a pirate's life for me....

This weekend was the first Pirate Festival in Muskegon and being part of this event, I went with friends on Saturday. There was a steady amount of people both at Captain Jack's Bar and at the Vender pavilion. Although I love getting in garb and being all piratey (as much as a 53 year old woman can be), I usually take a back seat when it comes to all the activities... like storming the beach and taking back control of the rum from the English Militia. Let them other pirates do the nasty work and I'll wait for the rum. I keep adding to the costume each year and it keeps getting heavier and heavier to wear. Got to admire those pirate folk with the long coats and multiple layers of stuff..... firearms and broad swords will just weigh ya down. So the famous pirate photographer, Tiger Lee was there doing portraits and I just had to have mine done as well..... can't wait to see the final product. Beth, Sgail and Kelsey got their picture taken by him as a birthday gift from me and I have to admit theirs was awesome. So I'm packing away all the bits and bobs until next season. Well done Matey!

Remembering Ozzy

Our beloved Ozzy passed away Monday morning. He and Ginger were at the kennel/vet while we were away and just before we could pick them up on Monday we got the call from the vet. Sometime between midnight Sunday and 5am Monday, Ozzy seizured. He had a couple of episodes in the last few years that we were able to handle, this one however we couldn't.

I am heartbroken and feel like I lost a member of my family. We had him for a wonderful 12 years and he will be missed. I will miss his big brown eyes so telling of his deep sensitive soul, his soft brown fur and big fluffy ears, his singing to Eartha Kitt's "Santa Baby", the way he laid his head on my lap as if to say, "I understand", and how he slept at the side of my bed to protect me from the darkness of the night.

a camping we will go......

I hate camping, I've gone a couple of times when I was younger and tolerated sleeping on the ground and peeing in the woods... but of course there was alcohol and mood altering medications involved. Camping these days? Not so much... roughing it has become a hotel without room service. No kidding... my friends will tell you what a queen I am. So what's this leading to? I'm going to camp... even as a kid I never went to sleep-away camp.... there was day camp, but that doesn't count. So Bob and I are going to a Hungarian Heritage camp located at a lodge in the mountains of Pennsylvania. There we will learn the language (for me a review and for Bob actually learning), and spend some with with other cultural activities. Should be interesting. I've checked the Penn Scenic View site and there are air conditioned lodges and because we're going as a married couple, we get a private room (how nice), but still not sure on the private bathroom... I just might be schleping down the hall in the middle of the night... better stop drinking that water. This is what I'm packing...... i-Pod, books, knitting, a fan for the room (just in case the air conditioning doesn't work), candles, flashlight (to get to the bathroom), bug spray, my pillow, and my altered book for taking notes and journaling. Well yes, I'm taking clothes, but that goes without saying. My friends will be disappointed if I don't bring home lanyards and pot holders and bird houses made from popsicle sticks. I'll try.