Friday already?

I so loved having the family over tonight. We missed those three who weren't with us - but still managed to eat all the pizza and cookies.

Dinner

Cafe Rio: Great food, but w-a-y too much. Still full hours later. And my ears are still ringing from the noise level inside the restaurant.

Sunrise

Feeling so good about my bike ride this morning. Sunrise is my very favorite time of day.

Grandchilluns

Began the day with a walk with my daughter and grandson. Picnic lunch at the park with some of the grandchilluns, followed by water play in the wading pools in the backyard for the afternoon. They've had so much fun together. A tiny glimpse of the relationships of heaven.

FHE Again, and what fun!

Super Family Home Evening tonight: 6 of the grandchilluns (ages 3-10) made the cutest little journals. They just fit their little personalities. Oreos outside, nearly perfect evening. Just wish the rest of the clan could have been here.

Blessings

It's amazing how blessed you can feel when things just sort of fall into place. Thank you, Car Angel, for bringing the Kia for us to buy so that our youngest has some transportation. It was inspected and registered all in the same morning (and with such ease, I'm absolutely mind-boggled at how easy it all was, how smooth everything went.)

Sad news today though; found out a dear friend from years ago has ovarian cancer. Breaks my heart.

Family

How fun it is to have our daughter and her chilluns here!   Too wonderful to see her give our other daughter a great big hug when they first saw each other.  Warms a mother's heart.

The Car Angel delivered the car for our daughter.  Haven't got the keys yet, but the car's here.  Hooray!!!

Wildlife

Wildlife sightings on my last two bike rides: 

A family of quails: Mom, Dad and a bunch of baby quail-lets

Raucously honking geese

A Squirrel

A whole flock of kestrels trolling for breakfast

A small red fox dashing along the railroad tracks

A deer family:  Mom, Dad (including antlers) and a couple of young spotted deer-lets

Countless people wildly chasing after good health.

Reading / Walking

So this morning I had a book I really needed to get finished (549 pages long). Rather than do the treadmill, I grabbed the book and hit the trail. Five miles later, I had finished the book, done my morning walk, enjoyed the fresh air, the birds singing, and the heavenly smell of the honeysuckle that lines the trail.

But...I was also subjected to several derisive remarks from fellow trail walkers. What is wrong with people that they must verbalize every thought that passes through their brain? And pass judgement on others?

Reading while I walk doesn't hurt anyone, doesn't break any law (that I know of) and really isn't anyone's affair but mine. So, mind your own business, keep your judgemental comments to yourselves and leave me alone to enjoy my walk.

So, my rant is now out of my system and I can enjoy the rest of my day. Thanks for listening. :^)

Mouth

Ah, the joy of being able to eat on all sides of my mouth!

FHE

Oreos to eat and games for family home evening make for a good time.

stomach

A 24 hour (so far) summer stomach bug can sure make you feel crummy. Sleeping the Sunday away helps with the recovery.

addlepated: another great word!

I Won!

Won a book give-a-way from GoodReads. I can't remember the last time I got anything like this. Hope it comes soon.

plebeian: great word, huh?

Miscellany from Friday

Enjoyed my morning walk, loved the new iPod playlist. Five miles isn't a bad showing.

Favorite quote from a book: "Are your eyes sweating again?"

Excited to have an idea of something to make for the granddaughters, and to find the necessary supplies. It should be fun.

Hate spending money - which I did a lot of at Costco.

Different color of glitter toes. Like it a lot, especially in the sun.

Glitter

Glitter toenails are the best! Can't wait to try another color.

Happy Birthday to my youngest daughter!

Driver's License

Why is it that the new picture on your driver's license makes you look ten years older? Why can't it magically make you look ten years younger? I can't look that old!!

Favorite words of the day: "I'm so glad you found me!" Thanks, My Love, on so many levels.

Words

These are words to a verse from a hymn we sang today that really reached me:

I had myself a wound concealed,

But from that hour forgot the smart,

And peace bound up my broken heart.

I really love this.

Saturday Evening

A number of little things that combined to make for a really nice Saturday:

A walk around the local gardening center, enjoying the beautiful flowers without the maintenance.

Air conditioning that keeps the wind, dust, and pollen outside.

A freshly mowed lawn that looks great.

The treat of eating at Cheesecake Factory (including dessert).

The way the house feels all clean for a quiet religious Sabbath.

My comfy bed that's waiting with clean sheets.

Simple pleasures, all.

Friday already?

Cannot believe how fast the week went.

I'm so grateful for air conditioned cars.

A trip to the fabric store can be such fun! We'll see how the skirt turns out.

Gelato (chocolate and coconut almond) with The Hubby - sinfully delicious.

Late evening snack of fresh picked raspberries from a friend: ooh, so very yummy!

Mom

My Mom made me teary today. For the first time I can ever remember throughout my whole life she told me that she was very proud of me and what I've done in my life. Strange thing to happen on today of all days. On a day when I was feeling so down and rejected. (People can be so unkind.) Her voice was so tender and soft. And this is so uncharacteristic of her. It probably would have done more good for me had I heard this long ago, but I still was moved by what she had to say today.

It will probably be a different story from her tomorrow. But it was good to hear today.

Hair

Where did all that gray hair come from? Cover it - or not?

Loving the sparkly flip flops.

Odd Thoughts

Shopping at the grocery with a malfunctioning fire alarm was - well alarming. And noisy. Made it hard to think.

Visits with grandchilluns surely warm my heart.

Hubbies who ride their bikes slower than they want just to have you along are worth their weight in gold.

Wearing new earrings make you feel good.

Is It Always Monday?

So this Monday morning found me again at the dentist's first thing. But this time was better: no numbing, sensitive tooth desensitized and in two weeks I'll be able to chew on all sides of my mouth.

Tonight, though, I sure am craving some chocolate.

Nice day for a Holiday

I was feeling a tiny bit smugly virtuous about taking a 12 mile bike ride, until we stopped on the way home for a doughnut.

Hadn't been to Panda Express before. Apparently not bad: I was full for hours.

Mentioned I might try to be good about my eating the rest of the day. Failed miserably.

Loved the brownies even though I forgot the oil.

I'm noticing a "food" theme today. Hmm...

Loving Fridays

Taking a couple of granddaughters to a movie: fun.

Trying to get through Costco (felt more like playing "dodge-em") the day before a holiday: puts my teeth on edge.

Seeing a cute little 6 week old rat-terrier puppy: fun

Watching "Taken" again: more like gripping entertainment than just fun.

Hugs from The Hubby: Very Fun

Lucky Bamboo

So, if you're given a "lucky bamboo" plant, and you keep it for 8 years, and then it starts looking ragged, and you throw it away: are you no longer "lucky"? Will bad luck happen? That's why I'm afraid to get rid of the plant, it might still have luck in it.

License2Bling

So today I want to gripe. The Hubby bought me a license plate holder from this company for my birthday last year. He'd tried to get me one for Mother's Day. Out of stock. Perpetually. Managed to get one for the birthday several months later.

Here we are, 9 months later, the crystals are falling out all over the place. I've called them a couple times to replace the crystals or even the entire plate holder. They'll do it. But...they are out of stock again (or is it still?) for the next two months minimum. Then they'll fill the new order requests first before replacing this one, with no assurances I'll even get one out of the upcoming stock. I might be on the "waitlist" even longer.

Their customer service is absolutely abysmal. The management must be right there also because how can they be constantly out of stock for months on end? Something is very wrong with this company. I would never recommend their product. It's a fun idea for those of us who like "sparklies". The implementation is flawed and the company totally frustrating to deal with. I will buy my own replacement crystals and glue them in myself. Hopefully I'll do a better job, but at least then I will have no one to blame but me.