This Perfectly Imperfect Life

Later this afternoon, we'll head on over to PNC Arts Center to see this handsome cowboy, country music's George Strait. Country music's Blake Shelton will open around 8pm and in less than 10 hours, around 9pm, George will take the stage and I cannot wait ! I was never a big country music fan before I met Vic but I did like a few, Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt and George Strait. After tonight, I will have seen all 3 in concert. (Believe it or not, this is just as big for me as seeing KISS in concert for the first time!) We've had hella rain this morning and thunderstorms are supposed to pass through around rush hour. This is an outdoor concert! And they don't cancel for the weather because the stage and some of the seating is underneath a roof and partially enclosed. We have lawn tickets. But, I've got my rain poncho and rubber garden boots at the ready, so bring it on! Only thing I hate about concerts are the slutty women (and girls) and there are more tha...

      I took these yesterday when I ran (drove) up to Twin Lights to pick up a few things from their gift shop. I've posted photo's of the views from here before, but none were to be had yesterday and any day in the last week with the fog hanging around so thickly in these parts. The volunteer mentioned he was surprised how many people had already been there visiting (I was there around noon) because there was no view to see and I replied that Lighthouses in the fog add another level to their mystique and I loved visiting them on days like yesterday.

Booper and her sister Precious took over my blanket & spot on the couch on Tuesday. (And yes, Booper's chewing on her sister this time - She does that a lot, chews on humans & other cats). Pinky decided to risk being smothered by Booper to come up & snuggle with me for a while. (Guess he figured she was preoccupied with Precious).

Click on any pic to enlarge and view the online album at Picasa.

Click on this to enlarge so you can see all the pics.

Shivering again. Happened yesterday too, got chilled & couldn't warm for hours. Crazy weather. Windy, foggy, drizzely. Humid. Up to the Light House today. Quiet, grey, misty. A favorite spot regardless of rain or shine. If its' weather beaten & battered walls could talk, I wish they would speak to me, show me what it was like when a Keaper lived there...

The fallen, those still alive, Troops of the past and the present. Remember them all while enjoying your freedoms today.

Sweet, heady scent of flowers and sea water, thick in the sticky humid air. The sky turned dark, purple and lightning flashed. Thunder rumbled out over the water. Rain came, adding its' refreshing aroma. Steam rose from the pavement, creating a low-lying fog to end the day as it began, blanketed in mist.

This Rose is called "Mardi Gras." This is just a temporary spot. Once the fence & gate go up to the left of here, it's going on one side of the gate and when I buy a new Butterfly Bush (to replace the one that died out back), that will go on the other side of the gate.

While taking a break on the couch, Miss Boo (aka Booper) decided to join me & make herself comfy with (on) me. Yes, she's chewing on my belly. (As if I need another reminder to get rid of the spare tire & life preserver). And falling asleep. She wasn't biting hard (this time). She and her sister kitty think I'm their Mama Cat. Thought my lack of fur would give it away that I'm not, but after 8 years, why spoil it for them now?

Stola stola yay jeeah jeeah na - Stola stola yay jeeah jeeah na - Yesh a nash yesh a nash yay jeeah jeeah nash - YAY JEEAH NAAAAAAA! This Polish birthday song was sung to me 3 times by my dear Father-in-law in seperate voice mails he left me today (I was out in the gardens most of the day again, phones inside), texted to me by a Sista-in-law and sung to me by Vic after the waitresses (and he) sung happy birthday to me when they brought dessert to us. I am by no means spelling it correctly, most likely, but spelling it as it sounds when sung. It's a tradition in Vic's family which now makes him and Dad's voices crack with tears when they sing it. (My Mother-in-law called on my 30th birthday and sung it on our answering machine, she passed away 15 days later). It's a traditon we will carry on with our own children. It was a quiet day at home for the most part, me out in the dirt, planting the last of the seeds, repotting a few Vinca's, pulling Ivy that's gro...

~Birthday loot from bff Bren on the left, goodies from Author Meg Waite Clayton on the right ~Ceasar kitty bird watching - Lunch ~Pink place update - Tiger Moth I tried to save from laundry room floor ~Back yard (grass still growing in patchy) - Wind chimes from bff Bren (more Bday loot!) ~Front porch - New Rose bush ~Front porch - Front porch ~Front of our place (heh, heh, couldn't resist takin' the tushy shot!) - Front of our place ~Front porch - Front porch Today's soundtrack: Sugarland (all 3 of their cd's).

Posted for today's The Wednesday Sister's chat with Meg (Waite Clayton) so she could see the hat I won after last week's chat.

Yesterday, I treated myself to a Knockout Rose Rosa Radcon (a larger one than I bought last year), 2 different pink Dianthus, "Lemon Zest" yellow Petunia's and 3 "Beaf Steak" Tomato plants. (I usuallly prefer "Early Girl," but all of them had mold around their roots). Today I'm finishing up planting seeds and I'll get these into their spots too. Tomorrow's supposed to go up into the high 80s or low 90s and in temps like that I'd rather be sitting in the shade enjoying the flowers instead of digging around in the sun planting them!

Today is Armed Forces Day. If you love your freedoms, thank a Vet and an active member of our Military.

My Nana and I, around 1998 or 1999 Victor and I, May 16, 2005 9 years ago today, my Nana passed away at the age 89. 4 years ago today, Victor and I wed in a symbolic ceremony in Zephyrhills, Florida for his Mom who had stopped her chemo and radiation treatments at the beginning of the month, couldn't travel and didn't have much time left. (We wed officially in NJ on May 25, she passed away on June 5th). I miss my Nana dearly as Victor misses his Mom dearly. I am glad to have met Betty. I wish Victor could have met Nana. Now that the sun is setting, I've lit the memorial candle (I bought on B's anniversary). Lighting a special candle in the house or in the garden feels more personal to me now, I used to go to a church to light a candle. (Which I've nothing against and do it if I feel the desire to). I kept Mom busy until the early afternoon since I know it's usually an upsetting day for her. (It was town garage sale day). Hopefully she's done alrigh...

Totally, completely neat & organized and I'm okay with that.

Mom's new container garden (Click on Pics to Enlarge) Vic leaving the card for his Mom ~ Twin Lights Lighthouse View from Twin Lights ~ View from Twin Lights Wonderful Hubby doing something he REALLY didn't want to do (not just another tushy shot!) ~ Pink Place in our garden update

I took this yesterday morning after an early breakfast with Mom down at the Harbor. (Can't believe it came out, the wind was going at 40mph!) First off Vic is a SAINT. He spent the good majority of both of his days off, Saturday and Sunday, doing work around his Mother-in-law's home even though 95% of the time she's not nice to him and how she treats me frustrates & angers the hell out of him. He fixed her living room ceiling (spackel, dry, sand, spackle, dry, sand, paint dry paint, dry) installed a new screen door for her patio and will do 1 last coat of paint on the ceiling & trim it out with molding after work one night this. I put a garden trellis together to go around her downstairs window to the side of the patio and started a small container garden for Mom yesterday. It doesn't look like much yet because it's all from seeds but everything's pretty fast growing and should be looking great in a month. I told her I didn't know what else I c...

Whether your children are in Heaven or here on Earth, this is you day and I hope it is a good one.

Both of the pics I posted today were taken today. The falling apart garage/barn is just up the street from where we live and the foggy pic w/Part 3 is one of my favorite spots in the world & this area, the little 'beach' down at the harbor/marina. We took our sub lunches and sat down by the water where it was cooler than here. Such a humid day! It was fine so long as the breeze was on-shore but as soon as it switched, bleah!

I wonder what they would say...?

Brandie M, this is for you: I had 1 glass of red Sangria and 1 glass White Zinfindel, more than an hour a part last night and awoke at 6:25am this morning with a head pounding hangover. WTF?! It's bad enough I've lost my tolerance (thankfully I waited until I was married to become a cheap date) but I now get hangovers off a couple of drinks?! I didn't get my first full blown hangover until I was 32 and I've had more then a few since and only a few of them, in my humble opinion, were deserved. But my acne's acting up again so I've got that to keep me feeling youthful, lol!

Two guys walked into the bar (no, this isn't a joke!) and they looked SO young. I watched them for a moment as they sat down and wondered if I looked that young back then - I was actually getting into & being served bars in this area when I was 19 and never got carded once, but that could've been the fact that bff M is from here & 2 years older than I, we were usually together - and I wondered how many people watched me with the same amusement I was now watching these 2 guys with... Oh, the pic was taken after dinner just down the street from the bar. I saw the sign & liked it. ("Yesterday is Past Tomorrow is the Future Today is a Present")

10 years ago today I lost my daughter B. The moment I realized I she was gone from me is one of the moments that changed me forever. I garden through my grief on this day and am thankful for it. I picked up some beautiful pink petunia's and set to getting them potted out back - the above pic is just to the right of where I showed those 2 memorial angels in a pic here yesterday. Pink has seemed to be the color theme of the flowers in this section since before last year and I decided to keep it that way. I feel it's B telling me what she'd like there (I've asked her in the past) and it's a comfort to me to see the pink flowers. The pink Bleeding Heart bush is nearly past full bloom and soon the pink Roses will start to bloom. Then there are the pink Petunia's and the pink Begonia's soon to be potted. It's one of my favorite colors and I think hers too!

Exactly 14 days from today is my 34th birthday. Older than some, younger than others. I'm unsure as to how I feel about this. (Cut me some slack, I've never turned 34 before). Am I where I wanted to be by 34? Am I who I wanted to be by 34? Did I ever give these much consideration before last week? Actually, no. Because of my health (physically and otherwise) I stopped looking to and planning for the future many years ago and only since being with Vic have I slowly started to learn my way out of that & do so. Even so I am feeling behind on many things once again and thankful for a few. Time for a (large) glass of wine or (a pint) Haagen Daaz chocolate ice cream. To be continued...

I thought of something today (quit snickering, I've been known to actually think once in a while) and while I'm sure others have come to this same realization, it's new to me, so bare with. I decided today that I am going to spend 10 minutes a day, Mon thru Fri on cleaning/straitening each room in the house (yes, I know we live in an apartment), which comes to less than an hour overall. (50 minutes to be exact). I figure I can do anything for 10 minutes, even if I don't like it and breaking it up like this will help me to be more productive. (At least that's what I hope will happen!) *Of course this was decided before finding out later this afternoon that we're having a State inspection a week from tomorrow and an inspector & our property manager have to enter every apartment in the complex, including ours. And dear Lord Mom is going to freak out over this. (Why? I don't know, she just will. Because).

I bought these two Memorial Angels at the pharmacy last week, one for my daughter (on the right with the burgandy ribbon, holding a heart which says, "You are loved") and one for the two beloved kitties we've lost (on the left with the white ribbon holding a small animal tag which says, "God Bless this Cat"). They're in the Rose bush container, attached firmly to the trellis. (It's not paranoia, there are sticky fingers around this place).

Look who flew in this evening! We've heard from other tenants that these male & female Mallards have been here at least a week or longer but this was the first we've seen them. Hubb's & I fed them bits of bread for awhile, sitting on the parking lot curb with them only about a foot away from us. Aren't they cute?! We're calling them Waddles (the female is heavy with this season's eggs) and Daffy aka The Quackers! (Hey now, that's worth a giggle at least). I can't wait to see if they'll have their babies here & walk around with them!

Anyone remember that Eddie Money song? (I love Eddie Money! Surprised?) It's in my head now because it's 1:20am and I'm still awake. I was reading "Bound South" by Susan Rebecca White, trying to finish it. I'm almost there, saving the last 20 pages for the morning. Well, later this morning. Got through Mom's birthday better than expected. I survived and no one got hurt. (It was touch and go a few times). "Beautiful flowers but they have a strong smell, don't they? Are they anything like the ones in Foodtown?" (Her subtle attempt to figure out where I bought them and how much they cost). Upon opening a cute card with a pic of a little girl sitting on a chair facing the corner, she exclaims, "I never made you sit in time out!" Insert inward groan and head in hand here. "I know that Mom! It's a cute card, will you read it for crissakes?!" "Taking a time out to wish you a Happy Birthday Mom! Oh that is ...

Watching this earlier brought out the Marine Wife in me (as well as the tears) and while I don't like to get political here, as you all know, I feel strongly about the following and wish to share my thoughts with you: Regardless of whether or not you agree with our Governments mission(s) for our troops, whether or not you are for or against our President, these brave Men and Women deserve nothing less than our respect and gratitude for VOLUNTEERING to do a job that most of us wouldn't even consider much less actually do. Don't forget about them once they're home. Many are coming home missing limbs, scarred beyond recognition or completely incapacitated, but all are coming home changed forever down into their souls. They still need our support in any way we can possibly give. Freedom isn't free for any of us. We all need to work together to do our part, even if we aren't in our Military.

Seeing a movie like this makes me excited to be alive - in awe that human beings like you and I can create something so incredible it lifts you from your world and brings you fully into its' own, even if only for a brief time. I wasn't a big fan of the X-Men movies. (And yes, I watched purely for the pleasure of Hugh Jackman). This blows them all away.

May 1st. Already? Really? Damn. 4 months of 2009 gone. And Mom's birthday in 3 days. (insert your favorite curse word here)