40 Years

A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year.
~ Paul Sweeney

Today is my parents' 40th Wedding Anniversary. A great milestone in this culture of divorce.

It hasn't always been easy for them and in fact, it still isn't easy. They've got their good times and their bad times, like all couples. The difference in my parents' case, is that they work through them.

It's a wonderful thing, 40 years. And very special. Just like the two people celebrating today.

Congratulations Mom & Dad!

Until later...

Wii Fit

Yes, I've had a sip or three of the Wii-aid. I went out and bought a Wii Fit for the family.

What a hoot. Until of course you get to the point where the damn game says, "You're fat!" as if you'd never even considered that possibility.

The games are interesting, and worth doing. I especially enjoy the yoga and the aerobics.

The question is...how long does this hold its appeal before we no longer break it out.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Sigh. That's what I thought.

Until later...

The Matriarch

When grace is joined with wrinkles, it is adorable. There is an unspeakable dawn in happy old age.

~ Victor Hugo

Today my grandmother turns 80. It's hard for me to believe that fact. When my mom's parents hit that age, they were OLD. In fact, my mom's parents were always old to me.

Not so much for my dad's mom. She has always been young to me, and she has as much stamina now as I do.

Grandma was only 19 when my dad was born. She was only 42 when I was born and at the time, her youngest child was 8. She's just been young, if that makes sense.

Last night the family got together as a surprise for her birthday. My uncle brought her over to the American Legion where the rest of us were waiting, but she wasn't surprised. She said she knew something was up when she didn't get any cards in the mail. Smart lady, my grandmother.

The kids all gave her money for a trip - or whatever she wants to do with it. My grandma enjoys traveling, but hasn't been doing a lot of it lately. I hope she takes a trip that she'll really enjoy with this money.

In another post, I talked about the book I was putting it together for her. It turned out wonderfully, and while I got a few facts wrong (my cousins graduated from a different school than I'd listed), my grandmother truly loved it. She was crying into the first few pages, because I'd found pictures that she didn't remember ever having, and she kept saying how precious it was to her. I'm truly happy that she enjoyed it.

I made the cake for the celebration, and while it was a good cake, I wasn't entirely pleased with it. Grandma, however, loved it, and that's what matters isn't it?

We managed to take a family photo of us all also. We were missing two, and that seems to be standard any more. I don't remember the last time all of us were together. Hopefully we'll get the full family picture before much more time passes.

My grandmother has lived the kind of life I wish for myself. She loves her children, her grands and her greats. Better, she is loved by us all. She freely admits though life was hard when she and my grandfather started out, she'd do it all over again, and really, there's nothing more fulfilling that a person can say about their life, is there?

So to my grandma...Happy Birthday. You mean the world to us all.

Until later...

M O M

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.

~ Washington Irving



Thanks Mom. I love you.

I'm Following In Mrs. Cleaver's Footsteps

Eons ago, there were specific days for the housewife to get chores done...and to a point, that's still true...but I don't only do laundry on Monday and I iron as needed, rather than all day Tuesday. However, today is Saturday, which means it is Baking Day! And I'm going to be baking that cheesecake mentioned in MPM earlier this week.

I also have to clean (and that was supposed to be yesterday, but oh, well...) the house before my parents show up tomorrow. Luckily, it isn't dirt, just a little cluttered.

It's a cold and dreary day here in the Hinterlands. As I suspected, Bugaboo is angry with me, so he wants nothing to do with me. That means that I'll likely curl up with a book, unless he decides he actually does want my company. I've learned that you can't push him out of his moods, rather that you have to wait him out...we'll see what happens.

So, I'm off to do some cleaning and then later this afternoon I'll make that cheesecake...June would be proud of me.

Until later...

Here Comes The Sun!

Whoo Hoo! The sun is out! It's a pretty sight after all the rain we've been having!

I need to get myself motivated today. I really should do something...anything. About the only thing I have on my agenda is to run downtown and pick up a windshirt to wear for Mr. A's games I might stop and pick up some more coffee creamer too.

I know, I know, don't wear myself out! LOL!

I also need to stop and grab the mail...I forgot to grab it Friday, and since I didn't leave the house yesterday, it's still sitting there. When I talked to my dad yesterday, he said that my cousins had sent out invitations to my aunt & uncle's 25th wedding anniversary party and he wanted to know if I was invited. Apparently, the RSVP date is this weekend, so I'd best figure out if I got an invitation or not, so that I can RSVP if necessary.

Other than that, I think a few loads of laundry are asking to be done. If I can motivate myself for that, we'll be in good shape for the coming week.

Until later...

Milestones...

My grandmother turns 80 at the end of May. You wouldn't be able to tell however. She's as active and spry as I remember her being in my youth, when she still had three young children at home herself.

There's a big hullabaloo with the aunts & uncles about a surprise party for her. Where to have it, what to eat, what the family should buy. I've stayed out of it, thankfully enough. Once I started hearing rumblings about the potential of this, I started looking for a gift to do for just the monsters and I...I'm selfish that way.

I remembered that a friend had spent some time creating a book for her graduating son just a little while ago, and I thought, "HEY! What a cool idea!". So a couple of weeks ago, I started asking the family for pictures and information to use in creating this book. I wished I'd just shown up on some doorsteps and said, "Here, I want that picture and that one, and...". It'll get done though, I'm sure of it.

Well, I went out to Shutterfly and spent all weekend putting together a 40 page hardbound book, designed just for Grandma. I'm truly hoping that she'll enjoy it. I know that I think it's the coolest, but then, I'm a little bit biased.

The ease of putting this together (family idiosyncrasies not withstanding) was like making a cake from a boxed mix...SIMPLE. Of course there are many out there who have a hard time with that, but really...if you're looking for a WOW gift, check out the photo books at Shutterfly!

I'll let you know how it actually turns out!

Until later...

Why Don't You Get Married Again???

It's my favorite question. Okay, I lie. But I've heard it a lot lately. From friends, from family, from the guy who delivers my eBay purchases...okay, maybe not that last one, but I swear I hear this question often.

The monsters have asked me it a few times lately too. When their dad first got remarried they asked a lot. When their baby sister was born, they asked again. Now, it was family this last weekend. I think part of that is the fact that my cousin is getting married in March and another cousin announced that she was getting married in June.

Me? Not getting married. Not any time soon.

I can't say that I haven't thought about how nice it would be some days to have someone here at home when I'm overwhelmed and just need a break from the hectic life. Or someone to listen to me kvetch about how work went that day. Or someone to just put their arm around my shoulders as we watch tv at night after the monsters have gone to bed.

Then I look at my life as it is, and think about how it was when there was someone here to do those things. And you know what? I don't miss it enough to give up my independence. I like being able to eat whatever it is that I want on the weekends when the boys are gone. I like not having to tell someone why I didn't come home right after work. I like not having to explain why I just spent money on clothes that I might not need, but really wanted. And maybe when I open up my email to a particularly idiotic email from my ex and it reminds me of everything I went through when I was married, I just get the feeling I don't have the patience for another individual's quirks and idiosyncrasies.

I've decided that I'm just too selfish any more to give enough of myself to build a relationship with another person, to the extent that I believe that marriages deserve.

I have interests and hobbies that I enjoy. I have friends and family that I spend time with doing things that interest us all. I'm by no means a solitary individual.

And I think that's what those who want to put me on the Marriage Ark can't believe. I don't think they understand that I'm happy and satisfied with the way things are. They're all paired up with their spouses and fiancés, shouldn't I be? And my only answer is, "Maybe...some day...but don't count on it."

And I'm really okay with that.

Until later...