Sleep, Perchance to Dream

For the last two nights Olive has slept the entire night through. Which is what I wanted, of course now that I have actually said it out loud, she will no longer do that. This is how my universe rolls. I actually feel worse with more sleep. I think it is like when your newborn first sleeps all the way through the night, you get up way more times to make sure they are still breathing. I spend more time rolling over trying to stare into the crate to make sure the little bugger hasn't choked herself to death on fuzz then I do on sleep.

Going for walks is like trying to herd cats. Herbie has decided to forget anything he once knew and Olive hasn't known anything from the get go, so chaos reigns supreme. We are making progress in certain areas, I remained upright the entire walk today. Olive only ate 39 daisy's and 1 twig. Unlike yesterday which involved daisy's, twigs and a giant bumblebee that I had to rip out of her mouth. Getting stung, totally priceless.

It is amazing and sad that something that weighs 4 pounds can make a grown woman almost cry. I look way older than my chronological age. Playing guess my age puts my about 76 and that is with two nights of almost sleep under my belt, two days ago I was roughly 92. And not a cute 92 either. This is due to the fact that I have taken to napping on the flippin' floor. I had forgotten how much I love sleep. I adore it, right after coffee it is my favorite thing and now that I have so little of it, I love it even more. A good 6 hours that is all I ask.

Having babies of any kind is best left to the youthful. Oh sure I read the sayings "Babies make me feel so young, so vibrant, so full of life." Just stuff it. Because I know for a fact that you are sleep deprived and have no idea what you are saying. Trying to get unsuspecting people in your trap. The baby trap. Evil, I say, just evil.

But I do think that everyone should go out and get a puppy TODAY! you will so enjoy your experience. It will make everything brighter. You can thank me later.

So Long, Farewell

This is the last week of actual school for the kid. For May and part of June, he is doing an internship at a business. So this week is it. The end.

He is unbelievably happy. I am sad.

Where did the time go? I think I don't remember. Once he was so little and now he is so big. So grownup. So wonderful. We will celebrate with cupcakes, which makes me a little happy.

He has taken his last exam of high school. Turned in his last piece of homework. All that is left is to receive a little piece of paper. To stride across the stage and take a final bow. High school is finished.

I will need to lie down and put a cool cloth on my head. I'm not ready, not even close. Mentally I know kids grow up but sometimes the heart is slower to let go. And mine is taking its own damn time.

I don't say anything out loud for I know this is how it is suppose to be. It just happens that I am not as ready as I thought I was. I smile and joke with him. Celebrate the ending. Celebrate the beginning. Embrace what he hopes life will have in store for him. Love him. Like him. Be proud of him. Oh, so proud of him.

I just wish it didn't feel like my heart was inexplicably broken.

What I have learned from puppies.

What I have learned from puppies.

1. Go full steam ahead. Sleep is for sissies.
2. Dumping over your water bowl twelve times in a row never gets old.
3. You can indeed inhale dirt clods before the adult can rip it out of your mouth.
4. Why walk in a straight line when a zig zag pattern will for sure bring someone down.
5. Why chew on $150.00 dollars worth of dog toys when the kid so nicely leaves down the very expensive blazer that he received as a Christmas gift. The one his mother saved for months to buy.
6. Falling up the stairs is just as fun as falling down the stairs.
7. White dog bones are for sure out to disembowel small defenseless puppies and must be barked at repeatedly whenever we see them. Even if it is the same dog bone that has been laying in the same spot FOREVER.
8. The first, second, third, 100th NO are meant for someone else, even if they are looking directly at you and using your name.
9. No matter what toy I pick up it will be the older dogs FAVORITE OF ALL HIS TOYS toy and a small war will break out 16 times a hour. As soon as he gets HIS FAVORITE OF ALL HIS TOYS toy back, he will immediately become uninterested in it and walk away.
10. Puppies are cute, so you don't kill them.

Four hours consult your doctor!

OK, maybe it is the lack of sleep or the fact that I hardly watch live TV anymore. I tivo everything and then have mini marathons of shows. But last night I watched a show in real time, with the commercials and everything!

I gotta say, what the hell is up with that Cialis ad.

I understand what the drug does. What I don't understand is what in the world it has to do with bathtubs. And bathtubs on the top of cliffs. And bathtubs that are apparently drifting out to sea. And separate bathtubs to boot. Though the couple can hold hands while they look out over the cliffs.

Now granted it has been a while since I have been in the position of engaging in this activity but I assume it still does not involve separate bathtubs, the sea, or cliffs. I could be way off base here and the activity has indeed changed and now bathtubs are required to play. Or maybe it is just if you take this medication you get the urge for bathtubs and the out of doors.

Plus it is not just the tubs, which just weirds me out every time I see it, but the whole conversation between the couples. "We use this when it is right for both of us" what the hell does that mean? In my past relationship, it took two hours to decide where to go to dinner. Our master bedroom has remained white because we could never agree on a paint color. I'm pretty sure waiting for the "right time for both of us" would never have arrived.

Also how did four hours become the magic time. If you have an erection lasting more than four hours, see your doctor. Come on, seriously! Two hours, or three hours are fine but four hours is the magical cut off point? Even after one hour, would a guy really not start to be slightly concerned? I'm thinkin' by two hours he has seriously entered freak out zone and anything after that, he is pretty much comatose in fear. I can't even fathom what they do to rectify the problem and I don't want to know. I'm sure guys don't want to know either. In my thoughts, there is no good outcome, lots of funny ones, but no good ones.

I'm going back to tivo, live TV has made me think too much. Lack of sleep has made me punch drunk and I have now taken to thinking long and hard about TV commercials. Lord help us all.

Book 'em Sunday - S. J. Rozan

Today for Book 'em Sunday, we are doing the author S.J. Rozan. She writes the mystery series that feature Bill Smith and his Chinese-American partner Lydia Chin.
S. J. Rozan is an Shamus Award-Winning Author, only the second woman to receive the award, the first being Sue Grafton.

China Trade is the first in this series and I have not read that one yet. So far I have finished No Colder Place and Mandarin Plaid. I am right in the middle of Winter and Night. On the horizon are A Bitter Feast, In this Rain, and Stone Quarry.
I am really enjoying this series. I have never really been a fan of female authors who write a male character. For some reason I feel that the male characters come across as weak and uninteresting. Ms. Rozan doesn't have that problem. Bill Smith comes across as a real guy with real thoughts and problems. When you add in Lydia Chin, it makes for a well rounded mystery story.

The plots are nicely thought out and the writing style is engaging. The back ground stories of the characters are what I like best about the series. I love when there is a story within a story. That way you can see the characters develop in each additional book. It just adds a little more to the plot.

Since I now get about 42 minutes of sleep per night, I have lots of time to read. I have purchased these at a used book store but I have noticed that Barnes and Noble carries them as well. I am trying to fill in the gaps but until then I will enjoy the ones I do have.

I will leave you with a cute Olive. She is the reason I sleep not at all but good news she is tuckered out from being awake all night and enjoys a day of napping. We all should be this lucky.

Olive

Olive has arrived!We drove to Tacoma to pick her up and she was the last puppy to go home. We felt a little bad about that since she was all alone in a giant kennel. I'm sure she was questioning her life choices at this point, all 9 weeks of it. We had been delayed in our search for a Krispy Kreme donut.

She is a giant marshmallow with a very small body. And very sharp baby teeth. She is adorable, but really what baby isn't. That is how they get away with murder, the cuteness factor. Olive has it in spades. Herbie "The love pug" is not impressed. He refuses to share his ball or any of his toys or his kitchen or the living room or the plant stand that before today he didn't even know we owned but now it IS HIS MOST FAVORITE THING and she is not to touch it. Or look at it. Or breathe on it.The boy loves her but of course it is not three in morning and she is not whining and needing to go to the out of doors. We will see how much love is flowing at that time. Or when she chews his shoes or his jeans.

She is sweet and brings some new life into our home. Chaos also entered but I knew that going in, so I'm fine with trade off. She has met some neighbors. Frolicked in the front yard. Had lunch. And is now fast asleep on the kid's bed. Not on the pillow for that is where Herbie sleeps but at the end of the bed on the kid's feet. A welcomed addition to a newly built family.

Party Time!

Sometimes if it wasn't for bad luck, I would have no luck at all.

Most of the time I am fine with this chain of events. Today not so much.

I have always wanted to give a big party at my house. The kind with fun food, fun people, really just fun. Any party would be fine. The ex was always down on the idea. The kid would look at me blankly and just shake his head side to side, which I take for a "No, never in my life." I can pick up subtle hints.

So it never came to pass. Until this week. For some reason, the stars have aligned and pigs have started to fly. I'm pretty certain hell is frozen because the kid said "Yes."

Astounding.

Wonderful.

Fantastic.

The theater broke. Yep, no sound, which would be fine if he was into silent films. Which he is not. Damn it! My big chance and the universe still cannot cut me a break.

I feel like Charlie Brown and I am being followed by a little raincloud. Only it is not a little raincloud it is a freakin' tsunami. And it has it's eyes set on me.

If just one thing could break that I would have a chance in hell of fixing it would at least give me a positive outcome. Amazon woman saves the day! But no, it is machinery that unless the instructions are written down I can't even turn on. Let alone open up and act all MacGyver with some chewing gum and a rubber band. I can't even back the car out of the garage without dinging the mirrors, I'm pretty sure me and electricity will not have a favorable outcome.

So the universe is on notice. You've given me a neurotic dog, a loon for a husband, big feet and no math skills, don't you dare take away my chance for a party.

What's your name?

So on Saturday we pick up the new puppy.

So soon! my mind keeps screaming. I have been getting ready. I sleep a lot. With new puppies not much sleep happens. I also had to buy the biggest crate IN THE WORLD, which will somehow have to fit in my bedroom. I'm pretty sure I will need to remove my bed to get it to fit.

We need to change her name. My lovely Anastasia Beaverhausen, or Karen for short, will not be her name. Blame it on the kid, I know I do. He is dating someone named . . . get ready for it . . . yep, you guessed it . . Karen. A perfectly wonderful girl. No matter how I tried to come up with an explanation that wouldn't sound so strange, I was unable to accomplish it. There is no good way of telling someone you decided to name your dog their exact name. No way at all.

So we moved on in the name category. My kid knows a lot of people, people whose names conjure up bad memories. I'm beginning to think he is hard to get along with. No, on this name, she looked at me wrong in SECOND grade and I am still wounded from the encounter. No, on that name, she said my English paper was horrible and every time I look at the new puppy I will feel like a dunce. The excuses raged on. I became tired and irritable.

Finally we settled on Olive. Yep, she will be named after a taco topping. Actually, she will be named after the children's book called "Olive." In the book it is a play on words for "All of the other reindeer's." It is a very cute book.

Best of all my kid has never met an Olive he didn't like.

Thank you but no

So here in Senior land, it is time for Prom.

Having a boy, while fun in the abstract, totally sucks for dances. You never see the complete couple. Picking a new colored shirt for the suit in no way compares to picking out a prom dress. You get to order the corsage and imagine it on someones wrist.

So I've done all that. Ordered the limo. Made the dinner reservations. Ordered the corsage. Bought the new shirt. My job is done.

Until today.

One of my friends brought up drinking, specifically renting a hotel room for after the dance complete with alcohol. I drink. I make jokes about drinking. I am in no way comfortable with my underage son drinking. Not in my house. Not at a hotel room. I have made this clear to him, which didn't really need to be said to begin with, since he doesn't drink.

I don't hide my head in the sand. Drinking is a HUGE part of a teenager's life. Commercials and TV shows glamorize it. The school has monthly meetings about the effects of alcohol. We have known of accidents that have destroyed lives due to drinking. Yet, it remains a constant concern.

It seems the parents are in two camps. Those that say no, absolutely not. And those that say kids will be kids, as long as they don't drink and drive what can you do. Oh! I don't know, say NO!

I say no but I also say if it happens CALL ME. I will come. Don't do something stupid, dangerous, life altering. I would rather deal with him drinking then him dying. Or killing someone.

Yesterday was Senior skip day. Even at the picnic the seniors had, there are the photos for all to see of beer, vodka. It is not hidden. No one is scared of getting caught. There is no fear. It seems to be out of control.

So this stick in the mud mother, said no to the hotel room. Said yes to a extra hour in the limo with a bottle of sparkling apple cider driving around the city. Said yes to ordering the most expensive dessert the restaurant had to offer. Said no to drinking. Said yes that all the vices shall be yours, when the time is right. When you have full understanding that the decisions you make, carry heavy responsibilities.

I keep my cell phone close, my fingers crossed, I open the door and let him go. It is hard.

Spring musings

It is a beautiful sunny delightful day here in Seattle.

The windows are open and it is breezy with delicious smells of Spring. Birds are being noisy. Dogs and children are being loud with laughter and barking, I have no idea which is doing which.

I can hear car stereos drifting up from the roadway. I am wearing shorts and a tank top with my hair pulled up in a ponytail. The kid is downtown with friends. The dog is tired from seeking and finding sun patches in the house.

The sun shows all the dusting I need to do. I find that my mind is wandering and I can't stop staring out the window. The back door is open and soon I will be reading in the rocker on the back deck. My latte is cold and water droplets head down the outside of the cup.

I am happy. I am at peace. All is good in my world. And I hope the same for you.

Book 'em Sunday - Vintage Vavoom

Today for Book 'em Sunday we are going to do Vintage Vavoom, Romantic Decorating with one-of-a-kind finds. This was published in 2007 and was written by the Editors of Romantic Homes Magazine.This book showcases the idea of using vintage and one of a kind items in your home. Be it items you have inherited, or items you collect yourself. Basically it teaches you to live outside the box. Believe me, I am so far outside the box that I can no longer even see it! See this book works.

It will provide you tricks of the trade and show you new ways to use items. Also it helps you to make a home that is cohesive and not cluttered. Now I never really took that clutter part to heart, but you can, or do as I do and ignore it.
The pictures are wonderful and it is always nice to see what other people collect. Plus it gives you ideas for displays using components that you already own.
I love to live this way, so this book is right up my alley. I'm not really into china or knick-knacks but I adore linens, books, and vintage kitchen items. This book has all of that and more.

So give it a look through.

Collectible Friday - Bakelite Animals

For Collectible Friday, we are going to do Bakelite Animals.

I have no idea what the intended purpose of these were but because I collect Bakelite, these joined the group.

Bakelite was discovered between 1907-1909 by a Belgian doctor, Dr. Leo Baekeland. It was the first plastic made from synthetic components. The discovery of this product allowed for the mass production of plastic items such as toys, jewelery, flatware, decorative items, telephones, game pieces. Basically, if you could think of it, it could be replicated in plastic.

In 1993 Bakelite was designated an ACS National Historical Chemical Landmark. In the past few years, items made of this substance have become highly collectible.

Because one of the components used to make Bakelite is formaldehyde, if you place the item under warm/hot water and rub, you can smell formaldehyde. This is one of the tests used to see if it is indeed Bakelite. You can also use scrubbing bubbles or a store-bought test kit. I find the hot water test works quite fine.

In my collection, I have flatware, napkin rings, pencil sharpeners, souvenirs from different events, these animals, jewelery, and various other items. A lot of these items came from France, since they just LOVED the art deco period and produced most of the items. Bakelite is very colorful and I still use mine to this day. I don't use the dishwasher, vintage items do better in a hand wash.

Elephants. I have found these to be the most popular. I have more than is shown, but I figured you would get the drift. I love these. The white ones are the only color I have found where the trunk drifts down, for the rest the trunks go slightly up. I have no idea why this is since elephants with the trunks up are considered lucky. Some are translucent, while the common ones are solid colors.
Dogs. These all look like very large Scottie dogs. Found in a variety of colors.
Horses. On these, you can find the regular horse or the art deco rearing model. The rearing model ones remind me of Ben Hur and I only have the two. I find these mostly broken. I don't know if it is because they are tippy or they were made thinner than the other horses.
Then we have the miscellaneous animals. I have giraffes, camels, monkeys (not shown) and some sort of weird big eared thing. I have two giraffes and two camels, which is all I have found. I own one weird big eared thing and that is one too many. I have no idea what it is. It tests positive for Bakelite so I let it remain, but it is a strange piece.
I don't collect these animals anymore. Though now that I say that, I will be somewhere and a new color will show up and I will be off again.

For the next few weeks we will be doing the rest of my collection of Bakelite.

These little animals are relatively inexpensive. I paid about $2.00-$3.00 a piece and now they run about $9.00 each. The rarer the animal and color, the higher the price.

So if you are out and about, keep your eyes peeled for Bakelite. Maybe you can start your own miniature zoo.

Just skip

I'm raising a teenager. Well, technically he's done cooking, he's just waiting on the counter cooling. But still I have to do motherly like things. I know, but it is the law.

But the senior year. It's suppose to be a joke year. College applications have been finalized and decisions made. If you don't know algebra, it's just too late for you now. You hang out with your friends. You plan how your entire life is going to be radically different from your stupid, old parents. You are going to make a million dollars every year and become the most famous person you know. You know it all and the world awaits the wisdom of your knowledge.

We have all been there. In my case, quite a while ago. But I still remember it. Senior Prom. Senior Party. Graduation. Senior Skip Day.

Yep, Senior Skip Day. We didn't show up for school and instead hung out at the old homestead and played on our manual typewriter. Made a malt and played some Twister. Well, we didn't show up for school but everything else is from a episode of Leave It To Beaver. Humor becomes me.

My kid's school has Senior Skip Day. As soon as the administration APPROVES the day. What the hell? How is that skipping? That is paid leave. What kind of lame rule is this?

Oh, I've known for quite a while now that my kid's school has a giant stick up their ass about anything that may be considered fun. The Senior Trip, involved a History class and a English class. Sure it was in the middle of the Girl Scout camp that the school rented but it was still class. I had him not attend.

Our dances involve whistles and pen lights. The senior gift is to be a bench, because every year it is a bench and there shall be no deviation from the bench giving history. The senior prank must be approved. School colors shall be voted on.

Good God, any spontaneity is taken away. Kids need to feel that are getting away with something, that they are being irresponsible and devilish. At least within a controlled atmosphere. Though I'm not a good parent to ask about this, since my kid hates to break any sort of school rule. At home rule, a totally different story. I can shout until I pass out from lack of oxygen and it will make no never mind. The home rules are more like guidelines, to be moved and shaped to fit his thought pattern at the time. I let it go. After all he is cooling on the counter and by this stage of parenting, I'm tired. And he likes me, so I'm good to go.

So Monday is Senior Skip Day, the administration has smiled down and said yes from high atop the mountain.

Boy, these kids are going to really feel like they have just pulled off quite a coup.

Personality flaw

So being single brings all sorts of new experiences to your life. Some good. Some not so good. You need to make some changes. One of mine is going to be my attitude. I am finally going to try and get along with the masses.

This is something I have had no success with previously, as in my entire life. People say I am personable. I have friends. I don't get along with most of my family, but if you knew them that would be understandable. I get along with my sister. Either that or she is an awesome liar.

But going out into the world and dealing one on one with people. Not something I am good at. In fact, I am very poor at it. I just don't care. I try. I just find I cannot muster the same amount of energy for some conversations that other people can.

Idle chit chat is not something I do. I would like to if I had more hours in the day but since I don't, I really can't be bothered. The neighborhood block watch meetings bore me to tears. How we can go on for over two hours about solicitors in our neighborhood is beyond me. I raised my hand and offered up the helpful solution of stating "No thank you" and closing the door. There done, 10 seconds, time to move on to another topic. Oh God no, the debate raged on. I alternately dozed and looked around for a spoon to take out my eye with.

I have had conversations with parents about when you chip in for something, who should pay more and who should pay less. What if one person is closer to the dance, should they have to pay as much for their share of the limo as the person who lives further? If a boy is going in the group should he pay more, since, I don't know, he is a boy? And I guess males generally pay for everything. Of course I have a boy, so my answer is "No." I don't say it nicely.

I am going to make some serious effort here. No longer will I know people by "Oh, they live in the house by the dog crap park", I will learn their real names. More importantly, I will remember their real names. I will have conversations with my neighbors about yard work and plants. I will remain awake and not pray feverishly that a comet will strike me down RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE.

Personally, I don't think it can be done. But I am going to give it my full attention. Right after the next door neighbor passes by my house. I don't want to start too soon.

They came in two's

In some sad news, one of the hated parakeets passed away over the weekend. Now I just have the one yellow bird sitting all alone in the cage. This could bode trouble for me.

For some inexplicable reason, I always think pets should be gotten in two's. That way they are not lonely. This makes no sense, since pets don't have human emotions. But I have always done it.

When I had a cat, I got another because I was sure the first cat was lonely. Even when cat #1 hated cat #2 with a passion rarely seen, I felt sure in time they would come to love each other. It would be a Hallmark moment. It never happened. Those two cats spent their entire lives trying to destroy each other and all of my possessions in the process. Every day, another fight to the death. Only no cat died. My stuff was broken. Dishes were knocked off of the table. Plants were shredded. Still the cats lived on, in a war that was never ending. I fumed.

Finally I decided to give away the second cat. Found it a new home. They also had a cat, so it would be perfect. The cat went away. Peace became mine. The cat came back. Yep, it turned out this cat could not get along with ANYTHING. Well, anything living that is. It was a nightmare. A long nightmare. We had that cat for over three years. Three years of total and living hell. It went to live with a single woman, no pets, no friends, no family. It was a perfect scenario. It just took three years to find her.

We were back to a one cat family. I thought it looked lonely. I bought a kitten.

I think this may be a disease. A sickness, if you will.

Next week we get the new puppy. I hope we will not be adding a new parakeet.

I must be stopped.

A Bad Day

So one of the parts of the ending of a marriage that they don't tell you about, is that one of you goes absolutely friggin' insane. Not just a little weird. Nor a little hard to deal with. But over the top insane. To the point that you cannot deal with the day to day items.

My ex is this person. And I am here to tell you this is just a giant ball of joy day in and day out.

I am weary of this behavior. Very, very weary. And mad. And frustrated.

Today I took it out on my kid and I feel bad for that. I know how hard this is on him and I definitely don't want to add to his burden. Yet that is what I did. I am going to do better.

Being both the mother and the father. Being the person who runs the home. Being the person who is getting the kid ready for Senior Prom and college. Trying to pack up a home and move. Trying to figure out a million details. Trying to exercise and remain healthy, to remain positive.

To be it all.

It is a lot of balls to keep in the air and today I didn't do that. Not even close.

It was easier when I was part of a team. Someone was there to catch what I couldn't and I did the same. Now it all falls on me. The ex has no responsibilities. He juggles nothing and provides nothing. He has been out of work since December. Out of this home since October. Sure, it was my doing and I feel this was absolutely the right decision. One I would make even sooner if I had the opportunity to do it all again.

It is not him I miss. I miss the team. Or really the thought of the team. Someone that would take care of me for a night. Someone that would pick up some of the many pieces and assemble a little bit of a life that is in such disarray.

And yet, it is just me. Every day. Some days I fail. Today was one of those days.

But I can hope that tomorrow won't be one of those days. That the days where I fail more than I succeed are starting to become fewer. That I am making headway in a positive way. At least that is what I hope.

I don't want to live a life like my ex does. Discarding what is old, used, already been had. I don't treat everything with such casual disregard and disdain. But I'm telling you, some days this life of mine, is HARD. And there are times I am so not up to the task. The thought to just lay down and admit defeat is overwhelming

But I know that tomorrow will provide another opportunity for me to try again. Better this time. Or at least, somewhat good. That is what keeps me going. With the amount of failures I have had, success has got to be right around the corner.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

We are home from vacation and while this would be book'em Sunday, I am taking a break today.

I have made a martini. You can tell by the photos, how happy this has made me.

Also, I have the best son ever!! He bought me my own Junk Queen necklace, since I didn't win the giveaway. This was my Easter gift. I am so loving it. Sorry for the blurry picture. And I even took the photo before the martini so I can't blame it on the Vodka.

I am off to cook Easter dinner.

Hope you all have the nicest Easter ever.

Collectible Friday - Charles Wysocki

Greetings from vacation!Today for Collectible Friday we are doing Charles Wysocki. I collect quite a few things (laughter here) actually I collect a ton of stuff. But anyway, I digress, I love art work. Over the years I have bought this and that, paintings, prints, hand made work of items I liked. A hodge podge if you will.

Mr. Wysocki is one of my favorites. When I was young I saw a print of his "Frederick the Literate." Which is a cat fast asleep in a book shelf. I absolutely loved it. It was out of my price range at the time but I never forgot about it. Years later, I had a gallery find one on the secondary art market and I bought it (and the other two that go with it). It hangs in the Seattle house. I still love it.

Later on, Mr. Wysocki did a series of paintings about a Sea Captain's Wife. The series have her waiting on her husband (Horatio) to come home from the sea. I own four of them. Only three are shown here.

My absolute favorite is called "Sea Captain's Wife Praying." I am not a religious person, so I don't know exactly what speaks to me in this picture, I just know that it does. The woman seems so strong and yet so vulnerable to me. The beautiful church in the background offering up hope, I just love the whole scene. I stare at this often during the day. It provides the same feeling time and time again. Peace. She seems so comforted by the bible and her own inner will. It is just an awesome piece.
Hanging right next to it, is "You've Been So Long At Sea, Horatio." Also beautiful. I love the house on the cliff with the two upstairs light shining brightly. The colors of the sky are mesmerizing.Also upstairs is the "Another Year At Sea." You can see the opened letter tossed on the stairs. Did it bring the news that at last he is coming home? Or did it say, not yet? Some days I think yes and other days I think no. You can play this game for hours.
Downstairs I have "Thinking About Horatio." This one is not shown. It is the woman relaxing in a rowboat out at sea. She has brought her cat and I am sure is dreaming about where Horatio is right now.

Charles Wysocki was born in 1928. He started his art career by doing commercial artwork for big name companies. His true love though was the primitive style. So in the early 1960's he switched over and never looked back. He passed away in 2002 and his beautiful art will be sorely missed.

Most, if not all, of his pieces have been made into prints, mugs, calendars, etc. and are available most every where. Take a look.

We take to the big city

Greetings from another day of vacation. Today we headed into Portland for a day of shopping fun.

So yesterday the power went out about 27 times. Came back on 26 times. We went to dinner. The restaurant was opened and had food. Came back home and called the power company. The power company came out in under 10 minutes. In Seattle no one comes out in 10 minutes, not even the police.

We had half of our power on and half off. The weirdest thing I have ever seen. It wasn't like half the house was on and half was off. It was two lights in the kitchen were off, everything else on. The kids room off, his stairs on. The living room one light on and everything else off. Internet on! Entire upstairs floor off. Entire basement on. We have some screwy wiring in this house, I'm guessin.

The repairman got in his power bucket, shot up to the power line and fixed it. Amazing! The repairman liked me. Said I was hot! I'm hoping that bodes well for my power outages in the future. I know next week he is coming and putting up some new power thingies that will help avoid power outages. They could have done it today, but he didn't want to inconvenience me with stoppage of power. I could grow to love this town! Seriously.

But I needed a big city fix. I wanted books. And shorts. And food. So we headed off this morning on a road trip. I drove. The kid talked and talked and talked and talked. Hours and hours of talking. Finally we arrived and parked. The kid talked. I walked faster. The kid talked. I think my ears started to bleed. The bookstore came into view. I entered, quickly. Hid in the peace and quiet of the decorating section.

The kid found me. I tried to lose him in the mystery section but he was stuck like glue to me. Glue that can talk. We left.

Entered the clothing store. Bought clothes. More him than me. I bought shorts and it is now raining. Always a dollar short and a day late, that is my motto.

Had lunch.

Finished the day by grocery shopping. Left Portland. Let the kid help me navigate back to the freeway. He insisted we use the navigation system in the car. We got on the freeway going the wrong way. Got off the freeway. Got on another freeway. Found the correct freeway, no thanks to either the kid or the navigation system. Had to get off the freeway because the kid wanted his rice krispy treat.

The kid slept all the way home. It was very, very quiet. My ears have healed. I am tired. Happy, but tired.

It was a good day.

Good Night, Mary Ellen, Good Night, Elizabeth

Today it is a gray and slightly misty day. I have included your daily ocean photo complete with surfers.We have a new Internet connection and so we feel very "big city" You can get it in the kitchen and everything! Though I'm not sure why I would need it in the kitchen, just nice to know it is there.

I do have to say the repairman was super nice. In the big city, everyone is so rushed that the day to day pleasantries are nonexistent. Here, always time to chit chat about everything and anything.

Plus, the job is well done. Maybe because everything is far away but they bring all the products you may need. No, we will need to order that and come back at a later date to install it, they just have it.

Everyone multi-tasks. Our stove fan that leads to the outside, rusted shut. I called the dealer and ordered another one. The stove dealer, as it turns out, is scared of heights and ladders, so he just dropped it off. One giant roof fan and me. Now not knowing anything about installing a roof fan, or for that matter any other kind of fan, walked around this giant box for a few days.

Meanwhile, the furnace broke. That is the kind of luck I seem to have, breaking down luck. The furnace people came out and fixed the furnace. All in one day and in one trip. I'm going to let Seattle in on this little secret when I head home. Also, all under warranty. As they were heading out the door, one of the repairman asked about the fan. I explained the situation. Good news, he knew the stove dealer and everyone finds it funny that he fixes nothing high in the air or anything that involves ladders. Small towns, they are such cards.

Anyway, he offered to come back and install the fan for me. And he did. A totally unrelated company climbed up on my roof and installed the new fan. They didn't even charge me!

It is like an episode of the Walton's. Imagine what it will be like when I live full time here. I can become the "new big city snob" or "the tragic divorcee" or "the crazy old bat that lives in that haunted house with wicked dogs." The possibilities are endless.

I am going to be a hoot down here. I bet they can't wait.

Cosy corners of the beach house

Today for our tales from vacationville. I am going to show you some photos of my favorite beach house corners. I would give you yet another photo of the ocean, but trust me when I tell you, it looks the same as yesterday and the day before. A little more gray, but all in all, the same.

This photo is what I call my dog wall. We had decided that this house was to have no TV. This small spot on the Oregon coast was going to be family time. Board games, chatting, drinking cocoa by the fire, bonding as a family. What a schmuck I am! I lasted one night. I don't like board games. I think TV is wonderful and after spending an entire day with your family, the last thing you crave, is an entire night with said family.
Out to Costco we went, and bought a TV. Unfortunately, it didn't fit in the armoire. We ripped off the top of the armoire and set it on the base. Now it became a giant eyesore. So I had a lot of these pictures grouped in other areas of the house, I gathered them up and hung them all around the giant black TV. I love it. They are mostly pugs but other breeds are joining in the fun. One of the pictures is a project my kid did in school. I had photos taken of Herbie to hang here, but they were snagged by my kid and hang in his room.

The next photo is a family project we did in 2006 when we were remodeling our kitchen. I broke a jadeite jar and that is what started the vision. I hated to throw away the pieces because they were such a nice green color. So I took a pencil, drew a shape on the wall and went to town. I bought up souvenir plates. On EBay, I found the airline words that someone had already cut up. Took the broken pieces of jadeite and went to town. We used tile cutters and cut up the plates. Spread adhesive on the wall and just stuck the china shards up there any old way we wanted. I used the airline words to form a border but that was really the only cohesive thought, everything else was random. Let it dry, grouted it and took a car from the Life game, stuck in some little pegs (which I need to change, the ex is gone) and glued it to the Oregon Coast piece. I think it is wonderful!
The last photo is the kitchen fireplace. In these old houses, they always give you what is known as a breakfast nook. But really it is just a giant stupid waste of space. I don't want to eat in the kitchen. Plus in this house, it is right by the kitchen door. Over the years we have made it all sorts of things but it always ends up as a place to put mounds of crap that no one wants to put away. Since it is so close to the garage, you unload the car right to this area. Then someone (me) is forced to trip over this lovely pile while preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner.

No more.

I wanted a fireplace but alas, we had no way of venting one without doing a major remodel. Then at a fireplace store, I found an electric one with a heater. Down next to the frigid ocean, extra heat is always needed. I bought it. Had a base built so the fireplace would be a little higher. Splurged on some beautiful pink tile. Then I bought Sea Glass. All of my sea glass is natural made, which means it was tumbled smooth by the ocean and not man made in a rock tumbler. Most of mine came from Hawaii. It took about a year of watching EBay auctions before I had enough. I was pretty picky. I wanted the light and airy colors, which are the most popular. Then the kid and I just glued them to the wall. This is still an on-going project. I want to sea glass the front of the base. I had used the tile, but I don't like it. I still need to grout between the pink tile but I want to get all the sea glass up before I do.
Now at night the fireplace glows, the little Department 56 Christmas Boat casts a warm light and it is toasty in the chair.

Right now the area is holding the upstairs TV, so I still haven't gotten rid of the dump all your crap right next to the door mentality. But maybe soon.

Sunny Days are Here Again!

So again from vacation. Our photo of the day are surfer dudes and probably some dudettes!
We headed into the big town today. Astoria. We have exhausted the food options at our local Safeway. Yesterday they ran out of deli turkey, which I seriously didn't know was possible, so we were forced to load up the wagon and hit the Oregon trail.

Astoria has a fancy new Safeway. They had turkey. Such a show off is Astoria. They also have organic food. We are eating well tonight.

Actually we are going out to dinner tonight. At least I hope we are. The restaurants down here have the most unusual times to be opened and closed. The cafe, closed on Tuesday. The bakery, closed on Sunday and Monday. All restaurants stop serving any food at all at 9:30. No ordering baked potatoes, rice, or pasta until after 3. I swear I will need to keep a small laminated card in my wallet for restaurant dining.

Plus, being near water and all, shrimp come on everything. Salad, toast, pancakes, oatmeal. It is a constant battle to not have those little disgusting pink things touch all of my food. The conversations always involve the words No! not on the side, No, not on a separate plate. Just No Shrimp Anywhere. It is a lot like trying to get your dressing on the side. It seems to not make sense down here. I actually prefer no dressing, but that is incomprehensible and so not worth the argument.

There are no light options except for the cottage cheese plate, which is just frightening to behold. Even asking for dry toast involves some sort of discussion. I am so stuck up about my food seems to be the thought that travels through every one's mind. I just feel with all the calories I'm saving on stupid things, like dressing and butter, I can have a cupcake instead. I adore cupcakes.

Our home is the turnaround point for the Coast Guard Helicopter. If you look closely in the picture, you should be able to see it. A few times a day, the big orange and white helicopter heads down the coast. It is keeping an eye on all things sea related. Over the years we have seen some rescues. A few boats broken down that needed help. One summer a baby whale swam into the cove area. This worried his mother to no end. She wouldn't enter the cove but the baby frolicked in the nice warm water without a care in the world. It also started to worry the town for if the mom entered she would be hard pressed to get back out. The helicopter flew over lower and lower but it didn't work, that baby was toasty warm and was in no mind to leave. Finally, the coast guard boat came into the picture and drove the baby back out to sea much to the relief of his mom. I'm sure there was some whale scolding that went on when that baby got home.

Well that is all the beach news for today. Tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel.

Book 'em Sunday - Once Again to Zelda

Today for Book 'em Sunday we are doing Once Again to Zelda. This was written by Marlene Wagman-Geller and was published in 2008.
I purchased this book in Cannon Beach at the Cannon Beach Book Company. This is the nicest bookstore I have ever been in. It could use a cat and an espresso machine but baring that, it is perfect! They carry the usual beach books with a smattering of fiction thrown in. The mystery section is pretty good and the decorating books are a little weak. But it is a small shop and I forgive them.

But their non-fiction section is where they out do themselves. Maybe it is because they are small and have to try harder or they have very eclectic taste that must be given free rein. I find the most unusual books here and I must buy them all. A small voice always whispers that in my head, and he has not been wrong yet.

This small book is the stories behind literature's most intriguing dedications. The author has taken 50 classic books and researched the stories behind the dedications. They are delightful and entertaining.

Some of the authors are:

Ayn Rand dedicated her novel Atlas Shrugged to her husband, in addition to her lover.

F. Scott Fitzgerald dedicated The Great Gatsby to his wife, Zelda. Side note, The Great Gatsby is indeed a great book.

Jacqueline Susann dedicated Valley of the Dolls to her poodle, Josephine.

There are lots more that will provide quite a bit of enjoyment. The author has a wonderful writing style that draws you in. I read this over two nights while enjoying a hot bubble bath and enjoyed myself immensely.So pick up this wonderful book if you see it along your travels.

PS: The Human Bean in Seaside, excellent coffee. Plus, you get a free chocolate espresso bean. So in reality, it is a drink and an appetizer. More bang for your buck. In this economy, I'm doing my part to save us all a little money.

Oh Wild One!

So, the vacation is going fantastic. The weather was perfectly horrible when we arrived but now it is lovely, so we have forgiven Winter for being such a giant pain in the ass.
It is a different way of living down here and it is always such an adjustment when I first arrive. Things are very slow and since I move at a fast wicked pace, it takes time to sloooooow down. After a while, you can't move fast even if you wanted to. Your body becomes accustomed to a less frantic pace. You breathe deeper and find that you can daydream for longer periods of time.

The first few nights I don't sleep well. The city noises that soothe me, are not here. No city buses, or cars, no airplanes flying over, no house parties. Here it is the waves crashing on the beach and until morning, that is it. The morning is a different story altogether. Here the day wakes up alert and anxious to get a move on. The gulls start out by screaming their wishes that the catch of the day will be heavy. The cars and trucks carrying the surfers arrive and laughter about the size of the waves carry up to my bed. Parents on vacation take to the beach in search of shells and groggily follow behind happy, energized children. Happy voices ring out. Dogs bark at kelp, crabs and a multitude of birds.

I pour a cup of coffee and contemplate my day. The ocean is mesmerizing and soothing, back and forth, in and out, it goes. Always the same and yet, always different. I make a list and forget it. I sit on the back deck and think Jimmy Buffett songs in my head. I drink more coffee and watch the dog sleep in the sun. I watch him twitch and wiggle in a dream about the time he found a deer in his back yard. How he had wanted us to let him keep it but how we explained to him that he was not up to the arduous task of deer maintenance. His face registered disappointment when we opened up the back yard gate and it bounded away. He has never really forgiven us.

The ocean is beautiful, wild and oh so therapeutic. It restores me. Gives me faith, hope and peace. I like that.
We walk into town and shop the little shops. Eat lunch and enjoy each others company. I see the moment and am happy that I am here. Even with the bad stuff. Even with the uncertainty of the future. Even with the changes that are coming at me fast and furious. I feel blessed.

I feel sadness that the man I married threw all this away so easily. He didn't see the wonderful life we had built. But I did. And I do.

I think that being down here has reminded me how truly fortunate I am. Because when the wild, stormy weather hits, it makes you appreciate the sunny, calm days that will follow. Good and bad, it all flows together. I know good times are getting ready to flow my way. I will appreciate them all the more this time around.

Collectible Friday - Glass Coasters

So for Collectible Friday, since I am on vacation in Oregon, I am doing small glass coasters.

Today after a delicious breakfast at the Lazy Susan Cafe in Cannon Beach and a trip to the loveliest of bookstores, I found a new antique store. It was right up my alley. All sorts of miscellaneous baubles laid out in the most appealing way. Sometimes antique stores are so stuffy that I feel like a bull in a china shop. This shop had a nice feeling to it. I bought a cute needlepoint tray that featured Victorian Homes and will be perfect for holding my dangling bracelets.

I also bought these glass coasters.I have more of these at the other house and I use them all the time. These ones feature, I think, different people feeling the effects of drinking. And a burly bartender mixing a martini. Showoff!Some of the scenes don't make sense to me but it is 3:00 and I am sober. I will look later on tonight and see if they become crystal clear. Kind of like wine goggles!

It is possible that this was a made up set. The two women, 1 is a ballerina which seems to me to have nothing to do with drinking and the other is in a risque lace dress, again not clear on the drinking aspects of a lace dress. Then we have some sort of carnival mirror fellow, he has very, very short legs, a weird looking hand and is wearing a hat with a bow on it. Who or what he is, again lost on me.
The last four are pretty clear that they are part of the same set. We have the burly bartender, a dapper gentlemen holding a martini, two tipsy dapper gentlemen leaning against a lamp post and singing and last a portly man in his pj's holding his head.
The decals are all placed on the back so the moisture of the drink won't make them come off. They are cute and if you need a coaster, these will do nicely. They are holding my GIANT iced latte right this minute and doing a fine job.

These were four dollars and it was money well spent.

My spring vacation

So tomorrow I head off for vacation. Hooray! I wish it was someplace exotic or warm or had cute pool boys holding fruity umbrella drinks, but alas, it is the Oregon Coast. Still it will be fun, sleeping in, watching the rain from a new vantage point, nice!

I may or may not be incognito for the next week. All the new things I get to do on my own will now include trying to find out how to join up to the Internet.

I love Seaside, don't get me wrong but we are not talking about a huge metropolitan city here. Businesses may or may not be there from one week to the next. I think our phone book is at least 8 years old, which is not a plus point in trying to locate help.

I am hopeful that since it will be a week day, some businesses will be open. This is not a foregone conclusion in Seaside. The local paper comes out once a week and still has a column that includes gossip about long time residents (no one I have ever known). We have a ice-cream social for the fourth of July which also includes a cake walk and bingo.

Our home is slightly famous. It was built in 1940 by the town's newspaper owner. At the time it was a long way from town and sometimes you couldn't go in or our depending on how far the river had risen. Now we have a bridge, no forging rivers for me. It is a lovely white cape cod home and I love it dearly. So do tourists who stop and take pictures of it.

Anyway, I believe the original man passed away and his widow remarried. Her new husband was the owner of the drug store/soda shop. He committed suicide in our home, on a porch that is no longer there.

When we first bought the house, 18 years ago, it was told to us in a throaty whisper with wide opened eyes, in case we believed in ghosts or spirits and thought our house was haunted.

We didn't. Still don't. But I do believe that this house, plain white, no bells or whistles, able to stand the test of time, seasons, and coastal storms without a flinch, has good vibes. It provides a good feeling when I walk in.

My kid learned to walk here, ride a bike here, has spent Birthday's, Christmas's, and most every Summer here. He has done summer camps and has played in the water until his lips turned blue. We have brought home enough sand in our shoes to build our own beach.

We have a garage sale here almost every year. It is one of the greatest things about small towns, garage sales ROCK! Ours is packed. Someone still comes up and tells the tale about the sordid past of our home. I let them talk, I let them walk through the house that has really remained unchanged since 1940. I listen politely and discard everything they say.

And at night when I tuck everyone in bed, I swear the house sighs quietly and is happy that another family loves it passionately.