For Karan

I want to show Karan my rat and the cute idea I copied from the Martha Stewart magazine. Since I can't access facebook at school, I'm putting them here so she can see them. Not that she probably cares, but that's okay. I'll make her look anyway.

This is for you Karan...hopefully it will change your mind about having a classroom pet. How 'bout just a little one...a hamster? Or a small snake?

Here Karan...for you. Hopefully this will change your mind about a classroom pet.

Happy Birthday to me.

It's my birthday. I'm thirty five, but I have decided that whoever goes around saying they're twenty nine has got it all wrong. If you're my age and say that you're younger than you are...no one is really going to believe you. However, if I tell people I'm 5-7 years older, they simply say "wow, you look great!".

That is my new tactic...so if anyone asks how old I am, tell them I'm forty...can you do that for me?

VMA's

Wow! The VMA's did not dissapoint this year. When Lady Ga Ga was shown in the red dress with the flame like hat on her head all I could think of was how bad it sucked to be the person sitting behind her! I think I found her long lost twin.

Happy Birthday, Sam!!

You're TEN! Look how you've grown!

True Love

One of the best things about our trip has been having the opportunity to ask my Papa about my grandmother who died when I was about 4-1/2 years old.


Here is the story of how they met. Dave started dating Jeane when my grandmother was a teenager and when she was 16 her family moved from Boston to San Francisco. My papa wanted her to stay with him in Boston, but her family wouldn't let her because she was still young. Shortly after she left, my papa enlisted in the Marines. In the time he was gone, my grandma married someone else and had my mom. But they divorced and she reconnected with my papa who adopted my mom as a baby and the rest is history. I never even knew my mom was adopted until I was an adult. Not because it was a big secret but, I think, it just wasn't a big deal. He is her father and that is all that matters.

I have a few memories of my grandmother. The most vivid one I have is her and I having a parade with wooden spoons and pots marching around the house. I also, vaguely remember going to a place called Santa's Village with her, though, that could just be from pictures I've seen. I remember the way her house smelled, though I couldn't describe it. I remember her love of reading which she instilled in me as a very little girl. I remember the sugar pourer that sat on their kitchen table all the time and I remember her wearing a scarf on her head when she was sick, though I don't think I knew she was sick. I wish I had known her longer. She was a sweet lady with a lot of love for her family.

This is a quote from papa this week about mama (that's what I called her)...

'She was the love of my life. We were suppossed to last forever.'

I guess that about sums it up.

Boston

When we took our trip out west 2 years ago, toward the end, I started talking about wanting to do a similar east coast trip. I knew that we would see all the cool touristy things like Cape Cod and the city of Boston. What I didn't know was that we would meet up with my Papa (my mom's dad) and connect with family, many of which I have never even met. They have welcomed us with open arms and it almost feels as though I've known them forever. It's really been such a sweet time of hearing stories about my grandparents and mom. Of hearing how my papa grew up and getting the opportunity to see him with his siblings. It's remarkable how even after all these years, Papa and his brother, Don, still have some of the same mannerisms.

This family reminds me so much of how we are back home. Yesterday, my cousin (or 2nd cousin) had a picnic here and the kids were all swimming and playing baseball in the backyard while the adults ate and laughed. I taught the family how to play ladder golf while Uncle John and his daughter Rosemary played cribbage. A frequent site is my papa telling us how to get where we need to go. We have the GPS Tom Tom, but we finally just turned it off because we have the "Dave Dave". The more the merrier is the motto around here and I haven't felt once like an outsider.

The other day when we were at my papa's sister Mary Lou's house, I commented on this cross stitch wall hanging that I liked it a lot. (It's done in those colors that I love), so, the next day they showed up at the doorstep of my camper and presented it to me. My great-grandmother made it. I love it and will hang it proudly in my camper, it just seems fitting. She also gave me some old doilies (did I spell that right?) that great-grandma made too.

We are leaving tomorrow and while I'm excited to see Maine, I'm saddened to be leaving here.

Extra! Extra!

Here are the headlines in our lives lately since I don't have time for a real post...

Hippy Haired Noah finally cuts hair after 3-1/2 years (pictures later)!!

New camper to replace the beat up one from the accident!!

Family leaves for Boston/Maine/New York for 2-1/2 weeks today!!

Kelli is insane to take on fundraiser at middle school!

Garden is growing!

Chickens growing despite half the flock being eaten by black cat!

Chickens, radishes and a dog

We have so much fun with our baby chicks...

doesn't look like Pana is enjoying them a much as we are.

Our first harvest for the garden has been picked...radishes!

Can't wait to deliver them tomorrow.