Saturday - a good day.

Richard and I had a pretty good day on Saturday. We went down to the tower district and did some shopping. I wanted to get some oils and knew for sure that I could get them at a shop down there. The shop has some great clothes and jewelry - but is a little out there for me - with charms and stones symbolizing goddess' and new age literature. I bought my oil - and moved on.
We decided to stop for lunch at Sam's Italian Deli. I used to eat here years ago when I worked nearby. We sat outside and enjoyed our lunch and some time actually alone. It doesn't seem like we get that very often. Richard looks a litte strange in this picture - sort of spooky really.
Overall a good day - we could use more days like this I think.
"Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it." ~Jacques Prévert

I enjoyed my weekend. I love having 3 day weekends. Not quite like having the whole summer off - but summer school really has not been so bad and it is nearly over. Some other good things this weekend.

- Jake, Kasey, and Luke making dinner Saturday night. (Pasta with extra mushrooms and garlic in the sauce)

- Play cards with Jake and Kasey

- Kim sewing and finishing the bag she was making. She did a great job.

- Richard and I went for a bike ride Saturday morning. We ended up riding 10 miles.

- Making pancakes for breakfast on Sunday - only Richard and I were the only ones up to eat. I made them from scratch with sour cream and cottage cheese. They were pretty good.

Bye Bye Birdie

Brent has been working at Red Robin for something like 8 years or more. This was his last night at work. When he first started working he was The Robin. So I thought it only appropriate to take his picture with "Red" on his last night.

"Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun."

~ Colleen C. Barrett

Some journals covered to give to Brit, Bailey, and Sage when I am back home visiting - I always like to take them something. Luke and I will be leaving for Iowa in just little over a week - Yeah!!!!!!

Summer Reading

b I just finished "The Kite Runner" - and decided after finishing it and looking at this stack of books I want to read this summer, that I could have chosen some lighter reading. Hopefully I will get them all read - I have a lot of other things I want to make and do. I started a baby afghan for Jennifer - very simple pattern - but it still takes time. It seems like there are never enough hours in the day to do everything I want - but I can always find time to read every night before going to sleep.

“The greatest gift is a passion for reading. It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites, it gives you knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is a moral illumination.”

~ Elizabeth Hardwick

Timber!

Jake called me at work on Tuesday and told me a tree branch had fallen in our back yard. It turned out to be nearly half the tree. We had some heavy winds this Spring - you would have thought it would have gone then - but for some reason it waited - and not even a breeze that day.
The boys helped Richard get it chopped up and off the roof - luckily there was no damage to the roof.
I don't know what Richard is doing here - probably just hot and thinking this was not the way he wanted to spend his afternoon - It was 100 degrees outside - so not a day to be outside working during the hottest part of the day. He cut the tree up for firewood - we can at least us that this winter.
The worst part - is it broke my clothes line.

"From a fallen tree, make kindling." ~ Spanish proverb

12 Rules to Live By

12 Rules to Live By - Robert Louis Stevenson
- Make up your mind to be happy.

Learn to find pleasure in simple things.
- Make the best of circumstances.

No one has everything and everyone has something of sorrow.
- Don’t take yourself too seriously.
- Don’t let criticism worry you.

You can’t please everybody.
- Don’t let your neighbors set your standards; be yourself.
- Do things you enjoy doing but stay out of debt.
- Don’t borrow trouble.
Imaginary things are harder to bear than actual ones.
- Since hate poisons the soul, do not cherish enmities and grudges.

Avoid people who make you unhappy.
- Have many interests. If you can’t travel, read about places.
- Don’t hold post-mortems or spend time brooding over sorrows and mistakes.
- Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.
- Keep busy at something.

A very busy person never has time to be unhappy.

More Pink and Green

I do not need more nail polish - but it is one of those things that I always seem to get more of whether I need it or not. I definitely did not need these - but these colors were so great. I went with the pink when I painted my toenails last night. This morning I thought I probably should have used the green. Jake and KC bought pink and green floats and a beach ball for the pool - I just painted my table pink and green - and these great polishes. This is definitely the color combination for this summer.

"The best color in the whole world, is the one that looks good, on you!" ~ Coco Chanel

Isn't she lovely?

After I painted my chair I noticed all of these sticks next to it. It has been a couple of years since we have a dove nest under our patio - so I was excited when I looked up and saw. . . . .
. . . this. We named her Delila - I always have to name everything. She is so lovely and fun to watch.
She keeps a close eye on Sadie. I will have to keep a close eye on the Sadie and my cats once the eggs hatch and the babies start to venture out.

"When I learn something new - and it happens every day - I feel a little more at home in this universe, a little more comfortable in the nest."

Finally painting some of my junk

I pulled this table and the chair below out of the neighbors junk pile. I love taking someone else's junk and turning into something fun. Richard thinks I am crazy sometimes - some of the junk I drag home.
This table was in our neighbors junk pile during our annual garbage pick-up. The top had a big burn mark on it and it was a wobbly, ugly little table. I wanted a table to set out by my clothesline - and this is the perfect size. I decided to paint the legs green and the top this great shade of pink (Which matches a geranium I have perfectly). I should be done painting it tonight. The best part about painting something for outside - I don't have to be so fussy that I had to take it all apart. I think it is going to turn out cute.
I got this chair from another neighbor. A quick shot of spray paint - and it is great on the patio. I want to make a new cushion for it though - until then this one works.

One Man's Junk is Another Man's Treasure.

Sunshine!

This is what we were looking at last weekend. It had been over 100 for a couple of days - then things cooled down about 30 degrees and it rained - so the pool wasn't quite as inviting. Once in in the last six years it has been warm enough to swim and raining at the same time.
This weekend it was a little warmer. Not warm enough for Jennifer and I to go swimming - but great for laying in the sun. I am so looking forward to this summer. . . . .
. . . . . and this view.
Summer afternoon - Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language. ~ Henry James

Fresh Cherry Earrings

My neighbor gave us some beautiful cherries - they looked so pretty in the bowl that I almost hated to use them. Luke found a recipe for some cherry crisp. It was great with vanilla ice cream. I may have to look for a cherry tree to plant. I don't really know why he goes along with me when I do stuff like this to him - but he usually does.
Luke made these potato skins. They were delicious!!!!! - better than any restaurant.

Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries

Jacob's Field

Unfortunately Jake's team was eliminated from the play-offs on Saturday. So another season is coming to the end. He will be playing ball this summer - but I hate to see this season end. I love watching him play.

Getting ready to steal second.

This picture is so Jake. He is so competitive - but always seems so relaxed and at ease when he plays. His high school coach said about him once - "He can go 0 for 4, - or 4 for 4 - and his expression is the same. He has a lot of self control on the ball field.
Playing 3rd base
This one was taken while they were warming up. This is my favorite picture - because he really seems to be enjoying himself and I love how you see the ball coming to him.

"Nobody ever said, "Work ball!" They say, "Play ball!" To me, that means having fun." –Willie Stargell

101 degrees calls for Shaved Ice

summer It is supposed to be 101 degrees today - a good day for shaved ice. For the ultimate shaved ice treat - we put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the bottom. We have quite a few flavors now - grape, root beer, cotton candy, bubble gum, watermelon, banana, cherry, lemon-lime - possibly a few more I can't remember. This is so good when it is this hot. May 20th and 101 degrees - I guess our summer is here - and this heat should warm up the pool enough for me to finally get in. I am looking forward to summer - as always.

Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit. A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world.-- Ada Louise Huxtable

Blood, Bike, Buttons & Beads

Here's a picture of Jake and KC after giving blood. They both needed less than a point to get an A in their Health class and they were able to earn enough extra credit by giving blood to get their grade up.
I will post more pictures of my new bike soon. It is so pretty. But for now this shows my favorite part. The hula girl decal I think was the deciding factor in Richard choosing this bike. This was my Mother's Day gift and I am so excited! Richard and the boys seemed just as excited to give it to me. Later in the day Brent brought over a basket for it as a mother's day gift. So I am all set to ride it to work - which I did this morning. It is only about a mile to work - and the mornings are not so warm that I will get all sweaty riding that short of a distance. It was a little breezy this morning - but it was great. I changed into my skirt and some other shoes once I got here. I have wanted a bike for some time - it is so pretty!!!!!
I made this bracelet last night out of seed beads and buttons. It was easy and fun to make. Although I am a little worried about how it is going to hold up. I think the pattern would make a neat necklace also.
Another picture of the bracelet I made and today's mug. I even had room in my bike basket for my coffee thermos and my cup. Did I mention how excited I am about my new bike?

"Think of bicycles as rideable art that can just about save the world." ~Grant Petersen

Potstickers - yum!

Luke and I love potstickers! Richard and Jake will eat a few of them - although Richard hates the way they smell while we are cooking them. It has gotten to be a feeding frenzy when we make them - especially if Jennifer is over - she loves them too. We also have lumpia tonight that Reno's mom made.

Monday Morning

I cleaned my house like a crazy woman this weekend - rearranging my bedroom and organizing. But I did have some time to get some beads out and make a couple of simple bracelets and a pair of earrings. I hadn't messed with beads in such a long time until last week - I forget how much fun it is.
A friend wanted some earrings in blue and gold to wear to her son's baseball games.

And today's mug. I woke up Saturday morning and this was sitting by the coffee maker. Richard had gotten in for me - I think to cheer me up. (I had had a terrible day on Friday).

My friend Marcia gave me a bracelet that came in this cute little silky bag. It is so fun!

"Be pleasant until ten o'clock in the morning and the rest of the day will take care of itself." ~Elbert Hubbard