Go with the tide!

A friend recently said that Montana snow was better and that our snow was ugly. I've been to Montana during a snow storm and when she said this I failed to note the difference. Now however, after----
having lived through a couple of weeks of iced over parking lots,
hours spent shoveling the driveway (multiple times) yet still being trapped at home because the snow plow hasn't made it up our street yet,
dealing with crazy drivers,
and putting up with frog kissing politicians who'd rather save a tadpole than salt the roads to save a human life.....
...I think I get it.
Montana snow is colder, and part of the lifestyle and landscape. It isn't inconvenient, non-negotiable by wheeled things or subject to stupid laws. In Montana they know how to live with what nature throws at them and realize that to stop it is no easier than holding back the tide.
So as I let the tide have it's way may I say, that---
I can't help it that I love the sight of a black and sparkling white world that frames a Sapphire sky.
I get a kick out of observing all the little bird tracks in the snow and softly laugh to myself at the circles the deer have made around all my empty planters.
The sound of pure joy made by children sledding down the street makes my stomach jerk with an unformed shout of my own as I recall the many times an inner-tube and a hill have beckoned me.
Sitting in a window picking out snowflakes to follow to the ground and watching where each unique, solitary, flake softly offers it's mass to deep snow, hypnotizes me.
Building a snowman is just like riding a bike, if you haven't done it for a while it feels wobbly at first, but quickly comes back to you.
Messy piles of shoes, gloves, scarves and slippers in the foyer are unusual adornments there, but I like the ambiance they create, so they stay as long as the snow stays!
Snow cushions on the patio chairs look soft enough to sit on but I think I'll stay inside with my hot cocoa and crackling fire in the fireplace.
A warm house, wonderful husband and a sweet doggie the color of pumpkin pie with whipped cream are things that I count as great blessings.
I realize that I am able to enjoy the snow because the Lord has blessed me so abundantly and that for others the cold and wet is truly a hardship....for them I pray warmth and to God I give thanks.....for the snow and the tide.

The Good-The Bad-The Ugly

We are in the icy, snowy grip of winter so it's good to have a warm house and all the Christmas shopping done. It's bad because of all the Christmas cookies we are eating instead of sharing with friends that can't navigate our steep and iced over driveway. It's ugly the way some drivers seem to have no consciousness of how their irresponsible driving can hurt others.

It's good to see the sun sparkling on the snow. It's bad that walking is treacherous. It's ugly to see 6 cars in the ditch on our road.

It's good that we could have a white Christmas. It's bad that there is another snow, ice and high wind storm on the way. It's ugly to watch the weather persons try and predict anything.

It's good to see Leelu making canine snow angels. It's bad trying to get rid of the snowballs clinging to her fur. It's ugly to see all the little yellow spots and frozen brown logs on the snow in our yard.

It's good the snowplows finally made it to our street. It's bad the mailman doesn't seem to know this...two day's in a row. It's ugly to fight for a basket and stand in 12 person deep lines at the grocery store.

It's good that we will be in Hawaii before long. It's bad if the weather keeps us grounded and cold. It's ugly to contemplate myself in a swim suit.

It's good to have presents under the tree. It's bad that I know what most of them are, because they're from me. It's ugly that "Christmas" has succumbed to "Holiday" political correctness.

It's good that we have family and friends. It's bad that we won't be with them all this Christmas. It's ugly trying to come up with the perfect gift.

Its good that Christ was born. It's bad that so many don't realize the hope He represents. It's ugly what has been made of His birthday.

Merry, Blessed, Christmas whether your are good, bad or ugly!

Tardy Tidbits!!!

The older I get the faster time seems to pass! As life gets busy and days turn into weeks, then months, certain events that would normally be blog fodder became obsolete before I get the chance to post them, so this entry is dedicated to a few life moments that flew by.

On October 12, Ralph and Joyce Giffin observed their 5oth wedding anniversary. The family celebrated with them at the Old Spaghetti Factory near Portland Oregon on Oct. 11th. Their three children Kelly, Ralph (Chic) and John with spouses Kent, Holly and Dawn attended along with their only granddaughter Tatum. Ben, their only grandson, was unable to make it.

Halloween brought smiles as Kent aka, Dr. Bill Dior Bonze, along with skelepup Leelu went reversed trick-or-treating to a couple of neighbors where they handed out rather than received candy. Earlier that day Leelu and Kelly went to the nursing/rehab center to visit a friend and handed out candy to all they encountered there. Leelu charmed everyone with her tricks for treats!

Thanksgiving was the scene of a rare gathering of the Giffin clan. A wonderful time was had by---Grandma (91), her children Ralph, Jerry and Carry with their spouses Joyce, Diane, and Bill, and the kids Kelly, Ralph (Chic), and John with their spouses Kent, Holly, and Dawn.

More smiles when the "kids" ended up at the table in the kitchen while the "adults" took their seats at the big table in the dining room. The youngest of the kids is close to 40!

There was quite a bit of excitement when moms oven started spewing great balls of fire! Kent thought the two hour tardy turkey would cook more quickly if the heat was jacked up and when he added water to the pan all the juices splashed out and ignited! The end result was that only the outside of the turkey was done enough to eat after a 3 hour delay to dinner.

Since I spend most of my life eating right, low carb, low calorie, low and correct fat, etc.--- Thanksgiving is one of only a few day's a year where I eat without reservation. I went straight for the mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy with a small token piece of turkey. I didn't bother with that filling healthy stuff like veggies and salad! All was polished off with a substantial piece of pumpkin pie smothered in Cool Whip!

I felt horrible afterward of course and the heart burn took a few day's of right eating to eradicate, but it was sure worth it---no regrets!

Christmas is upon us now, my second favorite time of year (4th of July being number one) and soon I'll post a blog on why it's only my second favorite!

Don't give me any lip!!!

First came hello
Then a handshake
Followed by a hug
Which progressed to a kiss on the cheek
Lets not forget the other cheek while we're at it.
Can you see the progression here???

I come from a family of non hugger's and am personally not comfortable with too much human contact from anyone but my husband. Wouldn't you know I'd marry into a family of hugger's which has taken me years to be semi comfortable with---it actually seems weird not to hug now. Even my own family has grudgingly gotten into the act.

So OK, I'll exchange a platonic hug and mean it, and I'll even admit that I'd miss it if no one did it anymore, but now people are actually kissing! Eeewww! That's where I draw the line! I don't want a kiss on the cheek, it messes up my make-up, and is just plain creepy. A year ago I was only dealing with one or two cheek kissers, but I've recently noticed that the number is growing and that one cheek doesn't seem to be enough. Just last month I was assaulted with a triple kiss...left, right, left again.

There are a select few "sincere" kissers from whom I will accept a peck on the cheek, but it still messes up my make-up! I've been told that it's European to kiss and my response to that is, who made the Europeans the authority on kissing in America! We fought a revolutionary war to liberate ourselves from unwanted "customs".

Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, Dementor's steal your soul with a kiss, kiss spelled backwards is ssik.

We live in a society where preschoolers have police records for normal childish playfulness and yet an unasked for kiss on the cheek among adults is widely accepted as a greeting and goes unchecked.
FYI--- http://glennsacks.com/blog/?p=2023

So if you are a kisser and are offended by my honest sensibilities---I'm sorry for your discomfort and hope you understand mine.

If you can't resist the urge to pucker up, take a clue from the French and grace the AIR ABOVE my cheek with a lippy smack!

EVER HOPEFUL

A little hobby I have is entering sweepstakes online. I've won quite a few modest prizes, but never the grand prize. I figure I'll never win if I don't enter, so I subscribed to a sweeps site to help me find the good ones, and it has more than paid for itself.

I know a few of the tricks to increase my odds, but am not so serious about it to go as far as hard core sweepers do. I get discouraged sometimes, because no matter how hard I try there are always "zealots" taking sweepstakes to a level either impossible for me or impractical.

The best sweeps are "one time only entry's" per email, household, no referrals. That's about the most level the playing field can get. But for the obsessed there are even ways around this. Sigh....I take heart though when I think of the man who entered a national, once daily, multimillion dollar sweeps once and won. I believe there were more than a hundred entries possible.

I had a really good year not long ago and was sharing with everyone all the prizes I had won. I take a fair amount of flack from people about this hobby so this was my glory story for the skeptics.

Those same disbelievers were all over how much they could use this or that prize I had won and since I like to give, I did....with a weird mix of pleasure and sorrow. When the crowd had figuratively stampeded through my winnings with hardly a thank you, there was absolutely nothing left to represent all my hard work.

After that experience, I decided no one would have an inkling of future winnings...and they didn't. I now daily cherish the box full of rather useless (to me) items which I'm not quite ready to give up. There were some useful prizes which escaped the box like cash, gift cards, gift baskets with edibles, cosmetics and household items....all mine this time!

Now that times are tight the prizes have gotten smaller and the number of sweepers larger. Still...I continue to remain hopeful that the big prize is just an entry away and if I don't enter I won't win!

Flight of Fancy Leaves!

Today, on my tree covered hill, the exuberant wind whipped leaves of every shape and size into a joyful frenzy. They were celebrating their liberty and sending an invitation to join the party!

I stood in the center of a colorful vortex as they attempted to take me with them into the shimmering blue sky. With arms out-spread, face full to the sun, my long blond hair swirling straight up to catch a leaf or two, I laughingly shouted "I'm coming!"

Eye's closed, I concentrated on the earthy scents, roaring wind, rattling leaves, creaking branches, and the caressing warmth of the sun that flickered on my eyelids when a maple seed twirled by.

Flying! I'm swirling, skittering, pirouetting on air!

I squinted up into the spinning cornucopia of leaves, and discovered an eagle had joined the dance and was pulling my whirlwind higher and higher, until they left me in a gleeful pursuit of the heavens.

Back on the ground my attention was drawn to the celebrants who found the earth a better dance floor. They tugged at my ankles urging me to join in or get out of the way and the tree tops waved in rhythm to the music, seemingly relieved by the departure of their flighty children.

Happy Autumn!

My Favorite Season!!!

I love Autumn! It is a season of juxtaposition, warm sunny days and stormy cold ones, brightly colored foliage and pristine white snow, earthy smells and fresh dewy evergreen.

Giant orange maple leaves slowly, gracefully, meander to the ground from on high and the tiny winged seeds twirl through the sky like little helicopters.

What's not to love about uniquely shaped gourdes, pumpkins, wheat stocks, apples, new wine, and corn mazes.

Who could pass up a Granny Smith apple drenched in caramel, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, turkey and stuffing smothered in gravy, freshly roasted pumpkin seeds and candy corn?

Nuts! specifically walnuts with their tiny fairy-bed shells, acorns in their jaunty little caps, filberts looking as though carved out of wood, and chestnuts all dark and glossy.

I cherish fires in the fireplace at night and brisk walks during the day. Sleeping-in, lavishly under heavy covers on cool dark Saturday mornings and at night, wearing big fluffy slippers while watching all new TV shows.

A leafless world exposes hidden views. Early evenings showcase familial vignettes through still open curtains, and mountains transform from dark, colorless masses to white, glowing pinnacles.

Big sweaters, corduroy, flannel, suede, leather and heavy trench coats. Orange, red, brown, yellow, gold, and plaid!

Fall is fresh yet spent, familiar and different. Best of all, it's the season of blessings and thanks preceding winter, and Christmas, where a dark and barren world hosts the celebration of light and hope!!!!!

Even a monkey can push a button!!!!!

I have confessed that I'm something of a scifi geek with a love of gadgets, however, my benign imagination is often sobered with the thought of how truly scary the reality might be. I worry that we are relying on the brains of those who were the pioneers and that we have ceased to think for ourselves, instead allowing their inventions to think for us.

Do you ever feel as if the world was careening out of control with morality and ethics lost and replaced by human arrogance and greed? Each time some advance is made in electronics, gene manipulation, biological agents, sub-atomic exploration, etc. the question begs...should we?

With technology proceeding at record pace and even prime time TV shows concentrating on the "fringe" of technology, I feel we need to get back to the basics to gain understanding on whether we should implement the science or not.

In the book Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, the character Ian Malcolm, a chaos theorist, talks about "thintellegence" and science, building on itself with no understanding of it's foundations then proceeding without asking whether it should or not. The movie states it more simply, but the book more thoroughly.

The following is Ian Malcolm responding to a "simple idea"...Jurassic Park!

"Most kinds of power require a substantial sacrifice by whoever wants the power. There is an apprenticeship, a discipline lasting many years. Whatever kind of power you want....Whatever it is you seek, you have to put in the time, the practice, the effort. You must give up a lot to get it. It has to be very important to you. And once you have attained it, it is your power. It can't be given away, it resides in you. It is literally the result of your discipline."

"Now what is interesting about this process is that, by the time someone has acquired the ability to kill with their bare hands, he has also matured to the point where he won't use it unwisely. So that kind of power has built-in control. The discipline of getting the power changes you so that you won't abuse it."

"But scientific power is like inherited wealth: attained without discipline. You read what others have done, and you take the next step. You can do it very young. You can make progress very fast. There is no discipline lasting many decades. There is no mastery: old scientists are ignored. There is no humility before nature. There is only a get-rich-quick, make-a-name-for-yourself-fast philosophy. Cheat, lie, falsify--it doesn't matter. Not to you or your colleagues. No one will criticize you. No one has any standards. They are all trying to do the same thing: to do something big, and do it fast. "

"And because you stand on the shoulders of giants, you can accomplish something quickly. You don't even know exactly what you've done, but already you have reported it, patented it, and sold it. And the buyer will have even less discipline than you. The buyer simply purchases the power, like any commodity. the buyer doesn't even conceive that any discipline might be necessary".....

....[For example] "A karate master does not kill people with his bare hands. He does not lose his temper and kill his wife. The person who kills is the person who has no discipline, no restraint, and who has purchased his power in the form of a Saturday night special. And that is the kind of power that science fosters and permits"...

ResourcefulnessElbowgreaseImaginationLove

We recently went out to eat at a popular seafood restaurant and I had a hankering for some Dungeness crab. I was stunned when it turned out to be $40.00 for one person, a la cart! Yikes!

I feel like I'm automatically going to age myself now, but "when I was a kid" my family and I would drive the hour and 20 minute trip to grandma and grandpa's house for visits. They lived near the Oregon coast and truly lived off the land and from the sea. They canned fruit and vegetables from the garden, butchered the pig, milked the cow, hunted for venison, fished for and smoked their own salmon, gathered eggs from the chicken coup, killed a chicken for Sunday dinners and even bottled their own root beer.

I remember the two mile trip to the bay, pulling up the crab traps and filling gunny sacks with large, live, Dungeness crabs. We'd take them back and grandma would have a huge pot of boiling water waiting. In just a few minutes we'd be out on a newspaper covered porch brandishing nut crackers and chowing down on as much fresh crab as we desired, washing it down with the worlds best root beer ever!

For entertainment, rather than watching TV or playing video games, we'd all go over to the beach, build forts of drift wood, play tag with the surf, look for shells, and build big bonfires on which we would roast and then eat gritty hot dogs and smores! Being Oregon it was mostly cool, cloudy and windy which made the fire extra appreciated once the sweat from all our activity began to cool us down.

In the morning grandpa would be up before the sun, cooking pancakes, eggs and my favorite, back strap of venison fried in Bacon drippings!

Occasionally my Aunt Lori (who was only a year and a half older than me) and I would find ourselves alone in the house and we'd sit chatting at the kitchen counter/bar drinking heavily sweetened cups of coffee from the ever present pot of it, (the real stuff, no decaf in grandpa's house) our 10-13 year old selves feeling quite grown up.

In the evenings grandma would gather us all around the piano where we would brandish our choice of maraca's, bongo drums, tambourine or kazoo to accompany her rousing rendition of the boogie-woogie. It was loud, cacophonous, dissonant and totally wonderful.

On dry day's Aunt Lori and I could be found having tea on the wooded lot next door in our "house" made of branches and blankets or taking the quarter mile walk to the little 'mom and pop' market for candy. On rainy day's we might be in the attic making outrageous concoctions of Sugar Babies and Bubble gum in the Easy Bake oven.

There was always a long row of shoes and boots behind the gas heater and next to it grandma's rocking chair. Over her chair was the kitchen pass-through where Grandpa might be heard laughing with deep airy chuckles that you had to join in on, no matter how hard you tried to resist.

At no time did we spend more than $20.00 for a whole weekend full of food and fun for two families and assorted friends...boy have times changed! Thanks grandpa and grandma, up there in heaven, for showing us how wonderful life can be with resourcefulness, elbow grease, imagination and love.

Go swim in the Oregon ocean

But to your wet suit be true

For there is no magical lotion

That will keep you from turning quite blue!

The fable of the Ant and the Grasshopper

A while back I received this email, author unknown (by me). It pretty much speaks for itself and, since I'm posting it, my political bent.



TRADITIONAL VERSION:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself!

*****MODERN VERSION:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.

CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. America is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper, and everybody cries when they sing, "It's Not Easy Being
Green." Jesse Jackson stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group singing, "We shall overcome." Jesse then has the group kneel down to pray to God for the
grasshopper's sake. Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry & Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to
make him pay his fair share. Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity and Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer! The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of
green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the government. Hillary gets her old law firm to
represent the grasshopper in a defamation suit against the ant, and the case is tried before a panel of federal judges that Bill Clinton appointed from a list of single-parent welfare recipients. The ant loses
the case.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around him because he doesn't maintain it.

The ant has disappeared in the snow.

The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the once peaceful neighborhood.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote in 2008.

Dick Tracy

What could possibly be more cool than a Dick Tracy TV wrist watch?! As a 7 year old kid I would fantasize about the future where you could actually watch Gilligans Island while walking to school.

In my imagination the future held flying cars, Star Trek style communicators, force fields and maybe even a moon base. While (to my knowledge) there are still no force fields or moon bases, I had no inkling of a laptop computer (in pink), Internet, digital cameras, and 3G technology where I could be wirelessly wired into the world anywhere, anytime.

It has occurred to me that Captain Kirk could have used a Bluetooth head set for a private conversation instead of thumping his chest badge and having his crew or enemies privy to all his conversations.

I'm still a dreamer and gadget lover....my TV watch is a reality now, so I'm waiting for the TV where the images walk off the screen and present themselves as digital perfect 3-D images in the middle of my living room. I want cars to hover and cold fusion to power the world. What else could the future hold that, like my 7 year old self, I can't even imagine? Perhaps super colliders, micro black holes, genetically engineered people with wings, and brown dwarfs in our solar system.....


While I was exploring touchscreen monitors online I ran into this totally cool video on youtube which inspired a trip down memory lane, a thought to the future and this blog entry!

Do you resemble your dog?

Due to recent events , I've begun to wonder if dogs are a reflection of their owners public and non public persona.
Do loving dogs live with loving people?
Sneaky dogs with dishonest owners?
Aggressive dogs with abusive jerks?
Silly dogs with jesters?
Barking dogs with the gregarious or shouters?
Shy dogs with reclusive people?
Hyper dogs with ADD sufferers?

Leelu and I were recently attacked on our own property by a distant neighbors two black labs. This was the fourth attack by these dogs and each incident has progressively become more violent. We have not been bitten yet, but we've both been "tumbled". The last attack had me taking giant leaps down my steep driveway in an attempt to regain my balance.
The owner of these dogs seems to think that her dogs behavior is our fault for some incomprehensible reasoning of her own.

Her attitude and the behavior of her dogs has me wondering....is there spousal abuse going on? Is someone in the house a bully working their way into becoming a criminal? Are they liars, making threats that hurt others but are never followed through on, are they in self denial about something?

I realize that the breed of a dog has something to do with it's personality, however I firmly believe the old saying that there are no bad dogs, only bad owners.

I wonder if the FBI or CIA make profiles on people based on their pets?! Should employers start interviewing the family dog before they hire the owner? Before a day care worker is allowed to be licensed should they have to successfully raise a loving and happy puppy?

So I guess for all the dog owners out there, take note that note is being taken.....by me at the very least! And if you didn't know that people judge you by your kids behavior, they do and your pets may be a means by which your life is being scrutinized also.

MY OH MY!

The Seattle Mariners were host to Ralph and Joyce Giffin on Friday the 22nd of August. They graciously posed for our photographer as they enjoyed their view from the owners suite. It's our understanding that they dined on a medley of salads, steak and fish along with all the traditional fare of popcorn, peanuts, and Cracker Jacks although Ralphs favorite, potato salad, was a no show.

The world famous staff were impressed with the Giffin's amiable personalities, and being aware that their 50th anniversary happens this October, presented them with armloads of gifts.

This was Ralph and Joyce's first attendance at a Mariner game and it is our firm belief that the team was so honored by their presence that they found it within themselves to pull out a win after a 7 game loosing streak....sorry Oakland!

Ralph Giffin was spotted the next day at the 4th annual Boeing Classic at Snoqualmie Ridge TPC golf club, where he was no doubt supporting rumored buddy Bob Gilder.

Ralph was embarrassed to be caught with a Coke Bottle as Pepsi is his beverage of choice.

Leelu and the foot

Leelu has taken to sleeping on my head at night????? I managed to get the camera to Kent when she was curled up at my neck.

We are back to regular life after nearly 3 weeks spent in the family cabin at Crescent Lake in the beautiful Cascade Mountain range of Central Oregon.

We spent the first week and a half with Kent's family then the rest of the time was all by ourselves. It was good to have everyone around for rowdy games of spoons and laughter filled dinners...it was also good to have the place to ourselves so we could shower with the door open and lather up while looking out at the lake.

Leelu had a blast! She swam, then rolled in the sand, swam, then rolled in the sand, swam, then rolled in the sand, swam.....well you get the picture! Then she chased dragonflies and butterflies when she wasn't sitting fearlessly on the nose of the boat like some furry mast head!

Have you seen that really cool spray on, waterproof, suntan lotion that is fool proof for preventing sun burned toes? Well gals, before you spritz over those spendy or even cheap pedicures and manicures, let me warn you that it melts nail polish and is almost impossible to wash off. After having my new polish on for a grand total of 1-1/2 days, I ended up with not only melted polish but with dirt stuck in the sticky mess that defied polish remover. I went into a shop to try on some sandals and realized with horror, that in spite of removing the polish and scrubbing my feet and toes, the lotion remained and was collecting dirt making my feet look as if they hadn't seen soap in months.....how embarrassing! I had to use oil and a terry towel to scrub my feet, taking off a layer of skin with the dirt and lotion. Almost 3 weeks later and I'm still working on my toe nails with a stiff brush and soap with only small success.

As a finale to our vacation we celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary by having dinner at the Trout House in Sunriver. We hadn't been there in years because of a really bad episode of terrible service and food, and where I watched our waitress leave the restroom after using it without washing her hands. However, since it had been a favorite for a long time we decide to give it another try. Well...there wasn't anything on the menu that didn't have some weird sauce on it (I'm not a sauce person, especially sweet with meat types which these were) so I requested no sauce and got it anyway, on both the main course and dessert, making both nearly inedible to me. Would you believe that after the meal, I once again, while in the restroom watched a waitress leave without washing her hands?!!! Can you say NAUSEATING? They've lost our business permanently I think. The day was redeemed with hot chocolate chip cookies which we baked ourselves and a movie in our improvised home theater which involved a digital projector, mini DVD player, and a sheet along with the big sound of the cabin speakers.

Happy 50th!!!

As a first entry into a brand new blog it has to be about the thing that has occupied nearly all my thoughts and time for the past several months. My DH has turned 50!!! and I threw a huge party for him.
Aside from the usual invitations, food, cake and decor, we had some major maintenance to do on the house and yard. More was accomplished in the last few months than we have managed in the last few years!
[I used to joke with friends that the only time the house got clean was when we had people over, so we tried to invite folks over on a regular basis!...hmmm....or was it a joke?!]
I think we had around 120 people join us, family, friends, neighbors and work associates. The weather was perfect, my 8 gallons of homemade gumbo turned out great, and a wonderful time was had by all.
Kent was thrilled that all his immediate family showed up from S. California and NY. Plus many of the local Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. That's the reason I did the party, he loves being the pivot point of festivities.
He threw a surprise party for me a few years ago and I quickly decided that I never wanted one of those again. I've already made reservations for my big b-day next year in a national park lodge, just the two of us.