On what I did this Summer....

Every September, when I was a kid, teachers everywhere forced a dreadful writing assignment upon the youth of America. "What I did last Summer."
It was always my opinion that the only thing worse than Math was writing that one was forced to do. I could never think of what to write. Not unlike blogging, come to mention it.
I used to blog every morning, first thing, with coffee. I used to evaluate my daily happenings in terms of their blogworthiness. Is that a word? And I'm so far out of the habit. The upside of not writing for a year or so is that no one is likely to be reading. That way, I have no pressure.

We did a lot this Summer. How come I never had Summers like this when I was a kid? I could have written great papers with this kind of material.

Michael ran off to Denver, first. We sent him on a road trip with a car full of teenage guys. Don't judge me too harshly...the alternative was to go ourselves, and that just sounded like too much smelly-lacrosse-players too be any kind of fun. They were supervised by a very vigilant mom, so we didn't lose any sleep. He had the time of his life.

We went to Maui in July. It was a marvelous trip with a brief visit to California on either end. That's because we drove to California, and flew from there to Maui. We flew back into CA, and drove home again. We have lots of family in California, see, and we wanted to see just how much love we could spread around in a very short window of opportunity. Time with family should always be reprieved by a stint in the tropics; don't you agree? It makes one far more congenial than one might otherwise be.

After our return from Maui, we stayed with my grandparents. This is one place in the world that always feels like home to me. They were delightful. Everyone was, really. We have fantastic family. I think we would be far better houseguests if we uncluttered our next trip.

The problem was all the house-hopping we did. Which, surprisingly, reminds me of an unrelated story.
My Aunt and Uncle were missionaries for many years. They were financially supported in this endeavor by the people in churches all over the Northwest. Every four years they would venture back to the States for a Summertime visit with everyone who supported them. This meant a transient lifestyle for several months to a year. It meant sleeping in other people's homes, and eating other people's food, and being nice to strangers all the time. Can you imagine how hard that would be? I mention this only because visiting several different families on the bookends of our Hawaiian vacation gave me no little appreciation for their former plight. We had our four kids, my one sister, and quite a bit of luggage. We tried to be kind of quiet, to not make a mess, and to sleep in strange surroundings. It was taxing.
The people we got to see were great, though. I like them a lot. I sure wish they'd come visit us here. Where I can sleep in my own bed.
Anyway.
Maui wasn't a bit difficult to enjoy.


In fact,the only thing there that I didn't like at all was the snorkeling. Snorkeling totally freaked me out. I'm normally kind of a daredevil. That little mask-thingy suffocating my nose, while strange fish dive about under my feet, which are trapped in things I can't walk in, all while being suspended in waves which were entirely unpredictable.....? No thank you. I vastly preferred acquiring tan-lines and sand in my suit. These activities were supplemented by vigorous shopping, and not a few margaritas.

Clearly, I wasted no time in styling my hair. This was a trend which seems to have become well rooted in my daily regimen. Alas.

You would think that all this excitement would be sufficient for one Summer, and you may well be correct. We sallied forth, however, into an additional time of family bonding. Always the overachievers....we ventured forth to explore Yellowstone National Park.


Tim fished a lot.

The kids evaluated potential threat from an ermine living near our cabin.

Tim found this branch, which amused him no end. If he turned the branch one way, he could be an elk. The other way, he was a bison. That man's a keeper, I tell ya.

Michael's shore fishing was thwarted by the canoe full of his siblings. He was mostly pretty good-natured about it.

..........Sheesh! That was a lot of Summer. Now we're home, and back to school, and I'm tired of writing. Pity, since there's more to tell.
Perhaps I'll blog again soon.
Perhaps not.

Vacation

I am of two minds when it comes to traveling.
I love to go.
I love to come home.
The sheer amount of time we'll be zipping hither and thither this Summer is, quite frankly, making me a tad weak in the knees. Or making my knees knock. I'll have to research appropriate idioms.
Yesterday we received the happy news that Michael made it onto the team that will go to Denver to show off for college coaches. He is bursting with pride, as only a teenage boy can. Our consideration now is whether we ship him off with near-strangers for a long weekend with other Ego-ridden young lacrosse players, or do we go along ourselves. Personally, I think we should go for the fun of it. If we leave the other munchkins home with my sister, perhaps we could even enjoy some quiet couple time. Maybe. Michael is working to earn the money he needs to finance his rather expensive LaX habit.
The trip to Hawaii is really standing as the axis of our Summer. Everything else is spinning around that. My shopping, for instance. Gone are the trips to TJ Maxx for home decorating. Now I sit enthralled before the computer virtually shopping for swimwear, and merrily filling my "shopping cart." As If. Swimwear shopping should only be done virtually, in my opinion. Especially when you are knocking on the door of your 40th birthday.
Which reminds me...My Birthday Month is June. You'll want to plan ahead.

In addition to my lunch with Tim

I'm planning a romantic weekend getaway with Kara. What could be better?
She is coming with me to the illustrious resort town of Park City, Utah, for the lacrosse tournament this month. We have been condo shopping together. I imagine quiet evenings by the pool, or the fire. I'm not picky. The boys are imagining running amok with all the other young lacrosse players who will dominate the otherwise pristine landscape. It's going to be rather different in actuality, than in my sanguine imaginings.
Alas.
I do think that some aspects of my whimsical imaginings are possible. Such as drinking wine, eating good food, and possibly the pool/fireplace. Those dreams can come true.

I spoke on the phone with my good friend, Heidi, today. She is anticipating my upcoming nuptials almost as much as I am. Her thoughts are running to lingerie parties, and after-honeymoon debriefings. Which is an hilarious play on words, come to think of it. The lingerie parties sound appropriate, if somewhat risque.
The debriefing, I expect, will be less of a public spectacle, and will certainly not take place anywhere near my dear girlfriends.
I'm just sayin.'
I was thinking of the amusing conglomeration of people who might merit an invitation to such a bawdy event. The party, not the debriefing. Such a guest list could range from my Mother and Yvonne (who would affect some posture of tolerant shock), to my Christian friends (who would gently amuse themselves with double entendre), to my less restricted friends (also mostly Christian, come to think of it) (who would cause Queen Latifa to blush a deep and becoming pink with their advice.)

Patsy came by for a visit this afternoon. Don't you wonder where I find the time for such a robust social life? It's no wonder I can't get to my yard work. Anyway, she had the brilliant idea of cleaning my house twice a month until I'm married, just so I'm free to focus on the other things I need to tend to. She is out of her ever-loving-mind; I declined. I did manage to talk her into cooking me dinner next Monday, which I figured would be equally delightful. She cleaned my kitchen while we talked. Love her.

Oh, look at the time. I need to go consult my social calendar to see how I might avoid responsibility today. Blogging is a good start, though.

News Flash

I am a slave to lacrosse.
We're off this morning to a big ol' tournament that both of the boys are playing in.
You'll be glad to know that I am feeling much better. In fact, my swine flu seems to have only been allergies. Mother bought me allergy meds, and now I'm right as rain.
Speaking of rain,
We should be in rain, and near freezing temperatures, at the tournament all weekend. No doubt that will go a long way towards ensuring good health for my family.

Do you like how I have so much to do, and I'm choosing to blog instead? It's predictably responsible of me.

It's May. Had you noticed? Any moment I am going to freak out about that. May means that next month is June, and then July, and before you know it, August.
I shall be 39 in June, and on a trip to Park City.
Packing frantically in July.
Married in August.

And, no, I am not officially engaged.

The addition on Tim's house begins this month, though, which indicates that he is more or less committed. He's adding on bedrooms for Michael and Don, and also a bathroom. And a bit of storage space, since I am a great collector of stuff. I am wildly eliminating all the superfluous junk I own. Which seems to be a shocking amount.
I totally wasn't going to blog about this until I was "officially" engaged, but it's dominating my days, and so I suppose it's only right to write about it. See?
I need to have a garage sale. I might call it an "estate sale" since that will sound more regal, and then I can charge more.
Everyone who walks thru my door is leaving with stuff. A bookcase? A mirror? Books? Take 'em!
How is the world does one merge two households? The blended family issues seem small compared with the blended stuff issues. He is a minimalist, and I am uninhibitedly Victorian-clutter in my approach to decorating. Which should drive him to drink.

Now that I have that off my chest, I am going to jump in the shower, and pack up the car. Michael just told me that we have to leave in 30 minutes. Oh, dear.

A days vacation

My muscles are sore today, which means that I will not be able to move tomorrow. This is because of the day spent skiing yesterday with my father and my boys. They are very adept, and also fearless. I am neither. They took me down runs that I would never have attempted on my own, and we did them all day long.
I only wiped out once, but it was a doozy. I caught an edge, and went tumbling like a rag doll, towards a tree. I closed my eyes and relaxed, because there was really no point in fighting it. When I opened my eyes, I found to my delight that I had missed the tree entirely. How fortuitous! My skis, and poles were hither and thither, but I was none the worse for wear.
My muscles are not sore from the effort of falling, they are sore from the effort of staying vertical. This is no easy task when slippery things are attatched to one's feet, and one is pointed down a mountain.

Anyway, I'm back in action today. Work is beckoning, and so is housework. Though I rather think the housework is calling to the boys, and not to me. Do you think they hear it? Will they answer the call?

Buneau Sand Dunes

A very few photos

Here's a hodge-podge of imagery.
Most of these are from the day that we went to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.







If you ever woke in the night wondering what I look like without makeup on, why, this is your lucky day. Or un-lucky day, as it were.









Allow me to introduce my cousin, Johanna, whose name is a waft. She, herself is a great deal of fun. We ran like teeneagers thru the amusement park. Ate garlic fries (talk about a waft!) and even had a Mike's Hard lemonade.




Now, I'll spare you the bikini shots, because this is not that kind of blog. But, I can assure you that we were serious California beach babes. It was, like 60 degrees, and we were in the sand in our glorious figure baring bikini tops. Funny, no one really stops to oogle anymore. Not at me, anyway. Johanna and her 20-something-self was cute as can be.




I love this beach with all my heart.












And tell me, have you ever seen a more handsome man in all your life? He's married, or I would have snatched him up.

This is my Grandpa, and he has ruined me for all other men. No one is as wise, and kind, and energetic, and wonderful, as this individual.
And I get to stand next to him. Ain't I lucky?

The value of Grandparents

I have been at a full sprint since arriving. What a vacation!

Monday we did the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, the beach, and also dinner in Capitola. Tuesday, we did the Golden Gate Bridge, Muir Woods, and Ft. Point. Today is a day to relax. I am living like a tourist!

I am getting a little sun, a lot of exercise, and terrific time with family.

There is so much beauty here, but so very many people. The ocean seems to me the very best of places to be. It's a wonder that I don't live near it.

We've kept such a pace, that I have hardly had time to think. There is so much here that I want to capture permanently in my mind.

This morning, Granny was telling me stories about her own Grandparents. They were musicians. A concert pianist and a concert violinist who made their living during the Great Depression performing at Barn Dances. This Grandmother was also an elocutionist; she taught people to do public speaking. This grandfather did roofing when he wasn't fiddling or violin-ing. They sound very resourceful.

This home is a happy one. My grandparents have been married for 59 years. They generate a great deal of peace and joy and love among those whose lives they have touched. They have, in fact, touched a great many people of the world. They have raised 3 amazing women. They have been incredibly involved in the lives of all 9 of their grandchildren. They have now great grandchildren; 12, I think. They have visited the world, and worked extensively in missions. They have shown Jesus to people in language that is both understandable and authentic. Their lives resonate with beauty.

I love them.

I am blessed.

He is Risen, Indeed

Ok, I am so tired tonight from the long day of sitting in the California sun. The sunburn isn't too bad, really. It should settle into a lovely tan with a regimen of moisturizer.

We've been here a little more than 24 hours.

Yesterday, we drove from Winnemucca, NV to Saratoga, CA. We made really good time, everyone seems to prefer a swift pace on the highway.

The boys and I stopped at a Cabela's in Reno. You should stop there if you are ever passing through. Large, taxidermied animals are all over the place to delight and amaze. Plus, they have an old fashioned shooting gallery. Way fun.

This morning we got up and went to church with my grandparents. The sermon was about the resurrection of Christ, of course. One thing the pastor kept talking about was "light." Jesus being the light of the world, and so forth. Light within our selves, that sort of thing. It struck me that "let there be light" was the very first quote we have from God. It's an important thing, light. I've been thinking about that all day.

The pastor read the story from Matthew. I noticed that the men who were guarding the tomb actually saw the angel when Jesus was resurrected. I had never noticed that before. I wonder how that went over, when they mentioned the whole angle thing to their superiors?

Jesus will sure not be ignored, huh? You can love Him or hate Him, but you will be changed by Him.

After church we came home to family, and a very large ham. Jenn and Charles were here with the baby. He's a cutie! Auntie Margi and Uncle Ross were here. They're pretty cute, too, I suppose. And Johanna, which is a word that sort of disappears as a whisper. You know..J-o-h-h-h-a-.... Or, so she claims. All of these, plus Granny and Grandpa, and me with the boys.

We're a rowdy, laugh-y bunch.

Ross and Charles kept taking turns leaving the table to 'Google' random trivial points of discussion. Such as, "why are rabid animals so averse to water?" or "why are people with nut allergies, allergic to peanuts, which are actually not nuts, but legumes?" It was a rapid, random, and often trivial conversation. My favorite kind. My people here all know how to laugh. I love them for that.

Now, I am very tired. And a little sunburned.

And facing the very real reality of a week becoming a vacation in my past. It's already going by too fast.

Tomorrow the beach. Tuesday, some forest. Wednesday, I think we will have some down time and tea. Thursday is Margi's. Friday is Jenn's. Then home again. See? Moving way too fast.

Tonight...

My cousin, Jo, is spending the night here. That way we can get an early start for the beach. I am going to go have a glass of wine with her, and maybe some leftover ham.

Happy Easter, friends.

Checking in from the road

Reporting in from the Holiday Inn, live in Winnemucca, Nevada. Aren't I a dedicated blogger?
No, I did not gamble.
The boys are clearing out the complimentary breakfast. That alone is worth the price of the room!
The room had a TV, of course. The boys thought they'd died and gone to Heaven. That is a terrible invention! Seriously, I could step up on this here soapbox and give you an hour's tirade, but there's driving to do.
We are off across the wilds of Nevada.
We should arrive in Sunny Saratoga in time for afternoon tea. Granny and Grandpa do things like afternoon tea. They are very refined. Which reminds me of a story about creamer and an unsuspecting matre de. I'll have to divulge the details later....
See ya in Cali!

I swear!

It's a fine day to panic. In my wisdom, I have saved most of the work that needs to be done for the very day we are expecting to leave for the coast. Yesterday, I took a nap.
The boys are going to see one stressed out mom today, poor guys.

One of my girlfriends was talking about a stress attack she had, that involved a four letter word, and throwing things. In front of her children. Now, see, this is the kind of friend I can appreciate. All of you who pretend that you are always calm and kind, and you scrub your bathrooms twice a week, and finish all your annual curriculum, I don't relate to you.

It's the people who get real messy with life that I can trust. The sort who say, "I have no idea why God does things this way." It's the ones with all the answers that make me nervous.

Have you ever sworn, and thrown something across the room? Glory! Do you see how freeing that would be! Perhaps I'll budget that into my day, just to blow off some steam. I don't know what four letter word I could say. I would be too embarrassed, I think, to use one of those words. Maybe I could say "Damn!" That one's not too bad.

Did I ever tell you about the time I taught my kids to say "ass"? It was in conjunction with a bible story. We were reading the King James Version, because the language there makes me happy. (My children cut their teeth on King James and Shakespeare, just because I am kind of a freak that way.) Anyway, it was an Old Testament story. I don't remember which one. The characters in the story were off on some adventure, and they had to saddle their asses. SO, later in the day, when we needed to get ready to run errands, instead of telling the kids to get their stuff together and get in the car, I said, "Saddle your asses!" Which caused peals of laughter. And ad nauseum repetitions. They, my sweet christian children, would say it at the least convenient moments.
I learned my lesson.
Perhaps I won't swear today, after all.

We are off to California this afternoon. Well, Nevada, anyway. The trip is going to take us two days in the car. The boys are excited about staying in a hotel with a pool, playing at the beach, and hanging out with their great-grandparents. I am excited about hanging out with family, and also the beach. Frankly, I could do without the hotel bit. If I could take my own bed when I travel, I would travel more. Oh, and also, if I were rich, that would help.
I will blog so that you do not have to suffer through one day of unsatisfied curiosity. I will also take pictures, but you know how that goes.

Pray us a safe adventure. Saddle up!

Dying from caffeine deprivation

I am thinking about going back to bed....and blogging, instead. How are you this fine day? I am cold, sleep deprived, and grumpy. Thanks for asking.

I have no reason at all to be moody. The only explanation is that I am tired, and my wimpy half-caff coffee is not up to the task of generating brain wave activity.

This week is going to be a frenzy of activity. The boys and I have work to do in anticipation of our trip to the West coast. I need to hire a man to look under the hood of my car to pronounce my vehicle road-worthy. I need to clean and pack. And I need to farm out the animals for a week.

Why do I feel compelled to leave the house all tidy when I am not going to be here? Do you do that? I have to have it all kinds of clean, so that if I die, nobody has to wade through the mess. That, and I will have a pleasant environment to come home to.

Do you plan for your death every time you take a trip? I am always bracing myself for the death of those around me, and preparing for my own. It's a little macabre. I think about that. If I die on this trip, will mother be able to find my important papers? Are my files in order? Is the bathroom clean?
I do that when the boys go places, too. If M' is going away for the weekend, I always figure how I am going to handle the phone call which tells me that he isn't coming home.
I know, I know. It's not very ....cheery. For an optimist, I sure think about weird things.
I think it's because death has been within my scope of experience rather frequently. Not in a long time, though. That makes me think that the odds are running out.
My mother always says, "Everyone you know will either die before you, or they will die after you." The mortality rate for the human race is awfully close to 100%.
Look at me talking about Death and Dying... This is not what you pay me for!
Neither is it what I intended to write about when I sat down to type. See what a mind left untended can do? It goes a wandering all over in dangerous territory.

I am off in search of stronger coffee. I'll be back after my brain kicks in. Unless I drop dead. In which case, I won't be back.

I work for a small boutique firm...remember?

Hi, this, here, is a quickie post.
I am on a business trip in Seattle.
Very pretty here.
I can't see evidence of flooding, though dramatic storms have recently occurred.

I ate a fabulous meal of sushie and white wine for lunch today. That's the beauty of an expense account, huh? Not getting much in the way of actual work done, but who's keeping track? Sushie makes me good and happy. My companion at lunch commented on the relish with which I consume remarkable food. He said, (and Patsy will appreciate this), that my sound effects are particularly amusing. I gotta remember to be less expressive about my intense delight....
The next few days I will post when I can. Mostly I will be hard at work earning my fortune and fame. And also eating on the business credit card.
Carpe Workum...

Blah-blah-blah

I have been neglecting you, but I swear you've been much on my mind. Every time I sit down to write, I just sort of stare at the blank screen, until I drift into the void that has been my inspiration. Nothing to write about.
The weather is unseasonably warm. It's too warm to be winter, and too ugly to be anything else.
I have so much to do, that I am holding my breath in a state of denial. It's not important stuff, just stuff.
Seattle, the land of the Recent Storms , will have a visit from me in a couple days. (Kris, any chane you'll be there?) I am off for a business trip. I have a briefcase, and my nails are done. Traveling on someone else's dime is a blast. Expense account = nice meals and fine wine. That part is really fun. I hate leaving my kids, though.
That's all I have to tell you at the moment. I shall try to spice up my life a bit, then I'll check in and tell you something worth hearing. Deal?

We're an exclusive boutique firm

I apologize for neglecting you. On Wednesday, last, I found that I needed to be in a meeting in Seattle on Friday. So, I dashed around like a crazy person and flew out on Thursday evening.
It was a business meeting.
Because I am a Business Person.
I have a glimmer of understanding regarding why women leave their homes for the workplace.
It's because they get to wear makeup, and go in public, and schmooze over happy hour. It's very different from changing diapers and folding laundry.
So, I had a real meeting in a high-rise building. At a conference table. I had a briefcase and I wore "business-casual," Which means that I wore the kind of clothing that one irons.
The meeting ran really long, and so I was starving by the time we were through. This necessitated a stop at a lovely business person restaurant where there were lots of other business people discussing business things.
I ordered a Pomegranate martini and a late lunch.
Business people speak in acrostics. They say things like this, "Hey, I need you to order the APS for the ILIT so we can get the MVR ASAP." And I didn't know what we were discussing, so mostly my luncheon consisted of having the acrostics defined for me. Now, I can speak acrostic pretty well.
Also, when you are a business person, you have to walk with a sense of purpose and you have to act like you never do your own laundry. Plus you shake hands a lot.
All the business travelers at the airport were the same. They all have a cell phone surgically connected to their ear, and they carry a heavy briefcase, and they talk loudly. So, I tried to fit in. Only, I hadn't had my nails done, and all the female business travelers had their nails done, so I think they could tell that I do dishes.
Someone asked me what I do for a living, and I said that I am a glorified secretary. A "kelly-girl," if you will. Apparently, I am not supposed to say that. I asked my boss what I am supposed to say, and he told me this whole paragraph. It wasn't acrostic, but it was very foreign sounding just the same. He wrote it down for me, and this is what I am supposed to say:
"Well, I handle the finance and administration for a firm that does very advanced estate tax planning, business succession planning, liability mitigation planning, and privacy planning for high net worth individuals nationwide."
This requires a significant shift in my personal self image. Because I see myself as just sort of a mom, and I do this stuff at my desk in the afternoons. I didn't know, until Friday, that I was a Real -life Successful Business Woman.
I told him that since I can speak acrostic and I am really successful, that I want a raise. Because I need to get my nails done, and I need to go shopping for clothes and makeup. He told me that I have to work for the money, which is very annoying.
Traveling on an expense account is really fun, though. I want to do it again.