1) Its way more embarrassing falling upstairs instead of falling downstairs. 2) Working in cubicles means there’s just some things that people should never discuss on a personal phone call while at their desk. 3) Stale chocolate rice cakes tastes like the bottom of a cat litter box. Blech! (And no, I’ve never gone there and never will!!!) 4) The Terrible 2’s in puppy years has begun. Hide your shoes, your fingers, toes, socks, crumbs…Mooshu is on his way to visit you. (How could I forget that this stage? I hope he goes through it quickly…if not, I’ll be air mailing him to Alaska!) 5) When I usually bite my tongue once, normally it means that I’m going to bite it two more times. 6) There’s no better feeling than the feeling of being loved! 7) There were 3 menopausal women in the conference that I attended. How did I know? They carried their personal fans with them. Can you imagine if guys went through midlife and they had hot flashes - what that would look like? 8) I will never complain...

When I moved away from California, I left a lifetime of memories, family and friends. It was/is tough. I had my own little "community" or as the pastor of my old church used to call it, an "oikos". These are the people that were a part of my life on a regular basis and influenced and encouraged me and vice versa. They were the friends that I laughed with and hugged and shared recipes with and cheered for. They were the ones that I made an extra loaf of banana bread for or went yard saleing with. They were the people that prayed for me, sang with me, cried with me and got into mischief with me. I don't have that community anymore. Not even my daughters live close enough to spend time with as often as I'd like. But I realized that I do have friends in my life who mean the world to me...you...my blogging friends. I find that I often will include in a typical conversation, "My friend, Ina, who lives in Alaska..." or "I have a friend who's son,...

J and decided to postpone our honeymoon since we had so much going on the weekend of the wedding. J chose a bed and breakfast in Pacific City, Oregon that was beautiful, romantic and sigh....wonderful. Sandlake Country Inn was our romantic hideaway. We were pampered and treated like special guests the minute we arrived. This was the beautiful entry to bliss. There were snacks, tea, cookies, and coffee, homemade and delicious. As we walked into the sitting room, there was sounds of classical music playing. The owner was a talented violinist that had played in quite a few symphonies and she had a great collection of classical music. We had a sitting room, a kitchen and our private suite with a deck off of the bedroom. Every morning, there was a knock on the wall giving us the okay to head to the landing to pick up our four course breakfast in a basket. The food was delicious! This breathtaking view was a mile from the B&B. This is Pacific City's Haystack Rock. We ended our trip a...

One time, I was crying over something...maybe spilled milk and I looked in the mirror as I was crying. I had the uglies! I have never seen anyone cry and not have a case of the uglies. But, what I learned that what breaks forth from the uglies is something, pure and good and deep down raw. I have had a need to have a case of the uglies. Life can sometimes get hard and chaos seems to take over at a time when I just can't afford to have the uglies. My twin sister was sharing with me years ago, attending a funeral of her husband's grandmother. She said that she looked at the body in the casket and burst into tears. She had the case of the uglies. Her husband thought she was grieving and began rubbing her back and consoling her. Later, she admitted that she wasn't crying because of the grief, although it was quite sad but she was crying because who ever had embalmed Grandma, had turned her green. I'm so very thankful that I wasn't there. We both would've had a bad c...

On September 15, 1987, it was a day like no other. Sure, the Pope came to visit Los Angeles. (I only know that because we have the newspaper from that day). But something bigger, greater, better, fantastic..happened on that day. Ev'Yan Whitney was born. My baby girl, you changed my life in a way that is hard to describe in a short blog post. You showed me the many facets of love. From the very first glimpse of your face, I fell head over heels in love, knowing that there was nothing I wouldn't do for you. No, I didn't prepare for the naughtiness that seemed to come out of nowhere by the time you were 8 months old. You did everything way before your time from walking to talking to letting the whole world know that it was changed because of you. When I look at the young woman that you are now, I am filled with so much love and joy and of course, pride to not only call you my daughter but also my very best friend. We've had some pretty great journeys that have brought us t...

This boy has stolen my heart! He's taught me to be patient and realize that the crying, peeing and chewing will soon be a thing of the past. I still miss my Sam but I see Sam all through this little guy in the things he does. Here's Mooshu.

I love chocolate ice cream (that’s obvious) but I also love vanilla ice cream BUT only if vanilla is eaten on top of something or mixed with something like nuts, caramel, or apple pie or on a fudge sundae. Funny how in my love life, I chose vanilla over chocolate. Why?? My vanilla had so many things mixed inside of him that made him scrumptiously wonderful. In a world where racism is out of control, it’s hard to turn away from the questions I’m often asked. Lately, the question I’ve heard the most as I’ve announced our marriage is, “Is he Black or White? First, notice that the question isn’t, “Is he purple or green?” “He’s white.” (But that’s the outer layer and not the insides and the mixed in goodness.) Besides…..So???? J knows he’s white and so do I but what matter is how we love and respect one another. Here are a few misconceptions that are often tossed out in the open or even whispered. 1) Mixed race couples make beautiful babies. More the reason to have a chil...