So Grateful

I am nearing the end of a 16 day cross country trip and it occurred to me that I haven't taken the time to tell you what I'm grateful for this year. So while Ron and I are resting at the glorious JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa, I thought I'd reflect and give you my list. I am so grateful...

...that my hair grew back!

...that I have been able to play Scrabble and Words with Friends almost competitively with Anita, Eileen, Megan, Debbie, Katie, Gibby and Rita. (Thanks for keeping my brain working!)

...that I got to visit my good friend Don and his feathered kids.

...that I am well enough to have gotten a new job and that my boss at my new job was so understanding and flexible about me taking 2 weeks off even though I just started there at the end of October.

...that I continue to get to spend time with the Wild Thing!

...that in all our travels this year, the airlines never lost our luggage, we never missed a flight and that we arrived safely at all our destinations.

...that I finally got to meet my dear friend, Meredith.

...that we got to see Ron's parents, brother and sister this year.

...that I got to see Kevin, Leah and Kimi this year.

...that even though it's been a challenging year, my girls, Ron and I are all healthy.

...that I got to spend real quality time with Stef and Tim and their families. (Next year, Ginger?)

...that my beautiful, healthy baby nephew Wyatt arrived to the enthusiastic welcome of the whole family and that my brother and sister-in-law allowed me to go to Georgia to meet him and spend some time with all of them.

...that after 30 years of being married, Ron and I are still best friends and that he loves and accepts me blonde or brunette, thin or fat, in sickness and in health!

Tomorrow Ron and I will be driving the last 7 hours (480 miles) back home. It's been a whirlwind of a trip, but we made it! I wish you all a belated "Happy Thanksgiving!"

back to the theater

It's been a while since I written any movie reviews, but Ron and I did go to San Francisco yesterday and saw 2 movies. They were both good, so I thought that I should tell you about them.

First up was Ender's Game. I have to confess that it has been MANY years since I read this book and I didn't remember much of the story line, so don't count on me to tell you how well the film measured up to the book. However, I noticed that the author was one of the producers on the movie, so he was probably ok with the way it turned out.

Otherwise, this was a very enjoyable movie. The young actors were all pretty impressive and the special effects were spectacular. The subject matter here was fairly serious - children trained for battle against an alien race. It also focused on how these young soldiers were manipulated and lied to by the government for the purpose of guaranteeing the survival of the human race. Many ethical questions are posed here and will make you think. Ron had a problem with a couple of the plot points which I can't tell you without giving away an important part of the movie. The downside for me was the adult actors. With the exception of Viola Davis, (I thought she was the most believable) I found the adult actor's (Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley) performances to be pretty cheesy. Even so, the overall impact of the movie was good and I really liked it.

How about a charming romantic comedy to balance out a sci-fi movie? About Time is a very sweet, enjoyable film about a young man who finds out after his 21st birthday that he is able to travel in time to correct or change things that have happened within his lifetime.  He decides to use this power to find a girlfriend. This is exactly the kind of movie that I love. There are very touching scenes between the main character Tim and his dad played by Bill Nighy, Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams play the young couple with charm and wit - there's nothing better than a British romantic comedy! Richard Curtiss is the writer/director here and was also responsible for a couple of my favorite rom/coms - Love Actually and Notting Hill. It's probably not as good as Love Actually, but I plan to see it again just to make sure!

I'm a little rusty writing about movies, but give me another couple tries at it and I hope to get back into the swing of things.

Trick or Treat!

Ron and I both worked a full day today but then raced back across the San Mateo Bridge to get home in time for some trick-or-treating! We had a date with a very GREEN 7-year-old who was anxious to go door to door for some candy! My husband is a very good sport and even agreed to dress up for the occasion. Here is the photographic evidence...

Just in case you weren't sure who Ron was supposed to be...

 

Halloween smooches

Charlie Brown and the Hulk

Viliamu got tired of being the Hulk and decided to change costumes!

It was all good fun, but now it's over for another year. Time for bed!

Happy Halloween!

Serenity

I love this tree. It's in one of the gardens at Oakwood Retirement Community where I now work. I walk by it several times a day as I go about my business between the different buildings. I look at this beautiful tree and appreciate the gorgeous colors every time I see it. You know how I love the autumn colors!

By the way, I'm one week into my new job and I am feeling very lucky to have found such a nice place to work!

A Big Week

I went to The Pacific International Quilt Festival....

Ron and I went to the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival...

Oh yes and one other thing.....I GOT A JOB!!!!

I start on Wednesday - Wish me luck!

Did I have more fun?

Here's a photo of me and my beautiful baby sister, Stephanie (the doctor). It's the last photo taken of me with blonde hair...

Yesterday, Denise brought me back from blonde closer to what my natural color used to be...

I was blonde for a little over a year and I have to say that I don't think that my hair color made any difference in how much fun I did or didn't have. I certainly obsessed about it more than ever. I'm very happy to be closer to normal now. Normal. So what exactly is normal anyway?

New friends for Wyatt

Reggie and Simon

I'm getting ready for the arrival of my nephew Wyatt in November. The creative juices are flowing.

Planning and fresh ideas...Part 2 of The Wedding Story

In my utter excitement and enthusiasm for the big event, I started asking too many questions and started stressing out the bride. I honestly didn't mean to, but I guess I did. I had to take a big step back and let JB and Causten tell me what they wanted and how they wanted me to help.

What they decided is that they would have the small private ceremony in New York in August and then a reception for family and friends in October in Denver. (That's where Causten grew up). We made plans to meet in Denver in April to take care of wedding business. This would include checking out the likely reception venue, tasting proposed menus from a few caterers and maybe, just maybe there would be a little time to squeeze in some dress shopping. I had my fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I started thinking about little things I could do to make the day special. I NEVER had any illusions that any of my girls would want to wear my wedding dress. My dress was very special to me and was stylish enough for 1983, but not so much for a modern, stylish woman in 2013. Still, I wanted JB to have something special to wear, use or hold during her ceremony. I took my wedding dress and veil out of the trunk I had it stored in and stared at it for about a week. Then I took the plunge.

With tiny little scissors and a seam ripper, I began to painstakingly remove the yards of Chantilly lace that covered the dress. I was surprised that it was in such good condition and I started brainstorming what I would do with the lace and taffeta. Before I made any more cuts or snips into the dress, I cut a piece of scrap muslin into a strip and started playing with it. I folded, gathered and twisted it into a flower. I liked it!

 Hmmmmmm.

What if I were to cut the taffeta into strips and make lots of flowers and then make a bouquet of those flowers? I got very excited about the idea, but I was nervous, too. Once I started cutting the fabric, there was no going back. I took out my rotary cutter and mat, took a deep breath and started cutting my wedding dress into 2 inch and 3 inch strips of fabric. JB knew that I was making something, but didn't know what.

I didn't want her to feel like she HAD to carry it if she didn't like the way it turned out. I knew that she might really want to carry fresh flowers. I put together a small bouquet of the fabric flowers to show her when we met in Denver. It had a vintage quality to it that was very pretty and it turned out that she loved it! Whew!

Since JB and Causten were getting married on our 30th anniversary, I used 30 flowers to make the final bouquet. I wrapped the stems of the flowers with a piece of the Chantilly lace. I think it turned out wonderfully - here is how it looked...

By the way, I still have enough fabric and lace leftover to make flowers for another 2 bouquets should I need them...

The Best Anniversary Gift...Part 1 of The Wedding Story

Because there is so much to say on this subject, I have decided to write about this in several parts. Lots to say and share...

Here is JB wearing my wedding dress in 1999 when she was 13 -
we were having a bridal fashion show at my workplace.

Back in February, JB and Causten called and asked Ron and I if we would mind sharing our anniversary with them....wait, WHAT?! They wanted to get married this year on our 30th anniversary! I immediately started crying (with happiness) and, of course we said "Yes!"

Because I have a tendency to over-share here, I was politely asked not to share the wedding details ahead of time. I have been on "lock down" and did my best to respect the couple's wishes. Now that they are married, I think it's ok if I share some details of the happy event.

As the mother of the bride, I learned the most important phrase for the event..."It's your wedding - we will do whatever YOU want." I found out pretty quickly that this wasn't going to be a big, traditional wedding. No maid of honor, best man, bridesmaids or groomsmen. The ceremony would be very small, private and possibly take place at City Hall in Manhattan on August 27th. That was all ok with me. I had always told my girls that it didn't matter to me what kind of wedding they had as long as I was in attendance!

But then JB said that she didn't necessarily want to wear a wedding dress...sigh..."it's your wedding - we will do whatever YOU want..."

To be continued....

Back in the Saddle...

It's been awhile since you've seen anything new from me here. Sorry about that. My attention has been elsewhere. It's been a very busy summer.

I still have a few irons in the fire, but I am going to make an effort to get back to writing. I will do what I can to fill you in on my activities during the last couple of months, but it may take awhile. While I figure out where to start let me just tell you to go see The Butler.  It is an amazing movie!

See you soon!

Intermission

blah....

I have been in a blue funk lately and trying to deal with my own kind of June gloom. I don't know what's been wrong with me for most of this month, but I think I'm finally coming out of it. It's not as if I haven't had things to do. I'm busy enough these days, but for some reason I've been feeling like my feet are set in concrete. I've got a lot on my mind these days, but unfortunately, I am not at liberty to share most of it. Don't worry. Most of it is good stuff and I will eventually be able to talk about it.

In the meantime, I have been going to my yoga class twice a week, hanging out with Viliamu on Wednesdays, going to the movies on the weekends and today we had brunch with a friend. Great distractions and mood enhancers! So, we've seen several movies but I haven't written a word about them. Here is a very quick re-cap and a very few words on each...

Fast and Furious 6 (PG-13) - I was convinced by a certain 6 year old that we had to see this movie. All I can say is that those are 2 hours of my life I will never get back. No, it wasn't as bad as all that. It was just silly and far fetched, but hey, who doesn't love a good car chase sequence and a bunch of muscle bound bad boys?! It's not my type of movie, but if you are a fan of the series you should see it before it gets bumped out of the theaters if it hasn't been already.

The Internship (PG-13) - Ron and I went to see this movie because it's about Google and we thought it would be fun to see a movie that was filmed around our area. Besides that, Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson can be pretty funny together as they were in Wedding Crashers. This movie wasn't as funny but it did have it's own charm. You get an inside look at Google in this film, but who knows how accurate it really is? So, if you missed this one at the theater, it's ok - this one is perfect  to wait for on DVD.

Frances Ha (R) - How about a quirky little independent film about a twentysomething young woman trying to live and follow her dreams in New York? It stars Greta Gerwig who I believe had a hand in the writing of this movie. It's a small film that made me wonder if my twentysomethings were having such a hard time. We took Beckie to see this one and she liked it. Ron didn't say much one way or another and I thought it was ok.

Man of Steel (PG-13) - I've already seen this movie twice - once with Ron and once with Viliamu. I loved it! This film gives more back story on Krypton and Superman's two sets of parents. Plenty of action, too. The fight sequences between Superman and General Zod were a bit much, but few movies are perfect. I have to tell you that whoever decided to make Henry Cavill the next Superman chose VERY wisely. If there is such a thing as a perfect man - this Superman is completely swoon-worthy. He is absolutely beautiful (I don't often say that about men). Anyway, I thought the cast was great; I loved the story; Superman made me swoon - it was the perfect summer movie and I may just see it a third time!

This is the End (R) - I don't know what possessed us to go see this movie especially since we don't care that much for Seth Rogen or James Franco. This movie is about The Rapture and the End of Days. The actors in it play shallow versions themselves in this incredibly crude movie. Much of the humor is juvenile and would definitely appeal to teenage boys. I am embarrassed to say that it did make me laugh a couple points. When the movie was over and we walked out of the theater, I told the people waiting to get in to the next showing how awful the movie was...silly and stupid! Unless you really love Seth Rogen, James Franco and Jonah Hill - skip it!

World War Z (PG-13) - Finally, we saw this movie yesterday not really knowing what to expect. I am NOT a fan of zombies in general, but the trailers made me want to see what it was all about. I have had this book sitting on my nightstand for a couple weeks, but of course, I haven't read it. This movie was incredibly suspenseful, scary, but not too "gooey," you know how I hate blood and guts. Although this is not a movie I would see again, I thought it was good and I did like it.

Ok, that was a very quick run down on what we've seen lately. I've been watching other movies on pay per view, too, but I'll save that for another day. I just looked outside and see that the June gloom is persisting...sigh...

Summer Reading

Happy First Day of Summer!

I love to read and as usual, I have big plans for which books I intend to cross off my "to do" reading list this summer. I would have started sooner, but I have been knitting...knitting...sewing...knitting...oh, and going to movies. Now I think it's time to readjust my priorities for my spare time. There are SOOOOOO many unread books on my nightstand and bookshelves (and even some lying dormant in my Kindle) that I have to do something about it. There are new books coming out every day that I won't allow myself to buy because I know that they will end up on the shelves collecting dust. That stops TODAY!

A couple months ago, my friend Eileen gave me The Bean Trees (1988) by Barbara Kingsolver. It was supposed to be a quick read (only 232 pages), but I kept getting distracted by my other projects. I read the first chapter, put the book down and then got immersed in another knitting project. I forced myself to put my knitting needles down a couple days ago, picked up the book and started on page 1 again. It was well worth the effort!

The Bean Trees was Ms. Kingsolver's first novel. She has since written many other well known books like The Poisonwood Bible (1998). This book is full of interesting, quirky characters - my favorite kind! The story really gets started when the main character, Taylor, leaves Kentucky to find a new life out west. Her only limitations are a window-less car that she has to push start and very limited funds. She is tough and resourceful and entirely capable of finding her way. Her plans are upset when driving through Oklahoma. On a stop to rest and get something to eat, she is given a baby girl by the baby's aunt. The funny thing is how easy it is to convince Taylor to take the little girl that she eventually names "Turtle". The unlikely pair end up in Tucson, Arizona when Taylor's car gets two flat tires. As she gets to know Turtle, Taylor discovers some heartbreaking truths about the little girl. This strengthens Taylor's resolve to protect this little girl.

This was a quick read once I decided not to be distracted by other things. I liked the book very much partly because of the Tucson setting. Ms. Kingsolver has a wonderful narrative style and she does a great job describing the desert and Arizona sunsets...made me a little homesick for Arizona. This book gets a thumbs up from me...so, thanks, Eileen!

Now I have to decide what to read next. Believe me, I have plenty to choose from just on my shelves. Is it time to start reading the Game of Thrones books? Hmmmmm...

Happy Father's Day!

I may have mentioned this before, but just in case I haven't, I want to tell you that I REALLY like my husband. He's a good man, a loving and supportive husband and a GREAT DAD! He's not without quirks or faults, but over the years, he has been a wonderful partner in the parenting process. He may have trouble saying the words sometimes, but he loves our girls with all his heart and does all he can to help them even now as adults. Here are some of my favorite photos of a loving daddy with his girls...

A brand new daddy with jb

he certainly had his hands full!

Sharing a joke with Beckie

at White Sands

Right before the Father/Daughter dance 1994

with jb on the beach in So Cal

Twin love

Christmas in NYC!

Dancing at a friend's wedding

Homecoming at SLHS 2005

with Mandi

in Maui

Here's to all the daddies out there who have made the world a better place for their kids - Happy Father's Day!