Dear God

All I am asking for is a big fat bank account and a skinny body.  Please don't mix them up like you did last year.

My Years As a Bra Burner

Yeah, No.
I actually never burned my bra or any other article of clothing.
I was a Feminist, however.  It was the times. you understand.  I am one of the first subscribers to
"MS. Magazine."  I wish I had kept the copies of that first year.  They were exquisitely representative of the changing times.
This Doonesbury comic was published in the early seventies.  I was attending Cal State at the time.  I was taking a class called "Women in Literature" from a guy with a superbly raised consciousness.  He was married to a woman who kept her maiden name!  Un. Be. Lieve. Able.

The comic was clipped and stayed on my fridge for years!

This little conversation in a sand box was, and still is, my favorite Doonesbury comic.
My son gave the 100 pound book to me for Christmas.  I found the sand box kids immediately.

Lexie Is Two!

We are experiencing the "Terrible Twos."
I have to say we have been doing so since I brought her home.
Don't care.
Love her to pieces!

How To Make An Old Teacher Happy

Just send her a sweet email like this one I got yesterday!

Are you the same Lynn Guinn that taught at Willmore Elementary in Westminster, CA in the 80’s?  If you are, I was one of your students – I was in your fourth grade class and had you for 5^th and 6^th grade English.  I still have great memories of “Where the Red Fern Grows”, “A Wrinkle in Time” and all things Shakespeare.  I was student body Treasurer, Secretary and President while there.  I believe you also had my younger sister, Lisa in your classes.  Maybe you’ll remember that we had a bet once and you said that if you were wrong you would “eat your hat”.  Turned out you were wrong and you baked a cake in the shape of a hat for the class.  After peaking in elementary school, I went on to Stacy Intermediate, Garden Grove HS and UCLA (BA in English and JD).

If you are the same Lynn, just wanted to tell you that you were a wonderful teacher and still my favorite.  If you’re not the right person, sorry for the inconvenience and now you know about a great teacher.  Take care.

A Four-Way Kiss For 2011

 My sister and bro-in-love were at our house to welcome in the New Year.
We did our welcoming a little early for our time zone but we can do that if we want to.
We watched Bette Midler's Vegas Special and then went to bed.

The next morning Richie fixed Eggs Benedict for the four of us.
THEN, and here's the good part, we graded my sisters science Ocean Reports.
I enjoyed it because middle school children write some funny stuff!   I got fodder for a newspaper column!

Something I Got For Christmas

Santy Claus brought mme this three tiered beauty.  I am "Shopping the House" for items to make an arrangement.
So. What shall I look for next?

Before and After

 This is the brunch I made for us the day after Christmas.

The items below were our lunch the day before Christmas.  To those of you who don't have any In and Out Burgers?               So sorry.

Alas, Poor Yorick. He got tangled up with Mod Podge.

 This glass skull contained vodka.

 I drank it and then I decoupaged it.

He has a golden chicken bone hat.  I think he likes it

Christmas Happened! Hallelujah!

I am sure that everyone on the planet has seen that flash mob internet video
of people in a food court somewhere singing the Hallelujah Chorus. 
I wish I
had been there!  My alto part of the Chorus is as familiar to me as the
sound of my breath going in and out of my lungs.


Every year in December I participated in a community production of The
Messiah for all of the years I was “forming,” in Ada, Oklahoma.  The singers
included the high school  and the college choirs, and various church choirs,
along with anyone else who wanted to participate.  The orchestra was filled
with people from similar talented groups around the small town.


Year after year we would begin practicing before Thanksgiving and by the
time we performed we were a melodious and powerful group.  It stunned the
standing room only audience almost as much as it awed those of us who were
singing.  To me, it was the beginning of the magic that was Christmas.  Ada,
Oklahoma was a great place to spend one's formative years.


The first Christmas I spent as a married lady in Southern California, I
waited for the Christmas magic to appear.  It was balmy,   but there were
Christmas decorations in the stores.  There was no Messiah.  We were a
struggling young couple.  I realized I had to make Christmas happen in our
little apartment.  I remember sitting at the kitchen table making dough
ornaments to hang on the tree that had been given to us by the elementary
school where Richard worked.  I sang my heart out.  “All we like sheep...”
“...and he shall reign for ever and ever..Hallelujah!”  Alto part only. Oh,
and with a smidgen of soprano thrown in now and then.

The thing about religions is they have some beautiful music.
The thing about apartments is they have some thin walls.

My new California neighbors smiled cautiously at me after that.

Terra Cotta Soldier Guards Ranch

This is Gau Wei.  It is pronounced Go Way.
He guards and protects.

Keeping My Merry Carbon Footprint Small

After the Christmas season ended last year, I went to "Jo-Anne's Fabrics and Oodles of Other Stuff" and got this fabric. My plan was to have this project done by the end of last January.
My new plan is to make gift bags to use over and over beginning this Christmas.

Thus eliminating a bit of the mess and waste of paper.
I have made one so far. Fifteen minutes. This tells me that I shall probably run people down to retrieve the bags after they open their gifts. Guess the bags will have to go to family members only. They understand me.

Funny Looking Duck

This ducky looks like someone put one of those exploding cigar things in the back of his head. He can be found at Scarlet's Run.