Please, please tell me now...

Happy Leap Day everyone...leap yourself into something new and fun.



Now, if you know, tell me how this little chub-a-love with red hair and bare feet became this:

 amazing five year old, chub-a-love, full of mischief, a photo exact image of her daddy, and still bare footed girl.  Happy Birthday Maude, I adore every bit of you my sweet bug.

This is the three-tiered cake as requested and made by her daddy.  Good job dad!  Each layer a different colour and flavour.

Wednesday's child...

don't know the source but this bouquet is made of cupcakes!

Mondays child is fair of face,
Tuesdays child is full of grace,
Wednesdays child is full of woe...

there you have it, I was destined to be a woeful child and grow up into a woeful adult!   Stupid song.
I had a birthday recently and as one always does on their birthday I spent some time in reflection of the last several decades of my life.  First of all, several decades, how the heck?  Wasn't it just yesterday that I was born, then I blinked and I was 62.  So much time passing so very quickly, lots of water under that bridge.  Too bad I can't use it to help the drought.  Needless to say I've burned many bridges in my life but I've built many also, so I am as always a work in progress.

My mother used to sing that childhood poem to me.  

We are hot.  Not in the romantic or beautiful way but the weather...is hot.  And dry.  And we are on fire.  It is frightening to see the river dry and the smoke filling the air.  And in a huge bit of irony, a top ten on the irony scale, our city and the surrounding cities have asked residences not to water lawns, or wash cars, etc, and we abide by that albeit quite crunchy out there.  THEN our HOA has the audacity to fine us for not keeping our lawns green and up to the codes of conduct for the neighborhood.  Goodness.  Give some people a little bit of power and they go crazy mad with it.

I am trying to get myself back into blogging.  I have missed you all and the support you give me has really kept the depression monster at bay.  Blog fodder has been hard to come by though since I rarely leave the house except to go to the doctor.  Really, we need a ramp to the backyard to I can go outside and enjoy the...the what?  

Until we meet again, take care. smile at someone preferably a stranger, they are probably fighting a battle you/we know nothing about.

celebrate..celebrate...dance to the music...

Happy Birthday to the one I laugh with, cry with, dance and sing with, to the one who listens, who celebrates everyone she loves.  To my daughter, my dearest friend, keeper of all things family.  The one whose hand I held when she came into the world and the one who will hold mine when I leave.  I love you my dear, my original punky, and the woman you have grown to be.  I hope you feel as loved today as I feel when I am with you.  mum

another year for the ages...

and still hanging in there...Happy Birthday to me...; )

(august 12th)

let them eat cake...

...or, in this case, apple pie.    

to the infant boy

born 5 weeks early 

and thought breathing was an unnecessary thing,

(thank God the dr.'s had other plans)

to the toddler

who was so busy chatting

he couldn't take the time to sleep.

to the school boy

who was too darn smart

for his own

or anyone else's good,

who loved reading and

devoured books like candy.

to the teenager

who decided chatting

was a waste of time

especially with his

parents.

to the boy who left for college

and came back

a man.

to the wanderer

who went in search of 

himself

only to find his 

true love

marry,

and become the father

of our beautiful

Miss M.

Yeah, that one,

my son

the one I feel such 

joy and pride when he

hugs me and says

"love you mom,"

that one

my beautiful,  brilliant, hilarious,

son...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

your pie awaits!

love you BIG,

mum

*note* about the plates in my last post.  I did find them quite easily in fact (thanks L) and they are circa 1984 so no vintage find there.  They were created by a Seattle artist and are called "Rosanna."   I think they would look best in a sewing/craft room and will put them there when that room gets it's make-over.  For now, they will be in the dining room for all to enjoy!  Thanks for your help.

Teatro ZinZanni...

...otherwise described as  "part circus, part dinner theatre with a little magic mixed in."  (according to their website here).  It's like Cirque de Soleil and Moulin Rouge all together with a multi-course feast thrown in...literally!   My hubby says that if he were to open up my head, as if it was hinged, and looked inside THIS is what he would see.  Absolute mayhem and a ton of fun.

There was music, dancing, comedy, vaudeville and cirque.  And it was pretty darn sexy too. 

We talked about going for years and finally got tickets for last Sunday in order to kick off this spectacular year.  The 60/40, more on  that later.   We will probably still be talking about it for years to come.  IT WAS A BLAST...and I wasn't even drinking!

The setting is in a circular tent and we were seated on the floor area which is closest to the stage and at times part of the stage.  The stage revolves and also ascends and descends as needed for each performer, who by the way were dressed like cabaret singers.  Unfortunately no photos allowed.

While the show was taking place we were treated to a lovely dinner of appetizer of baked ricotta-brie tart with fresh berries, yum.  followed by Hearts of Palm salad, hmmm.  Then Beef Wellington with saucy potato bake, yum x2.  Then a beautiful desert of Pistachio cheesecake of which I had to pass up due to my new dairy allergy and the fact that the only nut on Earth that I can't eat is a Pistachio!  All the time there is music and mayhem on stage and although it was quite loud it was not annoying as our show was set in the '50's and that is an era that I enjoy.

from web

We went to the Matinee so it was easier to accommodate my wheelchair and not crowded at all.  Read about it if you get a chance.  It really was much more than I can describe here, but so far...60 is rockin'!!

and we have a winner!!!!

*********the winner of "Delight in the Seasons" is yaya from Whispering Pines!  Congratulations Yaya....email me your mailing address and I will send it right out to you! jmwe4@yahoo.coM*****************






..there IS a reason why I don't eat ice cream and having my once-in-a-lifetime malted shake was perfect proof of that.  Without divulging any more details I will just say I had a very busy week hugging the porcelain wishing well. I am finally feeling better.   Because of this unexpected event I will be extending my birthday giveaway until Monday.

 image: bing

If you are interested in winning the book, "Delight in the Seasons," then please leave a comment here and I will add them to the comments on the birthday post,  and randomly pick a winner.  Enter as many times as you wish...

image: amazon

it really is a fun book filled with seasonal traditions, crafts, recipes and folklore.   See you on Monday.  (I have a very exciting adventure planned for tomorrow and can't wait to share it with you, as long as there is no ice cream involved!)

THIS is the face of 60...

 

 

...freshly scrubbed

freckled-face

apple cheeked

red-headed with a touch of white.

 

 

when did I become this woman.

with

my mother's hands

my father's crooked smile

and

strong features

except for the lips

where did they go?

 

I am not upset

that I have become

'me'

for all the choices

I have made in my life

have brought me to

this point.

and all the adventures

that are

waiting for me

are only dreams waiting to be

fulfilled.

as I choose
my words
carefully;
I bid a fond farewell
to the decade of my
50's.
the decade whose
many memories are
wrought
with illness and grief,
the most difficult times of my life.
I would give it all again to see
those children of mine wed
and make me a
grandma times two!

fare thee well
and
moving forward  to many
new adventures
and the
time
of my life.
Happy Birthday to me.



*****leave a comment to be entered in my secret birthday giveaway*****


still crazy after all these years...

...today

marks the beginning

of

my hubby's

60th year.

hard for me to believe

that I have known

this man

for 3/4 of

my life so far.



 I still find

him

fun, crazy, comforting, compassionate,

and

willing to try just about anything.

(take that anyway you want to!)

Oh yeah,

I still happen to find him

rather

handsome.

 

 

Happy Birthday to the one I

laugh with,

cry with,

stand with and

dance with.

Happy Birthday

to my best buddy.

Saturday night fever...

 ...Sunday night chills,

Monday night sore throat,

Tuesday night aches,

Wednesday night

Thursday night

Friday night

Saturday night headache.

Sunday...

little Miss Maude's "2" birthday.

 That was my week, how about yours?

Happy Birthday my sweet 'punky' girl!

taking that first small step...

...I've been looking at this last birthday as if it was a new year, my new year.  Been doing a lot of reflecting and reminiscing.  Looking forward to making some changes in my life, nothing grandiose but things that will be meaningful for me.  Things that won't be easy as I tend to be rather shy and like it here in my little cocoon.  But I've got to take those first steps right?  Even if it is just a baby step.  Just the smallest click of a dial and a whole new world is opening up for me....

I'm moving away from the "Auto" and taking the leap to the "M."  I am on my way to better photos, to understanding my camera and to much frustration!

Choosing to be content as I look forward.

and so it begins...

...starting today, starting now, the first day of the last year of my fifth decade.

And while I am startled and amazed that I am still here I am also very mindful of the wonderful blessings I have in my life and the extraordinary beauty that surrounds me every single day.

And so, I will be stepping out of my comfort zone more and into the unknown adventure.

Happy Birthday to me!

All about a girl...

...who left the house. without putting new batteries in her camera, on the way to her only grand child's first birthday.  Yes, she did.  And wouldn't you know, she didn't realize this until the big moment when all she could do was snap her dying camera in vain while it turned itself off and cried "change the battery" to no avail. As she moaned in despair that the moment was lost she hoped that somewhere in the crowd someone, somehow, had captured the moment, you know the one.  Where the sweet little girl who is turning one gets to eat her cake (or cupcake in this case) made by her vegan mother.  The cake (cup) made out of black beans and applesauce with just a hint of some sort of frosting on top.  The first desert of her tiny little life.  The one, the moment, while we are all waiting, holding our breaths, anticipation...

unfortunately, the sweet child was not impressed.   More party pictures to come.  take care, be kind, you enough.    Happy Birthday Maude and Happy Birthday to Maude's daddy.

Riding the birthday train...

...29 ahem years ago today, at approximately 6:32am, I came face to face for the first time with this beautiful girl.  She is my first and only daughter, she is my last and only daughter.  And unlike the two boys before her, she made her opposition known to everyone in the delivery room, but I, I was ecstatic!

She is fiercely independent, strong, and creative.  She is too funny for words and has a huge heart, she is tender and loving with a passion for life, her family, her friends, and her cat!  She is beautiful in every way that counts.  She is my missing piece.  She made our family complete, and gave her only surviving brother a sibling to love.  Not only do I love her but I am completely in love with her and every time I see her I am in awe.  How could I have possibly had anything to do with this lovely person? 

I read once that when you give birth to a daughter you give birth to a connection unlike any other.  Being close to my boy, I didn't understand this statement but it is true.  She came into this world and I held her hand, and when I leave this world she will be holding mine.  She is my daughter.  She is my friend.  And today I wish her Happy Birthday  Lindsay~~with love.

It isn't you...well, yeah, it is...but not in that way...

...are you feeling a little rejected, disrepected, neglected?  Well, believe me when I tell you that it isn't you, it's me.  I've been happily drinking in all the wonderful summer sunshine while it lasts and, you know around here, that it won't last long.  Thus the lack of posts.

I read an article recently, really I shamelessly stole it from MPM, that I found very interesting with regards to gal pals.  I wanted to share part of it with you with the hopes that you will take a moment and share it with your favorite gal pals.

On this, my birthday, a huge hug and thank you to all my gal pals for holding me up, giving me strength, making me laugh, and getting me through to another birthday.  Love you all:

here we go:

She wrote............ I just finished taking an evening class at Stanford. The last lecture was on the mind-body connection--the relationship between stress and disease. The speaker (head of psychiatry at Stanford) said, among other things, that one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends.
At first everyone laughed, but he was serious.
Women connect with each other differently and provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences. Physically this quality girlfriend time" helps us to create more serotonin--a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well being. Women share feelings whereas men often form relationships around activities. They rarely sit down with a buddy and talk about how they feel. Women do it all the time. We share from our souls with our sisters, and evidently that is very good for our health. He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym.

There's a tendency to think that when we are "exercising" we are doing something good for our bodies, but when we are hanging out with friends, we are wasting our time and should be more productively engaged--not true. In fact, he said that failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other humans is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking! So every time you hang out to schmooze with a gal pal, just pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for doing something good for your health!
We are indeed very very lucky.
So let's toast to our friendship with our girlfriends. Evidently it's very good for our health

And the other thing...

...I realize that my last post was rather "Seinfeldian," but sometimes I get a little overwhelmed and when I try to get everything in order and down in a sensible manner well...I get all random.  It's just how I roll.

Life has recently handed me (us) a couple of new curveballs and learning to find the new normal has been a rocky climb.  You know life...full of challenges and surprises, moments of sheer joy and unspeakable delight, and in a flash you feel like you are engaged in a battle for your life.  And sometimes you are.

I am fine and we will find a way to embrace the sacred moments of our lives and ask for Grace for this new road.  Thanks for your concern.  Let's move on now shall we?

I am loving the new 'design' feature in blogger and I must admit I have spent more than a few hours playing with the templates!  Problem is that I have issues with indecision and have changed the backroud at least ten times in the last few days.  Gah, pick something and stick with it already.

Today we were fortunate enough to see our first grandbaby's ultrasound.  Sweet.  The little stinker was being shy so we will have to wait another four weeks to find out what name we will be calling him/her.  Ultrasound has come a l-o-n-g way in the last 30years!

and the other thing?  Today my sweet daughter-in-law Lauren kicks off cake season.   Happy Birthday Lauren, may your year be Blessed with much happiness, good health, a beautiful baby, and immeasurable love.  We are so happy that you chose to be part of our family.  Love you sweet girl.

Calling Dorothy Hamill...

...thirty- four years ago, this evening, I was due to give birth to my second son. It was a planned delivery, a c-section, due to my health complications and the stress that we had recently been through with the loss of our first son.  He was due to arrive at 5pm, shortly after the doctor had finished office hours for the day.

The chatter began early in the afternoon and began to grow.  First the patients, then the nurses and finally the doctors.  Would she or wouldn't she.  There was excitement in the air that had not been felt for many years.  Was it possible, could this really be happening?

Finally 5pm rolled around and I was ready to go to the operating room, all prepped  and anxious at the thought of meeting this new little son of mine.  He was much anticipated and it was hoped that he would bring some well sought peace and comfort into our lives.

Would she or wouldn't she?


The doctor was running late, wanted to get some dinner, take a little break and be at the ready so I was wheeled back to my room and rescheduled for 6pm.  We went back, waited and prayed for our boy, and waited some more.


The chatter grew.  As did the excitement, the anticipation...it was only minutes away.  Could she pull it off?


The nurses complained~~they didn't want to miss it.  The anesthesiologist exclaimed~~he didn't want to miss it!  When would it happen, what time?


Dorothy Hamill was about to skate for the GOLD.  Any minute now she would appear, smiling and bubbly, with that cute haircut that everyone envied at that time.  Not many of us could pull off that haircut and although I liked it I knew better than to try.   Waiting, waiting, and waiting...when would she skate?  No one wanted to miss this historic event.   


Finally, she hit the ice.  Cool, calm and ready for the time of her life~~~ she skated her little heart out~~~perfectly~~~GOLD.

As soon as she left the rink the nurses, who had been watching t.v. in my room, rushed me to the operating room.  It was 7pm and  eleven minutes later...my most beautiful son was born.  All 9lbs 15 1/2oz. of him.  Five weeks early.  Our little man.


Dorothy may have won the GOLD that day but I have no doubt that we won the PRIZE.  Happy Birthday beautiful boy.

Tuesday's tids...

no tids today, instead we have this beautiful young woman. Today we celebrate her life, we celebrate the love and joy she brings to our hearts every single time we hear her voice or look upon her beautiful face. She is lovely in every way, inside and out. She owns us and has since the day of her birth...this day we celebrate our daughter Lindsay. She is the sunshine of our lives the apple of our eyes and will forever be our sweet baby girl. Happy Birthday Lindsay!!!

with love,
dad and mama pajama

Monday, Monday...

...busy Monday. crazy Monday. Just another Manic Monday. (there, I got two songs in that one).

As the August Birthday Madness rolls on over here I wanted to let you know that we have a winner in the Surprise Birthday Prize. Congratulations Debbie-Jean!! YAY!! shoot me an e-mail with your address and your surprise/prize will be on it's way.

Have a great Monday...
posting in her pajamas,
mama pajama

Summer breeze...

...has been blowing in here all day bringing with it the boisterous sounds of thunder and the downpour of rain. It passes by only to have the sunshine again leave the crisp clean smell of newly washed laundry.

Thank you all so much for the wonderful comments left on my Birthday. It was so heart-warming and uplifting to read them all. Remember, to be entered for the Birthday Surprise , leave a comment on the original post and we'll throw your name in the 'hat' or 'bowl' for a chance to win.

I had a very nice day. Aside from all your well-wishes I heard many more from my family and friends. Enough to carry me until the next birthday I'm sure! The hubs made a super-packed-to-the-brim-with-fresh-veggies-pizza and it was delish! (this has become his specialty recently, even hand-making the dough). Later we went out for a coffee drink and a little chocolate to celebrate. You can't celebrate without chocolate...you can try, but there would be no fun it it...believe me.

Our families will soon all be getting together for one big ol' August birthday blowout and there will be yet more celebrating and gifts. Celebrating the birth of a new life...isn't that what it is all about?

in a chocolate haze,
mama pajama