Snow!!

Less than two weeks before Christmas and my "to do" list is as long as ever. But as the flakes start to fall I am itching more and more to go out and play in it. After talking myself into, out of and into going out again I finally succumb and suited up with my camera. I got such a rush out of being out in my front yard in the cold and wind as the white flakes fell on the leaves and flowers. This was the perfect snow to photograph. It was so perfect it looked like that fake stuff you can buy in the store. I could see the crystals in the flakes! It's the first time in my life I've ever seen individual snowflakes! They really do look like those paper ones you cut out in grade school! It was crazy! I ended up shooting a while, coming in to download and look at them on the computer three separate times. I really didn't have the time to spend the morning playing but man am I glad I did. It gave me such joy! Here are some of my faves from this morning:

Santa Baby

A few favorites shots of my gorgeous grand baby!!

Does life get any better? I think not. I am truly blessed. :)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I was so excited about the first half of the last movie coming out. I picked up the book to refresh my memory - remembered some, forgot some. Cari and I have always gone to the midnight release of the Harry Potter movies. After discussing the possibility of her not being able to come home on Thursday because of classes, she suggested I come to Harrisonburg so we could still go together. So, ... even though she was coming home on Friday after her classes, I drove four hours on Thursday to go to a movie. Yes, I know - but what can I say? It's tradition! The excitement had been mounting all week and by the time I got there we were stoked! Jocelyn went to dinner with us (O' Charley's), we picked up our advance tickets and fidgeted until we left a little after 10:00 for the theater. Thank goodness they didn't make us wait outside to get in because it was freakin' cold! I will have to say the time passed quickly. Finally the lights were dimmed and ... the previews began ... twenty minutes of previews! It was agonizing!

After a pretty fast three hours, it was all over. I had tried to figure out where they would end the movie - in the middle of the book. Surprisingly I thought it was perfect. I didn't think I'd like the ending no matter where or how they did it. I loved it. And seeing a movie at midnight with others as crazy as you are about the same thing is the only way to see the premier. That audience is simply the best. We all laughed, cried and clapped together as the story unfolded. So yes, I drove four hours there and four hours home to see a movie. But it was Harry Potter and it was with my daughter. Well worth my time and effort. (But I am thankful the last part comes out in the summer and she'll be home - LOL)

some random thoughts ...

Twenty-one years ago right now I wasn't even in labor yet - that would begin in about another hour (around 8:30am). I remember being so relieved when my water broke - relieved that FINALLY the time had come to see this beautiful new little person Bob and I had created. That sounds good doesn't it? While it's true, in reality I was simply miserable! LOL Of course it was Friday the 13th - my due date was the 18th. What can I say? Friday the 13th's are fabulous days for me! I can remember calling Bob telling him to come back home, jumping in the shower (had to shave my legs dontchaknow?), picking up Heidi from school and driving to Mom's (my doctor was in Portsmouth) and waiting until I was ready to go to the hospital. I'm sure there are parts of that day that are a complete blur, but there are parts that still remain vivid in this boggled up, hormone deprived memory of mine. Bottom line, our little bundle of joy was born at 4:00pm on the dot.
I can remember moments thinking, "I wonder what she'll look like and be like as an adult." Incredibly, now I know. It's so difficult to wrap my head around the fact that it's been twenty-one years now. If I haven't learned anything else in these last fifty years, I've learned that the days, weeks, months and years go by so quickly it'll make your head spin. It doesn't seem like it in the moment, but damn! How did I get to be this old? With one daughter 28 (and a 16 month old grand baby) and the other one now 21? Cari's in her third year at JMU. I swear it seems only months ago I was going through the motions trying to enjoy all the "lasts" of her senior year of high school. It just doesn't seem possible it's been nearly two and a half years ago we attended Orientation and weeks after that dropping her off to live in a dorm for the first time. Talk about an adjustment! I'm happy to say I did manage to adjust to my quiet, empty nest. Oh I still miss her and we talk most days, but I've learned to enjoy my "me" time.

And we're off in a few hours to surprise her at dinner tonight. I'm so excited!! Cari and I are pretty close in our thought processes so it's not easy to surprise each other. So far, I think I've managed to keep this under my hat. She thinks we're coming Saturday for her birthday. Yeah, like I'd really not be there for her twenty-first birthday. I can't wait to see her face. :)

Fast forward to nearly 11pm. I think we managed to surprise her. We were waiting at the restaurant when she, Matt and Jocelyn walked in. I was so excited I couldn't stand it. Cari has always been just a wee bit more reserved in showing her excitement - except when it comes to Kenny, no holding back there. We had a wonderful dinner at Kyoto - a Japanese style restaurant, a quick stop at the mall, then off to Outback for dessert and some fruity drinks. Cari's first legal drink in public was a Mai Tai. All too soon it was time for us to part. It was a short visit but I'll take it. Nothing could've kept me from being here to celebrate her 21st birthday. Back to the grindstone tomorrow ...

Happy 21st Birthday!

I Blinked

Happy Birthday Honey

Can’t believe you’re 21.

How can that be possible?

Where has the time gone?

I have this slideshow

Flipping through my mind

Of so many memories

As I rewind.

What happened? What went wrong?

I guess I blinked, just a little too long.

Just yesterday

You were a little girl

With pigtails and braids

In a make-believe world.

Now you’re a young woman

Living her own life

Making her own decisions

Like a bird taking flight.

What happened? What went wrong?

I guess I blinked, just a little too long.

Even as a teenager

You were such a delight

We laughed ‘til we cried

Many a night.

Now you’re off at college

Doing your own thing

And I watch with pride

As you spread your wings.

What happened? What went right?

I guess I blinked, and woke to a beautiful sight.

Love you,

Mom

some knitting ...

Feels like it's been forever since I've posted any knitting projects. Don't feel like I've been very productive since spring. Some of the projects I remember completing are some dishcloths (some for Cari's new apartment and some for a friend), some bibs for Morgan (need to make some more) and I think that's about it ... I started a kimono for myself, have the back completed (it was put on the back burner). I've also started an entrelac wrap for myself too - it's gonna be gorgeous!! Just have to get time to work on it. Oh and I've started a pair of Fiber Trends Felted Clogs - one completed! I'm excited to start the second one - felting these things are gonna be so cool!

I did make some hats for my soon to be newest niece ...

And Cari will finally get the throw she picked out for me to make her this spring. Actually the knitting was done early September, but I had to seam the strips together and I procrastinated ... it turned out nice though:

One more thing I've finished is a new iPod hoodie for Cari. She lost hers and requested a new one. When I saw this pattern I knew it was perfect! Hope she loves it as much as I do (and yes, I've started another one)!

Tomorrow is Cari's 21st birthday. Ya know, I guess I'm allowed to turn 50 but my baby turning 21? I guess I blinked because it seems like we just brought her home a couple of years ago.

Paper or Plastic?

How about cloth? So, went to the doctor yesterday for my annual checkup - that's always so much fun. You know, after this experience I think I'm going to investigate purchasing my own gown for the future. No, I'm serious! The nurse did let me wait until the doctor was finished in the next room so I wouldn't have to sit there naked and"draped" (and I use that word loosely) forever. Still, sitting there for five minutes in that state is rather uncomfortable. They don't use real cloth gowns anymore. They use freakin' paper. She gave me a cropped top from paper (that opens in the front) and a sheet of paper to place over my lower half. ... Um, ok. First off, as I was trying to put the "top" on I kept hearing it tear. Bloody hell! There is nothing to help keep it closed in the front. If I pulled it down far enough in the front to hold it closed, the back barely covered my shoulder blades ... keep in mind I just have a stiff, thin piece of paper covering my lower half in the front, so my entire backside is just hanging in the breeze so to speak. I tried tucking it in under my thighs - didn't work so well. I'd pull the back down and I'd hear something tear - again. I'd try holding it closed in the front and the damn thing was up around my shoulders in the back. UGH!

By the time she (the doctor) came in I gave her this evil eye and said, "You know isn't very effective, right?" Yeah yeah yeah - she went to explain they used to have the cloth gowns (yeah, I know - I remember them!) and they went to paper because the cloth gowns weren't cost effective. That brings me back to why I'll purchase my own for next time. She asked me if I wanted her to get me another "sheet?" "Um, no, let's just get this over with so I can get dressed!" That being said, she proceeds to start this conversation with me about any questions or concerns I have, what prescriptions I need refills on, etc. After sitting there holding my front together for a good 10 minutes or so (I think my hand and arm was locked in that position), she decided to get this show on the road and says, "OK, lift your arms." Now I've just spent how long trying to hold everything together, needing another pair of hands to do it successfully and she tells me to raise my arms. Uh huh. You know what happens - everything just falls away. I know I'm at the doctor, but really? Oh but wait! I gets better!!

After the boob exam, she tells me to scoot to the end of the table. Sound simple? While it should be, it seems nothing is simple with me. Oh, and I'm back to trying to hold everything together again ... I've "flashed" a few times during the conversation and exam so am a bit sweaty ... can you see where I'm going with this? The freakin' paper is sticking to me like glue!! As I try to scoot to the end of the table, I'm taking all the paper with me! Nice huh? Un-be-lieve-able. It wasn't pretty. I'm sure it's nothing she hasn't seen before but still ... anyone know where I can buy my own real cloth gown?

Hopefully I have until next year to solve this little issue ...

Neptune Festival

The Neptune Festival has once again come and gone. The entire Troupe clan met down at the beach Saturday morning to browse the craft vendors. It was hot. I mean really hot. It was record setting hot. The car read 97 deg on the way home around 2:30 but the official temperature at Norfolk International was 96. I don't know if it was just too hot or if the art show wasn't that great this year. We found a few things that really caught our attention but not much. The one thing was all had to walk away with was these fabulous "YaYa Hats." They are just too cool! Every female in our group had to have one. We took this shot after our lunch at Ocean Eddies:

Soon after lunch Bob and I ended up heading home. The sun was brutal and it felt like a July or August day - both of us were just done.

Sunday morning Bob played golf but I met Mike, Paddy, Lynne, Bill, Lisa and Camryn down at 9th Street to see the sand castles. They never fail to completely amaze me. The talent to create these incredible masterpieces blows me away. The weather had done an about face and it was very windy, cool and threatening to rain. We were only down there for about an hour but well worth the effort.

Maybe next year I'll try to get down there before the crowds and get some nice shots without people.

American Citizen!

I was so incredibly honored to be a witness at Regina's swearing in ceremony today. This day has been coming for a long time. Excitement (and frustration) had been building for weeks anticipating this day. It was finally here and Regina had her own cheering section - hell we had almost an entire pew! Everyone from S&B was there, plus Rick and Kathleen. She had been told the ceremony would begin at 10:30 so we all arrived around 10am. Soon after she was informed the ceremony would be divided into two groups and she was in the 12:30 group. Since there wasn't anywhere to wait for two hours, we decided to walk to a nearby coffee shop to wait. The poor security guards didn't quite know what to make of us - they were all pretty somber the first time we passed them. We seem to make a scene no matter where we go or what we do. The Norfolk Courthouse was no exception. One of the guards we passed on the way out said, "You guys remind me of a sitcom!" I responded by saying, "You have no idea."

After grabbing a snack and something to drink, we headed back to the courthouse about 11:45. At this point, the poor guards just shook their heads at us. As we filed into the courtroom and took our seats and the giggling began. I swear you just can't take us anywhere. It was pretty pathetic at one point. We'll laugh over anything. Behaving just isn't in our vocabulary. But boy we know how to have fun. The ceremony finally began and we sobered up a bit. It was interesting to see where everyone was from - several from Germany, lots from the Phillipines, a few from Pakistan and Aghanistan, and the UK. It was going pretty well until Ben Loyola got up to speak. Good grief! Thank goodness Fran had her purse and was doling out the tissues. He had us all in tears. His story was incredibly moving and his emotions almost got the best of him on several occasions.

The entire ceremony really made me stop and think about what it means to be an American citizen - something a lot of us take for granted on a daily basis. I am so thankful to Regina for the opportunity of this experience. Of course we were whooping it up and waving our little flags as we exited the courthouse - the guards were just a grinning as we left ... I wonder why?

We found ourselves at 4-5-6 Fish for a celebratory lunch where we did a bit more whooping and quite a few toasts to the new citizen. It was an awesome day and I am so proud to be an American!

OBX Weekend!

OBX Weekend

Missy rented a cottage for the weekend - a birthday celebration. Mom, Missy, Regina and I were all so ready to get away for a couple of days! Of course Missy had black napkins, plates, balloons, and a birthday ice cream cake. Nothing goes with wine like ice cream cake! LOL Regina had made a yummy lasagne for dinner and all we had to do was heat it up. Settling in for the evening, we got out our yarn and put "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" on - Regina had never seen it before. I gave Mom my old iPod and she was in music heaven - you should've seen her giggle with excitement! Hope the thing doesn't die next week!

Saturday morning we had Oven Baked Strawberry French Toast for breakfast (can you say yummm!?) and headed down to the beach with our books and chairs. Mom, Regina and I walked the shore collecting shells (not sure why, it just seemed the thing to do) while Missy sat and read her book. After lunch we showered and did a bit of shopping - Mom wanted to go buy a little iHome and we wanted to hit the yarn shop before it closed. Mom bought me some baby alpaca I had picked out for my birthday. Can't wait to make that scarf! We went to The Black Pelican for dinner - Mom, Regina and I got delicious Nuts and Berries Salad topped with grilled shrimp. Missy got a shrimp and crab bake - it was divine! Regina made us some tea when we got back to the cottage and we decided to take a walk on the beach to work off our dinner. Mom, however, stayed behind to enjoy her new music. The beach at night was magical. All too soon, it was time to pack up and head back to reality. We all agreed we need to plan one of these weekends again - very soon. It was very therapeutic for all of us.