Friday Night and It's Alright

These are from an old album of mom's I've been going through. lol I can smell a teenage girl from afar! Look at all these good looking boys!!! tehe. She always told me she was boy crazy when she was young. Proof! ha. I need to make a photo album for her celebration. Haven't started it yet. Lordy me. But, I do have a stack of photos to begin with. Hmmmm. Bets are on. Will I or won't I?

I've been been busy with this and that, as you know. First of all, a friend's daughter just had a baby and I felt the deep need to make her something especially special. Is that correct grammar? Oh well.

So I've been hunkered down in mom's space to get some things done. What is it with me and trios. Have to admit though, my favorite number is 3. Perhaps, that's it. An ornament within a box, within a box. 3.

Babies are good.

Especially cutesy ones with crowns. In a nest? Even better.

And baby girls? Well, I wouldn't know, now would I? I tried my bestest.

I've had a fat, chunky mocking bird sitting on the pumpkin each morning. Not a great photo, but still, it's sweet.

On my desk, how close can I get and still keep the newish camera in focus??? Scatter brained. Yep. That's me.

The hub just got home so we decided to hit one of our favorite joints. Johnny (of the Cash variety) always looks after us.

Me eating good vittles, hub on crackberry. What's wrong with this pic? lol

And, yes I did, in fact, go and visit the nurses. (Should have taken my camera--next time.) Oh my. What a welcome! Apparently, the electrical power had been off for a bit. And, that 'splains the HOUR it took to go the five miles there! LHM! Here I was thinking it was a Friday rush hour at 3 p.m. Nope. There had been a power outage for all of the city. I must have been at the tail end because all the street lights were working; it was just that people that weren't moving as fast as I would have liked them to after the fact! Yes, I'm still a Northerner at heart, I suppose. I'm not the most patient person behind the wheel, but c'mon. When the light turns green, it means GO!!!!! DAIG! Anyhoo, we were all a tad frazzled by the time I arrived--what with axillary lights and stuff there. How I feel for them. God bless 'em. But, I presented them with wonderful Krispy Kreme donuts to calm them down. Mmmmm.

Mom's memorial card had just arrived today. Very nice, except for the fact that they were obviously printed on a large sheet and perforated. Call me a perfectionist, but daig. If they hadn't been laminated, I would have cut that jagged edge off. Could I have done a better job. Yes. Of course. Will anyone else mind, even notice? Probably not. Me? Yep, I kinda mind. Oy. Still. Beautiful.

Of course, yes, tears rolled. Some had not been there before mom passed on; and what a shock it was to them when they returned . It all happened very quickly.

The photo. Mom. Oh. Priceless. You recognize it, I'm sure. It was taken this summer with the beautiful trumpet vine behind her. They all recognized it off the bat which seemed to bring a deep feeling of satisfaction to each and every one who looked at it and read the verse. Just look at that smile. The happiness. Perfect. They--the nurses and aids--were so genuine in their love and caring for mom. Even brother Jim, one who is quite blunt about people's personalities, said how wonderful these folks were, how genuine, and caring. Oooof. Tears. Rolling down my cheeks.

Ok, funny stuff. Before leaving home for the first post visit, there was one lone purple clematis, full bloom. I knew I had to take it to Ms. Mary, mom's roommate. I came out to the garage, cutters in hand, the memorial card and a fiber bar. Oy. Been eating a lot! Major problem! Trying to cut back, thus the "bar." lol So, I put the memorial card and bar on the roof of the car. I cut the vine with flower. It became quite the challenge putting the vine and other leaves I had cut into the little jar half full of water. I had to laugh. "Momma, are you jealous?" Oh, she'd get an attitude if I talked with her roommates! Bring flowers? I had to sneak them in. lol Anyway, I finally got them poked in, after much fighting! Momma. I said to myself, "Now, if this little bit of water spills, I know it's gonna be you doing the spillin'!" Remember how I said it took me an hour to get to mom's place? Well, going all of 3 miles an hour the entire way, somehow, the jar (which I had propped up very carefully) spilled all over my purse and everywhere else. Do you think I drove off with her memorial card on the roof? Yep. Had a debris field to come back to when I picked up the kid and brought him home from school. Little signs. Guess I'm clinging to anything. I'm sure it's just me--looking for signs from her. Regardless. I'll take them. Missing my mom.

xo ro

Les Belle Fleurs

The house has been full of fresh flowers--and then the not-so-fresh. Why do sunflowers stink so? Ew. I still had the ones from the girls' week at Riverside. Yea, I know. They were way past their expiration date, for sure.

But just as I throw some dead ones out, new ones arrive. It's like everyone knows. I am completely blown away with the love that my mom spread throughout her life. Truly. Well, ok, sniffle. How gorgeous are these calla lilies? You think I could just take one photo? Nah.

Still working with the new Cyber-shot. I found the correct setting--then lost it again. I think the camera resets itself.

Or I'm just stupid or sumfin. Hmmm? lol

Who doesn't love a white rose. With baby's breath? Right from old school. Gotta love tradition.

Sunflowers, as bright as a smile.

Lilies (or as the hub would say, "Not just lilies, those are Rubrum Lilies!" by golly!) lol We had these at our wedding. It's the ONLY flower he knows because I dragged him with me to pick the flowers then. He cracks me up! And the smell always takes me back.

Beauty.

Seasonal.

Foodies. And can I just say that these grapes were to die for. They were the largest ones I've ever had--and seedless to boot!

Timeless.

Ok guys and gals, I'm thinking about taking something, mmmm, special to the nurses tomorrow. I know. I know. But it's Friday. And I'm thinking, logical right? And, then I think, if I go and perhaps let the tears flow, maybe then I won't have one of those breakdowns when I'm at mom's celebration. I'll play it by ear in the morning.

Thank you all, very very much. Phone calls, emails, flowers, cards, thoughts. Big ol' hearts out there! Good stuff.

xo
ro

Still praying for my friend.

Afterglow

I had an inspirational moment tonight and pulled this piece together for my journal. This phrase is oh-so-perfect for mom. She would not have wanted us to be sad. Fersher.

Afterglow? Oh yes.

I wrote on the back "I miss you today but not as much as tomorrow." I somehow feel each day will be a little lonelier without her. I have to say though, I'm really doing ok. Having as much time with her as I did, it's good. Wow. How fortunate am I? Pretty darn fortunate to have her in my life, period.

Getting it "all" done. Perhaps once there's nothing left to do, and once the celebration in her honor is over, it will hit me like a ton of bricks. Probably at the most awkward moment ever. Like when my dad's passing hit me. At the closing for our house in Leesburg before moving to Nashville. Oy. How embarrassing!

I spoke with, well im'd, with my brother Johnny tonight. I have to admit, tears rolled. Talked to him about how it hasn't really hit me yet. I'm thinking once I go back to visit the nursing home, it will. Perhaps that is why I'm avoiding them. Well, not avoiding them, but purposely not visiting yet. Funny, I seem to fight it off every day. Halloween afternoon, it took every thing in my power to stay away from the cupcake shop and buy extra special, spooky cupcakes for them. Everything in my power! Today, I went into town again to check up on the notes I'm having printed. It's right down the road from mom's old place. (Again, the roads were closed off. Daig! Gov. Bredesen was speaking. Lordy have mercy. Haven't been there in months and all of a sudden, it's the hottest thing since sliced bread!) Anyway, I thought about going over. Not quite ready. Not yet. They've been family for the past six months, ya know. Love them.

Saying prayers for a special friend.
Picked up mom's ashes.
Sleeping.
Thinking of food to cook for the celebration.
Present for new baby.
Memorial cards?
Eating too much, but still keeping a close eye out. wink.
Obit sent to The Post. Thanks to my bro Johnny who wrote it. Damn. He's good.
Remembering my friends at Riverside -- some of the best times in my life.
Loving all the memories pouring in.
Feeling the love of my mom, always.
Feeling all your love too.

So many emotions. So much love everywhere. Thank you to the best family ever --the hub, the kid, the teenager, all my brothers, my SILs, nieces, nephews, aunts, cousins. And all of you. Who have become so close, somehow, through this silly blog of mine.

Truly, I am blessed by you all.

xo
ro

November 1

I almost wrote October. The year is passing by so quickly! I can hardly believe it.

We had a little bit of an overcast day. Friday night, it literally poured down rain. I am enjoying the changing of the leaves. They are pretty darn close to all dropping off the trees.

I went downtown to our little stationery print shop to change some things on my mom's memorial card and was stopped right in my tracks by tents. Yes. It was the Autumn fair which closes down all the main streets. Joy. Any other time, I would have enjoyed falling upon it. lol But I didn't have to park at the house and walk, thankfully! I was pretty lucky.

After finishing my visit, I had to take a walk into one of my favorite stores in town. I can't remember the last time I was actually down town! Guess I've been busy with more important things.

While I can't think of the name of my favorite store, you can see it is just chock full of eye candy.

Quite overpriced mostly, of course, but still fun to walk through or hit after the holidays. Wink wink. I looked at this vintage starfish print, over $800! Uh. I don't think so. Maybe Keith and Nicole can afford that price, but not me! (Oh btw, saw Keith Urban playing on the side of the road on Friday! The kid and I were driving to the store and there were all these police cars. We thought there was an accident. Nope, a small stage was set up at the new Verizon store and there was a small crowd converging. There was Keith, just playing his heart out. Gotta love Nashville!)

I came home and finished my spooky Halloween charm bracelet I had done a swap that Saucy put together. How fun is this?

The hub and kid did their thang.

And quite a thang it was.

And then, mwahahaha, the sun began to set and the Mad Max brigade began. The kid said, which totally cracked me up, "When I was young, we had to walk door to door!" The thing here, which I have never witnessed anywhere else I have lived, is getting a caravan of electric carts taking the kids around. They are always decked out which I enjoy watching. The little old-fashioned hearse parked by the house and turned the smoke machine on and blasted heavy metal music. I loved it!

Our heart-shamed full moon. Hoooooowl.

Lots of action in the streets.

Goodies from the scary old man.

And I think that scary old man liked my big ol' lips.

Hope everyone enjoyed and survived their ghoulish Halloween!

xo
ro

PS Must remember to turn back the clocks!

I Put a Spell on You!

Enjoy your Halloween!

Bumping Along

I put my nose to the grindstone today trying to get things done for mom's celebration of life in DC on November 14. I actually got a lot done.

I think the evenings and nighttime are the hardest as I have more time to think about things. I'm trying to stay upbeat until it all comes crumbling down and hits me like a ton of bricks. So far, so good.

I hope the hub and kid understand my quietness and shortness of patience as my grieving process. Poor guys.

Again, hearing from so many of you has brought many smiles to my face. Thank you.

xo
ro

Thank You All

The abundance of love and well wishes are pouring in; and I can't tell you how much they truly mean to me.

Knowing how much mom was loved by so many makes me immensely happy. Even those who never met her could tell by her beautiful smile what an extraordinary and kind woman she was.

I am doing really well. I think I have caught up on my sleep, sleeping until 1 p.m. today! Sleep has always been my sanctuary. I'm feeling refreshed and at peace.

My family is beyond amazing and having them surrounding me is a Godsend. My friends are just as wondrous. Feeling your love has lifted my heart.

Thank you all so very much. I know she is looking down on us on this beautiful, sunny and crisp fall day and feeling our love spreading throughout the land in her honor. I can see that great big, magnificent smile.

xo
ro

In Our Hearts Forever

To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die.

She lives on in so many of our hearts. That gives me much comfort.

Mom

We lost our sweet Lillie Sue yesterday afternoon. How fortunate we were to have her in our lives as long as we did. Now we have a very special angel looking over us. And I'm sure those new wings are absolutely brilliant.

Thank you all so very much for all your thoughts and prayers. We felt each and every one.

We will be celebrating her life at my brother Jim's house in Maryland on November 14. It will be a wonderful celebration of a beautiful life.

Thoughts and Prayers Needed

I'm heading home because mom is sick. Please keep her in your thoughts.

Gunston Girls' Club

The girls and I are enjoying our time together.

We picked Kelly up at the airport (after going around in circles for a bit) early Wednesday. We headed straight to one of our favorite places, The Crab Trap, in Perdido.

Took a little walk on the beach.

Watched as the yellow flag was changed to red.

Arrived home to our delivery of Amy's caramel apples, which we quickly opened and cut into.

We went into town and did a little shopping, enjoying the dogs at each shop. This is our little bookshop's coffee shop.

Big doings this weekend in town.

This is Rosie.

Of Rosie Blu.

We didn't get this fellow's name, but he was a real sweetie too at The Village Peddler.

Mosied back on home where it was time to open some goodies I found in Coronado for the girls. You peeled away layers of paper and found treasures under each one. It was a lot of fun.

Kell chased a gecko on the front porch.

We then made some Mangria Monkey Punch (my brother's recipe).

Toasted the GGC with a shot of Crystal Skull vodka (Dan Akroyd's product).

Called an old friend to wish him a happy birthday and noticed the river was up a tad. Had to remove the chairs of the dock.

Did some dancing in the cool water.

Until we spied this big boy. Time to pack it up girls.

We made charm bracelets.

And finished the evening with a nightcap. It's all a blurr now.

Bella was indignant with all of us at this point.

xo
ro

PS Pam, who was supposed to be with us this week stayed back in the Northeast because her mother-in-law was in the ICU. She passed away this morning so we all send our prayers to Pam and Gordon. Hugs Pammy.

Riverside with Amy

Waiting for Kell to arrive.

Dinner.

Old photos.

Out of the travel box.

Tranquility.

I'm So Excited

c. 1980s

And I just can't hide it. I'm about to lose control and I think I like it.

My oldest and bestest friend, sister-at-heart Amy, is driving down tomorrow; then we're heading to Riverside to meet up with the rest of our oldest and bestest friends in 'bama!

Can you feel the anticipation?

It's electrifying!

PS Safe travels Aim!

Sweater Weather

I was peeking through Susan Branch's site and found her wonderful front page and borrowed a couple of pieces. I adore her work, almost as much as I adore autumn.

The teenager came home from University last night and I decided to try my hand at the "leftover" pie crust cookies that we had in San Diego. Of course, I purchased the pre-made pie crust!

I made bite-sized morsels, dabbed them with butter than dredged them in cinnamon sugar. Mmmmm.

Not quite like homemade crust . . . but he and his friends enjoyed a plate full straight out of the oven.

The rest went to the nurses today.


The hub is on his way home tonight and I'm killing time until I pick him up at the airport. Rainy here, foggy, misty--everything you don't want when flying. So, his arrival is delayed. Cannot wait for him to get home!

Happy Autumn!

xo
ro

Autumn

Autumn is here. Finally. It's still grey and drizzly outside, but I'm loving the cooler weather. The fall shadow box was made by Connie, an old blogging friend from way back when I first began blogging. I won it! Isn't it fab!

I've been putting other things out too as I find them. You'd think I'd have all my fall decor in one area? Nope. It's all over the place! Organize, schmorganize.

I've always loved this little feller. The acorns were collected on Mobile Bay by my friends. Speaking of which, they are all coming down next week and we have an entire week together! Amy is driving down from Maryland on Monday and then we drive to Riverside on Tuesday. Pam and Kelly fly in on Wednesday! Whooop!

The dried arrangements were in mom's living room.

The teenager comes home from school tomorrow for the fall break. We have him all weekend. The hub has been all over the world for the past two weeks, from Liverpool to Amsterdam, from Beijing to Mumbai, from Hong Kong to Singapore, from Bangladesh to London and Bahrain somewhere in there. Poor guy. He will be home on Friday, I'm sure ready to sleep for a couple of days. I'll be happy to have all my men under one roof again!

I hope falling leaves are leaving you with a smile.

xo
ro

Mom and Jim

My brother Jim sent me some photos from his visit this summer. I took this photo of him and mom on one of his visits to see her.

I think it has to be one of the most precious photos I have ever seen.

Sniffle.

Fall is Upon Us

Oh yea, finally, it's feeling a little like Autumn. Actually, it is a little early, but I'm loving it.

We had rain today and it warmed up a little bit. I was liking the chill in the air actually.

I've been putting little things out for the season. It's my favorite time of year. Of course, Bella is inspecting everything. She's like a little child. She has to lick everything that comes within reach. Ew.

Aren't these little Halloween fairies too cute?

Catching up news: The kid found a loose diamond in his bathroom. I don't know if it's real or not. I can't find anyone who has lost one. Hmmmmm. I'm going to take it into a jeweler and see if it's real. It does cut glass.

Looks like we may be getting a Nordstrom's after all. I've been reading about this ever since moving to Nashville in 2001. I'm not holding my breath!

Mom is eating better. She's back up a couple of pounds. Yay! She's always so happy. God bless her!

This was the moon a couple of nights ago. Isn't this a gorgeous sky?

The kid's best friend is in from Los Angeles and they're up in the woods exploring. It's always nice when he comes back into town and they pick up where they left off. Too much fun.

Ok, now I'm really caught up!

xo
ro

Goodbye San Diego

Finally, I am caught up. Well, with the San Diego trip anyway. Phew! It was a whirlwind trip, as I mentioned, but well worth it. Good family fun, good food and as you will see, good wine!

We had a wonderful closing dinner with the hub's brother. This was the night of the beautiful sunset which the BIL says were somewhat due to the fires in LA.

The two brothers with the niece, Jaime. I love seeing the two of them together. It's too far and in between that we get together.

That night, the kid was feeling so rotten, the hub and I snuck out for some adult time. We went to the wine bar at the hotel. How fun is this? Wine and cheese tasting!

Since I can't drink wine, due to allergies to the sulfites or nitrates or something--my face actually SWELLS!--I went for the delicious ports. Oh, they were delicious. I have tried one of them before, the Sandeman tawny; but the best was the vintage Quinta do Vesuvio port, of course. Yummmy. The Sandeman Founders Reserve Ruby Port MV came in a very close second.

The hub went with reds and enjoyed each one.

And we decided on the local California cheese tray. The Fiscalini Bandaged Cheddar was the hub's fave and mine was the Winchester Gouda. I'm not saying, by any means, the Sonoma Dry Jack was less that perfect either, but I've had this before. It was a nice way to say goodnight.

We flew out the next morning. The poor kid was feeling miserable by this time. The flu had hit him full fledged. Poor guy.

He did snap these though. You can see the Hotel Del with the red roofs and Coronado spelled in the sand! How fun is that!

The island and downtown San Diego can been seen here.

We connected through Salt Lake City. I had never been through Utah before.

Goodbye San Diego! Until next time!!

xo
ro

The Del

The Hotel Del Coronado is one of the loveliest hotels I have ever stayed in. I am always mesmerized by the huge flower arrangement and the grand chandelier in the main lobby.

I am always drawn to it with my camera. Although the new camera doesn't capture the extreme closeups my previous one did, it still does a pretty darn good job. The little Sony makes up for it in other ways in the end. It does do better under low-light conditions.

Other highlights in the main building include beautiful antiques and an old-fashioned candy shop!

The grand staircase.

The lift is still in use, complete with lift operator.

The center courtyard is full of lovely tropical flowers and plants. You can tell here my new camera lens doesn't have quite the macro my older camera had.

The outside of the main building is amazing. It's all wood. The last time we were here, they were painting it. Can you imagine how much paint it takes to keep it looking this fresh?

Both times, we have stayed in the new cottages right on the beach. They are absolutely perfect.

Lunch always includes a tropical punch.

And the sunsets are to die for.

Even the nighttime becomes magical here.

Old Town San Diego

Slacker. I'm still trying to catch up with my trip! Ooooof.

After much talk about some good Mexican food, the BIL decided on trying Old Town Mexican Cafe in, well, Old Town.

Since we were still in the hills, the hub got there before us and reserved a spot before the crowds arrived. Well, it still took about 45 minutes to get in. I think it's very touristy. Would I wait again? Nope.

Now, the tortillas are hand made right there and you can watch the senoras making them. They are to die for.

We ordered some guacamole. It needed something. So I added some fresh lime juice and it turned out pretty good. I suppose I got my hopes up on some REAL Mexican food here full of flavor. Hmmmmmm.

I ordered some type of flat iron steak. It was ok. Of course, the important thing was being with family and enjoying each other because we rarely do get together living so far apart.

Across the street was the Whaley House. I don't know the story on it but it is said to be haunted. Next trip, perhaps!

We headed back to the hotel Del because the kid was beginning to feel bad with a cold. We sat by the fire pit and had some nightcaps before heading to bed. This I could definitely get used to!

It's even beautiful here at night. Sigh.

xo
ro

San Diego Co. Mountains and More

Ooof, I've been knocked off my butt for several days now. Lordy me. I had my flu shot and a pneumonia shot on Wednesday and I've been sick ever since! What the &%$#%???? I was feeling a little better yesterday until I was at mom's doing things I probably shouldn't be doing. Came home and slept from 3-11 p.m. Hmmmm. I slept until 12 today and finally just got up, took a hot shower, ate some Excedrin and am sitting down to a cup of coffee. I have to admit, I am feeling a little better. Geesh. Anyhoo, I need to catch up on my Cali trip! Above are the cookies I bought at Julian's Pies. Oh, they are to die for. (The Hotel California cup was bought in LA around 1981 during a trip out there. It's one of my favorite cups ever.)

Ok, now that that's out of the way, back to California! My BIL drove the kid and I up through the mountains. The kid had never been to the West coast so this was all new to him.

Our mission was hitting Julian and getting some apple pie. We had run out of time for picking apples in the orchards. (Note the moon!)

What a sweet town. We were able to watch apples being pressed for cider. The smell was wonderful, as you can well imagine.

The "famous" shop is Mom's. But I was told under very good authority that Julian's pies were better. Of course, I had to try both.

I purchased three apple turnovers which I have kept in the fridge until today. I'll let you know how they compare with slices of Julian's Dutch apple pie. :-P

Now, Julian's Pie company was just precious. I loved everything about it.

I got cookies (above) and two slices of the Dutch apple pie. Of course, I bought them for the hub and kid. Did they eat them? Nope. I ate one slice one night and the other the next night. And yes, it was the absolute best apple pie I have ever had. Hands' down YUM!

The little bakery is located in a small house on the edge of town. If you go to Julian, DO NOT miss it!

I think the locals are on to something here. ha. We didn't have a whole lot of time here either. It was a true whirlwind trip, I tell ya. There were schedules to keep with a little five year old in tow.

We were then under strict instructions to hit Dudley's Bakery on the way home and pick up some fresh bread for the house.

It's a good thing I wasn't staying. I would have bought several loaves. Oh my. You know my weakness is bread. It took everything in my diet strength to walk out of there (that and the apple goodies I was holding in the car--wink wink).

The landscape here is absolutely beautiful. The kid was in awe.

And so was I.

We headed back west to home enjoying the mountain scape. So beautiful.

I loved the entrance into the town of Ramona. The entire area reminds me of cowboy and Indians. I could envision the battles going on way back in the day.

It was a beautiful day being with family.

xo
ro

Update: Mom's apple turnover was VERY good. Hmmmmmm. I say visit both pie bakeries!

La Jolla by the Sea

I think this has to be one of my favorite areas near San Diego, La Jolla. In actuality, I've only visited the "Children's Pool" that has been taken over by seals. From what I can gather from my SIL who is a San Diego native, the beach basin was built for children to use as it was sheltered from the waves. She used to frequent it when she was young. Well, the seals took over years ago and now there's an ongoing battle on whether to get rid of the seals and turn it back into a children's pool or leave the seals alone. You can read more about it here (Friends of the Seals) if you wish. It's a beautiful area regardless.

I always enjoy watching these fellows too, the ground squirrels. Too cute!

As you can see, we arrived in the morning before the fog burned off. I loved it. Note the kayaker on the top right! He was really moving!

You can see the cove here. I don't think I would want my kids swimming here even if they dredge it many times over. It's very stinky from all the seals. Ew.

This is on the walkway facing town.

And this is the open side of the pool.

A cutie pie by himself.

And the "others." There definitely weren't as many as when we visited last year in March.

We then headed down the beach some to watch the surfers. Too fun. (The kid and my SIL.)

I could watch these guys all day long.

This is the seaweed. A little different than what we get on the Gulf Coast, for sure!

The kid popping the pods. The water was nice and cold. I love swimming in cold water! (Not that I went for a swim or anything!)

Next time we come out, I swear I'm going to spend more time in town. It looks like so much fun.

We couldn't stay too long because we had to pick my niece up from school. This is one of their turtles in the back yard. They told me a new baby just hatched the day after we left. This gal is over 20 years old and hatched on the property too. How sweet is that?

K, more later.

xo
ro

A Handful of Sand

Well, actually, I'm home now. But what a whirlwind of a beautiful trip! Sigh. Happy to be home, but I sure do miss California.

The kid gathered all of these sand dollars on Coronado Beach! I found the jeweled one on Orange Avenue on Coronado. The other shells, starfish and beautiful cards are compliments of The Del Coronado Hotel. They turn back the beds with a shell and a lovely saying each night. So much better than old chocolate!

The kid and I had fun on the plane going out. It was a long tedious flight thanks to Northworst. We stopped over in Detroit then on the Cali. Cheap tickets, what can I say. We tried to make the best of it though.

We made it in after 9 and the hub picked us up and off we went to the W hotel. The room had a fun chalkboard which the kid and I immediately attacked with silliness!

Of course, we chose PLAY (rather than the work side) when we arrived.

And then we made our way up to the rooftop passing all kinds of wonderful little nooks full of interesting items.

The rooftop "Beach Bar" was indeed full of sand complete with cabanas and fire pits. We hunkered down here for a very late dinner and libations. It was so relaxing watching the fog roll in over the city.

The room was full of wonderful nooks itself. We had two "window seats" that just called my name. Of course, I only made it to the bed.

The next morning, the hub had to work (hated turning the "WORK" sign on for him). Someone has to do it. Poor guy.

The kid and I went down to the restaurant after he left and had breakfast.

We both had waffles. Mmmmm mmmmmm good. Diet? What diet?

Then we watched the comings and goings of the staff and enjoyed the fun surroundings.

Chris Milk had an exhibition of photographs hanging about the place which were marvelous.

And you could tell we were in Cali from the lobby bar, no? I loved all the surf board fins!

My window seat with view of the bay.

Sofa pillow. Ooohlala.

And coral hanging above.

Can you tell why I always love staying at W hotels? You never know what you may find laying around the place.

More to come later!

xo ro

The Voice of the Sea Speaks to the Soul

Tomorrow, the kid and I fly out to San Diego to meet up with the hub. It was a trip we couldn't resist. The kid has never been out west! Can you believe it? He's been all over the world but never to points west in the good ol' USofA. So, we jumped on board without a bat of the eye!

We will be meeting up with BIL Jim and his lovely wife Amy and our little niece Jaime. Alex has never met Jaime, so this will be a real treat. And, of course, if you remember Amy's mom whom I lovingly call Flower Momma because of her garden that is full of such beauty. All of these photos are from our last trip out a couple of years back.

You can find me there doing this.

Looking at this.

Or perhaps have my head turned this direction. Such work.

I will partake in this.

And this.

And end up here. Mesmerized by the sea. I will keep you updated.

Sigh.

xo
ro

New Toy, New Toy!

My new Cyber-shot came in yesterday! Yea!! Unfortunately, I didn't open it until late last night, but I've been playing with it ever since. Too much fun. The newest feature is the panoramic capability.

The kid snapped these this morning.

And this is us playing with it last night. New vs. old.

Broken but not forgotten.

Two oldies but goodies.

Midnight jumping jacks. Wonder if it was Jack who invented them?

This morning, the cats were all over my clean clothes I had just pulled out of the dryer. Guess they were cold. Awwww.

Guess I'm going to have to get faster in the folding department.

There's a new feature on the new Cyber-shot for animals. It's suppose to be able to take the photo and keep them in focus if they move. Caught Dave's "Whatchyou lookin' at?" face.

And Bella's "better than thee" drinking (won't have anything to do with the water bowl, mind you).

Okay, now let me back way up to yesterday's visit with Beth and her mom, Lottie. (Photos taken with my old, old Cyber-shot.)

We painted pumpkins.

And then waxed them. They turned out beautifully. We also started some Autumn banners which are still in the development stage. Will have to share those later.

We got our group shot in. ha. We all had the best time.

Lottie had made pimento cheese and chicken salad, her son had made some strawberry bread and I brought a Mexican layer dip and some Chex mix munchies. Mmmmmm. Have the get the good eats in with all that hard work! It was a delightful day and we promised to get together at least once a month. There's no excuse not to!

On my way home, I spied another one of my low clouds over the hill. I snapped this quickly and captured it! Yea. I love these! This is right near the Natchez Trace Parkway which is a 444-mile parkway that goes all the way down to Southern Mississippi. You can barely see the bridge in the background.

After arriving home, the hub and kid told me we were having dinner down in The Gulch, a trendy area in Nashville that has opened some new restaurants (and Urban Outfitters!). We ended up at Urban Flats, a restaurant that specialized in flat breads. I was in heaven, of course, and off my diet immediately!

We started with some spreads that included red pepper, pesto, macadamia and a tapenade. Yummy. The flat bread was to die for.

I ordered the Moroccan Flatbread which had a curried chicken in it.

And we ended with the special of the night, S'more Flatbread! Deary me. Yes, you can see, the diet was shot to hell. I loved the cutting board paint pallets they used to serve the flatbreads. I would like a couple of these for the house. (Yes, I'm a cutting board hoarder. I have some of this style in every size. But, I don't have the round paint pallette ones. Wonder where I could get a couple???) lol

xo

ro

Memories

I've been working on mom's old room today. It sure does bring up a lot of emotions. Sniffle. It's been kind of an emotional tide rolling in and out today. Perhaps the rain is making me melancholy.

I'd love to turn this old radio on and just sit and listen to the old sound. Nothing like it. Reminds me of my mom who always had her radio playing in the kitchen while we were growing up. The hub had collected these old floor radios when we first started dating. He has several throughout the house. In fact, he may have bought this one for me when we were courting. We were deep into art deco at the time. I love the cities listed: Havana, London, Berlin. How romantic is that?

When we were first married and lived in a row house in Georgetown, we had a vintage table top style that I would turn on on Sundays and listen to an old radio program. Wonderful memories.

Mom was in good spirits today and I even made it there before lunch. She ate pretty well. She has been losing a lot of weight the past month, not liking food. I thought it was because her bottom dentures were lost. But the new ones came in today; and she will have nothing to do with them. I noticed when I gave her some beans, she made the yucky face. I spoke to the nurse about it and she said that with dementia and Alzheimer patients, they begin to lose their taste buds. So, if you put sugar on their food--gross as it sounds--they can taste it better. That is why they all like sweets, for the most part. Well, I tried it on her beans and guess what? She ate just about all of them! I had also brought a strawberry milkshake from Sonic and she drank 1/4 of that. Plus I have Reese's peanut butter cups to fatten her up and she had one for dessert. Excellent. I loved her little necklace and parrot pin today. They must have had a party earlier.

While she was eating, I noticed a little nuthatch eating at her bird feeder. This is the first bird I have seen since she's been in this room. A good sign, fersher.

Daig, and then after I put her down for a nap, I looked outside and it was pouring down rain, again! We all seem to have settled into this sweet room. It's very homey and her roomie is just precious. Mom won this little dog on her bed last week. Aw.

I snapped this photo leaving the kid's school this afternoon. (He was driving!) The clouds weren't quite like they were yesterday, but it's still pretty.

As I mentioned, mom's new carpet was installed yesterday. So clean! Poor mom had dripped liquids all over the previous one. It was a mess.

I put her bed back together and all made pretty. The two paintings above her bed were paint-by-numbers done by my brother Johnny when he was little. We have always had them hanging. The old iron headboard was my Aunt Ollie's. I thought I had two of them, but I never found the other one in mom's basement. These would have been perfect for the niece's room, darn!

I tried to move the bed another direction, but it just doesn't fit as well as here in the corner next to the bath. I'm glad I stuck with the single bed.

I pulled her old rocking chair out (the one she would fall asleep in and fall out of) and put it back in the corner. You can see Frankie looking in the window, barely. Yes, it is bittersweet. Knowing she is happy and being taken care is a relief, but I still miss her being here with us.

Big news! Tomorrow, I am heading out to see Beth and her mom to do some artsy stuff. We are going to make Halloween banners and perhaps even a pumpkin or two! I cannot wait. It is seldom we get together, but when we do, we always have the bestest of times. Love those girls.

xo
ro

This -n- That

My hydrangea are just about finished but I was able to bring some in before I completely forgot about them.

I just love these two colors together. I wish the pink and green would dry these colors.

It's been raining for two days, and I have to admit, I am loving it. I absolutely love when the clouds get low over the hills. I'm always driving when I notice them, so I'm never able to capture the beauty for you. One day.

I put my shaggy plants out this morning and dowsed them with plant food. They seemed really happy tonight. I'm hoping for another day of rain tomorrow, but I haven't checked the weather yet.

Today, I had mom's carpet in her bedroom replaced but I have misplaced my little camera so I can't share that with you either. It looks fabo though. Fresh as the first day of spring. Now I have to get it back in order, fun.

The kid has moved into the teenager's old room. Poor guy was still sleeping in his twin bunk beds. He's about 6 feet tall now, so I think he's enjoying the full-sized bed. It still has all my stuff in there as a guest room. I didn't decorate it to be his room so I will have to do some moving of stuff. Oh well. Next in line is his room to have a makeover. I'm thinking about putting two twins in there for the nieces when they visit. One room at a time though. Have to finish mom's first.

Bella was quite mischievous last night while the kid and I watched our Ghost Hunters.

She continued playing with me until she got stuck on the camera strap. (Maybe that's where the camera is!)

"Hmmm, now what do I do?"

"I am NOT stuck, I'm just resting here."

"Maybe if I don't look at her, she won't notice me still hanging on."

"Ok, now this is getting old."

Tonight, I worked on my blog layout. Many thanks to Mo Jackson for all her wonderful doo dads that I used. I'll probably continue tweaking it. Who knows what you might find here next. The photo in the header is my parents' wedding. Awwww.

xo
ro

Day Two of Journaling

I'm moving along on my newly found project. I did mom's page last night. I took one of her sweaters and copied it onto paper. Then I took a photo of her wearing the sweater and added it.

The front and back covers I made today. My usual style on cardboard with acrylics then distressed. But then I bee's waxed the curtain to the window. Loved how that turned out. You can't see it, but there is also a piece of mica attached for the window.

Finally, I'm becoming motivated with something!

xo
ro

Unenlightenment

I have been so uninspired lately and have been wanting to start journaling or something, anything! I had found this wonderful house cut out and finally, today, I sat down and did my first page.

(WARNING: Rant On.) I have been feeling a lot of resentment towards so much ignorance in America these days; and I don't know where to turn except perhaps paper. It seems we are stepping back in time rather than moving forward and growing as a nation. There is an awful lot of hatred and divide growing here in the US, and I just can't seem to grasp the reasoning--other than the media stirring things up, as usual. I simply cannot understand, for the life of me, why people listen to one idea, or source, and run with it. Ask some questions. Look around and get some answers. For instance, when President Obama spoke to school children on the opening day of school, what kind of message did it send to these kids whose parents kept them home so they wouldn't listen to a message from the President? A speech that clearly--if they had looked into it before reacting--was educational and not political? Is it racism? Is it ignorance? What is it? Isn't this the next generation of Americans? I just don't understand where this country is going with this sort of mentality. And then when a United States Congressman yells out loud "You lie" to the President of the United States during the health care speech to the joint session of Congress, I was mortified. What is going on here? I don't normally rant about this stuff, but it has just been eating me up. Again, perhaps if I start journaling, I won't have to bother you with it. (Rant off.)

Anyhoo, in other stuff about the place, the kid found this old piece of stained glass that apparently I had never finished. It is quite crude and needs a whole lot of fixin' (like this country????--sorry). But I put it in the window anyway. One day.

I did skim through my Apartment Therapy and found some more great ideas, of course. Hangers. Simple hangers.

Perhaps these will inspire me to do something artsy rather than dwell on the unenlightenment of this country.

Ok, I'll shut up now.

xo
ro

Finally Friday

I can't tell you how happy I am that it is finally Friday! Yeaya. (This is the drive to pick the kid up at school.)

I've been busy finishing up duties around the house. Finally finished the invitations for MJ and got them off in the mail. Phew. Finished my Halloween ATC swap.

Made some more charms to give away (these are not for the charm bracelet swap).

And this is the paper pumpkin that I painted and stressed. Love it.

I am still kind of organizing my new space. Found this in Fairhope. An old utensil holder for my tools.

Mwahhaaahaaaaa. And lookie at what else I found. When I read the Baltimorian insignia, I had to have it! I'll do something with it at Halloween.

Tonight, we went to one of our favorite haunts in Franklin, Saffire Restaurant.

It is always soooo good.

I tried their drink of choice, the Saffire martini. Mmmm, made with fresh blueberry-infused vodka. Doesn't get any better! It was like drinking grape juice. Kinda dangerous!

Always start with the Southern Caesar salad. The hub tried their salad with white peach vinaigrette. I think I'll have to go with that one next if it's still on the menu. Oh my. The hub then ordered the prime rib (ew), the kid the chicken fried chicken, and I had the Country Cordon Bleu. It was all most excellent.

Of course, we had to have dessert. We all chose the Kahlua Cake. Yummy indeed.

With all that said, I am stuffed and ready for bed. Sweet dreams.

xo
ro

Shifting into Fall Mode

After the peaches are all gone, it's then time for the apples to be giving their bounty. I just got an email from my SIL in San Diego asking if we wanted to go apple picking while we were out there. How fun does that sound! We haven't gone to any orchards since we were back in Virginia.

It's still warm here, but I am truly shifting gears to Autumn mode. Love it.

I found this lovely runner on Ebay. I love anything with felt involved.

I collaged this small paper pumpkin. Needs some more work. But for now, it's decor. I finished another one with paints. It's downstairs, so no pics yet.

While looking for something to fill the pumpkin with, I found my fall flowers to put in my little cups above the stove top. Now where did I put those tiny little dried pumpkins??? Hmmmm.

All the while, Bella kept a close eye on me. Just look at that face. Just want to smooch it!

A very happy birthday to my SIL Mary Jane! Cheers!

xo
ro

President Obama Speaks at My High School

What an inspiration to listen to President Obama speak to the next generation of Americans. It just so happened that he spoke at MY Alma Mater, Wakefield High School in Arlington, VA.

I am so proud!

In case you were unable to hear it, you can go here to catch the video. I wish every American would give their child the opportunity to hear this speech. It truly was inspiring--not only to my 15-year old, but also to me.

Ok, now, I expect straight A's from the kid!

xo
ro

Alabama Sunset

We had been planning our first dinner out at Tin Top in Bon Secour. Mmmmmm. It was a beautiful sunset as we made it there.

Passing through Magnolia Springs (Fanny Flagg territory).

Obviously, I was into the blurred vision last night.

The meal, as always, was spot on.

Who doesn't love Barney? Had to chuckle over this warning at their market next door.

The kid drove us home, since the hub and I had partaken in happy hour. :-P He is driving so well. Even on the back roads of rural Alabama. So proud.

Yesterday, a seagull feather flew to me in a parking lot, so I had to add it to my TN blue jay feather already hanging on my rear-view window.

Today, the hub and I had lunch at a Crab Shack.

Always lots of hot sauces to choose from down here. Yumm.

Other than that, we woke up to a thunder storm this a.m. Always sets the tone for the day. Perfect.

The rest of the day is being spent as Frankie does. Laying low.

xo

ro