I was transferred to a gurney wheeled into the delivery room. I broke down and consented to an epidural. And right soon . . . . .IT'S A GIRL!!!
I heard someone say they bet she would be a record 2 feet. I was wheeled into recovery and told to massage my uterus. I asked a nurse when I would get to see my baby. She told me, "At least eight hours, but probably not til the ten o'clock feeding. But, if they ever make a mistake I hope they will for you."
Then I was taken to the ward to join the other 40 new mothers. I followed all their instructions to the letter and counted the hours til I would see my baby. At 6am a train of babies were wheeled in. I laid in my bed so bummed that I would have to wait another four hours. Then I heard my name being called. I sprang up to a sitting position. They laid her in my arms. This beautiful memory is causing me to tear up as I write this. She was incredibly gorgeous with lots of long dark hair on a beautifully shaped head. I put her to my breast and she started to nurse. She and one other of the 40 babies on the ward nursed. A nurse that had been helping the other mother who was having a difficult time, came over to help me and was surprised I wasn't having any trouble at all. I waited as long as possible to return her to the train of carts that would take her away from me til the next feeding. The babies were brought to the mothers for feedings every four hours starting at 6am, except at 2am when the babies were fed in the nursery. I had requested they not give my baby anything but water, because that is what was suggested by La Leche.
My beautiful baby girl was 9 pounds 6 1/2 oz and was 23 1/4 inches long. I went in on Friday and left the hospital on Monday. I actually weighed less than I did when I got pregnant and was the only new mother leaving that day wearing clothes. All the others had to wear their robes or maternity clothes because they couldn't fit into 'real' clothes. I have always been quite proud of that.
When we got her home my Mom and I gave her a bath and while I was drying her off in my lap she stood up!!! She slept in a bassinet and would scootch up til she could go no further because she was so long. And her feet corresponded to her length, so all the beautiful booties my Mom had knit for her were too small. All her nighties were those 'Sweetpea' things I loved so much that tied at the bottom. She wore them for such a long time with the strings taken out. But, then she also wore cloth diapers.
She has become a most amazing woman.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY AMAZING DAUGHTER!!!
Early morning.
It seems to me that the first attempt to induce me was some kind of pills under my tongue with no success.
Then the doctor broke my water, with no success.
Finally a petocin drip was started and I remember the success was fast and hard and strong. There was another mother in the same labor room with me who was having a hard time with her labor and was screaming loudly. I was focusing and breathing because of my self help Lamaze and was refusing any drugs. I was praised many times by the nurses and doctors. Soon I was transferred to a gurney wheeled into the delivery room. I broke down and consented to an epidural. And right soon . . . . .IT'S A GIRL!!!
I heard someone say they bet she would be a record 2 feet. I was wheeled into recovery and told to massage my uterus. I asked a nurse when I would get to see my baby. She told me, "At least eight hours, but probably not til the ten o'clock feeding. But, if they ever make a mistake I hope they will for you."
Then I was taken to the ward to join the other 40 new mothers. I followed all their instructions to the letter and counted the hours til I would see my baby. At 6am a train of babies were wheeled in. I laid in my bed so bummed that I would have to wait another four hours. Then I heard my name being called. I sprang up to a sitting position. They laid her in my arms. This beautiful memory is causing me to tear up as I write this. She was incredibly gorgeous with lots of long dark hair on a beautifully shaped head. I put her to my breast and she started to nurse. She and one other of the 40 babies on the ward nursed. A nurse that had been helping the other mother who was having a difficult time, came over to help me and was surprised I wasn't having any trouble at all. I waited as long as possible to return her to the train of carts that would take her away from me til the next feeding. The babies were brought to the mothers for feedings every four hours starting at 6am, except at 2am when the babies were fed in the nursery. I had requested they not give my baby anything but water, because that is what was suggested by La Leche.
My beautiful baby girl was 9 pounds 6 1/2 oz and was 23 1/4 inches long. I went in on Friday and left the hospital on Monday. I actually weighed less than I did when I got pregnant and was the only new mother leaving that day wearing clothes. All the others had to wear their robes or maternity clothes because they couldn't fit into 'real' clothes. I have always been quite proud of that.
When we got her home my Mom and I gave her a bath and while I was drying her off in my lap she stood up!!! She slept in a bassinet and would scootch up til she could go no further because she was so long. And her feet corresponded to her length, so all the beautiful booties my Mom had knit for her were too small. All her nighties were those 'Sweetpea' things I loved so much that tied at the bottom. She wore them for such a long time with the strings taken out. But, then she also wore cloth diapers.
She has become a most amazing woman.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY AMAZING DAUGHTER!!!
Sunday, May 27, 2007
10
Ten Things That Make My Life Wonderful
Special K -toni has tagged me for another meme. Probably because I have had nothing to say, because I don't want to whine. I just left some great advice on marsha's blog that I should be following. So, right now my life is not wonderful, but I think it is wonderful that I am still alive.
So many of you have taken off like rockets in your blogs with new looks and all kinds of tricky stuff. Some of it makes me dizzy, but also amused and proud.
I remember when we used to write letters by hand and put them in the mail. It was always difficult for me to finish them and get them mailed. Ten, fifteen pages and extra postage was common, as well as finding unfinished letters months later. I am sorta kinda feeling like that right now.
So on with the meme..........
Here is my list of 10 things in my life that give me pleasure. I make my life wonderful.
1. My cozy warm blanket. It is incredibly soft and warm and is the color of the coffee with cream that I drink in the morning. I cuddle on the sofa in it and add it to my side of the bed when there's a chill.
2. My bed. The name of it is nebula and it is out of this world and a king.
3. "Little Car"- a zippy little Hyundai Accent.
4. Talking on the phone with my closest friend who lives across the country and doesn't blog.
5. Bathtub drain stopper. Something I wanted to invent myself. I goes on the overflow drain of our long deep tub so the water level can be higher. I love a deep hot bath with a good book.
6. Green beans and snow crab legs which I've said before and will probably say again.
7. The view out my kitchen windows.
8. TV
9. My husband, children and grandchildren.
10. Bloggers in all different kinds of packages that have opened up my world. I feel much better after sharing with you all!!
This is a great meme if you're needing a boost. Let me know if you do it. I'm running out of steam.
Special K -toni has tagged me for another meme. Probably because I have had nothing to say, because I don't want to whine. I just left some great advice on marsha's blog that I should be following. So, right now my life is not wonderful, but I think it is wonderful that I am still alive.
So many of you have taken off like rockets in your blogs with new looks and all kinds of tricky stuff. Some of it makes me dizzy, but also amused and proud.
I remember when we used to write letters by hand and put them in the mail. It was always difficult for me to finish them and get them mailed. Ten, fifteen pages and extra postage was common, as well as finding unfinished letters months later. I am sorta kinda feeling like that right now.
So on with the meme..........
Here is my list of 10 things in my life that give me pleasure. I make my life wonderful.
1. My cozy warm blanket. It is incredibly soft and warm and is the color of the coffee with cream that I drink in the morning. I cuddle on the sofa in it and add it to my side of the bed when there's a chill.
2. My bed. The name of it is nebula and it is out of this world and a king.
3. "Little Car"- a zippy little Hyundai Accent.
4. Talking on the phone with my closest friend who lives across the country and doesn't blog.
5. Bathtub drain stopper. Something I wanted to invent myself. I goes on the overflow drain of our long deep tub so the water level can be higher. I love a deep hot bath with a good book.
6. Green beans and snow crab legs which I've said before and will probably say again.
7. The view out my kitchen windows.
8. TV
9. My husband, children and grandchildren.
10. Bloggers in all different kinds of packages that have opened up my world. I feel much better after sharing with you all!!
This is a great meme if you're needing a boost. Let me know if you do it. I'm running out of steam.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Graduation day gone wild
May 18, 2007
GRADUATION
This was the day we looked forward to for three years. This day was the reason we moved almost 800 miles almost four years ago. This day was the reason I tiptoed around in our marriage the past three years so as not to disturb the learning process. Most of all though, this was the day my husband had been working like a dog for, for three grueling years. Really. I know how hard he worked and how much he sacrificed for this day.
The day before we attended a reception to honor top scholars. He was THE top scholar in the UNR MBA graduate program, summa cum laude with a 4.0. It was a proud day.
May 18 though was THE day. I carefully ironed his gown and he carefully hung it in the car. We left in plenty of time to make it to the graduation ceremony, find a parking space and assemble with the other members of the graduating class for advanced degrees at 4:00 p.m. for the the processional at 4:30. About halfway there the freeway traffic slowed to a standstill.
"Oh, no!" I said.
The traffic would creep forward a car length or two and stop.
"Probably an accident." one of us said. We began to talk about the last time we were stuck on I-80 like this. It took us over 3 hours to get off the freeway. As the minutes ticked by and it was closer and closer to 4:00 p.m. we began to lament.
"The Lord does not mean for me to get there on time," my husband said.
"I wonder what He's trying to tell you," I said. And my husband laughed, I guess cause I say that a lot.
At four my husband called work wife, who was waiting at the UNR quadrangle, to let her know that we were stuck in traffic on I 80. While he was talking the traffic started moving better and then the reason for the delay was apparent. A wildfire had swept across the hills threatening to cross the freeway. We joined her after the ceremony had already begun.
I can count on my fingers the times in my life that I felt as badly as I did sitting there next to my husband listening to them not announce his name, not seeing him cross the stage in the cap, gown and hood that had been so carefully tended to and that he was so proud of (tears are falling right now remembering the sadness). It was torture and I wanted to run away, so I can't imagine how much harder it was for him to sit there next to me. It was supposed to be such a joyous, proud event. As soon as the last graduate had crossed the stage I turned to my husband and announced his name, Master of Business Administration, summa cum laude, and applauded for him. He still graduated of course, but, the parade was rained on big time. Coincidentally, while walking on the sidewalk back to the parking garage the sprinklers came on and doused us. It kinda broke the morbid tension too.
We, all three the graduate, his wife and his work wife went out to a lovely place for dinner. You know where there are white table clothes so I can drip balsamic vinegar on it from dipping wonderful herb crusty chewy bread in it. I had three delicious huge (no really huge) prawns wrapped in prosciutto, grilled, stood with tails in the air in yummy garlic mashed potatoes finished with a heavenly creamy cheesy wine sauce, green beans and those skinny little 3" carrots that they leave part of the tops on. The graduate had a unique chicken Parmesan and work wife had lasagna (which is what I think we actually all wanted), which came with separate pieces of the best Italian sausage (she gave me a bite) I have ever eaten. We all passed on dessert.
We able to laugh about it today and I suggested what he might be meant to learn from this experience. I know, I know, I shouldn't have, but bad habits are hard to break. When he went off to work this evening he took stuff to work on a resume' during his breaks. So, all is well now and I am looking forward to reconnecting to my husband now that I don't have to worry about the learning process anymore, but, darn I sure wished it hadn't happened this way.
GRADUATION
This was the day we looked forward to for three years. This day was the reason we moved almost 800 miles almost four years ago. This day was the reason I tiptoed around in our marriage the past three years so as not to disturb the learning process. Most of all though, this was the day my husband had been working like a dog for, for three grueling years. Really. I know how hard he worked and how much he sacrificed for this day.
The day before we attended a reception to honor top scholars. He was THE top scholar in the UNR MBA graduate program, summa cum laude with a 4.0. It was a proud day.
May 18 though was THE day. I carefully ironed his gown and he carefully hung it in the car. We left in plenty of time to make it to the graduation ceremony, find a parking space and assemble with the other members of the graduating class for advanced degrees at 4:00 p.m. for the the processional at 4:30. About halfway there the freeway traffic slowed to a standstill.
"Oh, no!" I said.
The traffic would creep forward a car length or two and stop.
"Probably an accident." one of us said. We began to talk about the last time we were stuck on I-80 like this. It took us over 3 hours to get off the freeway. As the minutes ticked by and it was closer and closer to 4:00 p.m. we began to lament.
"The Lord does not mean for me to get there on time," my husband said.
"I wonder what He's trying to tell you," I said. And my husband laughed, I guess cause I say that a lot.
At four my husband called work wife, who was waiting at the UNR quadrangle, to let her know that we were stuck in traffic on I 80. While he was talking the traffic started moving better and then the reason for the delay was apparent. A wildfire had swept across the hills threatening to cross the freeway. We joined her after the ceremony had already begun.
I can count on my fingers the times in my life that I felt as badly as I did sitting there next to my husband listening to them not announce his name, not seeing him cross the stage in the cap, gown and hood that had been so carefully tended to and that he was so proud of (tears are falling right now remembering the sadness). It was torture and I wanted to run away, so I can't imagine how much harder it was for him to sit there next to me. It was supposed to be such a joyous, proud event. As soon as the last graduate had crossed the stage I turned to my husband and announced his name, Master of Business Administration, summa cum laude, and applauded for him. He still graduated of course, but, the parade was rained on big time. Coincidentally, while walking on the sidewalk back to the parking garage the sprinklers came on and doused us. It kinda broke the morbid tension too.
We, all three the graduate, his wife and his work wife went out to a lovely place for dinner. You know where there are white table clothes so I can drip balsamic vinegar on it from dipping wonderful herb crusty chewy bread in it. I had three delicious huge (no really huge) prawns wrapped in prosciutto, grilled, stood with tails in the air in yummy garlic mashed potatoes finished with a heavenly creamy cheesy wine sauce, green beans and those skinny little 3" carrots that they leave part of the tops on. The graduate had a unique chicken Parmesan and work wife had lasagna (which is what I think we actually all wanted), which came with separate pieces of the best Italian sausage (she gave me a bite) I have ever eaten. We all passed on dessert.
We able to laugh about it today and I suggested what he might be meant to learn from this experience. I know, I know, I shouldn't have, but bad habits are hard to break. When he went off to work this evening he took stuff to work on a resume' during his breaks. So, all is well now and I am looking forward to reconnecting to my husband now that I don't have to worry about the learning process anymore, but, darn I sure wished it hadn't happened this way.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
I hope it is all in my head
Weird
Out of character
####################
Please, I need advice. Someone I deeply love has recently done a 180 and I don't know what to do about it. At first I thought it was me. I have been working towards my authentic self and thought perhaps the changes I've made were being tested. Weird things keep popping up. When I share them with others whose opinions I trust, they agree that something out of the ordinary must be happening in this persons life. I am torn between: If it is something I needed to know I would have been told and what if I'm missing a scream for help. I've missed calls and been unable to call but did finally email asking what's up.
I fear sticking my nose in where it isn't wanted and fear ..... well ..... fear rejection ..... and perhaps denial ..... or that I will find out that it is all in my head.
If I have done something, I am completely unaware of what it could be. Once a long time ago one of my bestfriends stopped writing to me (I was in Guam and she was in Washington state), and not only did I not notice, I had no idea that I had said something that would upset her so much that she wouldn't correspond for two years (this was in the old days!). I would have liked to have been able to clear up what turned out to be a misunderstanding, sooner. Something similar happened with the person I am concerned about more than ten years ago and I just found out three or four years ago why.
Anyway, I digress .... I would like to hear how you might respond in a similar situation.
Out of character
####################
Please, I need advice. Someone I deeply love has recently done a 180 and I don't know what to do about it. At first I thought it was me. I have been working towards my authentic self and thought perhaps the changes I've made were being tested. Weird things keep popping up. When I share them with others whose opinions I trust, they agree that something out of the ordinary must be happening in this persons life. I am torn between: If it is something I needed to know I would have been told and what if I'm missing a scream for help. I've missed calls and been unable to call but did finally email asking what's up.
I fear sticking my nose in where it isn't wanted and fear ..... well ..... fear rejection ..... and perhaps denial ..... or that I will find out that it is all in my head.
If I have done something, I am completely unaware of what it could be. Once a long time ago one of my bestfriends stopped writing to me (I was in Guam and she was in Washington state), and not only did I not notice, I had no idea that I had said something that would upset her so much that she wouldn't correspond for two years (this was in the old days!). I would have liked to have been able to clear up what turned out to be a misunderstanding, sooner. Something similar happened with the person I am concerned about more than ten years ago and I just found out three or four years ago why.
Anyway, I digress .... I would like to hear how you might respond in a similar situation.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
ABC - that's how elementary it's going to be.......
meno tagged me for the abc meme.
A. Attached or single-attached.
B. Best friend- contact with my best friend in high school has dwindled to occasional cards the last several years.....my other best friend of almost 25 years lives across the country....we call each other often and I have visited her several times, though not recently.
C. Cake or pie-a dark, moist, dense carrot cake or my own apple or cherry pie.
D. Drink of choice-water, water and more water. .... coffee; Starbuck's House Blend with heavy whipping cream .....equal parts Dewars scotch and white creme d' menthe on the rocks.
E. Essential item-fountain pen....and either peacock or purple ink cartridges. Writing just isn't the same without them.
F. Favorite color-yellow. And I just recently realized this. I've always loved yellow but was never able to wear it, so even I thought green was my favorite color because it was the color I wore most often and that I decorated my house with .
G. Gummi bears or worms-really soft squishy gummi bears like we first had 28 years ago in Germany.
H. Hometown-I would have to say Seattle, though I now live and have lived many other places.
I. Indulgence-floating.
J. January or February-February because my grandson was born in February.
K. Kids- One of each. Both wonderful human beings.
L. Life is incomplete without-love
M. Marriage date-December 11, 1976
N. Number of siblings-1 1/2, both brothers, one I've never laid eyes on and one hasn't spoken to me since our stepfather died 7 years ago.
O. Oranges or apples-apples.....it is easier to select good apples.
P. Phobias/fears-fears.....many and varied. I was cured of my bee phobia.
Q. Favorite quote-"Dumb as dirt" and "Life is about the journey not the destination".
R. Reasons to smile-grandchildren, son, daughter, husband (not at this moment), babies, puppies, kittens, penguins, bunnies, hugs, kisses, flowers, some rocks make me smile, strawberries, when I look in the mirror and like what I see (more often lately), friends, many songs, memories, today not much.
S. Seasons-watching spring happen is my favorite.
T. Tags- toni
U. Unknown fact about me-I can't think of any facts about me that I haven't at some point told someone.
V. Vegetarian or oppressor of animals-I am prejudiced towards neither.
W. Worst habit- chewing my cuticles til they bleed and blogging.
X. X-rays or ultrasound-this is a weird question but it is a well known fact that I hate mammograms.
Y. Your favorite foods-snow crab, green beans, pasta in cream sauce, pizza.
Z. Zodiac- Sagittarius
A. Attached or single-attached.
B. Best friend- contact with my best friend in high school has dwindled to occasional cards the last several years.....my other best friend of almost 25 years lives across the country....we call each other often and I have visited her several times, though not recently.
C. Cake or pie-a dark, moist, dense carrot cake or my own apple or cherry pie.
D. Drink of choice-water, water and more water. .... coffee; Starbuck's House Blend with heavy whipping cream .....equal parts Dewars scotch and white creme d' menthe on the rocks.
E. Essential item-fountain pen....and either peacock or purple ink cartridges. Writing just isn't the same without them.
F. Favorite color-yellow. And I just recently realized this. I've always loved yellow but was never able to wear it, so even I thought green was my favorite color because it was the color I wore most often and that I decorated my house with .
G. Gummi bears or worms-really soft squishy gummi bears like we first had 28 years ago in Germany.
H. Hometown-I would have to say Seattle, though I now live and have lived many other places.
I. Indulgence-floating.
J. January or February-February because my grandson was born in February.
K. Kids- One of each. Both wonderful human beings.
L. Life is incomplete without-love
M. Marriage date-December 11, 1976
N. Number of siblings-1 1/2, both brothers, one I've never laid eyes on and one hasn't spoken to me since our stepfather died 7 years ago.
O. Oranges or apples-apples.....it is easier to select good apples.
P. Phobias/fears-fears.....many and varied. I was cured of my bee phobia.
Q. Favorite quote-"Dumb as dirt" and "Life is about the journey not the destination".
R. Reasons to smile-grandchildren, son, daughter, husband (not at this moment), babies, puppies, kittens, penguins, bunnies, hugs, kisses, flowers, some rocks make me smile, strawberries, when I look in the mirror and like what I see (more often lately), friends, many songs, memories, today not much.
S. Seasons-watching spring happen is my favorite.
T. Tags- toni
U. Unknown fact about me-I can't think of any facts about me that I haven't at some point told someone.
V. Vegetarian or oppressor of animals-I am prejudiced towards neither.
W. Worst habit- chewing my cuticles til they bleed and blogging.
X. X-rays or ultrasound-this is a weird question but it is a well known fact that I hate mammograms.
Y. Your favorite foods-snow crab, green beans, pasta in cream sauce, pizza.
Z. Zodiac- Sagittarius
Friday, April 27, 2007
Hurrah
Hurrah!!!
Hurrah!!!
Hurrah!!!
Hurrah!!!
Hurrah!!!
I opened the door and there they stood. It felt like Christmas morning and they were beautiful packages waiting to be unwrapped. They lit up my life for four glorious days.
My daughter has a new whispy, shaggy hairstyle that suits her perfectly, has lost weight and glows with a new confidence since we'd last been together almost a year ago. My grandchildren were even more georgeous than the fabulous photos we'd been getting of them.
I mean our daughter and OUR grandchildren. Sorry.
I had the thought that it might be awkward for our grandchildren for a bit since it had been so long. I needn't have worried. They are two of the most exquisite human beings imaginable. REALLY. It has NOTHING to do with the fact that they are my grandchildren!!! But, mostly to do with the fact of their parenting.
I was a little jealous that they coveted Grandpa more than they did me. The next day we all went to "The Wilbur May Center" museum. The highlight was when the kids held real live snakes! Yikes! I pretended like I did it all the time so I wasn't expected to participate. (I could have if I had to).
The next night Grandpa had to work. Sad faces from both of his idolizers. After an adventure of investigating near the water and climbing Indian Rock at Pyramid Lake, we stopped in to see Grandpa at work in the casino. It must have been a bit like Chucky Cheesee on steroids for the kids walking through all the lights and noise and people. We had no trouble getting them to keep holding our hands. As soon as Granddaughter saw Grandpa she called out his name and ran at him with joy and relief.
A long trip to Tahoe was next where we had a new eating experience at Fire n' Ice. Grandson and I stayed on terra firma while the two girls took the gondola ride up to Heavenly and back. We spent some time at the shore of Lake Tahoe exploring and posing for the pro. Waiting patiently and expectantly to see the results. On the rest of the trip around the lake we stopped at the exact spot where I had taken the picture of Lake Tahoe that is on this blog.
The next day they left me><
><
><
><
><
><
><
That was me having a pity party......
It was distressing to hear that they had car trouble on the way back home and that it is going to cost a big hunk of change to fix.
Hurrah!!!
Hurrah!!!
Hurrah!!!
Hurrah!!!
I opened the door and there they stood. It felt like Christmas morning and they were beautiful packages waiting to be unwrapped. They lit up my life for four glorious days.
My daughter has a new whispy, shaggy hairstyle that suits her perfectly, has lost weight and glows with a new confidence since we'd last been together almost a year ago. My grandchildren were even more georgeous than the fabulous photos we'd been getting of them.
I mean our daughter and OUR grandchildren. Sorry.
I had the thought that it might be awkward for our grandchildren for a bit since it had been so long. I needn't have worried. They are two of the most exquisite human beings imaginable. REALLY. It has NOTHING to do with the fact that they are my grandchildren!!! But, mostly to do with the fact of their parenting.
I was a little jealous that they coveted Grandpa more than they did me. The next day we all went to "The Wilbur May Center" museum. The highlight was when the kids held real live snakes! Yikes! I pretended like I did it all the time so I wasn't expected to participate. (I could have if I had to).
The next night Grandpa had to work. Sad faces from both of his idolizers. After an adventure of investigating near the water and climbing Indian Rock at Pyramid Lake, we stopped in to see Grandpa at work in the casino. It must have been a bit like Chucky Cheesee on steroids for the kids walking through all the lights and noise and people. We had no trouble getting them to keep holding our hands. As soon as Granddaughter saw Grandpa she called out his name and ran at him with joy and relief.
A long trip to Tahoe was next where we had a new eating experience at Fire n' Ice. Grandson and I stayed on terra firma while the two girls took the gondola ride up to Heavenly and back. We spent some time at the shore of Lake Tahoe exploring and posing for the pro. Waiting patiently and expectantly to see the results. On the rest of the trip around the lake we stopped at the exact spot where I had taken the picture of Lake Tahoe that is on this blog.
The next day they left me><
><
><
><
><
><
><
That was me having a pity party......
It was distressing to hear that they had car trouble on the way back home and that it is going to cost a big hunk of change to fix.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Thinking Bloggers Meme
I have been entertaining my daughter and grandchildren since dinner time on Wednesday right after I was given a thinkers award from toni.
So I am just now posting this.
Well all the blogs I visit make me think:
I think that is stupid.
I think that photo is beautiful.
I think that is funny.
You see what I mean.
So, how many is it? Five? I think I must think of five blogs that I visit that make me think and then say something about why it makes me think. And of course it doesn't count that toni who tagged me is one of my favs because I feel very comfortable with her, like I 've known her for years.
biscotto is the most intriguing blog I have read. Her writing puts you in the seat right next to her. It was from one of menos favs that I found her.
Amber's' writing is compelling and gentle. She shares her past to help others and shares her lovely family perhaps to show how it is possible to overcome.
Blog Ant is a fabulous writer. Unlike me, no interpreter is necessary when you read her totally engrossing posts, no matter what they are about.
Atavist makes me think harder than any. On several occasions I ended up with many hand written pages trying to express how I felt about a certain subject he was discussing and ended up not commenting at all.
And meno, ah meno, I can't really say why I relate so totally to her blog.
And since meno is always mentioned in fabulous five memes I will add another fascinating blog.
deirdre fills her blog with the breathings of her heart.
So I am just now posting this.
Well all the blogs I visit make me think:
I think that is stupid.
I think that photo is beautiful.
I think that is funny.
You see what I mean.
So, how many is it? Five? I think I must think of five blogs that I visit that make me think and then say something about why it makes me think. And of course it doesn't count that toni who tagged me is one of my favs because I feel very comfortable with her, like I 've known her for years.
biscotto is the most intriguing blog I have read. Her writing puts you in the seat right next to her. It was from one of menos favs that I found her.
Amber's' writing is compelling and gentle. She shares her past to help others and shares her lovely family perhaps to show how it is possible to overcome.
Blog Ant is a fabulous writer. Unlike me, no interpreter is necessary when you read her totally engrossing posts, no matter what they are about.
Atavist makes me think harder than any. On several occasions I ended up with many hand written pages trying to express how I felt about a certain subject he was discussing and ended up not commenting at all.
And meno, ah meno, I can't really say why I relate so totally to her blog.
And since meno is always mentioned in fabulous five memes I will add another fascinating blog.
deirdre fills her blog with the breathings of her heart.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Here they come!!!!!!
JOY`JOY`JOY`
I am anticipating a visit from my first born and her first and second born in about six hours!!!! It has been almost a year, so Granpa and I are excitavariestly looking forward to seeing them all. There have been so many changes.
So, I ask my daughter, "Tell me what kind of cereal would they like to have that you don't let them have. It will just be just for when they come to Grandma and Grandpas' house and so it won't be like you're allowing it." (This was a ritual of Grandpas' with his Grandma that he wanted to fondly continue).
First she snickered and said it was nice of me to ask, then said, "I don't know what kind of cereal it is, but something with Spiderman or some other character on it for Grandson. And there's a box with a princess on it that Granddaughter covets."
So Grandpa and I were going thru the aisles of Walmart in the wee hours of this morning giggling over new discoveries that little kids might like. Gogurts to name just one. Grandpa was thrilled to find that Spidey was on the box of his favorite cereal, "Cocoa Puffs"! I thought about, but didn't get Sugar Smacks for Lucky.
And now I must get a bunch of stuff done before they get here. And probably won't have much to say to any of you til after they all head back home Sunday with a big piece of my heart. I'm talking about comments cause you know how lousy I am in the Post department. I know you'll miss me and I you. Maybe.
I am anticipating a visit from my first born and her first and second born in about six hours!!!! It has been almost a year, so Granpa and I are excitavariestly looking forward to seeing them all. There have been so many changes.
So, I ask my daughter, "Tell me what kind of cereal would they like to have that you don't let them have. It will just be just for when they come to Grandma and Grandpas' house and so it won't be like you're allowing it." (This was a ritual of Grandpas' with his Grandma that he wanted to fondly continue).
First she snickered and said it was nice of me to ask, then said, "I don't know what kind of cereal it is, but something with Spiderman or some other character on it for Grandson. And there's a box with a princess on it that Granddaughter covets."
So Grandpa and I were going thru the aisles of Walmart in the wee hours of this morning giggling over new discoveries that little kids might like. Gogurts to name just one. Grandpa was thrilled to find that Spidey was on the box of his favorite cereal, "Cocoa Puffs"! I thought about, but didn't get Sugar Smacks for Lucky.
And now I must get a bunch of stuff done before they get here. And probably won't have much to say to any of you til after they all head back home Sunday with a big piece of my heart. I'm talking about comments cause you know how lousy I am in the Post department. I know you'll miss me and I you. Maybe.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
One thing leads to another II
One Thing Leads to Another - Part II
I just really have wanted to know. First, why I was fat, instead of searching for ways to lose weight. That question took me through the process of self analysis, reading, exercises, self hypnosis. And what I found was that I had been molested by my father when I was still in diapers. That I screamed and hit my kids because I was full of anger not because they were doing bad things. That I was controlling because I had been abandoned by everyone I ever loved. That I sabotaged myself because I thought I was an evil person because I thought I did evil things. That I was an adult child of an alcoholic as well as having been a codependent wife of an alcoholic ex-husband. And what became clear to me is that when you clear up one thing the way is open to work on something else when you are searching for clarity.
One thing that has become clear to me is that when I started to believe I was fat, I really wasn't. When I was in the fifth grade everyone was required to be weighed. The results were listed on the blackboard. I was the heaviest in the whole class. I have carried that humility with me to this day. Unknown to me at the time, I was also the oldest because of my birth date. I was two and a half months shy of being seven years old when I started first grade. Looking at pictures of me taken during that time, it is obvious that I was not fat. But, I believed the lie and the lie grew bigger and so did I.
I continue to uncover lies that I believed of myself and also truths, some good, some bad some beautiful. I am grateful that I started this journey of self discovery. It is changing my life.
There is a famous quote about an unexamined life........ ?
.
I just really have wanted to know. First, why I was fat, instead of searching for ways to lose weight. That question took me through the process of self analysis, reading, exercises, self hypnosis. And what I found was that I had been molested by my father when I was still in diapers. That I screamed and hit my kids because I was full of anger not because they were doing bad things. That I was controlling because I had been abandoned by everyone I ever loved. That I sabotaged myself because I thought I was an evil person because I thought I did evil things. That I was an adult child of an alcoholic as well as having been a codependent wife of an alcoholic ex-husband. And what became clear to me is that when you clear up one thing the way is open to work on something else when you are searching for clarity.
One thing that has become clear to me is that when I started to believe I was fat, I really wasn't. When I was in the fifth grade everyone was required to be weighed. The results were listed on the blackboard. I was the heaviest in the whole class. I have carried that humility with me to this day. Unknown to me at the time, I was also the oldest because of my birth date. I was two and a half months shy of being seven years old when I started first grade. Looking at pictures of me taken during that time, it is obvious that I was not fat. But, I believed the lie and the lie grew bigger and so did I.
I continue to uncover lies that I believed of myself and also truths, some good, some bad some beautiful. I am grateful that I started this journey of self discovery. It is changing my life.
There is a famous quote about an unexamined life........ ?
.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Closer Than a Friend
CLOSER THAN A FRIEND
It has been at least a decade, probably two, since I wrote these words. I was practicing a new alphabet in calligraphy by putting these thoughts down. The sentiment between us is even stronger now, but I am kinder to myself. I am tossing out the calligraphy and thought this would be a good place to save the words. My friend is going through a very tough time right now, recently having lost her mother and a dear dear friend, so the piece of my heart that belongs to her is hurting right now.
How does it happen? I felt right off that we'd be friends, though it seemed so unlikely. She is such a classy elegant lady, so friendly and considerate. And so beautiful. The shiny marvel of her raven black hair against the delicate ivory of her skin is enchanting. Her features are perfect, her expressions inviting. People stand close to her.
I on the other hand am not so magnetic and take some getting used to. Mousy blond hair, brooding eyes with flabby lids, and equally flabby body, but I do have perfectly beautiful teeth, even though they're encased inside a turned down mouth. The whole effect being a perpetual look of anger, unless disturbed by a pleasant thought, which barely manages to save me from being ugly. So, in looks and manners we couldn't be more different.
But, it continually amazes us how much alike our thoughts are, how cohesive our feelings. Vividly we feel each others successes, disappointments, joys, sorrows and frustrations. We both feel that the other is superior and it came as quite a surprise to find too, that each of us feels the most blessed by our relationship!
It has been at least a decade, probably two, since I wrote these words. I was practicing a new alphabet in calligraphy by putting these thoughts down. The sentiment between us is even stronger now, but I am kinder to myself. I am tossing out the calligraphy and thought this would be a good place to save the words. My friend is going through a very tough time right now, recently having lost her mother and a dear dear friend, so the piece of my heart that belongs to her is hurting right now.
A PIECE OF MY HEART
How does it happen? I felt right off that we'd be friends, though it seemed so unlikely. She is such a classy elegant lady, so friendly and considerate. And so beautiful. The shiny marvel of her raven black hair against the delicate ivory of her skin is enchanting. Her features are perfect, her expressions inviting. People stand close to her.
I on the other hand am not so magnetic and take some getting used to. Mousy blond hair, brooding eyes with flabby lids, and equally flabby body, but I do have perfectly beautiful teeth, even though they're encased inside a turned down mouth. The whole effect being a perpetual look of anger, unless disturbed by a pleasant thought, which barely manages to save me from being ugly. So, in looks and manners we couldn't be more different.
But, it continually amazes us how much alike our thoughts are, how cohesive our feelings. Vividly we feel each others successes, disappointments, joys, sorrows and frustrations. We both feel that the other is superior and it came as quite a surprise to find too, that each of us feels the most blessed by our relationship!
Thursday, April 05, 2007
All About Me(me)
Three Things
Three Things
Three Things
I was tagged by toni, the only blogger who cares about me, for this:
All About Me(me)
3 things that scare me:
....Speaking in front of a microphone without a script
....Answering our home phone
....Making appointments on the phone
3 bloggers that make me laugh :
....toni
....lucky
....azucar
3 things I love:
....Babies
....Old things-I love ghost towns, castles, ruins, old structures, old gravestones, old growth forests, antiques, etc.
....Tahoe
3 things I hate:
....Mammograms
....Bras
....Uncomfortable shoes
3 things I don't understand:
....Murder
....Deceit
....My husband
3 things on my desk (worktable):
....Magnifying swing arm lamp
....Watercolor paraphernalia
....A cucumber metal brush holder
3 things I'm doing right now:
....Baking an angel food cake
....I was reading blogs right before toni emailed me
....Trying to be clever and entertaining
3 things I want to do before I die:
....See Andrew Wyeths painting titled "Widows Walk" again
....Visit England again
....Visit Italy
3 things I can do:
....Touch my nose with my tongue
....Have multiple orgasms
....Count in Hawaiian
3 things I can't do:
....Menstruate
....Get an erection
....Count in Russian
3 things I think you should listen to:
....Your heart
....Your children
....Your spouse (not necessarily in that order)
3 things I think you should never listen to:
....Self condemnation
....Gossip
....Get rich quick schemes
3 things I'd like to learn:
....How to use my cell phone
....How to use our label maker
....How to do more on the computer
3 favorite foods:
....Snowcrab
....Green beans
....Pasta in cream sauce
3 shows I watched as a kid:
....(Hey kids, what time is it?) Howdy Doody
....The Cisco Kid
....The Love Ranger
3 people I tag
....you
....you
and you
Three Things
Three Things
I was tagged by toni, the only blogger who cares about me, for this:
All About Me(me)
3 things that scare me:
....Speaking in front of a microphone without a script
....Answering our home phone
....Making appointments on the phone
3 bloggers that make me laugh :
....toni
....lucky
....azucar
3 things I love:
....Babies
....Old things-I love ghost towns, castles, ruins, old structures, old gravestones, old growth forests, antiques, etc.
....Tahoe
3 things I hate:
....Mammograms
....Bras
....Uncomfortable shoes
3 things I don't understand:
....Murder
....Deceit
....My husband
3 things on my desk (worktable):
....Magnifying swing arm lamp
....Watercolor paraphernalia
....A cucumber metal brush holder
3 things I'm doing right now:
....Baking an angel food cake
....I was reading blogs right before toni emailed me
....Trying to be clever and entertaining
3 things I want to do before I die:
....See Andrew Wyeths painting titled "Widows Walk" again
....Visit England again
....Visit Italy
3 things I can do:
....Touch my nose with my tongue
....Have multiple orgasms
....Count in Hawaiian
3 things I can't do:
....Menstruate
....Get an erection
....Count in Russian
3 things I think you should listen to:
....Your heart
....Your children
....Your spouse (not necessarily in that order)
3 things I think you should never listen to:
....Self condemnation
....Gossip
....Get rich quick schemes
3 things I'd like to learn:
....How to use my cell phone
....How to use our label maker
....How to do more on the computer
3 favorite foods:
....Snowcrab
....Green beans
....Pasta in cream sauce
3 shows I watched as a kid:
....(Hey kids, what time is it?) Howdy Doody
....The Cisco Kid
....The Love Ranger
3 people I tag
....you
....you
and you
Saturday, March 31, 2007
One thing leads to another
One Thing Leads to Another
My personal quest for enlightenment and self actualization started for me in earnest a short time after May of 1986 when my husband and I were separated for almost a year. (I like to say that for the shock value!) It was not choice that separated us, but a new job that took my husband 1500 miles away. We thought we had sold our home in New Mexico. My husband went to California for training for his new job. The kids and I house hunted in Spokane, Washington and were excited about what we had found. When we returned to New Mexico though we learned that the couple who had bought our house could not qualify for the loan. With great disappointment for my husband and I the house went back on the market and the kids and I stayed put. The kids didn't mind so much not having to leave their friends.
So, for a year I was a single stay at home Mom. Most of my friends had moved away. And of course my husband was 1500 miles away. "No more eggs to fry......" Yes, I did have a pity party, for just a bit. The house was always at it's best, ready to show to a prospective buyer should a realtor call. So, when the kids were at school I had lots of time on my hands. I decided to spend this time productively.
Whether it was true or not is another story, but, I had believed myself to be fat since the forth grade. And I decided one more time that I was going to conquer the fat. I went to the library often and spent a lot of time reading the treasures I would bring home. I remember sitting at the typewriter typing an eating plan after reading several books by Geneen Roth. And while typing I had an Ah hah moment! This day was the first time I asked myself why. Why was I fat? I changed direction and started reading and working through "The Viscott Method a Revolutionary Program for Self-Analysis and Self Understanding" by David S. Viscott. Thus the journey began.
It was at this time that "The Oprah Winfree Show" was nationally sindicated and I was hooked after the first show that I watched. Through Oprah I was introduced to Wayne Dyer, Gary Zukav, Harville Hendriks, Dr. Phil and Depok Chopra, to name a few. Then while visiting a friend back east I watched the Wisdom Channel and discovered Louise Haye. While talking on the phone with another distant friend she mentioned a book titled something about loving yourself. I didn't write it down, but looked for it the next time I was in the library. What I came up with was titled something like "How to Love Yourself". I have it in a box in the garage I think. It turned out not to be the book my friend was talking about, but it's simple message was essential for me. There was also Marianne Williamson, John Gray, John Bradshaw, Jung, even Covey and Freud. Yes, I've read them all and more. I am, if nothing else, well read!!!
I am not in total agreement with everything everyone of them mutters. Neither do I discount everything they say because I don't agree with every detail. I just really have wanted to know.
I must have been born curious, always wanting to be the fly on the wall. My older brother always had his friends and would be off somewhere with them. I would be with my Mom and her friends listening to them gossip and talk about their biggest concern, how to lose weight. Anytime there would be people gathered talking I had my ears close by. And I kept many secrets because somehow I knew that if I repeated any of what I was hearing I would not be allowed to listen anymore. I still have many secrets locked inside. do do.........do do (that was an attempt at the 'Twilight Zone' music).
Anyway, there I went, off on a tangent and forgetting where I was going with this, which is why I don't post much and spend a lot of time watching the cursor blink.
I just really have wanted to know.
My personal quest for enlightenment and self actualization started for me in earnest a short time after May of 1986 when my husband and I were separated for almost a year. (I like to say that for the shock value!) It was not choice that separated us, but a new job that took my husband 1500 miles away. We thought we had sold our home in New Mexico. My husband went to California for training for his new job. The kids and I house hunted in Spokane, Washington and were excited about what we had found. When we returned to New Mexico though we learned that the couple who had bought our house could not qualify for the loan. With great disappointment for my husband and I the house went back on the market and the kids and I stayed put. The kids didn't mind so much not having to leave their friends.
So, for a year I was a single stay at home Mom. Most of my friends had moved away. And of course my husband was 1500 miles away. "No more eggs to fry......" Yes, I did have a pity party, for just a bit. The house was always at it's best, ready to show to a prospective buyer should a realtor call. So, when the kids were at school I had lots of time on my hands. I decided to spend this time productively.
Whether it was true or not is another story, but, I had believed myself to be fat since the forth grade. And I decided one more time that I was going to conquer the fat. I went to the library often and spent a lot of time reading the treasures I would bring home. I remember sitting at the typewriter typing an eating plan after reading several books by Geneen Roth. And while typing I had an Ah hah moment! This day was the first time I asked myself why. Why was I fat? I changed direction and started reading and working through "The Viscott Method a Revolutionary Program for Self-Analysis and Self Understanding" by David S. Viscott. Thus the journey began.
It was at this time that "The Oprah Winfree Show" was nationally sindicated and I was hooked after the first show that I watched. Through Oprah I was introduced to Wayne Dyer, Gary Zukav, Harville Hendriks, Dr. Phil and Depok Chopra, to name a few. Then while visiting a friend back east I watched the Wisdom Channel and discovered Louise Haye. While talking on the phone with another distant friend she mentioned a book titled something about loving yourself. I didn't write it down, but looked for it the next time I was in the library. What I came up with was titled something like "How to Love Yourself". I have it in a box in the garage I think. It turned out not to be the book my friend was talking about, but it's simple message was essential for me. There was also Marianne Williamson, John Gray, John Bradshaw, Jung, even Covey and Freud. Yes, I've read them all and more. I am, if nothing else, well read!!!
I am not in total agreement with everything everyone of them mutters. Neither do I discount everything they say because I don't agree with every detail. I just really have wanted to know.
I must have been born curious, always wanting to be the fly on the wall. My older brother always had his friends and would be off somewhere with them. I would be with my Mom and her friends listening to them gossip and talk about their biggest concern, how to lose weight. Anytime there would be people gathered talking I had my ears close by. And I kept many secrets because somehow I knew that if I repeated any of what I was hearing I would not be allowed to listen anymore. I still have many secrets locked inside. do do.........do do (that was an attempt at the 'Twilight Zone' music).
Anyway, there I went, off on a tangent and forgetting where I was going with this, which is why I don't post much and spend a lot of time watching the cursor blink.
I just really have wanted to know.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
100 books
100 BOOKS
If you want to play along, simply take the list below, paste it into your own blog, put READ next to those you’ve read, WANT TO next to those you are interested in, AGAIN & AGAIN next to those you’ve read and can’t stop, and leave blank those you don’t care to read.
1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) read
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) read
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) read
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell) read
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien) READ
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien) READ
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien) READ
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) READ
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)read
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden) READ
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) READ
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien) READ
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) read
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) READ
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold) READ
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel) ?
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) READ
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) read
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck) read
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)read
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)read
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks) read
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand) read
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) read
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)?
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)read
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)?
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel) read!!!!
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. The Bible read
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy) read
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas) read
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)read
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck) READ
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)read
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver) read
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens) read
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens) READ
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald) READ
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough) read
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood) ?
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) read
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand) read
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy) read
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice) read
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)read
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares) read
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller) read
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)read
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery) read
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)read!!!!
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)read
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) read
76. Tigana (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith) READ
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving) read
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) READ
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck) READ
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier) read
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen) READ
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams) ?
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) ?
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer) read
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding) READ
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)read
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum) read
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch) read
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)read
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)read
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)
I've never been big on rereading books, though I have, not realizing it for many chapters.
If you want to play along, simply take the list below, paste it into your own blog, put READ next to those you’ve read, WANT TO next to those you are interested in, AGAIN & AGAIN next to those you’ve read and can’t stop, and leave blank those you don’t care to read.
1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) read
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) read
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) read
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell) read
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien) READ
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien) READ
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien) READ
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) READ
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)read
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden) READ
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) READ
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien) READ
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) read
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) READ
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold) READ
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel) ?
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) READ
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) read
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck) read
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)read
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)read
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks) read
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand) read
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) read
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)?
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)read
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)?
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel) read!!!!
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. The Bible read
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy) read
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas) read
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)read
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck) READ
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)read
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver) read
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens) read
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens) READ
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald) READ
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough) read
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood) ?
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) read
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand) read
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy) read
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice) read
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)read
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares) read
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller) read
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)read
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery) read
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)read!!!!
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)read
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) read
76. Tigana (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith) READ
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving) read
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) READ
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck) READ
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier) read
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen) READ
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams) ?
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) ?
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer) read
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding) READ
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)read
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum) read
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch) read
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)read
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)read
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)
I've never been big on rereading books, though I have, not realizing it for many chapters.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Gratitude
GRATITUDE
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."
~~~Melody Beatie
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."
~~~Melody Beatie
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Monday, March 12, 2007
Blogging
Incredible
It is too incredible what this blogging business has done for me. I haven't been doing it very long, yet the benefits are huge. Thanks Lucky.
I think blogging is what it used to be like to write letters! When I graduated from High School I traveled with a family to Hawaii. The family then moved to Korea and I stayed in Hawaii and wrote long letters home to my Mom and bestfriend. When I say long letters, I mean 10, 15, 20 pages. Oh and I almost forgot about the sailor I wrote long letters to when I was in High School. His name was Maynard Robert Kanoinoiokalani Kaleokalani. He was also my first kiss! Just one.
Anywho...the benefits of blogging.....back to the benefits of blogging.
The most recent benefit is that I got all fired up reading some blogs that are way out there. I remember a time when I was able to guide peoples thoughts back to rational reasonable thought. I was well known for it as a matter of fact. Then I had children and a slight shift occurred in my sensibilities. I spent much less time talking to peers and most of my time being a mother. That was almost 36 years ago.
About twelve years later when my youngest started school I started reading self help books and writing about what I learned. The volume of my writing filled several garbage bags when we pared down before moving to Nevada. I kept a small portion. Blogging inspired me to dig them out and reading them has been amazing and uplifting just as it was to look through photo albums to find pictures to post on my blog.
I hope to share some of this writing with you.
How long has it been since you looked through your phots albums? Do you have journals that you haven't read in OH SO long?
It is too incredible what this blogging business has done for me. I haven't been doing it very long, yet the benefits are huge. Thanks Lucky.
I think blogging is what it used to be like to write letters! When I graduated from High School I traveled with a family to Hawaii. The family then moved to Korea and I stayed in Hawaii and wrote long letters home to my Mom and bestfriend. When I say long letters, I mean 10, 15, 20 pages. Oh and I almost forgot about the sailor I wrote long letters to when I was in High School. His name was Maynard Robert Kanoinoiokalani Kaleokalani. He was also my first kiss! Just one.
Anywho...the benefits of blogging.....back to the benefits of blogging.
The most recent benefit is that I got all fired up reading some blogs that are way out there. I remember a time when I was able to guide peoples thoughts back to rational reasonable thought. I was well known for it as a matter of fact. Then I had children and a slight shift occurred in my sensibilities. I spent much less time talking to peers and most of my time being a mother. That was almost 36 years ago.
About twelve years later when my youngest started school I started reading self help books and writing about what I learned. The volume of my writing filled several garbage bags when we pared down before moving to Nevada. I kept a small portion. Blogging inspired me to dig them out and reading them has been amazing and uplifting just as it was to look through photo albums to find pictures to post on my blog.
I hope to share some of this writing with you.
How long has it been since you looked through your phots albums? Do you have journals that you haven't read in OH SO long?
Friday, March 02, 2007
TONI
This blogging business is like going to my favorite store in Spokane, WA-"Mels". I seldom bought anything there because I wanted most everything they had. I have only so much time that I can be on the computer because my husband is finishing his MBA at UNR and is on the computer a lot. So I have to chose between writing and reading blogs.
i JUST DON'T KNOW HOW YOU YOUNG'UNS DO IT.
This blogging business is like going to my favorite store in Spokane, WA-"Mels". I seldom bought anything there because I wanted most everything they had. I have only so much time that I can be on the computer because my husband is finishing his MBA at UNR and is on the computer a lot. So I have to chose between writing and reading blogs.
i JUST DON'T KNOW HOW YOU YOUNG'UNS DO IT.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
AS THE PREGNANCY CONTINUES
AS THE PREGNANCY CONTINUES
(I really did go four weeks past my due date!)
I have relived this time over and over for thirty five years. It plays differently inside my head than it does written down. I inadequately described the joy I felt the day I was told that, for the first time, I was pregnant.
Right away I bought books on the subject. There weren't many then. It was hippy time and I got a book on having your baby in the middle of the woods in a tent and drinking raspberry tea and naming your baby names like Peaches and Flower. Though they were in their infancy I got the Lamaze and La Leche books. I followed them religiously, practicing breathing and roughing up my nipples in preparation for breastfeeding. (When Lucky was born, there was just one other woman in a ward of 40 new mothers who breastfed.) Everyday I ate the same recommended diet that I remember included an egg, an orange, a tomato and milk. I quit smoking. I had two baby showers, one Hawaiian with poi, opihi and ahi with seaweed. The other in "Ye Olde Plank Inn", a bar at Pacific Beach, California where gifts were piled high on one of the pool tables and food on another.
The gift I remember most was a yellow and white check gingham giraffe diaper hanger from the close friend I named Lucky after. She surprised me by driving down from New Port Beach to attend the shower in Pacific Beach. Remind me to tell you about her.
Well, it seems that looking for old pictures to post has caused me to rearrange my "studio". When we moved in here two years and one month ago, I arranged the two white laminate dressers I use for my "instruments of creation" and other junk, abutting a window wall without realizing that I wouldn't be able to open the top drawer of one of the dressers. I had a love seat for one of my grandchildren to sleep on when they came to visit, next to them. I had already filled all the drawers and the cupboards sitting on top of the dressers, as well as packing to move, going through the snow storm of the century, unpacking and I just couldnn't ......until
To be continued also...
(I really did go four weeks past my due date!)
I have relived this time over and over for thirty five years. It plays differently inside my head than it does written down. I inadequately described the joy I felt the day I was told that, for the first time, I was pregnant.
Right away I bought books on the subject. There weren't many then. It was hippy time and I got a book on having your baby in the middle of the woods in a tent and drinking raspberry tea and naming your baby names like Peaches and Flower. Though they were in their infancy I got the Lamaze and La Leche books. I followed them religiously, practicing breathing and roughing up my nipples in preparation for breastfeeding. (When Lucky was born, there was just one other woman in a ward of 40 new mothers who breastfed.) Everyday I ate the same recommended diet that I remember included an egg, an orange, a tomato and milk. I quit smoking. I had two baby showers, one Hawaiian with poi, opihi and ahi with seaweed. The other in "Ye Olde Plank Inn", a bar at Pacific Beach, California where gifts were piled high on one of the pool tables and food on another.
The gift I remember most was a yellow and white check gingham giraffe diaper hanger from the close friend I named Lucky after. She surprised me by driving down from New Port Beach to attend the shower in Pacific Beach. Remind me to tell you about her.
Well, it seems that looking for old pictures to post has caused me to rearrange my "studio". When we moved in here two years and one month ago, I arranged the two white laminate dressers I use for my "instruments of creation" and other junk, abutting a window wall without realizing that I wouldn't be able to open the top drawer of one of the dressers. I had a love seat for one of my grandchildren to sleep on when they came to visit, next to them. I had already filled all the drawers and the cupboards sitting on top of the dressers, as well as packing to move, going through the snow storm of the century, unpacking and I just couldnn't ......until
To be continued also...
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Babies
I've loved babies, probably since I was a baby? I should say all my life. My Mom was always taking care of other peoples babies and I was always fascinated with them. Then when I was 9 I babysat for the first time for a 6 month old boy for 30 minutes while his grandma and my Mom went to the grocery store, It would be a few more years until I babysat regularly. But, when I did I loved it and was popular with both the kids and parents.
So, by the time I married in 1966 I was SOOOOOO anxious to have a baby. We used no birth control and every month I was disappointed every fourth Friday when my period would arrive without fail.
Four years later circumstances made it a bad idea to become pregnant. So I stopped anticipating. I'd been having a lot of UTIs and was scheduled for x-rays. The day before I called to say that for the first time since I started having them, my period was nine days late. I was told to bring in a urine sample. I delivered it the next morning and waited for my appointment. I was ushered into the doctor and sat down.
"I wouldn't x-ray you for all the tea in China," he said to me.
"Why?"
"Because the test was positive."
"For what?"
"You are pregnant."
I was so thrilled.! I told everyone I passed on the way home.
I should go see if I can find the picture my Mom took of me the day before Lucky was born.
I had gestational diabetes that was called "Class A diabetes" then, at about 36 weeks I was hospitalized because of weight gain. My bed was foot to foot with a woman with a heart condition who was having twins and my! what a mountain! On my right was a young woman from Trinidad who was too sick to keep anything but saltines down for three months. I had a doctor who wore clogs. We all laughed about it and giggled when we heard him coming. I was anxious to get out of there and remember all my roommates cheering for me.
So, by the time I married in 1966 I was SOOOOOO anxious to have a baby. We used no birth control and every month I was disappointed every fourth Friday when my period would arrive without fail.
Four years later circumstances made it a bad idea to become pregnant. So I stopped anticipating. I'd been having a lot of UTIs and was scheduled for x-rays. The day before I called to say that for the first time since I started having them, my period was nine days late. I was told to bring in a urine sample. I delivered it the next morning and waited for my appointment. I was ushered into the doctor and sat down.
"I wouldn't x-ray you for all the tea in China," he said to me.
"Why?"
"Because the test was positive."
"For what?"
"You are pregnant."
I was so thrilled.! I told everyone I passed on the way home.
I should go see if I can find the picture my Mom took of me the day before Lucky was born.
I had gestational diabetes that was called "Class A diabetes" then, at about 36 weeks I was hospitalized because of weight gain. My bed was foot to foot with a woman with a heart condition who was having twins and my! what a mountain! On my right was a young woman from Trinidad who was too sick to keep anything but saltines down for three months. I had a doctor who wore clogs. We all laughed about it and giggled when we heard him coming. I was anxious to get out of there and remember all my roommates cheering for me.
After three weekly visits with the doctor telling me I would deliver at any moment I was induced on May 28, 1971.
Now I will need to go find a new born pic of Lucky. I will post this first because of how long it took me to find the prego pic, scan and post it. The greatest amount of time was spent browsing through all the albums. It was very pleasant and I recommend it.
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