Tag Followup

OK here goes (don't say I didn't warn you):

Four things you might/might not want to know about me:

1. I love the sound of the ocean but it does scare me a bit at times.
2. I love my children and family more than life itself.
3. It gives me so much pleasure to walk along a dirt road early in the morning and listen to the birds sing and smell the fresh air as I watch the sun come up.
4. If I had to choose my best friends in life it would be my sisters equivocally.

Four jobs I have held:
1. Executive Assistant to the President of the hospital
2. Bookkeeper
3. Legal Secretary
4. Travel Coordinator for the US Forest Service

Four movies I could watch over again:
1. Napoleon Dynamite
2. Mr. and Mrs. Smith
3. Chronicles of Narnia
4. Finding Nemo

Four places I've lived:
1. Durkee, Oregon
2. Baker City, Oregon
3. Boise, Idaho
4. Warrenton, Oregon

Four TV shows I like:
1. American Idol
2. Nanny
3. Deal or no Deal
4. And last but not least - Medium

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Watermelon
2. Halibut
3. Shrimp
4. Clams

Where I would rather be right now:
Where there are no worries.

Now you have it - it's the rest of you's turn!!! Don't you just love my use of the English language?

Tagged - Things you probably never wanted to know about me!

OK - sister Vonda - you've tagged me so remember, you asked for it:


Four Things You Might/Might Not Want To Know About Me!

1. I have hairy toes and crooked fingers and, believe it or not, I don't believe in evolution!

2. I recently got the spring cleaning bug (the first day of sunshine in Eastern Oregon) - it only lasted for one room.

3. I love anything artsy fartsy, have WAY TOO MANY CRAFT STASHES, and pretend I'll have time to do them all someday.

4. I love the idea of gardening - love the flowers and vegetables - do great with the watering and such for about 2 weeks. Then everything has to survive with drought and flood conditions!

5. Here is a bonus piece of info: I hide in the pantry closet to eat treats so that my kids don't see me and want some - oink, oink!

Four Jobs I've Held:

Waitress - I've been a waitress a few places, but the one that sticks out was "Kattle Kates". I was 18 and this is wear I received several marriage proposals and was told by an old man that he had seen bigger lumps than that in his gravy (referring to my not-so-well-endowed breasts). I told him his wife was a bad cook!

Paralegal

Executive Assistant/Foundation Director

HR Director

Four Movies I could Watch Over and Over

I'm mostly a "watch a movie once" kind of a gal. After all - I've already seen it and I know what's going to happen! As you might already know, I get bored easily.

1. Its a Wonderful Life (of course - its a classic!)

2. Christmas Story (love the lines in this one: "You'll shoot your eye out" "Then I said it - the mother of all dirty words" etc.)

3. Beaches - Love that friendship between the two women - makes me cry every time! Plus Bet Midler singing "Auto Titsling" cracks me up.

4. Grumpy Old Men - I have to agree with Vonda - this is a keeper - makes me laugh every time! Filthy old men!

Places I've Lived (In order):

Baker City, OR

Eugene, OR

Lacey, WA (2 weeks - woo hoo)

Renton, WA

Burien, WA

Baker City, OR (again!)

Now, in my mind I've lived several exotic places - does that count?

Four TV Shows I like:

OK, here is the thing, we don't have t.v.! Well, let me clarify, we don't have cable t.v. So I watch t.v. about once a week on the rabbit ears! It saves us money and a load of wasted time - the t.v. seems to draw me in and put me in a drooling, trance. So, when I do get to watch it - there is not too many options! There are few great British comedies on OPB on Saturday night that I like:

1) Keeping Appearances

2) Shoot, I can't remember the name of this one! Its about a couple who met and fell in love when they were young, he went to war and they lost touch. Now, they are old and are back together. Its a cute and funny show with dry humor.

3) American Idol - it cracks me up to watch the people try out who think they know how to sing and don't. Pat absolutely hates any t.v. show like this because he gets mad and embarrassed for the people. He doesn't think its funny - mean me does!

4) Super Nanny - I like watching Joe's shocked faces and the idiotic parents who don't know how to control a two year old - come one - where is their brain? Pat also hates this one, embarrassed for the people - it actually makes him mad to watch either one of these shows. So I don't get to watch them much!

Four Favorite Foods

1. Deep Fried Prawns with tartar sauce

2. Stuffed Prawns

3. Clam Chowder

4. Haag n Daz Coffee Ice Cream

Where I would rather be:

I could type a huge list: a few places would be on the beach in Hawaii, camping in the mountains, shopping in a really cool cross stitch store......

Alright Barb and Loretta - it's your turn!

Yummy

YUMMY....LOOK WHAT I COOKED MYSELF ON MOTHERS DAY. YUMMY!   Bet you guys want one huh?  Yummy!!!   Did I say yummy!  Go here to see the story.

Hopeless Mothering Job

I used to think our mom had no sense of humor, no patience, no tolerance if you will for the seven children she had. But as I look at these two photos (and believe me there are so many goofy photos over the years) I see now why she was seriously not amused by the antics and the noise level of a large family. We threw her a surprise 70th birthday party last summer and were snapping pictures throughout the entire event.


Here she is with my oldest, Brian. Look at that exasperated face! She once told him she was going to choke him with a dirty sock for a wise crack he made to her. Most of us took on the smarty pants antics of our father who loved nothing better than to tease the socks off of someone. I am afraid it must be in the gene pool...Brian is no better.

See what I mean?  Not one of us looking forward in this family photo.  I think she is just giving up on a good picture and thinking to herself that at least she had more control when we were little.  She could have booted us into the middle of next week if we didn't listen up.  

Well mom, you did your best.  You tried, really you did.  I am afraid seven against one is not fair play.  Happy mothers day to you.  I love you!

Happy mothers day to my sweet sisters.  I hope your day was as special as you are to me.

Tag I'm It

I've been tagged by Shauna, and I have done this a while back but a little different. Hmmm! Let me think....think...think...think....think.

Four Things You Might/Might Not Want To Know About Me!

• *I really despise digging in the dirt and up comes a cat poopy hand.  Oh turd on a stick!  I like cats but at those moments  I make a mental note to tell my husband he can shoot them. 
  
• *I never imagined or thought I would have four children. But I did and have never once regretted the most important lights in my life.
  
• *Some people think my eyes are green because of my contact lenses.  Nope...my lenses are clear and my eyes are green.
  
• *I strongly dislike my straight and fine hair.  I have to paste and blow dry just to give it a little body which when it is rainy or hot or cold or dry or snowy or windy it just goes flat. 
  

Four jobs I've held:

• *Waitress at the good old In and Out in Baker City
  
• *Real Estate Secretary
  
• *Executive Secretary Baker School District
  
• *Administrative Asst., University of Oregon
  

Four movies I could watch over and over:

• *Forrest Gump
  
• *Steel Magnolias
  
• *Fried Green Tomatoes
  
• *Grumpy Old Men
  

Places I've lived (in order):

• *Durkee, OR
  
• *Baker City, OR
  
• *Springfield, OR
  
• *I am lame....I have never roamed far from home
  

Four TV shows I like:

• *The Office (do you have to ask?)
  
• *Food Network (Paula Deen is my hero)
  
• *Super Nanny (I love Jo and how she kicks parents rears in shape)
  
• *Days of Our Lives (don't ask what a habit this is for all these years)
  

Four favorite foods:

• *Spaghetti
  
• *Lasagna
  
• *Chicken Bisque
  
• *Fried Chicken
  

Where I would rather be:

• *Home digging in the dirt, planting flowers.  
  

So now I get to TAG my three sisters.  Come on you guys play with me.  I think my older sisters are still trying to ignore me and leave me out of their games...they never respond.  How about you Krisit?  Huh?  Huh?

This Tree

This tree is a cork screw willow. It really is quite charming with its crooked branches and when it's leaves come out it is even prettier. This tree sits in front of the house that Kyla lived in until she died. She grew this tree from a small twig she had rooted from a bouquet of flowers. Underneath this tree she planted strawberries which took off and spread all around. I had not see this for a year and a half so I was surprised to see how much it had grown. It stands so strong and lovely. I know she would be happy how it has turned out.


I too have a smaller version of this tree that is called the "Emma Tree" because it was taken from a bouquet of flowers Kyla received when Emma was born. She put it in a vase of water and waited patiently for it to root then transferred it to a pot. The tree grew very slowly in the pot and when we moved out to the house we are in now she planted it in the ground. The Emma tree has survived much abuse. It has been mowed down twice, deer-nibbled numerous times, broken by a limb falling from another tree and just generally not enough water. Willows love water and because of how far away from the house it is it has to be hand watered. But it is growing well now and the purple tulips Emma and I planted last fall have bloomed (those that the deer didn't chomp off).

Emma with the Emma Tree.

To me these trees will always represent how I think of my daughter....strong yet lovely.

Happy Birthday my sweet Kyla.

Aiy yi yi!!!

Sisters.....do you remember Grandma Haw saying Aiy yi yi! when she was disgusted or exasperated?  There was another Hungarian word she used to follow this and I can say it but I do not know how to spell it so in respect for the Hungarian language I won't even attempt to butcher it.  But you know what I mean.  I can still hear her say this in her broken English when she would see a man with shorts on.  She then followed it with "Look at those FILTHY HAIRY THINGS" in reference to the mans hairy legs.  I still laugh when I think of this.

What brought this up was while keeping Byron I realized he just loves to sing when there is any kind of music on or the piano is being played.  He also does this in church and when he is eating.  I think he is really happy during these times so this is what we hear.  So I leave you with this for the lovely upcoming weekend.

Cracks me up as he looks at himself in the video and how forceful he can sing.  Ha ha!