It's a Swan

I haven't been to one of my favorite parks, Virginia Lake, this year

that is until today.

The day after the rainy Seattle-weather-in-Nevada summer day.

I don't remember ever seeing a swan on the lake,

and I've been coming to stroll around the pond

for 41 years now. 

I know swans do pass through here on their way to wherever they go,

but I have never seen them in this particular lake.

 

Just goes to show, everyday really is a new day.

It was difficult to get a good picture

because the big guy was constantly

bobbing its head in and out of the water looking for something tasty to eat.

I was pulling all kinds of hijinks trying

to get the phone camera in line for the shot.

Then, a woman cruised right between me and the

slowly paddling bird

and threw a huge piece of bread into the water.

At first, I was ticked off when she came between the beautiful white bird and myself.

But when the creature immediately swam up to the floating bread

stuck out its long, graceful neck and gobbled it up,

I got a nice shot.

Or so I thought.

It's a good thing I kept trailing the bird from the bank and snapping pictures

because when I got home and checked the pictures,

the unseen shadows had occluded  much of the magnificence of the bird.

Picture taking with a cell phone isn't always the best choice of camera.

I am glad it was there though

because if any one questions my swan sighting,

I can say

"Here you go, Yo!"

Goggles Part Deux

When a friend of mine in the UK

suggested my

goggle post was incomplete

without my

beautiful,

splenderific

Grandma Goggled

presence too,

I was happy to oblige.

Karen,

here you go!!!

What About Our Goggles ???

Today, we were mired in boondoggles,

so we decided to leave the wattle,

after gobbling down the floppy, wobbly waffles.

We toggled, joggled, and engaged in some squabbles,

as we hobbled, wobbled, then we coggled

all despite our scary in the belly collywobbles!

We finally made it to the pool,

all the while we were boggled 

as wind blew.

But we thought we were Supermodels,

when everyone oggled,

our super fantastic

splendiferous

GOGGLES!

When the lessons were all done,

off to Grandma we flew,

to be rubbed,

and to be swaddled,

'Til we were warm too!

I Can See Clearly Now ...

... the fog between the glass is

GONE!!!!

I thanked the glass putter inner men so many times 

while they were working

I think they got sick of me.

I literally jumped for joy,

and couldn't wait to get my glass cleaner out.

Ever since we moved into this house six years ago,

there had been moisture between the panes of glass.

With each year the fog grew, and grew

until I couldn't see clearly out onto my beautiful flower filled patio.

I knew Quan was there,

on a good day I could see her.

From now on, I can see her clearly

EVERYDAY,

YEAH!!!!!!

First Rose of Summer

Dear Rose,

Thanks for poking your little head

away from all your thorny stems,

so I could coo over you

and sing sweetly in your ear,

how dear you are to me

to bloom heaven here 

each year.

A Cobbler Tale

Today, I woke up with a migraine headache.

Out of nowhere,

before I even got my eyes open this morning,

Here comes the telltale sign,

heralding the big boomers imminent arrival.

It starts off small

and with each beat of my heart

the neon, blinking, half moon shape

grows, and grows, until it eventually occludes all of my vision. 

Then magically the Vegas style light show, harkening the arrival of The Big Bopper, suddenly stops.

I immediately headed for the Aleve.

I know what is coming next.

I gulped down the little blue pill, then headed right back to bed.

Then, of course, my tailbone decided to scream at me for lying on it too long.

I quickly weighed my options,

get out of bed and face the blinding light,

or lay in bed like a sissy

complaining.

I really had no choice,

I got out of bed.

I fumbled around in the kitchen for a while, fixed breakfast, had a cup of coffee, checked emails.

I was horribly disoriented.

My brain felt like the scrambled eggs I had just cooked.

I wondered how I would get through this day.

I decided to move forward and get my errands done quickly.

Hopefully, I wouldn't run over anyone,

or get lost.

I slapped on a pair of sunglasses, and headed out.

 All missions were successfully accomplished, and I got myself back home just in time for lunch.

While I was gathering the fixin's for the mid day meal, I spied the brown paper bag 

full of fruit hiding in plain sight in my pantry. 

The handwritten PEACHES, printed on the bag, jumped out at me.

I suddenly remembered stashing them away a few days ago

waiting for them to ripen.

Today was the day to check them out.

Before I could even open the bag, I could smell their deliciousness seeping through the pores of the bag.

When I pulled one out, a single tiny squeeze told me it was perfectly ripe.

I immediately got out the frozen black berries, peeled/sliced four peaches, and slightly sauteed them in a pan

with a small amount of butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, orange peel, and a squeeze of lemon.

Then I whipped up a biscuit/cinnamon concoction to put on top.

Oh, and don't forget to put some pecans on top.

Like I did. 

Five minutes into the cooking process, I decided to put the pecans on anyway.

I am glad I did.

Twenty five minutes later, I was eating the most delicious comfort food while busy with another project.

It was so good, I couldn't stop myself from eating three full bowls!!!! 

As I was savoring each yummy bite, 

I thought about how my mother used to take us out berry picking in summer,

and how my grandpa used to bring home boxes of fruit

from the overweight trucks where he worked,

and how good the cobblers were that my mother made.

I am grateful for the women in my family who taught me to cook good ole' fashioned comfort food.

Who cares about a migraine,

when you have cobbler.

Tammy 'n Me

Another al fresco lunch today.

I feel like a little girl

playing Tea Party.

Tammy and I have had this date set aside for a while now.

I find that if I don't actually schedule something during the summer,

I will float, and float, and float away,

all the precious hours of the day.

Then at the end of the summer I will inevitably lament,

I wanted to have lunch with so and so,

I wanted to go there with her,

I wanted to do this with so and so.

And so it will go.

But things are different this summer.

I have a few things scheduled now.

The floating is under control,

or so I think.

I want to get back to lunch with Tammy.

She is a writer friend of mine.

You remember her from the picture with Patti Digh?

and the huge brain fart I had?

and about who introduced Patti and her blog to whom? 

Anyway, Tammy and I had lunch today.

It has been quite a while since I saw her in person because she is such a busy little beaver.

Oops!

Yeah, well, pun intended!!!!

Tammy is a single momma to a lively young man,

she works full time, sleeps little

AND

is going back to school to get her teacher's certification.

Maybe.

I fear I might be responsible for warning her off teaching.

I hope not.

I think she will make a fine teacher.

We need more like her in the trenches.

It's just that, well, the climate for classroom teachers right now isn't the best.

The budget sucks,

and everyone has an opinion on how to do the job better.

After all, everyone has been in school.

That makes them experts.

Right?

Teachers are tired of being the whipping boy for why Johnny 

can't read,

or do math,

or think scientifically,

or remember which Roosevelt was responsible for getting the country out of the first financial mess

we got ourselves into.

Right now it seems like a tidal wave of woe

is washing over us.

I guess we should have navigated the conversation to lighter topics like,

"Gee isn't that bird beautiful?"

or

"What kind of plant is that one?"

It really wasn't an option.

No, we HAD to talk about the state of education right now.

I don't believe in putting my head in the sand,

and pretending shit ain't happening.

Because it is.

It really, really IS.

BUT,

that isn't all that is happening.

There are good things happening too.

I just can't remember too many of them right now

because I have early summer vacation breakitis.

Somewhere around August,

I will awaken from my self imposed state of amnesia,

and begin feverishly planning for my next school year.

That's when Tammy and I will do lunch again.

I am sure the excitement of the coming school year will liven up the atmosphere.

I can see myself acting just like those birds at the feeder in my backyard.

Hey, move over man, that one is mine.

As the little birdies fling seed to the ground willy nilly,

keeping the tastiest seed for themselves.

Instead of me arguing over some seed with the other birdies,

I will be having a conversation in my head with phantom students.

Yeah, you have to do this,  

Why? 

Because you need to grow your brain!

Yes, reading is good for you.

Yes, writing is good for you.

Yes, blogging is good for you too!

I'm desperate to find a way to get my students writing more.

I think blogging is the answer.

That is why I am writing everyday.

To show them how to do it.

Just do it.

Today, I sent my friend Tammy packing with

a lot to think about,

BBQ sausage and peppers in her tummy,

and a few good teacher books clutched close to her heart.

Oh, and a great big hug,

a hang in there,

and a "We'll talk real soon."

Lunch was way too short.

We didn't really get to catch up on much,

but next time

we will schedule more hours in the day

to say all the things that need to be said.

I am glad you spent your precious lunch hour with me.

See you in August.

Promise.

The Movies

Today, Phyl and I went to an afternoon movie,

one of our favorite activities. 

First, we left our dollars behind,

but thankfully

you can buy tickets at an ATM just outside the theater

and use your Visa card.

Sweet.

Then, when we entered the theater,

we see this sign above sitting on the counter next to the ice cream.

The last time we were at this theater

we asked,

"How old do you have to be to take advantage of the Senior Snack Combo Deal?"

"62"

Hmmmm, well guess we will have to wait a few years to get that one.

We walked off snickering again.

Partly because we aren't there yet,

and partly because we wanted the discount.

Go figure.

Dave's Man

Today, Phyllie and I had lunch at our new favorite place,

Famous Dave's.

We first met up with Dave's ribs a few years ago,

at the Sparks Rib Cook Off.

We sampled a few,

but when we hit Dave's

it was all over.

We would go on kamikaze missions every day of the Cook Off

eating ribs until we wanted to puke.

 

But of course we never did.

The Rib Cook Off always happens each year during Labor Day weekend.

It is always the best way to end a hot summer.

Dave's won several years in a row.

I know we always voted for them.

Last year, the people at the booth told us to watch for a Dave's restaurant coming here to Reno.

WHAT?

Could we be so lucky?

Turns our we are.

The Biggest Little City now has a kick ass BBQ restaurant.

Turns out everything Dave makes is superb.

We particularly like the lunch option:

ribs, catfish, corn on the cob, corn muffin

and this is where Phyl and I depart,

I love potato salad and baked beans,

she loves french fries. 

Dave has no less than six different sauces, we love Rich and Sassy

of course.

Dave's decor is typical BBQ House Style,

lots of funk.

And the music will have you rockin' out

Memphis Blues style.

One thing we always agree on,

hot pecan pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Do I need to say it again?

We Love Dave's!!!!

Day Two of Summer Vacation

We were very ambitious today.

I am always a bit afraid I won't be able to keep the kids busy enough during the day.

I may have over done it.

We started the morning by packing our own lunches for a picnic in the park after the swim lessons.

Then we took the Poodles to get their haircut.

Next, we listened very well,

and did everything our instructors told us to do.

We ate lunch while watching the guy mow the lawn with the biggest lawn mower we have ever seen.

The squirrels were running for their lives!!!

The birds dodged the lawnmower and fought over the crusts of our sandwiches.

We took a ride in a little bitty train.

We played in a playground that had water to mist us

because it was really, really hot.

So, we decided to take a walk along the shady riverbank.

Rachel got scared

because the noise of the river reminded her 

of when her raft tipped over last summer.

We decided to walk on the grass in the shady part of the park,

far away from the rushing river.

We stopped to check out the fish in the pond,

but all we saw was a broken bobber.

We talked about doing some fishing the next time we go there.

"I don't have any fishing poles, B."

"That's okay grandma, we can just break a twig off a big tree and use that!!!"

"Okay, next time."

The car was so hot,

it took half the ride home to get it cooled down.

But when it did get cool,

Rachel was the first to go down.

A stoplight later, it was B's turn.

When we got home, and the car stopped, B quipped

"Boy, I ALMOST fell asleep!"

When you are seven years old, 

naps aren't something you admit to.

But grandma has proof!!!!

Guess I kept them busy enough today.

A Job for Crazy Grandma

Last night my daughter called,

"Can you come over right now? Brenden needs that tooth pulled out and he won't let anyone but you do it."

"He could do it himself. Didn't he pull the last one?"

"Yes, but this one hurts, and he absolutely won't let me anywhere near it.

He says YOU are the only one qualified to do it!!!

It has to come out. It is driving me NUTS!"

"I am doing something right now. I can't come over. I will see the kids tomorrow. I will pull it then."

My daughter sounds deflated, "Okay. Tomorrow."

15 minutes later the phone rings again.

All I heard was a curt, "We are coming over."

The phone went dead.

This is the difference between mothers and grandmothers.

Us grandmas have the grace to do things in the morrow.

Mommas have to get things done when they can.

And that means when it is right in front of their faces.

Like a seven year old boy whose front tooth is hanging on by a teeny tiny bit of a root.

When they arrived, I, the consumate tooth puller, checked B's mouth and proclaimed the tooth 

was indeed ready to be pulled.

I sat the boy down, and told him what to expect.

"Okay. Looks like it is connected right here. So, I am going to have to tilt your head

just like this,

I'm going to put my fingers here,

and then I will ...." 

I immediately started pulling, attempting to get 'er dun.

"aow, Aow, AOw, AAAOOOWWW!!!! 

STOP!"

So I quit.

We reassessed.

Then tried again.

There was simply too much pressure, with every one in the room looking on and all.

Still no luck.

By this time, the boy was about to renig. I realized I had to get the tense situation under control.

Just he and I trotted off to the bathroom,

well little sister wanted in on the action too.

So there we were, just the three of us standing in front of the mirror.

I showed him how swollen his gums were, and explained why the thing HAD to come out NOW.

B always needs a logical explanation about what is going on before you can get his cooperation.

Once he understood the gravity of the situation,

he agreed to be put in what amounts to a power hold on his head.

Yes, the situation had come down to grannie needing to put the boy in a headlock

in order to get the right angle on that darned tooth 

which apparently wanted to be in his mouth until the day he got married.

Nope, I would not allow that to happen.

The boy clearly knew what he was talking about.

This WAS a job for

Crazy Grandma!

So I locked him to my left bosom,

tilted his head back so I could get the right angle,

got my finger around the stubborn tooth,

and yanked the hell out of it.

I can still hear him yelling,

S T O P !!!!!

But I was determined. I could not let either mother nor grandchild down now.

That little bitty root was hanging on for dear life.

It did not win.

I did.

After the small amount of bleeding stopped,

we once again surveyed his mouth.

By this time his mother came to see what all the yelling was about.

We weren't crying, 

we were doing a victory dance.

B immediately directed his mother to, "Text the Tooth Fairy."

She complied.

This morning when he arrived for the day, he informed me

"I still have a gooey hole, but it doesn't hurt much.

Do you know why I qualified you to do the job?"

"No, B, why?"

"Because you are tough, grandma. I knew you could do it despite me being afraid."

What planet did this boy come from?

Who says stuff like this when you are only seven years old?

"Thanks B. I will do anything to help you. You know that makes me feel really good

that YOU know I will take care of you, no matter what."

"Yeah, and when you get really old, I will take care of you too!!!"

"Thanks, B. I feel safe now."

"You are welcome Grandma. I love you."

"I love you too, B."

Rest, and Recoup

Today is Father's day,

and mine just left

with is favorite breakfast in his belly.

Biscuits and gravy, hash browns, and scrambled eggs.

We had a wonderful visit.

Besides making that breakfast,

and taking a deliciously long nap,

the only productive thing I have done all day long

was give Baby Buddha

a shiny new paint job.

My daughter always tells people,

"Be careful. She will spray paint anything that stands still."

Baby Buddha had been hiding inside some scraggly bushes I had on the side of my house.

When they got pulled out, Baby Buddha was naked and exposed.

I look straight at him, through my kitchen window everytime I write.

I felt bad for Baby Buddha because he had bird droppings marring his happy dome.

Kinda like that wine mark on the Soviet guy.

I brought Baby Buddha into the house, and tried washing the bird poop off.

The stone he is made from is very porous.

It would not come off.

Poor Baby Buddha was going to be scarred for life.

It just didn't seem right.

So, I trotted off to the garage,

picked the perfect color,

and inside of five minutes

he is a perfect, sparkling

Happy Baby Buddha.

I could swear I heard him say "Thank You."

Welcome, Baby Buddha.

Egyptians Everywhere!!!!

Mom and dad came for a visit this Father's Day weekend.

We had so many things we wanted to do,

but it was the Nevada Museum of Art that got us out of the house today. 

The were celebrating their 80th birthday,

and boy do they know how to put on a party!!!!

The museum was putting on an all out Egyptian Bazaar in the parking lot. 

Vendors galore, music, and food.

When the doors to the museum opened

There was Anubus, and Osirius, welcoming 

each visitor into the exhibit that is on loan from

the Brooklyn Museum.

It was quite a draw for us Nevadan's.

We even had scantily clad Pharaohs parading about.

Some on springed feet.

Who knew there were drag queens in ancient Egypt, and on stilts too!!!

We had all this entertainment before visiting the actual exhibit.

Yes, I have already seen, and even reported on visiting

the same exhibit with my friends.

But this was extra special because my mom

loves everything Egyptian.

Dad reports she knows when every TV show about Egypt is due to air.

The museum was crowded to beat the band,

but we were some of the first to storm the doors when the museum opened.

But what I really like to do,

is take some art shots with a new app on my phone.

The museum hired an artist to do a chalk mural on a huge black wall.

It depicts several scenes one might see in ancient Egypt.

This is one section I found particularly sexy.

This shot was NOT taken with my cool phone app.

It really does look this way.

Mom and dad are still talking about how much fun it was,

despite aching feet,

and backs. 

Yes, it was a very fun day.

Lunch Al Fresco

Today, I made a special treat for my daughter, Amy.

She has been on a 'all fresh food' cleanse

for an entire week.

How she did it was beyond me.

Must be the Buddhist in her.

In any event, I woke up this morning slicing, dicing, and sauteeing.

That is, right after I had my morning cup of coffee from Starbucks.

Yesterday,

during one of the many correspondences we had either by phone, or email 

I invited her over to have lunch out on the patio.

 

It is absolutely perfect outside this time of year.

The flowers are blooming,

the birds are singing,

and the temperature is just right.

 

I realized it had been a while since we sat down together

JUST BECAUSE.

Nothing to hash over,

no problems to solve,

no schedules to mesh.

So I made her a great big pot of her favorite veggie chili.

And some real corn-in-the-batter corn muffins,

with a great big glass of pomegranate/lime spritzer

to wash it all down.

When I cook, I never use a recipe. I just take a little bit of this

and a little bit of that,

taste a bit here,

add a little bit there.

Then stir, and stir, and stir.

Finally, I let it rest.

It was a few bites into our lunch,

when the heat kicked in.

Not from the sun.

As you can see the light was beautifully dappled.

No, the heat was coming from the five alarm chili.

Guess I got a little carried away with those red pepper flakes.

Sorry Sis.

After wiping our brows multiple times,

and slugging back another spritzer,

we each ate an extra corn muffin to calm down the screaming coming from our taste buds.

We had many

"Whoa this is cleaning out my sinuses," laughs, and

"Mother, back away from the red chili flakes, PLEASE!" giggles.

Finally, we were sated.

I packed up the rest of the chili for her to take home.

I gave her a few hints on how to knock down the flames a bit,

"Just throw another can of tomatoes in it, and maybe a can or two more of beans.

That ought to do the trick." 

She jumped into her car,

and headed back to work amongst some protestations.

"I want to hang out on the patio. I don't want to go back to work."

But like the good girl she is,

back to work she did go. 

As I saw my daughter drive off, I thought

I guess my grandson Brenden was right when he said to me the other day,

whilst shaking his head,

"Guess this is what you get when you have a Crazy Grandma."

Or in my daughter's case,

a Crazy Mother.

I don't always get everything just right, but I do give it a try.

I love you daughter.

Thanks for sharing some time with me.

A Painted Lady

Today was a whirlwind of activity.

By 9 a.m. this morning I had:

watered the flowers, and tomatoes

cleaned up doggie land mines from the backyard

answered several emails

harassed my daughter

took a furniture redo order

had my morning cup of chai

cleaned up the kitchen

made my bed

consulted with the patio door glass replacement guy

brushed my teeth

put my clothes on

did minimal summertime hair and make up

then tapped my toes for 10 minutes waiting for 9 a.m. to come.

My daughter was cracking up because she knows the drill.

I always start out my summers this way.

I have every intention of being lazy and just kicking back.

"Do you think I need medication for my ADD???"

"No, Mom. You are endlessly entertaining."

Well, 9 a.m. finally came and I was out the door like a cannon ball shot out of a cannon.

My first stop was a local thrift store, Savers.

I love cruising the thrift stores. Inevitably I find the coolest things.

Today was a one stop shopping experience.

I found wine glasses that don't have the stems

a I don't even know what this thing is called, 

but I had to have it.

It is some kind of fruit holder I suspect.

Creme ceramic, with gold borders, on a pedestal.

It is on my dining room table

holding a small ficus plant.

It is kewl.

But the KEWELST thing though was meeting Charleen.

I stopped my insanity long enough to eat lunch at a Chinese buffet.

I sat down, grabbed a plate, okay maybe two

cruised the line,

grabbed the grub

then sat down to shovel it all into my mouth.

When I came to my senses after about the first platefull,

I noticed the most lovely tattoos on a young woman sitting in front of me.

I tried not to be too conspicuous when I was staring at the lovely green swirls on her back.

You can see why I might be distracted.

I started thinking I should take a picture of it.

Then I got scared because I don't quite know how to approach her.

Do I just take the pic and hope the guy she is lunching with doesn't catch me?

My phone camera makes a shutter sound when I take a pic.

That won't work.

What if I get caught?

Are there laws governing such public picture taking?

I have no clue.

So I just decide to ask her if I could please take a picture of her back.

"Ummm, excuse me. My name is Sharon. 

I write a daily blog.

I noticed your tattoos.

Would you mind if I take a picture of your back?"

"Are you going to write anything mean?"

"Absolutely NOT. I promise. They are lovely."

The young man at the table declined to be in the pic.

No problem.

I take a picture of her back.

Then show it to her.

All is well, except I am suddenly sad because the front tattoos are just as beautiful.

"Could I possibly have a picture of them too? 

Smile that cute little pixie smile you have."

"Okay, you can take a picture, but not of my face," the young man at the table says.

"Here let's hold hands."

They were so cute. Two young people having lunch,

sharing their day,

gossiping,

like dear friends do.

I promised them both I would send a link to my post,

so they could make sure I didn't say anything mean.

Who could say anything mean about two such lovelies?

Not me.

Thanks for brightening my day,

and reminding me how fun it is to be young,

and free enough

to paint yourself

in any color you choose.

OUCH !!!

Ouch is an understatement.

I got my weekly allergy shots today, and six hours later

this is the resulting welt that is almost the size of the palm of my hand. 

The nurses in my allergists office call me

"A Delicate Flower." 

Last week I had a horrible reaction, so the nurse said we should

go back several doses,

and move the injection site to my leg.

It stung when it went in,

and just like a Timex that keeps on ticking,

the welt kept on welting.

I put ice on it.

I put the prescribed cortisone cream on it. 

I took a Benedryl.

I even talked soothingly to it.

It is still angry.

First Day of Summer Vacation

Today was the first official day of summer vacation with the grandbabies.

We had breakfast, headed off to Wally World to get Rach a bathing suit, 

then we made a bee line for the best park in all of Reno.

After getting our sunblock on, and the bikes unloaded,

Brenden and Rachel couldn't wait to make a trip around the now familiar landscape.

There are lots of walking paths, a maze with tall grass that waves when the wind blows,

a three story tall play structure, lots of shade with tables and benches,

and this magnificent metal structure that stands high above all us humans.

I never get tired of looking at this sculpture depicting three different poses

of a Great Blue Heron.

At least that is what I think it is.

You might not think you would see these magnificent creatures here 

in the high desert of Northern Nevada.

But we have lots of wetlands in the area where the park is located.

And Herons.

This installation piece also has large bird foot prints stamped in the concrete pathways

suggesting the bird(s) wandered the grounds a bit

before taking up a roost.

 

The first thing Miss Rachel did when we arrived was shout over her shoulder as she ran,

"I'm going to look for the bird feet prints, grandma!"

I took off right behind her, and as I approached the bird sculpture 

I immediately noticed a rusty patina that was gained over the winter.

Last year it was gleaming silver.

I love to stand under the bird in flight, and marvel at the strength of the beating wings.

It seemed a fitting symbol for our first day together for summer 2011,

the grandbabies and I.

Rachel's 5th Birthday

Today is my granddaughter, Rachel's, fifth birthday.

A couple of days ago I asked her what she wanted for her birthday.

She said, "I want BOY toys grandma, NO girl toys."

No problem.

I already knew that one.

Every time we go to McDonalds for lunch, she always

reminds me she wants the boy toy in her meal.

So I got her: two huge squirt guns (one she could share with brother)

a Transformer car, a magnifying glass, a slip'n'slide, goggles

a weird singing doll whose mouth moves when you press its belly,

and of course 

a tutu. 

I wasn't worried. I knew she would love all of the gifts

stuffed into a huge Spiderman  gift bag.

Oh, and her card was some kind of Pokemon critter.

She was in heaven.

After opening gifts, squirting all the flowers, and few moving dog targets,

we made our own pizzas for dinner.

My daughter watched all the goin's on, then realized a friend of hers

was supposed to come over to her house tonight.

She gave her a frantic phone call.

Turns out the girlfriend would not be over, but wanted to know

what to give Rachel for the birthday slumber party this coming weekend.

My daughter, Amy, quickly quoted all I had given Rachel then said,

"That pretty well sums up MY daughter."

We had a discussion about how lucky Rach is to have

a mom, and crazy grandma like me who will

take her just as she came into this world

without trying to make her into anyone else.

Happy Birthday Rachel,

Love

Grandma

Here We Go

Several months ago while surfing the net for new blogs to read, I found this one
 http://3x3x365.blogspot.com/

I have been following the three women and their daily posts ever since.

I love reading about their lives.

Sometimes I wonder why I am so fascinated with reading about women whom

I will probably never meet.

I admit I have copied their format. Girls, will you forgive me?

I did find out who Patti Digh is, and ordered some of her books.

I read one, Life is a Verb.

I guess I am a slacker because a few weeks back, I opened the blog for the day.

Surprise! There was a picture of Patti with a friend of mine, Tammy.

http://3x3x365.blogspot.com/2011/05/52511.html 

My immediate reaction was to feel somehow cheated. I wanted to meet Patti too.

The past several months have been a blur for me.

 Finally, the sun is here to stay, hopefully. I am newly energized.

For the past several days, I have been busily planting flowers. Lots of them.

I am never happier than when I have dirt under my fingernails, and sweat running in rivulets down my back.

I have bid Adieu to my old blog

http://crzygma.blogspot.com/

Funny how the final post seems so gruesome. Prophetic.

Not in a literal way, but figuratively. 

The prompt came from another blog I follow, and sometimes make contributions

http://www.magpietales.blogspot.com/ 

I love to free write using Willow's picture prompts. 

I enjoy reading other author's responses to the prompts, but only after I have written my own.
I never read another author's submission first.

Right after the Murderess post, life got very difficult for me.

I quit writing.

I would still go to my monthly writer's meetings, but could not generate anything new to share.

So let's get back to the reason for this new blog.

I woke up after a week of packing and moving boxes (my school is moving AGAIN).

I basked in glorious sunshine, I planted my favorite posies, and said goodbye to students.

I thought to myself, I need a fresh start.

So here it is.

If it works for Patti, Amy and Kathryn
maybe it will work for me too.

One A Day
One picture, one thought.
Wish me luck.

CORRECTION

This morning I received an email from my friend Tammy, who set me straight on who introduced who to 3X3X365.

It's official, I have lost my mind,

and anything memory related .

Tammy is the one who introduced me to the Patti and friends blog. 

I am the one who failed to see the postings announcing Patti coming to town.

I am the one who needs to be forgiven, not Tammy.

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry

Sunday, Sunday

Sundays are good days for haircuts on the sunny patio.

In a previous incarnation, two decades ago, I was a hairdresser.

Now, I only cut friends hair,

or grandbabies, when I can get them still.

Sometimes, I even get the shears after the dogs.

Today, Tito escaped.

But he was an excellent supervisor.

Girls Reunion

Fifteen years ago, I got my first teaching job here in Reno. Previously, I had taught for a single year in Washington state, and at the end of that year I was ready to move back to what I call home, Reno. When I got here it was in the middle of a school year, so I had to get a job doing what I had always hated, dealing blackjack in a local casino. Most of the time I was bored out of my mind. The only fun part was people watching.

During the summer of 1997, I started looking for work in an alternative school setting. After a series of inquiries, I was told I should apply for a position at a placed called Opportunity School. The guy said it sounded like just the type of school I was looking for, and they were looking for an English teacher. 

Enter the girls.

Susan, first on the left, was the principal. Bett, far right, was the science teacher, and Dori, center bottom, was the counselor. Debbie (whose ravishing red head is absent due to a migraine) was the social studies teacher. The interview was so much fun I forgot I was actually looking for a job. I felt like I had known these women a lifetime. Each of us have very strong personalities, but somehow we all mesh together admirably well.

We had so much fun working together throughout the years that even when we slowly splintered off from the original school, we periodically kept in touch. Three of us ended up working at the same comprehensive high school for a number of years. Each in our own differing capacities, yet when we would see each other in the halls, we had instant smiles, and sometimes hugs (we could tell by the look on the others face that she needed it). 

It was a strange dichotomy going from a tiny school to the biggest school in the district with over 2,200 students. Frequently, I felt like I had whiplash, having been shot out of my small school cannon. I am sure Bett and Debbie could testify to the fact that I had bugs in my teeth many a day as I ran screaming through the halls of that behemoth school.

There is a lot we can accomplish with the help of fabulous friends.

Dori continued to serve the very challenging population at Opportunity School for her entire 15 years with the school district.

Four or five years ago, I decided to go back to work at Opportunity School. I have so enjoyed reuniting with Dori, seeing her face every morning, laughing at nonsensical things together. We even team taught an elective class this past year. If it wasn't for Dori, I am not sure I would have made it through the incredibly challenging school year I just finished. Not only is she a great friend and co-worker, but a kick ass counselor too!!!

It was Dori who suggested we all get together before scattering to the four winds this summer. Little did we know that she would be announcing her retirement. I, of course, knew this was going to be her last year about a month ago, but the others did not have a clue. I tried to bully Dori into staying, admittedly for my own selfish reasons (let's call 'em survival tactics), but she was immune. I have spent the past month talking to her about what she will do in retirement. Let's get this thing straight right here and now, for Dori there will be no such thing as retirement. What we are looking at here is simply a change in stations. Dori is the original Energizer Bunny. Before she could think of accepting the early separation incentive, she had already planned out the entire first year. I have every confidence that whatever Dori sets her mind to, will be done muy pronto!

I will miss her terribly.

The girls and I enjoyed several hours together this afternoon. First, touring our local museum. It had a traveling Egyptian exhibit, and a special Ansel Adams gallery to view as well. I am not sure we read all the explanatory plaques as we chatted and moved about the exhibits. We wondered who would take our pictures as we posed "Walking like an Egyptians" when out of nowhere appears two former students. Now, Dori and I had just seen them less than two days prior, but they acted like they hadn't seen us in several years. The two boys were kind enough to snap a shot of us.

I'm not sure what they thought, but we were grateful they were there to document the crazy ladies. 

After the museum, we headed off to a great outdoor luncheon spot where we ate, drank and reminisced  several hours away.

We did miss Big Red, Debbie. We had planned to celebrate a recent award she was given as a high performing principal, but she called me at 8:30 this morning saying she had a horrible migraine. She said the week had been a good one, but she was headed off to the chiropractor to get rid of the headache. Next time, Debbie.

And there will be many next times.

As with all friends, the bonds built over time can never be severed. I tend to be a loner, not building close friendships. I suspect it is because I grew up living a gypsy lifestyle. One thing I can count on is the next time we all get together, there will be some great conversations, lots of laughter, and big hugs to hold us until we meet again.