GRRRRRRR.............

I hate going to the doctor.  Who doesn't?  But I used to keep up on doctor's and dentist appointments regularly.  Since my Mom passed away I have been putting the doctor thing off to the point that it's ridiculous.  Who am I hurting except myself be not going in for regular checkups?  I guess part of it was just not wanting to deal with finding a new doctor and going through the whole routine.  But I finally bit the bullet and made myself a couple of appointments with a new doctor.  My doctor is quitting her practice at the clinic and going to work out of the hospital so will not be seeing regular patients any longer.  This is the 2nd doctor that I've lost this way.  Oh well, a friend suggested that I see this new one as she is supposed to be good.  It's hard to change doctors, especially when you have built a kind of rapor.  I'm only going in for a physical - nothing serious. 

Today I will continue on my mission and make myself a dentist appointment for my regular cleaning.  I got off track last year when I had the gall bladder surgery and have just kept putting it off.  I have vacation the first week in June so I'll see if I can't fit it in then.  Regardless, the appointment is being made today!

I hope all of you are keeping up this important facet of your life.  It's easy to get side tracked in our busy lives.

Daily Affirmation

Even though you have
ten thousand fields, you
can eat no more than one
measure of rice a day. 
Even though your
dwelling contains a
hundred rooms, you can
use but eight feet of
space a night.   
Chinese Proverb

No man can live happily who regards
himself alone, who turns everything
to his own advantage.  You must live
for others if you wish to live for yourself.
Seneca

 

What the heck??????

A friend emailed this to me and I thought you might find it interesting, if not down right funny!

Monday night after work I went grocery shopping then came home and put a roast in the oven.  Since I had fallen behind in my duties as the surrogate mother of two Westies, I decided that I'd bite the bullet and get the much needed but much dreaded bath out of the way before another day went by.  It only takes about an hour to do the deed so without further ado I bathed and blow dried my girls.  I promptly rewarded their patience and good behavior with a hand fed  roast beef dinner.  They deserved it!

While I was at the store I had to shop the flower section and found a nice big pot of pale pink Gerber Daisys which fit nicely in my little wrought iron tricycle planter.  I bought the planter last week at Walmart and decided that whatever I planted in it would be Madison's little "flower garden".  This time next year perhaps she will be old enough to help her Grammy pick something out for it.  Then again, maybe not - it may be the following year.  Regardless, it's Madison's little spot for a flower.  I can hardly wait until she is old enough so I can teach her how to plant a garden and tend to flowers like my Mom did for me.  It'll be fun and hopefully supply her with wonderful memories too. 

Last night I fixed BBQ'd chicken, baked potatoes and Caeser salad - my favorite meal!  Of course the girls were lined up for their share of the chicken.  Who'd want to eat dry dog food everyday? 

Tonight I HAVE to go to Babys R Us and pick up a shower gift for one of the gals at work who is expecting triplets, no less!  She and her husband tried for 7 long years with no success and finally God granted their wish with 3 baby girls.  She isn't due until August but they are planning on taking them by C-Section in July.  She is so excited but scared too.  Who wouldn't be?

Yesterday we had some high winds in southwestern Washington, which blew small twigs and leaves over my yard - ugh!  Just what I need is another job that causes me to bend over afer this past weekend.  Quite a few people lost their electricity, but thankfully I didn't.  All is still and sunny today.

That's it for today!

 

Remember the RED LIGHT ticket that I "earned" in January?  You know the one, where I had to pay a $237 fine?  Well, I wrote a letter which accompanied my payment to the fine city of Portland, Oregon.  Kim said that if she were the one reading my seething letter, I could kiss any hope of reduction in the fine goodbye. 

Regardless of her comment I sent it anyway.  I had to get my point across and have my "day in court", so to speak. 

Yesterday I received a check in the mail for $59! 

Better than a poke with a sharp stick, wouldn't you say?

Thank God my sister, Kim doesn't work for the city of Portland!  :)

Daily Affirmation

Focusing our attention - daily
and hourly - not on what is
    wrong, but on what we
love and value, allows us to
    participate in the birth of a
better future, ushered in by
    the choices we make each
and every day.
    Carol Pearson 

There are some people
who live in a dream world,
and there are some
who face reality; and
then there are those who
turn one into the other.
-- Douglas Everett  


 

No rest for the wicked......

Boy, this weekend flew by but I got a lot accomplished.  My main focus was my backyard.  I decided to barkdust it first since my front yard still has a lot of spring flowers that is blooming, and I want to  get all of those cut down BEFORE I lay my barkdust.

Saturday I got up early and after breakfast the girls and I headed outside.  I finished all the weeding I needed to, and then started on that new flower bed that was "under construction".  I had to build it up some with more dirt and clear out some old wood that had been stacked in that spot.  Originally there were 3 Evergreen trees that stood in the spot.  When I had them cut down a few years ago we stacked the wood there.  I eventually sold some of the wood and gave the rest away to a neighbor.  It is a nice big bed and I knew it had great potential.  I planted 3 Hydrangeas (sp?) in the new bed (I told you it was big) and finally spread some barkdust.  It looks great!  I also cut down an old Rhododendron that looked like it was on its last leg.  That freed up another spot for my Japanese Maple that I bought on clearance last Fall!  I finally called it a night at 7:30pm.

Sunday I headed out early again to see what more I could get accomplished.  I was delighted when Kevin called and asked if I needed help!  I hurried and edged the lawn and clean out the circular flower bed that encompasses the bird bath.  As soon as he got there we started in spreading barkdust. In between his wheelbarrows of barkdust I pruned 4 shrubs and cut the yellowing foliage from my early tulips.  I planted my Japanese Maple in the same spot as the old Rhodie had left the day before, and planted 4 tomato plants to boot!  We aren't completely done, but it sure looks great!  I ran and picked up hamburgers for a quick and easy dinner, and we called it a night at 7pm.

Obviously, I didn't get ANY housework done this weekend but got up early this morning and vacuumed and dusted before I went to work.  I threw the bedding into the laundry and will have a fresh bed when I retire this evening.  Now Ihave to muster the energy to bath the girls who are in dire need!  Oh well, there's always tomorrow - right?   

Have a great week everyone! 

Daily Affirmation

Do little things in an
extraordinary way.  You must
not let your life run in the
ordinary way; do something
that nobody else has done,
something that will dazzle the
world.  Show that God's
creative principle works in you.
  Never mind the past.  Have the
unflinching determination to
move on your path
unhampered by limiting
thoughts of past errors.
-- Paramahansa Yogananda

Take each good day and relish
each moment. Take each bad
day and work to make it good. 
Lisa Dado
 

Days Gone By.............

One of my cousins emailed me recently to let me know that she and her siblings are going to get together along with some other cousins for a family reunion. That email has brought back so many memories!

When I was a kid my Father's family would have a big reunion every year. It was usually at one of my Aunt's homes. My Grandparents and all my Father's siblings would show up with their respective children (my cousins), and we'd have a grand time. It was a summer day filled with fun, excitement and wonderful food - more food than any of us could ever eat!

The adults would sit around laughing and talking while us kids ran, laughed and played. Although many of us had not seen each other since the year before, it didn't take us long to catch up. By the end of the day some of us kids were planning mini vacations at each other's homes. More often than not, my cousin Andrea would come back home with us and stay for a week or two. Then my Dad would deliver both of us back to my Aunt's house for my one or two week stay.

Some of my cousins are 6 or more years older than me, so when I was still a kid some of them were getting married and having kids. It didn't take long before the reunions were huge and out of control!

By the time I was a teenager my parents divorced so there were several years when my siblings and I didn't attend the reunions. My dad always wanted us to go, but we didn't want to go without mom.

When I got into my late teens and early twenties I attended a few family reunions with my dad, but Eddy and Kim never went back, and even though I tried to talk them into it, they wouldn't bend. I still enjoyed seeing everyone but somehow the dynamics had changed. Now some of the cousins, who had been so much fun just a few years earlier were totally different people, people that I found I didn't like as people at all. That may sound harsh, but it is the truth. Also, my mom's absence, and that of Eddy and Kim put a damper on things for me. None of the other family members, including my dad, could understand why the absence of our mom would want to keep us from attending. If they truly were oblivious then what was the point in trying to explain it?

Then, as is predictable in life, the older generations starting dying. First my beloved Grandmother died in 1984, and the following year my Dad passed away. The family reunions continued, but I never returned. Somehow when Grandma and Dad were gone, felt like an outsider looking in.  I found myself in a roomful of people that I really didn't know any longer, and didn't care to reacquaint myself with. Some of the remaining family members were arrogant, some hostile, some made up lies about their lives and financial situations, and some were just there to make excuses for the others.  Without my Dad and Grandma I no longer felt comfortable.  I felt no kinship to these people.  

Part of me is saddened.  I miss the family reunions that I knew as a child. Part of me is thankful too, because I have the wonderful memories of those childhood days that will be with me forever.

R.I.P.

As I reported earlier, Friday was the judging of the 2nd Annual Peep Show.  We left the Peeps in all their glory and award ribbons on the display table until Monday, to give others who may have missed the show an opportunity to look over all the entries. 

Apparently when the first folks arrived Monday morning they were dismayed to find hundreds of sugar ants encompassing the "winners circle"!  Apparently, the sugar ants had enjoyed their own Peep Show over the weekend.  I'm not so sure that Elvis Peepsley was their favorite though.  They seemed to like the lemon cake Peep Hole - Peeps at Work, the best.   

Everything was cleaned up and thrown away and the bloated sugar ants were disposed of too....or so we thought.  But ants are a lot like people.  Word of a good thing must have passed quickly through word of mouth, and we still had some stragglers today, so the guys with the big guns - okay, they were tiny little rifles - were brought in and the place was exterminated.  At least they died on a full tummy! 

May they rest in Peeps!

 

Just A Friendly Reminder........

By going to this LINK and clicking on the button, you will provide an animal with .6 bowls of food for free!  It won't cost you a penny and there are no harrassing pop-up windows to contend with either!

Please feed the animals daily!

Potpourri

Saturday I ran a couple errands in the morning and then came home, donned my work clothes and set out to start in on my yard.  I had some help from a friend, Kevin, who cleaned my gutters (yeah!), trimmed 3 large shrubs for me and mowed.  Of course I paid him to be my employee for the day.  I got a couple of flower beds ready for barkdust.  The day seemed to go by so quickly that it didn't seem as though I accomplished much, but my body was telling a different story!  In fact, I'm still sore today.  Kevin is going to come back during the week to spray some Round-Up around the exterior of my property lines (certainly NOT where the girls will be), and do some other minor cleanup.

Sunday I got up early and got all my housework done.  Since it rained on and off all day I'm glad I chose Saturday for the yard work!  Once the housework was done, I called and arranged to pick up The Madison after her nap.  I thought that she'd enjoy a day with Grammy shopping, and her Mommy could have some time alone.  (Daddy was working)

Madison and I went to the Mall, to a couple thrift shops and then stopped and did some grocery shopping.  In between we had to stop for a bite to eat too.  All in all, that girl LOVES her Grammy and I am telling you that she has made a world of difference in my life!  I pray that I live a long and healthy one so that I can leave her with wonderful memories like my Grandmother did me.

Steve and Danelle picked Madison up around 9pm.  I had her ready for bed when they arrived and we were all exhausted.  What a wonderful end to a wonderful weekend! 

Have a great week everyone!

Daily Affirmation

People travel to wonder at
the height of mountains, at
the huge waves of the
sea, at the long courses of
rivers, at the vast compass
of the ocean, at the circular
motion of the stars, and they
pass themselves by
withoutwondering.     
     Saint Augustine

Optimism is essential to
achievement and it is
also the foundation of
courage and true progress.
-- Nicholas Murray Butler  
 

And The Winners Are..................

The 2nd Annual Peep Show went off without a hitch.  Entries came flooding in not only from our department, but now other groups are trying to enter their works of art in the contest too.  We may have to rethink this next year and perhaps charge an entry fee to pay for the awards.  Not a bad idea, actually!

All day long entries arrived and were logged into the contest.  Some of the other entries not shown in pictures or mentioned there were:  When You Wish Upon A Peep, Little Bo Peep, Snow Peep, Gullitine Peep (can't think of the actual name, but based on a famous Royal who lost her head-sorry, brain cells are dying faster than I can count them!), Fish Peep, Tootsie Pop Peep, and I know I am forgetting some!

The judging finally took place at 2:30pm PST. There were 6 categories:  Grand Prize, Most Outstanding, Most Artistic, Well Done, One Of A Kind, and last but certainly not least, The Honorable Mention Award. 

There was a bit of sour grapes with one of the contestants who felt that because Janna thought the contest up she should not be able to enter.  (Janna won the Grand Prize and this other person won The Well Done Award.  Oh well, you can't please all the people all the time.  It's only for fun, for God's sake!  You'd think they were competing for a large purse!  ha! 

The pictures are not the greatest (I still need to take the time and learn how to make them bigger), but you get the idea.  I was unable to take pictures of all the entries, but highlighted the cutest and of course all of the winners are here too.

Which is your favorite?

 

2nd Annual Peep Show

    

 

It all started last year when Janna brought some PEEPS into work.  You know the little marshmellow chicks that are so popular at Easter?  She had this great idea that everyone could decorate a PEEP and then we'd have a contest to see whose was the best.  I know it sounds goofy, but we had so much fun with it that this year we are having our 2nd Annual PEEP Show.  Hey, don't scoff at the idea.  It makes working more fun! 

And guess what?  There is an official PEEP website too!  If I'd have know about it sooner we could have offered PEEP prizes from the PEEP store!  Perhaps next year.........

Anyway, here is some PEEP facts:  (taken from their website)

Due to demand, Just Born now produces more than one billion individual Marshmallow Peeps a year covering all of its holiday seasons.

In 1953, it took 27 hours to create one Marshmallow Peep. Today, it takes six minutes.

 During their early years, Marshmallow Peeps were squeezed one at a time out of a pastry tube and the eyes were painted on by hand. Now, technology can create 3,800 Peeps eyes per minute.

As many as 4.2 million Marshmallow Peeps, Bunnies, and other shapes are made each day at Just Born's Bethlehem, Pennsylvania factory.

 Last Easter, more than 700 million Marshmallow Peeps and Bunnies were consumed by men, women, and children throughout the United States.

Strange things people like to do with Marshmallow Peeps: eat them stale, microwave them, freeze them, roast them, and use them as a pizza topping.(Note:  they didn't mention our Peep show! grrrr)

Marshmallow Peeps and Bunnies come in five colors and received new packaging in 2000. Yellow Peeps are the most popular, followed by pink, lavender, blue, and white.

Each Peep has 32 calories (160 calories per five-chick serving) and 0 fat grams.

Each year Just Born receives thousands of letters, e-mails, and phone calls from consumers acknowledging their passion for Peeps.

Check out the Peep Fan Club!!!!

Well Gang, there you have it!  All the info you'd ever want on PEEPS! 

I'll try to post some pics of our Peep Show later, so you can get an idea what I am talking about.  After all, you wouldn't want to miss the fun....right?

Let the PEEP's be with you!

 

Potpourri

It's a good thing that I forced myself into mowing the lawn Monday evening when I got home, because it started raining last evening about 7pm. I didn't get the fertilizer on it though, but it was too dark by the time I finally put the mower away. Oh well, I'm sure I can fit it in at some point this week.

I finally got the leak under my kitchen sink repaired, and the one under the sink in the mudroom. Things only needed to be tightened a bit. Next on the list is my two outdoor faucets.  I think they just   need new pistons which ordinarily wouldn't be a big deal.  Unfortunately, because this is an older home (1960's era) it may be more complicated than that. Keep your fingers crossed for me that it's not.

I think I may have already mentioned that I bought 6 yards of bark-dust. Now I have to find the time to spread it. As you all probably know it's no easy job, but I look forward to the hard work because I always feel so good afterwards, sitting back sipping iced tea and admiring my yard. I'm waiting until the spring flowers and foliage is spent before I begin.

I'm in the market to buy a carpet shampooer. I'd like to purchase a good name brand that steam cleans. Any suggestions on which one(s) are the best? I can use any help that you can offer on making this choice because I have no idea which one to buy, or the features to look for.

I am still plugging away slowly but surely on getting your journals read! I'll get to yours, I promise!

Until next time………………

Try This Quiz!

Try the "BATTLE OF THE SEXES" quiz & see how much you really know!  It's fun!!

Daily Affirmation

 The only devils in the
world are those running in
our own hearts. That is
where the battle should
be fought.
Mahatma Gandhi


Man, like a bridge was
designed to carry the load
of the moment, not the
combined load of a year
all at once. 
William A. Ward

 

I'm BAAACK!!!

A funny thing happened last Tuesday evening. After dinner I was sitting quietly reading a magazine when suddenly out of nowhere I heard the sound of tiny trumpets! And just as suddenly the Munchkins (from Wizard of Oz fame) started chanting in unison: "THE MADISON IS COMING, THE MADISON IS COMING, THE MADISON IS COMING!!!"

And so she did. Madison came to Grammy Robyn's for an unforgettable 5-day stay. Hence, the reason for my temporary hiatus from J-Land. I tried to update my journal Tuesday and then again on Wednesday morning, but wasn't able to. Both AOL and my computer received equal amounts of my wrath!  (It just couldn't be operator error, now could it?) After 5 days I had nearly 100 email to read/answer, and suddenly this started feeling like a job - something's wrong with this picture! I have not been keeping up to date on your journals either. I promise to get to each of you SOON, but be patient. This may take a while.

I had a wonderful time with Madison! She and I went shopping every day and I can tell you right now that the girl is just like her Grandmother. She gladly would miss her nap as long as we are in a store! Friday I took her for her first photo shoot at a local studio. She is a natural! Not a tear or even a pout! She loves the camera! Saturday she spent most of the day with her Great Grandmother (Steve's paternal Grandmother).

I had a couple of fears going into this "babysitting" agreement though. My biggest fear was that Madison would not sleep at night, but my fears were unfounded. The little doll was out like a light in 5 minutes every single night.

Additionally, we all were a bit apprehensive about the "separation anxiety" issue. Didn't happen! As far as Madison was concerned, out of sight out of mind. In fact, she snubbed Mommy and Daddy a bit when they first returned, and only had smiles for me at first. (Secretly, I loved it!)

Perhaps the most memorable moment came when she was sitting on my lap Friday evening before bed, and she put her little arms around my neck and leaned forward and kissed me, not once but twice! My heart melted completely.

It was a bittersweet moment when she left to go back home. But she is truly in the best place that this earth has to offer: The loving arms of her parents.

The Yellow Birthday Dress

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me........

While I was pondering my birthday this morning, a memory came to mind like it happened yesterday:

It was 1956 and I was a mere 5 years old.  My Mother and Father took us kids (as they did every year) to town to buy each of us a new outfit for Easter.  Mine also doubled as a birthday dress since Easter and my birthday fell real close together - at least that year they did.  I ended up with a pretty pale yellow dress that had some kind of filmy see through material layered over a very full skirt.  It was dreamy looking and I felt just like a little princess. 

My Mother hung it in my closet, but I was so taken with it that at some point in the middle of the night I just had to see it again and be close to it.  So I got up, and after falling into the closet and making all kinds of racket, I was able to pull the dress, hanger and all into my arms where I quickly buried my face into the new fabric, smelling the newness of it.  I promptly laid it at the foot of my bed and climbed back in.  I must have woke my Dad because he came in to check on me, and asked if I was okay.  I was a bit embarrassed because even at that young age I knew that wanting to be close to my new dress was weird, I just didn't want my Dad to see that.  Satisified that his daughter was okay, Dad went back to bed.

My folks had our pictures taken in those new Easter clothes at a studio and if I had a scanner I would share them with you.  But since I don't you will have to trust me when I say that Eddy, Kim and I were adorable!  I can also say with certainty that we were three of the luckiest kids in the world to have had the parents that we did. 

Isn't it funny that out of 53 birthdays that is the one that stands out most in my memory? 

..................Happy Birthday dear Robyn, Happy Birthday to me!  

In Memory

In Memory of my Beloved Father: Edward P. Stewart

July 31, 1925 - April 2, 1985

Aaron's Desert Portrait

I have known Aaron since before he was born.  His Aunt (Jeri) and his Mom (Kathyrn) are sisters and two of my best friends.  Aaron and my son Steve grew up together and we've all remained close throughout the years.  Aaron is more like a nephew than a friend though.  He worked with me for a couple years before moving to beautiful San Diego California. 

Aaron says:  "I am going to send you some pictures I took in the desert this past weekend. We went camping and hiking in the Anza Borrego State Park.  It was
beautiful.  The wild flowers were almost in peak bloom.  Aren't they
gorgeous?"  

Yes, Aaron!  They are gorgeous, and thank you for sharing these with me and allowing me to share them with J-Land!  

Girlfriends..........part 2

After 50+ years of living in this world, here is what I know about girlfriends:

Girlfriends bring you casseroles and scrub your bathroom when you need help. Girlfriends keep your children and keep your secrets.
Girlfriends give advice when you ask for it. Sometimes you take it, sometimes you don't.
Girlfriends don't always tell you that you're right, but they're
usually honest. Girlfriends still love you, even when they don't agree with your choices.
Girlfriends laugh with you, and you don't need canned jokes to start the laughter. Girlfriends pull you out of jams.
Girlfriends help you get out of bad relationships.
Girlfriends help you look for a new apartment, help you pack, and help you move. Girlfriends will give a party for your son or daughter when they get married or have a baby, in whichever order that comes!
Girlfriends are there for you, in an instant and when the hard times come.
Girlfriends will drive through blizzards, rainstorms, hail, heat, and gloom of night to get to you when your hour of need is desperate.
Girlfriends listen when you lose a job or a friend.
Girlfriends listen when your children break your heart.
Girlfriends listen when your parents' minds and bodies fail.
Girlfriends cry with you when someone you loved dies.
Girlfriends support you when the men in your life let you down.
Girlfriends help you pick up the pieces when men pack up and go.
Girlfriends rejoice at what makes you happy, and are ready to go out and kill what makes you unhappy.

Girlfriends...........part 3

Times passes. Life happens. Distance separates. Children grow up. Love waxes and wanes. Hearts break. Careers end. Jobs come and go.  Parents die. Colleagues forget favors. Men don't call when they say they will. But girlfriends are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girlfriend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley, and you have to walk it for yourself, your girlfriends will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you.
Or come in and carry you out. My daughter, sister, mother,
sisters-in-law, mother-in-law, nieces, cousins, extended family, and friends bless my life! The world wouldn't be the same without them, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still.

Grilfriends.......part 1

This is good to read every now and then to remind us just how valuable those "girl friends" are!!!   Here's to all my girl friends!

A young wife sat on a porch in Waycross, Georgia on a summer day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance on her daughter.

"Don't forget your girlfriends," she advised, swirling the tea leaves at the bottom of her glass. "They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you'll have, you are still going to need girlfriends. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them. And remember that "girlfriends" are not only your friends, but your sisters, your daughters, and other relatives too. You'll need other women. Women always do."

'What a funny piece of advice,' the young woman thought. 'Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman for goodness sake, a grownup, not a young girl who needs girlfriends! Surely my husband and the family we'll start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!

But she listened to her Mother; she kept contact with her girlfriends and made more each year... As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, girlfriends are the mainstays of her life.

Daily Affirmations

Play is the beginning of knowledge.--George Dorsey

Play is the exultation of the possible.--Martin Buber

 Play is the only way the highest intelligence
of humankind can unfold.--Joseph Chilton Pearce

We are never more
fully alive, more
completely ourselves,
or more deeply
engrossed in
anything than when
we are playing.-
-Charles Schaefer

April Gardening Schedule

It's April!  Here's the Pacific Northwest Gardening Schedule by Master Gardener, Ed Hume.