A Day of Life and Death

Here we go and about to pop! This is what Danny looked like this morning...
I could tell it was going to happen soon. Ironic that it would happen on the same day our goldfish, Dennis, of 3 years is dying. I'm not sure what happened, but blood is oozing from his bottom fins. I transferred him from the big tank to a smaller one so the other fish won't bother him. Diva is another goldfish we have...she is 4 years old and is a bully. She has already been the death of several other fish. I don't know if she is to blame for Dennis. They had been getting along just fine. Maybe Dennis scraped himself on the fake waterfall mountain??

Anyway...interesting day all around. It also happens to be my friend, Carl's birthday. Weird, huh? Oh, and tomorrow is my sister's birthday and the day after that is my brother's birthday.

Life and death is everywhere. It is in everything.

Thirsty?

The Kittens are Here!

Danny has her kittens. I took this photo not even 30 minutes ago. There are four black ones. Now there are four black ones and one orange one...I better go check...perhaps we have 6?

Another Field Trip

Field Trip to Maidu Indian Interpretive Center.

Megan & I are listening to the guide talk about grizzly bears.

Michael with his little love.

Photo Crazy right now...
I changed these photos because we were sitting under a green shade. It made the picture turn out VERY green. I think it looks better this way. I also put it in b/w.

Michael Brydon goes a golfin!

Michael's golf tournament took him to 3 beautiful courses. Pacific Grove (practice round), Poppy Hills & Spyglass. His team took 7th place out of 25 teams. Not to shabby!

BTW- I am posting these pictures on my site because Michael does his blog from work where it is discouraged to download anything. So I do it for him. :)

All ocean shots are on the first 5 holes. This one is taken from #2

Michael & Don on #3

Don taking a swing on #3

Interesting houses! Taken from tee block #3 at Spyglass.

Nice shot Michael! I mean the golf ball not the camera. Spyglass hole #5

Breakfast at Poppy Hills overlooking #9

Poppy Hills hole #2

Forgot this one of Spyglass. It's from #6

Give Me Something to Read

Where did everybody go?

I know my site is so incredibly exciting, but you don't have to spend ALL your time here. Write something on yours. Dang, I need something to read too. Give a girl a break. I need to read!!

Actually if this keeps up, I going to march myself right down to the end of my street and walk right into ALT's closet sized library. I'm going to look for a book titled "London Bridges". It looks good. I miss reading a big ole book.
Laying on a canvas hammock with a gentle blowing breeze, reading page after glorious page until my mood is interrupted by the cat clawing at my butt from underneath the cloth. Darn cat. Go away! Leave me alone. I was having a perfect dream.

I guess it's true. Writers are readers.

A Traffic Story

Aunt Julie's Wedding

You may kiss the bride. ohhhh :)

don't cry, don't cry, don't cry!

Wedding Vows

Julie with her new husband, Mike.

Classic Julie smile. Isn't she beautiful!

Me at dinner.

Katie at dinner.

Me again. I'm helping to place flowers on the tables.

Michael takes my breath away in his nice new suit!!

Grandma Ginger gives Megan tips on being a flower girl.

Me, Don & Megan. Where's the bride? Getting ready of course!

Michael with his mother and nephew, Drew.

This is Don. He is my father-in-law, Michael's dad and the father of the bride, but our girls just call him....Grandpa.

Megan blowing wedding bubbles.

Michael update

Are you wondering how Michael (Brydon)'s golf game is going? Well just in case you were....here's where you can read about it.

Alien Planet

Boy, do I love this!

Too bad I missed it! Just one thing...
"Because of Darwin, life is full of surprises."

I disagree. What a horribly inaccurate statement. Darwin?? Why Darwin? Did he create life? No...he didn't. I won't be thanking Darwin for lifes little surprises!

Katie is sick and I'm on my own...

Katie is sick.
That's right...more illness for Katie. Remember how I wrote she was sick last weekend? Well, we spent 3 hours in the doctor's office today. She has bronchitis that just might have already progressed to phenomena. Crap. If that wasn't bad enough, the poor girl picked up poison oak all over her body! Because the rash is also on her face and ears...they had to give her steroids. Fun. Antibiotics and steroids.
At least it should clear up quickly. Lets hope by next week she'll be feeling much better. She's been through enough this year!!
I guess that explains why she's been tired so much. I feel like a horrible mom. She's been coughing for weeks, but I thought it was just allergies and that it would go away with over the counter meds. Apparently not. Uhh...the fever should have been a clue. EVERYONE in this part of the state has allergies. It just comes with the territory...literally.
Normally she is very healthy. In fact when I tried to get her prescription today at longs...they didn't even have any record of her in their system, which basically means they have never filled a prescription for her. Wow. That's pretty good. We've lived here 2 years and no major meds. This place really is Cool.
I'm not one of those "natural medicine only" kind of moms...I will give antibiotics when they really need them. Just not for every little infection they get. Fevers are good if they don't get too high.

On my own.
Yeah, well, that's because Michael is off in Monterey for a few days, playing the nice golf courses of the west coast. Poppy Hills...Spyglass...another one I don't remember the name of.
I hope he's having a great time. He deserves it. He works his butt off. I wish he would do more things for himself, but it's just not in his nature. He is sweet and loving. NOT selfish...not one little bit. I wish I could be more like that.

Man...usually I light candles at night, have a glass of wine and maybe take a bath. No time for that tonight. I haven't even fed the cats yet, the girls just got to bed and all the windows are still open. He does more around this house than I realized.

Beautiful Wedding...I'll post more about this later...right now I'm so tired. :-)

She's Back!

6th Grade Camp was a lot of fun, but boy, was she tired!! Check out these pictures...it was hard to choose which ones to post here. She took 167 shots! Most of them are GREAT!...that's saying a lot given the condition of my terrible camera! I didn't know I had such an awesome photographer looming in the shadows. I will post more of her great works on my blog..."kodak moments", so be sure to stop in over there.

There are all kinds of people like this...this one calls himself, "the human statue", Katie's group also encountered "the bush man" who jumps out of bushes to scare people.

Great time in San Francisco!

Yikes!

Scared at Alcatraz

SBC Park...Go Giants!

Lombard St...

Going to Chinatown...isn't she cute!!

So totally rocks!

She rocks!!

Yeah, I missed her.

Isn't she awesome!!

I REALLY love this one!!

Holy Crap! Is my daughter a great photographer or what?!?!

Katie Update

Yesterday she went to SBC stadium (where The Giants play). They got to hang out in the dugout and play on the field. They also walked all over Chinatown. She called me from a restaurant there.
This morning she called and told me the rain finally pounded them. She woke up late to find her bini hat fell off in the night and landed in puddle that had collected inside the tent. Half of her things are wet...including one shoe from both pairs she had packed.

I said to her..."sounds like your ready to come home?"
she replied..."No, I'm wet, but I still get to go to alcatraz today."
"Did you spend all your money?"
"Yes" she said, "but that's okay...all the stuff at alcatraz is to exspensive anyway."
"Are you tired?"
"No...(I didn't believe her) I'm fine." she insisted.
"Do you miss me?"
"No mom (yeah right). I miss Megan."

She puts up such a front. Would it kill her to miss me?

R.I.P.

Three weeks ago the grooms father was diagnosed with three types of cancer.

This morning he passed away.

The wedding will go on as scheduled...but tears of joy and pain will also unite.

Please pray for our family during this difficult time.

Thank You.

Wonderfully Sane or Incredibly Crazy?

Isn't that a fine line I walk?

Indeed.


Last night Katie called...twice. I've found out she's also been calling her grandmother. She sounds like she is having a GREAT time. Yesterday they went to the aquarium, Cissy field, walked the Crookedest Street, bused all over the place and ate dinner (Kentucky Fried Chicken) in Golden Gate Park. She called from the park and on the bus going back to camp. She was looking forward to the campfire where her group was going to put on a skit. (She loves drama)

On the second call she said she wanted to talk to Megan (her sister). I watched as Megan's eyes grew bigger and her mouth fell open. Katie had bought her two presents. Megan quickly replied..."Don't tell me! I want it to be a surprise."

So she told me. One gift from The Disney Store another she bought at the aquarium gift shop. This is all she has purchased so far...(except for a Jamba Juice). I must be doing something right. She is a good sister!

Think of Me

well, if you just listened to that horrible display of nerves...you will have noticed that I can't sing the line "take your heart back". It just goes way to high for me. I cracked! O'well. I don't mind that. Maybe if I ever take singing lessons, I can find a way to fix the problem.
If you could see me now, you'd smile. :-)

Master of One thing?...Heavens NO.

She loves me! She really loves me!

It's been a whole day and she's called me twice. Once last night to tell me they finally arrived at camp and were setting up tents. She was so excited and feeling much better. She said the train ride under the bay felt like she was surfing (she's never been surfing...). Aslo that walking across the G.G. Bridge was windy!
This morning she sounded kind of down. Like a good mother I asked, "Are you feeling alright? How is your stomach?"
"Fine mom, I'm fine. Is it going to rain today?"
"No babe. It going to be windy again."

I think maybe she misses me a little. I didn't expect that so soon. Usually she has no problem with separation.
I hope she will able to let that go and just have fun!

I am. Today is my day. I'm going to do things I want to do. Running, work in Megan's classroom, and write. No dishes, no laundry, no mopping, vacuuming or dusting...I did all that yesterday and now my house is sparkling clean!
Of course I'll be still here, checking in on the blog world once in a while.
see ya!

Quiz

Your #1 Match: ENFJ

The Giver You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed. Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections. Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down. You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine. You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist.

What's Your Personality Type?

I knew it.

A Week in San Francisco

Katie left bright and early this morning (7am) for 6th grade camp. She'll spend the week exploring the colorful city of San Francisco. They will camp in tents only a short distance (not even 2 miles) from the Golden Gate Bridge. Their days are packed with trips to places like Union Square, Lombard St., the financial district, take bus tours, play at parks & visit libraries, ride old cable cars & trolleys, The Embarcadero, The Giant's SBC Park, Civic Center, Grace Cathedral, famous hotels such as The Sir Frances Drake and Fairmont, Chinatown, Fisherman's Warf, Ghirardelli, the Cannery, Pier 39 & 41 to ferry over to Alcatraz Island...explore, and of course take a dip in the ocean (burr!).
They will also ride the Bart Train today and walk across the Golden Gate Bridge.
She should be pretty wiped out by Friday. Actually she was sick all weekend, which made it harder for me to say good-bye. I kept kissing her head and asking her if she was okay.
I gave her a cell phone and my digital camera...which explains why this photo is so crummy. My camcorder can take stills...but the pixels are like zero.
It's suppose to rain all week. Great.
Oh well...I know she'll have a great time!
We will be driving to the camp site this Friday and pick her up before the bus loads to go home. Friday is Aunt Julie's wedding! From S.F. we'll drive down to Capitola for the wedding at 3.
What a week!

Light and Dark

If you are blind,
but you can still see
pay it no mind
you will see it through me

The light and the dark
takes shades of their own
quickly they happen
by mail or by phone

You can't turn away
or rest from their heat
Casting grand shadows
A promising treat

Wicked and cruel
you thought what you saw
your eyes have but failed you
The righteous; the law.

Author's comment: This just came to me. Yes, I wrote it just now in about a minute. Don't know why or what it means...but there it is. Feel free to leave your interpretation.

Star Wars...Finally coming to a Space Geek near you!

Where in the hell have I been?

I am ashamed of myself! and I call myself a space geek!

You're just not going to believe this and most likely you'll say..."NO WAY, if she hasn't paid much attention to the greatest space movies of all time...then she was never really into this stuff to begin with!", but honestly I never got that into Star Wars.

Thanks for the judgment.
To my defense:
I was only 6 when the first one hit the screens. By the time Return of the Jedi came out, I was a teen. I went to see it. I liked it, but I think most of it went over my head. I couldn't fully appreciate it because I never saw the first two. I think I got jipt.

At that time I was more interested in REAL space. I wanted to become an astronaut. Movies like Spacecamp were more my speed.

I guess Star Wars did not mesh with my imagination. I have a completely different idea of what space looks like...and I hope one day you'll see it. Perhaps I have been subconsciously rejecting it in order to mold my own theories. Who knows? I'm not a shrink!

Now that I'm older, I am finally pulling out and dusting off that old trilogy box set we bought years ago and treating myself to a fully blown Star Wars marathon.
Don't get me wrong...I've watched part of "A New Hope" and part of "The Empire Strikes Back". However, Not in their entirety. I don't remember much else.

I understand that most people (especially space geeks) have seen these things hundreds of times. Those are the ones who must envy me.

You see, I am experiencing the thrill of watching them, back to back, for the first time. I suppose whatever questions I may have can be easily answered.
Classic.
I should be all caught up and ready by May 19th!
If ya need me- I'll be on the couch.

Death

PREMATURE DEATH
How can death be premature? You die when your heart stops beating and your eyes close for good...end of story. The only thing I can tie this logic to is a bases on a specific life expectancy. If you expect to live to say...100, then actually dying at 99 1/2 would be premature.

CERTAIN DEATH
As oppose to possible death? Sorry, you don't have a choice in the matter. One thing about life you can bet on is that you will die. All death is certain.
This is a phrase best used in context. For example...if you are consulting a doctor about an illness, possible death would sound better than certain death. However I don't believe a doctor should EVER take away ones hope of recovery...no matter how grave.

Trying on the dresses for Aunt Julie's wedding. Katie is a jr. bridesmaid, Megan is the flowergirl.