IMG_4677
Originally uploaded by BGPantano

Marluce cons Grandpa into helping her on with roller skates. She thinks it would be simply delightful to skate around the living room and dining room while others prepare a feast for her enjoyment!

After a ride to the Tucson airport ala Kerri Anne, we officially began our vacation!

So, off we flew to Washington Reagan International Airport in Washington DC (or around about there). Standing in the baggage area, I turn around to a much taller Mateo – now 5 years old and getting ready for Kindergarten. After a few sheepish looks at me, I got the best and biggest hugs – just like the old days when he lived in Tucson. And then little Missy Marluce in her Easter dress and a halo of curls showers me with hugs and immediately asks “Where’s Grandpa??” I took her over to Grandpa in line to grab luggage and she grabs his hand while Grandma rolls the luggage over to Ricky and Katia. Wow, it was wonderful to be in their company again!

The very same tiny toddler posing in the photos below, was found one day with a hammer, beating on one of her baby dolls. When asked about the situation, she replied. “I am trying to get her heart to bleep!”

Grandpa has requested that the hammer be put away in a safe and out of reach place while we are visiting!!

What a DOLL!!

Barbara Sue Dickens 76, of Tucson, Arizona passed away on July 22, 2009 after an extended battle with leukemia. She was born on March 16, 1933 in Lake Station, Oklahoma (Tulsa County) to Ralph and Pearl Carsten. She is survived by her husband of 59 years Thomas Dickens; son, Chuck (Kellie); granddaughter, Erin; grandson, Brett (Kristina); great-granddaughter, Kyleigh, and grandson, Bryant (fiancée Jade). She is also survived by sisters, Sadie (Delmar) and Mary (Don) and many nieces and nephews located throughout the Midwest. She is preceded in death by her parents and her son, Steven (2005). Barbara spent most of her early life living in Sand Springs, Oklahoma where she met Tom even before her high school days at Central High School. Barbara and Tom eventually moved to Phoenix in 1955 where she spent many years working for Motorola in the semiconductor industry and later in the mortgage industry. During her nearly 40 years in the Phoenix area, Barbara accumulated many, many friends with whom she stayed in contact with over the years. In 1994 Barbara and Tom moved to Tucson to be near their sons and grandchildren. Over the past 15 years in Tucson, Barbara loved spending time with her immediate family and especially enjoyed watching her grandchildren participate in baseball, softball, and basketball games. She also loved the summers that she and Tom spent at the family’s second home in Payson, Arizona. Barbara was such a kind hearted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and aunt. She will be so truly missed by her immediate family, relatives and the many, many friends she was blessed to have. A Memorial Service to reflect on and celebrate Barbara’s life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 1, 2009 at BRING’S BROADWAY CHAPEL, 6910 E. Broadway. An additional Memorial Service is being planned, to be held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for those relatives and friends located throughout the Midwest.

The excitement of getting ready for the Fourth of July gala in Payson, Arizona! Sarah was so afraid that her luggage would get let behind, she kept a close eye on it all night! Nothing like a relaxing drive with air conditioning. See the USA in your Chevrolet … A little dinner at a local restaurant to discuss our holiday agenda! Sarah tags along with Jeffry and Kerri to see what’s happening during the Friday Night Merchants Gala. Walking thru Dowtown Payson can really take a toll on the feet. Time for a little rest and some people watching. The lady selling candy at a local shoppe was quite tickled that such a celebrity had come to their small town. Sarah promised her that she would be back! Only next time, with a huge entourage of secret service agents! Sarah and I had a lot of fun browsing antique stores. Nothing like a good shopping buddy to make the day fun! The nice gentleman at the clock repair shop was really smitten with Sarah. In his words – “What a Hottie!” Back to the Dickens home to rest before heading back to Alaska. What a wonderful time she had getting to know Payson and all of the lovely people there! Sarah wonders where her travels will take her next.

Mateo and Marluce helped clear out years bank and credit card statements….they were more in it for the confetti making!

Marluce came downstairs with the little pink bucket (from the Easter package) filled with blueberries and said…”Let’s go feed the chickens mom!”

The Kentucky Derby.

No big hat on my head.

Here are the 8×8 pages for May 2008 (yes, yes, I know – 2008) I have ordered and received thru Scrapping Simply. You cannot beat the quality of these prints! No more expensive photo paper for me and no more ordering expensive ink for my printers. 99 cents is something I just cannot pass up! Enjoy.

Just what she has up her sleeve!

To Ricky y Katia. (That’s right – I speak Spanish!)

Here’s to the next 10. xoxo

Tristan was flown to Tucson courtesy of her Aunt and Uncle to surprise her cousin, Paige, for an early birthday gift! We were treated to a visit on April 9 from two teenage cuties with Starbucks in hand!

Tristan showed us the television spot that was done on her family’s restaurant in Knoxville, Tennessee. That is one ginormous burger!

Grandma shows Marluce and Mateo video spots to Tristan and Paige. They were quite amused!
Paige is always so sweet and gracious. She and Tristan make a great team.

I don’t think she likes her Uncle – do you?

Uncle Jeffry stopped by since it was his day off to join in the visit.

Such a treat to have her visit for a couple of hours. Thank you, Paige, for sharing your birthday gift with us.

Grandma’s Babies! Mateo poses as the natural model he is – and Marluce wonders why she has to hold a dandelion!

According to wikipedia:Modus operandi (“often used in the abbreviated forms M.O. or simply Method) is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as “mode of operation”. The plural is modi operandi (“modes of operation”).

I am in crisis mode (more commonly known to us Type A’s as Modus operandi de crisis!). Okay, I made that up. However, I really am in crisis mode. Actually, I am in that part of crisis mode where one begins to act way under-stressed while actually remaining in crisis mode, er, modus.

See, I did not listen to my youngest child as he explained that I should not install a new operating system on my computer but I talked to Microsoft forum people and they it should not cause any problems and so said the same from my hubby and as I was feeling quite smug I inserted the disk in which I had paid 222.00 for and did not want it to go to waste and how convenient it was all going to be when I could send faxes right from my laptop and so while the disk went round and round in the little drive I left my office and went to eat the delicious dinner, I cannot remember what it was now, that my hubby had prepared, feeling quite confident that I would return to pretty new screens and anxious to get right on that faxing project! (deep breath because in crisis mode there is no time and room for punctuation and pauses).

Oops.

Didn’t happen. Instead, the program rolled back my hard drive to February 18, 2008 and that is when the whole modus operandi de crisis began to take over my life. For the past week I have been locating and re-building files for several accounting clients and my little design business I have going here and did I mention this is tax season and of course, everyone and every business is anxious to get my work to their CPA for huge refunds and did I also mention that yes, yes, I did get a recovery service to look at it but nothing could be done and also I am a bit ashamed (but not too much) to admit that I am almost as sorry and maybe a scooch more about losing all of my design work that I spent hours on as I am about losing my accounting??

And, so it goes from morning to early morning and will do so for another 3 weeks I would imagine. Even hubby comes home after a long day’s work and posts accounting for me. And the weather is getting nice and my grand kids need notes from their grandma and grandma needs to talk to her grand babies, and the time is non existent for my wants! However, I am going to take Sunday and sit down and pen a note to my grandchildren and plant flowers. Lots and lots of beautiful flowers so I can sit in the backyard for 10 minutes a day and close my eyes and smell the scented blossoms and feel the cool air. Ten minutes is not so much to ask for a break in the day. Yeah – sounds good. Grandchildren notes, flowers, and 10 minutes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

thank you – you made my heart smile

YOU ARE VERY WELCOME

HOW OLD ARE YOU ANYWAY?

57

WOW! HOW OLD IS GRANDPA?

56

WOW! (again with the WOW)

ALMOST THE VERY SAME AGES!

Here I am sitting at the kitchen table with my pink Dell laptop at my side. Er, front. Through the features of SKYPE, I can sit in Tucson and read a story to my Grandbabies in Virginia and show them pictures in the book and watch their faces as they watch mine.

What you do not see is Mateo is lying on the bed, quite attentive to the story. All of a sudden, Marluce is standing behind him pulling his hair with both of her tiny little hands with all of her might. Still, Mateo lies still and listens to Grandma. Until Marluce make a bit of a ruckus and, well, the ambiance is sort of lost. Not to worry – I love watching them and listening to them no matter what they do! I am lovin’ the SKYPE and I believe it should be a federal law that all grand kids and grandmas must have SKYPE!!

That being said, I am going to buy a couple of story time books to share.

STRUGGLE: strug·gle (strug′əl)
intransitive verb
struggled -·gled, struggling -·to contend or fight violently with an opponent to make great efforts or attempts; strive; laborto make one’s way with difficulty to struggle through a thicket strug·gle (strug′əl)

RELEVANT: rel·evant (rel′ə vənt)
adjective
bearing upon or relating to the matter in hand; pertinent; to the point

Everyone wants to be relevant. Some days, more than others. This just happens to be one of those days, I guess.

1966 Lincoln Continental Ad
Originally uploaded by bigmikelakers

My hubby found this ad on Flickr. Reminded me of our very own 1966 Lincoln Continental that we bought in 1972. We loved that car. Bob would set the cruise control for 90 and away we went from Longmont to Denver or to Boulder – many times! I could lie down in the back seat and my head nor my toes would even touch the doors. So, here we are in a grainy 36+ year old photo with our “baby” – Bob, Cristopher, and me! Yes, that is our real hair and Yes, I did wear my dresses that short!

The photo of us is not very good – but, oh, look at that Lincoln! What I wouldn’t give to have a restored 1966 light metallic sage 4 door in my driveway. Alongside, would be my rebuilt old VW bug with white tuck and roll leather seats, pale yellow with pale pink fenders. My dreams for retirement transportation would be fulfilled.

By the way, Grandma Tabor took this photo while she spent Easter Day with us in Longmont.

I did not get photos from Tristan and her little sisters in Tennessee, Kali & Taylor. However, I did get to talk with them on the phone and they thanked me for their gifts and we talked about what fun things they got and plans they had for their Christmas Day. There was a problem with the sizes of one of the Christmas Eve pj’s, so Kali didn’t get to wear her new Christmas Eve pj’s that night, but she will have a brand new pair of pj’s when her originals get exchanged. Good thing I sent receipts!!

Is that the ever present mac and cheese on Chase’s plate??

Thank goodness for modern computer technology! We get to video conference with Mateo and Marluce in upstate Virginia. I got to watch them put the finishing touches on their Gingerbread House on Christmas Eve and such a treat. Mateo so meticulous about placing the candy just so, while Marluce sneaks little tastes of the candy before she entrusts it to her building! We see each other and talk in real time and it makes the long distance just a bit easier to manage.

Friends, Gina and Olivia held a different kind of party this year. They hosted a “Drive By” party. Instead of everyone getting all dressed up and spending money on gifts, they asked that we NOT get dressed up, drive by their home for hot chocolate and cookies, and bring non perishable foods for the Community Food Bank! Well, we did bring food but we did not drive by. Of course, I had to go in and see how they decorated the house! They are Christmas Crazy like me, so I enjoyed the little tour. The Hot Chocolate was wonderful, as well as the cozy fire pit. Gina was dressed as Santa and we all had our photo taken with her, er, I mean Santa! Jeffry and Kerri went with us after our dinner date and we ran into old Soccer Friends and got to chat with them for a bit also!

Christmas cheer and Holiday Hearts – what a nice combo. Thanks, Ladies! You are an inspiration!

What a treat! We attended the Linda Eder Concert (part of our Broadway in Tucson subscription) with Chris & Maggie. A lot of people have not even heard of Linda Eder, but I had seen her on some television shows and listened to her powerful voice, and knew in an instant that I wanted to see her in person. Her voice was amazing. Her band and singers were amazing. Her choice of songs was amazing. And the songs she wrote were nothing less than MORE than amazing. I was brought to tears on a couple of numbers. And when she sang “Broken Wing”, her voice rivaled Martina McBride’s. We will definately put her shows on our list of “must see” for next year and the next and the next.

If you get a chance – attend. You will not be disappointed.

My Ginormous 4 foot wreath at the top of the house!

A few of my Christmas Village Churches, choirs, etc.

The view from the hallway into the living room.

Wreath on my Office Door.

Silver and Black Theme in the Guest (Bob’s) Bathroom.

Grandma’s Room (Our Guest Room)

pink tree on my side of our bed.
Green tree on Bob’s side of our bed. Look at the ribbon I found that matches our draperies!

Snowman Display in Living Room
Santa Display in the Living Room – the Santa on the far right of the photo is wearing Chase’s baby red thermal onesie!

Part of the Christmas Village

Nativity Wreath on the front door.

My skinny Tree with part of the village underneath!

The house across the Street!

This year we had a smaller crowd than usual. Barbara has been ill, so she and Tom were unable to attend. I don’t think we ever had an open house before without the Dickens! And everyone noticed too – most asking about Barbara and Tom and wondering where they were! We did have a nice time and got to visit with a lot of people we have not seen in quite awhile. And this is why it is my favorite function that we hold!

The old Gardners – not any of the younger ones!

I joined a club today. I signed no paperwork. Nobody had to sponsor me. I paid no dues. And yet, I became an automatic member of the Waiting Wives. We sit in a spacious lobby and when we tire of being there, we move to a small waiting room just down the hall where our husbands will recuperate. Sometimes we wander to the cafeteria and we are not even hungry. We look at the clock. We pretend to enjoy a book or magazine with glazed eyes that cannot even read the blurry words. We chat.

Everyone is the room is there for one sole purpose – a husband. How can I belong in this room? How did I make my way into this club of soft spoken, mostly white haired women. Oh, they are all nice enough and it helps to pass the time when they chat. But, I did not ask to join this group. and I don’t want to be a member.

But, a member I am. I listen intently while they describe in details the current status of their husbands hearts. I answer a few questions and after listening to some of their stories, am reminded of how fortunate my husband is. A bit later, I am alone in the room save for one other Waiting Wife. She asks my name and then tells me hers. Robin. I told her that my sister is named Robin. She smiles graciously. Then she softly starts to cry, asking of no one really “I don’t know how I will get by without him”. She explains her financial situation, her ailments, and her husband’s past heart conditions. Again her eyes fill with tears and she softly sobs. I sit quietly – at a loss for words and thinking of no way I can comfort this stranger; this fellow member of the club. Later, I see her in the room, cutting her husband’s food, helping him to a drink of juice through a straw, and gently wiping his forehead. And, I look over at my husband – joking with the caregivers, eating his dinner, and walking around his room. I silently say a thank you to God for all of my blessings.

Beautiful sight this morning. Woke up to a light dusting of snow! Quinn was riding in the car this morning saying “Look at the snow mommy!”

Chase to Grandma: “Yeah, Mom says we are going to have snow this week. Yeah. But I still have to go to school!”

After picking up Mateo from school he always talks about the things he did. Today he said that he did some Christmas stuff and he played in the playground. As we were walking out of the school he got really excited and said:”Mom, I think we should have a Thanksgiving Beast!”

If you are ever passing thru Knoxville, Tennessee; THIS is the place to eat. I hear they have a Terrific Turtle Brownie and a Cherry Torte made by the owner’s daughter, and according to one source (the owner’s daughter!) these specialties are the talk of the town! Mmmmmm.

See all of the pink game pieces? They are all mine. First Jeffry bit the dust, Kerri followed, and then I had to knock Bob out of the game. Sigh. Where is all of the competition I ask??

all profits will be donated to the Susan B Koeman fund on a monthly basis!

Today is Mom and Dad’s 61st Wedding anniversary. And although they will be celebrating it in the great beyond somewhere far away from my comprehension, I know they are together this day. Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! I Love you.

I think I want to sit down and watch ALL of these movies again! This is my newest calendar I made for All Things Bridal. Much simpler design than I normally do. Everyone knows my motto “MORE is always better!”, but this time, Less IS More!

Well, the first two weeks in July ….

I have been working day and night on accounting and Zazzling … I got to talk to and see the Grand babies in Virginia over the web cam … joined Dan and Cathlene and many of their friends and family to celebrate Dan’s 50th Birthday at Sakura’s … got my new Samsung Instinct phone which I still cannot operate … and finished tiling the back patio. Not an exciting report, but an exact one!

Well, Tucson was so nice and the temperature just right and I was thinking of having another BBQ and all of the sudden we sky rocket to 112 degrees! This is the time of year where the flowers start to wilt and the leaves turn kind of brown and I just am not crazy about the next 45 days. But, if 60 days is all you have to worry about these days, then I would say I am pretty well off! I have kept very busy inside the house with accounting and organizing. However, my fastest moving up the ladder of all time favorite hobbies now is working on my Zazzle products. I began one gallery and then decided to add three specialty galleries! I love creating the work and I love the comments I get and I really love it when someone buys one of my products! Not that you make any real money on one or two products, but it just feels good. Now, grab your tea and sit in the cushy chair and peruse these galleries and let me know what you think. Please post any suggestions or comments on the gallery site. Thanks for checking. Happy Virtual Window Shopping.

Scraps of Life & All Things Bridal & All Things Christmas

Enjoy!

Our last play of the 2007-2008 season, and as always, CATS delivered. I know it is a very different play. But I sort of enjoy the whole “oddness” about it. Jeffry and Kerri and Bob found it a bit unsettling. The staring cats freaked Jeffry out. I find it interesting that you learn about all of the different cats’ lives and really, the experiences parallel our own. Anyway, even if “cats” freak you out, go and see this musical if you ever have the chance. It is a must!

Tonight we enjoyed the company of family and friends with a cookout and lots of contributed dishes to share. Savannah made homemade brownies and brought them over, still warm from the oven. Hayley joined the party later. Neighbors Maria & Bettina with Bettina’s Grandma, and Tom & Mary Jo joined the party. Special guests, Jay & Jackie met some of our family & friends and relaxed on the patio. Stephanie & Ray & Lynn came armed with lots of desserts! Of course, what would a party be without Kerri & Jeffry and Chris and Maggie! Kids engaged in a very mini croquet game and conversation flowed from every inch of the backyard! The weather was perfect with a cool light breeze every once in a while. The sunset was gorgeous and the company was wonderful. We have to do this more often!

One of the things that I so look forward to each year, is the Broadway show ticket listings of all of the shows coming to Tucson each season. Bob and I started going to see stage shows in Grand Junction over 30 years ago, at the Mesa College Theater. We couldn’t really afford tickets then, so we got signed up to attend the final dress rehearsal nights of several plays which were run exactly as the audiences would see them the next night and nights after that. After being in Tucson several years, we finally signed up for U of A presents and had 5th row seats for 6 years or so. The performances were getting not as good and the acoustics were also not so hot, so we got on the subscription list to Broadway in Tucson at the TCC Music Hall. Loved it!! Have great seats and we renew that subscription each year. Last year I also signed us up for the Arizona Theatre Company at the Temple of Music and Arts. We have 10 or so dates lined up and ready to go, beginning with CATS at the end of this month, where we double date with Jeffry & Kerri. Cannot wait.