Laundry again

Getting ready to watch the Mentalist and fold up a huge load of John Sam's clothes. At work I'm helping with preparation for a trial, and the day flew by so fast! Going to be EARLY without watching the weather 'cause I've been having trouble getting up in the a.m.

Forgot to share this...

Here is the book we're reading tonight! Very sweet story, and very sweet memories of this book when I was a kid.

Easter Montage

All scenery taken at our house on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009-

One Plant, Two Colors

In our front yard there have always been two large rosebushes with pink blooms. They were here when we moved in, and were much bigger than they are now. I trimmed them back a couple years ago because they were unruly looking and parts of each bush were suffering while other parts were thriving. I go through stages where I look after them a lot, and other times, I kinda let them go.

Now that spring has arrived, I thought I'd spruce them up. I planned to trim them and dead-head them, which means cutting off the blooms that have dropped petals. So a couple of days ago, I noticed that one of the plants has two different colored roses. I thought it was a little strange, and figured maybe one of the roses had lost its color because it was an old bloom and was about to drop off after living a good and beautiful life. :)

But upon closer inspection, I have found that indeed there are two different color roses on the same bush. Both pink and white blooms have come out. They even look like two different varieties of roses! I'm going to file this one under "strange but wonderful." Tomorrow I'll google this and see if I can find out if this is a common occurrence. In the meantime, hope you enjoy these pictures.

Chocolate Bunny Bummer

Once there was an adorable little candy shop called "Barbara's Chocolates." It was there I got the chocolate party cups with holiday designs made of icing--a Santa face at Christmas, tiny Easter eggs and bunnies, or colorful flowers for Mother's Day. They were shaped like Reese's cups but made of chocolate only. When I first moved to Orlando, I gave them frequently to my adopted nieces and nephews, and in later years to my own kids and my real nieces and nephews. I was well-known for pretending I'd forgotten to buy them, and people would even ask, "Hey, what happened to my Barbara's chocolates?" I'd grin my sneaky grin and then hide them into the stockings or gift packages I mailed, and feel happy that a family tradition had been created. A few years ago, Barbara sold the shop to some nice people who renamed it "Danay's Candies." I went there this past Christmas and loaded up on party cups and splurged on some toffee to split with Sam. I can still see the squares of tasty toffee with crushed toffee bark dusted all over the chocolate outside. Got milk?!

Yesterday, on the sly I went to the shopping center where the candy shop hides to buy some chocolate bunnies for the kids' Easter baskets. In the corner where my secret-candy-gettin'-place was, was a small, sad-looking hair salon.

**Sigh**

Well, I guess now I'll have to go to Harry & David's or Godiva's at the Florida Mall to get the chocolate bunnies. I'm sure they'll be just as yummy, but it won't be the same as getting them from a special shop that made 'em like they used to.

Kids Will Be Kids

Sharing some photos of the kids in our family doing what they do best!

Reunion Reflections

(photo credit: Janet Snook-Bailey Kappesser; date April 4, 2009)


“When we think of friends, and call their faces out of the shadows, and their voices out of the echoes that faint along the corridors of memory, and do it without knowing why save that we love to do it, we content ourselves that that friendship is a Reality, and not a Fancy--that it is built upon a rock, and not upon the sands that dissolve away with the ebbing tides and carry their monuments with them.” (written by Mark Twain, in a letter to Mary Mason Fairbanks)

It was great to see my high school classmates over this year's spring break. These are the people I grew up with. I know their sacred secrets, and they know mine; we all know where everybody’s warts and scars are. We fought with each other, loved and hated each other, supported each other, gossiped about each other, and watched each other fail and succeed. Now that we’ve ventured out into the great big world, we look back with the kind of enlightenment that only comes with age and see why we made the choices we did. We understand each other profoundly better than when we were oh-so-young.

Time has marched on, as our wrinkles and thighs will attest. Sadly, a few of us are members of the “Dead Dads Club,” and some of us have even lost both parents or siblings and other beloved family members. Each loss helps remind us of the shortness of life and reinforces the network of those of us who remain. We stand by those we love, help them grieve, and consider it our privilege to do so.

To the amazement of our teachers, and probably our parents, this whiny bunch of self-centered knuckleheads has grown into some of the finest people I have the pleasure of calling “friends.” The older I get, the more prominent their place in my heart becomes. The best of qualities have been nurtured and honed in these folks who've shared my life: compassion, forgiveness, humor, loyalty. I’ve got their back and they’ve got mine--today, and always. Love you guys!!!!

P.S. For other photos from reunion, click here Fran's Facebook Reunion Pix

Out of Breath

I've got so much swirling in my brain that I'm gonna have to take another day to get my thoughts to a point where I can string them together in a way that makes sensible reading. A whirlwind spring break has left me refreshed and rejuvenated--and at the same time, exhausted and outta breath - all in the good way. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed just being me and doing things that make me happy. I'd say it was long overdue!

Spring Break

We're enjoying Spring Break at Motel Granny. Mighty kind of Aunt Waura to let me sneak in a blog post on her computer so I can keep the post count going - LMAO

:)

April Fool's Day

No blogging.

No time.

No foolin' !!!!

ROFLMFAO~