Are You Happy With What You're Doing?

Dick and I took the grandkids to see Michael Cooper last night. Michael is a character mime and he puts on mini-skits using paper mache' heads / hats that he has made. When I bought the tickets I had second thoughts about taking the grandkids - thinking that he might be over their head. Boy was I wrong. In fact, I think he caters more to the kids than the adults in the audience. Dylan sat on the edge of his seat for the whole performance and really got "into" the audience participation. I laughed more watching his reaction to the stories; it was great! You can visit Michael Cooper's web site at www.themaskedmarvel.com.

His story is fascinating (I couldn't imagine my 15 year old coming to me and saying that he wants to be a mime when he grows up) and he makes all of the masks he uses from scraps and paper mache'. He also makes all of his costumes. He has a wonderful message for kids - and adults - that you don't need a lot of $$ to be creative and that you need to be happy in whatever you're doing.

Dylan and Aubree are spending the weekend and tonight we're watching Open Season II in the Sheehan Theatre. It always amazes me how sometimes they get along so well and other times they fight like cats and dogs. This is a good weekend :) Guess I'd better go make the popcorn - I can smell it already!

Now I Remember ...

Now I remember why I don't like to paint - it's a lot of WORK!

It took me a week to work up to clearing my grandson's room out so that it could be painted. After two days of scraping off the old Noah's Ark border off, I needed the rest of the week to rest up LOL. So yesterday I got the paint brushes / rollers out, hauled the ladder in, and tried to remember where I put the paint I bought two months ago. See, I've been thinking about this project for a long time!

And once I started, I really remembered why I don't like to paint! It's the prep work ... and trimming in the corners and edges ... and forgetting to put the paint tarp under you so now you have a few blue paint spots to clean off of a semi-white berber carpet. Maybe I can cover them up with some of the white paint from the other walls. And .... then I pulled the tape off of the wall and a big chunk of blue paint came with it!

Oh yeah, and then there's the whole "clean up the mess you've made" thing. Now I just have to get it put back together so he has a place to sleep this weekend.

Now it looks so new and fresh, at least it was a small room. And one benefit I won't have to hear my grandson say for the bizzilionith time "I thought you were going to paint my bedroom?"

Happy sleeping Dylan ... Love GmaJo

Some Things You'd Rather NOT Remember

I was talking with my sister Judy tonight and she reminded me of some things that should really be forgotten, and as she reminded me she was laughing! Like the time her daughter Lynn, who was probably 6 or 7 at the time and I was about 16 or 17 , went with me to pick up a pizza. I don't remember the incident - I think it must be a repressed memory - but during the conversation this very angelic youngster looked at whoever I was talking to in the restaurant and very innocently said "don't worry, she's just horny."
This same niece saw Santa Claus walking into a liquor store once and demanded to know why he was going in there. I simply told her that he was probably picking up the beer that was on someones Christmas wish list.

Of course my sister always delights in telling anyone who will listen about the time she took me to the movies in downtown Colorado Springs. I was probably 4 or 5 and she was 14 or 15. We were walking back to our folks restaurant, waiting to cross the street. Evidently I didn't want to go to the restaurant so I started stomping my little cowboy booted feet and yelling "shit, shit, shit" at the top of my lungs. I think I must be lucky that I still have my arms LOL.

She reminded me that we must come by our embarrassing moments naturally - like from our mother who was notorious for wetting her pants in unusual places. Judy recalled a time that she and mom were getting off the bus to walk the rest of the way home, when mom grabbed a light pole and wet her pants. I remember a couple of other times - once when we put my niece Michelle on one of those 10 cent pony rides and mom laughed so hard she peed, or the other time when we were out on a fishing boat for the first time with my son Sean, who was about 3 at the time. His dad and grandpa were trying to convince him to pee over the side of the boat and when he finally did, mom was laughing so hard she fell off the boat seat and wet her pants. Mom's no longer around to defend herself, but I'm sure she'd laugh at the reminders - we'd just be prepared this time!

Or then there was the time I walked into a plate glass window in downtown Colorado Springs and got a bloody nose, or the time my brother-in-law Don walked right through the screen door at their house.

How about the time that my friends Sandy, Marty and I were driving around in Sandy's VW late at night (drinking no doubt) and decided to drive into one of the city parks. We had parked the VW and got out, and here came the Park Patrol.

Patrolman Zunich - "What are you doing out here son?"
Marty - "I just broke up with my girlfriend and needed a place to think."
Patrolman Zunich - "Son, don't you know girls are like buses - there's one along every 15 minutes."

Sandy and I were laughing so hard, I'm surprised he couldn't hear us.

OK, one more and then I'm done. Sean was in preschool and I went to pick him up one day. He was sitting in the corner and told me I had to talk with teacher before he could get up. The teacher then informed me that Sean has been a "potty mouth" and I said "no shit" and she said "that's exactly what he said!" Boy was I embarrassed, but as you can see from above - what goes around comes around.

I'm sure that there are many more forgettable (but not regrettable) incidents, and I'm sure that most of them involved spirits of one kind or another. But boy did we sure have fun! Use the comment box to share some of your forgettable memories .....

Finally - Sunshine!

Just what was that beautiful orange glow in the sky today? Oh yeah, the sun, I remember. After two weeks of inversion and fog, I think we're finally out of the gloom!

I just had to share this little guy's pic. Doesn't he look like he's saying "but Mom, I don't wanna eat my vegies." If you have a better caption please leave it on the comments.

By the way, if you want to leave a comment scroll down to the bottom of the current blog, click on the "comments" and write your comment in the box. Then click on the "comment as" box and scroll down to Name/URL. Put your name in, hit continue, and then post your comment.

Carlos will be back on Monday to seal the tile in the basement and we'll be ready to move furniture back in. It looks so nice. I guess this means that I need to get my butt in gear and finish painting my grandson's room so I can get all of his furniture out of the guest room/granddaughter's room. Well, now you know we have a guest room and yes you're welcome to come and visit a spell.

I completed another jewelry set today, one that I had been working on in my class. I did the necklace over three times before I was finally happy with it but think it turned out pretty nice. Now I'm starting on a birthday project for my granddaughter Aubree, who will be 11 this month.

Beading is really fun, but I can see where it also could get really expensive. But then, what hobby isn't expensive? We had some friends,m Ted & Julie, over for dinner tonight. Ted's hobby is model trains and they're converting one of the bays in their garage into his train room! Julie does stamping. Leave a comment and tell me what your favorite hobbies are.

Until tomorrow .... J

Those Were the Days My Friend(s)

We thought they'd never end

We'd sing and dance forever and a day

We'd live the life we'd choose ,we'd fight and never lose

For we were young and sure to have our way ....

Once upon a time, there was a tavern where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours,think of all the great things we would do

Then, the busy years went rushing by us, we lost our starry notions on the way

If, by chance, I'd see you in the tavern, we'd smile at one another and we'd say

Just tonight, I stood before the tavern, nothing seemed the way it used to be

In the glass, I saw a strange reflection was that lonely woman really me?

Through the door, there came familiar laughter, I saw your face and heard you call my name
Oh, my friend, we're older but no wiser, for in our hearts, the dreams are still the same

We remember it as being sung by Mary Hopkins, but it was originally written by a Russian by the name of Boris Fomin in the early 1900's. Funny how those lyrics apply from generation to generation.

My DIL was talking about how certain songs bring back memories. It is funny how you can hear a song and all of a sudden you're right there, with the person(s), and every little detail of the moment is just as clear as if it just happened. I don't think that pictures conjure up distinct memories like a song does.

Help by the Beatles always reminds me of driving with friends to see a Herman's Hermits concert in Denver or if I hear Benny and the Jets I'm immediately transported to a week in Florida with my niece Melia. And White Rabbit brings up the memories of Marty Sekulic and his wild parties where he played Czechoslovakian marching music, while Cherish reminds me of a love in my life. Then there was an annoying kid in Junior High who kept calling me and singing Teen Angel. That's a song I don't care if I ever hear again. Fun, Fun, Fun ALWAYS reminds me of the A&W my parents owned, especially since a red t-bird was the first car I learned to drive, and yes there were times I told my dad I was driving it to the library.

I wonder what it is about the emotions of a song that take you right back there? Does music mean the same to men as it does to women? Do guys actually remember the song that was playing on the car radio during that first kiss? Or do they associate a song with what was on the radio when they were working on their '49 Ford in the garage? Maybe it's just a chick thing.

When I hear Take Me Out to the Ballpark I can smell popcorn and fresh mown grass, the National Anthem always brings tears to my eyes, and I want bagpipe music at my wake.

I still listen to a lot of 60's music, Jimmy Buffett and Santana are two of my all time favorites, and I love jazz and blues. Well, I think I'll go get a cup of tea and curl up with a good book and music. Why don't you join me?

Are You Counting Your Blessings?

I woke this morning to a fresh layer of snow on the ground. I wish I could say that it was "sparkling like diamonds" but we've still got the grey skies with us.

Our basement has been torn up all week while we have the carpet taken out and tile laid. It's been very noisy at times and the dust from cutting the tile is everywhere. Carlos, our tile guy, always comes in with a smile on his face, turns his boombox to his favorite Mexican station and sings and/or whistles the whole time he works. I'm going to miss him when he's gone. I can't remember a single time that I ever went to work and sang all day.

We've always been told to "count our blessings" but most of us tend to focus on the "problems" that we perceive are ours. Dick and I are very fortunate to be in the position that we're in right now. We both worked hard all of our lives and, through luck and good jobs, ended up being able to retire early and hopefully enjoy the next 30 or so years. Gosh that sounds like such a long time, especially when I think back 30 years. I can remember when Sean was young he always said that he would take care of me when he got older - by sending me to Florida! That doesn't sound like such a bad idea right now.

I finished my first full beading project today. I'm enjoying it but at the same time it can be so frustrating. Some of those beads are just so darn tiny and let's just say that my eyesight isn't what it used to be LOL :) Thank goodness for magnifying lights!

As I head off to bed I'm counting my blessings - each and every one of you is a blessing to me.

Way Back When

WOW - Way back when - they called these "journals" or "diaries" and they weren't meant to be shared with anyone, just your own thoughts to be hidden away. My sweet DIL (daughter-in-law) Lisa actually inspired me to start this one. I enjoy reading her ramblings and hearing her thoughts on everyday life. I hope that my blog is as interesting as hers - cept from an "much older" point of view of course.

I retired last October, looking forward to sleeping in, spending time with my hubby, not having to drive to work in the snow, and traveling. I do admit that there are days that I go stir crazy in the house and use any excuse to go shopping, even if it's to run down the street for a gallon of milk at 8:00 at night! These dreary days of winter with no sunshine - I'm so looking forward to Spring. I know it's just around the corner because there are violets blooming in my backyard - no kidding!

I.m taking beading classes at the Nampa Rec Center. I have had one class so far, and another tonight, and I'm afraid I'm already hooked! I hope you like jewelry because I'm pretty sure anyone I know will inevitably be the proud owner of an original Gma Jo piece. I was so proud of myself today, stringing together three strands of beads for a necklace. Then, just like in the movies, there were beads all over the place. Oops, forgot to tape one end of the wire to keep them from coming off! LOL After crawling around on the floor picking up pearls, facets, and umteen teeny tiny seed beads, Dick thought we should get our grandson Dylan to come help pick up the mess. All I tthought was how dusty the kitchen floor was!

Well;, off to learn more about beading and perhaps save someone else from my mistake.