Bits n' Pieces

We went for a hike today. It was sunny, but very cold. We decided to go east into an area known as Opal Creek. We had to drive about 14 miles off the main road to find the trail head, but it wasn't too tough a drive. There was snow on the ground at the higher elevation, but not much. Just enough to wet the trail and make things stick to you. It wasn't a long hike, just about a mile in and a mile out, but we had little kids with us, so it seemed wise to keep it easy. the payoff for the uphill hike was a beautiful waterfall. Oh...and the fact that the second half of the hike was downhill.

Ben decided he has a new name for me. He told me yesterday, "Gramma - you're a gramma and a cracker 'cause your white, so I'm gonna call you GramCracker."

Yikes. Out of the mouths of babes...

Ryann got a 'Bop - it" game for Christmas so we had a Bop-it tournament this evening. The Bop-it is a device with a couple different places on it to pull, twist, bop or talk into. The device has a beat and in rhythm it will tell you which thing to do - twist the knob, pull another knob, bop the button or speak into the microphone. If you put it on a group setting it will also tell you when to pass it. The beat continues as it tells the person which part to do in totally random patterns. If you don't do it on time, or do the wrong thing, it berates you and tells you you are out. Great fun, and anyone can do it. Uh...almost anyone. But enough about that.

Its late and time to try and sleep. As always, I hope the very best for everyone.

It's Over

I did it. I survived another Christmas. I only made a few mistakes. I cooked 2 Christmas dinners and then played the "fix-your-own-there-are-lots-of-leftovers" card after that. I plan to play that card for the next several days. I successfully shopped for and delivered presents for the 16 people on my immediate family list, and only one or two items need to be returned for size or style correction. All in all, I have to say the day is declared a success. Nobody got sick (yet) or had to go to the emergency room for stitches. Maybe I should knock on wood or something.

I can hardly wait to get it all put away. I absolutely hate having Christmas decorations up after Christmas. Even a few days makes me antsy. I do have a few simple sewing projects yet to finish, but they aren't a big rush. I have to admit I do have a bit of the after-party letdown...maybe even the blues. Maybe its because January is typically SO incredibly boring in Oregon. At least the boredom will be taken away for a short while during my brother Jim's visit the second week of January. That'll be fun to catch up and enjoy some time together.

I don't know what in the world I'll do when my grandkids are past the toy stage. I won't have any excuse to get down on the floor and check out the toys. I got Sophie and Juliet a doll house that I'm just itching to play with. I've found that to be the key with my grands. Find a toy that I want to play with and they'll like it too. Usually I score a win with that philosphy.

Its getting late now. I'd better try to get some rest. Our big football game (Rose Bowl- Oregon vs. Ohio) will be on New Year's day so we are all looking forward to that.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you all joy and happiness in the New Year.

Wow...this is a busy time of year. It takes so much energy and time - then its over in a few hours. I was thinking about this today as I was hanging out of a tree trying really hard to reach a place I shouldn't have been trying to reach. One of these days I'm going to have to realize I'm not 16 anymore and either give up on those unreachable things or...or...or what? I guess just give up.

My studio is a mess. I can call it a studio now because I have a corner set up just for painting. It was my office before, but studio sounds so bohemian. I like that idea. I'm going to start wearing only overalls and caftans and use words that don't really mean anything. I'm going to search for the 'truth' in my art. Or not...

Yeah, that's a bit much even for me.

Somewhere in my house I have a box with lots and lots of smaller boxes of lights in it. I remember putting it away last year when I put away the Christmas decorations. It's no where to be found now. I suspect its in the same hiding place as the mate to my best socks. It might also be in the same place as my winter gloves. Dang it, I know I had some...

Ah well, I'm rambling more than usual so it must be time to close.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all - Good night.

Love, Deb

Define A Good Hair Day...

I'm having a good hair day. You know those days that happen once in a great while, where your hair and makeup just "work"? OK, so I guess that doesn't really apply to guys...well...most guys anyway. It was just one of those days when everything comes together. People in stores were pleasant, the lines at the post office were short. It seemed like everyone was smiling. Maybe that was just a crazed look, I could be wrong - but they seemed to be smiling. The rain let up for part of the day, and the freeze appears to be over, at least for the moment.

I'm almost finished with my Christmas shopping and I still have 2 weeks until the big day. Wow, that could be some sort of record for me. I've decorated the house and part of the front yard. I also decorated the back deck this year. I've turned my dining room lighting fixture into an homage to "tacky" - but its shiny and it sparkles, that's all that's important.

Tomorrow I'm headed to Vancouver to see my friend Irene and my girls. Maybe I'll finish up the last of my shopping there. That would be a bonus!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

It's very late and I can't sleep. I ran out of sleeping pills and Tylenol PM just isn't doing anything. I was in bed for a couple hours just staring at the dark. Every few minutes I cough, so I'm sure Bruce is getting cranky with me. I'm not sure if that's keeping me awake or my thoughts. I have a chronic cough, but it gets worse when I've been sick. Seems like I've been sick a lot this year. Allergies don't help.

Whine, whine, whine...

OK..I'm done with that. Sorta.

Have you ever watched people walk? Especially when they aren't aware that you are watching? You can tell a lot about a person by how they walk. At least you THINK you can tell a lot about a person by how they carry themselves. Who knows if what you perceive is what really is. I like to watch people in malls or crossing streets. I make up little stories about them in my head. I tend to walk at a fast pace and with purpose. My pace may be slowing a little, but it is what it is.

We're supposed to get snow or freezing rain tonight. That should make life interesting tomorrow. It's been bitterly cold the last week, but should warm up into the 30's soon. Local news must be slow because they are covering the weather as if it were going to be the biggest storm of the century. Weather wise, it will be dud I'm sure. Maybe they'll make up some news.

As usual, I'm rambling. Perhaps I will sleep now.

Goodnight.

Is the week over yet?

Son Kevin has had the week from Hell...and its only Tuesday.

Sunday, with a record cold front in Oregon - his home heating system went down. Turns out the problem is a part that has to be ordered (of course) and won't be available until Wednesday. Hopefully that willl fix it. We have plenty of room and heat here at my house so the whole family came here. Its been like an extended slumber party so far. The girls are having a great time.

Monday as Stephanie was driving from one school to another for her teaching job, she was overcome with the smell of gasoline and fumes. She called Kevin who had already left for school in Eugene (75 miles away) and he turned around and changed cars with her. He took the sick car straight to the dealer where they were able to fix it. Not cheaply of course.

Since it was too late for him to go to school, he decided to study for his final exam scheduled for today (Tuesday). The exam was open-book and open-Internet and was expected to be brutal. When he sat down to study he realized his wi-fi card in his laptop wasn't working so he took it to the Apple store to have it looked at. It needs to have a new card installed. It'll take several days and the laptop needs to be sent away. The machine has a very nice one year warranty. He's owned it for one year and two weeks. He has a lot of material on the laptop so he decided to use it anyway and took my little notebook computer to act as his emergency Internet access.

He managed to get through the exam ok. After speaking to his classmates it was pretty clear that it was a very difficult exam. Not one person managed to complete it. Kevin feels OK about how he did, so that's good.

After his final, he decided to go home and check his house. It was 41 degrees inside. Luckily no pipes have frozen (yet) so if the heater is fixed on Wednesday as promised he may get through the rest of the week with no new disasters. He did have a scare with a leaky pipe, but it turned out to be unrelated to the freezing weather and he was able to fix it. It's supposed to get down to 10 degrees tonight. I'm sure everything will be fine.

Really.

I mean it.

Random thoughts...

I'm just curious...

WHO was the guy who decided it would be a great idea to incorporate his falling leaves into Halloween decoration? I'm referring to the large orange plastic leaf bags that have a jack-o-lantern face on them. Fill them up with fallen leaves and you have an instant decoration plus your yard gets cleaned up. Was he struck with the idea? Was he even a 'he'? Maybe it was a woman. I'll have to research that someday when everything else is finished on my to-do list.

WHO determines spelling of a word? Is it the people at Websters Dictionary? Is it by popular vote? Why do they have so little imagination?

WHO was the first person to be imprisoned for tearing off the 'do not remove under penalty of law' tag on his pillow? How many years did he get for the offense? Was it just a slap on the wrist or a whack on the head with the pillow?

HAS anyone ever really died because some guy tried to save them by using a toy swim ring as a lifesaving device? When it didn't work, did the guy just walk away and say "well, I tried"...

WOULD a dog stick to a refrigerator if it ate enough magnets? When they ...uh...'passed'...would that product then stick to the frig?

Yes. I have deep thoughts. I have that kind of time.

A thought...

Writing in a blog is a little like writing your thoughts, rolling them up, and putting them in a bottle. Then, you take the bottle and toss it out on the waves. You can watch it for a little while, but soon it gets out of sight. Out of sight out of mind. It doesn't take long to forget them entirely. And you never know for sure if someone sees them, or if they make an impact on someone or bring on any other emotion. A few send me notes from time to time and I just want you (you know who you are) to know how much I appreciate those. The email address I've had for many years is momaj@aol.com.

I'm just thinking. The first part of December always throws me into a tizzy of thought. I'll try to stop that.

Maybe.

Dad, the Gunslinger

I've been doing some genealogy research on my family and was looking for newspaper articles. I found some cool ones that mention my grandmother. They are mostly in what I would call the local gossip column. One mentions that "Mrs. William Stewart and son Raymond, visited in Oxnard Saturday evening." The date of the paper is May 4, 1917.

I found a cool article that mentioned my dad dated September 23, 1963. The headline reads "Gun-wielding robbers get $350 from liquor stores" and mentions the two stores that were hit. The portion that mentions my dad is quoted below.

"William M. Stewart, owner of the store, chased the robbers, firing a gun shot at one of them, but they rounded the corner of the building and escaped, he told deputies.

The two men entered the store about 9:20 p.m. and walked up to the cash register, Stewart related. He said one of the men pointed a small automatic pistol at him and demanded all of the money in the cash register.

Stewart handed over about $150 from the register and was told to get down on the floor, he said. He began to crouch, pushing a burglar alarm button at the same moment, and the two robbers fled.

He told deputies he ran to the door and fired one shot from a .38 caliber pistol before he lost sight of the robbers."

When I was a kid, this sort of thing happened a time or two each year at my parents store. Back in the 'old days' the bad guys would run instead of opening fire on people just for the sake of killing. The alarm mentioned was wired up to our house, so when it was pushed it was the job of whoever was home to call the police. I remember doing it several times. Then we would drive the 3/4 mile to the store and hope we didn't run into any bad guys or dead bodies. I remember one time in particular jumping out of my mother's car well ahead of her and running into the store (yeah, I was THAT stupid...) to find my brother Bill and Chuck (an employee) laying face down on the floor. Billy looked up at me with his huge eyes and said "are they gone?" I must have missed them by seconds. I sort of gave up my Annie Oakley ways after that and was a little more careful. Billy had kids by that point so I must have been around 12.

Ah, memories...

Typhoid...Debby?

I went to the doctor today because I've had a cold and I've been hacking up a lung. (is that too graphic?) Anyway, when I checked in, they actually made me wear a surgical mask. They said it was a new policy if someone had a cough or fever. I dutifully put on the stupid mask. I also noticed I was the ONLY person in the whole complex to actually put it on. Every other person had them in their hands so they could cough unencumbered. I felt like an idiot. Oh, well. At least they can't say I made anyone sick. I followed the rules.I think I get points for that somewhere. I'll survive this cold by the way...

Anyway...

Steve and Beth and the kids got home yesterday from their week stay in Oregon. We all spent a few days at the coast, and they spent some time with Beth's family in Scio (about 30 minutes away from us). We got a lot of shopping done. Well - they got a lot of shopping done. I spent most of my time avoiding the stores.

I spent a lot of time staring at my beautiful grandkids. They really are amazing. They are all such different little people! Each of them have a unique personality. Madeline is 13 now and turning into such a beauty. She already went to her first middle school dance. I'm not ready for this yet.

The big news in Oregon is our football "Civil" war between Oregon State and U of Oregon on Thursday. I've had kids at both schools, but I tend to favor U of Oregon. Rumor has it that the game will be shown on ESPN...woohoo Oregon is big time now. I'm fairly certain I will actually watch the game. I've gotten to the point where I recognize several of the players now. I didn't think I'd ever say that.

I wonder if any of the players will be wearing surgical masks?

Twilight-New Moon

Amy and Kerry along with a friend, hosted a movie night with a local theatre in Vancouver. They rented the entire facility for a preview showing of the new movie from the Twilight series. It was fun going to this place because they have 'living room' type seating as well as the fact they will come to you, take your food order - then bring it to you. What could be better?

The movie was good. I have to say I liked it. Of course when one of the main characters took off his shirt (and he has CLEARLY been working out!) the mostly female group went a little wild. Also the fact that this series has strong connections with the northwest is fun, too.

At one point the main characters break up. The guy decides (on his own) it's in every one's best interest for them to be apart. The fact that he is a vampire I'm sure has some bearing on that decision. The female has no recourse. He made the decision and she must live with it the best she can. She doesn't do well. The director did a good job of showing her emotional breakdown over a period of months. Her self-imposed isolation is her way of dealing with loss. She is suicidal and takes unusual risks, because she doesn't care what the outcome is. But then slowly she begins to come out of her shell and tries valiantly to make connections with friends and perhaps a new love-interest, but He is never far from her thoughts.

Of course at the end, he realizes what an idiot he has been and they get back together (not before she saves his butt) -this is still Hollywood and fiction after all. As with most series of this type you are left wanting more. I'm afraid I've been sucked in.

Angst, never-ending love, drama and a little comedy thrown in to keep it interesting. Yup...someone has the formula.

The Girls and the Boys...

Kerry pointed out last night that I rarely talk about her and Amy in my blog. I do of course, but I've never focused on them as subjects. Actually, I never have focused on any of my children. I was thinking about that on the a drive home from Vancouver last night where we went to see a movie after watching Ben's school play. He did a FABULOUS job by the way - he's very poised on stage. He had one of the largest speaking parts and had his lines down better than anyone else. Amy said he learned his lines all himself, without any help. He's a self-starter. That's good. Very good.

I've worked on short outlines in my head for each of my kids, rather like what I did about my brothers - but I've never been able to put them down on paper. They are way too complex to confine to a few pages. For the most part, my life with my brothers took place when I was a child and young mother. We moved away from California at that time and my times with them from that point have been infrequent and always as 'the visiting sibling', never in context as being a part of my normal day-to-day routine. The stories and memories are not complete of course, but they are still somewhat compartmentalized. (is that making sense? probably not...)

My kids stories change from day-to-day. What seems terribly important today may not even be a part of the story as a whole in a few months or years. Perhaps if I can look at them in smaller time increments I'll be better able to capsulize them. I'll have to consider that idea. As for today, they will have to be content with the knowledge that their mom loves them with all her heart. She is proud of the things they have overcome, and of their achievements. She tends to forget the times when their choices may not have been in line with the ones she would have chosen for them. She is constantly in wonder at what will happen next with them and wants only happiness for them. She is in a constant state of 'hope' for them. To this point, they have done pretty great. Life has a way of throwing curve balls at us. We'll just have to wait for the next chapters to unfold.

Always....

Fixed Enough...

OK, thanks to my son Kevin I've quit tearing out my hair. He sent me to a website that will do your conversions for free then they send them back to you. Good enough for now.

I had a flu-thing over the weekend so I'm not up to snuff yet, but I'll get back to my painting soon. Steve says the eyes are not right yet either on my painting of Ceddie, so I'll work on those. Sometimes you just have to step away from something to see the value in it. I was close to tossing the whole thing and throwing my paints out along with my computer. I don't deal with frustration well. The older I get the less tolerance I have. I suppose we should enjoy the crumbs along with the cookies.

I did a little Christmas shopping yesterday. I really hate Christmas shopping...have I ever mentioned that? I do it...but I hate it. I only have 16 more people to worry about. Maybe I should get a calendar out and allot each person a day here and there and focus on one at a time.

Nahhhhhhhhhh!

Technology Stinks

I'm still wrestling with my .mp3/.wav problem. I downloaded a couple different "free" programs. For the most part they work but with the words "trial program' spoken about every 10 seconds in my .mp3 file. That doesn't help the music flow. I will win this fight.

Anyone got any suggestions?

I had a reader this morning from the Netherlands. I wonder what prompted the search that brought up my blog. Very interesting. Technology is great...until you want it to do something you can't make it do.

Ah well...

Bliss at the Beach Boy

I'm frustrated with technology today. I used to have a program that would change .wav files into .mp3 files. I lost the program when my computer crashed several months ago. I can't for the life of me remember the name of the program or from what site I got it. Grrrrrrr.

I'm working on a painting of my grandson Ceddie. He was about 2 at the time. It was just before his family moved to Pittsburgh for Steve to go to school...a last Oregon coast get away. I just can't get his eyes right to save me. I'm going to put it away for a few days and then look at it again. I want to do paintings of each of my grandkids as soon as I can decide which age I want to paint them at. They are all adorable, so its a tough decision...

Here's my work in progress....

What do ya think? I need criticism...

Tornados? In Oregon?

Yes its true. We had another tornado in Oregon. This time it was on the Oregon coast, about a mile from my house. I had heard that there was one but I didn't really expect much damage. I decided it would be a good idea though to go check my house. So yesterday I drove out. There was no real damage to my house other than a little water in the basement and some flashing clocks (apparently the power went out). So I decided since I was there to do a little scouting around. I arrived at the photographed scenes above about the same time as news vans from the local major news stations. I think we were all a little surprised. Usually these reports are much-ado-about-nothing.

One house is almost completely distroyed. Another sustained major deck damage in that the second floor deck is now sitting in the driveway on its side. There were many broken windows and much debris had been tossed about. Wow. Can you say "global warming"?

Joe

My brother Jim - our family patriarch, called me earlier this week to tell me that my self-imposed ban on writing was not acceptable. He said he actually likes to read what I write. I'm not sure why because my thoughts are usually disjointed and my facts just a tad-bit off. Respecting my elders (oh I am SO going to pay for that one...) has always been important to me so I will comply.

When I was speaking to Jim, my nephew Joe popped in to visit his dad, so I spoke to him for a few moments. I whined a little about my big brother giving me grief about not writing and he mentioned that his dad had talked to them about my blog and encouraged them to read it. He artfully side-stepped the question about whether he actually had read it. Joe should run for public office. I mentioned one of the stories I ALWAYS tell about Joe when the family gets together. To me it was hilarious, poignant - has all the elements that a family story should. I know Joe wishes I would forget it.

Joe was one of those little kids who was always in his own world. I suspect that imaginary world involved a lot of big trucks, tractors, and perhaps a super-hero or two. We'll never know. He wasn't big on sharing his world with the casual acquaintance. One day I actually thought I was getting a glimpse into the caring person he would become.

He was perhaps 4 or 5 years old. He had been wandering around my parents large yard and playing. I was watching from the window and at one point saw that he had picked up what appeared from my vantage point, to be a rolly-poly bug. As I watched he gently cradled the bug in his hands and spoke to it tenderly. I couldn't hear the words but the body language was clear. He was speaking terms of endearment to the little creature. He smiled as he talked to her and with one finger gently petted her. He laughed as she walked up his arm. My heart was so full thinking of all the tenderness and care I was seeing. I was misting up at the sweetness and joy in his face. He continued to play with the bug for several more moments.

Then he dropped the bug on the concrete and smashed it with the toe of his shoe, grinding it well into the driveway.

Could you hear a needle scratching across a record right then? I sure could. He turned, still smiling and wandered off to play something else. For me as an observer, it was one of those 'huh???" moments.

Joe is grown now and a dad. He's a good dad and the care and love he shows his children is evident. He and his beautiful wife Leslie have three great kids; Nate, Evan and Elizabeth. Evan and Elizabeth have taken over the title my brother Dave and I have carried all our lives. Evan and Lizzie are now "The Twins".

I'm proud of Joe. He's a hard worker and a good dad. He didn't turn out to be a serial killer like I had worried after the 'bug incident'.

I'm just kidding about that last part of course.

Really.

Sohpie and Jubie Halloween

Halloween Pics

Taking a break

I'll be taking a blog break for the next while. I'm not sure if/when I'll get back to it. Thanks for reading my rambling.

-Deb

Pointless...

Arguing is pointless isn't it. Or is it? Is it better to get everything 'off your chest' so to speak, or is it better to bottle it all up. I've never been any good at arguing. I can usually see both sides of any question. That is my curse I guess. I know my point of view doesn't hold any more weight than the next persons does. But I've also noticed that processing disagreements or hurts takes a lot longer if you don't have some sort of outlet - whether it be an argument or some other way of working through something. Is it ever better to just walk away from a problem?

If you've ever had unfinished business, you know what I mean. It causes bitterness and unhappiness...not to mention headaches and (in some people) illness. What is my point in all this? I don't know.

It's pointless.

Always.

Brothers

I just finished a painting of my nephews Ian and Cullen. I did it from a photograph that was taken in Tunisia several years ago. The photograph really spoke to me about the closeness of siblings. There is a connection you can't deny. The connection is there even when you don't see each other often as adults. I sent the painting to the family and I hope they'll enjoy it and remember - I'm just a beginner....

:)

Dancing kites

Weekend-before-last we went to the beach. Some friends went with us and we took in the International Kite Festival in Lincoln City. Did you even know there were professional kite flyers? I may have missed my calling.

The attached video is a little hard to see, but the 3 red kites in the middle were all controled by one fellow. He had one kite controller in each hand and the third attached by a harness at his waist. The music is Georgia On My Mind.

...as always.

I had a friend pass away a few weeks ago. She was ill for only a short time before she passed. Our lives have run sort of parallel for nearly 20 years. We are about the same age, same number of kids, grandkids and professional husbands. I've been thinking about it a lot and wondering how her family is coping. I remember how I felt when my mom died.

That brought along my next thoughts. I wonder what my kids and grands will remember about me. That I yelled too much or spanked too often, or will they remember that I never missed a school program or sporting event. Or will they remember that I worked different jobs while they were young in order to be near them. Will they remember my sense of adventure? That I flew planes? Or will they remember the Christmases and all the stuff I would get to try and make it a magical time for each of them. I tried really hard on Christamas to make each one unforgettable. Or will they remember the times when they were hurt or sick that I was there, I guess what I'm getting at is that I hope they know they are loved. Each kid, spouse and little kid.


I'm proud of my kids. They are all working hard at that business of work and family. Steve got a nice raise this week so he's doing well. Kevin is just months away from being able go out into the world with a MBA degree. My girls are doing well with thier business, and are hoping to make it into more. Both my girls are considering other options in life. That's a good thing.

I hope they remember my sense of humor, because I think they all have it to some degree. Most of all I hope they remember that I tried. I'm not always right but I've tried to do the right thing and when I failed that, I tried to learn from it.

Another bad day at Black Rock....

When I was in high school, my drama teacher liked to talk about the movie "Bad Day at Black Rock". He said it was the worst movie ever made. It may have been a bad film, but I sure like the title. It really rather says it all. At least to me.

I'm having a Black Rock day. I have a sinus headache and my kids are having car trouble. The program my daughters have asked me to help with runs about 6 minutes over the alloted time (which is 11 minutes - we have to shave off 1/3 of what has been done). We are working with teenagers on the program. The 'lead' didn't show up for rehearsal. That should explain much of my headache.

The leaves are turning and falling fast. Soon we'll be looking at another wet, dark and dreary northwest winter.

It is just one of those days where nothing is going as it's supposed to. I suppose we have those days (ok...months...years?) so that we can appreciate when things are going right. I sure hope that's true.

Ian and Cullin with their greatest Aunt Debby and their favorite Aunt Judy.
(we both drilled these facts into them for hours.)

We were at a really yummy French restaurant in Georgetown. We had a great time.

Have you ever....?

Have you ever done something mean? Something really mean. Something mean JUST to be mean? I did today. It doesn't matter what it was...it just was. For an easy-going person like myself (usually) it was very unusual. I suppose for some people it wouldn't be a big deal, but for me it is. My excuse is I was cranky and tired and needed to lash out. Having no other outlet I played the 'mean' card. The mean card is really ugly and I'm ashamed of myself, but you can't take mean back. Once its out there in the cosmos it's there forever. That is a moment of my life I can never get back. No 'do-overs'. Sometimes you can't even apologize.

Ah, well. All I can do is be better tomorrow.

Mom n' Maddie

My brother Jim scanned (with help, he'll say) all the old family pictures mom and dad had. As long as I can remember the pics were in a bottom drawer of mom's dresser. The one to the right here are my granddaughters Maddie and Kerry Ryann. I think Maddie resembles my mother (below) so much it is startling. Mom was such a cutie and so is Maddie (and Ryann too of course), but mom and Maddie are so much alike!

These pics go with the previous post

Lancaster PA

Lori, Ian, Cullen and I took a day trip to Lancaster PA while I was visiting with them. We had a wonderful trip to Amish country. I'm not sure exactly what I expected, but I had a few surprises.

We left Maryland in the morning with Cole (Lori's dog) a little upset with us for leaving him yet again to his own devices. Cole is a black lab and truly a lover, not a fighter. He knows exactly the looks he needs to give to his family - just the proper amount of "sad-eye"- to get what he wants. It took all of 15 minutes to for him to get Auntie Deb figured out. Yeah...it's true. I'm a sucker for "sad-eye". anyway, I digress. We made our way to Pennsylvania. Then we drove to Intercourse. Yes. Intercourse, Pennsylvania. Don't ask me why its named that. I don't want to speculate.

We drove around the back roads and looked at the wonderful farms in the area. It appeared to me that the Amish must believe that order and cleanliness are next to godliness, because each place had that well put together look. Well kept and clearly the result of hard work. The yards were especially beautiful and full of color. On the clotheslines next to the drab clothes, hung beautiful and colorful quilts.

We stopped at one farm that had a hand-painted sign "home-made root beer for sale". We asked the lady in the yard if we could buy some and she agreed. She looked to be about my age, but without a bit of make-up or vanity with her hair and clothing. I felt almost clown-like in comparison wearing my eyeshadow and colorful clothes. We also asked if it would be ok for us to take a picture of the barn with its rows and rows of hanging, drying tobacco. She said it would be fine, but not to take any pictures of the family. All during the exchange a young man had been standing by the door of the barn watching us. As soon as we pulled out our cameras he disappeared, as did his grandmother. She reappeared when we put our cameras away. We said goodbye and thank you and left. As we continued our drive around the countryside we saw horses pulling farm implements through the fields, sometime large teams of horses. I got a kick out of the traditional Amish horse carts that the people use to travel on errands. They actually share the road with the cars and the carts have turn signals! They follow all the rules of the road that cars do. The speed limit isn't a big issue for them though. The horses are beautiful and clearly well trained. They have a little trot that they do - kind of a high stepping trot - that results in the clop clop clop clop sound.

We stopped at a shopping area that sold all sorts of things and was probably 99.9% tourists - but it was fun and we got some awesome ice cream ("made from the milk of our own cows..."). Then we stopped at a family farm "store" that an enterprising Amish family had set up. The wares were mostly hand-made items or dried flowers, but some of them appeared to be garage sale items. The two little daughters of the family were manning the store, since mom was out in the field helping dad with the harvest. The little girls appeared to be about 4 and 9 years old. I couldn't help myself from winking at the 4-year-old and was rewarded with a new BFF. They were both adorable and tried very hard to serve our every need.

It was a full day and we were tired. As we traveled back to Maryland we decided to stop at a Cracker Barrel for dinner. We knew we had passed one on our ways TO Pennsylvania so we watched for the signs. I think Lori was getting hungry at this point because she kept saying "there it is!" when we would come across a similarly colored sign. Finally we were rewarded with the correct sign and pulled off . It was on the other side of the freeway and down a winding road, but we found it. I won't mention how Lori made the turn on two wheels when it looked like we might miss it. The boys and I were very happy when we parked. (I have to harass Lori a little...it's my job.) We had a hardy meal and some fun shopping, then headed back to the freeway. Cole was very glad to see us when we returned home.

I'm having some trouble posting pictures so I'll do that separately.

Art Is Subjective...

I've been staring at my painting desk for a day and a half now trying to get up the gumption to get busy. I have so many different pictures in my mind. I also have a half dozen unfinished pictures next to the table.

Sigh.

One of the paintings is of a building in Pittsburgh where my son went to school. It has turned out to be a thorn in my side. How many freaking windows can one building have??? I just realized while looking at it is that I never determined where the sun (light) was coming from. That is very important when you are painting to help make the flat painting (whatever your subject is) look dimensional.

Another painting is one I started as a study in shape. The idea is to use an item you are unfamiliar with that has a lot of dimension and work it into a painting. This particular one is of a clarinet on a table. It is sitting on top of several sheets of music. The entire painting has a golden glow, but somehow it just doesn't look right. It's as if I'm missing a lot of the story. Technically speaking, it is probably one of my best paintings, but something just isn't right. I can tell it's not right but I can't seem to fix it. My frustration is great. When I get frustrated I get angry. When I get angry I tend to do dumb things. This one may end up in the trash. I suppose that's dumb but I don't see any way out of it. It will just never look right to me.

The other option with these paintings that don't work for me is to start something new on the back side of the paper. That idea is looking better and better each day.

Maybe I should stick with making jewelry....

The National Cathedral

On Friday September 18 Lori, Ian, Cullen and I drove to Washington DC and picked up Judy. We had lunch at a wonderful French restaurant (Now what did I do with that business card?) in Georgetown. Judy was in town on business, but had concluded that earlier in the day. Our goal for the day was to see the National Cathedral. I had heard about the wonderful stained glass windows and seen it on TV when events had taken place there. We opted to take a 'behind the scenes" tour and it was truly the right choice for us. We were shown a few of the key windows in the main cathedral and then we started to climb. We climbed up and up. Our tour guide took us through back doors, corridors and attic spaces. To top off the tour (literally) we went up on the roof. Wow. What an amazing site.

We managed to avoid most of the afternoon traffic and went back to Lori's house. We had a wonderful dinner, then played games. Judy, the boys and I played a new game we made up from another game. We made up the rules as we went. At one point I was laughing so hard I thought I was going to bust a gut. (that's my euphemism for wet my pants.) We had a great time. It was sad to drop Judy off at the airport the next day, but we had made some great memories.

I'm not in this picture of the gang outside the cathedral because I was taking it. What fun we had together.

More to come...

One if by land, two if by...river?

I spent Sunday in Boston on a tour bus. I talked Bruce into it (he usually likes to work solo) and I'm glad we did. We saw so much of Boston and the historical sites there. Bunker Hill, the U.S.S. Constitution (ship a.k.a. as "Old Ironsides"), the Old North Church, Fenway Park. Ok so Fenway wasn't so much historical as fun, but there you are.

The thing I learned that will stick with me most is the fact that the history I remember being taught as a child was somewhat skewed. Its amazing the number of historical "truths" I thought I knew turned out to be slightly off-kilter. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow took some significant license when he wrote his poem of Paul Revere's ride. The 'sea' referred to was actually the Charles river...not the Atlantic Ocean as I always thought. Plus there were several other riders besides Paul Revere who made the historical ride. The riders fanned out in many directions.

The site of the famous "Boston Tea Party" is nothing more than a plaque about 500 feet from the actual site of the uprising. The area has been filled in and a bank sits there now.

Old Ironsides isn't made of iron at all. (OK so maybe I was 10 years old and took things a bit to literally.) It got it's nic-name from a dying British soldier who said as he was dying in the river after a fierce battle (and I paraphrase here...) "Oy! Is that thing made of iron????" His remark founded on the fact that cannon balls had little effect on the hull of the ship. The actual hull is about 18 inch thick oak. Its a beautiful old vessel and the oldest still commissioned battle ship in the U.S. Navy.

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of activities and sites. I hope to write about many of them soon. Mostly to keep my memory which tends to get a little skewed (just like the history I learned) clear and as true as a few days can make it.

Hostess with the Mostess

I've been visiting my niece Lori and her family near Annapolis, Maryland for almost a week now. I'm sure they are getting anxious to return to 'family normal' mode. I don't think that because I haven't felt welcome - certainly just the opposite - but only because I understand what it is to have something or someone new in the family dynamic to throw off your rhythm. And what a wonderful family they are...

Dad Ken is retired Navy (Lt. Commander) and now works in the weapons industry. He is a broad-shouldered man of Scot/Irish descent with a quick wit and strong political opinions. Born in Delaware, he has that northeastern accent that is difficult for westerners to place. It is clear to anyone observing that his family is of utmost importance to him.

Niece Lori Jean is the one that probably would have been voted "nicest cousin" among her Stewart cousins. She has inherited her mother's gift for making people feel loved and welcome in a manner that seems effortless - but of course is not. If you have a mental picture of Lori, it would be with a great big smile. She wants to be sure her guests have every opportunity to see/do everything they can in the time they have with her. She is tenderhearted with people and animals. She loves her family and the friends they have made over the years. She home teaches her sons in order to give them the best possible opportunities.

Ian is nearly 14 and getting taller every day. He is already much taller than his auntie (me). He has many interests that include swimming, sports, scouts and tae kwon do. Already in his short life he has lived in places many people only dream of. He is polite and handsome. He has an innate grace and confidence that only a few people are lucky enough to possess. I expect great things from him.

Cullen is 12. He and his brother get along very well. He enjoys scouts and sports, as well as reading. He is very creative and inventive. This week he carefully crafted a blow-gun from some sticks so he could shoot small objects. He worked very hard on it and it was successful. Cullin has a quick and funny wit. He has a twinkle in his eye that lets you know he is always thinking. He has a big heart and loves animals.

I've spent time with Lori and her family before, but every time I do I'm reminded how very special they are. The boys will grow up with all sorts of options and opportunities before them. They will chose wisely. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Kayaks and the old south

My daughter Kerry and I spent most of the weekend together out at the beach. We both enjoy a little adventure, so we decided to rent a kayak and tootle around on Devil's lake. We found we could really get moving when we syncronized our paddles and actually were able to show a respectible wake in the process. Some of the time we just floated and looked at the variety of houses around the lake, other times we tried to see how fast we could go. We were both happy that our nearly 4 hours on the lake only netted a small sunburn and gently sore shoulders.

When we first arrived at the boat rental shop, the owner was helping another group so we wandered around looking at the various boats. We found a beautiful black and white dog that appeared to be part cocker and part lab. I fell in love and began to pet and coo at the beautiful, friendly animal. Kerry began wondering about her name and came up with a few options one being Wesley. We looked and decided she didn't look like a Wesley then Kerry said..."Scout! She's Scout I'll bet...". The dog looked at us and wagged her tail. I said "hello Scout...is that your name?" She smiled at me as only a dog can.

When it was our turn to go into the boathouse and get signed up, I asked the owner first off what the dog's name was. He said "oh, that's Scout!" Kerry and I looked at each other and our eyes kind of bugged. Wow.

As we were moving about the lake I couldn't help but think back to other times and other places. Many years ago Bruce and I paddled a canoe down a river in Georgia near Stone Mountain. I remember how it looked like such a foreign place to me having lived all my life in California. Mom and dad were visiting at that time and they were on some sort of paddle boat and had Steve with them. They all waved as they passed Bruce and me in our little canoe. I can still see my chubby little boy in his white t-shirt and blue shorts waving from the back of the boat with my parents on either side, beaming at him.

This brought other memories back. We lived near the air force base in an apartment. My next door neighbor was a black woman named Anita. She had a little boy about the same age as Steve and the boys often played together. Her husband was also in the Air Force but was stationed overseas. One time Anita became very sick. He little boy was sick as well. She couldn't take him to the doctor so I volunteered to do it. As I sat in the waiting room with this adorable little black boy, it occured to me that the people around me assumed he was mine. Then I tuned into the comments they were making. They were rude and crude. I had never experienced anything like the cruelness I saw that day toward myself and this adorable child. I ignored the comments, but they stayed with me.

I've just finished a book centered around the south. I hate to make generalizations normally, but from my own experience there is an underlying cruelness in those people. I'm not sure if its bred into them, or if its the old 'nature or nurture" thing. I haven't spent much time there in recent years, but the little bit I have I'd have to say the cruelness is still there. I hope someone can prove me wrong.

Just a thought.

To Bug, Or Not To Bug....

I've been putting off writing about our trip home from the family reunion hoping that some time and distance would put parts of the trip into perspective. They haven't. So here goes...

Amy, Kerry, Ben and Ryann and I were traveling in my car. As mentioned before, I'm not very good at sharing driving. On Tuesday we fiddled around and left Anaheim around 11:00-ish. I stopped to see my brother Bill at the hospital, then proceeded on to my nephew Rick's store to say goodbye - plus the girls wanted to do some quick shopping. Around 3:00 we left and headed north on Hwy. 101. I thought the change in scenery from the dull drive on I-5 would be a nice break. Traffic was heavy, so I decided to cut over to I-5 around Paso Robles. We then headed north again. By this time is was after 6:00 and I was beginning to get a little tired so we began to look for a place to stay. Now, the reader should be aware that there is VERY little along this stretch of I-5 with the exception of cows and brown grass. Finally, we came to an oasis called Santa Nella. There were several hotels and gas stations, but little else. We decided to try what we thought was the Ramada Inn. We found the place and were a little puzzled by the name Hotel d'Oro. It was dark outside and most of the rooms were dark which puzzled me.It was a huge place and appeared to have been built for convention business. As we entered the large (and empty) lobby I saw a desk clerk and cheerfully asked if they were indeed open since it was so dark outside. She assured me they were, so we proceeded to check in. The nightly rate was reasonable and I thought we had made a good choice. Amy asked about the Ramada connection and the desk clerk said that they had recently been bought by another company.

We parked around the side of the building and finally found our room. It was difficult to see the room numbers because it was so dark. The room looked clean enough and well appointed so I hauled my bags in and took a sleeping pill right away. I wanted to get as much rest as possible. We were still getting settled when Amy found a spider web. She went to look closer and yelped. She screamed that there was a nest! I should mention now that Amy has arachnophobia and is deathly afraid of spiders. I pooh-poohed her fear and went to check for myself - she has been known to call tiny spiders tarantulas for effect. Sure enough, hundreds of tiny spiders were spilling out and scurrying across the bed. Oh boy.

I knew there would be no rest in THAT room so I went back to the desk clerk and as nicely as possible asked for another room. She complied and I trudged back to the original room to get my stuff and tell the others. As I was walking back to the room I glanced up to the second floor. A nude man was standing in his room with the lights on and the curtains open. I'm sure he was just getting comfortable for the evening. Oh boy.

I decided NOT to mention that to the girls right now. I was tired.

We packed up and dragged ourselves to another room in a different building. It looked fine at first glance and we went in. As before, I put all my stuff in a heap. The pill was working and I was getting very close to needing to sleep...badly.

Amy looked around for webs and found none. Whew! Then she made the mistake of pulling back the covers of the bed. As we all watched in horror, a water bug large enough to require a saddle for riding skirted across the sheets and burrowed into the blanket. We all froze.

Suddenly an ear-piercing howl started. Then it got louder as another child joined in. I turned in time to see Ben and Ryann CLUTCHING each other and howling "I want my daddyyyyyyy!!" I realized we weren't going to be able to stay there. I tromped off to the lobby (I'm in my nightdress by now...) and told the desk clerk that our association wasn't going to be able to continue. She was nice about it, but I have to admit I carefully checked my credit card when I got home to be sure there was no charge. As we were taking our things back out to the car, I told the girls I wouldn't be able to drive because the sleeping pill was hitting me hard. They poured me into the back seat with the kids and we headed north again. I have no memory of that part of the trip. Apparently we stopped north of Sacramento. I have a tiny memory of Amy saying "mom, come on, we're going inside"...

They were carrying the bags we would need. I was heavily...uh...altered. Those dang pills work well. Ben (he's 9) decided to be the gentleman he is and help granny into the lobby and the room. I have a vague memory of him holding me up as I stumbled along. I'm not sure if I said anything. Hopefully no one saw us. If they had, they would naturally assume granny was snookered.

We awoke in the morning and had a nice breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express. I assumed my natural position as driver and we continued on, reaching home around 3:00. Amy, Kerry and the kids continued on another hour or two to Vancouver.

This is one of those stories we well laugh at in the future. I can laugh at it now. I think Amy and the kids will be able to laugh at it....soon. I think I'll get Amy a little spider charm for her bracelet to commemorate the trip.

Family Reunion

This has been a busy few weeks, and I'm still recovering. I've decided I'm much too old to be driving 950 miles in a day...it just takes me too long to recover.

We left Thursday for southern California in 2 cars. Kevin, Steph, Sophie, Juliet and Bruce in one car; Amy, Kerry, Ben, Ryann and me in my car. It appears Kevin has inherited my driving issues and didn't allow anyone else to drive much either. I suspect we both only managed to give up control for a few hours on the whole trip. Their car went to San Jose and stayed at son Steve's house while the girls and I (and Ben) drove straight down. So we arrived Thursday, they arrived Friday.

It was great to see all my family (with very few exceptions, but I'll see them next month). Sadly, brother Bill had some health issues and ended up in the hospital so he couldn't attend, but all his children and some of his grands did. My neice Tammy planned and executed the whole thing and it went off without a hitch. She did a great job.

My whole family and a few cousins went to Disneyland on Monday. To my knowledge we only lost one kid, but we got her back. Being the paranoid Granny I am, I made all the grandkids wear a dog-tag that I made with their names, parents names and cell phone numbers, mine and Aunt Kerry's. A lady found Pierre crying and apparently alone, saw the tag and called us. I'm not sure of the details at this point because we were all separated - but I was one of the people she called. I managed to be first to arrive at the Teacups, where she was standing with Pierre and waiting. I will be forever grateful for her kindness. We also had all the kids dressed alike so we could help keep them together. The girls wore a giraffe print (I nixed zebra) and the boys wore brown shirts all alike. We looked a little like a zoo when we traveled in a pack but it REALLY helped.

We had a few other adventures that I'll write about at another time. One that will go down in family lore is a motel in Santa Nella, California - but I'll write that one another day. It requires full telling.

Today...

I found another picture of my parents that I just love. It was taken after my dad's first heart attack. He needed to stop smoking so he grew a beard and convinced himself that he would light his face on fire if he smoked. It worked for him.

I was at a local restaurant with all eight of my grandchildren today. It was touch and go for a few minutes...but I survived. Actually...they were pretty good considering they were all excited to see each other, so I'm not complaining...much.

I found out yesterday that a lady I've known for twenty years has cancer. They had her in surgery for another problem and found late-stage cancer. She is my age. It really makes you pause and consider life. It's a little too deep a subject for me to write at the moment, so I'll save it for another day. All I can do is pray that she doesn't suffer too much and that her family will be comforted.

Oh, Canada

Oh, I forgot to mention. According to my blog stat reports, I have a 'following' in Canada. That's kind of cool, but who is it? Who actually reads this stuff? I ramble on and on and on and...well, you get the picture. I would love to see your comments, whoever you are. For a while I had some followers in Japan but I haven't seen that come up in a while. The stat reports are pretty vague. I can't tell exactly WHO is reading, just that some people are. (Ok, maybe I'm making an assumption with the term "people".) It does tell me the operation systems being used and since most of my kids have Macs now, I can tell when one of them reads - just not which one. I'm also informed of the country. 75% are in the United States with a smattering in other countries. I suppose they could be stumbling on the site by accident, but its still intriguing to think about. Who knows. My words may outlive me. They'll be floating out there in cyberspace for the ages...

Anyway, If you read this and aren't a member of my family (I talk to you guys enough...) then please leave a comment. Or you can email me at momaj@aol.com.

Ben, A Portrait

This is my first-ever attempt at a portrait. Its my grandson Ben when he was about 3 years old. It didn't scan very well - the colors are more blended in reality - but for a first attempt, I'm happy with it.

Keeping me off the streets...

One of the activities I did last weekend was to make my granddaughter Ryann a headboard. (that's what I bought my new saw for.) I think it turned out pretty well and goes well with her room decor. Its padded with foam and batting. The outside edge structure allowed me to put the fabric on by shirring it and it gave it a fun effect. The outside is a red checked gingham and the inside field is red cotton. Amy added the big initial 'R" in the middle. (but I cut out the stencil.) we trimmed the arch with a padded roll of white cotton fabric and red satin cording. I'm happy with it and I think Ryann likes it too.

Happy 4th of July!

Another 4th of July has come and gone. It seems almost impossible that its mid-summer already.

We didn't spend the 4th with our usual group of friends in the traditional way...food and games. This year we went to Amy's house in Vancouver to work on some projects. I had it in the back of my mind that we would go to Ft. Vancouver which in the past has always had an amazing display. I mentioned that to Amy and she had to tell me that those fireworks had been cancelled. I was a little disappointed but figured we'd just watch the kids in the neighborhood and their sparklers and call it good. Wow...was I surprised!

In the state of Washington BIG fireworks are legal for purchase by just about anyone. I'm talking full-size-what-we-used-to-go-to-the-stadium and ooooh and ahhh over fireworks. Apparently this was a huge year for sales as well. We started to hear the booms and went out to the driveway to look. It was absolutely amazing. Every direction you looked you could see the colorful lights taking turns dancing in the sky. Sometimes by chance, everyone would set them off at about the same time and you would get a 360 degree show. I've truly never seen so many fireworks in my entire life. Not even at Disneyland. It went on non-stop for nearly two hours. My grandson Ben was very excited and kept yelling "this is just like StarWars!"

After a time, I started wondering about the cumultive cost of all this fun. By my casual computation we were watching literally hundreds of thousands of dollars blow up in the sky. Before long my imagination had each burst of color turn into glowing fountains of coins.

It was a memorable evening and one I will remember for a good long while.

Lazy Days

I'm just starting my first portrait in watercolors. Its one of my grandkids. If it works out ok, I'll do them all.

This is a lazy day today. I just bought myself a new jigsaw...one of my grands wants a new headboard. The old jigsaw bought the farm. Its just a cheapie, so I'll get in trouble for that ("There is no point in buying crappy tools!") but it will serve my purposes just fine. I should get started. The only thing keeping me from starting is the heat today. Its supposed to get over 90 and that's a big deal up here in the northwest. (I can hear my neice Tammy laughing at a mere 90 degrees all the way up here.)

OK...enough yammering here. I'm off. Pray I don't cut off a finger!

Re-do

I repainted the bridge picture that I did a few weeks ago. I like this one better.

Yet Another Thread

I was doing a search today for long-lost cousins on Facebook. I'm thinking about starting a cousins group. There are so many of them out there that I have no clue about - if they're dead or alive...if they're well or happy.

This of course led to a thread of thought about not being able to say hello - or even goodbye to the people who come and go in your life. The people you have connected with, whether it be by blood or acquaintance.

As often happens, I don't know where I'm going with this thread of thought but it somehow makes me sad that I haven't been better about keeping in touch with people in my life. Saying hello - or saying goodbye.

Zebra Stripes

I am SO over zebra stripes. I have a zebra jacket, shirt, purse, pillows and my favorite blankie...

I've had a zebra picture as my phone wallpaper.

For the last 3 or so years its been my pattern of choice. I would naturally gravitate to the zebra stripes. Something in me was soothed by them, I guess. I'm not sure why. All I know now is I'm done with it. If I never see another zebra stripe again in my life, I'm ok with that.

I just thought I'd throw that in...

Dad and One Hundred

This is a favorite picture of mine. It's of my dad at the back of my grandparents house. I'm sure I was told at some point how old he was here, but I don't recall. He appears to be a young teenager. Its fun looking at this picture because I can see all of my brothers in him as well as myself.

This month of June is my dad's 100th birthday month. We are having a Stewart family reunion in August to commemorate the anniversary. I am looking forward to seeing all my family and am very hopeful that all of my children and grandchildren will attend, as well as my nieces and nephews and their families.

My dad was not the type of man to show his emotions to people, but I know without a doubt he will be there with us in spirit, looking at his progeny and have a tear of pride in his eyes. It's an honor to be his daughter.

Dad and Mom as I remember them.

Focus Focus Focus

I've been having a really hard time focusing lately. OK - always- but more so lately. I think I have adult ADD (attention deficit disorder).

I start a project or even a simple task such as taking the dishes out of the dishwasher and any little thing can divert my attention. (Can you say 'shiny object?") So the dishes remain half put away, the closet is half clean, the painting is half done and I'm always looking to start something else.

My goal this week is to finish something...even if its only the week itself.

I'll add a few of my (nearly) finished paintings if the blog will allow me to...

birthdays happen

Friday was my birthday. It kind of ticks me off that I'm getting older. I don't feel older, but I guess I must look older. At least I have the satisfaction of knowing (always) that I'm 3 minutes younger than my twin brother David.

My husband was on a 2-week business trip, so my 3 local kids, my daughter-in-law, 3 granddaughters and a little friend of Ryann's went to the beach for the weekend. Ryann has decided that crab legs are the best thing ever and the casino has a sea food buffet on Friday night, so we went there for dinner. I'm not sure how the little friend's parents are going to feel about me taking her to a gambling establishment to eat, but it was good food anyway. We were all stuffed so we put off the birthday cake until Saturday. Stephanie, my daughter-in-law made it and assured us all it would be even better the next day, and it was! It was chocolate cake with a layer of cheesecake in the middle, and then a layer of sour cream filling with crushed Oreo cookies in it. The whole amazing cake was then iced with a chocolate pudding/sour cream icing. My mouth is watering just writing about it. It was served with a dollop of cherry pie filling. It was heaven-on-a-plate.

On Saturday afternoon we went to see a new Pixar film, Up. It's a cute film and the storyline was amazingly mature, with the exception of the talking dogs. We spent the rest of the afternoon resting and wondering why it was raining.

Saturday night Amy and Stephanie were tired, so Kevin, Kerry and I decided to go to the casino for a little while. It was great fun, and we managed to make our small amount of money last a good while. On the way home I decided to take 'the back way"...that may have been a minor mistake. Just as we were pulling into our driveway we saw the telltale red and blue flashing lights of a policeman. I was pretty sure I hadn't done anything wrong, so I'm sure some of my indignation was evident in my voice when he walked up to my window and I said "WHAT in the world did I DO!!!" His reply was that I hadn't signaled a turn into my driveway. Since there was no one around on my dark street, it seemed unnecessary to me.

Anyway, I gave him my license and tried to be as polite as possible as he went back to his car to check me out. It seemed like a pretty lame reason to stop me. As he came back to my car he admitted that he was using ANY excuse to stop me because he thought perhaps we had been drinking since I was driving so carefully and the intersection we had come through had a bar on the corner. (I was driving carefully because the City has a lot of cops who sit in wait for people here.) Of course I hadn't been drinking and he apologized for taking our time. I guess I appreciate that he at least was honest about why he stopped me. Of course during the whole time this took place his lights were flashing so Amy and Stephanie were worried sick inside the house, and trying to get a peek at us.

Sunday was the first day it didn't rain, so we took the kids to the beach. I decided it was necessary to show the girls how to make a REAL sand castle. We had a great time (albeit a little cold) and they learned some sand construction basics.

All-in-all it was a good weekend.