Halloweenie and a Poodle Pirate

Just an inside joke between friends...... It was a meager Halloween this year as far as the trick or treaters went. We usually get around 200 kids ringing our doorbell and setting our dogs into a tailspin, but this year we had barely 40. It's a good thing we don't give out candy otherwise we'd have to eat the leftovers. It was a pirate Halloween at our house, with front porch decorations and pirate toys and goodies to hand out. Even Ginger got into the action with her own pirate costume which stayed on at least 10 seconds and hardly long enough for a photo.

Love your Breasts


This month is dedicated to Breast Cancer... to the research to end it and to the woman who have survived and to those, like my mother, who have not. This past weekend one of the scrapbooking magazines sponsored a Scrap Pink event which promoted crops and other events to help educate women. In honor and memory of my mother, I helped give a crop at my LSS, Moments 2 Remember. Even though the scrappers present weren't great, donations given were generous and all money went to the Susan G. Kommen foundation. I thank everyone who came and who donated.

To the women reading this, please get a mammogram this month if you haven't yet, read the information on self-checks, and become aware.

a prodigal friend and sister


My dear friend returned into my life after being gone for several years. Life and the things in it kept her away and due to unfortunate twists and turns, she has come back. As much as I missed her, I would much rather she be happy with the life she had for so many years. For it was an unwelcome and surprise divorce that brought her back. I am shocked and deeply saddened that she was treated this way and I hope that she will find her way out of it. I'm sure that it will take time and lots of tears shed, but I know that she'll be okay. She has her family and friends to comfort and support her. I wish for her peace.

I see what friends have gone through in their lives and I wonder if I would be able to manage if I were in their shoes. We all have our own crosses to bear and goodness knows I've carried a few and survived.

My sister whom I have missed terribly ever since her family moved to California, is moving back to the midwest. Even though she'll be a five hour drive away (or 3 hours by ferry), it's still shorter than a 5 hour flight (and a lot less expensive). I will see her more than once a year and may even get to spend the holidays together. I know it's all about the job and career and I feel terrible about my niece's life being interrupted once again, but please indulge me my little bit of selfishness wanting them to be close. I wish for them contentment.

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.

iGadgets....

Yes, we got the iPhones... and new iMacs as well.... of course it has to go along with the new iPod I got a couple of weeks back. So what is this iMania? maybe it has to do with getting the latest and greatest of the Apple gadgets, or just our little way of trying to stay connected with the iWorld, in any case, it certainly is lots of iFun.

Bob had been stalking the manager of our local AT&T store to be on the list when the iPhones came in. Unfortunately our local store wound up not getting any phones on the Friday release date, but we made the trip to the Apple store later that night... about 10pm and there was no line, and more salespeople in the store than customers. Good for us. Activating the iPhones was not a huge problem.... but synching them was. Our computer wasn't equipped with the latest USB and no connection could be made. After a week or so of waiting for the upgrade, Bob plugged it in and the whole system failed.... oh just great. Another week being told we lost all data.... interject where I become hysterical thinking I lost all my photos...... and then finally giving in and getting a new iMac... (huge 24" screen thank you) and finding out that data was all recovered... thank the tech gods....

Now my iPhone is working wonderfully and I have become the tech idol of all those around me.... but this wonderous new computer has once again lost my data. All bookmarks gone, all stickies gone, all photos gone, all saved documents from Word gone, etc.. etc... Bob thinks they are in the computer somewhere.... so another trip to the Apple store and a consult with the mac tech gods should produce the data.... I'm hoping and praying..