Summer

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer. It flies by with the speed of a nascar. (Go Danica! No, I don't follow car racing - it just fit here.)

This is turning out to be quite an eventful summer. Chelsea, my middle daughter, is leaving for a move to Vegas on the 29th of July.

:~ - (

(those are tears!)

We are trying to spend as much time together as possible; she is quite sad about leaving all of us. And then my youngest, Hannah, is away at camp for 12 days, this being the first time she has been away at camp. Chelsea leaves while Hannah is gone so it is hard for both of them.

Richard and I spent some time in Sunnyvale, CA, just outside San Francisco packing up our apartment out there. Since Richard is no longer working out that way we couldn't justify the outrageously expensive rent. That was a very bittersweet trip. We both love California and want to move there in 6 years when Hannah is done with high school. We probably had the best time out there, though, with our friend Donna. She came for the July 4th weekend and, I'll tell you, it was such a blast! Donna is my 'crazy' friend that can bring out the 'best' in me, as in 'best time.' I think Richard was quite happy to be a part of the 'Donna and Karen' party-time.

I will post more about each of these events soon. I have to transfer my pix from my sandisks and then I will post more with pictures. I just wish I had a picture of the rattlesnake that Richard, Donna, and I almost stepped on...

I love when this happens....

Date: Thursday, July 3 Flight: NW 339

Departs: Detroit-Wayne County Int'l, MI (DTW) at 5:18PM
Arrives: San Francisco-Int'l, CA (SFO) at 7:18PM
Class of Service: First Class (R).....Seat: 05-D
Flight Duration: 5 hours..... Approximate Miles: 2,083
Meal Service: Dinner.......Aircraft: Boeing 757-200

It is said that it's the little things in life that add the spice to the sauce. I consider this one a biggy! (The onions and the garlic.) I went online to check the time of my flight out to San Fran tomorrow so that I could set my alarm for exactly 24 hours ahead in order to go online and check in so that I would have a good standing for the possibility that my silver elite status would bump me up to first class and...voila! It happended automatically! :)

I better wear a bib; I've got big chunks in my sauce!

On to the next phase

SUMMA CUM LAUDE!! Very Impressive, Jonah. Jonah graduated on Sunday, June 1, 2008. Being one of the top in his class he had the privilege of sitting on the stage during the speeches. He actually saw Richard and me in the seats and I got him to look at the camera for a shot.



We're very proud of you, Jonah. Have fun up at Michigan Tech. Wow 'em!

Spring is in the air

It's taken a while here in Michigan for the feeling of spring to sink in. We've had one of the chilliest springs I can remember. It was a warm and wonderful Memorial Day reaching close to 80 degrees but tomorrow's weather is going to be a let-down, maybe reaching 60 degrees.

A pair of cardinals has nested in a bush that we have alongside the east side of our house, about 6 feet from our constantly opening and closing back door. I was able to open the bush to let enough light in to take a couple pictures of the nest. In this one you can see a baby head and beak sticking up on the right side of the nest.This is the best shot I could get of the newborns.
The brilliant-colored daddy likes to hang out on our porch, around to the south-facing front of the house. I think he hangs out there to try to intimidate us with his sharp chirp. He gets pretty close to the house, usually landing on one of the chairs we have out there. Here he is on the back of the chair.

I think on this particular day he could see our cat through the window and he was chirping a warning to her. He gets pretty bold here hopping on down to the ottoman of the chair, chirping at the window.

Here is one of our cats, Pebbles, wishing she could have a break from dry cat food. She was making these funny, hopeful sounds as she sat watching the show Mr. Red was putting on.

A new feat (oh, those were the days!)

Hannah has reached another milestone in her young life. She has learned to ride her bike no-handed. It took quite a few pictures to get a semi-clear one but the results were pretty interesting, I think.

"Look, Ma! No arms!"
"My head is on fire!"
"Wheee! This is fun!"

"There are two of me!"
Did you see that ghost??

Finally, a clear enough shot that you can actually see her. Great job, Hannah. Keep practicing!

Waxing poetic on the refrigerator

Everyone's seen them, those magnetic word sets for the refrigerator that you use to make poems, sentences, or anything that suits your fancy. We have a set on our refrigerator and I'd like to share the inspiration that overcame the word-artistes in our family. I only wish I knew which child composed which saying or phrase.

I do know that I started it all with the following poem. (All the '/' you see denote the use of a separate letter.)

summer

a symphony of languid moan/s
dream/y in their mean/ing
no frantic moment/s I will have
drunk in my garden play/ing

Now here are the rest of the works.

please smear only luscious chocolate lather


fluff still think/s like his puppy


eat then swim in honey


y not fall from my death


peach/es can sea my shadow


the blue milk is gone


rock these shake/ing gorgeous pink butt/s


purple sordid juice incubate/s


crush winter with ugly finger/s


why leave a man when his enormous apparatus fiddle/s a beauty/ful woman


worship a moon


after skin would white wind cry


you tell spring to iron rain


lie on her drool & you/r tongue will chant red flood/ed goddess


take not but stare at the bitter language


life shot the boy


I have black mist/ed dress/es heave in sweat


rob a gift club and lust repulsive/ly


lick raw meat & like it


i egg/ed pound/s

Oh, happy day!

It's right around the corner...the day Michigan goes smoke free! I am so extremely happy about this that I could...could...well, something! It's about time to clear the air.