Category: MY PERSPECTIVE
Another Week gone by…
A busy week of medical appointments for Bob, days with Max, and accounting for me. In between all of these activities, I managed to find a steal deal on a vintage school desk that we are refinishing for Max. As soon as he saw it in the garage, he ran right over and climbed in. It will be perfect for meals and artwork! Only $25 and it is from the 50’s. Could have been my desk in first grade! Before and after pictures will soon follow.
Maxwell made his very first Target run and Home Depot run with Grandma – a tradition steeped in history from Mateo and Marluce. He was very good and sat nicely and waved at people like he was in a parade. He spilled his water on his shirt and does NOT like being wet, so off the shirt came and we found a nice new one to slip over his head. Good thing we were in Target! Had to leave the tag on until we got to the check stand and I tell Max “arms up” and high in the sky go both arms while the clerk scans the tag dangling from his sleeve. Off to Home Depot where we purchased a ginormous planter, soil, a hibiscus, and moss rose for fill in. I have not gardened for 2 years, so was anxious to get started again.
Marluce in Kindergarten Class and Mateo starts 2nd Grade
at Sanders Corner Elementary in Ashburn Virginia.
September
9th
2011
a Journey into Awesomeness!
What is it about this crazy stuff all over the place store, that can make me spy a metal 3×6 garden bridge from a corner afar; and hear the words actually forced from my mouth “I want a bridge”. I mean, who needs a bridge? Everywhere you go, things jump out at you in red and aqua and yellow and lime. And they are not all nicely arranged in specific categories. I walk through the kitchen area and see gigantic knives, forks and spoons 3 feet in length (“I want a gigantic three foot long fork” – oops, did I say that out loud?) and mixed in with that is a white hotel style shower curtain – just like the one I have been looking for. I bought it. Across the aisle is a life size silver metal bicycle and my mind begins to thumb through that little flip book of ideas I keep in my brain. I didn’t buy that. I lose myself in this store – this place that blurs one’s senses in a midst of color and odd items and things you now MUST have and never even knew you needed. You are an evil one, Home Goods.
See ya next week.
Stumped for words
MAX
How is it that this blond little tyke can look at you with those crystal blue eyes and you lose the ability to form the words that describe your feelings. This little guy goes strong all day long. As soon as I got out of the car on the first day back in Tucson, a smile just filled my heart and two little hands reached out to me. He toddles after whoever is walking to a place that is different from the place in which he was standing! He has a gentle little voice and so many adorable little moments of quirkiness.
Me: Max, do you want some more avocado?
Max shakes his head no.
Me: Do you want some banana?
Max: nods his head and whispers “‘kay”
He calls for his Grandpa(s) almost continuously. “Grmpa…Grmpa”. And if Grandma says no to something, he makes a beeline for his Grandpa!
This is going to be fun!
Home again.
Albuquerque, while home to the beautiful Sandia Mountains, is not much to enjoy leaving the city toward Tucson. Mostly sagebrush and little hills that look like a mini-Mount Garfield and the Bookcliffs of Colorado. Except they are not. They just do not have the majesty of Mt Garfield. However, I am content knowing we will see Jeffry and Kerri and our little Maxwell (I always catch myself smiling when I type the name Maxwell – the name fits him so well!) this evening. I sit here writing of the journey we have taken, listening to my BeeGees and Beatles and Ray Charles – all of the music my hubs made into cd’s for me, all the while announcing that if he had to listen to my music the entire trip, he would stick a fork in his eyeball. So far so good. We have traveled over 2300 miles and not a forked eyeball to be had!
I notice as we get closer to Tucson, the hubs foot gets a bit heavier on the gas pedal. After about 6 hours of driving, we arrive at Jeffry and Kerri’s house and are greeted by a grinning Maxwell, arms opened wide, waiting for Grandma to hold him. What a welcome sight and totally worth 6 days in a car!
Tonight, relaxing with the kids and grandbaby Max. Pure heaven.
My Photo Book July – August 2011 pages done…Finally!
Yipeeeeeeee
Congratulations, connieszazzle!
Your product, Bridesmaid, has been hand-picked as an example of creativity at its finest. Out of the billions of designs on Zazzle, yours was chosen as one of the best.
As a reward, your product will appear at the top of the page listed below in the “Featured Designs” section for approximately 2 weeks. This means you, your product, and your store will be center stage!
See it featured on Bridesmaids Buttons
You’re part of a talented group on Zazzle so share your story, joy, and talent with others – spread the news of your success! Zazzle Artist Awards are given based on a variety of factors and the choices are never easy. Thank you for being a part of Zazzle and for your wonderful artwork!
– The Zazzle Team
my 25
Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you and I am soo glad you have come into my life.
1. Most people think that I am an extrovert. That is all a farce. I am actually painfully shy and afraid of rejection.
2. I am still at a loss without my Mom who died in 1988. I miss her “nothing new here” hour long phone calls, her holiday dinners (not for the dinner but for the company) and the way she held a family together. I feel like I have failed her because I have not been able to do the same.
3. I love all of my accounting clients and sincerely happy that I am able to work remotely.
4. I not so secretly wish for all of my granddaughters to be prima ballerinas and when people flip out their granddaughter photos and say this is my little Susie and she can spell her name, I want to be able to respond with – this is my little granddaughter and she is with the New York Ballet.
5. When my middle grandson, Mateo, smiles at me; my eyes actually tear up. Every time.
6. I sort of like it that Marluce is so sweet faced and demure and packs a punch like a truck driver. I like the way she puts on her “lipstick” and then lets loose a belch that rattles the dishes.
7. I love the way Jeffry dances funny and makes Max scream with laughter. I think Jeffry is a wonderful daddy and reminds me so much of my own dad, only WAY more involved with baby Max.
8. If I had my way, I would keep this Leesburg apartment forever and have a condo/apt in Puerto Vallerta and Victoria British Columbia as well.
9. I wish I spoke Spanish and French fluently – or, at all.
10. I don’t like the fact that I want a Cadillac crossover when I have always hated the fact that so many SUVs are on the road!
11. I wish there was just a little town called Gdovin Gardner Tabor Hodgson-ville and all of my cousins and siblings and grandkids and in-law families and Auntie Kay all lived within walking distance. I think I want to be a Walton.
12. I think I have an invention that is a great idea, but the hubs kinda laughs when I talk about it. I am not kidding – it is really a good idea!!
13. I wish I were a more positive person. I think I am a spiritual person. I love God. I believe in God. But I have never been “God fearing”. I think God is nice and I am not afraid of him. I would love to interview God and write an article – one on one.
14. I love giving people things. I love shopping for things to give to people. I could give shopping courses. I have encouraged complete strangers in stores to buy something.
15. When I go to Target or the grocery store, I go up and down every single aisle. Drives my husband nuts. I love to have a grandbaby in the cart the entire time.
16. I enjoy creative writing.
17. I would watch “When Harry Met Sally”, “Sleepless in Seattle”, “Under the Tuscan Sun”, and “You’ve Got Mail” everyday if I had the time.
18. I am still upset that Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid got divorced.
19. I thought it was funny when Zsa Zsa smacked a cop.
20. I began tap and ballet lessons at age 2 with Connie Clark as my first teacher. I studied Hawaiin and Jazz dance under Diane Collins. I danced for 16 years. I regret giving up lessons to this day.
21. I played the accordian for 5 years. And then I grew boobs and the accordian pinched my boobs. Then I quit playing the accordian and never regretted one second of that decision. Neither did my boobs.
22. I loved the times when Jay and Sandy lived in Denver and Bob and I lived in Longmont and we took turns each weekend hosting double racehourse pinochle and dinner. We would play pinochle, remind Sandy that it was her turn, eat dinner, drink lots of Kool-Aid (the good sugared kind!) and sing 4 part harmony to every song all night long.
23. I love the fact that I got to hear Quinn being born and got to hear Max’s first cries – both over the phone. I smile whenever I think of those days.
24. I hate getting older. I try to be graceful about it – but I am not.
25. I do not like mean and spiteful people. I do not like that I get no contact with some of my grandchildren and that they are dangled in front of me like a carrot and then pulled away on a whim. I hate the fact that I know I will never get my hands on my old dance photo slides since my brother Jay died. I want people to step up and do the right thing. It’s not that hard. I have done it.
Bucket List
Did I ever mention to you that practically at the top of my bucket list is to have and hold my own crown? I don’t mean one of those cutesy little bridal tiaras with little side combs that you can buy at craft stores. Nor do I want one of those cardboard cut-out things compliments of a 14 year old behind the burger counter.
I want a crown. An honest-to-God, high on the head, Princess Diana genuine sapphire and diamond, armed guard following me around CROWN. Now some people make a statement like this and maybe even get the coveted crown and wear it for a photo or to show the girls, and then carefully place it back in the mahogany velvet lined case and store it in the closet. Or a safe deposit box.
Not me. I will wear my crown like the badge of honor it will be. My crown. Designed just for my “nobody’s seen the trouble I’ve seen, God doesn’t give you more than you can handle, don’t cry over spilt milk” existence, and my “I still get butterflies when the hubs kisses me, that which does not kill me only makes me stronger, and God will not give me more than I can handle” life as I know it. My crown would be my signature to be shared with the world at large.
I will walk to Wegman’s with my shopping cart in tow and my crown atop my head for all to enjoy. I will oh-so-carefully hand it over to the security man at the airport while I clear the beepy machine, with a short instruction on resting the crown in the palm of the hand and “on no, please don’t touch the precious stones with your fingers as body oils could surely taint the brilliance. I will take my place on the gyno’s exam table donning the gown (open in the back, please) with the clarity of perfectly cut diamonds bringing a bit of glamour to an otherwise not so sparkly place to be.
Ah, yes. My crown will be worn for all to enjoy. The children at iHop will ooh and ahh and little girls will wonder if they are in the presence of royalty. The man behind the counter at the post office will quietly wonder if the person standing in front of him might be just a smidge off the mark. Ladies at the florist will smile and cast questioning glances at each other, thinking I cannot see. When they get home from work, they will be talking about the lady wearing the crown today and secretly wanting their own.
What a wonderful Day!
Visiting with the Mundle family. And dinner at Uncle Julios in the Reston Town Center (carne asada to die for!) Fun conversation; wonderful family/friends, and a brisk autumn evening! It did seem a bit strange not having Jeffry & Kerri there with all of us. But, rest assured, they will have their fill of me for two weeks! No worries there, my friends.
oh, Sarah. Where art thou??
A week ago we were thrilled to play host to a young liberal couple while they were house-hunting. The bright eyed and beautiful RN is a joy to be around. The young man with the boyish grin easy with the conversation while trying to contain his enthusiasm for the big move from the great southwest to the DC metro area. We dined. We chatted. We returned to our apartment for homemade cake. Okay, the cake was a mix, but the frosting was homemade. Still, it was the gesture that counted.
The next morning, they left for Arlington and Alexandria to resume their hunt for a place to live. I went about my day – accounting and some laundry. It was not until the following Monday afternoon that I realized that the seemingly gracious young couple had, perhaps, been involved in a covert operation the likes that only could have been masterminded by my politically obsessed young son, using his influence to the far reach from Arizona to Virginia.
Sarah is missing.
Sarah has vacationed with me, partnered up with me in Monopoly, and has been my shopping buddy. And now, she is not here. I miss Sarah. And I am sure Sarah misses me. And so I make this public plea – what, oh what do I have to do for her safe return? Is it for financial gain? Revenge?? Or just pure disdain for Alaska???
Just look how her people love her! 
What was the motive behind these young recently graduated smiles. What evil thoughts lie behind those sparkly eyes? I am distraught. I just keep hearing over and over in my mind … “know what the difference is between a mother and a bulldog? Lipstick!”
(oh how Sarah loves her Woman’s Club!)
The word is seared in my brain. Lipstick. I will not stop my search for you, Sarah. I am here for you and we shall travel together once again.
The faces of the couple presumed guilty, have been changed to protect their identity.
My Latest Card Designs
Little Ransom Notes! These are so much fun to design because I get to be completely sloppy and whimsical and messy – no rules!
doors
On Sunday, August 1st, we drove about 45 miles to Old Town Alexandria. We had not been there before and as soon as we hit Old Town the words that came out of my mouth were “I want to live here forever”. Of course I say that every time we go into the old part of Leesburg, too. I love the old historic houses, especially the little bitty ones that have huge yards almost exaggerated in size.
Doors intrigue me. I think the door tells a lot about the people inside, whether it be residential or business. Now, the doors in old town Alexandria and historic Leesburg are layered with coats of thick oil based enamel paint, and when you look closely, you can tell that the colors do not change, she just gets a fresh application of make-up and lipstick, with some of the paint flowing over onto the edges of the panes of glass. I just love doors. So, while hubby rented a bicycle and toured the area, I walked about 4 miles altogether snapping photos of doors. I made them into posters, and enjoyed it so much, that the next Sunday, we drove to old town Leesburg and did the same. But that is for another posting! Enjoy the doors of old town Alexandria and listen to the stories that they whisper to you.
The Judge is before the door: he that cometh will come, and will not tarry: his reward is with him.
~ George Whitefield
It has to do – I think – with growing up in an apartment, with my aunt and my cousins right next door to me, with the door open, with neighbors walking in and out, with people yelling at each other all the time.
~ Larry David
Philosophy is like trying to open a safe with a combination lock: each little adjustment of the dials seems to achieve nothing, only when everything is in place does the door open.
~ Ludwig Wittgenstein
I hate to admit this ….
We have Valet Trash pick up at our apartment in Leesburg. They give you a black container with a lid and 5 days a week you set it outside the apartment door in the hallway filled with your bags of trash and blue bags of recycle. Promptly, at 8pm, a guy comes through the hallway with a cart and picks up the trash and you can plan on returning the black container back in the house before 9pm. I feel spoiled. I like it!
and Many More …
 |
 |
| This free greeting personalized with Smilebox |
Colorado became a state on August 1, 1876
I think there is hardly a more beautiful state than the peaks and valleys of Colorado.
I still consider Colorado to be my home state. I was born there, attended school there, and lived there for 32 years before moving to Arizona. 5 of the 6 kids in my family were born in St Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction. (Jay was born in Chicago while Mom and Dad moved around with the US Navy. This is where the family gathered for Christmases and Graduations. Jay and Larry have both passed, however, I believe I speak for them as well when I say that Grand Junction is still home. Happy Colorado Day.
Happy Anniversary to Lori & Jim
This is one of Jim’s daughters, Sterling, holding Lori’s bouquet of fresh Dendrobrium orchids at Lori and Jim’s wedding in Palisade, Colorado on July 28, 2007.
Congrats, guys! XOXO
and so there I was,
So excited because my first Shutterfly 8″x8″ photo book that I designed just came in the mail today. All the effort! All the time!! And it only covers the first 3 months of 2010. Oh my goodness. It must have 100 photos. So much more to do.
Bob brings in the mail on his way home from work, and oooh, an envelope from cousin Carolyn. This should be fun! A few photos to look at and then a disk. I place it in the computer and begin at the first item which is a lovely letter from cousin Carolyn explaining how she and Uncle Ray began this project of scanning and noting photos that they located in her childhood home. Reading further. Seems like Ms. I do everything big or I do not do it at all, has cataloged about seventy thousand bajillion photos and documents from her two sides of family history AND has made disks for several relatives to share. This is wonderful. Bob returns to the living room after his shower and I hold up my little 8×8 inch book – about 1/4″ thick and ooh and ahh and say “oh honey, did you see my little photo album I designed?” “Uh, yeah. Saw most of them on Flickr. hey, what’s this?” as he sits at my computer and begins with the, “this is amazing – she did all of this? Wow. I love this. This is extraordinary”
Yeah, yeah, already. We all know that Ms. Super Mom Doting Daughter Auntie’s Favorite Loving Sister Tall Cousin first Yogita Bear of National Parks in the whole entire world is ambitious. Got it! Does she have to put us all to shame with this absolutely wonderful and selfless project?
I, for one, am thrilled she did. Cousin Carolyn, most accomplished cousin of the bunch (sorry cousins, but you know it’s true) you have truly outdone yourself this time. I am in a mad dash to finish sales taxes and payroll reports so I can add much of this to my family ties blog, and I cannot wait to get started.
You know, you are okay. Even if you never would play dolls with me.
Thank you from the depths of my heart for taking on this project, and for sharing it. (Um, still waiting on Auntie Kay to send me the Gdovin genealogy info she put together about 25 years ago! Perhaps you could hang out with her a bit more!)
Love and Gratitude from Virginia!
Carolyn Rae in the arms of Grandpa George Thomas Gdovin.
bra·vis·simo (brä vēs′sē mō̂′)
Quinn Studies Ballet
Quinn is all ready for her debut en pointe in her pink leotard and tutu.Me and My Blog
I upgraded my blog all by myself, even though SOME people thought I could not get ‘er done! Oh ye of little faith. I forgive you.
National Toasted Marshmallow Day
When : Always on August 30th
Origin: Unknown
During eleven out of the twelve months of the year, we enjoy a wide range of holidays. When we get to August, there is a major shortage of big holidays to celebrate. Perhaps that is why many Europeans take the month of August off for vacation.
Perhaps it as just as well that there are no big holidays to compete with National Marshmallow Toasting Day. After all, how could any holiday compare with this day!?!
Enjoy today or tonight by a campfire or bonfire, toasting a big, soft, sticky and sweet marshmallow, or two, or three, or….. Summer would not be the same without a campfire and this great campfire treat.Summer is short. Summer is good. So enjoy it while it is still here. Toast a marshmallow and forget about everything else.
Get Zazzled!
I am having way too much fun turning Bob’s photos into products! See for yourself.
Sunsets by bob gardner photography
This is harder than it Looks!!
Tucson Botannical Gardens
A collage of the gardens and butterfly exhibit.
Just thought I would pass this along.
275
Days
6
Hours
28
Minutes
Until Christmas!
What a nice Easter!
Bob’s photos with my Scraps
I have been having way too much fun taking some of my husband’s fantastic photography and combining them with my digital scraps to make collages.
Marluce on Tippy Toes
Mateo’s hand on Grandma and Grandpa’s
a condo in Puerto Penasco, Mexico with radiator, door latch, door knob & ceiling decor from Victoria, BC.
Visiting Cousins & Uncle from Colorado
a visit from the cousins!
then (1958)
and now (2008)
Okay, so I forgot to do this when Cathie was actually here, so we used Tara (Carolyn’s daughter) as a stand in! But you get the idea.
Visiting Relatives
February 27, 2008
We celebrated Ricky’s Birthday at the Olive Garden. Marluce loved all of the pasta and Mateo flirted with a table of high school girls at the table next to us – serving them pieces of the birthday cake and posing for photos with them.
February 16 2008 Photo Album Pages
Mateo helps Grandma plant the flowers in the cute yard cart that Maggie & Chris Mundle gave me for my birthday!
I’ll sing you the songs of the Rainbows
Grandma’s Girl
A nite out for Mateo’s Birthday
January 30 2008 Photo Album Pages
January 27 2008
how did that happen?
How did Christmas pass so quickly?? Every year I have decorations to take down in each and every room of my house – not to mention the back yard as well as the front. The garage is full of partially filled plastic storage tubs and new labels are applied. Lights are strung everywhere so I can replace bad bulbs before packing them away.
Christmas Eve Traditions
Marluce, Itzel, Angeles, Mateo & Aracely.
Way back on the Christmas Eve of 1995, I began a tradition for our first grandchild that has continued to this day.
Each grandchild got a special package only for Christmas Eve, filled with Pj’s or Robes, a movie or books or both, treats to snack on while reading or watching, cocoas and cups, etc. I figured this way the kids would have a special Christmas Eve and since they got an early present, may be more inclined to go to bed early and without a fuss. Hardly ever worked, but I still continue the tradition (yes, even for the teenager!) and it is one of my favorite things to do. So, here are the grand kids in Mexico in all of their Christmas Eve pajama splendor!
Gramma Anne has a vistor!
Look what came to visit Gramma Anne’s (Bob’s mother’s) backyard in Whitewater, Colorado! The tree is inside her fenced yard!!
tis the Season …
I never understood why people were so bothered with the fact that Christmas trees and Christmas decorations were put out early in stores. I have always maintained a different viewpoint … that the holiday season is just that – a SEASON. What is so wrong with a store brightly decorated? When I walk into a store and approach the area of the season, it lifts my spirits, lightens my stride, and lessens my worries. Just watch the faces of the toddlers when mommy passes the Christmas lights – it will make your day. It is a great time to explain to your little ones (or your grand-little ones) about the birth of Christ, or the meaning behind Kwanzaa, or the history of Hanukkah. The holiday season and religion has always been tied together. When you tell your little ones to be good for Santa, remind them that Santa is not the only reason to be a good and caring person. They will remember that stuff.
I start my holiday season early. I am at the first Hallmark store ornament premiere every year to pick out just the right ornament for the loved ones attending our annual Christmas Tree Breakfast*. I normally comb stores for hours looking for the perfect card and trying to come close to the all time greatest card that my husband picked out some years ago. This year I started making my holiday cards. I may not have enough, but you have to applaud the attempt!
The village starts going up the day after Halloween – November 1st. I work on it off and on for about 10 days until it is just so. I call it my winter village so people didn’t think I was crazy for putting it up so soon!
Slowly, decorations will start creeping from storage into the house until every room has been decorated. My favorite thing to do is to place a little bit of holiday cheer where people least expect it. So, if a guest needs to visit the powder room, or drop something into the laundry, they are always greeted by a touch of Christmas. So much fun to see the look on their faces when they return from the powder room and exclaim that they have never seen Christmas ornaments on a shower rod before. I love that!!
I cannot wait to decorate until December. It makes the season too short. So, like the saying goes, keep Christmas in your heart all year. I won’t go that far, but 2 months out of the year, I will enjoy the blinking of lights and the sounds of carols, and the site of all of the little people in the village bustling about.
* Christmas Tree Breakfast began 10 years ago. My Mom and Dad had both passed. Grandma Tabor was 91 and not up to shopping. Grandma would send her six grandchildren money to purchase gifts for their own family from her. As I spoke to my brother, Jay, on the phone one evening, he was telling me how he had been using the money for a couple of years. He would buy tree permits, one per tree, and his grown kids and family would drive to the mountains and cut their own Christmas trees. He would buy all of the supplies for a big chili and hot chocolate dinner (just like Mom made) and buy the kids ornaments for their trees. I thought this to be a wonderful idea, but living in Tucson, the cutting down of our own trees was not an option. So, we started the Christmas Tree Shopping breakfast. We took our grown and still growing family to breakfast, giving each of them their own ornament; and afterwards, would head to Rick’s Tree Lot (no relation!) and everyone would pick out their tree, courtesy of Grandma Tabor. Family has scattered a bit now, Grandma Tabor has joined Mom and Dad, so we have changed the tradition a bit but kept the memories. Now we have a family Christmas Tree breakfast with extended family, and present everyone with an ornament picked just for them. For family far away, gift cards for breakfast and ornaments are mailed ALWAYS on the day after Thanksgiving. I hope that the tradition is handed down.
the big news you have all been awaiting …
I know that you have all been awaiting for the big news of the year…The Village is up with lights and greenery. By the end of the week, all of the shoppers will be shopping, children will be playing in the snow, and the Village will come to life from 3 pm – 11pm each day! One day I hope to purchase a glass doored cabinet that will house the entire village!!
What a great time of year.
72 days until Christmas !!!
49 days until my Christmas and Holiday cards go in the mail. Just finished card #30. Halfway done!
ta-daaaaaaaaa
I have finally finished putting Kerri and Jeffry’s wedding photos in the albums (it took three!!) just a mere 4 months after their first anniversary!
petite bebe ballerina
my brown eyed girls …
He wants to ride …
86 days until Christmas!!
That’s right! The first gift is complete and already wrapped and tagged to Jeffry & Kerri.
The Christmas wrap theme this year is silver, silver, and even MORE silver!
Nothing says holiday like some really gaudy-licious wrapping!
WOW!
Most of you who know us, also know that we enjoy musicals, concerts, plays, etc. Well, last night we had our first play of the fall season – and I thought it would be, well, just okay and something to get dressed up for and out of the house on a date. Was I ever surprised. No, astounded! First of all, this was at the Temple of Music & Art downtown Tucson, and we had never been to that theater before. I pictured some rickety sort of broken down place. I was so delighted when I stepped from the car (hubby always drops me at the site saving me the walk from the parking lots which may explain the girth of my derriere, but I digress) to step onto a cute two level patio. Benches and little bistro settings were scattered here and there. Some couples were enjoying a glass of wine before heading into the theater. There is also a venue on an upstairs level that features different types of entertainment. We were running late, so really didn’t have time to check out the area too much, and we headed into the theater. It is a small venue with nicely inclining seating so I really think there is probably not a bad view in the place.
So, even if the play was not all that interesting, the surroundings were fun and I settled in to enjoy a quiet evening. Big mistake. This was not the quiet concert I expected. This is a story teller one man show delivered with style and grace and class and humor and reality. And the music – this man is a fantastic pianist and from the beginning of the first number, I was silently hoping that the kid’s friend, John Jameson (remember that name – you will see him on stage and read his name on compositions – I am sure of it) had seen this play or was going to. The actor/singer/writer/musician told the life story of George Gershwin (albeit a short life) and so intriguing and entertaining was his performance, that it made you want to go and buy a book and read all about George and his brother, Ira Gershwin. The stage was one setting and you felt like an invited guest in a parlor of a historic home where a grand piano graced the room. Backdrops would fade in and out so subtlety that you barely noticed except that it made the music and the story that much deeper. You felt all of the emotions of the guest actor and when it was over, it just left you wanting more. I know, I sound like a play critic here – but if anyone has the chance to see this – do so. You will not be sorry!
only 106 days until Christmas!
Yes This is Christmas 2
Originally uploaded by Connie.
The ornaments are wrapped and ready for the annual Christmas Tree Breakfast! It’s never too early for Christmas.
a quick trip to mexico …
August days …
Mateo enjoys the can of compressed air to blow the Styrofoam from the new lamp.
Marluce wants to know just what is so exciting in the little people house.
Relaxing with grandkids!
downtown
main street cafe in grand junction
a summer visit
for keeps …
…
continued …
just married …
Lori & Jim’s wedding day … continued
friends & family of Lori & Jim
baby face
family, friends. love
our main feature
good times
celebrate
lori & venton
lots o’ hugs
crossing the hearts & dotting the eyes
Go!
the hair is done, make up is on, ready, set …
lori’s wedding day
getting to know you …
assignment make the bouquet
the old homestead
the wedding site in Palisade, Colorado
we travel to Grand Junction to …
we had a diVine thyme!
Enjoy some additional photos of the DiVine Thyme B&B in the heart of wine country, Palisade, Colorado!
the door to our Blue Mesa room had an old fashioned brass key & it really worked!
meet Garrett
St Pius X Catholic Church
Our Church remodeling is almost completed. All of the pews were refurbished AND padded! We have been away during much of the remodel – Bob’s back surgery, to Mexico for two weekends, then I had sciatic nerve problems for a month and bells palsy for three weeks. We are off to Colorado soon, and will be back in our (new) regular pews after that. I love this Church!! Can’t wait to get back to it. I’ve missed being there.
they could have asked me before leaving!!
best italian meatballs in the world!
29 Christmas cards done ….
31 left to design!
I got the thumbs up from the vitamin squad …
Since I have been a good abuelita and have taken that yucky vitamitavegamin stuff every day, I got a special good for you from three gorgeous granddaughters! I guess I had better go in and take my dose for today so I don’t get boos and hisses!
blecht ….
Today I get an email from Mexico titled Drink Your Vitamins! And I have been drinking one ounce a day, but I gotta tell ya, that stuff is yucky! Today I watered it down with one ounce of water and it helped. But because my granddaughters said so, I will continue the vitamin drink. Sigh.
my goodbye weekend with a granddaughter …
How could I ever begin to describe my feelings for this child. She is my first grandchild. At the age of two, she taught me how much fun it was to grandparent. Whenever we have been around each other, she makes certain we have snuggle times. She rests her head on my arms or in my lap and loves for me to rub her back. I have disciplined her one time in the 12+ years that she has been in my life. She was a mere four or five years old as she snuck a silly sponge character under her shirt while we shopped at Ben Franklins. She would have gotten away with it too – but this grandma has the eye of an eagle and noticed the shape of an animal on her tummy! We came home and she had to sit on the stairs in a time out for five minutes. Her grandpa questioned me the entire time, trying to lighten the sentence! I have never had to raise my voice to her or tell her to stop something. We had our back to school supply shopping dates … I attended every school performance she had when she lived here except for one … I watched her play soccer and attended her show at the Pantano Stables while she and other girls lip sank to a song… we did scrapbooking together and made hot dogs in biscuits together. She has been through extraordinarily tough times, but has emerged as a joyful, moral, and engaging young lady. Add to the fact that she is as beautiful inside as she is outside – and what else could I want? She is moving far away in a few days. And my heart is broken. I miss her already.
now, you tell me ….
what laundry room is cuter than this???
We finally got rid of the yucky fluorescent lighting and installed a chandelier like the one in my office. I wouldn’t want to have just a normal laundry room! The shelf above the washer/dryer houses my vanity mirror and the blocks of pastel colors finish it off. All I need are a couple of cute baskets to hold things and that room is completely finished!!
no. thank YOU!
so, I am looking and looking for my Basha’s Thank you card. Saves me money! I look in my purse and in the car and the glovebox and the console. I check old purses that I have used in the past. Nope, not in any of my office drawers either.
today I install some foam edges on the playhouse toy shelf in the bebes room, and lo and behold. Out falls my Basha’s card from one of Mateo’s books. He must have taken it out of my purse when we were shopping one day. He loves to have a credit card type of item in his hands. He calls it his money! I suspect it was the day we had pizza for dinner at Target!
huh?
If men can run the world, why can’t they stop wearing neckties? How intelligent is it to start the day by tying a little noose around your neck? ~Linda Ellerbee
I sense trouble …
Mateo was nicely watering my flowers, when he got a mischevious look on his face. You could almost hear the wheels turning. And then, quick as a flash, he began to turn on his grandma while his grend-pa snapped photos and dodged to keep his camera dry!
me & my bright ideas …
So, I came up with the brilliant notion of designing all of my Christmas cards this year. I now have 17 out of 60 completed. Every one will be completely different, and I admit to all that I am shamelessly exploiting my grandchildren on many of them. Several others will have beautiful photography by the spouse of yours truly. Not sure I would do it again, but I have enough OCD that now I have started – it must be finished!
and, okay – it’s fun, too!!
popcorn, percosiousness & penguins
I decided to sneak out of work for a couple of hours since it was Bob’s half day off. Picked up Mateo and we were off to the movies. He snacked … he sat backwards … he sang out loud when the notion struck him, and was none to pleased to find that the escalator down from the movie was out of service. He was determined to ride it no matter what. Nothing is as meaningful as looking at life through the eyes of a child. What a refresher!
postcard from the travelers
Saturday, June 2nd
Tristan spent the weekend again with us. Grandpa, me, and Tristan attended the Bat Mitzvah of Samantha Sherman (one of my accounting client’s daugthter) and later that evening, we attended a really special Hawaiian Luau at the Westward Look Resort. The coconut chicken was wonderful, the conga line was fun, and a good time was had by all.
dedication to mind, body & soul
Even while dealing with the pain of a pinched nerve, Katia still takes time to practice her Tai Chi.
a weekend with a teenage granddaughter
Tristan spent last weekend with us. Grandpa picked her up from school and they came home laughing and 
smacking each other and generally, BOTH acting like teenagers! We shopped. Tristan and Grandpa argued over who had to help with what in the kitchen after dinner. We played with Mateo. Poor Marluce was sick and would barely raise her little head from the sofa to look up. Taking Mateo shopping in Mervyn’s where not a cart was in sight – was really a challenge. He held my hand most of the time, and as we walked by racks of clothing, he would grab a hanger with a shirt in a milli-second! He could be a magician. Then with his back to a rack of men’s shirts, he looked up at me, flatly stated “I’ll be wight back”, and did a tiny little shuffle backwards with his feet, hands at his side, until he completely disappeared in the clothing. All that could be seen was his shoes. He stayed there for a few moments, and then casually walked out and took my hand, as i
f that was just a normal thing for anyone to do in Mervyn’s. Tristan and I caught up on some much needed Gilmore Girls, when she wasn’t taking goofy photos with her Grandpa’s new camera. Even after she laughed at our pictures, Grandpa still allowed her to drive my car to Honey Mesquite! She thinks she is such big stuff behind the wheel.
smacking each other and generally, BOTH acting like teenagers! We shopped. Tristan and Grandpa argued over who had to help with what in the kitchen after dinner. We played with Mateo. Poor Marluce was sick and would barely raise her little head from the sofa to look up. Taking Mateo shopping in Mervyn’s where not a cart was in sight – was really a challenge. He held my hand most of the time, and as we walked by racks of clothing, he would grab a hanger with a shirt in a milli-second! He could be a magician. Then with his back to a rack of men’s shirts, he looked up at me, flatly stated “I’ll be wight back”, and did a tiny little shuffle backwards with his feet, hands at his side, until he completely disappeared in the clothing. All that could be seen was his shoes. He stayed there for a few moments, and then casually walked out and took my hand, as i
f that was just a normal thing for anyone to do in Mervyn’s. Tristan and I caught up on some much needed Gilmore Girls, when she wasn’t taking goofy photos with her Grandpa’s new camera. Even after she laughed at our pictures, Grandpa still allowed her to drive my car to Honey Mesquite! She thinks she is such big stuff behind the wheel. 
a gdovin girl's perspective 
