PINK SATURDAY

It's Saturday and it's time for some PINK

Now remember, I have to look real hard to find pink in my home so instead, this week, I pulled the pink from my daughter LJ's new apt that we've been working on:

Here's her plush pink throw on the back of the futon in the living room.

SURPRISE PINK! This is the molding in her downstairs bathroom! Apparently, someone was in love with Pepto Bismol sometime in the past.
Looks like a good match to me!

Here are her bedsheets:

Okay, okay, I realize this lamp isn't pink. BUT... I did add the corner of the pillowcases in the photo and
you must love a good bargain, so I'll tell you that we bought this at
Tuesday Morning and it has a slight break on one of the
palm fronds so it was only $8!!!
LJ wasn't sure she wanted it b/c she thought the
way the monkey loves on the tree wasn't quite "right".
What do you think?

Meanwhile, I'll keep looking around my home for some PINK!





I'm lovin' Summer, how 'bout you?

Please pray ...babies!

An urgent plea from my friend Stephanie in Arkansas. She is an RN and is one of my BFF from when we lived in El Cajon. Please pray for Sarah and Ryan's babies. Sarah is a tiny thing and the little baby girls are too little. One has part of her intestines on the outside. Here is a note from Stephanie, Ryan's Mom.

"Not a good report from the High Risk Specialist appt for Ryan and Sarah. One baby is 4 lbs 8 ozs but the other one is 3 lbs and 2 ozs! Not good. The little one is the one with the gastroscesis. They said she is not getting enough nutrients, the umbilical cord is getting compressed from being squished. She has to go back on Wed (I am going with them) and if it isn't any better they are taking the babies immediately. She is 34 weeks right now. Wed she will be 35 weeks but the babies are still too little, especially Sarina (Sp?) She will have two strikes against her, her small size and the problem with the abdomen. And Sarah just won't lie down and stay there. She's still up and about, and so swollen. I went to see them last night and I was shocked how swollen she is. Totally different from the last time I saw her. Her feet are really swollen, but her face, shoulders, arms, every part of her is swollen. It's really making me nervous. I think I know too much about what could happen. Please pray for her to realize how serious this is and that the babies would not be born yet. Thanks!!! "

Please take a moment to lift these babies and their family up in prayer to Our Heavenly Father and keep them on your mind and continue to pray.
Thank you

Dream Vacation!

Today is Heidi and Holly's "Let's Go On Vacation".

I'm going for a true "DREAM" vaca! Things I really can't do but can dream about because it's mostly a trip back in time:

A#1 would be to go to a RatPack concert in Las Vegas... I'm talkin' OLD Vegas... back in the days when Frank or Dino would be headlining and the rest of the boys would just "show up" onstage and they would laugh and tease and sing and sing and sing together all night long. I almost saw Dino in concert in Vegas, I think it was at the (original) MGM Grand. But, he cancelled that night, and we saw Sergio Franchi instead. He was good, but he wasn't Dean Martin! There is something about that Rat Pack. The were the epitamy of COOOOOL! They dressed SHARP and they sang songs that said something. Sure some of the songs were romantic fluff but they were clean and easy to listen to... and still are! Around here, we are still lovin' the Boys.

Next stop, I would like to go to London to see the original cast of Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre. I've seen Phantom at Her Majesty's Theatre, but to see Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, and Steve Barton... ahhhhh!

I'd like to take my kids to P.O.P. (PacificOceanPark) on Venice's beachfront. It was a rival to Disneyland but obviously did not last. It wasn't in the best neighborhood, Venice being a shady area back then. I grew up in Santa Monica and remember going a coupla times. It closed before I was old enough to go on my own, instead I vaguely remember being a tagalong. But I do remember the "Ocean Skyway" and the "Diving Bells". It was way cool!

After it closed down it was used for a location set for several tv shows. If you see a villian hiding in a deserted amusement park in a late 60's or early70's show, it may well have been at POP. I could swear the Mod Squad chased bad guys in the fun house.

I guess another place could be the Disneyland I frequented before Walt's death. He would show up on Main Street and just visit with people. Back then they limited the visitors to the Park and so it was never so crowded. Since Eisner it's all about the dollar$. Did you know I was on the Mickey Mouse Club? Well, the original series only lasted 2 seasons but they did reruns for years. Because my friend's dad was upper management at Disneyland, we were in a commercial filmed on a Mickey Mouse Club set at the Park. I have no idea what for or when. I still have my Mickey Mouse Club card. Do you?

Actually, taking my kids to the Cali I grew up in would be nice. Life was affordable, fun and simpler. We all know that tho' no matter where we grew up don't we? My Dad used to say "But we used to go to (insert name of place) when there were no crowds or lines, these new people don't know any different." I suppose that's one of the reasons I don't miss living in California, what I miss is no longer there.

I guess for the end of this vaca we would just end up at home, sitting on the deck, looking out on the lake. The only thing better would be if the lake were bigger, big enough for a fishing, ski or party boat. Now THAT is a dream.

Yes Sir!

Whatta a fun and quick trip to KC Monday & Tuesday. This time LJ loaded her car, no trailer. (Last time Sweet Hubby and I loaded the trailer while LJ was at work, her last day.)

LJ and I went back up to her apt to drop off more "stuff" (That's how her boxes were labeled, stuff, stuff, more stuff), to buy items she still needed and to do some major cleaning. Although the apt is nice, it is a 1958 duplex that I'm sure has been a rental since it was built. The landlord is really sweet and helpful, but was out of the country when the last tenant moved out and in fact several weeks until the day before we moved stuff up there so it was not as pristine as we had hoped. He knocked $100 off the deposit and has been wonderful about fixing little things as well as installing new blinds, making sure things work great. We had seen the unit next door, which was "perfect" so it was a bit of a disappointment. But! It's less than a block from her campus and the best in her price range so it's okay. Just thought I'd show a few pics of her progress. We are decorating on the very very cheap. LJ's thought process is: beg stuff from Mom and Dad or get Mom to decorate (and pay).

View out the kitchen window. The school owns about 75% of the properties on this first block from campus and according to the landlord, the university put up this new fence the entire block! And there is plenty of offstreet parking.

There are hardwood floors throughout. They are in good condition, not perfect but not gouged and ruined either. Here are the steeeeep stairs with a peek at the full bath at the top.

We've been scouring dollar stores an our new fave, Cargo Largo. Before we left last Wednesday we had purchased some curtain "samples". You know, the ones you see hanging in Target or Walmart so you can see up close the off the shelf curtains. They are 20" or so by about 50". I forgot to measure. We bought enough to place 3 on each of the 4 windows downstairs for 50 cents each. Oh, and they were 25% off, so they were 37½ cents each! Wow, big spender, Mom. We went back Monday and LJ threw the rest that they had in our cart because they were now 80% off, 10 cents each!!!

I had to get out my seam ripper to remove the labels from the bottom of each. (I need to learn to focus or else put my glasses on when snapping a pic!)

Living room window BEFORE:

LR after:
The plaids don't line up perfectly.

Dining area window before:

Dining after:

And the bathroom off the kitchen... LJ loves her some RatPack!

I took some before photos of the kitchen but the grime just didn't show up. We spent several hours scrubbing the cabinets inside and out. See how they shine? they were gummy and grubby before. (I think we took off some finish too, but hey, they're pretty clean now)

When we'd "had enough" we got everything packed up in the car and headed down the street to get her books before heading home. She's not going to have another chance to hit the bookstore before classes start so why not?

It's a beautiful campus. I would LOVE to put this on my property somewhere. Where?

The first time LJ brought me to campus was when we were looking for apts.

There was a young couple with their maybe 2 yr old son walking through here.
They showed him the bubbler fountain and he ran over and right in it! It was hilarious. So sweet! Yesterday it was in the 90's with 200% humidity (Shay's heat index used) and I was tempted to walk thru too!

The campus is so serene.

Pleasant vignettes everywhere you look:

Missed Parties

I managed to join Beverly's PINK Saturday, but failed to get into the fun for some others.

So here is my late contribution to
Rhondi's Front Porch Party at Rose Colored Glasses:
Click here X

You can click on most pics to make them bigger.

(I've left it just as it is, dog wetspots-they go in the lake and then lay on the porch- and grass clippings. Even note the partial wood pallette, I transplanted hostas and there they are on the side of the porch, but Charlie likes to dig and lie there
so I am trying to protect them.)

And...

Cielio's_Garden_Party
Click here X

Several years ago I went down to Siloam Springs, Arkie with a dear friend, JoAnne. She had seen these hearts at the annual craft fairs weekend in Rogers and we went to the craftman's home and each picked up one of the these wrought iron heart planter thingies, she a few hanging ones too. My sweet JoAnne passed away in her sleep a few years ago and I think of her everytime I see this. The bunny has broken feet and has to be propped up, but he was at my old house when we moved in,
so we brought him along to this house.

Every Spring I have grand hopes & dreams of a luscious veggie garden, producing lots of tomatoes and Anaheims and herbs and and and. Well, See all the lush vegetation? They're weeds. Okay, there are some strawberries leftover from my friend, the previous owner. But I can't grow a thing. My black thumb tells me so. My pal Steph in Arkie told me right away it should be in at least 8 hours of sunlight a day. I know that, but this is where the garden sits so it's what I have to work with. This pic only shows about 1/3 of the garden because the other 2/3 is all weeds still. We had it tilled but it still got away from us and then time got away before we could get it planted. Pitiful, huh? Full of weeds, but great view!

And a little bit more of my foundation flora.

PINK SATURDAY

I told ya I don't have much pink but I don't want to miss out on the PARTY, sooo...

Here's a pic of Little H when we moved into this house.
She was enthralled with the refrigerator, um, uh, or was it herself?

Friday Summer Concerts

Do you enjoy the Friday Morning Summer Concert Series on the network morning shows? I used to just watch whatever was on Good Morning America but this summer I've decided to channel surf to see who has what.

Last week was Kenny Chesney on Today. One of these days I'll post on "country music". I'm the only one in my family who likes it. Okay, maybe my sweet daughter-in-law


This morning I clicked over to the Morning Show on CBS and found CHICAGO!!! Oh whatta treat! the background music for my youth! Isn't it interesting that that my kids like that music? Son Jay told me just Wednesday that his little fam was rockin' out to Chicago as they drove home from KC to Columbia... with a 7mo and 2½yo strapped in their carseats! All ages I tell you! This a.m. I caught "Saturday in the Park" and "Make Me Smile", "25 or 6 to 4". Fun, fun, fun. Oh, that's a Beach Boys song! Are they playing this summer?

Have a great Friday!!!