Going Home .... Summer 2009

It's always fun going back "home" but not quite as nice as coming back "home," if ya know what I mean! I recently took a trip back to Colorado Springs for my 40th High School Reunion - actually 41st but we called it the Late Great 40th.

In 1968 my graduating class had about 600 students and there was no way one could possibly know them all. Some you hung around with, some you knew because of the various activities they were in, and some you knew due to their reputation (go figure). What amazes me is even though I live in Idaho and seldom see or speak to my two BFFs, when we get together it's like we've never been apart.

I left Colorado in 1979 and moved to Idaho with my husband and then 3-month old son. I remember being so upset above leaving - I had a great job, a new baby, a house I liked, grandparents close by - and my husband says "Let's move to Idaho." WHAT???? He was raised in Boise, had relatives there, and the promise of a decent job. I have to admit, it took me several years to "get over" this upheaval in my life.

Now I wouldn't move back there for all the tea in China - too many people, too much traffic, and I absolutely love Idaho. It's been a great place to raise our son, and now watch our grandkids grow up here. I love my house and watching the storms come in over the Owyhee Mountains from our back deck.

I'll always have fond memories of Colorado, and a reason to visit with my family and friends there, and will try to visit often now that I'm retired. I also want to take my grandkids there so they, too, can enjoy the beauty of Colorado. Enjoy the photos.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We The People Stimulus Package

I'm not usually a "political" person but this message is too good to pass up. I totally agree with everything he is saying and I plan on sending in my "teabags" to my representatives in Congress. I hope you will too!

Wasson High 40th Reunion - Class of 1968

40+ years - it seems impossible. Just yesterday, I was a teenager walking the halls of Roy J. Wasson High School in Colorado Springs. This weekend, I had the opportunity to walk those halls again at our "Fashionably Late But Great -- Our 40th for 68" Reunion. Wow - what a lot of memories were floating in those hallways! It's true, I couldn't remember where my locker was or which classrooms I had been in for sure but everywhere I turned there were memories. Most of them good - great friends, good teachers, and fun times; but also those of the sophomore history class I had to take in my senior year - and the coach who finally gave up and passed me just to get me out of there LOL. To this day every time I drive my car I hear the words of my Driver Ed Teacher, John Alderton, saying "check over your shoulder, check your mirrors at least every 10 seconds, and stop far enough back to be able to see the tires of the cars in front of you!" I got my first speeding ticket on the last day of high school! I don't remember him ever saying anything about speeding.....

Ah yes, those great high school years! Fall football games, standing around the fire at woodsies, cruising between Garth's and J's Drive-In, Manitou Springs, Junior Prom, Senior Prom, my '49 Ford, Sandy's Volkswagen, being "queen" at the speedway .... Ah yes .... and then there were the boys ....

I flew into Denver on Thursday, rented a car, met my girlfriend Sandy, and we drove to Colorado Springs for our 40th high school reunion. We stayed at Clark's Bed & Breakfast (aka my sister's house) on Thursday and Friday night. We spent the day on Friday touring town, spending money in Manitou Springs, and talking about all the good and bad times we had during our "formative" years in school.

On Saturday we switched to the Marriott where our reunion was being held so we wouldn't have to drive far after a night of "wild" partying with our classmates. There we met our good friend Linda Worthey who was joining us for our "jammie" party and wild partying LOL. We started the party in our room - Sandy had filled the sink with ice, where we had wine, malt beverages, and champagne on ice. The ice machine was out on our floor, so we made several trips down one flight for enough to fill the sink LOL. We were joined by Shirley Smith and Lance Newcomer and made our way downstairs to the official party room.

So many familiar and unfamiliar faces. Out of a graduating class of 577, there were approximately 70 classmates and their spouses on hand to celebrate. I must say that most everyone has held up pretty well over the past 40 years and some even looked better than high school! I wish I had Dana Swanson's energy!!!

It was great to see everyone and hear the different versions of what they perceived had happened at various events through the high school years. My, I thought we were all at the same party but to hear the stories I guess we weren't really LOL! Linda, Sandy and I called it a night about 11:30, but we heard the bar didn't shut down until after 2:00 AM. Don't know how they did it!

Sunday some of us met at Wasson and did a self-tour of the school. Not much had changed in 40 years. It was fun to look at the hall of fame for the athletes, the memorials for Gib Funk and Sheryl Snyder, and the cafeteria looked much smaller than I remembered it! From there we moved to the Visitor Center in the Garden of the Gods for lunch. More schmoozing and tall tales, friendships established and renewed, a sudden down pour, and the weekend came to an end all too soon!

I hope you enjoy the photos and I'm looking forward to 2013 for our 45th Reunion.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

July 2009 Sun Valley Road Trip

What a fun weekend we had with friends and members of the Idaho Cobra Club.

Dick & Jo, Wayne & Victoria, Steve & Sue, Darren & Traci met at the Perkins on Federal Way for a bite of breakfast before heading out on an adventure to Sun Valley through Stanley and back to Boise. We were joined by Stan Moss, who drove with us for a short ways.

A little five card poker along the way broke up the drive into smaller segments. We made brief stops in Mountain Home, Fairfield, reststop at the junction going to Sun Valley, and then received our last card when we got into Ketchum. Deuces wild - and the high hand was a straight held by Wayne & Victoria.

After check in, we split up and two couples went to see Hemmingway's grave and the other two went to take a nap! LOL. It was a very hot ride going up - in the high 90's in Ketchum. Just trying to justify the "nap." We all met later and went to Chapala's for dinner, then it was back to the hotel for some good conversation and a little imbibing.

We spent the night at the AmericInn in Ketchum. Very nice facility but unfortunately Dick & I had some rowdies next door to us who partied until around 3:00 AM.

Sunday morning we all met in the lobby for breakfast and hit the road, after some mechanical difficulties (see photos), around 10:30 am. It was a beautiful ride to Stanley - hot but at least there were trees to look at! We stopped in Stanley to partake in the Mountain Mama Craft Fair - great ice cream! Darren & Traci left us here as they had to get home so Darren could go to work.

Once we left Stanley we headed for Idaho City to eat lunch at Trudy's Restaurant. It was a very long drive for Dick and I as we had some fuel issues (no we didn't run out of gas) and the car kept cutting out on curves. If you've ever driven that road, you'd know that that's all there is - CURVES! We made it into Idaho City, fixed our problem, ate lunch, and were on our way once more.

The rest of the trip was uneventful (think goodness) and we arrived home safe and sound around 5:30 PM. It was a fun trip and great to get to know these people better. Victoria is a hoot! Steve holds his liquor really well! Wayne is a great mechanic! Sue is a saint for putting up with Steve LOL, and Darren (NOT Eric) and Traci are a sweet couple.

Enjoy the photos....

Make a Smilebox slideshow

WHAT A MOON RISE !!

Goodnight from Nampa, Idaho .....

I just had to share these photos with you. I just stepped out on to our back deck and took these pictures of the moon rising. It looks so surreal ....

HOT WEEKEND!

Whew - we just spent the weekend at Motorfest 2009 here in Boise. We had planned on going to Thunder Hill in California to do some racing but we're still playing catch up from our sojourn and decided to stay home.

It was a great way to spend the 4th of July weekend, with 890+ other car owners and a bizillion motor enthuasists. Saturday it was 101 but cooled down to 90 on Sunday. We displayed our vehicles with the newly formed Idaho Cobra Club. One member, Steve Taylor, earned the sponsor award from A & W with his absolutely gorgeous copper colored Factory Five Cobra.

I really was looking forward to running my Mustang in the Hole Shots but it seems that I have a small bolt or oil plug that worked its way out and into the oil pan, so I don't have the maximum amount of oil pressure that I should have. Back to the shop we go, ho ho....

Hope y'all are having a great summer!

Home At Last

Wow what a trip. We had so much fun seeing our great country and making new friends everywhere we went. Dick drove the RV 6,653 miles and I put another 3,780 miles on the car. We visited 41 cities in 23 states and the District of Columbia.



We enjoyed it so much that we have decided to start spending our winters in Tucson (in 2010) and traded in our single slide 1997 American Eagle for a 2004 quad slide Beaver coach. Lots more room and not so many worries about constant RV repairs.






We're going to take her out on her maiden voyage the 9th of July, spending some time in McCall, Idaho with our friends Ted & Julie Thornton.

We're back into the swing of things at home. Harley is glad to be back and not have to be on a leash every time he goes outside! We did make a change to our animal kingdom in that Jack now is enjoying the company of Tobi, Al, little Al and Candace who love him. It just was not feasible to take both dogs in the motorhome with us. We know that he has a loving home and he stays in the family, so we'll get to see him often.

I'm getting back into my beading. Didn't have a lot of time (or room) on the road but we did visit a lot of bead shops along the way! I'm thankful for my patient husband. We converted one of the walk in closets in the basement into my new bead room and I think it's going to work out great. I painted it over the weekend and Dick put up shelves and a new desk top for my work surface. I'm anxious to get in there and bead now.

Speaking of which ...... color me gone downstairs LOL.

GONE FISHIN'

To those happy people who follow this blog, we've taken off on a sojourn across the United States.

Definition of a sojourn: to travel briefly or visit; rest, stay, stop, linger, nest, perch, roost, tarry, vacation ..... I LOVE all of these words.

If you're interested, you can follow our Trip Blog at the following URL. Leave me a message under comments here and I'll email you the password for the blog. Have a great Spring!

http://goodsamclub.mytripjournal.com/Sheehan_2009_Sojourn

Happy Trails ....

HERE I GO

I haven't been here for a few days - too busy beading up a storm and enjoying grandkids. I have my first craft show this weekend, so if you're in the area stop in and say hello. If you don't happen to be just a stone's throw - then wish me luck. I'm just printing out my sales list and can't believe that in just a short time I've put together 71 necklace, bracelet and earring sets, along with a host of other earrings, bracelets, bookmarks, zipper pulls, jean bling, etc.

I know that in this economy purchasing nice jewelry is not on the top of a priority list for most people, so even if I only sell a couple of items I'll be happy with the experience.

Where: Karcher Mall, Nampa, ID


When: Friday, March 27th, 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
Saturday, March 28th, 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sunday, March 29th, Noon to 6:00 pm

It's going to be a long weekend!

Here's my latest creation .... I call it "Earth - Prosperity."


Happy Trails ..... J

FRIDAY NIGHTS

Whoa .... remember Friday nights??? Couldn't wait for school to get out so you could meet up with your buds - whole weekend free. Remember: Keggers? Woodsies? Marty's parties? Dragging the Boulevard? Hangovers?

Whoa .... I'm spending the night at Sandy's house and she's spending the night with me!

Whoa .... Action at the local circle race track, shopping, talking about boys, hanging effigies on the water poles that stuck out over the roadway? Sneaking in the drive-in in the trunk of the car?


Whoa .... I'm spending the night at Linda's house and she's spending the night with me!


Whoa .... Running in the pouring rain, playing football in the median of Nevada Avenue, snowball fights??? Football games?


NOW .... Friday evening with The Dog Whisperer, glass of wine, 9:30 bedtime .... Whoa! What happened?


Happy Trails ....

Ides of March

Gosh, here it is March already. Where does the time go? Only 28 days and we leave on our sojourn across the United States. I can hardly wait, but there is still much to do. Dick has been working on the outside of the motorhome, waxing and installing a new tire sensor system, and I've been working on the inside, organizing cabinets and discovering storage spaces I didn't know we had. It's a little bit different knowing that you're going to be gone more than just a couple of weeks, and Dick keeps reminding me that we'll never be far from a store if we forget something!

What clothes to take will be the biggie for me. Anyone who knows me knows that I have two walk-in closets full of stuff. True, some of it doesn't fit me any more :( but it keeps hanging around thinking that I just might lose some weight - ha! I did filter out some of my good work clothes, passing them on to friends and family. And I've always said that I will be buried in my jeans, so what's so hard about getting rid of all the other stuff!!

If you're interested, I also have a travel blog set up for while we're on the road. Please email me and I'll send you a link to it.

I've been busy making jewelry and preparing for the upcoming craft show at the end of March. It's so hard to know what people are going to like and what kind of a price to put on items. I want to make them affordable for everyone but also make a little money to cover my expenses.

I really like to work with the turquoise - it is one of my favorite colors. It's so much fun to lay out a design and then change it three or four times before it becomes a creation. I think it might also be hard to part with some of these pieces of jewelry - but the good thing is - I can always make one just like it :)

On another note - I am just so pissed off. We had to close a credit card account because someone was using it to charge items on the internet. I usually go on line and check our statements once or twice a month and happened to notice two identical charges for $897 to a company I had never heard of. After checking the internet, I found that the charges were to one of those ink toner supply companies. I called the card company - which pissed me off again, having to go through all the "push this button for that" and speaking to three non-English speaking people, finally to find out that the card had also been used for other purchases that were denied.

Both of us still have the original card in our possession (although shredded now) and the only thing that we can figure out is that Dick used it to purchase a couple of items on the internet and someone picked the number up off of one of those transactions. Make sure that all of your connections are secure and you're on a secured server when you make purchases on line.

Thought for the day: In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm and three or more is a congress.-- John Adams

Happy trails .... Jo

Weekly Blogger

I've decided that I'm a "weekly" blogger. It's not that I don't have things to say, it's simply that I get too busy (har) with all those "retired" things like playing on the computer, beading, and shopping LOL!

I've been - you guessed it - busy making more jewelry but I've run across a problem. What the heck am I going to do with all these nice pieces of jewelry. I have made a few for family and friends, but that still leaves me with a passion for producing pretty items that don't like to be left sitting in dark jewelry boxes or mothball drawers. So .... I've gotten my Idaho sales tax license and will be in my first craft show on March 27, 28 and 29, at a local mall in Nampa. That means now I have to bead even more to have enough inventory on hand LOL. I'm hoping that with Mother's Day around the corner there will be a lot of interest. I am nervous about what people will think of my creations. It's hard to judge when you only have your husband, son and daughter-in-law to give you input as they all have very different tastes. It's not about making money but rather giving people the opportunity to purchase something nice at a reasonable price.

Here are a couple of the newest creations. I wish that the pictures did them justice, but they just don't.







My granddaughter Aubree turned 11 last Friday. It's so hard to believe she's growing up and turning into a young lady. It doesn't make me feel older, just makes me hope that I'm around long enough to see her go to college, get married, and have kids of her own. Guess I'd better get back on that exercise program.


Aubree Grace



Annoying Dad Sean




Really Annoying Brother Dylan



Happy Trails ..... J

Oh S--- !

There are days and then there are days ....

I spent the last hour and a half laying out a necklace pattern, strung it on my wire, and then bam ... I lost the end of it and had beads everywhere! I'm glad that I swept the floor yesterday, but it's still fun trying to find a hundred peach colored beads on a sort of peachy colored tile floor. And yes, I did say the S--- word - very loudly! Oh well there are some perks to retirement - I can start all over tomorrow :)

I finished a couple of other projects, tried my first watch band. I'm still not quite happy with the way it fits, but that's what's nice about doing it yourself. You can take it apart again and again until you like what you have. To bad life's not like that - ha!

We had a wonderful Valentine dinner at a restaurant called Copper Canyon. I've eaten at a lot of restaurants over the years, but I have to tell you this one is one of the best kept secrets in Nampa, Idaho. I think it has just become our favorite. I had the most mouth-watering filet mignon and lobster, and Dick had salmon, shrimp and scallops. We even splurged and split a dessert - a to-die-for chocolate lava cake. Must have been a million mouth watering calories in that dinner but it was worth every bite!

When proofreading this (which Dick says I need to do more of), I realized that I used a lot of exclamation points in this blog and it reminded me of a funny story. When Sean was about 6 we went to visit my folks in Colorado Springs. On the cabinet in the kitchen my mother had posted a very large note for my dad that said, "Don't forget to take your pills !!!" Sean read it and wanted to know if it meant grandma was yelling at grandpa because she used so many exclaim points.

Be careful how many "exclaim points" you use in your day :) Happy trails .... J

OLD AGE, I DECIDED, IS A GIFT

I'm not sure who to give credit to but I recently read this in an RV magazine. I hope it makes you smile - it did me ....

"I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometimes despair over my body...the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging rear side. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror, but I don't agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avant-garde on my patio. I am entitled to overeat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon, before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM, and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60's and if I, at the same time, need to weep over a lost love...I will.

I will walk the beach in a swimsuit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the bikini set. They, too, will get old!!

I know I am sometimes forgetful, but there again, some of life is just as well forgotten, and I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years, my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when a beloved pet gets hit by a car?

But, broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect. I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turn gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver. I can say "no" and mean it. I can say "yes" and mean it. As you get older it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. It just isn't any of my business what they think about me...

I don't question myself any more. I've even earned the right to be wrong!!

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been or worrying about what will be.

AND...I shall eat dessert every single day!!"

Passion vs Obsession

According to Websters:

PASSION: Strong liking or devotion to some activity ...

OBSESSION: Persistent disturbing preoccupation with an idea or feeling ...

Wow, it's been a few days since I've been here - blame it on my new passion or as my husband calls it "my obsession." I suppose he's just getting even with me for calling his Cobra "the red headed mistress." I think what I like about it most is the creativity and the instant gratification obtained when you complete a project.

I've been doing a lot of beading the last few days, searching eBay for good deals on pendants and other jewelry materials, perusing local bead shops, and printing off ideas for projects from the Internet and magazines.

My last beading class was Thursday and I was sorry to see it end. The instructor was great and the other six gals learning how to bead were a hoot. I think what I'll miss most is the "gal" conversations. Now that I have this new found passion for making jewelry, I'm either going to have to start wearing a lot, giving it away, or selling it. If you see anything you'd like me to make for you, send me a picture. Keep it simple tho - I'm not into the knotting or weaving and real fancy stuff yet.

I met with some friends (2 retirees Jackie & Cindy and two ladies Tina & Debbie who still work at Idaho Power) last Tuesday for lunch at Famous Dave's Ribs. Umm, umm good - even tho all I had was chili and salad. If you ever get to a Famous Dave's be sure to save room for the Kahlua Brownie. Or better yet, start your meal with it. I promise if you like chocolate you won't be sorry :) I made them each a pair of Valentine earrings (above).

Do any of you have something that your passionate about? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Jo

Super Super Bowl

WOW, what a game!

We hosted Super Bowl here at the Sheehan Home Theatre and had a great time visiting and cheering and jeering. Going into the game I had no idea who I was going to root for until a friend sent me a great article about Kurt Warner - so the Cardinals it was. Turns out everybody was for the Cardinals.

From left to right:

Lisa & Sean, Dick, Dick's brothers Parker, Danny & Terry; in the back Tara (Park's wife) and Melanie (Dan's wife), and our alpha dog Harley .... (note the new tile floor :)

Good eats, great company and a fantastic football game - what more could you ask for?

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.