still bummin'

 I wasn't the only one at the beach that day.  There were others ...

And some of them even brought friends.

These two don't seem to be speaking to each other.  I'm guessing their vacation isn't going so well.

I got to visit my birthplace on this trip, too.

Well, I wasn't born at a state university ...

... nor in a car.

But I was born in Long Beach.  Or so I'm told.

And while in Long Beach, I visited my friend Katie.  She was born in Long Beach, too.  We were even born in the same hospital.  Just not at the same time.  Although I don't know that for sure, I'm just going by what I was told.

Katie and I met at a funeral.  Who knew that a funeral could bring people together.  Usually it's just the opposite.

And speaking of funerals ... I didn't go to one, but the next day I thought I'd be planning one.  

Mine.

Ever ridden on a train?

.

Duck Dynasty

Although I don't watch Duck Dynasty, I'd  have to have my head in a hole to not know what's going on over there.  In short, one actor spoke out against gays.  Or so I was lead to believe.  And thus he was removed from his hit television show.  It turns out that he was merely pointing out that we are all sinners and yes, homosexuality is a sin.  Oh how the left-winged folks would love to believe that it isn't.  But, yes, it is.

So how do I feel on the issue of gays?  Well ... some of my best friends are gay.  In fact, my VERY best friend was gay.  I could go on and on but, in short, I love the gay community.  Pretty much always have.  And yet, I would be the first to agree that homosexuality is a sin.  So is premarital sex.  It does not matter that said lifestyles are widely accepted now.

Elizabeth found an article written by a gay person who stands up for the rest of us and our rights to our feelings, beliefs and our opinions about homosexuality being a sin.  Thought I'd share it with you.  I know I'm sticking my neck out here ... but I like this guy.  I have a friend that will most likely be unfriending me on Facebook ... but I wanted to take a moment to clear some heavy air.  And remember, my best friend was gay.  She is not with us anymore (she passed away in 2009) but she shared a lot of opinions and views with me during her lifetime.  I understand being gay better than most people around me.  And I understand everything she went though regarding her lifestyle choices.

So, as we enter 2014, I have a million and one resolutions to uphold.  Tolerance is high on the list.  But so is standing up for what I believe in.

Please read.

but seriously folks ...

Hey, that was fun!  Well, for me anyway.

I've decided to try it once more but this time I want to get serious.  If I can.  Not sure I know how.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *          *  *  *  *          *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *       *  *  *  *

1. i'm a good person who tries to do good works, but i know that that isn't what will get me into Heaven.  not at all.

2. i hate that my husband suffers from Lupus.  i pray that his Lupus stays out of and far away from his body ... forever.

3. i miss my best friend Nancy more than i miss my parents.

4. i miss my brother more than i ever thought i would.   EVER.

5. i'm currently trying to rid our house of unwanted belongings.  it'll only work if i get over my online garage sale addiction, i'm sure.

6. i hate baths.  i always have.

7. i hate water.  i always have.  wait, i mean drinking water.  give me a room with an ocean view and i'm in Heaven.

8. i love my church.  i pray for it to grow.

9. i have an eating disorder.  actually a hoarding disorder.  they go hand in hand.  that's all to say that i have a very well stocked pantry.

10. i don't like to admit it, but i like The Bachelor, Dancing With The Stars and American Idol.  i'm hopeless.

11. nail polish will not stay on my nails.

12. i enjoy quiet.

13. i married into the wrong family if i enjoy quiet.

14. i wish i could go back in time and get to know my parents again.  they seem like nice people.  i refused to admit it at the time.

15. i wish i knew my neighbors.  i so miss neighborhood get-togethers like i enjoyed as a child.

16. my mother had a fear of knives.  i think of her whenever i'm washing one.

17. my father should not have survived WWII.  but he did.

18. i'm still amazed that my daughter visited Frisco before i did. 

19. i try to return money when i find it, even if i KNOW it won't go to the person who lost it.

20. i was an NBC Page and have three reunions to attend this year.  if only i could.

21. my favorite restaurant is The Blue Bayou inside Disneyland.

22. ten years ago i learned that i have an older brother that i've never met.  i'd give anything to meet up with him now.

23. i wish i didn't still like cookie dough.

24. i've just noticed that i'm no longer typing serious stuff.  i'm vowing to end this on a serious note.

25. i'd give anything for our planet to go back to the time when customer service was key, kindness was automatic and kids were safe to walk or ride their bikes to school.  i'm still amazed that i walked to kindergarten every morning ... at age 4 ... supervised by a 5 year old.  i miss those days.

And 26.  I'd give anything for everyone to have a personal relationship with their Savior.  It's critical.

.

So ... the ant story

So I was asked to share that little ant story.

I gave it some thought and decided to do so.  I was fresh out of college and had just moved into my first place, a rental home in Riverside, California with my best friend.

Here goes ... 

I had just moved.  Tons of boxes were stacked in my room and I just didn’t have the strength to unpack them right then.  So I found the box with my carob peanuts in them (my favorite healthy snack back in the 70s and 80s) and pulled it close to me, sat on the floor and turned on the TV.  And munched.  And munched.  20 minutes later, I noticed my arm completely covered in ants.  So was my face.  I ran out of that room screaming and found my roommate and she helped clean me up.  (Once she stopped laughing.)   

Haven’t eaten a carob peanut since.  Nor an ant.

.

Mardi Gras

Meet Mardi.  Mardi likes monkeys.  Mardi got the monkey on the right for Christmas last month.  Try not to notice that the monkey on the left is, uh, footless.  Try to remember the monkey on the right as he is... for tomorrow he may be footless as well.

Mardi actually belongs to my friend Karen and she posted this cute picture on Facebook recently.  The caption was adorable...

Karen wrote, "These were his victims. Loss of limbs occurred."

I think there should be a thought bubble over Mardi's head saying ..... "One false move and you're next."

.

Happy Birthday my friend!

Just reminiscing, thanks to my buddy Katie Larson. Katie is a new friend of mine. Katie is an old friend of Nancy's. Katie and Nancy and I never knew each other all at the same time, but Nancy is responsible for my new friendship with Katie.

Today is Nancy's birthday. She would be 53.

I miss her all the time.
.

52

See this here gang o' gals? I went to college with them. Many moons ago.

And about 13 years ago Karla, in white, got everyone back together for a "girl's getaway weekend" to celebrate all of our birthdays at once. We were, after all, the same age. Give or take a year.

This tradition started in our 40th year and has continued all along... up to our 52nd year.

I couldn't join them for the 40th year party... as Rick was going through all of his health issues.

And I couldn't join them this year... as I was dragging Rick through the move issues. In fact, I'm still dragging him through the issues.

Issues, issues, issues. Will they ever end?

Anyway, above from left to right is: Debbie, Lori, Melanie, Bonnie, Cara, Cindy, Karla & Lisa. Missing from the photo is Nancy (who went to be with the Lord last year) and uh, me. Kris. The one with the issues.

In this little group of girls that I went to college with, there's been a zillion life lessons learned. And life experiences shared, and therapy sessions given.

And a fair share of universal human struggle: some have lost parents, someone has an illness, someone has an ill parent, some are rich, some are poor.

Someone has gone through a divorce, some have never married. Someone is about to marry again. Some have lost jobs, some have worked forever at the same company...

…but all embrace the love, laughter and joy of getting together for a weekend every year.

I highly recommend getting together with your old friends, even if you haven’t seen them in twenty or thirty years.

It’s amazing how you can pick up where you left off. And laugh. And live. It’ll shave years off your maturity level and inches off your waist. (Okay, not really on the waist part.)
.

Marvel-ous

I am still marveling at my revelation... the one about my rental car. You know... step on the gas, the car goes. I just can't get over it.

What a dope. Sitting there thinking the car wouldn't start.

HOWEVER, I am so in love with my rental car that I came home singing its praises to Rick... and demanding we run right out and buy one. Right now. Now.

Rick just shook his head. Not as in "NO!" More as in, "I can't believe you. You want everything you see that you like." Okay, so it's true. SO true.

In case I didn't explain why I was in CA for an oh-so-brief weekend, I'll tell you that it had everything to do with my friend Nancy. I had promised all along to help my friend's husband pack up her things when he was ready. It took him nine months, but he finally reached that point. And that's what I did. I kept my word. I flew out and packed Nancy up and made her house liveable again for her husband Doug.

Was it hard? Yes. And no. It was more of a mission to me. Only every once in awhile did I have a pang of "I can't do this." But all too often I had pangs of, "I can't believe she's gone." And I kept expecting to see her come around the corner at any minute to help.

So, the weekend was successful. And fun, for the most part. I visited with my friend Julie on my layover in Phoenix. I visited my friend, the jewelry mart, in Rowland Heights. To show my gratitude, I bought a ring. Rick would be shaking his head... if he knew. Which he doesn't.

I also had a terrific time visiting Katie, a dear friend of Nancy's whom I only met at Nancy's funeral. Go figure. I'm know Nancy would be surprised, but pleased. I stayed overnight with Katie in her gorgeous home in Long Beach and was treated to a fabulous breakfast the next morning with her brother, his wife and the very adorable MaKenna.

The rest of the weekend was spent (because that wasn't enough, I guess) at Disneyland, California Adventure and visiting wonderful friends that I'd gone to church with in the past.





Nice wait times, eh?

Yes, it was a wonderful weekend.

Now, when do I get my car?

:)
.

Guess where I went this past weekend? Do these words mean anything to you?

Indiana Yo Horseshoe Fritter Buzz Adventure

Any guesses? They sure mean't something to me... and they were not even on the agenda. They actually were a surprise...

Oh, one more thing... I discovered one very important thing about my rental car. When I thought it wasn't starting? It had already started. All I had to do was step on the gas.

Uh, duh.

Step on the gas. What a concept. Car running, so step on the gas and go.

Who knew?
.

So I'm sitting in my rental car, space 241, with a key fob thing-a-ma-jig in my hand. And suddenly it occurs to me... there's no keys on my key fob thing-a-ma-jig. Not a single key.

But they told me the keys were in the car. And they were. Sorta.

The key fob thingy was sticking out of a hole in the dashboard near where you'd find the gas tank release or the hood release. And I had to yank it to get it out of that hole... so I guess that's where I needed to stick it back in... to... what? Start the car? I don't know why, but I did.

Then I saw a button on the dashboard that said START. So I pushed it.

Nothing.

I pushed it again. The doors locked and the lights went out. But nothing else happened.

I pushed it again. The lights came back on. I pushed it ten or twenty more times, each time causing the lights to either come on or go off. Once the radio came on, too. That was fun.

There was a picture of a brake pedal on the dashboard and the words "emergency brake" next to it. I alternated between pushing in the emergency brake and then releasing it. But that was a waste of time.

I refused to get out of my car and go ask the folks at the Hertz desk how to start the car... I just refused. I didn't want to look stupid, after all.

So I called my daughter. She laughed at me. She was three states away and laughed that I expected her to show me how to start the car all the way from Texas. I asked her anyway. And her advice was great. PUSH THE BUTTON.

Yeah, I'd already tried that.

Then, out of the blue, the car started. Why, I'll never know. 'Cept I did notice that I had inadvertantly put my foot on the brake. The real brake, not the emergency brake. That must've been it. It was the brake all along.

And off I went. I was stylin' in my 2010 Nissan Altima HYBRID with only 100 miles on it. The smell of this new car was intoxicating...

I was most impressed though by my push button car. All you had to do to start this car was PUSH THE BUTTON! And, of course, have your foot on the brake.

But the funniest part of it all? That this was NOT modern technology. Back when I was oh, about three years old, my mom drove an old 1957 Chevy... (she called it a Chivy, in her thick Texas accent) that had a button on the dashboard to push... to start the car. Too bad we didn't keep that car. It'd be right in style now.

And even funnier? The next morning when I came out of my hotel and got into my car? I followed all of the above procedures. Even had my foot on the brake... and that darned car WOULD NOT START! I was so frustrated.

I was very close to getting out of the car and looking for someone to help me... when... all of a sudden... the car just started.

I still don't get it. And I dread turning the engine off each time I get out of my car... for fear that I won't be able to start it again...

Sure wish my mom was around. With her Chivy. I'll bet she could get it started. And she'd probably also know the incantation that needs to be recited four times before the engine turns on... she was smart that way.
..

You can swear all you want...

... that you are done traveling... that you aren't going anywhere in 2010... that you refuse to pack your luggage even one more time...

But you'd be lying.

In two days, I'll be getting on a plane to go back to CA. Because I didn't go there enough in 2009.

Or because I'm a jet-setter.
Or because I'm independently wealthy.

Take your pick. All three excuses are lies. Pure lies.

Sigh. I'll be back soon...
.

Twenty Oh Nine - Two Thousand and Nine... 2009

My friend Katie has just posted a great entry on her blog - Hygge Hut

She posted all that she learned in 2009… and it was a lot. I’m not sure I learned that much. Certainly not as much as her… but just for fun, I want to see. To amuse myself.

So… deep breath inserted here… here goes.

WHAT I LEARNED IN 2009
By Henry Gibson. I mean, Kris Kahle.

2009 was a long year. There were no longer years than 2009.

Christmas snuck up on us fast.

You can fly to California four times and rack up lots of free miles… and still not have enough when you want to take a vacation.

I hate plane rides (they’re too long).

You can survive the death of a close friend… but you’ll never get over the fact that the only person who knew you inside and out isn't around anymore to laugh at the old memories with you.

Owning diamonds is fun.

Inheriting diamonds is funner.

And inheriting big diamonds suddenly makes smaller diamonds look like chips.

You can get bored with all diamonds. But you can never pass up a jewelry store with flashy diamonds in the window.

When your daughter calls saying she’s just been in a car accident, you find the strength to be on the scene in just moments… in your pajamas. And you won’t even care.

I really can lose 22 pounds in a year.

I really do believe that I can lose more, too.

I know I am strong.

I’m tired of crying at silly little tv commercials with kittens in them.

I like the house I live in. I also like everyone else’s house, even better.

I am STILL shopping for “the perfect home.”

I don’t like snow.

I hate snow, even.

I miss the ocean.

I’ll always like Disneyland…
and maybe this is the right time to tell you that I’m going again in two weeks?

Never say never... 'cuz it just ain't so. Time has a way of making "never" possible again.

Time flies by more quickly when you're in your 50s. Which I am. And I can admit it now.

I don't think I learned anything else last year. I think it's time to learn even more stuff this year.

:)

.

2009 Rewind

In the 1st month of '09, the Lord did bring to me ~

an oh so lovely colonoscopy...

In the 2nd month of '09, the Lord did bring to me ~

snow on my driveway
and an oh so lovely colonoscopy

In the 3rd month of ’09, the Lord did bring to me ~

two garage sales
snow on my driveway
and an oh so lovely colonscopy

In the 4th month of ’09, the Lord did bring to me ~

no swine flu
two garage sales
snow on my driveway
and an oh so lovely colonoscopy

In the 5th month of ’09, the Lord did bring to me ~

Liz's 18th birthday!!!!

no swine flu
two garage sales
snow on my driveway
and an oh so lovely colonoscopy

In the 6th month of ’09, the Lord did take from me ~

Nancy Pickard...

Liz TURNED 18!

no swine flu
two garage sales
snow on my driveway
and an oh so lovely colonoscopy

In the 7th month of ’09, the Lord did bring to me ~

a cruise to Alaska
my friend Nancy

Liz TURNED 18!

no swine flu
two garage sales
snow on my driveway
and an oh so lovely colonoscopy

In the 8th month of ’09, the Lord did bring to me ~

one car accident
a cruise to Alaska
Nancy Pickard

Liz TURNED 18!

no swine flu
two garage sales
snow on my driveway
and an oh so lovely colonoscopy

In the 9th month of ’09, the Lord did bring to me ~

20 years of marriage
an icky car accident
a cruise to Alaska
Nancy Pickard

Liz TURNED 18!

no swine flu
two garage sales
snow on my driveway
and an oh so lovely colonoscopy

In the 10th month of ’09, the Lord did bring to me ~

a visit from Katie
20 years of marriage
one car accident
a cruise to Alaska
Nancy Pickard

Liz TURNED 18!
... ba da dump bump ...

no swine flu
two garage sales
snow on my driveway
and an oh so lovely colonoscopy

In the 11th month of ’09, the Lord did bring to me ~

a brand new shower
a visit from Katie
20 years of marriage
that awful car accident
a cruise to Alaska
Nancy Pickard

Liz TURNED 18!
... ba da dump bump ...

no swine flu
two garage sales
snow on my driveway
and an oh so lovely colonoscopy

In the 12th month of ’09, the Lord did bring to me ~

3 surgeries
one new shower
a visit from Katie
20 years of marriage
an expensive car accident
a cruise to Alaska
Nancy Pickard

Liz TURNED 18!
... BA DA DUMP BUMP ...

no swine flu
two garage salse
snow on my driveway

and an oh so lovely colon - os - copy!!!!


Happy New Year everyone!

~ Please stay safe ~
.

My buddy

Came across this photo on Facebook today...



This is Katie (Nancy's friend, my new friend) and Nancy. Don't know who the guy is. But it matters not.

THIS is the Nancy I knew.

I've posted lots of photos of Nancy - most not so good. She went through a lot in her 2 1/2 year battle of lung cancer.


She left us on June 9, 2009 but she will live forever in my heart.
.

This is Katie. But don't call her Katy.

.

Katie visited us last weekend. Katie was fun to have here. Thank you Katie for coming.



Katie is a new friend. I hope Katie becomes an old friend.

Katie was Nancy's friend. Nancy was my friend. Now Katie and I are friends.


We took Katie to eat at Babe's Chicken Restaurant.

Katie wouldn't share.

Katie is not my friend anymore.

The end.

.

She's Not Alone

Meet Jenifer...



Jenifer's Story:
I was 6 months pregnant with my second child when diagnosed with breast cancer. I was stage 2B which meant that my tumor was large and had spread to some lymph nodes. My daughter, Sophia, was still in my womb for my first 3 chemotherapy treatments.

My son, Nicholas was 13 months old at the time. I had a long family history of breast cancer, so I actually thought I might have to face it "some day". I didn't realize, however, that I could get cancer at such a young age.

Since diagnosis, I tested positive for the BRACA 2 mutation (a breast cancer gene) so my treatment became very aggressive. I had a full hysterectomy and a second mastectomy, plus reconstruction. I worry about the future for both of my children. I continue treatment with a drug that helps prevent recurrence. I deal with joint and bone pain everyday, and it makes it difficult to care for my children. I will not go off of the drug, because I need to know I'm doing EVERYTHING in my power to be there for my babies.

I am a 4 year survivor and I plan on being a cute old Yia Yia (grandma in Greek). I believe my cancer journey has made me a stronger person. My body may have had cancer, but my mind and soul only have cancer if I allow it. I will NOT allow it!

My song "You Are Not Alone" is my song of inspiration to women everywhere! It expresses what gave me strength and what I hope will empower women around the world battling women's cancers.

A portion of the proceeds will be contributed to cancer research and awareness. Cancer has touched all of our lives in one way or another by now, so my message to everyone is simple. You are not alone!

And having just lost my best friend (Nancy) to cancer (lung, brain and pelvic) I felt the need to post this song about Jenifer's journey. Jenifer is a dear friend of mine as well and it actually helps me to understand a little bit more of what Nancy's journey entailed.

I look forward to seeing this song make a splash!

Written and Performed by Jenifer Menedis; Produced by Frank Piazza; Recorded at Audio Paint - NYC

Happy Birthday Nancy!

Today is Nancy's Birthday. I mean today would've been Nancy's birthday. She would've been 52.

But I'm not going to go into pity mode today. Today is a day to celebrate. In fact, there is a gathering of her friends today in Downtown Disney at the House of Blues. Nancy so loved Disneyland... I couldn't think of a better place for her friends to gather. I wish I could be there...

In her memory, and a happy memory for me... I am posting something here that is so very, very Nancy. The tongue-tied Nancy. The nutty Nancy. This took place at a work luncheon and she shared it with me via email. She would be laughing now if she knew I was remembering this!


Her email was titled: I'm as sharp as ever...

Last week we had a lunch time tree decorating party and ordered pizza. When the sign up sheet came around Margot and I decided we would both order mushroom and olive pizza cuz it's easier when there are fewer types of toppings. So, she signed up on line 5, and I signed up on line 6. Enjoy. I had no idea there was anything wrong until Marlena brought it back to me...



Nancy signed on line 6.

I still laugh at this...
.

Guest Sheila

Given that I've survived Day Two, but have managed to hang onto my migraine... I'm stealing this hilarious post from Katie Larsen, one of the wonderful people I met while in California this summer, attending to Nancy's last days and subsequent funeral.

Katie was a good friend of Nancy's and now a buddy of mine and has just returned from a trip to Australia (I hate her!) She wrote (and I stole) this little piece for her own blog Hygge Hut on how funny the folks talk down under.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

One of the many nice things about visiting Australia is they speak English there. Mostly. It's actually - at times - a lot like the States.

Aside from insisting they drive on the left side of the road, but not being able to make up their mind on which side of the sidewalk they should stroll, they use English words as we do, but have very interesting ways of putting them together.

Let me share a few idioms used so you'll know what I'm talking about. Mate.

"It's a bit 'how's your father?' (pronounced 'fatha' of course)"- tacky, aging, lipstick on a pig, bawdy, could also mean casual intercourse taken to an extreme.

I can't stop using it (not to the extreme) for all and any situation and it's making Cameron [Katie's husband] nuts. I say it just to say it. He's now insisting on telling me how his father is every time I say it. That won't stop me. I just think he's being a bit how's your father, myself.

"Daggy" - worse than how's your father, it also means a nerd when shortened to "dag". Like Cam. Well, he keeps asking me "Who's your nerd?", so he's my dag.

"Bee's dick" - a very, very, very, teeny, weeny, itsy-bitsy unit of measurement. "The bloody stinga was a bee's dick away from getting me".

"Stinga" - any of the bajillion jellyfish in Australian waters that can - and will - maim and kill you.

"Damper" - it was on a menu and the most I could figure out, it's a biscuit.

Really, do I want to eat something called a "damper"? Sounds like a wet nappy. Or something you put dirty clothes in.

"Nappy" - diaper. Wet or dry.

"Tomato sauce" - ketchup. Well, it's descriptive, but not the way we use the term.

"Marinara" - what they *HORRORS* put on nachos (go for the bean mix). And on spaghetti. See, they are a lot like us. When they eat spaghetti.

"Pissing pick handles" - raining really hard. Sounds like it would hurt, too.

"Pegged up" - hung on a clothes line, as in "do you want your wet swimmers pegged up?"

"Swimmers" - bathing suit

"Bonza" - cool!

"Breaky" - also seen spelled "brekky" - breakfast, typically involving eggs and bacon.

"Flat white" - good coffee! Brewed coffee (or espresso) topped with a warm, creamy milk top. Smooth and velvety and mmmmm.

"kip" - a nap, as in "taking another kip, Katie?"

"buoy" - well, same as in the States only they pronounce it "boy"

"Backpackers" - a whole cult of young 20-something travelers that travel the country having way too much fun, carrying all their goods in a backpack and drinking beer.

Drinking age is 18 Down Under. One of the backpacking places we passed had rules posted for those staying there. Among the rules? "No nudity in public". Sounds fun.

One of the other rules seemed to be that the female backpackers were required to wear shorts that were far smaller than any nappy, that required some type of wax treatment and which were unbuttoned in front. Sounds scary.

So, when you ask me about my trip, I'll tell you that I avoided the backpackers and the stingas and that I pegged up my swimmers when I got out of the water. However, I thought I was going to need a nappy when a car coming at me on the left was just a bee's dick away from giving me a permanent kip. All in all, it wasn't the least bit how's your father or daggy, just totally bonza, mate. No worries.

courtesy of Katie Kimbell Larsen
~ Long Beach, California ~
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Looking back

Summer is coming to an end for me (although it will always be summer in my heart!) and I thought I'd take a moment to reflect on the last three months. They sure did fly by.


And then again, this has been one of the longest summers of my life. It feels like a century ago that I was on that ship in Alaska... barfing my guts out. But I digress.

The summer of 2009 brought me a long-awaited trip to Alaska on a cruise that I have wanted to go on for years. It also brought me a visit to Canada. A country that I've always wanted to see but was a little bit afraid of. You see, I knew nothing about Canada. I still don't, but I do know that it's not all that scary. It looks a lot like the United States, actually. But then Alaska looked a lot like Hawaii to me. So what do I know.


I also went to California to visit old friends and some family. The family's old, too. Not just the friends. And they'll appreciate that I called them old. In fact, this week I plan to show you pictures of my old friends. They'll REALLY appreciate that!


This summer was filled with grief, along with the bright spots. I lost my best friend. She was NOT old. Not old at all. In fact, losing her at 51 made all my old friends seem that much younger. It's just not right to die so young.


The summer brought us all some lessons to learn, too. My daughter learned the most important one of all. When you take your eyes off the road for even a second, the unthinkable can happen. And you'll be paying for it for years to come.

And other than that... it's been a good summer. Actually even with all that it's been a good summer.


I'm heading back to work in five days and I don't want to go. Summers are still just as magical as they were when I was in elementary school. Summers are very special. They certainly are action packed!


I think I'm going to look at school this year as just something to do during summer. I don't want summer to go away. It just isn't long enough!





Self Portrait. It was hard to hold still and pose for this in Canada, but I'm glad I did it now.





Vancouver... and those Canadians made me feel right at home.





They're a bit territorial, though. They made sure I knew exactly which country I was in...




In Sitka, Alaska, it's practically a crime not to eat. In fact, they have signs up on the street demanding that you do so. I like Alaska.





Right before our vacation my baby girl done graduated...





My baby boy graduated, too. Heaven knows, he still acts like he's in high school.






My other baby. She also graduated...





These are my old friends. That's not me second from the right. You'll meet each of them individually later. I know they'll like that...




This is Nancy. Way back when. Sadly, she is missing from the above picture.




This is Nancy later on...




And Nancy even later on...

Sigh.
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Home Sweet Home

After being away WAY too long, it's nice to finally be home again.

With the exception of being home for five whole days following Nancy's funeral, I've really not been home since June 7th. I don't think I've ever been away that long in my life. Never mind that I went on "Semester At Sea" for three and a half months once. That doesn't count. Much.

Anyway, I am finally home.

I had so many things I wanted to do in California that just didn't get done. The number one thing I wanted to do was go to a beach. It hurts that I didn't get to. And I wanted to visit my aunt and uncle's house in Newport Beach (they are now deceased) just to see what it looked like. I also wanted to show Liz what a family-owned theatre looks like, since I used to perform at one in Glendale and since then I've always wanted to own one. I still do.

I guess those three things will have to wait for my next trip.

I did accomplish a lot on this trip though.

**I saw my old college friends in Bakersfield (the trip that my friend Nancy and I were supposed to go on together)

**I saw a show at the Buck Owens Crystal Palace (!) and got to see the famous Dewars Ice Cream Parlor in Bakersfield.

**Had "tea" at Morgan's house and dinner at Karla's. By the way, thanks for the wonderful hospitality, Karla! And to everyone. It was great seeing everyone!

**I had lunch with Juanita - a friend and former coworker - who so graciously gave us a tour of the Warner Bros. lot

**I saw Tamara for a quick drink at Starbucks

**I visited both Disneyland and California Adventure so many times that I can't even count them all

**I visited Alaska via an Alaskan cruise

**I saw Canada for the first time in my life, and stayed overnight in Vancouver

**I saw my mother's grave for the first time since she passed away in 2007

**I saw my parent's house for the first time in two years. It has not changed.

**I visited my old church and saw some dear friends there.

**Ate at Del Taco, Shakeys and In 'N' Out - all in Anaheim. Texas has none of this fine cuisine.

**Ate dinner at Marie Callender's and got POTATO CHEESE SOUP! And Sour Cream Blueberry Pie. Also not a restaurant that Texas has...

**Helped my friend Jenny move the last of her things out of her old house in Santa Maria into her new house in Santa Maria. She bought her first house!!

**Visited Solvang for fudge!

**Visited my cousin Bill and his wife Marilyn in Ventura. What a nice treat!

**Rented more cars than I care to count and got myself all mixed up in how to get them all back to where they were supposed to be.

**Flew on more planes that I care to fly on again.

**Rode on more shuttles that I ever care to again, too.

**Took my first submarine ride (and not at Disneyland!) This one was real.

**Saw a whale feeding in Juneau, Alaska... 17 whales had cornered a ton of little fish and all banded together to force them into their giant whale mouths. Apparently that was a very rare thing to see and I got to see it.

**I saw the "Electrical Light Parade" at California Adventure. Hadn't seen that since... maybe high school?

**Had dinner with Joanne - a friend and former co-worker from San Gabriel Unified. We ate at Mrs. Knott's!!

**Had breakfast with my new friend Katie, who was originally Nancy's friend, the morning we headed back to Texas. We hope to stay in touch with Katie (!)

and my favorite accomplishment?

**I survived the Alaskan flu... in Skagway, Alaska. Something I hope I NEVER get to experience again!!!!!

Yes, it's good to be home. If I ever get the flu again... I want to be near my very own restroom.

Sigh.

Juanita, you're probably on your second pot of coffee by now. Everyone else, I hope you're not yawning too much.
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