But does she lack common sense?

Your IQ Is 140 Your Logical Intelligence is Genius Your Verbal Intelligence is Genius Your Mathematical Intelligence is Genius Your General Knowledge is Genius A Quick and Dirty IQ Test (3) Comments

Posted: 1/25/2008 10:34:54 PM

Can't take my eyes off of you

(3) Comments

Posted: 1/23/2008 12:02:15 AM

Dog Icicle

It is so cold today. Ubu and I went to the dog park and all the puddles were pure ice. He was slipping and sliding everywhere. Even so, as soon as we got down to the lake, he jumped in to swim. When he got out, he had icicles! / (2) Comments

Posted: 1/22/2008 11:13:02 AM

Space Noodle

Today was a perfect day for a Seattle adventure: Blue skies and a holiday. We went to the Space Needle, or as Emma calls it, the Space Noodle. Hubby and Emma The view was spectacular. The following photos don't do it justice. Mount Baker to the North, the Cascades to the East, Rainier to the South and the Olympics to the West were all sharp on the horizon. (In the photos below they appear a little hazy.) Downtown Seattle with Mount Rainier to the right. This is the view of Puget Sound. The mountains are the Olympics. This is Lake Union. You can see a few yachts out on the lake to enjoy the good weather. This is where I went kayaking this summer. On the upper left side of the photo is Mount Baker, which is near the Canadian border. The mountains across the top and to the right are the Cascades. My house is two hills away, behind the tall building on the right. I can't see the Space Needle from my house, but I can from my bus stop! I just liked this photo! Emma being goofy in the tourist shop! All in all in was a fun day. We laughed. Ate well. Enjoyed good weather. When we returned home a full moon was shining brightly in the sky. (6) Comments

Posted: 1/21/2008 10:21:36 PM

For NY Swimmer

While we hung out in Queen Anne today we spied a little shop called Eat Local. Everything within the shop was locally grown, produced and organic foods. The artist that does all the label work for the company had some of her art available as well. One of the prints spoke to me, and I thought NY Swimmer would appreciate it as well. The artist: Nikki McClure. Her art can be found at nikkimcclure.com. (1) Comments

Posted: 1/21/2008 8:47:21 PM

Pissed at a young girl

Somedays I hurt more than others. On those days I am angry at the girl who was talking on her cell phone instead of watching the road. On May 17, 2005 I was sitting at a red stoplight when a big Chevy truck going 40 mph slammed into the back of my Honda Civic - pushing it into the back of a Toyota truck. My seat went all the way forward on the tracking - so that my knees hit the dashboard - then my seat went all the way to the back and off the track to the right. My ankle hit the metal tracking on the way back. As a result I tore most of the muscles in my back on my left side from my neck to my hip, tore my ACL in my knee, and tore three ligaments and one tendon in my left ankle. Some of my vertabrae were twisted a bit in my upper back, which made my ribs put pressure on my lungs - resulting in pain everytime I would take a breath for a few months. I hate to whine, but 2 1/2 years later I still hurt. My hip is killing me. My ankle is killing me. I'm trying to walk normally and be of good cheer - but it just pisses me off that in one second of someone not paying attention I may have to live with life-long annoyances. I did a sprint triathlon two days before the wreck. I was fat - but I was fit. I regularly did a 1 1/2 hour work out of riding 10 miles on the bike, swimming a quarter-mile and then running/walking 2 miles. I wasn't fast - but I could do it easily, and did so three times a week. I felt strong and capable - and was starting to look toward doing another Olympic triathlon. (I did an Olympic triathlon in 2004.) I truly believe I can overcome my injuries - but some days I feel frustrated. In the scheme of life, it isn't much. These are petty annoyances compared to those who are permanently maimed, scarred, or killed. But still. Today as a cold shot of nerves resonated up my left flank and the piercing slice of strain on my left ankle with each step of my morning walk - I was angry. (5) Comments

Posted: 1/20/2008 11:39:21 AM

Bath, fire, movie

Emma and I had the day together today. We went to the dog park with Ubu - where he made many friends and played. It was cold and wet - and we were drenched by the time we walked to the lake and back. When we got home we took a hot bath, built a fire and snuggled up to watch a movie. This afternoon it was The Secret Garden. Two movies were made of Frances Hodgson Burnett's books in 1993: The Secret Garden and The Little Princess. Both are beautiful movies. Both are beautiful books. Both stories call to me and hold philsophies that I hold dear. It is the power and triumph of the human spirit over circumstance - the power of the mind, the power of love. I am happy that Emma loves these movies as much as I have, and at age 5 is able to articulate some of the nuances. In The Secret Garden a sickly and sour orphan find rebirth through tending a neglected garden, and in the process provides the tough love her cousin needs to learn to live. In the Little Princess a girl beloved by her father remembers she is a princess even when treated like a servant and told she is alone, and strengthens others around her by valiantly holding on to her self-esteem when those around her try to tear her down. I did a search on Frances Hodgson Burnett and discovered that she was a Christian Scientist. While I was raised LDS, my mother was raised Christian Scientist - and some of the philosophies still touch me powerfully today. There is great power in the belief in positive thought and love. These themes seem to resonate for Emma - I hope that she carries these stories all her life. (1) Comments

Posted: 1/19/2008 8:56:59 PM

Life is good

I had way too many projects to complete today, so many things to do. It was hard to concentrate and finish anything because I felt another project call me and I'd work on it. Then, it hit me, I needed to take a break. I needed to go to lunch. I'm trying really hard to take better care of myself - and taking a break to eat lunch is good for me. Huggy Guy/Hand Tapper works on the same campus as I do, and we've talked about going to lunch for about a month. I shot him a quick email and asked him if he wanted to join me. He was in my office in less than 15 minutes to escort me to a club on campus that overlooks Lake Washington. It is one of my favorite views in the world. We both got the soup - which was perfect on a cold day! We had a great conversation that lasted more than an hour and a half. He and I have very similar personalities. We're both ambitious, like to strike hard and impress people, then get nervous and insecure if we're not making great progress that continues to impress. We both started in our jobs within months of each other and we're both getting cold feet and wondering if we should stay for stability, or whether we should find the next opportunity. We are well-matched intellectually - so the conversation was quick and smart and fun. I'm glad I went to lunch. When I got back my mind was clear and I was energized to get almost every project done before my board meeting. I got all the financial documents ready, finished payroll, got a quote for printing a new publication, and got a few more people contacted for the sessions in New York. The board meeting was wonderful, truly, truly wonderful. The board is fully active now, busy, no longer passive. They see my vision and are helping me move forward with it. At the end of the meeting, one of the board members expressed her feelings about our newspaper, the vision I have, how we're apart of something great. Then another spoke up and expressed her feelings, then another expressed his feelings. I was moved to tears. After the board meeting one of the directors met with my husband and gave him a bunch of contacts to find work. When I got home the house was clean! (Whoo Hoo!) Hubby made spaghetti and I made a spring mix/spinach salad with nuts, cranberries and cheese. Amazingly enough - I still energy, so after dinner my oldest daughter and I went to Target. (I love Target!) I found a gorgeous fleece jacket for my son for $4.78 and two Valentine shirts for Emma for $5 each. In a moment, I'm going to take a hot bath, then slip into the softest robe in the world. Then I'm going to climb under my down comforter and snuggle with my hubby. Life is good. Yeah. Life is good. I realize that all these little details aren't really all that important. It's just silly stuff, inane. But after all the crap I've been through in the last couple of years - a lovely day like this, of good food, good conversation, appreciation, work well done, peaceful home and plenty - it makes me realize how blessed I am. Life is good. (0) Comments

Posted: 1/18/2008 12:27:10 AM

Cold or getting old?

I slid to work today, down a hill on my feet. It was cold, frigid - but sunny! On the way home the bus driver passed two stops after mine, only because I called for a stop on the hill and the bus may have been stalled on the ice or slid backward. There were no busses this morning. How funny the entire city shuts down when it snows. -------------------------------------------------------------- My skin is dry. Is it the cold or getting old? I used to have great skin, milky and fair. I've been mistaken for a college girl and even been carded within the last couple of years. Not anymore. My cheeks used to be rosy. Now they are ruddy. Maybe it's the climate. When I was in England my hair was super curly from the humidity. In Fresno it was frizzy. In Utah my nails get brittle and I get hangnails. Here my hair is wavy and strong, my nails grow well, and my body's skin is healthy and soft - but oh my face. I am always blushing and it is dry. Maybe I am getting old. (3) Comments

Posted: 1/15/2008 9:59:53 PM

SNOW!

When I saw the title for NYSwimmer's post I had to write one about snow. It snowed here!!!!!! Lots of it. It isn't supposed to snow here. When it snows here the entire city shuts down. Last year I couldn't even walk to work because the streets were so icy. We'll see if I can get to work tomorrow. (4) Comments

Posted: 1/14/2008 10:26:35 PM

Little House

I'm watching Little House on the Prarie with my girls tonight. It is a new one, a mini-series, put out by Disney in 2004. (I've never seen this one before.) The cinematography is lovely and the storytelling is well done. It appears to be based on the real life of Laura Ingall's rather than the how she began the fiction with her first couple of books. (Laura Ingalls Wilder was only around 2 or 3 years old when her family moved from Wisconsin, but she made herself to be older in the fictionalized books to be able to be more of a character in the stories. The later books are more "accurate" autobiographically, but all are very strong historically.) I loved the Little House series of books; read each as a child, and even a few times as an adult. I watched the television series by Michael landon faithfully. When I was 10 my family moved from a Southern California suburb to the middle of nowhere Southern Utah, about 25 miles outside of Moab(population 4,000). The valley I lived in had about five families there when we got there. There was no television reception, no phones. Some of the families used outhouses, and had no electricity. We did - but kept warm with a wood stove. It was quite an adventure though - even though it was in the late 1970s instead of the 1870s. My dad got the basement built and then returned to California for work and money. It was a record cold winter that year - snow fell and stayed. Usual winter temperatures are between 0-50, that year it average 20 below at night and in the mornings. We had no insulation in the house and only a wood stove. My sisters didn't take very good care of me (I was 11 that winter, they were 18 and 23.) It was hard living. It was cold and rough and sometimes a little scary. But, due to all the reading of Little House on the Prarie books - I also saw it as an adventure. I am grateful I read these books as a child and was inspired by the resilency, hardwork and bravery of Laura Ingalls. She was a hero to me and continues to be today. (2) Comments

Posted: 1/14/2008 12:00:02 AM

Sunglasses

It is sunny outside. I live in the land of perpetual clouds - for at least 3/4 of the year. Today - blue skies, which means I got to wear my Raybans. (Celebration!) I dressed for church - blue sweater, swingy black skirt, high heels and my cool sunglasses. When Emma saw me, she said "just a sec" and ran to her room. She returned dressed in pink for church - pink dress, pink stockings, pink shoes, pink sweater and pink sunglasses with Elmo on the bridge. She posed for me, styling. Guess they do learn more from observation...... (2) Comments

Posted: 1/13/2008 4:49:10 PM

Adventure: Eagles, swans and sound

None of the photos in this blog were taken by me.... The girls and I went on an adventure today. Living on Puget Sound in Washington State - I've tried to visit most of the islands and Olympic pennisula. I've tried to go to the San Juan Islands many times - but haven't gotten there yet, as you have to travel by ferry to get to the islands. We missed the ferry to the San Juans by only 10 minutes! So, like we've done the last three times we've tried to go to the San Juans, but didn't make it according to the ferry schedule - we headed south to Whidbey Island. To get to Whidbey, you cross a bridge from the mainland to Fildago Island (where Anacortes is). Then you cross another incredible bridge at Deception Pass that connects Fildago to Whidbey. Whidbey Island is the second longest island in the US. On our trip we passed through Skagit Valley which was filled with wintering Trumpeteer Swans. Trumpeteer Swans are the largest of all waterfowl and can have up to an 8-foot wingspan. These birds are so beautiful. Fields were full of them. Flocks were flying in the sky. We saw hundreds upon hundreds of these huge, white, graceful birds. We hiked down to the shore at Deception Pass, where the water flows between Fildago and Whidbey Islands. We visited Camp Casey and the old military base farther south on the island. One of the rocky beaches was piled high with driftwood. Emma and I used the long logs as balancing beams. This is a prefect representation of the beaches and logs and weather today! The driftwood is almost perfect for log-running! On a snag nearby we saw a huge bald eagle. We were able to get within about 30 feet from him before he took flight. I find it amazing though, how wild bird numbers are flourishing again. As a child I was told that my children may never see a bald eagle, as they were endangered and were facing extinction. With the ban on DDT, my children have seen many bald eagles in their life, as well as peregrine falcons and other birds that were threatened. We rode the ferry over to Mulkiteo for our way home. Emma and I rode on the bow, our hair whipping in the wind, trying to steady ourselves as the ferry hit significant waves, feeling like we were flying with the seagulls above us who kept pace with the speed of the ferry while in the amber-light of sunset. What a glorious day. What a glorious world. (4) Comments

Posted: 1/12/2008 8:02:43 PM

The Office: Post-traumatic

I went to a workplace violence meeting yesterday. I found myself getting upset in the middle of it. It stated all the behaviors that we should be concerned about, and report, if seen in the workplace. My former accountant showed almost ALL of them for more than a year, getting more and more disturbingly scary over time. And even though I reported it - they did nothing, for more than a year. After she was finally removed from the office, I was told that she could return at any time - even after she threatened me and was so crazy that she said I was trying to murder her. I was told that they considered a "personal" matter and of minimal risk. And even though it was minimal (?!?!?!?!)- a county judge gave me a three year, 500-yard restraining order?!?!?!?!!?! I still get post-traumatic stress symptoms. So does my office manager. But then we stop - and realize - every thing is really good right now. It really is a good place to work. Everyone is kind and respectful and hardworking. They do their jobs. They cooperate. I'm grateful. I'm still recovering. But, I'm improving. (0) Comments

Posted: 1/10/2008 11:01:34 PM

Simple Pleasures?

Every morning I have a hard time getting out of bed. I'm an early riser for the most part, but for the last week or so - it is torture. Why? My bed is so comfortable. I bought a really good mattress about four years ago. We turn the thermostat down low at night so the air is cool. Then we cover ourselves with a down comforter. The down traps a perfect amount of heat - just right - a cocoon of comfort so perfect. A simple pleasure. It is interesting to me that the most glorious experiences in life are that simple. A whiff of sweet flower in the air. The breath before a kiss. The softness of a baby's skin. A shared smile between strangers. What are your simple pleasures? (4) Comments

Posted: 1/9/2008 1:30:51 AM

Anniversary

Today is my ninth wedding anniversary. It is amazing to me to think. i call my husband my "new" husband. I refer to us as newlyweds ever so often. I always think of this as something we've just started and trying to figure out. I was married to my first husband 10 1/2 years - of which nearly the last year was living apart. That is so weird for me to think - my second marriage is almost as long as the first. ----------------------- I really like my husband right now. He has been kind and tender. When people ask me how my Christmas was, I say I got a new husband. I feel like I did. ------------------------ We were going to go to lunch together today but my noon meeting lasted too long. He's at work tonight. He promised a little action when he got home. I'm not counting on it. I know he'll probably be tired. Even so, the house is clean. Candles are lit. Fresh linens are on the bed. I'm in the white, lace negligee he loves - when I wear it he says I look like an angel. I'm just happy to be with him and be seen by him. (2) Comments

Posted: 1/9/2008 12:52:13 AM

Feels like Sunday night

I did so much work since yesterday afternoon that it feels like tomorrow morn should be Monday. I did a week's worth plus of shopping on Friday afternoon, vaccumed my car this morning, took a week's worth of lunches to work, helped my newsroom staff move furniture, put away all the Christmas decorations at home, moved the computer back to the downstairs office, and planted some bulbs for inside the house. And I dyed my hair. I'm so glad that I have a full day tomorrow to deep clean the bathroom and kitchen, and organize all my clothes! Whoo hoo! Well, hubby just got home with Oregon strawberry Tillamook ice cream (the best ice cream in the world). It is worth breaking my New Year's diet! (0) Comments

Posted: 1/5/2008 11:18:20 PM

Snoring in Yoga

My newsroom staff did a retreat today. The very first part of it was doing a yoga class. I was the old lady in the group - everyone else is much younger than I, but I tried hard to keep up. At the end of the yoga class we stretched by using the wall. We laid on the floor, with our bottoms perpendicular against the wall and our legs climbing the wall. Kind of like this.... Then, we were supposed to find the most comfortable position we could to relax. I did relax. I fell asleep. I woke myself up a couple of times by snoring. I've decided from now on if I am fighting insomnia I will sleep with my legs above my head... (2) Comments

Posted: 1/5/2008 12:49:35 AM

I studied for the test....

And it came back negative. Whew. I'm not pregnant. ----------------------- We didn't want to know the gender of our baby (now Emma) when we were pregnant six years ago. If it was a boy Lucius Truck - and we'd call him Luke or Truck. I know, weird name - but my hubby played college and semi-pro basketball - and he wanted to name our son after Truck Robinson. Even years later - ever so often - my husband and I will hold up baby boy clothes and say, "Truck." It is like we have this baby out there that never made it to our familiy. My hubby wasn't pleased when he found out I was pregnant with Emma, but after the initial pouting, he really was unbelievably supportive. He made good meals for me, pampered me, made sure I exercised, went to childbirth classes with me, rubbed my back. I was really happy when we were pregnant together. I had never felt so loved in my entire life as I did during those few months. Even so - I'm feeling very much relieved right now. I will have grandbabies sometime in the next five to ten years - and I can wait. (1) Comments

Posted: 1/4/2008 9:00:14 PM

Employee's dream of me pregnant

My closest employee - the assistant director who has been my friend for more than 12 years - had a dream on his Christmas vacation that I was pregnant and had a baby. He saw how white my face was this morning and was worried about me. When I told him my scare - he told me his dream. He said he'd sit with me while wait for the results of the test. ------------------ My oldest daughter pointed out she is 21 almost 22. I joked with her that if I am pregnant we can have a real Mormon wedding. JOKE: How do you know it is a Mormon wedding? ANSWER: The mother of the bride is pregnant. Sheesh. (0) Comments

Posted: 1/4/2008 4:29:50 PM

Pregnant?

I feel like I'm pregnant. I noticed the other day that my breasts are super-super sensitive and tender. I've been more and more tired each day this last week. This morning I had a hard time shaking the need to vomit. I don't think I am. If I am - it was much like Emma's conception - close to a miracle. When you have sex only once every couple months (if that often) the odds are not in your favor. On top of it, I have an IUD with pregesterone - so the effectiveness is like 99.9%. Maybe I'm just highly premenstrual. Thing is, I hardly have periods anymore due to the pregesterone from the IUD. I only get a little spotting for a few days. ------------- I'm 40. My hubby is 55. He didn't get the job in California. I'm the main provider. His total salary this year was $12,000 - which is $12,000 more than he has made in a year for most of our marriage. I get baby hungry all the time. I love being pregnant, I love giving birth, I love nursing babies. But, there is no way that I could handle having a baby AND be the main provider AND run the business AND build a retirement for two because he has none AND I'll have three kids in college next year AND there was so much I wanted to do this year with hiking, sailing, kayaking, etc., etc. Oh please..... -------------- When I found out I was pregnant with Emma, my husband wouldn't speak to me for almost two days. The first day we were at church, I had to teach a lesson for a marriage class for Sunday School, and he's telling me while he doesn't believe in abortion - he felt it was my choice. (I had no desire for an abortion.) He also told me he didn't know if he would stay married to me and almost left. (Irony - I was the main provider. He wasn't working AT ALL at the time.) The next day was my birthday. I got fed up by the end of the day and said, "Abandonment is abandonment - whether physical or emotional. So why don't you leave now so I don't have to pay your bills anymore." By morning - he became the most amazing husband to a pregnant woman ever. (5) Comments

Posted: 1/4/2008 10:53:48 AM

Ubu: Invitation

Getting in with the dog park group is quite a feat. For the first six weeks of regularly going to the dog park - none of the regulars would do more than make eye contact with me. Then they would say hello. After a few months I was included in conversations. In October I was invited to a party, but couldn't attend. At Christmas there was a party, but I wasn't invited. I wondered if I offended someone.... But today - today I was invited to coffee! It was wonderful hanging out with these ladies just visiting without the dogs there to interrupt us. I went to work almost an hour late today - but that's okay! It was worth it! (4) Comments

Posted: 1/3/2008 8:41:33 PM

Adventure: Grrrr. Tiger Mountain

My faithful companion Ubu and I hiked Tiger Mountain today. It is a three mile fairly steep hike to the viewpoint. We had to turn around a little less than a mile from the top because I didn't have the kind of shoes necessary to handle the ice. Here's Ubu. Isn't he beautiful? His long nose comes from his mommy, who was half-border collie. It was a good hike. Kicked my butt. Coming down, while not as trying aerobically, was still pretty hard on my knees and bum ankle. It was much slower coming down than I expected. Ubu literally pulled me up the mountain, but coming down I had to be careful not to turn my ankle. (There are three torn ligaments in my left ankle from the car wreck and so I have to be very careful or my foot will flip.) I know that my knees, ankle and general health will improve as I do this more and more. Okay - so now I'm gonna shower - then curl up in the softest robe in the world and watch a movie on my lap top. Whoo hoo! I get the best of both worlds today.... Thanks to those encouraging me to do the hike today! I really needed it and it is a good beginning to the BEST YEAR! Happy New Year! (1) Comments

Posted: 1/1/2008 4:12:07 PM

Health: While the rest of you nurse hangovers.

Okay. Today is January 1. First day of the New Year. I'm planning on going on a 5+-mile hike with over a 2,000+foot gain with Ubu. To be honest - staying on the couch, watching movies on my lap top, while wearing the softest robe in world sounds much more tempting right at this moment. But, I should start the year off right, right? Okay - while most of you are nursing hangovers.... Ubu and I are going to hit the trail. (3) Comments

Posted: 1/1/2008 10:33:40 AM

War: Making the long commitment

I attended an editorial board meeting the day after our forces began bombing Afghanistan in 2001. As part of the voice for the newspaper - four of us discussed what our position would be as we attempted to formulate an opinion. I was about four months pregnant at the time, and began crying in front of my colleagues - all male. I couldn't help but think of the women holding their children and trying to calm them as the bombs rain down, the disruption in their lives, death, destruction, devastation. I hate war. There is no glory. But, if there is war - and I stated this loudly in this meeting - and state it loudly now - we need to realize what we are getting into. War is a long commitment - a commitment that needs to be followed to the end or lives are lost in vain. What happened in Kuwait was not a war. It was a politial action.... War doesn't last a week. The Seven Days War is STILL going on Israel - and that started before I was born! People went to picnic at Bull Run believing the Civil War would be one battle - but instead it claimed nearly 700,000. Did you get that number? 700,000 - and that's only with canons and rifles. Americans, because we have not faced the horror of war on our own soil for 130 years, have no concept what a war is. We make the movie Troy - which is about a war that lasted 10 years - and make it look like it was only a week. Hmmmm? If we go to war - we need to be there until there is stability. We need to rebuild the country so that we make an Allie. We need to be sure that everything is in place for democracy to flourish. We spent more time occupying Japan and Germany than we did fighting in WWII. THAT'S THE REALITY!!!! We don't go in - bomb - and leave. War protestors talk about how we are fighting the Iraqis. This war isn't about fighting Iraqis - it is about fighting FOR Iraqis. Dictators, like Saddam, can build a sense of stability through incredible fear. But, I for one, cannot imagine living in fear and paranoia everyday - worried that if I speak my opinion freely that I will be imprisioned or killed, unable to work and support my family, or see my family imprisioned, tortured and killed. That is a reality in this world. That was the Soviet Union, the Eastern block, and much of Europe - before, during and after WWII and through the cold war; that is what is happening in dictatorships in Africa and theocracies in the Middle East. I abhor the erosion of our civil rights with the fearmongering of the current administration. But I also abhor the lack of responsibility of the left-wing to abandon the people of Iraq that we need to serve, and the vilifying of the troops who are there working hard to establish peace and democracy. I am grateful for the ability to speak my mind, to be able to vote, to criticize my government -- and I wish the same to all people in this world! While I HATE war - I am grateful to those men and women, and their families, who are willing to face the horror and loss and repercussions of war to serve our brothers and sisters who live far away from us. (1) Comments

Posted: 12/30/2007 12:54:08 PM

Health: Help me Choose!

There are two activities I'm considering doing January 1st. Both would ring in the new year in a good way for me: as my major resolutions are about getting outside, meeting new people, being active and getting fit. The First: Polar Bear Swim. Yeah. Brrr. Cold. Swim in cold lake in the Northwest where the lakes rarely get warm even in the summertime. I've always wanted to do a polar bear swim. Seriously considering it. The Second: Hike to the top of Tiger Mountain with Ubu. It is a 2.6 mile hike to the top in wet, cool, muddy conditions. It sounds little strenuous and I'd be pushing myself. But, I can do it if I tried. (I can do anything if I try.) I don't know anyone who is going - I'd be meeting people then and there. What do you think? What should I do? (3) Comments

Posted: 12/29/2007 8:51:29 PM

Marriage: Sweetest Christmas

I have to say this was probably the "sweetest" Christmas. My hubby really got into the spirit this year. He did the 12 days of Christmas for me - with little silly gifts of food or toys. He bought all the naughty foods I like - like seafood salad, and soft cheeses. And then the gifts under the tree were pure thoughtfulness. He got me the softest robe in the world, a down lap comforter and a bag of Dove chocolates. His thinking - when I get home from work I just want to get naked, run around in my robe and cozy up. He said he wanted me to do it in comfort. This is a man who NEVER gets me gifts. So, I'm looking at him, who is this man, where is my husband, and can you stay forever? It's been quiet this year. I only have two of my kids - the youngest and oldest. No company. Just hanging out and being casual - and it was WONDERFUL. Good Christmas.... (1) Comments

Posted: 12/26/2007 11:28:51 AM

Newblog: O Little Town of Newblog....

Merry Christmas everyone. I was just ruminating over everything that has gone in the last few days. Newblog people taking offense, running to the defense, apologies, and a sense of congeniality. That's why I love this place. Not many of us have much in common - in reality. If we lived in the same town I wonder how many of us would hang out and/or check in on each other on a daily basis..... But we do here... I love you all. You all have good hearts. Pure hearts. And even if we disagree - it seems like we can resolve it - even when that means we agree to disagree. Living in a city, I sometimes feel a little lost and anonymous. I miss my little town where every one knows one another.... Thank you for being my little town. MERRY CHRISTMAS! (9) Comments

Posted: 12/25/2007 1:57:44 AM

Newblog: WHO WON???????

I'm dying to know. Who won the snowball fight? Lotus and Saved1 did a great job tossing the white stuff. I almost found graphics to toss as well (and I NEVER do that kind of stuff). Thanks you two, for making Newblog fun. (0) Comments

Posted: 12/24/2007 1:56:59 AM

Ubu: I love him

I met Ubu nearly a year ago. We were in Moab for the holidays; my oldest daughter preparing to move to the Northwest with me. She told me she wanted a dog. We called the local Humane Society about a puppy named Luna (seriously) who was a border collie/labrador mix. She was taken, but she had a brother that was being kept at the county horse stables. (They were part of a litter of 10 puppies....) We drove out and there he was. Pure sweetness. The next day we hit the road for a two day drive to our home in the Northwest. He almost died from Parvo two months later. I'm so grateful he is still alive. Ubu wakes up happy every morning. He is pure excitement, dancing in anticipation, anxious to go to the dog park. I love these morning walks to Lake Washington. I love the mist, the cold prick of rain on my face, feeling the warmth of the sun rise, watching the otters swim and bald eagles hunt. I love hearing the jingle of his tags as he runs, his every ready presence when I whistle the two notes he knows, his easy going play with the other dogs, his competitive nature when a ball is thrown. He knows his commands and responds promptly: Sit, lie down, roll over, shake, high five, drop, stay, inside, outside, up. We're working on "get it" as he has a tendency to forget his toys. I've read about a border collie that knew 250 words. He knows his best friend "gracie" and looks for her when he hears her name. We're working on all the family members, and the names of his toys. He is known as the bouncing dog. Everyone asks if he is hard to manage at home due to his high energy. But no. He follows me from room to room, sure. But otherwise, he lies at my feet. Or when the hubby is gone , he snuggles close to me when I lie in bed or sit on the couch. He is always ready for adventure and travel. A great companion. This year - I will get a pair of rollerskates so I can keep up with him on the trail. We will hike and camp. We will run the river together. I love my dog. (0) Comments

Posted: 12/23/2007 8:30:04 PM