Time Flies By

and suddenly this tiny 14-year old has her Texas A&M class ring. I don't think I even got a college class ring (my roommate Ellen had stolen my high school ring), but at A&M it's one of the great traditions. You are entitled to order one when you have the right number of hours. The morning you get your ring, you receive a time. Maggie had 5:15 p.m. and we went at 5:45 and avoided the rush.

Alums hand you the ring and take pictures - I'm the one with the lump in my throat.


Maybe later I'll try to figure out how to get the pix in better, but not today.


Then you have your picture taken. We chose the fountain rather than the enormous class ring since it was dark.




Another great tradition is that only Seniors are allowed to do certain cheers. She's a real senior now.

The joys of home ownership . . .

It hasn't rained much this summer. Or, should I say not at all. Then came a rain of 5 inches in an hour during our house party for 100 people. But, it was in the master bath so no unmanageable crisis. The tarp guys came on Sun as well as the ServPro guys. Our insurance company representative, USAA, said no problem. We didn't believe them, but they said so. What they meant was there was no problem in denying our claim. I saw a wonderful billboard about USAA, "Serving America's Military." I wanted to spray paint it to add "A little less each year." It took the adjustor 12 days to come look at the damage, which of course got worse every day and we had two more hellacious storms. But, at day 12, of course, it didn't look like storm damage. YOYO. You're On Your Own. USAA'a motto. Not to worry though. We didn't have anything else to spend $9000 on. USAA says they're passionate about their service. I'm passionate about there lack of it. It's just as well. If they'd have paid the claim, they would have cancelled our insurance.

Enough already

There I was minding my own business driving to the clinic for my allergy shot. A billboard caught my eye. It was an add for a maternity store. It said, "Knocked up or not, we have clothes for you." If that's not the most tasteless bit of advertising I've seen lately! I'm still irritated. But the drive was saved by a bumper sticker that I thought was great. My husband was nonplussed. (I had to look up nonplussed to check it's meaning, and I'm using it in the more modern way; in other words, he wasn't impressed.) It said "Since guns don't kill people, do pencils misspell words?" I like that. I don't think I remember the exact wording, but you get the point.

I am not of this world . . . .

It all started innocently enough. I was driving across town to get my monthly allergy shot, and I made my traditional stop at Sonic for a large Diet Dr Pepper. I had surreptitiously purchased an "Us" magazine and was going to take a few minutes to skim through it before I headed to the clinic. (No, I do not read the trashy Enquirer, etc although we do get the Star in our Sunday paper). I found out that Padma Lakshmi's pregnant; that Lady Gaga's tour is off; 25 things about Selena Gomez that no one knows. I also found out that I have never heard of these people. And more, I don't care. Where's the news about people I've heard of ( or about whom I've heard, if you care about dangling prepositions). Elizabeth Taylor? Cher? Air Supply? OK, I do know about Nicole Richie and Jennifer Garner, and Penelope Cruz, so I'm not a complete idiot. What is the world coming to? Or for better or for worse - why have I become my mother?

When I am an Old Woman . . .

I know the poem says that when I am an old woman "I shall go out in my slippers in the rain and pick the flowers in other people's gardens and learn to spit." Well, as to spitting, there's no way. I have tried and tried and I end up spitting on my shoe or car window or car doorframe. That alone negates going out in my slippers. Do Crocs count? But, there's something else I shall refuse to do. I will no longer buy anything in a package that I can't open in the store in which I bought it. No more CDs or DVDs for me. There is no way I can split the tiny film now, let alone when my eyesight loses it's current flexibility. So, whoever is peddling the latest movies, well your product is toast in my opinion. I can't get to the jewel case. I bought a pair of electric scissors to cut through the titanium plastic that covers some things. Is there some type of insurance that covers plastic cuts?

In fact, I'm not sure I'll be able to pursue anything. Gone will be the days of opening packages and applying cosmetic touches. Scrapbooking days will be at an end; ever try to open one of the adhesive packages? I'd have had better luck, but my fake fingernails precluded that. And speaking of the fingernails, I couldn't get that package open either. Next it will be milk cartons, and ice cream packages. Wonder if my dental work will stand up to ripping things open with my teeth. So, opening beer bottles with my teeth is a no go. And, by the way, I'm stockpiling regular light bulbs. I don't like the curly q ones that last barely six months, which I then have to worry about disposing. At least I can open those packages. But, I digress. And, isn't that a good thing? Next I won't be able to open emails.

It just gets better and better . . .

Patty and I just got back (I'm almost back) from Creative Escapes, a scrapbooking phenomenon. Now, I've talked before about the value of women friendships, but what I learned in Chandler, AZ that there's a certain power in a group of women, whether they know each other or not. Nearly 700 women gathered together because they have a common interest - scrapbooking. Some older, some not that old, some beginners, some professionals, some of us wannabees. But, put us all in a room together and the electricity could power a small town.

I was also blessed to spend time with two friends of 50 years, give or take. The Nancy's have each played such an important part in my life. They've taught me about life in general, how it can be challenging and how to persevere in the face of obstacles I can't imagine. You guys are my inspiration. And to one of our high school friends who has decided men make better friends than women - shame on you. We won't wine and dine you, but we will be there for you, even when you've lost your way. Too bad she doesn't read this blog.

Shoes

OK. I have a lot of shoes but not so many that I can't count them. I have most of them in plastic boxes with labels. I really don't want to count them. But, I know I have fewer than Nancy because she has one of every Enzio flats ever made. What concerns me about these shoes, though, was that we're more than half way through the summer, and I had yet to wear my white sandals. If the truth were known, I'd forgotten about them. So, now, most of the people with whom I come in contact with think I only have one pair of summer shoes - the white ones. My daughter tries to tell me that no one pays attention to that rule of "no white shoes after Labor Day," but she's not constrained by the "old thinking." In fact, she wears white slacks far longer than I would and the thought of carrying a white purse in the winter seems fine to her. I want to appear modern, but I ain't giving into white shoes after Labor Day. So, for all of you that think I only have one pair of shoe this summer, just wait til after Labor Day.

Who knew

that a TV show could generate such excitement on so many levels. We've watched 24, but with sinking expectations. What are we missing? With the many distractions, maybe Lost has captured our imaginations. Poor Charlie. I think his demise has punctured the bubble. Moving on - Maggie goes back to school sometime this week. Mixed emotions. It's been remarkable watching her grow up this summer. And, there's a month to go.

Breathe deeplyq

I've been watching Lost past episode. Whoooo! What a series. I can picture myself in the forest. I feel the heat and humidity of the episodes. I've decided thery\ll all dead. So much for TV acquaintances.

I went to a tea party today . . .

they are a dyeing art. Who had the time or inclination to cut tiny sandwiches, make the egg salad, polish the silver, wash the cups, press the linens, make the tea, roll the salmon rolls? It was absolutely lovely. The best part was that the hostess was assisted by her granddaughter, who is 12. She was dressed in a lovely dress with matching sandals. Her brother, also appropriately dressed, helped with the tea. Tea Party - what comes to mind? Graciousness, formal, by-gone era, antique tea cups, cucumber sandwiches, petite fours? If my mother were still alive, I'd have worn white gloves. I know there are groups that ensure the art of quilt-making doesn't die out. There needs to be one for tea parties.

It's a good day to begin again . . .

It's been a month and a half and I guess I've been hibernating. I've accomplished a couple of things, not in any order of importance. I tackled a couple of long-held squeamish ideas - fish tacos and banana/peanut butter sandwiches. Fish tacos, not so bad. I guess the secret is fried fish and a strong enough cabbage taste to mask the fish. I ate the whole thing! On to the banana/peanut butter. Ooofdah. I'll revisit them as soon as I buy more bananas. Potassium combined with fat. How can that not be delicious.


The second event and far more important was my 45th HS reunion. Why anyone would hold a reunion in SD in the summer is beyond me. In their defense, however, the weather was great. They may have to do more with the fact that we've had a record-breaking heat wave and drought in San Antonio. It's amazing that you can see your HS friends and pick up as if nothing had changed. Why is that? We can laugh, reminisce, and gossip (just a little) and the time goes by so quickly. Too quickly. I believe that should we attend another, one night for the whole class is enough. You've told everyone how well they look and how glad you are to see them and asked what they've been doing and ooohed over their grandchildren. The precious time is investing it with friends from forever. (Notice I did not say, "old friends"). Collectively shared joy and sadness is the foundation of our lives.

My mother was hospitalized when I was in 9th grade, but I don't remember her having "girlfriends." She was in everything - book clubs, PEO, Eastern Star and others. But I don't remember coming home to find her immersed in a friendly cup of coffee with a best friend. I had to learn on my own that girlfriends are what keep you grounded. I hope I can pass this on to my daughter.

Read "We are our Mothers' Daughters" by Cokie Roberts

It's a compilation of great stories about women who have made a difference and pathed the road for the lives we live today. Her Chapter on "Friends" is particularly special as I just spent five days with friends from long ago and relatively new friends.

Just a couple of quotes that caught my imagination. "We were part of the grouop of kids who ran the student government, acted in the plays, organized the events . . . . Little did we know then that the friendships formed from those silly pastimes, the countless hours on the telephone, the sleepovers where no one slept, would in later years bring us back together through happy times and sad--through marriages and births and deaths, runaway kids and runaway husbands." All of us who have those friends are so blessed. Two of them flew all the way to Seattle for my stepson's wedding. And, it was as if no time had passed. Two other friends could not come for personal reasons and we missed them.

And three other friends also made the trip with their husbands. We all joined together as if we'd known each other forever. Another thought from Cokie is that we sometimes get so busy with mundane tasks and trivia that we don't take time to enjoy each other. The wedding provided time out to do that. She again points out that girlfriend lunches are "food for the soul." My soul was enriched this week. They made me take a time out to relax. They took over little tasks that I hadn't finished. I cherish my friends.

Go West, Robinsons, Go West

We've begun the trek to WA state to Joe's oldest son's wedding. We've got a van packed to the gills, one dog ( a lap dog Labrador), and two geezers as our daughter is wont to say. I have to remind her that 50 is the new 30 and geezers don't start until the mid-eighties. And when I'm 80, it'll move. We're sailing through seven states. On the first day, we traveled 8 hours and were still in TX. When you look at an Atlas, TX is not to scale of the other states. We took refuge from a hail storm under the entry way to a nursing home. I'm a big off-the-freeway sort of person and we were on some less traveled roads. The wind generators that dot the landscape are wonderful to watch, rather like large herons. My observation is that the further north and west we go, the higher the gas prices and the lower the octane. Why do gas prices go up during the summer? I cannot believe it doesn't have something to do with gouging, but what do I know. More observations to come.

She just can't be 21!!!

Joe, Maggie and I flew to Las Vegas to celebrate her 21st birthday. Where did all those years go? I remember other birthday parties - sweet sixteen,etc. But 21? Hmmm. At any rate, we met Nancy and Bruce Oyen and began the celebration going to "O," which ended after the enchanted hour. And, we took in "Jersey Boys" as well. What a delight to see this beautiful young woman emerge. There were times I thought it would never come. But, it has, and she is the delight of my life. We told her that the advantage of celebrating her 21st birthday with her parents and their friends was that she would remember it. Tee hee. She does and so do we.

Free Your Arms

I've just come to a startling revelation! Nobody cares if my arms are fat; they're not offended; I'm not sure anyone really notices. I had an inkling of that when we moved to Texas. Bountiful arms didn't seem to preclude anyone from wearing sleeveless tops, dresses, blouses. My old school thinking just wouldn't let me join in the freedom, however. (And, yes, I do know that's an incorrect use of the word "however" and I don't really care about that either). The real eye opener came when I was getting ready for my soon-to-be daughter-in-law's shower. My careful outfit planning hit a snag and what I had planned to wear wouldn't work. I looked like a nomadic tent. I quickly found a sleeveless top that matched the skirt but had nothing to wear over it. (I'm the one in the turquoise.) Melissa and her mom looked at me like I had two heads when I said I couldn't wear it because my arms were too fat. Bless them. I raised my chin and said, "to heck with it." You know, no one cared. Now, when I reviewed the pictures, I experienced a moment of terror - I really should have worn my Le Mystere bra then my stomach wouldn't have showed. But, stomachs are a different issue. I'll worry about that later.

Time Flies

and not always when you're having fun. It seems I woke up today and thought, "Oh, I have a blog." Gracious. There are some excuses, but they remain excuses. One of my hobbies is hospitals. The last visit was fascinating. I swallowed a pill cam and it recorded everything it saw on the way down. If I can get the movie, it'll be quite fun to watch.

Actually, I have been having fun, for the most part. I spent many days getting ready for company. Joe's oldest son is getting married and his fiancee and her parents came to visit. They came as friends and left as family. We are blessed to share our children. They are warm, wonderful and felt like lifetime friends.

It's my girlfriends that helped carry it off. Patty got me ready food wise. Barb went through my house and stashed all those things I couldn't see. And, I got a massage right before they came, thanks to Patty's planning.

On Sunday, Patty and Maggie hosted a shower for Melissa.

We played games, ate great food and enjoyed friends. There seems to be a consistent theme of "friends" here, have you noticed? And then, we celebrated San Antonio Fiesta. San Antonio can party like no other city. It's a cascarones free-for-all.

My Grandmother

What an amazing woman!! Alice Flickinger Schenk. I wish I knew more of the details of her early life. I am blessed to have a copy of a small book that she wrote about life in the Badlands of South Dakota. Tracking her genealogy has been fun. We lived in a duplex of sorts, with my grandparents upstairs and my family downstairs. If I'd done something wrong you could generally find me hiding under my grandmother's apron. She used to give me rides on her carpet sweeper and kept a record of my height on the knotty pine wall of her breakfast nook. She fed the squirrels from the window there and more than once my father was called to help an errant squirrel back out side. She told me I had short stubby hands that were made for work and handed me a duster.

She wrote poetry and music and books; drank a small glass of red wine at bedtime; and lived into her 90s. While cleaning my scrapbook room (although it's so messy it's hard to determine it's a space) I came across one of her poems:

"Give Me a Friend"

Give me a friend, just one good friend,
to walk along the way.
A friend who cares, a friend who shares
my joys and sorrows too.
Give me a friend, just one good friend,
who stays when the road is rough,
And the hills are steep and dark clouds
roll in before the sun breaks through.
Give me a friend, just one good friend,
and I'll be satisfied.

She was truly a jewel. Thanks to all my friends who have walked with me along the way.

Nothing like a trip to Laredo

to spur on your shopping urges. No, we didn't cross the border, although from the looks of things the bridge into Mexico was crowded. Seven of us braved terrorist warnings and took a van on the the three-hour trip south of San Antonio. Our designated driver was superb. She endured six other chatty, laughing women; rain and fog. We mad an early stop at a pottery store and bought enough to fill the van. Undeterred, we moved on to a hearty lunch in order to keep up our stamina. Jewelry was the next targeted purchase. And, a fine job we did. Then the iron works where we were able to fit a huge pink flamingo and iron circle into non-existent space. We looked like clowns at the circus emerging from a VW bug. The great thing was that although we knew each other at the start not all of us were close friends. Nothing creates a bond like shopping, though, and when we returned, we joined the husbands (who came to unload the van) for a glass of wine and to toast a successful adventure. Why is it that men haven't caught on to the value of "boyfriends" like we have "girlfriends." Their loss. Here's to girlfriends.

Sometimes your best friend . . .

turns out to be your daughter.
This year Joe gave Maggie and me a five-day trip to Ireland. Left lane driving, Guinness, Irishmen, mussels, and the love of my daughter, . . . could there be a better gift? We landed at Shannon on Wed morning and left from Dublin on Sun. In between was magic. Maggie served as navigator (she is blessed with a keen sense of direction). We had perfect weather, always sunny, no rain. We found little out of the way places, not on the "schedule" and Maggie's excitement got me to stop and enjoy things I never would have, had she not been there. It's great to see Ireland through the eyes of a twenty year-old. Through shouts of "left, left, left," we only drove on the wrong side one time.
The Dingle Peninsula was straight from the brochures. I found the B&B that Joe and I had stayed in 9 years ago. Wonderful Irish hospitality and homemade scones. Then we left the slow lane for Dublin. My mother always dragged me to things so I could say I'd done them. Maggie has now seen Dublin and had scones at Bewley's. Along the way, there was a stop at the Guinness Brewery, for medicinal purposes only.
And, we ended the trip watching Ireland win the Grand Slam Rugby play-offs. (So much better than American football.) Suffice it to say we packed a lot into four days. But the best thing, was traveling with and sharingg Ireland with Maggie. I love her dearly.

Another list . . .

A friend sent me this; I thought it was worth sharing. . .


An Angel says, 'Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.'

1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more.. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19 Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone. REPEAT...every day, FIND time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problemsin the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus .'
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe..
36 Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.
GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.

'If God is for us, who can be against us?'

(Romans 8:31)

What makes a friend?

What makes a friend? Off the top of my head I would probably list such things as shared experiences, trust, similar passions . . .. I look at my current girlfriends, and we have those things in common. I'm blessed with friends from high school but not so many from college. I have friends from my previous work environment, but I don't talk to them often. And, I have friends in San Antonio with whom I share hobbies, shopping and just spending time.

But I'm in Louisville right now at a big yearly militaria show that my husband lives for. It's his chance to laugh and tell funny stories with other guys who collect items from Imperial Germany (spiked helmets and such). Rather like a Diva weekend.

There are two other wives that come along. We are as different as can be. I'm the oldest; retired, etc. Another wife lives in a rural area and grinds her own flour from wheat, shears sheep and cards it to spin; and the other has been a pre-school teacher for twenty years. What we have in common is our husbands'love of collecting.

Once again, we're together. We have breakfast at 0945 at the La Quinta (right before they clean it up) and plan our day. On Day One, it's getting vittles for our husbands and taking them to the show; the guys appear to have invited everyone to stop by for sandwiches. That done, we have lunch, shop at consignment stores and Target, take naps and buy beer for the inevitable pizza party on Thurs, etc. I'm still fascinated with wheat grinding and sheep sheering as a way of life. We couldn't be more different. Our passions are different, we have no shared experiences except for once a year with our husbands. And yet, we are friends. Why? No particular reason, except we are friends. I learn so much from them and love them dearly.

Here's a toast to girlfriends - although we don't know why. We just feel that they are vital to life.

Another look at yesterday. . . from one of those recurring emails.

Black and White
(Under age 40? You won't understand.)

I saw this email awhile ago but just got it today again. Lots of memories of all the fun things we did way back when. And we're all OK today. So here goes.


You could hardly see for all the snow, Spread the rabbit ears as far as they go. Pull a chair up to the TV set,
'Good Night, David. Good Night, Chet.'

My Mom used to cut chicken, chop eggs and spread mayo on the same cutting board with the same knife and no bleach, but we didn't seem to get food poisoning. My Mom used to defrost hamburger on the counter AND I used to eat it raw sometimes, too. Our school sandwiches were wrapped in wax paper in a brown paper bag, not in ice-pack coolers, but I can't remember getting e.coli.

Almost all of us would have rather gone swimming in the lake instead of a pristine pool (talk about boring), no beach closures then.

The term cell phone would have conjured up a phone in a jail cell, and a pager was the school PA system. We all took gym, not PE .. and risked permanent injury with a pair of high top Ked's (only worn in gym) instead of having cross-training athletic shoes with air cushion soles and built in light reflectors. I can't recall any injuries but they must have happened because they tell us how much safer we are now. Flunking gym was not an option .. even for stupid kids! I guess PE must be much harder than gym.

Speaking of school, we all said prayers and sang the national anthem, and staying in detention after school caught all sorts of negative attention. We must have had horribly damaged psyches. What an archaic health system we had then. Remember school nurses? Ours wore a hat and everything. I thought that I was supposed to accomplish something before I was allowed to be proud of myself...

I just can't recall how bored we were without computers, Play Station, Nintendo, X-box or 270 digital TV cable stations.
Oh yeah ... and where was the Benadryl and sterilization kit when I got that bee sting? I could have been killed!
We played 'king of the hill' on piles of gravel left on vacant construction sites, and when we got hurt, Mom pulled out the 48-cent bottle of Mercurochrome (kids liked it better because it didn't sting like iodine did) and then we got our butt spanked.
Now it's a trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10-day dose of a $49 bottle of antibiotics, and then Mom calls the attorney to sue the contractor for leaving a horribly vicious pile of gravel where it was such a threat.

We didn't act up at the neighbor's house either because if we did, we got our butt spanked there and then we got butt spanked again when we got home. I recall Donny Reynolds from next door coming over and doing his tricks on the front stoop, just before he fell off. Little did his Mom know that she could have owned our house. Instead, she picked him up and swatted him for being such a goof. It was a neighborhood run amuck. To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told that they were from a dysfunctional family..
How could we possibly have known we needed to get into group therapy and anger management classes? We were obviously so duped by so many societal ills that we didn't even notice that the entire country wasn't taking Prozac! How did we ever survive?

LOVE TO ALL OF US WHO SHARED THIS ERA, AND TO ALL WHO DIDN'T. SORRY FOR WHAT YOU MISSED. I WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING.

Sage Advice

Laundry List for Life



Written By Regina Brett of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio to celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 90 in August, so here goes:


1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Full Moon

I'm not sure it's a full moon today, but it could have been. Either that or there's something funky with karma going on. Uneventful awakening, but glad I did, given the alternative. I had a nice breakfast with Joe while reading the idiotic stories that make up the news these days, and I'm not even talking about politics. It was then my intention to read my lesson for tonight's class. Well, I couldn't find my notebook - it's large and impossible to hide, but I apparently did. Then Joe wanted to see my Kindle - could I find it . . . no. Somewhere there's a brain that fits inside my head, but it's missing also.

I finished reading through the 5th crusade when a friend in need called. She has suffered a family tragedy and needed help. She and I went grocery shopping and while she organized her list, I volunteered to buy us something to drink. Now, I gave up diet sodas and artificial sweeteners on the cruise. I still don't know why. I do know, however, that I crave something sweet mid-day and rather than a diet Dr Pepper, I'm choosing chocolate and candy. II was already feeling a little nauseous because the only thing that got me through the crusades was a pack of peanut butter Girl Scout cookies. I got her a hot chocolate, and I got a milkshake. Nothing artificial about that.

So then, we went to her house where our friend Barb met us. It was Barb's and my task to make two recipes so Patty could finish up some other work. Barb is a master cooker; I'm a slug. We laid out the ingredients for the crockpot beef and everything went fairly smoothly til Barb broke (temporarily) the pepper grinder and the peppercorns went everywhere. Have you ever tried to vacuum them. If you can get them picked up, the vacuum grinds them and spits them out the back as ground pepper, which means you have to start over. It was perpetual motion because those that didn't get ground up went flying everywhere. Do you remember the old videos of a room full of mousetraps with ping pong balls on them, and you trigger one and they all go? Well, it works with peppercorns as well. So there we were, Barb and I trying to clean while keeping it from Patty so she wouldn't worry. OK, the beef is ready and we put it in a plastic bag in the fridge. Only to find out in a bit that it's leaked all over the eggs in the refrigerator. And, these are pasteurized eggs to prevent salmonella. Nothing we can't fix.

Then, we move on to an extraordinary dessert. It requires beating egg whites into stiff peaks. Do you think two women with master's degrees could get the beaters into the hand mixer? How about separating the yolks and whites? Not easy. We finally finish up by pouring the batter into a flat jelly roll pan and down my pant leg. Not to worry, I have to go to church in about 45 minutes, but Baxter (the dog) licks it off my leg so I'm good to go.

Barb runs me home while the cake is baking for ten minutes and I rush into the house to fix Joe something to eat before I go to church. My dog attempts further cleaning efforts on my pant leg while I fix Joe a dragon roll. I just hate those little packages of soy sauce. They just won't open and they're slippery. I finally get it open, so I think, and pour it on the dragon bites. What I don't immediately recognize is that it's spraying my shirt in the process in quite an artistic design. Urghhh. I'm trying to get to the church on time. So, I peel off my light pink shirt and begin to spray it. The spray bottle isn't working, and I'm really quite frustrated as I toss the bottle in the garbage. It's at that point I realize that it's a bottle of Febreeze, not the OxyClean bottle.

Well, the story is nearing it's end. I go to my class at church and when we finish it's hailing. San Antonio is in a drought and it decides to pelt us with hail as well.

All I can say is I wouldn't trade my friends for anything. The sisterhood simply can't be replaced. I know if something were to befall me tomorrow, my girlfriends would be there, no matter what was happening in their lives. I am blessed.

The Value of Women Friends

If you haven't checked out "Girlfriendology.com," you really must. It's an interactive website, filled with "all things girlfriend." I'm back from my cruise, still haven't fully unpacked and am feeling the stress of cooking. My friend, Patty, told me last Tues, when I picked up Daisy, to save this Friday morning. She had booked us a "chocolate" manicure and pedicure that was just heavenly. The scrub and moisturizer were some magic formula of chocolate. I can still smell it. After three hours of pampering, she took me to lunch. Both of us get too wrapped up in doing stuff. This "forced" relaxation was heaven and I stlll smell like chocolate. We've made another appointment for next month. Yayyy!!!!

Then, I checked out Girlfriendology and found the following excerpt from an article: Reducing Stress for Women.
10 Great Ways for a Woman to Manage Stress - By Spending Time with Her Girlfriends!

Here are 10 ways women can reduce stress, with their girlfriends:

Volunteer with a friend. Animal shelter or senior center, through a church or a neighborhood organization - wherever you prefer, volunteering together makes it more fun. Knowing that you’re helping others takes your mind off your own stress. In addition to doing something helpful for others, you and your girlfriend will have the wonderful experience of being thankful for all the blessings in your life.
Simplify your lives - together. Take turns helping each other organize closets. Help the other with household projects or cleaning out the basement. Make it your goal to organize, de-clutter and to trust your girlfriend to help you make good choices in what to keep and what to donate or toss.
Phone a friend. Sure, we send a quick email or forward a funny joke, but you need personal communication to connect with another indivdual. Give her a call to catch up. Plan a phone date at a time that’s good for both of you. I’ve had coffee phone dates with a long-distance girlfriend. We plan a time to talk on the weekend when the free minutes are rolling, and call each other from home or the corner place over a good cup of coffee. A few minutes on the phone together can totally erase the worries of the day simply through a caring conversation between girlfriends.
Start a girlfriend group, and don’t make it a one-time thing. Gather friends and start a book club, running club, mommies’ group or gourmet club. Having a plan to get together with several girlfriends on a regular basis is like having an upcoming vacation - it gives you something fun to look forward to.
Make plans to do dinner or lunch. Make it an adventure and try a new restaurant or share appetizers for a girlfriend catch-up happy hour of your own.
Take a yoga or Pilates class with a girlfriend. The exercise will help you physically, the girlfriend will help you emotionally - both wonderful outcomes for an hour of your time. Plus, you’re bound to find things to giggle about in class, which is worth the effort simply for the comic relief.
Try some animal therapy. Pets, like girlfriends, are a proven source of stress relief. Join the two and visit a dog park with a girlfriend. You’ll laugh at the dog antics and all the kinds of creatures and their personalities. Or, take a dog for a walk together. That combines exercise, animals and friendship - add a nice day and you’re set for a super stress-relieving session.
Be creative. Enjoy time together and forget about the stress in your lives by getting creative. Take a knitting class, plan a day to scrapbook, make cards, bead or try a new craft together. Crafting is also a wonderful way to get your mind thinking creatively which can lead to new solutions for your stressful life. There’s a reason women are so passionate about their pastimes - find your passion and some girlfriends who share that hobby with you and you’re on your way to happiness. And, you can make gifts for your girlfriends!
Pamper thine self. This could mean shoe shopping or a new haircut, a massage or a cup of fancy organic tea. Allow yourself some time together to take care of your inner girlie girl.
Get healthy - together. Weight gain or unhealthy eating often accompanies stress. Find an approach that works for both of you to be healthier - be it a diet or exercise plan, or perhaps by joining Weight Watchers or a boot camp class. Work together to eat right, exercise together, encourage each other and celebrate your successes. Stress diminishes when you’re healthy, happy and beautiful!

In one fell swoop Patty took care of half the list. God bless her.

Home again, home again.

Ahhh. It's quiet in the house. Joe has taken Daisy out for a run, no TV, no sound. . . How often do we have the time to enjoy silence? How often do we fill the silence with list-making or busywork? I vote for silence. Finding a quiet niche each day and fill it with nothing. And then, slowly transition into prayer or meditation or just breathing deeply. There is an exercise in Breathwalking where you walk while concentrating on one sense at a time. First seeing, looking intensely at your surroundings, then hearing - tuning everything else out, then smelling, then tasting. I usually close my eyes as much as I can without walking into a tree. At the very end, you open your eyes and tune in all your senses and it's just like an explosion. Ahhhh.

End of the Cruise

Here's a toast from Punta Arenas, Chile. Aural Patagona beer is something to export. At the end of a cruise, I always am torn. Wanting to stay and explore further and wanting to go home. Most of my laundry is done so I won't have tons when I get home. It's been glorious. What stands out? Being on the Falklands, walking on the beach with penguins, cruising Antarctica, unbelievable ice flows and mountains (I never really pictured mountains, just ice), walking all over Punta Arenas in search of a rosary for a friend, laying in the sun today so I'd have a little tan, reading on the 5th deck (I've read three books and run out of any more on my Kindle), loving Joe's company, eating ice cream with abandon, and just "being." There are 44 different nationalities of passengers - 42 different nationalities of cruise personnel. And, a large contingent of transvestites. Who knew, no pun intended? I think working on a cruise ship would have been fun just out of college. Save your money, work hard, visit the world. There are many young Japanese passengers, who have been traveling the world for 1-2 years, each by her/himself. Most are in their late 20s and have been staying in hostels, using rail passes, hitchhiking. The food on the ship is nirvana for them. They were sad to be returning to "on-the-road" food - meaning meager and not much. Ahh, the joys of wanderlust.

Antarctic Peninsula

What could be more glorious for a birthday than sailing through the Antarctic Peninsula. Since it's my birthday I decided to blow off my morning workout, but it would be silly to sleep through these vistas (or is that vistae)? The sun has shown through the clouds; it's just like I anticipated it would look, only more so. At one point we were going so slowly that the mountains reflected in the water. I'm not sure a $$$ camera could do it justice, but my point and shoot surely doesn't.

Joe ordered me a champagne breakfast with more food than four people could eat - salmon that looked like a rose, crab legs, broiled tomoateos, some strange asian slaw, fruit galore and of course, some tasty sweets.

The temperature is a little above freezing and it's quite pleasant outside, as long as you're dressed within an inch of your life. They warn about sunburn. My geographical ignorance didn't allow for mountains - but they're here. The fog cuts off the top of them, but someplaces look like the Rockies with much more snow.

We met another crew member, Edgar, from our ill-fated cruise on the Sapphire Princess. Several nightmares emanated from that cruise, one of them being terrible food. Edgar was our waiter. He says that memorable passengers stand out and he remembers them. I'm hoping it's because Joe's in a wheelchair, not that we complained loudly about the food.

And, p.s. I got my hair makeover. I've also tried to have highlights that look natural; not this time, baby. I've got chunks of "copper" and "blonde." This morning when I got up, I looked like a rockhopper penguin. Joe was kind enough to comment that he like the color. The last time i got it cut short, he told me several times he hated it. I believe good friends Barb and Patty suggested to him that he might work for more tact. It's working, ladies.

And another p.s. If I haven't mentioned how much I love Joe, here it is. He has made this a magical birthday and given me a wonderful life. I love him dearly.

It's snowing!!!

It seems the only thing I forgot to pack were Joe's socks. Drat. It's day seven - I think. The spa has convinced me to change my look. This should be fun. But, I digress. Glorious sea days - I even got a couple days in the sun. We've attempted to be good when it comes to eating, but Fernando keeps bringing me chocolate croissants whenever he sees me. STOP. They are my favorite, however. Ah yes, and Ramon, the room steward leaves me an excessive amount of chocolate every night. It's a plot.

I spent the day in the Falkland Islands. We took an offroad trip to Volunteer Point to see the penguins. First we had to fit into our four-wheel drive cars. I say that because I had to give up my front seat because of one of the passengers who was too big to fit into any other vehicle. It was the only spot to wedge him in. It turned out well, though as I shared a back seat with another Kappa Alpha Theta; what a small world.

The most glorious were the King penguins. They stand between three and four foot tall and don't mind a whit that you're watching them. Some even oblige by preening for you and showing off. If I eat more I'll really be able to do the penguin walk. There were also Gentoo and Jackass penguins - fun to watch but not as regal. We got there by four-wheel drive overland, through ruts and mud and even lost our front bumper. Bummer for the driver - it was her boss' car.

Today is a real treat. We're sailing around Elephant Island in the South Shetlands. There's a gentle snowfall and spectacular views. We're blessed in that it is often too foggy to see anything. We're fortunate to have a balcony, so we're sheltered from much of the wind. But, an Aran Island sweater, a goretex jacket, North Face pants, hat and gloves - heck, it's almost balmy. The down side, of course, is that the sweatpants I packed for Joe are apparently our daughters. It was a stretch (literally) to get them pulled up to Joe's waist. Drat.

Well, it's lunch time, heaven forbid we miss one. And, my internet minutes are fleeting. More later.

Don't cry for me Argentina . . . .

Ahhh, at long last. The cruise. Why should we whine? Does anyone work for Delta? If so, shame on the baggage department. We got Joe's electric wheelchair in Buenos Aires - in many pieces. I figure to cause that much damage they must have dropped it from the airplane onto the tarmac. We've been a lot of places and it's suffered a lot of dings, but nothing that I couldn't fix. This poor thing is beyond recognition.

But, that was yesterday. We have a manual wheelchair and a strong pusher (me, the kickboxing queen). We were relatively exhausted yesterday after a day flying, but undaunted, I took an afternoon tour of Buenos Aires. We saw the normal big sites - I'd been there in 1961, but memory being what it is - they were mostly all new to me. I really wanted to see the cemetery and almost got to. When I woke up, the bus was empty except for me. Drat. Otherwise, we found Buenos Aires to be delightful. Tremendously friendly and helpful people and good food except for an overcooked steak - mine, not Joe's.

We stopped for a drink at the piano bar tonight, and I got Joe a Beck's. Then Elbert came by and asked why Joe wasn't drinking Bass. Seems he was on our cruise a year ago Christmas. He remembered us and that Nick and Joe drank Bass and that I drank white wine. (He also remembered Maggie, go figure.) I could never work on a cruise ship, I CRS. Miss y'all.

Off we go . . . .

Joe and I are off on a great adventure. Daisy has gone to visit her boyfriend and surrogate parents, Patty and Fred. (She was initially sad because Maggie's puppy has made her life intolerable) but if anyone can fix that Patty can. And Daisy does like the special early morning time with Fred when he's reading the paper and she get her ears scratched.

We're nearly packed; I'm wondering what I will discover I left in the bathroom when we get to Atlanta. All the chargers are packed, I think. I believe I have more clothes than are necessary, but at two bags each, what the heck. Besides, what would I want to buy in Argentina and Chile anyway? Certainly not wine. p.s. I've had a really low iron count so the doctor asked me if I'd had any weird food cravings. Like chocolate, I asked? No, more like blackboard chalk or dirt. Whew! No weird cravings for me. Thank goodness, I'm normal. Bring on the chocolate. I did tell him that my daughter's lab puppy had been eating dirt - did he think she was anemic? No, just a destructive puppy.

I've pledged to exercise and eat sensibly on this cruise. I have 500 hundred "free" minutes on board to access the internet. I'll keep you posted. Actually, it will be more like an open diary. I thought maybe I could give up diet sodas and processed sugar (including Splenda) on the cruise. Seems a lofty goal, much like eating chalk. Notice there was nothing about chocolate. I do like their chocolate croissants, which they have every other day. Maybe if I sleep til 1000 on those days, they'll be gone. That's a concept. Help! What have I forgotten? Maybe to go to sleep.

Tune in for stories of our great adventures. Penguin pictures to follow.

The Wireless Connection

We're getting ready to go on a three-week cruise. While I was stressing about the cutback in luggage allowance, it occurred to me that I nearly have a small suitcase filled with wires. When Nancy and I and her parents drove to Chicago back in ( well never mind when)we sang songs all the way there. No need for a radio, we just belted them out (God bless her parents for not pulling their hair out). Now, I have to pack two cell phone chargers, a camera charger, the electric cord for my notebook, the charger for my Kindle, Joe's wheelchair charger, my IPod cradle and its cord. We could take our electric toothbrushes and the charger and the charger for Joe's electric razor. I will probably also break down and take my Nintendo DS - for those lazy At Sea days. That will require another charger though. Surely I'm forgetting something.