Rider Down

The first night at dinner I was seated across from a gentleman named Mike. He was not a rider in the van because he came out a day early. Come to find out he works at AACC, and lives in Severna Park. What are the chances? We talked about everything Maryland and said our good nights.

Monday morning we saddle up and take our rides into the ring, so the cowboys can measure our skills and make sure we have the right horse. Well, I am riding right behind Mike when all of the sudden his horse starts bucking. I don't mean just one kick with the back legs, his horse must have kicked six or seven times. If the 8 second clock was running he may have won a prize.

As it was, he fell on the horn of the saddle on the first buck, the second he was leaning sideways probably from the impact of the first landing. The third buck he was way over, but still holding on then finally fell or jumped right into the fence.

Being the ever vigilant blogger I got these 2 shot, but I felt a little paparazzish, so then I asked if I could help. He stayed down for about 60 seconds, got up, tried to walk it off, but was in obvious pain, so headed to the closest clinic 45 minutes away. Now Mike was an experienced rider, this was his 2nd trip to the Ranch. I'm beginning to second guess my one day a week, English riding lessons.

After going to the clinic, getting some "don't take while riding horses" pain pills, Mike decided to catch a flight home on Tuesday. I think his final diagnosis was fractured pelvis, bruised ribs and total disappointment.

After all the drama of the morning was over we went on a slow, cautious trail ride. The country is so expansive out west. Miles and miles of nothing but view. Now that is fine for a week, but when you want to run to the store for some little necessity, like Ben & Jerry, and have to drive 45 minutes one way, I just think that would get old after a while. You need to be a certain kind of person to enjoy that type of solitude.

Meet Your Pony

Monday morning we all got to meet our horses. The cowboys got up real early to bring them in from the west field. We were there just in time to see them running into the corral.

My horse was a chestnut mare named "Cricket", Liza got a spicy little number called"Tex-Mex". Cricket was not as sweet as I would have liked. Once I had her saddle on and was cinching the girth, she turned around and bite the bejezus out of my arm.
Luckily I had a long sleeve sweatshirt on, but I wore a bruise on the back of my forearm for the rest of the trip. So much for my forearm modeling career.

Western Digs

When we arrived at the "Box R", we were shown to our cabin. They were split into 2 cabins, Liza and I on one side, and Jamie, a 28 year old from San Francisco, who was spending a month traversing Wyoming. She had some great stories and stayed until Wednesday evening.



All the cabins were given cutesy little names, I guess to make up for the mouse traps scattered throughout. Ours was Bounding Buck, guess they knew we were coming.

Later the owner of the Ranch showed Liza and I around. Now, I try very hard not to judge people. You know how when you don't know someone, you aren't sure if they suffer from speech impediments, or muscle spasms. Well Irv was in his late 60's so then you don't know if age has something to do with his malfunctions, maybe thrown from one too many horses or took a hoof on the frontal lobe. Then you get closer and realize it's just good old Jack Daniels. Holy Moly. He wasn't suffering from Muscular Dystrophy, just blasted, not a good first impression.



By now it was 6:00 and dinner was right around the corner. The call came in the manner of 2 huge dinner bells rung so you could here them in Montana. Yes, I am wearing headphones.
They set us up mess hall style, 2 long tables, serve yourself buffet style, so much for my diet this week.

Welcome to Wyoming

First of all I would like to take the time to thank my sister Kris for the ride to the airport. I don't care who you are, 6:00am on you day off is no fun for anyone.

Once Liza and I arrive at the airport we smile pretty and flirt a little to get our over-weight bags on for no extra charge. I'd like to think I've still got it, but I am traveling with a 20 something

hottie. We're off....

.

After 20 chapters, 50 spider solitaire games, a 2 hour lay over in Denver, we land in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The sky is a breathtaking Carolina Blue, and the air is so clean you just want to

scoop it up, bottle it and bring it home (so those bottles you get as Christmas gifts aren't empty).

We meet up with others that are heading to the Ranch and load up for our 2 hour van ride. Now 2 hours in a van with 7 strangers gives you a pretty good feel of what the week is going to be like. 5 of the guests had been to the ranch before, so I'm thinking that is a pretty good referral if that many are returning. Many of them with "Box R" belt buckle, Liza and I try to hide our jealousy.

Teehee.

No Excuses

I have been to a Dude Ranch in Wyoming, an amazing week in Costa Rica and just got back from a weekend in State College for the wettest college football game I have ever attended, so grab a cool drink sit back and catch up with me.
I know I've been remiss in my updating. I think of Rachel and Sara with 2 little ones and really have no excuses.
It's tough to decide where to start, but the beginning is as good a place as any. Here we go.......

Ready or Not......

This morning was my last horseback riding lesson before I head to "The Wild West". Terry, my instructor, had a student fall off her horse yesterday and break 4 fingers on her left hand. These are the stories you love hearing before a lesson. We all sign release forms, but the fallen rider has no insurance, and Terry isn't sure if she is going to sue. Needless to say my lesson was very tame. Only walk, trot and posting today. I love to canter, but the posting and trotting are what's getting me saddle worthy. I'm not sure what kind of internet access there will be at the Ranch, but I will keep you posted on my stay. YIPPPEEE!!

Paige is a Rock Star.

OMG!!!   Enough about amusement parks already,  Paige is a Rock Star!!! 

 You got to check it out on You Tube.   Demi Levato sings "This is Me"  with a fan at Patriot Center.  There are a bunch of them.  My favorite is "This is Me"- Demi Levato & Paige fairfax Patriot Center, but they started taping it half way through the song.  On the 2nd one if you look real close you can see Jaws on the side of the stage taking photos.  He's in a blue shirt.   Can you believe it? 

 Paige is to Demi, what Courtney was to Bruce 20 years ago.  I have already sent away for an autograph.   You Rock Paige.

Waterpark On Mushrooms.

This was my very first time to Hershey Park, and I must say I have never seen a water park like the one they have here. The only way I can describe it is something between Tim Burton's

"Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory" and the game "Chutes and Ladders". All the colors are really vivid, and everything seems to move in different directions at the same time.

I don't know how in the world parents with more than 1 child can keep track of them. There were nooks and crannies everywhere. Ladders, slides, water coming out of anything that moved. What happened to the lazy river? We took some photos, and got out of WaterWorld as quickly as possible.

Early Does It.

Having ridden most of the roller coasters before 11:30am was a really smart thing to do. Like most amusement parks in the middle of a 90 degree August 18th day, it starts taking on a life of it's own. The mix of over excited teenagers, and over aged thrill seekers has a smell all of its own, especially in the previously mentioned heat.

With all the major coasters behind us, except for the latest addition "The Fahrenheit", that is where we were headed, or should I say that is where I was headed, pulling Terry along with me. Once we got there, they had a repair sign on it, and were sending the cars empty along the tracks. Now I am all for throwing caution to the wind, but I would really like to see my 54th birthday, so we by passed that and went for the "Coal Cracker"

You can see my brave little warrior ducking behind me so he would get wet. Can you say Wussy?

Heading to Hershey Park

After another full day and some great buys at the NY Gift Show, Terry and I head to Hershey, PA. That's right, Terry is taking me to Hershey Park for my 53rd birthday. Chocolate and roller coasters, does it get any better? So Monday we leave NY and head to "Chocolate Mecca".

When Terry and I reach the park Tuesday morning we are at the gates at 10:00, and I am ready to hit the 1st ride we come to. We reach the Carousel, pick out our ponies, and get settled for the ride to begin. I know I'm in trouble when not 15 seconds in, and maybe 2 up & downs, Terry comments on how fast the ride is going. Oh boy, It's going to be a long day.

I really do have to give Terry credit. He took me to an amusement park, because he knows I'll always be a kid at heart. He didn't complain once about having to wait while I hit all the #5 coasters. He actually went on one of the #4's and a 5. That was all it took, he sat the rest out, having fulfilled his boyfriend duties du jour.

If You Want Something Bad Enough.....

On Friday night before we left for NY, Terry had given me a look inside the birthday weekend he had planned for me. He made sure that Tuesday was covered at the shop, and that Harper and Bear had sitters for the extra days we would be gone.
Terry had made an appointment for a deep tissue massage just for me for Sunday morning at 9am. What a great way to start the day. So much for catching up at the show. All I had to do now was get a cab to "Lather" for an hour of total decadence. I stepped out of the Hotel to hail a cab, and the entire street was blocked of for the New York City Marathon. Can you believe it? That's okay I'll just walk up to Broadway and get one there, nope, Broadway was full of these overzealous runners as well. What drives these people to get up and run 26.2 miles before breakfast. Well it was obvious that my intended route was not going to work.

Welcome to the NY Transit System, aka,"The Subway". After asking a few touristy questions I got on the first correct train.

...then another question to a very nice young guy,who pointed me in the right direction for the 4,5,6 train. Two blocks, and I was at The Spa. Now I'm sure you know that if I was going to the dentist, or going to workout my resolve to get there would not have been as strong as it was for this massage. Aaaahhhh! It was wonderful. Thanks Terry.

The Big Apple

One of the best parts of my job is getting to go to all the shows that might have anything new and different pertaining to dogs and cats. Well last week was the New York Gift Show. One of my favorites. What makes the NYGS different from the usual dog & cat shows that I go to, is the NYGS has everything from linens to china, furniture to jewelry, unique fashions to garden gnomes, and everything in between, and to me it's all at cost. There is just so much to see and never enough time, luckily I can always pass up the garden gnomes.
I usually do this trip alone, it's easier for me because I only have myself to worry about. Well on this trip I invited Terry to join me. We left Annapolis around 9:00, I usually leave at 6:30. I had to stop by the store to pick up business cards and my camera....details,details. The drive was petty uneventful beside the usual rest stop at J. Fenimore Cooper. We got to our hotel and checked in, the walked to the Javitz Center. By the time we got started it was already 3:00 and the show closes at 6:00. Oh well, I'll get alot done tomorrow.
We headed to Broadway for a great meal not having any idea where we were going. Terry took a side road here and a turn there and "Voila" a great Spanish Taverna. It was an absolutely fantastic meal, but if I had a gun to my head and had to take someone there, I would never be able to find it again. Thank God that Terry has a sense of direction.

Best of the Worst

We all have our own ways of coping. There is nothing wrong with coping mechanism, it one of those things that lets us know we are human. Mine used to be to hook up with my best friends, Jack Daniels or Jim Beam. I dropped those 2 and replaced them with Ben & Jerry, but now I have a real boyfriend. I have been solo for so long that I have sort of forgotten the art of sharing, except with K-9s. The way I cope now is by filling my plate so full with outside stimulus that I'm too preoccupied to deal with the problem at hand (ie: my mother's death). So during and after the funeral proceedings, I was constantly agreeing to take other peoples dogs in to keep myself busy. The problem with this was that I totally forgot that I had offered to be with Terry during a very hard time for him. The anniversary of his wife's death was this week. Instead of keeping my promise to him, to be by his side, I have 8 dogs at my house. Needless to say, Terry is not the dog lover that I am, but then again, who is? I know, I know, I have said I'm never doing this again, but I'm just a girl who can't say no. .... anyway I have officially given myself top honors for "Worst Girlfriend of the Month".

Adult Outing

On Sunday Kris, Terry and I decided to have an Adult Outing.
We got tickets for the matinee, "Spring Awakening" playing at The Kennedy Center.
Since none of us wanted to drive into DC, we opted for the metro. We missed the train that would have guaranteed an on time arrival by seconds. I'm sure we would have made it if I didn't insist on helping Kris with the math involved in a 2 person, round trip fare. Kris had it totally in control until I stepped in. Funny how word problems have actually gotten harder as I've gotten older. So, as we approach the platform, we see our train slowly pulling away. 15 minutes for the next train, plus expected delays. Great. Now I have turned it into "The Amazing Race". As soon as we pull into the station, we run up the stairs and jump onto the waiting shuttle. We pick up our tickets from call waiting and go directly to our seats. No sooner do we sit down, then the lights go up. We made it just in the nick.
Walking into "Spring Awakening" I knew absolutely nothing about it, except Kris told me there were some masturbating scene that had some puritan sect up in arms. It was basically a coming of age piece set in the early 1900's. It amazes me how little things have changed when it comes to affairs of the heart. We have certainly come a long way in talking to our youth about the consequences that go along with sex, but I think that's because there is so much more involved.... Thank you Baby Jesus for dogs.
From the Theatre we went to P.F.Chang's for Adult Dinner. I used the gift certificate that John gave me for watching his dog Layla. I love Adult Outings!!!

Giddy Up!

At the end of August I will be heading to a "Dude Ranch" in Wyoming. Another check on my bucket list. I am going with my hairdresser, who is young enough to be my daughter, and parties like I used to. Of course if she was my daughter she would not be joining me, she would be on restriction, but I digress.

For the preparation of this trip, I have been taking horseback riding lessons.

Now I used to ride. So what if it was 42 years ago, how much can change in 42 years?

When I did ride, it was "Western", now 42 years later, I'm riding "English". These are 2 totally different styles, with or without 42 years. From saddles to bridles everything is different. Have I mentioned how long it's been?

I've been taking lessons since May, every Tuesday morning at 7:00am. Now I don't just show up and climb on the horse. I curry brush, to loosen dirt. Soft brush to remove dirt, Clean all 4 hooves, to make sure there is no debris from a previous rider. All this usually takes about 15-35 minutes depending on whether or not my horse rolled around in the mud the night before Needless to say, you don't wear your favorite outfit, or anything white. Now I put on the the saddle pad, saddle, girth, and the bridle. This can take anywhere from 5-20 minutes, depending on how co-operative the horse is. It usually takes me the full 20 minutes.  After all this the lesson begins.......

Burial Done Right

For those of you who witnessed my father's ("The Colonel") funeral, you know that there is nothing more impressive than a full military honors funeral at Arlington National Cemetery.



My mother's was not quite all that, but it was 6 marines in full dress blues. The precision of "The Corps" is matched by none. They carried my mother's casket to the grave site in the proud manner that only a Marine can.
Father Jo-Jo gave the final blessing, and we all gave our own silent, personal goodbye, and followed it by placing a red rose on mom's casket.



Rest in Peace Mom.

The Never Ending Mourning Period

Jacqueline Marie Theresa Gunning

10/7/1926 - 7/10/2009

Mom came home from the hospital on Tuesday June 31st. The Last Rites were given to her on Saturday July 4th, and she held on for 6 more days, taking her final breath on Friday, July 10th. Kris finally reached me ( I was getting my hair done), I got someone to cover the shop, and then meet Kris and Donna at Barranco's Funeral Home. All the arrangement were made, the only glitch in the entire process was Arlington.
The absolute only thing that I can find wrong with being buried among some of the most renowned, is timing. You work with Arlington's schedule, not mom's. At first Arlington gave us a date in August. WHOA!! Wait a minute. Thanks to Donna offering a priest from her parish to be there to give the final blessing, it moved us up to July 21st date. That is still 11 days after mom's death, but it wasn't August. Once we had a burial date we scheduled everything to coincide. Viewing at Barranco's Sunday July 19th, Mass on Monday at Our Lady of the Fields and the Burial at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday.

No Words

I usually like for my posts to be funny and upbeat, but unfortunately life is not all sunshine and lollipops. With mom's health, or lack there of, there has not been a whole lot of upbeat going around.
Last Saturday a priest from Donna, Brian's, and (for a short while) Mom's parish came to the house to preform "Anointing of the Sick" over mom. Kathy came up from Louisville, and we all gathered in mom's room for the ceremony. Afterwards we all talked about some of the details of the inevitable. All in all it was a pretty down day.
Donna has been sending out updates of mom's state of being after the hospice worker has come in. I think Donna missed her calling. She has done more than most would do, and it's really been a blessing knowing she is there.
Kris and I will head over after work tonight to see if there is anything we can do. Unfortunately with the drugs they have her on, she is incoherent. She is generally sleeping and really all any of us can do is hope for a peaceful passing. It is very sad to see mom in such a state. She has lost so much weight, and is so weak. It truly is heart breaking.

Layla at Camp

The last week has been exhausting. Not only is Jackie in the hospital, but John and his family headed to the beach for a baseball tournament that Zack was in, so I had the pleasure of Miss Layla's company. For those of you who don't remember, Layla is a Jack Russell, who loves to bark and play hide-n-seek. Well this week she thought she was the queen of "Puppy Porn". She had her way with both Harper and Winslow. Harper was having no part of it, Winslow on the other hand became her "Boy Toy".  She used him up, and he still had a smile on his face.



I better suggest to John & Chris that they start closing the bedroom door. :)

On A Lighter Note.....

Due to Jackie's dementia, she is under the impression she is in the hospital because she is about to deliver her 9th child. Rather than explain the real reason (for the 100th time), I decided to help her pick out some names. She loves Thomas and David for boys, and Anne for a girl. Who knows.... maybe triplets.

Jackie's in the Hospital

We have all been aware for some time that Jackie has not been herself, but when Donna went to take her to a Doctor's appointment on Tuesday, she found Jackie was bleeding from her bladder. Donna called 911 right away, and Jackie has been in the hospital since.
Donna called Kris, Kris called me and the testing began. When she entered the hospital they put a tube in to flush and cleanse. At the start the discharge was the color of (Kris's description) Merlot. By the time I left Wednesday, it was the color of fruit punch. Not as dark as earlier, but still enough blood to cause concern.
She had an ultrasound on Tuesday, a sonogram on Thursday and a cystoscopy on Friday.
Unfortunately, Kris was at the hospital alone when the news was brought to her that Jackie's bladder was infested with cancer. Kris called me with the news and broke down. I have been at the hospital for the last 2 days, and believe me when I tell I wish I had been there today when Kris got the news. I'm sure I would have made some off color joke to have made us both laugh.
Instead Kris got the news, and she was alone. It is so unfortunate that I have been there the last 2 days and my mom is probably totally unaware of my presence. Today, when Kris could have used a shoulder the most I wasn't there. For that I am truly sorry.

Idle Hands.....

Do you ever let your bangs grow just a bit too long? Not so long that anyone would notice, but just long enough to drive you crazy. Well mine were at that point, and how hard is it to trim bangs anyway? The secret is not to use a dull pair of scissors. After the first trim with the scissors from Dullsville, the end result was not one I was happy with. Maybe if I wet my bangs the dull scissors will go through them easier. Nope, actually made it worst. Okay, after that major mess, anyone with any intelligence would go next door where 15 professional hairdressers work. You know how I hate to ask for help, I can do this. Just a little here, and a snip there. My bangs now look exactly like they did for my 2nd grade photo, which I still haven't forgiven my mother for. Oh well... It'll grow back.

A Must Read

One of the great things about Terry is he has a passion for reading that almost matches mine.
He recently loaned me a book that I enjoyed thoroughly. It is "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
This is one of the passages, but in no way one of the better ones. It goes out to all us readers.
"The art of reading is slowly dying, that it's an intimate ritual, that the book is a mirror that offers us only what we already carry inside us, that when we read , we do it with all our heart and mind, and great readers are becoming more scarce by the day.
I am now putting "The Shadow of the Wind" in my Top Ten. Try it you'll like it.

Out of the Closet

My switching out winter for summer clothes was long overdue. Friday I got a phone call from Purple Heart looking for donations. It was just the jump start I needed. Opening my closet door is like walking into a teenager's room after she has tried everything on for a 1st date with the guy she has had a crush on since her freshman year. If a hanger doesn't avail itself, the piece I'm wearing usually ends up on the closet floor. When I run out of drawer space, you guessed it, a nice pile on the closet floor. So now that you have the picture in you head 10 times it and that is what I tackled this weekend.
I made 3 piles. Consignment, Purple Heart and dust rags.
The consignment pile consists of all the dresses that I got from a catalog for the perfect soiree.
Well, the soiree either never happened, or the dress looked alot better on the skinny-assed model then moi. Some of those items still had the tag on them. Those days are over.
The Purple Heart Items are gently used items or the size 14's that I plan never to be in again.
The dust rags are self explanatory. So far I have 2 large garbage bags for Purple Heart and 7 nice dresses for consignment. Next week maybe I'll tackle my drawers.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game.

All of the Colonel's children were taught baseball at a very young age. The older 4 grew up on the "Angels" in California, and the younger 4 with the Baltimore Orioles. Kathy, Brian and Jimmy actually were bat kids for the Orioles. Now this was back in the day when you could take a family of 4 to a ballgame for under 20.00. To take a family to a pro ball game now you need to get an advance on the next 2 paychecks. I think that is very sad, because when I was younger I remember it being a very special treat. Dad taught us how to keep score the old fashion way. Of course all I remember now is K=Struck out and E=Error. You hated putting those marks on your team's score card.

Well Saturday night Terry and I went to see the Bowie Baysox. I was a little hesitant at first, because it was "Super Hero" night and I thought every screaming meanie in the tri-state area would be in attendance. We talked briefly about going to see a movie, but it was so nice out we decided to give the ball game a shot. The evening was made to order. Tickets were only $14.00, and Terry may have gotten a senior citizen discount, which put his ticket at $9.00. Our seats were 3rd row, in between home plate and 3rd base. The perfect seats for a foul ball broken nose. The Baysox won 10-6, and it was the best time I've had at a ball game in some time. What I love about the Baysox is they still play with their hearts instead of their wallets. They go that extra step to make a play, unlike the multi-million dollar player, who don't worry about stoping short. What do they care that you've just spent $200.00 to have your family of four watch them play. Their paycheck is guarenteed. Anyway... my point is, the game was baseball how it should be played, with heart.
Oh did I mention, Terry and I had a hotdog, popcorn, chocolate chip cookies, ice cream and bottled water served by the Arundel HighSchool Band, for less than 15.00. And you just haven't lived until you've seen college kids in padded "SuperHero" costumes.

San Fran Wedding... Cliff Notes

Fly into Oakland. Rent Car. Drive to Ross. Lunch. Drive to Terry's brothers house.
Meet Terry's mom. Get ready for wedding. PUT ON NEW SHOES. Ooh LaLa!! Go to outdoor wedding ceremony. Oh my God, I can't walk in that gravel. In these shoes, I don't think so.
Tip toe through gravel. Ceremony. Eyes water, sniff, sniff. Photos for hour. Get to reception. Beautiful Country Club setting. Forgot Camera. Feet start hurting in OhLaLa Shoes. Eat recognizable food. Yippee! Kick stupid shoes off to dance. Gather up all the people who can only stay awake as long as Terry and I. Drive to Michael and Barbie's house to crash. Wake up to catch flight home. Drive across Golden Gate Bridge to get to airport. Had Camera.

Asian Delicacies.

From the Tea Ceremony we continued on to the reception. It was held at an enormous Chinese Restaurant in which we had the back section. All the table were arranged and we were the first group to arrive. Nothing unusual about that, but an hour and a half later we were still the only ones there. I looked at the Groom's grandfather and said, "I wonder if anyone else is coming", and without batting an eye he said " There is gonna be alot of left over duck". I thought I was going to wet my pants. We became good friends from there on out. Finally the place starts filling up, thank you Baby Jesus, because I am starving.

The first round of dishes comes out and it is pressed meat of some sort. It looked like bologna with gelatin pressed into it, some pressed white meat was also on the platter. There was another meat that was truly indescribable, even the color was scary. Take those 3 loaves of meat and put them on a bed that looked like sauerkraut, but is really jellyfish tentacles and there you have our first course. YUMMY!! Now, I don't even eat normal Caucasian seafood, jellyfish tentacles was never in the running.

You're probably wonder what they did with all the jellyfish heads separated from the 1st course tentacles. Bring on the 2nd course, Jellyfish Heads. Waste not, Want not, and I really mean it when I say, "Want? Not".

.

These dishes are actual delicacies in Asia. From jelly fish we went on to shark fin soup, fried lobster, shrimp somethingorother and the list goes on and on. Terry's brother Michael holds the JellyHead up as Barbie (his wife) pours another glass of wine to wash hers down. After the 5th or 6th exotic dish came out, Terry told the waiter that I didn't eat seafood. He graciously brought out a large dish of chicken fried rice. I have never seen a plate of food disappear so quickly, and coming from a family of 8, that is a feat.

The First of Two Weddings

Let me give you a little background on Terry's nephew Tyler, and fiance Ashley. Tyler is the oldest and tallest of Terry's younger brother Michael's 3 children. Tyler's family lives outside of San Francisco in Northern California. Ashley's family lives outside of Los Angeles in Southern California. So for logistics sake there were 2 weddings.

The first wedding was an Asian Tea Ceremony done at Ashley's parents house. Ashley's parents live about 15 miles from our hotel. Now 15 miles in any other State in the Union would take about 25 minutes to get to, but if you are traveling on the Santa Monica Freeway it takes 2 hours and 15 minutes. That's right. The smiles in this picture was a before SMF shot. You don't want to see after. Did I mention my dress was linen?

We finally get there and have pretty much missed the entire Tea Ceremony. Because Terry is an Uncle, he too must give his blessing to the bride and groom in a Tea Ceremony, and since I was his date I had the pleasure of participating. We both sat side by side, we were each given a cup of tea, and 2 red envelopes. After sipping the tea with the groom we handed him one of the envelopes, and then the process was repeated with the bride. I still don't know what was in either of the envelopes. Winning Lotto ticket, get out of jail free card, who knows? Maybe that's why thy didn't tell me, I might not have given it up.

The bridesmaids all wore gold Asian style dresses for the first ceremony. The 2nd shot is Terry who is 6' and looks short, with Tyler the Groom 6'7", and Jenny and Kody. These are all of Terry's neices and nephews. And Yes, the boys do play Bball.

California Here We Come

Terry and I head out to California for his nephew's wedding on Thursday. That gave us one whole day to play before the "First Wedding" on Friday. I found us a really neat hotel in Santa Monica, called "The Georgian Hotel". It is the only art deco hotel surrounded by all these mammoth high rises. It was perfect. Classy with a little bit of funk, just my speed.

Once we got settled in, we headed for the Santa Monica Pier to grab a bite to eat. After lunch werented bikes and rode down to Venice Beach. Now Venice Beach is somewhere that seems to have been caught in a time warp. It's as if all the love children, and die hard hippies put up card tables, or just lay out blankets and sell their wares. By wares I mean everything from pot pipes and bongs to handmade jewelry. After about the 4th blanket of wares, it all started to look the same. We broke down and bought bottled water.

After a wonderful afternoon on the bikes we test out the waters of Southern California. Too cold for open water swim,but not too bad for getting your feet wet.

That's A Wrap

Visiting Sara, Justin, Addie, Baby Bella and Sara's parents, Jan & Ann, was a rare treat. Having Kathy and Kris on the trip made it extraordinary. For those of you who read Sara's blog you know how nice it is for Addie to be spending time in the same yard that Sara grew up in. Now having been there myself I can understand how special this time for Sara really is. Jan and Ann's yard is magical. It is the kind of yard you can picture fairy tales being written in. They have small gardens everywhere. I'm sure there is something in bloom at all times. When I was there the dogwoods were in full color. They have a shed that was whimsically painted by the 3 sisters.

I feel like the only thing missing in this photo are cartoon animals surrounding our little Princess

Falling Behind

Okay, so a laptop makes blogging more convenient, but I guess that means I have to use it. I never finished our Portland trip. We did take a day trip to Multnomah Falls. It was breathtaking, so much so, that I have requested that Kris and Kathy throw my ashes from the highest point.

The Magic Touch.

Now that I have my MacBook I can keep you posted about all the latest news.  Once we got to Portland, we caught up with Kathy, Justin and Addie, and headed to the hospital to meet Baby Bella for the first time.  Now I know how excited everyone is to see Justin and Sara's latest arrival, so I start snapping photos of Baby Bella.  I can't wait to send them out on my blog, but wait... that would entail having brought the cord to the camera to download. Details, details.  Oh well... Photos to be added later.

When we got to the hospital Sara's parents were there, but come on... when can we hold the baby?

Kris and Kathy both had their 10 minutes, then it was my turn.  Baby Bella had just been put in my arms when all hell broke loose.  If there was any questions about Bella lungs they were all answered in my arms.  I do not think she would have cried any louder if she was put into freezing water.  Needless to say my holding time was cut short.  TAKE HER, TAKE HER.  I am really much better with older children.  

West Coast Here We Come.

Kris and I get to BWI and Kris takes her "Please relax me to the point of making me feel like I'm cross stitching " pill.  For those of you who don't know, Kris is not the best of flyers.  Since Rachel and Justin have moved to far away lands, she has been getting script for travel.   So we board the plane and I tell Kris to get a window and an aisle, that way if the plane isn't full we have the empty middle seat.  Well, not even before I get on board, someone has asked Kris if she could sit in our row.  No problem, it was a full flight anyway.  This woman has pressure bands on both wrists and proceeds to tell Kris she has awful motion sickness.  Now I don't know about you, but if I'm even close to vomit, it's all over.  Kris and her new friend exchange stories about the worst part about flying and we haven't even pulled back from the gate.  I just roll my eyes and bury myself in my book.  It's going to be a long flight.