Lift, fog, lift!

Today, I'm just in a blue mood. I know how silly it sounds, but I feel old! Well, not old, just, um, kind of old. It started with a picture. I mentioned that we went to the beach the other night. My husband took a picture of my daughter and me, and seeing it caught me off guard. I just looked like I already left my 20's far behind! I actually have a teensy-weensy bit of them left!!!! I'll shake this off, but for now I think I'll just go have some coffee and a good book. Then maybe I'll skateboard or watch the High School Musical sing-along or something. Isn't that what the cool kids do?

Homecomings

Today the Stennis, an aircraft carrier that has been intimately involved in the war and Iraq, pulled back into port. The sailors based on this boat have been away from their families for a very long time, and it was quite a joyous reunion this morning as you can imagine. The homecoming happened within walking distance of my home, and I thought of them this morning as I watched the news. I remember our Navy days, waiting at the pier for my husband's submarine to pull back in. I used to joke that the homecoming was worth the deployment! How I loved to see the wives . . . new hair-dos, homecoming outfits and all! The children would be all spit-shined, running around full of the energy that comes with "daddy's coming home" day. Then, the moment my sailor walked off that boat, the past few months would disappear. I'd whisper "there's Daddy" in my daughter's ear, and she would try to get out of my arms and go to him. When she was still tiny, I would keep her close as I pushed my way through the crowd to get us to him. As she grew, she did the pushing!

As I re-live these memories, I am reminded of all those who don't get to welcome their loved ones home because they gave their lives, the ultimate sacrifice, for their country. To those people, I say thanks. There is an incredible lady who lost her fiancee recently, and she has a blog that I have been touched by. She's "Cool, Calm, & Collected" under my favorite blogs over to the left. Her words are poignant, and her emotions will reach out and pull you in. She, and her story, deserve to be shared.

Hard to believe

it's been ten years since Princess Diana died. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news. She was so iconic - beautiful, strong yet fragile, and touchable. You could imagine her being your best girlfriend. You could see how consumed she was with her children, and how they adored her. People talk about the "it" factor . . . she had IT - the ability to draw people in, to infatuate an entire world. I grieve for her little boys, though they are now grown. I hope they know how much she loved them, and appreciate how much the world loved her.

Perspectives

Yesterday was the back-to-school open house for my daughter. We went to her classroom, and the teacher had put the children's names on the top of their assigned desks. She wandered around until she found hers . . . at the very front of the room, right next to the teacher's desk. She said to me later "I can't believe I got front row seats! That is so cool!" I wonder if she'll feel the same in another five years.

Kids are TOUGH!

We went to a beautiful beach the other night. The day had been very warm, balmy almost. But, by the time we got to the beach the sun was going down. Combined with the breeze off the water this made for a slightly chilly evening, and we planned to have a nice walk rather than play in the water. Truth be told, I never play much in the Pacific Ocean anyway . . . it's ALWAYS freezing! My daughter, on the other hand, is one brave soul! While I had a hard time keeping my bare feet on the cold sand without shivering, she was making polar bear plunges into the icy waves! Her father and I watched in amazement until she wore herself out. Then we all settled down on a giant piece of driftwood to bury our feet in the cool sand and watch the tide turn.

Girly lunches

My daughter and I love to have "girly lunches". I don't know how they came about being called this, but it stuck, so that's what they are. We've had many variations on the theme, but we typically put together a collection of finger sandwiches, bite-sized fruit, and cookies or crackers. We put them all on their own little plate, then we sit and munch and chat. Once, we had sparkling cider in little clear plastic cups that made us feel oh-so-fancy. She especially likes it if I cut the sandwiches into triangles and stack them up to look like a cake. We actually had a girly supper once, at a real restaurant, and she proceeded to speak in an English accent as soon as we sat down, keeping it up the rest of the evening. Naturally, I had to join her in this, and the waitress said we were the most fun she had all night.

Today, we had wonderful ham and turkey sandwiches, fresh sweet strawberries, and a variety of goldfish crackers and chips. The actual menu isn't nearly as important as using cute little plates and acting as if you're dining with the Queen of England. One of these days, I would love to get a real picnic basket and take our girly lunces to the park!

I'm Teal Green

That last post was supposed to have a link to the little quiz I did. Here it is!

I couldn't either

You Are Teal Green

You are a one of a kind, original person. There's no one even close to being like you. Expressive and creative, you have a knack for making the impossible possible. While you are a bit offbeat, you don't scare people away with your quirks. Your warm personality nicely counteracts any strange habits you may have.

Just not fast enough!

We couldn't quite make it down to the water today before the tide turned. So, we had to look at the pretty starfish through the water. The closest one to us was a rather pale pink, but it was the only one I could get a picture of. There was a gigantic purple beauty just a few feet out, but it might as well have been ten feet deep as far as my camera was concerned. We'll try again!

Night sky

Last night there was a lunar eclipse. My husband just happened to be working DUI detail until 2:00 in the morning, so he woke me up when he got home so I could see. I couldn't get a decent picture, but this one, if you flipped it around, looks almost exactly like what I saw!

I liked this

Tomorrow . . .

I'm going out at low tide to take pictures of the giant starfish that congregate near the pier at the park across the street. They are bright purples, pinks, and oranges, looking other-worldly laying splayed across the barnacle covered rocks and spread out in the shallow pools. Today we forgot the camera, tomorrow I will be prepared. Stay tuned for pictures!

It's feelin' like fall

Well, I might be a little premature in my happiness, but it sure feels like fall. The temperature is right, there is even a slight "crisp" in the air. My daughter will be heading back to school next week, and the fruit selection is changing at our local grocery store. I can't wait until the new season is here in all its glory. This picture is from an October several years ago. My mother, aunt, and a friend came to visit and we took a drive over the pass to a beautiful mountain town. Just before we reached our destination, we stopped to stretch our legs at a scenic spot along the river bank. All the leaves were changing colors, paint splashes of orange, crimson, gold, and green. The salmon were making their journey upstream to leave their babies, and we were able to witness a mama laying her eggs in the shallow water. I hope this fall is full of many more memories.

Be your own tree

"You must stand tall . . . That is the only way to grow strong and straight. But if you bend to listen to other people, you will grow crooked and weak. You will fall to the ground with the first strong wind. And then you will be like a weed, growing wild in any direction, running along the ground . . ."

- Amy Tan, The Joy Luck Club

Good news

In a world where our media only seems interested in reporting the most sinister and shocking of stories, I LOVE it when there's one like this. A team from Warner Robins, Georgia won the Little League World Series. A little boy hit a homer in the bottom of the 8th inning to bring them the victory. What a memory this will be for him and the rest of his team.

Moon cakes

I first learned of moon cakes while watching Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat with my daughter when she was about 2 years old. I learned recently that Sagwa was created by Amy Tan and named after her own cat. Right now I am reading one of her books, and I just finished a chapter that describes moon cakes and the mid-August festival at which they are eaten. I was curious, so I got online to find out more about them. Traditionally they are made with bean paste, lotus seeds, and even preserved egg yolks! They don't necessarily sound appetizing to me because the ingredients are not familiar to my palate. However, I would love to try one (maybe minus the egg yolk). I would especially like to try one in China, during the festival. Hey, mother-in-law, what are you doing next August?

I love

pet stores.

Observations

I was born and raised in the south. I now live at the opposite corner of the country in the northwest. There were a lot of changes to get used to, and quite a few of them have to do with food! For instance, I can't get a glass of sweet iced tea in a restaurant. Well, except for the new "genuine barbecue" place that serves it as some sort of novelty, and it's so syrupy a spoon will stand up in it all on its own.

Today, I am missing mayhaw jelly. The mayhaw berry is only native to a small, mostly coastal portion of the southeast. It makes the yummiest jelly ever that is the loveliest shade of translucent pink when it is made just right. Often, you'll find mayhaw bushes growing along the water and folks will make a little barrier, wait for them to fall, then harvest them in. I don't know why, but I think the berries retrieved that way make a tastier jelly. And there are not too many things that will awaken your taste buds and comfort your soul like a hot biscuit with a dollop of that yummy goodness. I could sure use one this morning.

Patience

This morning, three things are driving me nuts. They are all books. I will soon be finished with my current book. I had really wanted to start The Zookeeper's Wife next, but my local library is still acquiring it. They'll notify me as soon as it's in, so I'll have to be patient. I also desperately want to read the new novel by one of my favorites, Dorothea Benton Frank. It's called Land of Mango Sunsets and I know I will devour it just as I have all her previous works. However, my library doesn't have it, and they have no plans to acquire it. The third book drives me nuts because I can't remember the name of it! It is about two Japanese brothers and it explores history and culture by telling their story. It has a beautiful red cover with cherry blossoms on it. Any guesses?

I know I could solve my Land of Mango Sunsets problem by simply buying the book. However, one of my concessions in being able to stay at home right now was to learn to love my local library instead of purchasing books. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out, though. :-)

Sports Star

Our daughter played in her first soccer tournament today. It also happened to be her first outdoor soccer game! She's been playing indoor soccer for a few months now but we're just getting started with outdoor. I was so proud of her and her teammates today. They played so hard and really worked together to do very well. They won their first game and lost their second, but only by a little bit. The coolest thing was to watch "team spirit" materialize before my eyes today. Haleigh is an only child and we really wanted her to get into a team sport to experience everything they have to offer: camaraderie, group effort, working together, supporting each other, making friends, and of course, putting a beating on the other team! :-) I found myself cheering like a maniac on the sidelines, often coming out of my chair. The picture here is one of my favorites. Haleigh's teammate had just scored, and Haleigh had set the ball up nicely to help her do that. As the ball wooshed into the goal, the girls bear-hugged each other and high-fived back to the center of the field. The joy on their faces was irresistable!

Hooray, it's here!

I finally finished the Amy Tan book I was reading. It was wonderful! She definitely has a gift for storytelling. Today I went and picked up The Joy Luck Club. I can't wait to delve into this one as I've only heard fabulous things. And when was this a movie? I'm so behind the times.

Magical day

Yesterday afternoon we went to the water fountain park again, the same one in the slideshow at the bottom of this page. While we were there, we spotted a Coast Guard boat behaving as if something important was coming. Sure enough, there was a submarine behind it, being escorted into its new homeport by a couple of Coast Guard boats and two tugboats. The park is at the tip of a little piece of land that is sandwiched right between the ferry terminal and the shipyard where this sub was headed, so we got a really great view! The mayor and our hometown congressman were out on a boat to watch and welcome. All in all, it was really quite a sight! I'm telling you, you just never know what you're going to see around here!

FASCINATING!!!

While looking for an avocado image, I discovered a website called Intercourses. It is about a cookbook filled with aphrodisiac recipes, and it is worth a read! The coolest part is that they have some of the pictures from the website and you can click on them and find out the story behind the model and the shoot. Most of the models are folks that the authors ran into in and around Memphis, TN and approached about the book. One is a Memphis fireman, one was a waitress in a restaurant they frequented. The pictures are BEAUTIFUL, artistic shots of lovely bodies decorated with food! I need this book.

I'm addicted

When my mother-in-law came to visit last summer, she introduced me to avocado sandwiches. Well, she ate them and I observed. I've never been a big avocado fan. Lately, though, I've been doing a lot of reading about the benefits of those tasty little green things. I found out earlier this year that I have high cholesterol, so I've been trying to learn how to eat better. See, I'm pretty thin and I'm not even thirty yet, so my battle is genetics. Anyway, I've been learning about balance, and the importance of good cholesterol and all that good stuff. It turns out avocados are really wonderful for you. So, having no idea what to do with an avocado (other than make guacamole) I decided to try the sandwich recipe. I have a new favorite bread, too - whole grain with flaxseed - so I toast a few slices, mash up half of an avocado with a tiny drop of mayo and spread it on the bread. Then, I add a few very thin tomato slices and sprinkle a tiny bit of salt and a LOT of black pepper across the top. YUM! It is a yummy lunch, especially on a warm day!

Very important life lesson

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away. Know when to RUN!

Perhaps I need some cheese

with my whine. :-) I just spent a day by the water watching my daughter play in a beautiful park with fountains. I met a very nice lady who had brought her 2 grandchildren to play. The weather was absolutely perfect and I was able to snag my primo favorite seat in the shade even though the place was packed. I was able to do all of this because I don't have to work right now and can spend quality time like this with my kid. My husband is working a straight day from 6:00 this morning to 7:00 tonight with no break because police work can get kind of busy to support his family. He has a job he loves. We have a roof over our heads, and our daughter doesn't want for much. I have two dogs who are marvelous and DEFINITELY spoiled. I see mountains when I leave my house. I can go get a delicious nonfat vanilla bean latte right now exactly how I like it. I have food in my belly and a warm bed to sleep in. Life ain't bad. Why make it more complicated than it has to be?

I'm losing my mind!

As I've mentioned before, I live a VERY long way from my family. My husband and daughter and I live on the north end of the west coast, and they(his family and mine) live on the south end of the east coast. It doesn't get much farther than that (unless we move to Alaska, and who knows with us!). When we arrived here just over 5 years ago, our plan was to finish up our time in the navy, then move back to Georgia somewhere around Atlanta to settle down. WELL, he's been out of the navy for over a year now, and obviously that hasn't happened!

You see, we fell in love with this place. My husband got a fantastic job with our local police dept., and Georgia just doesn't quite compete. My daughter is involved in soccer and loves her school. We all have friends here. We love to go camping where the weather is perfect, there are no bugs or poisonous snakes, and the scenery is magical. You literally don't know what to expect any time you venture out of your house here. For instance, we usually get a gray whale once or twice a year that comes up and plays at the park across the street from our house. You can drive over a bridge just up the street and see Mt. Rainier to your right and the Olympics to your left. I was at the beach once with my daughter and mother-in-law and was surprised by a pod of orcas heading out into better fishing territory. Now THAT was a sight! You can drive or walk into a charming downtown area from my house and right onto a ferry boat waiting to take you on a beautiful sail to Seattle, where you can find any shopping, dining or entertainment you seek! Ok, I'm starting to sound like a tourism brochure, but you get the picture!

The only problem is that we feel a million miles away from our family. We want our daughter to have the benefit of those folks in her life. In fact, we decided about a year ago that perhaps we would move back to GA after all in a year or two. This was mostly at my insistence, because I was feeling quite homesick. I have quite a bit more extended family than my husband, so possibly I feel the pull a little more. Well, I went back for an extended visit, and it didn't really feel like home to me! The heat was oppressive, the bugs were HORRIBLE, and I missed my coffee shops and mountains in the morning. :-) I absolutely loved seeing my family, though. So, I decided that maybe a good solution would just be to plan annual long summer visits.

I was feeling much better about things until this week. My mother is indeed going to have some surgery that's going to put her out of commission for about 6 weeks. My mother is a fiesty, independent, bull-headed, self-sufficient woman who has lots of friends and a sister who is home during the day and lives within shouting distance. I KNOW that she will be well taken care of. My father had a heart attack a few years ago and it was so much work just to get down there that I almost couldn't go! I just feel like sometimes I would like to be closer to them! Being so physically far away makes it nearly impossible to help! My parents are nowhere near the age or physical stage where they need someone to help take care of them. It's just that being far away is so inconvenient! I just want to be able to hang out with them a little more often. If I was independently wealthy and liked flying a little more this wouldn't be a problem!

One day, they will be at the age where they might want their children nearby. Perhaps then it would be time for us to move a little closer. Maybe I should just quit stressing, enjoy my good life, and see what happens. Yeah, that's not really my nature. :-) I know that I don't want to move back to Georgia this year. What I don't know is whether I will want to move there in 3 years, or 10 years. But am I supposed to know that? For now, I'll just concentrate on visiting and try to make my mind be still!

Rain, rain, go away!

Yucky, rainy, poopy day. That about sums it up.

Job hazards

I am married to a police officer. I try not to dwell too much on the dangers he faces at work. However, when I hear a siren it's hard not to wonder. Is that him? Where is he going? What's he going to find when he gets there? Living in a city with a smaller police department, the chances are usually good that it is him.

I know that he is careful, and aware, and very good at his job. I also know that there are really stupid people out there. Most of his days, in fact, are spent dealing with incredibly stupid people as opposed to dangerous ones. Still, I'm always glad when the end of his day rolls around and he comes home, all in one piece. :-)

What I liked best

was that the new playground is also right next to the water . . . and the tide was out a little ways. We found jellyfish, shells, crabs, lovely rocks, and tiny little sea creatures that we had to be very still and quiet to spot in the tidepools.

Our little monkey

really likes the monkey bars. We tried out a different playground . . . this one had 3 different kinds of monkey bars. She was in heaven.

Update

Nails are done, laundry is not.

What I'm reading

I've decided to start reading Amy Tan's books. Apparently they are popular, because this was the only one in the library when I went yesterday! It is a different type of story than her others, but I've heard good things. So far, so good! Yesterday was a busy day, but today is rainy and sleepy. So I'll just do laundry and enjoy a good book (and of course, paint my daughter's nails - one of her favorite rainy day activities).

Funny story

Yesterday I took my daughter to the library. I took her in to the children's section and showed her all the books. Her eyes just drank it all in. She immediately spotted a few favorites displayed along the tops of the shelves. I told her she could pick a few out to read quietly, and I would go and find my books. I really just walked around the corner so I could watch her! She wandered slowly along absorbing all that she was seeing, then she carefully selected a few books and sat down on the little rug and got lost in the stories! I tip-toed away to find what I was after.

A few minutes later she found me because she wanted to show me one of the books she found. I crouched down to her level and I told her that now that she was 6 1/2 years old, and a first grader, I thought she could probably get her very own library card. But, that meant she'd have to be very responsible, because once she signed that card she would be responsible for whatever books she borrowed. She hugged my neck very tight, backed up and put one hand on each of my shoulders, looked me very seriously in the eyes and said "Oh, mom! I can DEFINITELY response that!"

Exciting day!

That same 6 year old got her very own library card today! It appears she is as enchanted with libraries as her grandmother and me. Hooray!

I am not ashamed

that my 6 year old kills big bad spiders for me.

I might be in denial . . .

Today I went to the website of my daughter's school to refresh my memory regarding her school supplies. We still have just over 2 wks before it starts, but I wanted to be prepared. I've looked at the list previously, and I was pretty excited that there were only a very few items that need to be purchased. Well, today I went back to the website, and realized I had been looking at the kindergarten list!!!! Needless to say, there are a lot more supplies for first graders! Pardon me while I completely freak out because it just hit me that she's in a GRADE!! How does time go by so fast?? Just yesterday we were teaching her how to walk. Now I can't get her to slow down! I suppose I should keep this in mind while I'm home with her, trying to fill the days until school starts. I'm sure any parents who have tried to keep their kids entertained for an entire summer can sympathize!

Coincidences

In an earlier post, I shared a picture of a hammock in Old Mystic, Connecticut. This morning while flipping through a book I realized that one of my favorite authors, Luanne Rice, is from Old Lyme, Connecticut. The two areas are not very far apart (about an hour I'm guessing, at most). In fact, it is part of the countryside that she describes so beautifully in almost all of her novels . . . a truly "mystical" place. Now I know for sure that hammock must be wonderful! I've been reading of that area for years!

Can't blog tonight . . .

I've got a date with my daughter to watch High School Musical 2. She's so excited I'm afraid she's going to burst if it doesn't come on soon!

Look at her go!

I think she's getting the hang of it!

Nothing is easy

I love where I live. That said, there are days when I feel the need to be closer to my family. I just had a good long visit with them, and that eased my homesickness a great deal. My time in my hometown also helped me to realize that I'm not in a hurry to move back there. But, inevitably when you live on the opposite side of the country from those you hold most near and dear, things come up that make you just want to BE there!!

My mom is dealing with some medical stuff. It's really not that big of a deal at this point, because she's just beginning the "testing" stage . . . you know, let's take a look at this and rule this out, do some more bloodwork, blah blah blah. The nature of the situation dictates that she could potentially be facing some surgery. It's the kind of surgery that used to be a major issue, but it's become more common, and I know she would be fine, it would just be a long recovery time, but dammit, I want to BE there!! She has family, including a sister, and very good friends who I know would all look after her, but I just wish I could. In fact, I wish I could be there right now just while she's having things "looked at". And at this point we don't even know what's going on so I'm really getting ahead of myself!

It's just one of those times when it would be a lot easier if the physical distance between us wasn't so enormous. I realize that's not enough reason to uproot my family and plunk us down 3000 miles away to start over. But right now I'd just like to be a teeny bit closer to my mom!

My favorite part

This is my favorite section of Chief Seattle's famous speech:

Every part of this country is sacred to my people.

Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove has been hallowed by some fond memory or some sad experience of my tribe.

Even the rocks, which seem to lie dumb

as they swelter in the sun along the silent shore in solemn grandeur

thrill with memories of past events connected with the fate of my people,

the very dust under your feet responds more lovingly to our footsteps than to yours,

because it is the ashes of our ancestors,

and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch,

for the soil is rich with the life of our kindred.

Chief Seattle Days

Tomorrow begins the Chief Seattle Days celebrations in the north end of my county. You can find out more about him here. His true name is Sealth which was difficult for white men to pronounce so it became "Seattle", and there is no historical evidence that he was a chief of any kind. However, he is very famous for his work to promote peace between white men and native Americans. There is a well-known speech attributed to him that may or may not have been recorded exactly as he spoke. Regardless, it is beautiful, and if you have a moment you should read the full text at the website above. His gravesite is about 25 minutes from my house, and I finally visited there last summer with my mother-in-law. This picture is a view from the general area . . . if you look closely you can see the shadow of Mt. Rainier in the background. The whole landside around there is rich with history, and sacred. I think I might attend the pow-wow this year. I'll let you know how it goes!

Elvis lives

It's hard to believe that a man who died 30 years ago today still has such an impact on American culture. I mentioned in an earlier post that I recently visited Graceland, along with Elvis' childhood home in Tupelo, MS. I must say, even if you are just a little bit interested in Elvis, a visit to those places will leave you positively intrigued! I wonder how a little boy living in poverty in the deep south took the path to superstardom. You can see from the quotes on the memory wall that he was beautiful and stood out from the crowd even as a little child! And Graceland is like nowhere else on earth!

Of all the things that fascinated me about Graceland, I was really blown away that I had the same swingset as Lisa Marie. On a side note, I was actually named Lisa Marie up until the day I was actually born, and my dad decided he really didn't like it, and didn't think it fit after seeing me! Anyway, I'm sure there were lots of folks with this swingset since it was before the day of WAY too many choices at gigantic toy stores, but I connected with that swingset! It made her, and her family, human. She was just a little girl who happened to have the most famous daddy in the world but had a swingset just like the rest of us!

New slideshow

We took another trip to our new waterfront park today. There's a slideshow if you scroll down to the bottom of the page! We had a blast, and a ferry pulled in to the dock just before we left. You can see it in the background of some of the pictures. It was a beautiful day. There were kids splashing and laughing, birds flying overhead, and sailboats out on the water. Even after 5 years here, the beauty of my surroundings still takes my breath away sometimes.

Big changes!

I am officially a student! Yesterday I spent the morning registering for classes at my local community college. I'm pretty lucky because the campus is only a few blocks behind my house. I can't wait to start classes but the quarter doesn't begin until September 24th. That gives me a chance to get my daughter off to school first, though!

I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to do this. The thing is, I got married very young, then he joined the military and we started moving. Well, technically he joined right before we got married, and left for boot camp 2 weeks after our wedding day. That's another story for another blog. :-) Anyway, once I married and moved, college got put on the back burner. A few years into our marriage we decided to start our family. After our daughter came along, college really got put to the side. Now, here we are 9 years and one kid later, and I'm getting the chance of a lifetime. My husband is an incredible man. (He has an incredible mom, too, and you can see for yourself if you check out her blog here.) He is handsome, strong, smart, determined, and well, just great. Best of all, he loves me and he wants me to be happy and to have this opportunity. So, now that he's settling into his new career as a police officer, he's supporting my decision to go back to school. Words could never express how thankful I am to have a go at this change for the better. You better believe I won't take it for granted.

Martha Stewart says . . .

When you're through changing, you're through.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my dad's birthday. You can see him here. I wish I could be there to celebrate with him in person, but I'm glad I at least had a good long visit in July. Happy Birthday Daddy!

New wheels!

Today we took our 6 1/2 year old to learn how to ride her bike. She hasn't really been too interested before, and to our surprise we discovered she had already outgrown it! No matter how hard she tried to pump her little legs, she really couldn't get much momentum, which, of course you need to hold you up! So, off we went to try and find her a new bike.

When we got to the store, my husband had her try a bike that looked HUGE to me. I think I must have been in denial about how much she has grown. They had a chart that showed you what size bike your child should ride based on their height, and she did indeed need a 20 in. bike since she is slightly over 4 feet tall! She just isn't supposed to be this big already. It seems like we just brought her home from the hospital!

When we got back home, I had to rush to a quick doctor appt. So, the two of them went across the street into the park and got started with the new bike. I was only gone about 30 minutes. When I got home, I glanced over into the park to see my teeny little girl barreling around the grass on her new wheels! I couldn't believe it! She's still a bit awkward, and she needs a little shove off usually, but she's getting it! Mission accomplished!

Water fun!

Our hometown recently built a brand-new park right on the waterfront. It is sandwiched between the ferry terminal and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on what used to be a hideous little strip of dirt. Now, there are 5 fountains that resemble a fleet of submarines heading out to sea that spray water at random intervals. And these suckers really let it rip! Each one of them is surrounded by its own wading pool, and the water is always perfect! It is beautifully landscaped, and there are neat little rock sculptures (some are even carved into seats and "hammocks") where you can sit and watch the ferries come and go. It is one of my favorite new places to take my daughter. It doesn't matter how many times the fountains spray, she squeals and points every time! You know what? I usually do, too!

Silver lining!

As the DirectTV guy is getting ready to install the gargantuan dish on the side of my house, I've just had a revelation . . . . with this new programming package we're getting, I will finally get to see Weeds!!! I LOVE Mary Louise Parker. I adored her in West Wing along with every movie role I've ever seen her in. It all started with Fried Green Tomatoes. For so long I've wanted to see her show, but I didn't get the channel . . . . well, now I do! Yay!

Stupid criminals

http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=6922782

Next time, she'll make darn sure it's not REAL crack. :-)

On hold

"So, we'll be there some time between 8 a.m. and next week."

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but that's what it feels like when you're waiting on any type of cable/dish/digital tv person. Technically, I've been given a 4-hour window, and I am currently entering the 4th hour of waiting. Tick, tock.

Diff'rent strokes

This morning I am waiting for the TV guy to get here to install a dish on my house and give my husband every football game he could possibly desire (although he mainly only wants the Atlanta Falcons), along with the ability to digitally record said games and watch them at a time more convenient for him. This is quite necessary due to his work schedule.

Not being what you can legitimately call a sports enthusiast, it is hard for me to understand the passion behind this decision for the all the extra TV paraphernalia. But, I get that it is a huge deal for him so I support it. Just like he cannot possibly comprehend how jazzed I would be to get front-row off-Broadway Wicked tickets, he would still be supportive (although probably not my date) if the opportunity presented itself.

So, will I watch this cornucopia of football games with him? Probably not. Will I be happy that he's happy? Absolutely.

Today

I can't seem to get anything done! I slept too late, and couldn't get motivated when I finally did wake up! I stumbled downstairs in a fog and turned the corner to find my husband standing by the kitchen counter in uniform, which scared me to death. He is a police officer, and leaves our house around 5:45 each morning, and I usually don't see him again until he gets off in the afternoon. Apparently today he needed a bagel break (hold the doughnut jokes).

Before I went to bed last night, I had a pretty impressive list going of things I wanted to get accomplished today, and I haven't done a single one! Now, I have about an hour and a half until I have to haul my daughter off to soccer practice. I think I'll just give in to this lazy day and take it easy. I just wish I had a hammock like this one at the Old Mystic Inn in Old Mystic, Connecticut. That sounds like a place I would like to visit.

Wisdom

In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins - not through strength, but through persistence.

- Buddha

Many moons ago . . .

very early in my relationship with my husband, we lived with his mom for a little while before he joined the Navy. I have many great memories of that period in my life, but one of the best is the night we stood outside trying to catch glimpses of a meteor shower. It was cold, and I had neck cramps from looking up, but occasionally we would see a bright light streaking across the sky and it was incredible. I wanted to stay out there all night! This weekend, the Perseid meteor shower is peaking. I'm going to try and get myself a front-row seat and watch the magic! Will you be there?

Walkin' in Memphis

On the return portion of our round-trip cross-country driving tour, my daughter and I stopped in Tupelo, MS to see the childhood home of Elvis, and then we stopped at Graceland. There was a time in my life that I was infatuated with Elvis, and I wanted so badly to visit his home. I'm so glad now that I didn't get to go until I was an adult. It wouldn't have been as meaningful before. I wasn't sure what to expect when I got there, but my impression was this. Graceland is much smaller than I expected, but just as gaudy as I could have imagined. The shocking part is how genuinely cozy and comforting it is. Yes, it's over the top, just like the rest of Elvis' life and style . . . but I could easily imagine sitting around the kitchen eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches and hanging out with friends. It made me even more curious about the man himself. I wonder what those closest to him got to see. Yes, he changed the face of rock n' roll and made history, but what was he really like?

When I grow up . . .

I want to be this lady! Victoria Woodhull ran for President of the United States in 1872 - before women even had the right to vote! You can read more about her here. She was quite revolutionary for her time . . . but as the website points out, it seems the media and politics really haven't changed much!

My Dove Chocolate wrapper

instructed me today to "make a list of my dreams." Soooo, I'll get started (in no particular order).

Finish college

Be a food critic

Go on a safari

See a a Broadway play . . . . on Broadway

Raise a happy, healthy, well-rounded child

Take a romantic vacation with my husband

See Billy Joel in concert with my husband

Find a dinosaur fossil!

Make a difference in America's public education system!!

Own land in Montana

Own land anywhere!!! :-)

Travel to Alaska and see grizzly bears (but not too close)

Take my mom to the Grand Canyon and up through the California's redwood forests

Take my mom-in-law to China

Ok, let's face it, I'd like to one day be independently wealthy enough to travel anywhere I please!

Goodness, I could keep this list going all day!

Family

This is my dad and me. Recently I had the opportunity to take my daughter on a cross-country drive (more about that in a later post) for an extended visit with our family in Georgia. Part of it was a soul-searching trip to see if I really wanted to move back there. I ended up realizing that I'm just an official transplant now - I couldn't imagine leaving this beautiful area. I've grown accustomed to the northwest, and the only thing I really miss about Georgia is my family. Yes, it has its good points, but it's just not home any more. Plus, it is HOT there! Temps are in the triple digits, and that's not the heat index! Add the humidity and it goes beyond miserable. So, I think I'll just hang out here where it hasn't gotten over 75 degrees all week. I'll just have to make a lot of trips because I still do miss my family! I don't know why I had to go and fall in love with a place that's on the opposite side of the country from them!

Diggin' up bones

I read an interesting article today about a man in Switzerland who happens to be a "hobby paleontologist" discovering a gigantic dinosaur graveyard when excavating a building site. They're saying it's probably the biggest site in the country. It reminded me how much I want to go on a "dig" for real dinosaur bones. Ever since I was a little girl, I loved finding rocks with fossils in them . . . usually a shell or leaf imprinted in a piece of limestone. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I ever came across part of a dinosaur! Living in the northwest, I'm a lot closer to areas that host dinosaur digs. There are places in Utah, Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. One of these days, I'm just going to have to go out there and see what I can find!

oops

Of course I meant I am quite "fond" of teapots, not "find". Even spellcheck can't save us, sometimes!

I just found out . . .

that we have a tea shop in town! According to their ad, they specialize in unique teapots and hard to find sets, and have tons of different types of tea! I am quite find of teapots, and especially cup and saucer sets. Yes, I like tea, but it's really more about sipping from a dainty little cup and feeling like royalty! I think I'll have to convince my mother-in-law, who is also a fan, to come out for a visit so we can explore the shop together!

Yum!

Last night, pumpkin pie sounded really good to me, so I made some! And it was so good! I realize we're nowhere near any of the "traditional" holidays for it, but if you would like to have some, here's the recipe. I've taken a traditional recipe and doubled it to make two thinner pies, because my husband has to have his very own. :-)

2 Shortbread pie crusts (I just use the Keebler ready kind!)

1 29 oz. can of Libby's pumpkin (the big one)

2 14 oz. cans of Eagle sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs

2 tsps. cinnamon (or a little more if you love it like me!)

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 425. Mix everything together and divide between the two pie crusts. Bake for 15 minutes at 425, then lower the temp to 350 and continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted one inch from the edge comes out clean.

**** I like to add a little whipped cream to mine!