Quack! Quack!

This last weekend I was fortunate to be able to have a girl’s weekend with 2 of my 3 girls. Amanda had planned to watch the bombers play in the state basketball tourney, BUT that didn't happen. So we took Amanda up on her offer of a room, so we went up to spend the weekend with her. We stayed at the Spring Hill Marriott in down town Seattle. Saturday morning we got up to a very beautiful sunny day. We took the Duck Tour, it was fantastic. It's a WWII amphibious truck thing that goes around Seattle and then over to the Fremont district and into Lake Union. The tour guide was awesome. He gave little tidbits of history of Seattle, he was very entertaining. After the tour we went to Pike Street market. They had the most beautiful flowers, I was thinking of bringing some home but they would not have lasted. They were so pretty. Then we walked down to the Crab Shack and had lunch. We stuffed ourselves there then we walked back to the market so Amanda could get a piece of pottery. We only had 45 minutes to get back to the car. This is where the “Mall Walker” Amanda excelled. Kristina was behind Amanda about 10 feet and I was behind Kristina about 15 feet, you have to understand that this is Seattle which is all very hilly. We walked up the hill where the steps are and the water fountains. Very pretty with the Cherry Trees blooming. Then up the hill to the car, we were very tired. It basically kicked my fanny. I told Kristina that if I lived in Seattle or New York City I would be in much better shape. It was a very enjoyable weekend and I want to thank Amanda for allowing us the use of her room.

Was I awake?

There are many times that I get up and just get ready to go to work and leave not really paying to much attention to what I am wearing. This morning was one of those mornings. (But I usually know what I am wearing) Since I spent most of my time running back and forth to Spokane last week I have been very tired. Going to bed early has not seemed to help. I am still dragging when I get up in the morning. This morning the sun was shinning and it was really very pretty out and I did take notice of that, I just got up and took my shower and got dressed and went to school. Since most of my pants are neutral and the tops are just tops I am not too picky about what I put on. (I usually pay more attention to my bling than anything else.) At lunch time I went to get something to eat at Yokes and as I was walking outside I saw what I had on for the first time today. It wasn't that it didn't go as much as it was just not right.......A bright navy pair of cords with a bright orange top. I was quite startled. I really had no idea what pants I had on. Which makes me wonder what else I did this morning without know what I was up to?? I guess I should be just grateful that I had pants on!

Toilet Paper and toilet seat covers.

I have not updated this for almost a year but I tried to put this on facebook but it was to long so I will put it here.
This will be funny to just about everyone but more so to my family.
This last weekend I was walking out of the store and this women walked in front of me. I noticed a piece of TP hanging out of the top of her pants. Of course since I am a caring person and would want someone to tell me about this I did say something to her. She was very grateful, saying that she would have been all over town with it hanging there.
A couple of years ago this same thing happend to a family member when we were at Disneyland. We of course being the compassionate family that we are we waited a bit before we told her that she had a toilet seat cover hanging out of her pants. Since then she gets toilet seat covers for Christmas. Oh yes we are a caring and compassionate family. We do not abuse each other with gag gifts or pranks. (and I will be getting in trouble for lying)

Some very Profound Thoughts

A very dear friend sent this to me and I think it is worth sharing.
Way to many times we put off doing something till later for what ever good reason we think at the time, only to find that we have missed an opportunity. The older I get the more I think of these things. I will be 59 in a few months and for some reason it has been bothering me far more than any of my other birthdays.
I have a lot of things on my "Bucket List" that I will more than likely not get to do. BUT I have 5 of the most fantastic kids and 6 of the most GRAND of Grand kids that I could possibility have so my Blessing are great. So if I don't get to mark off a lot of my bucket list so be it. But doing the simple things like making a phone call or going to see a friend should be at the top of our "List of Things To Do."

READ THIS VERY SLOWLY.... IT'S PRETTY PROFOUND.
Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.
I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.
How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?
How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?
I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, 'How about going to lunch in a half hour?' She would gas up and stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast. It looks like rain.' And my personal favorite: 'It's Monday.' She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.
Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!
We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.
Life has a way of accelerating, as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday’, ‘When things are settled down a bit.'
When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.
My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-Decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.
Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to, not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, whom would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?
Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask ' How are you?' Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Or just call to say 'Hi?
When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift thrown away. Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.
'Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!'

I do not subscribe to the theory of "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die." or "if it feels good do it." But I do think we have over programed our lives and we do need to slow down and smell the roses.
Have a great day and I love you all.

Happy Birthday!! Happy Happy Birthday!

Twenty-Nine years ago I had Deanna Banna Boo. (Deanna Marie). She was my last, I didn't know that at the time and I was very tired. I did know that. She was a beautiful little red head, but the most amazing thing was that she had hair. Hair is something that we don't usually get on our babies in the family. (Instead of losing her hair it just grow in platinum)
She was 8lbs and 21 inches long. My biggest baby. She was so fun. She walk @ 8 months. She had to keep up with her brother and sister you know.
At six weeks old she got pneumonia, she was in the hospital for 6 days. Talk about being sacred, I was terrified. She bounced back pretty fast and the only lasting effects were her teeth came in with decay spots, she lost her 4 front teeth at the age of 3 and a half. Because of that she had a speech problem but she was great. She treated us like we were the once with the problem. She never stopped talking like some kids do. She was so smart, she would "work" with us to make us understand her.
She was a responsible child too. When we got the Big Blue Van (Weikum's Bus) I assigned seats to the kids. Amanda got the back seat because she read, Doug got the seat behind the driver and Deanna the seat next to the door. Because I knew I could trust her to leave the door alone.
When she was in Jr High she made some very smart personal choices that I have always been very proud of her for.
She has always been so fun to be with. I know that is why she is so missed when she is not with the rest of us.
Her senior year she was the only one home, she and I had so much fun. I loved picking her up from school. She would pop into the car and tell me what fun thing she had done that day. We would laugh and then go to Rocket Mart. (When we moved from 1503 I know that their profits went down big time). I know I am rambleing but as I have contemplated my youngest turning 29 I realize that I am so very proud of all my children and that they are the most awesome young people.
You have all made David and I look good.
Thanks you for all that you have done for your dad and I.
We love you.

Nena the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. The turkey is in the fridge thawing and the dressing is in the boxes in the pantry. I'm getting excited for the holidays this year.

I am grateful that my Mom is still with us this year and that her health has almost returned. A year ago we had just found out that my Mom had lung cancer. The Dr. said that if we did not start treatment immediately she would not make til Christmas. Of course treatment was started before we left Spokane. Mom endured many months of very strong and terrible chemo and radiation. She lost her hair. She got down to about 90 pounds. She has gotten stronger but is still very weak and susceptible to germs but she is still with us and we are hoping that she will be able to spend the Holiday's with us again this year.

I am very grateful for the pilgrims that came to this Continent. The first setters came here to pursue religious freedom. The hardships that they endured were so great.


I am grateful for family and friends to share the holidays with. This year we will have a houseful and its going to be great.
Happy Turkey Day. See you all later. Love to all.

Good Morning.

The sun is shinning and it is 24 out, but it's a beautiful day. The kids are still sick, runny noses and a cough. I don't think we have anymore fevers.

I do have a good "David Story" to tell. Jeff at the RV store told me this yesterday. Last week David was taking this couple on a test drive in a motor home. Everything was going great and they were on their way back to the dealership. The light changed on the freeway and court street exit (David was driving). He went to step on his break and could not find it because the carpet was over the break. His only comment was, "CarpetCarpetCarpetCarpet." He found the break and stopped out in the middle of the intersection. The guy riding shotgun looked at him and said "I have diabetes. But you almost gave me a heart attack."

#1. Which brings to the first thing I am thankful for. A sense of humor. Live is full of challenges and without the ability to laugh at ourselves and about things it would be very hard.

#2. Pictures. I was on the laptop last night and there was a picture of Kyah when she was little as the wall perper. So I went to pictures on that computer and was looking at the pictures of Lucas when he was a tiny baby. They were fantastic. Pictures bring back memories of good times.

#3. Gas prices dropping.

#4. Grand kids. Watching them and listening to them tell me about their day.

#5. Laughter...laughter can make the most difficult day go easier. Friday was a hard day. The other 2 paras were gone, we had subs for them but our classroom is very hard for a sub to come into. The Autistic boy doesn't handle change well. I am not his main para, but I was the only one left. He knows that I think most of the things he does are very funny. So he was giving me a run for my money. And he was laughing big time. I was drained at the end of the day but it was still a very funny day and all I could do was laugh.

#6. Great co-workers. I know their the best but when they are gone I know it all the more.

Have a very fantastic Turkey day. I'll try to take pictures and get them on the blog. But no promises.