Ahhh, Mother Goose

"Hey Diddle Diddle, the Cat and the Fiddle, the Cow jumped over the Moon, the Little Dog laughed to see such sport, and the Dish ran away with the Spoon!"

Yes, I listened to my youngest play her viola last night...one of her nicknames is Cat. The cow...I won't expound...:) Little Dog, my oldest was born in the year of the Dog, and was definitely laughing this morning. The Dish would be the son...his culinary class has a field trip today to Pike Place Market in Seattle...I would say the handsome young man is the Dish, running with the Spoon to Seattle for the day:) Me, the old mother? I am busy working on files and redecorating my boudoir. Quite happy so far with the results. Two walls are finished (color is Red Clay from Benjamin Moore), and then the Erte artwork is ready, along with the new bedframe and 1920's wardrobe/armoir, both courtesy of Craigslist. Time for my bedframe to be photographed to be posted there as well. Life is good...

Chip off the old block...

Today marked the debut of my son's culinary arts class opening a bistro to the public. They create the menu, practice them, order for the expected crowd, prepare, serve, clean, cashier. All tips are to go to the program, and it was fantastic. A limited menu, open for one hour only, and well executed. No coffee or hot beverages though. George went with me today. He is observing lent, so he ordered the bruschetta. I had the pasta alfredo sans chicken. I have a little serving of chicken still in its to go souffle cup. Funny thing that...it is not something I enjoy eating at all. Any fowl or fish for that matter. Bring on the beef, and the vegetarian cuisine. Those are my favorites.

It was nice to sit with dad. He just got his hearing aids, and I have to be careful what I say now. He hears everything. :-) Congratulations son! Now, lets get your web site up and running...

Oy! What's that in the fridge???

Well, I work full time, single mom, and tons of other jobs that I take on...chauffeur, personal banker to three teens, green grocer, housekeeper, plumber, personal shopper, etc. So, today when I opened up the fridge, and everyone else did too, and were able to sniff the odoriferous wafts coming from the abyss....and then closed the door waiting for the next one to clean it...I finally called in the parental authority (me). The "not me" ghost struck again, yet they all cleaned out the fridge. I was informed I need to go shopping again too....

Life Lessons

Well, today is becoming one of contemplation. Viewing my own faults and weaknesses, along with strengths and fortes. Today I am laughing at things that a month ago would have really irked me. Keeping focused and staying positive is really a blessing.

Mom Was Here

Yes, mom came over today for the first time in years. We are mending fences it seems. After spending the day working on a common goal, things came together it appears. The kids and she are doing well, she met the oldest daughter's boyfriend and liked him (he is terrific) and had a better idea of what her grandchildren are developing into now they are all over 16 years of age. We still have differences, which is of course, only natural. I am my father's daughter.

Mom and Me

I have an interesting, diverse, TALENTED, and gorgeous mother. She has always epitomized class, integrity, and left you guessing what her next move would be. I always wanted her green eyes, her blonde hair, and thought I was not attractive. She resembles Tippi Hedron in The Birds, and that cool Scandinavian look is not mine. I inherited the Eastern European dark hair, that has migrated to blonde to cover my gray strands, the whisky colored eyes with a green ring on the outer rim, and I am a bit taller with a longer waist and athletic physique. Now, my daughters want to be pretty like their mom. It amazes me how we all suffer the same malady.

Today I saw my mother, at age 68, still lovely, articulate, and intelligent, in her office with my oldest daughter. Three generations chatting about life. She commented how the oldest has my mother's grandmother's nose, which is quite true, and the Eastern European cheekbones. She also has the green eyes from my mother. The only one out of the six grandchildren. They are a lovely olive toned green, a gift from the Irish side. She has struggled with her self image until recently. She is lovely, both inside and out. We also discussed our futures. Much is going to happen in the next year. It seems my mother will once again be playing an active role in launching some young adults into life. This is a good thing for all of us, as she has excellent guidance and knowledge to offer. I believe we have a lot of years ahead of growing as individuals, and as a family together.

Here's to us!

Stop and smell the roses...

That song was one of my favorites growing up. "You gotta stop, and smell the roses. You gotta count your many blessings every day. You're gonna find your way to heaven, is a rough and rocky road if you don't stop and smell the roses along the way".

Whenever I hear those lyrics ringing in my head, it makes me stop, and take stock of myself and where I am at in life with work, family, situations. Am I judging others unfairly, am I appreciating the laughter and beauty in the day? Even death provides a certain beauty and peace, along with humor in some cases. My Uncle Robert was buried with a great smirk on his face. One that I remember well. In our grief, we all had that humorous smirk to ease our tears, and set things right.

When the roses are budding, spring is here, in full bloom of the summer, we enjoy their fragrance and color, in the Autumn, the leaves lay dormant and begin to droop, Come winter, the blossoms are gone, and the plant is asleep, waiting to reawaken and begin the process anew. That is the essence of our own lives. However, I always have a memory of the fragrance of the rose in my mind. It is up to me to recall it in the winter to bring a little summer sunshine to my day. My parents taught me this as a child. It is a lesson I will always cherish, and put to use I hope, when my attitude needs adjusting.