JB Graduates: Mom is Emotional

One week from today, I head up to Oxford, Ohio to watch my middle son graduate from college (Miami of Ohio University). This is a picture of JB with his friend.................... who happens to be a girl....................... They are not serious.............................. except for the fact that he has accepted a job in Columbus, Ohio, where Sarah will be attending law school next year...............................HMMMM.



This is one of those special Empty Nest Mom moments. So proud, so happy, so sad, so lonely, so energetic and yet, so lethargic. I cannot even look at the picture above without tearing up!



Perfect for my Wordless Wednesday picture entry. Join in on the fun each week...................

Random Teeth Thoughts

Joining Keely (The UnMom) and 'krew' with some Random Tuesday Thoughts:

I think someone "upstairs" got a little lazy when he/she was designing the teeth of a human. Maybe all creatures' teeth, I don't know; I can only speak for the humans.

There is never a good time in one's life when it comes to their teeth:

When you are a baby and teething, it's painful and you are constantly drooling until your first set has broken skin.

Next, the teeth grow in all crazy-like. They often are crooked and there are big gaps right in the front area. Grown-ups tell you not to worry because you lose this set and grow new ones. So, for about 5 years or so you look ridiculous in every school picture and Holiday photos, too.

Sometimes your teeth grow in so bad that you must get some pulled. Or you get the awesome experience of having braces put on your teeth. I think the person "upstairs" also created braces because they couldn't be worse looking if you tried. Plus they are painful.

Throughout your younger years you get to visit sado-masochists, often referred to as dentists. Here you get to fill the holes in your teeth due to poor teeth-designing from "above" and root canals.

But don't worry, once this time frame is over, its on to implants, bridges, and my favorite....the sawing down of your pitiful teeth only to put fake covers called veneers on them. Now your teeth look great, but you're broke!

You end up back in the baby stage, with all your teeth removed and a full set of dentures sitting and soaking on your bedside table.

Frankly, I am rather disappointed in the engineering and design of our teeth. I give "the big guy" an 'F' in this category.

I am a Stubborn Empty Nester

There is a certain amount of stubbornness that comes with an empty nester Mom. It is borne out of necessity really. Otherwise we would all just be depressed. Let me explain................

Take my clothes closet. It's looks filled to the brim with clothes for work, play, special evenings out and lots of bathing suits. From the look of it, I must be one social butterfly! Yet, 80 % of the clothes that hang in there anxiously wishing to be picked for wearing, do not fit my body. It is really amazing how just 12 little pounds can affect your wardrobe. And yet, I leave them there as I am 80% sure that soon I will be able to fit into these clothes very soon. It is not my nature to get depressed about this weight gain and the fact that I have to wear the same grey and pant pants everyday of my life. So, I become stubborn.

That's our choice: be stubborn or be depressed. Or be lucky.......

I had lunch with a delightful woman last week who is curious about blogging (blog-curious). She was wearing the cutest day dress, and looked like she was in her thirties. She was however, 45 or 46. I imagine everything in her closet fits just fine, thank you. I imagine she eats right and exercises regularly but I still consider her one of the lucky ones. More of us should be so lucky.

Where do you fall in the categories? Are you stubborn, depressed or lucky?

Wordless Wednesday: Thrill Rides

It's Wordless Wednesday, and since last week one reader pointed out that my post had too many words to be a "wordless" post, I will try to do better this week. (Geez!)



Thrills: We start out our life with the simplest of thrills..............................

My children loved the swings more than everything else. I liked them, too. (My daughter took this photo, by the way).

By the time we are in our twenties and thirties, we seem to need more dangerous (seemingly) thrills to satisfy. This is a picture of one of the best roller coaster-type rides in Las Vegas.

Call me crazy, but I still prefer the swing!

All Thoughts are with Mac Today

I did not participate in Aloha Friday today, as usual, as all my thoughts are still on McShane, the 13.5 year old golden retriever, who passed away yesterday. Want to read a fantastic dog story and an inspiration to all ?, click here.

Wrigley and Me: A Hit at the Phoenix Tea Party

My friend could not make it to the Phoenix Tea Party today, so I enlisted my golden retriever, Wrigley, to go downtown with me. We had a blast. Everyone was happy and friendly. It was very clear that people who don't like heavy taxes and Obama-style government programs, love golden retrievers. I already feel better about this country!

By the way, there is no dress code for tea parties....

But clever signs were all the rage. It was fun seeing the variety of the signs and their statements.

One of my favorites' read: "Nancy Pelosi cannot stimulate my package", yuck, yuck.

These kids were the perfect "American Children": Red hair, very white skin and blue clothing. They also love golden retrievers!

There were lots of costumes, like this guy:

I tried to take Wrigley by the bell that sits in front of our State Capital.


And just like this kid who was running in circles around the rose garden, oblivious to all that surrounded him, Wrigley love the affection and the petting and the attention he received from so many nice people. We live in a pretty wonderful nation. We are just a little upset about being taxed unnecessarily and we peacefully protested that grievance.

Phoenix Tea Party: Supporters Left Out in the Cold, Again

Tonight starting at 4:00 pm, in front of the State Capital building in downtown Phoenix, the Phoenix Tea Party and Rally begins. It's kind of unfortunate because the weather today is rather windy and cold which is unusual for Arizona. I think it's a sign.....................................

Frankly, I feel like I am being left out in the cold by President Obama and his administration. I am told to keep working my butt off (which helps me stay in these panties), volunteer and fund all the charities I can on my off time and then be happy to give (soon to be half) of what me and my husband make towards taxes for the newly-proposed federal government programs. Of course, there is no appreciation or thank you to those of us funding "The American Way". It is just expected of us. Mr. Biden thinks we should feel good about donating our hard earned money so other people can apparently sit at home and watch a football game or play video games with their friends all day long. And don't get me wrong, currently 1/3 of what we make goes straight back to the government, which in the good 'ole days, I used to complain about!

I, for one, am going to put on my warmest clothes, bring a thermos full of Long Island Tea, and head down to the Tea Party in support of a very different tax system than Obama is attempting to put upon his people. I will brave the 50 mile an hour winds, and in my subtle way I will be saying to our President, "Blow Me....your tax system sucks" (very clever little blogger, aren't I?)

Now, I know that Acorn has planned their own little anti-tea party this afternoon, too. That's really not so hard to do, because most of their supporters don't work full-time and can attend a rally most any day of the week. The rest of us got to work early today and will continue working after we have attended the rally. You know, we've got to keep working so the rest of the nation can be home watching their nightly line-up of television shows.

If you are planning to attend this afternoon's event, come look for me. I'll be the one wearing my Republican panties.......er, rather.......... I'll be the one with the thermos of Long Island Iced Tea.

This Tuesday, my random thoughts are about dogs and sayings and quotes about dogs:

Why is it we have so many varying sayings that include dogs in it?

"I am so doggone tired these days......"

Or, "I am sick as a dog......"

Then there are so many clever quotes about our lives spent with dogs. These came courtesy of The Quote Garden:

My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am. ~Author Unknown

One reason a dog can be such a comfort when you're feeling blue is that he doesn't try to find out why. ~Author Unknown

The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog. ~Ambrose Bierce

Wrigley and Puddles are both very affectionate dogs, living on opposite sides of the country. One jumps in the pool and the other wants to jump into the Chesapeake Bay, but they both want to shake on you and get you wet immediately after the swim!

What are your favorite dog sayings or quotes?

Head over to Keely's site, The UnMom and join in on the random fun this Tuesday.

Easter Dinner with the In-Laws, the Anti-Christ and A Better Tea Party

In about two minutes I am going to leave this soft, cushy computer chair and start cooking for the Southworth family Easter Dinner. Only my oldest son and his girlfriend will be present on my side of the family. I have had to get used to this as my family hugs the East Coast and I am living in the desert Southwest!

I am somewhat relieved though, because up until a week ago I had no idea that the anti-Christ and her devilish son lived so close to my Mom in Florida. I would have been worried had I known.

And I have a solution to the little pirate problem that exists over by Somalia. Let's (the collective civilized world) just not go in those waters for anything. Yes, change routes, stop visiting and cruising in the area. We should all refuse to use any ports within 1000 miles. It's not worth lives and losses of money.

Finally, would someone please explain to me the whole tea party idea. I know the purpose and I am all for supporting less taxes, but my question is: what are we all going to do at these tea parties? Fling tea bags around? Stomp and chant, "down with taxes"? I have a better idea. Why not have a big outdoor cocktail party, like they do before the Georgia-Florida football games and serve Long Island Iced Teas. That sounds more fun, doesn't it? I am not really the type to go marching around saying, "we will overcome" or whatever the chosen chant will be. So please, if you are planning this massive event in front of the Arizona State Capital building on Wednesday, April 15th, please let me know if you will have open bars for the special tea drinks. Otherwise, this empty nest woman will need to bring her cooler and pitcher with her tea libations.

Aloha Friday: Easter Candy

Aloha Friday is hear, once again, so sit back and relax and answer my simple question of the day. Here is what the Island Life ladies say:

"In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to
the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too.
Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a
lengthy response.
If you’d like to participate, just post your own question
on your blog".

This week the theme is Easter and since I have a sweet tooth today , my question is: "What is your favorite Easter Candy"?

Now peeps are cute and fun, and chocolate bunnies are decadent, my all-time favorite are the jelly beans! I like the regular flavored ones, not the ones like broccoli beans and pomegranate beans and coconut beans. They can be disappointing and downright gross. I love orange jelly beans the best.

I remember when the kids were around, we had bowls of jelly beans placed all around the house. Now there are none. Until tonight when I go grocery shopping.

Is your mouth watering yet?!

This is my first time participating in Wordless Wednesday. Of course, I am having difficulty placing their widget on my site...that's just the story of my life. Anyway, if you want to participate, go here to read all about it.


Here in Arizona nothing says 'Springtime' and 'Easter' like the flowering bushes and trees that grow in our area. For now, everything is beautiful and fresh and wonderful. Two months from now, this plant material will all be crunchy and fried. Enjoy....







Isn't that beautiful? Time to go hide the colorful Easter eggs....

The Mother and Daughter Bond

(Photo borrowed from Rick Mueller Studio)

Don't worry, I'm alive and kicking. My plate has just gotten fuller and I'm not talking about my dinner plate. There is a certain amount of excitement surrounding these new assignments. So much so, that I decided I just had to wake up at 1:00 am to think about ideas and strategies and yogurt. In that order.



So, my daughter calls me in the middle of the day and says, "Mom, a friend has asked me to his fraternity formal in California in a couple of weeks and he has a free ticket to get me out there. Can I go?" Keep in mind, she's in college in Pennsylvania. I think to myself:



1) I cannot believe she's asking me, but it's kind of sweet;



2) What if I said in some austere voice, "No, I forbid it". Would she tell him she cannot come? Or would she be angry with me or go behind my back?



I probably wouldn't have asked permission or maybe not even tell my family until I got back. It's not like I didn't care for my family, they were always great to me. It's just Laura and I have kind of bonded in a real special way this year. It's one of life's special empty nest surprises.



So, to Laura I say, "If you can go without affecting your grades and work schedule and it really is "free", then go and enjoy. But be careful".



How deep a conversation should a Mom and a freshman year daughter have? Is it right for the daughter to tell you she's not going to date so-and-so because all he really wants is a friend with benefits?! The line is blurry and undefined for the two of us. But we are happy and very supportive of each other this year. We seem to both want a connection even though we are physically thousands of miles apart.

Aloha Friday: Any Good TV Ideas?

Thanks to An Island Life , it's time for Aloha Friday! I feel better, more relaxed already.....

This week's theme is centered around television and shows we like and watch. But after walking my dog until 6:30 pm each evening, then cooking dinner and then going to bed around 8:30 pm (due to lack of sleep the previous night), that doesn't leave much time for watching and getting hooked on many TV shows!

So my question for you to answer veers off a little to the right a bit:

You have just been given a ton of upfront money to write your own TV sitcom or reality show. What is your show about...what is it's theme and do you have an actor/actress in mind to star in your show?

That's it. Have fun.....it's Aloha Friday and that's what you are supposed to do, silly!

The Man Upstairs Plays a Cruel April Fool's Joke

The Man Upstairs decided to play a funny little 'April Fool's' joke on me this morning. He woke me up at 3:00 am and told me it was morning and time to get up and shower for my early morning meeting.

As I pulled myself up and out of bed, I glanced at the clock and then it hit me..he got me!

"April Fool's!....it's not really time to get up after all. That would be several hours from now".

HA HA, very funny Mister Creator of all things good.

But, then I was wide awake and slightly angry. Not at The Man ( not to be mistaken by The Man over at The Stiletto Mom). He would never do such a thing as he would be severely reprimanded by Mary Anne.

Where was I? Lack of sleep does wonders for one's writing focus. Oh, yeah...I was angry at myself for having already folded this week's laundry, which is what I usually do in the middle of the night. So I wonder out to the den and look through glossy magazines of clothes I cannot buy this year on bodies I do not have this year.

Don't you wish you were me?

Insomnia makes for interesting days, especially ones with deadlines and important calls and interviews. I find the best way for this empty nest woman to cope is to simply laugh it off and do the best I can, under the circumstances. Maybe the Man Upstairs could bring on a "sleepy storm" later this afternoon, so I can catch a nap!