I practically begged my friends and family to check out the new look of my blog because I wanted to see how the cluster map worked on my blog site.

Thanks so much to my nieces in Tacoma, my sister and her husband in a little berg south of Pullman....and who ever you are in the mid west. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a coyote or a cow, but one never knows....

I also promised those same two nieces a photo of themselves, and I have a great one of the newest little imp in our family.(Who has a great taste in jewelry). I miss having the baby element in my life, so it is always a pleasure to spend some time with the dry-siders. Although I have to admit it is also very nice to not have to wash, wipe, feed and cajole a wee one 24/7. Gives me more time to blog! ^_^

So here are those promised pictures, and I am cogitating on an article that I read in the local newspaper about we bloggers who writes for ourselves, vs "real news". For those who check in just to see photos of Tucker the Wonderdog, you might want to pass on by this next article.

Oh, and I also promised a link to D1's blog spot as well. So there it is in the "Blogs I admire". She should update hers though. Much water has passed under that particular bridge!

Thought I'd pass along a bit of humor. I came across this while clicking through the Internet: video game icons on the interstate...the newspaper article was pretty fair and balanced, I'd say.

http://www.startribune.com/462/story/889553.html

What'dya think of that?

The Christmas holiday seemed fractured this year. So many reasons why I struggled a bit. My aunt finally lost her battle with MS after 20+ years of struggle. God keep her cradled in peace!

I had to put my folks' cat down, who had been an off again, on again pet of ours, too, for about twenty-five years.

I began a new job, and then the coup de grace...Wauna (and the rest of the Evergreen State) experienced a humdinger of a wind storm.

I expect the media will call it the "Great windstorm of '06" but it truly wasn't and different than any of the powerful wind storms that we get here every few years here in the PNW. (Why I remember a windstorm so strong that when driving across the Narrows Bridge, the southern facing cables vibrated like guitar strings) I guess its easy to forget when these big evergreen trees our state was named after get stressed, from too little rain, development, disease, they fall down!

What the storm did do was knock our power out for five days, from December 14th to the 19th. Prime cookie-baking and Christmas caroling time. So once we got the power up and running and we thawed out the indoor potted plants (indoor temp registered 40 degrees! Br-r-r!) and moved the 'fridge stuff back indoors, we had 5 days until Christmas. Sigh. And boxing day was spent at the new job.

Not that it wasn't great fun to see family (the ones that didn't escape the weather and go to Hawaii) and have the kids open their gifts, but it all seemed like a media sound bite. Not a true season.

But why complain? I had Daughter #1 take this photo by hanging out the car window just before leaving Waunaville to do errands. It to some degree captures the high tide and low sun and sky that a winter here typifies. I love it! Let it rain, I say. I appreciate the breaks in the weather ever so much more! It reminds me of what is said on this sign I spotted in a window. I hope you can read the inscription. If not, the text is here:

peace. it does not mean to be in a place with no noise, trouble or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.

I'll tip an eggnog to that!

To underscore the fact that I truely have too much time on my hands (or maybe I'm not using my time as wisely as i should?) I have created this Christmas poem:

(Ahem)

T'was the day after Christmas and all through the house,
Not a child is stirring, and I'm clicking my mouse.
The stockings are emptied and the contents are strewn
all over the floor, none entering their rooms.


Tucker's curled in his bed, and Dad's off now to work
and I'm still in new jammies, my duties I shirk!
I dream of Noels with and without our friends
and chalk up this season as the one that will tend


To lean much more closely towards family this year
and missing the presence of ones held so dear.
Not a glimmer of envy I hold in my heart
for the vision of warm surf and palm trees that part


To reveal those swim suits that shows all my fat.
(Yes, this is denial and I'm okay with that!)
Plain oatmeal and coffee is what I consume,
the upcoming year won't see me filling the room!


The gifts I had opened are thoughtful and kind
a warm leather jacket from hubby, I find,
I might need a Harley to zip off to work
and chocolate, oh chocolate my diet it hurts!


A white shirt for daytime, some candles for night
A mirror for beading, some roses, a sight!
Lotions and potions, jams which in I still lurk
And chocolate, oh chocolate my diet it hurts!


D2 was eager to see Nick treat her kind,
so up at 5:30, a Pet Shop she finds
And gift cards and cash will go to more "pets"
‘Least I won't have to feed these pesky new sets!


D1, easy to shop for, her list was so long,
It’s a good thing my pay check showed up here so strong.
Beads and bead tools, books, clothes, and drawing tools too
and jammies that match my new jammies. (It’s true,


we shopped most together and made us a pact
we’d get some few things for ourselves. It’s a fact!)
Tucker wasn't forgotten, he got into his heart
that opening his gifts, was his favorite part!


Hubby liked his twelve days of Christmas this year,
Between the girls and I, we covered, no fear,
The one rose, two turtle candies, three red wines too,
And four composts, five bagels, and that’s just a few.


So now I’m good and late to get off to work
Good clothes to change into, no longer to shirk.
As I’m ready to head toward the jeep in the yard
The part that I struggle towards what is most hard,


A promise to write you a more proper missive.
(I bet you are waiting to see how I rhyme this’in!)
Apologies profusely to Clement T. Moore
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good morn!

God bless us, every one!

My apologies if you are one of the three people who actually read my blog to get an update in what the heck is going on in my life. Fortunately for Santa, Mommy's been on the job with the local temp agency and was placed in her first real 9-5 desk job...Temporarily as the agency is called...just prior to Christmas. This means presents bought with my own money. Yay!

Good news. Mommy doesn't have to raid Daddy's checking account to by him a gift he really doesn't want. Mediocre news. Mommy's spending her own money to by Daddy a present he really doesn't want. Bad news. The eight year old is forgetting what a home-packed lunch is, and the smell of newly baked cookies when arriving home from school. Oh. And I have REALLY BAD dog guilt. Tucker the wonder dog is snubbing me. Sigh.

So I am cheating on my blog post and am tacking this great blog stuff that I scooped from that old Cynicalbstd, Jay, again. (Who, by the way, admitted stealing it from Gracey. At least we admit it!) Red answers are his. They are great! Green answers are mine.

"...And here's a little Christmas Memo that I stole from Gracey:

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot Chocolate .. No contest ... Especially if you add a little Bailey's or some Jameson's Whiskey.

Egg nog for the first few day until my jeans start getting tight, then back to Ravensara's Espresso Blend. I live in the land of java joints, dontcha know.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Presents must be wrapped. I know it would make things easier on Santa to just put them under the tree, but come on, you only work one day a year fat man, wrap the presents!

Got young kids...they have to be wrapped or nothing would stop them from a 4:30 AM raid.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White. But, I like colored lights too. I used to like flashing lights, but now I like them to just shine constantly.

White on the tree, and colored on the house. Or vice versa. Depends on the mood!

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
I don't have any to hang. I always wanted one of those headbands with mistletoe connected to it and then go walk around an see how many kisses I get. Or how long until I'm arrested.

Does plastic replicated count? Don't hate me. My Mom gave it to me, and we have to honor our moms don't we?

5. When do you put up your decorations ?
When I feel the urge to do so. Sometimes the day after T-Giving, sometimes a week or so later. I just sit back and wait for Santa to send me a sign.

It seems like when its raining and most dangerous to climb a ladder. But this year, when I finally caved to 8 yr old pressure.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Oh just anything. A smoked Petit Jean Ham is always good.

Mom's swedish tea ring. Think cinnamon roll that feeds 6!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
Sitting around the tree with only the lights from the tree on and singing Christmas Carols. And then my mother reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas"and "The Littlest Angel" to me and my sister.

Laying on my back under the newly decorated tree and looking at all the pretty lights.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
What truth? Santa is truth. Santa is good. Santa is my friend.
I truely don't remember. Probably when a conservative not-to-be-mentioned person pointed out that Santa was an anagram for Satan and he steals the true meaning of Christmas from Jesus. *Sigh*

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
When we were kids we used to open one gift on Christmas Eve but the rest were on Christmas morning.

The joy of a big family! Christmas eve dinner and gifts with Mom's family and Christmas day with Dad's family!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? With Christmas decorations? Hello? Oh, you mean what kind! Oh, well little balls, lots of small ornaments and it's pre-lit. NO TINSLE!! You'll be vacuuming those bastards up in June!

Pick a color or two and a theme. I have enough ornaments to decorate three trees! The kids did a fine job this year.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love it until it's snowed every other day for a month. Then I get sick of it.

Snow? Once every six or seven years we get snow for Christmas. It's magic! And it encourages the sane to stay in rather than dualing with mad men w/4 wheel drives.

12. Can you ice skate?
Not even a little bit.

Poorly, when begged.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Not one specifically but I've gotten some pretty cool stuff over the years *cough iPodNano cough*

Christmas day picnic in Canberra, Australia.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Just trying to be in the holiday spirit of the season and ignoring all the commercialismcialization of the holiday. (Um-m. Can't remember if this is a word he actually used, or if it crept in while I was running the spell check!)

The music! (From Nov. 26thish - Dec. 26thish)

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Fudge and Christmas cookies. There used to be this bakery that made these AWESOME Santa cookies. But, it's closed down now so no more of those. Of course, my sister makes great Christmas fudge and cookies. *hint, hint*

Um. They're all good?

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Watching all the lighting of the tree ceremonies on TV and driving around and looking at all the lights and decorations that people put up.

Candlelight service on Christmas Eve.

17. What tops your tree?
An Angel.

This year? Santa!

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving presents?
Well we all love to get presents don't we. But, I prefer giving them. Not that I'm all that great at picking out gifts for people, cause I basically suck at that. But, I do love giving gifts

Getting. Does that make me horribly selfish?

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
I love Christmas music as long as it isn't being sung by Mariah Carey or most Country music singers. I think Silent Night is my favorite though
Used to be "O holy night" until everyone and their brother has arendition of it. Now I pick "Still, still, still."

20. Candy Canes Yuck or Yum?
Yummy! Puh-leeze! Who doesn't like candy canes? Weirdoes!

I'm a weirdo. Yuck! Where's the chocolate?

In keeping with the Christmas Spirit here is a little quiz to see how much you know about The Grinch.I got 10/10.Oh, and donÂ’t forget that Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman are on this week! I think on Friday Dec. 8th on CBS.

Champagne Toast on 11/7/06:

Here’s to the continued happiness of Matthew Janiga and Erin Quirk!

We attended their wedding yesterday and many happy memories were involked by their fun, semi casual nuptials.

I was taken back to my own wedding, more than eighteen years ago when the current groom, Matt, my husband’s nephew, was our ring bearer. He was five at the time, but very serious about getting those rings down the isle precisely right. He was handsome in his tux at five, and just as handsome now! My photo is not a good indication of just what a beautiful couple they are!

Matt and my friends’ daughter were quite a pair as they came down the isle together as ring bearer and flower girl in 1988. I’m going to try to scan a photo (A new skill I’m attempting) and will post it here later.

And now the flower girl is an orchestral quality oboe player at the conservatory in San Fran, and my ring bearer is settling in, employed in his field of study in business.

No. Really. I’m not that old! However, I DO sound like a crochety aunty who only remembers the good old days when bread was 75 cents a loaf and you could see a movie—with popcorn—for less than five bucks. Them were the days! ^_^

One Thing:

I had a continuation of my travels 3/4's written the day before yesterday and the computer "Timed out" and ate it all. Ironically, not two minutes before, I was thinking about posting what I had and then editing it later...A blogger's lazy way of rough drafting and final editing, I guess.

Now, I'm cursed with a v-e-r-y s-l-o-w computer. Either from a pretty decent virus the computer's contracted or I need to put my hard drive on a diet. (Read: delete Barbie game files, music files and tonnes of photos that I only really see when my computer uses the screen saver.)

Instead of posting my original intended travel log info, I'm gonna post a top twenty list I shamelessly copied from CynicalBstd's blog because I like how it made me think about my answers. You may want to ask your partner/friend how they would answer the questions. It was fun.

1. One thing I've never done in front of an adult: Surf

2. One sport I wish I could do: Cliff diving

3. One thing I used to be able to do but have lost the ability to: Climb trees

4. One job I wish I could have had: Travel correspondent

5. One food I can't live without: Coffee,…good merlot,…chocolate..who can choose just one?

6. One food I could easily live without forever: Lutefisk

7. One book I think is a classic: Prodigal Summer

8. One song I wish I'd written: Java Jive

9. One thing I wish I had more control over: Natural resource use

10. One thing I dislike about myself: I procrastinate

11. One thing I admire about myself: (what does it mean when I can't think of a response to this question?)

12. One thing I would change about Canada: I have no quarrel with Canada

13. One vehicle I hope to own someday: Convertible Thunderbird

14. One profession I have no respect for: Telemarketing

15. One sexual activity I have never tried but want to: Hang on, my teenager reads this blog!

16. One sexual activity I have never tried and don't want to: See above

17. One holiday I could live without: Columbus Day

18. One piece of clothing I can't live without: Jeans

19. One thing I'm afraid of: The bomb

20. One thing I'm happy to have: My family

Radio Silence

Sorry about the lack of fresh posts! I have just returned from a four day adventure to Couer 'd Alene, Idaho with my Mom, "Right", and my friend "Indie". To smooth the potential for friction that naturally occurs when you have three strong personalities in a moving vehicle for five hours or more, we nicknamed ourselves. Mom=Right, Me=Wrong and Friend=Indifferent.

The theory went that if I constantly admitted I was wrong about everything, then I was liberated when I was indeed wrong. (An occcurance that happens very infrequently, as you can see from my spelling "occurrence"! >_<)

My Mom, who partners as challenging a spouse as anyone could have, got to visit planet "Right". She was right about everything, and was told so frequently. Even when she was wrong she was right. Hitherto (Do I get bonus points for using that word in a sentence?) only Dad was allowed to be that right. Its a lot less exhausting than arguing him to the ground and pinning him when he was wrong.

Our friend played around with "indifference". She who has never been indifferent to or for anything in the six plus years that I have known her. She possesses a very caring heart and is often squashed because she figuratively and literally lays down to protect the little person/animal/thing that needs nurturing.

So anyway. We stopped first to visit my neice who is going to Eastern Washington University as a newly minted Freshman. Change equals growth, yes? But we all know that change can also be a lonely, terrifying or stupendously strenouous journey too. She's reached the end of month one of the cut-the-home-strings-and-branch-out stage. My heart is out to her and I'm thrilled at her challenges. Hang in there, sweetie! (I'll insert a photo of neice here when I get her okay. Maybe I'll have Keely Photoshop it for the veiwing public!)

Then on to the beautiful Idaho panhandle. I'll end here so that I can let phone calls come in as I'm hoping job opportunies are leaping from all directions right now. That's all from Wrong-ville. Bye-bye and buy bonds!

I feel yucky!

Remember when I took Cassie in to the doctor last Friday for a strep culture? Well, it came in a strong positive. We stopped at a pharmacy and got a prescription of amoxicillan (that I paid 4x the cost as I took it to a place where our insurance was not on file.) But what great stuff! Two days later, she's fever free and feeling tremendously better. It's a challenge to remember to give her the whole 10 days worth of medicine.

Naturally, Cassie is feeling great now, and I have a stuffy-headed, clogged nosed cold! I think it's because I haven't kept my caffeine and chocolate level up in my system. The stress of withdrawals has opened me up for immune problems. (Think this is a good reason to go to the mall for Starbucks and See's chocolate?!)

I spent a while this afternoon surfing the net looking for an old quote about the debauchery of the younger population written in the ancient Greek (or Roman) time that I remember from college psychology. Instead I found a treasure trove of quotes from Theodore Roosevelt. He was an amazing person with great insight. I like this one. Try it on for size:

"There are good men and bad men of all nationalities, creeds and colors; and if this world of ours is ever to become what we hope some day it may become, it must be by the general recognition that the man's heart and soul, the man's worth and actions, determine his standing." Letter, Oyster Bay, NY, September 1, 1903

I think I'll have a quote banner on my blog so that some thoughty thing pops up every day. It'll take a while though, as I'm not a computer guru...

Wet Wednesday

Hello again. In Waunaville, it is currently 48 degrees F, humidity at 93% , visibility to 5 miles and raining steadily. The seasonal duck pond in the pasture is still empty. The forecast is for rain for a couple of days. We'll see! We all know the Pacific NW insidious rains are a-commin!

I'm supposed to be out jogging with a neighbor, but running in the rain AND the dark seems way too virtuous! Tucker and I opened the door to look out, he went off to do his business, then pushed past me and went back inside and curled up on his cedar bed in the office. I took that as a sign.

On my walk Monday, it was overcast and cool. Tucker and I trotted down the community road towards the beach, but rather than take the civilized path to the water, we ducked off of the road onto the trail towards the cedars.

If you are not familiar with the cedar family, then you may not be aware of the particular charm a cedar grove can have. The trees are basically poisonous to surrounding plant life both because of the dense shade it casts and the high pH content of the rotting folliage it drops through the year. So unlike under fir and maple trees where you have to fight the brush to follow a trail,(much like moving through my garage), the cedar groves are like walking through nature's livingroom.

Our trail drops off of the paved road and right into the first cedar grove. It feels like stepping under an open umbrella. Light is muffled, the temp drops a couple of degrees and you can hear the noise of the community; cars, lawnmowers, barking dogs, but with muffled detatchment.

Okay. Now I want to go back outside. And, instead, it's time to step into the lunch-making room and get into the morning routine.

Well, I'll sign off for now. If you get a chance, drop me a line in the new "cbox" thingy on the side bar. It's kinda like signing a guest book, I guess. Later! (If you can't see what I'm talking about...have patience. I'm good at rambling on, but not as good at solving these techy things!)

Good Monday:

Now for a word from our daughter.

“Hi. I’m Cassie. I’m eight years old. I like to play soccer, chase the animals at my house, eat carrots, and to read.

"The series I'm reading right now is about Geronimo Stilton. I’m reading The Search for Sunken Treasure. It’s about…hm." (I need to picture walk.) "It’s about a mouse and it likes to just stay home, and eat cheese and do what is necessary. (NONONONO don’t type what I’m saying, type what I MEAN. Giggle, giggle, giggle.) Okay. I’m serious.

"…and he hates flying, he hates boats, and he loves his sister who is a sports mouse who likes to take adventures. His brother is fat and always makes fun of Geronimo.

"He goes on a boat that he hates because his sister wants him to come along…and when he dives underwater he finds a sunken boat. When he attaches a rope on a box that he found that might have treasure in it, his aunt warns that when they try to pull it up the box will fall over and the treasure will fall out if it. But they were not listening.

"Some of the treasure spills on the deck of the boat and he finds a strange bottle with two handles that is the color of cheese. When they opened up the jar they could smell the smell of cheese wafting out.

"This book is cool because it about a mouse who has his own way of thinking.

“Can you put that in you blog right now?” (NONONONO! Back space! Back space! Giggle, giggle.) Okay, I like this. When I brush my teeth, can you put it on the internet?"

“No. Keely’s on the phone right now.”

“Darn this dial up internet service!” (Or words to that effect.)

The End.

Poetic Justice

I was catching up on yesterday's news. One of my favorite columns, "News of the Weird" by Chuck Shepard reported this:

"Kosco, a police dog assigned to the Watertown. N.Y. force, was the first to bring down Mark A. Adams, 22, who had eluded officers for seven hours after violating probation for cruelty to his pet dog."

I hope the police dog bit him in the process! This is great stuff, but would you call this news weird?

We could extrapolate:

"Chronic repeate litterer rear ended by garbage truck"

"Car thief left stranded when owner reclaims property"

"Teenager worried sick when parents dissapear, only to return at two the next morning. Parents grounded."

Wait. That's not funny!

The early adventures of Friday the 13th (its only 8:30 am)

So. Remember that sore throat I reported yesterday? Cassie harbored it all day long and now, after a dose of cold medicine last night at 12:00 and one at 5:30 this morning, Cassie is propped up on the sofa with a flyer describing holloween costumes and a cup of "throat coat" tea in hand.

My day looks to include throat cultures, a trip to the pharmacy and perhaps the video store or library to get new fodder for sofa-bound 8yr olds.

As it is a teacher's inservice day (read, teacher's take the day to get their s*$! together) I've got both kids home for the day. Keely's already lobbying for an afternoon on the beach with her girlfriend, which I think I'll let happen...to get her away from her crabby younger sister and stressed Mom, as much as having her enjoying the last of this beautiful indian Summer weather. (Is that a non-PC comment? I never know!)

On a non-related note, My Mom stopped in to check on us after feeding her horses, and so I proudly showed her my new blog. Sigh. She's not impressed. She strongly cautioned me that a mutual friend who started a web log to discuss news items was getting e-mails from all sorts of people that live in potential terrorist countries. She implied that I may be inviting simular attention to my Waunaspot by posting this.

Um. Frankly, after reading some random blogs here that are fifty times more interesting, or are politically, graphically or ergonomically incorrect, I think I'm safe.

I'm guessing that unless you know me or my family, you won't stick around for further installments! ^_^ So many blogs, so little time!

Anyway, I'm on eBay checking on auctions for graphing calculators. Exciting stuff, I know, but someone has to follow these things! Keely needs one like they use in school. I guess this is yet another item on a list of things that a parent can get wrong when shopping for school supplies.

The one we received as a gift last year, brand new, was not the brand they use in math class, and so all of the directions she has learned in math can't be applied on the brand she has. The manual that we got with the calculator is gone, and frankly I don't think that Keely is interested in working hard enough to make it work for her.ut that's me. I'll cave and buy the model that they use in school and hope I can get the old one sold on eBay.

More soon.

Hi-dee ho. Another beautiful day in paradise! The sun's out, it's currently 51 degrees F, 82% humidity, no wind, and with the visibility to 10 miles.

The kids are at school, although Daugher #2 woke up complaining of a sore throat and bad breath. Hate to break it to her that she is a mouth breather at night, and that's probably what's contributing to the whole experience. (Mom-m, TMI!!!)

Tucker the pooch and I went for a walk/jog (wog?) at 7:00 this morning, and dawn was just brightening the horizon. I'm a fair weather jogger, and this morning was perfect. The stellar jays were fighting over their patches of madrona berries and the tide was on its way out. I didn't stop at the waters edge as I would have liked to do as I was walking with a neighbor by that point. (Much to the dog's disgust)

Tucker abandoned me on the second loop and chose to camp out on the front porch on one of the chairs. Who said border collies are athletic!? On further contemplation, he's only half collie. Your guess as to the other half. My money's on some carrot-eating, tree-climbing, shaggy-haired mutt variety. He reminds me of a short "Ralph" from the old coyote and road runner cartoons in the 70's.

Hey! You read any good books lately? Try "The Highest Tide" by Jim Lynch. I picked it up at the library in paperback last week and have been loving it! A quick synopsis:

A 13 year old, short for his age, not too hip kid lives on the end of Puget Sound by Olympia. He loves the beach. Worships his time there in the summer. Absorbs journals and technical writings on the ocean and it in habitants. And he discovers a giant squid washed up a low tide in the middle of the night and calls a professor-friend to report it. And then his world changes and in many ways, so does he.

Do you know how an good oyster tastes? That's how the beach smells at low tide. This author, his character and I know that. If you read the book, you'll get a feel of what it was like to grow up racing the high tide to get home in time for dinner (And hoping not be in too much trouble for your wet, dirty clothes!)

Gardening to do, so I'd better sign off for now.

Thought I'd upload a few photos I took yesterday. It seems that you can't put a picture in of yourself on the main page until it appears in the text of a posting. So here it is:

This is me at the Waunspot, yesterday.

And this:

Is a shot of the one of the Waunaspots, proper.

I'll write a proper blog entry soon!

Hey all! Another clear night in Waunaville. The full moon is waning, and its crisp and breezy. The big leaf maples are just now turning yellow and the parched alders are shedding their leaves finally.

Hubby is asleep on the livingroom floor with the dog after a tough session of wrestling. (The dog ended on top. Rematch tomorrow.) Daughter #1 is at the kitchen counter doing ONE math problem before bed, and Daughter #2 should be asleep as it is now 10:00pm.

I am fully loaded with caffeine and chocolate as it was my Mom's second thirty-fifth(ish) birthday, and we celebrated in grand style by eating at my favorite restaurant, Paula's Palace. A select and intimate dining experience. The menu? Chicken cacciatore, mashed garlic potatoes, steamed broccoli, green beans from the garden and Italian bread. Yum! Food is a balm. And greatly needed

Because:

D#1 and I had our first really nasty mother/daughter power struggle over just how important good grades should be. Her progress report came to us Saturday last. We opened it while she was at the homecoming dance. Sigh.

On a cognitive level, I'm sure that she knows that she needs a good GPA to ensure a solid foundation for her future plans, and good study habits to get her there.

On a social level, according to her, friends and recreation should be the most important feature of the day. So the conflict continues. The nice thing is that she is the type of person that forgives and forgets. The challenge is to get that homework turned in!

Got a teenager? Know a teenager? Then I suppose you also know that this conflict is bound to happen one day. More than once. And I'm sure that you psychoanalyst-types would advise me that this is a healthy step as she is asserting her independence.

And I'm here to tell you, if you do have a teen at home, you know what I'm talking about when I say, I'm looking forward to a walk with my dog tomorrow after the kids are on the bus!

Testing, testing. One, two, three. Am I on?

Hello. Thanks for joining us. Hubby, Daughter #1, Daughter #2 and I (plus various and sundry feathered and furry things) welcome you to our Wauna Spot. Located in the currently sunny and mild Puget Sound, it's 9:00pm and the dog is wondering what the heck we are all doing inside.

In early October, the moon is full and there is a light breeze that's pulling the salt air up from the beach. Great crashes and rustling in the brush speak of anxious critters trying to fatten up and find a comfy place to hide up for the winter. The orchard, the hen's coop, the rabbit hutch, the barn and of course, D1's room!

We were all wakened last night at 1:30 am as she swore that there was a rat in her room, eating her sketchbook! It was a rodent, but it was a field mouse. It ended it's short life by jumping in the toilet and getting flushed. No really. So we're hoping for a more quiet night tonight.

Signing of and posting so I can get some photos posted too. Good night!