Happy Birthday Babe!

Today is T's birthday. Hope you have a super day....and an unforgettable year. We love you!! J and the Empress :)

Farewell Gentle Freak

Probably not the nicest tribute to Mike that has been posted in the last several days, but it could be called the most honest. He was a freak. But, he was also a genius. This man truly defined my generation. We grew up with him. We watched him morph into something so freakishly inhuman. Called a boy man by many, he was perhaps the most tragic figure in pop culture.

I prefer to remember him in the early years. He was so sweet. So seemingly normal. He had the moves and the voice. So talented. People speculate that he never really came to terms with his childhood. The abuse at the hands of his father. But, does that drive you to become the oddity that was Michael Jackson?

Some of the weirdness: plastic surgeries (lots of them), wigs, skin bleaching, bubbles the chimp, Neverland, Lisa Marie Presley, Debbie Rowe, Prince Michael I, Paris, Prince Michael II (Blanket), sleeping with children, dangling his baby over the balcony, the unbelievable debt.

In the end, he will not be remembered as a freak and a tabloid favorite, he was and will be remembered as an unbelievable talent. People will morn him forever. He was the King of Pop.

Mesmerized

Have you ever watched the wind blowing through a stand of Quakies? Mesmerizing. Those roundish leaves flutter. Actually a better word would be twinkle. They twinkle in the wind. I find myself hypnotized. Unable to look away. I'm feeling sleepy. Very, very sleepy. It is a blessing to have a window to look out. To see the lovely trees twinkle in the breeze. It is also a curse. I can't get any work done. They have me under a spell.

Going Primitive....Sorta

So, despite the huge flat screen TV hanging on the living room wall over the fireplace, we have had our satellite removed. No more TV. Not that I am complaining because 1) there is nothing on the tube in the summer anyway; 2) we didn't watch it much anyway; and 3) it is summer. Time to get out, take a bike ride, go for a walk, have a picnic. TV is overrated anyway. I really only watched two programs...Lost and The Tudors. Both are over for the year. So, hasta la vista TV.

And, while we are at it lets take out the telephone. Why we still have a land line I simply don't understand anyway. We both have cell phones. So, goodbye telephone.

Primitive? Perhaps not. We still have the internet.

I Stand Corrected

Yesterday I posted a little visual description of the Empress' fashion sense, or lack thereof. Then, I followed up with a little Wordless Wednesday eye candy. T was not impressed and quickly pointed out that it wasn't a Wordless Wednesday because I posted words...about the fashion disaster. Personally, I think it is the Wolf picture that ticked him off. So, I stand corrected. Perhaps I should have entitled the post "Wishful Thinking Wednesday?" Hey, I have to give equal representation to wolves and vampires alike. :)

Wordless "Wolf" Wednesday (*sigh*)

Raggamuffin Summer

Picture if you will...a lovely little handmade sundress from Panama in the primary colors of red, blue and green. Add to that ensemble hot pink tights with big blue and purple argyle diamonds and sparkly pink shoes. Of course to complete the picture, imagine a white t-shirt with dark stains all over the front, a sticky foodie face and stringy, scraggly hair hanging in eyes. Yep, my daughter, the Empress. Honestly, when I saw her I was mortified. But, she was smiling and thoroughly enjoying her little self. Daddy lets her pick her clothes out. Daddy also refuses to do her hair. Says it is too tough. Whatever. All I ask is you make her change before you take her out in public, wash her little face and put a clip in her hair.

Wish I had a camera.

Camping With Friends

We went camping with the Flochs this weekend. Love the Flochs. A couple hours north of here, very, very near the Canadian border, was our campsite. We had fantastic food, drank Mules, roasted marshmallows and chatted into the early hours in the light of a campfire.

On Saturday morning we all loaded up and drove up to the Amish Auction. For those who have no concept of Montana, this area of our state is wilderness. Serious wilderness. We drove for miles and miles and miles through the forest, up mountains, and then finally houses appeared. Lots of houses. I had envisioned us being some of the only folks up there. Nope, there were hundreds of people there. Of course the folk I refer to as "Amish" are merely off-shoots. They use electricity up there and drive cars. But of course living in the woods in Montana is also much more of a struggle than living in Pennsylvania in rolling farm land. They were selling some of their woodcrafts, quilts, pies, etc. We had a fantastic lunch of chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, cole slaw. It was really fabulous. They do look like the Amish...the men with their beards and hats, dark pants, long sleeved shirts and suspenders. The women in their long dresses and little hats (tiny bonnets?). Children, children everywhere. It was an interesting experience.

Then we drove back down the mountain, across the lake and to our campsite, where we cooked like we would never see food again. Ate until bloated. Blew bubbles, climbed trees, rode bikes, had a water fight, followed by more smores, a campfire and more drinks. Delightful.

Step On It!!

Friday night the Empress and I jumped in the car and headed to the airport to pick up T. She was elated as it was nearly two hours after her bedtime....and of course she was excited to see her dad. Originally, I had decided that we would get there early and hopefully catch the plane landing. See, she understands the part where he goes to Dallas and she understands the part about the airplane, however she seems to think that Dallas is in the sky and that is where the plane takes her daddy. I have explained it a dozen different ways, but she is certain that I am wrong. Oh, she also believes Santa and the Easter Bunny live in the sky. So, anyway, we left late and as we were dashing, I caught a glimpse of the plane making it's approach. We were still quite aways away so I told her we wouldn't get to see the plane land.

The Empress was perterbed and said to me. "Get this car moving as fast as it can carry us!"

The rest of our trip involved a discussion about "speed limits."

Wordless Wednesday (*sigh*)

The Lime In The Coconut

Tonight was Step By Step's Graduation program. So sweet. The Empress still has one year left of Preschool, but two of her buddies were moving on. They performed the much anticipated "The Lime In The Coconut." It was fabulous. They counted in three different languages, spoke Mandarin and danced and danced. The Empress was presented with a certificate and Teri said she thought our little star would be either a mathematician or a linguist. Apparently she corrects Teri's Mandarin pronunciation all the time. So sweet.

I Got Nothing!

Interesting. I have noticed something about having a blog. Suddenly, all the intelligent information, creative musings and funny anecdotes disappear. I believe I have what is known as "writer's block." I have nothing people, nothing. Of course I am not a writer or could ever be confused with one, but when you have a blog an expectation to write does exist. Each day I look at what I wrote previously. Each day I notice that yet another day has gone by and I have not blogged. I feel pressure and guilt. All of this is really quite curious.

Am I losing it? The ability to find interesting little quips in everyday life? I have a friend...well, I actually have two friends whose lives are fascinating. I have said dozens of times that they should write books. Seriously, I would buy them. One has amazingly funny things happen daily. She is like a Seinfeld character. The other friend is straight out of Sex and The City. I love her dearly, but do sometimes wonder whether she is making it all up. If ya know what I mean.

So, I struggle. And, because I struggle I am even boring myself. For that, I offer my apologies.