So far, my summer has been about lousy weather, being blonde and liking it, and various medical appointments. Since being diagnosed with osteoporosis last month, I have been focusing on my own health and maintenance. Getting more exercise, more calcium, trying to be more committed to using weights, have all taken up my time. Not to mention my mental health. My mother was diagnosed in her 60's so it's no surprise that I have it, though I wish it had waited a decade or more. On the other hand, I can do more to help myself now than later in life. Fortunately, my doc doesn't want me to take medication right now and I agree. I am not convinced the current meds out there are worth the risks that they carry. I am also over being depressed by this (well, almost). Being proactive feels better than wallowing in a sea of tears (ask Todd, he'll agree!) And get this ... being thin is actually a mark AGAINST me! Isn't that a rotten blow?!! Not enough weight to make my bones work harder. God, it's not fair!! (I know, who ever said life is fair.) That's where building muscle comes into play, if I can do it. Muscle is heavier, therefore, it might help my bones. O.k., enough about me.
My darling daughter has now joined the eye glass club in our home. She's actually very excited to be getting glasses as she has been complaining of not seeing so well far away. She chose a cute lavender pair that should be here next week. She does look adorable in them - wish I could wear them!
My oldest son was asked by a neighbor to feed their cats and mow their lawn while they are away in Alaska fishing. This is a fishing town and it's all too common for men to head off to Alaska for weeks/months. Sounds like fun, right? Anyway, Chad has been doing a great job of looking after the place and will be paid when this neighbor returns. His first paying job - cool! Hopefully, the catch will be plentiful as I'm sure Chad's pay will depend on how much they haul in.
Alec has suddenly become as tall as his brother, despite the fact that he's 2-1/2 years younger. And he has replaced Chad in the sarcasm department. Woo-boy, he's a pistol lately and it's no fun to come down hard on him but I have to. I refuse to let him grow up rude - know what I mean? Any one out there want to offer some helpful teen tips on this subject? I love my kids too much to raise them badly. I actually told my kids the other day that they are not to repeat my mistakes but to learn from them. Not sure they believed me on that one!
Seriously, though, nearly every day I am so thankful for my kids, who they are and how they act. They have been especially annoying since school ended (for some reason) but all in all, they really are not that much trouble. Especially compared to what I see and hear all around us.
Todd has been busy getting various jobs out of the way with our house. There is so much he wants to do and only so much time. He and the kids moved Chad downstairs into our finished basement, so now the boys each have their own room. I think they secretly miss each other but won't admit it. They have both enjoyed getting their rooms the way they want them and they'll be painting Alex's room soon.
Well, I just came home from getting my yearly mammogram (have you had yours yet this year??) and I'm off to do more laundry. And lift some weights.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
She Wore A Dress!
Curious about the title? Yes/No? I'll get to that.
My father-in-law turned 80 last week and they had a big bash yesterday at his home to celebrate, including all their musician friends (and families) and their various musical instruments. Bob, the birthday boy, plays trombone in our local symphony, and is a member of a tuba quartet that is well known in these parts. The live music was loud, constant and varied. There was even an accordion player who played a polka and one couple couldn't help but dance. It was an unusually warm day for the coast but we try not to complain about nice weather especially for a party that was held primarily outdoors. It was difficult to talk sitting in front of the horn section but when I looked at Bob, he was smiling and looking around at everyone. I knew he was having a good time.
Now, I spent the last few days figuring out what everyone was going to wear to this party. My daughter, Carmen, is not usually inclined to wear a dress but I was planning to wear one myself so I thought I would just suggest that she try on the dresses she had in her closet to see if they still fit. She agreed without any fuss, even seemed a bit eager. I hid my inner joy. We put together an outfit for her with a pink t-shirt, a brown print sundress and leggings (to keep her legs warm). The sundress needed the t-shirt because it seldom gets warm enough here to go sleeveless, at least for Carmen and me. Anyway, she really liked her outfit and looked so cute in it. Now for shoes. Oops. She had outgrown her nice flats. Out we went to find shoes that fit and went with the dress. She is at a funny size right now, not yet in adults sizes but too big for little girl shoes. After trying on about 20 pairs of shoes (all on clearance, thankfully) we found some that fit her perfectly and she loved. Then we found some pink sparkly socks when she also loved. We were both very happy!
It all brought me right back to being a young girl, getting ready for an event and having to run out at the last minute to find something needed to complete an outfit (usually shoes!) It was almost surreal. One of those Mom moments, you know?
After the party, Carmen didn't want to change into play clothes and that was fine with me. I thought it was so cool that she was enjoying wearing a dress. Why is this so important to me? Because my daughter spends her day with older brothers and is a sweat shirt/sweat pants person, usually. Seeing her in a dress and liking it was fun and special. I want her to enjoy the fun of being feminine, like I do, and that doesn't always mean ruffles and bows. It means feeling good in what you are wearing and how you look. Nothing wrong with looking nice, considering how I see a lot of people dress these days.
So, perhaps there will be more dresses in Carmen's future, worn without complaint or pouting (as in the past). My little girl is growing up.
My father-in-law turned 80 last week and they had a big bash yesterday at his home to celebrate, including all their musician friends (and families) and their various musical instruments. Bob, the birthday boy, plays trombone in our local symphony, and is a member of a tuba quartet that is well known in these parts. The live music was loud, constant and varied. There was even an accordion player who played a polka and one couple couldn't help but dance. It was an unusually warm day for the coast but we try not to complain about nice weather especially for a party that was held primarily outdoors. It was difficult to talk sitting in front of the horn section but when I looked at Bob, he was smiling and looking around at everyone. I knew he was having a good time.
Now, I spent the last few days figuring out what everyone was going to wear to this party. My daughter, Carmen, is not usually inclined to wear a dress but I was planning to wear one myself so I thought I would just suggest that she try on the dresses she had in her closet to see if they still fit. She agreed without any fuss, even seemed a bit eager. I hid my inner joy. We put together an outfit for her with a pink t-shirt, a brown print sundress and leggings (to keep her legs warm). The sundress needed the t-shirt because it seldom gets warm enough here to go sleeveless, at least for Carmen and me. Anyway, she really liked her outfit and looked so cute in it. Now for shoes. Oops. She had outgrown her nice flats. Out we went to find shoes that fit and went with the dress. She is at a funny size right now, not yet in adults sizes but too big for little girl shoes. After trying on about 20 pairs of shoes (all on clearance, thankfully) we found some that fit her perfectly and she loved. Then we found some pink sparkly socks when she also loved. We were both very happy!
It all brought me right back to being a young girl, getting ready for an event and having to run out at the last minute to find something needed to complete an outfit (usually shoes!) It was almost surreal. One of those Mom moments, you know?
After the party, Carmen didn't want to change into play clothes and that was fine with me. I thought it was so cool that she was enjoying wearing a dress. Why is this so important to me? Because my daughter spends her day with older brothers and is a sweat shirt/sweat pants person, usually. Seeing her in a dress and liking it was fun and special. I want her to enjoy the fun of being feminine, like I do, and that doesn't always mean ruffles and bows. It means feeling good in what you are wearing and how you look. Nothing wrong with looking nice, considering how I see a lot of people dress these days.
So, perhaps there will be more dresses in Carmen's future, worn without complaint or pouting (as in the past). My little girl is growing up.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Don't Laugh
I've gone blonde.
And it's weird.
I had been thinking that I wanted to go a little lighter for the summer, you know, a bit of a change. And it is a change, no doubt about that.
At the risk of blaming my husband, it was actually his idea. And he loves it. My kids all have mixed reactions. I'm still not sure. But there's not much I can do about it right now. It's only been a few days. We'll tone it down the next time we color it (Todd does this for me, bless him.) I think I've processed my hair enough for the time being. Let it rest.
If I'm feeling brave, I'll post a photo (if anyone actually cares, that is!) If anyone asks, I've decided to say that I've gone back to my natural color. I won't mention that this was my natural color when I was 16 years old.
Like I said, it's weird.
Other than that, we've just been busy. School throughout the month of June and then our summer break. The kids want to be done but we started a month late last year. Besides, with all the rainy weather we're having, staying indoors isn't so bad. Most of the time. Especially when I'm still a bit shy about my hair. Not looking forward to my mother-in-law's comments, we'll be seeing her in a few weeks. I'll just smile and change the subject. I'll bet my father-in-law will like it, though.
And it's weird.
I had been thinking that I wanted to go a little lighter for the summer, you know, a bit of a change. And it is a change, no doubt about that.
At the risk of blaming my husband, it was actually his idea. And he loves it. My kids all have mixed reactions. I'm still not sure. But there's not much I can do about it right now. It's only been a few days. We'll tone it down the next time we color it (Todd does this for me, bless him.) I think I've processed my hair enough for the time being. Let it rest.
If I'm feeling brave, I'll post a photo (if anyone actually cares, that is!) If anyone asks, I've decided to say that I've gone back to my natural color. I won't mention that this was my natural color when I was 16 years old.
Like I said, it's weird.
Other than that, we've just been busy. School throughout the month of June and then our summer break. The kids want to be done but we started a month late last year. Besides, with all the rainy weather we're having, staying indoors isn't so bad. Most of the time. Especially when I'm still a bit shy about my hair. Not looking forward to my mother-in-law's comments, we'll be seeing her in a few weeks. I'll just smile and change the subject. I'll bet my father-in-law will like it, though.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Kate At 48
Happy Birthday to me. My birthday landed on Mother's Day this year so we packed up the kids and headed to Leavenworth, WA, once again. We stayed two days and had beautiful weather except for the freak shower that hit just as we arrived - we must have dragged it along with us for 6 hours from the coast. Waking up to the beauty of Wedge Mountain gleaming in the sun ... what a gift! At no other time can I wake up at 5:30 so refreshed. I wish I could take that snow capped peak home with me. The word of the day on the opening page of my computer today was "alpenglow" which means the red glow on mountain tops at sunrise and sunset. I was thinking about that glow when I turned on the computer this morning and now I can put a name to it. We shopped, played golf on the hotel's mini green, used all the hotel's recreational facilities, enjoyed the terrific breakfast. And, as always, we looked for land to buy "someday". Two days of putting real life on hold - fabulous. A perfect birthday and Mother's Day gift (Thanks, Todd!) The kids slept well this time - an absolute first! They have difficulty getting to sleep at hotels but I guess they are growing up. I love my family.
When I got home, I found out that I was going to be on the front page of the Business section of the Oregonian newspaper. No, not because of my birthday. I've been trying to resolve a telephone issue for the past year and I finally contacted a writer who does a column called, "The Complaint Desk" to help frustrated consumers. Boy, that was where I was at, for sure. She was instrumental in getting this phone issue resolved and she ran the column yesterday. She also posted it on their blog, which (if you are interested) you can take a look at here.
I was so happy to have this issue resolved, I hadn't really thought about this story being printed. She quoted some of my conversation with her and Todd took the photo that they used. It's hard for me to see myself in print (too critical, you know!) but, really, no one cares. My kids are very excited to see their Mom in the newspaper and Todd is also excited a photo he took got published. I am happy all around and very much appreciate this lady's help. I love her column. Hopefully, this phone issue will not return.
All in all, it's been a busy week!
When I got home, I found out that I was going to be on the front page of the Business section of the Oregonian newspaper. No, not because of my birthday. I've been trying to resolve a telephone issue for the past year and I finally contacted a writer who does a column called, "The Complaint Desk" to help frustrated consumers. Boy, that was where I was at, for sure. She was instrumental in getting this phone issue resolved and she ran the column yesterday. She also posted it on their blog, which (if you are interested) you can take a look at here.
I was so happy to have this issue resolved, I hadn't really thought about this story being printed. She quoted some of my conversation with her and Todd took the photo that they used. It's hard for me to see myself in print (too critical, you know!) but, really, no one cares. My kids are very excited to see their Mom in the newspaper and Todd is also excited a photo he took got published. I am happy all around and very much appreciate this lady's help. I love her column. Hopefully, this phone issue will not return.
All in all, it's been a busy week!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Let's Rewind A Bit - Wedding Thoughts
I want to move on from that last post.
The Royal Wedding! This was one of those times I wish we could have TV only when we want it. I would have loved to have watched the coverage of the wedding. I listened to the BBC on radio and scanned newspapers and the Internet for coverage. I think this couple is so adorable - he is SO taken with her, it's sweet! That's what it looks like to me, anyway. Of course, I loved her dress, it was perfect for her and appropriate for the setting. I love how these two are playful, not stiff and stuffy. I hope they enjoyed their special day (weekend, really) and wish them all the best. This wedding came at a time when we needed a good diversion from the woes of the world.
I can think of many times in my life where I was glued to the TV for coverage of something. It's been 13 years since we've done that. When we find ourselves glued to the radio for coverage (like when we had the tsunami warnings after the Japan earthquake) it's a bit different. When you just have to listen, you can still function. Only one sense is being used. When the TV is on, no one moves. You really are stuck to the screen. I think I prefer the radio.
Of course, last night we were glued to the radio listening to coverage of a different topic. Everyone just stopped what they were doing and we all stared at each other in disbelief. Well, Carmen was clueless which is good. But Alec knew what was going on. We also have talked about how we do not celebrate the death of anyone, which I think is important, but how the consequences of someone's actions can lead to death. Geez, it's been a busy weekend!
The Royal Wedding! This was one of those times I wish we could have TV only when we want it. I would have loved to have watched the coverage of the wedding. I listened to the BBC on radio and scanned newspapers and the Internet for coverage. I think this couple is so adorable - he is SO taken with her, it's sweet! That's what it looks like to me, anyway. Of course, I loved her dress, it was perfect for her and appropriate for the setting. I love how these two are playful, not stiff and stuffy. I hope they enjoyed their special day (weekend, really) and wish them all the best. This wedding came at a time when we needed a good diversion from the woes of the world.
I can think of many times in my life where I was glued to the TV for coverage of something. It's been 13 years since we've done that. When we find ourselves glued to the radio for coverage (like when we had the tsunami warnings after the Japan earthquake) it's a bit different. When you just have to listen, you can still function. Only one sense is being used. When the TV is on, no one moves. You really are stuck to the screen. I think I prefer the radio.
Of course, last night we were glued to the radio listening to coverage of a different topic. Everyone just stopped what they were doing and we all stared at each other in disbelief. Well, Carmen was clueless which is good. But Alec knew what was going on. We also have talked about how we do not celebrate the death of anyone, which I think is important, but how the consequences of someone's actions can lead to death. Geez, it's been a busy weekend!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
OBL is dead.
It's 10:00 p.m. and we are listening to the radio special news. I wish I was in NYC right now, hugging policemen. We are amazed and still not quite believing that this man responsible for so much suffering is dead. I can't say I feel like celebrating really, just feel relief that he can no longer hurt anyone. I got out my diary from 9/11 and read what I had written back then. You know, I actually prayed for this person before I knew who they were? And now, I just wrote that he is dead. End of story.
We are hearing how NYC crowds are gathering together, it's after midnight there. I wish I could be there, too. I hugged my sons when I heard the news. We just happened to turn the radio on briefly when we heard someone saying that people were cheering and crying. What? Then we heard why. I really don't want to include his name in this post, I don't want it on my blog. But he is dead. Let's hope there will never be another one like him. Praise God that no American was hurt in the attack and the mission was successful.
We are hearing how NYC crowds are gathering together, it's after midnight there. I wish I could be there, too. I hugged my sons when I heard the news. We just happened to turn the radio on briefly when we heard someone saying that people were cheering and crying. What? Then we heard why. I really don't want to include his name in this post, I don't want it on my blog. But he is dead. Let's hope there will never be another one like him. Praise God that no American was hurt in the attack and the mission was successful.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
