So it's been a while....(check out this blog/site)

I'm just chiming in to say that Kendra of the Lazy Genius Collective is my new best friend.  (She doesn't it know it yet.)

If you're not familiar with her website, check it out here.  This might just be a game changer.  It's not about "doing it all" but rather being a genius at what you love and being lazy at the things that don't really matter. 

I nailed the lazy part, apparently.  Time to get my genius on!

http://www.thelazygeniuscollective.com/about

Halloween 2016: Dear Kill Joy...

Dear Lady One Neighborhood Over:

Tonight, Halloween Night, you opened your door, candy bowl in hand and saw a few young teens at your door.  "Trick or Treat," they said.  

You gave them the once-over:  the boy in the leather jacket with slicked back hair, the boy in the glow-in-the-dark skeleton hoodie, and another of their friends or two.  

Holding your precious bowl of candy, you said you would not give them any because, in your opinion, they (at age 13-14) were "too old" to trick or treat.  That's certainly your right.  At one time, I thought it strange to see teenage trick or treaters.  

But I've evolved.  I realized that these aren't kids looking to prank anyone, to smash their Jack o'lanterns, or to scare the little kids.  They just want to celebrate their youth a bit longer.

Understand this:  it's a scary world. As scary as it is for us adults, can you fathom how frightening it is to the next generation?  Terrorist attacks in the US and abroad. Multiple murders per day just 40 miles away.  The 2016 presidential election.  

Not to mention that kids today are under so much pressure to grow up.  Drugs, violence, sex, crime...  Kids are bombarded with messages that are counter to our family values.  They know this, and some of them want to hold on to their innocence a bit longer.  But tonight, you drew your in the sand over a three cent piece of candy.  As is your right.

However, at my house, kids of all ages are welcome to ring my bell on Halloween.  If these young adults/teens/tweens want to hold on to - and celebrate - their innocence one more October night, I celebrate that with them.

As mean as my son thought you were (because there was nothing kind about your words or your demeanor), he was even sadder for you...because he realized that if anyone who is "too old" for Halloween, it's you.  

In a blink of an eye (as soon as 4 short years), these young boys may be the EMT or police officer who responds to your call for help. He may be the young man who pulls over to assist when you have car trouble.  Who picks you up if you should fall, who helps you with a too-heavy package, who arrives with the fire crew to extinguish the grease fire on your stove, who shows up to fix your air conditioning on a 90+ degree summer day.  Rest assured that these boys -- because I know them -- will never give you the once-over and decide that you are "too old" to bother with.  (We, their parents, gave raised them better.)

Son #2 Update

Son #2 was in 3rd grade when I started this blog.  This is his senior photo (Class of 2015):

Because he took some dual-enrollment credits in high school (thus earning college credit), he already had approximately a semester's worth of college credits when he graduated high school last May.  His university offered the opportunity for him to take up to 6 credit hours tuition-free in the summer, which he did.  By the end of his fall semester, he was a sophomore.

He has been accepting in the school's nursing program (he'll earn a BSN) and if all goes well, he'll finish college/nursing school in 3 and a half years.  My wallet is happy about that.

He is a licensed Emergency Medical Technician but is not working as one since he's a full-time student.  He's not sure what he plans to do when he gets out of college.  Right now, he's drawn to EMT/paramedic stuff, but nursing school will give him exposure to other medical careers.

He and I have a standing appointment every two weeks to have lunch and go grocery shopping.  I wouldn't go so far as to say he's a Mama's Boy...more like he's easily bribed (food is a big motivator) to help me with a chore I despise.   I do enjoy the time together.

Son #1 Update

Because it's been a while since I posted, I thought I'd provide a little update as to what Son #1 has been up to.

He's 20 now and a junior in college.  He's doing great!  His seizures have been well managed over the past four years.  He's majoring in forensic anthropology and plays on his university's intramural, co-ed Quidditch team.  For those of you unfamiliar with Quidditch, it's a sport featured in the "Harry Potter" books/movies.  For those of you familiar with Harry Potter's Quidditch and wondering how in world it can be played by muggles (real folks), then check out this compilation video:

(That's Son#1 wearing black and yellow in the opening photo.  He's refereeing.)

This summer he'll have an internship at a police department crime lab. It's amazing to me that he was just 10 when I started this blog.  I'm sure he'd hate my disclosing this but he had his first real girlfriend and his first big heartbreak last year.  He spent a couple of days on the sofa bingeing on freeze pops, then shook himself off and carried on.

Since I didn't post much during his high school years, I'll mention that he excelled academically and had a great time on his cross country and wrestling teams (ultimately earned a varsity letter in both). Proud of this guy!

I"m a bad, bad blogger!

I know I've said that before.  More than once probably.  I'm not sure why I've more or less abandoned my blog other than I've enjoyed Facebook and I find using blogger with my phone or tablet challenging.  Never the less, I'm going to give this another go.

So let's catch up.  I'll start with the kids who have been the subject of many, many of my blog posts.  Stay tuned....

Rolling Stone (gonna find my picture on the cover, gonna buy 5 copies for my mother)...

So Rolling Stone magazine decided to put the Boston Marathon Bomber (the surviving brother) on their August 1, 2013 cover.  What do you think?  I've seen comment that it looks a little "Jim Morrison-ish"  If you didn't see the words "The Bomber," what would you think?  Nice looking guy.  Perhaps an up and coming musical artist?

But no.  He's a terrorist.  He moved to our country as a child, had a promising academic and athletic career here in the United States and then decided to blow it all.  Literally.  He and his older brother are responsible for planting the bomb at the Boston Marathon, killing and maiming a number of people.  Does this cover seem to glamorize him? 

Here's how Rolling Stone justifies their cover choice: 

Our hearts go out to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, and our thoughts are always with them and their families. The cover story we are publishing this week falls within the traditions of journalism and Rolling Stone's long-standing commitment to serious and thoughtful coverage of the most important political and cultural issues of our day. The fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is young, and in the same age group as many of our readers, makes it all the more important for us to examine the complexities of this issue and gain a more complete understanding of how a tragedy like this happens.

Hmmm...so in the interest of legitimate journalism, Rolling Stone wants to explore Tsarnaev's dark side.  Here's the rub:  log on to rollingstone.com, and you'll see the sub-tabs on tops:  Music - Politics - Movies & TV -  Reviews - Artists - Blogs - Videos.  Look down at the bottom of the page and you'll see their "channels":  pretty much the same list sans blogs.  My point:  since when did Rolling Stone decide to become, ahem, a serious news source?  My advice:  stick to the concert reviews, album reviews.  Tell us about the up and coming rock bands.  Maybe an update on country singer Randy Travis' condition (viral infection of the heart, stroke), perhaps a profile of the late Cory Monteith...important news to the entertainment field, no doubt.

A terrorist?  Not entertainment.  Not hero-worthy.  Rolling Stone should stick to what it does best:  cover the entertainment industry.  Putting Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the cover of Rolling Stone - an entertainment magazine - is NOT the same thing as Time magazine (news magazine) as putting Osama bin Laden on the cover, despite assertions to the contrary.  Apples and oranges, people.

"Rolling Stone...gonna find my picture on the cover....Rolling Stone....gonna buy five copies for my mother..."   (Dr. Hook, 1973)

I'm not buying it...neither their statement, nor the magazine on the newsstand. 

Happy 18th Birthday, Son #1!

Son #1 celebrated his 18th birthday today!  To read his birth story, click here.  

So what has he been up to in the past year?  He enjoyed a busy senior year in high school.  He had a very challenging course load (two dual-enrollment classes!), but managed to graduate with a 3.96 weighted GPA!

He was finally invited to attend the State Cross Country Meet as an alternate.  He didn't compete but was thrilled to attend.  He also attend the State Award.  He finally received a varsity letter in Cross Country and his 3rd varsity letter in Wrestling.

He was accepted to, and received scholarships from, several universities.  More on that in another post.

He attended his prom with a blind date (sort of) -- she was a friend of a friend.   He also joined the Powder Puff Spirit Team (the guys were the cheerleaders/dance team; the girls played flag football).  I'll try to post a video soon -- it was too funny!

He made Eagle Scout this year!

He had a blast on his class' senior trip to Disney.  He still isn't excited about driving (he's had his learner's permit for over two years).  He still loves reading, playing video games.  He's looking forward to college.

This seems like just yesterday:

Happy Birthday, Son!  I'm proud of you!

Happy 16th Birthday, Son #2!

Isn't he handsome?  Very sweet and polite, too.  If you're interesting in reading his birth story, click here.

 

What has he been up to in the past year?  Last year, on his 15th birthday, he took his first-ever airplane ride.  He, his dad, another man and a handful of Boy Scouts flew to New Mexico.  They enjoyed 12 days backpacking and hiking in the mountains at Philmont Scout Ranch. 

 

He was inducted in his school's National Honor Society this past spring.  Ironic for boy who doesn't like to read.

 

This year in Track and Field, he joined the pole vaulting team.  He also took his first helicopter ride in a Blackhawk with some JROTC folks.

 

Oh, and he passed his dad up so Son #2 is now the tallest person in our family. 

 

Today, he decided to forgo cake and have a sundae bar instead.  He'll unwrap presents later and probably go see a movie with friends.  Tomorrow we'll take him to dinner at his favorite restaurant (7th year in a row - but they're closed on Mondays).



Bad, Bad Blogger!!!

Yep, that's me. 

I've been distracted by Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, Amazine...never really caught on to Twitter.  But I have seriously neglected my blog.

I'm going to try to do better.  I know I said it before, but I really will try to post more often.  Of course I'm starting from scratch because I'm sure my few loyal followers are gone by now.  That's okay, though.

If anyone out there sees this, leave me a comment, okay? 

2012 Year in Review

On January 6, Dear Hubby and I celebrated our 22nd Wedding Anniversary....and to think they (okay, only the best man...that I know of) said it wouldn't last.  (Not that I'm keeping score but Best Man has been divorced three times.  Hubby and I are on our first and only marriage.)  Four days later, Dear Hubby and I celebrated our 25th anniversary (dating) together.

February 4th, Son #1 had his best high school wrestling match to date.  He lost 11 to 13 in overtime.  Although he lost, he went 6+ minutes and did an amazing job.

February 12th.  We attended 11:00 am Mass at the Abbey, followed by brunch at Copeland's to celebrate my father-in-law's 80th birthday.  Eighty is a milestone for the men in Dear Hubby's family.  We had a great time.

February 18th.  Happy 10th birthday, Son #3.  It was a rainy day, but we celebrated with lunch at Panda Buffet.  We celebrated your birthday with friends Jared, Indy, Spencer and Grant on Feb. 24th with pizza and a Nerf war before going to see the movie "Journey to the Mysterious Island 2 in 3D".

February 26th.  My birthday....lunch with Dear Hubby and kids at Mellow Mushroom, followed by shopping.  Found a pair of black leather boots - in my size - at JCPenney's on sale for $15.  Bazinga!  Happy Birthday to Me!

March 4th.  Finished the frame of the deck that we started last October.

March 13th.  Oh my goodness.  I'm too dumb for the smart phone I purchased today.

April 12th - 16th.  My sister and I flew to Virginia to visit my Mom.  Good shopping, good food, good times.

May 18th.  Son #1's friend, age 17, had an implantable defibrillator put in today.  Two days later, we had a farewell picnic for our pastor and parochial vicar, who are being transferred to another parish, and to Washington D to work with the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, respectively.

June 2nd.  Celebrate Dear Hubby's birthday yesterday.  Today, we put down 6 deck surface boards.  81 to go.

June 10th. Son #1 and I watched "Jersey Shore Shark Attack."  Yes, this is a highlight of our year.  Lots of chuckles.

June 15th.  After 16 months, we finally finished the deck.  Woo Hoo!

June 17th - July 1st -- Dear Hubby and Son #2 attend a 12 day backpacking trip in the mountains of New Mexico (Philmont Scout Ranch), along with Defib boy (see May 18th) and others.  All have a great time and return safe and sound.

June 23rd.   Happy 17th birthday, Son #1.  Aunt Amy and I take him to dinner at Olive Garden.  Later I wished him a Happy Birthday on Facebook.  He replied, "I love you too, Mom."  on Facebook.  In Public.  Wow!

July 1st.  Dear Hubby received his assignment letter.  If/when he's ordained as a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church (he's been studying for 4 years), he'll be assigned to our home parish.

July 25th - 29th.  Dear Hubby and I attended a 5-day pre-ordination retreat.  Good times, good stories. 

August 12th.  Rest in Peace, Kramer (beloved guinea pig).

September 29th.  I spent the day with 150+ 11th graders at the Confirmation Retreat.  Good times.  Meanwhile, today Son #1 had a Cross Country PR (personal record):  3 miles in 21 minutes 18 seconds.  He'll attend the State Meet as an alternate in November.  He's very excited!

November 9th.  Beloved father-in-law admitted to the hospital with bleeding of the brain.  We're not sure whether he had an aneurism, which caused him to fall, or whether the fall (and subsequent blow to the head) caused bleeding.  He passed away on November 14th and was laid to rest on the 19th.

November 22nd.  Our first Thanksgiving with Father-in-law.  We usually spend the holidays at his house and decided to do the same this year.  It was a good day overall, but we'll definitely miss him.

December 1st.  Ordination Day.  Dear Hubby has worked and studied for four years for this moment.  He and 19 other men were ordained as deacons for our Archdiocese.  Bittersweet that his dad wasn't there to see it. 

Dec. 3rd - 7th.   I visited my mom in Virginia.  She had cataract surgery on Dec. 4th.  She handled the procedure well, but her recovery is taking longer than expected.

Other highlights:  Son #3 played soccer for the local recreation district park this fall.  His team was undefeated during the regular season.  He and his two brothers are doing great in school.  My boss (aka Boss Man), who is a college buddy, and his wife adopted an infant in July -- adorable! 





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I'm the best wife ever!

Not only did I buy my husband and I each a mini laptop for Christmas/Anniversary (so he doesn't have to share with the boys anymore!), but I managed to -- get this -- download printer drivers so I can print from our existing printer (Lexmark Prevail Pro 705).  

Not so simple, though, as our new laptops run Windows 8 and Lexmark hasn't updated the drivers for Windows 8 (boo!).  Nevertheless, thanks to "John" at Lexmark TechSupport, I learned how to download the most recent driver (Windows 7) and adjust the compatibility.  All without throwing the darn Lexmark printer out the window.  Yoo Hoo!

Seriously "John" emailed me the instructions.  Sooooo simple.  I wonder why they couldn't just post them on the Lexmark site.   Nah, that would be too easy.

What Was I Thinking?????

File this under "What was I thinking???"  Our slim 9 ft pre-lit Christmas tree is 8+ years old and certain patches are no longer pre-lit. I replaced bulbs (even though it's the one out, the rest remain lit type). I replaced fuses. No luck.

So I got the bright idea to take off all the old lights and replace them with new LED lights. It took *five* hours-- with wire cutters -- to remove the lights before I turned it over to Sons #1 & 2 for the final hour. (So I could eat dinner at midnight.)

Not only where the strands were wrapped around the branches (which I knew), but there were attached with hundreds of tiny green plastic clips, assorted green twist ties and little green zip ties (which I did not know).

It took another hour this morning to re-string with 450 LED lights (forget wrapping around branches!). So if you come to my house in May and my Christmas tree is still up, it's all because I was too cheap to buy another prelit tree. Seriously, this one is at least 8 years old. I got my money's worth.

Oh, and to see my hands and forearms, you'd think I tried to give a pack of feral cats a bath.

Son #1 is going to the State Cross Country Meet!

Son #1, who is now a senior (can you believe how fast time flies?), is going with his high school cross country team as an alternate.  As an alternate, he's not scheduled to compete unless another runner is unable.  Still, he's thrilled to be asked.

He's been running his heart out since the 9th grade.  He's not incredibly fast, but very persistent.  Lots of stamina.  He's gone from the bottom of the pack -- literally, the first year, he came in last for the first several meets -- to in the top 12 on his team. 

He's worked hard, great team spirit.  Even if he doesn't run at State, being asked to make the trip is a great way to end his high school running career!

New Orleans Saints: I'm Very Disappointed in You

To the New Orleans Saints:  I'm very disappointed in you.   In the past season or two, there's been rumbling about how the Saints have become bullies on the field.  Many in the WhoDat Nation, as the most avid Saints fans are called, responded with comments such as:   "It's football.  People get hurt."  "Packers fans should quit whining if their QB can't play tough." etc.

The story recently broke that apparently the Saints had "bounties" out for opponents on other teams:  $1000 for a good hit, $1500 if the player was knocked out of the game, etc.    All this apparently occurring under the watchful eye of former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams (and with the knowledge of Coach Sean Payton and General Manager Mickey Loomis).

Williams has said about the debacle, "It was a terrible mistake, and we knew it was wrong while we were doing it.  Instead of getting caught up in it, I should have stopped it.  I take full responsibility for my role.  I am truly sorry.  I have learned a hard lesson and I guarantee that I will never participate in or allow this kind of activity to happen again."

My translation:  "I'm sorry I got caught, and sure hope I don't lose my new job with the Rams."

Meanwhile, it seems like it's time for the Saints fans to dig out their paper bags, because the Saints have definitely become the Ain'ts again.

Excitement on the East Coast

My mother lives in the Washington, DC area. I've been trying to talk her into moving back to Louisiana (where she was born and raised) to be nearer to family (me). She's not wild about the idea.

However, this past week she's been in an earthquake and now a hurricane (no stranger to those in Louisiana). What's next? A blizzard in August?

Just say the word and I'll come help you pack!

Going Gray - Week 8

It's been a while since I wrote about my battle with the bottle -- the bottle of hair dye, that it -- so I thought I'd post an update, along with a photo. GASP! You're probably wondering, what are you thinking?!! Sometimes, I wonder that myself. To learn more about what's motivating, click here.

So far, only one person I know has commented (at least to my face) about my silver roots, and that's because I told her a while ago I was doing this. Everyone else is too polite, it seems.

I'm not sure how I plan to transition, though. I don't mind cutting my hair shorter, but the pixie cut is out of the question. The only reason I'm hanging on to the length now is because I've been pulling it back into a ponytail or bun in an effort to camouflage the skunk stripe (as if!). Maybe a few well-placed ultra-light highlights will help?

One plus: my sensitive, rosacea-prone skin is doing much, much better since I've stopped coloring my hair. Go figure.

I'll Miss You, Jean

I was deeply saddened to learn about the death of my friend and colleague (of sorts), Jean H. I met Jean years ago through her son and daughter-in-law, who live across the street from me.

In the past couple of years I've come to know Jean in a different light. A little background: My boss, an attorney, shares office space with another attorney, although they maintain completely separate law practices. I work for Boss Man, Jean worked for Lawyer Lady. Jean's desk and the one I share with the Other Admin Assistant were close, separated by one wall and door that's usually open. (Other Admin and I job-share so she works for Boss Man, too). My point is it felt like Jean and I were co-workers, even though we weren't.

For reasons that do not matter anymore, things hadn't being going well between Jean and Lawyer Lady. A couple of weeks ago, Jean resigned giving two weeks' notice. Although she didn't have a new job lined up, she was optimistic she'd find something.

At 72 years young, "retiring" is not Jean's style. When I last saw her -- yesterday on her final day of work -- we didn't go for the mushy goodbyes. After all, we'd still shout at each other from across the street when she visited her son, right? Instead she told me that although being a little nervous about the whole unemployed thing, she was going to relax and work on her garden until her next new adventure.

I'm sure no one ever thought that Jean's next adventure wouldn't include any of us, her friends and family. Yet, she very recently had the opportunity to reconnect with a loved one with whom there was a falling out some years back. That reconciliation brought her great peace and joy in the past weeks (she told me so).

Last night, Jean suffered a fatal heart attack. She was strong, energetic and vibrant to nearly the very end. Pain or suffering was likely mercifully brief. Although we feel blindsighted by her death, Jean I suspect was fixed and focused on her next great adventure...which I like to think begins now.

Happy 16th Birthday, Son #1

To read his birth story, click here.

You are my night owl with a wry sense of humor. Super smart - you'll either end up dominating the world or solving its major problems. :-) You still love books, video games, all things science. You don't enjoy driving, but you have to put that permit to use and practice, practice, practice. Oh, and you rocked in school. 4.0 + GPA, with 3 honors classes. In school, you ran cross country, track and lettered in wrestling. Once you complete the two final merit badges, you'll be an Eagle Scout. Keep up the good work! We're proud of you and we love you.

Happy 14th Birthday, Son #2!

My middle son turns 14 today! If you'd like to read his birth story, click here.

To my son: What a year it's been! You're still as sweet and funny as ever. Smart too. Only one B the entire 8th grade year -- the rest were A's. You took freshman level Algebra, was a Student of the Year runner up, and won a Principal's School Community Leadership Award in your last year of junior high.

You played solid baseball. Coach said you are an excellent utility player: reliable in any position you play: 1st & 2nd base, shortstop, centerfield, left field... He says you have great speed and agility, plus a strong arm. Best of all (to me, at least) is your excellent attitude. No whining in baseball, that's my motto. (Too bad the same can't be said for all of your teammates, but you just keep leading by your example.)

I love you bunches! Happy Birthday!

Hmmm....Wavering (slightly)

Okay, I'm getting a tad annoyed with my inch worth of silver. Yet, I still plan to hang in there. Here's a site that I find inspiring:

Going Gray Looking Great

It's based on the book of the same name by Diana Jewell.