THE DUST WILL WAIT

This is what you get when you Guest Write on your daughter's blog while she vacations. My post at Dreaming What Ifs reminisced about a trip we took 30 years ago (included pictures of Karmyn as a ### year old) to Disneyland. "Year of a Million Dreams" is the 2007 motto for Disney. So, I want to thank Jammin' and Buttercup for giving me one of my millions of dreams this year. MY VERY OWN MINNIE MOUSE HAT ! I couldn't wait to wear it.

Amy at Family Life is hosting this weeks topic. She asked " We saw everyone's kitchen one week (just can't remember which week). Now I want to see INSIDE your refrigerator. And DO.NOT.CLEAN.IT.OUT. We want to see it in all its glory. However empty or full. And if you don't have a refrigerator? Show me your cooler, or whatever container you use to keep things nice and cool." Nothing to see here in our kitchen. Even though it looks like there is food, I can assure you that there isn't much: Some fruit, soy milk, and condiments I probably purchased in 1980. There is Coffee in the freezer section. I will never buy another fridge with water or ice on the door... unless the design is much improved. Move along now ------ The following picture is inside the over flow garage refrigerator. Usually it contains beer, pop, and the hubby's bike riding essentials like HAMMER GEL. (Yum. aaaaack) However, we attended a picnic last evening so you will also see my l

Morning. She surveys her Kingdom. Afternoon. Her Royal Nap. Midnight. The Catristocracy is unpopular with the working class.

That lovely musician in Arkansas (Quarter Notes) tripped me, sat on me, forced cod-liver oil down my throat, and then threatened to make me guess her weight if I didn't accept her meme tag. The only redeeming factor was that she gave me a license to rant. (As in that old Arkansas story about Goldilocks and the three bears: "She rant all the way home." ) Speaking of Arkansas - My sister moved to Hot Springs while her children were small. Seven-year old Matthew walked down the lane while the movers were unloading the truck. He came upon an old gentleman repairing a barbed-wire fence and proceeded to stand quietly and watch him. The fellow straightened up for a moment and wiped his brow with an old blue hanky. He looked at his nosy little new neighbor and decided to make conversation. "Hey son, what ya reckon?" Poor little Matt. He was quite stunned by this question. "Mister," was his shaky voiced reply, "I just got here, I haven't been wr

Six of the eight guys at 5:00 a.m. preparing to take off from Seattle. Hubby is third from right. Group included our Pastor and two of his sons. One of the hottest days - 98 degrees in one area and very humid . Not typical Western Washington weather. The hubby taking a break about mid point. The finish line at Lloyd Center In Portland, Oregon after 11+ hours of pedaling. Our good friend Mike and the hubby race to the second finish line. The first one is out in 27 seconds. **update. Forgot to give our good friend Kim credit for the pictures. She drove the SAG vehicle - I didn't get to go. The hubby corrected me to a bit over 11 hours on the bikes. But, the day was actually 13 hours on the road because they took rest stops as well as a lunch stop. They consumed an inordinate amount of fluids and snacks.

Shelly Dupree (but that's not who she really be) suggested I do the archive Meme. I like the idea of revisiting my favorite posts. The rules are simple. Choose something from your archives that meets the following criteria. (Great for new readers and new blogging pals!) * Link 1 must be about family - My Favorites is about my 7 grandchildren. At the time I wrote this we had number 8 well on the way. When we lost him, in my sorrow I returned to this post and edited him out. Now I regret doing that. But SURPRISE! Number 9 is on the way and will fill our hearts with more wonder and delight. Read and discover why he/she will soon be my favorite. * Link 2 must be about friends - I invite you to read the haunting story of The Piper . It weaves life and death into an afternoon of a pipers echoing tune. * Link 3 must be about myself - After reading The Runaway , you'll realize I was an annoying child. * Link 4 must be about something you love. My husband, of course! So i

Robin gifted me with an ornament filled with Authentic Kiawah Island, South Carolina Spanish Moss, some Hint Mints, and yummy butter mints that melted in our mouths. No reason in particular, but for the fact that she is who she is. Here is the proof. EXCEPT... for the butter mints. As I said, they melted in our mouths. T h a n k you Robin !

When Peter (aka Willowtree) , todays Fun Monday host, asked " "Tell us about your best friend. Particularly things like: where you first met, how long you've been friends and why you think you are best friends," I began writing about my life long friend. Unfortunately, events that were expected, but not with such haste, prompted me to do an immediate rewrite. Our Aunt Pat died yesterday. This post is dedicated to her and her Best Friend, Anne. Thanks in advance for reading. No comments necessary. (Please do visit Peter and the other participants.) *************** Photo taken of Pat and Anne this spring. Aunt Pat was a strong and intelligent woman. She was a feminist long before the word was in the dictionary. She never married. I know she had offers. She was brilliant and somewhat intimidating. (She helped develop a small portable kidney dialysis machine in the early sixties.) When she was in her early 50’s, she met Anne on an overseas g

Sunshine, Sprinklers, and Shadows (Early this morning the three played an optical symphony.) Snake Scenery (The river runs 1,040 miles from the Grand Teton Wilderness, Wyoming.) Spying on Shore Birds (Osprey can be 22 inches tall, have a wingspan of 6 feet, and fly 40 mph. The mama "fish hawk" charged us from her nest when our boat drifted in too close.) Smiles (K's first tubing adventure. She was a natural.) Surprised Siblings (The two A's jumped a wake and smacked down hard.) Sail Ho me Squiffy Men! (A ghost ship flying under the Jolly Roger. Stuart Little Size.)

Tooth Embedded In Rugby Player's Head Brisbane, Australia - Ruby player Ben Czislowski kept competing for more than three months despite the headaches that started after a clash with an opponent. Last week, his doctor found a tooth embedded in Czislowski's head ***I suppose finding any teeth left in a rugby players head would be a surprise. Worms Fall From The Sky In Jennings Jennings Police Department employee, Eleanor Beal was just crossing the street to go to work when something dropped from the sky. "When I saw that they were crawling, I said, 'It's worms! Get out of the way!'" ***There you have it. Global Worming. Outhouses Yields Mysterious Artifacts VENTURA, Calif. A spot where a pair of outhouses stood 130 years ago is proving to be a treasure trove for archaeologists who braved the lingering smell in the dirt to uncover some 19th century artifacts - and a mystery. ****Pull up your stool and join the pa-a-a-a-a-awty. Manmade hunk of Metal

I opened my mailbox Saturday to discover an envelope from Amy at A Family Story . I cheated on her 300th post and wrote comments until I was the winner of a Starbucks Gift Card. So now I'm heading down for a Strawberry Green Tea Frappuccino. Or blackberry, or blueberry. Y.U.M Thank you! The hubby rode his bicycle 200 miles on Saturday from Seattle to Portland, and then drove home on Sunday. "I have a present for you from the team," he announced when he arrived home. Don't you think it looks downright sweet on me? Apparently they ate a watermelon during one of their rest stops. The size of the fruit sticker prompted some laughter at my expense regarding the sticker story from last week. Thank you dear, and the rest of you cycling crazies. Today, the mailman delivered a large envelope and a medium sized box from Min of the MamaDrama Bloggers down in Houston. I love saying "Down in Houston." It just rolls off my tongue in a very Texas drawl, and I f

Tiggerlane, the Neophyte Blogger is hosting today's fun. She is adjusting her tiara and telling everyone: I wanna see your CAR! It can be your current car, the first car you ever had, maybe your first new car with that new-car smell, a car you wrecked once, or even the dream car you would drive - given all the money in the world! Oh - and if you have a truck, SUV, lawnmower, what ever the local authorities allow you to drive, let's see it! * * * * * * * * * A young firefighter was off duty when he heard the call reporting a one-car rollover on his scanner. He was only one mile from the scene so he hopped in his pick up truck and headed down the country road. The heavy downpour limited visibility, but he glimpsed the dimming lights from the car about 50 feet off the road. He pulled over, leaped from his rig, and traversed the short distance fighting the mud's attempts to suction off his boots. When he reached the car, he recognized it and the young woman driver. Sh

Spring break of 1990, like every other spring when the girls were young, we went to the Oregon Coast . It was our first year without Karmyn; her college was on a different schedule then our school district. Whale watching out of Depoe Bay was the adventure we chose to highlight this particular trip. It would be a first for our family. That morning we ate breakfast in the beachfront condominium while watching turbulent breakers hit the shore. Even though the storm was miles out at sea, its effect was churning the sand and crashing high in the rocks. This, too, was a new experience for us. The ocean refused to mellow and a three-hour postponement of the charter resulted. After lunch, we returned to the launch area. The captains conferred and decided the trip was on. There were several boats between 40 and 50 feet in length at the pier. Our group of four boarded with about 15 other people. The other boats were also at full capacity. The hubby a

House Sparrows caught in the act. A honey bee I don't know who his friend is.

Look CLOSELY at that yummy juicy nectarine. If it wasn't for Rainier Cherries, I think the nectarine would be my most favorite summer fruit. *Tropical Fruit excluded. That is why I ate two of them for lunch on Monday. It was my last meal, so to speak, and I wanted something that I would genuinely enjoy. Tuesday morning I was scheduled to have a mid life crisis. You know -- a colonoscopy. This meant that I was denied dinner on Monday night. Instead, I guzzled water, caplets, more water, and more caplets. After a miserable night, I was required to get up with the sun, eat no breakfast, and repeat the caplet and water torture one more time. I doubt the need to tell you the intended results. I will concur that it works. Upon my arrival at the clinic, the nurse assured me that the worst of it was over. She was correct. I don't remember anything until I heard her calling, "Wake up Pamela, wake up!!!" Then the Gastroenterologist turned around and asked, "Say, d

Deb at 1CrazyStitcher is todays host - and just wants to see "your favorite place to relax." The Contessa can relax anywhere. Today she was just letting it all hang out on the couch. I sat in my favorite relaxing chair. Immediately The Contessa jumped up on me. Lucky for me because I wasn't in the mood to apply make up. And, lucky for you that you didn't have to see me that way. (PS. for all of you who gave advise about hairballs, thanks. I'm going to try the baby food squash. She has never let me brush her, she already eats hair ball formula food, and I smear the petromalt on her legs like a cream cheese on a bagel. It is frustrating.) The hubby is relaxing in the hammock by the pond. I like to swing there, too. He has ridden his bicycle 135 miles the past few days training for STP. (Thats the Group Health Bicycle Classic in which he will ride a little over 200 miles in one day with his cycling buddies and thousands of others.)

There was a blogging chicks carnival today and it has been so long since I participated that I nearly forgot to link to it. I think it's time for a reminder.... and some encouragement for those on the blogroll to participate in the next one.

If you can't stay cool... then at least you can make cool faces. A special greeting fro m my favorite new six year-old neighbor. Yes, it really was that hot today. The dragonflies stayed close to our small pond. My mom called them Devil's Darning Needles. We have friendly fish. Each and every time I walk off the patio they surface and beg for food. The hubby hopped in to clean something off of the pond bottom and they swam around between his legs and nibbled on his toes. In the morning the lily was exquisite. But, the furnace in the sky demanded its toll. After work, I drove home in a frying pan. The lily and I are both wilted.

Mindy Sterba, of the infamous Mama Drama , christened me (and four others) as Rockin' Girl Bloggers. She must have seen my last summer post, I ROCK . I worked a second job sifting the drain system rocks out of our torn up back yard. It is always a treat to see what Min has compiled for her latest write up. Her style is inexplicable - Willowtree says I should use the word indefinable, and he is correct. I wrote this at midnight so my choice of words is not inexplicable – so I invite you to visit the Houston Chronicle’s Mama Drama team and check out the fun for yourself. Tell them I sent you. As a recipient of this prestigious, esteemed, valued, and highly desired award, I am obligated to pay it forward to five other deserving rockers. How do I choose just five out of the 128 blogs I follow? They are all special and unique. Some of them are even rockin’guys. Nevertheless, choose I must! (Drum Roll Please) Dreaming What Ifs and F

Today's is being hosted by J enni at Prairie Air . (Boy, could I rhyme a fun Limerick with that.) Her instructions: Yo ur mission, should you choose to accept it: Share one or more of your favorite summertime memories with us. It can be a childhood memory or more recent. The memory can be a vague conglomeration of how you spent summers past (catching fireflies, playing outside till dark, watermelon seed wars) or it can be a detailed memory of a specific event. You may write a poem or short story or just tell it like it was. The main idea is to communicate the essence of summer and what symbolizes the season in words and/or pictures. My contribution once more strays slightly from the rules. The following is a most unfavored summertime memory - but I hope it will be a favorite for you. Join the other participants and their memories by clicking here. * * * * * * * * * * Mom spent her first 19 years as an itinerant worker. Dad was a self-described hobo for almost as many when