This One's for the Girls

 

We ditched the boys this weekend and spent the weekend together in Boise - shopping, laughing, shopping, playing, shopping, eating......well, you get it.

...no sissy Lifetime movies for this crowd...

We started this shop-fest on Friday afternoon, which found us at the Cheesecake Factory. We should have started with dessert, because by the time we ate, of course we couldn't eat any cheesecake. Really, what's the point of eating at the Cheesecake Factory if you don't get any cheesecake? But, there it is. We hit the mall (clothes and accessories), Pier 1 Imports (a lovely shabby chic picture frame for me), and then.....where's that cheesecake when you want it?......we were ready for dessert so we went to Cold Stone.

At Cold Stone, I was less interested in the ice cream than I was in the family that came in after us. Mom, Dad, a 2 year old, and a little (read newborn) baby in a carrier. Dad (big guy with a Boise State Broncos hat on backwards) saw someone he knew (who just happened to be a really cute young woman with her school-age daughters), so he peeled off from the group and got engaged in what must have been the most INTRIGUING conversation since he was totally oblivious to the fact that his wife was standing in line, holding the baby in his/her carrier, fussing at the 2 year old, and ordering, paying, and delivering ice cream to the table where he sat. Like a king. Who needed his head pinched off. By me. Or, preferably, by HER.

At any rate, after ice cream it was Ross and Marshall's, then the pregnant lady ran out of gas and we went back to the hotel for our comfy PJ's and back-to-back episodes of "Lockup".  (No sissy Lifetime movies for this crowd.)

Saturday we started at the Antique Mall where I told my cohorts in shopping crime to leave me and come back in a week, but they performed an intervention and got me out in less than an hour. We checked out the Factory Outlet stores (nothing much there), Chili's for lunch, then TJ Maxx, and back to Burlington Coat Factory to get the stroller we saw earlier. 

At Burlington, I truly wish I had been in possession of a video camera. The stroller and baby carrier came in a ginormous, oversized, "let's kill all the trees in the forest" box that, of course, could not be squeezed, levered, or shoved into the back seat or the trunk. There we were, three girls in the parking lot, with a huge box and nowhere to put it.

Never fear.

We unpacked the whole thing in the middle of the parking lot, stored the purchase in the trunk, and left Burlington with the task of recycling the box.

Problem solved.

Unfortunately, the greatest picture passed me by as we zoomed toward our next shopping destination....a seedy establishment on the street corner that advertised "Guns, Ammunition, and Divorce Toolkits". I never have my camera out when I need it. 

The boys fared pretty well on frozen lasagna and Mongolian Grill. The house was standing when we returned, the dishes were (miraculously) clean, and all was well. 

Hmmmm.....looks like they CAN live without us. I've heard Salt Lake has some sales going on......and Kohl's just increased my credit limit. 

Anticipation and taking one step at a time

...Let's not get ahead of ourselves here...

I think it's true that sometimes we get a little ahead of ourselves. I'm guilty of thinking too far ahead, worrying in advance, planning without knowing the circumstances, and lurching forward through time. It's fun to plan  but the problem with thinking too far in advance is you just don't know what that particular day will hold.

So, I'm trying to be better at taking one step at a time. Life is often a waiting game, so why not enjoy the wait? One step at a time really is the best. Just live this day. Tomorrow will take care of itself.

I think of where these little shoes traveled when my oldest daughter was a year old. Step after step, until they were, too quickly, outgrown.

And now that little one is expecting her own little one. And she and her husband are building a house. Whew!  They are definitely anticipating the future. Worrying in advance. Planning ahead.

Sometimes, though, done correctly, anticipation is the best part.

I think these pictures tell that story without any help from anything I might write.

White

In winter, white is all around me so, today, I'll take a moment to appreciate it.


Paperwhites - so springy and sweet smelling!




A freshly crocheted baby blanket, just waiting to wrap a little baby in softness.



Shells from the beach, collected on a hot, bright summer day.




A pearly ornament.

Toby

When I was little and had suffered through a bad day my mother would say that "life is too much with you".

Today.....this week,actually..... life has been "too much with me". Details not important.

But this afternoon, on my trek to find something - anything - made of chocolate (a Snickers bar won out) I saw this in the hospital gift shop and it immediately brought a smile to my face:



There are reasons to smile. And, usually, it's something unexpected, small, and quirky. Like my friend Toby the Toad here. Perhaps tomorrow he will be living at my house.

Here Comes the Sun

There are a lot of negative things to say about winter in Idaho. But when the sun comes out and the wind isn't blowing it makes everyone feel so much better about life. I couldn't help taking some pictures today to capture the beautiful sunshine and how it makes winter just a little more bearable!





Everything seems warmer, inside and out....even though ice and snow remain.



Spring is still several weeks away, but days like today make us remember that there is hope!

Fly, little birdie, fly!

We got Sariah all moved into her dorm. And, as things go, I was so busy getting it done that I remembered at the last minute that I hadn't taken any pictures! So, these aren't exactly what I wanted to post, but at least I got some record of the event.

Not being able to get into the dorm until 12:00, we went to Burlington Coat Factory and found just the pea coat she's been wanting. (Yes, I know....there's no picture.) Then on to the bookstore in the Student Union Building where we paid an arm and a leg ($440.00!!!) for her textbooks. I could go on and on (and on and on....)about the scam involved with schools charging this much money for used textbooks, but I won't.

Over to the dorm, in a cold rain, only to find out that she didn't have the right Bronco Card to unlock the elevator, so it was back to the Student Union Building to get a new card. Fortunately, all the keys worked and Kent found a rolling hotel-style cart so it only took two trips to get all of her boxes into her room. Thank goodness for Kent! It would have taken 20 trips to get all of her stuff carried in without that cart!



After lunch at Johnny Carino's, it was on to Wal-Mart. Two hours later, after parading around Wal Mart with two carts, we had supplied her with peanut butter, school supplies, and chicken noodle soup (those of you who know Sariah will appreciate the importance of that chicken noodle soup, given that this is a staple in her diet).

We acquired our sturdy rolling cart again and hauled our Wal Mart stash to her room where she proceeded to unpack and settle in.



Her living quarters are very nice, with three roommates and each girl having a separate room. There are two bathrooms, a small washer and dryer, and a shared living space of a living room and a kitchen area.



I only had a small moment of anxiety when we had to leave her in her dorm with none of her roommates there, no car, and nothing to do but unpack. But, it's a 4 hour trip back from Boise and we had to get on the road. Then I remembered, "oh, yes! This is Sariah!" Independent, smart, resourceful, beautiful Sariah.

She'll be just fine.

Leaving the Nest

So, off we go to send child #3 to college. She's been away from home before, then back again for 18 months or so, and now off to college. It's so exciting and she's well prepared to fly on her own! I'll miss her though. After all, who will I make chicken and rice for now? All that's left are vegetarians.

More pictures tomorrow. Until then, Go Broncos!

Rosie Posie teddy bears

Rosie Posie is having a giveaway for entering your teddy bear story. Even if you don't enter the giveaway, check out her website. It's charming and whimsical. Just what one needs on a cold winter night.

Destiny?

So, my Dad sent me this "blast from the past" last week, which is a picture of my brother and me in 1973 (I was 12 years old) playing in a freak 6" snowfall in South Carolina. We were so excited!



What's funny to me is:

1. That's a pretty good snowman for a couple of southern kids!
2. I still have that stocking hat on the snowman - my son loves to wear it.
3. My brother looks like he's freezing and I'm looking totally cool (so to speak) with the whole snow thing.

Perhaps, this was an omen of things to come. Because this is how I spend winters now:



Yeah - that's a lot of snow.

Land of the Free, Home of the Jackalope

Legend has it that, in the 1930's, Douglas Herrick and his brother discovered the first jackalope in the American West. (It should be noted that the brothers Herrick were taxidermists.) Their "discovery" put their hometown of Douglas, Wyoming on the map and, in true American entrepreneurial fashion, the town has capitalized on the discovery and has even gone so far as to build an eight foot statue of a jackalope in the center of town.

The elusive jackalope (a.k.a. lepus temperamentalus) is, theoretically, one of the rarest animals in the world which makes the sighting of a jackalope quite exciting, indeed. It is a very shy animal but, when provoked, is extremely aggressive and uses its antlers to attack its opponent. The jackalope comes by these personality traits honestly since it is the product of a now extinct pygmy deer and a species of killer rabbit. The rarity of the breed is attributed to its ability to mate only when lightning flashes.

The jackalope has the amazing ability to imitate any sound that it hears, including the human voice. Cowboys have reported singing around the campfire and hearing a distant, exquisite tenor voice providing harmony. They are certain that this is the voice of the jackalope. This ability to copy the human voice has enabled the jackalope to fool potential captors by yelling, "I think he went that-a-way!".

The only known way to capture a jackalope is by putting out a flask of whiskey at night. The creature is particularly fond of the taste of whiskey and, when it becomes intoxicated, is much easier to capture.

I have had my own personal encounter with a jackalope, when it was served to me at a dinner hosted by some friends. Our hosts had prepared a beautiful meal with delicious food, including the tenderest, tastiest meat I had ever eaten. When I complimented our hosts on how good the meat was, he said "that's jackalope meat". A discussion about the merits of jackalope meat ensued. I remarked on it's mild flavor (not gamey, like one would expect) and our host gave me tips on purchasing the meat from hunters, since it wasn't available in the store.

Two whole weeks went by before I was informed that what I had really eaten was nothing more than turkey.

Turkey? But, I thought......

Really, I had seen stranger things. A stuffed and mounted rabbit with antlers on its head seemed believable enough in a place where people ate buffalo burgers and washed them down with root beer. Nevertheless, I had fallen for the oldest Idaho tourist prank in the book.

This experience prompted me to never again be thought of as an outsider. So, when I heard that only tourists don't know the words to the Idaho State Song, I made it a point to learn the whole song. Every word.You can listen to it here. Or, next time you're sitting out by a campfire in the evening, listen closely.

Maybe you'll hear a jackalope singing it for you.

Favorite Things - Monday

This week, I'm thinking on my "favorite things". You know, the whole "raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens....." idea. What better way to start a new year than by remembering the little things that bring us joy every day? So, today's favorite thing is.....


...an old pink barn.

I took this picture in the fall, right down the road from where we live. It was such a great Idaho picture that I couldn't resist it. And pink!! Now, that's a farmer with style.

What's your favorite thing today?

Just for Katie - an update to the blog

Katie (a.k.a. Mommy-To-Be) said I needed to update my blog. And, lately, when Katie says we need to do something we all get it done. (Don't argue with the Queen of Hormones.)



Therefore, here is the update.

The tree is put away and, while I'm still vacuuming glitter off the sofas, Christmas has come and gone. We're under a foot of snow which is a good thing this time of year, but I do know that it will be about 4 months before we see the grass again.

Sigh......

Given that it's a New Year, full of hope and promise, there are just a few things I'd like to happen this year, if possible.

First, I don't want to hear any more stories about Tiger Woods, his wife, or any of his erstwhile acquaintances. That goes for Michael Jackson histories, pictures of Kate Gosselin, and....could I possibly hope.....Nancy Grace?

Second, I'd like to be able to actually open the door of the closet in my piano room. I know you have a closet like this - it's where everything goes that you don't know where else to put it. Currently, it contains:

1. Back issues of National Geographics
2. Stacks of music
3. Boxes of scrapbooking, craft, and floral supplies
4. Sewing patterns
5. An old turntable and about fifty LP's
6. Primary chorister visual aids, posters, etc.
7. Jarom's trumpets (two to be exact), a guitar case, and a dulcimer case
8. A two foot stack of old cross-stitch patterns.
9. A large basket of miscellaneous cables, cords, and accoutrements that we have collected from various electrical devices over the years.
10. The vacuum cleaner.

I'm going to get it cleaned out. It might take the whole year, but it's going to happen.

Finally, I'd like to be able to look back a year from now and say, "2010 - that was the year I made a difference". There are so many opportunities. Which to choose?