Mona's BlogSpot

A Dog's Life: Ruffles in the Grass or Dog Day Afternoon

2011-08-16T00:21:00.000-07:00

This is my dog Ruffles enjoying a few moments of her day. I don't want to think about cutting the grass...so I play with my camera instead and capture these over the course of a moment or two...

Warm grass and the last of the sunshine....

A fly landed on her nose.....

A few moments in Ruffles life. Warm grass on a summer day, laying in the shade. enjoying the last of the day's sunshine; a fly on the nose, and then, a short snooze.

This is the dog's life...

Itsy Bitsy Spider

2011-08-13T04:50:00.000-07:00

This little spider climbed in our baby orange tree and began to spin a web. I decided to take some pics and this itsy bitsy spider kept me busy chasing it around the tree. It is about as big as the tip of my pinky finger. Below are a few of the pictures I captured of this elusive little spider.

Dandelions at Dusk

2011-07-29T03:37:00.000-07:00

Dandelions at Dusk

I have always thought dandelions were beautiful although they are usually considered weeds. I love the way the light shines through them like a halo of light. When I was a little girl I used to believe they were fairies. If you plucked them you would set the fairies free and therefore they would grant you a wish. So I would pluck a dandelion, make a wish, and blow the fairies free to let my hopes and dreams come true. I still love to do this when I find them. I wanted to take some pictures with the photos backlit. So during that short time of day that comes just twice, and are the fleeting moments known as "magic hour", I took a few pics of some dandeions in the backyard.

These pictures were taken at dusk in July in my backyard. I wanted to take some pictues with the subject backlit. I did not know the spider was on the dandelion when I first started taking the pictures. The spider was a nice surprise. I always enjoy a spider visit in the garden.

That time of day when the light is just right...you know it...magic hour...is so fleeting that before I even knew it the sun was down and all I could do was enjoy the dusk and the dandelions. Just like magic hour, they are ethereal and fleeting, gone on the evening breeze.

Summer Gardening

2011-07-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

One of the many reasons I love summer is gardening and growing vegetables. We did not plant a lot this year but what we have planted is doing pretty good so far and soon we will be able to harvest some of the summer bounty that comes from the garden. It provides both pleasure as a hobby and yummy food to munch on. I will be eating this summer squash below very soon.Shanna decided she wanted to grow a pumpkin patch for Halloween so we are growing one in the front yard. It is really taking off. Shanna is watering it in the picture below. Below are two books I like to use as for reference. Square foot gardening really works but you have to select plants that are suitable for it. I have had good luck growing things in containers as well. We planted tomatoes and peppers in containers again this year. I like to just go pull the tomatoes off the vine and eat them.

4th of July 2011

2011-07-10T02:00:00.000-07:00

We spent 4th of July at home together as usual. The girls
put the pool up earlier in the day and swam. We had our dinner and fireworks and just enjoyed spending the day together. I love 4th of July because we usually spend it at home and it is always a relaxing day for us. In the picture above Kristin is in the background and Shanna is in the foreground. Below are some of the pics we took while we were doing our fireworks.

Shanna likes to get up close.

Kristin on the back patio below. The big box contains my new conversation set.

The pic below is a blooming flower firework while it was still in the air. These are one of my favorites. I always get extras of these.

Fun with sparklers. Another favorite. I always like to see what kinds of pictures I get when we do these. I love how the camera picks up the trails of light.

Kristin and our friend Sal is in the above pic. Below is Ryan and Shanna is taking a pic.

I am in the pic below playing with the sparklers. I love them!

Kristin and one of her sparklers below.

Happy 4th of July everyone. I hope you enjoyed your day as much as we did ours! :)

2010-11-26T19:08:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed the day with my family. This year as always I am thankful for the time I have with my family. Time with loved ones is precious and I appreciate these days when we can all be together. I miss those who are not with us this year, but they will always be with us in our hearts and their presence is and always will be felt with the love we all share together for them and for one another.

Russell's 18th Birthday fell on Thanksgiving this year

The Food!!! Yummm!!!!

Shanna, Yasmine(Nick's Fiance), Nick filling their plates.

Kristin is annoyed with me here...she just wants me to let her eat her Thanksgiving Dinner.

Sheryl about to take the first yummy bite!

Me and my Dad

My plate....I was so full after dinner...

Kristin and Me

I hope all family and friends enjoyed their day and were able to spend the day with those they love. Happy Thanksgiving.

2010-11-26T06:40:00.000-08:00

Last year at work a few of my friends had babies. Here is the result! We got together the other day and spent the afternoon being entertained by these little cuties!!!

Venice Beach July 2010

2010-07-17T18:16:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...Sweet Summer Days....

Knit Mania..SOCKS!

2010-03-21T16:01:00.000-07:00

I have spent the winter knitting socks, socks, and more socks! I find it very relaxing to knit. I like the feel of the yarn as it runs through my fingers and I like the gentle clicking sound the needles make as I knit. Below are some pics of my socks. The first pic is my first pair. Then I went on to the other pairs. I am now knitting my fifth pair of socks. I decided to knit socks because I wanted to knit something new that I had not tried before and I found it addicting. The project stays small, so I don't have to hold heavy projects while I knit them and I can use these all year round if I want to. They have kept my feet warm and cozy all winter.

Christmas Day 2009

2010-01-03T01:21:00.000-08:00

The banner above was made using the GIMP. The ornaments in the picture are from my Christmas tree. GIMP stands for Graphic Image Manipulation Program and is a free program that is similar to Photoshop.

I enjoyed spending Christmas Day with my family. Below clockwise from Shanna are my Aunt Karen, cousin Sheryl, my Dad, my cousin Russell, Jim (Sheryl's husband) and me.

Kristin went incognito to Christmas. Russell kept calling her Lindsey.
Below is my Aunt Joann (Sheryl's mom) with her new great grandson Brayden.
The picture of Shanna below was taken Christmas night in our front yard with my camera on the night setting.
Russell and Kristin in our front yard Christmas night.

Shanna, Mocha, and me.

I had fun playing with the light settings on my camera. This is one of my favorite ornaments.

Shanna put up the little tree this year, next year I think we will put the big one up again because I had a lot of fun playing with my camera and the light settings.

Shanna put up all the lights and decorations this year. This is a picture of the front of our house Christmas night.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas this year!

Newest Member of the Brown Family

2009-12-29T01:44:00.001-08:00

The Brown Family had a nice new addition this year for Christmas. The picture above represents five generations of the Browns. My maiden name is Brown. We have been very lucky in our family to have made five generations many times. When I was born I made a fifth generation on both my Mom's and Dad's side of the family. My son made another fifth generation on my Dad's side. My grandchildren Micheal and Bryanna made the first additions to a fifth generation which was the first time my Grandma Mimi became the oldest generation. My grandchildren are now joined in this generation by Brayden, my cousin Stacy's new baby. I have been the only grandparent in my generation in my family for 10 years. Now my cousin Gary joins me in grandparenthood! My Dad (Great-Uncle Denny), is standing in for his brother Gary. My Uncle Gary died when I was in my 20's, but we think about him all the time and miss him. He would have been proud of his great-grandson!

My Grandma Mimi was born in 1917 and Brayden this year in 2009. I love the idea of all the history that is represented in this picture. A living example of our family reaching back into the past before I was born and forward into the future. Time captured in this moment of our family in the present.

New Toys: Cricut Create & Cricut Design Studio

2009-12-05T23:14:00.000-08:00

After Thanksgiving I took advantage of some of the sales and got a new toy...The Cricut Create machine. I also took advantage of some online deals and bought the Cricut Design Studio. The design studio allows you to combine cartridge elements to create designs that combine the elements together. It also allows you to weld elements so that you can get any phrase or design you want created from the elements on the cartridges you own. I bought the design software on memorymiser.comBelow are my first attempts at exploring the software. I created the tag by combining and layering elements. The border below was created by welding elements together.

So now I just want to play with my new toy and scrapbook!

Oak Glen Thanksgiving Weekend 2009

2009-11-29T18:05:00.001-08:00

One of the places I really enjoy going this time of year is Oak Glen. On Friday we went up for the day. I love the colorful fall leaves and the crisp air scented with the sweet smell of apples. The picture above was taken on our drive up and the one below was taken at our first stop at Parrish Pioneer Ranch.Can you see the moon in the bright blue sky? The day was just beautiful. I am so glad we had such nice weather for the Thanksgiving holiday. I am thankful that I have a job that allows me to spend time with my family at this time of year. Fall is a favorite time of year for my family.
The apples look and smell yummy! Shanna took this picture just before they yelled at her and told her she could not take any pictures in the store. We are all below trying to fit in between two branches of a tree. Shanna and I really enjoy taking pictures. We both took up cameras and wanted to get pictures of the fall colors. Some of the animals you can see are peacocks. They also have goats, sheep and chickens that you can see at Parrish Ranch. Shanna took lots of peacock pictures.

My girls and I. The first picture below is Kristin acting geeky. She fits into our family so well. Below her is Shanna sticking her head in the wanted poster. Did I mention we are all a bit geeky?
We ended the day enjoying the sunset and some Carmel apples.

Time spent together is the best!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-27T20:34:00.000-08:00

Russell, Me, Shanna, Ryan, Kristin and Nick

The Dessert Table

Enjoying the beautiful day and yummy Thanksgiving Dinner in Aunt Karen's backyard.

A little bit of it all!

Thanksgiving was relaxing and the day was beautiful. It is always wonderful to visit with family and enjoy spending time together. I am always thankful for my family and the people I love.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving! I know we did!

New Moon & Twilight

2009-11-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

I went to see New Moon and I have to say that I really enjoyed the movie. Watching the movie has made me want to reread the series. I have re-watched the original Twilight movie 3 times this week. Okay, I am a total geek! I do think they did a better job on the second movie.

I am just a sucker for a love story.

Charlotte Moves In

2009-07-15T23:07:00.001-07:00

I went out to the garden in the morning to water and I found a new creature had taken up residence. One of the many things I enjoy about gardening is a garden spider and it's web. I love the way the sunshine glistens on the fine silky threads of the web and the way it shivers and shakes in the breeze. The spider also helps keep down the harmful garden pests as well, so this new resident is welcome in my garden. Below is a sugar snap pea flower. I keep thinking the sugar snap peas are going to stop producing and suddenly another flower appears on the vine! These are so tasty, crunchy, sweet and good I will always plant them from now on.

My first green beans are starting to grow. These are some of the first beans from my square of bush beans. The first bean did not make it long enough for me to get my camera. I ate it and enjoyed it's crunchy goodness as soon as I saw it was large enough to pick!

Here is a pic of my first bell pepper. This was planted as a start in May and it is just now starting to grow. The square foot garden is very productive and I am starting to have a little trouble keeping up with the produce and I only have two 4x4 and two 3x3 boxes. Now I am just waiting for my corn. Summer is so yummy and gardening is so relaxing. I love being on vacation....ahhhh....lovely, restful summer....

4th of July

2009-07-05T02:39:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July...Summer has truly begun....

We spent 4th of July relaxing at home. I always feel like summer vacation really begins with the 4th of July. It always seems to take that long to wind down and really feel like I am on vacation. We watched the fireworks in the neighborhood and did some ourselves. We always like the sparklers the best... We had our 4th of July dinner, which always includes macaroni salad, a family favorite, along with baked beans and corn on the cob...yum...For dessert, I baked up some homemade shortbread...I like it warm and fresh from the oven...

While the shortbread bakes, I like to whip up some fresh cream....

So that we can have fresh strawberry shortcake with blueberries for 4th of July desert....

Summer Vacation Begins!

2009-06-30T02:57:00.000-07:00

I have been enjoying relaxing and getting in the summer groove while working out in my yard and harvesting my first fruits and veggies from my square foot garden. I have been getting yummy crisp salads from the box above for the past couple of weeks. I love going out at dinner time and picking my salad right before we have it for dinner.

The cherry tomatoes are yummy. It has been producing like crazy the past couple of weeks! Below is my first ever fresh beet. I love beets but I had never grown them before...Now I will always grow them. They taste wonderful!

Mixed salad greens, spinach, beet greens, sugar snap peas, and cherry tomatoes fresh picked for dinner! Summer never tasted so good!

Shanna in Online Ad

2009-03-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

Shanna at Bo Huff Rockabilly Car Show Route 66

September 20, 2008

When I got home from work today Shanna told me to get out my computer because she had something to show me. Last September she went to the Bo Huff Rockabilly Car Show at Route 66. She bought some merchandise from King Cat Hollywood.com and they asked her if they could use her in their online ads. She said "yes", and today she found this on their website online. She is a Rockabilly girl...

Adams School Musical

2009-03-23T01:34:00.000-07:00

This is a video of the talent show assembly. Thanks Shanalea for recording it.

Love is...

2009-02-14T23:36:00.000-08:00

On Valentine's day I like to think about those I love...Here are a few of the reasons I feel love every day....
A daughter that will do silly poses for me in public...even when I embarrass her...

A daughter that constantly changes my internal cell phone screen to a picture of herself and leaves messages that say...I luv u mom

Singing to an Eagles hit while playing Guitar Hero with my granddaughter Bryanna

My children and grandchildren

micheal as a baby and with his baby micheal Jr.

Memories of those who I love...and who loved me well when they were alive...

A family that is fun to be with and has a great sense of humor

Warm dogs to cuddle with

A cat that talks to me everyday

Watching Musicals with Kristin...this Valentine's Day. We watched Mama Mia!

Friends who make me laugh, help me grow, come out to play with me and listen to me when I need them to.

Love is...everyday with those I love...

Micheal's 10th Birthday

2009-01-30T01:45:00.000-08:00

My grandson Micheal turned 10 years old on the 27th of January. I cannot believe he is already 10 years old. Where, oh where, does the time go. Below is my granddaughter Bryanna. She snatched up one of Micheal's birthday presents and parked on the couch with it...The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Micheal was mostly interested in playing his guitar hero. They just grow up way too fast.

Simple Gestures and Future Hope

2009-01-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

At the end of the school day last Tuesday, while I was on crosswalk duty, one of my ELD students gave me this small flower. It was a small simple gesture that I appreciated. This is just one of the reasons I enjoyed my day last Tuesday. I also enjoyed it because I was privileged to watch the Presidential Inaguration with my class. I enjoyed watching them watch the ceremony. I was thinking as I watched them that I was very lucky to have the privilege of watching our future generation watch such an important moment in history when we stepped closer to the meaning of the words in our Constitution. That day we stepped closer to the dream of all men being created equal, closer to the promise of the United States as the land of opportunity for all people. Closer to the dream of a country in which we respect one another, and support each other, even if we do not all hold the same values and beliefs. That is the privilege of being an American, to believe what we choose to believe, to let others do the same, and to share in a vision of hope for the future and freedom for all.

Shanna's Birthday

2009-01-18T01:08:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that 25 years have already gone by. I love her more today than ever, and I am so thankful she is my daughter.

Goofy Girls

2009-01-11T22:54:00.000-08:00

Both of my girls like to take silly pictures and mug for the camera. They are always willing to take pics when they are silly...I wish it was as easy to get them to take pictures when I want a serious one...

The pictures of Shanna were taken by her over the last couple of years. They were all taken with her cell phone.

I took the pictures of Kristin, but she has lots of silly ones too that she has taken on her own with her cell phone.

Hmmm...Can you tell they are sisters?

The Scrapbook Page that Took 8 Years...

2009-01-04T21:39:00.000-08:00

Well, today was the last day of winter break and tomorrow I head back to work. So instead of looking at lesson plans and thinking about what I am going to be doing tomorrow I spent the day with my scrapbook and all my scrapbook supplies and pictures. Yesterday I went to my friend Lari's house to scrapbook. I have not been anywhere to scrapbook since 2001! So, today I decided to finish the page I started 8 years ago and got stuck on. I finally figured out why I was stuck, I was trying to put too many pictures in one layout. The page started here 8 years ago on the Lake Arrowhead layout. I started working on finishing this page again last year, but still was unable to finish it. Today I turned it into the following two, layouts. I was trying to put 6 pages worth of pictures into two. I really liked the pictures of Kristin on the swings and I just wanted to include them all... Well the pages are finally done and now I can move on. Hopefully my new camera is in the mail and will be here soon so I can take more pictures this year. I really want to scrapbook more and document them. Today when I had all my scrapbook stuff out to organize it, Shanna started looking through my first book and she started crying...that reminded me how important it is to document things not only for yourself, but for your children and their children...

So one of my resolutions for the new year....More pictures and more scrapbooking!

Another Year Come and Gone...

2008-12-31T23:37:00.001-08:00

Another year...come and gone...

I wanted to post some of my favorite pictures from this year, but when I looked through my picture files I found that I did not really take very many pictures this year. Oh well...I plan to remedy that in 2009!

This really makes me realize how much I should be thankful for 2008. I did not use my camera at all between Christmas 2007 and November 1st 2008 when Amy and I went to the Day of Days event at City Walk. The last time I really even did anything other than go to the plays that I have season tickets to before this was when I got sick at Disneyland about 2 and a half years ago. I passed out on Tom Sawyer Island and was taken to the Mickey Mouse hospital in Disneyland. I just found out this year what the problem was...Severe anemia...Now I am on my iron and my blood pressure is under control and I am ready to live again!! I started feeling better in the beginning of September this year. It took a while for my red blood cells to build up enough so that I could move around without feeling like I was going to pass out. So...here is what I have of 2008 in pics that I took...and here is looking forward to a great year ahead!

2008 was the year I got inked!

I have always been a Days of Our Lives fan...Soap Operas! Oh well...I just blame my mom...I can't even remember a time when I did not watch this show. Here are some photos from the event...

Well...after this I went to another fan meet and greet to see Marie Osmond...I dragged my friend Lari along with me...we waited in line for over an hour and only got about 30 seconds each as she signed our autographs, gave us a photo, and took a pic wth us. The event was so controlled you could not get up close to get any pictures. They had someone working the event that you had to give your camera to, and they took the shot. Oh well...I still had fun...The guy behind me...kind of freaks me out...weird!

The next time I took pics was with my family for Thanksgiving. We enjoyed the day at my Aunt Karen's house...

I let Kristin dye her hair...UGHH! Oh well...it is her head...She likes it...first she had it cut, then we put in some red temp dye because she wanted the red in it, and finally the big step...dying it black...

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas my sister Corrie came to visit with her husband Lupe and her kids Trisha and Christopher...

Kristin and I went with our friends to see Wicked at the Pantages.

We had Christmas at Aunt Karen's house. I love spending time with my family.

The last thing I did this year was go to my friend Lari's house for her birthday. She had a game night.

We do not go out for New Year's Eve...so the end of the year is always a quiet evening at home relaxing with each other. I am thankful for this past year and the opportunities I had to enjoy it with my friends and family.

Here is looking forward to a happy new year....

Happy Birthday Lari!

2008-12-31T05:09:00.000-08:00

My friend Lari had a birthday yesterday. She invited some friends over to join her family for a game night. We all had a lot of fun. There were a lot of laughs as we played several games throughout the night. Here she is explaining to us how to play the game Scum...She is the Queen of course! Her brother Troy volunteered to be Scum when we started the game.

It did not take long to figure out how to play the game and we played several rounds before the night was over. We also played Scrabble, some crazy card games Lari, her mom, and her brother taught us...Slap hands, Vegetable, and a game called Apple to Apple. Lari was deposed as the Queen after the first round and I took her place for a very short time...

Kristin came with me and she played several games as well. We both love to play games and it is fun when you get together with a large group and play. She really enjoyed playing with Lari's mom. I enjoyed the company of all and had a great time!

The Ghost of Christmas Past...

2008-12-30T06:40:00.000-08:00

Well another Christmas has come and gone. We had a good time at Aunt Karen's. I always enjoy spending time with my family. Last year my sister Catrena sent me a CD with a lot of photos from when we were growing up. I made the collage above using pictures that she sent me. That is me in the Santa sleigh with Santa...I am the oldest with my sister Dawn is in the middle and Theresa is wearing a green striped dress. I have members from both my dad and mom's side of the family here. Under the sleigh is a picture of Shanna when she was about five years old. I am holding Kristin on my lap next to her, and beside me is Maria, my grandson Micheal Jr. and my son Micheal.

There are pictures of my grandmother's from both my mom and my dad's side of the family. In the center picture I am sitting at the kids table for Christmas dinner with my grandpa (my mom's dad) and my sisters Dawn and Theresa, Catrena had not come along yet. Below this is a picture of my grandma (my mom's mom) passing out presents on Christmas Eve. My cousin Jamie is sitting beside her on the left and my son Micheal is beside her on the right when he was about 4 years old. Above my son Micheal is my grandson Micheal Jr. in the beanie and my granddaughter Bryanna in the pink sweat suit. Beside and above Bryanna is Kristin when she was about 2 in the red sweat suit and above that is Kristin when she was five. We wore matching dresses that year and she is wearing hers in this pic. The group photo at the top is my grandma, my mom, my aunt, my sisters, me and all our kids. I am thankful that we now live in a digital age, the old photos have lost a lot of their quality and with the computer it is possible to salvage photos that otherwise might be lost forever. I don't think you can ever underestimate the value of photographs or the memories of time spent with people you love. Here are some pictures of our Christmas this year....

Something Wicked This Way Comes...

2008-12-23T01:07:00.001-08:00

Sunday night Kristin and I went with some of our friends...Lari, Amy, Judy, and other members of Lari's family to see the play Wicked at the Pantages in LA. We had a really good time. Wicked is a great show, and I enjoyed it as much the second time seeing it as I did the first time. Kristin really loved it and she wanted to know when we could go back and see it again.

Here are some pics from our night out...

2008-12-22T23:11:00.000-08:00

I was reluctant to read the Twilight Series. I heard about it first from my daughter Shanna. She ripped through the books and told me that I had to read them. She could not put the books down. Next, My friend Lari started reading them. She could not put them down either, and that is unusual for her. Then I started hearing about them in the media. So...reluctantly I started reading them. I finished them last week...and well...I want to read more of the story.

If you love a love story, then the Twilight Saga is a book series for you. Once I started reading them, it did not take me long to get into them to the point to where all I wanted to do was read these books. I ripped through the second book in less than 24 hours. The third book I tried to slow down on (It was my favorite). I read it in two sittings. When I got to the fourth book, I really tried to slow down, because I just did not want the story to end. Well...last week I finished them. So right now I am reading a draft of the next book in the series called Midnight Sun. It is available on line. I don't like to read books on line, but for this series...well...I just need to read more...I need a new drug!!

2008-12-15T22:21:00.001-08:00

I Don't Know Why...

2008-12-15T21:22:00.000-08:00

I don't know why some people call my dogs demons. Whenever my dogs get brought up in conversation in my extended family, I am always told they are demons. As far as I am concerned, they are loving and cute as can be. Just about everyone in our family outside of those of us who live in this house are terrified of them. When they come to visit, the dogs have to be sent to their...er...my room. I love my dogs. I love when they curl up beside me when I sleep. They spend hours with me when I read or play on the computer and never ask me if I am going to be done soon. Whatever movie I want to watch is fine with them. I never have to explain to them where I am going, or how long I will be gone, and when when I come home, they run to greet me, tails wagging and happy as can be. So here is a little bit about my dogs...

The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too. ~Samuel Butler, Notebooks, 1912
This is my dog Gwar. He is the oldest of our dogs. He likes to be outside. Here he is sitting on my porch swing, but he thinks it is there for his lounging pleasure. He is a pretty good dog, but he barks way too much and he loves to chew anything he can get his teeth on. We had to block off our old deck because he used to like to sit on the peak of the roof of the garage and look out over the street. It used to freak our neighbors out. He spends most of his time outside, mainly because he likes it, and the other reason is that he cannot be left unattended when inside because he will destroy something. We love him anyway...he is a very loving and friendly dog.

"Rambunctious, rumbustious, delinquent dogs become angelic when sitting."~Dr. Ian Dunbar

Ruffles is a dog that was meant to be mine. However, if you ask my daughter Kristin, she will tell you that Ruffles is her dog. In the picture below, she is sitting in Kristin's lap, one of her favorite places to be. I brought Ruffles home about five years ago. I had been thinking about getting another dog for about three years and I really wanted a small lap dog. One day I was driving on the road near the local animal shelter and I suddenly had the strongest urge to go look at the dogs. One look at her and I knew she was meant for me. She is very loving toward our family, but pretty much hates every other living being on the planet. I can honestly say that some of my extended family members and some of our family friends are terrified of this little terrier. But for me she is sweet as can be.

"Scratch a dog and you'll find a permanent job."~Franklin P. Jones

This is my dog Mocha. A couple of years ago when my friend Alicia said her dogs had puppies, well...I always wanted a chihuahua, and here she is. She is my favorite. This is one of her favorite spots...on my pillow behind my head. I usually just use her as a pillow and she lays her head on my shoulder. When I come home from work she runs out the garage door to greet me every day. Sometimes she will not even wait until I get out of the car in her quest for some belly and ear scratching...she just jumps right up in my lap as soon as I open the car door. She is much friendlier than Ruffles, but she is also much more territorial. She is definitely the pack leader when it comes to the two of them. I love my Mocha...

I like cats...but I love my dogs! To some they may be thought of as demons, but to me they are furry little bits of heaven.

Happiness is a warm puppy. ~Charles M. Schulz

When I Grow Up

2008-12-05T23:00:00.001-08:00

When I Grow Up...

2008-12-05T22:54:00.000-08:00

I had been trying not to worry about it since I received the letter in the mail telling me I had to come back for more testing. “Don’t worry until you need to!” I told myself. “Mimi survived; she is 90 years old now! Her sister didn’t! Uncle Gary didn’t! Uncle Daryl didn’t! Aunt Helen didn’t!” My brain screamed at me. “But Mimi did, and so did Aunt Mona.” I told myself with determination. The thoughts kept running through my brain, making me more scatter brained than usual. “Don’t worry about it,” I scolded, “you’ve been through this before and everything was fine. Everything will be fine this time too.” I entered the building and headed to the fourth floor. I wanted to get “the big squeeze” over. I wanted to be done with this appointment…

Three exams by three different people later…

“You can go home and celebrate the holidays with your family.”

“Just come back in a year,” she smiled.

I felt a smile spread across my face at the encouraging and welcoming words. Until that moment, I had not realized how much stress I was feeling over the situation. As I left the building, I realized I had felt stress about this situation since the last time I went through it when I was 18. So, instead of being smart and following the orders of my doctor, my own common sense, and the never ending urging of my friend Amy, I put it off, because I was scared. I did not have the courage to go, because I was afraid of what they would find. I was afraid they would find something again, and this time it would not be benign. Well, I may have grown older, but apparently, I did not grow any wiser. I found my first large lump when I was 15 years old and I did not tell anyone about it until I was 17 years old, just a few months before my 18th birthday. I knew I had been stupid even back then. I knew I had waited too long to tell anyone. Back then, I was scared and I kept thinking about dying a virgin with one breast, not an appealing future…At least this time I did not have to worry about dying a virgin…

Fortunately, for me I have been up twice and I am still in the game.

This past Thanksgiving as I visited with my grandma Mimi, I was thankful that she was still with us. It has been about 30 years since she had both of her breasts removed, and went through radiation and chemotherapy. This year she celebrated her 90th Thanksgiving. She is strong, alive, and still enjoying the important things in life, time with her family and the joy of giving and receiving love. As we sat their visiting, I thought to myself, “When I grow up…I want to be an old woman…just like Mimi, she lives her life fully, with faith, hope, courage, strength and love.

2008-11-30T01:45:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving Thanks

2008-11-29T22:25:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I am so thankful that I get to spend time with my family and that we can all enjoy each other's company. Aunt Karen made a great dinner as usual, and we gobbled it down. The kids played outside and had a blast all day. They are getting so big, it is hard to believe both Russell and Kristin are in high school now.

My grandma Mimi was doing great on her 90th Thanksgiving. We remembered people we love who are gone...My Uncle Gary...Sheryl's dad, Uncle Daryl...Eric and Jeff's Dad....and Grandpa Russ...I am thankful for the time I had with them and they are all still alive in our hearts and memories.

The picture of me, sheryl, and Mimi at some early 60's thanksgiving was passed around. I am thankful that I am still part of the younger generation in my family. Mimi sat in her daddy's rocker and we remembered Grandma and Grandpa Delzer...I miss all those who are gone and I am thankful for the memories I have of them. I am thankful for the generation younger than me as well. Shanna, Kristin, Nick, Russell, Ryan, they will bring in the next generation to add to our family. I am thankful for the Thanksgivings of the past and I look forward to the ones in the future.

Live...Laugh...Love...We were able to do them all with each other this year...and that is a lot to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving 08 slideshow

2008-11-29T22:23:00.001-08:00

A Blast from the Past

2008-11-12T23:16:00.000-08:00

I was looking for something on my computer in my picture files and I came across these. These are all of me when I was in high school....a long....time...ago....

These were all taken in the 1970's....I don't even want to count the years...

It is funny how so much time can pass and yet it seems like no time at all. Now my youngest is in high school and my oldest is almost 30....

Time flies....and it always seems like just a moment ago....

2008-11-12T23:15:00.001-08:00

Day of Days and First Post

2008-11-07T22:41:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, on November 1, 2008 I went to Universal City Walk with my friend Amy...another rabid Days fan...to stalk....I mean....to drool....I mean...to see.... the cast of Days of Our Lives. I started watching Days before I can even remember. I am sure my mom watched the first show...it is her fault that 40+ years later I am still watching soaps. My all time favorite soap couple is Steve and Kayla and I enjoyed seeing them for the second time. For the rest of the cast, it was my first time to see them in person...except for Peter Reckell...don't know how to spell his last name....anyway, I saw him at the California Theater for Performing Arts in the musical Brigadoon. My mom and I went and this was the first time I saw a star I was really a fan of. I don't really care to get autographs but I do enjoy seeing them and watching the crowds. When California Adventure opened at Disneyland they had soap opera Fridays and the girls and I would go down on Fridays to see ABC soap stars. I am also a big fan of General Hospital.

Anyway I had a really good time and I would do this again.

Well....we'll see if I keep up with this blogging....just what I need....another hobby...hmmmm...whose fault is this....????

Day of Days Universal City Walk 2008

2008-11-07T22:27:00.001-08:00