Halloween 1981

I love this picture.

I love the joy on my face as I readied my children for trick-or-treating. I remember their excitement to get ready, and little Joey standing so still so I could finish drawing on his whiskers. My daughters and our neighbor watching so intently. I love that I hand-sewed their costumes. This was before China made all the inexpensive handmade costumes we enjoy now. In those days, it was either a cheap plastic mask or a rare home-sewn costume. I love the proud way they wore them, my 2 princesses and a leopard, and how they played in them long after Halloween was over. How I loved being a mother. So much work but loads of fulfillment in it.

I miss those days.

If you're a tired mother of little ones, I hope you are reminded to enjoy this precious moment. They grow up and this is gone forever.

16 Candles

This Red Velvet cake tastes better than it looks... though I just love the twisty candles.

SURPRISE! Chase was not expecting this--a campout at the new farm!

From left to right: his dad, Chase, little Aidan, Papa D, Uncle Drew, and four of his hockey friends.

The Family Photo
(with Maggie dog in the background)

Good friends and a freshly caught fish on the line.

They gathered the wood, they dug the firepit, they built the ring, they built the fire, they tended the coals. There are few life experiences as enjoyable as sitting by the camp fire watching the hobo stew cook to perfection.

His mom organizes the sleepover in the tents. Despite what they think, 16 year old boys still need mothering, and mothers of 16 year old boys still need to fuss over them. Nanas too.

16 years ago today we were in a natural childbirth clinic watching him being born. His grandpa and his Uncle JJ were outside the door listening to his first wails. We were elated with the wonder of this brown-eyed boy--our first grandchild. Now he's 6' tall and we are shrinking.

The cut achilles tendon has kept him off the ice this season.
The new driver's permit seems to have eased his pain a bit.
A birthday party helps too.
We love this guy so very much.

Psalm 127:3
Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him.

City Girls

At the theatre to see Chicago

In Times Square

At the Plaza Hotel

In Central Park

Intense, alive NYC. The girls left their mark.

Cut off as I am, it is inevitable that I should sometimes feel like a shadow walking in a shadowy world. When this happens I ask to be taken to New York City. Always I return home weary but I have the comforting certainty that mankind is real and I myself am not a dream.

Helen Keller

---

Birthday at Bloomie's

Rachel takes a bite of poached pear and creme brulee

Food or Art?

The Birthday Girl and Raspberry Sorbet

The girls and I went to NYC for Jaime's birthday weekend. Rachel came from LA and met us there. We started Jaime's special day with a delectable first class three-course brunch at Petrossian. The food was divine. The service impeccable. We rolled out of there two hours later looking for a way to walk off the poundage. Bloomingdales seemed the perfect solution.

Unfortunately for us, Bloomingdales is an 8-floor carnival of eye candy and every counter is designed to tempt you beyond your endurance. We thought we'd successfully hurdled the makeup counter gauntlet, when we ran into the guy in the tux holding a tray full of champagne glasses. That was the beginning of the end. The music was right and they gently waved the chocolate truffles under our noses. Before we could say "credit limit", we were sitting in chairs before preening cosmeticians and being creamed and pampered and cell-plumped beyond recognition! Blooming at Bloomies!

JoAnne's mud treatment.

Nature girl Rachel gets ready for the prom. At least.

Jaime hangs on every word!

Beauty is serious, people.

Guy Phillip, Borghese Makeup Artist to the Stars, gets a group shot of us glamour girls for his portfolio. Ain't we sumthin'!

Happy Birthday Jaime girl. We love you!

Enjoy your new jar of beauty mud!

October Overload

Relaxing in the Boston Public Garden--seems so long ago...

I had an 18 day vacation up the Eastern seaboard--to Boston, Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Quebec, Canada--so you'd think I would be, herewith, displaying one beautiful Kodak moment after another. That would be expected. And you'd think I would be grateful enough not to complain about anything, after such a grand tour and time away from the usual responsibilities.

But October is a big month in our family and it's kicking my behind.

In October, we are celebrating 6 family birthdays and our anniversary. This past weekend we put together a surprise party for my 16 year old grandson. So my post-vacation re-entry was fast and fierce. I went through the front door with all engines running full throttle. I threw everything out of my suitcases,(minus one tennis shoe obviously stolen by TSA) and have yet to finish washing our clothes.

We also closed escrow on a little dream we've had--a farm/ranch/getaway place-- and we've been working overtime trying to get the lights working and the cobwebs swept away. In the midst of all that, I also work out 4 days a week, cook Family Dinner every Monday night, participate in a women's Bible study group, and teach Sunday school. If you aren't overloaded by my chaos yet, there's more where all that came from. Worst of all for me is that I have a very dear group of bereaved mom's that I meet with online. We are in the process of working through a devotional book together, and my hectic schedule has basically stalled everyone out. Oh me, oh my. Overload.

So I hope this explains my long silence here, my lack of photos, and my email, blog comment and facebook gaps.

I will get it together some day, but probably not this Fall...nor probably even by Christmas.

But I haven't stopped thinking about you all and missing you.

More later.