Yeah, I know....

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

I'm baaaaaack!

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

The year was 1983.

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

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

Phew, I'm glad that's over.

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!)

Move over Ansel Adams!

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!

Chaos!!!

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

It's all good.

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!)

My miracle children

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

Out on the farm

I've been a grandmother for sixteen years and have been fortunate to spend oodles and gobs of time with all of my grandchildren. I'm also lucky to be young and healthy enough that I can participate in all kinds of activities with them. As Grandma Tuesdays have evolved over the years they have become my favorite day of the week, a day that is set aside for one purpose, that of enjoying the kids who are not yet in school.

This afternoon while singing Annie for the third time in three hours with Littlest and the Princess I realized that the preschool years are definitely my favorite time with the kids. At that age they are still eagerly discovering the world and soaking up each new experience that is presented to them. They run and play at top speed until they can hardly walk another step. Challenges are given and met, sometimes with trepidation but always with squeals of delight when accomplished. They get wiser each day but I can usually outsmart them. And for the most part, they still mind me.

Today Littlest and the Princess journeyed with me to the American West Heritage Center where the Fall Festival was in full swing. Corn has been harvested and the fields have been turned into giant mazes. Hay has been cut and baled for the winter feedings. There were few people there and we had the place almost to ourselves. The girls were able to pet baby goats, listen to the roosters crow and watch the peacocks strut their stuff. A train ride went around the duck-filled pond and there were lots of old buildings to wander around.

There was a corn maze that was just for little kids (actually just bales of hay that they could run through without getting lost) that they ran through for about 30 minutes. We also spent lots of time at the hay jump, my favorite. The girls climbed up large bales and then jumped into deep piles of soft, cushy straw. Over and over and over. By the time we were finished we were like scarecrows, pants and shirts filled with bits of straw requiring a trip to the restroom to remove.

There is no greater joy than cuddling a precious newborn baby. Attending awards presentations at school, cheering at sporting events and bragging about other accomplishments of the older kids is always a great pleasure. Seeing them grow, mature and experience the trials of life is harder, but necessary. As a grandmother I love every stage. But those 2-5 year-olds, definitely my favorite.

As usual, more images at the Shooting Blog.

$.98

Part Two

A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

Oh yeah, we were AWESOME! For the last few weeks I've been bribing the kids with milkshakes to perform flips off the diving board. Kelsey jumped right on it (in it?) and started working, eventually doing a fairly decent flip. Mr. Eris, Jr., took quite a bit longer but eventually earned the shake.

Eris decided that she should be able to earn a shake, too. Flips were standard tricks for her in the teen years but hadn't been attempted since then. Success!

Didn't take long for Tracy (Kelsey's mom) to want in on the deal. Same for her, no flips since the teen years. Impressive!

I don't even remember how the final challenge was issued. In my days at Rainbow Gardens as a kid I could do one fine Jackknife dive off both the low and high dives, coming dangerously close to scraping my nose on the end. In fact, I believe that somewhere in my filing cabinet is a certificate won for performing that feat. Flips were never part of my repertoire. Yesterday I found myself climbing onto the board to the accompaniment of clapping hands and the chants of "Flip! Flip! Flip!" One deep breath, a run and a good hard jump left me rotating in the air then finding myself spinning underwater not knowing which way was up.

Applause! Applause! Applause! After reorienting myself and finding the top of the water I resurfaced to the sound of cheers! The spectacular feat was repeated a second time after Zeus arrived for a visit.

Note: This morning Tylenol was on my breakfast plate. My mind sometimes forgets that the body is over a half-century old.

And now, the Lovely Boylan Sisters!

(sing along) " I-O-D.. E-N-T... Iodent.."

My summer, set to music:

$2.66

The competition

Picking up coins and objects is something I learned from my father. He would bring the car to a screeching halt for just about anything that he saw in the road, especially tools. Mom claims that he stopped the car on a Los Angeles freeway once to retrieve a screwdriver and nearly got both of them killed in the process.

Found objects are nothing new to me. About eight years ago I found a woman's wedding ring in a downtown gutter. It was a beautiful solitaire setting and the stone was nearly a carat. The local Lost and Found ads produced nothing for weeks. The ring was examined by numerous jewelers, all with differing opinions as to the authenticity of the stone. Some said real diamond, others said fine quality fake. But the setting was definitely gold. (In the end it was determined to be a CZ, at which time Zeus informed me that if the jewelers couldn't tell the difference by looking through a loupe then he had purchased his last diamond.)

Serious numismatising began five years ago. While I was out walking I would pick up curbside coins and bring them home to Zeus. We called them his Lucky Pennies. For Father's Day Eris made him a personalized jar to collect them for a rainy day. As my ralking became more frequent the skill of numismatising became more of an art. (That's right, an art!)

Just as my father taught me about street finds I'm finding that my children and grandchildren are also becoming quite adept at spotting round, shiny objects. When Little and Littlest were very small I would point out a coin to them and they would scamper to pick it up. They were easily convinced to put it in my left pocket (the "lucky penny pocket") or to proudly give it to Grandpa when they got back to the house.

Those days are past. No way will they give up a found coin. Worse than that, they are RUTHLESS when it comes to spotting and pocketing. Those who were once my trainees of numismatising have now become my competition.

(The photo above was taken last week after our Gateway trip. The empty hand belongs to Jubee, who has not fully embraced the concept of numismatising.)

Oh, it makes a grandmother smile! And to all the rest of you who proudly boast of your exciting finds, congratulations! It makes my heart sing!

$1.46

Bathing suits and babies

Anticipation. Smiles. Backaches. Wonderment. Nature. Swollen feet. One boy. One girl.

September!

Obon 2009

The big day finally arrived yesterday. Little Ms. Eris and I had been practicing our dainty steps and the graceful waving of fans for three weeks. Last night we nervously stepped onto the dance floor (actually the church parking lot) to perform for friends and family at the Obon Festival.

Getting dressed for the dance is an art form all by itself. It requires three trained women and takes 15 minutes to assemble each dancer's yukata. Layers and strings are knotted around the middle in a very precise order and pulled as tight as possible. If the dancer can breath or move with any degree of comfort the dressers will yank the strings tighter and tie more knots. The end result is a beautiful costume that is fastened securely and impossible to get out of without further assistance from these same ladies.

After the dressing process is finished all of our accessories must be tucked inside the obi (sash). Little and I each carried folding fans, scarves and kachi kachis (castanets) as well as a round fan which was stowed in the back under the large bows.

I'm guessing that there were around 100 dancers who performed 14 numbers. Littlest really worked hard learning them all and it showed. She danced flawlessly and looked absolutely adorable.

Those in attendance were also treated to the artistry of the Taiko Drummers. Their precision and energetic movements are fascinating to watch.

Thanks to everyone who braved the 100 degree heat to come out and share this evening with us. Little and I worked hard to prepare for it and it was wonderful to see all of you there. We're already looking forward to including Littlest Ms. in the fun next year!

To see more images dance on over to the Shooting Blog.

$1.99 plus a wheatie

Toadally Awesome

Today was Toadally Frog day. The Utah Museum of Natural History at the U of U had an exhibit of rare live frogs. On a gray and dreary Grandma Tuesday we decided to travel by train to the big SLC to take a look. Jodi, Little Man and the Princess joined me and the little Erises.

We spent an hour and a half at the museum where the kids saw orange frogs, yellow frogs, tiny frogs and large frogs. In other parts of the museum they looked at dinosaur bones, spiders, displays of native Utah animals and rocks. We all had a good time.

Eris met us for picnic lunch at the large park in front of the museum and the kids had fun running around for a little while. The Princess is accustomed to a harness but Little Man had a tougher time at first. Little Ms. did pretty good keeping them reigned in. In our family we are firm believers in harnesses.

Another ride on the trains and we were all home, ready for naps and to recuperate from the excitement of the day.

One last thing. Today I experienced what was probably the most frightening 10 minutes of my life. I won't go into detail but I will just say that I'm glad that I know how to run fast, probably faster than I ever will run again in my life. Also, you should all give a great big shout-out to Mr. Eris, Jr. This eleven year old young man kept his cool and did exactly what he needed to do in an emergency to protect three little girls. And Jodi, thanks for being there with me!!

$2.45

More photos at the Shooting Blog.

I love Oompa Loompas!

One of my favorite movies has always been Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. We watched it whenever we could and also listed to the CD in the car often. Jubee's school performed the play version this year, not an easy task for an elementary school to take on. The score is very difficult and the vocal ranges were very high. But they did it, and did it well!

She was the cutest Oompa Loompa on the stage! I got to see it two times and loved it.

Thanks Jubee! You get a standing ovation!

$1.33

A question for Sharyn...

Littlest Ms. is entertaining, to say the least. Eris has started her summer session of school so we now have regularly scheduled Grandma Tuesdays again. Yay!!!

Yesterday afternoon after nap time (Zeus even joined us for the siesta) we were getting ready to go to a soccer game when I heard a loud "EWWWW" coming from our bedroom. Eris had found Littlest sitting on the floor like this.

I am going to assume that she was practicing a new yoga pose.

So Sharyn, can you do this one?

$1.20

Sticks

The lacrosse season is over. After three seasons not only do I understand the sport a little more but it is quickly becoming a favorite.

The lacrosse ball is approximately the size of a tennis ball but much harder. A couple of times this year we had to protect ourselves from either a missed ball or a player and stick coming right at us. And again, I am amazed at how the players get whacked hard with those sticks and just keep on going. Their legs and arms must be covered with bruises and welts.

Congratulations to the Duke and his high school team for a fine year. I'm already looking forward to next year when you will find me sitting on the sidelines cheering.

$1.22 and a screwdriver with severe road rash