Even more Mother’s Day……

Could there really be more to that day?? Yes, sirree! Mostly I just want to share some of the pictures I took. <grin>My mother-in-law enjoys them!

After the the first winery, we visited two more, through the rolling hills around Hamburg. The  next one being the “hippy” winery – Long Trout. Way up in the woods (and that does seem to be a common thread with these small wineries) . We really have been having fun finding new ones. Basically they are like microbrews are to beer. Each winery has their own nuance and flavor.

Long Trout by far has the largest selection we have seen. Even chocolate wines and the most interesting decor. All 60’s 70’s themed, even the ceiling.  They even had framed tickets to Woodstock on the wall. Our scheduled “fun event” was frisbee golf on their wooded grounds but the weather curtailed that. The tasting room was small and packed, so I didn’t get many pics.

There were a few really cool tshirts that I would have loved to have gotten, but they didn’t have my size, nor did I want to have to explain their intended “meaning” to the teenagers of the household! “Long Trout” makes for some entertaining puns.

The kids chose to hang out outside for awhile and wound up in the car. So I snapped a few pics while we waited for J to make out purchases.

 

One the way back to civilization, we decided to stop at a peanut shop we had passed outside of Hamburg, and boy oh boy, were the kids glad we did!

Rows and rows of chocolate covered pretzels and other handmade confections.

Lollipops, and classic candy, as well and candy dots stuck on paper strips!

Rows and rows of every gummy confection you could think of, and all lined up in nice little rows on the trays. It really was very pretty and eye catching.

I love this picture.

We allowed the kids quite a few treats, tried some chocolate covered bacon ourselves (eh- it’s ok) and I treated myself to a pecan turtle! Yummmm…..

Then, my oh so sweet and naive husband was again surprised that we could not find a place to stop for dinner that was not an 90 min + wait. Again, endearing or annoying? Not so sure.Until I finally said, let’s just go home and order a pizza, and  we wound up driving past  one of our favorites, Red Robin……

Or as we say here, Reeeeeddddd Roooooobin, and someone else says….yummmmmmm……because evidently we watch way too much television around here.

Because apparently it is not as vogue to take mom for burgers as it is to take her for steaks, the parking lot was empty!  But we love it anyway, swung in,  and had a great dinner…….

Hey look! It is me making a rare appearance on my own blog! :)

Top off the evening with a mini nap and a dish of ice cream and I was a happy mama! So ends, my exciting “planned adventure” for Mother’s Day. Part interesting, part annoying, always fun – and a perfect day spend with my family.

Mother’s Day cont……

As we travelled from breakfast to my first “stop” on my Mother’s adventure, we went farther and farther up into the hills…..the view was pretty….then J announced we had arrived….and I see….

And pretty much have the same look on my face. Huh?

Cows? Dairy farm? A building that  looks just like most of the farm stands at home….and I began wondering what on earth did this man think I wanted from the day?? Was I going to have another  melt down??

Then I see the word wine, and hope blossoms! But could the wine be truly that good in this little wooden shack…..

yes m’am!!!

the day immediately started looking up!

THANK GOODNESS!

J had planned a mini “wine trail” for me. Which was pretty darn cool. We have been having fun exploring some of the local small wineries, and he thought it would be nice to do on Mother’s Day. OK, this is promising!   This place didn’t look like much, but the woman who waited on us was tremendously friendly, they had a great selection of wines including elderberry,which we haven’t found anywhere close to home.

It really turned out to be a very quaint place proving that looks can be deceiving.

The kids enjoyed the cows, and the cows were very interested in them! We enjoyed the wine and atmosphere…..

On the way back out the road I made J stop so I could take some pics of a nice barn/wall I saw on the way in…..

The day really did turn out to be very nice, lazy…..quite a few more “adjustments” to the itinerary, but we rolled with the flow…….

Next stop…….1965….stay tuned…….

The Best Laid Plans……

Mother’s Day….

I was presented the night before with the itinerary….

Which was scary and exciting all at the same time.

Anyone who knows us, and been on the receiving end of any of my “J never pays attention to my special days” rants, while I knashed my teeth and tore my clothes year after year, will remember, J is not well known for being a “plan a head make the day special” kind of husband. I have spent many a birthday and Mother’s Day wishing for more, sometimes even just wishing for a card or my flowers before 8 pm…..

A few years ago I took matters into my own hands and decided that I would plan my own days, and we spent time hiking or going to the zoo on these days, because that is what *I* wanted to torture my family  do.

This year, we had already been to the zoo, and the weather did not look good for hiking, so J let me know that he had planned the day.

What?

really? Awesome.

All I really honestly asked for was that I not be expected to cook.

That’s all. I cook every other day of the year, so on Mother’s Day and my birthday I would rather not.

Then I got the itinerary.. ….

So we headed off – on the road on time…..

and I still didn’t know where we were going except that K was excited,

then J informed me we were heading to Hamburg….it dawned on me…..

He is taking us to Cracker Barrel.

at 10 am on, not only a Sunday morning,

But Mother’s Day morning.

God bless his heart, he really did want to do something different. Really he did.

First of all, Cracker Barrel is not one of my favorite places to eat, but I was willing to suck it up because I knew the kids liked it, but also since losing my mom, as childish as it seems, I still have difficulty with doing the things she liked to do on Mother’s Day. Being the ultimate planner that she was, this usually involved a breakfast buffet at a restaurant or the country club,  or dinner, WHERE WE HAD RESERVATIONS, please remember that for later in our day…..

But,

it dawned on me as we drove in the packed parking lot, was that a room full of multigenerational families enjoying their Mother’s Day as they well should, would be awaiting me and the scene just still really honestly makes my heart hurt way too much.

And to top it off,

J was SHOCKED that it could possibly be so full, and the wait was 90 minutes.

I was trying at that point to remain calm and decide ifh is naivety was endearing or annoying…I just could not fathom how a man could reach the age of 44 years old and be SURPRISED that a restaurant could be crowded on Mother’s Day! I decided, at that moment on annoying, and had a melt down right then and there. There was no way I could suck it up when facing me was literally a general store of wall to wall, shoulder to shoulder people where we would stand for nearly two hours to subject me to reminders around every corner of an empty hole in my heart.

I melted down.

And then apologized for it. I was trying so hard to remember that he WAS TRYING my nerves, but he  really trying to  make my day something different……so out of his comfort zone…….and he said he understood but I am not sure he did…..

Where did we wind up?

Which was perfectly ok with me!

It is “our” thing, it is what “we” do when we travel for the day.It is “our” tradition, not my mom’s.

See why it doesn’t bother me?

So after a really embarrassing delightful breakfast where the conversation between teenagers and daddy revolved around butts and other such entertaining subjects…..but I really do smile inside and out when I listen to the conversations they have…..

Breakfast was x’d off the list..all be it, not the intended destination……

Our next stop involved this…..

My first thought was, dear Lord, seriously????

 

To be continued………

Dress Up

Look who came to visit today??

Puttin’ on the Ritz tonight

at the school Art Expo.

Marilyn Monroe.

 

All of the girls were supposed to dress as Marilyn Monroe.

When K came home and told me,

I paused…and thought….

Honey have you looked in the mirror???

You have short dark hair??

Umm…….Mom hit the costume shop……..

 

I don’t think she turned out too bad.

:)

But I am a bit biased.

She had a lot of fun with it.

And so did I!

So – what has been going on ‘round here…..

First of all,

I am totally in love with my new camera…

I would married it if I could.

It has led to a lot of

practice

Practice

 

Way too much light…..but….

This is what greets me every day when I come home…..

and more practice…..

I stopped the water, I stopped the water!!!

I can almost smell these…..

And there is a little I Spy going on here…can you see it?

One of the frogs from the pond. I believe this is Fred the Bull frog…

How such a deep sound comes from that little thing I will never know…

Oh look it is actually a real picture of me!! What do you now!?

Then, there has been some avian action ‘round here.

I am turning into the crazy bird lady.

I keep trying to get pictures of them at the feeder.

Got a book at the library to identify them,

and get excited when I find one I didn’t know like a

fox sparrow, that refused to be photographed, but

is a really cool bronze color.

anyway….

we’ll just change the subject on  how this could really be

showing my age, and domesticity that I refuse to acknowledge….

we’ll just move on….

Appreciate the effort of this awesome falcon in helping us with our pesky blackbird population….

And this guy is back looking for a meal….

I caught him today just landing…

talk about a freaky sight.

They are huge up close, and

teradactyl-esque, and have the wing span of a 747 when you scare them and they take off over your head!

Oopss..spotted me…..

Then I sent my great defender out after it….

she actually did a pretty good job, and I was

too busy ducking to click a picture!!

Then he had the audacity to saunter back across the yard,

yes, walk, a few minutes later…

two seconds after I snapped this,

Zoey was sent out…..

he did not return!

Notice when they are ugly and I don’t like them they are male?

Teehee….cute ones creatures are girls.

I think there may be a bias there??

Profiling of the animal world??

Sorry dude, as awesome as I think you are,

I can not let you eat my fishies!

Yes,

Fishies too.

I think I am getting a bit looney.

Then, there is this creature that was more than happy Thursday night to be allowed to ride the tractor for the first time….

and yes, the hair the hair the hair…..

I can remember K’s being just as unruly at that age…..

Only she is a girl. she can put a ponytail in…..

This boy is just all hair……

And of course, as always…..

There is always a bit of this going on around here!

What a ride…..

 

24 years ago ….

today…..

I met this guy…..

19 years ago today….

I married this guy…….

                                    

And what I ride it has been.

24 years ago,

I said yes, to a boy

with a mullet, dressed in parachute pants,

with a chain wallet

who asked me to dance.

Sat in his blue-ish faded Datsun pick up,

with the tailgate covered with bumper stickers,

listening to his 8-track (even though we were firmly engrained in the cassette decade).

Secretly followed him and his friends to McDonald’s,

(cause that is where everyone went after the dance)

to sit and eat french fries, drink a milk shake and

secretly watch him all the while,

sighing.

He’ll tell you he remembers,

I was wearing a denim mini skirt

(I am pretty sure it was acid wash denim considering it was the 80’s)

and he remembers kissing me in the truck.

I often tell him he is lucky I wasn’t a material girl.

Or was I just blinded by love?

All I know is I couldn’t wait for him to call.

And you know what?

I still get that same flutter in my stomach

when I see him unexpectedly,

drive by,

or when he comes home early.

Imagine that.

Could that 17 year old girl ever have imagined

that all these years later,

she would still have those butterflies?

Nope.

But she sure is grateful she does.

Here’s to butterflies still in 19 more years!

Love you Honey!

Wow.

So nice to know I am not the only one to feel this way....
I am thankfully still in the middle....

ARGH!

I have a new camera.
I have pictures.
I have random thoughts.
Blogger WILL NOT upload my pictures!
ARGHHHHH!!!
(a la my best Charlie Brown imitation!)

Mammo Day!

Yes, I am writing a mammography post!
Woohoo! I have arrived.

Since my mom had breast cancer and was under 50 when she
was diagnosed, I have been getting mammo's since I am 35....
Yeah, I have had a few.

I know the controversy.
Even my mom's cancer didn't show up on two
mammograms.
But I will take a false positive, or "suspicious"
area over NOT finding something that is there any
day.
(and please dear friends who may read this,
the life you save may be your own.)
The only thing I was dreading today, was the changing.
You see, in the small town "imaging center" I go to,
the practice was that you simply dis-robed in the radiology room.
Yes, right in front of the technician.
No screen, no privacy.
Nice chair, pretty little table.
Dress and undress.
Now I am no prude.
Really don't mind other women noticing my breasts,
I was a bit more conscience of my weight when I did,
but
there is a huge different between simple opening a gown
that you put on in the other room to reveal yourself,
and actually removing your clothes in front of another person.
I really used to feel I should have been at least offered a drink first!
Transported me straight back to
Junior High gym faster than you can say,
try to stand behind your locker door.
As I undress, do I nicely fold each item,
or just toss them on the chair?
There were no gowns,
I then stood waiting to be told what to do,
top-less.
Yeah, try to act casual.
Then there was the entire, getting dressed again thing.
Donning a bra in front of another person after a certain age,
can be quite entertaining actually.
Do you fluff? Not fluff?
(another topic entirely is really discovering
I have certainly reached a "certain age"
when I had to start fluffing, even at a B cup,
things don't quite "sit" where they used to!
I can remember watching my mom "fluff"
and thinking to myself how glad
I was that I never had to do that!
Well, here I am!)
Or do I simply throw everything on
in the interest of getting the heck out
of there, and fix it all in the car?
I don't even really let my own hubbie stand and watch me
put my bra on....remove, well that is another story...
but let's say I save him the visual of how the girls, even
at their diminutive size,
need a little help getting all perky and happy.
I can handle the squishing the boob thing,
that is all in the interest of my own health,
but the anticipation of the changing yet again,
was enough to make me sweat.
Imagine my wonderful surprise,
this year,
to be ushered into a nice new changing area and asked
to don a lover-ly hospital blue print gown!
Opening in the front please.
My pleasure!
I guess I was not the only one driven to angst with the changing.
So much more pleasant.

Then, because it is where my brain goes....
as I was standing waiting, in my lover-ly blue gown
wrapped around myself, twice....
for the nice technician to come back for me as promised....
something as simple as one of the strings still be knotted together...
caused my brain to go somewhere I didn't want it to go.
Because that means,
someone. else. wore. that. gown.
Like DUH,
but I have never really thought about it before.
Maybe took it off too quickly to take the time to untie.
Have you ever stopped to think about
who may have worn that hospital gown before you?
Someone sick.
In the hospital.
Or there for a test.
Someone perhaps that had found a lump.
Heaven forbid,
someone honestly truly could have
died. wearing. that. gown.
(the center is owned and run by the hospital,
I imagine the laundry is all done together)
Why on earth does my brain go to these places?
Believe it or not,
I was not as creeped out as I thought I would be,
they are laundered after all....
but I have never in all my years,
given it a thought to put one of those gowns on.
Thankfully,
I have not had to put many on.
So instead of letting my thoughts get the best of me,
I forced myself to pray for anyone
who may have worn that gown before me,
and anyone who may wear it after me.
Their families.
Their strength.
And it really made me feel good.
Then,
thankfully, the tech came and relieved me of my mental angst.
Nothing like a little physical angst
to take care of that!
I don't think I will ever think of a gown the
same way again.

Homo Sapien Teenageridea

Sample - recently turned 13 year old boy.
Traits:
Long gangely arms and legs waiting to be grown into,
balance by huge feet that seem to belong to someone else.
Copious amounts of hair that requires brushing
even when recently brushed.
Bedroom has suddenly taken on a odd unusual
usually unidentifiable odor.
Often speaks very few words
in octaves never heard before.
Can be heard grunting and mumbling at times.

Unexplained aversion to water and toothpaste

Constant insatiable appetite satisfied only
with pizza, chicken nuggets and cold cereal.
Can often be found wearing holey socks
and dirty t-shirt.

Often only visible by the top of the head,
due to unexplained permanent attachment
of electronic devices to subjects fingers.
Also can be found attached to his
bicycle for hours on end
as well as the far end of the couch.

Still likes to smile for his mom.
Nearly as tall as Dad and now wearing "men's" size pants.
Is still sweet, soft spoken kind and generous.
Rarely argues, and tries so hard to please.
Loves to help and can make a mean pan of brownies.
Prefers to like to bowl and eat the raw batter
rather than bake them.
Likes military planes and guns right now.
Tries the best he can and a pro at building anything, from anything.
Has the sweetest heart on this earth.

Guess we will keep him.
He seems to like it here!

C - April 2010

Becasuse my life is not futile enough

No, honestly - even though it may seem like it at times,
my life is not futile.
But at times, it does feel like it.
I mean really....how many things do we do in a day
that truly honestly MEAN something important.
But anyway, I digress.

Today I had some unexpected time to myself.
So I thought to myself....
the weather was awesome, I had to be home to wait for the UPS man,the kitchen floor had not been washed in literally months.
No no no I did not just admit that to the universe! Seriously I wash my floor weekly...I am just saying this for the dramatic effect. Honest. *fingers-crossed*
One suggestion, if you hate to wash the floor, put in tile. It hides so much more indisgression than linoleum. Honest. I know.
So I got to work,
worked all morning.
washing the floor,
vacuuming,
tidying,
doing laundry.
I felt to accomplished.
Felt so nice that it was all done.
The couch was fluffed and aired.
The floor was shiny.Then,
I remembered.
The kids had a half day yesterday.
You know.
it dawns on you immediately,
how futile my attempts were to clean up.
Usually I get to appreciate my efforts for at least maybe an hour or so.

Ironically,
I finished the kitchen,
literally,
15 minutes before they came home.
5 minutes later my kitchen looked like this....

Because according to my daughter,
school is trying to starve them.
even though somehow she manages to blow through her
lunch money a week before she should.
Although we know the real reason is because
she feeds her friends, but that is another post...

So, I drew a breath,
and calmly said,
in my calmest most level mom voice,
"Remember to please keep in mind,
that I just finished cleaning this kitchen.
Please clean up after yourselves."

20 minutes later my kitchen looked like this.....
and I didn't photograph the pot left half
full of macaroni and cheese on the stove,
and the crumbs all over the counter.

After my head popped off, spun around 10 times
and settled back on my neck,
I am proud of myself and can tell you there was no
mom-icide to report.
I calmly walked in the family room,
politely asked them if that was what the kitchen looked like
when they came home......
to my children's credit,
they did get up quietly and finish cleaning up the mess.
I am proud of myself for not losing it.

Although I am going to figure out how to teach
everyone else that lives with me to
open the dishwasher door to see if it is full of clean or dirty dishes...
since I seem to be the only one that ever knows.
And somehow get them to remember
that there is no dishwasher fairy
that magically walks their dishes into it.

And I try to remember,
some day the house will stay clean when I am finished,
and I will hate it.
So for now, I keep breathing.

Wow.

I will let you absorb this picture for a minute.
When I came across it searching for something
over the weekend, I literally drew a sharp breath.
wow.

This was this past weekend.
PS this is one of my bff's Kim
and only we know what is so funny!

I do not remember looking like that first picture.
Barely over a year ago.
I try to remember.
I can't remember seeing that person in the mirror.
I do distinctly remember I had just embarked on
my weight-loss journey about two weeks prior to that weekend.
My goal was to just get through the weekend
eating as healthy as I could.
I do, however, remember how I felt.
And I can tell you, it wasn't good.
That smile does not reach my eyes at all.
I probably don't remember looking like that
because I spent a lot of time avoiding looking at myself,
and if I did it was only from the chest up in the bathroom mirror.
I was tired.
Headache-y all the time.
I did not feel good - inside or out.

Notice the smile in the second picture?
Different huh?
I've lost 60 lbs and gained so much more.
Until I saw that first picture again I did not realize
how much my insides were hurting then.
I do not plan to ever feel that way again.
If nothing else confirms it,
it will be the difference in these two pictures.
I know I will not be perfect.
As a matter of fact, I threw every thought
of healthy eating out the window over this past weekend.
Does it mean I will suddenly give it all up and go back?
No.
I am back on the wagon first thing tomorrow.
That you can bet on.
I plan on being girl #2 for a long long time.