This weekend was somewhat of a long,strange blur...

. . . . . . .

The best part was having my parents and brother here for the weekend. Too bad it was because we lost a dear friend. Wanda's family held a celebration of life ceremony on Saturday. It was wonderful to see the many many people who loved her but it was hard to see a her family without her. It really sank in that she is gone..and it feels rotten.

My parents shared their time between our house and my sister's (she lives about an hour away). I returned to work today while the sun was shining warm in the sky for the first time in a week. It was a struggle. While I was at work the demo on the deck began and Vern prepared a wonderful dinner. We spent a fun evening eating and chatting with my family while our obnoxious children played loudly in the middle of the room. ha ha Thank God my parents and brother are as in love our kids as we are :)

On a more personal note....
The passing of my friend has brought back so many great memories. Time slipped away before her and I could share them one last time. Unfortunately those good memories with her, take me back to a time that was filled with so many bad memories for me. A time I try to forget about. You gotta take the good with the bad right? Yet isn't losing a friend sad enough without it bringing a distasteful assortment of other emotions? I feel like a bad actor on the Hallmark channel.Getting lost in a long gaze filled with one memory that leads to so many others in a slightly hazy thought bubble until something snaps me out of it. Strange. So I sit and reassure myself that things really are different and it's OK to be happy.I have never doubted that where I am now is exactly where I am meant to be. Time goes by and people change.

I received another large bag of "slightly loved" clothes from my sister! She is so very generous! She sent a bag for me and a bag for Trevor (yes my 14 year old nephew(his Mom is 6'3, Dad is 6'5) is bigger and taller than my 18 year old stepson ha ha) So I will be returning to work this week with a whole new wardrobe...and a new hat. I found it in the bag from my nephew. It's a classy hat,it fits my head just right and for some strange reason I just love it. I don't even care if it's cute on me....I want to wear it! Is it a bad idea for a hairdresser to wear a hat to work? ha ha I bet if I were 43 or 53 instead of 33...I'd say "Go for it! Who cares what people think!" with a little more confidence.

My battered soul needed something new as much as it needs sun. These beautiful clothes do bring me joy and makes the new "happy me" smile that much bigger :D Somehow my sister has that special gift of timing.

Oh Monday,please go easy on me....;)

Just One More...

Maxine's new hair cut! Be patient with me..mobile blogging only allows one picture per post :(

My Sweet Baby Girl

I just adore this precious girl!

All The Little Things I Forget To Mention..

OPI just came out with a new "Pirates Of The Caribbean" collection.

It's so ugly it's worth mentioning.

Fail OPI.

Epic.

Maxine is still eating her poopy.

Just this morning I was chasing her down,

trying to get to it before she did.

Then Chipper got so excited about a Pug friend who stopped to visit..

that soon after he puked in his bed.

This was one of those mornings that I really did feel like a Mom.

I still haven't done my taxes and I am not the least bit stressed about it.

The grossest place in a hair salon?

The lint catcher in the dryer.

Scentsy's "Scent Of The Month" "Flutter" is super yummy delicious!

The sun shines and warms and lights us and we have no curiosity to know why this is so; but we ask the reason of all evil, of pain, and hunger, and mosquitoes and silly people. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Rumor has it that the new deck will be started and finished next week.

BUT....

that what Del said last week too...

Over the Hump

 Oh how a week can fly by! Vern and I have had the rare pleasure of having the house all to ourselves for the last few days. It has been so nice "playing house"! Also it has been that much easier for me to clean the WHOLE house. My cobwebs had cobwebs! Oh how I despise those old dirty popcorn ceilings in the living room!Thankfully it will be painted and given a face lift soon by yours truly! It is all a labor of love as I also prepare for the arrival of my parents and brother this weekend. They are coming over for Wanda's memorial on Saturday. In the meanwhile I volunteered Vern and I to bring 2 huge trays of smoked cheese and crackers so Vern has been very busy! His smoked cheese is becoming very popular,it seems we just can't smoke it fast enough!

 The cheese is smoked,the house is clean...and it's only Wednesday. Tomorrow I work the late shift and then hello weekend! One of the final preparations I need to make is to bathe the kids for Grandma and Grandpa! Maxine has never met my parents before so I want to be sure she is looking her best! Chipper's hair has finally grown out a bit so I promised him a bath AND blow dry too. Up until now his hair has been too short to blow dry :(

 As for me,I have felt so much better since I have been able to get some fresh air and sun. Spring couldn't get here fast enough! I have always thought of myself as tough enough to handle the rainy Washington weather but the older I get ...I begin to doubt that. The winters are looonngg and January through April can really test morale. I find myself wound up in petty frustrations at work and home,caring less about my appearance and having the desire to sleep and nap more than usual. That's just not like me?! Just when I was starting to get concerned,a few nice sunny days appeared and guess what? Little by little I see my energy returning along with a genuine smile on my face :) I am too concerned with garden plans and my family to worry about those who trigger my pet peeves. I think I just might make it to summer...in July. Lol!

 Time to shut off my brain for the night. Perhaps I will browse for an Easter dress for Maxine...just for fun :)

Wishful Thinking

I made us a virtual garden to look at until my real one grows!
Here's a little preview of all the beauty yet to come...

How Could I Forget A Flower?!

Clematis!

That's the flower I was trying to think of yesterday!