The Eyes of Texas

Youngest grandson - lives in Texas and visiting for the summer.

Nine years old (he will be ten tomorrow) and a non-stop bundle of energy. I always said that the only two things I wanted to bring into my old age were flexibility and stamina and he is a good test of both. He wanted to see "Evan Almighty" so we did. He talked non-stop through the movie but we were the only ones there so it didn't matter. No "shushing."

He's staying with us for the weekend - birthday party at our place tomorrow. We're ready!

Aunt Sandy

That's me, the stick figure slightly off-center with my hoop earrings. Didn't have my ears pierced until I was well into my 30's - against husband's wishes who thought pierced earrings were for gypsies or something. Obviously he never wore clip-ons - my ears would hurt until they got numb and then hurt all over again when I took the earrings off. Besides, I was born to wear hoop earrings.

Politics, Love and War

Having just made my first contribution for the '08 presidential campaign, I now have a dog in this hunt.

When we lived in Washington my candidate was an ultra-liberal that my husband was adamantly opposed to. I wasn't "gainfully employed" at that time but he was always very generous with the household money and there was never an issue as to whether or not it was "his" money or "our" money. Until I made a contribution to the candidate he didn't like - then it was "his" money. S'funny now because we seem to have met somewhere slightly left of center. The most poltical fun I have now is to casually mention the name of our current president because I know his reaction - that G#% D*%^# S%* of a B*%^&! With him it's personal, with me it has to do with policies.

The oldest boy has an interest in politics - especially with recruiters actively pursuing him. Even the younger one has started to pay attention. Look at all the little minds I'm molding!

Wednesday Family Meeting

Tonight our grandson will be going with us to visit his mother at the re-hab facility. It is family meeting night and this will be the first one he's attended. The meetings are very honest with lots of sharing and he is ready to participate. His garage band was asked not to play so loud the last time they got together. He was stunned, absolutely stunned that their music wasn't appreciated. Ah, youth. It must be served.

And On And On...............

Japanese Gardens, site of our niece's wedding

These past few days have been some of the most relaxing I've had for a very long time. With our daughter in re-hab, we are now at long last looking forward to a time when she will be able to take over her responsibilities and we will be able to march forward with our own plans.

The program she's in offers a sober-living option after she completes her ninety days (she is almost half-way through) and she has very reluctantly signed up for it. Her reluctance is for several reasons - uppermost is the fact that her oldest son will not be able to live with her since he will be 18 soon and they don't allow 18 year olds. The fact that he won't be able to stay with her has made her realize, really realize, how much time she's lost and can't get back since she had always hoped they would all be able to live together when she was clean. Her 13 year old will be living with her though.

On the plus side for her, the amount of rent she pays will be proportionate to the money she earns. She will need to get a job and is nervous about getting one as she has been out of the job market for years and has no marketable skills to speak of. This area offers job training and that's a possibility but she is interested in driving a city bus and wants to apply there while she's still in re-hab. I'm sure she will need to take drug tests often as a bus driver but she says she is sooooo through with drugs that that doesn't bother her in the least. This program she's in tells her to remember her last day using and to realize that if she ever uses drugs again, it will be even worse. I saw her on her last day using and she said she felt like she was dying.

She is now getting healthy, both physically and mentally, has gained ten well-needed pounds and is learning how to think and live without drugs. She laughs easily now whereas a conversation with her in the past would mean walking on eggshells or putting on boxing gloves. We didn't see her often while she was using but when we did it never went well and usually ended with her storming off because of some perceived slight.

So on we go, doing it one day at a time but doing it. Thankful she is in re-hab, thankful she still has a relationship with her boys, thankful for all the wonderful people that are helping her learn how to live, and just thankful.

My Eight Critical Questions and Answers

While catching up on Rosemary's blog, I read her eight critical questions and thought it would be a fun thing to do too. So here are my answers to the Eight Critical Questions:

1) How was I supposed to know...........that the ivy I cut down was holding the fence up. We moved into a darling 2-bedroom Tudor home in West Seattle and the fence between us and our neighbor was overgrown with ugly ivy. With a pure heart I decided to prune the ivy and neaten things up. I'd never pruned anything before and went at it with a heavy hand. The next morning there was a knock on the door from the neighbor who very nicely pointed out that the fence between us had collapsed - that stupid ivy had been holding it up.

2) I come from a family...........of strong-willed individuals but we operated as a unit. My mother was most definitely the heart of the family and she raised all five of us to find our own voices. When one brother came out and told her he was gay she cried in private but never told him. His sexual preference didn't matter to her but she knew it would be a more difficult life for him. Ever the progressive, she wanted to see gay marriage legalized and he didn't. Go figure.

3) I had a crush on........I hate to admit this but my biggest crush was on Kris Kristofferson. There was something about his voice, the sincerity with which he sang, and the lyrics to his songs that just did it for me. Okay, I always knew he wasn't the rebellious guy he sang about (not with his West Point background) but I overlooked a lot. "Help me make it through the night...." yep, I would have - until I watched a TV program he was on with Marie Osmond. He sang a song to her and it was painfully obvious that he was just acting sincere. I didn't think he was capable of such duplicity. Crush over. Still have a crush on........nope.

4) I hate, hate, hate............people that mistreat children or animals. And sticky floors. And houses that are meticulously cleaned and refuse to stay that way.

5) I can understand..............most anyone. I remember when the "wilding" happened in Central Park and the mayor at that time, Mayor Koch, said he didn't want to understand why the gang of kids had done what they'd done because then he'd have to forgive them and he didn't want to forgive. Well, I'm like that. I can always understand where people are coming from but I don't always want to.

6) I always make............too much of a deal about completing any required federal, state, county, health, you name it, forms and paperwork. I consider them time-wasting intrusions. On the federal census forms I always write, "I respectfully decline to complete this information." I am such a polite rebel.

7) I really do love...........nature and music. Every part of my soul is refreshed by being outdoors and seeing God's handiwork and I see it everywhere. Music, I couldn't imagine a life without music. It elevates my spirit and both energizes and relaxes me. I once heard it described as the pulse of creation. I like that.

8) I began and quickly ended.........working for a brokerage firm that offered me a great financial package but not much else. I knew it was a mistake after two days and told them so. They tried offering me an even better financial package but it wasn't about the money. They wanted me to stay for at least a month but I knew I wouldn't be challenged enough there and I didn't want to waste 28 more days. Two days, shortest job I ever held.

Stephanie, are you interested in answering these eight critical questions?

Summer Kitchen

So how dumb am I? Getting him a new barbecue was one of my smarter moves. He loves to barbecue - we love to eat - keeps the house cool (well, cooler) - and he even cleans up! Win-win.

Everyone came over to celebrate our youngest grandson's arrival from Texas. He is nine years old and the picture of his daddy, our son. We see our son in his boy and it brings back so many memories of when our son was a child.

We had chili dogs, chili-burgers, fresh fruit salad, a vegetable tray and of course jello. We are such a product of our Minnesota heritage and always, but always have a jello dish. I never thought this was weird until one of our frequent non-family guests commented on it. Now I sometimes feel a little sheepish about serving it but still, the jello tradition lives on.

I remember one family pot-luck in particular. It was held at a park in Los Angeles and all the aunts fixed their best dishes for everyone to share. My mother brought a hot-dish (aka casserole), dinner rolls from scratch, cole-slaw, and a layer cake. Her least favorite sister-in-law showed up somewhat fashionably late bringing a solitary dish of jello. Dad saw it and made such a big deal about her jello that mother turned and gave him a look that would have dropped a rhino at 500 paces. No comment at all on all her work but the silly jello won his accolades. It didn't help that this was the sister-in-law that never had kids and was somewhat of a flirt. Now that I'm older and have a little perspective, do you think it wasn't really about the jello? Our families are smaller now and get-togethers are too few and far between but we still have our tradtions and the jello must be served.

Sam What Am

We have begun taking her outdoors on a leash and harness. Does anyone want to guess how much fun it is to put a harness on a cat? Yep, it's that much fun. However, this is the safest way for her to be outdoors and being outside tires her so she can slip in a few more of her cat-naps.

It is all about the cat!

Japanese Gardens

Japanese Gardens - so many in SoCal but this one was the site of our niece's wedding a couple of weeks ago.

And So We Begin

New beginnings. I've missed blogging but felt I had to stop when my grandson told me he had found my blog. He liked reading it and there wasn't anything he couldn't or shouldn't read but it was inhibiting just the same. And if you can't be open on your blog, well - what's the point. I asked him to show me how he found it. Surprise! All you have to do is google a few key words and voila! Forewarned is forearmed.


Our daughter's "vacation" from re-hab ended up being two weeks and we were all getting a little nervous. She began to think she didn't need to go back - her ex-boyfriend came by the house looking for her - tempers were wearing thin. When she was re-admitted, we all breathed a sigh of relief.


Then the ex-boyfriend began trying to locate her by approaching the youngest boy on his way to and from school. He warned him not to tell his grandparents - which of course he did as soon as he got home. We called the sheriff, made a report, bought the boy a cell-phone, warned our daughter in re-hab and moved on. However, until she's out and I can be sure her ex is out of the picture, I'm going to be more circumspect. Too much drama!