Happy Birthday, Secundo!

[This is a couple of days late but still, very heartfelt...]

Wow, I can't believe it...Meghan is 30. Three-zero. Zero-to-thirty in the blink of an eye.

You know, it's funny--I recall the early portions of my labors with Gayle and Liz with relative ease. However, with Meghan, her birth was so outstanding of an event that some of the early moments seemed to have faded. Yes, there are colorful graphic slides of this birthing experience safely tucked away in their special carousel...more slides than anyone should have. But Meghan's arrival was one helluva trip and I'm glad there's some documentation because, frankly, sometimes I have trouble believing that it really happened!

I was due to deliver on September 30, 1979. Yet in August, because of my ballooning belly, the doctor hinted that I "couldn't get much bigger" and that I might deliver sooner than we thought--maybe even in August. Then throughout September, I continued to grow and was told the same thing: "soon, very soon." I had outgrown most of my maternity clothes, which were summer-y, and in the cooler fall, began to put together strange combinations of turtleneck sweaters that barely stretched to the top of my big belly, strappy voluminous maternity sundresses, knee-high cableknit socks, and Dr. Scholl sandals.

I was quite a sight. I clearly remember walking through a mall with Gramma O'Kate who was delighted in noting the stares of people walking by us--"Did you SEE how that person looked at you???" Well, having the appearance of a person who was very likely to drop a monster watermelon from between her legs at any given moment *did* get me out of paying some library fines. (She [looking straight at my huge belly]: "OH! When are you due?" me: "Today." She: "OOHH! OOOHHH!!" me: "I have some fines to pay on these books I'm returning." She: "No, NO--nevermind! Please. You should probably just GO HOME!!")

In mid-October, I was given a "non-stress" test to be sure that all was well with the baby--the verdict: "unbelievable, but still cooking." Late at night, I had visions of scenes from the movie "Alien" in which the creatures came bursting out of the humans' abdomens...I mean, how else was this child going to emerge?? Finally, on the evening of October 17, I felt the welcome labor pains. Woo hoo! We were going to have a baby!!

The details of the labor were a little clouded behind the 3 hour transition--especially since the transition phase is supposed to last about--oh, 45 minutes! But once I was "cleared" to push, it was like the heavens parted and the sun began to shine and I could hear choirs of angels rooting me on: "Push, PUSH!"

Yay, me! FINALLY!! Bloooop--there SHE was: Meghan! (And they told me to expect a boy--HAH! WE don't do boys in this family--at least, not yet!) Meghan with the chubby cheeks--well, chubby everything!--long straight silky black hair and eyes so very dark brown they looked black instead of regular "new-baby-blue." With no signs of being overdue, she weighed ELEVEN pounds THREE-and-a-half ounces--a Booth Women's Hospital (Cleveland) record-breaker! The pediatrician who examined her told me: "Ma'am, you've just given birth to a perfect three-month-old!"

Here is where I should probably explain myself. I had Meghan naturally--no drugs and no anesthetics with the episiotomy. My parents were with us, as was my mother-in-law, dear sister-in-law, a friend who was a midwife and toddler Gayle, who handled the proceedings like a seasoned champ. So when you have an 11# 3.5 oz. baby under those circumstances, you say it just like that: "my largest baby weighed ELEVEN pounds THREE-and-a-half ounces and I had her naturally." That's how I say it. You want credit for every single bit of baby that emerged. Just saying "more than eleven pounds" just doesn't cut it. See, just 11 pounds might've been a bit easier--3.5 oz. easier. But she weighed ELEVEN pounds and THREE-and-a-half ounces!

The day we brought her home, the leaves were in "fall peak" yet it was unseasonably warm and sunny...a perfect golden day to bring home a perfect baby!

We were incredibly lucky that she was so large and healthy at birth because at 3.5 months, she was Ohio's first case of Infantile Botulism, a rare neurological disease. She was in the hospital, paralyzed, for four weeks. For the first week the doctors were stumped--they had never seen such a thing and it wasn't until later that a resident read about it in a medical journal. With no muscle activity, her face dropped like she'd had a stroke, her heart stopped at one point and her lungs collapsed, along with other related problems. All we could do was wait and hope--there were no antibiotics to help Meghan fight it. But she was a fighter! Happily, after 4 weeks of waiting, Meghan began to move and was released to go home soon after she began nursing again.

Following Meghan's illness, she was a bundle of movement. She would wake early in the morning and sing with the birds. Too early, actually, and after singing her jibberish songs, she would fall back to sleep until a more reasonable hour. She walked early--she talked early--and having had quite enough time at home with Mom and Dad--she began preschool early. As we expected, she endeared herself to her preschool teachers--she was the bright, cheerful girl with the open face and deep dimples with pretty black hair that curled uncontrollably around her face as the day went on.

She was my "Little Chairman" who turned into a beautiful woman. Meghan always fights for what she believes is right, she has a sensitive streak that remains close to the surface, she is extremely loyal to her family and friends, and she believes that being 'different' is more-than-okay. I am so proud of her--as I am of her sisters. And truth be told, the three of them helped make me into who I am today. I am always grateful for their company and their love.

So, happy birthday, Maynan--you deserve it. And, of course, I'm so happy you're here...
xo mutti

Happy Birthday, Tertio

March 5, 1984. Liz's Birthday.

I thought I'd be at work at the Law School that day. I promised to work until my due date, which was that Monday. But on Friday, I was feeling pretty spunky...I felt good...energized. So I told them that I'd probably be in on Monday--whattheheck, right?

At around 7:30am on Monday, I called Joan and admitted, "Uh, I probably won't be in today; I'm kinda busy." I was in labor.

What? Me? On time for something? Especially after being about 3 weeks overdue with Meghan--I couldn't fathom actually being in labor ON my due date. But the contractions, now a familiar feeling after already having two kids, were timeable and increasing to the point where I felt we should saunter off to the hospital to begin the process.

Thankfully, Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital had created a few birthing rooms (instead of going to Cleveland, where they had them years before Akron got the notion) and my doctor agreed to serve as "Johnny Bench"--he'd let me "do my thing" and labor without much interference, only coming in the room to either a) chat if I were in the mood or b) catch a baby.

So, we've already established that I'm in favor of the Group Approach to Supportive Birthing. This time, in attendance (other than the required parties: Mom, Dad and Emergent Child) were Gayle + Meghan, totally ready to add another sibling to the ranks; sisters-in-law Marilyn and Annie (sorry, Anne...maybe I should've prepared you a little better); Gramma + Grandpa Q and Gramma M. Just a small bunch, but each one a much needed presence in that room at that time.

My dad had become an Old Pro at seeing his grandbabies arrive, having already witnessed Meghan's birth (which is a story I shall save for another time as his prior career as an ambulance driver did not entirely prepare him for a right-in-front-of-you birth). So around late morning, he felt comfortable in announcing that he had to leave to attend a meeting of bowling proprietors, as I recall. He said he would be back at 1:00 pm and he hoped that I'd hold off having the baby and wait for his return. Which, as a good daughter always trying to please, I did.

Liz was my easiest birth. Labor seemed easy, transition was a breeze, delivery was a snap. It was like: "*poot* she's here!" Okay, so maybe it was a little more effort than that--I do seem to recall that I felt I was "too old for this shit"--but after all, she was the smallest of the 3 girls at 8 lbs. 10 oz., which I attributed to working right up to the due date rather than sitting at home with My Soaps and chocolates.

A girl! I worked my checklist: 10 fingers, 10 toes, nice ears. Okay, she was a keeper just like her sisters. What was quite outstanding was her unusually *long* sandy hair! And the big blue eyes.

During the pregnancy, her sisters were permitted to come up with a name: Elizabeth Anne (with a proviso that there would be no "B" nicknames like "beth" or "betsy" as might accompany that particular first name--but later of course, "Lizard" would be perfectly acceptable). Elizabeth 'cause they liked it and Anne 'cause who doesn't love Annie?

Gayle was 5 and Meghan had turned 3 on the very day I returned to full-time employment. So I always felt badly that I had to go back to work more quickly after Liz's arrival than I originally planned. I was supposed to be able to stay at home for 6 months with her but an opportunity for promotion caused me to return to the Law School a month or two earlier than that. Luck for us, we found a sitter who lived just a couple of blocks away from home and would let me come over on my lunch hour to nurse my baby--it was as close to "normal" as I could arrange.

Lizzie's birth marked the end of a very wonderful period for me of healthy pregnancies, monumental deliveries, and happy nursing. I don't think I *ever* felt more accomplished--either before that time or since. I loved the entire process...but not as much as I love the result: my 3 faeries. I believe I lead a charmed life and I've been so happy to know that the girls are right there with me--every step, every misstep, every change, every day.

So have a GREAT 25th Birthday, Liz: you of the wildest hair, the dirty face, the surprising blue eyes, the ready smile -- our "alien sent to test us," a toddler-Capt. Furious, a real dazzler, the last of the bunch, the jewel in the crown. Yes, I'm so glad you're here...


xo mutti

Happy Birthday, Primo

Why is this night different than all other nights?

Oh, wait—wrong holiday.

February 13. The Day Before Valentine’s Day. Gayle’s Birthday.

If I could have held on one more day, her middle name would have been “Valentine.” So cliché but I don’t care...and still, I’m a little sorry it didn’t work out that way.

February 13, 1977. In the very early morning hours, I was kept awake by what I thought was gas. And, as those who really know me are aware, farting on purpose is not my forte so I never found relief. I was uncomfortable and moved from bed to the couch. At some point after the sun started coming up, I noticed that my “gas” pains were time-able and started charting my progress. Yep, my gas was really labor. By evening, there SHE was—fueled by pitocin and shooting out with all the force of an Ohio windstorm—my first-born, Gayle Eileen, 8 lbs. 11 oz.

As they sewed up my “exit wounds,” she was swaddled and presented to me with a bunch of multicolored wires sprouting out the top of her head: the tiny screw that connected the wires of the internal monitor (never again!) to her perfect head had gotten tangled in her long hair so the nurses just cut the wires to disconnect her and fished them out later. (Although – NB: the multicolored wires would have been the harbinger of hair colors to come, had I only been looking for the signs.) But, wow, was she ever a “keeper.” Not so tiny as to be fragile, so nothing to be afraid of; long hair and a gorgeous baby-face; 10 fingers, 10 toes, and delicate ears like her dad (for which I was thankful as I have “Grandpa Johnson” ears). My checklist was complete—she was beautiful and everything I had hoped for, maybe even more than that.

In retrospect, I felt a tad lonely giving birth to Gayle with just her dad (his face covered in a mask; hospital rules!), the nurses and the doctor in the room. Cold, sterile, shades of whites and sickly pale greens. It should have been enough. But I wanted everyone to see this feat of strength—the culmination of nine months of germination! Our brand new pink healthy baby with the dark hair and blue eyes! I knew that Mom and Dad Q were held in abeyance in the hospital waiting room – so close and yet nowhere near. I wanted them to know immediately that their oldest daughter, known as a sissy, the one who’s every childhood story ended with “...and then I cried...” had just delivered a major honkin’ newborn without keeling over. And so it began that I decided “nevermore.” Should we have more children, I would invite more of my loved ones when the time came.

(pic: 5 generations of 1st-born girls--Great-Great Grandma Ashbrook, Great-Grandma Ripley, Grandma Quattrocchi, Mom/Dolli, and Baby Gayle, 1977)

I never assumed that my girls would want to emulate what I did back in the late 70s and early 80s: über-natural childbirth, attended by a few family members who would “share in the experience.” My sister-in-law Marilyn was my mentor and my doula. I wanted labor and delivery to feel like a party of support personnel, minus the distracting balloons and streamers. But really, how unfair to think that only one person can provide all the support a heaving gigantus of a laboring woman needs—it’s called labor for a reason, right? Well, give a girl a hand! Plus, if my family were in the room with me, I wouldn’t have to worry about them worrying about me (as it happened during Gayle’s birth). I know, it’s not for everyone – but it certainly was the way I wanted it. And so it was for Meghan and Liz's births with Gayle as a small and well-prepared witness.

Now, my first baby—the perfect infant, toddler, and child – and even as a teenager, with all the darkness, secrets and angst that generally comes with that age – is all grown up and, herself, a Mother of Daughters. The torch passes...

Can you imagine my joy when Gayle invited me to be there for Elliott’s birth?

“Me?? When? There? Really??
Did you check it out with Kris?
Well, if you both want me there...sure...whatever you need...sure...”

[okay, okay – in my head, I only heard my own screams: THEY.WANT.ME.THERE! EEEIIIIIII WOO WOO WOO!]

It’s what every Earth Mother wants to hear. And it replayed for Frankie’s birth – only I didn’t have to travel to L.A. to be there. (My theory: “...once for the experience and the second time to get it right.” Gayle and Kris, you know what I mean.)

And I hope that Gayle hears it from her daughters when the time comes.

“Momma?...”



She’ll be the perfect next-generation Earth-Mother-Doula — she knows the ropes. It’s a skill that may be passed on from one generation to another – and not-so-coincidentally, it happens on a birthday. So Gayle, for us it didn’t start on your birthday, but it was set into motion because of you!

Happy Birthday, dear daughter.
I’m so glad you’re here.

xo mutti

welcome frankie jane! xoxo (from my phone)

Catching you up...if you're still around.

Okay, in September 2007 (!) I made a promise I couldn't/didn't keep. So sue me. If that's the way you really want to spend your money...if that's the way you roll...

I guess life has gotten in the way of my blogging. If I had to pick between a moment to sit with Harvey and the pups or enter some not-too-witty blog, well, guess who wins?

This is my mom (August 2008)--she is beautiful!

You see, things got a little shaky on February 15, 2008, when I got The Call from my dad that mom was being turned over to hospice with only 1-2 weeks left due to her end-stage primary liver cancer. Yep, that pretty much turned our life into something unexpected and by June, we'd logged in about a total of 9 weeks "in residence" in Okeechobee Florida, while helping out as best as we could. But let me say this about that: the doctors must have underestimated mom's innate strength to defy the odds and she's doing very well, thank you. In April, through a comment from Margaret, mom's hospice nurse, and with some further online research, I found an alternative cancer treatment called the Budwig Protocol--the core of which is flaxseed oil thoroughly mixed with cottage cheese (1 T FO to every 1/4 cup CC, building up to 1-2 cups of FOCC per day) to create a sulfur-based protein bond that when eaten carries the oil to the cancer cells and causes them to die off. Does it work? Mom is only doing the FOCC part of the protocol--she has not changed her diet in any significant way as the treatment recommends (cutting out meat, sugar, processed foods, etc.) and now it's heading toward the end of November and she's doing quite well, all things considered. Her last CT scan from about 2 weeks ago shows that her tumor is decreasing in size and the lesions from her 2 prior liver resection surgeries are fading. Does it work?? It seems so! In June, she celebrated her 74th birthday; in August, she and dad drove up to Akron for a 10-day visit during which we rode the Cuyahoga Valley Train, enjoyed a lovely tea party at Maynan's, and had a big Quattrocchi Family Reunion with about 70 relatives. We've been given a special gift of Time, which we greatly appreciate.

Mom's 74th Birthday Party!Dad's dream: riding the Cuyahoga Valley Train. Aunt Thelma, Aunt Helen, Aunt Nancy, and Dad.

In early July, Harvey and I took Eddie and Debbie (our dogs) and drove to visit with Kay and her mom in Boothbay Maine. Getting away for a long weekend was just what the doctor ordered. It was relaxing and fun and a nice break for all of us. The weather was perfect, Harvey had his first lobster roll, and we got in a couple of games of miniature golf. We enjoyed the Maine hospitality--well, except for our run-in with the Town Bitch at the convenience store--and we're looking forward to the next time we can visit again.

In July, we lost our beloved Uncle Bobby Quattrocchi, who had been battling cancer for quite some time. But in the process--and as a karmic gift?--we also "found" our long-lost cousin Bobby, for which we are very grateful. Welcome back to the clan--we are so happy to know you (again) and your family. But remember, we're like the Mafia (and Uno): once you're IN, you don't get OUT. And now we know where you live...

In August, I turned 56.

Shit.

No, really.

But while Harvey and I were out having a celebratory dinner with our friends Mike and Faith, the girls (including granddaughter Elliott) had a surprise waiting outside for our return. Candles on the ground everywhere, a cake from Westside Bakery (yum!), red wine breathing, after-dinner coffee already made, and a beautiful white wrought iron bistro set. That set is *exactly* what I wanted to complete the new mini-patio, my BD gift from H. BTW, I have been truly blessed with the most loving daughters a person could hope for. Thanks, guys!

A dear friend from my Law School days came back this summer for a very brief visit. Bill has been living in Thailand for quite some time--we even lost touch for about a decade. But through my perseverance and the Powers of the InterWeb, we happily reconnected. Bill was passing through Ohio and even though it was for one evening, it was great to have dinner at Russo's and catch up. I was glad that Bill finally met Harvey--he confirmed that H was, indeed, Mr. Wonderful, as Bill kept calling him before they had their chance to meet.

Oh, yes--then there's that Election Thing. Yes, I voted for That One. For the first time, ever ("can you say that again?"), I got off my butt and did some things that maybe added three additional votes for Barry O--some emails, some phone calls, donations, bumperstickers on my car (yes, on my previously unstickered Beetle) and finally some door tagging on the night before the elections and canvassing in Highland Square on the day of. (But nothing like the hard work and many hours that Maynan put into the campaign. Her efforts were AMAZING and we're so proud of her.) Our prayers have been answered and we'll soon see "The End of an Error." Plus, we are now living in a Blue State, which means we no longer have to have those fearful family talks about our mass exodus to Canada...or Paris... Now, if we could just get all of the states to approve gay marriages, I'd be a happy camper.

On a very sad note, we lost another Mark in another November. Continue to rest in peace, Mr. Akron--if you can read this (under-the-radar, of course), please know we still celebrate your life. Now, rest in eternal peace, Mark Price--this was a tough road for you but you are safe now--we already miss you greatly. We'll see you in our dreams.


Lastly, the main thing on everyone's minds is WHEN WILL DAO HAVE THAT BABY? After talking with Gayle, we've pretty much decided that Lil' Frankie Jane is holding out so she can be born a Saggitarian. I guess there are worse reasons for holding up progress. But still, everyone's ready...so let's get this show on the road.

Will I blog more often? Aw, who knows.
But for now, we're caught up a little, yes?

ciao, tesori xo

i DO plan to post, i do i do i do...!

it's been so long...what to say? where to begin? i'm trying to think of something to post "du jour." mr. dun giggen used to do that before he became so charmingly distracted. hmmm...i'll give it some thought. any ideas?

ciao, tesori xoxo

Anne made me do it.

i don't know why i get so easily persuaded by her: Saturday night, Anne told me i should change my "myspace" profile song. And i did. On the spot.

But upon a fresh-listen to the new ("...it's PERFECT!!") song in the clear light of a Monday--and knowing who i really am--i changed it back to my tried-and-true L&L All-Stars singing "I'm from Akron" ("...i know what polymers taste like--tastes like chicken...").

Just in case you're curious about Anne's favorite song--what makes her shake her bootay-hey--have a listen:
http://neli.imeem.com/music/JT7lcppf/hey_mami/.

Yes, she's insane. And we love her that way...
xo

Damn...I have to work on being invisible.

I know Mombi tagged me so that my wonderful photo of elevator literature will get bumped down further. Bump, bump, bump...it's like the Miss Ohio boards! Well, always willing to go the extra mile for one of my girls, here goes:

1. I've come to realize that my family...
becomes more dear and beloved as they grow older.
2. I am listening to...
Christmas music in my office. Gotta love the iTune shuffle!
3. I talk...
less than I used to. No, really...
4. I love...
everyone...it's that time of year!
5. My best friend...
has to be plural: H-Harvey, my girls, Debbie, LindaK, Faith, Illona. I know I can count on them all...we're BFF! It's such a blessing, isn't it?
6. My first kiss was...
in 1967 during the Q's summer vacation in Canada. Awkward, brief, sloppy and confusing...how could a family friend kiss me in the dark during a game of hide-n-seek? And why couldn't it have been that guy from NY? Oh, yeah, that happened the next year.
7. I lost my virginity...
Mombi: Oh my god! So did I !!!
Me: You've got to be kidding! Me, TOO!!
8. I hate it when people...
behave in a condescending manner.
9. Love is...
"...never having to say you're sorry." No, wait...Ali McGraw was wrong. You *should* say you're sorry to someone you love when it's appropriate and you mean it. Love is forgiving...love is magical.
10. Marriage is...
a partnership; a sweet and loving dance.
11. Somewhere, someone is thinking...
"will she really ship my Christmas present in time for the actual holiday?"
12. I'll always...
believe that my soul will stay young.
13. I have a secret crush on...
Harvey. It's a retroactive crush.
14. The last time I cried was because...
I felt like it.
15. My cell phone...
is a blessing and a curse. But I like how the "phone lady" pronounces my parent's last name: "Qwahhh-troe-kaaaas."
16. When I wake up in the morning...
I'm wishing that I could roll over, snuggle in close, and have "just 10 more minutes."
17. Before I go to sleep at night...
I smell H's skin and smile to myself.
18. Right now I am thinking about...
#17. [smile]
19. Babies are...
beautiful--and their heads smell like angels and heaven.
20. I get on myspace....
every day--wondering if I'll get a message from someone I know rather than from some smelly pirate hooker asking me to check out her stupid webcam.
21. Today I...
am work and later will pick up H at the airport!!
22. Tonight I will...
be grateful that all's right with the world.
23. Tomorrow I will...
wake up and be glad that the house is all decorated for the holidays. Then I'll go to work.
24. I really want...
a Bose-like speaker/docking station for my iPod. Oops!! Did I really say that? I guess I must be thinking about Mombi's blog about the Christmas lists--I've never blurted that out before. But I really do have everything that I've ever wanted now that my kids are all going to be living in approximately the same 44xxx zip code!
25. The person who most likely to repost this is...
no one since my readership is lower-than-rock-bottom. I guess I should post more often...so, thanks to Mombi for calling me out.
xo

Gregory Maguire!

How happy am I??

Dinner at Luigi's with Gregory after the lecture was an unexpected treat and major kudos to Bongo Bob for the hook-up. Harvey and I adored his company and would love to be his new Best Friends Forever (BFFs)--he's articulate, witty and fascinating; no small wonder that Wicked is so fabulous...

Tim Burton might be proud--

Our home is beginning to show signs of the season. Yes, "it's the most wonderful time of the year...!" I owe a huge thank you to The Right Reverend Mombi who loaned me her copy of the BH&G Halloween edition, which provided a lot of great ideas. Plus, I admit that I was really impressed with the decorating she and her Pirate did in their apartment. Those two sure know how to put the "Ween(ie)" in Halloween!! Uh, did that come out right??



And thanks, H-Harvey, for playing along and not being too freaked out about my fervor...your lighting job is phenominal.
xoxo

For the moment, photobucket rocks...

Pictures are slowly making their way to Snapfish

Here we are at Chateau Chenonceaux in the Loire Valley of France -- this may be one of my favorite pictures of us.
We are so grateful to have such dear friends...here we are with Joe and Emiko.

Drop me a line if you want me to see our pictures as they're added to Snapfish.

jusqu'à plus tard,
xo

London and Paris are beautiful at this time of year...

Our two-week vacation to Europe was fantastic...the stuff that dreams are made of. London, Paris (Right Bank), Chartre, Blois, Chenonceaux, Mont St. Michel, back to Paris (Left Bank) and finally, back to London to see "Wicked" before our return home. Our dear friends, Joe (Remy) and Emi planned the perfect itinerary...every detail was taken into consideration, down to the exact timing of the highest tides at Mont St. Michel.

While Harvey offered his insight into the trip on his blog (see side link), I'll try to get around to my own version in the next week or so--the picture version--when I wade through the gazillion photos. You see, our new digi-camera was fabulous--what a difference 2 extra megapixels makes--the Canon SD600 proved to be a tiny workhorse. When coupled with a laptop onto which we downloaded files every night, excess was sure to occur. Between the two of us, we took over 1,100 pictures and mini-videos, weighing in at a whopping 3.19 gigs. I'm afraid that I'm responsible for most of it as I get too carried away in capturing every fabulous second...every beautiful corner...every eye-catching window.

So, I'll do what I can to fill you in soon. Until then, if you're interested in seeing the pictures as they are uploaded to Snapfish, just drop me a line and I'll send you a link to the online album(s) as they're created. (So far, I've only uploaded our 60-some pictures of Chartre. I couldn't help myself--it was stunning!)

Bonne nuit, mes petits bonbons!

hi. my name is dolli. i am a voyeur.

there's this blog that i read. i can't stop myself. no, really...i tried. but i can't help but wonder what banality might be printed next. so i'm thinking to myself--who are u to judge? i mean, you blog maybe once a month and blame it on being too busy? well, to borrow a phrase from mombi, eff that! maybe if i write the literary equivalent of a train wreck, others will find it appallingly appealing, too.

---------------
"whew! what a week! i had to work on monday...i mean, really--all day. i would've gotten to work earlier that day but my hair dryer cord was stuck on my shower cap and it took me quite a while to untangle it. i'm sure you know what i mean. doesn't it really wreck your day when things don't go as smoothly as you'd planned?

"on my way to work i decided that i'd better calm down so i put on my favorite easy listening station to sooth those jangled nerves. i would've taken one of my "mommy pills" but it makes the trip to work seem so long and labored, you know? maybe i'll save that for tonight when i get home. while driving along i noticed that there were quite a few old people who actually believe that the speed limit posted is for real. can you believe it? okay, so if there's a nice policeman nearby, i can understand that. but when there are so many people who have to make a decent living, i would think that those old people would just wait until we're all safely tucked away at our desks before they venture to wal-mart. but please, everyone, make sure you wear your seatbelt...it's the law!

"oh, and speaking of wal-mart, i don't understand what all the fuss is about with regard to that Great American Institution. i mean, isn't that really what america is all about? i work hard for my money--i know you do, too. but my family needs things--clothing and small appliances and the like--and i don't care about unions or fair wages or overtime--i need to be able to purchase what i want, and sometimes what i need, at the cheapest price possible. so sue me. i'm an american--this is how i want to live my life and what goes on behind their closed doors is none of my business. unless it hurts me personally. then--hoo boy--watch me break out the can of whoop-a$$.

"tonight, h is going to take us all to dinner to celebrate the end of another successful week at the office. he's so nice like that. i know that our children, d + e, will order their usual macaroni and cheese. i love it when they say "cheese" to the kind waitress with all of their teeth showing like they're posing for a picture. i will have to post a picture of it someday. i will probably have my favorite--a club sandwich on white bread, extra mayo. but h will probably have the chili--he likes spicy food.

"one thing i need to report that is a little sad--i've noticed that my teeth need to be a little whiter but i haven't been able to find my bleaching trays and it's really bugging me. h likes it when my teeth are their whitest but this is making me a little crazy. i'm going to spend some time tonight after our shows looking really hard for them--i am hoping that i didn't mistakenly discard them or misplace them. please keep me in your thoughts--and offer up that prayer to st. anthony; i hear it really works.

"i know that tomorrow will be a better day. i will blog more then--if i write it, you will come. oh, i didn't mean it that way... xoxo

"photo credit: my wonderful husband, h"

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okay--back to our regular programming. gee, i guess blogging can really be fun! i may have to try it more often. so what if i'm a little derivative! who isn't? --the real me.

SWIPER, NO SWIPING!

I love it when I hear The Bean repeat that line from "Dora." And it's so appropriate here because I'm going to steal a bit of fodder from my son-in-law, Kreahs. I don't think he'll mind since this stuff is too good not to share:

"Tales from the daycare"

"Elliott would not let me clean her nose so she pulls out what was in her nose and eats it. Miss Fatimah & I try to get it out or let it run out. However Elliott mischievously go and hide so we can not catch her to clean her nose. Other than that, there's no rash."

So what does Gramma Sparkles think about all of this? All I have to say is -- now, really...look at this FACE...is *this* the face of a BOOGER EATER, I ask??? Oh, and thank goodness there's no RASH...no matter about the other, at least there's THAT...

Sorry to Butt In, But...

It's been so long and while the lunch ladies make a really attractive group, I thought I'd drop back in to make a cameo. First, isn't this a great picture of Dolli? It was in March, at breakfast in Chicago with our friend, Paul.

Second, while much has been going on, the Big Personal Dolli News is MBTs. She loves these shoes, she rocks back and forth and has YET TO FALL... you should see her tuck and roll, though. very accomplished, just darling.

OK, that's it. I just wanted to see her smiling gob when I checked in here.

Thanks,

H

The Ladies Who Lunch

Medical Question

Okay, so I woke up on Mother's Day with another case of vertigo--the second since March. Luckily, I had some Antivert on hand, which I began taking. Then I called the doctor's office to schedule an appointment, which was today. When I finally met with the doctor today, I had a burning question--one that seemed quite legitimate. You tell me:

When I have the dizzying experience, I note that the space around me spins in a clockwise motion. My question is that if I lived in Australia, would the room spin in a counter-clockwise motion?

I mean, I was just askin'...and he had no answer. In fact, I think I caught his look that I may have just lost my last marble.

(Please note: TWO posts in one day! I'm burning rubber as I pass KatoC and Vicious!!)

I'm not saying this family is weird...

...in fact, I don't have to say that at all.

Fear not, Tippi Hedren...

Even through a dark and stormy night, HHarvey and his sidekick, Clicky, are ever at the ready--guarding everyone at Casa Oro against the marauding killer robin (see prior post) who threatens our very existence; at the least, causes debilitating sleep deprivation when in full onslaught. Or maybe the two of them just felt like going out in the rain tonight with the trusty Red Ryder BB gun and aluminum foil helmets on their heads. Yeah, that's how they roll!