Happy Spring 2014!!

I love all the seasons. My favorite one differs from year to year. It usually depends on what has happened the previous season. I like to set my life up into four sections, instead of one year. I get four chances to make changes or start over if you will. The winter solstice comes at a bad time. Right before the December holidays. We're to rushed to really think about it and most people don't even realize when it happens. We have so much on our minds. In a way, it happens again in the summer. We don't really think about the summer solstice because by then we are well into vacation plans, school camps, easier living and being outdoors. We're just as busy, it just seems to be easier because we can still be outside at 9:00 at night and have daylight. Our daylight is longer, so we perceive that we have more time. The spring and fall equinox is different. Around that time you can feel and see some of the changes start to happen. Little things like a warm or cool breeze. The return of migrating birds, and the warmth of the earth. So Happy First Day of Spring! 

Our winter has been a bit trying this year. We usually get snow, but this year Cincinnati has outdone itself. We have broken and tied cold weather records, we are in the top five years for snowfall, and we had our share of ice storms. I am tired of this type of weather. For Spring break we headed South to get away from it. We needed this. Jake is now a sophomore in high school and his work load is quite trying. Lee has worked non-stop and seems to never be home when it's light outside. I am working with my business and being a Mom so my two worlds collide more often then not. We needed this. As I sit here on my balcony in Orlando Florida having coffee it is 62* warming to 80* later today. I have sun on my face. I feel it warming my soul. We're on vacation, so it's a lazy morning. Sleeping in and not planning the day away. I got up at 8:30 instead of 6:30. It's vacation. But I also am aware that had I woke up in Cincinnati this morning it is 36* warming to 50* later today. There will still be snow piled in the shaded areas of my yard. My grass is brown and the wind will softly speak as it rounds the corner of my house. But if you look closely, you will see the signs of Spring. The maple trees have already started their buds. The rose bushes are turning a light shade of green. The daffodils, crocus, and tulips have all broken ground. The earth is waking up and the warm breezes are soon to follow. For me, this is a great time to reevaluate life. Reset anything that isn't working and start something new and bold. It's spring. Renew, rebirth, rewind. It's a season that really should be celebrated. Take a moment and think about it. I hope you enjoy the first day of spring. I will! Take Care!

The Adventure Ends

Well, our great Mom and Son adventure has come to an end. It actually was over a week ago and I just haven't had time to update you. Taking the time to drive across this wonderful country of ours is a task. Part good and part bad. In this day of rushing to and fro, it would have been much more timely to just fly out to Wyoming, rent a car, do the show,  take a side trip and fly home. I know my lower back thinks that would have been the smart thing to do. But here's what I would have missed by doing that. Seeing just how beautiful our country really is. I will say that part of the trip was very boring driving, but when you look out over the vast grass lands and farm lands, you realize how BIG the middle of our country is. This is the land where our food is sourced. The bluest sky I have ever seen. No smog, clear blue sky, with big fluffy, white clouds. At some points the only people you saw were in the cars on the road with you. Not many exits, no buildings, just big stretches of land. I also would have missed the diners and mom & pop places to eat. It was fun to stop at these places and see what the local special was. These places were quaint, sometimes questionable, but always had great food at a decent price. We could have eaten buffalo or bison, wild game specials, and fries served with everything from cheese, ranch dressing, salsa, seasoned, baked, or just plain. Platters came with your choice of sides like pickle chips, slaw, lots of beans, salad, lettuce wedges and potatoes cut in the shape of fries, logs, wedges, cubes, and slices. We would get desserts, home made ice cream and pie. It was nice to take the time and sit down for lunch. It gave us time to talk about whatever we thought of at the time. It was a nice trip. It was beautiful scenery. Seeing Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Custer State Park were awesome.  But is was meal time along the way, in an out of the way diner that I will cherish. Just the two of us talking about whatever. No hurry to be anywhere else. Nothing really to distract us from enjoying that time. I got to see what my teenage son is thinking about. I had the time to ask questions, or just listen without feeling the rush to be someplace else. It was perfect. So, the trip is now over, and we are back into our summer routine. Jake is busy doing his stuff and I am back to trying to figure it all out. This is not a trip for the faint of heart. This is a trip that needs to be taken with an open mind and an open heart. The inside of a Honda Pilot can be very small, as can a hotel room. But it can also be a trip of memories. I am sure that Jake doesn't have the same feelings about this trip as I do. It was just a trip he had to take to help Mom out at a pet show. There was a side trip to see a few things, then the drive home. I am hoping that when he is older he will think of it differently. There is another thing that I have learned by doing this trip. I have no interest in living in the vast areas of the middle of our country. I need things like, cell service, rest stops, buildings and people. And if I can be near an ocean all the better. I hope that you have some great adventures this summer. I highly recommend one! Take care!

Road Trip Update - In the Middle

We are now finished with our first week of the trip. Things are going well. It's interesting what you see, and don't see while driving across this wide country of ours. Once you enter into South Dakota you see land. Sometime there are crops on that land, but mostly land. Not very many houses are visible from the highway. It's flat, REAL FLAT land. We did see some specks in the distance that we figure were cows. Since there really isn't much to look at, you tend to read all the highway signs along the way. There are plenty of highway signs. There are your basic informational signs, gas, food shelter. These tend to be few and far between. There was one sign that said "Gas up now, gas can later" this exit. Makes you think about how much land lays between the exits! There are also very few rest stops. I guess they figure if you gas up you'll take the time to go then. The billboards are the funnest things to read. About 200 miles before you would get off to visit these places they start to advertise. The one on I-90 is Wall Drug. For miles and miles there are colorful, funny billboards that advertise stopping at this wide place in the road. There is a similar one on I-75 that advertises Pedro telling you to stop South of the Border. I believe the border is North Carolina, but I could be wrong. Anyway, we had to pick where to stop. Should we stop at Pilgrims Village and see the village with buffalo, or pick Al's Oasis and see what they have there. Then there was Bear Country, where we could drive through a wild animal park. I always like those. There was the Car museum that Jake was sure we could go through really quickly just to see all the old and new cars they had. Yeah...right....taking a 15 year old who is 4 months away from getting his driving temps would take a complete day to go through a car museum. After much consideration we decided to stop at Wall Drug.  Wall Drug started in the early 1900's as a drug store in Wall SD. There is a street of shops selling everything you didn't know you needed. The drug store is still there and working. You can get a buffalo burger and home made ice cream at the cafes. There were tee shirt shops, jewelry shops, cafes, gift shops and all kinds of stuff that I can't remember. On the next street over, there is a place where kids can "pan for rocks". The bigger bag of dirt you buy, the bigger your polished rock will be. There were dinosaurs in all the buildings to honor the dino bones found the area. Yes, it was a tourist "destination", but it was a fun one. Once we hit the West side of South Dakota things changed. The land started to roll, hills and valley popped up in the distance and you could see houses. We were starting into coal country. We crossed into Wyoming during a heavy rain storm. The lightening was beautiful and Jake was trying his best to get a picture of it. We could see train cars loaded with coal. These cars seemed to run for miles. There was a hugh coal processing plant as we came into Gillette. There are tours you can take, but that will have to wait until next time. Today we leave for Custer SD for a few days. This trip has been great. It is the first time Jake and I have gone away. I wasn't sure how this would go. I am seeing peeks of a young man. I watched my teenage son work the booth, help not only me, but other vendors with setting up. He listened patiently as older ladies told him about their pets, living and dead. And he held his ground when a younger woman was trying to get him to give her "a deal" on a purchase. I will never have this opportunity again. My hope is that Lee will. We have five more days to go. I will be glad to be home, with my whole family. I will cherish this trip. I hope that you have a chance to get away with a loved one. Maybe not driving cross country. That can be iffy. But just have some one on one time. Just remember to have an open mind. Not stick to the schedule and try to see out of the way places that aren't on the map. And stop at Wall Drug and have an ice cream! Take care!

Update: June 2013

Hi,
It's been awhile. I seem to pop in and out of my blog. I must admit, I've missed you. I thought I would take a few min. this morning and bring you up to date. First, everyone is well. That is the main thing. We are happy and healthy.

Jake has just finished his freshman year in high school. I must admit I look at him and realize that in three short years he will be off to college. At least, that's the plan. It makes me sad. Lee & I hope that we have raised Jake to go off and be the best that he can be. True, he needs to do that. But, there is that part of me that makes me sad to think he will leave. I think part of what has brought on these feelings is attending my niece Meredith's high school graduation. She is my brothers youngest child. The last of the family who will graduate from the same high school that I went too all those years ago. She was president of the student council and gave a speech. She did well. In the fall, she will join her sister Courtney at Indiana University. Her oldest sister Gwen just graduated from there a few weeks ago. Off to start the next phase of her life. This weekend was full of pride, laughter and tears. The kids are growing up! Which brings me back to Jake. Today is the first day of summer break and his request was to let him sleep until he woke up and could breakfast involve bacon. I think I can do that. I wonder what cinnamon and bacon muffins would be like?? This summer will fly by. It always does. But there will be a few adventures also. We have a road trip planned, we have been found by extended family from Minnasota and then there is just a slower summer schedule. I'm looking forward to it. I hope to keep things updated and I hope that you have a min. to stop by and see how it's going. Have a wonderful summer!
Take care!

Courtney, Jake, Meredith & Gwen

Happy Memorial Day

Time is really flying by. I haven't updated in weeks and I have so many stories piling up! I decided that today would be a good day to look back. In the last few months I have gotten a vendors license, applied and gotten into several famers markets, and got my business off the ground. How did I do it? I was able to do it because of this wonderful country we live in. I am able, in my early 50's, to walk into the tax department and apply and receive a vendors license. I am able every Tuesday to set up shop on fountain square with other like minded people and sell my dog cookies. I can do this because of the beliefs that founded our country. I have two Navy men in my house. My father was in the Navy during the Korean War and Lee was in the Navy twice, once in the late 70's and then again in the late 80's/early 90's. We were already married on the second time around. Lee didn't "see action" the way Dad did. We weren't "at war" at those times. He was still ready, and willing, to go if needed. It's because of people like Dad and Lee that we can be free and sometimes stupid. We can protest what we think is wrong. We can vote, or not, for who we want to run the country and then complain about them when they are in office. There are some who feel the need to burn the flag and protest at military funerals, and they have the right to do so. Because men and women fought for our rights. It saddens me that when Jake was in grade school they sang America the Beautiful instead of the Star Spangled Banner. I was told it was easier to sing. Jake isn't sure about the words to the National Anthem. I plan on working on that this year. I want him to understand his roots. I want him to know that because of very brave men and women he can be free and feel safe. That    the freedom we enjoy did come with a price. So today, hug your family, and if they happen to be, or have been in the military, thank them for me. Take care!

Happy Mothers Day!

I didn't become a Mom until I was 38 years old. We had a long hard road to get there dealing with infertility problems. Needless to say it was a true miracle the day Jake was born. Now, thirteen years later, I have a teenager living in my house. Along with my own Mother. Six years ago when we built our house, Lee suggested that we have Mom and Dad move into the lower level. The reason was they were getting older, they lived an hour away and we had a small child, and I would always add that Lee was trying to push me over the edge by having my mother move in.  When I was little, I would dress up in Moms night gowns like they were evening gowns. Mom made Barbie clothes for my dolls, she also made my own clothes. We had our ups and downs through the teenage years, as most parents do. As we age relationships grow. Some grow closer, some grow apart. I think the turning point was when Lee and I moved to Guam. That was the first time we lived so far away from our families that we only "had each other". You grow when you have to stand on your own two feet. It is a great experience. Now that I am a Mom, I understand some of the things that I thought were awful when I was younger. Mom and I parent differently, and that's okay. We agree to disagree on certain things, and have learned that line between Mom and Grandma. Most of the time, life is good. Being a Mom is a hard job. You are range from being the most important person in your childs life, to being considered a monster, then becoming a friend. The bond of being a Mom is different with each child that you have. Since I only have one, my bond is that of a Mother and her son. Now the choice of movies, music and video games are very different. As I have said many times, I have never been nor will ever be, male.  I don't always understand the way he thinks, but we still have a connection. We still can sit and talk and laugh, just like I can do with my Mom. I hope that you have a great connection with someone. Happy Mothers Day Mom! Take care!

Stories

On our recent vacation we had three generations together. Whenever that happens, someone usually ends up telling a story on someone else. Then "story hour" starts. Family stories are told from the point of view of the storyteller. That point of view could have been actually being present in the moment taking place, or being present at the table when the story was told. The first stories I remember were my bedtime stories. A ritual that I enjoyed with my son when he was younger. I would make up stories and tell Jake and my nieces. Gwen and Courtney would sit for awhile, then be done with it, but Meredith would sit with me for a long time and listen to the princess stories. She would be wide eyed and so captured by it. Jake always wanted stories about making things magical and colorful or inventions. The first family stories I remember were always told at the Holidays. In most families, one side will be more adept at story telling than the other. Not my family! I have great story tellers on both sides of the house. Several of my cousins can tell a story and make you feel like you are right there.  I have seen it pass from generation to generation. When I look at Jake and the girls I wonder who will be the best story teller. I also want to make sure that the family stories are passed down. It is a connection with the past that you don't realize you have until story hour begins. The stories might be a little bit overboard, but you get the picture. I think that stories add a layer to us. It's like a old, comfy quilt where each square was added by a different family member. It wraps us in laughter and love and it grows with each generation. I hope that you have a wonderful story quilt wrapped around you. Take Care!

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

On our recent vacation to Orlando we decided to go to Universal Studios to see the Harry Potter exhibit. I must admit as I am getting older amusement parks are not my favorite things, but I am a big fan of Harry. My husband is a big fan of saving money. Which is why we sat through a 90 minute presentation for a time share we already own in order to get the $100.00 off Universal Studio tickets and the privilege of a one hour head start before the park opens. That was the reason that the alarm was set for 6:30am on vacation. After lots of coffee, getting two teenagers up and ready to go, we were standing in line for the Harry Potter ride at 8:05. We only waited 30 minutes to get strapped into the car and head off on our adventure. It seems the new rides are all virtual. You don't really go anywhere, you just sit, strapped in, in front of a big screen. The "car" you are in shakes, rolls, tilts and swings you around while the movie plays out in front of you. There are warnings everywhere about motion sickness, and for good reason. The way to keep from getting sick is medicine and just closing your eyes. I must admit I missed some of the movie because my stomach was telling me I really didn't want to see what was playing. The ride only lasted about four minutes. But it was long enough for me to get queasy and have a head ache. As we exited the ride through the gift shop, we noticed that the streets of Hogsmeade were filled. I mean there were people everywhere. There was a line to get into the shops! The wand shop had the longest line. We walked past  the Three Broomsticks, Honeydukes, Filches Emporium and Dervish and Bangs. The windows were filled with cauldrons,  the screaming plants, robes and potions. We found a short line and bought butterbeer. You can get your butterbeer frozen or liquid with a foamy head on top. We bought one of each to share between the four of us. I liked both of them. Jake and my niece Meredith preferred the frozen and Lee was more interested in the fact that people were standing in line to get into a shop and how crazy that was. Butterbeer has been described as tasting like cupcakes and butterscotch or a cross between Dr. Browns cream soda and ginger ale. The amount of people who entered the wizarding world of Harry Potter was astounding. That section of the park was at capacity by 9:30am. We left Harry and entered into the rest of Universal. I must admit the magic wasn't there. After walking the crowded streets of Hogsmeade, seeing the crooked buildings and feeling like you really were in another world, going into the worlds of Dr. Suess, Marvel Comics and the Lost Continent can't compete with Harry. Maybe it's because those worlds are in my past and Harry is new. It was a fun, but tiring day. I hope that you can enter into a magical place and get away from the real world for a bit. Take care!

Vampires, Mummies and Ghosts

I was listening to Jimmy Buffet the other day. He has this song called Vampires, Mummies and the Holy Ghost. It made me think of a story. My Mother loves scary movies. The old fashioned kind, Dracula, the Mummy, those types of films. My cousin Steve was over for an overnight with my brother Greg. They were about 13 & 12 years old. We raised pigs, and Gregs job was to go out and make sure that the pigs were in the barn at night. That night on TV was the old black and white movie Frankenstein. Mom let us stay up and watch it. After the movie, Greg and Steve had to go out and put the pigs away. It was a warm dark, summer night about 11:00pm. The boys went out to do their job, joking around as boys do. Mom decided it would be really funny to scare them. She got a sheet and went out the front door. Mom was standing by one of the sheds, trying to get the sheet over her, when the boys came around the corner. She didn't even make a sound. They took one look at the ghost and screamed! One of them threw the crowbar that was in his hand, which thankfully missed Mom, and they took off running towards the house screaming. Greg was in the lead for a few seconds, only to be passed up by Steve who was at a full speed run. I was standing in the doorway and just got the door open in time for them to dive through it. I got knocked over and Greg and Steve were laying on the floor half laughing, half crying and yelling for Mom. Mom was standing in the back yard laughing. It was the perfect scare. Looking back on these stories are fun. They make me realize that a little thing like movie night can become a great family story. I hope that you have some memorable movie nights. Take Care!

The Lamb Story

Spring always brings out pictures of cute little lambs. They always look so sweet and gentle. Let me tell you the REAL story about lambs. When I was younger we ended up with a lamb. It was born on my Grandpa Henrys farm and was rejected by it's Mother. That should have been the first clue. Dad brought it home, and I'm sure we named it, but I can't remember. I don't know if it was a boy or a girl, but for this story I will refer to it as Lambzilla. Lambzilla was a small white lamb. Mom would fill a empty whiskey bottle with formula and we would bottle feed it. Lambzilla didn't live in a pen like normal lambs. Nooo, Lambzilla had an identity crisis and thought it was a dog. It would sleep on the front porch with the dogs. It would leave little "pellet presents" on the porch that Mom would have to sweep off every morning. Lambzilla was a happy little lamb. The problem with Lambzilla was, every day it tried to kill me. Yes, this lamb was violent! It was summer, and I loved to play in the yard. I would go outside and before I knew it Lambzilla would come running. Not towards me where I could see it coming, it was a sneak attack. Lambzilla would run up BEHIND me, with its head down, and head butt me in the back. I was little, and it would knock me over. Time and time again, I would get knocked over. My brother Greg thought this was the funniest thing. You see, he was older and faster and could run to the apple tree for safety. This also gave him a great view of watching me get knocked over. For days I would spend my outside time on the ground. I had worked out a way of not getting knocked over. When I heard Lambzilla coming, I would sit down. The only thing it could do was push on me. I would be screaming for Mom and Greg could be heard laughing from the top of a tree. Obviously, Lambzilla needed to find a new home. I don't remember how long we kept Lambzilla, but I don't think it was very long. I also have no idea what fate awaited Lambzilla. I have visions of a "Lamb Fighting" arena. You know, the matador with a red cape, flashing it as a little white lamb comes charging at it before taking the matador down at the knees. As Spring is right around the corner and you go to that petting zoo, think about Lambzilla and don't turn your back on any cute, little, fuzzy lambs. You have been warned! Take Care!

The Great Outdoors

When I was about 8 years old I was allowed to go camping with my Aunt Gertrude. It was my first experience in the camping world. We went to Versailles State Park in Indiana. Looking back I give Aunt Gert credit. She took 5 boys, ages 9-17, and me tent camping. I actually didn't sleep in the tent. She had a Dodge Rambler, and the seats folded down flat. She and I slept in the car, while my brother and cousins slept in two tents. I think it was just for one night, but I really don't remember. What I do remember is being at the grocery store and there was a dispute over a broken pickle jar. The boys were involved in that one. When we got to the park, we set up camp and went for a hike. The older boys went rock climbing. I thought the cliff where they were climbing looked like the side of a mountain. There are no mountains in Indiana. My cousin Perry and I waded in the creek looking for critters under rocks and watching out for water snakes. We spent the afternoon swimming at the lake. The older boys again took off out in the water, leaving Perry, Aunt Gertrude and my self in the shallower waters. Over time we became brave and started moving away from Aunt Gert. All of a sudden Aunt Gert was yelling for Perry who was no where to be seen. She panicked, and had the life guard pull everyone out of the water. Now that I am an Aunt, I can only imagine the fear she felt. She found Perry on the edge of the water, playing, not paying any attention to the fact that he was the subject of the search. He was spanked on the spot! That evening, we sat around the camp fire and roasted marshmallows. Mine caught fire and I waved my stick back and forth to put it out. When I looked at the end of my stick my marshmallow was gone! I had waved it away. We looked everywhere to see what had happened to my marshmallow, but we couldn't find it. At morning breakfast we were allowed to cook our own over the fire. Aunt Gertrude said if you're old enough to go camping, you were old enough to make your own breakfast. We loved it! As we were breaking down the tents, we found my lost marshmallow. It was stuck in the hair of my Aunt. Apparently, while I was waving my stick of flaming marshmallow, it took flight and landed in the back of my Aunts head. We had a great time that weekend. When Aunt Gertrude dropped Perry off at his house, he ran to his Mom as fast as he could. Aunt Gert thought that he was going to tell on her for spanking him. Instead, he announced with pride that if you are old enough to go camping, you were old enough to cook your own breakfast! I hope that you have some adventures with the great outdoors. Take Care!