I'm No Superman

I have the best surprise going for my DH who is a giant Superman fan and even in his younger days looked quite a bit like him.  Our DD always thought he was the real deal.  No one ever disavowed her of that thought.  Don't worry, she knows now.
I can't divulge my secret here in case DH reads this blog. It is so cool and something I have meant to do for a few years now and just never got around to it.  Since Superman is 75 years old this year, I guess it is a perfect time for a super surprise. 
After Father's day I will post a pic of it right here, I promise.
Superman has seen many incarnations in comics, television and movies.  There is a new movie coming out in a couple of weeks.  They say it is a little dark compared to other Superman interpretations.  Ok, I can do dark Superman.  I always thought he seemed a little jolly for someone who was sent to an unknown planet to have heaven knows what happen to him.
Lucky for him, Ma and Pa Kent did a great job of raising him with good morals and respect for his powers.  If it hadn't been for them, Superman could have turned out like.....well, Lex Luthor.
I never really read Superman comics but I sure watched the TV show.  I loved that plucky little Lois Lane almost as much as Superman, I mean, Clark did.  Even though she was a little stupid about him.  Come to think of it, everyone he knew in Metropolis must have been a little stupid not to see behind those glasses and that bumbling manner.
Lucky for them, Superman was raised well and was tolerant of stupidity.  Oh, yes, I also think he loved saving their butts.
Anyway, Superman is old now for a Superhero--seventy five is pretty old to be leaping tall buildings in a single bound.  Let's all hope he keeps bounding for seventy five more!

Ice, Ice, Baby!

Here's a vacation story for you.
I went out of town with my family for Memorial Day as you may have read previously.  Well, before we left, I discovered I had a shoulder injury known as bursitis, which means inflamed tendons in the shoulder. Why they made up a name for it is beyond me but I guess it is shorter.  It is a repetitive motion injury so that's what I get for pulling all those weeds!
It is easily controlled by Naproxin Sodium and ice.  No worries, a hotel has ice and I packed some gallon Hefty bags.  I iced three times a day.  In the morning before we left, before we went to dinner and before bed.
Things were going along swimmingly until Monday morning.  DH was hogging the bathroom(oh, yes you were) and I really had to go.  Something about a bag of ice cubes on your bare skin seems to stimulate the necessity.  When I finally got in there, I just kept the bag of ice on my shoulder because, after all, I was going to be sitting.  Well, I finished my business and decided to dump the ice while I was in there so as I was getting up, I pulled out the bag which proceeded to open and spill the entire contents down my bare chest onto the bathroom floor.  I think I screamed a little.  DH came on the run and there I was sitting on the potty, surrounded by ice cubes...and shivering me timbers.
Well, in no time at all DH and a couple of towels had it all cleaned up and we had a good laugh.  And me, I have graduated to a bag of frozen peas, which doesn't have a ziploc.  Thank goodness! 

As I Recall

There is a recall on my car.  It is only about two and a half years old.  I know a recall can happen at any time but I was shocked since I've never had a car recalled in my life.
The whole situation will be handled by next week but I'm not happy I got recalled. 
Anyway, it got me thinking about recalling.  I met three old friends for lunch yesterday and we were laughing about how easy it is to remember something from thirty years ago but from three weeks ago or a year ago, well, as the saying goes, fuggetaboutit.
I can remember the names of practically every child in my first class in 1971 but only a handful from my last class in 2000.
The stuff you remember is pretty odd too.  I remember mean things that people did to me and mean stuff I did.  I remember what I wore on certain occasions.(because that is vital information)  I remember some cute things my kids did when they were little. If they mentrion something that they did recently, chances are I've forgotten all about it.
Oh, not the important stuff.  Just day to day living stuff.
The old friends and I all agreed that not remembering stuff is a pain in the rear end and potentially embarrassing. But we all agreed that we remembered each other very well and that was the important thing.
If you are young and reading this, you might think I am being silly. Not being able to recall some incidents should be a blessing. Then why does it feel like a curse?

Rock Steady

I never got the reasoning behind climbing rocks.  What is the fun of it?  If you fall, you are injured....possibly dead if it is a big enough rock.  So I begrudgingly headed off with the family to climb rocks.  I would just watch.
Actually, not just watch but patrol...because if I'm watching them no one can get hurt, right?  So patrol I did.  The problem was if I stood still for more than a fraction of a second a billion or so gnats would swarm around me.
So I walked around and stood on mini boulders that only required one step up.  That got boring so I continued to walk around.  And for all their big talk, the family didn't climb as many boulders as they had planned.
In this picture we are at Boulder City Park in Salamenca, NY.  You couldn't climb here but it's the only picture I could access right now.  It gives you an idea though.
Where the real climbing was going on was in Allagany park.  The boulders there were big and craggy and made for climbing.  From up high, you could see some beautiful vistas.
I still was on patrol along with another mom who confessed she was afraid of heights and usually Dad took the kids but he was no where to be seen and I didn't want to ask.
So, I stood on rocks and kept walking but then.....my kid were on a rock that was shaped just like a ramp and at the top it only looked like a couple of pretty easy steps to the top.  If I could go up there I would be able to see more and I will have conquered one of my fears---tumbling to my death from a boulder onto another unforgiving boulder.
So I did it.  Really.  It was fun(OMG, did I just say that?)
I guess that you can try new things all through your lifetime and some of them may turn out to be a piece of  well, rock!

P.S. Found the pic I wanted.

Quit Horsin' Around

Yessirree, that's me there on a horse.  We're havin' a little chat.  She said, What in the H are you doin'?  I said, I'm riding you so let's go.
I never rode a horse since I was about thirteen years old.  It was a horrible experience which started with me falling over the side of the horse as I tried to mount.  This time, I got a block. Got on, no problem.  They offered it right up too.  One of the perks of being in my sixties, I guess.
Anyway, this was no meander around a field.  We crossed a creek and got a drink of water...well, the horse did.  Then we went up in the hills and went up and down, through trees and mud, occasionally stopping for the slow horses to catch up.
My horse, Luna, should have been in the Kentucky Derby.  She was dying to be first and got really pissed off  if we weren't.  She battled it out mostly with my son's horse, Beauty, who was a Percheron and had and enormous.....behind.  Luna loved that big butt.  She got as close as she could.  When she tried to slip past, Beauty just moved that big ole butt right in front of her.  It was hilarious.
That old song about liking big butts was in my head the whole time.
After the hour long ride, you really felt like you had ridden a horse. 
We all had a great time until we didn't.  As we were walking away to the car, I started to sneeze and by the time we got to the hotel, about ten minutes away, I was in the middle of a full blown allergy attack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Say, what????????????????
Oh, yes and I'm still suffering the effects of it as I write this.  So I'll never be a cowgirl.
And I'll never be in a rodeo or a round up.  I had the last horse ride of my life but it was a great one!

The Purple Truck

So, DH is a pretty conservative guy.  He doesn't wear snazzy clothes.  It's hard to even get him to wear stripes.  Forget pink.  He is strictly a polo shirt and khaki kind of guy.
So imagine my surprise when he admired a bright purple truck with some big contraption on the front-- a spoiler or something like that.
It is in the lot of a local car dealer and when I saw it I jokingly said, There's your next car.  He sighed and said he loved it.  So I just kidded him that our future grandchildren and their car seats would have to be tied to the bed of the truck.
So who knew?  DH would really want a purple truck.  The one in the picture is not shiny or purple enough but it gives you an idea.
Who knows, maybe I'll run that pink shirt past him again!

Fifty Somethings

Yesterday, a man came to repair my new chair.  It had a little hole in the fabric in the back corner.  Believe it or not, that picture is the exact chair.  I just typed in chair pic in Google and there it was! 
You should have heard this guy.  He was in his fifties and he was grunting a groaning so much you'd think he was moving an elephant instead of a chair.  He was on his knees working a groaned every time he had to move.  It was very disconcerting.  I felt like I should help him.   I didn't.
He did a great job though so I can't complain.
Today, I took my car into Sears Auto Center to be fixed.  I had a tire repaired there on Saturday and the wheel kinda wobbled at highway speed so it needed to be balanced.  This fifty something man was not nice.  He did not moan and groan but he didn't like it that I said it needed balancing and he wanted to know if I wanted all of them balanced because if they did just one and it wasn't right something else could be wrong.  I wanted to scream at him, my car is only two years old!!!!!!!!!!  Nothing was wrong with it when I brought it in other than a tire that lost air too fast.
I didn't.
When it was finally done(in an hour and 15 minutes, REALLY??) he asked me to come up and check out.  He said I have to ring you up.  Once again, I was ready to scream, you did this not me.  I didn't.  I'm glad too.  Turns out the guy was a trainee.  Imagine being in your fifties and being a trainee.  That has to be hard to swallow.  So I just gave him my best smile and it ended up the whole thing was free as I thought it should be.
While I was waiting(an hour and 15 minutes, REALLY??)  a guy came in to fix their air conditioning.  After several days of 90 degree weather today it is less than 60 so there he was.  All he kept saying was how old the whole thing was and he had worked on this kind a long time ago.  After he was "alone"(after all, I was still there) he called a company to get advice on how to fix the darn thing.  He was very appreciative too.
Three guesses how old he was!  You got it, in his fifties.
So what is up with these guys?  In my opinion they are still young.  Why did they act so old? One was groany, one was snotty and one was.... well, inept.
Give me a guy in his eighties or thirties any day but keep those fifty somethings away from me!

Driving Amnesia

Saturday, I had a discussion with WP and her DH about driving amnesia.  I never heard the phenomenon called that but here's what it is.   Did you ever stop at a light or get ready to turn into a street and wonder how in the world you got there?
It has happened to me and I guess it happens to a lot of people.  Poor WP  thought she was the only one it ever happened to and had never mentioned it in all these years to anyone. She thought she was nuts.
It only happens on a familiar path.  In a way, it's like autopilot.  It happens to me sometimes on the way home from the gym--a trip I make five days a week.
I even remember the first time it happened to me.  It was when I first started driving and I had headed out during my lunch hour.  I stopped for a  light  and thought  How did I get here so fast?  It scared me and I thought I'd never let that happen again. HA!
Driving amnesia probably doesn't cause as much trouble as texting or talking on the phone or even reaching for your coffee cup and glancing down for a second.
I don't think you can control it either.  Remember my sworn oath?  That was many years ago and it happens to me a lot.
So the next time you are about to pull in your driveway and you wonder how in the world you got there, just think of me.  I'm probably doing the same thing.

Baby,Baby

The other morning, when I got up, I looked just like this kid.  Just the hair of course.  It got me to thinking about the commercial with all the babies who get up and have bedhead and the music in the background is I Feel Pretty.
Believe me, when you get up looking like this, you don't feel pretty.
Which brings me to the subject of babies in commercials.  I never could stand those Etrade commercials with the talking babies.  They reminded me of the old Clark bar ads where the animals said I want a Clark Bar.  It always scared me a little....especially the camel.
Then there is that dancing baby who is having a fit that his parents are more interested in soda than in him.  I really don't like that. It's just too contrived and CG for me.
If a baby is in a commercial, they should just be a baby.  That's why I like the I Feel Pretty one.  I don't even know what the product is!  Have you ever noticed that?  You can see an engaging commercial over and over and still not know what they are advertising.
My favorite at the moment is an ad for a car.  The couple brings in their baby to choose the car for them.  He is a talking baby but a real talking baby.  He says gibberish and they all respond like they understand what he is saying.  The only thing he says that has meaning is a tiny little YAY.  He does a LALALALALA thing and the saleswoman thanks him for complimenting her hairstyle.  I love it.
Apparently, babies make for good sales.  And that's fine.  Just let them be babies, well, not crying babies or tantrum babies or smelly babies or spit up babies..................................
If you're going to exploit babyhood in order to sell your product, then let the baby be a natural.

A Sticky Wicket

In this day and age of technology and fast paced living, why are stickers still so darn hard to get off an item?  To be fair, not all of them are so bad but the ones that are are real stinkers.
I carefully pull back a corner and peel so...so.....so slowly and I get about a third of it off and the rest is stuck fast.  Or when the printed part comes off and you are left with paper and glue that won't budge.  Or you get the whole thing off and there is a ton of glue on the item which you then have to proceed to get off.
I am ever hopeful, but it usually is one of those things when it comes to stickers.  I REALLY hate it when the item is going to be a gift.  Nothing like a thoughtful gift with half the sticker on it because it wouldn't budge.  Hopefully you at least get the price off.
There are a lot of really smart people out there.  Could one of you get to work on this?  Or at least could someone talk to the guy or gal who invented the few that come off clean and ask them to share their secret with the rest of their colleagues?
You can cut a tag but you can't cut a sticker and that stinks.

Good Book Alert

I am officially a book reviewer.  My first review will be posted on Good Book Alert on Blogger tomorrow.  If you google it you'll find it.
I'm really excited about being a reviewer because I always have opinions about what I've read.  Just ask my book club gals....or my Sis.  The good thing about this assignment is that it is a good book alert. I've read enough lousy books from the library to tell you that it will be a welcome relief to read only ones I think are good.
The book I've reviewed is Serenya's Song by Mysti Baker.  It is a fantasy book.  I haven't read too many of those except for Harry Potter and a few others.  This fantasy has dwarfs and fairies and elves.  I just kind of fell in love with that idea.  I especially liked the drunk dwarf!
You should read as much as you can.  It is a great escape and who knows, you might learn something new.  I've found out a lot of things I didn't know from reading.  And I only read fiction. So try it!

Random Thoughts While Driving

Oh, that big pink bow looks silly on that girl in the car ahead of me....oh, wait, that's her ear.  Whoops.
People either crawl down the street or speed by you.  There's a speed limit, everyone.
Driving past 8 restaurants in three minutes at six o'clock makes your tummy rumble.
Do you not know to stop for an ambulance????????????????????
Don't wanna be late.  Oh, wait I'm retired, I'm not on a schedule.
I better buy more chicken.
I need a new dishwasher.
Oh, look, someone walking down Rt. 306--where's he going anyway?
Dead animals in the road give me the willies.
OMG!  turn down your radio.
I want a martini.

Gardening Tips

Today we will learn about the garden.
No. 1--DO NOT go work out, drink 20 ozs. of water, come home and start to weed, walk out of the garage and lock yourself out of the house. Trust me.
No. 2-- Weeds always win the battle.  So just resign yourself to the daily chore of checking for weeds and pulling them or embrace the weeds.  Just make sure they're all gone if you are having snooty guests over.  Again, trust me.
No. 3-- Do not be intimidated by Bambi.  That's right, just stare the critter down until it runs for the hills.  Isn't running?  Well, don't back down.  It'll get bored soon enough.  It's probably just watching you in appreciation for preparing its dinner.
No.4--If you pick up a bag of rocks don't hold it too close to the body.  They are dirty and semi wet so your clothes are instantly ruined.  No. 4A-  Don't do it with mulch either.  Talk about making more work for yourself.
No. 5--There's nothing wrong with fake flowers.  I've had the same container of silk flowers on my deck for three years.  Every year, even the deer are faked out and try to eat them.  So they sometimes need to be replaced but it's a lot easier than weeding.  Trust me.

Throwing a Curve Ball

I am a Curves girl as you probably know by now.  I go five days a week with my WP.(workout partner)  It is quite a place.  WP loves it so much she almost bought one!  Saner heads prevailed however.  Apparently, if you want to make big bucks, Curves ownership is not the way to go.
Our Curves is an interesting place to work out.  It is in a strip mall and it is in the front of the building.  There is also a back to the place with other businesses.
That's where this story takes place.  A new business opened and  it has the same address as Curves except it's in the back of the building.  They have Suite numbers but I guess this business keeps theirs a secret.  It is apparently a place that hires a lot of college kids to do phone sales or door to door.  Since they have the secret suite number, many of these kids show up at Curves.  A lot are guys.
Now guys at Curves make us mighty uncomfortable.  See we are a women's gym.  Not a girl's gym where everyone is in spandex and short shorts.  No, we are a bunch of women who wear oversize tee shirts and sweat pants.  In the summer some of us change to shorts but not everyone.
So guys tend to intimidate us.  We don't want anyone to look at us really, not even one another. But especially not guys.  Or any stranger for that matter.
Yesterday, the young girl who works at Curves had a kid(a girl this time) come in and ask about the other business.  Our girl told her where it was and sent her on her way.
End of story, right?  Wrong.
Two hours later(yes, two hours) an older gentleman came in and started in on our girl wanting to know where his granddaughter was!  He saw her come in and she never came out.(according to him)  So two hours later, he finally got worried.  Our girl tried to explain the situation but he was adamant and rude and abusively talking to her.  She called the owner who explained the situation to the grandfather and he said he was calling the police.  She said go ahead and then our owner called the police.
Well, the police arrived and asked him if he was causing trouble and he said no, he was looking for his granddaughter( who he must have thought was chained up in one of the dressing rooms) and they sent him on his way.
My favorite part of the story is that members who were working out told our girl to get in his car and show him where to go.  WHAT??????????????  Are they crazy?  After what just happened here in Cleveland?  In this day and age?  What were they thinking?
Well, the upshot is, she didn't.  Smart girl. 
I think all those members need to be told off but good by the owner but she's too nice. 
So, you can see Curves is an interesting place to work out and I haven't even told you about the Guinea Pig lady.  I'll save her for another day.

Two Good Looking Blondes

Yesterday, Sis and I went up to the mall to do a little shopping and talking.  Mostly talking.  We were looking at a pile of tee shirts when a male voice says, Now there's two good looking blondes.  I assumed it was somebody we knew so I glanced up and lo! and behold! it wasn't.
It was an ancient biker dude in full biker duds.  He had a bandanna tied over his white hair and a stringy white beard.  A leather vest and jeans, a ratty tee shirt and biker boots.  That's all I saw but it was enough!
Sis and I looked at each other in shock and bit our tongues to keep from laughing...until he was out of sight that is.  We laughed until our sides hurt.  I said just when we thought we couldn't attract any men!  Still laughing, Sis texted our whole family so they could have a good laugh too.
Now no offense to this guy, after all he thinks we're good looking but REALLY?  He had to make a comment about us?  He couldn't have walked by and silently admired us?  I wonder what he thought we would do?  I'm pretty sure laughing hysterically wasn't the reaction he was going for.
You can see from the picture above that the dude was not wrong.  We are two good looking blondes.  We are a family of good looking blondes.  I think you can figure out for yourselves which ones are us up there.
Well, in a way, he made my day.  I haven't laughed that hard in a very very long time.

Wholesome Harry

This is Harry in Vegas. Oh, sorry, Prince Harry.  He was wild and crazy and well, a kid.  His reputation was shot to the blazes.  He was considered a party boy and reckless to say the very least.  Personally, I kinda liked this Harry.  I was glad that a royal could let his hair down and have some age appropriate fun.  I'm sure he didn't do anything worse than a lot of kids his age.  His misfortune is that what happened in  Vegas didn't stay in Vegas because of who he is.  Most kids in Vegas don't have cameras following their every move.
He probably drank too much, got too loud and met a lot of babes, willing babes, I'm sure.  He probably felt like crap the next day due to a hangover or more likely, due to the pictures that were released.
The Queen probably wept.  I cheered.

This is Harry at the Warrior Games.  He is saving his reputation by stepping up to the plate.  He has met with vets.  He is the perfect candidate to do so having served in the military himself.  He was no slouch either.  He's a pilot and an officer.  Every time you see him, he is in uniform talking to a disabled vet and doling out hugs and encouragement.  His behavior has been beyond pristine.
I like this good Harry too.  I like him better than Vegas Harry to be honest. First, because I think his mom would be so proud of him.  Second, because it's not some fake state visit. Third, because what's not to like?
He's cute, he's game, he's a little wild, he's a good sport and he stepped up to the plate like a man.
I hope Harry still gets to be bad Harry once in a while.  It'll help keep him sane in this insane world.  I just hope he doesn't get caught.
In the mean time, well done, Harry!
The Queen smiles, I cheer.

A Mother's Love

Above you can see my children...not Tigger, just the other two.  If you're thinking my DD looks like Cinderella, you'd be right.  It was Halloween at Disney and that's what she was going for.
It seems like yesterday that my kids were babies. I still remember their soft skin and their little voices.  I remember DD saying, Me too.  I remember my son saying, Mommy, Popeye!  He had for some reason latched on to Popeye when he was one or so.  DD just had to do everything her brother did hence the Me too.
Their school years flew by too.  We went to band concerts and plays.  We drove them back and forth for events.  I know who were their favorite teachers and some funny stories about them.
College years sped by too.  DD was in Oklahoma.  Son did his time at KSU.  I retired the first year they both attended college.  What was I thinking?
Now they are adults who have great jobs and lovely homes.  They are responsible and caring. They even like hanging out with us.
Yesterday was Mother's Day and we spent it together.  They made me their famous salmon dinner and got me the new blender I had my eye on.  I could have had a hot dog and no gift, the best gift being the two of them. Don't tell them though, I love being spoiled a bit.
Loving your kids changes over the years.  I still want to protect and keep them from harm and frankly, would love to run their lives.  But I know that time is over.  I'm still here for them and once in awhile, they even need me.
So I guess this is what I have to say about a mother's love.  It never ends but it changes and flows.  I can tell you one thing though.  It never, ever goes away. 

Whirling Dervish

Yesterday we had a lovely dinner at Mon Ami winery with Sis and her family.  The food was glorious, the wine was delicious and the company was divine...well, except for this guy.
This old gentleman was the John Travolta of the Geritol set.  He bounced, he flipped, he spun.  He danced with two friends.  Another old guy who hardly moved and an energetic old woman who might have gotten all the attention if it wasn't for the guy in the picture above.
A crowd gathered around him to watch his moves and when he finished his first dance, the applause were spontaneous.
Needless to say, the  cell phone generation started taking pictures and movies as soon as he got going. Now, someone who is that ,shall we say, out there should expect some attention, wouldn't you think?
Not this guy.  He didn't like it at all.  You can't tell but in this pic he is giving my son the finger because he noticed him taking a picture.  My nephew took a movie and the guy approached him at our table and God only knows what he ranted at the poor kid because my nephew doesn't have a clue.  It was too loud in there to hear yourself think.  I'm thinking that may not have been a bad thing under the circumstances.
The guy could be an Internet sensation if he had slapped on a smile and appreciated that this is how this generation rolls.  They may have been making a little fun of him but it was tinged with admiration and hope that maybe when you're that old, all is not lost!

Star Struck

So, not that long ago, my daughter and I were out shopping together near her home and she said oh, look, there's Squiggly.  In my defense, it was windy and she was ahead of me so what she really said is Oh, look there's Spike Lee.   Sonofagun, the kid she pointed out looked just like Spike Lee down to the glasses.
Another time, we were at the gym together and I said Oh,look there's LLCoolJ.  He looked just like LL, he really did.  DD even agreed with me.
So I've been on the lookout for "stars" ever since.  I've come up completely empty until today at Target.  I saw Rob Lowe walking down an aisle.  I was with DH so I didn't even joke that it was him.  DH might not even hear me since he is down one hearing aid as of this morning.
Anyway, in the parking lot, I saw Anthony Edwards( you may know him as "Goose" in Top Gun or from ER).  The kid looked just like him down to the glasses.  Wow, a twofer.  It pays to be patient.
Today we are heading out to a winery with Sis and family so I'm hoping for another sighting.  Stars like wine, right?
P.S.  My son told us yesterday that he saw Captain Picard from Star Trek in the drugstore.  See what I mean?   We live  practically in Hollywood!

No Blog for You

Yesterday, I was out in the yard and the day before too.  That's why no blog.  You may be wondering what in the world I am talking about since my last post was a giant whine about how I can't be out in the yard.  OTC allergy meds to the rescue!  Took one day before yesterday and pulled weeds and bought bushes and plants, replanted my flower container that looks like a watering can.
Yesterday, I did mulch and river rock.  I was at Lowe's all by my lonesome to buy mulch.  The bags were huge and pretty heavy.  The river rock wasn't quite as bad if you got hold of it the right way.
Anyway, this little old lady who must have weighed 98 lbs. soaking wet asked me if I needed help!  I thought maybe she was offering up her husband but since he was sheepishly holding her purse, I think she wanted to help me herself!
Now I am not tiny and I don't think I looked like I was struggling so I don't know why she offered.  Maybe she was just showing off.
I got everything loaded and went to the checkout.  The young girl asked me if I needed someone to help me to the car.  I wanted to say who in the heck do you think got this stuff on the pallet?  But I asked her instead if they would come home with me to unload.  She laughed and said no so I thanked her just the same and said that if I had to lift them at home, I better practice now.
Spread the mulch and I think I need to buy a little more.  But next time DH is so coming with me!  He can hold my purse!!

Exhaustion

I worked in the yard all day today.  Off and on so I wouldn't get too tired.  Didn't work, I'm done for.  However, our yard is coming together.
I started out at the local nursery and picked out some plants that are "deer resistant".  We shall see.  I sprayed all the weeds in one bed with Roundup and tomorrow I'll pull those out and find more plants to put in that bed.
So then I came home and replanted my pretty watering can planter so it looks like it did last year.  Then I swept the patio.  Big deal, right?  You bet it was...it took me forever and I have the aching back to prove it.
Then I went out and planted more soap. That's right I said soap.  Our son's girlfriend told me that her grandma who has a spectacular garden uses Irish Spring soap to keep the deer away from her plants.  So I planted soap on a skewer!
I tried to pull up a dead tree but forget that, it is in cement, better known as our backyard clay. I have the replacement but DH will have to give me a hand.
I watered our new grass again, twice today.  I dug up weeds.  I feel so tired but oh so good!

A Miracle in Cleveland

Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus have been missing for almost a decade here in Cleveland.  Their disappearances were eerily alike and very frightening because there was no trail or scrap of evidence.
Every year on the anniversary of their disappearances, their family and friends would hold a vigil.  Every once in a while, the police would get a lead and go digging in someone's garage or a yard but nothing would be found.
And for every good reason!  Amanda and Gina were alive and being held hostage right here in Cleveland.  Another girl named Michelle was with them.  She was abducted too but since she was over 18 at the time, she was considered missing by choice.
Yesterday, we were stunned to find out that all three girls lived.  A happy ending to a ludicrous story.
I have written this before the details of their trials and tribulations are released because I just want to bask in the joy of their return.  Imagine their families.  How happy and relieved they must be.
The whole situation reminded me of a book we read in book club called ROOM.  It was about an abducted girl and the child she bore while in captivity.  It is pretty realistic and gives you a sense of what a girl might go through.
We know that at least one child is involved in the Cleveland scenario.  How this will impact their young lives, we can only speculate.  All I know is that it took guts and determination to get away from their captor on everyone's part including those kids.
Ten years is a really long time to be held against your will.  I hope the girls get to do many things they have missed through the years.  I hope they have giant birthday parties and Christmas presents and great food and trips to Cedar Point.  I hope they get to spend as much time as they can doing the things they want to do.
Freedom is a precious thing.  Just ask Michelle, Gina and Amanda.

The Great Outdoors

I love the outdoors.  I think hiking and camping and ziplining and all that stuff sounds wonderful.  Unfortunately, I can be outside for about 15 minutes before I start feeling awful.
Mostly, I get a snuffy nose and sometimes I even get watery eyes and itchy skin.  What did you say?  You think I have allergies?  Well, I'd say you're right.  However, the allergist I went to said I had no allergies. So there.
I can sit in a grassy field on a chair and I'm fine.  But get me by other plants and forget it.  I can sit on your patio or deck for long periods of time but I have to stay away from your flower beds.
I work out in my own yard very seldom.  I was out there today.  I made it for twenty minutes because part of the time I was watering some new grass seed.  I picked out dandelions and other weeds that invaded my beds and suddenly I came across a dead mouse.
I did not scream like a girl even though I am one and I wanted to.  I just came in the house and sent DH an email telling him he should get it out of there when he gets home.  So far he hasn't answered me.   Can't say I blame him.
When the dead mouse is gone I'll go back out there and work another fifteen minutes each day until my yard looks the way I want it. 
I wish I could have a beautiful yard with tons of flowers and shrubs and trees but I won't because I can't....unless I hire a full time gardener.  Now, there's an idea!

The Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby and I go way back.  As a young girl, every year that I can remember my dad, Sis and I would bet on our favorite horse--that's right.  My dad gambled with little girls.  We all had to put in twenty five cents.  Had you going for a second, didn't I?
Well, no matter, the point is that every year without fail, I came in last.  Not second to last, not fifth, dead last.  I would never get rich betting on the ponies, believe me.   In my own family, we watched the Derby because one year (a  really really long time ago) DH attended in person so we all watched.  We picked horses but no betting this time.  We just picked and every year, three guesses, my horse came in last.
A few years ago I picked the most beautiful horse I ever saw.  I didn't care if this horse won or not, she was so beautiful, I just loved looking at her.  Her name was Eight Bells.  She ran that race with all her heart.  She was in the front of the pack for the whole race.  She might even win!  Suddenly, just before the finish line, Eight Bells collapsed and died right there.  It was heartbreaking.
So I went back to choosing losers.  Dead last and I could remain the buddies we had always been if choosing a winner meant the death of the poor animal.
This year I chose a horse with pretty good odds.  By the time the horses were in the gate, the odds had improved.  His name is Orb.  By now, you probably have heard of him.  He wore the roses....and he lived.

Cinderella Days

Yesterday, I washed dishes by hand.  No joke.  Not just a couple of dishes but a whole dishwasher full.  I have to say I don't remember the last time I had to do the dishes.  I hardly remembered what to do.  I don't own a dishpan or a drainer that's how spoiled I am. 
I am well aware that many people have to do the dishes by hand and I am well aware of how lucky I am but it is what I'm used to so it was disconcerting.
It's always shocking to me when an appliance stops working.  My dishwasher performed without a hitch just a couple days before and suddenly it just stopped.
Well, at least, I thought so.  DH came home and turned it on and it went just fine.  Go figure...and me with dishpan hands!
That's not the only old fashioned, Cinderella type chore I did this week either.  I scrubbed the bathroom floor on my hands and knees.  The bottom line is once in a while you just have to do it.  All the new cleaning products are great but nothing gets into the corners like a rag and your own two hands.  There I said it.  Sorry, Swiffer.  Sorry, Dyson.  Your best tools are at the end of your arms...your own two hands!
For all her efforts, Cinderella got taken to the ball and dressed by the fairy godmother.  For all my efforts, I got to put on my pajamas and DH bought me McDonald's ice cream.  Woo Hoo!

Stylin'

I had straight hair my whole life and I wore it many, many ways and even had perms to make it curly to be in the style of the day.  I believe my mother referred to my hair as straight as a poker. 
So you'll understand when I say that one time as I was about to get my hair cut, I complained to my hairstylist about one little piece by my ear that kept turning out no matter what I did to it.
HMMM she said.  Maybe your hair is curly.  So we grew it and guess what at a certain point it was curly.  Not too short, not too long but just right.  Kinda like Goldilocks.
I don't have corkscrew curls and I don't have waves.  I have curls...mostly.
There are some parts of my hair that still are stubbornly kinda straight.  I have to curling iron them into submission but it works.
I have to say I think my curls are my new vanity.  I like them.  They are feminine and soft and flattering.  I have written about them more than once I believe so you can see I may be a little obsessed.
My worst nightmare is that I wake up one morning and the curls are gone and my hair is straight as a poker again.  I have it frequently and am always relieved when I get up and look in the mirror and there they are--somewhat squished and flattened but still there.  Thank Goodness.
Now nobody would mistake me for Goldilocks up there but a lot of people wonder if I got a perm lately.  I say no and they go THAT'S NATURAL?  People would pay big bucks to have hair like that.
And I just love it!!!

Playing Hooky

Did you know that Vanna White and Pat Sajack work about 37 days a year???  I couldn't believe my ears when I heard that recently.  So, in light of that, I say it is your inalienable right to take an unscheduled day off once in a while.
First, make sure it is a nice day.  Sunny and no clouds except some of those pretty white ones that look like they're edible.
Then, pick something relaxing.  Go for a hike if you like that kind of thing.  Go out to eat so you don't have to cook.  Find and outdoor space and just sit and enjoy it...with a loved one.  Maybe share a bottle of wine or possibly, two.
Don't take the freeway.  Take the slow route where there are homes to gawk at and little stores and places you can't see from the freeway.
Put your pajamas on early.  Watch the television if you like and catch up on all those shows you've recorded.  Or rent a movie.   Eat popcorn and drink more wine if you want.  Just don't overdo it on the wine because you do have to go to work in the morning.
Probably, Pat and Vanna do that the other 328 days of the year.  I mean, do what they want...nobody could drink that much wine and keep their girlish(or boyish) figure!

Oh, and whatever you decide to do--drive the opposite way of your workplace.  Part of the fun of an unscheduled day off is not getting caught!

The Merry Month of May

Today starts one of my favorite months.  Even though Mayday is usually a distress call, there is nothing stressful about the month of May. 
Everyone's  yard is green--really green.  Flowering trees are in full bloom and the air smells sweet like...well, spring.
April is part of spring supposedly but believe me it rarely feels like it around here.  It's usually cold and rainy and snowy and winter-like.  So when May shows up, I feel joy.
May is Mother's day too.  One of my favorite holidays (haha, of course I'm a mom).
I love our family time together and they always treat me with something I really really want.  Like the year they made me a lobster tail.  Good thing they had Google.  Or the time when I was dieting that my DD made us a wonderful brunch with all their recipes.
One of my favorite people in the world has his birthday in May.  My Sis' husband is the cream of the crop.  He is kind and loving and has always been there for us. Plus he's fun and funny.  Isn't that a wonderful combination?  It's no wonder we all love him so much.
I have to remember a sad day in May too.  I attended Kent State when the shootings occurred.  It was awful and scary and surreal.  I'm pretty sure I've gone into detail about it before so I won't now but trust me it was an event you would never forget.
My dad's birthday was in May also.  What a guy he was.  He wanted us to be happy.  He was kind and loving and supportive.  Plus he was fun and funny.  Hey, that sounds familiar.  Someone else in our family is just like that.  Maybe it's just luck, but I think it's our best blessing.
I miss my dad all the time.  He was taken from us way to soon.  But I only have good memories of him and once in a while, if I'm real still and let my mind be at peace, he comes to see me.  Now that's a blessing.