Blogs I dig!!

Here are some of the blogs I follow on a regular basis.

http://hereandnow06.blogspot.com/

http://www.princesslasertron.com/

http://lalalovelythings.blogspot.com/

http://hotdiggityldr.blogspot.com/

http://pleasesirblog.blogspot.com/

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Kickin' it old school

Last night I had the pleasure of going to a concert with some of my favorite people. This was no ordinary concert either. This was old school talent- nothing computer generated and certainly not lip syncing.

The band of which I speak is Heart. And let me tell you they did not disappoint. I've been listening to their music for decades and they sound as good if not better than they did when they started out in the 70's. No rust on the singing pipes here. And Nancy was rockin' the guitar like no other. Their live performance ranks right up there with U2- and that coming from me says a lot.

I've always thought they were so cool. I was just a little kid the first time I heard them. I can still remember my mom playing their albums and me thinking, "Those ladies are rockin' out like the boys- COOL!"

Last night was great. And I learned a few things during the show.

1) People who drink excessively do really stupid things.

2) Eddie Money needs to retire.

3) I have really good friends.

4) You don't need botox to age gracefully- Ann and Nancy are proof of that.

5) Never, ever take a kid to an outdoor concert where alcohol runs freely- We saw a boy get a full frontal flash from an intoxicated 40-50 year old woman who thought she was hot business. Do you think the kid is going to remember the music when he looks back on this memory?

6) Don't hop the fence if you don't have a pass- you're just asking for trouble and you look like a fool.

7) There are nice people everywhere.

8) You are only as old as you feel.

9) It pays to be responsible.

10) My friends offer the best entertainment around.

Last night was great and I will be going to see Heart again this fall. But until then, I'm headed down to the basement to play a little guitar hero- I don't think I'll be able to rock to Barracuda quite like Nancy does though.

Happy Father's Day X 2

I am married to a great guy. For Mother's day and Father's day we generally gather our little family together for a movie and dinner in the city. And we did just that- this past weekend!

For whatever reason I had it in my head that F-Day was Sunday the 14Th. I had my kids make their cards and notes to their dad and I had written my sentiments on my card. We hid them away so he wouldn't see them before Sunday.

So, Sunday the 14Th arrives. Happy Father's Day, Tim!! He enjoyed opening his cards and then it was off to church. During greeting time I was sharing the F-Day wish with our male friends at church but thought it odd that these fabulous father's didn't really know how to reply- they just gave me a really confused look. "Off day", I thought.

On the way to Omaha we were discussing our dining options and I said, " we should probably go to the movie and have a late lunch/ early supper to avoid the long wait." However, the restaurants didn't appear to be busy -" it's the economy" I thought to myself.

We had a wonderful "Father's day. Until my dear friend Sandy called and informed me that it wasn't Father's day yesterday. Do you know how many people I talked to about father's day? Now I know why my dialect was met with a blank stare- Idiot! I actually had other people thinking yesterday was the big day as well.

I had to quick call my husband to stop him from giving his dad his F-day gift today. I thought we were late which is often the case. Who knew I'd be way ahead of schedule for once.

The best part is we will get to celebrate Tim again next Sunday. If anybody deserves a second Father's day it's this guy- he's married to a real airhead.

Things to do when it's rainy or too cold to go to the pool.

Hello. Well summer is coming up fast unfortunately it doesn't feel like it in my neck of the woods. So in order to keep a swing in my step and not hibernate until the warm weather hits I have a list of freaking fantastic things to do to keep me and the peeps busy.

1. clean and organize. NO it's not fun but once it's done it's so refreshing. My kids found some great treasures while cleaning up. My daughter had forgotten about the sewing machine she got for Christmas until she rediscovered it in a pile- SWEET!!

2. Organize photos and work on albums. My kids love to see old pictures of me and their dad. Do you remember all those bad fashions of the 80's? These little bits of humiliation create hours of enjoyment for the peeps.

3. Read a good book. I make my kids read a chapter a day. It's the law. They may read more if they wish and sometimes they do. It keeps their nogs busy and the house quite.

4. Sew something. Now that we've found Mia's machine we are going to try to sew up some aprons and other fun things.

5. Movie marathon. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy makes for one long marathon. If that's not your thing change it up.

6. Adventures in baking. I love to bake but I tend to get into a rut and make the same things over and over. I think I'm going to try making some sort of recipe for cupcakes- from scratch of coarse.

7. Plan a party. I think I may have a Rock Band party for my friends. Nothing better than watching a bunch of middle aged chicks trying to perfect tunes by Blue Oyster Cult- Cow bell optional.

8. Game night. We are gamers in this house. Once my mom and I got into a fierce scrabble-off and played for about 15 hours straight. That will pass the time.

9. Write a letter. This is becoming a lost art. I love to get a written letter or note. Even better, create a card to send.

10. Make indoor s'mores. Take your graham crackers and place them on a cookie sheet. Put a marshmallow on top and pop them under the broiler for a few. When the mallows are toasted pop a mini peanut butter cup on top and finish it off with a graham cracker topper. Voila!!

So there you go- a few indoor activities to keep you busy. Have a great summer.

Good things and not so good things

Music on my ipod- good. Listening to Celine Dion in the dentist office- Bad.

Coffee press coffee- Good. Church coffee- bad. (don't be offended. It's just that I like mine black as night and church coffee is really weak.)

Weekends- good. Mondays- Bad. (only if they are rainy day Mondays- Ask Karen Carpenter.)

Sense of humor- good. Crabby crusty people-bad. Lighten up, Man!!

Comfortable denim- good. High waisted jeans- really bad. If you want your bum to looked even bigger than it is high waisted denim is the way to go.

A good nights sleep- good. 7 hr. nap- bad.

Field trips with youngsters- good. Field trips to circus to see scary clowns- bad

My brother, Michael- good. Brett Michaels- Bad and don't even get me started on that dude.

My friends, Good. Grudge carriers- bad. It's all about forgiveness, baby.

My sister, Cate- good. Hardly ever getting to see her- bad.

My retro cruiser- good. Flat tire- bad.

Shorts weather- good. My jiggly legs- bad

Hershey almond kisses- good. Consuming a whole entire bag at once- bad. It's all about portion control- yeah, tell it to the hormones .

Being able to hang with my bro again- good. the last 10 years of missing him- bad.

Moving on- good. Hate- very, very bad.

Heart break and new hope

Hello Friends

I haven't been able to blog in quite some time. The last month has been a real bummer for my family. Let me explain.

My brother and his wife are getting a divorce. They have been married for almost 17 years. They have two boys, 13 and 9 (On Sunday). This has been a difficult thing to deal with because I have seen a big change in my sister-in-law in the last 10 years and it hasn't be a good change. I feel as though I have let my brother down. I saw what she was doing and instead of saying, "Hey I have a feeling that your life is in the crapper and I am there for you, Mike." I did nothing. Why? Because I am the biggest Chicken. I was afraid of Kathy. I didn't want Mike to have more misery. But by my cowardice I think he probably felt alone- for a long time.

I am heartsick right now. I feel like he had no one to go to. No one to talk to. He is hurting. He loved this woman. We all did. He had to make this decision not knowing if he had the backing of his family. The guilt I feel at this point just cuts me to the quick. To know he has been suffering for so long and I sat by and did nothing is the most horrible feeling ever. I let my little brother down- BIG TIME!!

I can't expect you to understand this. You see, we come from a family of divorce. My dad left us in the dust when I was 3 and Mike was and infant. He showed up to a few years later with promises of getting back with my mom only to leave after my sister was born. My mom was very young and clueless. She went to college full time to get her nursing degree. She wasn't around much so we pretty much raised each other. We were ridiculed in the town that we lived in. We went to a parochial school (remember this is in the 70's) where were were shamed continually because our parents poor choices. We were the scum of the earth and only had each other- But that was enough. ( I will say only by God's grace and guidance did we make it out of that mess alive and He gave us what we needed. Looking back I can see His constant protection and activity in our lives and I am humbled by it.)

My brother was a great husband and a wonderful father. He got his kids to school, picked them up afterward, got them home, did homework with them fed them and got them off to bed- by himself. He is a very hands on parent. His boys love him dearly.

The thing I am learning is that his estranged (how weird is that word) wife was a big part of my life for the last 20 years. We were very close. I was her maid of honor and she was my matron of honor. We talked all the time. She was at all our family get-togethers. She was present at the births of my two children. She is a big part of our history. I was looking back at old photos and I just lost it because she in so many of them. She WAS my sister. And even though she walked away from this family years ago, this is a loss that hurts. At on point she was a lovely, delightful person but she became a person who seeks worldly things to keep her happy.

Stuff does not bring you happiness- It forms you into a greedy, self-serving, selfish, hurtful, hateful being. You will never be able to fill the void caused by wanting things because there is always more to want, get, need and one up on. This cost her her marriage. My heart breaks for her as well even though I am sooo angry with her for the way she has hurt her husband and children.

I ask that you pray for my brother Mike and his family. Pray that God would reveal himself to them. Pray for mental strength and healing. Thanks.

My hope is that my brother and his boys will grow even closer during this trial. And that God would show them how He can take something hurtful and turn it in to something good.

The picture above is of my bro-in-law Jack, nephews, Noah and Joe and my boy, Jack

What I learned this weekend

I learned something very important this weekend. Marshmallows do not look good in bathing suits. Now I must go and take care of my "Stay Puffed" self. Dog gone candy and sweets!! Wish me well on this uphill battle.