numismatically speaking...

Yeah, I know....

2011-07-31T19:39:00.017-06:00

This morning Zeus mentioned that maybe it was time to shut down this blog since it has been severely neglected for the last three months. To be honest, that thought has crossed my mind. As I look at many of the blogs that I have followed for the last few years it seems that most of them are in the same boat, if not a total lack of posts for months then certainly a slowdown. I have a feeling that Facebook has much to do with that. It is much easier to put up a photo and not have to worry about a lot of words to go with it.

The last seven months have been filled with all kinds of activities. Seems like I've gone from one large project to the next, each one unique and challenging. Along the way I've been fortunate to have the support of family and friends to make the end results successful. Together we have celebrated, laughed, cried, sweat buckets and then laughed some more. My daughters have held me up emotionally through anger, exhaustion and disappointment, always willing to listen to the rants no matter what time or where I called or texted. Zeus has been steady as a rock right beside me, there for advice and comfort whenever needed.

This post has been delayed for so long because I just wasn't sure how to cover everything. It finally occurred to me that the easiest way was to utilize the Shooting blog. Feel free to click on the links.... or not.

May turned out to be an eventful month! The dimple became a permanent addition to my right cheek with no complications. Three months post-op and I have accepted that it is just part of who I am. Photographs can be cruel and the first few times I actually had to confront my new "look" it was tough. Just this morning while out riding it struck me that I will never be able to rob a bank.... too easily identifiable. I guess I could wear a mask...

Bubba graduated from high school! How did that happen? Those eighteen years flew by way too fast! He has grown into a fine young man and we are very proud. Next task, college!

Our Buddhist Obon Festival was held two weeks ago. This year Jubee joined Little and Littlest Miss in dancing with us! She was really nervous but after three weeks of learning thirteen dances she was perfect, as well as beautiful! Two new yukatas were required, along with the accessories, so some construction time in my lair was necessary. The practices are two hours, three times a week. The movements are slow and precise, similar to Tai Chi. Unknown muscles ached for weeks. Who will join us next year? Ice cream treats after every practice. Also, if you dance with us I will take you to Tuacahn as a reward! We had a blast singing along to Glee all the way down to St. George where we saw an amazing production of The Little Mermaid!

My mother celebrated her 80th birthday last week! An open house was held in her honor and it was fun to watch her greet old and new friends at the party. She was absolutely beautiful in her new suit and with that big smile on her face! I love you, Mom! Can't wait until your 90th!

Other activities this summer are the usual riding, swimming and field trips with the kids. Inflatable kayaks are now part of our recreational equipment but so far have only spent two days in the water.

August brings no large events, just relishing the last month of summer before my playmates return to school. Hoping to put many more miles on the bikes, rides down the slide at the pool, kayaking on the lakes and rivers and more coinage in the Lucky Penny jar. And maybe a blog post or two....

Life is grand and I am a very lucky woman.

$17.81

$12.84

Dimple complete.

2011-05-04T21:36:00.005-06:00

The dimple has been created, although it is currently in the healing stages. Sorry, no photos.

We had been warned that the day of surgery would be long even though it was to be done under a local anesthetic. The procedure is basically cut, pathology, cut, pathology, close. It took two cuts to have clear margins which leaves me with nearly a 100% cure rate! I'll take that!! I do carry a higher risk of developing melanoma in a different location so it will be sunscreen and hats from here on out.

For the next week I will be sporting large bandages on my right cheek, along with some bruising and tenderness. The incision is not pretty, almost two inches long. They assure me that in six months it will be barely visible. In the meantime I'm sticking to a story involving a bar fight and a broken beer bottle.

$1.23 (collected on our DC trip)

$3.41

PS. Wear your sunscreen!

We did it!

2011-04-24T18:00:00.002-06:00

It seems like forever ago when Zeus first mentioned a family expedition to Washington D.C. I listened and then forgot. He brought it up again, this time to the kids. Of course, Eris jumped right on it. The rest were lukewarm (or downright cold) to the idea. Zeus continued to discuss and plan.

The timing soon became critical and this spring seemed to be the logical time to do it. Bubba is a senior in high school and at the time it looked like he would be leaving home shortly after graduation. Littlest Ms. is 5 1/2 and old enough to participate and remember the sights and events that we would see.

Preparations would take months. Books about Washington D.C. were handed out, suggestions for an itinerary were taken, maps were studied, Internet searches were conducted. Monthly meetings were held. Assignments were made for researching airline tickets, ground transportation, ticketing, availability of sights, hotels, etc. Christmas gifts were luggage and spending cash.

In the last two months the trip really started to come together. Spreadsheets magically appeared, sometimes color-coded. There was an abbreviated course on U.S. History 101 taught by Eris. Reservation confirmations finally arrived and dog-sitters were all in place. Binders were made with all necessary information tabbed and organized. Little and Littlest Ms. received ID tags. Our trip mascot was named and prepared for the journey.

We met at the airport on April 2nd and began this once-in-a-lifetime journey. For eleven incredible days my family shared the sights and sounds of our country's capitol and other historic sites. Starting with five spring days in Washington D.C. began with Arlington Cemetery. We toured five Smithsonian's, the Capitol, Library of Congress, The National Archives, the White House and countless National Monuments. We walked the Tidal Basin where the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. After leaving D.C. we headed east to Pennsylvania where we spent a very rainy afternoon doing the auto-tour of Gettysburg, a very sobering and beautiful place.

The next day found us in Philadelphia to see Independence Hall and the rooms where the documents that formally established this country were signed. Our final day was back in Baltimore where we finished up our fabulous vacation with an afternoon of our national pastime, a major league baseball game with the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers.

While in D.C. the family was out sightseeing each day for 10-13 hours. According to pedometers and GPS we walked an average of 10-15 miles daily, plus hours taking in the various museums. We used many different modes of transportation: airplane, metro, bus, taxi, shuttle, light rail and rental cars. Even the little ones were experts at navigating the metro by the time it was over.

Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine that this adventure would go so perfectly! As we arrived in Salt Lake City and collected the piles of baggage there was a profound sense of sadness for me. After being a family of eleven moving in unison for over a week we would now head for home in separate cars, a situation that I found totally unsettling. There were long hugs goodbye and even tears shed.

One week later we are all recuperated. Feet and legs are not achy anymore. Returns have been made to school and work. Dogs have been properly pampered and reassured. Suitcases are stowed and ready for the next adventure. There were seven cameras in action with over 1,200 shots.

Photos have been edited and printed. My scrapbook is nearly complete. If you are interested please click over to the Numismatically Shooting blog where you will find my favorite images from our trip. There are eight separate posts.

And one more thing: I now know for certain that I have the best family in the entire world! Thanks to all of you for making this dream come true!

What happened to March?

2011-04-14T16:33:00.010-06:00

A quick catchup before the big post:

I'm exhausted just thinking about all the happenings around here in the last few months. It is April 14th and my brain is screaming that it must be at least June!

Three weeks ago we made another trip to Arizona, our second one this year. The purpose of the last trip was to get my brother-and-sister-in-law's home ready to sell so they can relocate here. The little town of Ajo is quaint and quiet, but it is also a two hour drive to get medical care other than the GP variety. With advancing age and some pretty serious health problems the timing seemed to be right. I spent a week prepping the house to be put on the market. Thanks to the wonderful ladies of SIL's church it was ready to have a "FOR SALE" sign placed in the yard. I will freely admit that I was running on empty by the time we boarded the plane and headed for home on the seventh day.

(Yes, that is a cat on my blog. Sam lives in AZ and is the only cat in the entire world that I would allow here. She is a cranky 14-year-old cat whose sedentary life was turned to chaos when I stepped in the door and started dismantling her home. I also slept on her bed and wouldn't let her in, even at 4 am as she cried at the door. By the end of the week we had made peace and actually shared some nice kitty moments.)

My poor suitcases didn't even get put back in the closet. Our long-awaited trip to Washington DC with Athena and Eris and the gang was only five days away! Mike and the girls had been working on this educational experience for months. Reservations for hotels, tours, cars and shuttles were set. We had been holding regular planning meetings for months and Eris had prepared us with a 90 minute history of the United States. It seemed like a dream when all eleven of us boarded that airplane and headed east for what turned out to be the best trip EVER! We returned home three days ago and each one of us is still working through the exhilaration and exhaustion.

My goal is to have another post and photos up in the next few days.

Quilt report: finished one! That's right! Bound and ready for auction at a church dinner this coming Saturday! It felt so good that I might just do another one.

Dimple report: Have been off medication for four weeks. The unpleasant side effects are now gone, which means that I am sleeping at night. Surgery is scheduled for the first week of May, a procedure that hopefully will be simple and easy. It's done as an outpatient but requires an entire day at the hospital. I'll just be glad when it's over because that means summer is here and it's time to play, slathered in sunscreen of course!

New wheels: I now have a new-t0-me mountain bike! Trail riding is much harder than on pavement, also muddier! Doubtful that I'll ever be a true mountain biker but so far I have really enjoyed coming home with mud up my back!

Coinage was counted before our DC trip. Unfortunately, the total for the last eight months was a paltry $84. Bicycling has really taken a toll on the numismatizing.

$3.78

(Apologies for the random spacing. I'm out of practice at blogging!)

Burros

2011-03-02T21:21:00.003-07:00

This is not what I had intended to post today but the other one is not quite ready. Hopefully tomorrow. In the meantime I'll share this photo.

Zeus and I just returned from a five day trip to our old stomping grounds in southern Arizona. The town of Ajo was once home to a thriving copper mine. It is now a winter home to northern snowbirds and an ever increasing population of Border Patrol and Homeland Security.

During the old mining days burros were used in the hauling of ore, or something like that. At some point they were replaced with trucks and other heavy equipment. The unneeded burros were turned out into the surrounding mountains and became wild.

In twenty years of living in Ajo my brother-in-law has never seen these animals, even living as close as they do to the edge of town. Leaving his home one afternoon Zeus noticed a herd of seven beautiful burros wandering out on the desert. They stood nervously as I took their photos until I got one step too close. Then they trotted back out to the hills.

It is good to be home.

Done and Done.

2011-02-06T14:54:00.005-07:00

Our beastly cold weather, along with the cold that turned me into a beast, kept me in the house for about three weeks. I spent much of the time finishing the knitting project that was started after the holidays.

I haven't quite decided if I prefer knitting over crochet. They are very different forms of needlework, each with advantages. But oh, I do love the cable knits.

The other "done" is the book series Chronicles of Narnia. I started reading these way back when. A set of BBC dvds that were given to us at Christmas that spurred me to finish them up.
I have watched one of the dvds and really enjoyed it.

So many things on my list are waiting to be completed. Two flannel pj quilts are cut out and sitting on my sewing machine. Hopefully there will be another "done" soon.

$1.12 plus .32

Treatment progress note: Three weeks in and my face hasn't fallen off yet! Swelling, redness and burning on the right side, but so far not too noticeable. Not nearly as worried anymore.

The creation of a dimple

2011-01-14T10:39:00.006-07:00

Here goes. Lots happening in the last three weeks and it's time that I write about it.

I have spent my life in the sun, especially summers at the pool. From the time I was young I relished playing in the water and being with friends and family. Sunburns were not unusual, especially on the ski slopes where the white snow reflected all those rays right back at my unprotected face. I wore my deep, dark tans proudly. Sunscreen? For sissies.

In the last few years I started using a good screen daily, both summer and winter. Too little, too late. On December 22nd the doctor patted my knee as he smiled and used the words "I'm sorry" and "melanoma" in one sentence. He was then quick to reassure me that we would grow old together and become very personally acquainted. (I love this guy.) He also explained that even though it was caught very early I would be referred immediately to the Huntsman Cancer Institute for treatment.

Let me introduce you to Melanoma in situ. This was taken in July. Today it is just a red spot, barely noticable after the biopsy.

I had watched this spot grow on my cheek from nothing to pea-size for about two years. It was not a mole, just a new spot that resembled my many other freckles. Over the last six months it doubled in size and took on some dark and irregular features. Still, the doctor and I were surprised when the results came back.

Waiting the long three weeks for the appointment at HCI was difficult. They had already told me what the treatment plan would be and after researching both the medication to be used and the eventual surgery I was terrified. Athena and Eris warned me to stay away from the horror stories found on the internet. I took their advice and felt much better after that.

The idea that there are malignant cancer cells lurking in my cheek like an oil slick is disconcerting. The reality is that I am extremely lucky that it is Stage 0 and 95-100% curable. The plan of attack is in three stages: topical chemo for two months to reduce the size of the tumor, two months for the chemo damage to heal and then surgery. The first stage was started last night and I will admit that there were a few tears shed when I spread that cream all over my cheek knowing what it would do to my skin.

Dad lost his short battle with lymphoma but Mom is a 16 year survivor of breast cancer. Two years ago I watched in awe as Zeus went through his successful (and unpleasant) prostate cancer treatment. I am surrounded by supportive family and friends who will stand by me while I navigate this very small bump in the road. For that I am more grateful than words can express.

The plan is for treatment to be finished by the time the pool opens in June. I'll be there with SPF 150 on my face, a large hat and a t-shirt emblazoned with the words "Put On The Sunscreen, Stupid" on both front and back! The bikes, kayaks and running shoes will be back in service.

And hopefully I will be sporting that new dimple on my right cheek that I've always wanted!

$??.?

(due to a persistent cold, both in my chest and outside, the numismatizing has not gone well. The few ralks I've done were not very productive and not ready for counting. Hoping for a fresh start soon.)

K 2, [P 2, K 2] 4 times

2010-12-28T20:28:00.005-07:00

She asked for gift suggestions. The answer was "a knitting kit". At first she didn't believe me. On Christmas morning I was excited to receive a box with a skein of yarn and a book titled "My Knitting Teacher".

At the age of twelve I learned to knit a pair of slippers in a church class. They were white with red variegated threads. The pattern was simple with only knit and purl stitches required. Knitting needles never graced my hands after that.

Over the years I did lots of crochet work. Afghans, baby clothes and booties, doilies and pillowcase trims came easily. But knitting remained a mystery. Dropped stitches, counting rows and getting the gauge correct were intimidating.

Last night the box was opened and I started casting on. The basic knit and purl stitches came easily. The ribbed stitches were correct. But the cable pattern looked impossible. The first attempt was a disaster so I set my practice piece down and went to bed.

Tonight I picked it up again, determined to conquer. Four cables later I'm feeling pretty cocky! Zeus has already requested a sweater.

$2.25

I'm sorry.

2010-12-17T10:29:00.009-07:00

One of my internet acquaintances Sharyn, a fellow quilter who makes incredible quilts had an interesting post a few weeks ago. We are about the same age and her post was titled "I'm so over it". Simple yet very thought provoking.

Zeus and I talk a lot, especially when I'm trying to work through a difficult situation. Last night we had a long discussion about how things change over the course of time, often going in ways that are totally unexpected. We dissected the idea of planning for the future, working toward those goals but also realizing there are no guarantees that those plans will come to fruition.

On the other side of the future is the past. The past cannot be altered. It happened. The only thing I can do about the past is learn from it, make any amends possible and then try not to make those mistakes again. But I can say I am sorry.

1. I'm sorry that I sniffed out the brick of dipping chocolate and ate chunks at a time when I was a kid.

2. I'm sorry that I used to peek at Christmas gifts and ruined the surprise. Lesson learned.

3. I'm sorry that I photoshopped ten pounds and a double chin off of me but not you.

4. I'm sorry that I said that mean thing to you.

5. I'm sorry that I didn't know about thrift stores sooner.

6. I'm sorry that the little squirrel ran in front of my car and got squished.

7. I'm sorry that my religious beliefs/political opinions are not the same as yours and that this might cause you pain.

8. I'm sorry that I didn't climb Mt. Ben Lomond last year. Maybe this year?

9. I'm sorry that I misjudged you.

10. I'm sorry that the frozen tomato plant is still in the backyard waiting to ripen and you are still looking at it.

11. I'm sorry that my car was so disgustingly messy when you rode in it.

12. I'm sorry that you missed the opportunity to participate in their lives.

13. I'm sorry that you wanted to pass me on the road and I wouldn't let you.

14. I'm sorry that I graduated from a college and not a university. Wait. No, I'm not.

15. I'm sorry that there are only 24 hours in a day and that summer vacation is only three months long.

16. I'm sorry that I haven't finished those projects that I've started.

17. I'm sorry that I'm not in Hawaii.

18. I'm sorry that they grow up so fast.

19. I'm sorry that I can't fix it all.

20. .................

Now I need to get over it.

It's what I do.

2010-12-16T04:10:00.005-07:00

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of giving a short speech about Little Ms. In front of people. People who intimidated me. At a church. Not my church. Whoo boy, that was scary.

After fretting about it for months (yes, months) I came up with a plan. A devious plan. If I stood in front of that group holding up photos of Little Ms. all of those people would be looking at the images and hopefully wouldn't notice the papers rattling in my shaking hands. It was hard to choose eight of my favorite images of her to share but I finally settled on some that best described her personality. The little tribute went off without a hitch and no one seemed to notice, or at least didn't comment on the sweaty forehead.

In cruising through my scrapbooks that week I realized that my all time favorite photos are those that tell a story. The child sitting on the edge of a cliff wearing a harness. Athena and Eris lovingly planting kisses on top of Zeus' balding head. The shadow of a bride and groom walking down the sidewalk. The sweaty faces of bike riders who just completed a feat they never thought possible. The runner caught mid-stride in the air. A father's face as he bathes his newborn baby for the first time.

The stories of my life. Printed. Shared with others. It's what I do.

Click! Click! Click!

2010-12-10T09:08:00.005-07:00

Each day during the month of December I look forward to the late afternoon. From 5:00 pm to 5:15 pm the clicking begins. Timers set all over the house take turns tripping and lights begin to go on. The strands of garland, wreaths and our skinny old tree are strung with white lights that cast eerie shadows on the walls. At 11:00 pm the clicking begins again as they all turn off.

Eight timers in all, including one for the two wreaths that adorn the front of the house and one for the wreath in the lair window that only my neighbor can see.

I love all the light. I'm thinking of leaving the tree up all year in the Stupid Room (again, a future post).

$2.51
.45
3.24
1.69
1.28

The Rock

2010-11-24T10:00:00.012-07:00

Last week I took my three preschoolers to our local Nature Center for a Pee Wee Pow Wow. The kids were treated to an hour of stories, song and art projects. They sat around a campfire where they learned about Native Americans and tasted journey cakes. They gathered in a tee pee where a coyote told them how he got his name. The kids loved it.

Earlier that morning before leaving the house the Princess found a rock on Grandpa's dresser and asked him what it meant. Later, as we were entering the Nature Center she found a similar rock and picked it up, telling me it was her Gratitude Rock. Not sure I heard her correctly, she repeated "It's my Gratitude rock" and then put the rock into her pocket.

This morning I am warm and comfortable inside my home while on the other side of the window, just two feet away it is bitter cold. There is food in my pantry, clothing in my closet and a car in my garage. There are piles of scrapbooks that tell the stories of the memorable experiences that have been shared with those I love.

Lately my emotions have bubbled up to the surface, something that is not a common occurrence. I am profoundly aware that I'm a lucky woman with a wonderful husband. I am surrounded by incredible daughters, treasured grandchildren, loving family and forever friends. I have been fortunate to watch them grow up and be part of their lives, hopefully creating lasting memories that they will cherish as much as I do.

Gratitude. It is a powerful word.

(More photos of the Pow Wow here.)

The Happiest Place on Earth

2010-10-24T21:01:00.012-06:00

Three days in Disneyland and California Adventure was everything we had anticipated, and more. It didn't take long for the contagious excitement of the park to affect all of us.

Planning had taken months, dates were finally set and reservations made. Four vehicles filled with fifteen excited kids, ages one year through 71 headed southwest. This would be an extra special holiday because four birthdays were being celebrated.

The Prince (age 1) was content to watch all the happenings from his stroller. He was especially enamored by the beautiful princesses.

Mr. Eris, Jr. (12) is a little more reserved but really enjoyed his time with Bubba (age 17).

The Princess (age 3) took it all in as fast as she could. She is an expert on fairies and princesses and loved meeting all of them.

Jubee (age 14) did it all! She loved the rides and was a super help with the little ones. That grin was on her face the entire time.

Little Ms. (nearly 8) is the fearless one of the group and had carefully measured her height to make sure she could ride all of the scariest rides. And she did!

Bubba gave his tearful mother a hug after only a few hours and thanked her for bringing him. He hauled Littlest around on his shoulders much of the time and loved every second there.

Littlest Ms. , age 5, was wide-eyed from the moment we first entered the park. I believe she was the perfect age and the look of wonderment on her face the entire time was a joy to watch. The above photo was taken at the Princess Lunch where they read a Royal Decree in her honor for her birthday!

Having my entire family together, sharing laughter and making memories is what makes my life complete. Earlier this evening they were all here at our home eating belated birthday cakes and reliving the fun of last weekend. Five cameras had been busy last weekend preserving history. Shutters tripped nearly 1,100 times. The scrapbook is now complete and will sit on the coffee table for months where little hands as well as big hands will open it each time they visit. The smiles on the faces in the photos will bring new smiles as the good times are remembered again and again.

I love you all!

To see more smiles and fun, CLICK HERE.

$.36 found at Disneyland

.06 in Euros found in Death Valley National Park

(numismatising while on vacation is tough work)

Portraits by Little Ms

2010-10-12T15:57:00.007-06:00

When young ones come to visit there are pretty strict rules. Don't step over the "line" with food. Spit out your gum immediately. No running around the island or coffee table. Stay out of the useless room (aha! future post!).

Movies, television and computer games are also rare activities. Instead, they know where to find the magnets to build shapes, beads to string necklaces, cars to race on the floor and clothes for dress up. They also know that there is an endless supply of paper on which to draw, scraps of patterned paper to cut and glue and erasable markers for whiteboards.

Two weeks ago Little Ms. got serious about her artwork. The rendition of Grandpa was easy to figure out. It took a little longer to figure out the Grandma drawing, but it is absolutely accurate. I must have been wearing my computer glasses. I still haven't figured out what shirt I wore that had letters on it.

There is a file in my desk with all kinds of memorabilia. School programs, drawings, admission tickets, each one special to me. My shelves of scrapbooks contain some of these things, often tucked between the pages of photos.

These are the stories of my life.

$1.92

$1.65

It's What Fun Is!

2010-10-06T20:44:00.000-06:00

Last Friday was my birthday. About a week ago I realized that I was now closer to 60 than 50, a sobering thought that haunted me for a few days. Although I will always claim to be 39, a calculated number that makes perfect sense to me, Athena and Eris, the increasing number of spots from years of sun make that number slightly unbelievable.

Zeus was out of town for the weekend. When the girls asked about my plans for the day I told them I wanted to go to Lagoon. No kids, no hubbies, just my girls who all love the crazy rides like their mom. They all quickly jumped on board with the idea!

Lagoon is an amusement park located about 25 miles away that has been around since 1900. Just like the zoo, I remember going there as a young child with my family. Dad loved the roller coaster while Mom loved the Tilt-A-Whirl. Both rides are still in operation. Athena and Eris spent lots of time there growing up and like their mother, both love the scariest rides in the park.

We arrived shortly after it opened at 5 pm and went quickly from ride to ride, hitting the steepest, twistiest and fastest thrillers as fast as the lines would let us. The weather was a perfect 80. An added bonus was that Halloween is celebrated all through the month of October. Spooky decorations, interesting creatures and monsters were everywhere.

I braved two new rides this year. In 2001 Athena and Eris took little 9 year old Bubba on the Skycoaster, a giant swing that pulls you up to a height of 143 feet and then lets you free fall at speeds up to 80 mph. I've always wanted to try it. Athena and the Duchess were more than happy to be my swinging partners.

Eris strapped into the Catapult next to me. It was new to both of us and didn't disappoint. After being harnessed into the round metal frame by what seemed like a dozen belts you are catapulted up to 250 ft in the air. I knew immediately that I loved this ride!

After five hours of body slamming and stomach-turning rides it was time for the park to close. It took until Saturday afternoon before I could eat again and my ribs ached for two days from laughing so hard!

Thanks to Athena, Eris, Duchess and Googamus for making my birthday such a Frightmarish success!

$1.86

$3.75

$1.65

$1.75

Zoo Redo

2010-09-17T10:00:00.001-06:00

Twenty years ago. That is the last time that I visited our State Zoo. Seeing wild animals in cages pacing back and forth or sleeping in a corner is not my favorite activity. It's usually hot, stinky and crowded with a million school kids putting their grimy hand prints all over the glass window and ignoring the "Please Don't Tap" signs.

In 1990 I took Athena, Eris and three nieces. Yesterday I spent the afternoon with Littlest Ms. The day was perfect. Eighty degrees, hardly any other visitors and an almost-5-year-old who had never been to a zoo. She had no idea where we were headed so the surprise made it even better.

The place has made some great changes but much is still the same. The little baby elephant was adorable. The giraffes were still very tall, the apes were still sitting in the corner looking bored, snakes slept under red lights and the beautiful tigers paced back and forth in their outdoor garden. We heard a peacock honk (weird) and saw a tangle of bats in a tree that looked like a bunch of bananas. The camel with the slumpy hump was funny. Littlest said her favorite animal was the orangutan, the orange one.

We rode the same train yesterday that I rode so long ago with the girls and that I rode as a child with my parents. I took pictures of her in the same prairie dog holes. She drank out of the same lion head fountain that I remember from when I was a child.

I'm still not a fan of zoos and probably won't return for another 20 years, maybe at that time with great-grandchildren in tow.

But until that time I will be content to browse my scrapbooks.

For the rest of the story, CLICK.

$3.31

$1.86
$2.84

The Blue Cooler

2010-09-07T21:00:00.004-06:00

It's officially over. Let the weeping and wailing begin. Our pool closed (yes, it is OUR pool now) for the winter. On Saturday we spent the perfect afternoon reminiscing about how great the summer had been and how much we all love our new digs.

By the end of August swimming suits are worn out (they each have two) and will barely stay on. Little girls' blond hair turned to green straw about a month ago. Suntans are brown and deep in spite of the religious application of SPF50 and lines will still be visible when new suits are tried on next year. Swimming skills have improved and new diving tricks have been learned.

But some things just don't change. Like my blue cooler.

I picked this monstrosity up as a purchase gift a number of years ago when we were building our home. The thing has all kinds of pockets, compartments and zip-out insulated lining. But the best part is the wheels! I can fill this baby up with soda pop, ice, towels, cameras, swim toys, napkins and still have room for a large variety of treats. No matter how much the seams bulge it follows along effortlessly. Way back before Memorial Day I stocked up on fruit snacks, cheese crackers, granola bars and other goodies, enough to hopefully make it to Labor Day. Little by little the stash was reduced to practically nothing.

Each season I wonder if the blue coolers' best days have passed. For years it has faithfully accompanied me on every outing. I didn't take it last Saturday and was asked a number of times why it wasn't parked in the usual place under the sportbrella. Oh yes, even the little ones know that inside that ugly exterior are sweet goodies of all kinds.

It bears the scars of hard use. Black electrical tape holds two wheel wells in place. The telescoping handle doesn't always lock in place. The bottom plastic is worn and frayed. The telltale odor of chlorine never leaves the interior. Still, it has been thoroughly washed, inside and out, and is resting comfortably in the back of my closet, waiting to be replenished in nine months with treats to make hungry little ones and big ones smile. It will once again hold the Ziploc bag filled with chicken wraps, a bottle of Diet Coke and my blue Hawaii towel.

Until Memorial Day 2011 the distinct sounds of the blue cooler rolling up the sidewalk will be unheard. The quiet is deafening.

To see more pool fun, well, you know the drill.

$3.94 1/2
$1.96

L.O.T.E.P.

2010-08-22T10:20:00.013-06:00

A few months ago during some rare, quiet time with Zeus we were discussing my new found love of cycling. When I started running/ralking six years ago he was uncomfortable with the car vs. pedestrian danger, as was I. Close calls from left-looking right-turners were scary but I soon learned that ultimately I, the pedestrian, was the one that had to avoid the collision because drivers simply were looking for other vehicles, not a slow-moving jogger. Over time I think Zeus got used to my jaunts on the roads.

Adding a bicycle started it all over again. He much prefers it when I am on a dedicated trail than on the road, although even those trails presented some situations that were a little dicey. Our local pyromaniac is still on the loose and the interesting fellows parked at the river keep me on my toes just as much as right-turning drivers. (I suspect that a few of the cyclists and joggers now on the trail are actually police officers on patrol.)

But back to the title of this post. During that conversation Zeus used the phrase "living on the edge" in describing me and my daughters. Although I've always considered myself to be somewhat of a chicken, I will freely admit that we are the first in line for the thriller rides at amusement parks. (Note: Disney's House of Terror will see us multiple times in October.) Athena and Eris loved his description and immediately dubbed us the "Living On The Edge Posse", LOTEP for short.

A few weeks ago one more activity was added to the LOTEP resume. kayaks. We loaded three rented kayaks into the back of a truck, headed up the canyon to a reservoir and immediately fell in love with rowing through the quiet canyons and the beautiful mountain scenery.

At one point Eris and Athena ventured further up a canyon while I hung back leisurely exploring the receding shoreline. Holy moly! I couldn't believe what was sitting on the side of the steep bank: a large tool box! Diligently, I stood guard until the girls came back. Their screams of delight at the "lake find" reverberated off those tall canyon walls! We all knew that it was a sign from Grandpa that he was with us that day enjoying the great outdoors! I suggested that each of us pick out one tool as a keepsake to take home. No way. The girls insisted that was absurd and totally against everything that we had been taught. We must take every single one of them home. And they did! Loading that large, heavy box on the back of the kayaks from the steep bank took some time and coordination, not to mention the added weight that made rowing back to the opposite shore against the wind even more difficult.

At the end of the evening we were all in agreement that kayaking was a success and that we would be doing it again, eventually with our own equipment.

Yesterday and today Eris' van was packed with kayaks and four families spent the days at a different bay (easier access) paddling on the water. Picnic lunches were eaten, a birthday was celebrated, sandy beaches were transformed into sculptures and those three kayaks were on the water for five hours straight. Even the few who are non-swimmers donned the required life preservers and cruised around the bay.

Mom told me a few nights ago that she already suspects what our next adventure is going to be.

Motorcycles.

Ummmm..... No.

To see more kayaking photos click here.

$1.91

P.S. Sorry about the truck, D-Rock.

WASPS!

2010-08-20T21:00:00.001-06:00

Wasps. Our neighborhood is full of them.

Wait. Not that kind of W.A.S.P. Yes, our neighborhood is brimming with those as well, but this post is about the flying, hive-making, buzzing kind.

For some strange reason wasps have been attracted to our home. Before we replaced the deck furniture they were always busy coming and going underneath the chairs where there was a perfect space for a hive. The little critters also were constantly building hives in the can lights above the table. They have been evicted from both places many times, as well as under the eaves and other odd places.

So far we have managed to coexist peacefully with no stings, a kind of detente between humans and hives. The problems begin when visitors get nervous and start swinging or swatting at them.

Zeus' brother is an experienced bee handler. Last week he kindly came over and once again removed a two inch hive out of the light over the table. Within a day those determined wasps were right back starting another one. Then I had an AHA! moment: one of those hotel shower caps that I collect would be perfect to keep them out. Oh yes, it worked.... for a day. At first they were confused and just hung around waiting for the shower to be over. Soon another hive was started, this time right next to the shower cap. Sigh.

Two days ago Little Miss led me out the front door and showed me the work of art under construction in the light fixture. I had noticed a few weeks ago that the bulb was not working. Now I know that's because two huge hives are growing daily.

The wasps are fascinating to observe and Zeus and I both hate to destroy the work that they have dutifully done. Unfortunately, I also need working lights. Hopefully brother-in-law will be here soon.

$2.59

Um Um Good!

2010-08-18T21:49:00.005-06:00

I love food, especially the foods of summer. Watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, peanut butter and crackers, grilled turkeyburgers, chicken wraps, basically anything easy to prepare that can be consumed on the run from one activity to another.

Zeus and I have enjoyed many yogurt/fruit smoothies on the deck this summer. What a treat to end a hot day! I've experimented with all kinds but my handsdown favorite has to be blueberry. Three ingredients (milk, frozen fruit and yogurt) in the blender, it just doesn't get easier than that!

Chocolate doesn't fare well in our desert heat and must be eaten quickly. To keep it safe from melting I bring it directly to my lair where it stays cool until I eat it, generally a very short period of time. Jelly rings are especially vulnerable so it's important to take care of them quickly.

Is there anything more fun than watching kids eat the foods of summer?

$1.51
3.16 plus three $1 car wash tokens

The End

2010-08-06T20:00:00.000-06:00

Divorce. It sucks. The two people involved in the failed relationship are forced to start life over. Gone is the comfortable knowledge that you are part of a team, a team that was supposed to last forever, through good times and bad.

(Settle down. Zeus and I are not getting divorced.)

The end of a friendship can sometimes be as painful as ending a marriage. Divorcing a best friend for whatever reason carries lots of risks. That best friend knows wayyyy too much because you have told BFF all your innermost secrets. Danger!

The sudden termination of a BFF leaves a huge hole for both parties involved. You wait for the phone to ring, hoping it will yet at the same time relieved that it doesn't. Gone are the long, intimate chats where thoughts, feelings and hopes are discussed.

A breakup can be sudden, loud and traumatic. Both parties know the cause and are relieved that it is over.

Sometimes a friendship has to be abandoned before it really gets off the ground. You realize that ideals, values and belief systems just simply are not meshing. A congenial parting is in order.

Other times it can be a gradual slipping away. Like a doomed marriage it begins with separation. Phone calls become less frequent and finally they just end. Holidays and birthday go unacknowledged. Names are eventually deleted from address books, cell phone contact lists and Facebook pages.

I'm not sure which method of friend-divorce is less painful. I've experienced all three. Mourning the loss and what it could have been is a part of recovery and moving on. Sigh.

Jan and I will be celebrating our 29th anniversary this month. Or is it 30?? We've been through a lot together. Tonight I am feeling grateful for her unconditional acceptance of who I am and what I believe.

Thank you, Jan.

$1.13
4.52

I'm baaaaaack!

2010-07-25T20:37:00.014-06:00

Last post: June 17th... from Canada??? That was six weeks ago! I'm not sure exactly how to update. In fact, that dilemma is part of why it's taken so long to get at it. I don't know where this post is going so it might be a little disorganized and will most likely take more than one day to finish. But here goes...

If you know me personally or have read my blog from afar you are aware that summertime is my absolute favorite season of the year. Zeus knows that I will be off playing at some activity from early morning until late at night. This year is no exception, plus a few bonus experiences along the way.

The lack of posts certainly does not reflect the amount of time working on this computer and finetuning the images on the monitor. For weeks the kitchen island was transformed into my workroom. From that vantage point at least Zeus and I could see each other as he also worked at his desk in The Sanctuario. My cameras have been put through their paces recording births, marriages, graduations, birthdays, dancing and summertime activities. Some of my favorite images will be available at the Shooting Blog for those who might be interested. For those who want the abbreviated version, here goes:

THE WEDDING: The wedding of my nephew and his lovely new bride was incredible! The day was perfect and the never-ending smiles on faces were priceless. The breathtaking setting of the Bountiful LDS Temple and the happiness on their faces made photographing the occasion an unforgettable experience. And it was so much fun! You can see more images here.

BABIES: I love to play with newborn babies. In the first week you can fold them like a pretzel and usually they sleep right through it. In May I was excited to play with the newborn baby of some friends whose wedding I shot three years ago. Little Obi is so cute!

A week later I picked on Bella, the beautiful daughter of our close friends. All of that dark hair was amazing! My own daughters didn't have that much hair until they were three!! (only a slight exaggeration.)

Then nearly three weeks ago Little Miss arrived, our newest great-granddaughter (our family tree is very confusing so I won't even try to explain). She is perfect in EVERY way and I fell totally in love with her the minute I saw her. Her mommy was a good sport about letting me play with her! More images here.

THE POSSE: This new found pleasure of riding has become almost an obsession. The exciting part is that since Eris convinced me that I should try it we have now convinced quite a few others to join us. Athena, who never does anything halfway, is now just as nuts about this sport as we are. The Duchess is riding, as are a number of friends who are affectionately referred to as The Posse. Others are talking about joining us and we welcome everyone! Yesterday was particularly exciting for Athena and me as we helped Jubee take her first laps on a bike. She is nearing 14 years old and had never been on one. She was awesome! Little Ms. Eris will be competing in her first mini-triathlon this next Saturday and you can bet I'll be there with a camera! More posse photos here.

Riding vs. ralking, sorry MoneyWalker. In the summer heat there is no comparison. This morning I spent 2 1/2 hours riding the parkway and loved every second of it. I have found a way to continue numismatizing although it will never be as lucrative as ralking. There is a truck stop wash a short distance from the trail that pays out quite well. I'm thinking that in the fall I will go back to ralking at least once a week but for now, it's riding as often as I can.

That's enough for this post. There are a number of other stories left to be told and hopefully it won't take another six weeks to get them up!

(The totals listed below have been collected over the last six weeks.)

$.91

1.71

.93

1.34

1.13

4.52

1.52

1.80

1.16

1.33

6.37

2.41

Night Visions

2010-06-17T22:30:00.009-06:00

Walk. Walk. Walk. Then walk some more. Yesterday morning we spent 2 1/2 hours touring the gentle hills and gardens of Butchart Gardens in Victoria. After seeing them in full splendor in September of 2008 we were a little disappointed. The gardens were beautiful as expected but the summer flowers were freshly planted and not fully blooming yet. Fifty five acres of carefully manicured botanical gardens and lawns were filled with people from all over the world.

The afternoon found me walking for another hour on the clean and friendly cobblestone streets of the town.

After a late supper we returned to the Gardens to see them in the evening light. I have bored you all in the past with the qualities of light but let me just say that the 2 hours we spent at dusk and after dark were awesome! There are lights placed around the gardens that give it almost a surreal atmosphere. Topiary sculptures that were not obvious during the day suddenly popped out under spotlights. A large fountain that I had missed on our first trip was suddenly alive with color. I was spellbound and could have stayed for hours.

Today has found us in the Olympic city of Vancouver. They have cool totem poles here but in all honesty, their Olympic Cauldron doesn't hold a candle to ours!

$1.00 (.96 Canadian!)

To market, to market

2010-06-14T22:24:00.006-06:00

Shopping is one of my least favorite activities. I generally avoid any kind whenever possible. Except for this place.

When we began planning this trip I knew that the one place I wanted to return to was Pike's Market in old Seattle. We arrived early this morning just as the vendors were still setting up their shops.

I think what I like most about it is the colors that are everywhere, from the fruit and vegetable stands to the rows of fresh floral arrangements wrapped in white butcher paper. I told Zeus that if I lived here there would be fresh flowers in my house all the time.

We purchased a number of fruits to enjoy on the trip, knowing that they had to be eaten before crossing the northern border tomorrow afternoon. I don't think that will be a problem.

Of course, what would Seattle and Pike's Market be without the fish stands? I will probably have nightmares tonight.

$1.32 (paper dollar in the airport)

Payday Again.

2010-06-11T13:03:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was payday again.

Total collected: $126.62

Only $2 in paper money, both in last week

Canadian coins: $.34

Collection time: Eight months, one day

Of the total amount there is $6.64 in coins that the bank either rejected or was not sent in due to the condition. The photo below shows some examples of what Zeus and I call "coffee coins". Broken coins are rare, most often found in cracks of streets in winter when it is cold. Bent coins are also found in the same place in the hot summer months. Bent coins are my favorite.

The lucky penny jar now contains $.34 in seed money. Totals have taken a severe dip since I began riding. Running is still on my calendar at least once a week and rarely do I return home from a ride without a few coins in the water bottle pouch. Generally, any outing will find some stray coins brought home in my left pocket, the one reserved for found coinage.

$3.13

Never a dull moment

2010-06-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

This last week has been a blur. Every single day on the calendar was loaded with places to go and things to do. Early mornings and late nights were the norm. All of these activities were things that I enjoy doing. A number of bike rides were taken and new paths explored. (Future post to come.) We finally got to the pool yesterday to officially begin our summer holidays. (Another future post.) My cameras have been put through the paces on a number of shoots with some of my favorite people requiring many, many hours sitting in front of my computer culling through well over a thousand shots and editing, editing, editing. (Still a few more posts waiting to be written up.)

Zeus has been out of town for four days and is scheduled to return this evening. It's a good thing he hasn't been around because this house is a total disaster! Clothes piled up on my unmade bed, camera gear and computer equipment scattered all over the kitchen and great room, bike gear in all areas of the car and not a thing to eat in the refrigerator. As I returned home from my ralk this morning I noticed a few weeds that have sprouted up in the yard that even I am embarrassed about.

I have ten hours to put my house back in order, clean the car, pull the weeds, fill the fridge with food and hopefully get in an hour of rest on the patio. Until I return with the promised posts I will leave you with a few of my favorite images from the last week.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my life?

$2.15 (that includes another paper dollar, two in a week!)

$.91

P.S. MoneyWalker, I haven't forgotten. The package is on my list of to-dos for this week.

Siesta sadness

2010-05-29T19:30:00.001-06:00

The chaise lounge has been around longer than I have, probably 22 years. It is part of a patio set that by many accounts includes the most comfortable chairs ever made. Countless summer hours have been spent reading, eating, watching the birds and chatting with loved ones and neighbors in those chairs. But the chaise lounge was my favorite piece. Summer afternoons I could often be found stretched out enjoying a siesta with an open book and Diet Coke.

Last week I was surprised when Zeus said it was probably time to replace this furniture that has so many memories woven into the green and white stripes. We were married next to it while a wedding cake waited on the table and loved ones watched from the chairs. Gatherings of families occurred often around the table. Grandchildren had naps on the lounge. We became acquainted with new neighbors on the deck. Countless meals were served and enjoyed while looking at our beautiful Utah mountains.

But Zeus was right. The Velcro no longer held the seat cushions upright and the sun had taken it's toll turning the white stripes a shade of brown. It was also too large for the patio. So off we went to look for furnishings for our favorite "room" of the house. After a day of shopping and much discussion it was done. The table and four chairs were replaced with a smaller table and two chairs. The bulky chaise lounge has been replaced with two zero-gravity chairs (heavenly) and a small portable grill will take over for the huge BBQ that took up way too much space on the deck. (Tested that grill tonight. It's great!)

It will take some adjusting to the new look out the back door. When the old set is taken away this evening there will be some pangs of loss. But change can be good. Now we just need some warm days to enjoy it all.

$3.53 (finally some long-overdue paper money!)

Ground Score!!

2010-05-21T19:07:00.001-06:00

I don't know where the time goes. Oh yeah, I remember. It's been a busy, busy week with lots of time spent at this computer (not blogging) and watching it rain outside, which it is doing as I work on this long-overdue post. Lots of camera time, editing, proofing and ordering, my favorite kind of busy-ness.

This morning I managed to get out ralking for an hour before the skies started dripping again. My weekday route takes me across an intersection that is rated one of the most dangerous in our state, and that is without the constant construction work that has dragged on for over a year. This morning the area was littered with broken pieces of motorcycle, a pretty scary sight.

This afternoon as Zeus and I were returning home from dinner I asked him to stop at the scene so I could pick up a piece of the motorcycle, or as the MoneyWalker calls it, a Ground Score. Yup, ten hours later it was still there, a large remnant of a saddlebag from a 2009 Harley-Davidson, complete with a beautiful inscribed reflector. I knew instantly that this would fit on the crossbars of my bike!

Well, what do you think? Kind of classes up the old lady wheels, eh?

$3.02

Pedicure gone wrong

2010-05-15T16:50:00.000-06:00

The guys go to play poker. The gals gather at my house to paint toenails.

This is why my life is never boring.

$1.88

$1.16

THAT house.

2010-05-10T18:52:00.006-06:00

You've seen it. Driving by there is an old crushed velvet couch on the front porch with springs and stuffing hanging out of the misshapen cushions. It's a lowrider because the feet have long since disappeared. Maybe it's the 12 inch grass that hasn't been mowed or the field of bright dandelions across the lawn. How about the torn screen door hanging by one hinge? Or the carport that is filled with mountains of junk and no room for a car? Or the faded garage sale sign from two months ago?

You know, THAT house. There is one in every neighborhood.

I have slowly come to realize that we might be THAT house. Yes, we are THOSE neighbors. The ones that make property values plummet and everyone else cringe. Or mumble to each other. The ones with noisy kids playing baseball in the street and unfamiliar cars going in and out of the driveway 28 times a day, sometimes more.

We have lived in our home for six years. The first few years I meticulously planted colorful annuals in the front yard for all to feast their eyes on. Sunday mornings were my gardening time. I was already sweaty and stinky, a perfect time to get dirt under my nails and stickers in my flip flops. Each year I have enjoyed it less and less, gradually replacing the brilliant purple lobilia and yellow marigolds with dependable perennials that magically return to life as soon as the snow melts. There are subtle blooms appearing in my yard from summer to fall and all they ask from me is a regular drinks of water, a once a year pruning and a weekly trip around the flowerbeds to pull rogue weeds.

Today I dug out the garden tools, spent about three hours pulling winter weeds and sizing up what needs to be done. It has been decided. My sister has some cannalily bulbs waiting for me that will be planted, but I'm not sure where yet. The squash, pumpkin plants and wild roses will once again grace the dirt patch in the vacant lot behind our yard. They are easy, simply irrigate once a week and don't forget to pick the bounty. That's it.

We moved to this quiet subdivision to escape yard work. I admire the beautiful landscaping and clever, decorative fixtures that adorn the earth-toned cookie-cutter homes on our street. But I refuse to become a slave to it. Summer is on the way and we have pools to swim in, soccer games to watch, softball games to play and long bicycle rides to enjoy.

And afternoon naps to take on the front porch couch.

$1.19

Numi on deck

2010-05-05T20:43:00.004-06:00

Eris and Mr. Eris got this brilliant idea about a month ago to form a coed softball team to play in a local league. I guess the rules specified that there must be one old grandma on each team because I was recruited to play.

Tonight was our first game. It was windy, cloudy and cold but the Army Ants (name came from The Big Bang Theory) were victorious! Final score, 11 to 3!

Athena, Eris, the Duchess and Casi all play, along with spouses and in-laws. And of course, a few ringers thrown into the mix. Eris pitched, Athena was catcher, the Duchess played a mean second base and Bubba covered short-stop. Casi and I played outfield but she stole the show when she caught a high fly ball.

Looking forward to next week when hopefully I can stay upright after hitting the ball. Ugh.

GO ARMY ANTS!!

$1.59

Different doors

2010-05-02T19:08:00.000-06:00

Sunday. It's the day that many people pass through the doors of their chosen church. That's good. Others choose not to go through doors at all. That is a personal choice, one that is none of my business, nor yours.

My doors are most likely different than yours, a choice that required years of conscious thought, searching and mind bending mental gymnastics. It was a difficult path but one that has ultimately brought peace of mind and comfort with who I am and what I believe. I took this journey alone, influenced by no one. No one.

My place right now has brought some interesting comments from others. One of the recurring themes that I hear is that those who question the idea of a Supreme Being have no direction, no values, no sense of morals. Honest, I have heard that. More than once. The first time it was like a hard slap in the face. Now it merely stings and after a day or so the hurt goes away.

No, that's a lie. The hurt doesn't go away. But it's not as shocking as it was the first time I heard it.

I don't do Sundays the same way you do. Often I choose not to go through any doors at all and instead enjoy the beauty of nature. I listen to the frogs in the pond, stare at the mountains and breathe the fresh air. Sometimes weeds get pulled or the car gets a needed washing. I think, sweat and try to work out whatever dilemma is currently at the top of my list. It is my favorite day of the week.

I do try to live a moral and ethical life. And yes, that is possible to do without going through the same doors that you do. And who knows? I might find even different doors to explore in the future.

$1.76

(Littlest found a $5 bill yesterday! She's four. Watch out MoneyWalker, the competition is coming!)

I'll make a million!!!

2010-04-28T19:34:00.009-06:00

Moneywalker asked a question a few posts back about how my new bike has affected my thoughts and observations while exercising. After giving it some consideration and the with healing of my first road rash I can now answer.

Today our weather turned wintry again with rain and snow showers. In the past five years those conditions wouldn't have stopped me from lacing up the shoes and heading out to find shiny, round objects on the roads. I'm certainly not afraid of getting cold and wet. However, those same conditions will keep me off my bike. And that does not make me happy at all.

The last three weeks of riding has been interesting. I'm no longer afraid of cars whizzing past my left shoulder, although I must admit that I still give them plenty of respect and leeway. Mostly they are ignored except at intersections where I'm careful to make eye contact with drivers before crossing paths. Drivers making right turns are especially dangerous, a fact learned fast when I began running.

At first the transition from running against the traffic to riding with the traffic was weird. More than once I found myself on the wrong side of the road. Utah laws require bicycles to observe to all moving vehicle laws. The first time Eris showed me how to cross a major highway in a traffic lane was very unsettling but I'm now getting used to it. Still not ready to "shoot the gap" and don't plan on ever doing it.

As for numismatizing, it is much more difficult but certainly not impossible. There are three car washes along my current route. It's easy to get off the bike and take a quick stroll while catching a drink of water.

Road finds are much harder. But I think I've found a solution. Training wheels. Yup. Training wheels. I'm thinking that if I install them on my rear wheels and duct tape some powerful magnets to the bottom sticky-out side my ride totals will go up considerably. Yes? Just think... I could make a million off this idea!! Bikers of all kinds will be clamoring for my invention!

To answer the rest of MoneyWalker's question, the addition of biking to my exercise routine has had a few surprises. When out ralking there was nothing to keep me from slowing down or stopping altogether. Can't do that on a bike. I have to work to keep the mph at a decent level. I also believe the cardio benefits are much greater than ralking, at least for me personally. Mixing up the workouts relieves some of the boredom that was setting in.

Tonight while talking with Athena about her "boot camp" she mentioned how much she hates a treadmill and stationary bike. I totally agree. I want to be outside with fresh air, marveling at our incredible mountains and feeling the wind on my face. Each time I hear the frogs croaking in the pond or see the newborn ducklings on the canal I love it even more. Athena, you would love it. I dare you.

$1.99 (total from last week)

(The top photo is Little Ms. taken at a July 4th parade in 2009. She is now riding sans training wheels.)

Transformation

2010-04-25T09:59:00.007-06:00

My father was a quiet man. Fran, who grew up with him, told me once that sometimes when a group of boys were walking home from school Dad would just disappear. I didn't realize until I was an adult how true that was. None of his three daughters seemed to pick up that trait. We all tend to be outspoken, bossy and quite loud at times. Dad's grandchildren are also a lively bunch, with the exception of one.

Nephew Brett is much like his grandfather. In the past it has been nearly impossible to get smiles out of him when a camera is involved. He is probably the quietest man I have ever met, retreating silently when our large family gathers. One-on-one meetings are a different story. The playfulness comes out and his mischievous side takes over.

Last week I had a fabulous time with Brett and his fiance Jacci taking photos for their upcoming wedding. For over an hour I watched with joy as they played in the field of old farm equipment and antique trucks. Smiles and laughter were everywhere and before I knew it my shutter had clicked well over 350 times. It was difficult to narrow down the images for proofing because I was so amazed at their beaming faces!

Thanks to B and J for sharing your happiness!

$3.58 (finally went out ralking this morning. Boy-howdy, did those streets need cleaning!)

Fran

2010-04-17T17:05:00.015-06:00

The ground is rumbling in our part of the country. Two days ago there was an earthquake about 65 miles from here. Didn't feel it because at the time I was wrestling children into car seats. But something else is making the ground shudder. This quake is caused by an old friend who is rolling over in his grave, slapping his forehead in frustration and shouting curse words at me, all from six feet under.

Meet Fran. Many years ago we shared adjoining office spaces. Neither of us were especially busy at our respective jobs, he owning a specialty shoe store while I worked in an optical office where the doctor was partially retired. Fran was much older than I, and in fact was slightly older than my father. Nevertheless, we became good friends. We shared life stories, a restroom and most importantly, a refrigerator full of Diet Cola, his one indulgence.

Fran was one of the grounding forces during that unsettled time of my life. He listened to my rantings about kids, the ex, finances and health problems. He provided transportation when I temporarily could not drive. He celebrated when my GPA was good and chastised when it slipped below par. He was one of the few who attended my college graduation. He also never hesitated to give me a solid, fatherly tongue-lashing when I did anything that did not meet his approval, which was often. When I told him about Zeus and our plans to marry he was thrilled. Our friendship lasted many years.

Fran was a biker. Each morning his road bike made a two hour journey from his home to the office. At night it took him home. On Sundays it was a three hour HARD ride. We're talking grueling mountain passes and long, long distances. The pleasure he got out of getting all stinky and sweaty was a mystery to me.

I vividly remember getting to work one day and finding him hunched over in his office, still in his biking clothes, angry and with tears streaming down his face. Then I noticed the crumpled red bike in the corner. "She hit me! Look at my bike!". Totally ignoring the blood that covered his arms and legs, he was devastated about his beloved bike. That night I got phone call. He had been taken to the hospital for some internal injuries that had gone overlooked and spent a few days there recovering. A few weeks later he was back on a new bike.

Peddling those road bikes kept my friend alive for many years past his life expectancy. He had an incurable condition that finally took it's toll about ten years ago. At the funeral his riderless bike was parked next to the casket. Fran is still a legend among seasoned riders here.

In the last ten days I have thought of him often while learning to appreciate the wind in my face and the aching muscles of my gluteus maximus. The patch of road rash that is currently on my elbow is minuscule compared to the large scabs he wore after the three tangles with automobiles. I like to think he would be smiling each time I strap on the helmet and later return home all stinky and sweaty. And I'm sure he is wondering why it took me so long to discover how fun it can be.

$1.82

What happens in Vegas..

2010-04-12T09:52:00.006-06:00

Just got back from three days in Vegas. No, not the kind of trip that one normally imagines when thinking of Las Vegas, although I did manage to leave around $20 in one of the stingy slot machines.

A few months ago the Duchess asked if her royal children could spend a few days with me while they attended a family wedding. Knowing that there would be New York grandparents attending I suggested that an alternative would be to go with them. I would stay with the kids at the hotel during the festivities and in the free time the other grandparents could stock up on some needed hugs, kisses and playtime. Eris joined us as well.

As it turned out, the night of the wedding brought us two additional little girls, ages 4 and 5, whom we had never met. I was a little concerned about how they would react to Mommy and Daddy leaving them at a strange hotel with two strange women for the evening. Little Charlotte and Vanessa were adorable and blended right in with the rest of us. Activities planned for the evening were bowling (Cosmic bowling is AWESOME), a spaghetti picnic dinner in the hotel room (thanks D and A), manicures, pedicures, movies and popcorn! By 9:30 pm the kids were sprawled all over beds asleep. Not one tear shed the entire evening!

Texting conversation between Eris and the Duchess (from the reception) at 8:00 pm:

Duchess: "How's it going with the kids?"

Eris: "Okay. We lost Charlotte. But we found another one about her age. Does D and A speak Spanish?"

The trip was fun. It's also good to be back home. Now I think I will go for a bike ride.

$1.64

More photos at the Shooting Blog.

Spinning my wheels

2010-04-08T09:55:00.005-06:00

Oh my goodness! It's like I'm eight years old again! That was the year that a shiny new bike was waiting for me under the Christmas tree.

Yesterday was Christmas all over again! The bike that I ordered last week finally arrived. It's a hybrid Raleigh, pearl white with lots of gears and brakes and other cool stuff. But the best part is the nice comfy seat that protects my backwards tailbone. I had resisted riding for thirty years ever since that fateful day getting off the ski lift...

I was a bit nervous when I test rode a number of bikes after not being on one in years but once I hopped aboard it came back fast. (Eris was with me and claimed to have flashbacks of the time I tried - unsuccessfully - to ride a motorcycle and crashed in front of my children.)

Yesterday afternoon Eris and I rode for a while around my neighborhood. This morning I took it out on the road for an hour and LOVED it!

Hopefully this new addition will put some zing back in my physical workouts. For the last few months ralking has become tiresome, especially while it's been so cold and wet. The plan is to alternate between the two. I'm also excited about riding with Eris, the Duchess and the grandkids. Maybe we can even get Athena to come with us! And Jubee, get ready!

$.03
(Obviously the numismatizing will suffer, but I did manage three pennies this morning.)

White Satin

2010-04-07T10:32:00.010-06:00

One time I tried to count them and came up with somewhere around a dozen. Athena and Eris, three nieces, two cousins and a number of friends all wore gowns with my "Made by Numi" tag sewn inside. Styles change dramatically and brides are unique in their shapes and desires. Some brides are easy to work with, others deserve the moniker Bridezilla.

Each dress was a challenge. The lair had to be sanitized and guests were banished. Food is forbidden within 20 feet of white satin. With each gown new techniques were learned. Handbeading, boning, hooping slips, bustles, poofing, all were different.

Last night I finished one of the scariest yet. My nephew's fiance is a darling, petite girl who needed her purchased gown shortened by 80 mm. The gown is exquisite with pleating, beading, pearls and a long flowing train. As many times as I have cut into yards and yards of white bridal satin or alencon lace this one terrified me. Perhaps it was because there was no starting over if I messed up. (Yes, that happened once.) It wasn't a simple hem job, no, this one required disassembling the lower half of the gown (all four layers), removing portions of lace, configuring angles and trying to not get Cadbury Egg fingerprints on it. I thought about the process for three weeks, studied the construction, which by itself was something of an engineering marvel, and then finally took a deep breath and started.

Taking the seams apart and peeking inside was easy. But making that first cut into the hem was terrifying. There was no going back. Kind of like induced labor. Reconstruction is now complete. The gown is hanging in it's protective bag waiting for the big day in two months. Diet Coke is now allowed in the lair again. And I can breathe.

Sorry, no photo of the entire gown. That will come later. My nephew hasn't seen it, although he has carried the bag out to my car.

$2.70

The perfect excuse

2010-04-02T15:50:00.004-06:00

It's always interesting to see what walks in my front door on Grandma Tuesday morning. Littlest arrives in her nightgown, fresh out of bed, carrying her blanket and a bag with clothes in it. Breakfast is taken care of first, then often a shower where she will play with the measuring cups and washcloths until the water turns cold. Then she gets dressed and we are free for the day to run all kinds of errands and get in a little playtime before returning home for reading and an afternoon snooze.

This is what we found in the bag yesterday. Two left shoes, one hers and the other Little's. That put an end to the day's planned activities. That's okay. With all of the rain and snow we've been getting it was a perfect excuse to get out the Legos, magnets and books.

$2.13

2:23 AM

2010-03-28T12:47:00.006-06:00

My father used to call me Sleeping Beauty, not for my princess-like appearance but for my ability to slumber at the drop of a hat. I could fall asleep anywhere, anytime, anyplace. I loved to stay up late at night and sleep half of the day away. Mornings were evil, or so I thought. All that changed a few years ago when I discovered the sunrise and the quietness of the streets before commuters started their mad dashes to work.

Zeus heads to bed around nine and I am not far behind, although occasionally I will indulge in late night hours if involved in an important project. On my nightstand is the LA Times crossword puzzles or a book that slows my brain down until it is time to turn off the light.

For the last few months I have been plagued with mid-night awakenings, usually when there is some problem that needs to be solved or an issue that has not been adequately dealt with. Last night was another one of those irritating nights. The current project in my lair is Easter dresses for Little and Littlest. They were coming along nicely yesterday when I realized that those twirly girly skirt hems were just not going to hang right due to the bias of the fabric. I stopped the construction until a solution was found. At 1:45 a.m. I woke up. After 30 minutes of imagining yards of pink and blue fabrics in my mind and coming up blank on a fix I got out of bed, set up my camera and tripod and snapped this weird image. Then I went back to bed where Zeus, luckily, had not been disturbed and I eventually fell asleep.

The buzzing alarm at 6:15 a.m. was not a welcome sound this morning but I did drag myself out of bed and onto the streets for my Sunday morning ralk. It was a productive, thoughtful morning and a possible solution to the saggy bias hemline is ready to be tried. But first I will take a nap.

$3.84

Note: MoneyWalker, I have reviewed your post from a few months ago and will be seeing if any of your suggestions help. Thanks!

Additional note: The dog left last evening. After three days of her constant companionship I missed her more than I expected. But everyone, please quit trying to convince me that we need a dog. Someday, maybe....

My Shadow

2010-03-26T10:07:00.000-06:00

I woke up this morning to a long-forgotten smell and wet kisses all over my face. It's been 12 years since there has been a dog in our house and suddenly it is all coming back to me. The sounds of puppy claws on the floors, little doggy butts wagging with joy when you walk in the room, barking at birds outside the window, the slurping of water from the bowl and drops trailing away from that bowl. Also, I had forgotten that I could no longer sit in a chair by myself or go to a different room without being followed. But mostly, I had forgotten that no matter how stealth is attempted a dog just KNOWS that if a human is followed to the bathroom there will be petting and conversation, at least for a few minutes.

Meet Lily, one of our five grandpuppies. She is a cute little 2 1/2 year old cockapoo who had never been to our house before arriving yesterday morning. But then neither have the other four - Mabel, Cholla, Bingo and Hobbes- because they are all BIG. Our home is in an HOA that prohibits animals over 40 pounds. We have no fenced backyards so they must be walked. For six years I have watched the morning and evening parade of dogs walking their humans down the sidewalk, all carrying little black baggies, and have been grateful that I'm not part of the procession.

Within 30 minutes of Lily's arrival Zeus was looking on the Internet at pet sites. Oh dear. As much as I have missed my little Sadie I'm not sure I'm ready for the full-time responsibilities that go along with an animal. Athena and Eris have assured me that they would be happy to puppysit when we travel but that still leaves the walking, scooping and grooming requirements.

Lily did provide some entertainment yesterday morning. She trailed me downstairs and stopped short about three steps up when she noticed Gomer in his dog bed. The hair on her back went up, snarling, growling and a few barks were heard. In a crouching attack mode she slowly worked her way up close, eventually sniffing the defenseless and unmoving Gomer's butt. A truce has been drawn. Each time she follows me to my lair she gives him wide berth before going over for that ritual sniff. And he stays still while she does it.

As I type this post she is sitting on the bar stool next to me. She will be going home tomorrow evening. I'll probably miss her. Maybe. Possibly. Not.

$.74

My Naughty Neurons

2010-03-23T15:08:00.007-06:00

These two medications are necessary for my body to function reasonably well on a daily basis. One of them keeps me from suffering the pain of GERD. The other one keeps my brain neurons firing in the proper order without the ill effects of bone loss, memory loss and liver or kidney failure. The two tablets are taken religiously morning and night. I know all too well the consequences of forgetting them or simply deciding that I don't need them any longer.

Omeprazole is the generic name for Prilosec. For many years Zeus and I have crossed the border of AZ into Mexico as often as possible to buy this medication because the cost is about one-fourth of what would be paid in the USA. Same ingredients, same medicinal benefits, different country and label. No expensive doctor visit/copayment required to get a prescription. (Yes, I know it is OTC now but when I started it wasn't.)

The other medication, the one that I must take if I want to maintain a driver's license or remember the vacation to San Diego is mailed to my home every three months. In Canada you can buy the same pills for $115 per 50 tablets. At Costco in the USA it is listed at $210 per 50.

I'm lucky. Each month Zeus lovingly writes out a check to pay for my Cobra health insurance plan. The cost is outrageous and is probably enough to make a new car payment. We are both grateful that I am covered and that those nasty-tasting pills prevent my unpredictable neurons from staging an entertaining fireworks display.

At the other end of the spectrum is a close friend of ours who needs a similar medication as mine. He has no insurance. The OTC cost prohibits him from getting the help that he desperately needs to live a full life.

I'm very frustrated today. Once again I am disappointed in the failure of many to see the larger picture. Why shouldn't every person have access to health care? Why is the United States so damn far behind other countries in this regard? Why are people so eager to feed off the system whenever it is to their own benefit but refuse to help those less fortunate?

In 2020 I hope that the miracle drugs that I take will allow me to remember that FINALLY, something was done that should have been done many years ago.

For all of you who don't approve of this post, read THIS.

$2.17

PS. Jim Mattheson, I have no words for you today. At least that I can write here.

The New Toy

2010-03-17T14:01:00.007-06:00

Lincoln logs. Wooden railroad trains. Legos. Electric trains. Books. Puzzles. All are favorite toys of kids that last lifetimes.

Zeus and I took Bubba to AZ for a week every year until he started school. To keep him entertained on the 14 hour drive there were books and tapes, puzzles and a pillow to sleep on. He was a great little traveler and a joy to have with us.

One year I came across a building set of tubes, gutters and marbles. The object was to build a structure where you inserted the marble at the top and watched as it wound its way through the complex passageways until it ended up at the bottom. I don't remember the name. We just called it the marble game and were entertained for hours at a time during the long AZ nights. Although the younger grandkids have played with it none were as fascinated, nor as successful at it as Bubba. It's possible that game started his interest in engineering.

Last week while at the Discovery Museum in SLC with Littlest and the Princess we played with a new kind of building block. A large table in the museum was filled with these magnet-filled shapes that "popped" together yet never repelled. Adults as well as children were busy assembling all manner of three dimensional objects. When it was time to leave there was a slight meltdown by the Princess because she was enjoying them so much.

What choice did I have? The Discovery Museum carried sets of these Magforms and after careful consideration we chose the size and color to bring home with us. They have been played with every day. Bubba has given them the thumbs up.

For more Discovery Photos jump over to the Shooting Blog.

$2.62 (it's getting warmer each day!)

Spring Spooning

2010-03-11T15:46:00.000-07:00

It's a sure sign that Spring is on it's way when the crocus peeks out of the flower bed in the front yard. The yellow bulbs are just starting to bloom and will be followed by purple and a few white. Crocus doesn't seem to mind getting snowed on. They just close up and wait until it melts so they can open again.

The daffodils will be showing off in about two weeks. Just this afternoon I noticed the tulip tips have now pushed up through the dirt and bark.

Last year I planted an unusual crop and they seem to have survived the winter quite well. As you can see, my forks and spoons are gearing up for summer. Because these species are very rare in Utah they have drawn some interesting comments. Shortly after planting them late last fall my neighbor's young grandson asked her about the spoons. She explained to him that we were growing them for a party. As soon as they got big enough we would harvest and use them to eat ice cream sundaes.

In years past clear knives were planted in the pumpkin patch. They didn't do well and got lost in the large vines. A few of my forks have lost some tines and some of the spoons were broken in half when an unknowing person stepped on them. Soon these pretty white ornamental plants will be surrounded by green leaves of the perennials that hopefully are under them.

$1.06

Grandma's Glasses

2010-03-09T17:08:00.010-07:00

These are Grandma's glasses.

This is Grandma's hat.

This is how she folds her hands and

Puts them in her lap.

For eleven years I worked as an office manager for a couple of different Optometrists. Although my uncorrected eyesight has always been sufficient to pass my driving test I still occasionally wore glasses to improve distance vision until about eight years ago. One of the perks of those positions was free eyewear. I collected lots of glasses as well as contact lenses, the kind that somehow turned my dark brown eyes a light blue, deep green or the creepy gray.

Fast forward a few years. I no longer need distance correction. However, after reaching the magical mid-forties I became painfully aware of my shortened arm length. Reading glasses became my friend. With no astigmatism correction it was possible to bypass an expensive RX and go directly to the dollar store.

Ten years later I have two, three or four pairs of reading glasses in every room of my home, car and camera bags. (Top photo shows a few of them.) The computer glasses are a different strength so they have their own special places at my desk. Because I only pay $1 for each instead of the $100 or $200 per pair of prescription lenses my little readers are abused, scratched and generally ready for the trash can. I don't panic when one breaks or gets yanked by little ones.

In my collection of eyewear is one that stands out. It is the pair (above) that my maternal grandmother wore. This photo below shows her and my grandfather in the early 50's with similar glasses, the style that she wore until she passed away in the 80's. I don't have the glasses that my grandfather wore although I do have some that are identical to them. For a long time I wore one made with my own RX. They are made of 14kt gold will probably always be my favorites. The case that they are kept in is well over 100 years old.

Zeus was my favorite patient of all time. I put his first set of bifocals on him. He asked me out on a date while we were chatting at the fitting table. That was a good day at work.

$2.57
(Went out for a four-mile run this morning. I love it when it rains while the sun is shining.)

Oxymoron

2010-03-06T19:42:00.002-07:00

Little Ms. Eris is a Girl Scout.

Just when I'm making progress with the scales it's THAT time of year.

Thin Mints is an oxymoron.

Girl Scouts. A little bit of evil.

$2.66 (total from two ralks)

Double your freshness, double your fun...NOT!

2010-03-04T17:09:00.000-07:00

Note: I had a different post all ready to go up this morning. Instead, I will be posting a rant and will save the gentle one for the future.

Last week I got some pretty new shoes. Unlike many around me, shopping for shoes (or any clothing for that matter) is an unpleasant experience. But running and ralking shoes are the one item of apparel that I take seriously. In fact, my running shoe specialist didn't have my size in stock so I'm waiting, impatiently, for the call saying they have arrived. (That's another rant for another day.)

Back to the original rant. I was able to get my everyday ralking shoes last week and am still enjoying how sparkly white they are. Twenty minutes ago I walked in the house and my brand-spanking new shoes were suddenly making a weird sound with each fall of my left foot on the tile floor.

Damn it! There was a big wad of GUM on the sole. Two more steps and that crap would have been ground into my carpet!

All grandchildren know that before entering my house there is a mandatory security checkpoint that they must go through. Mouths are opened and swabbed for any signs of bubblegum, breath-freshening gum or just plain old Doublemint Gum. If found, the offender is pointed in the direction of the garbage can and must listen to my anti-chewing speech for a minimum of five minutes before being released. Tears and complaints of how new the gum is fall on deaf ears.

I once was a compulsive gum-chewer. Oh yes, I could pop that gum both inside and outside of my mouth for hours on end. As a child I remember getting more than one haircut because it fell out of my mouth while asleep. That old pink Bubble Yum probably contributed to the mouthful of dental fillings that decorate my teeth.

When I am out ralking and numismatising the globs of gum that dot the asphalt is disgusting. Gum chewers have no qualms about sticking their used-up wads in public places. Drive-through windows are particularly notable for this as are telephone booths and handrails. And for heavens sakes, never, NEVER feel the underside of a restaurant table.

I won't even start on the grossness of some open-mouth chewers. Mirrors, anyone?

Rant over. I will now go to the garage to carve the glob of sugar-gumbase-cornsyrup-natural and artificial flavors-glycerol-aspartame-soy lecitin-asulfamaneK-mixed with saliva from a stranger out of my brand new shoes.

UGH!!!

$1.82

Speechless

2010-02-28T15:10:00.004-07:00

Sunday mornings, my favorite time. The weather forecast for this morning was iffy, rain and snow showers predicted until around 4 am. Zeus woke me at 6 and told me that it was clear, dry and warm. Fifteen minutes later I was out the door. The sun was just beginning to brighten up the eastern horizon so out to the west it was still dark. Until I turned the corner at the end of our street.

There was the most incredible full moon I have ever seen. Huge and golden with two lines of clouds in front of it. It was like a picture out of a children's Halloween book, minus the witch or black cat. I found myself stopping to stare at it. Unfortunately, the only camera in the car was my little point-and-shoot so this photo certainly cannot convey what it really looked like.

Within five minutes a few more clouds moved in front of it and suddenly a moon reflection was shooting straight up. I'm not really sure how to describe it except that it was probably the most beautiful moonset ever.

Did I mention that I love Sunday mornings?

$2.62 plus a carwash token

Every one except the right one

2010-02-25T20:25:00.005-07:00

In my storage/toy/photo/catchall room is a closet with a variety of boxes and bins. One of those bins is filled with cords, plugs, small parts to electronics, extension cords, telephones, modems, adapters and other unidentifiable wires.

This morning I went in search of an ethernet cord. Through the years we've had probably seven or eight different modems so I knew there had to be one in that bin. Nope, not one. But in the process of looking and glancing up at the rest of the large closet I realized that it is time to thin out the garbage. That ten year old Caller ID sitting next to the keyboard from the Texas Instruments computer (kidding!) were just taking up much needed space. The life of these gadgets was over long ago. The box has got to go. I never did find the ethernet cord that I needed.

The reason I needed the cord was for my afternoon project. About three years ago Mom (she's 78) finally got rid of her very old desktop computer (Windows 95?). Solitaire was the only thing it was ever used for and that was rare. In the past she had done some emailing but that's about it. Her volunteer position at the hospital was data entry so she was fairly familiar with a keyboard and computers.

Mom's sister is going on a church mission for two years to New Zealand. Internet will be the communication link for them. Yesterday I picked up a shiny new laptop for her and today Eris and I spent about five hours getting her set up and re-teaching her the basics of email. Oh man, was she surprised at the speed it operated, the wireless capabilities and how many things she could do. By the time I left she had entered a bunch of addresses and sent a number of messages back and forth to her sister. I walked her through an online rebate and set up a Skype account. There is a notebook with cheat sheets sitting next to her new toy to get her through the basics. It came loaded with Solitaire and Yahtzee, her favorites. She was smiling tonight, although I think a little overwhelmed at the same time.

$3.92
Yesterday's ralk was wonderful! It was very warm when I left the house. Quarters and dimes were everywhere. Love those car washes this time of year. Two hours later as I headed home it started to snow and continued all through the day. I don't mind because the crocus, daffodils and tulips are all coming up. Sure signs of spring.

The pointless post

2010-02-19T16:09:00.010-07:00

Time. I don't know where it goes. Seems like just yesterday I was taking that photo of Dad's camera. Four days. It's already Friday and thinking back about the last week there really has been a lot accomplished. My downstairs rooms are finally put back together and the Christmas tree has been moved to the other side of the storage room door where it will stay until Thanksgiving. Scrapbooks are updated, a few cupboards have been cleaned and the floor has been mopped three times (love those children).

Fun things are happening along with the work. A family gathering was held last Sunday to visit with the Denverites. On Grandma Tuesday three little ones got their first experience at bowling. There is nothing cuter than little two and three-year-olds dancing in their itty bitty size 7 bowling shoes each time the pins start to fall over! We've got to do that one again!

Watching the Olympics has provided nighttime entertainment, complete with popcorn or smoothies.

For the last two days I have spent quite a few hours at this computer learning some new photoshop skills. Oh man, will this ever stop? Just when I thought layers had been conquered I find out that the most important aspect of this tool has gone unused in my editing. A new book combined with careful studying, experimenting, a little hair-pulling and quiet profanity have proven to be valuable. (The above image is the Prince taken last month.)

This morning brought two hours of bliss out on the streets. It is beginning to warm up (mid-30s). Add to that the earlier sunrise and it almost feels like spring. Zeus told me this afternoon that the plants in the front yard are beginning to green up.

So goes my life. Every day brings new challenges. Never bored.

$3.14 and a hat

Guilty pleasures

2010-02-15T10:00:00.002-07:00

They are known as MWAC (Mom with a Camera). Or AWAC (Amateurs with a Camera). In our very small town there are 35 businesses listed as "Photography". THIRTYFIVE! This last week I took a 6 hour class in which I learned that our wonderful state of Utah is the second from the bottom in the likelihood to succeed as a professional photographer. Soon it is expected to be at the bottom.

I've always loved taking photographs and sharing them with others. I remember clearly snapping a 35mm frame of Jubee playing with some balloons when she was just a toddler. It came out blurry and I was terribly disappointed. The lab tech kindly explained that my nice point-and-shoot camera would not focus at a close distance. About five years ago I sweet-talked Zeus into getting my first DSLR. I was hooked from the first time I held that massive Nikon in my hands and started shooting everything I could. That camera has since been upgraded and additional equipment has gradually been acquired that allows wider experiences in my chosen hobby.

The questions have been swirling in my head for quite some time. I have long considered myself to be an amateur/hobbyist and have had no desire to take that next step to professional. There are many reasons for this, the biggest being that I don't want my playtime to become a job. There is plenty of self-imposed stress involved at my current level without having to worry about deadlines, legal issues, taxes, advertising, etc. etc. etc. I never want to replace the unlimited enjoyment with a 40 (or more) hour work week.

So why the guilt trip? Several times and in various forums I have heard professional photographers express contempt for amateur photographers. It seems that MWACs and AWACs have deeply cut into the pros' earnings potential. Most are struggling with lagging incomes and fewer clients. Equipment, insurance and other business expenses quickly eat up any profits that might come their way. The Internet has made it possible to share images with distant loved ones, no need for prints. The once-lucrative photography profession has taken a hit in the pocketbook by rapidly changing technology.

With the advancement of digital cameras and the ever-improving computer technology even a first-grader has the ability to produce nice photographs. On the flip side, I have invested countless hours in classrooms, books, research and practice to get to where I am currently. As I blogged recently, there is so much more to learn.

Finally, I have come to terms. I am comfortable with my position. I am a GWAC. And I do not feel guilty.

$2.06

(The camera once belonged to my father in the late 40's. It took wonderful candid photos of my parents and probably would still work if I could find film for it.)

Street Plastic

2010-02-11T11:18:00.003-07:00

One of my favorite street finds (other than paper dollars) is gift cards. It's like a Christmas present under the tree with a sticker on it that says "Don't open until Dec. 25th". (I know most of you don't wait, but I do.) The anticipation of finding out what's in that pretty wrapped box is part of the fun.

The same thing happens whenever I pick up a gift card on the street. It goes in my pocket and is carried home where I either call the number on the back for a balance or go to a website and punch in the numbers. Often they have been run over or damaged in some other way. Shortly after the holidays I found a Sears card in which the laminated front had completely come apart from the back due to being in the snow for quite a while. After finding out it had a $20 balance I took it to our local store where the nice salesperson immediately exchanged it for a new one. Too bad Walmart won't do the same. No swipe, no cash. Ugh.

Two days ago after running an errand at the university Littlest and I took a side stroll over to the parking meters where the snow had recently melted. The ground yielded six quarters and a few dimes but the exciting find was a gift card. It was nearly two hours before I could log on to discover that the balance on the card was $1.48. Not the $100 that I was hoping for but better than nothing! I've found countless cards while numismatizing. They have bought gas for cars, burgers at fast food restaurants, groceries and a few items of clothing.

Side note: Littlest is ruthless when it comes to finding and pocketing coins. She doesn't give them up to me. They go home in her pockets where I suspect they eventually end up in Eris' washing machine.

$3.61

$1.48 gift card

The Oath

2010-02-06T18:02:00.004-07:00

Being an American citizen is something that I've always taken for granted. I've been fortunate to enjoy the comforts afforded to me simply because of the circumstances of my birth. Travel into rural Mexico and ten eye-opening days in the Philippines gave me a glimpse of true poverty, the likes of which most Americans will not experience and therefore cannot comprehend.

A few days ago we had a chance to witness the Naturalization of Luis, one of our dear friends. The ceremony was held in a small theater in SLC and included 100 new citizens who came from countries as close as Canada and Mexico to as distant as Rwanda. The ages spanned from 18 through 75. The actual ceremony was brief and consisted of the group taking a surprisingly long oath of allegiance. After that the new Americans were given a chance to tell a little about why they were here and what it means to them. I would dare say there wasn't a dry eye in the auditorium after the gentleman from Rwanda spoke about his harrowing experiences and his gratitude for the new opportunities that both he and his family now were being given. A standing ovation followed.

I live in one of the reddest states in the nation but am blue to the core. Frustration and disbelief at the one-sided and short-sighted politics that governs our state makes me shake my head til it hurts. Still, being a part of this inspiring ceremony made me take a step back and realize just how lucky that we all are to be here. I can vote. Granted, that vote doesn't usually mean much here but at least I have that privilege.

Congratulations Luis!

$2.49

The Lonely Rhinestone

2010-02-02T20:10:00.007-07:00

The popcorn has been vacuumed up off the basement floor. The furniture and decor has been returned to the rightful places. Tutus are in the toy room waiting for the next onslaught of little girls. Images have been edited and printed. Zeus has safely returned home from his short trip to the south.

The photo above is an earring that is without a mate. All I could come up with was the oval rhinestone. Hopefully in all of the excitement of the evening this lonely earring got tangled in some tulle and it will glitter it's way back home. (It does have some sentimental value to me.)

Can you mommies please check your backpacks and toy boxes?

There is a stack of unclaimed items that were gathered up after the storm of XX chromosomes left on Saturday. Among those things are a pink coat (Addi?), a baggie of small clothes, two bags of fingernail polish, some miscellaneous baubles and a large canister of red licorice (get it out!!!).

Some of my favorite photos of that memorable evening have been posted at the Shooting Blog. Click on over to see what fun we had!

$2.05 (I am loving the earlier sunrise and slightly warmer temps!)

The Power of Pink

2010-01-31T12:19:00.015-07:00

Move furniture to the garage and other places to make room for mirrors, pink balloons and all kinds of sugary treats. After the house is nearly empty then clear it of any living thing that is male.

Next fill those rooms with piles of velvet dress-up gowns, colorful tulle tutus and other dancing costumes. Bring out boxes of old prom dresses, cheerleading uniforms and pom poms. Set up a table of costume jewelry complete with sparkling rhinestones, pearls and beads. Throw in a stash of feather boas, sequined belts, patent leather purses and a variety of large hats and bonnets.

Now invite ten wide-eyed little girls, ages 6 months through 14 years who had no idea what to expect at the party. Add nine grownup girls who all are in need of being totally silly for a few precious hours.

That was the scene on Friday night. Within minutes after walking through the door my home was total chaos and little girls' clothing was strewn across every surface in the house. Feathers, velvet and tutus were flying all over the place. Sounds of ooohs, aaahs and giggling echoed with each new outfit. The grownup girls were good sports about getting dressed up, even those who are extremely shy about getting in front of a camera.

My shutter clicked over 300 times in those four hours. As I look back through the images I am impressed by the absolute beauty and inner strength of these women.

Every. One. Of. Them.

(Note: I will be spending the next few days editing and will post when they are available. In the meantime the feathers and popcorn on the floor will just have to wait...)

(Additional note: Littlest (purple dress) was suffering from a bad ear infection and spent most of the evening on the couch. She is feeling better now.)

Challenge accepted

2010-01-27T21:26:00.004-07:00

Athena and Eris both posted to their blogs today. Both issued challenges. In the last hour I have picked out a few photos relevant to each of their posts. Each day I will put appropriate images on my blog until

Athena cries

and Eris gets her butt out of bed.

No ralking, no totals.

Bad Numi.

Lighter Fare

2010-01-25T12:03:00.003-07:00

Okay, it's time for a lighter blog post. I grabbed my older scrapbooks and picked out a couple of images to share.

The hook. I believe it was originally put in a ceiling beam at Mom's house, possibly when Athena was a baby. Mom had an old jump-up seat from way back when I was an an infant and the kids loved it. But sometimes the seat wasn't handy so overall suspenders were used. For some reason Eris doesn't seem to be enjoying the hook at all. That hook is still in the beam and occasionally you will find odd things hanging from it. Most of the kids have had a turn being hung just like this!

The image of Athena was taken in 1978 at a birthday party in Santa Maria. I don't know if she ever got it blown up but she certainly was trying hard.

The last two photos were taken in 1992 at Colter Bay. Zeus and I had been married for a year and had taken some wonderful trips but this outing was just for the girls. Eris, I'm curious about the hat. Hamburgers, smores, grape soda and dirt. Good times.

$1.78

The letter

2010-01-22T19:15:00.010-07:00

WARNING! Athena and Eris! TISSUE ALERT!

A few days ago while searching an old file for the previous post I came across a letter written in January of 1974. The handwriting on the small envelope was that of my Dad, shaky and uneven. The address was to the small town of Oak Harbor, a beautiful place on the Puget Sound of Washington State where I lived for a few years.

As I took the yellowed paper out of the envelope and reread the simple yet poignant words I suddenly realized that out of the three daughters who loved him so much I probably have the only two letters that he wrote. Neither of my sisters ever lived outside of his telephone area code. In the six years that I was away I received two and still treasure each one. But I had forgotten about this one and have no idea why it was in this particular file.

It was obvious that Dad rarely (if ever) wrote letters and, in fact, after reading it a few times and thinking back to the circumstances it clearly was a painful letter for him to write. The date was shortly after I had been home with Athena for a Christmas visit. At that time she was his only grandchild. Back in 1974 I didn't understand just how hard it could be for a grandparent to kiss that beloved little baby goodbye and watch her being driven away. Mom has told me that Dad would sometimes get in his own car and disappear for a few hours right after we left. My guess is that he wanted to privately deal with his grief at our leaving.

The letter is simple, written on one sheet of folded typing paper. Thirty six years later those three half-pages of words still speak volumes. He's been gone for 13 years.

I think I'll go for a drive.

$1.58

The year was 1983.

2010-01-19T14:57:00.017-07:00

Suddenly I was a single mother of two daughters ages nine and five. My lovely home was gone, I had no education and a crappy seasonal job. No one saw it coming except my sister. Confident that it would never happen to me or my daughters I had ignored her warnings. Ignorance is bliss until it hits you squarely in the face. It took a few months for it all to sink in. Eventually shock turned to anger, which turned to determination.

I was a single parent for eight incredible years. Funds were scarce but somehow we didn't starve. Educations were successfully completed. Health challenges were overcome. Family and friends were there to support me every step of the way even when those steps were in the wrong direction. They gave me an earful when I did something stupid (often). They cheered loudly when I walked across the stage to get my college diploma. They wiped my tears and listened patiently through my times of rage (thanks, Jan). They provided meals and shelter during the most difficult times. They acted as a taxi service and worked to keep my old car running. They all played an important part of shaping my daughters' futures and helping them become the fantastic women they are today.

Looking back (always a dangerous thing to do) there are things that I wish could be done over. Mistakes were made. Hard lessons were learned. But there were also experiences that I wouldn't change for anything in the whole world. We fought like mothers and daughters. Sometimes we laughed like silly girls. Our bedrooms were messy and we jostled for morning minutes in the bathroom. We were all working students so schedules were hectic. Mac n Cheese was a kitchen staple along with frozen pizza and Hamburger Helper. We learned to tackle and overcome obstacles that got in our way. Together we shared eight years that left us fiercely independent. Fiercely. Independent. Our husbands have learned to endure that independence. Kudos to all three of them because I suspect it isn't easy.

Eight years. Three of us. It was a learning time. Often the road was extremely difficult to navigate. But oh, it was so worth it.

$1.60

(Top photo was taken the day Eris was brought home from the hospital. Bottom photo was at Knotts Berry Farm in 1985 (?))

The Estrogen Explosion

2010-01-17T19:07:00.005-07:00

Last week we had a girl's night at my home while the guys were at their regularly scheduled poker night. Pizza, bread sticks and cookie dough are the preferred menu. Everyone comes ready to relax and do some major laughing. Month after month the guys manage to sneak away without taking a single child along. Why is that?

This month there were ten children, ages 4 months through 13 (sorry Jubee). Add five mothers. Thirteen of those fifteen bodies had XX chromosomes. Only two XYs were in the house, one downstairs playing a video game and the other on the bed asleep (fitting, no?). You can rest assured that with this many females under one roof there is a potential for high drama, loud laughter and the occasional complaints about cramps and childrearing. The air often smells of nail polish. Topics of conversion run from crafting projects to politics. Every one of the mothers is a successful career woman, each is multi-faceted and incredible.

It makes for a fascinating and lively evening. Way more fun than a boring poker game. Thanks ladies!

$1.60

The Guest Room Quilt

2010-01-14T19:07:00.008-07:00

I grew up sitting at a sewing machine. Barbie doll clothes and personal clothing was my specialty. The first quilting attempt was while waiting for Athena's arrival. Over the next 20 years I made the occasional quilt, mostly squares and usually tied. About 15 years ago I got serious about it and took a few classes. I quickly learned that the art of quilting is much more than sewing squares together and fastening them with square knots. Constructing a half-square triangle involved using math skills and precise 1/4 inch seams. Pressing correctly could make or break whether or not your block went together effortlessly or ended up lumpy. For twelve years I completed countless quilts and gave them away.

My first "real" quilt is still on the bed in our guest room. It is certainly not my best work. Seams don't always match, the hand quilted stitches are much longer than desired and there is one block that is assembled incorrectly. Over the years my skills improved and a few years ago I even had the guts to have a few appraised. These are the "heirloom" quilts that will go to my grandchildren some day in the future.

The same evolution of skills has taken place in my photography. Today I had the unpleasant experience of seeing an image that I took over two years ago. Oh my, it was awful. Well, the image itself was not particularly awful but the post-processing was mind numbingly hideous. As soon as I got home I searched through my archives where (luckily) the original files were found. Reprocessing has been done. New prints will be made tomorrow and hopefully hung in that hallway. The old 8x10 will be brought here to my lair where it will hang in front of my monitor as a reminder that there is so much more to be learned.

The frightening part of this experience is knowing that in 2012 I will most likely look at images from 2010 and want do-overs on every single one of them. Again. Ugh.

01-15-10 Note: Replacement prints were made today and are now hanging in place of the old ones. I feel sooo much better about them. Remind me in two years to do another comparison. On second thought, don't.

$.76

Excuses, excuses, excuses.

2010-01-12T20:14:00.004-07:00

I've got em'. By the dozens. And they all make perfect sense to me.

1. It's still cold. Wimp.

2. It's dark outside. But getting light earlier. Actually was able to enjoy civil twilight on Sunday morning.

3. Our weather-inverted air has been dubbed the dirtiest in the nation. That hasn't stopped me before.

4. I can get a workout in the pool. That's true, but it's just not the same as being outdoors. And there are no shiny round objects in the pool unless you count a couple of the chubby pink ladies.

5. I need a new running bra. Alert: Too much information!!!

6. The car washes are not paying off lately. Duh, it's winter.

7. I think someone is "scooping" my area before I get there. Lame excuse, I know.

8. Again, our weather-inversion air has been dubbed the dirtiest in the nation. When I can feel it that tells you how bad it is.

9. I still have four months to get ready for that 5k. I'll probably be using that one right up until April.

10. I'm basically lazy. Well, that's not really news.

$3.32 (includes a gold car wash dollar and a .35 contribution from Zeus)
$1.33 Walmart card (redeemed in my weekly grocery shopping)
a nice volleyball found in a snowbank at a supermarket
another hat to be washed and donated (MoneyWalker, you are influencing me!)

Note: The image at the top has absolutely nothing to do with the post. I just wanted to share a photo a this beautiful little baby that I had the pleasure to photograph this week.

Cracking up

2010-01-09T07:11:00.006-07:00

Friday, 2:30 a.m: We were awakened in the middle of the night by a loud sound in the house. My first thought was something exploded in the kitchen or downstairs. Hey, it was the middle of the night so I went back to sleep.

Yesterday morning when I get up to take a shower I notice that the small high window in the bathroom has a crack running from corner to corner. It is displaced enough that there is a sharp edge along the entire seam. It will have to be replaced. Soon.

Oops, sorry. wrong crack.

Once again, we are in the middle of a cold snap, not quite as bad as the northeastern states are seeing, but still cold. There has been a bag of ice cubes sitting on my patio leftover from our December 23rd party. It is within five feet of the house yet has not melted.

Temperatures have not played a factor in my ralking for the last five years. Extra layers of clothing usually takes care of the cold. This year, not so much. Wimpiness is creeping into my head and the excuses are getting easier. The single-digit temps combined with the lack of sunlight early in the mornings has turned me into a whiny two-year-old. Yesterday morning I rationalized and went to the mall for some indoor walking. blech.

Tomorrow morning, even if it takes twenty extra layers, I will be out there.

Procrastination, my middle name

2010-01-05T17:09:00.005-07:00

Two months ago I was asked to make an outfit for the Prince's baptism, an honor that I eagerly accepted. The Duchess was warned that it wouldn't get done before the holidays but that it would surely be ready for the special date on the 16th. She promised not to worry about it.

The only instructions I was given about the design were a few "don't do this", but otherwise I was turned loose to design it myself. Okay, it's designed. In my head. Fabric, pattern and notions have all been purchased. The special little adornments have all been received. All that is left is the cutting and sewing.

One problem in the design had been nagging my brain. Last night in the middle of the night the solution came to me, a real duh moment. I realized that a specialty foot that goes on my machine would do the job and it was just sitting in my cabinet waiting to get used. At two a.m. I had to suppress the urge to get up and try it out!

Today has been spent running post-holiday errands. They are all done. Tomorrow has been set aside as a sewing-only day dedicated strictly to this one special project. Better yet, maybe I'll start right now.

$2.21 plus a Sears gift card ($20 balance) and a movie theater gift card ($1 balance)

Note: Wednesday night, 10 pm. Done.

Greenscreen is a blast!

2010-01-02T12:49:00.003-07:00

As promised earlier, here are a few of the greenscreen photos that we did way back in November of the Eris clan. A couple of years ago I tried this technique but couldn't quite wrap my aging brain around layers.

Waterskiing on the bay

The instructions given to Eris and etc. were to come dressed in solid colors, any color except green. They brought with them swimming gear and winter hats and mittens. A trip to the DI netted the fashionable orange life vests for a dollar each. They also were instructed to bring along cooperative attitudes and a good sense of humor because we were really all shooting by the seat of our pants on this one. The kids did what they were asked and for an hour we just played around with some fun poses.

A modern family enjoying the wonders of Utah's spectacular Monument Valley.

The next step was post-processing on the computer. In a nutshell it involved magically erasing the green backdrop and superimposing the subjects onto another photo. I had gone through my archives and picked out a few possibilities but still wasn't sure what I would end up with.

Each image took about two hours to process. They are certainly not perfect, nor are they meant to be. Along the processing path I learned many techniques such as changing perspectives, transforming, layering and many other geeky things. For a week I had a blast combining old and new images to form a unique end result.

Jumping off Coit Tower. This is actually six processed images combined into one.

I'm ready to experiment with this technology again. If you have any ideas or you want to play just let me know. I'm ready.More photos at the Shooting blog.

$.85

Phew, I'm glad that's over.

2009-12-31T08:00:00.001-07:00

2010.

It's been a really interesting year, some very tough experiences as well as some delightful and exciting times. Being the last day of 2009 it's time to take stock again and see where I want the next year to go.

Photography: Aperture is no longer a mystery and is my main mode of shooting. Lighting is also not the horror it used to be. Learning greenscreen was one of my goals for last year and it proved to be loads of fun. I will soon be posting some wild shots done with the Eris clan last month. Oh what the heck, I'll put one here just for grins. I'm hoping to do some more of this stuff so if I can get any volunteers... Goal: shoot more and more and more.

Health: Didn't lose ten but am down five from where I was last year. Hoping for another seven in the next few months. One of my best Christmas gifts was having to exchange clothing for smaller sizes. Oh yeah, oh yeah, I'm bragging! And while we're on that subject, Zeus was able to come out of his spring treatments with a clean bill of health. There were a couple of rough months but he is doing great. Hats off to modern medicine. Goal: more running, less ralking.

Quilting: Not much accomplished last year, just a few baby quilts and tops. Probably about 20 neonatal blankets were delivered. I really need to get that machine humming again. Goal: one sewing finish per month, not necessarily a quilt.

Travel: We made a couple of very nice trips this year although tropical islands weren't in the itinerary. I'm still hanging on to my Puerto Rico scrapbook paper. This next year will probably find us back in Arizona a few times as well as CA. Goal: take that trip with Jan.

Running/ralking: Just a reminder to all those who signed on for the 5k. You have approximately 18 weeks to get in shape. Click here. Goal: Just do it.

Family/babies: We were expecting four or five babies when 2009 began. As it turned out we happily welcomed six new little ones, most of whom call us Grandpa Zeus and Grandma Numi. And surprise, so far we know of two more on the way for next year! Goal: spend lots of time with each of them.

Along with the happy times often comes the sad. We lost a dear brother this year and he will always be missed.

And one more thing, if you look back at last year's New Year's post you will see that Littlest accurately predicted the arrival of another English baby. The gender was a little off but the prediction was correct. Maybe I should chat with her about the coming year...

$1.48

(I love the sign, Jodi!)

Post-holiday Peace on Earth

2009-12-26T12:58:00.007-07:00

Thirty minutes ago I sent the last gift out the door. I know, they are a day late, but those two little girl's dresses had to be tried on before the final stitches were put in. They didn't need them until tomorrow anyway. The fabric was gold and red crushed velour and all I could think about while sewing them was a couch from the 70's. The girls love them because they are swingy and ruffly. Eris loves them because they can be wadded up in a ball with nary a wrinkle.

The holiday season was great at the Numi house. The big log cabin party on Wednesday night was as much fun as always (photos in two posts at the Shooting blog). A big thanks to all friends and family who came to share in the good times and eat all of the tasty food. Christmas Eve and morning was as expected, chaotic and noisy. Pajamas were handed out, a new Christmas story was read and the kids went to bed. The problem every year is that Eris and Athena want to stay up all night talking and giggling. All the beds in the house were filled. Couches and floors were also littered with quilts and sleeping family members.

The morning festivities started at 6:30 and by 9:30 all presents had been opened, Zeus' breakfast casserole had been devoured and cars were pulling out of the driveway. Ahhh, time for our relaxing day to begin. No cooking, no kids, no phone, just quiet. Leftovers for dinner, new electronic gadgets to conquer and way too much chocolate to eat.

It's been a busy month. As usual, I look forward to enjoying a slower pace. I know that isn't going to happen for at a few months. Three short trips are scheduled (so far) and the calendar is being updated constantly.

Life is good.

$?.?? (I did go out yesterday afternoon but haven't counted.)

Fa la la la la

2009-12-18T10:24:00.003-07:00

Last evening Zeus, Mom and I attended the annual holiday concert of Sound Choice, a mixed double quartet that has been performing locally since 1982. For sixteen years I was a founding member of that group where I played the piano and keyboards. My exit came in 1998 when going on a stage and my right peddling foot became incompatible. I remember well sitting at the keyboards during a performance and suddenly realizing that my KathrynHepburn-esqueness had finally taken over and it was time to turn in the sheet music.

Planning and rehearsing for the holiday program began every August. After sixteen years of this routine and by the time I "retired" the melodies had become monotonous to me. The joy that others felt at hearing them was like fingernails on a chalkboard to my ears. It took months to get used to being home on Wednesday evenings instead of at rehearsal. The first December was also strange in not rushing from work to a performance. And it was especially difficult the first time I sat in the audience watching someone else play my songs at my keyboards.

It's been eleven years. This year I can finally listen to a few songs without breaking into a sweat. The concert last night was basically the same as it was back when I was a part of it with the exception of a couple of new numbers. Even the choreography hadn't changed much. Two new men really added depth to the group. The two original guys blushed when I told them after the show that they should consider ditching the women!

Eris and Athena are the two on the front right. They also performed with us for the first few years and were adorable on the stage.

Fa la la la la.....

$.47

Your contribution is welcomed

2009-12-14T08:05:00.004-07:00

IT'S FESTIVUS!!

It's finally here! Get out your aluminum poles!

And don't forget to send your contributions to the Human Fund!

(feel free to send them directly to me and I'll try to remember to forward them on.)

HAPPY FESTIVUS TO THE REST OF US!

Note: If you are unfamiliar with this tradition click here and here.

No panic

2009-12-12T22:20:00.005-07:00

Finally, it's a little warmer. Today it got warm enough to dump snow. Only about four or five inches at our house, but then we are in the valley. Benches got about double that amount. It is beautiful. And quiet. And light.

Tomorrow I will get a good start on my shopping. For weeks I've listened as others have bragged (yes, that would be you, Athena) that their gifts have all been dutifully purchased. For some reason I haven't been phased at all by the approaching holidays, almost like I'm denying that they are coming. There is a stack of flannel waiting for transformation into the beloved pajama pants and the day has been set aside for this to happen. A few gift certificates have been purchased but that's about it.

Perhaps the fact that I'm not worried should in itself cause panic.

$000.000

(No, that is not our house on the left, or the right.)

Terror in Red

2009-12-10T10:34:00.006-07:00

It's that time of year again when we have the opportunity to terrorize our toddlers.

Whose brilliant idea was it to try to get innocent little two- and three-year-olds to not only accept candy from a weirdly dressed old man but then to go sit on his lap?

We were all prepared yesterday afternoon to watch the Princess and Little Man screech in horror at their first encounter with St. Nick. The Princess did not disappoint. She hung onto her daddy for dear life and couldn't escape fast enough. Little Man walked right up to him and gladly took the green candy cane, then even sat on his lap... for about two seconds. But the brave little soldier didn't whimper, just said "Bye Santa" and headed for the cookies.

Unlike last year when Littlest Ms. treated us to hysterical screaming, this year she was hesitant but compliant. Little Ms., skeptical at age seven was I think checking out his beard to see if it was real. Mr. Eris, Jr. was simply a good sport to get the candy cane.

$ .62 (it was 2 degrees on our front porch at 7 am with icy roads. ugh.)

True Colors

2009-12-07T09:29:00.005-07:00

It's that time of the year when the days all begin to run together. The calendar that Zeus and I share is carefully tracked so that we don't miss anything. (Still regretting that forgotten soccer game last week Mr. Eris, Jr.)

Last Saturday was one of those days. Seven appointments were carefully lined up beginning at 8 am. Breakfast with friends, an open house at the Nature Center, two soccer games, a church dinner and a bunch of family portrait sessions. It all went surprisingly well with no hitches. Our great room/kitchen had been converted to a studio the night before and the kids were a blast to work with. Some little ones are naturals when they get in front of the camera and do all that is asked effortlessly. They make this hobby of mine worth it and I always look forward to playing with them again and again.

Those kids come in all sizes. While firing some test shots these "kids" showed their true colors.

Culling through the raw images it has become clear that personalities can be accurately captured when I ask for "the goofiest faces". The photo below wordlessly describes each individual.

Right now it is 16 degrees outside with a nasty, wicked wind taking the chill factor down to 6. The roads are icy and the snow is drifting. A good day to stay in and edit.

$.48

Move over Ansel Adams!

2009-12-01T20:22:00.007-07:00

Early in October Little Ms. informed me that in her first-grade classroom all the students were required to enter the Reflections Contest. She chose photography and asked if I would help her. Whoo hoo!!!!

I strapped my heavy DSLR around her neck, set it to AUTO and showed her how to zoom the big lens. We were busy for about 90 minutes in four different locations while she shot 145 images. Back home we looked at the images. She chose the milkweed as the one she wanted to enter. It was hard because they were all pretty good!

The only post-processing done to her image was cropping (required) and she did it herself after I showed her the steps.

Tonight we proudly watched as she accepted an Award of Excellence for her photograph. It was also chosen to advance to the next round of competition at the district level.

Oh yes, this is one proud Grandma!

Advent calendar

2009-11-30T09:44:00.004-07:00

You know those cute little advent calendars? You open one little compartment each day of December as a countdown to when Santa arrives with his sleigh full of toys for good little girls and boys. Being the chocolate lover that I am those foil-wrapped waxy bits of nasty chocolate probably didn't make it longer than a week or two.

This year I'm doing a different kind of advent calendar. There are nineteen kisses in this letter K. I will eat one per day. Kara and Chris will be back home in Utah for good in time for the holidays after wayyyy too long in cold, icy Michigan. The countdown widget has been on her blog for nearly a year and today she hit the teens!

Good luck on your finals and drive safely!

$1.29.5

Immigration

2009-11-26T07:54:00.007-07:00

Organ Pipe National Monument is located between the town of Why, AZ and the Mexican-American border. For a number of years it was the only thing that separated our back door from the imaginary dividing line between two countries. It was not unusual for us to cross that line to shop for groceries, medications, furniture or simply to go for a good plate of Chiles Rellenos.

Yesterday that crossing was impossible. Our passports sit in a file back home. They are now required to get lunch. Border patrol agents are everywhere spreading their sometimes overbearing attitude which often leaves much to be desired. And that fence, that awful fence.

Twenty feet away from the imposing eyesore while I was grabbing a few photos I came across a large brittlebush. Due to the very low rainfall here it was the only thing around in bloom. Hundreds of bees were buzzing around it. Monarch butterflies were everywhere. They didn't need passports or permission from armed, uniformed officers for the annual migration south to their winter homes. They simply filled up on pollen and flew over the top of the metal barrier and rifles.

We are also within miles of many different Indian Reservations. Mexican and Native American culture is everywhere. In many ways we are the outsiders.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Today I am reminded that we are all immigrants.

Missions accomplished

2009-11-24T22:48:00.006-07:00

No matter where our travels take us I am always looking for old churches or missions. They are plentiful in the southwestern states and Mexico and I've been fortunate to visit many. Mission San Xavier del Bac on the Tohono O'odam Indian Reservation was on our list of stops this morning. I've visited this historic mission many times in the past fifteen years but this time was exciting and different. It has been undergoing renovations for as long as I can remember, always fronted with layers of scaffolding and partially completed exterior improvements. What a thrill it was to go up the beautiful drive and see the historical mission like it must have been three hundred years ago (except for the large gravel parking lot, of course).

Entering these old religious structures always has an unexpected effect. My non-religious self is always struck by the beauty and serenity found inside. This morning was no exception. The usual routine is to sit in a rear pew and take in the smells of the old wood, the aging statues and light coming from the windows at the top of high ceilings. There are usually candles burning at altars. Today there were hundreds of carefully placed glass jars with flames casting golden shadows all around. We spent about 45 quiet minutes at San Xavier del Bac.

Yesterday afternoon we also took a short detour to find a small out-of-the-way shrine in Tucson. An internet acquaintance had blogged about El Tiradito a few weeks ago and Zeus went along with my request to find it. (He is extremely good about that sort of thing.) It turned out to be a very small but interesting shrine, also complete with burning candles and other offerings placed at the altar. The small figurines that G and her son placed there a few weeks ago were still hanging on the candelabra.

There are two small churches on the Ajo Plaza that I have never once explored in the countless times that I've been here. They are on my to-do list for tomorrow.

Forecast: Sunny and Warm

2009-11-22T19:37:00.001-07:00

It has been nearly two years since I've travelled the roads of southern Utah and northern Arizona. We used to make this trip four or five times a year, usually fourteen hours of driving in one day to get from one front door to the other.

This afternoon while driving through the canyons of red rocks and strange formations it was as if I was seeing them again for the first time. I have missed it.

Tonight while those back home in northern Utah are enjoying a fresh blanket of snow we are looking forward to warm sunshine and mid-70s.

$.75

Chaos!!!

2009-11-20T10:17:00.007-07:00

How can it possibly be Friday already? This week has flown by and although a lot has been accomplished there is still much to be done. Seems like I have twelve projects going at one time. Wait, I guess I do.

Wednesday was the busiest day for me. I knew it was coming and had prepared for it the best I could. First order of business was making the hand mold of the new Prince. Athena loves to make babies cry (she is very good at it) and she eagerly came to participate. We really don't hurt the babies, just make them very angry by plunging a little hand into a cold, slimy goo and holding it still for a few minutes. (Mommies or daddies are not allowed to watch.) The prince was actually a pretty good sport and Eris was standing by to comfort him when the process was complete. He quickly fell asleep.

After attending a school program for Mr. Eris, Jr. it was time to get back home for three separate family photo sessions. It occurred to me a few weeks ago that my great room was more than adequate for doing this and that turned out to be true. The shutter on my camera has clicked over 750 times so far this week. Ahh, so much fun! The camera-computer tether worked beautifully. My house is nearly put back in order, just don't go downstairs. Now comes the time-consuming part, editing. Working with the greenscreen was so much fun. The Eris clan were good sports and just did as I asked, including using some strange props. I even got Jubie and Bubba over for some photos! Jubie's images have presented quite a dilemma because every one of them is a keeper.

(True story: There were so many cars coming and going from our house all day on Wednesday that our neighbor stopped Mr. Eris in the driveway to make sure we were okay and that no one had died. I finally got a chance to call her at 9 PM to thank her for the concern and to reassure her that we were just experiencing a little more chaos than usual over here. )

Title: My grandkid can beat up your grandkid.

A very busy week that's not over yet. sigh.

$2.61

No turning back now. It's here.

2009-11-15T20:31:00.008-07:00

It's officially here. Yesterday morning the snowstorm hit fast and hard. It only left a couple of inches on the ground in the valleys but the mountains got socked. Ski resorts are open and I noticed holiday lights on houses tonight. Ugh.

When I left for my Sunday morning ralk the outdoor thermometer said 16 degrees. Brrrrrr. An extra shirt, leggings and double gloves took care of it. Love those layers. Oh, switching to the heavy wool/Thinsulate hat helped a lot.

The ralking clothes are laid out on the dresser ready for tomorrow morning. I haven't gone swimming for months, always telling the swimming ladies that I'll be back in the pool when the weather gets bad. That hot pool is looking mighty inviting right now but as long as there is no ice on the road or freezing wind I'll probably stay outdoors.

$1.86 plus a wallet. The wallet was in a Park and Ride partially covered with snow. The green bills hanging on a money clip caught my eye after I nearly passed it by. Turned it over to the local Sheriff who happened to be at Wendy's for a cuppa. Richard L. can relax now and not have to spend all day tomorrow cancelling that huge stack of credit cards!

Problem solved.

2009-11-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

Camera->Computer->Monitor. Seems fairly simple, right?

I knew that Nikon software needed to be installed on the computer but the new program messed with my editing software. Tried connecting various ways then gave up and uninstalled Nikon software. Tried new HDMI cords directly from camera to monitor. Nope. Gotta have the computer to navigate the image to the monitor. Reinstalled only part of the software and just like magic, it worked!

There really is a reason for this madness but I won't bore you with it.

My brain hurts.

$2.76

Dreaming of brown

2009-11-10T20:00:00.003-07:00

I miss it. Sometimes the urge is almost more than I can stand. Occasionally I give in to temptation and have one little piece. It's been two months since I severely restricted my intake of the sweet, brown, melt-in-your-mouth substance. Usually I can work my way through the cravings with a banana or rice cake. Checkout lines at the grocery stores are pure hell. I'm forced to stand there while the little old lady in front of me searches her patent leather purse for a checkbook and then takes ten minutes to fill it out. Meanwhile I'm surrounded by candy bars that beg to be devoured. (I can finish off a Milky Way in three bites without breathing.) I've learned to pick one up, turn it over, check out the calorie count and then put it back. Most of the time.

The little Prince came over this morning for a short visit. As he gnawed on his pacifier and drifted into sleep his expression was one of pure bliss. For some reason it reminded me of Ghirardelli chocolate, Milky Ways, Hershey Bars and of course, chocolate covered jelly rings.

Now if you will excuse me, the rice cakes await. I can dream, can't I?

$2.03

The Landing Pad

2009-11-08T17:00:00.007-07:00

They go by many names. My mother called hers The Junk Drawer. It was in a corner by the telephone and everything under the sun was there. Except for a pen that worked, a telephone book, the right kind or size of screwdriver that you needed right now or a paper clip. I'm sure you have one in your kitchen as well.

In my house I call it the Landing Pad. Everything just kind of lands there. It is in the corner of the kitchen island, the first place to set things down when coming in the house. My keys and cell phone are stored there. The rubber bands off of the newspaper are corralled in a dish to be recycled to the carrier. Reading glasses, pens and pencils are there.

Unfortunately, over time lots of other items find their way into the drawer, sometimes because the doorbell rang and I want to clear the junk off the island. But more often than that, I just plain don't know what to do with an item so I shove it in there, out of sight and soon forgotten. Until the drawer won't close anymore.

Today I cleaned out the Landing Pad. Here are a few things that were hiding in there:

Eight (yes, 8) eyeglass cases plus five reading glasses.
Three old cell phones (the girls will be delighted!).
A mass of jumbled up ear buds, probably three sets.
Various road finds (2 golf balls, man's watch, jewelry bits, car wash tokens, etc).
Six road find tools that went in my tool box.
Unidentifiable single keys (I think I know what the #48 fits).
Motel room key from a Fairfield Inn somewhere.
Stack of Great Harvest cards, probably enough for three loaves of bread.
A strange piece to my camera. Binged it and found that it is a filter holder for the flash unit.
Cough drops to last a year and five tubes of lip gloss.
A torn dollar bill that Zeus offered to take to the bank. No, it goes in with the rest of the pieces. Lots of bits of paper that went into the recycling bin.

Now it looks like this. It won't stay that way for long.

$4.06 plus a Sony Memory Stick.

It's all good.

2009-11-06T20:00:00.003-07:00

It's been a good day. A very sunny, warm, good day.

Here's my list of good things that happened.

1. Went to the big SLC to attend photography workshops on lighting. Learned some new techniques from both classes and also realized that I knew more than I though I did. Unlike a few years ago, the mere mention of f-stops and apertures does not faze me anymore.

2. Picked up the new brown backdrop that I've been trying to find for over a month. I'm ready to go!

3. Listened to Rod Stewart and Bette Midler croon the oldies at top volume.

4. Got good news from both Athena and Eris tonight! Being a very proud mother is one of my FAVORITE THINGS!

5. Someone peed on a stick and it came up positive! Yippee!!! (Not related to #4.)

6. Wore jeans that I haven't worn for two years.

Yes. Life is very good.

$.93

(I know the picture doesn't have anything to do with the subject. On the other hand, they make me smile, too!)

Seeing green

2009-11-02T09:09:00.007-07:00

In the past I have played around a little with chroma key photography, sometimes called greenscreen. If you ever watch the weather reports on television or have been to ChuckECheese you have seen this technology. The subject stands in front of a bright green background and through the magic of computers that green is replaced with weather maps. Any color will work as long as it is bright, solid and the color doesn't appear in the main subject.

Keeping our overabundance of cooties confined to our house has been a real challenge lately so today I stayed home and played with my camera and computer. Littlest and Little were here so I had some good models to shoot. Here's the process:

Start with two cute little girls in front of the screen. Pose them to look like they never fight or argue.
Through the magic wand of Photoshop remove all of the green pixels in the image.

Through some more Photoshop layers magic insert the subjects into another photo, this time an image I took last spring at Thanksgiving Point. I've been struggling with layers for a long time. All of the work today just might have been a breakthrough.

I'm nowhere near mastering the complexities of Photoshop but at least this is one more challenge well on the way. A few more images are posted on the Shooting Blog.

$1.82 plus a 20 Mexican centavo coin and a Canadian nickel. I did manage to get out yesterday but will probably take another few days off. It's not easy to run with a box of tissues in one hand while sucking on cough drops. Damn these bugs!

Ghosts of Halloweens Past

2009-10-31T14:02:00.006-06:00

Happy Halloween to all of you!

This year I was smarter than last. All candy to be given out to the little goblins was specifically chosen because it's NOT chocolate and can be resisted. The kids will like it.

The menu for supper tonight is Pumpkin Soup. No kidding. After that we will be welcoming our favorite little trick or treaters for brief visits.

If you would like to see other scary photos click and click.

Note to self: cropping photos with decorative scissors, stupid idea.

$0.00 (hopefully back out on Monday)

Buddhizing Numismatizing

2009-10-29T10:17:00.010-06:00

Yesterday morning I attended a lecture given by Zeus on Buddhist Ethics. He only had a few hours notice because the scheduled speaker was unable to make it due to a snowstorm up north. Of course, Zeus did a masterful job. His subject matter, along with the MoneyWalker's (bleason) comments on my last post have prompted this subject matter.

I often joke about picking up coins while ralking. But seriously, I do realize that there is a fine line between what I do and pocketing money that doesn't belong to me. Bleason and I seem to be travelling the same paths many time zones apart and he has touched on the ethics of our strange hobby.

About five years ago I started daily walking, at first finding random coins in gutters that I thought were quirks. As my walking continued and I ventured out onto other streets I began to realize that there was coinage all over the place, a person just had to know how and where to look for it. For a while I didn't talk much about it to others but then my finds became common knowledge to those around me. Oh yes, I have taken a fair amount of teasing, mostly good-natured and always deserved.

Along the way I have developed my own "rules" for numismatizing, most of which are similar to Bleason's. I will share a few of these with you.

1. Walk early and fast. Most of the fast food establishments have not even opened when I go under the windows. Coinage that has been left outside all night is fair game, right??? Regarding "window wardens", I've seen all kinds of them, from the fun woman at a McDs who called me back to tell me that I missed a quarter to the guy who threatened to call the cops. That was in a different city and I never went back. Oh wait, there was one really rude guy who I told to catch me if he wanted his nickel back. He didn't. Also, I won't interfere with business. Coinage in the street, all mine, baby!
2. Safety. I've been on a morning ralking hiatus this week partly due to the pitch black darkness that lasts until seven. Of the three places I frequent one is scary in the dark and the other two are unsafe due to traffic. I wear ID and reflective clothing and have learned to never trust drivers making right turns. This weekend the time changes. Hallelujah!
3. Never miss an opportunity. Vending machines, telephone booths, parking lots, car washes, they all are ripe and ready for picking. Learn to laugh when others look at me quizzically.
4. Smile and say good morning to everyone I pass. It's a challenge to see who will reply.
5. Relish the sunny days and enjoy the rain. Endure the bone-chilling cold with more layers and thinsulate. Sleep in on the windy or icy days or hit the pool.
6. Realize that numismatizing provides needed motivation to get outdoors and enjoy the solitude. Who could have guessed that I would love mornings?

7. Mostly, be grateful that in my senior years (ouch!!) I can still ralk and that the circumstances of my life allow the time and luxury to do it. Also, the support of Zeus is priceless.

$.93

My miracle children

2009-10-26T13:00:00.004-06:00

For the last few years I have looked at Athena and Eris and marveled at how they turned out so well. They are intelligent and both excel in their chosen fields. They each revel in new challenges, especially big ones, and are fiercely independent yet at the same time dedicated to families and life goals.

During their formative years the cutting edge technology in our home consisted of books, paper, crayons and scissors. Imagination was also a necessity. Television was four channels, one of which was PBS and included Sesame Street and the Electric Company. When we traveled they read, slept or sang along with whatever AM radio station was available. No multiple video players, Ipods or Gameboys. We kept track of state license plates, drew with an etch-a-sketch or played Fish. Or slept some more.

Circumstances in our home during their early school years didn't allow for the latest technological marvels. We were thrilled when we were given a secondhand BETA video player and later a Texas Instruments Computer that even had MUNCHMAN installed on it. (The old TI got me through college in the late 80's!)

Today I feel vindicated. It has been announced that Disney will issue refunds for those who purchased the Baby Einstein products. Apparently there is no proof that exposure to these videos will make a baby smarter. Who would have guessed that books, paper, crayons, scissors and a healthy dose of imagination would work just as well?

$1.26

Felines

2009-10-24T19:36:00.008-06:00

I know before I even type one word that this is a very risky post. Some of you may be offended and for that I am deeply sorry. Gonna do it anyway.

Cats are not my favorite animal. They are temperamental, moody, aloof and hairy. If they are indoor cats they can often be found in many places that they don't belong. If they are outdoor cats they are chasing birds or pooping in the neighbor's garden. OH YES, THEY ARE!!!

Last night as I left Ms. Dub's house "Kitten" was nice and comfy on the hood of my car. Obviously, no one had warned this cat about who he was dealing with because he refused to budge, even after multiple camera flashes and the engine starting. Nope, he taunted me by sauntering right up the windshield and perching his hairy kitty butt on top of the car. No physical harm came to the cat as he was removed and placed behind the rear tire... ummm, I mean on the sidewalk.

Cat lovers, commence flaming.

$3.62

How did you play?

2009-10-22T09:00:00.000-06:00

The photo has been sitting on my desk for quite a while. This was the team that taught me to ask "How did you play" instead of "Did your team win?".

Can you spot her? I'm laughing because she just entered another game. For a long time she has sworn that she would never join Facebook. Oh yes, after one week she is all over FB!

$2.65

Bumping Elbows

2009-10-19T12:16:00.004-06:00

Wiping noses and changing gross diapers of sick children. Eating apples on the way home from the grocery store before washing them. Dog kisses. Picking up dirty coins off the street. Sharing delicious desserts with anyone who will let me. Plus many other things that I am not willing to admit on a public blog.

Germophobic? That word would previously never been used to describe me. But now, things might be changing just a bit. It started about two weeks ago when Littlest spent her birthday on my couch running a fever and unable to eat. No, maybe it actually started two days before that when I saw the Duke looking like someone had beat him mercilessly with his own lacrosse stick.

Last week for the first time I refused a handshake by explaining to the kind person with the outstretched hand that she probably didn't want to risk catching my cooties. She didn't and then thanked me. Later that day as I boarded a germ-infested airplane I also did the same thing to a seat-mate who offered his hand. He seemed surprised but also nodded approval.

My right elbow has in the past caused me great pain with a nice scar to prove it. Hopefully it will become more useful now as I learn to offer it in greeting instead of my hand. Don't be offended, be grateful I'm keeping my cooties to myself. And by the way, yours cooties probably aren't any better than mine.

And no, I'm not germophobic. I just ate an unwashed apple. After I coughed on it.

$4.23

Numi Tea Garden

2009-10-16T00:02:00.002-06:00

So how cool is THIS!!!

And THIS!!!

For the last two years while Zeus and I have been making our twice-yearly pilgrimages to the Bay area I have seen from the freeway a building with an advertisement for the Numi Tea Garden. Today we finally made it a point to go in and see what it was all about. We had a delightful lunch of Spanikopita and Olive Tapenade and tea in the garden and then picked up a few souvenirs to take home. I'm not a hot tea drinker so was particularly pleased to find that they also have cold, bottled tea. It was really goooood! Now I just have to find out if there are any suppliers here in the land of UT. Doubtful.

The flight home was a bit longer than planned. Gave up my seat so a family could all get on the same flight. No, I wasn't just being nice. I was well compensated by the airlines for traveling from Oakland to SLC via Portland. It really wasn't bad. I spent the last leg of the trip watching Arrested Development on my laptop.

It was hard to leave Zeus behind in Berkeley, especially considering that today is his birthday. If you get a chance you might want to send him some extra good wishes! Love ya, hon!

$.06

Partly sunny and more sourdough!

2009-10-14T21:33:00.005-06:00

Checking in again, this time with dry feet and once again stuffed to the gills. Today's lunch at the wharf was sourdough bread bowls filled with delicious tomato soup. Yummm.

Just for Eris, here are a few photos of Coit Tower, located at the top of famous Telegraph Hill, the highest point in San Francisco. Not only are the views from the top spectacular but the ground floor is filled with colorful murals painted in the 1930s by various artists.

The afternoon was all we hoped it would be.... and more. Thanks Zeus!

$.02

Note: Just saw on television that a 3.8 earthquake hit San Jose, about 35 miles away. Hope we don't start swaying here tonight!

Rain, rain and more rain!

2009-10-13T20:26:00.005-06:00

We knew it was coming. In watching the forecasts for San Francisco this last week we couldn't miss all of the special weather warnings that had been posted. Oh well, tickets were purchased and a little water wouldn't stop us.

It didn't stop us, although our plans were altered just a little. Started out this morning with a visit to the Dolores Mission, a beautiful old church that was the first building in San Francisco. Part of the church was destroyed in the 1907 earthquake and a new basilica was built, complete with beautiful stained glass windows. Even with the cloudy skies the windows were still lovely.

A few other places visited: The City College of San Francisco where we saw an original wall mural by a favorite artist Diego Rivera. Awesome.

Two fabric stores, one that I will be visiting again, Darlene's Fabrics. This was the DI of all fabric stores, lots of bargains on bolts, notions and ribbons just waiting to be picked through. The owner was the best part, an aging hippie who knew exactly what was in the store and who measured a yard of fabric at approximately 42 inches! Contrast that store with Britex, the other store, a four-story experience of overpriced textiles, nonexistent customer service and No. Restrooms. Are you kidding me??? Fabrics priced through the roof and they can't put in a potty?

Like yesterday, more delicious food, including another loaf of sourdough bread and chocolate. Suffering serious heartburn tonight from the yummy penne pasta consumed at the Wharf.

$.03 (not good results in the rain)

Trollified!

2009-10-12T21:12:00.005-06:00

Hello from unsunny California! In fact, very unsunny. The major storm that was predicted is supposed to hit at any time with high winds (ugh) and lots of rain. Not sure what that will do to our plans for tomorrow but if we have to we can hang out in our lovely room.

Actually, the above photo was taken this afternoon while we toured the prison on the Island of Alcatraz. The room above is a typical cell, 5 ft wide, 8 ft high and 9 feet long. No view of other prisoners and most had no direct sunlight. Prisoners sat in these cells for 23 hours a day. Solitary confinement was even worse than this! The prison was closed in 1963.

It's impossible to spend time in San Francisco and not enjoy the wonderful cuisine. Zeus enjoyed a great dish of spaghetti and salmon while I enjoyed a very different and delicious lasagna. The sourdough bread here is to die for! Ummmm! I could eat it with every meal. And it goes without saying that dessert came from Ghirardelli Square. Now I just need to keep that ribbon tied tightly.

We took a couple of rides on cable cars in our outings. They are not as "friendly" as our Trax and Frontrunner systems back home.

However, they do produce trollified pennies just as well as our traxified pennies!

$.04 and one trollified penny

Update, Tues AM: It's raining and blowing, expected to continue all day. We have some interesting places to visit, all indoors and in the city. It's a good thing the hair was cut before leaving home.

Ebony and Ivory

2009-10-10T14:28:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I miss it so much my fingers ache. Often when I'm in church and listen to the pianist play there is almost a weird emptiness inside. Eight years ago when my piano moved over to Eris' house I never dreamed that I would one day miss it, and honestly, for six years I didn't. So why now?

A few weeks ago I sat down at a strange piano, got out a book of unfamiliar music pieces and tried to play. My brain knew what to do but it had forgotten how to communicate with my clumsy fingers as they stumbled across the keys. I left the room feeling sad and a little depressed.

The piano has always played an important part in my life, beginning in junior high and high school when I was either accompanying the choirs or singing. Playing the piano or organ at church was my ticket to avoid having to teach Sunday School classes. Then for eighteen years I sat at the electric keyboard with a group of eight singers who simply got enjoyment out of performing for others.

My skills were never as accomplished as those of my sisters, mostly because I considered the piano to be a tool for my enjoyment, much like my running shoes or cameras are now, or golf clubs are to an avid golfer. It was my hobby. My parents generously provided lessons all through my growing years, lessons that I selfishly took for granted and rarely practiced like I should have.

So why the unexplained yearnings? It makes no sense because I certainly have no desire to play in public or on a stage again. Nevertheless, I often think about having a piano in my home even though the drawers of music are gone and my fingers are very rusty. And I can't see the music without reading glasses. When did that happen?

$1.02

Payday!

2009-10-08T08:00:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was payday!

Total weight of coins: 28 pounds

Paper money: twenty three dollars

Gold dollars: eight

Collection time: Seven months, 13 days

Grand Total: $202.13

(This includes $8.81 that the bank rejected.

That will buy Zeus' morning cup of coffee for a while.)

Health care, anyone???

2009-10-06T14:00:00.005-06:00

Today is Littlest's fourth birthday. This is what she is doing.

Instead of partying at the pizza joint and Children's Museum with the Princess and cousin Keegan she is sleeping on my couch, probably drooling all over my pillows. She arrived this morning with a nasty cough and a fever. The two of us have been camped out all day in the lair watching the Disney Channel and Cartoon Network. When that child turns down mac-n-cheese and chocolate pudding you know she's not feeling up to par. Pushing liquids has not gone well but will resume when she wakes up.

Other health news in the family, more broken bones. This time D-Rock, Athena's husband is learning to live with a boot on his right foot and a sling around his right shoulder. Diagnosis: broken metatarsal bone in the foot and numerous breaks and probably internal damage to the shoulder. Surgery likely in the near future to repair. At least he has a good story to tell. Happened at Lake Powell jumping onto a boat that moved. Luckily friends were there to pull him out of the water so he could enjoy the ambulance ride to a hospital.

And the winter season is only beginning....

$1.50

The Ungreen Thumb

2009-10-04T13:17:00.000-06:00

At the beginning of summer this year I planted four zucchini squash, four pumpkins and two butternut squash. These plants were haphazardly watered whenever I noticed them wilting. The zucchinis were quite prolific, so much that I couldn't get rid of them fast enough and many ended up in the garbage can. The pumpkins produced fairly well and I would be picking them today if it wasn't raining, very windy and otherwise a totally miserably dark day outside. (If I was smart I would shut this computer down because I hear thunder echoing off the mountains. Not smart, I guess.)

Eris had given me a tomato plant and in spite of my nearly total neglect that thing grew incredibly large and produced lots of little red gems. A couple of weeks ago while picking some cherry tomatoes for Zeus' snacking pleasure I came across a forgotten watermelon plant that I thought was long dead. It's vines had wandered behind the wild roses and were hidden from view. Little and Littlest helped cut them off the wilted vine and we took them in the house to cut them open.

Those little melons were the best that we had all summer! You can see that Little totally cleaned hers out!

The chances are good that we will still have this dirt field behind us next year. I'll probably plant vining plants again next spring just to keep the dust down and give the birds a place to perch. There is snow on the mountaintops right now. I have seven months to decide what my sorry excuse for a farm will contain.

$.94

PO

2009-10-02T06:30:00.001-06:00

I'm pissed. And I need to get this off my chest.

First of all, msdegadeambtsmacoeputfpac. Notbscfcwzwutfc. Owihsomatkmofcftw. Bwhtetshfcwaaststfwssgalsthrbd. Asdwtb. Ahthmdfmmwwutbbfals.BS.

And then to top it all off, tifhwbittwamdhtttiaoot. Lllll. Taalllll. Ihtsilfcgdohaapihhfm.

And then there's this: Tsaihhdsiony. Tbliehid. Mbfitvshaifcoomoo.

And finally, Twitbcbaihtwaiaw. Fwfitmmwtp. Mha.

Now did I miss anything? Oh yeah. It's 6:15 AM and still pitch black dark outside. And isfctidwtgoar. Bmassbtihtgoaatgtpwihatntatolemmwdmfbs.

Rant over. Buddhizing commencing.

If you are reading this post you can rest assured that it is not about you. And don't ask because chances are even I cannot decipher what all of those letters that I just pounded out on my keyboard represent. But I feel #%&%$(@!& better after having said it all.

$.91

One more: Wwfscwotsfgc?

Recess

2009-10-01T13:55:00.003-06:00

Update: Check out the link in Wendy's comment. It is awesome!

When Napoleon Dynamite came out a few years ago I never thought it would become one of my favorite movies. I've seen it quite a few times since my first viewing and still love it. The Utah/Southern Idaho culture is ripe for satire and Napoleon Dynamite hits much of that nail squarely on the head. The game of tether ball is shown a number of times. Recess time at my grade school almost always included tether ball. Other games that were played were hopscotch, dodge ball and jumping rope.

Last Sunday our family met the English 101 group at a local park for a picnic. The day was absolutely perfect, temps in the 80's and beautiful fall colors breaking out in the mountain backdrop. There were quite a few jump ropes to keep the kids busy, not the old fashioned kind of rope jump ropes, but customized jump ropes made with colorful plastic tubing that loudly slapped the sidewalk with each turn.

Little Ms. Eris started out the fun. She is nearly seven and has lately been improving her skills.

Soon the rest of the kids wanted in on the fun so the long rope was put into play.

Athena and Eris wanted a turn as well.

Now this is scary. My mother is 78 years old. She insisted on a turn in the ropes, assisted by her great-grandson Bubba. She made it over the rope for a few rotations before Bubba missed. Thankfully, no broken bones.

$1.63