The Weather Outside Was Frightful...

actually, it was .... dum-dee-dum-delightful.

Christmas Eve we spent at M and S's home. The H family swept us into their warm family circle and Christmas Eve tradition. Brother B was visiting from Atlanta (he's the one wearing the red nose). We played fun games that M and S cooked up and ate a fabulous meatless lasagna (Thanks again, S, for the special no-peppers one for me!). Girl left the party early. She was so excited to see Umby Bumby and Aunt Lo that she fooled me into thinking she was napping. We learned later (the hard way) that she had NOT napped. Just after she left, the boys were washing their hands in the powder room and placed the used towel on top of the beautiful tea light holder on the bathroom sink. M remarked "if you smell smoke, don't worry, the fire is out". So, not much harm done except a charred and smoldering hand towel.

Christmas day was just about as non-boring. Boy was awake at 4:00am and then at 5:00am and I finally convinced him to sleep in until 6:15. He ran into our room to tell us that there was a gift under his bed .... "Santa must have dressed invisible and chucked it in there". He ran back out to roust his sister who discovered a giant stuffed "Uniqua" sitting on her chair. She and Umby Bumby were teasing each other calling it "My-Niqua". B and Ls arrived early and L (bless her in her beautiful skirt) gamely parked her self on Boy's floor to help him assemble the Viking ship.

We headed over to Lady and Smuff's for a bite of lunch. L and I sat at the kids table to keep the chaos in some semblence of order. Boy's stomach rebelled at my attempts at getting him to clean his plate. Sooo.......I was finished with my lunch rather early and cleaning up the boy and the table. After some great quality family time with the wonderfully generous family, we returned to our house to have dinner (and wine!) with B and L and we had a great evening of discussion and sharing.

Santa brought a video camera and a great sound system for my iPod. We are having fun using both of these fun gifts. Our greatest blessings of this Season were the moments spent with our wonderful family and friends. We love you ALL!

God/dess Bless us, everyone! -- Tiny Tim in Santa Susanna Repertory Theather production of Dicken's A Christmas Carol December 2005

Happy 2006! (Enjoy that extra second of 2005!)

~~Mama

Gratitude. Let's Have a Serving

This is Girl during a recent haircut. She let A curl her hair. I was at the office so A snapped this photo with her camera phone. My Beautiful Baby with Curls!

It's the height of the Silly Season here in Hollywierd; the week before the REAL insanity begins. Everyone is trying to outdo everyone else with the decorating. There are icicles galore and booty-shaking snowmen, moving deer, large globes with air blown "snow" inside, Santa and a million reindeer cavorting on rooftoops. Where Lady and Smuff live there is a "candy cane lane" where all the houses on the cul de sac decorate to the NINES each house with a theme (M&M's, salsa penguins, the Grinch, Disney, etc....) except for one, dark house in the middle. It is a reminder that not all celebrate the Season of Silliness in the same way.

Our family celebrates ALL of the light festivals, specifically the Winter Solstice and Christmas. At least we do in Spirit and are really working to do so in Wallet, too. It's so tough not getting caught up on all the craziness of the most DOMINANT "celebrations" of $MONEY$--Ka-CHING!!!
Everyone is crabby, rushed, stressed, overspent, overworked, overfed, over hung (take that in any way you want) and I wonder.....WHY do we always do this? So far, I haven't found any answer that makes any sense.

My mantra right now is "Gratitude". I got something about it in an email from my good friend Pat and it's been a wonderful, beautiful gift. Like a good shot of caffeine, it's a "feel good" substance, so I try to have a little bit every day. Today it is for the beauty of frost on the clay rooftiles and the smile on Girl's face as she says she's a "Steeler Girl". That is what the real meaning of the season is about--Peace On Earth and doing everything with a Grateful Heart, no matter what book you read or in whichever god/dess you Trust..

Last year we and three other families did an all night vigil on the Longest Night (Winter Solstice for those not familiar with the Ancient Feasts). The kids stayed awake up until they were delirious and passed out. The adults stayed awake all night and were just delirious. Just before dawn, it was time to hike up the hill and greet the Sun. It was fun and special, but I don't think we have it in us this year. We will spend special time with friends and family to remember really, what Winter is about--hibernating, being lazy and preparing for Spring to arrive--after a nice long nap.

But, we still have to get through the Silliness!!! I have been online shopping and everything got screwed up. After one whole day spent on the phone everything is fine now. I should have just STARTED on the phone. It seems that most sites were completely unprepared for the frenzy of the online shopping and out of stock for EVERYTHING. I'm glad that there wasn't THE one BIG HOT Furby-like toy this year. Though, trying to find a child's Easel seems to be a major hassle.

The kids are very excited for the arrival of the BIG RED ONE, and all his treasures. However, I doubt we will get Girl anywhere near him. Speaking of BIG GUYS....What is UP with Howard Stern? That is ALL I have been hearing about today. Is it seriously going to make Headline News if he decides to moonlight as Santa? There are definitely more important things to discuss other than him! Oops! The other "him" isn't talking.

It reminds me of the steriod controversy in MLB. It was the Feds way of saying "LOOK at this SHINY OBJECT over here to make you forget ALL ABOUT what we are (or aren't) DOING OVER THERE".

Okay, I'm babbling and wandering onto dangerous soapboxes. I thought I had all this interesting stuff to say, and actually I do. But, I fear it's only interesting to me. Though, my wee Irish-living bookworm friend and I could kill a few pints in such a discussion. As I sit here in front of the screen, I realize that most of what I have to say is probably a tad too liberal for most of my family, even though they all know that I am a Bleeding Heart, Tree-Hugging, Moon-Worshipping, Freaky Homeschooling Alternative Witchy Liberal Mom.

Let's just leave it at that.

Oh, Happy Christmas!--John Lennon

Holy Guacamole, Beginning Batman (--a great movie! and a subject for another day--), I can't believe I just quoted John Lennon--My Mom will be so proud!

~~Mama

LET THE SILLY SEASON BEGIN

Top image: Girl and Mama. Girl DOES have pigtails in her hair. She kept them in most of the day.
Middle Image: Boy and Girl (with a look that looks very strangely like one my mother has once in awhile when she's trying not to look guilty of some sort of mischief).
Bottom image: Eating ice cream just outside our front door. The day was a balmy 85 degrees. Ah, California-- warm in the winter, blistering hot in the summer. Snow in the mountains and perfect surf at the ocean.....paradise under the "HOLLYWOOD" sign....

Well, we survived Thanksgiving. Rather excellently, I might add. Our dinner gathering was wonderful. We met "Phantom Matt", of the Clan Schmidt and stuffed ourselves silly on G'Ma Pat's turkey, harvest veggies and apple pie, pumpkin pie, Guiness, and then more pie.

Good Lord and Lady, now it's time for what I call the "Silly Season". It is rather difficult to keep in mind "Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward Men" when some gentle person comes out of nowhere to slide into the parking space, located 20 miles from the mall, that you have been waiting ever-so-patiently for over 10 minutes and then flips you the "Partridge in the Pear Tree" when you attempt to draw his attention to his faux pas (actually more like 'faux off'.)

There is something great to be said about shopping online. No waiting for a parking space in the upper atmosphere, then having some FOOL rudely abscond with it; shopping any hour of any day and in your pajamas (or less) no less. The only reason I even go to the mall now is for RECON missions. Then I don't have to stand in line and deal with rude checkout clerks who have never even heard the term "Customer Service".

I broke down and ordered holiday photos. I couldn't resist! I snapped the cutest photo of the kids in front of the Christmas Tree, so I had to do it. Besides, we got our first Holiday card yesterday and I'm feeling very sentimental.

Yeah, I'm a big ole' sappy goofball. Oh, there's my cue....Doris Day signs a beautiful classic Holiday tune. I can't identify it because of the loud battle for a blanket the kids are currently having (like we don't have a dozen they could choose from). For such small people, they could compete easily with 5 Gigaton dynamite blast.

This is BLISS...................

~~Mama

Serenity...

This photo, courtesy of Corbis.com, reminds me of the book "Misty of Chincoteague" which we borrowed from the library recently. The blue sky and earthy scent of horses reminds me of being a young girl.

Saturday was Boy's final soccer game and post-season pizza party. The Sharks tied their last game 1-1. Boy, H and O made some tremendous plays and the Stingers were a challenging team! Congrats to this years Region 9 AYSO teams. See you next year!

On Sunday, we hung out with Smuffy and Lady and their kids and just relaxed. It was great. We watched a bit of football, and the final NASCAR race of the season, sorted Lego's, and then built various modes of air transport wit them, played cards, played Porsche 911, fed the kids and us when it seemed appropriate and had a giant slumber party. It was grand!

What a weekend! The previous week was break-neck pace, so the slowness and the consciousness of not having to DO anything in particular was wonderful. Thanks to the H-family for being awesome hosts and letting us crash overnight.

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

~~Mama

I'm in Hog Heaven....

Oh, boy. I'm in a bad state today.... I seriously want another Harley.

I had one, briefly, when I lived in Hawaii. But gave it up in an amicable division of assets before I moved back East in 1991. Since it was January in New Hampshire, I thought it best I have the vehicle with doors, windows and a heater. My half of the 883 Sportster (actually both halves) were best suited to living in a warmer climate.

My cousin and 11 of his cronies are in California for the week. They came out last Thursday for the 22nd Annual Love Ride (Jay Leno and other celebs usually ride, too) on November 13, 2005, from Glendale to Lake Castaic. It looked like fun (Chris showed me photos), though I suppose that 25,000 bikers strong doesn't make for a very "peace"ful ride. Maybe that's why they call it the "Love Ride". You have to LOVE riding to gang up with that many Harleys. I'm surprised I didn't hear them going up the 5 from way over here!

Cuz's gang headed up to Monterey on Monday and back down the Coast Road where they will wind up the week on the Santa Monica Pier. The kids and I met up with Cuz in Santa Barbara at the Hotel Mar Monte last evening (Tuesday). The hotel is on Cabrillo Blvd, just across the road from the Pacific Ocean (Cuz's room had an ocean view) and it's a stone's throw from the Santa Barbara Zoo. Our family holds a membership to that Zoo. So, while waiting for Cuz to arrive in SB, the kids and I spent the end of the day and "feeding time" at the Zoo. We checked out some new exhibits (the most interesting being a Blue-Tongued Skink) and played by the farm animals who were annoyed that we didn't bring them any food. When the zoo was closing, we went over to the Hotel and just in time. The guys were checking in. I don't think I have ever met such a great group of bikers. (Gus is in the top photo worried about Girl falling off the back of his red bike). The kids were saying "Peace, Dude!".

The guys were friendly, respectful, generous, funny and very entertaining! Boy shared french fries with Sully and Mark kept us all well-supplied with drinks (lemonade for the kids). I got to meet Chuck and Jeff and Doug and the others whose names I can't remember now. All, exceptional men. I heard stories of the trek down through Big Sur and one person's reluctance to cross Bixby Bridge, a well-known California landmark. (You may have seen it in a car company advertisement, Chevrolet, I think, featuring a white bridge over the ocean. NOT for the altitude-shy!) I also heard about one of their own who was tragically killed in a riding accident earlier this year. I did not hear his name, but I know he is incredibly missed. I feel deeply for this group of gruff-looking, yet so wonderful, gentlemen.

I am so glad that the stigmata of bikers is changing into something much more positive than the day's of the Hell's Angels and such. There is no way I could ever think of Cuz in the same light as the Hell's Angels of the '60's and '70's, "Easy Rider" time. Before we headed out, the kids and I checked out the local Harley-Davidson Establishment (literally down the street from my house). I found a tank for myself and Boy INSISTED that we get Cuz a black T-shirt with a babe in a blue outfit. Girl screaming bloody hell because I wouldn't let her sit on the bikes for sale. She's going to give me a heart-attack and we'll be fighting over who gets to ride the family Harley. :) She was VERY happy sitting on Gus' bike in the top photo up there ^^^^.

Cuz and I share the exact same birthdate. We were born hours (and several states) apart. Spending the summers together growing up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire was a lot of fun. We jumped into the icy cold Swift River and slid down the natural rock slides, caught bunches of small trout to bring home for Cuz's mother, my mom's cousin, to fry up for breakfast. My grandmother even liked to eat the heads! (Ewww!) Once we were a certain age, we would have to outmaneuver the National Forest Service rangers, getting picky about fishing licenses and all that. I recalled, with amusement, the time that I flipped a trout right into the bushes behind me, I was so excited to get it's teeny-tiny bite. Yes, Gram ate that one, too, head and all. (Yuck!)

I also recall learning how to ride snow machines (by hanging off the back of them) with all my cousins at Buddy's house in North Conway. It is miraculous no one was hurt.

Maybe next year Cuz will come out again and I'll rent a Harley and ride with him. :)

In the meantime, I'm off with the screaming kids to the indoor playground and a large dose of real time.

~~Mama (imagining the wind in my hair and the road in front of me as I steer a sleek, purple , chrome and black H-D onto ... "Ventura Highway in the Sunshine/Where the Days are longer/the nights are stronger than moonshine" ).

Victory!!!!

It was a dark and stormy night...
No wait... wrong story. Ok it was a California chilly morning. The sun was casting its rays upon the field of battle where powerful forces would soon collide to decide the difference between victory and defeat.
In other words... Soccer. The game was at 10:00 this morning and the Sharks had their full team present and ready for action. They changed up their usual practice and did some drills where they played offense and defense against each other. Gone were the kids who look at the birds... these kids were swarming defenders and aggressive goal scoring machines.
Gametime...
(Image blurring.. thinking back) The Dragons were the first team that we were to play... that day they outscored us 7-0. (Image returning... to the present)

The Dragons set up to start the game. They had their wingers spread out and were in a 3-1-1 formation (only 5 kids on the field at a time). The sharks were two groups of huddled kids.. 3 up front and 2 in the back.

The Dragons came out kicking and started to move the ball to the Sharks end. Now this is where the comment on the practice becomes significant, because our team charged the ball and repelled attack after attack.
As the game wore on (about 5 minutes later), the Sharks pushed the Dragons back, by a great defensive clear by Boy Z. He took a tumble and a foot to the head, but got right back up!! After the throw in, BoyZ got the ball to Ry who broke free!! Score Sharks!!
Later in the game..
A dragon 1-1 ended up in a score for them tying the game. The Sharks, however, would not go quietly into the mid morning this time. Pressing attack after attack, the Sharks controlled the ball for most of the game. There were a few close shots taken by O and J, but both wide of the target. With about 5 minutes left in the game, out of the scrum came the ball and Ry!! Cruising ahead of the defenders, he shoots, he SCORES!!!
The Sharks kept up the tempo and at the whistle, the Sharks defeated the Dragons 2-1 for their first victory of the year!! (but who's counting).
The boys played with gusto, confidence and fervor.
It's so great to see when learning and fun start to sink in....
Especially if you're a slightly sometimes competitive Dad...

Signing off and still flying high!!
~~DaddyMan

... To Be Determined

Are they related or what????? Boy is playing in a play hut that our neighbors gave us. It takes up the entire "Great Room", but it's worth it to see how much fun they are having. They dragged every item imaginable into the tent. Blankets, pillows and clothes included! They are having a ton of fun with it. <Thanks Singer Family!>

Girl is well on her way to making this family "All Steelers - All The Time". Boy seems to be a "fair weather fan". Whatever team is showing on television on game day, he likes. We are trying to convince him to let go of his "Raider Envy". In the stores, the most predominant NFL team gear have San Francisco 49ers or Oakland Raiders logos. Both of which, um, in a word......STINK!!!!! See? All the other stuff has been snapped up by the hordes of "other" fans! Or maybe I just don't notice display of another teams insignia or name??? .....

Nah! The California teams are yucky. The Steelers have the MOST and the BEST fans, Terrible Towels down! Go #86 - Hines Ward-- three passes away from breaking the all-time Steeler record for passes currently held by John Stallworth. (My husband will be so proud that I remember this statistic; we just won't worry about the fact that I originally thought the record held by Lynn Swann!)

Hhmm....So, "What's new?" you ask?? Let's see.... I started a part-time job with the Law Office. Hey, J left to move to Ireland on a grand adventure and that left an opening in the firm! It is my duty to see that the place is held for her eventual return to the "States". Actually, it has been fun so far (one day). I was tossed right into the deep end of the pool. Fortunately, I can see the bottom and I'm a great swimmer! I'm glad to have joined the Team.

Yesterday, one of my oldest (meaning person I've known the longest; not in terms of solar age) N, had a birthday. I met her on her birthday about 30 years ago in Mrs. Morgenthaler's 4th grade class at John Fitch Elementary School. Wow. That's a long time ago. I haven't talked to her in awhile. I'm sure she's been busy with her beautiful daughter who should be about 4 years old. But, I wish her well in whatever she is doing. Today, one of my newest (met her fairly recently) but definitely one of my dearest friends, Lady, had a birthday. Her mother, MZMax, ad a birthday yesterday, too. What is with all the November birthdays?!? We are supposed to be in the malls shopping for the Winter Holidays and freaking out about our Holiday Cards getting into the mail on time after Thanksgiving when we are stuffed to the gills with whatever we will be eating on that day. Birthdays!smirthdays.

In all seriousness....Happy Birthday N and Lady (and MzMax!).

Yesterday was election day in many states across the country. Here in California, we voters spent the day voting down a bunch of propositions that were put on the ballot for our special election. So, there I was, arranging for an absentee ballot and then going over the summary and the laws packet, popping out my little chads and making sure none were "hanging" and then finding a place to deliver said ballot. Thanks, Gova-nator! >:( Personally, I can think of a million other more productive uses with that total time. I'm rereading the Outlander series so that I can catch up to J. We are forming the MalaMoor IrishCa Book Club. First meeting: whenever we can coordinate child care/sleeping/working schedules. This whole "time zone" thing is gnarly.

I have to close now. I have a date with yon Sheamus (Jamie) Fraser-->900 more pages to read.......

~~Mama

BOO!!!

Yikes! Is it the fact that there is a spider on N's lap or something S sees outside, like ...
the guys building the wall in our backyard ARE STILL HERE!?!?!?!?!

I'm thinking the last one. Sheesh! How long is it supposed to take? They originally said three days. It's DAY TEN and it still isn't finished. It's not the Great Wall of China, for crying out loud!

Okay, enough complaining. Life really is spectacular right now. Boy is enjoying soccer and he's doing so great! He runs like the wind and kick the ball HARD when he gets it. I'm such a proud Mama.

I have great news! I'm re-entering the working world! I will be working part-time for my friend D who is also a fabulous Trust and Estates Attorney. She needs the help in her office, I have huge interest in legal matters and it will give me something "adult" to do. It ought to be interesting. If my very good friend J was here, we'd be working together. She is off on her own having a whirlwind adventure on the Emerald Isle and I can't wait to see her. Daddy and I are going to take the kids to Ireland next year! I'm so excited!

***NOTE: When reading the following paragraphs, you may learn something new and possibly surprising. Though I (Mama) do not purposely hide this part of myself, some may be a bit startled at my revelations here. As you read, please keep in mind what you know of me personally. ***

Happy Hallows! Otherwise known as Hallowe'en, Hallows Eve, or sometimes Samhain (pronounced SOW-en). This is my personal New Year's Day. After Trick-or-Treating and the whirlwind of parties this evening, I will build an altar in the West, (the direction of Autumn, the Ocean and Her creatures, tears and emotion), reflecting on the past year and let go of what is no longer needed. Also in the West, I will honor my ancestors, especially those who have died this year and sit quietly for a time or meditate or using a candle flame or bowl of water (called "scrying") to reconnect with those who have passed to the Summerland. In the East, (the direction of Spring, new beginnings and flying creatures) I will build another altar welcoming in the babies who have been born this year the new ideas and projects that may come and plan my own personal new year resolutions. I will cast a magic circle and call upon those spiritual entities I have come to know, my personal gods and goddesses. I will ask them to guide me in my growth.

In the time between Hallows and Winter Solstice, I will journal, dream and plan out that I wish to accomplish in the coming year. Like January first to most of the rest of the world, I make those resolutions to work toward better physical fitness, healthier eating, reading more books, laugh more, be grumpy less, be a better parent, wife, mother, sister, friend, daughter, etc.

So, are y'all freaked out now? ....

~Mama

Sunshine....what is that?

This photo was supposed to be in anticipation for a cute family holiday photo. "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" (or Igg and Ook as they are sometimes known--Hudson Hawk anyone?) were less than cooperative. But, I look good!!!! And that's all that counts, right?

My friend and "sister", J. has been in Ireland for a few weeks. She'll be there until....whenever. All this past week and weekend, it's been overcast and cloudy, even a bit rainy during the night hours. She doesn't know what she's missing....wait a second...it's similar weather over there! Maybe the sun moved, too? You can read her blog by clicking the link over there on the right ------>. It's the one that says something about Ireland.

We finally contacted a lawyer to get our Estate Plan worked out and starting Trusts for the kids. Guardianship is an agonizing thing to think about. But, with two kids and family across the country, we have been worrying about it for awhile. What really set things into motion was the case of Terri Schiavo case and the fight between her parents and her husband. Heart-wrenching and awful to watch or think about, Terri's case had wide-reaching impact. Making those types of plans seems so strange to someone in their 30's. But, with little kids, it is so very necessary. Choosing Guardians has been the most difficult thing to do. But, we finally figured it out (right after we met with the attorney). I feel so much better like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

Funny, that meeting also brought an offer from the firm to work part-time, possibly as a paralegal. The idea does appeal to me very much. Hubby seems to be in agreement and willing to give it a try-out. It would give me large blocks of time out the world of adults, using my brain for more than Dr. Seuss or potty training. Not that those things are not important. But, two-on-one is draining much of the time. Bouncing back and forth like a ping-pong ball between them and then suddenly remembering at 4:00pm that I never ate breakfast (or anything else all day) is the ultimate Yo-Yo Diet!

I think fondly of the tribal times when the whole village would take the responsibility of raising each child, so no one person had to bear the full burden all or most of the time. Elders with their wisdom and knowing were strong in their convictions and body. No such thing as a nursing home back then. The children of the village kept them young in spirit. Can you tell I've been reading historical fiction?????

What else....the Steelers had a particularly impressive game yesterday against the Cinncinati Bengals. Did I get to see it? No. But we saw the highlights. It would have been a game to see. Darn the black out rules!!!!

One of my oldest friends, Ann, finally told off her buttinsky mother-in-law, Trish, who basically treats her like something icky and squishy on the bottom of her shoe. Ann, and her husband, Donald, have been together since we were all in high school (20 years ago. Ewww.....) Anyway, from day one, Trish has disliked Ann and made no secret of saying as much to anyone within hearing range (including Ann the day before she got married). Tacky Trish had the audacity to tell Donald (right in front of Ann!) that she thought that Yours Truly was such a nice girl and he should have married me instead. Well, not only was that an awful thing to say in Ann's presence, but it made me want to punch Trish's lights out. Now, I'm not sure where I was at the time. I was around somewhere for the wedding, but I didn't hear about that until after the fact. Oh, I remember, I think I was chasing around after the best man! :) I've wanted to punch Trish's lights out (okay, figuratively) just about every time I've seen her in the 15 years or so since Ann and Donald's wedding. It's always torqued me that I seem to be nowhere nearby when something like this has been said. I miss the perfect opportunities for weenie roasting! Anyway, I was so proud of Ann. She told me the story and I was laughing so hard from trying to picture the two of them shouting at each other in the restroom of a public restaurant. It's like something out of a movie, and a long time coming. I giggled for about another hour after I went to bed. I so wish I had been a fly on the wall. I hope Trish remembers that Ann is strong in her own right and she'd best take heed or risk seeing her only grandchild. It sucks that Ann has to play it that way, but she is undermining the relationship of the child and it's parents. THAT is just not acceptable.

Hallows is next week and it's a new moon. The perfect time to celebrate my personal New Year's Day. I'm really looking forward to it. In the meantime, there are parties, parties and more parties. Sweet! It's SO good to be popular.

Catch y'all later. Until then, tell me what's happening in your world? Leave some comments so I'll know you have been here.

~~Mama

Read In Rain Bows

Finally! We get some rain. This is the extent of the flooding here.

I know I am getting absolutely no sympathy from everyone on the East Coast. I have heard from JiJi and Babci and Papa and all say that areas that were peaceful, meandering creeks have turned into raging waters. Thank the gods, everyone is doing okay.

Today, though, I just want to curl up and finish reading my book. I'm so tempted to leave the TV on all day for the kids. It's one of the rainy, cool, fall days, cloudy, damp and chilly. If I knew anything about my fireplace (it IS or WAS gas) I would have a fire going. I really, really miss New England in Autumn.

Last night, as I was contemplating the Full Hunter's Moon during Her fleeting glimpses, I got to thinking about how different our society was less than 250 years ago. Back then, there was much more of a tribal feel to families and villages even though there was so much wilderness in between settled areas. Today, in 2005, there are more people crowded into smaller and smaller areas, so much on top of each other so that it is impossible to ignore one another. Yet, we manage to close ourselves into little boxes that all have cell phones and other wireless gadgets. In our effort to globally connect, we are missing the immediate connection we can have with the person at the next table, if all we did was smile and say "Hello".

I used to read romance novels all the time. Not those goofy Harlequin Romances that always seem the same, just change the time period and the names of the main characters. I would read Danielle Steel who I found much more interesting in the strengths of her characters and stories. There was a time when I didn't read much of anything. However, for the past 15 years, I have been reading thriller/mystery, science fiction/fantasy, Tolkien and now the classics, Louis L'Amour, Jane Austen, Steinbeck.... anything homeschooling related and lots of non-fiction books on a wide variety of topics. Daddy and I love to read.

So, recently, a friend slobbered all over herself telling me of young James Fraser and his wife, Claire, a triage nurse who served in WWII (thats right, the math doesn't add up) in a book she lent me, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. It is the first in a series (of six) that follows the meeting and life paths of the two main characters. It weaves time-travel, Scottish and English History, The Stuart Uprising, piracy and the years in the American colonies just before the Revolution into a book that was impossible for me to put down. Since time travel has always been something I have been interested in, I quickly finished that one and moved on to the others (in order), Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, The Drums of Autumn and The Firey Cross. When I traveled back East a few weeks ago, I brought The Firey Cross which is 1,443 pages in paperback. I was traveling alone and had 12 hours of uninterrupted time total plane flights. I finished it as my plane touched back down in Los Angeles. A few days later the latest book was published, A Breath of Snow and Ashes. I made myself wait a few days before I bought it in hardback. Not a small thing at 979 pages. I'm about 1/2 way through so far. The story is fiction, but the history is rich and wonderful. I warn you, if you are ANY kind of romantic, this story which spans 30 years or so, could be one of the best you may have ever read. If you are looking for a story to get lost in, this is a good one.

As I'm writing this I received an email with a phone number from my friend Jenni who moved to Ireland earlier this month. I'm going to go figure out how to call her.

~~Mama

The Wind Doth Blow....

If it isn't fire...it's wind. The mighty Santa Ana winds that have fueled the brush fires around these parts for the past few weeks did more damage to the compartmentalization of Southern California. Portions of the fences on both sides of the yard came tumbling down.... No one was hurt, but Boy decided he wanted to be in the picture. There are three young girls that live next door and the kids all play together on the weekends. They found great delight in this new (and simpler) way to access both yards. Alas, it's only temporary, but luckily we all like each other so there is no rush to fix anything.

The neighbors on the other side have an "Aspen" (a mutt) and he likes to saunter over. I woke up in the middle of the night recently to scratching on the sliding glass door in our bedroom. I didn't have my glasses on and just saw this canine shape. I am told that coyotes jump the fences to get the good morsels in the yards (quail, roadrunner, rabbits....).

It took a few moments to realize it was Aspen and I was relieved, but it took me a while to get back to sleep. About an hour later, I awoke again to Aspen barking. This time at a pack of coyotes who were yipping and howling in celebration of the capture of some sort of prey.

I just learned that one of the neighborhood cats is missing.......Sheesh.....

~~Mama

It's Quiet Today

This is a picture that Boy did online at the NASA website last year. It's he, the Astronaut, on Mars. :)

Most of the fires that are anywhere near us are finally out. The sky is much clearer today than yesterday. Of coure, the Santa Ana's are blowing up again today, so that is one reason things are so clear. They may also touch off some more fires. 'Tis the season!

It's "quiet time" in the house right now. Baby Girl went right down for a nap after screaming her head off that she wasn't tired. Yeah....

Mr. Man is playing with legos and listening to a book on CD. I am trying to figure out what to do with MY quiet time! Oh! The luxury of it.....

Things have been totally nutty for two weeks. My friend, J, moved out of her house and is leaving for Ireland next week. She's in NoCal until then and I miss her a lot. I just read her blog update and I'm all emotional about it. I have thought about how hard it is for those of us staying behind to have said goodbye. It seems much more difficult to be the one leaving. (B-Family, We love you!)

~~Mama

Firewatch......

This is the view from the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California looking South toward Thousand Oaks/North Ranch. It doesn't show up well at a reduced size, but if you click on the photo, it should open at a high resolution. Those little orange things are flames at the base of that icky looking cloud.

Just out of the frame, to the left, is the Simi Valley Reservoir. One of the water sources that the aircrews are lifting water for the drops to fight the area fires. This photo was actually taken about 11:15am today and there were three major blazes within sight distance and another one starting in Burbank. I've been listening to the air traffic, helicopters and that orange and white C-130 that the news shows dropping the red fire retardent. I packed the car with clothes and photo albums and kept the television tuned to the fire coverage. A few times today it looked like the fires were coming under control. Then the wind would change. As of 8:30pm this evening, two of the fires in the San Fernando Valley on the Los Angeles/Ventura County lines were about to merge.

Keep us all in your thoughts and prayers. So far, no one has been seriously injured. The firefighters have been working tirelessly and I cannot personally express my gratitude enough, having been way too close to the flames yesterday. (It's much better when I am in control of the fire!)

I talked to most of my family and friends and got info on some other friends who were closer to the action today. Luckily everyone is safe and surprisingly, there is not a great deal of structure damage, less than a dozen buildings for a nearly 17,000 acre wildfire.

Everyone is rather jumpy. I feel much better being a bit more prepared. It's so weird to have the television on so much and really, not much else is getting done. I did get the kitchen floor vaccumned. (Whoo-hoo! I'm sure you will all be waiting with baited breath to see what happens tomorrow!) When we went out to the grocery store today, they were low on bread, milk, bottled water, diapers.....all those things that are necessary in the face of disaster.

Last night, after the adrenaline rush had subsided, I absolutely crashed. I woke at 4:00am to an ominous glow in the South. I kept watching it and when I went outside, the air was strange feeling, thick and too warm. Also, birds and other creatures were moving about as though in daytime. It gave things an even more eerie feeling combined with the orange glow from our bedroom slider window.

We have a marine layer (a/k/a "fog") coming in this evening. That will help the fire lay down.

TO: LAFD, VCFD and all the other departments across the state who have come to help out, we in Moorpark THANK YOU!

~~Mama

HOT In the City....

This shot is from directly behind our home!**

Woke up yesterday morning and realized that it was very warm. Before the sun was up, it was 70 plus degrees. The wind began to come up and it just felt....weird. I had the windows opened for awhile and all the doors open. The breeze was going through the house and then some green leaves started bouncing around. That was some strong wind. I closed thing up and turned on the A/C. Our kitchen and dining area faces the East and when the sun rises above our neighbors house, it gets quite warm. I had closed the blinds and curtains in the kitchen area.

Our neighborhood is very quiet during the day. So, it was very strange for me to hear lots of activity. I started to realize that things were busy while I was talking on the phone to Daddy. Then I moved toward the kitchen window and realized that something looked very, very wrong. I saw the black smoke and hung up on him with a quick "(Insert expletive Here)! Gotta go!!!". I ran out into the driveway to see flames licking over the hill into the backyards of the people on the next block, 200 yards away. I ran back into the house, tossed the kids in the car, grabbed my purse and cell phone and left. There were lookey-loos who were blocking my driveway in their effort to gawk at the flames. I almost pulled a "monster truck" move in my haste to be gone. I called Daddy when I was down the hill to tell him about the fire and then we went over to his office which is about 3 miles from the house. After my heart-rate got back to normal and I had lunch, we saw mostly white smoke in the area and thought it might be safe to return. The sheriffs had blocked all the roads. I sat at the bottom of the hill and watched the firefighters putting out hot spots on the scorched hill just a few feet down from where I knew our place is.

When we were finally able to return to the house, we discovered all structurally spared. I saw that my neighbor was home and so I went to talk to him. I discovered that he had returned to his house about the time I was leaving mine with the kids. S's first thought was to check to see if we were home. Then he saw that some of the flames had started on the hill behind our houses. So, he jumped up on the roof and some other awesome anonymous passer-by jumped on my roof with the hose and started battling the flames which came to within about 20 yards of our place. Mr. Singer, if you read this...YOU TOTALLY ROCK!!!!! Thank you.

I really have to check this "Flame of the South" thing....

~~Mama (She of the Southern Flame)

**Photo Credit: (c) AP

Look Who I Found in My Living Room Today!!!

Jon Bon Jovi (left) and Richie Sambora (right).

The rest of the band is in the kitchen (out of frame) making me breakfast.

Okay, not really. But, that would MAKE MY DAY! No, my LIFETIME. I found a bunch of photos online today while I was listening to the band's new album, "Have a Nice Day". (All of my local friends are rolling their eyes and I can hear them saying...."She's obsessed. We need to do an intervention.") Hey, there could be WORSE things I am obsessed about.

Well, it sort of looks like my living room.

~~Mama [like I have to even sign this one.....]

I Returned Safely

I am pleased to discover that Daddy was able to post something to this blog. Of course, I was highly amused to read it while I was away, too. Sheesh! I never said Z males can't do anything by themselves. They are excellent eaters, sleepers and bread-winners, gamers, football fans and playmates for their children and grand-children. :) Now, the Z females are in a league all their own. We're all a bunch of nutballs. Okay, I don't speak for them, so it's just me that is a nutball.

Anyway, my trip was enlightening, though quick. I was able to visit our newest nephew (he's so cute!) and see our other niece and nephew (we drove in the Incredi-moblie). I saw my friend, L, her daughter, S and her mother, J and everyone looks great. I had a wonderful time, though the visit was too short.

The return trip was fine; uneventful except that I had trouble finding my way home from the smaller of our local airports with the very supremely marked freeways out here and my tired index. Anyway, I'm glad to be home. Sitting on a plane for 4 hours is not much fun. Though I did get almost caught up on my "Outlander" reading (Diana Gabaldon's epic series about time-travel, World War II, Scotland, witch-hunts, the Stuart Uprising and the Revolution in the American Colonies). You can find the books in the Romance section of the bookstore. Yeah, I know, I'm not the romance type, but the historical references throughout the series are fabulous. I'm almost ready for the final book in the series (there are six books) that was released over the weekend.

I didn't bring the camera so the photo above is one I had laying around. It's gives those writing and reading the blog entries something interesting to look at. I originally had posted a photo of Jon Bon Jovi, but I can't figure out how to work it into the subject of my blog. Except that I'm just a nut for the band (and the man---good thing we are both happily married). "Have a Nice Day!"

~~Mama

On the next episode of "Lost"..

A family without it's mother!! How will everyone be fed? Get dressed? FIND ANYTHING!!
Well, never fear faithful viewers, Z males are actually capable of doing things on their own....

Mama arrived safely in New England after both her flights. She hit some turbulence from Rita but otherwise smooth sailing..or flying.. whatever.
The kids and me? We had a great day. I'm finally feeling better after being sick with a serious sore throat for the 2nd time in a month so we got ourselves fed and dressed and on the road. We started with boring errands, but eventually ended up at a local indoor play place. The rest of the day on the left coast was a mixture of lunch, naps, reading and playing. Boy wanted to go to Toys R Us just to "check things out" so we did. As mentioned in previous posts, he is very much into the lego Knights (though I still believe he needs more of the regular blocks.. as I am getting tired of building the now commonplace 3 color buildings).
The day ended in our traditional "Special Movie Night". All in all, the kids were great (as usual) and asked about Mom a lot.
Momma, if you're reading, "We love you!!!"

~~Daddy

Pre-Flight

I'm almost packed and ready to go to New England. When the planes land safely in Atlanta and then again at my final destination Hartford, I'll be ready to handle anything. I don't like flying at all. Especially when my family isn't with me. But, I'm just being anxious and silly. I've got my iPod and several books to occupy me while in-flight. It will be nice to see Mom and Dad and some of the other family. Whomever I can get to see, that is. I'll miss my family very much. Cutie Girl and Big Boy. He has photos at soccer on Saturday. I'm going to miss that and his game. Daddy has been working with him and he looks great!

~~Mama

The Kids Are Alright...

I know this is post #3 in one day. The kids are watching several new episodes of "The Backyardigans" and I figured I needed to post another photo of them. They are just too cute! This photo was taken in Girl's room. I had another great one, but it was too blurry to post. Now, if I could only get Wiggles to keep his mouth closed!

~~Mama

The Front Yard

This is the view to our front door which is off to the right of the photo. Since we have moved in and taken over the yard work, there have never been people more happy to show off "dirt". Boy has helped quite a bit and earned some extra money for more Legos. (Hint to the family: anything with knights and sword in a Lego format, he'll totally love it forever).

The yard is all rain-washed and fresh this morning. It's coming along. It's by no means a perfect, thriving lawn, but we have done all the big stuff by pulling out the ivy and preparing the yard. We water regularly, dig out the weeds here and there, we have pulled all the rotting wood trim around the yard and even tried to revamp the sprinkler system. There's still much to do; rototill, put some fertilizer and grass seed down and then see what comes up. We have rediscovered the citrus trees. We have a lemon, an orange, a guava and there was another citrus tree with our orange. A friend of ours who used to own a nursery couldn't identify the tree. It had huge, gnarly looking spiky thorns. So, I cut that thing out and I think the orange tree is much happier.

Our lemon tree is bursting with new leaves and blossoms. I can't wait to make fresh lemonade with fruit from my own tree. Well, technically, the trees belong to the owners, but I don't think they would mind us using the fruit. You see that rose bush covered with roses? When we moved in it was full of dead branches and only had one or two flowers. I cut the whole thing down and added a bit of water and POOF, beautiful blossoms. You can't see it, but in the back yard, past the gate and the black thing (which is our BBQ) I have another rose bush with deeper pink blossoms.

I never thought I cared much for roses, but now I just love them. I guess it's like that with anything you invest a bit of yourself in. Hmmmm........

~~Mama

A Rainbow Morning

This is a photo of one of my rose bushes this morning with the beautiful raindrops. At 3:45am I was awakened by the dog next door barking his head off. He's normally a quiet pooch, but he was definitely upset. Between his barks, I heard several eerie sounds. One, the yipping of a pack of coyotes cornering some prey. The other, the distant roll of thunder. "Thunder is no big deal" my Nor'Easter family might say, but for SoCal desert Rats, it is a welcome sound. The lightning can be frightening as it tends to touch off wildfires.

Well, I suppose every place has its jewels and it's thorns. Personally, I'd rather brave the wildfires than get buried in a blizzard. Must be my firey nature.

I counted the seconds between lightning and thunder and the storm seemed to be 5 or so miles out.

I stepped outside and breathed in that unique scent of ozone spark in the air. I felt the rumble of the thunder in my belly and I felt very peaceful at that moment. I was thinking forward a little bit to this weekend when I'll be in New England at the Equinox and it will feel quite different.
Then the rain started and I tried to remember what might be laying out in the yard that might have an aversion to being rained on. No small feat at 4:00am, but I managed to stumble out to the garage and find a tarp in my sleepy haze with no glasses on. I covered a few tools that are sitting in the yard and went back to bed. I left the slider open so that I could hear the rain and feel the humid breeze.

Then the morning struck, I was late getting up for my doctors appointment and the traffic was exceptionally awful. When I got to the office, the doctor wasn't even in and neither was his receptionist. So, everyone in the waiting room (about 5 of us) remarked about the weather. It's such a big deal to Californians when it rains. It makes for conversation for hours. One can discuss the multitudes of accidents they pass on a rainy morning. It rains and people lose their minds. That's when we all discover that our tires are way too bald. Thank the gods it doesn't snow here. No one would survive winter.

On my way out of my appointment, I saw a beautiful rainbow. I didn't have my camera, though. So I missed that shot. The traffic was heavy approaching our exit off the Freeway and as I came upon it, my exit was completely blocked! A big rig (tractor trailer for everyone NOT living in California) was laying across the ramp. Sometimes I wonder how they do that? I'd rather not learn about it first-hand.

~~Mama

A Trip to the Dump

Today was "M residents get in for free day" at the local landfill. I know, sounds incredibly exciting and I can understand if many of you turn your computers off at this moment....

There really is a story here, so for you brave souls....We (M&M&N) have been working like mad on the side area of our yard. (NOTE: the photo to the left is NOT of any place in our yard...but, I wish!) We have pulled a bunch of ivy off the fence and cleared a lot of weeds from the more flat areas. There were weeds that were three feet high when we moved in and once they were cut down, they were stubborn to remove completely. They are still a pain in the rear. But, a few minutes here and there with the hoe has been satisfying on many levels; aesthetically, spiritually, ecumenically.....

Okay, so I'm straying from my title here. Today, I loaded up about 15 trash bags full of the weeds and dead leaves and all the other yard junk that has not been able to fit into our Yard Trimmings waste bin (picked up once a week) and also the small dumpster we rented when we first moved in to this place. I hauled it all to the dump and while I was on my way, I had a nice little trip down memory lane....

When I was a youngster (i.e. early teens) living in Windsor, I used to go to the town dump with my Dad on Saturdays. We had a little sticker in the windshield and I always thought it was really funny that we had to stop on a scale before we went in. Like, how do they know exactly how much my Dad and I and the truck weigh versus the trash?? ((Oh, the things that make young grey matter churn.)) I felt very privileged to be helping my Dad at the dump. He's probably reading this laughing his rear-end off! He got slave labor and I was actually ENJOYING IT!! My brother was no dummy. He didn't want anything to do with the dump. Yep, it was bonding day for me and Dad. Seriously though, my Dad and I have a great relationship and it would be okay for him to read this since I told him this story this afternoon when I called him. We do talk about things other than the dump. (I love you, Daddy!!!)

As I'm waiting in the line for my turn to dump, I was trying to imagine what it would look like. Now, really, I have not been to many dumps in my lifetime. When I lived on Staten Island, there was a place near the mall where the seagulls would be in constant flight formation. That, and the putrid, but sweetish, smell always told you where the dump was. I remember going there one time (to that mall) and realizing about the dump and the not going back there for a long while (a year or so) and then returning to find how much the landfill had grown! Yikes! My dad was telling me today about the landfill in the town where I grew up and how high it is now. I had long forgotten, or put out of my mind at least, how much we humans throw away. Today's trip was a sobering reminder. I think everyone should go to the dump once or twice a year (and bring the kids, popcorn and binoculars!) to remind themselves just how wasteful we can be.

I was even at least going to be somewhat environmental but opening the non-biodegradable trash bags and dumping all the leaves, dirt, vines, etc. One of the workers made a point of coming over to stop me from opening the bags and told me to simply the stuff on the pile, bags and all. So, there I was throwing the plastic bags which contained bio-degradable contents onto a large pile of branches which was covering a huge metal desk. As I pitched the last bag, a couple got out of the huge Escalade next to me, (kids in the back watching a DVD. I don't think they had any popcorn, though) and dumped a huge plastic storage tub that looked brand new! They also dumped a very large plastic dog bed and several large rolls of used kitchen floor vinyl.

I wonder, in 10, 000 years, what the archeologists of that day will think about that plastic dog bed. Can that be accurately carbon dated?

~~Mama

Blogging...California Style

This is what our backyard looked like soon after we moved in. It looks better now, but I don't have updated photos and I'm still playing with this blogging thing.

I enjoy that I can jot down some quick (or not so quick) thoughts, add a photo if I wish and be on my way. I really like the fact that I can send a link to family and friends and all they have to do is check back once in awhile rather than complain about the photos being too big or too many or their internet connection being to slow or whatever. I think this was such a great idea to start this (Thanks, J!!).

I am finding that I put a lot of myself here, but that's the point. Besides, though I am very different than some I haven't seen in awhile might realize, I have nothing to hide. Some people who read these blogs, members of my family (or my mother's friends), will perhaps think that I am really off my rocker out here in Southern California (the "land of the fruits and the nuts"). But, hey, I was "strange" before I came to California. My kind of strange is just a bit more acceptable here. . . . .

Girl is 2 now. I have to remark that she is remarkable. Yes, we are biased, but she was talking in complete sentences such as "Daddy, can I have more pizza, please?" before her second birthday. Today she said "Mommy, I dropped my sippy-cup". Of course then she screamed Bloody Hell when I told her that I wasn't going to pick it up because I was driving and it wasn't safe. You would think I was pulling her toenails out by the noise. Oy, sometimes these kids make me nuts. (Yeah, I know Mom, paybacks are a bee-itch.)

I have majorly revamped this week. I felt the need to mentally and emotionally "clean house". I backed off doing Full Moons with this group I have been working with for a year or so.
I also closed the TONL group so that JA and I can revamp it and make it more than a preschool playgroup. TONL wasn't taking off as I had hoped and many people were using it to "check out" homeschooling. That's all great and all, but our kids are approaching the age where we are starting to really teach them more on the academic side, though I am so not interested in being severly structured. Jill has been wonderful about committing to me and this group. She even helped me pick out this totally wacko name...and it's a GREAT play on words.

~~Mama

Halloween is on it's way....

Oh boy, aren't they cute? I found these great Halloween costumes at Kohl's the other day and Himself was in his for two days! Of course, I don't really count these as the costumes they will wear for Hallows. They like to dress up and these were on sale. I like to find costumes in thrift stores, too or scarves and such that they can be creative with. These were a surprise for the price AND quality. Girl got all itchy (see the look on her face?) and the fairy costume was off in like a minute, but she looked cute long enough for me to get this photo done.

This whole blog thing is really interesting. I'm trying to figure out if I want to share it with the family. Maybe I'll try it out on one or two people. It seems to be a great way to share updates on happenings and photos. Yikes.....I'm entering the world of "everyone".

~~Mama

Today I Became a Soccer Mom

Yikes! I'm a Soccer Mom?? NO WAY!!!!

Soccer began today and it was crazy at the fields. Boy's team (The Blue Sharks) was so cute, a scrum of boys buzzing around a ball. He did great, though and while the other team scored one goal and the Sharks, none, he had fun and he looks forward to doing it again.

So, I'm heading to Connecticut on Mabon to support my mother as we say goodbye to Uncle P. A fitting day, the Second Harvest to return my uncle back to the Earth. I'm surprised at my own reactions to this whole affair. Though I don't feel much grief for my Uncle, I am sad that he is gone; more for my mother's sake. I definitely have a different view of death than most people I know, so it probably makes me look very unfeeling. It's the body that is dead, not their lifeforce (you know, the "Force", Luke!). I'm surprised that I feel very compassionate and more supportive of my mother than I have in a long time. (She'll probably read this and choke.) Maybe I've done enough work to realize that some stuff can just be put away; everyone does their thing and is allowed to live their own life. I just hope others remember that about me. . . I've gotten enough "messages" lately to realize that I am in a strong place. I've looked a lot of "stuff" that I need to dump or finally put to rest. Nah, I'm not gonna do my therapy session on HERE, don't worry.

While I'm not keen on flying, you know, to support my mother while she grieves and finds closure just feels the the very right thing to do.

~~Mama

Getting Used to This

Labor Day Weekend, the day when the laborers get a day off...or a good excuse to have a cookout and drink beer....

By the calendar the summer is not yet over, but by the season, it is. The Wheel turned from Summer to Autumn before Labor Day, though by the calendar Autumn doesn't arrive for a few more weeks.

My Uncle Pl died Monday. He was 88 and had lived a full life. I'll miss him, but he is no longer in pain or suffering in any way.

My friend J, is leaving at the end of the month for an exciting move to Ireland. Daddy and I went to Ireland for our honeymoon and we just loved it. When she first told me, I was SO EXCITED!!!! I still am, of course, and now that the word is out that she is leaving, many people are looking to me and asking "how are YOU holding up?". I don't want to answer. I don't want to think about it. J and her family are going to have a fabulous time and I'll do whatever grieving I need to do when they are safely on their way.

~~Mama

The Beginning

I've heard so much about "blogs" in the past few days and a few of my friends have created blogs. One to to document a trip to Texas to support Cindy Sheehan, another to document the devastation on the Gulf Coast. Finally, one of my best friends is working on her blog so that she can keep her loved ones updated as she embarks upon the adventure of a lifetime and moves her clan to Ireland for a few years. Bon Voyage, B-Family!

Yes, I know that clans are a Scottish thing. They're Scottish, so that works.

I thought about it a bit and I think it's a good idea to start one for ourselves. We can put our thoughts here and add some photos and let you all know what we are doing and what the kids are doing and how they are growing. Enjoy!

~~Mama